17022021 - Insecurity: Nigeria heading to point of no return, unless....

Open 

grazing: 

Challenges 

(1) 

Business Magazine 

23 

Food inflation 

rises 20.6% 

•As price increases 

persist, headline 

inflation hits 16.5% in 

January 

19 

Clark, other N-Delta leaders, 

militants lambast Gumi 

5 

•For saying herdsmen learnt kidnapping from militants 

We’ll continue to work for 

Nigeria's unity — BUHARI 

AfCFTA: Mapping Nigeria's foray into Africa's single market 

9 

20 

VOL. 27: NO. 64273 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 

Insecurity: Nigeria heading to 

point of no return, unless.... 

— Ex-Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar 

•Says embers of disunity, anarchy, disintegration spreading 

fast•Urges govs to tone down their rhetoric, take full responsibility 

for managing frustrations within their states•Tasks service chiefs 

to deploy all resources needed for victory 

8 

Bandits kill 

village 

head, 10 

others, 

kidnap 20 

in Niger 6 

Mr & Mrs 

BORNO/YOBE ELDERS FORUM IN ASO ROCK—Borno State Governor, 

Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum (left); Mai Mala Buni, Governor of Yobe State 

(right) and others, when President Muhammadu Buhari received a delegation 

from Borno/Yobe Elders Forum in State House, Abuja, yesterday. 

Insecurity: Prove you don't support 

criminality, S-West govs tell FG 10 

COLUMNISTS 

OCHEREOME 16 AHMED 17 DEAR BUNMI 29

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 — 3

4 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021

vanguardnews 

@vanguardnews 

@vanguardnews 



By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South- 

South, Henry Umoru & Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA — The 

comment by a 

prominent 

Islamic cleric, Sheikh 

Ahmad Gumi, that 

herdsmen learned 

kidnapping from Niger 

Delta militants, has drawn 

the ire of people of the 

region who said the Niger 

Delta struggle is different 

from the heart-rending 

crimes being perpetrated 

by killer-herdsmen in the 

country. 

Lending his voice to the 

issue, South South 

Leader, Chief Edwin 

Clark lampooned Gumi, 

saying his statement 

that Fulani herdsmen and 

armed bandits learnt how 

to kidnap from Niger 

Delta militants was not 

only criminal, but 

obnoxious and stupid. 

These came on a day the 

House of Representatives 

told the Inspector-General 

of Police, Mohammed 

Adamu, that criminals, 

including killer herdsmen 

and bandits, have taken 

over all roads leading to 

Isuikwuato and 

Umunneochi Local 

Government areas of Abia 

State. 

Gumi had on a live 

television programme on 

AIT, said yesterday that 

bandits and criminal 

herdsmen learned 

kidnapping from the 

Movement for the 

Emancipation of the 

Niger Delta, MEND, 

adding that if militants 

could be granted amnesty, 

the same treatment should 

apply to the bandits and 

herdsmen. 

He said: “We didn’t take 

a different route of trying 

to solve this problem and 

that is why we are still 

here today. And when we 

say amnesty, we don’t 

mean that anyone proved 

to be involved in murder 

should go free as such. 

“They learnt 

kidnapping from MEND. 

I do not see any 

difference. They were the 

first victims of rustling. 

Their cattle is their oil. 

What we are seeing now 

is more of an insurgency 

than banditry. I can say 10 

percent of the herders are 

criminals, not 90 per cent. 

In the end, they took up 

weapons to protect 

themselves from 

extinction. 

“They can take care of 

the little remnants of 

criminals among 

themselves because they 

don’t want anybody to 

bring mayhem to them.” 

PANDEF slams 

Gumi 

•Chief Edwin Clark 

But reacting, the Pan- 

Niger Delta Forum, 

PANDEF, two top 

monarchs and agitators in 

Niger Delta, slammed the 

religious leader, Gumi, 

over his provocative 

outburst that herdsmen 

learned kidnapping from 

Niger Delta militants. 

Aside from PANDEF, 

former national chairman, 

Traditional Rulers of Oil 

Minerals Producing Areas 

of Nigeria, TROMPCON, 

and paramount ruler of 

Seimbiri Kingdom, Delta 

State, HRM Charles 

Ayemi-Botu; Ovie of 

Idjerhe Kingdom, Delta 

State, Udurhie I, HRM 

Monday Obukowho 

Whiskey; and 21st 

Century Youths for Niger 

Delta and Agitators with 

Conscience, 21st 

CYNDAC, also queried 

the sanity and spirituality 

of Gumi. 

National Publicity 

Secretary, PANDEF, Ken 

Robinson, told Vanguard: 

“PANDEF considers the 

statement by Sheikh 

•Sheikh Ahmad Gumi 

NEWS HOTLINES 

018773962, 

08052867058 

Gumi that herdsmen 

learned to kidnap from 

Niger Delta militants and 

that if Niger Delta 

militants could get 

amnesty, herdsmen 

should get same, as not 

only irrational, bizarre 

and outrageous, but a 

desperate attempt to 

underplay the horrendous 

crimes being perpetrated 

by killer herdsmen in the 

country. 

“What Gumi is 

invariably saying is that 

amnesty should be 

granted to armed robbers, 

Yahoo boys, sea pirates, 

bandits terrorizing North- 

West and parts of North- 

Central, and to Boko 

Haram terrorists. Of 

course, they are, 

reportedly, even 

recruiting so-called 

repentant Boko Haram 

terrorists into the 

Nigerian Army. It’s 

unthinkable. 

“Sheikh Gumi could 

push his ‘one-upmanship’ 

this far because we are 

more or less in a 

rudderless state. 

“On a more serious note, 

the saneness of that 

Sheikh needs to be 

interrogated. Nobody in 

the right frame of mind 

On arrest of Lekki Tollgate protesters by Police (3) 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021— 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

would make such an 

assertion, in the face of 

current occurrences.” 

Herdsmen have 

overrun the 

country, says 

Ayemi-Botu 

On his part, Seimbiri 

Kingdom monarch, HRM 

Ayemi-Botu said: “Tell 

Gumi to differentiate from 

Niger Delta militants 

marauding killer 

herdsmen, bandits and 

Boko Haram that have 

been killing, kidnapping 

and robbing innocent 

citizens throughout 

Nigeria 

and 

neighbouring West 

African countries with 

impunity and recklessly 

because President 

Muhammadu Buhari is 

the grand patron of 

herdsmen. 

“The three sets of killer 

squads have the same 

agenda which is to turn 

Nigeria to an Islamic 

state or caliphate, thus 

completing Usman Dan 

Fodio’s uncompleted 

jihad. Under the pretext 

of cattle rearing, the 

entire country is under 

siege and has been 

overrun by herdsmen 

from all over West African 

states. 

“Everybody is miffed 

because the President is 

nonchalant about the 

mayhem being unleashed 

daily until the wicked 

agenda is achieved. God 

forbid,” he said. 

Spiritual 

evaluation 

needed 

— Whiskey 

The Ovie of Idjerhe, 

HRM Whiskey, in his 

reaction, said: “If actually 

the respected Islamic cleric 

made such indicting 

statement about the 

situation in the Niger 

Delta where oppressed 

people were fighting for 

their legitimate survival 

and drawing international 

attention to organised 

conspiracy against our 

region, then he needs 

spiritual evaluation to 

know if he actually 

represents the institution 

he claims to represent. 

“You cannot and should 

never compare outright 

criminality with a regional 

outcry against institutional 

conspiracy. If Sheikh 

Gumi can advocate 

amnesty for criminal 

elements like bandits, 

then the security agencies 

need to invite him to throw 

more light on bandits’ 

operation and possibly 

their sponsors since he 

now knows so much about 

them. 

“The country is in a bad 

Continues on Page 27 

By Yinka Latona 

THE Human Rights 

Act is created for a 

reason and the unlawful 

arrest and dehumanization 

of peaceful protesters 

clearly is a denial of those 

rights. If we claim we 

practice democracy, I see 

no reason why a peaceful 

protest should be fought 

against. The government 

has clearly shown its 

people via its response to 

the protest that Democracy 

is only but a façade. 

—Obe Temitoyosi, 

Analyst 

THIS is an 

indication that 

this govt. has no respect 

for human rights. This 

attitude is like making 

mockery of the country 

amongst comity of 

nations. Let citizens 

express their 

dissatisfaction in the 

poor governance of this 

country. Is that too 

much to ask? 

—Olaide Oyewole, 

Analyst 

T HIS unlawful, 

inhuman and unruly 

act is so disheartening. 

Without any doubt, the 

arrest of peaceful protesters 

at Lekki Tollgate is against our 

fundamental human rights. 

I could remember vividly that 

the likes of the president and 

his caucus protested against 

the Jonathan administration 

on fuel price increase without 

any intimidation by govt. but 

the reverse is the case today 

under same President Buhari 

and Gov. Babajide Sanwo- 

Olu. 

—Abdulkadir Yusuf, 

Good Governance Advocate 

POSTERITY won’t be 

kind to the APC-led govt. 

as they constantly stripped us 

of our human rights. Lekki 

Tollgate incidence proved 

exactly as stated in paragraph 

23 of #EndSARS Presidential 

speech! But the limits of 

oppressors are prescribed by 

the endurance of the 

oppressed. We must continue 

to show our oppressors that 

there is no limit to our 

endurance, we cannot be 

broken. 

—Jude Oseh, Devt. 

Advocate 

THE 

protesters 

should act as human 

so as not to be 

dehumanized. Why try to 

start another war? What’s 

their business with govt. 

making tollgate a source of 

revenue? They refused to 

heed govt’s call to cancel 

the protest. So I don’t blame 

the govt. but the protesters. 

They got what they 

deserved. 

—Ugbodaga Anethekai, 

Engineer 

THE arrest of 

peaceful protesters 

at Lekki Tollgate is totally 

wrong and against the 

fundamental human 

rights of Nigerians. That 

act is barbaric and 

insensitive. 

It shows that our 

government has not 

learnt from the October 

20, 2020 Lekki 

incidence. 

—John Shokoya, 

Medical Practitioner

6— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 

Court remands 

18-year-old 

housewife over 

alleged murder 

of hubby’s 

fiancée 

A 

Kano Chief Magistrates’ 

Court, yesterday, ordered 

the remand of an 18-year-old 

housewife, Suwaiba Shuaibu, in 

prison for allegedly stabbing her 

husband’s 17-year-old fiancée 

to death. 

Shuaibu, who resides at 

Gimawa village in Doguwa 

Local Government Area of 

Kano, is standing trial on a count 

charge of culpable homicide. 

It would be recalled that the 

state police command had on 

January 19, arrested the 

defendant for allegedly stabbing 

her husband’s fiancée. 

The prosecutor, Asma’u Ado, 

told the court that the defendant 

committed the offence on 

January 1, at Gimawa village, 

Kano. 

She said on the same date, at 

about 10:00 pm, the defendant 

called the deceased, Aisha 

Kabir, of the same address 

through her phone. 

The prosecutor said: “In the 

process, the defendant 

deceived and lured the victim 

into an uncompleted building, 

situated at Gimawa village, 

attacked and stabbed her with 

a sharp knife on her neck and 

chest." 

The defendant, however, 

denied committing the offence. 

According to the prosecutor, 

the offence contravenes Section 

221 of the Penal Code. 

The Chief Magistrate, 

Mustapha Sa’ad-Datti, ordered 

that the defendant be remanded 

in a correctional centre, pending 

legal advice from the office of 

state Director of Public 

Prosecutions (DPP). 

Motorcyclists 

protest death of 

colleague in 

Ogun 

By James 

Ogunnaike 

ABEOKUTA— Commercial 

motorcyclists, yesterday, 

went on the rampage in 

Sagamu, Sagamu Local 

Government Area of Ogun State, 

protesting the death of one of 

them. 

It was gathered that the 

deceased motorcyclist lost his life 

while attempting to resist arrest 

by a task force team put in place 

by the local government 

authority after allegedly driving 

against traffic. 

It was gathered that the 

motorcycle rider fell and hit his 

head on the ground and died 

instantly. 

The development threw the 

entire town into confusion as 

motorcycle riders in their 

numbers protested against the 

action of the taskforce. 

The protesters were said to 

have destroyed vehicles and 

other valuables, while residents 

scampered for safety and many 

business outlets hurriedly closed 

Contacted, the state Police 

Public Relations Officer, 

Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed 

the incident. 

Bandits kill village head, 10 others; kidnap 

20 in Niger •Wife of slain monarch also abducted 

By Wole Mosadomi 

BANDITS, yesterday, killed the 

village head of Kusherki in 

Rafi Local Government Area of 

Niger State, Alhaji Masud 

Abubakar, and 10 other villagers. 

The bandits also kidnapped 20 

villagers from different 

communities in the area while the 

wife of the slain traditional ruler 

was among those kidnapped. 

It was gathered that the bandits 

numbering up to 50 were said to 

have invaded the communities on 

motorcycles armed with AK-47 

rifles and other dangerous 

weapons as they rode from village 

to village shooting sporadically 

and ended up killing 11 people, 

including the village head. 

Among the 11 killed were five 

members of the local vigilante and 

other youths supporting the 

vigilante men. 

It was reliably gathered that the 

bandits started from Kasuwe 

village and moved from there to 

other villages killing and maiming 

innocent villagers. 

They were also said to have 

moved from house to house and 

carted away valuables and 

foodstuffs. 

Just as the invasion was on in 

these communities, another set of 

bandits were also reported to have 

blocked the major highway from 

Sarkin Pawa to Minna, leaving 

motorists to scamper for safety. 

Secretary of Munyan Local 

Government Area, Mr James 

Jagaba, confirmed the attack but 

could not ascertain if people were 

abducted or not. 

According to him, “I cannot give 

details of what happened now but 

members of the vigilante are still 

battling with the bandits. 

Reacting to the incessant 

banditry, especially in the past 

three days, the state government 

in a statement by Chief Press 

Secretary to Governor Abubakar 

Police arrest 7 for alleged car-snatching in Imo 

By Chinonso Alozie 

O WERRI—SEVEN 

persons have been 

arrested in Imo State, over 

alleged stealing of vehicles, 

days after they were said to 

have been released from prison 

on the same offence. 

The state Police Public 

Relations Officer, Orlando 

Ikeokwu, who disclosed this, 

yesterday, in Owerri, said the 

arrest was made possible after 

the Imo police got a distress call 

from Aba in Abia State. 

The police said: “On February 

1, 2021, based on a distress call 

from Aba, Abia State, informing 

the command that some 

hoodlums snatched one Lexus 

350 SUV, with number plate, 

KSF 758 FS, and were believed 

to be moving towards Imo 

State. 

“Upon receipt of the report, 

operatives of the Command’s 

Quick Intervention Team, 

QUIT, swung into action. 

“However, at the point of 

arrest, the stolen SUV was 

recovered from them. It is 

noteworthy that the suspects 

were all released from Aba 

prison after serving their jail 

terms on a similar offence.” 

On how the suspects 

operated, the police said: 

“They all confessed to the 

crime and explained their 

various roles in the operation. 

The suspects 

"Amado Kenedy, Igilegbe 

Chinendu and Nwaorie Moses 

are the operational members, 

whose responsibility was to 

snatch the vehicle while 

Godfrey Ntosi, Chinedu Agwu, 

Ejiofor Egwe and Eze 

Obinwanne were saddled with 

the responsibility of rebranding 

the snatched vehicle, 

removal of tracking and 

security devices installed in the 

vehicle, as well as sale of the 

vehicles. 

"Arrangement is at advanced 

stage to transfer them to Abia 

State for further investigation 

and prosecution.” 

Boko Haram razes over 140 houses 

in Borno village 

By Ndahi Marama 

MAIDUGURI—OVER 140 

residential houses were 

reportedly set ablaze when 

suspected members of the dreaded 

Boko Haram sect invaded Egiri, Zira 

I and II villages of Biu Local 

Government Area in Southern 

Borno senatorial district. 

It was gathered that the bandits 

also carted away foodstuffs and 

livestock, after displacing hundreds 

of people from the three settlements 

Sunday night. 

Ali Yusuf, who is now taking 

refuge in Biu town after fleeing from 

Zira 1, said before the bandits came, 

the people had fled the town, adding 

that the insurgents came through 

Garin Mallam village to attack Egiri 

before proceeding to Zira I and II, 

as they wreak havoc without 

confrontation. 

He said: “We were lucky to have 

gotten information about the 

impending attacks, so we quickly 

mobilised our family members 

including women and children and 

fled before the insurgents stormed 

these communities.” 

Yusuf, however, said no life was 

lost as the insurgents met the all 

affected villages deserted, but 

notwithstanding, the attackers set 

ablaze about 20 houses in Egiri, 50 

houses in Zira I and 75 others in 

Zira II. 

His words: “We are terrified by the 

latest attacks by insurgents in our 

hitherto peaceful communities. 

He appealed to the government 

and other security agencies to come 

to their aid, as most of them are 

displaced with no means of 

livelihood. 

All efforts to get confirmation from 

the Police Public Relations Officer, 

DSP Edet Okon, proved abortive at 

press time, but a reliable security 

source in Biu Local Government 

Area confirmed the recent 

destruction by the insurgents in the 

three communities. 

The recovered car. 

Bello, Mrs Mary Noel-Berje, 

described the situation as callous 

and regrettable. 

She said: “The murder of the 

traditional ruler is callous, 

regrettable and it is a challenge to 

the security agencies to intensify 

their search to fish-out and ensure 

that the perpetrators of such 

heinous acts are brought to 

justice. 

“The situation, particularly in the 

last 72 hours, has become 

alarming. Efforts are ongoing to 

secure the release of the abducted 

NSTA passengers. The 

development is becoming more 

worrisome." 

Miscreants on rampage, attack 

LAWMA officials during enforcement 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

AT least two officers of the 

Lagos State Waste 

Management Authority, 

LAWMA, Enforcement and 

Monitoring Team, EMT, 

sustained injuries when they 

were attacked while enforcing 

the environmental sanitation 

law against nuisances in Ajah 

area of the state. 

Stones and other dangerous 

weapons were used by 

suspected miscreants and street 

traders during the operation at 

Ajah roundabout, along Lekki- 

Epe Expressway, Lagos Island. 

One of the officers reportedly 

sustained a head injury, while 

the other sustained rib injury. 

Speaking on the attack, 

LAWMA Managing Director, 

Ibrahim Odumboni, 

condemned the incessant 

attacks on the agency’s 

personnel carrying out their 

official duties in the task of 

ensuring the general 

cleanliness of the environment, 

warning that such will no 

longer be tolerated by the state 

government as they will not be 

deterred by such act. 

Odumboni said: “Some 

miscreants said to be street 

traders attacked our personnel 

at Ajah flyover bridge area of 

the state while on enforcement 

operation, using stones and 

other dangerous weapons. 

“Our officials were dislodging 

street traders and squatters in 

some slums in the area who 

have turned the sheds into 

criminal hideouts. 

“No level of resistance and 

intimidation by hoodlums can 

deter us on our resolve to clean 

up the entire metropolis.”

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021—7 

How Ondo Chief Judge detained me for 3 

years — Stepbrother 

By Dayo Johnson 

AKURE—A man, identified as 

Olupelumi Fagboyegun, 

yesterday, alleged that the Chief 

Judge of Ondo State, Olarenwaju 

Akeredolu, detained him for three 

years for going to their father’s 

house. 

Olupelumi, who claimed to be a 

stepbrother to the Chief Judge, 

made the allegation in a viral video. 

Fagboyegun said: “The 

Honourable Chief Justice of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria, I am 

calling you to please rescue me from 

the hands of the Ondo State 

Judiciary that is being run like a 

family affair, that if you don’t know 

anybody, you cannot get justice. 

“I have been living abroad for the 

past 30 years; I came on holiday to 

Nigeria to my father’s house 

because I share the same father with 

the Chief Judge of Ondo State, I 

was arrested at my father’s clave, I 

was locked up, I was charged with 

forceful entry into my father’s house. 

“Even if I was convicted of this 

crime, it only carries one-year prison 

penalty but I am being on open 

remand for the past three years. 

“This case has been going on for 

the past three years because the 

Chief Judge is using her power to 

influence the judicial system, I have 

been unable to get justice. They 

have changed judges five times, 

they have re-arraigned me five 

times, they have changed their 

charges five times and up till today, 

February 15, 2021, that I am talking 

to you, the case is still pending. 

Please come and rescue me. 

“The Ondo State government 

cannot help me because the Ondo 

State government is a family 

business. Buhari should rescue me 

from the hands of this woman so 

that I can go back to my family. I 

want to go back to my children. I 

am a single parent. 

“This woman is keeping me here 

for the past three years for coming 

to my father’s house. Please help 

me I want to go back to my family.” 

Chief Judge refutes 

allegations 

In her defence, Justice Akeredolu 

said: “What is happening is the 

handiwork of some persons who are 

using Mr. Olupelumi Fagboyegun 

against my family. 

“Two years after my father died, 

somebody bearing his name filed a 

suit against my mum, two of my 

brothers, and the eldest male of my 

father’s family, stating that they 

should exhume my father’s body 

and do a DNA because the man in 

question alleged to be my father’s 

son.” 

She stated that the said man filed 

a Writ of Summons, which was 

served on her mum which itself 

made her mum agitated and 

embarrassed. 

“I had to call the lawyer and asked 

what was behind the action. In 

response, the lawyer, who filed the 

writ told me that Mr. Olupelumi 

Fagboyegun alleged that he was 

born in the household of my 

grandmother; and that, his mother 

was living with my grandmother 

when he was born. 

“When I asked who the 

grandmother was, he said the 

person in question was my father’s 

mother. I then told him that the 

woman died in 1967." 

One or two years after my mum 

died, he went to one of my father’s 

premises, where my cousin wanted 

to establish a poultry 

farm. One morning, he 

went with thugs 

wielding cutlasses, but 

he was prevented from 

entering the premises. 

“The police looked 

into the matter and by 

the time police got 

there, he had escaped,’ 

she stressed. 

She also narrated that 

the matter is before the 

Magistrate's Court and 

that she does not know 

the magistrate 

handling the matter; 

also, she has not shown 

interest in the matter, 

adding that 

Fagboyegun is being 

used by some people. 

Justice Akeredolu 

said: “They should ask 

the said Mr. 

Olupelumi Fagboyegun which 

police station or prison is keeping 

him and by whose order. God will 

expose evil-doers to shame and to 

ridicule.” 

Akeredolu orders probe 

In a swift response, Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu in a tweet said: “I 

have instructed my Attorney- 

General to investigate the 

allegations; we will ensure the 

investigation is thorough, fair and 

transparent.” 

Also reacting, the Attorney- 

General and Justice Commissioner, 

Charles Titiloye, said the governor 

has directed that the allegation be 

investigated. 

• It’s handiwork of some persons 

against my family—Chief Judge 

•As Akeredolu orders probe 

Olupelumi Fagboyegun. 

Titiloye, in a statement, said the 

governor has directed the 

Department of Public Prosecution, 

DPP, to immediately investigate the 

allegation made against the Chief 

Judge of Ondo State, Justice O. O. 

Akeredolu by Mr. Olupelumi 

Fagboyegun (her brother) in a video 

that went viral on social media 

platform on February 15, 2015 

wherein he alleged that Ondo State 

judiciary and courts were being 

used by the Chief Judge to 

persecute him and keep him in 

custody for the past three years on 

trumped-up criminal allegation of 

unlawful entry into his father’s 

house. 

Olarenwaju Akeredolu, 

State, Chief Judge. 

Ondo 

“Investigation into the matter will 

be thorough, fair and transparent 

to assure the public that Governor 

Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s 

administration in Ondo State is 

determined to preserve the integrity 

of the courts and the judiciary and 

ensure that it remains the last hope 

of the common man. 

“The Attorney-General, who 

assumed office November, 30, 2020 

said his office is yet to be briefed of 

the criminal case and has directed 

the Department of Public 

Prosecutions in the Ministry of 

Justice to investigate the allegations 

contained in the online video clip 

and report back to him within 24 

hours.” 

Police parade man caught with human legs, others in 

Osun 

By Shina Abubakar 

OSOGBO—A 40-year-old 

herbalist, Adeboye 

Moshood, caught with human 

legs and other body parts, was 

yesterday, paraded by the Osun 

State Police Command 

Addressing journalists at the 

state Police Command 

headquarters in Osogbo, 

Commissioner of Police, Olawale 

Olokode, said Moshood 

confessed to having cut off the 

human legs and flesh at Iworo 

area of Gbongan, Ayedaade Local 

Government Area of the state. 

According to the CP, the police 

received a tip-off that the man 

brought human parts into his 

house yesterday morning 

(Tuesday) leading operatives of 

the force to invade his house to 

effect his arrest. 

“He confessed to have stolen the 

two human legs and the flesh from 

a body at Iworo area of Gbongan 

town. He will be arraigned in court 

once the investigation is 

concluded,” he said. 

Fielding questions from 

journalists, Moshood said he 

found the dead body on his way 

from Modakeke at Iwaro and 

discovered it would be useful for 

money ritual. 

“I went to Modakeke on 

Monday and while I was 

returning, I stopped by at Iwaro 

where I saw a corpse. I was scared 

but I realised it will be useful for 

me, then I cut it out for money 

ritual. I am a farmer and 

herbalist,” he said. 

Three other suspects, Muyiwa 

Moshood 

Abereijo, 28, Sunday Clement, 20 

and Joseph Emmanuel, 25, who 

specialised in stealing motorcycles 

in Ile-Ife area of the state were 

also paraded. 

According to the CP, they were 

arrested on February 2 upon a tipoff 

in Ile-Ife and two of the 

suspects were identified by 

victims. 

He said: “They confessed to 

have successfully stolen 25 

motorcycles within Ile-Ife. Two 

victims were invited and have 

identified two of the suspects as 

those who snatched their 

motorcycles. 

"They were also caught with a 

locally cut to size gun, effort is on 

to arrest the receivers of the stolen 

motorcycles.” 

Suspected 

cultists shoot 

Makurdi varsity 

female student 

Late Jessica. 

By Peter Duru 

MAKURDI—A female student 

of Benue State University, 

Miss Jessica Agee, was Monday 

night reportedly shot dead at her 

Gyado Villa residence, adjacent to 

the campus, by unknown gunmen 

suspected to be cultists. 

An eyewitness, who spoke on 

condition of anonymity, said the 

armed men broke into the residence 

of the student at about 10 pm, shot 

her and fled. 

He said: “The young men 

suspected to be cultists stormed her 

one-room apartment at about 10 pm 

shot her and ran away without 

picking anything from the house. 

“The sound of the gunshot created 

pandemonium in Gyado Villa, 

especially among the large BSU 

students community, who reside in 

that area of Makurdi town.” 

Vanguard also gathered that 

earlier in the day, the institution had 

witnessed heavy sporadic gunshots 

by unknown persons at the vicinity 

of the Faculty of Law, creating fear 

and anxiety in the institution. 

Though no official statement has 

been issued by the institution on the 

matter, Head of Information of the 

university, Mr Tser Vanger, who 

confirmed the earlier sporadic 

shooting around the law faculty, said 

he had no detail of the murder of 

the female student. 

Contacted, Dean of Students 

Affairs, Prof. Emmanuel Ortor, said: 

“I have been sick and have not 

been to the office for some time now 

so I have no detail of the incident.” 

The Police Public Relations Officer, 

Catherine Anene, who confirmed 

the murder, said the body of the 

student had been deposited in a 

morgue while an investigation into 

the matter was ongoing. 

7 children feared killed as explosion rocks 

Zamfara community 

AT least seven children 

were feared dead 

following an explosion that 

rocked Magami village in 

Maradun Local Government 

Area of Zamfara State. 

Confirming the incident, 

yesterday, Commissioner for 

Security and Home Affairs 

Abubakar Dauran, said the 

victims went to the bush in 

search of firewood when they 

picked an explosive device 

and began playing with it, and 

shortly after, it exploded. 

While six were said to have 

died instantly, others were left 

with various degrees of 

injuries. 

Those who sustained injuries 

were immediately rushed to a 

hospital in Gusau, the state 

capital for medical attention. 

According to the 

Commissioner for Security 

and Home Affairs, he later got 

information that one person 

among the victims that were 

hospitalised also died. 

Dauran said the state had 

put measures in place to 

prevent future occurrences of 

such. 

Meanwhile, the Police 

Command in the state under 

the leadership of the 

Commissioner of Police, Abutu 

Yaro, has created 10 additional 

Police Out Stations in different 

villages of the state. 

He has also deployed 

Tactical and Conventional 

Police Personnel to the newly 

created outstations to 

promptly respond to distress 

calls and provide effective and 

efficient security services to 

the communities so that 

members of the public can 

have the confidence to go 

about their legitimate 

businesses.

8 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 

:Vanguard News 

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

FOR JAKANDE: 

Dr. Rotimi 

Oladele, former 

President of 

Nigerian Institute 

of Public Relations, 

NIPR signing the 

condolence register 

for late former 

governor of Lagos 

State, Alhaji Lateef 

Kayode Jakande at 

NIJ Ogba, Ikeja 

yesterday, while 

Provost of Nigerian 

Institute of 

Journalism, NIJ, 

Mr. Gbenga 

Adefaye looks on. 

Insecurity: Nigeria heading to point of no return, 

unless... — ex-Head of State, Gen. Abubakar 

By Wole Mosadomi 

M 

I N N A — 

FORMER Head of 

State, General Abdulsalami 

Abubakar, retd, said yesterday 

that the country stood the risk 

of disintegration, if the violence 

currently spreading in the 

system was allowed to fester. 

Consequently, the former 

head of state, whose warning 

came against the backdrop of 

recent ethnic clashes, 

insurgency, banditry and 

kidnapping across the country, 

urged Nigerians to remain 

calm. 

Addressing journalists in his 

uphill residence in Minna, 

Niger State, Abubakar said the 

recent spread of violence across 

the country, if not carefully 

handled, might lead Nigeria to 

a point of no return. 

He called on all Nigerians, 

especially the governors, to take 

full responsibility in managing the 

divergent voices and frustrations 

within their states that could fuel 

disunity, anarchy and 

disintegration. 

General Abubakar, who is the 

chairman of the National Peace 

Committee, NPC, said: “As if the 

continued insurgency in the 

country, the kidnap and armed 

robbery are not cup full, the 

recent happenings in some parts 

of the country, of ethnic attacks, 

is unfortunate and is adding to 

the problems. 

“In the last two weeks or so, 

tension has been growing in 

the country and embers of 

disunity, anarchy and 

disintegration are spreading 

fast and if care is not taken, this 

might lead us to a point of no 

return. 

“We at the National Peace 

Committee, wish to add our 

voice to the voices of millions 

of Nigerians calling for calm in 

these difficult times because 

these times demand that we all 

join hands to resolve our 

challenges so as to keep our 

country united. We do not have 

the luxury of trading blames. 

“Thousands of our people are 

homeless and have refugees 

across the length and breadth 

of their own country. 

“We know the difficulties that 

our farmers have faced in the last 

few years and that the harvests 

will be a serious challenge this 

year. 

‘’Therefore, let us all rally 

in these hard times, make 

the required sacrifices and 

remain vigilant, standing by 

one another.’’ 

General Abubakar also 

appealed to governors of states 

to sheathe their swords, saying 

“they should tone down their 

rhetoric and take full 

responsibility for managing the 

divergent voices and frustrations 

within their states. 

“It is true that we are all in a 

states of fear and collective 

anxiety. However, the last thing 

we need is for the enemy to sense 

a lack of unity on our part or a 

break in our ranks.’’ 

His admonition to the 

governors came on the heels 

of the verbal exchange 

between Bauchi State 

governor, Bala Mohammed, 

and his Ondo State 

counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu, 

over the propriety of herdsmen 

bearing AK47 rifles. 

While the Bauchi governor 

justified the action of the 

herders, claiming they were not 

being protected by the 

government, Akeredolu 

described his statement as 

provocative. 

Abubakar also urged the new 

service chiefs and the Inspector 

General of Police to rise to the 

urgent demands of the moment. 

“You need to rally your troops 

and design the best strategy to 

end this tragic war that has 

continued to consume and 

destroy the foundations of our 

dear country. 

“We hope that based on your 

field experiences in this war, you 

can draw up a well co-ordinated 

programme to ensure that all our 

resources are deployed to 

achieve the much needed victory 

in this avoidable war,” he charged 

the security chiefs. 

The former head of state also 

called on traditional institutions, 

religious leaders as well as 

development associations, 

including Non Governmental 

Organisations, NGOs, to work 

towards mobilizing Nigerians on 

the need to live in peace with 

one another. 

Recall that ethnic tensions, 

particularly, in the South West, 

had recently gripped the country, 

especially in Oyo, Ondo and 

Ogun states, following clashes 

between the Yoruba and Fulani 

herders on one hand, and the 

Hausas on the other hand. 

These are exclusive of the 

spate of terrorist attacks, banditry, 

kidnapping, cattle-rustling and 

armed robbery in the different 

parts of the country. 

Illegal fire arms: Senate seeks stiffer punishment for offenders 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA—THE Senate has 

moved to impose stiffer 

penalty for those in possession of 

illegal firearms in Nigeria to serve 

as a deterrent tom potential 

offenders. 

According to the Senate, the 

action is, among others, designed 

to control influx of illicit firearms 

into the country. 

It also raised the alarm that of 

the estimated 500 million 

weapons circulating in West 

Africa, 350 million, representing 

70%, were in Nigeria. 

The Senate equally called for 

the establishment of a 

comprehensive disarmament 

and arms destruction ceremony 

for Nigeria that should be carried 

out through the Office of the 

National Security Adviser, Major- 

Gen Babagana Monguno, 

retd, to ensure that 

confiscated illegal firearms do 

not re-enter the society. 

This is even as the move by 

the Senate to amend the 50- 

year-old Firearms Act yesterday 

scaled second reading. 

The bill was referred to the 

Senate Committee on Judiciary, 

Human Rights and Legal 

Matters, led Senator Opeyemi 

Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, for 

further legislative work and report 

back at Plenary within four weeks. 

The move by the Senate 

followed a bill seeking to amend 

the Principal Act, sponsored by 

Senator Uba Sani, APC, Kaduna 

Central, entitled ‘’Firearms CAP 

F28 LFN 2004( Amendment) Bill, 

2021( SB. 549).’’ 

