20022021 - INSECURITY Give us state police now - Govs

2 —SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 

Burial ceremony of late Alh Lateef Olukayode Jakande at Volts After Gardens, long expectation, Ikoyi, Lagos. 

Soludo declares interest to 

succeed Obiano 

How Jakande turned down offer to 

become President of Nigeria — Tinubu 

By Olasunkanmi Akoni 

NATIONAL Leader of 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, and 

former Governor of Lagos 

State, Bola Tinubu, has revealed 

how late first Civilian 

Governor of Lagos 

State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, 

LKJ, politely, rejected 

the call by some progressive 

groups to contest 

for the Presidency of Nigeria. 

Tinubu, stated this on 

Friday, while addressing 

the crowd at the eight 

day ‘fidau ‘prayer for late 

Jakande, held at his Bishop 

Street, residence, Ilupeju, 

Lagos. 

According to Tinubu: 

“To all of us in Lagos, we 

have been extremely lucky 

to have him, extremely 

lucky to draw from the 

fountain of his knowledge. 

“Nigeria equally is lucky 

but when the crisis of military 

and many others 

arose, we met him, we 

said, we wanted Jakande 

but he said, he was no longer 

interested in becoming 

the president in the midst 

of chaos. 

“We told him, we wanted 

him to come and lead, 

he said no, the field was left 

for us, he has left an open 

field. There is no way, one 

can say, we will beat his 

record, he is already immortal, 

it is only from our 

own character , our vision 

that will drive our mission.” 

Earlier, in his sermon, 

the National Missioner and 

Chief Imam of Ansar-Ud- 

Deen Society of Nigeria, 

Sheikh Abdulrahman Ahmad, 

said nothing could 

have stopped Tibubu from 

becoming President of Nigeria 

if God so destined. 

He urged well meaning 

Nigerians s to support the 

dream of Tinubu, particularly 

the Southern part of 

the country in achieving 

the dream. 

His words: “Asiwaju 

Tinubu really followed the 

template Alhaji Jakande 

built. 

“Asiwaju, God is challenging 

you by giving you 

another opportunity to be 

part of the history of Nigeria. 

“It takes visionary leadership 

and determination 

to succeed. The challenges 

of security, insurgency 

and COVID-19 afford you 

an opportunity to rescue 

Nigeria.” 

Nigeria to exit dependence on oil revenue in 

10 years — Awolowo *Says non-oil exports to hit $30bn 

THE Executive Director/ 

CEO of the Nigerian 

Export Promotion Council, 

NEPC, Mr. Segun Awolowo, 

yesterday assured that given 

the steps being taken to improve 

the non-oil exports, Nigeria 

will exit its dependence 

on crude oil revenue in the 

next 10 years. 

Mr. Awolowo stated this 

while briefing State House 

correspondents after meeting 

behind closed doors with 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

at the presidential villa, 

Abuja. 

According to him, in the 

next decade, Nigeria can get 

$30 billion in terms of non 

oil export not withstanding 

the effect of the current COV- 

ID-19 pandemic. 

He said, “But more importantly, 

we must just continue, 

we must increase production 

and productivity all across 

the two sectors that the zero 

oil plan is postulating for the 

country and then we get out 

of it. We cannot run an economy 

that 90 percent of our 

earnings is from crude oil. It 

is just not working and that is 

what we are seeing through 

out the years when we went 

into first recession when the 

world oil prices stood worldwide.” 

While noting the changing 

world dynamics, he said: “We 

need to move again from just 

raw materials, we need to 

look at the entire value chain 

and that is where you create 

jobs and that is where you 

earn more money. 

“So ten years time frame 

we are looking at to get to 

$30 billion but we must be 

consistent, we must invest 

more in the non oil sector 

From left: National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and wife of the deceased, 

Alhaja Abimbola Jakande, during the 8-day Fidau prayer for the first civilian Governor 

of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, at Bishop Street, Ilupeju, yesterday. 

than looking for oil.” 

Acknowledging the president’s 

support to NEPC and 

the non-oil export sector, he 

recalled that the non-oil exports 

sector was experiencing 

challenges, especially with 

the basic incentive, the Export 

Expansion Grant (EEG) 

being suspended, with over 

N350 billion in unpaid EEG 

claims. 

He added: “The situation 

had dire effects on exporters, 

some shut down plants, some 

laid off people thereby increasing 

the numbers of unemployed 

population. Mr 

President rescued the situation 

with his approval of the 

new EEG scheme.” 

On the implementation of 

the Zero Oil Plan, the NEPC 

boss affirmed that it has received 

enormous support 

and buy-in even as it is integrated 

in the Economic Recovery 

and Growth Plan, adding 

that the National Economic 

Council has set up a 

National Committee on Exports 

to drive it 

Awolowo further remarked: 

“The entire world is 

now raising a lot of concerns 

about the long-term devastating 

impacts of oil and focusing 

on climate change. 

The unpredictability on oil 

prices 

will not stop. First 2008, oil 

price crashed due to global 

financial crises; then in 2014 

oil price crashed due to shale 

over production; then in 

2020, oil price crashed due 

to COVID. 

“We have seen a return to a 

positive GDP growth in last 

quarter of 2020. We have now 

seen strong recoveries in Agriculture 

(growth of 3.4%) 

and Services, and those sectors 

put a lid on 2020 declines. 

“We have achieved a lot, but 

we continue to get requests 

from all the States for Export 

programmes. And these initiatives 

touch the grass roots, 

women, youths, creates hundreds 

of thousands of jobs.” 

The NEPC boss, who outlined 

the improvements 

achieved in non-oil export 

products and jobs created 

across the country, said: 

“Even for what we are doing 

there now on this, we need to 

scale it up, and take it to more 

states, It is projects like these 

that we need to truly become 

an ‘Export Nation’ We just 

need to scale up our Zero Oil 

plan so that it reaches and 

touches more. 

Bawa’s appointment will achieve required 

reforms in EFCC — Omotola 

THE Director-Gener 

al, Center for Institutions 

Reforms in Nigeria, 

CIRN, Lai Omotola has 

described the nomination of 

a 40-year old Abdul- 

Rasheed Bawa to head the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC. 

as capable of achieving the 

required reforms in the 

anti-graft agency. Reacting 

to the development, Omotola 

applauded President 

Buhari, saying that the appointment 

vividly shows 

that Buhari is committed to 

making reforms that would 

springboard Nigeria to 

higher height in all sectors. 

‘President Muhammadu 

Buhari has demonstrated 

that he is indeed a man of 

reforms. By choosing Bawa, 

he has demonstrated his 

commitment towards the 

continuous fight against 

corruption in Nigeria. He 

has shown the commitment 

in two forms: one; he 

has nominated the youngest 

man in history to run 

EFCC, secondly, for the first 

time in history of EFCC, an 

operative from the antigraft 

agency will run the 

commission. “You will recall 

that during the travails 

of the former Chairman 

of EFCC, Ibrahim 

Magu; when he was being 

investigated by the presidential 

panel, CIRN called 

for an amendment of EFCC 

Act that would make an insider 

within the operative 

to take control of the dayto-day 

operations and workings 

of the anti-graft commission. 

At present, Abdul- 

Rasheed Bawa is the head 

of Lagos Zone of the commission. 

Within a short 

time, we have seen a lot of 

reforms he has brought to 

the zone. He has changed 

the ambience of EFCC and 

he has also ensured that operations 

of EFCC in terms 

of Investigation are based 

on specialized departments; 

meaning that it now operates 

in a specialized way. 

Omotola also said that the 

appointment shows the belief 

of the President that 

youths possess the needed 

knowledge and the capacity 

to govern Nigeria effectively. 

By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka 

AFTER long expectation by members of the ruling All Pro 

gressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and other stakeholders 

in Anambra State, the former Governor of the Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, Professor Charles Soludo has finally declared 

his intention to contest the November 6, 2021 governorship 

election in Anambra State. 

Soludo’s name began to make the round as the likely successor 

to Obiano for more than two years, but he had not come out 

to say he was interested in the race, until Thursday when he 

visited the headquarters of APGA in Awka. 

Over time, however, no fewer than 15 groups have been campaigning 

for Soludo, with some of the groups making donations 

in the various churches and at ceremonies across the state 

on his behalf. 

At a time, some politicians in the state who perhaps were 

afraid of his intimidating credentials started saying that he had 

decided not to contest, while others said the presidency had 

promised him the governorship only if he contested on the platform 

of All Progressives Congress, APC. 

But declaring his governorship ambition at APGA secretariat, 

Soludo said he is aspiring to contest under APGA, adding that 

the November 2021 governorship election in Anambra State is 

consequential to the survival of the party. 

His visit to the party headquarters was like a carnival, as 

notable past and present political office holders accompanied 

him. Among those that came with him included serving and 

former commissioners, former deputy governor of the state, 

Chief Emeka Sibeudu, chieftains of APGA and all the local 

government chairmen in the state. 

Before his declaration, the former CBN governor had visited 

APGA stakeholders in the 21 local government areas of the 

state, culminating in his Aguata Local Government area naming 

him as the sole candidate from the area, despite the fact that 

there were other governorship aspirants from the local government. 

Addressing the party officials, Soludo said: “This election is 

consequential in Anambra State and if APGA does not win, it 

means the party is gone. Let no APGA member toy with this 

election. If APGA loses Anambra, it has lost direction. 

“Therefore, do not make mistake in the person the party will 

field for the election as candidate because the party cannot 

afford to lose the November election.” 

According to him, the collective destiny of the party is at stake 

and must be protected by all means. 

Anambra State chairman of APGA, Sir Norbert Obi assured 

Soludo that the party would be fair to all the aspirants during 

the forthcoming primaries to select the governorship candidate 

of the party. 

#End SARS Inquiry: Wike receives 

report indicting SARS officials 

By Egufe Yafugborhi 

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike on Friday challenged Inspec 

tor General of Police, IGP, Adamu Mohammed, to justify 

Federal Government’s seriousness in setting up nationwide 

#EndSARS Judicial Commissions of Inquiry by implementing 

emanating recommendations. 

Wike declared the challenge when the commission of inquiry 

in Rivers State, chaired by Justice Chukwunenye Uriri 

(rtd) submitted its report to the Governor at Government 

House, Port Harcourt. 

Uriri had told the Governor that the commission received 

190 petitions, struck out 82 for lack of due diligence or jurisdiction 

and eventually considered 108 of them. He noted 

that policemen who committed crime against Rivers people, 

do not have any affinity with the State. 

He stated that, “it is noteworthy that our commission has 

the highest number of petitions in the federation. Lagos has 

210 petitions while we have 190. Lagos is still there but by 

the grace of God, we are here presenting this report to you. 

“It is our opinion that this figure represents the highest degree 

of total disregard of law and order by law enforcement 

agencies in the State.” 

Governor Wike then immediately set up a 5-man committee 

to extract White Paper from the report of the commission 

that investigated Human Rights Abuses, Police Brutality 

and Extrajudicial Killings by now disbanded Special 

Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state. 

He said, “The truth of the matter is that I am not sure the 

Again, Boko Haram invades 

Dikwa in Borno 

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri 

BOKO Haram members last night invaded Dikwa 

Local government Area of Borno state shooting sporadically 

after engaging security operatives. Residents 

including thousands of Internally Displaced Persons 

(IDPs) according to sources scampered for safety following 

the attack. This happened few days after some 

insurgents stormed neighboring Marte Local Government 

Area and wrecked havoc, as well as took control 

and mounted their flags at the Council Headquarter. 

A resident who did not want his name, in a text message 

to Saturday Vanguard last night said, “the insurgents 

invaded Dikwa at about 5:30pm on Friday and 

have been exchanging fire with troops up to 9:05pm at 

press time.” He said he did not have actual number of 

casualties but he suspected that the terrorists, the troops 

and innocent civilians were likely to suffer casualty.

Election losers exploiting herders/ 

farmers crisis in Edo — Obaseki 

*Wants military to protect forest reserves 

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

GOVERNOR Godwin 

Obaseki of Edo State has 

blamed the tension in the state 

over the idea of grazing lands 

on those he described as the 

same political opponents he defeated 

in the last gubernatorial 

poll in the state. 

Recall that the governor had 

been reported to have promised 

to establish grazing lands for 

herders, but while speaking to 

State House correspondents after 

meeting with the Chief of 

Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim 

Gambari, at the presidential 

villa, Abuja, weekend, he said 

his government was only encouraging 

private citizens to do 

business with herders for profit. 

He accused the political opponents 

of deliberately misrepresenting 

the position of government 

for selfish reasons. 

According to him, “If you will 

just go through some blogs and 

some of the narratives and messages 

sent around online and 

on social media, you can see a 

correlation. For instance, the 

people who are pushing the 

message that I have given grazing 

land in Edo, if you see them, 

they are the same blogs, the same 

people who were sponsoring 

opposition messages throughout 

election. So, clearly, if you 

were in my position, what will 

be your conclusion? 

“Apart from that, the people 

who have been pushing the narrative 

are just trying to create 

scare, trying to create trouble. 

These are people who we defeated 

during the last election. 

“So, clearly, we are not saying 

we don’t have challenges, 

we have security challenges, but 

leadership or people who have 

aspired to leadership, should 

not be irresponsible. You don’t 

inflame already tensed situation. 

That’s what we are saying.” 

Governor Obaseki affirmed 

that he did not renege on his 

promise to provide grazing 

lands, saying: “I said a state government 

is not in the business of 

ranching or of providing grazing 

lands. However, there are 

communities that have lands, 

which have, as at today, accommodated 

herders under some 

arrangements. 

“What I suggested was that 

these communities should look 

at making lands available 

SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 — 3 

where and when herdsmen 

come in. They can grow grass 

and charge them to herd in specific 

areas and avoid getting the 

herdsmen to trespass into other 

people’s farm lands because 

that is what causes crisis. 

Insecurity: Your prayers, sermons should gear towards 

peace, stability, Tinubu charges clerics 

•As Osoba, Sanwo-Olu, Fayemi, Yerima, others pay 

tributes to late LKJ 

By Olasunkanmi Akoni 

From left: Managing Director, Portland Paints and Products, Mrs. Bolarin 

Okunowo; Chairperson, Esosa Balogun; Shareholder Proxy, Mr. Mathew Akinlade; 

and the Secretary, Mr. Olamide Osundolire at the company's event held 

in Lagos, recently. PHOTO: AKEEM SALAU 

Akeredolu’s inauguration will be low key 

— Committee 

By Dayo Johnson, Akure 

THE second term in 

auguration ceremony 

of the Ondo State Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu, slated 

for Wednesday, February, 

24, will be a low-key 

event in view of the COV- 

ID-19 pandemic. 

Chairman of the Inauguration 

Committee and the 

Deputy governor elect, Mr. 

Lucky Ayedatiwa said this 

in Akure during a press 

conference to herald the 

second term inauguration. 

Ayedatiwa said that invitation 

for the programmes 

will be limited to very few 

people. 

According to him:“It is 

important to stress that attendance 

at every function 

will be strictly by invitation 

in order to control crowd 

and reduce the risks associated 

with COVID-19. 

“In other words, the venues 

will be a no-go areas 

for individuals without official 

invitation cards. For 

more emphasis, the DOME 

which sits full capacity of 

1,800 guests will now sit 

500 for the inauguration 

while it will accommodate 

only 400 for the state dinner 

later in the evening.” 

He disclosed that the 

week-long activities will include 

Inauguration lecture 

which will come up on Tuesday, 

February 23,2021, 

and will be delivered by the 

President of Development 

Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina. 

NATIONAL leader of 

the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, and 

former Governor of Lagos 

State, Bola Tinubu, has 

urged both Muslim and 

Christian clerics to channel 

their prayers, commitment, 

fasting, sermons towards 

promoting peace 

and stability across the 

country. 

Tinubu, gave the charge 

on Friday, while addressing 

the mammoth crowd 

at the eighth day ‘fidau 

‘prayer for the soul of the 

late first civilian Governor, 

Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, 

LJK, held at his 

Bishop Street, residence, 

Ilupeju, Lagos. 

Recall that Jakande died 

in his residence, last week 

Thursday, at the age of 91 

and laid to rest on the second 

day, Friday, at Vaults 

and Gardens Cemetery, 

Ikoyi, Lagos. 

On the occasion, Lagos 

State Governor, Mr. Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu, led other 

dignitaries, which include: 

Lagos state deputy governor, 

Dr. Femi Hamzat, 

Speaker of the Lagos State 

House of Assembly, Mudashiru 

Obasa, former 

Governor of Ogun State, 

Otunba Segun Osoba, Ekiti 

State Governor, Kayode 

Fayemi, former Governor 

of Zamfara, Ahmad Sani 

Yerima, former Inspector- 

General of Police, Musiliu 

Smith, Ganiyu Olarewaju 

Solomon, GOS, among 

others. 

The event was also attended 

by members of the 

Lagos State Executive 

Council, various Islamic 

and Christian clerics, traditional 

leaders and 

chiefs, APC chieftains in 

the state, Local Government 

chairmen, market 

women, among others. 