The Senate called for the 

provision of a stipulated time 

within which the destruction of 

unserviceable firearms must be 

carried out, except where there 

was a valid court order to the 

contrary. 

According to the Upper 

Chamber, there is the urgent 

need to proffer an effective, 

coordinated and sustained 

legislative strategy to address the 

underlying factors encouraging 

the circulation of arms and 

concurrently block the outlets 

through which illicit firearms are 

proliferated. 

The Senate resolved that 

proactive measures must be 

taken to stop easy access to and 

re-circulation of illegal arms in 

communities. 

Earlier in his lead debate, 

sponsor of the bill, Senator Sani, 

noted that the major objective of 

the bill was to impose stiffer 

penalty for offences under the Act 

to serve asa deterrent as well as 

strengthen current efforts by 

government to control the influx 

of illegal firearms. 

According to him, the bill makes 

provision for the destruction of 

firearms brought into the country 

illegally. 

Arguing further that the 

amendment would help Nigeria 

address its current security 

challenges, Sani said: ‘’The Bill 

seeks to impose stiffer penalty for 

offences in the Principal Act, and 

provide for the destruction of 

firearms imported illegally into the 

country or in the possession of 

individuals without valid licences. 

“You will recall that the bill was 

first read on the floor of this Senate 

on November 25, 2020. The main 

aim of the proposed amendments 

is to curtail the proliferation of 

illegal arms and bring the existing 

law in line with global best 

practices. The amendment will 

also effectively address some of 

the security challenges currently 

plaguing Nigeria. 

“The United Nations Regional 

Centre for Peace and 

Disarmament in Africa, UNREC, 

recently reported that 

proliferation of illicit small arms 

and light weapons, SALW, in 

Nigeria has reached an alarming 

proportion. Analysts estimate 

that out of the 500 million 

weapons that may be circulating 

in West Africa, 350mMillion, 

which represents 70% of such 

weapons, can be found in Nigeria. 

Buhari to Ambassadors: Strive 

to promote trade, foreign direct 

investment 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

urged ambassadors-designate, 

consuls-general and charge’ d’ 

Affaires to continually project the 

strengths of Nigeria, showcase 

priorities of the government and 

uphold standards that will bring 

honour to the country. 

President Buhari gave the 

charge at the virtual induction / 

orientation held for them at the 

National Intelligence Agency, 

NIA, auditorium. 

In a statement issued by the 

Special Adviser to the President 

on Media and Publicity, Chief 

Femi Adesina, yesterday, the 

President told the diplomats to 

always be mindful of the policy 

direction of the government, 

particularly the nine priorities it 

had listed. 

He further charged them to 

strive to promote trade, human 

capacity development, foreign 

direct investment and other areas 

of cooperation with countries at 

national and multilateral levels 

to support national growth and 

development. 

He said: “You must not forget 

that you have been posted to 

your respective bilateral and 

multilateral missions to represent 

and project Nigeria as a great and 

Buhari appoints Abdulrasheed 

Bawa as substantive EFCC boss 

By Henry Umoru & 

Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A 

B 

U J A — 

PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

appointed Abdulrasheed Bawa as 

the substantive chairman of the 

Economic and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC. 

Recall that President Buhari 

had last year suspended the 

Acting chairman of the anticorruption 

agency, Ibrahim 

Magu, over corruption 

allegations. 

The appointment of Bawa, 40, 

as the EFCC boss was contained 

in a statement issued by the 

Special Adviser to the President 

on Media and Publicity, Chief 

Femi Adesina, in Abuja 

yesterday. 

In a letter to President of the 

Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, 

President Buhari said he was 

indivisible nation and a very 

attractive investment 

destination. 

“In our effort to achieve 

realistic development-oriented 

domestic and foreign policies, the 

government has identified nine 

priority areas to guide our policy 

directions and thrust within the 

time frame of 2019-2023. 

“These are: build a thriving and 

sustainable economy; 

enhance social inclusion and 

reduce poverty; enlarge 

agricultural output for food 

security and export; attain energy 

sufficiency in power and 

petroleum products; expand 

transport and other 

infrastructural development; 

expand business opportunities, 

entrepreneurship and 

industrialization; expand access 

to quality education, affordable 

healthcare and productivity of 

Nigerians.’’ 

The President also noted that 

the priorities include building a 

system to fight corruption, 

improve governance, create 

social cohesion and improve 

security for all. 

“I, therefore, urge all of you to 

be guided by these identified 

priority goals, as well as your 

various station charters which 

highlight specific mandates and 

guidelines on government’s 

expectation. We expect you to 

fight hard for Nigeria and for 

Nigerians abroad.'' 

Federal High Court stops payment 

of filing fees in human rights cases 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—THE Federal High 

Court has stopped the 

charging of filing fees in the 

prosecution of human rights 

cases. 

Chief Judge of the High Court, 

Justice John Tsoho, gave the 

directive in a circular yesterday, 

by an Assistant Chief Registrar 

(Litigation) of the court, Jane 

Egbo. 

Prior to the directive, applicants 

in fundamental rights 

enforcement suits were 

mandated to pay filing fees before 

their cases are assigned to a 

Judge for hearing. 

acting in accordance with Paragraph 

2(3) of Part1, CAP E1 of 

EFCC Act 2004. 

“Bawa, 40, is a trained EFCC 

investigator with vast experience 

in the investigation and 

prosecution of Advance Fee 

Fraud cases, official corruption, 

bank fraud, money laundering, 

and other economic crimes. 

“ He has undergone several 

specialized trainings in different 

parts of the world, and was one of 

the pioneer EFCC Cadet Officers 

in 2005. He holds a B.Sc degree 

in Economics, and Masters in 

International Affairs and 

Diplomacy,’’ the statement read. 

Meanwhile, the letter was read 

by the Senate President on the 

floor of the Senate yesterday. 

With this letter from President 

Buhari to the Senate, the 

suspended former acting 

chairman of the EFCC, 

Ibrahim Magu, is effectively 

out of the system. 

Such litigants were also 

required to pay default fees when 

processes are filed outside the 

period allowed by rules of the 

court. 

However, the new circular, 

entitled: Re; Monetary claims 

and default fees in 

fundamental right 

applications, read: “I have 

been directed by the Chief Judge 

of the Federal High Court, 

Justice Tsoho to inform all 

DCRs (Deputy Chief 

Registrars) and Station 

Registrars that henceforth, 

monetary claims and default 

fees in respect of fundamental 

human right applications should 

no longer be charged. Be so 

informed and comply accordingly.''

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 — 9 

From left: 

Representative 

of the 

founder, Kesington 

Adebukunola 

Adebutu 

Foundation, 

Chief Kola 

Oyefeso; President, 

Eko 

Club, Dr. Ade 

Dosunmu, 

with Erelu of 

Lagos, Abiola 

Dosunmu, 

during the inauguration 

of 

Kesington 

Adebutu 

Pools and 

Garden of the 

Club, in Lagos. 


We'll continue to work for Nigreia's 

unity —Buhari 

•Says stability of Nigeria his priority 

•Vows to identify, deal with people 

constituting nuisance; 

•Senator Ndume absent at Borno, 

Yobe elders meeting at Aso Rock 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

ABUJA — PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari 

said yesterday that his administration 

will continue to work 

for the stability of Nigeria and 

succeed over those who don’t 

need the unity of the country. 

He also vowed to identify and 

deal with what he described 

as the small number of people 

with resources and influence 

that are constituting a 

nuisance to the oneness of the 

country. Buhari stated this 

when he received a delegation 

of Borno/Yobe Elders Forum 

who paid him a courtesy 

visit at the Presidential Villa, 

Abuja. 

But the senator representing 

Borno South and Chairman, 

Senate Committee on Army, 

Senator Ali Ndume, who has 

been a vocal voice from Borno 

State was conspicuously 

absent at the meeting. 

President Buhari told his 

guests that the stability of the 

country was of paramount 

interest to him, adding that 

the federal government 

would continue to work towards 

it, despite the actions 

of a few people. 

In a statement issued by his 

Special Adviser on Media and 

Publicity, the President said: 

“We need this country. We will 

continue to work for its stability. 

I feel that whatever happens, 

we will continue to make 

it, and will keep on praying to 

God so that for those who feel 

that they don’t need Nigeria, 

we will succeed over their intentions 

and actions.” He attributed 

the upheavals in 

some parts of the country to a 

few people with resources and 

influence, assuring that they 

would be identified and dealt 

with in due course. 

He said: “I am confident 

that we will eventually convince 

the small number of 

people with resources and influence 

that are a nuisance to 

this great country. God willing, 

we will identify them, and 

deal with them. I am extremely 

concerned about your constituency 

like the rest of the 

country.” 


The President noted the request 

for the upgrade and development 

of infrastructure in 

the states and assured that 

while he would do his best in 

acceding to the requests, he 

would, however, prioritise development 

in education. 

“We are aware of the infrastructure 

deficit. Our priorities 

will be education because 

all our citizens know that 

children within a certain age 

must receive it otherwise 

if they miss it, the future is destroyed,” 

he said. 

He expressed appreciation 

to the leaders for coming to 

terms with the positive improvement 

that has occurred 

in the states since the inception 

of his administration. 

In his remarks, Professor 

Babagana Zulum, Governor 

of Borno State, said the leaders 

were in Abuja to thank the 

President for the tremendous 

improvement in their states 

and to intimate him with 

some of the prevailing socioeconomic 

conditions. 

Also speaking at the event, 

Architect Bunu Sheriff and 

Gambo Gubio expressed appreciation 

to the President as 

well as the armed forces for 

their commitment and sacrifices 

in bringing a new lease 

of life to the Northeast. 

They requested the completion 

of long-standing infrastructure 

and on-going 

projects in the states, especially 

roads. Speaking to correspondents 

after the meeting, 

Governor Zulum said it was 

to thank the president and put 

forward requests for more 

troops and infrastructure for 

the northeast. He said: “The 

Borno Elders’ Forum and Yobe 

Elders’ Forum met with Mr. 

President purposely to convey 

their appreciation to the federal 

government, under the 

distinguished leadership of 

President Muhammedu Buhari 

and all the efforts he has 

made to address insecurity in 

the region. 

“Again, they have raised their 

concerns to Mr president with 

a view to solving them, infrastructural 

deficits in Borno and 

Yobe States and the entire 

northern region. They have 

also requested from the federal 

government sustained military 

operations which has been 

yielding fruitful results in recent 

times. “So far so good, the 

president has responded positively. 

The government and 

people of Borno and Yobe 

states that he will do everything 

possible within the available 

resources to ensure sustainability 

of the ongoing military 

operations in the region. 

PDP: NWC divided over Secondus’ alleged 

failure 

By Clifford Ndujihe 

& Dirisu Yakubu 

ABUJA — AGAINST the 

backdrop of the crisis 

rocking some of its state chapters, 

and perceived failure of 

the Prince Uche Secondus-led 

National Executive Committee, 

NEC’s failure to take advantage 

of perceived gaffes of 

the ruling All Progressives 

Congress, APC, the National 

Working Committee, NWC 

of PDP had a stormy meeting, 

yesterday. 

The NWC it was gathered 

was divided over what some 

members alleged as the party’s 

incapacity to take opportunity 

of the APC’s poor leadership 

to boost the fortunes of 

the PDP. The matter was was 

compounded by the management 

of crises in some Northern 

chapters of the party and 

the continued suspension of 

some members of the National 

Assembly. 

The PDP had suspended 

Ndudi Elumelu, Wole Oke, 

Lynda Ikpeazu, Anayo Edwin, 

Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu 

and Adekoya Abdul- 

Majid for allegedly backing 

the emergence of Femi Gbajabiamila 

as Speaker of the 

House of Representatives 

against the PDP’s choices. 

The PDP had nominated 

Kingsley Chinda for the position 

of minority leader; proposed 

Chukwuka Onyema 

as deputy minority leader; 

Yakubu Barde as minority 

whip and Muraina Ajibola as 

deputy minority whip. 

However, Speaker Gbajabiamila 

side-stepped the 

PDP’s nominees and endorsed 

the list led by Elumelu with 

Toby Okechukwu (Enugu) as 

Deputy Minority Leader, 

Gideon Gwani as Minority 

Whip and Adesegun Adekoya 

as Deputy Minority Whip. 

At the NWC meeting, yesterday, 

sources said that Secondus 

was put on the spot on 

lifting the suspension, a proposal 

that seemed to put him 

between the devil and the deep 

blue sea. Lifting the suspension 

is bound to raise issues 

with some governors who accused 

the National Assembly 

‘rebels’ of having betrayed the 

party during the election that 

brought Gbajabiamila. 

Secondus has reportedly 

been at discord with Governor 

Nyesom Wike of Rivers 

State and it was feared that 

lifting the suspension would 

further put him in trouble with 

the governor. The meeting 

which was supposed to last 

between 12 noon and 2.00 

p.m. lasted at least two more 

hours as the NWC tried to 

calm frayed nerves. 

Said a source: “It was a 

stormy meeting and at least 

two prominent national officers 

threatened to resign saying 

that they would not want 

to be dragged down with what 

is happening. Most of the issues 

we have especially in the 

North have to do with poor 

party management.” 

No leadership 

crisis in PDP 

—National scribe 

Speaking exclusively to 

Vanguard, on the issues, National 

Secretary of the party, 

Senator Ibrahim Umar Tsauri, 

said there is no leadership 

crisis PDP but lamented that 

the APC was bent on causing 

crisis for the party, particularly 

in the states where it is in 

control of the reins of government. 

He said: “As a member of 

the NWC of our party, I am 

not aware of any crisis in the 

leadership of the party. The 

chairman has been doing a 

good job since he came on 

board." 

Herders/farmers’ crisis: 

Malami calls for creation of 

commission for pastoralism 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

26.8m poor Nigerians captured in 

nat’l social register, says FG 

By Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA — A total 

of 26.8 million extremely 

poor Nigerians have 

so far been captured in the 

national social register of the 

National Social Investment 

Programme, the federal government 

has said. Minister of 

Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster 

Management and Social 

Development,Sadiya Umar 

Farouq, who disclosed this in 

Abuja yesterday, explained 

that the number was out of the 

estimated 82.9 million extremely 

poor people in the 

country. 

According to the minister, 

the captured number is 

equivalent to about 6.3 million 

households. 

Farouq explained that the 

26.8 million had coverage 

across the 36 states of the federation 

and the FCT in 601 of 

the 774 LGAs in Nigeria. 

She added that government 

had covered 7,320 wards, and 

ABUJA—MINISTER of 

Police Affairs, 

Muhammad Dingyadi, said 

yesterday that efforts were on 

to install Closed Circuit 

Television, CCTV, cameras on 

all major highways across the 

country to curb the rising cases 

of kidnapping. 

Dingyadi, who disclosed 

this in an interview on Channels 

Television breakfast programme, 

Sunrise Daily, said 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari has given the approval 

for the project. According to 

him, the Federal Government 

has entered into an agreement 

with NPS Technology 

Company to re-fix the abandoned 

CCTV project. “We are 

moving forward, like you are 

aware, on the $470million 

CCTV project that has been 

A BUJA—THE 

Attorney- General of 

the Federation and Minister 

of Justice, Mr. Abubakar 

Malami, SAN, said yesteray 

that the setting-up of a 

commission for pastoralism, 

regulated by law, could 

provide recipes for resolving 

protracted farmer-herder conflicts 

in the country. 

According to the AGF, 

simply addressing farmerherder 

crisis “from purely 

theoretical perspectives often 

devoid of reality and without 

synchronization with the 

needs and aspirations of the 

involved stakeholders”, is not 

only counter-productive, 

“but inimical to the emergence 

and sustenance of a 

peaceful and prosperous Nigeria”. 

In an address be presented 

as a special guest of honour 

at the Peace, Unity and Security 

Lecture Series 2021, held 

at the ECOWAS auditorium 

in Abuja on Tuesday, Malami, 

argued that the Commission, 

when established, could facilitate 

in-depth analytical studies 

with a view to providing 

lasting solutions to the recurring 

clashes between herders 

and farmers. He said: “One 

of the issues that dominated 

the media space in recent 

time is the issue of farmerherders 

conflict. Farmerherder 

crisis is real. It, therefore, 

requires real time and 

practically-oriented solutions. 

“The better approach towards 

resolving the crisis 

over the short, medium and 

long terms is to directly involve 

the stakeholders to 

come up with solutions at the 

conception, implementation 

and monitoring faces. 

“In this case, communityoriented 

approach is likely to 

yield greater dividend in diffusing 

and eventually eliminating 

the menace that has 

retarded economic development 

and created widespread 

insecurity. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is 

not out of place for me to say 

that simply addressing 

farmer-herder crisis from 

purely theoretical perspectives 

often devoid of reality 

and without synchronization 

with the needs and aspirations 

of the involved stakeholders 

is not only counter-productive, 

but inimical to the emergence 

and sustenance of a peaceful 

and prosperous Nigeria. 

“It is against this backdrop 

that I proffer the following 

recommendations for the 

consideration of the symposium. 

The setting up of regulated 

grazing reserves to replace 

the ‘Burtali’ or ‘Hurumi’ 

pastoral system. Intensive enlightenment 

to livestock 

breeders on the need for sedentary 

farming and transhumance 

agriculture as complimentary 

economic process to 

nomadic farming. 

“Provision of water holes in 

remote grazing locations, 

subsidized veterinary care and 

mobile ambulatory services 

for surgeries and other medical 

interventions for livestock." 

72,363 communities, adding 

that it automatically provides 

the biggest database for any 

social inclusion or social protection 

intervention. The Minister, 

who spoke at the ministerial 

dialogue on NSR in Abuja, 

explained that the portal 

would help the Federal Government 

facilitate the lifting of 

over 100 millions out of poverty. 

“As of January 31, 2021, of 

the estimated 82.9 million 

(40.2 percent) Nigerians living 

below the poverty line, we have 

identified and registered 26.8 

million poor and vulnerable 

individuals, equivalent to 

about 6.3 million households 

in our country. 

“We are expecting another 

20 million to be added to the 

database and held in the Rapid 

Response Register – a shock 

responsive intervention register, 

specifically targeted at urban 

informal workers impacted 

by the current COVID- 

19 pandemic. This database 

capacity is unprecedented in 

the history of our dear country." 

Kidnapping: FG to install CCTV cameras on 

major highways —Minister 

abandoned. 

‘’Mr President has now 

given us the go-ahead to resuscitate 

the project and we 

have already entered into a 

concession agreement with 

NPS technologies. They are 

there trying to re-fix the entire 

system to resuscitate it. “By 

the time this system is put in 

place, we will have a lot of 

technology to manage this 

crisis, particularly this issue of 

kidnapping. ‘’It will go a long 

way to ensure we reduce the 

number of kidnappings in this 

country,” the Minister said. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


:Vanguard 

News 


By Dayo Johnson, 

Dapo Akinrefon, 

Levinus 

Nwabughiogu & 

Deola Badru 

AKURE—THE South-West 

Governors’ Forum, 

yesterday, challenged the Federal 

Government to come out and let 

Nigerians know that they do not 

support criminality. 

This came on a day the House 

of Representatives directed the 

Nigeria Police Force to 

immediately investigate the 

violence that engulfed the 

Shasha community in Ibarapa 

Central/North Federal 

Constituency of Oyo State, last 

weekend. 

Similarly, Governor Seyi 

Makinde of Oyo State, yesterday, 

gave conditions for reopening the 

crisis-torn Shasha market, in 

Ibadan, the state capital. 

The Minister of Youth and 

Sports Development, Mr. 

Sunday Dare, also called on the 

different tribes and groups living 

in Oyo State to maintain peace 

and the cordiality that had 

characterized decades of their 

peaceful and flourishing 

coexistence in the state. 

Prove to 

Nigerians you 

don’t support 

criminality, 

S-West govs tell 

Buhari 

Chairman of the South-West 

Governors’ Forum, Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu, who spoke 

during an interview on Politics 

Today on Channels Television, 

said: “What we expect from Mr. 

President is for him to come out 

and let Nigerians know that he 

does not support criminality. 

“He once said, ‘if you find 

anybody with arms without a 

license, they should be arrested. 

Security agencies must be at work 

without rest.’ Everyone has said 

no to open grazing, then the law 

should follow.” 

Speaking on the Yoruba rights 

activist, Sunday Adeyemo, 

popularly called Sunday Igboho, 

Akeredolu described him as “a 

child of circumstance, and we 

must look at the circumstances 

that led to his intervention. 

“I do not support people taking 

the law into their hands. I do not 

support illegality. Those 

circumstances might not be legal, 

but when you look at it, you’ll 

know he is a child of 

circumstance.” 

The governor said most of the 

criminal herdsmen apprehended 

in Ondo State spoke Fulfude 

(Fulani language). 

His words: “Essentially, in 

Ondo State, we discovered 

criminal herdsmen who were 

using our forest reserves to 

perpetrate crimes and we said look 

we cannot stay by and watch 

things happen this way. 

“People were kidnapped. We’ve 

been debriefed by all of them, and 

we know people who took them. 

“If you’re not licensed to be in 

the forest, then you’ll be taken to 

be doing illegal ventures, that’s 

where we stand. 

“My duty does not include 

profiling those who come into the 

country, but all I know is that 

those perpetrating these crimes 

speak a common language. 

“Whether they are foreigners 

or from here, it is a matter for the 

• Gbajabiamila 

INSECURITY: Prove to Nigerians 

you don’t support criminality, 

S-West govs tell FG 

• Say Sunday Igboho’s a child of circumstance 

• It’s a bold statement —Afenifere 

• Investigate Shasha violence, Reps tell IGP 

• Makinde gives conditions to reopen market 

• As Sports minister calls for peaceful co-existence 

police to go after them and 

identify them. 

“What we heard from those 

who have been debriefed is that 

they spoke the language that was 

clear to them. Most of them were 

speaking Fulfulde and that is 

clear, this is a common language 

spoken in West Africa and some 

part of North Africa, so how did 

they come here?. 

‘’One of our major problems is 

when we have issues of this 

nature, and we have Miyeti 

Allah. If they are not your 

members, there is no need to 

defend them.” 

On the justification of 

Governor Bala Muhammed of 

Bauchi State that herdsmen 

should carry arms, Akeredolu said 

“Bala Mohammed has not 

spoken like a statesman. How can 

you come out to say people 

should come out and carry 

firearms (AK-47) when it is illegal, 

people are not licensed to carry 

guns? 

“Bala Mohammed has only 

added more petrol to the fire. No 

governor should speak that way. 

So, I should ask my people to 

carry guns? Statements like that 

must be condemned and I 

condemn it.” 

It’s a bold 

statement 

—Afenifere 

Reacting to the governors’ 

declaration, the pan-Yoruba 

socio-political organization, 

Afenifere, commended Akeredolu 

for his remarks, describing it as a 

bold statement. 

Afenifere’s National Publicity 

Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, said: 

“That is a bold statement which 

we salute them for. He cannot 

continue to play the ostrich while 

some people are daily killing our 

people. 

‘’What did he say to Lam 

• Akeredolu 

Adesina in Ibadan in 2000? If he 

is here to dissolve one Nigeria, 

he should let us do it speedily 

and peacefully. That is a bold 

statement, we salute them.” 

Investigate 

Shasha violence, 

Reps direct IGP 

Meanwhile, the House of 

Representatives has resolved to 

constitute a working group to 

participate in the consultations 

to be held by the Committee led 

by the National Security Adviser, 

NSA, Mohammed Monguno, on 

peace and unity talks. 

Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Mr. Femi 

Gbajabiamila, stated this shortly 

before the commencement of 

plenary yesterday. 

The House also asked political 

leaders and community 

influencers to be circumspect in 

the use of languages to avoid 

stoking ethnic and religious 

crises. 

He said: “Last week, I spoke 

about the rising spate of 

insecurity and conflict across the 

country. Shortly after, and 

throughout the weekend, the 

warnings about the dangers we 

face manifested in Ibadan, Oyo 

State of Nigeria where an 

explosion of violence led to 

citizens’ death and the loss of 

hard-earned property. 

“On behalf of the House, I 

commiserate with the families of 

those who lost their lives in this 

most unfortunate incident. And 

I commiserate too with the 

government and good people of 

Oyo State. 

‘’I assure all Nigerians that the 

House of Representatives will 

work, within the powers available 

to us, to prevent a recurrence of 

similar incidents, not just in Oyo 

State, but across our country - 

North, West, East and South. 

• Makinde 

“The House of Representatives 

has neither command nor control 

of the country’s security 

apparatus. We cannot act to 

deploy men and equipment to 

gather intelligence, enforce laws 

fairly, and take all other actions 

necessary to prevent the 

breakdown of law and order and 

the wanton violence that follows 

in its wake. 

“However, the House is a 

microcosm of our beloved country, 

and here in this chamber, we 

represent every tribe and region, 

creed, and religion. And we owe 

a duty to the people we serve, to 

do the things we believe sincerely 

in our hearts can improve the 

circumstances of their lives. 

“Today, we serve that duty by 

calling on the Nigeria Police 

Force, NPF, to conduct a speedy 

and thorough investigation into 

the recent violence in Oyo State, 

to allow for prosecution and 

punishment of those who 

instigated and participated in the 

killings and destruction of 

property. The Committees on 

Police Affairs and Justice are 

mandated to communicate the 

House’s position to the Inspector 

General of Police. 

“President Muhammadu 

Buhari has announced a 

committee, led by the National 

Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. 

Mohammed Monguno, retd, to 

hold peace and unity 

consultations across the 

country. 

“The committee will engage 

governors, traditional rulers, 

religious leaders, security 

agencies, indigenous and settled 

groups across the states of the 

Federation to enact resolutions 

aimed at building an honourable 

peace in our land. 

“The House of Representatives 

aligns with this initiative, and we 

will constitute a working group 

to participate in these 

consultations. We will work 

together to examine the cultural, 

religious, and localised conflicts 

over land and history that are 

often at the root of internal 

security challenges and violent 

upheavals such as occurred in 

Oyo State last week and other 

parts of the country over the 

years. 

“I urge all of those who have 

large followership of people who 

listen to them and respect their 

voices, to be more circumspect 

about the information they share, 

the language they use, and the 

conversations they enable. 

“The words we use about each 

other can have outsize 

consequences on our nation’s 

peace and stability because words 

have the power to build and also 

to destroy. And for political 

leaders, let me reiterate that we 

have a greater responsibility to 

keep the peace in our country. 

“To do that, we must first 

commit ourselves to the cause of 

equal justice and fair treatment 

for all. Only then, can we wage 

peace with resolve, secure in the 

knowledge that with peace, a 

more prosperous union is within 

reach.” 

Makinde gives 

conditions to 

reopen Shasha 

market 

Similarly, Governor Makinde, 

who led Governor Abubakar 

Bagudu (Kebbi); Governor 

Abdulahi Ganduje (Kano); 

Governor, Bello Matawalle 

(Zamfara); and Governor, 

Abubakar Sanni (Niger), to 

Shasha market yesterday, 

promised to reopen the market if 

certain conditions were met. 

Shasha market was shut last 

Friday when Yoruba and Hausa 

communities clashed, reportedly 

resulting in the death of some 

residents, destruction of 

properties, and displacement of 

people in the area. 

Addressing the market men 

and women, Makinde said: “They 

(the northern governors) just 

finished a meeting with the Seriki 

of Shasha and the Baale of 

Shasha. As a government you 

trust and elected into office, please 

trust our judgement to watch out 

for you and ensure that we coexist 

peacefully. 

“There is nothing we can do in 

an atmosphere of unrest and 

disharmony. Those who go to 

Iroko to continue trading, I will 

lock up the place. 

“When you are all ready to 

cooperate, you will come to me. 

When you have agreed that there 

won’t be any more bloodshed 

here, you will come to me and 

then I will reopen the market. I 

beg you. We won’t lose any more 

lives.” 

Also speaking on behalf of the 

northern delegation, Governor 

Bagudu of Kebbi State 

condemned the “spontaneous 

attacks.” 

He said: “The market has been 

closed down and there are many 

people whose livelihoods are 

being affected. The Nigeria 

Governors’ Forum will also 

support him (Makinde) to ensure 

that those who have lost their 

livelihood are supported in this 

trying period.” 

Sports minister 

calls for peaceful 

co-existence 

On his part, the Minister of 

Youth and Sports Development, 

Mr. Sunday Dare, who 

condemned the clash in Shasha, 

urged the ethnic groups involved 

in the clash to sheath their swords 

and stop any further provocative 

actions and utterances capable 

of causing any form of unrest. 

The minister, who expressed his 

displeasure at the unbridled 

insecurity in the state, told the 

residents to see themselves as 

one family and eschew violence 

and bitterness by ensuring that 

minor conflicts do not degenerate 

into unwarranted crises. 

He urged the warring sides and 

all the people of Oyo State to obey 

and support all the measures 

being put in place towards 

sustaining peace and security in 

the state by all the levels of 

government 

Dare advised Governor Seyi 

Makinde not to spare any efforts 

in seeing that peace and security 

are fully restored to Sasa and all 

other flashpoints in the state. 

Olaiya flyover 

to gulp 

N2.7bn, says 

Osun govt 

By Shina Abubakar 

OSOGBO—OSUN State 

government, yesterday, 

disclosed that it would spend 

N2.7 billion on the construction 

of the flyover at Olaiya 

Intersection. 

A statement by the 

Commissioner for Information 

and Civic Orientation, Mrs. 

Funke Egbemode, stated that the 

Public Procurement Agency has 

issued approval of “No-Objection/ 

Due Process Certification” for the 

award of the contract for the 

flyover. 

She said the project was 

approved by the State Executive 

Council, after a memorandum by 

the Ministry of Works and 

Transport to the council.


:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES: 

EHINBGETI—From left: Sam Egube, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, 

Lagos State; Ben Llewellyn-Jones, Deputy High Commissioner, British Deputy High 

Commission, Lagos; Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor, Lagos State; Babajide Sanwo- 

Olu, Governor; Toki Mabogunje, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 

and Ben Bruce, founder, Silverbird Group, during the opening of Ehingbeti 2021, the 

Lagos Economic Summit, themed: ‘For a Greater Lagos: Setting the Tone for the Next 

Decade’, in Lagos, yesterday. 

Ehingbeti: Buhari, Okonjo-Iweala, Mo 

Ibrahim, Adesina offer policy 

requirements for greater Lagos 

By Babajide Komolafe & 

Olasunkanmi Akoni 

LAGOS—LAGOS 

State 

Economic Summit, 

Eghingbeti 2021, yesterday, 

kicked off with President 

Muhammadu Buhari, the newly 

appointed Director-General, 

World Trade Organisation, WTO, 

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; 

Founder and Chair of Mo 

Ibrahim Foundation, Mo 

Ibrahim, and President, African 

Development Bank, AfDB, Dr. 

Akinwunmi Adesina, 

highlighting policy measures 

needed to build a greater Lagos. 

Speaking in line with the theme 

of the three-day summit: ‘For a 

Greater Lagos: Setting the Tone 

for the Next Decade’, they 

advocated the development of 

modern infrastructure, provision 

of basic services and job creation 

for youths, as well as efficient 

bureaucracy as necessary 

conditions for attaining the vision 

of a greater Lagos State over the 

next decade. 

Their recommendations 

followed the declaration by 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu 

that Lagos would be a Smart City 

by 2030. 

The governor said this, while 

unveiling the Lagos 2030 plans, 

during his opening address at the 

summit. 

Unveiling the vision for Lagos 

State over the next 10 years, 

Sanwo-Olu said: “In 2030, Lagos 

will be a Smart City, fully covered 

by a network of several thousands 

of kilometers of fibre optic 

infrastructure that will carry 

broadband internet into our 

homes, offices and schools and 

unleash a technology revolution 

that has never before been seen 

in this part of the world. 

“The Smart City that is 

unfolding will also be home to a 

network of intelligent cameras 

that will support not only security 

and policing across the state, but 

also traffic management and data 

collection for urban planning. 

“We are pushing ahead with 

plans to develop, in partnership 

with the private sector, a Medical 

Park that will offer world-class 

medical and diagnostic services 

....As Sanwo-Olu unveils plans for 

Smart City 

in Ikoyi. 

“We have so much to celebrate, 

but there is also so much to be 

done, and we are driven by a 

sense of urgency on the enormous 

task ahead to build the Lagos of 

our dreams.” 

FG‘ll support Lagos’ 

drive to boost 

potentials —Buhari 

President Buhari, in his 

goodwill message delivered 

virtually, called on participants at 

the summit to come up with a 

practical master plan to achieve 

the ‘Lagos of our dreams’. 

Buhari said the Federal 

Government was determined to 

open up opportunities by which 

Lagos State can achieve its smart 

city projects. 

He said: “We want a Lagos that 

is united and that ensures its 

economic prosperity leaves no one 

behind. I urge all stakeholders to 

come up with plans to achieve 

Lagos of our dreams.” 

He commended the Lagos 

State Government for its 

partnership and collaboration 

with the Federal Government for 

putting together an economic 

summit aimed at improving the 

lives of citizens of the state and 

Nigeria in general. 

What Lagos should 

do —Okonjo-Iweala 

In a virtual session with 

Governor Sanwo-Olu, Dr. 

Okonjo-Iweala said apart from the 

construction of roads, Lagos 

should invest in technology such 

as broadband for every 

household, embrace artificial 

Intelligence and Digital economy, 

ensure the steady and sustainable 

supply of electricity and 

renewable energy/green to 

remain competitive in the next 

decade. 

Okonjo-Iweala said: “The state 

should harness the youths by 

providing employment. The state 

should move from importing raw 

materials and exporting primary 

raw products to value and 

processing, to industrialize 

Africa.” 

Invest in youths 

—Adesina 

Also speaking, Dr. Akinwunmi 

stressed that the youths should 

be given a chance to contribute 

their quotas to the development 

of the state. 

He said: “The state should also 

invest in education by turning 

tertiary institutions in the state to 

world-class. 

“Youths are not the problem of 

Lagos, they are the asset. The 

slogan should not be the young 

shall grow, but the youths have 

arrived. Youths do not need 

empowerment or handouts; what 

they need is an investment. 

“The poverty level in Lagos has 

reduced from 30.3 per cent in 

2009 to 4.5 per cent in 2019 but 

20 per cent lives in then slum. 

“A prosperous Lagos will bring 

a healthier Lagos. A lot needs to 

be done in tertiary education 

especially in science. We must 

turn tertiary institutions in Lagos 

to world-class. 