The prayer session was 

conducted by Islamic 

scholars and clerics, with 

second lecture and prayer 

delivered by Chief Imam 

of Anserudeen Society of 

Nigeria, Abdulraheem Ahmad 

while Pastor Daniel 

Adeeko, prayed for the repose 

of the deceased and 

family members he left 

behind. 

Tinubu, who described 

late LKJ as a flagbearer, 

true progressive, true leader, 

said, “We have listened 

to the clergymen, to our 

father who has gone to answer 

the call of Almighty 

Allah, we pray that God 

will forgive all his sins. To 

the family; it is not your 

loss but our loss. We cannot 

be alive forever, Allah 

destined the date we will 

depart. Today is eight 

days, we all assemble here 

to pray for Alhaji LKJ. 

Well, if I start to write, I 

will write epistle, I am one 

of the lucky men to grow 

under him. This is the 

house I learned to become 

a politician and my journey 

to political life. He 

said go, we need many like 

you, go to the senate and 

the rest is history. To our 

junior brothers and sisters, 

may God bless you, and set 

you on the right path of 

success. 

“Jakande has many children, 

not just you alone, 

we are, and we are truly his 

children. 

“Today, he is no more but 

he is still existing to the eternity, 

we pray for Lagos State, 

we pray for Nigeria to give 

us more people, more leaders 

who are prudent, honest, 

that give priority to the world 

the future, looking at what 

will become the life of the 

children. 

“He converted three sets of 

school classes for students in 

a day to single one, he converted 

so many hospitals, he 

is the most progressive individual 

that you ever have, 

progressive to the core. 

“I appeal, in his memory 

today, for us not to turn whatever 

challenges we are facing 

right now, to ethnic, tribal 

and religion crisis, only 

God almighty Allah will 

judge your faith. 

“Only Him that is perfect, 

only Allah will pray to direct 

us on the right path. You ‘ulamas’ 

(Islamic scholars) too, 

you are very critical in 

present situation, your 

prayers, commitment, fasting, 

all the sermons should 

gear towards peace and 

stability. 

Herdsmen Crisis:Yoruba will 

lose more in event of war, 

Oluwo warns, calls for peace 

By Shina Abubakar, 

Osogbo 

OLUWO of Iwo, Oba Ab 

dulrosheed Akanbi has 

cautioned Yoruba groups to stop 

drumming the beat of war, 

warning that the Yoruba may 

lose more if the herdsmen crisis 

degenerates into war. 

The monarch in a statement 

issued by his media aide Alli 

Ibrahim yesterday counseled 

Yorubas in the South-west to 

consider their kinsmen in the 

north before declaring war 

against the Hausas in the Yoruba 

states. 

He also urged the deviant 

Fulani herdsmen to respect human 

dignity and desist from 

kidnapping and killing of fellow 

humans. 

Appealing to the Yoruba nation, 

Oluwo stressed the need to 

consider the billions of immovable 

investment of their kinsmen 

in the northern states, 

saying that in the event of crisis 

herdsmen may only lose 

cattle while their kinsmen 

would lose billions of investments 

in the north. He also said 

that profiling the entire Fulani 

as criminals should be avoided 

as there were law abiding ones. 

He said the path of peace is 

the most honourable, tasking 

security operatives to prosecute 

criminals irrespective of ethnic 

affiliation, saying doing so 

would clear the air and show 

that the current outcry was 

against the criminal herdsmen. 

He described Nigeria as a nation 

of complex identities, call- 

ing on stakeholders, especially 

government to domesticate 

dividends of democracy 

as a means of tackling numerous 

crisis in the country. 

The statement reads further, 

“The lingering Yoruba- 

Fulani saga is a fragile issue 

that demands witty, technical 

approach. No doubt, the 

activities such as killing, kidnapping, 

raping perpetrated 

by the bad eggs among the 

Fulani are condemnable. 

As a people, we must understand 

who to fight. I see Fulani 

as a section of the Hausas. 

And most Fulani are not stationed 

in their origin. They 

have relocated and settled else 

where. Their most valued 

items are their cows. Most of 

their properties are movable. 

Is this who we want to declare 

war against? 

“Declaring war against the 

Fulani will be derogatorily 

translated to a war against the 

Hausas. Fulani are just a section 

of the Hausas. What will 

be the fate of billions of investments 

and properties of the 

Yorubas in the northern 

States? If their own cows could 

be moved, how will our innocent 

sons and daughters in the 

northern states move their investments 

and properties? I 

see Yoruba losing more should 

there be war. 

“I’m appealing to all and 

sundry to dignify human 

lives and toe the path of honour 

in sustaining a peaceful 

co-existence. War is an enemy 

of humanity. What war 

can do, peace can do better”. 

Dialogue with bandits, only way 

out for peace, Gumi insists 

By Wole Mosadomi 

DAYS after he made 

similar remarks that 

attracted attacks from Nigerians 

Islamic Scholar, 

Sheikh Ahmed Abubakar 

Gumi has insisted that the 

only way to put an end to 

insecurity in Niger state and 

Nigeria generally is to enter 

into dialogue with the bandits 

terrorising parts of the 

country. 

Sheikh Gumi told Journalists 

in Minna, Niger State 

yesterday after visiting the 

bandits in their hideout in 

Dutsen Magaji in Mariga 

Local Government area of 

the state, adding that from 

what he has seen, the bandits 

were ready to give peace 

a chance after dialogue with 

the appropriate government 

officials. 

“From all indications, the 

bandits are ready to sheath 

their swords with the appropriate 

authorities by going 

into dialogue with them and 

not by force,” he remarked. 

Accompanied to their hideout 

by Secretary to Niger 

state government, Alhaji 

Ahmed Ibrahim Matene, 

Gumi said he seized the opportunity 

to preach to the 

bandits that Islam is 

against taking the lives of 

innocent people and appealed 

to them to embrace 

peace by laying down their 

arms. The Islamic Cleric 

assured the bandits that he 

will continue to discuss 

with the State Government 

to explore whatever 

assistance and support 

government will give to 

them with a view to 

achieving the set objectives. 

Some of the commanders 

in their separate remarks 

applauded the State Government 

for the peace process, 

stressing that it would 

go a long way in restoring 

peace across the state. 

The bandits appealed to 

the State Government to 

assist the release of their 

members arrested by Security 

Agencies and detained 

across the state for 

the peace process to thrive.

4 —SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 

Burial ceremony of late Alh Lateef Olukayode Jakande at the Volts and Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos. 

Insecurity: We’re in a season of anomie, give us state 

police now — Govs 

By Omeiza Ajayi & 

Olayinka Ajayi 

Governors of the 36 states 

of the Federation, yesterday, 

took stock of the nation’s security 

response strategy in 

the wake of renewed banditry 

and other criminal activities, 

and demanded for immediate 

creation of State Police, 

devolution of power, and resource 

control, lamenting 

that Nigeria is currently in a 

season of anomie. 

While they noted that Nigeria’s 

security response 

strategy is ad-hoc and reactive, 

Senate Minority Leader, 

Enyinnaya Abaribe urged 

security agencies, especially 

in the Southern part of the 

country to stop treating victims 

of criminal attacks as 

criminals. 

Abaribe spoke on Friday 

alongside the Ekiti state Governor 

and Chairman of the 

Nigerian Governors Forum, 

NGF, Dr Kayode Fayemi of 

Ekiti State and Governor 

Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna 

State at a forum on “Strategies 

for pulling Nigeria from 

the brink”, organised by RadioNow 

95.3 in partnership 

with NexTier. 

The governors also stated 

that Nigeria’s security agencies 

have continued to work 

at cross-purposes, making it 

difficult to solve Nigeria’s 

complex security equation. 

Governor el-Rufai, who 

spoke first demanded the 

immediate devolution of powers, 

saying there is need for 

state police and vesting the 

control of onshore mineral 

resources in the states. 

He said: “Since the insurgency 

in the North-East 

pushed things to a new low, 

this country does not have 

enough soldiers, uniform 

police or secret police to protect 

state power across its vast 

swathes particularly the forests. 

“The limited number of 

boots on the ground are not 

well equipped and are significantly 

lacking in the technology 

that can make their 

limited numbers matter a lot 

less. 

Slow justice system 

“The justice system operates 

with ethos and at a pace 

that does not reflect the fragility 

of the situation and the 

urgency to demonstrate that 

the rule of law is meaningful. 

Prosecutions take too 

long, so long that many citizens 

assume that the criminals 

have long been released, 

encouraging criminal 

conduct and raising the 

dangerous appeal of illegal 

self-help. 

“The states and local governments 

have limited hard 

power but considerable options 

and scope for the exercise 

of soft power, which requires 

for its effectiveness the 

looming shadow of credible 

coercive power. By this I 

mean unless people understand 

that there is a strong 

federal government with enforcement 

behind this soft 

power, the soft power will not 

be exercised with success. 

“We can overcome these 

debilitation. We are not the 

only country cobbled together 

by accident of history. We 

are more integrated than we 

think. 

“In my view, we must approach 

organizing our country 

as a deliberate task, beginning 

with the collective 

decision regarding what sort 

of society we intend to build 

and the means of attaining 

it”, el-Rufai stated. 

He said there has to be elite 

consensus on issues such as 

commitment to the rule of law 

and quick dispensation of 

justice; common citizenship 

and respect for residency 

rights; equal opportunity for 

all, respect for diversity as 

well as “the immediate devolution 

of powers to return 

the nation to the true federation 

of its founding fathers. 

*Say, security agencies working at cross-purposes 

*El Rufai, Fayemi loud on resource control, devolution of powers 

*Nigeria’s security response strategy ad-hoc, reactive 

*We’re practicing Kabiyesi democracy - Abaribe 

Popular Iju Ishaga market shutdown in honour of late Alh Kayode Jakande, former first civilian 

Governor of Lagos State order from the Lagos State Government. Photo Akeem Salau 

Three steps out 

“I will dwell on three of the 

issues that I believe are critical 

to the immediate needs 

of the country to pull back 

from the brink. The first is the 

imperative for federal, states 

and community policing. We 

do not have enough police. 

One centralised police for the 

country just has not worked. 

Secondly, we must amend 

the Constitution and relevant 

laws to vest control of oil and 

gas, mines and minerals other 

than offshore in the continental 

shelf and extended 

economic zones in the states 

that already have control 

over land under the Land 

Use Act with royalties and 

taxes payable to the federal 

government and to the Federation 

Account. Three, we 

must rectify the anomaly of a 

Federation that has a more 

or less unitary judiciary. 

“In addition too and in line 

with the foregoing points, I 

will recommend the following 

immediate decisions and 

actions by the Federal and 

State Governments with the 

support of our civil societies 

and all well-meaning Nigerians. 

“The first recommendation 

is to implement the three key 

devolution proposals that I 

mentioned above. Give us 

State Police now. Vest all 

minerals in the states now 

and decentralize our judiciary 

now, not later. 

“Two, let us be collectively 

emphatic about the right of 

every citizen to security, freedom 

of movement and right 

of residence; and that the 

choice of livelihood must conform 

with the laws of the land. 

“Three, we must identify, 

focus and deal decisively 

with all state and non-state 

actors in deeds, in conducts 

that amount to challenging 

the supremacy of the Nigerian 

state and our constitution 

without ethnic profiling 

or discriminatory treatment. 

“We must provide immediate 

and enhanced funding 

to acquire advanced equipment, 

armament and ordnance 

for the armed forces, 

police, security agencies and 

paramilitary agencies by 

drawing down from the pool 

of various federation funds 

like the Excess Crude Account, 

Natural Resource Account, 

Stabilization Account 

and so on, so that our security 

services will have the materials 

to face the criminals 

that menace us. 

“Number Five. Implement 

the National Livestock Transformation 

Plan already produced 

four years ago to enable 

accelerated investments 

in modern animal husbandry 

incorporating the rapid 

sedentarization of herders. 

“Also, there is need for the 

aggressive reduction of the 

cost of governance at federal, 

state and local government 

levels through merger of 

Ministries, Departments and 

Agencies MDAs with similar 

mandates and functions; 

and a nationwide freeze on 

creation of any new administrative, 

regulatory or executive 

bodies for the foreseeable 

future. We simply cannot 

afford it anymore. 

“Seventh, we need to 

forge a national consensus 

now, not later, to collect more 

taxes at both federal and state 

levels for the governments to 

be viable. This means also 

we must stop pretending 

that the regulated rates of 

lending, interest rates, exchange 

rates, prices of petrol 

and electricity as well as the 

salaries in the public sector 

are realistic, sustainable and 

will lead us to the promised 

land. These are decisions for 

here and now. As leaders, our 

obligation is to turn Nigeria’s 

moment of peril into breakthrough 

moments”, el-Rufai 

added. 

On his part, Fayemi who 

spoke on behalf of the Nigerian 

Governors Forum, NGF, 

said he agreed with all the 

submissions made by Gov. 

el-Rufai. 

He said: “I concur completely 

with virtually everything 

that my brother has put 

forward, but I have an added 

obligation as head of Nigerian 

Governors to share 

with you our perspectives 

collectively on these issues. 

“Given this worrisome 

state, whether it is insurgency 

in the North-East, farmers-herders 

conflict in the 

North-Central, banditry in 

the North-West, kidnapping 

in the South-West and the 

South-East; and of course all 

over the country, youth restiveness 

across the country 

that led to #EndSARS that 

we all unfortunately encountered 

in October, militancy, 

sea piracy in the South- 

South, the common thread is 

that we are now in a season 

of anomie in our country. 

“We have to pull Nigeria 

from the brink. To do this requires 

elite consensus as el- 

Rufai has just highlighted. 

Because when you review 

our interventions over the 

years, what is clear is that 

there are gaps in our security 

management system. 

There is an over-reliance on 

ad hoc, reactive and herd 

security as against proactive, 

development-oriented 

and human security response. 

Our security management 

strategy lacks a 

holistic, responsive peace 

and security architecture, 

which in turn leads states 

to put in place self-help security 

arrangements such 

as Amotekun, Hisbah and 

a whole range of them that 

have sprung up in states. 

“The lack of a comprehensive 

peace and security 

framework and structure 

and inadequate inter-agency 

synergy is showing 

among security agencies as 

they work at cross purposes 

and undermine themselves. 

This is a common 

story we hear among our 

various services with regards 

to the Boko Haram 

insurgency. 

“What has led to ethnic 

profiling more than anything 

else is that we hardly 

bring to book those who 

have been responsible for 

crimes and criminal acts in 

our country and we must do 

everything within our powers 

particularly in empowering 

our security institutions 

to do more and bring 

to book those purveyors of 

violence, those responsible 

for crime and criminality in 

our country. As governors, 

we do not subscribe to ethnic 

profiling. We believe 

that criminals come from 

all ethnicities. What is important 

is that we isolate a 

particular criminal. 

“It is absolutely important 

that we eschew ethnic 

profiling. When we see 

what has happened in other 

parts of the world, the 

Jews in Germany, the 

Blacks in America, the Tutsis 

in Rwanda, it is absolutely 

important that to 

pull back from the brink, 

we must not do anything 

to exacerbate what is already 

a problematic situation 

that we have found 

ourselves in.” 

Fayemi stressed the 

need for governors to pay 

more attention to forests 

and treat them as economic, 

developmental and security 

concerns. 

On his part, Senator 

Abaribe noted that what 

was lacking in solving Nigeria’s 

current existential 

challenges was not ideas 

but the political will to do 

what is necessary. 

He said since the North 

is reputed to have more 

landmass than the South, 

it would be unconscionable 

to ask Southerners 

with limited land to vacate 

their homes for those with 

large swathes of arable 

land. 

“There has been so 

much talk about profiling 

and I agree with it and I 

will like us to also have a 

conversation along that 

line. If a herder is carrying 

an AK47 and a criminal 

is carrying an AK47 

and both of them are in the 

same place, how do you 

differentiate them? Because, 

it is necessary for 

us to be able to draw lines 

somewhere. 

“If the security personnel 

do not seem to be 

enough, that is not the 

main problem. As Minority 

Leader, I get calls from 

people to say that ‘this has 

happened here’. ‘These 

people have come and done 

this and we have reported 

to the police and when we 

report, we become the victims. 

They instead turn 

around to arrest us’. So, 

what type of training do we 

give to our law enforcement 

agencies so that they can differentiate 

between the genuine 

person who has a problem 

and somebody who 

they say is profiling a set of 

people? 

“Another question to ask 

is whether it is possible for 

Nigerians to ignore the matter 

of attachment to land. I 

read somewhere that close 

to 80 percent of Nigeria’s 

land is in the 19 states of the 

North and that about 22 percent 

or so is in the 17 states 

of the South. And somebody 

in a forest in the South is being 

told to leave his land in 

order to be alive so that another 

person can stay there. 

How do you think the person 

would feel?” he queried. 