“The climate situation in Lagos 

should be attended to urgently. 

There is a growing need to invest 

more in the transport system. 

“The private sector needs to be 

mobilised to support the new 

Lagos. The taxes belong to the 

people. There must be 

accountability for taxes collected. 

I see a greater Lagos, a Lagos 

where visions are turned into 

reality and where women and 

youths thrive.” 

Lagos should focus on 

basic services 

—Mo Ibrahim 

On his part, Mo Ibrahim 

advised the Lagos State 

government to focus on the 

provision of basic services and a 

peaceful environment to enable 

young people and businesses to 

thrive. 

In this regard, he said the government 

should focus on transportation, waste 

management and schools. 

Women again? Crying wolf where there's 

none! 

....And drinking hot beverage w hile in a molue, 

let's call that PARAGAtea! 

Putting the cart before the horse!




COMMISSIONING: From left: Mr. George Ajayi, Special Guest; Mrs. Alexandra Ogiaga, 

Mr. Omoniyi Benson-Orifa, Chairman, Chadon Hotel; his wife, Juliana and Mr. Babajide 

Shodeinde, former FirstBank staff, during the official commissioning of New Chadon 

Hotel in Mende, Maryland, Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez 

Okowa opts for private burial, lays his 

father to rest 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA— 

Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta 

State, yesterday, opted for a 

private burial for his late 

father, Chief Okorie Okowa 

and laid his remains to rest 

at Owa-Alero, Ika North East 

Local Government Area of the 

state. 

Chief Okorie Okowa, a 

Knight of Saint Christopher 

of the Anglican Communion, 

breathed his last on January 

28, 2021, after a brief illness 

at the age of 88. 

Beside family members at 

the private funeral, 

Archbishop of Bendel 

Province, Anglican 

Communion, Archbishop 

Cyril Odutemu; Deputy 

Governor of Delta, Mr 

Kingsley Otuaro; Speaker of 

the Delta State House of 

Assembly, Chief Sheriff 

Oborevwori; former 

Governor James Ibori and 

former Deputy Governor, 

Benjamin Elue, were at the 

ceremony. 

Others include Chief Jide 

Omokore, Senator James 

Manager, Ndudi Elumelu 

and Chief Judge of Delta, 

Justice Marshall Umukoro. 

Speaking during the 

funeral service in the home 

of the late octogenarian, 

Governor Okowa thanked 

Nigerians for their show of 

love, saying because he had 

announced that the 

ceremony would be private 

for the family, “those who 

came are truly family 

members.” 

He said as a teacher, his 

late father fought for the 

ordinary man and suffered 

victimisation for daring to 

stand for the truth. 

Okowa said: “On behalf of 

my siblings, I welcome you 

to my father’s home. He is 

no more, he has just been laid 

to rest. He has been a strong 

pillar in my life and we 

wished he had lived longer, 

but it pleased God to call him 

at this time. 

“Our father was a good 

man who fought for the 

church, the children and the 

ordinary man, especially as 

a teacher and suffered 

consequences for standing 

by the truth and at the end, 

God vindicated him. 

“We thank God that he 

played his role in the 

community. He was very 

passionate about the 

development of Owa-Alero 

and I am glad that he saw all 

we did for the community. 

“He did not compromise 

his faith even as an Okpara- 

Uku of his quarter and that, 

we can attest to as his 

children.” 

•Ibori, Odutemu, Otuaro, Oborevwori, 

Elue, others in attendance 

While apologising to those 

who could not attend the 

funeral because he had 

declared it a family burial, he 

said: “We do not know when 

it is best to die but we thank 

God he took our father at a 

ripe age. 

“For those who couldn’t 

come, I apologise, there is still 

a time to celebrate his life and 

times and that will be August 

21, 2021, his birthday, and we 

will all be there by the grace 

of God.” 

Earlier in a homily, Bishop 

of Ika Diocese, Church of 

Nigeria, Anglican 

Communion, Rt. Rev. 

Godfrey Ekpenisi, said the 

late Pa Okowa contributed 

immensely to the growth of 

the church and education in 

Ika nation. 

The Bishop urged 

Christians to fear God and 

keep his commandments, 

saying: “This is the whole 

duty of man.” 

PIB: N’Delta CSOs vow to ensure 

protection of host communities' interest 

By Chioma 

Onuegbu 

UYO —AS Nigeria hopes 

for the passage of 

Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, 

civil society organisations in 

Niger Delta have vowed to 

ensure that the bill 

accommodates the interest 

of host communities to oil 

companies. 

Representatives of the 

CSOs, who spoke during 

stakeholders PIB postpublic 

hearing engagement 

in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, 

facilitated by Order Paper 

Nigeria, decried the 

situation where the oilproducing 

areas that bear 

the brunt of oil extraction in 

the country were prevented 

from making inputs during 

National Assembly’s public 

hearings. 

Executive Director of “Wethe-People,” 

Mr Ken 

Henshaw, said it was an 

insult to prevent host 

communities to speak at 

both the Senate and House 

of Representatives public 

hearings, whereas 

representatives of 

government and oil 

companies were allowed to 

speak extensively. 

Henshaw expressed 

concern that while 

government body language 

indicated its commitment to 

a bill that reflects the needs 

of the people, the content of 

the bill in its current shape 

and form meant the exact 

opposite. 

He said: “The governance 

structure does not have full 

participation of 

communities, but gives too 

much powers to oil 

companies. For example, it 

allows oil companies to 

decide who the host 

community should be, how 

the funds coming to the host 

communities would be 

managed, and to determine 

composition of the Board of 

Trustees of the Host 

Community Trusts, and that 

they may not necessarily be 

from the host communities. 

“And it goes further to say 

that if there is any sabotage 

on any oil facility, in any 

community that the 

community would lose its 

share of benefits from the 

host communities’ funds. 

Omatseye makes case for 

state varsity in Itsekiri land 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

WARRI— Prominent 

Itsekiri professor, Jim 

Omatseye, has called for the 

upgrade of College of 

Education Warri to a full 

fledged university. 

Omatseye, who retired 

from University of Benin, 

said the campus of the 

university can be in Koko, 

Warri North Local 

Government Area of the 

state, if the state government 

was looking at the problem 

of land. 

Omatseye, who is former 

And we think that is quite 

strange. 

“We know that oil theft is 

a multinational business 

controlled by armed cartels 

of different origins, not 

necessarily a practice of oil 

communities. 

“It is unfortunate the PIB 

proposes that oil theft is the 

action of host communities, 

this is unacceptable. So, we 

are saying you cannot give 

the responsibility of 

protecting oil pipelines to 

unarmed communities. 

They formed the Joint Task 

Force, JTF, to protect the 

pipelines and they failed 

and you did not punish 

them, now you want to 

punish host communities 

when they fail to protect 

those facilities." 

Dean of Education, 

University of Benin, Director 

Institute of Education in the 

university, said the state 

government should not 

ignore Itsekiri areas. 

He said: “If you look at the 

spread of tertiary institutions 

in Delta State, the Itsekiri 

area has no university. The 

only College of Education in 

Warri area can be 

transformed to a university. 

To say there is no land is 

unfair. The College of 

Education can be 

transformed to a university 

with the campus in Koko, 

Warri.” 

Amaechi lauds maritime 

academy’s restructuring effort 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

MINISTER 


Transportation, Rotimi 

Amaechi, yesterday, lauded the 

management of Maritime 

Academy of Nigeria, MAN, 

Oron, Akwa Ibom State over its 

restructuring of the institution 

to meet international standards. 

Amaechi spoke at the just 

concluded 2020 Ministerial 

Retreat in Oron, shortly after 

commissioning the newly 

acquired simulators to be used 

for training of the academy’s 

cadets. 

According to him, the Rector 

of the institution, Duja Effedua, 

has shown commitment and 

dedication in transforming the 

institution without any form of 

monitoring from the ministry, 

adding that the ability to work 

without supervision is the 

hallmark of competence and 

preparedness for any 

assignment. 

Amaechi in a statement by Eric 

Ojiekwe, Director, Press and 

Public Affairs, Federal Ministry 

of Aviation said the academy 

was dilapidated and almost on 

NDDC plans post graduate 

scholarship in Nigerian 

varsities 

NIGER 

Delta 

Development 

Commission, NDDC, has said 

it was making plans to run its 

post graduate scholarship 

programme in Nigerian 

universities, especially those in 

Niger Delta. 

NDDC Interim Administrator, 

Mr Effiong Akwa, made the 

disclosure during a courtesy visit 

by a delegation from University 

of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT, led 

by the acting Vice Chancellor, 

Professor Stephen Okodudu, at 

the NDDC permanent 

headquarters in Port Harcourt, 

Rivers State. 

Akwa, who was reacting to a 

request by the vice chancellor 

for another hostel in the 

university, promised to assist in 

elevating the educational 

institutions in Niger Delta to 

make them suitable for the post 

graduate programme. 

Ijaw leader berates Bauchi gov for 

backing herdsmen carrying AK-47 

By Etop Ekanem 

AN Ijaw leader, Chief 

Julius Babogha, yesterday, 

lambasted Governor Bala 

Muhammed of Bauchi State 

over the statement credited to 

him supporting Fulani 

herdsmen owning sophisticated 

weapons such as AK-47 to 

unleash mayhem on the citizens 

of the country. 

Babogha, who addressed 

newsmen, called on President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

caution the Bauchi governor 

over the inciting comments 

capable of causing crisis in the 

country. 

It will be recalled that 

Governor Muhammed had at 

a forum discussing the excesses 

of the Fulani herdsmen across 

the country, said the herdsmen 

have the right to own and carry 

around AK-47 rifles for the 

protection of their cows. 

the verge of being closed down 

because of lack of training 

equipment, infrastructural 

deficit, over population and 

other challenges, which led to 

the setting up of an interim 

committee to look into the 

problems facing the institution 

at the time. 

He said: “There is nothing 

about the achievements, 

anybody can achieve that, but 

what worries me is that all this 

while that the school was 

created, why could they not 

achieve what he has achieved? 

“Anybody could do what he 

has done but the commitment 

and dedication on their part is 

impressive. If we don’t have this 

kind of person that has 

commitment to his assignment, 

then we have a problem. 

“I think the Ministry of 

Transportation must set up 

machinery to monitor the 

agencies, so that we know their 

objectives, what they have set out 

for themselves to achieve. The 

ministry will ensure these 

objectives are achieved and 

sanction those who are not able 

to deliver." 

The NDDC boss observed that 

in an era of COVID-19 

pandemic, it was necessary to 

assist universities to properly 

and comfortably 

accommodate students in order 

to ensure sufficient provision for 

social distancing in the hostels. 

He told the Vice Chancellor 

that the university’s request 

would be taken care of in the 

2022 budget of the NDDC, 

describing UNIPORT as a 

flagship university in the Niger 

Delta region. 

Akwa advised the university 

to write formally to the 

ommission for appropriate 

budgetary provisions and 

presentation to the budget 

committee of the National 

Assembly. 

He expressed confidence that 

the National Assembly would 

be willing to accommodate the 

request since the project would 

impact on the quality of the 

learning environment, as well 

as the welfare of the students. 

Babogha, who is GMD/CEO 

of Babsfield Corporate Ventures 

and Tamfel Global Resources, 

said the statement was nothing 

but abuse of office, saying: 

“Niger Deltans can equally 

carry arms to protect their fish 

farm, waterways and other 

farms that generate income for 

them. 

“In this direction, l appeal to 

President Buhari to caution 

some of the Northern governors 

on their choice of words in order 

not to plunge this country into 

another round of war, because 

we cannot allow one ethnic 

group to constitute so much 

threat to the rest of the country. 

“We call on the Buhari 

government to consult the 

history books. If he does, he will 

discover that the same events, 

which led to the 30-month civil 

war between 1967 and 1970 are 

playing out now and those who 

fail to learn from history will be 

forced to repeat it.”

C 

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FUNERAL SERVICE: From Left—Mrs Funmilayo Ademu, Mrs Oligbemi Otubu Mrs Tobiloba Okapa, Mrs Bolajoko 

Olises, Mr Abidemi Otubu, Mrs Olufunke Ojikale, Mrs Olubumi Sosina, all children of deceased during funeral 

service for late Mrs Mariam Adike-Ohunene Otubu by Church of The Lord Aladura, Lagos Centre, Agege, Lagos. 

Anglican Communion tasks FG on 

security, unity 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

THE CHURCH of Nige 

ria, Anglican Communion, 

Diocese on the Niger, 

and its Diocese of Mbamili 

counterpart, have called on 

the Federal Government to 

consider the security and 

unity of Nigeria as it's greatest 

priority and gift it will 

give Nigerians. 

The two Dioceses spoke 

through their Bishops, Rt. 

Rev. Owen Nwokolo and Rt 

Rev. Obiora Uzochukwu respectively, 

at Cathedral 

Church of St Michaels 

Umuokwu-Anam, Anambra 

West Local Government 

Area, Anambra State, during 

the enthronement service for 

the latter. 

Rt Rev. Uzochukwu was 

the Sub Dean to Nwokolo at 

the All Saints Cathedral 

Onitsha before he was consecrated 

and enthroned as 

the new Bishop of Diocese 

of Mbamili, following the 

transfer of Rt Rev. Henry 

Okeke, the pioneer Bishop of 

Mbamili to Diocese of Ideato, 

Imo State. 

Bishop Nwokolo who earlier 

in the week hosted the 

Standing Committee Meeting 

of All Anglican Bishops 

in Nigeria at All Saints Cathedral 

Onitsha, told newsmen 

that the Bishops in Nigeria 

resolved that they will 

continue to pray for the Federal 

Government and appeal 

to President Muhammadu 

Buhari to always make protection 

of lives and property 

of the citizens of the country 

his priority. 

"Security and unity of Nigeria 

are the main challenges 

and duties every government 

and authority must 

take very serious. They are 

even enshrined in the constitution, 

that the President 

should protect and defend 

the country and the people. 

"Yes, we successfully hosted 

the Standing Committee 

Meeting of all the Anglican 

Bishops in Nigeria. Incidentally, 

it was where the Archbishop, 

Metropolitan and 

Primate Church of Nigeria, 

His Grace Most Rev. Henry 

Ndukuba, simultaneously 

consecrated Bishop Uzochukwu 

and another Bishop. 

"The take away from the 

Standing Committee Meet- 

ing of the Anglican Bishops 

is, that "Each child of God 

should know that Jesus 

made a sacrifice for us to 

be Christians. We should 

also take up the challenge 

not minding the inconveniences 

and challenges and 

hold on to the teachings and 

the principles of Christianity, 

avoid the deceit of the 

devil and cling on the teachings 

of God and implement 

it everywhere we are till the 

end our lives" 

Bishop Nwokolo and his 

wife Elsie, urged the new 

Bishop of Mbamili Diocese, 

Rt. Rev. Uzochukwu and his 

wife Chizoba, to work hard 

because the tasks ahead of 

them in their new Diocese 

are enormous, adding that 

God who appointed them 

will see them through. 

Also speaking to newsmen, 

Bishop Uzochukwu appealed 

to President Buhari 

to restrategize on security 

policies and prioritize security 

of the people, while urging 

Nigerians to be patient 

with the government as the 

security problems of the 

country will be resolved. 

"There is hope. When the 

darkness is thicker, the morning 

is close. What we ask the 

Federal Government to do 

is to prioritize security of 

the country, work hard to 

secure the country and the 

people, God will help us rise 

to the challenges. 

"We are expecting the people 

of Mbamili Diocese to 

serve God with their hearts, 

minds, finances and everything 

God has given them. 

God will take care of other 

things concerning us. The 

Scripture says, "He that He 

has called, He will equip." 

Chairman, Planning and 

Organizing Committee of 

the Consecration and Enthronement 

of Rt Rev. Uzochukwu, 

Sir Kennedy 

Mmoya thanked the people 

of the Diocese for making 

the occasion a success. 

Insecurity: Dialogue with Kanu, adopt 

ESN, Abia monarch tells S'East govs 

•Says FG should de-proscribe IPOB, apologise to Kanu over 

loss of parents 

By Steve Oko 

UMUAHIA—THe im 

mediate-past Chairman 

of Umuahia North 

Council of Traditional Rulers 

and the traditional ruler 

of Oriendu Autonomous 

community, HRH, Eze Philip 

Ajomuiwe, has urged 

South East governors to reconcile 

their differences with 

the Leader of the Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB, 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and 

seek ways to work together 

in the interest of the zone. 

Eze Ajomuiwe also advised 

the governors to rather 

adopt and provide legal 

backing for the Eastern Security 

Network, ESN, recently 

set up by Kanu with the 

mandate of protecting the 

Old Eastern region against 

terrorists instead of floating 

another outfit. 

The monarch who canvassed 

the opinion in an exclusive 

interview with Vanguard 

in Umuahia, said this 

had become necessary because 

of the growing insecurity 

in the region. 

He was reacting to the incessant 

cases of kidnapping 

for ransom, rape and murder 

of innocent citizens by suspected 

Fulani herdsmen operating 

along Akara/Isuikwuato/ABSU 

axis and other 

parts of South East. 

The monarch said South 

East Leaders should quickly 

go into dialogue with Kanu if 

the ESN he floated had the 

capacity to provide protection 

for the people since Nigerian 

security agencies seem to have 

been overwhelmed. 

His words: " If ESN will 

serve the purpose of protecting 

our people, I will advise 

South East governors to 

adopt and support the outfit 

instead of setting up another 

one.We can't continue to 

wait until we are all exterminated 

since the security 

agencies seem to be overwhelmed. 

How can we 

keep quiet when our subjects 

are being raped and 

kidnapped by foreigners in 

our own forests? 

"It's time our governors dialogue 

with Kanu and reconcile 

with him. They should tell 

their Houses of Assembly to 

give legal backing to ESN. 

Our governors should embrace 

Nnamdi Kanu as our 

son. He preaches the truth; 

he is not a terrorist. Criticising 

him and calling him 

names are not the best for 

us as a people”. 

He regretted that government 

had not done enough 

to prosecute violent herders 

and bandits while victims 

of their atrocities have 

been abandoned. 

The royal father urged 

the federal government to 

quickly de-proscribe 

IPOB, arguing that there is 

no evidence to prove that 

the group is a terrorist organisation 

contrary to 

claims by government. 

"Federal Government 

should learn how to dialogue 

and not to use excessive 

force as being meted 

to IPOB and #EndSARS 

protesters. A father doesn't 

kill his children. FG should 

rather find out why the agitations 

are increasing instead 

of killing the agitators. 

If you continue to kill, 

who will you govern? FG 

should learn to dialogue. 

It's double standard not to 

outlaw Fulani bandits while 

peaceful agitators are 

tagged terrorists". 

He urged the federal government 

to deproscribe 

IPOB and grant amnesty to 

Kanu and engage him in 

peaceful dialogue with a 

view to permanently address 

the cause of their agitations. 

" It's not good to demonise 

IPOB but pamper bandits. 

All Nigerians must be 

treated equally. Government 

should call Kanu and 

know why he is crying so 

we can have peace." 

Eze Ajomuiwe said the 

federal government should 

apologise to Kanu over the 

loss of his parents who he 

said died as a result of trauma 

following the military 

raid of their palace on September 

14, 2017. 

I'll move into new Abia govt 

house before 2023 —Ikpeazu 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

UMUAHIA—ABIA State 

governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu 

has said that the new 

Government House located at 

Ogurube Layout, Umuahia, 

would be completed before he 

leaves office in 2023. 

Ikpeazu stated this when he 

visited the new government 

house complex in the company 

of the Speaker of the 

Abia State House of Assembly, 

Chief Chinedum Orji, to 

ascertain the progress of 

work. 

The governor expressed satisfaction 

as the contractor of 

the project was back on site, 

stressing that the visit was to 

ensure that the job was going 

according to specifications. 

In his words: “It is important 

that the Speaker is part 

UNN suspends lecturer over 

sexual harassment, threat to life 

By Ikechukwu Odu 

NSUKKA—THE Univer 

sity of Nigeria, Nsukka, 

UNN, yesterday, suspended 

Dr. Chigozie Odum, a senior 

lecturer in the Department of 

Archeology and Tourism 

over allegations of sexual 

harrassment and threat to 

life of a student of the institution. 

Vanguard gathered that 

the suspect allegedly impregnated 

a female student 

of his department identified 

as Chinyere Onah and went 

ahead to threaten her life 

should she mention that he 

was responsible for her pregnancy. 

It was also gathered that 

following a petition from the 

family lawyer of the female 

student, men of the Crack 

Squad, Enugu State Police 

Command have arrested the 

lecturer in Nsukka from 

where he was moved to Enugu 

for thorough investigation. 

A letter of suspension dated 

February 15, was signed 

of the inspection to see what 

the Executive is doing with the 

funds appropriated by the 

Legislature for the project. I 

have come to see the quality 

of work and to ensure they are 

working in line with specifications. 

Presently, the contractor 

is doing electrical, plumbing 

and tilling works as plastering 

has been completed.” 

He encouraged the contractor 

to expedite work to 

achieve the plan of completing 

the project in good time. 

Asked to give a specific time 

for the completion of the 

project, Ikpeazu said, "I will 

move into this place and use 

it before I leave office as governor 

in 2023". 

The construction of the new 

government house complex 

commenced during the administration 

of former governor, 

Senator Theodore Orji. 

Defection: Umahi, former zonal 

PDP Chair register with APC 

By Peter Okutu 

ANOR BAKALIKI—GOVER 

David Umahi of 

Ebonyi State, yesterday revalidated 

his membership 

with the All Progressives Congress, 

APC. 

The registration validated 

Umahi's defection to the ruling 

party after he defected 

from the Peoples Democratic 

Part, PDP in November, 2020. 

The governor's brother and 

former National Vice Chairman 

of PDP, South East Zonal 

Chairman, Austin Umahi 

also defected and officially 

registered with the All Progressives 

Congress. 

The event which took place 

at Uburu polling unit in Ohaozara 

Local Government 

Area of the state at about 

12:30pm witnessed the presence 

of some members of the 

State Executive Council. 

The governor stated that 

from the records available, the 

state was targeting over one 

million registered members 

in the state. 

Umahi who expressed optimism 

with the turn-out of 

APC members for the revalidation 

exercise noted that the 

South East zone was now All 

Progressives Congress, APC. 

He noted that the APC 

would completely take over 

the zone by 2023, adding that 

the developmental strides of 

President Muhammedu Buhari 

has endeared him to the 

people of the zone. 

He noted that those attacking 

his person in the social 

media and sponsoring media 

reports against his government 

are exhibiting acts of 

frustration and assured the 

people that no amount of 

sponsored media reports 

would deter him from delivering 

laudable projects to the 

people. 

The governor warned those 

sponsoring and posting viral 

video in the social media alleging 

that a section of the 

country should leave the state 

to desist from doing so, as 

such act was capable of igniting 

problem in the country. 

by Mrs. Achiuwa F.C., Deputy 

Registrar of the University. 

It read: “Following the 

accusation of sexual harassment 

made against you by 

a female student in the Department 

of Archeology and 

Tourism, the Vice-Chancellor 

has directed that you be 

suspended from duty immediately. 

“You are hereby so suspended 

from duty with immediate 

effect. 

“You should stay away 

from your duty post until the 

final determination of the 

allegation against you. You 

should handover any University 

property in your custody 

to the Head of Department 

of Archaeology and 

Tourism. 

“The Bursar is by a copy 

of this letter advised to place 

you on half salary pending 

final disposal action on your 

case.” 

An unconfirmed report 

stated that the university had 

already set a committee to 

investigate the matter before 

it was made public.

C 

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Dangote injects N10bn 

into the education sector 

As the Dangote 

Academy prepares to 

admit another set of student 

engineers, it can be revealed that 

the company has in the recent 

past injected over N10billion into 

the Nigeria’s educational sector. 

The breakdown sighted shows 

that aside government, the 

Dangote Group is the second 

largest contributor to education 

in Nigeria. It is also the country’s 

largest private sector employer. 

A document also sighted shows 

that about 1,000 engineering 

graduates have been admitted 

into the academy and 

subsequently employed into the 

various subsidiaries of the 

Dangote Group. 

The free training programmes 

in the Dangote Academy located 

in Kogi State are: Graduate 

Engineer Training Scheme, 

Junior Technician Training 

Scheme and Vocational Training 

Scheme. 

The conglomerate has 

provided a plethora of 

infrastructural support to the 

Ayade decries state’s rising 

monthly wage bill 

By Emma Una 

C 

A L A B A R — 

GOVERNOR Ben 

Ayade of Cross River State has 

decried the rising monthly wage 

bill in the state. 

Speaking in Calabar during the 

2021 South South Mandatory 

Continuing Professional 

Development Programme of 

Association of National 

Accountants of Nigeria, 

ANAN, the governor said the 

accountants should seek ways 

to address the financial burden 

plaguing the states and nation. 

According to him; “Considering 

the upheavals recorded in our 

national economy accentuated 

by global COVID-19 pandemic, 

the great role played by 

accountants in nation building 

and the need to re-engineer the 

country’s tertiary institutions, one 

of which is the construction of N1.2 

billion for the Ahmadu Bello 

University Zaria. 

The company has also donated 

a N1.2 billion Business School for 

the Bayero University Kano. 

According to the document, 

the company also constructed 

N500 million worth of dormitories 

and power supply facilities for the 

University of Science and 

Technology, Wudil, Kano State. 

The company also built a N300 

million Aliko Dangote Business 

Complex for the University of 

Ibadan Business School. 

The document revealed that 

the company donated N50 

million to Ogun State based 

Crescent University, as part of its 

contribution to support the 

school in providing 

infrastructural facilities. 

In the same vein, the company 

also donated N120 million for the 

construction of school blocks at 

Nawair-ud-deen Comprehensive 

College, Idi-Oro, Mushin, Lagos, 

among others. 

accounting profession and place it 

at the appropriate pedestal to 

contribute to integrated growth 

and national development 

cannot be over emphasised.” 

The governor, who was 

represented by the Secretary to 

State Government, Mrs Banko 

Agbor, said efforts were being 

made to weed out those whose 

names were duplicated in the 

state’s pay roll. 

He said: “The accounting 

subsector of any economy is an 

important and crucial component 

of development. This is because 

finance and administration have 

over time proven to be 

inseparable components in 

governance as operations at 

either public or private levels 

must necessarily be pivoted by 

proper accounting system and 

regulations that act as the 

fulcrum for revenue generation 

and projects delivery.” 

NYSC boss tasks corps members 

on modern trends in agriculture 

CORPS 

members 

have been advised to 

equip themselves with modern 

trends in agricultural practices. 

NYSC Director-General, 

Brigadier General Shuaibu 

Ibrahim gave this advise 

yesterday in an address during a 

virtual seminar with the theme, 

“Alleviating Hunger and Poverty 

through Agriculture: Today’s 

Youth-Tomorrow’s Leaders”, 

organised by Corps Members 

serving at the International 

Institute for Tropical Agriculture, 

Ibadan. 

He noted that the NYSC 

Management seeks active 

participation of Corps Members 

in agriculture which is in 

alignment with Federal 

Government’s drive to boost 

agriculture, so as to diversify 

national economy from over 

dependence on oil. 

Ibrahim added that NYSC has 

resuscitated its farms and other 

ventures for the impartation of 

skills to Corps Members, while 

also giving attention to NYSC 

Skills Acquisition programme, in 

order to empower Corps 

Members with skills that will 

provide them with alternative 

sources of livelihood after 

service. 

“I call on Corps Members to 

leverage on the opportunity 

provided by this seminar to equip 

themselves with modern trend in 

agriculture”. 

S-WEST CRISES: Desist from acts that can 

provoke north, NEF warns southerners 

•Meet with northern govs over crisis •Why we met NEF — Lalong 

By Joseph Erunke 

A 

B U J A — 

NORTHERN 

Elders Forum, NEF, has 

warned southerners to desist 

from acts that could provoke 

the people of the northern 

part of country. 

This came as Northern 

governors and NEF met 

Monday night to fashion out 

ways to douse the escalating 

ethnic tensions across the 

country in the wake of crises 

in the South West, especially 

the Shasha crisis in Ibadan, 

Oyo State. 

The northern governors 

were led by their chairman and 

governor of Plateau State, 

Simon Lalong while the elders 

under the aegis of NEF, were 

led by the forum’s chairman, 

Prof Ango Abdullahi. 

Speaking to reporters after 

the meeting that lasted 

about four hours, Governor 

Lalong explained that the 

meeting was prompted by the 

ethnic crises in the southern 

part of the country, especially 

in the South West, occasioned 

by quit notices and Shasha 

crisis in Oyo State. 

Lalong said: ”This is a 

delegation of Northern elders 

led by Prof. Ango Abdullahi. 

It is part of our engagements 

since we have these quit 

notices here and there and 

then the problems in the 

country. As Northern 

governors, we have to engage 

some of our leaders and to find 

ways of calming nerves. 

“Today (Monday night), we 

just came back from Kaduna 

RevolutionPuls Group empowers 

over 150 widows 

THE Management of 

RevolutionPlus Group, 

has celebrated its Group 

Executive Director, Mrs. 

Tolulope Onalaja on her 

birthday by empowering over 

150 widows in her 1st Quarter 

Widows Empowerment and 

Skills Acquisition 

Programme. 

Speaking on why she 

choose to empower widows, 

Mrs. Onalaja, who was born 

on February 14, said: “After 

all God had done for my 

company, I wanted to give 

back to the society through 

empowerment but it was 

ANAN PROGRAMME: Mrs Banko Agbor, SSG of Cross River (centre), to her left; Professor Muhammad 

Mainoma, President of of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN, and others at 2021 

South South Mandatory Continuing Professional Development in Calabar, Cross River State yesterday. 

actually my husband who did 

this first when he 

empowered 10 widows with 

N50,000 naira during his 

45th birthday. 

‘’Seeing the impact the 

money had on them, I 

decided to replicate same last 

year when I clocked 40 by 

empowering 40 widows. ‘So 

this year, we decided to make 

it bigger by empowering 1000 

widows, but in order to reach 

a wide range of widows, we 

made it a quarterly affair and 

through the grace of the 

almighty God, it was a 

success.” 

after the North West meeting 

with security organisations. We 

just had a fruitful discussion with 

the Northern elders this evening 

(Monday) and part of the meeting 

was to find ways of calming the 

nerves and also assuring our 

northern brothers that measures 

are being taken. 

“We don’t want to talk about 

asking people to go away but 

when you have issues like these, 

you look at the way forward, very 

mature way forward and that was 

what we discussed and then also, 

to address some of the issues, the 

problem that is expected on the 

side of government, both federal 

and state governments in the 

North. 

“The bottom line is to find a 

way forward, to make progress in 

the North and also in Nigeria. As 

I’m talking to you now, after our 

meeting in Kaduna, our 

governors sent a delegation to 

go to Oyo and they are right now 

in Ibadan to assess the situation 

there and see the truth about 

what is really happening to 

Northerners in the South West 

and then bring back report. 

“We are carrying the meeting 

forward, we have not finished. 

This is part of our deliberations, 

what we have here will be sent 

back to the Northern governors, 

what we have here is a 

representative of Northern 

governors. So, we are going to 

report back to the full house, that 

is the northern governors for full 

deliberation. As you can see, 

tensions are everywhere. So we 

are trying to calm nerves and also 

to find progress where there are 

grievances here and there, we 

can allay the fears and also help 

in solving some of those 

grievances.” 

Also speaking, Publicity 

Secretary of NEF, Alhaji Hakeem 

Baba Ahmed, said: “We are here 

to meet with the Northern 

Governors Forum because they 

are our first point of call; they are 

our governors as northerners. 

Wherever we go on any issue we 

Benue recommends capital punishment for human 

traffickers 

By Peter Duru 

M 

A K U R D I — 

BENUE State 

government, yesterday 

recommended death sentence for 

convicted human traffickers to 

check the illicit trade. 

Deputy Governor of the state, 

Benson Abounu, who made the 

recommendation while hosting 

the Director General of the 

National Agency for the 

Prohibition of Trafficking in 

Person, NAPTIP before 

inaugurating the State Task 

Force on Human Trafficking in 

Makurdi, said the state had 

suffered much from the activities 

of human traffickers. 

According to the Deputy 

Governor: “NAPTIP remains a 

very important agency of 

government because the worst 

thing you can do to anybody is 

taking away his freedom and 

selling him off to an unknown 

person and place. 

“In Benue we have had series 

of cases of our children being 

taken and sold out into servitude. 

It is a serious offense against 

humanity and if you ask me 

about the appropriate 

punishment for the masterminds, 

I recommend that it should not 

be imprisonment but that the life 

of those behind it should go.” 

The Deputy Governor also 

commended the International 

Organisation for Migration, IOM, 

need to meet with them. 

“We came to lay down our 

complaint as northerners, we 

came to show them our support 

in some of the initiatives they 

have taken, we came to seek their 

assurances as we are vigilant and 

to be assured that they are on 

their toes to protect our interest 

as northerners and to urge them 

to collaborate with their 

colleagues to descalate the 

tension and to protect every 

Nigerian and we are very happy 

about what they have said. 

“We urge northerners not to 

take the law into their hands but 

exercise restraint and maturity. 

We are asking Nigerians from the 

southern part of the country to 

desist from acts that could 

provoke other Nigerians. 

“We have people all over the 

place, the last thing we want in 

the North is to see any attack on 

anybody from outside the region 

and we want Northerners in 

other parts of the country to be 

treated equally.” 

for recently facilitating the 

repatriation of 76 Benue 

indigenes from outside the 

country. 

Novartis, Run for a Cure Africa 

lift breast cancer patients 

IN commemoration of World 

Cancer Day, Novartis in 

partnership with Run for a Cure 

Africa has initiated a peer 

Navigation programme for 

Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients 

in Nigeria and Ghana. 

The main goal of the Peer 

Navigation Program is to prepare 

health care practitioners, breast 

cancer patient volunteers and 

advocates, to help patients 

diagnosed with breast cancer. 

The program is poised to provide 

tools which will prepare patient 

organizations and health care 

providers to implement peer 

navigation in their various 

centres to address the unique 

needs of underserved metastatic 

breast cancer patients and 

barriers to quality cancer care and 

support. 