El Rufai had also pointed 

out strongly that there were 

limitations to what they can 

do as governors, insisting 

that Nigerians must note the 

roles assigned state governors 

by the constitution and 

where the federal government 

holds authority. He 

said that Nigeria would be 

totally different if the constitution 

is amended today to 

accommodate the changes 

he recommended. He said 

that the National Assembly 

has a big role to play but unfortunately 

they have not 

lived up to expectations. To 

that Abaribe responded that 

“amending the constitution 

is not a difficult thing, but 

what we have is a Kabiyesi 

Democracy where what 

the man on top says is final”

How Nigeria can create State Police in 

10 Days — Ekweremadu 

FORMER Deputy Presi 

dent of the Senate and 

Chairman of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, Committee 

on Electoral Act and 

Constitutional Amendment, 

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 

says decentralised policing 

remains the way out of the 

mounting security challenges 

in the country, noting that with 

the requisite political will, Nigeria 

could successfully 

amend the 1999 Constitution 

in 10 days to the needed legal 

framework for state police. 

Ekweremadu, who chaired 

the Senate Committee on 

Constitution Amendment in 

the 6th, 7th, and 8th National 

Assembly, while listing numerous 

successful electoral 

reforms and constitution 

amendments recorded under 

successive PDP administrations, 

enjoined the All Progressive 

Congress-led administration 

to take the bull by the 

horns by building on those 

successful efforts. 

He stated this during the inauguration 

of the PDP Committee 

on Electoral Act and 

Constitution Amendment in 

Abuja, Thursday evening, regretting 

that the security of 

lives and property had totally 

collapsed, hence the need for 

urgent steps to pull the nation 

back from the brinks. 

“The weaknesses in our 

structure and the Constitution 

we operate have never been 

as pronounced as they are today. 

I must also add that it is 

unfortunate that the rain, 

which some of us shouted on 

top of our voices, forewarning 

the nation against and even 

proposed policies and sponsored 

Bills to avert, is now beating 

us heavily. 

“I rallied my colleagues and 

together we sponsored the Bill 

for the Creation of State Police 

in the 8th National Assembly. 

I am equally sponsoring a 

Bill for the Creation of State 

Police in the current Senate. 

From left:Deputy Governor of Lagos State,Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Gov. Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu;Special Adviser to Governor on Works & Infrastructure, 

Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola during 

the commissioning of Lagos-Ogun State Boundary Network of Road 

with Bridge Phase ll, in Agbado Ike-Odo, LCDA, Alimosho, Local Government, 

in Lagos,Yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. 


Mbadiwe to add value to 

APC, says Uzodinma 

“Unfortunately, we do not 

appear ready yet or show a 

sense of urgency to stem the 

tide of insecurity or rebuild our 

economy through the decentralisation 

or devolution of 

power. With the right political 

will, the amendments to the 

Constitution to achieve a decentralised 

police and secure 

lives and property can be 

achieved 10 days. 

“So long as we run a dysfunctional 

centralised policing, 

for that long will our insecurity-induced 

pains and losses 

continue to rise. The community 

policing initiative is illusory, 

cosmetic, ephemeral, 

inorganic, and will certainly 

not change anything. 

“It is either we do the right 

things to get the right results 

or continue to do the wrong 

things and live with the consequences 

of our choices, as is 

presently the case. We must 

also have it at the back of our 

minds that things will probably 

get worse. 

“Therefore, I call on our 

party faithful, the media, Civil 

Society, and well meaning 

Nigerians, to put narrow political, 

partisan, ethnic, religious, 

and sectional interest 

aside, and seize the opportunity 

of the ongoing constitution 

amendment exercise to 

immediately pull our nation 

back from the brinks”. 

On electoral reforms, the 

lawmaker also enjoined his 

colleagues, political leaders 

and Nigerians to support the 

move to amend the Electoral 

Act to allow early primaries 

and electronic transmission of 

results. On how the constitution 

can be amended in ten 

days he said the following” 

“First, we have to understand 

that the Constitution allows 

us as a parliament to regulate 

our proceedings. 

Remember that what the 

Constitution requires is that 

for you to amend any part of 

the constitution, you have to 

come through a Bill. You need 

a two-thirds majority of each 

chamber of the National Assembly. 

Then you go to the 

States to get at least one-thirds 

of each of at least 24 states 

voting in favour of such 

amendment. 

“So, if you now introduce the 

Bill on a Monday, for instance, 

you can actually do First 

Reading, Second Reading, 

and Third Reading the same 

day under our Rules. 

In fact, you can actually finish 

this particular Constitution 

amendment to decentralise 

the police in one week or 

less than 10 days. 

All you need to do is to suspend 

that Section that says you 

must take the First, Second, 

and Third Reading on three 

different days. 

“So, if you suspend the Rule, 

you take the First Reading, 

then the Second Reading is the 

debate. After the reading you 

send it to the Committee. That 

committee can actually be a 

Committee of the Whole 

House and everybody will 

now contribute. Because it is 

already a Bill, we can now 

take it clause by clause that 

same day. 

So, when it is now passed, 

probably the third day, you 

now send it to the State Assemblies. 

“But before all those, there 

has to be a meeting of the 

Governors, the President, the 

leadership of the National Assembly, 

the Speakers and 

principal officers of the State 

Assemblies. That way, once 

the political will is there and 

its is agreed at the meeting 

that this will be done, everybody 

will now be waiting to 

play his part. Of course, at the 

meeting, the President will 

guarantee that he would sign 

it. 

“So, once the National Assembly 

is done with the Bill 

in two or three days, it will be 

sent to the States Assemblies, 

which are already waiting for 

it because this is a national 

emergency. 

“Of course, the only role required 

of State Assemblies in 

constitution amendment is to 

vote yes or no because it is 

already processed and involves 

other states. After voting 

on the fourth day, they 

make a return on the fifth day. 

“On the same fifth day, the 

National Assembly seats 

again to ratify what the States 

have done. On that same day 

or the sixth day, it will be sent 

to the President for assent. 

“So, it can be achieved in 

maximum ten days if we really 

want to do it. If we now 

agree that it is the way to go 

to pull our nation from the 

brinks, believe me, we can 

achieve it. 

“How many days did it take 

us to amend the constitution 

to handle the issues arising 

from the late President Musa 

Yar’Adua’s illness? First, we 

did the Doctrine of Necessity 

to enable the then Vice President 

Goodluck Jonathan to 

take over because there was 

no provision in the 1999 Constitution 

at the time to handle 

the situation. Thereafter we 

came back to do the necessary 

constitution amendment. 

And it took us just a few days. 

“During the Yar’Adua administration 

when there was 

an urgent need to amend the 

Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC Act, we 

deed it in just one day. Senators 

David Mark, Victor 

Ndoma-Egba, and Folarin 

are all living witnesses. It is a 

matter of political will. 

IMO State Governor Hope Uzodinma has declared 

that former Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Congo, Chief 

Greg Mbadiwe will add value to the ruling All progressives 

Congress ( APC). 

He said with the defection of Chief Mbadiwe to APC from 

PDP, many Igbo are heeding his calls for the south east to 

connect to the national grid of politics through APC. 

The governor spoke at the country home of Mbadiwe shortly 

after he registered and revalidated his membership of APC at 

Ward 11, Independent Hall,NDI Aniche Arondizuogu in Ideato 

North Local Government area of the state. 

He described the former diplomat as a consummate politician 

who has a lot to offer in strengthening the APC. 

According to him, Mbadiwe is like a Ronaldo or Neymar in 

a team, very valuable and strategic in the scheme of things. 

“We welcome him to the progressive fold and commend his 

decision to do the needful in positioning with the national 

grid,” he said. Earlier, Ambassador Mbadiwe who was a signatory 

to the formation of the opposition PDP, explained that 

he defected to APC to join hands with Uzodinma to take Igbo 

to the national grid of politics. 

He recalled that even his father,Dr K.O . Mbadiwe worked 

for the reintegration of Ndigbo to mainstream national politics 

even when it was risky to do so. 

According to him,he was also moved to join APC because of 

the incredible achievements recorded by the Imo State governor 

under the banner of the party. He enjoined other prominent 

Igbo to embrace APC ahead of the 2023 general elections 

to ensure that the south east has a voice in national politics. 

Ooni, Ademiluyi set to 

launch biggest Adire textile 

factory in Ile-Ife 

By Ephraim Oseji 

HIS Imperial Majesty, 

the Ooni of Ife, Oba 

Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi 

and Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, 

founder of Africa Fashion 

Week London are set to 

launch an Adire textile factory 

in Ile-Ife. 

Already being described 

as the biggest Adire Textile 

factory, the initiative is to 

provide opportunities for *Princess Ademiluyi 

cultural exchange between 

African and international 

students of design to learn about the unique adire fabric. 

To this end, Ooni and Princess Ademiluyi, who is also the 

Founder of Africa Fashion Week Nigeria hinted that the 

factory would be launched on February 22, to commemorate 

Annual Aje Festival in the state. 

The new cultural centre, a massive capital project that 

will require national and international funding will be built 

on a 30,000 square meters of land in Ile-Ife. 

Princess Ademiluyi, an award-winning fashion icon explained 

that the Cultural Centre will be a repository for the 

indigenous arts and crafts found in Africa. “It will provide 

an ecosystem for development, teaching and learning guided 

by tradition, innovation and sustainability and will connect 

the stories of indigenous arts to the heritage of Africa.” 

According to her “Other facilities within the complex will 

include a gallery for visiting exhibitions, a textile museum, 

a digital library, heritage artisan village (which will include 

the bronze casting, terracotta pottery and wood carving); 

an aso-oke cloth weaving pavilion, Yoruba culture 

academy, a design innovation lab and residential lodges. 

The cultural complex project starts with the opening of 

phase one - an Adire Textile Hub, which heralds the revival 

of indigenous fabric production and creative arts in Ife. 

“The Hub will generate employment and become an example 

of the Non-Oil Export Initiative promoted by the 

Nigerian government. It will increase the capacity of the 

artisans working in Ile-Ife and educate on the importance 

of sustainability and ethical and environmental practices.” 

Navy debunks report on complicity 

of personnel in maritime illegalities 

By Evelyn Usman 

THE Nigeria Navy, NN, has described report on com 

plicity of its officers and ratings in maritime illegalities 

as a grave allegation which was speculative and lacked 

facts, reiterating rather, its position on zero tolerance for 

economic sabotage. 

Report in one of the national dailies alleged that operators 

of illegal refineries paid huge amount of money to 

naval personnel to allow them operate and that 

owners of private refineries also claimed they paid naval 

personnel weekly or monthly depending on the agreement. 

In a swift reaction, the Navy, said it would invite members 

of the purported organisation to assist in identifying the 

naval personnel who received bribes to facilitate the alleged 

unpatriotic acts of economic sabotage. 

The Navy in a statement issued to Saturday Vanguard 

and signed by the Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, 

Commodore Suleiman Dahun, stated that as a responsible 

service saddled with the responsibility of fighting all forms of 

criminal activities in the nation’s maritime domain, it would 

not condone any act of indiscipline in that regard. 

The statement read:“The attention of the Nigerian Navy has 

been drawn to a news report in some newspapers captioned: 

‘How Nigerian Navy Aids Crude Oil Theft, Herders’ Invasion.’ 

While the report is largely speculative, lacking in facts 

and substance and one-sided, the Nigerian Navy notes the 

attempt to substantiate and legitimise the allegations contained 

therein by quoting an unnamed official of an organisation 

called Domestic Refineries Owners Association of Nigeria, 

who made grave allegations of complicity against Nigerian 

Navy personnel.

6 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 

ADAMA 

SHAMSU 

FALLANG 

I, formerly known as I, formerly known as I, formerly known as Fallang 

Achenetu Adama, now Sadiya Shamsu, now DAPaul Bernard, now wish to be 

known as Bernard Konang 

wish to be known as wish to be known as 

Paul. Wrong Date Of Birth 12/ 

Samuel Glory. All Sadiya Aliyu. All 12/1992. Correct Date Of 

former documents former documents Birth Is 22/02/1994. All former 

remain vaild. General remain vaild. General documents remain vaild. 

public take note. public take note. General public take note. 

KAIGAMA OB 

TAMUNOEMI 

DURU 

I, formerly known as 

I, formerly known as I, formerly known as 

Miss Duru Amaka 

Tobias Raphael Kaigama, Tamunoemi Quakers, now Cynthia, now wish to be 

now wish to be known as wish to be known as known as Mrs. Agbonlahor 

Tobias Numtai Kaigama. Tamunoemi Quakers Amaka Cynthia. All 

All former documents Ogenyi. All former former documents remain 

remain vaild. General documents remain vaild. vaild. General public take 

public take note. 

General public take note. note. 

AGWUYE 

ANYAOHA 

JOSHUA 

I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as I, formerly known as 

Agwuye Blessing Ifunaya, Anyaoha Chiamaka Hosea Joshua, now wish 

now wish to be known as Clementina, now wish to to be known as Hosea 

Mrs. Obidigwe Blessing be known as Arisa Joshua Duniya. All 

Ifunaya. All former 

Chiamaka Maryluck. All former documents 

former documents remain 

documents remain vaild. 

remain vaild. General 

vaild. General public take 

General public take note. note. 


LADI ONUEGBU NWOKEJI 

I, formerly known as Ladi 

Bulus, now wish to be 

known as Lydia Joshua. All 



note. 

ABDULLAHI 


Abdullahi Muhammedraji, 

now wish to be known as 

Abdullahi Muhammed Raji. 

All former documents remain 

valid, general public please 

take note. 

AKUMBUR 


Akumbur Elizabeth, now 

wish to be known as 

Akmbur Module 

Elizabeth. All former 


General public take 

note. 

FAMOLU 


Famolu Temiloluwa 

Iyanu, now wish to be 

known as Iyagin 

Temiloluwa Iyanu. All 

former documents 

remain vaild. Gt Bank, 

general public take note. 

ALAEGBU 


Miss Oluchi Lilian 

Alaegbu, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Oluchi 

Lilian Okoro. All former 


General public take note. 

OSUALA 


Osuala Chinelo, now wish 

to be known as Ufegbu 

Chinelo Evangeline. All 


valid. General public to 

take note. 

ISAAC 

I, formerly known as Bridget 

Isaac, now wish to be known 

as Fatimetu Musa. My 

correct date of birth is 27/06/ 

2003, not 27/06/1997. All 



note. 


Adaugo Onuegbu, now 


Adaugo Monday Jennifer. 

All former documents 



IDRIS 

I, formerly known as Idris 

Suleiman Musa, now wish 

to be known as Suleiman 

Idris Musa. All former 



SANI 

I, formerly known as Sani 

Idrisu, now wish to be 

known as Idris 

Muhammad. All former 


Access Bank, general 


RABIU 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Rabiu Kehinde Mahmudat, 


Mrs. Mustapha Kehinde 

Mahmudat. All former 



MARTINS 


Miss Martins Juliet 

Oluchi, now wish to be 

known as Mrs. Okafor 

Juliet Oluchi. All former 



AWWAL 


Awwal Nana Firdausi, 


Maryan Badaryan. All 



note. 

OLOKOOBA 


Mufutau Olokooba, now 


Mufutau Olokooba Idris. 

All former documents 



I, formerly known as Nwokeji 

Mary Ekwutos, now wish to 

be known as Nwokeji Mary 

Gerald. My Correct Date Of 

Birth Is 23/10/1971. All former 



JOHN 

I, formerly known as John 

Uchenna Fidelis, now 


Obiora Ogbonna John. All 



note. 

DANLADI 

I, formerly known as Ruth 

Danladi, now wish to be 

known as Ruth Danladi 

Jimra. All former 


Nsuk and general public 

take note. 

MOGAJI 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Mogaji Olaide Fatimo, 


Mrs. Adebiyi Olaide 

Fatimo. All former 



ALAYO 

I, formerly known as Mrs. 

Alayo Florence Tinuke, 


Mrs. Alayo Resikat 

Atinuke. All former 



MUHAMMED 

I, formerly known as Jibrin 

Yusuf Muhammed, now wish 

to be known as Jibrin Yusuf. 

My correct date of birth is 06/ 

05/1988, not 14/09/1988. All 



note. 

BENARD 


Benard Noah, now wish 

to be known as Agada B. 

Noah. All former 



NDLEA seizes 1,292 kilograms of illicit 

drug in Ondo forest, arrests 9 suspects 

OPERATIVES of the 

National Drug Law 

Enforcement Agency, 

NDLEA, Ondo State Command, 

have arrested nine 

dealers of illicit drugs and 

seized from them a total of 1, 

292 kilograms of cannabis 

sativa and its seeds. 

Announcing the huge seizure 

in a statement on Friday, 

the state Commander 

of the anti-drug agency, Mr. 

Haruna Gagara disclosed 

that out of the figure, 

711.5kg of cannabis seeds 

was recovered from a forest 

in Ago Oyibo area of Ogbese, 

Akure North Local Government 

area of the state. 

According to him, “this 

seizure has thwarted the 

mass cultivation of an estimated 

250 hectares of cannabis 

sativa farmland in 

Ondo state. This humongous 

cultivation if allowed would 

produce an estimated 443, 

000 kilograms of cannabis.” 

He said his men stormed 

the forest on Thursday, February 

18, 2021 following 

intelligence. Some of the suspects 

arrested in connection 

to the seizure include; Alex 

Moses, 35; Oshie Emmanuel, 

20; Friday Effiong, 31; Emmanuel 

Akpan, 25, and 

David Friday, 19. 