Speaking, Ad Interim Cluster 

Head for Novartis English West 

Africa, Adeyele Adenika said: 

“The vision is to improve patients’ 

lives, while also bolstering the 

health care system capabilities” 

“The programme will provide a 

roadmap for creating a navigation 

team with the ability and intent to 

customize support for cancer 

patients, according to local needs. 

Patients will feel supported and 

heard, have a better sense of 

well-being, better mental health 

and are more informed and 

educated to make empowered 

decisions about their health. 

“Access and awareness is one 

of the major challenges we face 

as patients do not know how to 

access cancer care and it is our 

priority to ensure they know 

more about their disease and how 

to get help in Nigeria. Our role is 

to help patients access optimal 

care which is one of the greatest 

barriers we have regards to breast 

cancer management in Nigeria. 

According to Founder and 

Executive Director of Run for a 

Cure Africa, Dr. Ebele Mbanugo, 

“Our goal is to have peer 

navigation become a part of the 

breast cancer management plan 

in Nigeria and Ghana with plans 

to ensure the programme is 

accessible in all states, teaching 

hospitals and medical 

establishments.''


NIGERIAN GUILD OF EDITORS' CONDOLENCE VISIT TO LATE JAKANDE'S FAMILY 

From left: Mr. Taiwo Adeboye, son-in-law; Dr. Olanrewaju Adeboye, daughter of deceased; Mr. Eze Anaba, 

Standing Committee member of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Editor, Vanguard newspaper; Mr. Ken 

Ugbechie, Publicity Secretary, NGE; Hon. Seyi Jakande, son of deceased; Alhaja Abimbola Jakande, widow; Hon 

Widow of the late former governor, Alhaja 

Deji Jakande, son; Vicky Ibanga, Treasurer, NGE; Mr. Mustapha Isah, President, NGE; Mary Atolagbe, Gen. Sec., 

Abimbola Jakande receiving a condolence letter 

NGE; Abisola Olusi, daughter during NGE's condolence visit to the family of Late Alhaji Lateef Jakande, first 

from Mr. Mustapha Isah, President of Nigerian 

civilian Governor of Lagos State at his residence, Ilupeju, Lagos yesterday. Photos: BUNMI AZEEZ. 

Guild of Editors, NGE during the visit. 

NIGERIAN GUILD OF EDITORS' CONDOLENCE VISIT TO LATE TONY MOMOH'S HOUSE 

(LEFT): From left Mr 

Eze Anaba, Standing 

Committee member, 

NGE; Ken Ugbechie, 

Publicity Secretary; 

Gabriel Akinaduro, 

SCM; Mrs Janet 

Momoh, widow of late 

Tony Momoh; Mr 

Mustapha Isah, 

President, NGE; Mr 

Steve Nwosu, SCW; 

Mary Atolagbe, General 

Secretary and Victoria 

Ibanga, Treasurer. 

Photos: LAMIDI 

BAMIDELE. 

NGE President, Mr Mustapha Isah presenting a condolence 

letter to Mrs Janet Momoh, widow of Late Prince Momoh. 



Farmers/herders clash: ECOWAS must curb 

movement of foreign herders in S-West — Ganduje 

By James 

Ogunnaike 

ABEOKUTA — 

GOVERNOR Abdulahi 

Ganduje of Kano State, 

yesterday, called on the Economic 

Community of West African 

States, ECOWAS, to take drastic 

steps in curbing foreign herders, 

who are always armed with 

sophisticated weapons, from 

making incursion into Nigeria. 

The governor said this at a 

Stakeholders’ Parley on Farmers/ 

Herders Conflict, organised by the 

Ogun State government, held at 

the Obas’ Complex, Oke Mosan 

in Abeokuta. 

He also advocated what he 

described as “commercial 

herding” as panacea to the 

incessant clashes between 

herders and farmers in the 

country. 

Ganduje reiterated his call on 

the federal government to ban 

open grazing and block 

grazing routes from the 

northern to the southern part 

of the country. 

He noted that herders 

would need to abandon 

“traditional grazing” and 

embrace “merchant grazing” 

in order to find lasting solution to 

killings and wanton destruction 

of property that had characterised 

farmers/herders clashes in the 

country. 

The parley also had in 

attendance, Governors Bello 

Matawalle (Zamfara), Abubakar 

Sanni Bello (Niger), Atiku 

Bagudu (Kebbi) and Rotimi 

Akeredolu (Ondo). 

The meeting was equally 

attended by traditional rulers, 

representatives of All Farmers 

Association of Nigeria, AFAN; 

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders 

Association of Nigeria, 

MACBAN, and other relevant 

stakeholders. 

Ganduje acknowledged that 

climate change has been 

responsible for the influx of 

herders into the country from the 

neighbouring countries, 

maintaining that open grazing 

was no longer sustainable and 

realistic, particularly in the face 

of conflicts between herders and 

farmers. 

He said investigation had 

shown that herders wrecking 

havoc are foreigners who enter 

the country illegally through 

E-COMMERCE: IDU youth wing partners 

Konga.com, Emerhana Foundation 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—THE 

first 

E-Commerce Summit 

organised by the Isoko 

Development Union Youth 

Wing, IDU-YW in partnership 

with Konga.Com and the 

Emerhana Foundation with 

over 150 Isoko youths affiliated 

to the flagship online shopping 

giant Konga.com. 

The event which took place at 

the Isoko Unity House, Oleh has 

as its theme “Skill Acquisition for 

Sustainable Living in a Pandemic 

World and Beyond.” 

Speaking at the event, 

President of the IDU-YW, Mr. 

Hyacinth Ewariezi Ede , said his 

administration was poised to 

restore the dignity of the 

youths of the Isoko ethnic 

nationality through 

sustainable empowerment 

programmes and initiatives. 

Ede said gone were the days 

where the youths would be seen 

hovering around political leaders 

for daily bread that may never 

come, adding that with the 

advancement of technology and 

the growth of e-commerce, it 

was expedient that the youth 

of Isoko began to take advantage 

of the many benefits of ICT and 

the online market shares. 

“We can’t continue to do 

things the old way. There is 

need for the youths of Isoko to 

actively take path in the many 

opportunities in the internet 

rather than just socialising. 

''My administration will 

continue to scout for 

opportunities that will improve 

the economic capacity of our 

youths,” he said. 

Niger in the north and Benin 

Republic in south. 

While noting that clamouring 

for eviction of Fulani herdsmen 

from the southern part of the 

country cannot solve the crisis, 

the governor called for strong 

resolution mechanism towards 

ending the conflicts. 

Glo’s Appointment Manager 

further eases NIN registration 

THE hassles encountered by 

Nigerians in registering for 

the National Identity Number 

(NIN) were further reduced 

yesterday as Globacom launched 

an app that makes it possible for 

people to choose a day, time and 

location convenient for them to 

undergo the process. 

According to Globacom, the 

Land dispute: Adogun Atele 

family drags Obasanjo to court 

By Innocent Anaba 

LAGOS—HEAD 


the Adogun Atele 

family, Pa Nurudeen Akapo 

and four other principal 

members of the family have 

asked an Ogun State High 

Court to restrain former 

President Olusegun 

Obasanjo and his farm 

(Obasanjo Farms Nigeria 

Limited) from further 

trespassing on their family 

land measuring 464.77 

hectares situated at Sogunro- 

Itele Awori, in Ado-Odo, 

Ogun state. 

Other claimants in the suit 

are Mr. Sunday Owotolu, 

Chief Taoreed Dada and 

Alhaji Monsuru Yusuf. 

The claimants through 

their lawyer, Gbenga Ajala in 

suit against former President 

Obasanjo, Obasanjo Farms 

Limited and Bureau of Lands and 

Survey, Ogun State, are praying 

the court to cancel the purported 

interest of the former President 

and Obasanjo farms Nigeria 

Limited on the disputed land. 

In their statement of claims, the 

family said that they are the 

affirmed founder and the first 

settler of Itele land comprising of 

Ayetoro-Itele, Odan-Otun, Ajasa, 

Ejigun, Aparadija, Adeleye, 

Efura, Kongi, Lafenwa, 

Olugbode, Oguntedo, Beyioku, 

Egunjobi, Senikoro, Onifade, and 

Sogunro villages. 

According to them, the land in 

dispute falls within their family’s 

comprehensive Survey Plan No- 

PEG/06/2001/025 drawn by 

surveyor J.O Olorunkunle and 

Plan No LA/49/1946 drawn by 

Surveyor Liasu Smith 

respectively. 

The claimants said that 

sometime in 2012 former 

President Obasanjo and his farm 

applied to the Bureau of Lands 

and Survey, Ogun State for 

issuance of Certificate of 

Occupancy on the disputed land, 

whereas the ownership of the 

entire Itele land including the 

land in dispute had been judicially 

affirmed by the Court of Appeal 

in three separate judgments. 

app, tagged Appointment 

Manager, was “unveiled to help 

our numerous subscribers and 

Nigerians in general to reduce 

the stress involved in the NIN 

registration process.” 

The company added that, 

through the utilization of the app, 

customers will go through the 

process hassle-free, which saves 

them time and also ensures the 

registration is done in a safe and 

COVID-19-compliant 

environment, with fewer people 

in attendance. 

To use the app, Glo said the 

customer will “Enter the URL 

https://ninappt.gloworld.com/ 

on any browser and enter phone 

number in this format: 

08050000000. This will be 

followed by clicking on the date 

icon to select available dates for 

the month, followed by selection 

of desired state and shop. Next is 

the selection of the desired time 

to be followed by entrance of the 

number provided by the app to 

ensure the customer is indeed a 

human being, after which he or 

she will click on Submit.” 

The company added that, 

“Customers will then receive an 

SMS notification with an ID, 

Scheduled date and shop to visit 

which he will present at the 

shop”. 

Globacom which urged its 

subscribers to make utmost use 

of the app for the registration, also 

advised those who are yet to link 

their NIN with their mobile 

numbers to text their NIN to 109, 

adding that they can also dial 

*109*NIN# to submit their NIN 

or call 109 to update their 

NIN via voice call.


Why Lekki Tollgate should be abolished 

TO Lagos dwellers, especially the 

embattled citizens who live in the 

Lekki and Ajah axis, the toll plazas imposed 

on them by the All Progressives Congress, 

APC, administration in Lagos is tolerated 

with heavy grudges. 

The Victoria Island-Lekki-Ajah-Epe 

corridor is the only major road out of Lagos 

that was constructed through the initiative 

of the Lagos State Government. All other 

corridors to Ikorodu, Ibadan, Seme/Agbara 

and Abeokuta were constructed by the 

Federal Government. 

All the federal roads are pavilioned with 

complex long bridges, flyovers, drainage 

channels and causeways. They are 

invariably between six to 10 lanes each: 

much wider and longer than the Lekki-Epe 

Expressway pioneered by the LASG. 

The question is: Why should the LASG 

insist on erecting toll plazas on the road 

leading to the “New Lagos”, thus exploiting 

the people and applying a chokehold on 

ease of movement along that corridor? 

If the Federal Government led by 

Generals Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun 

Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida had 

erected toll plazas on Ikorodu Road, Apapa- 

Oworonshoki Expressway, Mile 2-Seme/ 

Agbara, Lagos-Abeokuta and the second 

longest bridge in Africa - the Third Mainland 

Bridge - who will move in Lagos? Why would 

the Federal Government use the money it 

generated from our oil in the East and Niger 

Delta and build massive infrastructures for 

free in Lagos (the former Federal Capital) 

only for the LASG to toll its roads and 

bridges built with taxpayers’ money? 

The people of Lagos have good reasons to 

nurse a burning malice towards the Lekki 

toll plazas. What is the rationale in handing 

over such an important new corridor to a 

private construction company, Lekki 

Concession Company, except that it is linked 

to a political godfather in the state? 

When the Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime 

announced the concession arrangement in 

2000, the LCC was supposed to construct a 

suitable highway to Epe and recover its 

money through tolling. Narrower shunpikes 

were also constructed for those who did not 

wish to pay at the plazas. 

The Babatunde Fashola administration 

later initiated the construction of the Lekki 

Linkbridge. It is reported that the linkbridge 

generates about N10m daily, while the 

Admiralty Circle Toll Plaza alone which 

processes about 80,000 vehicles everyday 

generates some N16.6m daily. 

Since the Lekki Tollgate operations were 

suspended on October 20, 2020, reports have 

it that about N7.8bn has been lost. But the 

Managing Director of the LCC, Mr. Yemi 

Omomuwasan, put the figure at N2.5bn, 

adding, however, that the suspension is 

threatening the jobs of 500 workers, while 

the company still owes N24bn and 

$50million to local and foreign lenders, 

respectively. 

Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki/Ajah 

residents had borne the grudge of coughing 

out the tolls and being made to waste 

valuable time waiting to pay at the plazas. 

There have been sporadic protests over their 

existence which invariably fizzled out. The 

events of October 20, 2020 changed the 

narrative around the Lekki Tollgate in 

particular. 

A group of unarmed Nigerian youths 

involved in the historic #EndSARS protests 

chose the Lekki Tollgate as one of their 

venues, perhaps a fallout of the old grudge 

against the existence of the plaza. They 

chanted patriotic songs and conducted 

themselves in the most civil manner. Their 

protest was beamed live through major local 

That Tollgate is now a 

monument to 

democracy, freedom 

and a better Nigeria 

and international news outlets. It was the 

LASG, in cahoots with the Federal 

Government that introduced chaos into the 

peaceful protest and gave hoodlums the 

opportunity to burn and loot government 

and private property. 

It was the political machinery of the ruling 

party that brought hired thugs in BRT buses 

to confront the protesters. When that failed, 

the state and federal governments colluded 

to bring in the Army, which subsequently 

used live arms to quell the protest, thus 

leading to the injuries and death of yet-tobe-ascertained 

number of protesters. It was 

the violent action by the LASG and Federal 

Government that tripped off the rioters, 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

looters and arsonists who raged for days 

without let or hindrance. 

As part of efforts to placate the protesters, 

the Federal Government persuaded state 

governments to set up panels of inquiry. 

Though we all know that such panels are 

usually used to pour cold water on burning 

issues in order to sweep them under the 

carpet, the protesters agreed to participate 

in the various panels, especially the one set 

up in Lagos under the chairmanship of 

Justice Doris Okuwobi. 

The order by the Panel of Inquiry that 

operations of the Tollgate should be opened 

for repairs while the Panel was yet to 

conclude its assignment was read as yielding 

to political pressure from the LASG, hence 

the move for another protest. The activist 

members of the Panel disowned the order, 

and for good reasons. 

How can you order preparations towards 

the reopening of the toll plazas when the 

whole truth of what happened on October 

20, 2020 has not been ascertained and 

justice served to victims of the military 

operation and police brutality who testified 

at the panel? If the plazas are reopened 

without justice to those victimised when will 

the justice come? 

The truth is that the status of the Lekki 

Tollgate has changed forever. That Tollgate 

is no longer a money minting site for some 

Shylock politicians; it is now a monument 

to democracy, freedom and a better Nigeria. 

Any money made from that plaza from now 

on is blood money! It is now a site for the 

celebration of the unarmed young 

nationalists and martyrs felled by military 

bullets. 

The LASG under Governor Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu should, after the Panel winds up, 

also wind up the Lekki Tollgate. There is no 

better way to “Defend Lagos” than by 

respecting their wish for the abolition of the 

Lekki Tollgate and the construction of a tenlane 

expressway to Epe with the taxpayers’ 

money. 

Enough of the extortion. 

Justice begets peace 

WHAT kind of social or 

political engineering can 

be executed on a country that has 

been set adrift by politicallymotivated 

ethnic tension? 

Nigeria is today being pulled in 

different directions by forces that 

may seem beyond it but which are 

actually within manageable 

limits, if only those invested with 

the authority to act will do just 

that. It is little or no consolation 

to say that we’ve been here before. 

What is happening right now 

reminds one of those moments of 

our not so recent history when 

everyone seemed to be for 

themselves while God is for us all. 

While Nigeria runs a rigid, 

centrally-controlled government, 

that centre seems not to be too 

concerned about the hullabaloo 

that surrounds it. Abuja, “the 

presidency” or the President 

appears more inclined to watch 

from the side lines as things spiral 

out of control. Again, it is not as if 

this is an entirely new territory. 

We have been here before. 

The present statis, or that state 

in which Abuja looks on like a 

bystander while Nigerians from 

and of different constituents 

tackle one another, is the defining 

character of the APC-led 

administration of President 

Muhammadu Buhari. Rather 

than it taking one decisive stance, 

making a conspicuously 

unambiguous statement on where 

it stands on the ongoing debate 

concerning cattle herders or some 

fringe groups among them that 

have found the business of 

kidnapping and rape more 

lucrative than the honest, but, no 

doubt, outmoded business of 

grazing cattle from one end of the 

country to another; the centre has 

decided to play the ostrich, either 

burying its head or averting its 

gaze as if by so doing the problem 

it fears would disappear. 

Nigerians from different parts 

of the country are viewing the 

silence from the centre as 

complicity in acts of criminality. 

While Nigerians poke their 

fingers in each other’s face and 

dance to the drumbeats of war, it 

is the state governors, themselves 

unbiased players in the 

smouldering war games, that are 

left to resolve things the way it 

seems good to them. 

Rhetorically described as “chief 

security officers” of their states, 

the state governors can hardly 

secure their own places of 

residence. When things come to a 

head, they can be placed under 

house arrest and prevented from 

leaving their homes by the same 

commissioners of police that sit 

as members of the state cabinets 

while executing orders from 

above. Again, that is not nothing 

new. 

We have seen it in different 

guises under the current 

dispensation of our political 

journey as a country under 

democratic rule. The mounting 

challenges the governors are 

called upon to manage are mostly 

about security. Yet beyond the 

security votes that many of them 

routinely collect and promptly put 

to other personal uses, where the 

less dishonest of them are 

spending them to equip and 

empower the police among other 

security agencies- where they are 

not spending their security votes 

to buy patrol vans and construct 

police stations, state governors 

are mere lame ducks condemned 

What is being talkative 

about condemning the 

criminal acts of bandits 

and their overtly 

suspicious victims or 

adversaries? 

to wring their hands in pain, 

unable to act where the security 

of their states is concerned. But 

they are, nevertheless, stepping up 

where Abuja, symbolised by 

President Buhari, has been 

stepping back, save issuing 

through “the presidency” 

periodically dire but ineffectual 

warnings that many more 

Nigerians are learning to ignore. 

Of what uses are warnings that 

are not backed by or contradicted 

by action? What are Nigerians to 

learn from the empty threat of 

Abuja to deal with anyone stoking 

the embers of ethnic tension 

where the “body language” of 

Abuja is that of an ethnic 

champion? 

Femi Adesina has told 

Nigerians that asking President 

Buhari to speak up, either way on 

the tense situation created by 

criminal herders and hysteric 

Nigerians who see themselves as 

victims of the herders, amounts 

to making a talkative out of the 

president. This, for a president 

that has sealed off all other 

avenues of communicating with 

Nigerians that his predecessors 

exploited to their advantage. 

Which kind of leader forgoes the 

opportunity to address and 

thereby allay the concerns of 

those over whom he rules? What 

is being talkative about 

condemning the criminal acts of 

bandits and their overtly 

suspicious victims or adversaries? 

What started among fringe 

groups that operate mainly in 

forests and lonely highways is now 

playing out in the heart of a city 

like Nigerians saw among the 

Hausa and Yoruba traders in 

Shasha Market, Eleyele Local 

Government Area of Oyo State, 

last week. 

How could a little dispute over 

the disposal of waste or a fight 

between two people snowball into 

an ethnic battle between 

members of two erstwhile friendly 

groups? The suspicion that some 

Nigerians have that the Fulani 

are out to lord things over them, 

buoyed by the idea, as some have 

argued, that there is a president 

of Fulani extraction that will 

protect them, is probably being 

extended to all Northerners and 

making some Nigerians less 

patient to tolerate certain 

behaviours, however ordinary but 

now invested with great 

significance, that could have been 

better ignored. State governors 

have become key players on 

security issues that are well 

beyond their briefs. But since 

President Buhari has elected not 

to be talkative, all kinds of rascals 

are exploiting his silence to 

spread hate. 

Simplistic as it may sound (even 

though it’s appearing more 

difficult to do), all that was needed 

for all this tension to have 

dissolved before now was for 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

to have spoken up in very loud and 

clear words condemning the 

criminal activities of rape, arson 

and murder by fringe elements 

who just happened to be Fulani. 

By refusing to speak while 

individuals acting in the name of 

“the presidency” rise to explain 

or justify these criminal acts, the 

President has allowed a festering 

sore to metastasise into a 

cancerous wound that is now 

fraying the edges of the country’s 

tenuous unity. 

Ethnic nationalists from the 

south of Nigeria are rising by the 

day and are riding the crest of 

public acclaim, no thanks to the 

uncontrolled vitriol and 

triumphant boasts of murderous 

revanchists spokespersons like 

Alhassan Saleh of the Miyetti 

Allah Kautal Hore with the active 

support of a Bala Muhammed 

who as governor of Bauchi makes 

an invidious case for the cattle 

herders to be allowed to bear 

arms, the same arms they have 

been accused of using to pacify 

farmers and others whose farms 

and communities are sacked with 

impunity. 

Even the Nigerian Immigration 

Service like other security 

agencies taking their cue from 

Abuja now wants Nigerians to 

disbelieve the evidence of their 

own eyes that cattle herders bear 

arms. Where there’s no justice, 

there can’t be peace. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

Beginner's guide to restructuring 

You cannot conquer what you do not confront— 

Anon 

IHAVE decided to publish an old material 

on restructuring in the hope that it will 

contribute to an understanding of an issue over 

which Nigerians agree. 

What is restructuring? Restructuring is the 

generic term applied to complex and varying 

demands by Nigerian elite for changes in the 

manner the Nigerian state is designed, 

governed and shares its resources among 

groups, communities and individuals. It is a 

term which represents the expression of 

grievances by elites largely outside the 

mainstream political process, and is invariably 

presented as a fundamental panacea to most 

of the failings and weaknesses of the Nigerian 

state. 

Is this a new issue in Nigerian politics? The 

complaints that the Nigerian federal state is 

imperfect, or is structured around basic 

injustices, inequalities and unfair distribution 

of power and resources is as old as the Nigerian 

nation itself. From colonial times, the manner 

a large and complex country like Nigeria 

should be structured and governed has been a 

major source of political quarrel. Demands 

for restructuring have notably been more 

pronounced at moments of acute political crises 

and tensions. Causes and sources of localised 

generation of large economic resources and 

poverty have also provided major reasons 

behind periodic resurgence of debates and 

demands for restructuring of the Nigerian state. 

Why has this remained an unresolved 

problem? Many political problems are never 

entirely resolved to the satisfaction of most 

interests. Dominant perspectives on the manner 

restructuring should proceed all had in-built 

potentials to create new grounds for emergence 

of demands for further restructuring. The most 

pronounced alterations in the federal structure 

of the Nigerian state were made by the military, 

and were informed primarily by the 

imperatives of national security and 

management of plural interests that had access 

to the narrow political base of military 

governments. Democratically-elected 

governments have been prime beneficiaries 

of the post-military restructuring processes, 

and their attempts to engineer elite consensus 

around the essentials of restructuring the 

federation were half-hearted and duplicitous. 

Elite that champion restructuring as key 

national challenges have remained outside the 

political mainstream, unable to influence 

formal political structures to genuinely 

respond to demands for restructuring. 

Is there national consensus around 

structuring? The most common roots for the 

clamour for restructuring are grievances 

expressed as marginalisation or unfair 

distribution of resources. Virtually every group 

or community in Nigeria can find good reasons 

why the nature of the Nigerian state violates 

its rights to justice and fairness. In this respect, 

there is consensus. Beyond this point, however, 

there is little agreement over process and 

outcome of restructuring. Federal and state 

governments disagree over sharing of 

responsibilities and resources. Elite that speak 

for ethnic groups disagree on all key elements 

put forward by each other. Demands for 

restructuring tend to be put across in combative 

and largely alienating manners, which tend to 

push others championing different 

perspectives to harden their positions. 

What are the basic outlines of these 

demands? One is the demand for a federal 

structure with fewer but stronger federating 

units that will generate and retain larger 

portions of economic resources, and a centre 

with less powers and less resources. This is 

often expressed in the case for six or eight 

federating units, involving the collapse of states 


into the larger units. The case against this 

position comes from minority ethnic groups, 

many of which will lose defining political 

characters and economic clouts. There is also 

suspicion that this option will bestow parity to 

the "South" against a "North "which had 

enjoyed historical superiority in population 

and numbers of federating units. Another is 

the demand for a federal structure that allows 

federating units to retain, almost exclusively, 

the benefits of all resources located within 

them. This is a variant of the "fiscal federalism" 

case, often expressed as resource control. 

The case against this position is that it 

ignores the historical roots of the modern 

Nigerian economy which pooled resources 

from all Nigerians and sections to build today's 

sources of wealth. More significantly, it 

jeopardises the future of a nation which fails 

to establish a minimum, flexible threshold on 

sharing national resources, and allowing 

unequal distribution of resources and wealth 

in a stable federal system with varied and 

bountiful resources. A third is predicated on 

addressing grievances of specific groups, such 

as additional state in the South East, 

additional states to relieve tensions between 

ethnic groups currently lumped together in 

"artificial" units, additional states to reflect 

The clamour for restructuring 

has been a major victim of the 

substance and character of the 

Nigerian political system 

population and geographical sizes, and states 

to be created to accord recognition to ethnic 

groups as federating units. A fourth makes the 

case for a fully-operational third tier of 

government, or a system that allows federating 

units to choose how or if they want to create 

sub-unit structures. Then there are others which 

make the case for a return to pre-1966 federal 

structure, a confederation that will leave a very 

weak centre and largely autonomous units, 

and a federal system that contains provisions 

for any part or parts to leave the nation entirely. 

Some demands combine elements of many of 

these outlines. 

Which one of these is true federalism? 

Every federal system is true or false depending 

on the perspectives and interests of those who 

support it, or oppose it. Federal systems are 

imperfect, man-made compromises that 

should contain dynamic elements for 

adjustment, and operate on the basic 

assumption that relationships between and 

among federating units must be constantly 

policed to address rigidity and loss of the 

underlying philosophy that the best federal 

system is one where the whole is only as 

important as the parts decide, and that 

decisions on its nature and operation are 

products of consensus and compromise. 

Is any section of the country benefitting 

from the status quo? Some fractions of the 

Nigerian elite appear to champion the cause 

for restructuring more than others, and 

cultivate impressions that other elite are 

specifically against restructuring. The 

clamour for restructuring has been a major 

victim of the substance and character of the 

Nigerian political system. Elite competition 

for power and economic resources have had 

little to do with interests of the poor or the 

weak in all parts of the nation. Poverty can be 

addressed under any arrangement, but elites 

do gain or lose on the basis of their 

relationships with sources of power and 

wealth, which is substantially the state. All 

elites will oppose or support versions of 

restructuring that best suits their interests, in 

the same manner most non-elite will kick 

against virtually all restructuring proposals if 

the details are made known to them. 

Can we ever agree on the best federal 

system for Nigeria? A federal system that is 

the product of continuous discussions and 

negotiations involving elite, communities and 

governments as interested parties can improve 

the operations of our federal system. Violence 

and threats over restructuring have tendencies 

to emasculate dispositions to discuss 

grievances. Government platforms tend to 

reinforce elitist competition over power and 

economic resources rather than address 

popular grievances, and have been historically 

vehicles for the actualisation of incumbent 

political goals. The best prospects for reviews 

in the manner the Nigerian state is structured 

lie in elites and community leaders directly 

engaging each other in discussions and 

negotiations. 

What can be done to improve the way we 

live without restructuring? Sustained 

improvements in the quality of governance at 

all levels as well as rapid and even 

development are essential. Elite cohesion and 

respect for the complex nature of the nation 

will build bridges that can create positive 

dispositions to look for solutions that give 

everyone something. Constitutional 

amendments can be made to make changes 

in the federal structure less cumbersome, and 

ensure that irrespective of geographical 

locations, ethnic origin or other defining 

characteristics, no Nigerian suffers 

disadvantages arising from the operations of 

our federal structure. 

08055069060 (SMS Only) 

FEC returns life to the DSO 

NIGERIA is not starved of good 

people to do us proud. On 

Monday, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala 

demonstrated this in making history 

as the first African and first woman 

ever to become the Director General 

of the World Trade Organisation, 

WTO, to global acclaim. 

Her first virtual press conference 

espoused the qualities for which the 

world picked this international 

economist and development expert 

to be admitted into the revered inner 

sanctum of universal civil service. 

Few hours earlier, in faraway Las 

Vegas in Nevada, Kamaru Usman 

demonstrated that Nigeria wasn’t 

lacking brave hearts as he 

successfully defended his UFC 

welterweight title against Gilbert 

Burns and totally annihilated the 

unfortunate fellow in the third round. 

Raw power of the highest sort 

properly channelled into usefulness. 

A commentator even said he had a 

Ph.D in cage fight! That is the height 

of dexterity and accomplishment. 

As it is always, we look at the 

pecuniary end of everything, the 

naira and kobo view imposed by 

government policies and conditions 

that are lacking in substance and 

articulation. But I see the scarf of the 

Nigerian colours of green-whitegreen, 

made of Nigerian fabric (Aso 

Oke) around Okonjo-Iweala’s neck; 

I see the Nigerian Flag draped at 

Usman’s corner of the cage, and I 

see a Nigeria in full flight, ready to 

take on the global community with 

our best eleven on the pitch. 

But not so at home. Our best eleven 

are very far away from the playing 

pitch because of ethnocentric factors 

that are tearing the country apart and 

the leadership is complicit for their 

inability to deal with it. Good news 

have been so much in deficit here 

that you literally have to scavenge 

for them. This is why Okonji-Iweala 

brings a nourishing breather. 

Apart from the crushing story of 

near anarchy unfolding in the land, 

I started feeling some elation from 

mid last week when the Minister of 

Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai 

Mohammed, after the Federal 

Executive Council, FEC, meeting, 

announced the approval by Council 

of N9.4bn to fast-track the Digital 

Switchover, DSO, process which, for 

long, had floundered in Nigeria. 

The Digital Switchover process 

commenced in July 2006 under the 

auspices of the ITU and was 

expected to end by 2015 and 2020 

respectively. The process would free 

up broadcast frequencies for uptake 

by the telecommunications industry 

for mobile, broadband and last mile 

connectivity services to the various 

ends of a country. For Nigeria, this 

would put more phones in the hands 

of people, further stimulate the data 

sector and extend more affordable 

services even to areas where 

telecommunications services are yet 

to berth. Unfortunately, Nigeria 

missed both cuts. 

Expressing regrets, Mohammed 

said: “We were not able to make it. 

Good news have been 

so much in deficit here 

that you literally have to 

scavenge for them; this is 

why Okonji-Iweala brings 

a nourishing breather 

But with the approval of this memo 

by today, we would be striving to 

switch from analogue to digital. The 

effect of the move today is that the 

digital switchover is real and the 

economic effect of it will be the 

creation of hundreds of thousands 

of jobs in content production, channel 

distribution, Nollywood and 

electronic appliance productions to 

service about 20 million Nigerian 

homes. At the end of the switchover, 

we would have created the biggest 

free-to-air TV platform in Africa. I 

will be announcing a ministerial task 

force that will execute the council 

resolve, either this week or next.” 

It doesn’t matter anymore that 

Nigeria was failing in the process 

very dismally. What for me is more 

important is that government has 

taken a major decision that will rev 

up the digital switchover engine. And 

this is much better than anything that 

has come from Mohammed for 

weeks. 

Really it can be very exhausting to 

watch a minister declare that this 

government has done more to secure 

the nation than any other 

government. And following after that 

are images of burnt houses, a 

number of deaths and all kinds of 

depressing things too benumbing for 

the body to manage. 

We seem to be insulated from the 

chaos around us as we throw figures 

about the place, forgetting always, 

that truth is measured by the reality 

on ground. 

On the DSO, Mohammed scores 

very high. And this is what 

government is all about – to breathe 

life into dying or dead processes and 

give the ordinary folks something to 

hope for. 

The DSO is returning to life and 

the world can begin to see us 

differently again. Mind you, the 

N9.4bn is little drop in a sea of needs, 

like a measure of tea spoon from a 

swimming pool. But, at least, a 

journey has started with all fervency. 

Acting Director General of the 

Nigerian Broadcasting 

Commission, NBC, the body 

executing the DSO process for 

Nigeria, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, 

also looked very relieved on Monday 

as we x-rayed the DSO journey so 

far. While trying to make a strong 

impact at takeoff point, the 

Commission took some decisions, 

including going into agreement with 

some service providers without 

following due process. The 

Commission suddenly found itself 

with over N12bn debt overhang. The 

process was trapped, with the various 

stakeholders nearly submitting to a 

stupefying helplessness. Thankfully, 

the Bureau of Public Procurement, 

BPP, made a redeeming intervention, 

offering professional advice and 

clearing the way forward. 

“It is a relief for everybody. You 

can’t drive a process with credibility 

issues. The issue of support by 

governments – Federal, States and 

Local Councils – is key to the success 

of the DSO project,” he told this 

writer. Suddenly, Idachaba observed, 

the intervention has infused 

transparency and confidence into 

the process, thus challenging all 

parties involved in the project 

delivery to expedite action by way of 

responding to the good faith 

demonstrated by government. 

Expectedly, this FEC approval will 

take care of legacy debts owed service 

providers, including signal 

distributors and set top box 

manufacturers. Then the real game 

for the survival of the DSO will 

begin. 

All pretenses will be thrown over 

board and the various stakeholders 

will have to re-strategize to deliver 

the DSO as it was originally 

conceived. After what seems to be a 

bailout intervention, the DSO will 

have to fend for itself and sort out its 

complexities.


ON February 1, 2021 the Minister 

of Industry, Trade and Investment, 

Niyi Adebayo, announced with 

flourish the Federal Government’s 

approval of the National Quality 

Policy, NQP, which is primarily meant 

to stop the rejection of Nigerian 

exports to foreign countries. 