The commander also said 

his operatives had earlier 

intercepted a vehicle loaded 

with 580.5kg of the illicit 

drug along Ogbese-Owo road. 

“The consignment was to be 

smuggled to Kano state. If it 

had not been intercepted, it 

may further fuel the current 

insecurity and banditry 

being experienced in the 

North West region of Nigeria”, 

he stated. 

While appreciating the 

Chairman/Chief Executive 

of the NDLEA, Gen. Mohamed 

Buba Marwa (Retd) for 

motivating them to always 

go on the offensive action 

against illicit drug traffickers 

and dealers, Gagara 

said, “let me seize this opportunity 

to warn those who indulge 

in the illicit cultivation 

and trafficking of cannabis 

sativa in the state to desist 

from doing so, as there will 

be no hiding place for them 

because the Command is 

poised to fish them out.” 

55 different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 

now in Nigeria — NCDC 

By Chioma Obinna 

The Nigeria Centre 

for Disease Con 

trol, NCDC, has 

alerted that about 55 different 

lineages of Severe 

Acute Respiratory Syndrome 

Coronavirus 2 

(SARS-CoV-2) are circulating 

in Nigeria and are 

also changing rapidly as of 

February 14 2021. 

According to the Director-General 

of NCDC, Dr. 

Chikwe Ihekweazu, the diversity 

of SARS-CoV-2 

strains indicate multiple 

introductions of the virus 

into Nigeria from different 

parts of the world and adds 

to evidence of community 

transmission in different 

states of Nigeria. 

He further disclosed that: 

A total of 29 cases with the 

B.1.1.7 variant strain, 

which was first described in 

the UK and shown to be 

linked to increasing transmissibility, 

have so far been 

detected in Nigeria. 

He said: “These strains 

were detected from cases in 

Lagos, FCT, Osun, Oyo, and 

Kwara and Edo States. All 

samples with the B.1.1.7 

variant strain were collected 

from patients between 

November and January 

2021. 

“On the 11th of February, 

some recent SARS-CoV-2 

genomes were seen to have 

distinct mutations and 

•The seized drug by the NDLEA. 

characterised as a new 

variant B.1.525. 

“As at the 17th of February, 

these have been reported 

from United Kingdom 

(44), Denmark (35), Nigeria 

(30), United States of 

America (12), Canada (5), 

France (5), Ghana (4), Australia 

(2), Jordan (2), Singapore 

(1), Finland (1), Belgium 

(1) and Spain (1).” 

Ihekweazu recalled that 

the first detected B.1.525 

case in Nigeria was in a 

sample collected on the 

23rd of November from a 

patient in Lagos State. 

“So far, this has been detected 

among cases in five 

states in Nigeria. B.1.525 

cases have also been reported 

in other countries in travellers 

from Nigeria.” 

He further stated that currently 

there has not been 

evidence to indicate that in 

Nigeria, adding that, 

B.1.525 was a new strain, 

but not yet a variant of concern 

and that further analysis 

was ongoing. In a statement 

made available to 

journalists, Ihekweazu who 

explained that all viruses 

naturally mutate over 

time, including SARS- 

CoV-2, the virus that causes 

coronavirus disease 

2019 said since the first was 

identified, thousands of 

mutations have arisen and 

will continue to do so, allowing 

new strain lineages 

of the virus to evolve. 

He, however, maintained 

that the vast majority of 

mutations would have little 

impact. 

Speaking on the way forward, 

Ihekweazu stated 

that in the short term, a random 

selection of viruses 

would be collected and sent 

to ACEGID for sequencing 

weekly and coordinated by 

the NCDC National Reference 

Laboratory. 

He further disclosed that 

an Implementation Group 

for SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing 

in Nigeria has been 

constituted to pull together 

a coordinated response 

to drive genomic surveillance 

for SARS-CoV-2 in 

Nigeria aimed at ensuring 

a coordinated response to 

identify variants of concern 

in Nigeria. 

Speaking on public 

health guidance, he said: 

“One way to prevent viruses 

from mutating is to prevent 

their transmission. 

This means that we must 

continue to take responsibility 

as members of the 

public. The public health 

measures to control this virus 

is the same, irrespective 

of the variant. Please continue 

to avoid close contact 

with others, wash your 

hands regularly using soap 

and running water, wear a 

mask properly, keep a distance 

of at least two metres 

from others.” 

He stressed the need for 

Nigeria to develop its capacity 

for genomic surveillance 

to support the public 

health response as routine 

analysis of the genomic sequence 

data would enable 

the NCDC and its public 

health partners to identify 

variant viruses for further 

characterisation and investigate 

transmission, severity, 

immune escape and 

other facets that can show 

the impact and trajectory of 

the pandemic.


2023 intrigues as top govt men fight over control of EFCC 

By Emmanuel 

Aziken 

MUTTERING over the 

nomination of Abdulrasheed 

Bawa as the next chairman 

of the Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC was overflowing into a 

melody in the political and judicial 

arena at the weekend. 

Allegations of illegality in the 

appointment of Bawa were being 

met with counter plots by 

his supporters as political actors 

in different camps of the Muhammadu 

Buhari regime fight to 

take hold of the EFCC ahead of 

their 2023 plots. 

Central to the allegations 

against Bawa are that his nomination 

violates the EFCC Act, 

allegations of a filial relationship 

to a senior operative of the Buhari 

administration and claims of 

unsettled allegations of misdeeds 

against the nominee in his past 

positions. 

Besides the flurry of allegations 

in the media space, the 

Centre for Anti-Corruption and 

Open Leadership (CACOL), an 

aggregate of human rights, community 

based, and civil society 

organizations and individuals has 

also petitioned the Senate on the 

appointment. The body asserted 

that the Senate would be violating 

the EFCC Act as enacted 

by it by confirming the nominee. 

Besides CACOL whose petition 

to Senate President Ahmad 

Lawan, dated February 18, 2021, 

a Lagos based lawyer, Osuagwu 

Ugochukwu has also gone to 

court to stop the Senate from 

proceeding with the confirmation. 

However, having gotten note 

of the plots against Bawa, his 

supporters in a wing of the Buhari 

camp have set up machinery 

to deflate their moves. Saturday 

Vanguard has learnt of 

fresh moves to overcome the 

seeming statutory challenge 

against Bawa’s confirmation 

with a hurried promotion before 

the Senate confirmation hearing. 

Central to the opposition as 

articulated in the EFCC Act is 

the point in Section 2a (ii) of the 

EFCC Establishment Act which 

stipulates that a nominee for the 

position of chairman of the 

EFCC should be a serving or a 

retired Assistant Commissioner 

of Police or its equivalent. 

As the CACOL petition to the 

Senate alleged: 

According to EFCC Establishment 

Act, Section 2a (ii) the 

Chairman to be appointed 

should: “Be a serving or retired 

member of any security or law 

enforcement agency not below 

the rank of Assistant Commissioner 

of Police or equivalent.” 

Such equivalence in the EFCC is 

Grade Level 15, while Bawa is 

on Grade Level 13. 

However, as a way of overcoming 

that statutory impediment, 

Saturday Vanguard has 

learnt of moves to expedite Bawa’s 

promotion ahead of the 

Senate confirmation hearings. 

However, those challenging 

the nomination are asserting that 

the necessary institutions to effect 

the promotion are not available. 

“What we understand is that 

Bawa was disciplined by the 

former chairman, Magu and the 

Secretary Olanipekun 

Olukoyede, who sanctioned him 

over the alleged deeds in Port 

Harcourt. Since Magu has been 

removed, and secretary has also 

been removed, the acting chairman 

cannot on his own promote 

him,” one source privy to 

the development asked. 

The challenges to Bawa’s hurried 

promotion Saturday Vanguard 

gathered lie in the fact that 

the EFCC does not have a board 

making any such promotion practically 

ineffectual. 

“The acting chairman does not 

have the powers to promote 

someone else to become his 

boss,” so you see the appointment 

is wrong in every material 

particular.” 

“Even if you remove the issues 

of the allegations of the missing 

tankers which an investigation 

was set up for, how do you 

address the issue that he is a level 

13 officer, and the law says 

that only a Level 15 officer or 

above can hold the position,” 

that is the fact before us. 

In its petition to the Senate 

signed by its chairman, Debo 

Adeniran, CACOL said: 

A.The EFCC Law is an Act of 

National Assembly hence Senate 

must not over rule itself by 

breaching a critical provision in 

the appointment of EFCC 

Chairman. 