Much as this measure is welcome in exports were rejected due to poor 

that it will help in solving a major branding, labelling and packaging. 

impediment to our efforts to diversify Nigeria accounts for over 60 per cent 

our means of earning foreign of the world’s yam production but due 

exchange from dependence on crude to lack of quality control issues, she 

oil sales, it is seriously bemusing that is struggling to break the surface as a 

a country that gained its independence major yam exporter. 

over 60 years ago and once depended In April 2017, the immediate past 

on produce exports for its survival is Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, 

only just now realising the need to had lamented: “Some consignments 

create an NQP to promote its exports. of yams were exported from Nigeria 

This simply underlines the decades to the United States and according to 

of neglect of our non-oil export reports we have today, they were 

sector. In September 2019, Williams found to be of poor quality”. 

Eze, the Director of Business The Minister had vowed to 

Development of the Nigerian investigate both the companies that 

Investment Promotion Council, NIPC, exported the yams and the Agriculture 

disclosed that 30 per cent of Nigerian Ministry’s Quarantine Department to 

Who’ll implement the National Quality Policy? 

find out “how such a consignment left 

here”. 

It is not as though no governmental 

mechanism exists at all to ensure that 

Nigerian exports undergo appropriate 

quality control measures. Indeed, nine 

Federal agencies and departments are 

charged with this responsibility. 

These are: the Nigerian Ports 

Authority, NPA; Nigerian Customs 

Service, NCS; Federal Airports 

Authority of Nigeria, FAAN; the 

National Agency for Food and Drug 

Administration and Control, 

NAFDAC; and the Standards 

Organisation of Nigeria, SON. 

Others are the Nigerian Export 

Promotion Council, NPEC; Nigerian 

Agricultural Quarantine Services, 

NAQS; the Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN; and the National Agricultural 

Seed Council, NASC. 

In Nigeria, the adage that “a goat 

owned by many people dies of 

hunger” is so true. Inter-agency 

synergy is lacking. This much is 

obvious even among our security 

agencies. 

The bureaucracy is full of indolent, 

unpatriotic, corrupt and incompetent 

workers, and the political leadership 

is only interested in the power and 

corrupt enrichment their offices 

afford them. Few officials are 

interested in the supervision and 

follow-ups that produce effective 

governance. 

We suggest that for the NQP to 

work, one agency should be handed 

the core assignment with others 

represented for their specialised 

inputs. 

The North and the rest of us (2) 

This is the concluding part of 

this piece. The first part which 

was published yesterday 

harped on the incompatible 

association between the North 

and the South. 

By SAM AGBESUA 

UNFORTUNATELY for 

the innocent children of the 

guard, the landlord came at the 

time they were coming from 

school. The Northern elite felt 

disappointed seeing the children 

coming in school uniform. He 

queried the guard about what he 

was seeing. The man explained 

that it was the NYSC man who 

enlightened them. 

He then flared up with the young 

man asking him whether that was 

what he came to do in the North. 

Thereafter, he arranged for the 

transfer of the young man out of 

the area. 

One can reasonably guess that 

that was the end of Western 

education for those innocent 

children whose crime was just the 

accident of their place of birth. 

How are we sure that those 

children are not members of the 

Boko Haram or the murderous 

herdsmen or other bandits 

tormenting innocent Nigerians 

today. The above story clearly 

reveals the marked difference 

between the North and the rest of 

us on what really constitute values 

that are really having impacts on 

the polity. 

No wonder Sir Ahmadu Bello 

unambiguously declared the 

amalgamation of the North and 

South as “the mistake of 1914.” 

How long can we continue to 

accommodate this mistake and the 

retrogressive impacts of the North 

on the rest of us? Under the present 

situation, it is quite unreasonable 

for the Northern hegemonists and 

their selfish collaborator quislings 

from the South to continue to shout 

at the top of their voices that 

Nigeria is an indivisible entity 

without doing the needful first. This 

is a great fallacy. Nigeria is 

divisible. We should stop living in 

self-delusion. 

A Yoruba proverb says that in a 

hunting expedition, instead of the 

elephant to be the armour bearer 

of the leopard, the expedition will 

rather be conducted separately. 

If every group goes its different 

way and life becomes meaningful 

for everyone, is it not desirable 

than under an enforced association 

where life is perpetually 

meaningless to almost everyone? 

The situation of the country is 

moving to where the North and the 

rest of us will be doing ourselves 

favour to heed the counsel of Dr. 

Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s First 

Republic President. Zik pleaded in 

a broadcast: “Whether our beloved 

Nigeria will continue to remain 

OPINION 

united as one country or will 

become disintegrated into minute 

principalities depends now upon 

two factors … I have only one 

request to make … if this embryo 

Republic must disintegrate, then in 

the name of God, let the operation 

be a short and painless one.” 

Zik added: …Let it not be featured 

by violence … should the 

politicians fail to heed this 

warning, then I will venture the 

prediction that the experience of the 

It is only the 

restructuring of the 

country that can save 

the situation for 

Nigeria as single 

political entity 

Democratic Republic of the Congo 

will be a child’s play if it ever comes 

to our turn to play such a tragic 

role…”. 

The bitter truth is that the 

prevailing system cannot work. It 

has never worked. It will never 

work. It is only the restructuring of 

the country that can save the 

situation for Nigeria as single 

political entity. This will foster a 

symbiotic rather than the 

prevailing parasitic relationship. 

Each group in a genuine 

federation will be allowed to 

develop at its own pace, creating 

room for healthy competition as 

seen in the pre-independent era. 

Then, under Chief Obafemi 

Awolowo, the Western Region 

became the cynosure of all eyes as 

a result of spectacular social, 

economic and political 

developments that were glaring 

even to the blind and audible to 

the deaf. 

Other regions tried as much as 

possible to rise to the challenges 

of the breakthroughs in the West. 

Sir Ahmadu Bello in the North 

and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe in the 

East also did things that were of 

great landmarks and of immense 

benefits to their people. 

Unfortunately the negative effects 

of the Northern domination on the 

rest of us had virtually wiped off 

the gains of that era. 

The Northern elite of today are 

not ready to face challenges of 

generating the resources they need. 

They are only interested in the 

feeding bottle federalism in which 

the needed resources, generated 

mainly from the South are under 

their control and doled out to them 

periodically without making any 

serious effort to work for what they 

need. 

It is purely a parasitic 

relationship. Ahmadu Bello did not 

rely on allocation from the centre 

to develop the North. He worked 

assiduously for what he needed. 

In fact, under the present Buhari 

government, it appears the 

detestable Ironsi’s Decree 34 of 

May 24, 1966 is just being 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

implemented. Ironsi and his 

cohorts failed to consider the 

peculiarity of Nigeria as a multiethnic 

and multi-religious nation 

before coming up with the ill-fated 

decree. Compare the language and 

expectations of that decree with 

what is on ground under the present 

regime, you find the spirit of the 

decree dangerously hovering over 

the nation. The North can recall 

the major role it played in the 

conflagrations the ill-fated decree 

inevitably attracted which did not 

spare Ironsi and almost consumed 

the whole nation. 

If the decree, even before 

implementation by Ironsi, 

generated such conflagrations, 

anyone who thinks it would work 

now is living in a fool’s paradise. 

The North should not be deluded 

into thinking that there is 

immunity for it against the 

avoidable conflagrations this time 

around. 

Because the Northern elite are 

already complacent with the 

periodic allocation from the 

centre, they are ready to even 

threaten war to prevent the 

restructuring of the country that 

will force them to work for what 

they need. The only alternative to 

the restructuring of the country is 

for each group to go its separate 

ways peacefully just as Zik 

admonished. 

•Agbesua, former managing 

director of Tribune, wrote from 

Ibadan.


Axxela gets high 

ratings for strategic 

initiatives, revenue 

diversification 

By Peter Egwuatu 

Food inflation rises 20.6% as price increases 

persist *Headline inflation hits 16.5% in January 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

ECONOMY 

INCREASES in the prices of ba 

sic food items continued for the 

17th consecutive month, prompting 

the Food inflation to hit 20.57 per 

cent in January, the highest since 

September 2019. 

Consequently, the nation’s annual 

inflation rate also rose for the 17th 

consecutive months to 16.47 percent 

in January representing 0.71 percentage 

point increase from 15.8 

percent in December 2020. 

the National Bureau of Statistics, 

NBS disclosed this in its Consumer 

Price Index (CPI) Report for January 

2021 released yesterday noting 

that the rise in the food inflation 

was caused by increases in prices 

of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam 

and other tubers, meat, fruits, vegetables, 

fish and oils and fats. 

This upward trend in food prices, 

according to analysts, will persist 

due to the insecurity in the country 

and the approaching planting season. 

The NBS stated: “The consumer 

price index, (CPI) which measures 

inflation increased by 16.47 percent 

(year-on-year) in January 2021. This 

is 0.71 percent points higher than 

the rate recorded in December 2020 

(15.75 percent). Increases were recorded 

in all COICOP divisions that 

yielded the Headline index. 

“On a month-on-month basis, the 

Headline index increased by 1.49 

percent in January 2021. This is 

0.12 

percentage points lower than the 

rate recorded in December 2020 

(1.61 percent).” 

On the food inflation, the NBS 

stated: “The composite food index 

rose by 20.57 percent in January 

2021 compared to 19.56 percent in 

December 2020. 

“This rise in the food index was 

caused by increases in prices of 

Bread and cereals, Potatoes, Yam 

and other 

tubers, Meat, Fruits, Vegetable, 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

RAND 

126.00 +2.95 

2,428.00 -5.00 

15.90 +0.26 

63.15 -0.15 

59.87 +0.40 

379 379.5 380 

527.7954 528.4917 529.188 

461.1293 461.7377 462.346 

426.8018 427.3649 427.9279 

3.5958 3.6006 3.6053 

0.6805 0.6905 0.7005 

545.3257 546.0452 546.7646 

58.6479 58.7257 58.8035 

101.0424 101.1757 101.309 

26.2077 26.2423 26.2768 

CBN Exchange rate as at 16/02/2021 

PRESENTATION — From left: South West Zonal Liaison officer, Nigerian Association of Road Transport 

Owners, Mr. Seyi Adejuyigbe, Managing Director, MASTERMINDER Oil & Gas Limited, Mr. Ademola 

Ademoroti, Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, and Director of Operations, 

MASTERMINDER, Mr. Kamal Lawal, at the presentation of Personal Protective Equipment to the 

DG in Lagos, recently. 

Fish and Oils and Fats. 

“On a month-on-month basis, the 

food sub-index increased by 1.83 

percent in January 2021, down by 

0.22 percent points from 2.05 percent 

recorded in December 2020. “ 

Commenting on the development, 

MONEY MARKET 

Analysts at Financial Derivative 

Company (FDC) said: “The rate of 

inflation is expected to slow as interest 

rates rise and consumption declines. 

However, inflation-stoking 

factors persist. Petrol prices are likely 

to increase further towards N200/litre 

on higher oil prices. 

“In addition, as we gradually enter 

the planting season, this coupled 

with rising insecurity across the country, 

will lead to supply shortages and 

keep food prices elevated.” 

N69.4bn debt: Court reinstates AMCON’s order 

to seize Jimoh Ibrahim’s assets 

By Babajide Komolafe 

AFederal High Court Lagos 

Division has declined to vacate 

an interim order through 

which the Asset Management Corporation 

of Nigeria (AMCON) 

seized the properties of barrister 

and businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim 

over an alleged N69.4 billion debt. 

A statement from AMCON disclosing 

the development said: 

“Disclosing this in a statement, 

Recall that following the order of 

Honourable Justice R.M. Aikawa 

also of the Federal High 

Court, Lagos, AMCON 

effectively took possession 

of twelve prime assets 

belonging to Barrister 

Jimoh Ibrahim, who is 

also the Chief promoter of 

Global Fleet Oil & Gas 

Limited and NICON Investment 

Limited in 

Lagos and Abuja over the 

staggering indebtedness. 

“The embattled businessman 

who himself is a 

lawyer, and who decided 

to attend the court session 

fully robed as a lawyer on 

Tuesday February 16, 

2021 sat there helpless, 

listening to superior argument, 

which made his 

plea fall flat on the 

ground. He, as well as 

NICON Investment Limited 

and Global Fleet Oil 

and Gas Limited, which 

he owns had asked the 

court to set aside the order 

for “non-disclosure 

and misrepresentation of 

material facts.” 

“Ibrahim and Co. also asked the 

court to order AMCON to pay N50 

billion indemnity for alleged failure 

to conduct due diligence before 

obtaining the said order and 

for misrepresentation and concealment 

of fact, which the court 

also brushed aside. 

“Justice Rilwan Aikawa, in the 

ruling, upheld the arguments of 

AMCON’s lawyer, Mr Kemi 

Pinheiro (SAN) that AMCON 

made “full and substantial disclosure 

of all material facts” at the 

time of obtaining the orders on 

November 4, 2020. The presiding 

Judge therefore ruled that the order 

subsists.” 

Following the November 4 order, 

AMCON had announced on 

November 18 through a statement 

signed by its head of Corporate 

Communications Department, Mr 

Jude Nwauzor that AMCON had 

effectively took possession of over 

12 properties belonging to the businessman 

and his firms. The properties 

included the NICON Investment 

Limited building on Plot 242, 

Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central 

Business District, Abuja; 

NICON Hotels Limited building 

located at Plot 557, Port-Harcourt 

Crescent, off Gimbiya Street, 

Abuja and the building of NICON 

Lekki Limited also at No. 5, Customs 

Street, Lagos. 

The statement added then that 

in addition to the takeover of the 

listed properties, the Court also 

ordered the freezing of all accounts 

belonging to Barrister 

Jimoh Ibrahim and his companies 

including Global Fleet Oil & Gas 

Limited and NICON Investment 

Limited all of whom are defendants 

in the Suit No. FHL/L/CL/ 

776/2016. 

ENERGY 

GLOBAL Credit Ratings, GCR 

has accorded higher ratings to 

Axxela Limited, a company with duallisting 

of debt securities on the Nigerian 

Stock Exchange (NSE) and the 

FMDQ markets has been accorded 

higher ratings by 

According to the GCR report 

Axxela was accorded national scale 

issuer ratings of BBB+(NG) and 

A2(NG) in the long term and short 

term by Global Credit Ratings, GCR. 

The ratings are valid until September 

2021 and were ascribed due to 

Axxela’s strategic initiatives, continued 

diversification of revenue sources, and 

robust business continuity plans. 

GCR stated that, “Axxela’s ratings 

reflect its leading position within the 

Nigerian natural gas distribution 

market, supported by long term distribution 

franchises in Lagos and Port 

Harcourt. Other key strengths which 

have underpinned the stability of earnings 

and cash flows include long term 

agreements with suppliers and customers, 

as well as a shipper license on 

the West African Gas Pipeline which 

enables Axxela supply gas to other West 

African countries. Axxela evidenced 

resilient performance in third quarter, 

Q3, and full year, FY20, despite the 

COVID-19 disruptions, and reported 

strong revenue growth over the review 

period underpinned by a larger client 

base, rising volumes, and firmer selling 

prices.” 

Agusto & Co. also recently re validated 

Axxela’s corporate credit rating 

as “Bbb+” with a stable outlook until 

June 30, 2021. 

Commenting on the rating renewal, 

Bolaji Osunsanya, Axxela’s Chief Executive 

Officer, said: “Given the global 

headwinds faced by many sectors 

due to the pandemic, the company’s 

rating profile reaffirms our healthy financial 

status, competitive position, 

and the application of Environmental, 

Social, and Governance (ESG) 

standards across our sustainable business 

model. As an industry leader, 

Axxela will continue to spur wider 

industrialisation to develop communities 

and maximise shareholder 

value.” 

Nigeria’s crude oil production to rise by 

32,000bpd Q4’21 ENERGY 

By Prince Okafor 

NIGERIA’s crude oil produc 

tion capacity is set to rise by 

32,000 barrels per day, bpd following 

the commencement of Total Exploration 

and Production Company, 

Total E&P’s $500 million Ikike 

oil field in the fourth quarter of 

2021. 

Estimated to hold 70 million barrels 

of crude oil, the field is located 

in the Oil 

Mining 

Lease 

(OML) 99, 

approximately 

20km offshore 

Nigeria. 

It is 

owned by 

a joint 

venture 

(JV) comprising 

Total 

E&P 

Nigeria 

(40 percent, 

operator) 

and Nigeria 

National 

Petroleum 

Corporation (NNPC, 60 percent). 

Speaking during a courtesy visit to 

the Nigerian Content Development 

and Monitoring Board, NCDMB in 

Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Managing 

Director of Total E&P, Mr. 

Mike Sangster noted that the company 

had operated in Nigeria for 

60 years and is the only IOC that 

operates in the upstream, midstream 

and downstream sectors of 

the Nigerian oil and gas industry.


cent of total trade in Asia and 

72 per cent in Europe and 

about 50 per cent in North 

America in 2019. 

AfCFTA is meant to lower or 

eliminate cross-border tariffs on 

the majority of goods, facilitate 

the movement of capital and 

people, promote investment 

and pave the way for a 

continent-wide Customs 

union. Participating countries 

can withdraw from the 

agreement after five years. 

Timeline 

The idea of a single African 

market was first mooted in 1963 

by then Nigeria’s Prime 

Minister, Abubakar Tafawa 

Balewa. In pursuant of this, in 

1980, the Lagos Plan of Action 

was adopted by leaders of 

African countries. 

Further in 1991, African 

Heads of State signed the 

Abuja Treaty leading to the 

formation of the Africa 

Economic Community, and in 

2018 in Rwanda, they signed 

the treaty for the establishment 

of AfCFTA. 

African context 

The AfCFTA will cover a 

market of 1.2 billion Africans 

with a combined Gross 

Domestic Product, GDP, of $2.5 

trillion. It would increase intra- 

African trade by up to 52.3 per 

cent; and enable all AU 

countries to share in the welfare 

gain, which is estimated at 2.64 

per cent of continental GDP - 

roughly $65 billion in 2018 

terms. 

It is also expected to double 

the continent’s share of world 

trade from three per cent to six 

per cent over the next 10 years. 

AfCFTA will boost wages for 

unskilled workers in the 

agricultural and nonagricultural 

sectors, as well as 

for skilled workers, with a small 

shift in employment expected 

from agricultural to nonagricultural 

sectors. It would 

also be accompanied by 

additional dynamic benefits, 

notably, export diversification, 

durable sustained growth, an 

enlarged regional market that 

better attracts FDI, with wider 

economic space for 

industrialisation and catalytic 

effects for structural 

transformation. 

The pact will expand the size 

By Yinka Kolawole 

THE African Continental Free Trade Agreement, AfCFTA, is 

a continent-wide trade pact aimed at tearing down barriers 

to commerce among African countries. It is focused on trade 

liberalisation across the continent and provides for progressive 

elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers and development and 

promotion of regional and continental value chains. 

The agreement which came into effect on the 1st of January, 

2021, is expected to encourage trade activities by removing tariffs 

of over 90% of goods traded between member countries. 

AfCFTA is expected to drive the integration of African countries 

into the global economy and enhance their bargaining power in 

international trade negotiations. 

When fully operational, it will constitute the largest trading 

bloc since the World Trade Organisation, WTO was formed in 

1994. 

54 nations of the African Union have signed to join the bloc 

with only Eritrea yet to join, 36 have ratified the accord and 34 

have deposited their instruments of ratification, while 41 countries/ 

Customs unions have submitted their tariff offers, including the 

East African Community, EAC and the Economic Community of 

West African States, ECOWAS. 

Background 

According to the African Development Bank, AfDB, intra-African 

exports amounted to only about 16 per cent of total trade on the 

continent. By contrast, internal shipments accounted for 52 per 

of Africa’s economy to $29 

trillion by 2050, as estimated by 

the United Nations’ Economic 

Commission for Africa, ECA. 

The general view is that no 

African country is fully ready 

for trade liberalisation. Most 

plan to use the AfCFTA as a 

driving force to enhance their 

global trade competitiveness. 

Nigerian context 

Nigeria is among the 

countries that are seemingly 

competitive within the African 

context but require additional 

work to optimize the benefits of 

AfCFTA. Others are South 

Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Egypt 

and Botswana. 

All other countries require 

material work to be competitive 

within the AfCFTA context, 

according to Yewande Sadiku, 

Executive Secretary, Nigerian 

Investment Promotion 

Commission, NIPC. 

The African giant has a land 

size of 983,213 sq km out of the 

continent’s land size of 

30,365,000 sq km, with a 

population of 201 million, 

accounting for 15 per cent of 

the total African population of 

1.3 billion people. 

Nigeria also has a productive 

population, 20 – 59 years old, 

of 85 million which is 15 per 

cent of the continent’s total 

viable population of 588 

million, with a labour force of 61 

million - 12 per cent of Africa’s 

500 million labour force. 

And of course, Nigeria boasts 

of the continent’s largest 

economy with GDP of $477 

billion, accounting for 19 per 

cent of Africa’s $2.5 trillion 

GDP. 

But a report by the African 

Export-Import Bank, 

•Niyi Adebayo, Minister of Industry, 

Trade & Investment 

AfCFTA: Mapping 

Nigeria’s foray into 

Africa’s single market 

Afreximbank, noted that out of 

Africa’s total merchandise trade 

of about $1 trillion in 2019, 

Nigeria accounted for only 6.4 

per cent of the intra-continental 

trade, the third largest in the 

continent. 

South Africa with the largest 

share accounted for more than 

a fifth of intra-African trade at 

21.5 per cent. Other countries 

in the top ten include: DR 

Congo 8.2%; Algeria 5.2%; 

Namibia 4.9%; Botswana 4.0%; 

Egypt 3.8%; Zimbabwe 3.7%; 

Ivory Coast 3.4% and; Angola 

2.5%. 

Potential opportunities 

Trade experts believe that 

The negotiations 

are pretty 

complex 

because the 

countries that 

are negotiating 

would lose tariff 

revenues. 

Reducing the 

tariffs means 

the import 

duties are lower 

so they would be 

gathering less 

revenue than 

before 

•Yewande Sadiku, NIPC CEO 

AfCFTA will enhance Nigeria’s 

potential for business growth. 

Already, many Nigerian 

companies, particularly in the 

service sector, have long 

developed the capacity to serve 

the rest of Africa. The large 

domestic market makes Nigeria 

the ideal gateway economy. 

There will be an expanded 

market for Nigerian goods and 

services, creating jobs and 

economic growth. It will also 

provide opportunity for many 

informal enterprises to 

formalise operations. 

Nigeria’s key competitive 

advantages are its strategic 

location; strategic time zone 

(GMT +1); favourable weather; 

large growing population - 

expected to be world’s 3rd 

largest by 2050; growing 

middle class population; 

young, energetic, tech-savvy 

entrepreneurial population; 

optimistic mobile population 

with resilient, hard-working 

“can do” spirit. 

Other advantages are a large 

population of consumers; huge 

unfilled demand; abundant 

natural resources; abundant 

economic opportunities; 

sophisticated financial markets 

and; two decades of political 

stability, amongst many others. 

The country also boasts of key 

comparative advantages such 

as four international airports 

and major seaports in Lagos, 

Calabar and Bonny Island; 

3,798 km of railway tracks and 

168,000 km of road network 

and; land borders with Benin, 

Cameroon, Chad and Niger 

and a natural hub for the 

continent. 

On the potential benefits of 

the Agreement for the country, 

Secretary, National Action 

Committee on AfCFTA, Francis 

Anatogu, said from the trade 

pact, Nigeria aims to double its 

export trade to $50 billion 

within the decade. 

According to Yewande 

Sadiku, Executive Secretary/ 

Chief Executive Officer, 

Nigerian Investment Promotion 

Commission, AfCFTA is 

expected to expand market 

access for Nigeria’s exporters of 

goods and services, spur growth 

and boost job creation; 

eliminate barriers against 

Nigeria’s products; stimulate 

increase in Nigeria’s total 

exports, with a small structural 

shift in Nigeria’s economy 

towards manufacturing and 

services. 

She added that this will lead 

to a total increase in Nigerian 

economic welfare by 0.62 per 

cent - equivalent to around 

$2.9 billion in 2018 terms. 

Changes would result from 

tariff reduction, ease of doing 

business, and trade facilitation. 

MSMEs 

AfCFTA will provide an 

expanded market for Nigerian 

products and services; ensure 

remedy actions against 

injurious practices by foreign 

companies and countries; 

contribute to the formalisation 

of operations in the informal 

sector; enhance the potential 

for Nigeria’s business growth 

and create opportunity for 

those in the services sector to 

serve the rest of Africa. 

It will also provide a platform 

for Small and Medium 

Enterprises, SMEs integration 

into the regional economy and 

accelerate women’s 

empowerment; provide an 

expanded platform for 

Nigerian manufacturers and 

service providers for 

connection to regional and 

continental value chains. 

Potential threats 

But if not properly managed, 

Nigeria, under the trade pact, 

can become a target economy. 

There are challenges with 

power supply, route to market 

infrastructure (road, rail, ports), 

and security, that hinder 

competitiveness of Nigerian 

goods and services. Also, 

urgent reforms are needed to


•Engr. Mansur Ahmed, MAN President 

improve the country’s ease of 

doing business and 

competitiveness 

Revenue loss 

Trudi Hartzenberg, Executive 

Director of South Africa-based 

Trade Law Centre (Tralac) said: 

“The negotiations are pretty 

complex because the countries 

that are negotiating would lose 

tariff revenues. Reducing the 

tariffs means the import duties 

are lower so they would be 

gathering less revenue than 

before. 

“For some countries, the tariff 

revenues they get from trade 

taxes amounts to 25 per cent 

or more of their total fiscal tax 

revenues. The easiest taxes to 

collect are import duties.” 

Put in perspectives, the 

projected non-oil revenue in 

Nigeria’s budget for 2021 is 

N1.49 trillion, out of which 

N508.3 billion (34 per cent) is 

expected from Customs duty, 

signifying the potential 

revenue loss for the country. 

In a statement, Chairman, 

Nigerian Economic Summit 

Group, NESG, Asue Ighodalo 

•Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO DGdesignate 

noted: “Despite the 

considerable benefits the 

agreement would offer to 

Nigeria, it would affect tax 

revenue as the country would 

no longer collect import duties 

from member-states.” 

Government efforts 

The full implementation of 

AfCFTA should drive 

investment interest in African 

countries that are the most 

suitable locations for 

production and investment 

To this end, the NIPC boss 

noted that the government’s 

efforts are focused on ensuring 

Nigeria’s attractiveness as a 

destination. CAMA 2020 and 

Finance Act 2019 and 2020 

have improvements aimed at 

helping small businesses to 

survive. 

She also said the government 

has increased its engagements 

with the organised private 

sector - Chambers of 

Commerce, sector associations, 

industry groups, etc. 

This was corroborated by the 

Secretary, National Action 

Committee on AfCFTA. He 

stated: “We are effectively 

coordinating with all critical 

stakeholders to ensure a 

smooth playing field for 

Nigerian traders and 

businessmen to explore the vast 

market.” 

Operators’ reactions 

Private sector operators have 

expressed cautious optimism in 

their expectations from the 

trade agreement. 

President, Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria, MAN, 

Engr. Mansur Ahmed stated: “A 

possible challenge that stares us 

in the face is the issue of 

dumping. The dumping issue 

frankly is a matter of political 

will. Do our governments and 

political leaders have the 

Some Nigerian 

manufacturers 

are quite ready 

to compete in 

the continental 

market 

especially in 

cosmetics, food, 

beverages and 

tobacco, cement 

and plastics but 

others will face 

stiff 

competition 

and will 

struggle 

political will to agree on those 

things that we have to do? For 

instance, to ensure that we do 

not allow dumping to take 

place, there is a need to ensure 

that all countries operate based 

on the rule of origin that has 

been agreed. But the difference 

is that while some countries will 

ensure that these regulations 

are complied with, others 

unfortunately will not do so. 

This calls for an effective 

monitoring mechanism to be 

put in place to ensure that all 

countries do the right thing. 

“Some 

Nigerian 

manufacturers are quite ready 

to compete in the continental 

market especially in cosmetics, 

food, beverages and tobacco, 

cement and plastics but others 

will face stiff competition and 

will struggle. 

“Government must be more 

serious about its effort to reduce 

the cost of production and 

improve the business 

environment. Our trade 

related regulatory agencies 

must also change their attitude 

from that of gatekeepers and 

revenue collectors to trade 

facilitators. 

“If we introduce and sustain 

the right policies that should 

promote investment, reduce 

cost and improve productivity, 

Nigeria’s manufacturing sector 

has advantages to leverage on 

and should benefit greatly from 

AfCFTA, provided the various 

protocols being negotiated are 

complied with by all membernations.” 

On his part, Director- 

General, Lagos Chamber of 

commerce and Industry, LCCI, 

Dr Muda Yusuf, said the trade 

deal will produce winners and 

losers. 

“AfCFTA will produce 

winners and losers across 

sectors. The vulnerability risks 

vary from sector to sector. It 

calls for a review of business 

models of many firms and 

industries in the light of new 

competition forces that will 

emerge. 

“It presents a significant 

competitiveness risk, especially 

for the real sector of the 

Nigerian economy. Production 

costs are high, there are issues 

with costs of logistics, the ports 

processes and infrastructure, 

multiplicity of taxes, forex 

liquidity among others. The 

benefits and costs of the trade 

treaty will vary from country to 

country depending on their 

economic competitiveness. 

“To benefit optimally from 

this, we need to strengthen the 

competitiveness of our 

domestic firms, especially those 

in the real sector. We need to 

liberate them from the shackles 

of constraints putting pressure 

on their costs and inhibiting 

their competitiveness. 

“The quality of our 

infrastructure needs to improve, 

our policies need to facilitate 

competitiveness, our 

regulations need to support 

business growth and our 

institutions need to 

demonstrate better 

appreciation of the value of 

investment and investors in an 

economy.” 

“The government needs to 

urgently implement the 

recommendations of its AfCFTA 

Readiness Committee. If our 

industries 

remain 

uncompetitive, then we would 

have issues with the continental 

treaty. However, this is not to 

diminish the significance of 

AfCFTA and its potential 

benefits to the Nigerian 

economy. ” 

In the same vein, Director- 

General, Nigerian Association 

of Chambers of Commerce, 

Industry, Mines and 

Agriculture, NACCIMA, Amb. 

Ayoola Olukanni, said that 

access to foreign exchange 

(forex), irregular electricity 

supply and poor infrastructure 

such as power, roads, rail and 

efficient functioning of the ports 

are issues affecting the 

readiness of Nigeria for 

AfCFTA. 

“We must reposition the 

Nigerian economy especially 

the manufacturing sector by 

improving infrastructure such 

as power, roads, rail and ensure 

efficient functioning of our 

ports. This is to enable us to 

compete effectively and 

successfully under AfCFTA.”


Visa partners GIGL on special e-commerce tariff for SMEs 

By Juliet Umeh 

DIGITAL 

payments 

company, Visa has entered 

into partnership with Logistics 

Company, GIGL, to introduce a 

special e-Commerce Tariff for 

small businesses in Nigeria. 

The collaboration will allow 

merchants who have signed up on 

Visa Small Business Hub access 

a discounted tariff plan for their 

logistics needs with the logistics 

provider. 

Also,interested SMEs will be 

redirected to the GIGL Merchant 

Portal Page when they visit the 

Small Business Hub on the Visa 

Nigeria website. 

The partnership deal helps 

business owners access up to 25 

percent discounts on all GIGL 

tariffs when they fund their wallets 

with a Visa business or corporate 

card via the GIGG App or the 

GIGL website. 

Vice-President Visa West Africa, 

Kemi Okusanya said: “Visa has 

continuously shown its support in 

the recovery of African 

economies, through strategic 

partnerships to help reposition 

small businesses for improved 

growth and recovery. 

“Our partnership with GIGL 

seeks to further provide a platform 

for business owners to enjoy 

discounted offers to better serve the 

everyday consumer,” Okusanya 

said. 

Merchant Support and Growth 

Manager, GIG Logistics, Mosun 

Suleiman, also said GIGL has 

continued to validate unflinching 

support for digital commerce 

merchants and SMEs by solving 

the most critical factor with online 

and offline sales, which is 

delivered to the end-user. 

He said: “Powering 

decentralised commerce and 

providing adequate support for 

SMEs through initiatives and 

strategic partnerships are 

integral parts of our business 

culture. We are committed to 

building practical solutions that 

simplify logistics by providing 

timely, cost-efficient, and 

effective deliveries while 

returning best value to all 

stakeholders,” she added. 

Africa leads global mobile money 

growth with 46 percent 

By Prince Osuagwu, Hi-Tech 

Editor & Juliet Umeh 

THERE are about one billion 

mobile money accounts 

globally, according to latest report 

by cybersecurity giants, 

Kerspersky. These accounts, the 

report revealed, process more 

than $1.9 billion daily. 

However, the most interesting 

aspect of this positive 

development is that Africa leads 

the pack with about 46 per cent of 

the accounts, meaning that a 

greater chunk of the $1.9 billion 

is processed in Africa. The 

continent is also expected to 

increase the 481 million accounts 

it currently has, to exceed half a 

billion accounts before the end of 

first quarter 2021. 

With such a strong growth, the 

region has no doubt become the 

epicentre of the global market; 

but the report also considers it 

most vulnerable and at the 

highest risk of cyber attacks. 

The report, however, advised 

consumers to keep mobile wallet 

safe as cybercriminals are 

constantly coming up with 

innovative tactics to compromise 

people’s wallets whether 

traditional bank accounts or 

mobile wallets. 

Africa’s strength 

Kaspersky said by the end of 

2019, Africa had 481 million 

registered mobile money 

accounts, making up 46 per cent 

of global accounts. 

Also, with the COVID-19 

pandemic resulting in lockdown 

conditions in many countries, 

more people, particularly in Africa 

turned to mobile wallets instead 

of cash, as a safer option. 

The company noted that 

although cash has long been 

considered “king” in Africa, 

mobile money and e-wallets have 

also been growing exponentially 

over the past decade, following the 

number of international and 

African players who enter and 

expand into new markets across 

the continent. 

The report says they provide a 

more user-friendly alternative to 

processing micro-payments even 

as they reduce the number of cash 

people need to carry with them. 

Enterprise Sales Manager at 

Kaspersky in Africa, Bethwel Opil 

said: “While there is ample 

benefit to be gained from mobile 

money, spam, phishing, social 

engineering, and fraud all form 

part of the cyberattack landscape 

when it comes to this innovation. 

Threat actors are constantly 

coming up with more innovative 

tactics to compromise people’s 

•As Kaspersky hints on cybersecurity threats 

•Warns African users to keep mobile wallet safe 

wallets whether these pertain to 

traditional bank accounts or 

mobile wallets. 

“It is, therefore, imperative that 

consumers remain vigilant and 

apply commonsense to their 

transactions and engagements 

with mobile money services,” he 

added. 

“Considering the significant 

growth and potential for mobile 

money and e-wallets, these 

payment platforms must 

maintain a high level of security 

and keep improving on it. 

Education is, therefore, the most 

critical component of mitigating 

the risk of social engineering 

compromises from people 

opening malicious links, sharing 

sensitive information, or falling 

prey to fraudulent schemes,” Opil 

explained. 

Tips to keep mobile wallet safe 

Meanwhile, some of the tips the 

report provided on how to keep the mobile 

wallets safe, include: 

* One of the best ways to avoid having a 

device being compromised is to avoid 

clicking on malicious emails, attachments, 

or other messages. Users must lookout for 

red flags in communication from those 

purporting to be from service providers. 

* Never trust messages unconditionally. 

Always check potential issues through one’s 

personal account on the Website or in the 

mobile money app. This is especially 

important when confirming the crediting 

of funds. 

* A user must also never use an unfamiliar 

delivery service especially when it comes 

to online purchases. Users must be careful 

of using alternative money transfer methods 

to the ones they are comfortable with. These 

are typically not covered by the protection 

programs of mobile money or money 

transfer applications. 

* It goes without saying that users must 

never give out personal information beyond 

what is necessary for the transaction. This 

includes usernames and passwords. 

NetPlusDotCom disrupts Fintech sector with Android-based 

POS terminals 

By Prince Osuagwu 

TECHNOLOGY and digital 

payment company, NetPlus- 

DotCom, recently disrupted the payment 

landscape, launching an Android-based 

Point-of-Sale POS terminal. 

The device, NetPOS, which enables 

seamless transactions, aids 

quick sales and issuing of receipts. 

According to the company, the 

device which is certified by the Nigeria 

Interbank Settlement Systems, 

NIBSS, can process multiple 

types of payment. It comes in two 

variants - the NetPOS Mini and 

NetPOS Pro devices. 

Both devices are preinstalled with 

unique Payment Applications, and 

the NetPlus Merchant Super App, 

STORM. 

STORM, itself, also has utilities 

and features that enable transactions 

to be conducted seamlessly. 

Founder of the company, Wole 

Faroun, said: “With the launch of 

our NetPOS devices in the market, 

our plan is to deliver an all-in-one 

solution that serves as a smartphone 

and a POS terminal, thereby 

giving business owners the luxury 

of achieving more with even 

fewer amount of devices. 

“These are the first locally-branded 

POS terminals and they offer 

Digital Space’s Abitoye floats 

foundation to help poor Nigerians 

By Juliet Umeh 

IGITAL Space founder, Olubukola Abitoye, has 

Dlaunched a foundation aimed at offering succour to 

the less privileged Nigerians against the economic hardship 

orchestrated by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Digital Space Capital Limited offers a wide range of 

financial services with seamless solutions in asset 

management, corporate finance, and business advisory, onlending, 

forex services, brokerage and dealings, 

crowdfunding and aggregation. 

Abitoye said that having experienced poverty as a child, 

the foundation, Florence Modupe Foundation, was floated 

in honour of her mother who single-handedly raised her from 

the tender age of five, after the demise of her father. 

The foundation was also unveiled on her 40th birthday, 

alongside the launching of her book; Guiding Grace. 

She said: “I am honoured to meet with so many women 

and men today who are deeply passionate about development 

and sustainable growth. Your energy 

and dedication are truly inspiring. I 

want to say that this enthusiastic 

engagement of civil society sets the 

tone for our journey that starts today. I 

have chosen today to kick off something 

that I am most passionate about and if 

you are here in this room, it is because 

you share that passion too. 

“What we are setting out to achieve 

from this day is no mean feat, but with 

a vision like ours; dreams will come true 

and success stories will be told at the 

•Abitoye 

end of this race,” she added. 

MDXi commits to energy efficiency, 

environmental sustainability 

By Prince Osuagwu 

CHIEF Operating Officer of career-neutral data centre, 

MDXi, Mr. Gbenga Adegbiji, has said that: “In January 

2021, MDXi recorded 100 per cent availability of supply 

from the national grid through the Eko Electric Distribution 

Company, EKEDC. He said the availability record meant the 

company did not have to run any of its four heavy duty 

generating sets, thereby saving a huge amount of carbon 

emissions, and contributing its own quota to the environment. 

“The availability means stability of all facility equipment 

and more peace of mind for our customers aside from the 

added benefit of reducing carbon footprint,” he added. 

He also explained: “The company has started to reap the 

full benefits of its green power initiatives embarked upon 

some years ago with an investment of close to $1m in direct 

connection of its Lekki Data Center to the national grid in 

additional branding for partners 

including banks, fintechs, and other 

financial institutions,” he added. 

NetPOS Pro has a design infused 

with top-notch Android features that 

makes selling easy and seamless. 

The device comes with built-in 

GPS for tracking, a 2-inch Thermal 

Printer that is quick and efficient 

and has up to 16GB of storage 

space. 

NetPOS Mini is an Androidbased 

smart mobile phone and a 

POS terminal that will help manage 

businesses. 

It comes with the Android 10 OS 

and other latest technologies that 

make accepting payments much 

faster. 

order to enjoy 100 per cent power 

availability from the grid. “ 

Since it launched in 2015, 

MDXi has operated carrierneutral 

facilities and harnessed 

MainOne’s network footprint not 

only to interconnect all major 

network and content providers in 

the West African sub-region, but 

also to enable ISPs and virtual 

network operators connect the 

Data Centers to provide services 

to hosted customers. 

The organisation has a focus on 

deliberate action and a 

commitment to doing what is right 

even though it comes at a high 

cost. Obtaining 100 per cent of its 

power supply from the National 

Grid,implies that the company 

can reduce its dependence on 

fossil fuels.

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Open grazing: Challenges (1) 

IN recent times, one of the most 

deep-seated security 

challenges plaguing Nigeria is the 

menace of some murderous 

herdsmen who pillage, plunder 

and terrorise local farmers, 

vandalising their farmlands, 

desecrating their sources of 

livelihood and killing those who 

dared to challenge their nefarious 

activities. Beyond the economic 

ramifications of the activities of 

these herdsmen, which will no 

doubt lead to famine, food 

insecurity and unemployment if left 

unchecked, there is an immediate 

security challenge which calls for 

an urgent attention. 

It is common knowledge that 

Nigeria is bedevilled by a myriad 

of security challenges particularly 

stemming from armed conflicts 

relating to inter-community 

conflicts, herders-farmers conflicts, 

Boko Haram, clashes between 

socio-cultural and religious 

groups, among others. However, 

the most ubiquitous security 

challenge facing Nigeria is the 

menace of Fulani herdsmen whose 

nomadic nature and 

transhumance tradition 

transcends the borders of Nigeria’s 

geopolitical delineations, often 

pitting them against sedentary 

farmers and proprietors of 

largescale, mechanised farming. 

In recent history, herdsmen have 

been accused of various forms of 

attacks, especially ransom 

kidnappings and militia 

expeditions against farming 

communities considered 

antagonistic to their herding and 

pasturing activities. The 

nonchalance of the Nigerian 

government despite the 

international classification of these 

herders as terrorists seems to have 

emboldened these herders who now 

wield automatic rifles and assorted 

ammunition during their nefarious 

escapades. 

Ceaseless reports of herdsmen 

attacks 

The media is constantly awash 

with reports of ceaseless, 

unprovoked and unrepressed 

attacks on individual farmers and 

farming communities which then 

makes one conclude that the 

Nigerian government has failed in 

its primary responsibility of the 

protection of lives and properties; 

and to question the effectiveness or 

even the enthusiasm of the 

Nigerian security apparatus in 

curbing the spate of these wicked, 

sadistic, borderline psychopathic 

attacks. Late last year, the British 

Broadcasting Corporation made 

the following headline: "Dozens of 

Farm Workers Killed in ‘Insane’ 

Nigeria Attack". It reported that 

more than 43 agricultural 

labourers working in rice fields 

were slaughtered in Borno State; 

while six were reported to be 

seriously wounded and 15 women 

kidnapped. The CNN however 

stated that the number was 110. In 

a recent newspaper report titled: 

"Ibadan Farmer Dies After Fulani 

Herdsmen Allegedly Set His 

Cashew Farm Ablaze", the media 

reported that without any 

provocation, the herdsmen set a 

farmer’s cocoa and cashew farms 

ablaze and in an attempt to put out 

the fire, the farmer’s body caught 

fire and was burnt alive! In another 

news, Chief Olu Falae, an Afenifere 

chieftain, granted a media 

interview which was titled: "How 

Fulani Herdsmen Killed My Farm 

Guard, Took Away His Heart, 

Rifle". He narrated the incidence 

of his own kidnap and the attack 

of his farm guard. He further 

added that a number of other 

herdsmen vandalised farms not 

because of grazing their cows but 

because of malice and deliberate 

sabotage. Another report reads 

thus: "Again, Fulani Herdsmen 

Strike in Ondo, Kill Cousin of 

Akeredolu’s Media Aide In Ondo". 

As you would have guessed by now, 

the deceased is equally a farmer. 

In fact, the details of his murder is 

so gory as the herdsmen 

overpowered him and twisted his 

neck backward in order to 

asphyxiate him. Yet again, in 

another news report titled: 

"Suspected Kidnappers Kill OPC 

member, Abduct Farmer in Ondo", 

it was reported that a member of 

The nonchalance of the 

Nigerian government 

seems to have 

emboldened these 

herders who now wield 

automatic rifles during 

their nefarious 

escapades 

OPC was killed by herdsmen when 

he joined a search party to rescue 

a farmer who had been kidnapped. 

In fact, the report of these incessant 

killings is overwhelming and 

hardly does anyday go by without 

any such incidence. Equally tragic 

was the murder of Dr Fatai 

Aborode in Igangan, Oyo State. 

The deceased, a candidate at the 

2015 elections into the House of 

Representatives, was a PHD holder 

and farmer who was reported to 

have made it a cardinal point of 

his operations to cultivate 

friendship with the Fulani in the 

area. Many of them were employed 

on his farm and he in addition gave 

regular gifts, including maize for 

the feeding of their cattle. Despite 

it all, he was killed in a gruesome 

manner as reported by his 

manager thus: 

We were on the way from farm 

when, on getting to the point of the 

incident, we were forced to stop. Two 

gunmen came out from the bush and 

forced us to stop. Two others blocked 

us at the back to ensure that we did 

not escape. Behind us was another 

motorcyclist with his wife on board. 

They were also stopped and we were 

ordered to come down from the 

motorbikes. They didn’t manhandle 

the rest of us apart from my boss. At 

first, we thought that they were 

kidnappers so he asked if they 

wanted money. They told him that 

they didn’t need his money. 

Meanwhile they took me about 

500 metres away from where my 

boss was taken. The other man and 

his wife were in between where I 

was and where my boss was held 

down. One of them kept watch on 

me while they were dealing with 

my boss. As he was being macheted, 

I heard the voice of the other man 

who was on the bike with his wife 

pleading that they should not kill 

my boss but they turned deaf hears. 

At a point, the man who held me 

down left me to meet the others; so 

I had the opportunity to bolt away. 

Government’s response 

Sometimes ago, the Federal 

Government set up a committee 

comprised of the Vice President 

and some state governors with a 

view to bringing about an 

immediate cessation to the attacks 

by herdsmen. Also, government 

announced an additional measure 

which it believes will help in 

reducing friction between 

herdsmen and farmers; the 

establishment of cattle colonies 

across the states of the Federation. 

Announcing this decision, the 

former Minister of Agriculture, 

Audu Ogbeh, was reported to have 

stated as follows: 

One of the most topical issues we 

have today is that of farmers and 

herdsmen clashes. If we do not deal 

with it quickly, we run the risk of 

damaging the harmony and the coexistence 

of Nigeria as a country. 

The killings are getting too many. 

In our attempt to solve the problem, 

we have proffered certain solutions 

but perhaps we were not sensitive 

enough to Nigeria’s fragile 

sensitivities and suspicions. When 

we spoke of colonies, we were 

immediately greeted with reactions 

that this was an attempt to seize 

Nigeria’s land and give to the 

Fulanis to colonise. The intention is 

not for Fulanis or anyone to colonise 

any territory. It is to provide a haven 

for cattle to graze in peace under 

controlled environments to prevent 

the conflicts between farmers and 

herdsmen. Only yesterday, a 

committee was set up by the Vice 

President with members, most of 

them state governors, discussing 

this matter and resolving that states 

that are interested will begin work 

on this matter as soon as next week. 

The solution proposed by the 

former Minister of Agriculture, i.e. 

the use of state lands for the 

establishment of cattle grazing 

colonies for the Fulani herdsmen 

is not only impracticable, but has 

no premise under the extant 

Nigerian laws. In fact, it betrays 

the intention of the Nigerian 

government to tolerate the 

herdsmen rather than prevent 

further heinous attacks on 

innocent Nigerians; to placate 

rather than punish the murderous 

herdsmen. At a time, the 

Presidential spokesman, Femi 

Adesina, reportedly stated, 

infamously, that “your ancestral 

land for grazing or your life”. 

One thing which is clear, 

however, is that even if state lands 

are acquired for the establishment 

of grazing colonies, there is no 

guarantee that the Fulani 

herdsmen will not seek to extend 

their domain by forcefully 

acquiring other lands because, by 


their nature, they are nomads. 

There is also the possibility that 

:Vanguard 

whatever expanse of land 

News 

designated for the herdsmen may 

be overgrazed by the cattle, and 

therefore leading to the irresistible COVID-19: 

temptation to forcefully take 

NSCDC embarks 

further territories which have 

vegetation. These considerations on sensitization 

are notwithstanding whether these 

ranches are privately or publicly exercise in Delta 

managed. 

Beyond the political and security 

considerations dictating a restraint 

in the acquisition and allocation 

of state lands for the establishment 

of grazing settlements, there are 

equally legal impediments to such 

acquisition. To meet up with the 

expected quota of 10,000 hectares 

required from each state, the states 

would inevitably have to acquire 

land from private citizens and 

thereafter allocate it for the 

establishment of the colonies 

which, if considered, qualify as 

private interests. While the Land 

Use Act empowers the governors 

of the states to acquire land for 

public purpose(s), the courts have 

held on several occasions that 

governments cannot acquire land 

from a private individual only to 

make same available for the use of 

another private individual as this 

would not amount to “public 

purpose”. In Wuyah v. Jama’a 

Local Govt, Kafanchan (2013) All 

FWLR (Pt. 659), the court stated 

as follows: 

The law does not give license to 

anybody, an individual, constituted 

authority or government, such as the 

respondent, to acquire, 

compulsorily or otherwise, any land 

that belongs to a person and alienate 

or transfer it to another private 

individual or body for his/its private 

use. To do so will run foul of the 

aforementioned sacrosanct 

provisions of the Land Use Act. The 

aim of the Act is not to divest citizens 

of their pre-existing titles to land. 

No doubt, the Land Use Act is an 

expropriatory legislation which 

must be construed fortissime contra 

preferentes – strictly against the 

acquiring authority, but 

sympathetically in favour of the 

person whose property rights are 

being taken away. 

Applying the foregoing to the 

suggestion of the establishment of 

cattle colonies, I do not see how 

any acquisition of land by any state 

government for the establishment 

of cattle colonies would qualify as 

a public purpose. The approach of 

the courts is to strictly construe any 

statute by which government can 

or purports to exercise the 

expropriation of the proprietary 

rights of the citizens. Therefore, as 

herdsmen are in reality 

businessmen engaged in the 

business of cattle rearing for their 

own personal financial gain, I do 

not see how the provision of land 

for the grazing of their cattle, even 

at the payment of a fee, would satisfy 

the provisions of the law if the land 

is acquired from other private 

individuals. 

In stating the above, I am not 

unmindful of the provisions of 

Section 51(1)(h) of the Land Use 

Act which permits acquisition “for 

obtaining control over land 

required for or in connection with 

economic, industrial or 

agricultural development”. This, in 

my estimation, contemplates a 

situation in which the land is 

acquired for the use by the 

government of its own plans for 

agricultural development. What is 

however clear from the stated 

intention of government is a plan 

to make the land available for the 

use of the herdsmen and their 

cattle. 

To be concluded 

ASABA—IN line with the recent 

directives by President 

Muhammadu Buhari to all 

government apparatuses to embark 

on measures to guide against the 

second wave of the Covid-19 

pandemic, Delta State Command of 

the Nigerian Security and Civil 

Defence Corps, NSCDC, has 

commenced the sensitization of 

members of the public across the 

twenty-five local government areas 

of the state to educate and create 

awareness on the need for them to 

always abide with all the Covid-19 

protocols. 

In a statement by the state Public 

Relations Officer of the command 

and Superintendent of Corps, Eke 

Onyekachi, stated that the state 

Commandant of the Corps, Dr. 

Ikpeamaonwu as directed by the 

command’s headquarters in Abuja 

that all the command of the NSCDC 

across the country should as a matter 

of urgency mobilize its men and 

women to embark on sensitization 

exercise across the country. 

According to the PRO, "the exercise 

is been carried out in all the local 

government areas as well as in 

schools, markets, churches and other 

private places to educate and sentize 

them on the need to always put on 

their face masks, wash their hands 

regularly with water and soap and 

avoid crowded environments." 

He commended the state 

commandant, Ikpeamaonwu for his 

support in carrying out the exercise 

and called on the men and women of 

the command to adhere strictly to the 

directives of the exercise. 

LG polls: Isoko 

North PDP 

inaugurates 

campaign council 

By OchukoAkuopha 

OZORO—THE 

Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in Isoko 

North Local Government Area, Delta 

State, has inaugurated a Campaign 

Council for the March 6, 2021 council 

elections with Special Adviser to the 

Governor on Community and Rural 

Development, Rt Hon. Emmanuel 

Okoro as Chairman. 

Speaking Monday, at the PDP's 

secretariat, Ozoro, venue of the 

inauguration where the party's flag was 

presented to 20 councillorship 

candidates, the party's Chairman in 

the area, Prince Godwin Ogorugba, 

charged the Council to work together 

to deliver all candidates of the party at 

the polls. 

Expressing optimism that the party 

would have a smooth sail in the area 

during the polls, he said, 

"there is no course of alarm; PDP 

will win the chairmanship and all the 

councilorship positions." 

Inaugurating the Council, Vice 

Chairman, PDP Delta South, Chief 

Julius Takeme urged its members to 

"campaign to the nooks and crannies 

of your Ward to ensure victory for all 

our candidates." 

Responding, Okoro thanked God for 

the opportunity to serve, and assured 

that the council would do everything 

possible to deliver all the party's 

candidates. 

In his remark, Chairmanship 

candidate of the party in the area, Mr 

Christian Iteire, noted that with the 

quality and credentials of people 

selected for the campaign Council, the 

party was on the right track to victory. 

Top politicians from the area who 

attended the event included 

Commissioner for Transport Hon. 

Ovie Oghoore; DESOPADEC 

Commissioner, Dr Paul Oweh; Dr 

Patrick Akporuno; Dr Nelson 

Ejakpovi; Hon. Mike Ogwah among 

others.


VOL. 2 NO. 70 

Why Igbo now invest in girl-child education 

By Anayo Okoli, Vincent 

Ujumadu, Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu, Nwabueze 

Okonkwo,Peter Okutu, 

Chinenye Ozor, Chinedu 

ENUGU—IN the past, it was 

not fashionable in Igbo land 

to send girls to school. The kitchen 

was rather seen as the best place 

for them. Hence, they were given 

out early in marriage. Families 

preferred to send only the boys for 

apprenticeship or to school for the 

few that had interest in education. 

Today, the situation has glaringly 

changed. 

Igbo girl-child now competes 

favourably, if not better, with the 

boys, in the academic field. 

Question is, what influenced the 

change; which is more profitable, 

investing in the education of the 

girl-child or the boy child? 

Many parents in Igbo land were 

reluctant in the past to send their 

female children to school for the 

simple belief that there was no 

need to spend so much money 

educating them since they would 

be getting married and therefore 

would no longer be very useful to 

their maiden families. Stories 

were told of parents pressuring 

their female children to get 

married once they were in their 

teens so that their bride price 

would be used to pay the school 

fees of their male children. 

It was common in the 1960s and 

1970s to see more male children 

in school because most parents 

did not take female education 

serious. But all that has changed 

as females are competing with 

their male counterparts in school 

enrolment. 

Although records in the 

Ministry of Education in Anambra 

State show that there are still more 

males than females in schools, the 

gap has, however, narrowed such 

that in few areas, the ratio of male 

to female will be 50:50. It was in 

the effort to increase female 

school enrolment that informed 

the deliberate policy of the 

Anambra State Government to 

encourage many communities to 

establish secondary schools for 

girls only in their areas. That 

decision paid off as many girls’ 

schools have excelled in 

competitions and external 

examinations where boys schools 

also competed. 

The Regina Pacis Secondary 

School, Onitsha owned by the 

Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha 

is a typical example. The all-girls 

secondary school won the World 

Technovation Challenge 

Competition in the USA in 2019. 

The school also won the national 

competition, which qualified it to 

represent Nigeria at the 

competition in the USA. The girls 

that represented Nigeria at the 

competition were Promise 

Nnalue, Jessica Osita, Nwabuaku 

Ossai, Adaeze Onuigbo and 

Vivian Okoye. They won the 

•Educated girl-child contributes more to society — Anueyiagu 

•Properly groomed daughter is an asset — Chief Ikeoha 

•Importance of girl-child education is huge — Wilcox-Iwuchukwu 

•Era of preferential treatment over sex of a child over — Mrs. Ebere 

•Still important to give the boys best for their role in families — Anakwe 

•Girls in school, getting education 

competition with a mobile 

application called the FD-Detector 

which they developed to help 

tackle the challenge of fake 

pharmaceutical products in 

Nigeria and beyond. They applied 

the robotics and coding insights 

in solving existential problem of 

fake drugs. There was also the case 

of Miss Maduaforkwa from Ihiala 

in Anambra State who came tops 

in the 2020 West African School 

Certificate Examination for the 

entire country. 

Apart from doing well 

academically, some parents said 

their female children are more 

caring than their male 

counterparts after exposing them 

to acquire equal education. Mrs. 

Grace Ibeka, a retired principal 

said she is enjoying more benefits 

from her only married daughter 

than from her three male children. 

“We did not discriminate in 

giving our four children, three 

boys and one girl, education. They 

all attended the same primary 

and secondary school. After their 

university education, they all got 

married, but I must tell you that it 

is the girl that cares more for us 

than her brothers. It is the girl that 

would always call to ask after our 

health and would send money for 

our upkeep. So I must say that 

girl-child education is more 

important because they are more 

caring. It is not as if my male 

children are poor, far from it”, 

Ibeka explained. 

For Mrs. Margaret Wilcox- 

Iwuchukwu, an Onitsha, Anambra 

State-based legal practitioner, the 

importance of girl-child education 

cannot be over-emphasized. 

Wilcox-Iwuchukwu, the vicechairman, 

Nigerian Bar 

Association, NBA, Onitsha 

People have seen 

the benefit of 

training girls in 

school and in other 

fields of human 

endeavour; unlike 

the olden days 

when kitchen was 

rather seen as the 

best place for them. 

branch, said people see girls as 

lesser humans but in the actual 

fact, they are not, even though God 

created a woman to be under a 

man. 

“People have seen the benefit of 

training girls in school and in other 

fields of human endeavour; unlike 

the olden days when kitchen was 

rather seen as the best place for 

them. 

“I even had to establish a 

foundation known as Wilcox 

Foundation in 2015 after the death 

of my father, Wilcox Amana, to 

immortalize him because he was 

an advocate of girl-child 

education, which explained why 

he sent me to school to graduate 

as a lawyer.” 

In his own contribution, another 

lawyer, Humphrey Udechukwu 

noted that today, you will realise 

that training a girl-child in 

education or other trade is as 

important as anything one can 

think of because when her parents 

or father and mother-in-law grow 

old, she would be able to cater for 

them. 

“The cradle of civilization has 

been there in the Western world 

for training the gild-child but it 

depends on when we in the third 

world countries embraced girlchild 

education. It will amount to 

living in a fool’s paradise for 

someone to still think that kitchen 

is a better place for a girl-child 

all through her life without first of 

all passing through schools to 

acquire education or learning a 

trade that will help her in life, 

before and after marriage. 

“This time around, men even 

prefer marrying either graduates 

and working class ladies or 

successful businesswomen. 

Nowadays, nobody wants to 

marry idle, uneducated girls just 

for child-bearing as was 

applicable in the past”, 

Udechukwu noted. 

According to a veteran 

journalist, Abuchi Anueyiagu, 

proper education helps the girlchild 

to realise her potentials and 

positions her to play important 

roles in the society. He said 

investing in girl-child education 

is more important than in male 

child, arguing that an educated 

woman with increased earning 

potential is more likely to give 

back to the community than her 

male counterpart. Anueyiagu said 

that “a girl-child needs to be 

educated to acquire knowledge 

and skills needed to advance her 

status for social interactions and 

self-improvement. Girl-child 

education also prepares her to 

face the reality in society and 

teaches her to be a good wife and 

mother. 

“The world is changing and 

everyone is fast changing to 

become somebody. A female 

child has more compassion for 

her maiden family than the male 

who could get married and hardly 

take care of his parents and 

siblings. A female child even if she 

is married, tends toward her 

maiden family more. 

“They take care of their parents 

and siblings more. In the 

primitive world, it was 

erroneously believed that a girlchild 

belongs to another who will 

take care of her and her own 

without contributing any anything 

to her maiden family but the 

circumstances of the 

contemporary life have proved the 

earlier presupposition wrong. In 

many places today, it is the girlchild 

that is the pillar, the light 

and the lifeline of her maiden 

family. So, why should attention 

not be given to her?” 

In the opinion of Chief Michael 

Ubani, the tendency of men to 

marry educated girls influenced 

the girl-child education. 

According to him, a girl bereft of 

education and knowledge will 

likely end up marrying a truck 

pusher. He maintained that the 

trend of sending only the male 

child to school has changed 

because families have realised 

that an educated girl-child is more 

useful in the family/society than 

even the educated male child. 

“Today, more boys are going into 

business to make money, instead 

of pursuing education as was the 

case before. The number of girls 

attending school at different levels 

of education has risen because of 

the tendency among the boys or 

men who are into business and 

who have made the money to 

marry educated girls, including 

graduates. The bottom line is 

money, and it doesn’t matter 

whether the boy went to school or 

not, the question is, does he have 

money? The Holy book says that 

money answereth everything; so, 

that girl who is bereft of education 

and knowledge will likely end up 

marrying a truck pusher. 

“Nevertheless, some parents 

have found out to their chagrin, 

that some educated girls are 

useful, even more useful than some 

educated boys, hence the current 

practice of sending girls to 

school”, he said. 

For Chief Ebenezer Ikeoha, 

resident of Owerri, Imo State, 

female children have become 

most cherished asset in the family 

if given adequate home training. 

Such girls, he said, often turn out 

to be the breadwinners of their 

families even after they had gotten 

married. He added that such 

training cultured them to be 

humane, become peace makers in 

every home that they find 

themselves in, as well as 

enterprising in their work. 

“I have two boys and two girls. 

The two girls are the third and 

fourth. What I want to say is not 

as if the boys are not doing well; 

the point I want to make is that 

while the boys are busy waiting 

for when they will get plenty 

money, my daughters have 

equipped themselves and now 

have established themselves with 

skills. It is not just my home; you 

can see it in other families. 

“When there is no food in the 

house, most times, the females are 

always ready to do menial jobs just 

to put food on the table of the 

family. This is the hard work you 

see in women. 

“Just imagine when you give her 

proper education, there is 99 per 

cent assurance that she will hardly 

forget where she comes from and 

the parents that gave her that 

training. This is the reason why you 

see most men now paying more 

attention to their daughters. They 

need care and full support especially 

in their old age,” Ikeoha said. 

Continue on Page 25

Why we now invest in girl-child 

education 

Continues from page 24 

Chief Peter Enemuo, erstwhile 

President-General of Ogulogu Olo 

autonomous community in 

Ezeagu Local Government Area, 

Enugu State, believes that the 

importance of girl-child education 

has dawned on parents and 

guardians, hence, the increase in 

the enrollment of girls in schools 

in his area. He said that parents 

no longer give out the girl-child 

in early marriage as a result, 

social norms have changed the 

narratives, especially in the 

South-East region. The girl-child, 

he said, is no longer seen as a 

kitchen material. 

Hon. Opata Igbo of Uzo-Uwani 

Council Area of Enugu State said 

that girl-child education has 

improved tremendously unlike in 

the past when girl-child education 

was seen as a waste of resources. 

He said that most parents in the 

contemporary Igbo society invest 

more on girl-child education for 

upkeep of the family. Right to 

education is for all irrespective of 

gender. 

Hon. Opata noted that with the 

establishment of the University of 

Nigeria Nsukka in 1960, the 

tempo of girl-child education 

changed as most parents sent the 

girl-child to school. The 

university made education 

accessible for all manner of girls 

- the poor, needy, impaired and 

physically challenged ones in the 

society due to societal values and 

enlightenment. 

For a mother of three, Mrs. 

Jenny Ebere who spoke with 

South-East Voice, the era of 

preferential treatment over sex 

of a child was over. According to 

her, female children have even 

proven more reliable than their 

male counterparts as they are 

now successful entrepreneurs in 

different fields of human 

endeavour and so have become 

keepers of their family heritage 

in some cases. 

“The era of discrimination is 

over. Female children are mostly 

trustworthy. They have 

distinguished themselves. They 

are mostly the ones that take 

care of their parents in their old 

age. Training them is just the best. 

They are prudent managers of 

resources”, she said. 

However, a Pastor and a father 

of two, Promise Izuogu, played 

down the issue of 

THE TEAM 

SUPERVISING EDITOR: 

Chioma Gabriel, Lagos 

(08052201257) 

EDITOR 

Anayo Okoli, Enugu 

08034046839 

Vincent Ujumadu, Awka 

Dennis Agbo, Enugu 

Chinedu Adonu, Enugu 

Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri 

Chinonso Alozie, Owerri 

Peter Okutu, Abakaliki 

Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Nnewi 

Ugochukwu Alaribe, Aba 

Nwabueze Okonkwo, 

Onitsha 

Chinenye Ozor, Nsukka 

Ikechukwu Odu, Nsukka 

discrimination. He said the 

training of male children is 

more advantageous as they are 

naturally the heads of families 

and establishments. 

“In the Bible, God confers 

headship on the males and so 

giving them the necessary 

training they need is very 

important. The females are also 

important and so should not be 

relegated to the background.” 

But Chief Ozoh Anaekwe, 

former President-General of 

Onitsha Markets Amalgamated 

Traders Association, OMATA, 

maintains that male education 

remains more valuable. “No 

matter the situation, there is no 

basis for comparison between the 

importance of male child 

education to that of female child. 

It is still important that male 

children be given good training by 

families because of the prominent 

roles they play in the families.” 

He, however, agreed that the 

roles a girl-child plays as regards 

welfare of their parents is 

tremendous. “It is indisputable 

that girls these days are taking 

care of their parents more than 

the boys. When the girls marry 

and live with their husbands, 

whatever they get from their 

husbands, they prefer sending 

them to their parents. Conversely, 

the boys prefer to spend what they 

have on their children and their 

in-laws. The girl-child transfers 

greater percentage of her love and 

care to her parents while the males 

lean towards taking care of their 

children and their in-laws more 

than their parents. 

“It is still more profitable to 

train male children. If you have 

wealth, you should give more to 

your male child than the girlchild 

no matter what the female 

children are doing for their 

parents. If you have money to 

send only one person to school 

and you have only one option, 

please send the boy because he 

is the person to take over the 

house. A girl can marry and live 

in a very far place and if you have 

a bad in-law, he can take your 

daughter overseas and dump her 

there, and for 20, 30 years, you 

will not see them. 

“Your male child must come 

home; his first home is your 

home, his children’s first home is 

your home. So the male represents 

and retains the family no matter 

the condition or the situation. 

"Whatever the girl is 

contributing from her husband’s 

place, it is still important that your 

male child is trained and given a 

lion share. The males are more 

important to the family than the 

females because the female must 

leave to go and build another 

home for her husband. 

“But it is no more fashionable to 

train males and leave females. 

Female children are no more for 

the kitchen; they are now doing 

great things for their parents and 

family than their husbands' 

families. Any family that prefers to 

send only the boys to school is 

making a big mistake because the 

girls have great roles they play in 

their parents’ houses and families 

too like the boys.” 

For Chief Augustine Emelobe of 

Oba, Idemili South Council of 

Anambra State, the wind of change 

and economic empowerment as well 

as exposure has influenced parents’ 

decision to educate both female and 

male children. Igbo parents, he said, 

are excited to educate all the children 

without preference. 

EKE—THE people of Oma 

Eke Community, Udi 

council Area of Enugu State, last 

week protested what they called 

attempt to commission a nonexistent 

road project in the area. 

The community expressed 

surprise over the commissioning 

of road awarded under ecological 

project, before construction work 

even began, describing such act 

as “a monumental fraud that 

must be resisted.” 

The angry indigenes who 

moved round the streets of the 

community to register their 

grievances, displayed placards, 

some with inscriptions such as: 

Please do not commission the 

uncompleted Eke Oma road; 

Public procurement act crucified; 

Corruption unlimited; EFCC 

where are you? Buhari must hear 

this, among others. 

By Anayo Okoli 

E NUGU—OZALLA-ABOR 

community, Udi Local 

Government Area of Enugu State 

has sent a Save-Our-Soul 

petition to the Inspector-General 

of Police, Mohammed Adamu, 

over what they called 

intimidation, harassment and 

threat to life by certain land 

grabbers who they alleged want 

to forcefully take over their 

ancestral land. 

They alleged that the said land 

grabbers are using policemen in 

Enugu Police Command to 

“threaten, harass and intimidate” 

them to forcefully take away their 

community land worth over N10 

billion. They also claimed that 

few members of the community 

connived with the highly placed 

land grabbers to deprive them of 

their land. 

In the petition by their lawyer, 

A. C Amechi, dated 3rd February, 

2021, and copied to the 

Chairman, Police Service 

Commission, the Chairman, 

Senate Committee on Police and 

the Commissioner of Police, 

Enugu State; they urged the 

Inspector-General of Police to 

intervene urgently to save the 

community from imminent crisis. 

The petition was written on 

behalf of Ichie Peter Eze, Head of 

Ozalla Abor Village; Sir Elias 

Eruchie, Chairman, Ozalla Abor 


Community protests commissioning 

of non-existing road 

By Chinedu Adonu 

South-East Voice learned that the 

road, an ecological fund project of 

N429. 9 million, which was 

secured under the office of the 

Secretary to the Federal 

Government, is yet to commence, 

yet a Federal Government 

delegation was said to be in the 

area to commission the project 

which was resisted by the 

community. 

According to the Town Union 

Chairman of Oma Eke community, 

Kenneth Ogudu, who addressed 

journalists, some Federal 

Government delegation came to 

commission a road project yet to 

be constructed. 

“Over 3.8km road was awarded 

and funded by the Federal 

Government through the 

Ecological Fund Project since 

2019 but as you can see, nothing 

has been done in those areas 

named in the contract paper. Today, 

the contractor and fraudulent people 

from the Federal Government said 

•Youths protesting commissioning of non-existing roads 

Village Council of Elders; Ichie 

Cornelius Onodingene, Ichie 

Callistus Ille, Ichie Vintus 

Nnadieke, Ichie Gregory Emefu, 

Pastor Fidelis Udochukwu, 

Athanasius Akwaka, Festus Ogbu 

and indeed, Ozalla Abor Village, 

Abor Autonomous Community, 

Udi Local Government Area, 

Enugu State. 

Alleging compromise, the 

lawyer wants the Inspector- 

General of Police to take over 

investigation of the case from men 

of D 13, Enugu Police Command. 

“On the 19th October, 2020, this 

law office wrote to you 

complaining against ten sons of 

Ozalla Abor village and the 

Commissioner for Lands and 

Urban Development, Enugu State. 

Surprisingly, on the 26th January, 

2021, at about 3 am, the children 

of our clients were arrested by Anti- 

Cult department from Enugu 

Police; the group our clients 

complained against had lodged a 

counter attack, using the Anti-Cult 

department. And the following 

were arrested: Maxwell Obodo, 

Jude Amadi, Chukwuma Agu, 

Paul Ifebuche Eze and Ejike 

Ugwu. They were accused of 

attempted murder and armed 

robbery. They were taken to the 

Chief Magistrate's Court on the 

same day of the arrest. They are 

still in detention till today. 

“The investigation, if any, was 

very hasty. They were arrested by 

they are coming to commission the 

road project not done. 

“We have not seen anything and 

they cannot commission a road 

not done. I am calling on the 

Federal Government to intervene 

and charge the contractors to come 

to the site,” he said. 

Also speaking, Godwin Onwusi 

said that no ecological project as 

awarded since 2019 has been 

executed. He said the last paragraph 

of the contract agreement clearly 

stated thus: “This contract is fixed, 

firm and not transferrable. 

“My people are agitated, they 

are not happy. The source of my 

people’s grievances is that 

sometime in 2019, Enugu Eke- 

Eke-Oma Eke, Obodo Amankwo 

Oma Road was awarded through 

Ecological Fund Project under the 

office of the Secretary to 

Government of the Federation at 

the cost of N429. 9 million. 

“So, we kept on waiting, as we 

were waiting, we stumbled on the 

letter of the award which stated 

clearly at the last paragraph, “this 

contract is fixed, firm and not 

transferrable” believing that we 

were waiting for them to 

commence work on the road. To 

our greatest surprise, we heard 

that they are coming today to 

commission the road. I am sure 

that the SGF is not aware of this 

kind of fraud going on here. 

“How could the Federal 

Government send a team to 

commission a project that was not 

executed? Nothing was done in 

all the places mentioned in the 

contract paper and the contract 

agreement says it is fixed, firm and 

not transferrable. So, nothing has 

been done and they want to 

commission it?” 

The community urged President 

Muhammadu Buhari to intervene 

and charge the contractor to 

commence the construction of the 

3.8km road as awarded. 

Enugu community petitions IGP over 

activities of land grabbers 

...Says they want to set the community on fire 

3:00 am on the 26th of January, 

2021 and charged to court at 

about 9 o’clock same day. There 

was no previous arrest or 

invitation yet the same Enugu 

Police Command has not 

concluded the investigation on the 

complaint our clients lodged 

since July, 2020. 

“But no armed robbery took 

place as alleged. No murder or 

attempted murder took place as 

alleged. Nobody was the victim of 

armed robbery. 

"The said arrest was planned to 

pay our clients for reporting the 

land grabbers to Enugu Police 

Command. The worst is that some 

policemen from Enugu Police 

Command asked the land 

grabbers to write a phantom 

petition against the five elders 

who told the Chief Magistrate's 

Court that the children are 

innocent of the trumped up 

charges and that there was no 

robbery or attempted murder in 

their village as alleged. They now 

want to intimidate the senior 

citizens/elders for speaking the 

truth. 

“In view of the foregoing, we 

humbly request the following that 

the complaint of our clients 

against the underlisted be handed 

over to the Inspector-General of 

Police Team from Abuja for 

discrete investigation. They are 

John Nnabuchukwu Onyechi, 

Chukwuka Ugwuigwe, Anthony 

Eze, Ifeanyi Eze, Ejike Ugwu, 

Uche Njeze, Innocent Ugwu, 

Joseph Agu, Everest Udengwu 

and Ferdinand Agbo,” the 

petition said.


vicahiyoung@yahoo.com 

Retired varsity workers, families 

suffering, NASU, SSANU raise alarm 

NON-Academic Staff 

Union of Universities 

and Allied Institutions, 

NASU, and its Senior Staff 

Association of Nigerian 

Universities, SSANU 

counterpart, have raised 

the alarm over the untold 

hardship retired members 

and their families are 

passing through. 

NASU and SSANU 

lamented that their retired 

members of the unions 

have not been paid their 

entitlements including 

death benefits to their 

families. 

General Secretary of 

NASU, Prince Peters 

Adeyemi, while explaining 

some of their grouses with 

the Federal Government, 

said: “Many anomalies 

have been observed with 

respect to payment of 

retirement and death 

benefits to our members. 

These anomalies were 

pointed out to the 

government and in the 

signed Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, of 

October, 2020, it was agreed 

that within a two-week 

time-line, efforts would be 

made to correct the 

anomalies. Till date, 

however, the situation 

Terminal benefits: NLC laments plight of 

sacked Intels' workers, families 

NIGERIA 

Labour 

Congress, NLC, has 

decried the suffering and 

untold hardship no fewer than 

599 sacked workers of 

Integrated Logistics Services, 

Intels, have been exposed to 

over two months after they 

were sacked without payment 

of their terminal benefits, 

NLC in a letter to the 

Managing Director, Intels, 

Onne Port, Rivers State, dated 

January 29, 2021, intimated 

the company of its readiness 

to mediate in the dispute 

between the leadership of the 

Maritime Workers’ Union of 

Nigeria, MWUN, and Intels 

to ensure amicable resolution 

of the dispute. 

Congress in the letter by its 

President, Ayuba Wabba, 

while insisting that the 

national leadership of NLC 

was willing to provide an 

enabling environment for the 

peaceful resolution of all the 

issues at short notice, it 

contended that towards an 

amicable resolution of issues, 

there should be cessation of 

further hostile actions by 

either side, and withdrawal of 

pending actions. 

According to the NLC letter, 

it recalled the letter of 

complaints by MWUN, an 

affiliate, over the dispute 

between it and Intels, saying 

in MWUN’s letter of 

complaint dated 21/01/2021, 

the union averred that 

“Associated Maritime 

Services, AMS which 

employs some of its members, 

“provide dedicated personnel 

for Intels Nig. Ltd. 

Accordingly, Intels Nig. Ltd 

always gives instructions to 

AMS to declare redundancy 

and number of workers to be 

declared redundant and 

issues instructions to AMS to 

carry out its wishes. 

remains the same and our 

members continue to 

languish. 

“The justification and 

benefit of retirees is that a 

labourer deserves his/her 

wages and that having 

served the nation 

meritoriously for years, they 

deserve to retire with good 

benefit packages. 

Unfortunately, little has 

been done in the payment 

of retirement and death 

benefits to our retired and 

out-gone members and the 

hardships caused by 

inexplicable delays in 

payment of retirement and 

death benefits to retired or 

departed staff is 

excruciating. 

"This was addressed in 

the 20th October, 2020 

Memorandum of 

Understanding, with a twoweek 

timeline within which 

the Office of the Accountant 

General of the Federation, 

AGF, the IPPIS Office, the 

Office of the Head of the 

Civil Service of the 

Federation, OHCSF and 

the National Pension 

Commission, PenCom, 

were to take further action 

and revert. Sadly, there has 

been no feedback on this 

aspect of the MoU which 

“Over the years, 

redundancy matters at AMS 

were jointly sorted out as 

“Intels being the principal 

always negotiated with the 

Union, staff welfare benefits 

and severance packages to 

workers of Associated 

Maritime Services. However, 

recently, the management of 

Intels refused to negotiate 

with the Union, “severance 

benefits of 602 workers now 

reduced to 599 whose 

appointments on the 

instruction of Intels were 

terminated without payment 

either by Intels or Associated 

Maritime Services. 

“The Union also averred 

that from the facts above, it 

was obvious that the 

relationship had always been 

a tripartite one with Intels 

“being the principal 

employer. 

“In light of this, it was 

taken aback when “Intels 

refused to be present at the 

negotiation table with 

Associated Maritime 

Services and the Union over 

the severance benefits of 602 

workers (now reduced to 

599). After a prolonged wait 

to get Intels to the negotiating 

table failed, the Union in 

exercise of its statutory right, 

gave a seven-day notice to the 

authorities to withdraw all 

letters of redundancy issued 

to our members. 

“Instead of seeing reason, 

and come to the negotiating 

table, Intels Nig. Ltd locked 

out our members from 

assessing their work place 

and stationed at the gate, 

well-armed security 

operatives who kept chasing 

away our members. 

Consequent upon the lockout, 

the Union embarked 

upon a three-day warning 

strike to draw the attention of 

had a two-week timeline 

even three months after.” 

IPPIS problem 

On his part, President of 

SSANU, Mohammed 

Ibrahim, lamented that the 

Integrated Payroll and 

Personnel Information 

System, IPPIS, had 

compounded the situation, 

saying: “The university 

system is not the same 

with the Ministries and 

Departments, MDs 

because there are 

peculiarities in the 

university; the job schedule 

is not the same with the 

ministries. For example, 

government had approved 

the law extending the 

service years of our 

members. We retire at the 

age of 65 years for the nonteaching 

staff, while those 

in the academic line, 

especially at the 

professorial level, can retire 

at the age of 70 years. When 

this platform of IPPIS was 

shown to us, we realised 

that once you are 60 years 

of age, it kicks you out or if 

you have put in 35 years in 

service. We drew their 

attention. .payment from 

the same source.” 

the government to the unfair 

labour practice of Intels 

Management. 

The Union further averred 

that the Nigerian Maritime 

Administration and Safety 

Agency, NIMASA, in its quest 

for an amicable resolution of 

the matter, twice scheduled a 

meeting (on the 9th and 15th 

of December 2020) with the 

Intels and the Union but Intels 

declined to be at the meeting 

on both occasions; In spite of 

the belligerence of Intels, the 

intervention of the 

Commissioner of Police 

(Eastern Port Police 

Command) and other 

respected stakeholders led to 

the suspension of the strike on 

the second day. However, 

rather than reciprocate this 

goodwill, Intels instituted an 

action against the leadership 

of the Union at the National 

Industrial Court; Port 

Harcourt Division, and has 

since refused to pay any of the 

599 employers who are in dire 

financial straits with their 

families. 

The Union, left with a little 

option has declared a trade 

dispute with Intels and filed 

same with the Ministry of 

Labour Employment. 

“If the aforementioned 

account is the reflection of 

what has happened between 

Intels and the Maritime 

Union, we would urge you to 

reconsider of your decisions 

in line with provisions of our 

Labour law and fair labour 

practices. We are prepared to 

provide an enabling 

environment for the peaceful 

resolution of all the issues at 

short notice. 

In our view, the first step 

towards an amicable 

resolution of issues is cessation 

of further hostile actions by 

either side, and withdrawal of 

pending actions.” 

Local insurers losing out on big ticket 

transactions — NAICOM laments 

Stories by Rosemary 

Iwunze 

THE NATIONAL Insur 

ance Commission, NA- 

ICOM, has lamented the 

declining participation of 

local insurers in big ticket 

businesses such as aviation, 

annuity as well as oil and 

gas risks underwriting. 

Expressing this concern 

while speaking in Lagos at 

a directors' conference, 

Commissioner for Insurance 

and Chief Executive 

of NAICOM, Mr. Sunday 

Thomas, noted that more 

businesses are being sent 

abroad to reinsure them, 

further eroding the capacity 

of the local market. 

He said: "More businesses 

especially in the aviation 

sector and oil and gas are 

now being reinsured 

abroad. Of more concern is 

the declining participation 

of life companies in the annuity 

business which is the 

emerging business for our 

industry. 

"These are the areas 

where the industry can impose 

itself on the economy 

through the control of funds 

for national development; 

unfortunately, we are missing 

it." 

According to Thomas, the 

industry must embrace 

technology to move forward. 

"The industry must invest 

handsomely in technology 

which is one of our key drivers 

for developing the market. 

Institutions should be 

prepared to digitalize their 

processes, procedures and 

systems in order to make 

their operation seamless 

and real time." 

Thomas stated that the 

Commission is investing 

heavily in automating its 

processes and expects 

nothing less from insurance 

institutions. 

Meanwhile, Thomas advised 

the insured public not 

to discard insurance as part 

of measures to cut cost in 

the face of the harsh economic 

situation. 

He said: "It is good to reduce 

cost but in terms of insurance, 

people should ensure 

that all assets are adequately 

insured. 

"It is good to have a good 

risk management framework 

as well as be able to 

manage our insurances 

and assets. Many are left 

with the option of cutting 

cost, however, not all cost 

cutting will measure success 

and some might even 

end up hurting our businesses. 

As business owners 

and as businesses 

spring up, we must ensure 

that we put the right processes 

in place in trying to 

manage our assets and ensure 

that we have more 

strategic thinking. 

"Risk is part of our business 

endeavours and the 

best thing is to evaluate and 

see what part of the risk you 

can transfer. The insurance 

industry has proven its relevance 

in the affairs of the 

economy," Thomas noted. 

SUNU Assurances' private 

placement records 100% 

subscription 

SUNU ASSURANCES 

Nigeria Plc has announced 

a 100 per cent subscription 

for its private 

placement exercise. 

Disclosing this in a statement, 

Managing Director 

of the company, Mr. Samuel 

Ogbodu said that the 

private placement exercise 

of 3,010,800,000 ordinary 

shares of 50 kobo each at 

N1.00 per share, with respect 

to the Private Placement 

Memorandum dated 

Monday, January 4, 2021 

has been successful. 

He stated that a total of 

two applications for 

3,010,800,000 ordinary 

shares were received in connection 

with the private 

placement. 

Linkage Assurance attributes growth to 

brokers' support 

LINKAGE 

ASSUR 

ANCE Plc has attributed 

its continuous growth 

and market expansion to 

good relationships with the 

insurance brokers. 

The company said its focus 

going into 2021 and 

beyond will be to strengthen 

the relationship by continuously 

providing efficient 

services and meeting 

claims obligations prompt- 

FBN Insurance donates to less privileged 

FBN INSURANCE Lim 

ited has donated various 

items to homes and hospice 

in Lagos and Port Harcourt. 

In a statement, the company 

said that it visited children 

at the Heritage Homes 

Orphanage (Lagos) and 

Rhema Orphanage Home 

(Port Harcourt). Items such 

as food, beverages, toiletries, 

clothes as well as cash were 

donated to the children of the 

orphanage homes. 

The company said it made 

a similar donation to the 

Down Syndrome Foundation 

Nigeria, Lagos. Most of 

the items donated to the 

Homes and Hospice were 

largely raised through the 

company's annual Staff Gift 

ly 

Ṁanaging Director/Chief 

Executive Officer of the 

company, Mr. Daniel Braie 

stated this at the general 

meeting of the Nigerian 

Council of Registered Insurance 

Brokers, NCRIB, 

Lagos Area Council, LAC, 

hosted by the company in 

Lagos. 

Braie said: "Linkage Assurance 

Plc recognises the 

pivotal role of the broker's 

Drive, an in-house initiative 

that encourages staff to donate 

various items for a 

common cause. The FBN 

Insurance Staff Gift Drive 

which was incepted in 2015, 

is in its 6th year. 

While appreciating the 

goodwill of the insurer, the 

Assistant General Manager, 

Heritage Homes Orphanage, 

Mr. Reuben Amara, 

said: "On behalf of the 

Board, Management and 

the entire members of the 

Heritage Homes Orphanage, 

we express our deepest 

appreciation to the Board, 

Management and the entire 

staff of FBN Insurance Limited 

for their kind donation 

towards the upkeep of the 

He said the two applications 

for 3,010,800,000 ordinary 

shares were found to 

be valid, accepted and processed 

accordingly. 

He noted that the Securities 

& Exchange Commission 

has cleared the basis of 

allotment, adding that the 

Central Securities Clearing 

System, CSCS, accounts of 

successful allotees will be 

credited with shares allotted 

not later than February 12, 

2021 by the registrars to the 

issue, Crescent Registrars 

Limited. 

The SUNU boss, posited 

that the company is embarking 

on the growth phase 

while it remains committed 

to its strategic objectives and 

core values, which will also 

guide the future and culture 

of the company. 

community in the growth of 

insurance business and 

that is why we decided that 

apart from hosting the national 

body, we would go a 

step further to host the various 

Area Councils across 

the country. 

"So far, we have done this 

in Abuja, Kaduna, Port 

Harcourt and now Lagos. 

If not for the COVID-19 

pandemic that broke out 

last year we would have 

covered more states." 

children in the Home. We 

pray that the Almighty God 

will reward your labour of 

love, especially at this difficult 

time of the global 

COVID-19 pandemic." 

The National President of 

the Down Syndrome Foundation 

Nigeria, Mrs. Rose 

Mordi, also expressed the 

Foundation's appreciation 

for the insurer's donation. In 

her statement, she said: "We 

are grateful for your support, 

concern, love and for 

the interest shown to our 

mission. We thank you from 

the depth of our hearts and 

pray that FBN Insurance 

continues to grow from 

strength to strength."

Continues from Page 5 

state in terms of security 

and for anybody to justify 

these criminal activities 

that have given the 

nation’s security 

leadership so much 

trouble calls for serious 

concern from all 

Nigerians, irrespective of 

tribe and religious 

background. 

“Kidnapping is an 

international crime that 

people learn from, 

watching foreign movies. 

The question now is 

where did Niger Delta exagitators 

learn the act of 

kidnapping from?” 

Gumi’s 

statement 

disgusting, 

insulting 

— Izon Ebi 

Speaking for Niger 

Delta agitators, 

coordinator of 21st 

CYNDAC, self-styled 

“Gen” Izon Ebi, said: “We 

strongly condemn the 

provocative statement of 

Sheikh Gumi that is 

capable of igniting 

serious problem in the 

Niger Delta. It is 

disgusting, insulting and 

provocative to compare 

herdsmen to Niger Delta 

militants. 

“It is a deliberate effort 

to justify the atrocities of 

the so-called Fulani 

m e r c e n a r i e s 

masquerading as bandits 

that were imported to 

dislodge former President 

Goodluck Jonathan from 

office. Nigerians know 

the truth and cannot be 

deceived by the antics of 

Sheikh Gumi. 

“Nigerians are patiently 

watching the macabre 

dance of the Northern 

elite because of power. 

Amnesty to bandits will 

mark the end of the flow 

of oil and gas from our 

region.” 

Criminal, 

obnoxious, 

stupid 

statement, says 

Edwin Clark 

South South Leader, 

Chief Edwin Clark has 

lampooned Islamic 

Cleric, Ahmad Gumi, 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

The naira yesterday was stable at N409.67 per 

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

even as the volume of dollars traded rose by eight 

percent. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the volume of 

dollars (turnover) traded in the window rose by eight 

percent to $30.44 million from $28.21 million on 

Monday. 

vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 



saying that his statement 

that Fulani herdsmen and 

armed bandits learnt how 

to kidnap from Niger 

Delta militants was not 

only criminal, but 

obnoxious and stupid. 

Speaking with Vanguard 

yesterday in Abuja, he 

said: “That statement is 

not only criminal but 

obnoxious. How can he 

say that? The people in the 

Niger Delta took arms 

when they found that they 

have been oppressed, 

dehumanised, and their 

rights taken away from 

them and given to other 

Nigerians. 

“They took all our land. 

The situation has affected 

their lives. They take all 

our money, they no longer 

go to school, they can no 

longer swim, they can no 

longer catch fish. They are 

fighting for their rights. 

What did Nigerians do to 

almajirai or to bandits in 

the North. Were you not 

there when they said they 

are Fulanis from outside 

Nigeria. So, where did 

they get it from the Niger 

Delta people? 

“That is a stupid 

statement, it is obnoxious 

and criminal. I don’t 

blame them because they 

are the people, their 

governors, their 

politicians who exploit our 

oil, they are the senior 

managers, and zonal 

managers of oil 

industries, they are the 

people who have oil blocs, 

they have taken away our 

oil, our people have 

nothing and at that time 

the youths decided to take 

the driver’s seat. 

“These people were 

kidnapping for wrong 

done to them to attract 

world attention. Their 

areas were occupied by 

military men. 

“Their areas are 

occupied by military men 

who were stealing their 

oil. So what are they 

talking? By killing 

people, maiming people, 

raping women? Who told 

them that our people are 

carrying AK-47? 

“They are very jealous 

because of the amnesty 

which they do not 

deserve. With Boko 

Haram, they have now 

created the North East 

Development 

Naira stable at N409.67/$ in I&E 

window 

Commission, whose 

money are they using if 

not money from the Niger 

Delta? They should stop 

it.” 

‘Criminal 

herdsmen, 

bandits’ve taken 

over roads to 2 

Abia LGs’ 

Meanwhile, the House 

of Representatives has 

told the Inspector-General 

of Police, Mohammed 

Adamu that criminals, 

killer herdsmen and 

bandits have taken over 

all roads leading to 



Government Areas of Abia 

State. 

The House said the 

criminals were maiming, 

robbing, kidnapping, 

raping and killing the 

people and other 

travellers, warning that 

unless urgent steps were 

taken, the situation might 

degenerate to chaos and 

lawlessness. 

The call followed a 

motion considered by the 

House at plenary 

yesterday. 

Moving the motion, 

titled “Need to Address 

the Worsening Security 

Situation in Isuikwuato/ 

Umunneochi Federal 

Constituency, Abia State,” 

the sponsor and Deputy 

Chief Whip of the House, 

Nkiru Onyejiocha, who 

also represents 

Isuikwuato/Umunneochi 

federal constituency in 

the parliament, informed 

the House that a former 

transition chairman was 

attacked in the area. 

She said: “There is an 

increasingly disturbing 

security situation in and 

around Isuikwuato and 


Government Areas of Abia 

State which, unless 

urgent steps are taken, 

may degenerate to chaos 

and lawlessness. 

“Virtually all roads that 

lead to the areas have 

been taken over by 

criminals, killer 

herdsmen and bandits 

who lay siege on the 

people of the local 

government areas, 

maiming, robbing, 

kidnapping, raping and 

killing the people and 

travellers. 

“There has been no 

single day in the last five 

months that there were no 

reported cases of 

abductions, robberies, 

theft or some form of 

criminality in and around 

the two local government 

areas and those criminal 

elements are so audacious 

that they operate in broad 

day light and night time, 

mostly without any 

interference from security 

operatives. 

“Victims of those 

murderous gangs range 

from poor peasant 

farmers, old and young 

people, travellers, 

traditional and political 

leaders, among others, 

and a case in point is that 

of one Mr Obiajulu 

Okafor who was 

kidnapped along with his 

wife and driver, on 

January 2, 2021, which 

forced his family to pay a 

ransom of N22 million to 

secure their release. 

“On October 6, 2020, in 

two separate incidents, 

the chairman (Transition 

Committee) of Isuikwuato 

Local Government Area 

and the member 

representing Isuikwuato 

Local Government Area in 


Abia State House of 

Assembly, were attacked 

on the same road. 

“While the House 

member was lucky to have 

escaped unharmed (with 

a bullet-ridden vehicle), 

the Transition Committee 

Chairman paid ransom to 

regain his freedom from 

the kidnappers. 

“The people of 


Ummunneochi can no 

longer go to their farms or 

engage in other means of 

gaining livelihood for fear 

of being abducted, raped 

or killed by herdsmen 

and criminals who have 

taken over their farmlands 

and roadways; 

“Unless urgent and 

drastic measures are 

taken to halt the tide and 

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018773962, 

08052867058 

WORKING VISIT —Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State with the 

Managing Director/ CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu when 

the latter paid a working visit to Governor Uzodimma at his office in Owerri, 

yesterday. 

combat those criminal 

elements terrorizing the 

constituency, calamity 

may befall the areas as the 

people may tend to take 

the laws into their hands, 

which may lead to a state 

of anarchy”. 

Adopting the motion, 

the House urged the IGP 

to prioritize the security of 

those local government 

areas and arrest the 

criminals terrorizing the 

constituency. 

It also urged the various 

security agencies to 

collaborate for the 

purpose of ensuring a 

safe and conducive 

environment in the 

constituency while 

mandating its Committee 

on Police Affairs to ensure 

compliance. 

Senate, Buhari poise for war over moves to make 

FRC chairman-nominee sole administrator 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA - STRONG 

Indications emerged 

yesterday that the Senate 

is poise for war with 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari, following his 

moves to make his nominee 

for the Fiscal Responsibility 

Commission, Barr. Victor 

Muruako, a sole 

administrator. 

The Senate also took a 

swipe at President Buhari 

over his action, saying what 

the Act establishing the 

FRC stipulated was a 

substantive chairman and 

not a sole administrator. 

With this development, 

the nominee, Victor 

Muruako, had it tough with 

the Senate Committee on 

Finance yesterday during 

screening session. 

Speaking yesterday in 

Abuja when the FRC 

Chairman-designate 

appeared before his 

Committee, Chairman of 

the Senate Committee on 

Finance, Senator 

Olamilekan Adeola, All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, Lagos West, 

wondered why the 

nominee was not 

accompanied by any staff of 

the commission or 

stakeholders for the 

screening. 

They declared that 

Muruako based on his 

sole appearance, runs the 

commission as a sole 

administrator The visibly 

disappointed committee 

Cchairman was quick to 

make excuses for the 

nominee, stating that it was 

not his making. 

In his defence, the 

nominee said that his 

inability to come for the 

screening with other 

relevant staff and board 

members was due to the 

moribund nature of the 

commission. 

He said: “This 

commission has passed 

through challenges, at a 

point the commission was 

scheduled for scrapping at 

a point it was schedule for 

merger and at a point our 

appropriation was stopped. 

“It is only President 

Muhammadu Buhari who 

came and gave back life to 

why we are here. 

“For us it is a new 

beginning you Know where 

FRC has been? Just go and 

check when the 

commission was brought 

back to life. 

“We thank God this is a 

new beginning for the 

commission. If you check 

the record it has been 

difficult times, for us we are 

not looking at today, we are 

looking at tomorrow, where 

we intend to put the nation 

and our efforts to 

strengthen the 

microeconomic stability of 

the nation.” 

Responding, the 

Committee insisted that it 

would take up the almost 

emptiness of the 

commission in and board 

membership before the 

Senate and the Presidency 

.Specifically , the Chairman 

of the committee, Senator 

Adeola said, “This 

committee will take it upon 

itself to write the Senate 

and also the Presidency to 

inform them that there is 

need to have a full and 

complete board of the Fiscal 

Responsibility 

Commission, so that the 

board can become fully 

functional and alive with its 

responsibility. 

“We have listened with 

rapt attention to you . A 

lot of questions have been 

asked, bordering on your 

capacity, experience and 

your challenges.


CHANGE OF NAME 

BAYELSA: How Diri rode the storm 

in 365 days 

By Samuel Oyadongha 

Y ENAGOA—THE 

Governor Douye Diriled 

administration, which 

clocked one year on Sunday, 

could best be described 

as God’s divine 

arrangement for Bayelsa 

State. The mantle of leadership 

fell on him at a time 

most Bayelsans were looking 

forward to Chief David 

Lyon’s inauguration as 

governor and occupant of 

Creek Haven, the seat of 

power in the predominantly 

Ijaw speaking 

state. 

Diri had resigned his 

fate to the Red Chamber 

as the senator representing 

Bayelsa Central when 

providence swung the 

pendulum in his favour. 

On February 13, 2020, the 

Supreme Court voided the 

election of Lyon of the All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, as governor-elect 

paving the way for his 

swearing in the next day, 

February 14. 

The administration was 

yet to find its bearing 

when a chain of events 

including the novel Coronavirus, 

flurry of litigations, 

which though had 

been settled in favour of 

Diri and the devastating 

floods, unsettled the government. 

However, Diri fondly referred 

to as the Miracle 

Governor, has left no one 

in doubt about his penchant 

for peace and harmony. 

A product of the Ijaw 

struggle, having served at 

a time as the national organising 

secretary of the 

pan-Ijaw group, Ijaw National 

Congress, INC, and 

knowing the delicate history 

of the state political 

culture of pulling down 

their leaders, Diri decided 

to open a fresh chapter 

to change this narrative 

by reaching out 

across board. 

Diri has also refrained 

from antagonizing his 

perceived opponents and 

has basically focused on 

leaving enduring legacies 

of good governance 

anchored on peace, unity 

and prosperity as could be 

seen in the new rapprochement 

between the 

state and its representatives 

at the federal level 

in Abuja irrespective of 

party affiliation. 

Interestingly, when the 

Supreme Court dismissed 

all the cases challenging 

his governorship victory, 

he was not swayed and 

on each occasion he humbly 

held thanksgiving services 

to dedicate his triumph 

to God and Bayelsans. 

“This victory is not mine. 

Bayelsans are the owners 

of this victory. I call on my 

opponents and Bayelsans 

to join hands with my administration 

to build the 

state. Bayelsa has lots of 

potential waiting to be harnessed. 

There is much for 

us as a state and the only 

way this state can grow is 

when we free our minds 

from acrimony, hatred and 

covetousness. 

“Bayelsa is still one 

state. Let us realize that 

power only comes from 

God. Whatever it is that 

has angered anyone, let 

us sheathe the sword in 

the interest of the state. 

Let us shun hatred and 

embrace love, peace and 

unity. That is only when 

Bayelsa can move forward,” 

he said. 

Also, the welfare of civil 

Diri has also 

refrained from 

antagonizing his 

perceived opponents 

and has 

basically focused 

on leaving enduring 

legacies 

of good governance 

anchored 

on peace, unity 

and prosperity. 

•Governor Douye Diri 

servants has been the corner 

stone of his administration 

policy thrust resulting 

in regular payment 

of salaries. He has 

equally recognized the 

lack of policy continuity 

and the abandonment of 

project as bane of development 

in the state and consequently 

initiated moves to 

finish uncompleted projects 

of his predecessors. Contractors 

have been mobilised 

to resume work on the West 

and Central senatorial districts 

roads. Also contract for 

the Yenagoa-Oporoma road 

started by his predecessor 

was reviewed upward, including 

construction of a 

bridge to link the road to 

Oporoma in the central 

flank of the state. 

Fund was also released 

for the ongoing rehabilitation 

of all the internal roads 

in the capital city as well as 

re-awarding of the contract 

for construction of Phase 2 

of the Gloryland Drive road 

from the Ecumenical Centre 

in Igbogene to link the 

Amassoma road. Also work 

is ongoing on the Igbogene-Bayelsa 

Palm outer 

ring road. 

On the eastern flank, government 

had awarded the 

contract for re-construction 

of the collapsed Elebele 

Bridge in addition to the 

Imiringi Bridge, which was 

completed and commissioned. 

A blueprint on agriculture 

and small and medium 

scale enterprises is also being 

developed as part of 

deliberate efforts to empower 

Bayelsans to take charge 

of the local economy. 

Accordingly, the state 

House of Assembly had given 

approval for the state 

government to secure two 

agricultural loans from the 

Central Bank of Nigeria 

with minimal interest rates 

to empower Bayelsa farmers. 

Government has already 

accessed N3 billion 

agricultural credit facility 

from the CBN while another 

N8 billion is being awaited. 

The essence of securing 

such loans, according 

to the governor was to empower 

Bayelsa farmers and 

not the state government as 

other states were already 

benefitting from the CBN 

agricultural credit facilities. 

“We decided to log into 

the CBN from where so 

many states have benefited 

in loans with single digit 

interest rates. We didn’t go 

for those loans for the state 

government but in the interest 

of our farmers so that 

our people will also be beneficiaries 

of these facilities 

that several other states had 

accessed far more than we 

have,” he said. 

Also steps are being taken 

in addressing the concerns 

of primary school 

teachers. For instance, since 

2014, the morale of teachers 

had been down due to 

non-promotion and non- 

payment of the 18 per cent 

minimum wage arrears 

owed the teachers since 

2011.The governor has approved 

the payment of the 

arrears owed teachers and 

accordingly implemented 

their outstanding promotion 

since 2014. 

Similarly, retirees who 

were not paid their gratuities 

for several years are 

now smiling following the 

payment of gratuities dating 

back to 2008 as N200m 

is set aside every month for 

payment of gratuities. A retiree, 

David Barigha, said: 

“Governor Douye has lived 

according to his promise. I 

could not imagine receiving 

an alert as payment of 

my gratuity after many 

years of waiting.” 

Today, even ardent critics 

and opposition groups concede 

that he has shown beyond 

doubt his determination 

to change the political 

cum development narratives 

through his government 

of consensus, unity 

and prosperity. Chief Henry 

Igwe, Tarilaye Dakoru, 

former critics of the governor 

as well as Hon James 

Inengite, a chieftain of the 

APC and former chairman 

and coordinator of all the 

other parties have expressed 

willingness to 

work with the governor to 

bring development to the 

state. 

DAVID 

I, formerly known and addressed 

as KPAMI CHIKA DAVID, now 

wish to be known and addressed 

as THOMAS KPAMI CHIKA. 

All former documents remain 

valid, FCMB and general public 

take note. 

FESTUS TSEBA 


as IBRAHIM CHERYANG, 

now wish to be known and 

addressed as IBRAHIM 

TSEBA CHERYANG. All 

former documents remain valid, 

general public take note. 

YAHAYA 

This is to confirm that the names 

JMILOU 

YAHAYA 

KABIROU(French Spelling) refer to 

one and same person as JAMILU 

YAHAYA KABIRU (English) but 


addressed as JIMOH CHEGEDE 

YAHAYA. All former documents 

remain valid, general public take 

note. 

MUHAMMAD 

This is to confirm that YAKUBU 

MUHAMMAD OJO and YAKUBU 

MOHAMMED OJO refer to one and 

same person but now wish to be 

known and addressed as YAKUBU 

MUHAMMED OJO. All former 

documents remain valid, general 

public take note. 

ABACHA 

This is to confirm the 

Correction of date of birth of 

MAIDAWA ABACHA. Wrong 

date of birth 27/11/1994. 

Correct date of birth 27/11/ 

1996. All former documents 

remain valid, general public 


ISHAYA 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as AUGUSTINE 

ISHAYA ISHAYA, now wish to 

be known and addressed as 

AUGUSTINE ISHAYA. All 

former documents remain 

valid, general public take note. 

NURA 


addressed as JAMILA NURA, 


addressed as JAMILA 

YAKUBU. All former 

documents remain valid, 


LABARAN 


addressed as HAYATU 

LABARAN, now wish to be 

known and addressed as ISAH 

BADAMASI. All former 



AKPAN 

My name was mistakenly written 

as UTIBE JOSHUA AKPAN 

instead of SAMUEL EBONG 

JACOB. That henceforth I should 


SAMUEL EBONG JACOB. All 

former documents remain valid, 


HENRY 


addressed as HENRY HOPE 

ENEYE, now wish to be known 

and addressed as OSEH HOPE. 



JATO 


addressed as DENNIS 

SAMSON JATO, now wish to 


DENNIS SAMSON UNIMKE. 



IBOR 


addressed as EGOM IBOR, 


addressed as EGOM IBOR 

IBOR. All former documents 

remain valid, general public 


KASIMU 


addressed as AMINA 

KASIMU, now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

AMINA LULWAN. All 


valid, general public take 

note. 

ENECHOJO 


addressed as ABDUL 

HANNAH ENECHOJO, now 

wish to be known and addressed 

as ABDUL HANNAH 

ACHIMI. All former 



ABDUL 


addressed as ABDUL 

HARUNA, now wish to be 


UMORU IDEGWU. All 



ISAAC 


addressed as GIDEON ISAAC, 


addressed as JUMAI 

OGACHEKO. All former 



CHINYERE 


addressed as UGWU 

FRANCISCA CHINYERE, 


addressed as UGWU 

FRANCISCA. All former 



ADULE 


as GODWIN SABO, now wish to 

be known and addressed as ADULE 

SABO GODWIN. Wrong date of 

birth 01/01/1989. Correct date of 

birth 12/07/1994. All former 

documents remain valid, general 

public take note. 

BUDU 


addressed as BUDU MAURICE 

SOKARI NENGIA, now wish 

to be known and addressed as 

NENGIA MAURICE SOKARI. 



SANI ITORO 


addressed as SANI MARYAM, 


addressed as MARYAM ANGO. 



NGAA 


addressed as IBRAHIM NGAA 

PHILIP, now wish to be 


IBRAHIM PHILIP. All former 

documents remain valid, First 

Bank Plc and general public 


SPACE 

FOR 

SALE

Why is he off erotic action 

at 49? 

Dear Bunmi, 

DO YOU think it’s a 

common thing for a 

49-year-old man not to 

want sex? My husband and 

I got married two years ago 

- it is the second time for 

both of us. We managed to 

have sex for a few times 

during the three years we 

courted but, since we got 

married, I can count on my 

fingers the number of times 

we’ve had sex. He told me 

just before we got married 

that he no longer needed 

sex but I thought that after 

marriage, and with me 

constantly by his side, he 

would change his mind. 

But he hasn’t. 

So why did he get 

married? Sometimes we go 

Dear Bunmi, 

CAN YOU please tell 

me when a woman 

should first have sex with 

a new partner? In a recent 

discussion with my friends 

on the topic, all of them, 

except me, waited at least 

a week before sex. I’ve 

always had sex on the first 

night with a man, if I like 

him. Now I feel a bit cheap 

for doing this. 

Tola, by e-mail. 

Dear Tola, 

through the routine as if 

we ‘11 go all the way, then 

he turns over and goes to 

sleep. It’s very frustrating, 

I tell you. My husband has 

refused to talk about his 

problem and acts as if I’m, 

making a big deal of it. His 

first wife had several 

affairs, then left him for 

someone else. I know there 

are a lot worse things that 

happen in a relationship 

than not having sex, but 

this is ridiculous! Do you 

believe we have a future 

together? Or should I 

divorce him? I feel 

frustrated and wouldn’t 

want to get married a third 

time. 

Franka, by e-mail. 

Dear Franka, 

It’s obvious that your 

husband’s sex drive has 

When should I ‘do it' with 

a new love? 

Sex with someone on a 

first date can be risky and 

exciting, but it is more 

likely to be unprotected so 

you could put yourself at 

risk of a sexually 

transmitted disease, or 

even pregnancy. 

Researchers say it is better 

to wait as women can use 

this courtship time to check 

out whether they’ve found 

a good man to sleep with, 

or a one-night 

disappointment. I’d 

encourage you to make 

your lovers work a little 

harder before pay day! 

been weak for a long time. 

The poor man suffered the 

humiliation of his wife 

sleeping with other men 

and then leaving him in the 

end. This must have given 

him the sense that he is 

inadequate and likely to be 

rejected, even by a woman 

he loves and who loves 

him. By confiding in you 

that he no longer needed 

sex, he is asking you to 

accept that he now rarely 

feels aroused and is near 

impotent. So, every time 

you mention the absence of 

sex, his fear of rejection 

“becomes intense. 

Instead of re-assuring 

him that this new marriage 

he was courageous enough 

to go into wouldn’t end in 

humiliation, you’re already 

plotting your escape! He’s 

tried to make love a few 

times only for his attempts 

to backfire miserably; 

which obviously adds to his 

frustration. Help your 

husband to accept that 

your marriage will survive 

your not having sex and 

accept this yourself. Tell 

him fore-play should not 

necessarily be followed by 

penetrative sex and 

encourage him to stimulate 

you to orgasm. Your 

husband needs to feel that 

he can still satisfy a woman 

sexually and mutual 

massage is a wonderful 

way for a couple to share 

intimacy and affection - it 

can also encourage intense 

orgasm by you, and your 

man. Give it a try. 

Surprised this toy boy is not a 

gold digger! 

Dear Bunmi, 

IKNOW toy boys are the 

rage these days and 

they connote the image of 

a gold-digger. I met this 

friend’s younger brother at 

a bank that I use and he’d 

been after me since then. 

I’m a single mother of two 

and fairly comfortable. 

Even though I’m seven 

years older, this man and I 

started a relationship. I enjoyed 

his company and the 

sex is good. Only he hasn’t 

asked me for any gifts or 

money - instead he gives 

presents that lifts my spirit. 

Is it a matter of time before 

he starts milking me? And 

how far should I go in my 

generosity? 

Clair, by e-mail 

Dear Clair, 

You won’t be the first 

woman to be under the 

spell of a toyboy - there are 

tons of women in your 

shoes asking the same 

question: Does it really 

work in the bedroom? Here 

are four good reasons 

researchers give why a 

toyboy might prefer 

maturity over youth: Older 

women know what they are 

doing: They’ve clocked up 

more lovers so have more 

experience. Young girls 

might have breasts that 

point to heaven, but older 

women will keep him on 

cloud nine through sheer 

sexual knowledge. 

Older women take 

charge: They’re not afraid 

to direct on position, pace 

or fore-play, so he’s not left 

wondering what his lover 

wants or when she wants it. 

She’s capable of satisfying 

her own needs which takes 

the pressure off him and 

she doesn’t just lie back 

and expect him to do all the 

work. Older women take 

their time: It usually takes 

women longer warm-up 

than men. She doesn’t 

apologise for it, knowing a 

slower sex session is liable 

to be more enjoyable for 

both of them. 

Older women are 

confident: They’re likely to 

be less inhibited and far 

less hung up on what 

people will think if they try 

something a little unusual. 

So make the most of this 

experience and have fun. 

Your toyboy works in a 

bank and is most unlikely 

to milk you dry for sex! 


He can’t function without 

porn! 

Dear Bunmi, 

WE’VE BEEN married 

for over four years now 

and have two sons. Our sex 

life was good until recently 

when my husband, who is in 

his mid-30's, started 

experiencing erectile failure. 

He has since resorted to 

watching blue films whenever 

we want to make love. This 

easily excites him and he 

keeps the film on during sex. 

I find this very disgusting. At 

first I thought it was to help 

him get his sex drive back. 

Now I feel he is making love 

to the characters in the sick 

movies, not me. 

Ruth, by e-mail. 

Dear Ruth, 

Could your husband be 

worried about anything that 

could cause his not being able 

to be aroused by you? You 

have to talk to him about how 

unhappy he is making you 

feel and why he’s suddenly 

behaving the way he is. It’s 

often something that has 

nothing to do with the 

Dear Bunmi, 

RECENTLY, A group of 

us girls got talking and 

almost all of us admitted to 

thinking about other men 

when making love to our 

partners. This is supposed to 

liven up an otherwise dull 

session. Is this fantasy thing 

common? Isn’t it disloyal to 

the partner you’re with when 

you fantasize about other 

men? 

Folusho, by e-mail. 

Dear Folusho, 

Fantasy is supposed to be a 

wonderful way to improve 

sexual arousal. Your mind 

can take you to wonderful 

places with endless erotic 

possibilities. Both men and 

women can benefit from wild 

fantasy during sex. Those 

who’ve never tried it are 

missing out. Here are a few 

professional tips on fantasy: 

Story lines - Fantasies are 

limited only by the 

imagination. The variety of 

erotic storylines is almost 

endless. Many have fantasies 

that give them pleasure 

through life, while others 

change their fantasies 

regularly and incorporate 

real life events and people 

they have met. 

Fantasies often get their 

power from their extreme 

content. They contain images 

You have to 

talk to him 

about how 

unhappy he is 

making you 

feel. It’s often 

something 

that has 

nothing to do 

with the 

relationship 

that turns men 

off sex. If he 

has lost 

confidence in 

himself, you 

need to help 

him find it 

relationship that turns men 

off sex. If he has lost 

confidence in himself, you 

need to help him find it. 

Watching blue films together 

once in a while is healthy, if 

it is what you both want. 

Should one fantasise during 

love-making? 

the individual would never 

want to experience in real life 

and the thought conjure up 

feelings of guilt or fear. This 

charge of emotion gets 

transformed into powerful 

sexual excitement. 

Men vs Women: Research 

suggests half of women 

fantasise while making love 

to their husband and most are 

dreaming about sex with 

another man. And men are 

the same - often thinking of 

other women. But this should 

not be a source of guilt or seen 

as infidelity. Remember, 

fantasy is only in the mind. 

Inspiration: People fuel 

their fantasy from a variety 

of sources. They may get their 

images from pornography, 

from reading erotic literature 

or from day dreaming about 

a man they met on the bus. 

The amount you fantasize 

isn’t an indicator of how good 

or bad your sex life is. In fact, 

people with healthy sex lives 

have been known to fantasize 

more because they are 

inspired by their lover. 

Feeling it for real: Fantasy 

is amazing and it’s well worth 

exploring the sex life in your 

head. You can even go further 

and try to act out a fantasy 

with a lover; it’s a great way 

to spice up your sex life but 

try not to be too disappointed 

if reality falls short of your 

day dreams. 

Share your problems and release 

your burden. Write now to 

Dear Bunmi, 

Vanguard Newspapers, 

P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or 

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 

C 

M 

Y


•The late Lateef Jakande 

Jakande - war hero in 

peacetime 

By PAT UTOMI 

IT’s easy to celebrate 

extraordinary personage. 

But what is more important is to 

flatter them by imitating them 

appropriately. I am tempted, 

therefore, to ask of the politicians 

pouring encomiums on the late 

Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji 

Lateef K. Jakande? Who among 

them can make the effort to be like 

him? That is where the rubber meets 

the road. 

I knew Alhaji Jakande. He knew 

also that I genuinely regarded him 

highly. When I looked at Nigeria’s 

broken National Honours system 

with the many crooks on the 

Honours roll I thought we should 

create something young people 

could model themselves on. The 

result was the Leader Without Title, 

LWT, Honour Colloquium Series. 

We at CVL, the home of the LWT 

Tribute Series, were careful to avoid 

honouring politicians because the 

flavour of the moment is to celebrate 

politicians with access to public 

resources and power to dole out 

favours. We have been careful to 

avoid honouring politicians, 

especially from the brood with little 

sense of service. But we could not do 

a good job of setting up role models 

for tomorrow’s leaders if we did not 

erect before them someone like 

Jakande. So we honoured him in the 

LWT Tribute Colloquium Series. He 

and Dr. Alex Ekwueme have been 

held up as the only examples from 

the political class, for young people, 

in the 10 years of the LWT Tribute 

Series. 

I thought that useful because as a 

young person looking for role 

models from the ranks of statesmen, 

I found worthy of such from the 

immediate post-independence era 

Dr. Michael (MI) Okpara and Chief 

Obafemi Awolowo. In many ways, 

Alhaji Lateef Jakande was the Elisha 

that followed Elijah Obafemi 

Awolowo. I was, therefore, quite 

comfortable with the appellation of 

Babakekere to his name as the Awo 

heir-apparent. 

But the time I had for the former 

Lagos State governor traversed 

political life. His simplicity, integrity, 

and focus may have come through 

with his use of his personal car, a 

Toyota Crown for official duties as 

governor when his colleagues went 

for the super-luxury Mercedes Benz 

models; his continuing to live in his 

home in Ilupeju instead of moving 

into Lagos house on Marina; and in 

clearly recognising Education, 

Housing and Transportation as the 

primary needs of Lagosians and 

pursuing the provision of such with 

great assiduousness even if with 

unconventional approaches in some 

cases. 

I was in Kuala Lumpur in 

Malaysia the day the metro rail was 

launched there in 1997 and I actually 

wept because Lagos would have been 

way ahead, had the disruptive 

military intervention of December 

1983 not set us so far back. Worse 

still, I was pained by the fact that it 

was built by a company that had to 

leave Nigeria, Taylor Woodrow. But 

it was classic visionary Jakande that 

the government of 1984 set out to 

rubbish at great cost to the country. 

I knew Jakande beyond the Lagos 

stewardship. Before he became 

Governor in 1979 he had served as 

Government appointed Chairman 

of IMB, the International Merchant 

Bank that entered Nigeria as First 

National Bank of Chicago after the 

nationalisation of banks in 1976. 

The Bank Directors of the time who 

were trying to get their share of the 

national cake and national 

enjoyment ensured most board 

meetings took place abroad. But LKJ 

kept IMB board meetings in Lagos 

and sought no pecuniary benefits, 

nor harassed the management for 

The real question is 

how does a people 

immortalise such legend 

and preserve his values 

for generations not yet 

born to learn from, 

especially when they do 

not teach history? 

rent opportunities. That gave room 

for the Managing Director, Ebitimi 

Banigo, to build one of the biggest 

Merchant Banks in Nigeria. My 

1995 case study: "The Rise, Fall, and 

Rebirth of IMB" chronicles the track 

of this journey of integrity and 

commitment to the Common Good. 

As he had impact in politics and 

corporate governance so did he in 

Journalism and the printing and 

publishing business. Our world is 

certainly diminished by his loss but 

the effect of his work assures his name 

has become a non-perishable item. 

The real question is how does a 

people immortalise such legend and 

preserve his values for generations 

not yet born to learn from, especially 

when they do not teach history. 

To make up for this lacuna the CVL 

last year began the fortnightly 

Nigeria History Series on Zoom and 

Instagram. It is a big pity we had yet 

to have Babakekere as guest on the 

series before we lost him to the ages. 

•Utomi, Political Economist and 

Professor of Entrepreneurship, 

is founder of the Centre for 

Values in Leaderships 

TRIBUTE 

Prince, how come I have more grey 

hair than you? 

By LANRE IDOWU 

SOMETIME in 2006, in 

Abuja, 

Prince 

Tony Momoh and I were seated 

next to each other at a seminar. 

He was the chairman of the 

session, and I, the presenter. At a 

point something struck me about 

his appearance. I looked at his 

hair. It was jet black, without a 

speck of grey. Something was not 

right. I had more grey hair than 

Prince, so I whispered to 

him: “Prince, this is scandalous. 

How come I have more grey hair 

than you?” He took a hard look 

at me, and replied: “That is 

because you do not manage your 

hair.” We both laughed. 

P r i n c e 

Tony Momoh, author, former 

editor, columnist, administrator, 

and 

sub-editor; 

former Trustee, President, and 

General Secretary of the 

Nigerian Guild of 

Editors, former chairman, 

National Registration Council of 

the Nigeria Union of 

Journalists, former Information 

•The late Tony Momoh 

and Culture minister, was a man 

who took himself serious. 

His final exit provides useful 

opportunity to appreciate what 

he meant to his immediate 

constituency, the media, and his 

dear country, Nigeria. In life, 

Prince Momoh lent his voice to 

worthy issues of governance and 

media development. 

A self-assured man, he was 

a deep thinker who did not shy 

from pushing his ideas, no matter 

how controversial they were. I 

first met him on the pages of 

the Daily Times when he was the 

editor (1976-1980). I enjoyed the 

paper’s Grapevine column which 

reminded readers of New 

Nigerian’s “Candido”. I also 

followed his struggles with the 

new ownership of the Times 

following government’s takeover 

in 1975. 

Even as I joined the Times in 

1982, I didn’t really make his 

acquaintance until 1986 when he 

was the Minister of Information 

and Culture. Two incidents come 

to mind. As editor of 

ThisWeek magazine, I and my 

publisher, Nduka 

Obaigbena, were part of the 

delegation of the 

Newspaper Proprietors 

Association of Nigeria that 

visited his office on April 8, 

1987 to plead for support to get 

government 

to 

reopen Newswatch magazine, 

which had been shut by 

the Babangida administration following 

its publication of details of the 

Political Bureau report. At that 

time, the supporting decree had 

not been published to justify the 

closure 

and 

Prince Momoh candidly told us 

that the hawks in government 

were bent on closure and 

o u r b e s t 

case lay only in pleading 

for a short length of closure. 

On another occasion, the 

encounter was indirect. Prince 

and 

the 

late Niyi Oniororo were 

locked in a controversy over the 

authorship of one 

of Momoh’s many letters to his 

countrymen that sought to 

bring governance issues home 

to the citizenry. Oniororo was 

obviously a consultant to the 

information ministry and may 

have contributed some 

paragraphs to the letter. 

The story resonated with us 

at ThisWeek as it coincided 

with the controversy on a similar 

charge of 

plagiarism against 

Ray Ekpu levied by 

the duo of Dele 

Momodu and 

Kunle Ajibade, 

who would later 

become prominent 

names in the media. 

So, we decided 

at ThisWeek to 

do a cover story on 

the subject. 

Expectedly, we 

contacted Momoh’s office 

to clarify what the 

p r o b l e m 

was. Momoh’s special 

a d v i s e r , 

Richard Ikiebe, 

tried to persuade 

m 

e 

to accept Momoh’s 

line that he 

authored the 

letter. Tried as much as he 

did, we were not persuaded and 

our May 30, 1988 cover story, 

“Plagiarism: Guilty or not 

Guilty?” with the photographs 

o f M o m o h a n d 

Ray Ekpu conveyed our 

scepticism. 

If Momoh held that against 

me, it was never mentioned for 

we were to work well together 

Without a 

doubt, Anthony Sulaiman 

Macnonoh Momoh, 

who managed his grey 

hair well, was a 

blessing to the media 

and the country 

in subsequent years. We took to 

each other on the basis of shared 

passion for standards in the 

media. In 1998, 

I assisted him in Abuja to 

conduct the elections of officers 

of the Guild of Editors. I cite 

five other instances within 14 

years when he lent his good 

name to some of my professional 

efforts. In 2005, to commemorate 

the first anniversary 

o f M r . T u n j i 

Oseni’s departure, we 

organised a memorial lecture, 

which Prince Momoh 

dutifully delivered. 

O s e n i a n d 

Momoh were classmates 

at Nsukka and Akoka, 

a n d a l s o D a i l y 

Times colleagues. 

In 2009, when I presented my 

books, The popular is seldom 

correct and Bridges of Memory, he 

was there on the top table to 

lend his moral and financial 

support. In 2011, he wrote the 

foreword to Master of His 

Age: The Story of Anthony 

Enahoro, which I edited. That 

year, he also contributed a 

chapter to the ground-breaking 

work, Nigerian Columnists and 

their Art, which I also edited. He 

reprised the role for my 2019 

book, Uneven Steps: The Story 

Of The Nigerian Guild Of 

Editors. 

In all of these tasks, he did not 

need any special prompting to 

perform. He gladly accepted 

them as professional duties to 

support a mentee. In 

appreciation of his numerous 

contributions to the professional 

health of the media, we 

honoured him with the Lifetime 

achievement award of the 

Diamond Awards for Media 

Excellence in 2012. 

Raising 

standards 

In him, the media has lost a 

treasured supporter who devoted 

his energy to raising standards. 

The Guild, in particular, has lost 

an advocate who saw their role 

as professional heads more 

critical than that of publishers or 

the rank and file journalists. It 

was not surprising that at the 

2017 convention of the Guild, he 

donated 200 copies of the fourvolume 

work, 

Nigeriana Stirling- 

HordenEncyclopaedia of Mass 

Media and Communication to 

the editors. 

His parting advice to the 

media as contained in his 2019 

foreword to Uneven Steps is 

worth restating. After 

establishing that Section 22 of 

the 1999 Constitution of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria 

situates media accountability to 

the people, he called for good 

understanding of chapter 2, 

which deals with “Fundamental 

Objectives and Directive 

Principles of State Policy”. He 

then urged the Guild to play its 

leadership role by monitoring 

“the operation of the Code of 

Conduct of the Press.” He also 

stressed that chapter 2 of the 

Constitution “must be the anchor 

of the mass communication 

programme in our institutions. 

Otherwise, we will continue to 

train for an unidentified 

market.” 

It was a continuation of the 

mind-set that governed his tenure 

as information minister, which 

gave the industry such lasting 

laws that professionalised the 

practice of journalism, public 

relations, 

and 

advertising. Without a 

doubt, Anthony Sulaiman Macnonoh Momoh, 

who managed his grey hair 

well, was a blessing to the media 

and the country. May his 

soul enjoy joyous activity in the 

celestial realm! 

*Idowu is a Trustee of the 

Diamond Awards for Media 

Excellence 

C 

M 

Y 

K

Champions League: 

Ronaldo 

targets victory 

against Porto 

Juventus talisman Cristiano 

Ronaldo hopes the match 

against FC Porto will be 

‘the beginning of a long walk 

until the Final’ of the Champions 

League. 

The Portuguese striker returns 

Djokovic 

smashes his 

racket at 

Australian Open 

Smashing rackets on court is 

becoming somewhat of a bad 

habit for Novak Djokovic who 

again lost his temper during yesterday’s 

quarter-final victory over 

Alexander Zverev at the Australian 

Open. 

Djokovic, who has never been shy 

of showing his emotion, lost his 

cool at 3-1 down in the third set. 

The world No 1 sent a return 

crashing into the net to give 

Zverev the advantage and a 

chance to extend his lead to 4-1, 

which the German took with an 

ace on the following point. 

Djokovic reacted to losing the 

deuce point by screaming and 

slamming his racket into the 

ground. 

The Serbian then sat at the back 

of the court in a sulk before asking 

for the mess caused by his 

racket smash to be cleaned up. 

It wasn’t until after he threw his 

racket at his bag that he was given 

a warning. Djokovic managed to 

regain his composure and took the 

third set 6-4 and clinched the 

fourth set after winning a tiebreak 

8-6 to secure a 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 

7-6 win. 

Djokovic 

to his homeland when Juventus 

face Porto in the first out of two 

legs in the knockout stages of 

the Champions League. 

Ahead of the last 16 clash in 

Porto, Ronaldo said he ‘respects 

the opponent’ but aims to win at 

the Estadio Do Dragao. 

“Tomorrow (today) we have a 

very important game against a 

very strong team,” Ronaldo 

wrote on Twitter. 

“I can only hope that it may be 

the beginning of the long walk 

we want to take until the final. 

“Respect for the opponent, ambition 

for the victory and 100 per 

cent focus on our goals. Let’s go, 

guys!” 

Australian Open: Serena sinks Halep’s hopes, 

battles Osaka in semi-finals 

*Djokovic also qualifies 

Serena Williams is in the Aus 

tralian Open semi-finals for 

the first time since she last won 

a grand slam title, beating 

Serena-Osaka 

Senegal and Liverpool star, 

Sadio Mane has spoken 

about his admiration for Nigeria 

and Leicester City midfield maestro 

Wilfred Ndidi after the Nigeria 

international posted a five-star 

performance in Leicester’s 3-1 

win over the Premier League title 

holders at the weekend. 

Speaking to Premier League Production 

in a post-match chat, 

Mane said Leicester were lucky 

to have Ndidi who makes it easy 

for the team to play to their 

strength. 

“With the presence of Ndidi 

shielding the back four, the tran- 

Ronaldo 

David Alaba has confirmed he 

will be leaving Bayern Munich 

at the end of the season after 

nearly 13 years at the club. 

The 28-year-old will depart the 

Allianz Arena on a free transfer 

once his contract with the 

Bundesliga champions has expired 

in June. 

Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool 

and Manchester United 


Arsenal investigate Aubameyang over 

Covid-19 rules breach 

Arsenal are investigating 

whether captain Pierre- 

Emerick Aubameyang has 

breached the club’s strict Covid- 

19 protocols. 

There are suggestions 

that the 31- 

year-old, who 

scored a hattrick 

as the 

Aubameyang 

Alaba confirms exit from Bayern this summer 

have all been linked with signing 

the defender, but the Austria international 

remained silent on his 

next club. 

Speaking at an unscheduled 

press conference, Alaba said: ‘I 

have personally made the decision 

to try something new after 

this season and to leave the club. 

‘It wasn’t an easy decision, I’ve 

been here for 13 years and the 

Simona Halep to set up a 

mouthwatering clash with 

Naomi Osaka. 

The American great gained revenge 

for her Wimbledon final 

defeat to the Romanian two seasons 

ago as she conjured a 6-3 

6-3 win on Rod Laver Arena. 

Halep dropped just four games 

in that stunning grass-court success 

in 2019, the third of four 

grand slam finals that Williams 

has lost since landing her 23rd 

major in Australia four years ago. 

The 24th title has remained 

frustratingly elusive, with 

Williams one away from matching 

Margaret Court’s record 

haul, but perhaps this is the 

week where that changes. 

She must get past Osaka, her 

heir apparent as the figurehead 

for the women’s game, but 

Williams showed her prowess in 

this match, devastatingly proving 

a point. 

Mane, Rodgers hail Ndidi as Leicester’s back bone 

sition from defence to attack was 

seamless and that made things 

easy for Leicester City going forward,” 

said Mane, adding, “it was 

something we knew even before 

the match.” 

Leicester’s coach, Brendan 

Rodgers also spoke in the same 

vein about the Nigeria international 

who, by far, is the most improved 

player since the coach took 

over at the King Power stadium. 

“All the stats show whenever he 

plays for us, the difference he 

makes. For him getting an assist 

for the third goal makes it very 

pleasing.” 

South East Sports Foundation drags top athletes to Enugu 

The Coal City of Enugu will 

come alive on March 13 

when athletes from different 

parts of the country gather for 

the maiden South East Sports 

Foundation athletics competition 

at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium. 

The South East Sports Foundation 

is a pet project of United 

States-based former Nigerian 

athlete, Victor Okorie, who was 

one of the most gifted hurdlers 

to rise from the nation’s school 

sports system. Okorie, who won 

a silver medal for Team Nigeria 

at COJA 2003 All Africa Games 

in Abuja, has been bankrolling 

a scholarship programme for athletes 

and training of some Nigerian 

coaches at the National Institute 

For Sports (NIS) in Lagos. 

Okorie stated yesterday that 

“the event is open for all Nigerian 

athletes, but the prize 

money will only go to athletes 

from the South East, which is the 

base of our Foundation.” 

He continued: “Arrival date for 

the competition is March 12, and 

events to be competed for are 

100m (male and female), 200m 

(male and female), 400m (male 

and female) and the jumps. 

There will be no hurdles event 

in Enugu because there are only 

few hurdle sticks available at 

the stadium. But there will be 

invitational relay events for 

some selected secondary 

schools.” 

With the Edo 2020 National 

Sports Festival now moved to 

April, the South East Sports 

Foundation athletics competition 

is expected to open a platform 

for many Nigerian track 

and field stars to test their fitness 

level and commence preparation 

for the Tokyo Olympics. 

Ndidi 

Real Madrid coach Zinedine 

Zidane currently copes without 

eight players and could travel to 

Bergamo next week ,with only two 

outfield reserves. 

Los Blancos confirmed Dani 

Carvajal has suffered a muscle injury 

and Zidane said he ‘doesn’t understand 

the reason’ for the growing 

injury list. 

With the full-back’s muscular problem, 

suffered against Valencia last 

weekend, the list of absentees rise 

to eight players. 

Carvajal, Eder Militao, Sergio 

Ramos, Marcelo, Federico Valverde, 

Alvaro Odriozola, Eden Hazard and 

Rodrygo are all unavailable ahead 

of the match against Real Valladolid 

in La Liga. 

Zidane has currently just over 11 

Gunners beat Leeds United 4-2 

on Sunday, may have broken 

lockdown rules and the club’s bio 

secure bubble. 

Gunners chiefs are planning 

talks with the forward after footage 

of him getting a new tattoo appeared 

on social media. 

Aubameyang was filmed getting 

his new tattoo on the Instagram 

account of Spanish tattoo artist 

Alejandro Nicolas Bernal. 

Neither Aubameyang nor Bernal 

were wearing masks during the 

inking, which saw the Arsenal forward 

get the tattoo on his hand. 

Current UK Government 

regulations state that all 

mobile and static tattoo 

parlours must remain 

closed during 

the ongoing 

coronavirus pandemic. 

club is very important to me. 

‘I am looking for a new challenge. 

It wasn’t a financial decision. I 

still have six to seven years to play 

football and now I wanted to try 

something new. 

‘Of course I took my time, after 

13 years it’s not an easy decision. 

I then decided for myself to try 

something new. I have not decided 

yet where I’m going.’ 

Maradona left 

£5m for his 

children 

•As £75m of his 

money missing 

It has been revealed that 

£5million (about N2.5billion) 

was found in the bank accounts 

of late Diego Maradona which 

he left for his children. 

It was gathered that Maradona 

had told his close friends before 

he died that he had around 

£75m (about N37.5billion). Varying 

figures of what he left behind 

has emerged on several 

occasions, but a lawyer to his 

youngest son Diego Fernando 

admitted the former footballer’s 

fortune as he laid bare the former 

footballer’s problem financial 

situation. 

Mario Baudry, said: “There’s 

been talk of £75m but only just 

over £4m has appeared in bank 

accounts along with a small 

apartment, an old house Diego 

owned and two cars. 

“Diego earned a lot of money 

but the problem is he didn’t have 

it. 

“The expense reports haven’t 

appeared so we don’t know if he 

spent it or if others spent it or 

whether it’s somewhere we 

don’t know yet.” 

Investigations into the unfortunate 

death of the legend is beginning 

to take shape as two 

nurses and a psychologist were 

allegedly part of the plot. 

Zidane faces injury crisis ahead Atalanta tie 

players at his disposal and, as TMW 

highlights, only two outfield options 

on the bench. 

A probable line-up would be with 

Thibaut Courtois in goals, behind a 

back four consisting of Lucas 

Vazquez, Raphael Varane, Nacho 

and Ferland Mendy. 

In the middle, Casemiro, Luka 

Modric and Toni Kroos are available, 

as Marco Asensio, Karim 

Benzema and Vinicius Junior are 

expected to play in the attacking trident. 

The alternatives are only two, with 

Isco and Mariano Diaz expected to 

start on the bench. Real will hope to 

avoid further issues at Valladolid, and 

to recover some players for the match 

against the Orobici in the Champions 

League next week.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER 

ACROSS 

1 Loosen (4) 

2 Friendly (8) 

9 Haven(7) 

10 More competent (5) 

11 Something of value (5) 

12 Gas essential for life (6) 

14 Fisherman (6) 

16 Out of sorts (6) 

19 US Island state (6) 

21 Bait, rag (5) 

24 Longest river in France (5) 

25 Exact (7) 

26 Pacts (8) 

27 Nuisance (4) 

DOWN 

1 Great disturbance (8) 

2 Pub game (5) 

4 Looking-glass (6) 

5 Mad (5) 

6 Credit (7) 

7 Multi-national currency (4) 

8 Container for liquid (6) 

13 Use badly (3-5) 

15 Hard stone (7) 

17 Aromatic spice (6) 

18 Small wave (6) 

20 Turn aside (5) 

22 Join together (5) 

23 Conspiracy (4) 

How to Play Sudoku 

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

two of the same number). 

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri-Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Hotline: 

08027767834; 01-4544821. Abuja office: 7, Dambata Close, Area 7, Garki, 09-2921024. Ikeja office: 73, Awolowo Way. V.I. Office: Murplus Plaza, 27, Sanusi Fafunwa Street. Asaba: 21, Anwai 

Road. Benin City: 4E, Arusa Street. Port Harcourt: 50, Ikwerre Road; Warri: 102, Efurun-Sapele Road. Advert: advertproduction@yahoo.com; E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, 

news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: EZE ANABA. Phone: 01-4548355. All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

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