B. Since Mr. Ibrahim Magu 

was suspended and not sacked, 

we expect the Presidency to 

come out with a white paper on 

Justice Ayo Salami’s panel set 

up in July 2020 to investigate 

various allegations of wrong-doing 

against Ibrahim Magu. The 

panel had since submitted its report 

to the President on November 

20, 2020. Till date, we are 

still expecting a white paper on 

the recommendations of the panel. 

We would also want to know 

the fate of Ibrahim Magu. 

C. From inception of EFCC, 

the story of the termination of 

the appointment of virtually all 

the former heads of the agency 

seem to be the same. It looks 

like the position is fast becoming 

a “use and dump” position 

wherein the end of the tenure has 

been determined from the beginning. 

It is gratifying that President 

Muhammadu Buhari, at various 

fora, having recognized the need 

to tackle corruption head-on, 

one would have expected him to 

appoint a person of impeccable 

character to head the anti-corruption 

agency. 

It is against this background 

that CACOL is appealing to the 

Senate to please take the pains 

to dig deep into Mr. Abdulrasheed 

Bawa’s record of overall 

performance as well as that of 

corruption allegation leveled 

against him. 

Meanwhile, Ugochukwu in his 

own motion before the Federal 

High Court, Abuja is asking the 

Court to stop the Senate from 

considering Bawa’s nomination 

upon the claim that the nominee 

as a grade 13 officer cannot be 

confirmed for a position meant 

for those on grade level 15. 

Man stabs neighbour to death for abusing his wife 

By Dayo Johnson, 

Akure 

DETECTIVES in Ondo 

State police command 

have arrested a man identified 

as Naso for reportedly stabbing 

his neighbour in his sleep 

to death for abusing his wife. 

Sources said that the suspect 

entered the room of the deceased 

identified as Seyi and 

stabbed him to death with 

knife, while he was asleep. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

incident occurred at Messiah 

High School street in Akure, 

the state capital. 

The suspect who is being 

quizzed by the homicide detectives 

hails from the South 

East while the deceased was a 

native of Iju-Itaogbolu in 

Akure North council area of the 

state. Trouble started when the 

deceased reportedly accused 

the suspect of abusing his wife 

in his presence. 

The accusation according to 

a source did not go down well 

with suspect following which 

they engaged themselves in a 

shouting match while efforts 

by neighbours to broker peace 

were ignored by them. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

suspect still not pleased went 

into his room and when it was 

midnight tip toed to the deceased 

room where he stabbed 

him to death. The deceased, 

according to the Police, bled 

to death before help came from 

his neighbours. 

Naso was subsequently arrested 

and whisked to the police 

station and subsequently 

transferred to the State Criminal 

Investigation and Intelligence 

Department (SCIID) for 

discreet investigation. 

The police image maker Tee 

Leo lkoro could not be reached 

for comment but officers in the 

state police command confirmed 

the incident to newsroom. 

The officer advised 

youths to learn how to settle 

their differences instead of taking 

laws into their hands. 

He said that nobody has the 

right to take another man’s life 

under whatever circumstance. 

Wike vows to resist fresh withdrawal 

from excess crude account 

By Egufe Yafugborhi 

GOVERNOR Nyesom 

Wike has vowed to resist 

fresh withdrawal from the nation’s 

Excess Crude Account as 

the Nigeria Governors Forum 

(NGF) gives go ahead to Federal 

Government. 

Wike, hosting the Emir of 

Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, 

in Government House, Port 

Harcourt, Rivers State yesterday, 

wondered what happened 

to the $1billion withdrawn from 

Excess Crude Account in 2017, 

intended to fight Boko Haram 

insurgents in the North-East. 

He said he would only support 

further withdrawal from the 

funds except Rivers State is given 

its 13 percent share from the 

account. 

He said, “I was told governors 

agreed they will take money from 

Excess Crude to support military. 

What of the one they took 

before, the $1billion that they 

gave to the military?" 

Prisca Sam-Duru 

igerians woke up on Wednesday, 

NFebruary 17, 2021, to the shocking news 

of another abduction of school children, their 

teachers and relatives of some staff of the 

school. This time, it was the Government 

Science College, GSC, Kagara which is 

located in Rafi Local Government Area, Niger 

State. The attack on Tuesday on the all-boys 

boarding school is the newest in the growing 

incidents of attacks and mass abductions of 

students and their teachers in Nigeria. 

Sadly, a student was reportedly killed while 

many others were injured in the process. As 

usual, the assaulting news was followed by 

the President's condemnation of the dastardly 

act by the terrorists who were seen in a video 

with their captives, armed with sophisticated 

weapons. The President also issued a directive 

to “the armed forces and police to ensure 

immediate and safe return of all the captives.” 

Beyond the series of school children's 

abduction in Nigeria; The Chibok Girls taken 

from their school in Bornu State; the students 

from Government Girls’ Science & Technical 

College, Dapchi in Yobe State who were later 

released except Leah Sharibu who is still in 

captivity; the Good Shepherd Seminary in 

Kaku, Kaduna State, where Seminarian 

Nnadi Michael was murdered by his 

abductors etc, and now, GSC Kagara, have 

you seen photographs of the Kagara school 

buildings? It’s a nauseating sight which 

unfortunately, is a massive plaguing issue now 

on the international spotlight. 

Right from the haggard looking signboard 

indicating the presence of GSC in the area, 

one is confronted with very sorry sights of a 

college in dire need of rehabilitation. Are those 

dilapidated structures really serving as 

classroom blocks, dormitory and 

administrative buildings for GSC or slum? A 

compound overrun by weeds coupled with 

decaying buildings and old furniture, is 

honestly not fit to be known as a school but 

slum. The roofs are rotting and only fit for 

habitation of lizards, snakes and other 

dangerous reptiles. The missing ceiling 

boards in the dormitories must be serving 

the school as perfect water inlets during 

GSC Kagara: School 

compound or slum? 

downpour. That can only make any 

concerned individual ponder how safe the 

students were even before the terrorists 

attacked. 

The dearth of security which becomes 

more obvious in the manner that these 

attacks are carried out, is only proof of the 

additional psychological trauma these 

children must have been experiencing. 

Imagine having to sleep on a double-bunk 

and directly facing a ramshackle ceiling, 

with the thoughts that reptiles could jump 

down on them while asleep. Constant 

nightmares and anxiety would definitely 

be hunting the children. And I wonder how 

they can excel in their education under such 

horrible condition. 

It has taken the evil act of terrorists 

operating at will in the Northern part of 

the country, to expose how lowly Niger State 

regards children’s education. GSC Kagara 

as its signpost reveals was established since 

1969 and the level of infrastructural decay 

couldn’t have happened over few years ago 

which only means that successive 

governments never deemed it necessary to 

do the needful. Everyone knows how harsh 

the weather in the Northern part of Nigeria 

can be, which makes one wonder how the 

students managed to study under such a 

neglected environment. This is just 

inhuman. Even animal farms are well 

taken care of to ensure the animals don’t 

die how much more a learning space for 

young ones. 

The Kagara school is a science college as 

the name implies but considering how 

deplorable the structures are, it’s hard to 

believe that a government that has 

neglected the school to such extent will be 

willing to provide up-to-date laboratory 

equipment for school practical. No need 

wondering if these students will be able to 

compete with their counterparts in other 

parts of the country, especially those in 

private schools that have begun to adapt to 

use of novel technological gadgets during 

lessons. 

It's shameful knowing that Kangara GSC is 

a public school that should be covered by the 

State’s budget for education. In as much as it 

is true that edifice does not make quality 

education, it is an indisputable fact that an 

environment that is conducive for learning 

goes a long way in contributing to a sound 

education for children. 

The Northern part of Nigeria which is 

reportedly housing a greater number of 

illiterates and out of school children in 

Nigeria, should know too well not to treat 

matters concerning education with levity. By 

the way, how much will it cost Niger State to 

make GSC conducive for their leaders of 

tomorrow? Not much I believe. Yet there are 

regular reports of huge sums of money 

developing wings and flying out of 

government’s treasuries all over the country. 

The state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello 

was said to have on Wednesday, ordered 

the “closure of all boarding schools in areas 

at risk from bandit attacks”. That is not 

enough. How does he know which school 

will be attacked next and does he have 

adequate security to ensure the children’s 

safety. The slum called Niger State 

Government Science College unmistakably 

offers a glimpse of what many other schools 

look like in the state. So, while we pray for 

the safe return of all those kidnapped, it is 

not enough to shut down these schools only 

for them to be reopened when the Governor 

feels it’s safe to do so. The GSC kagara must 

be given a facelift before its thrown open 

again for learning. In addition to renovating 

structures that are not completely 

dilapidated, entirely new structures must 

be erected. This applies to other schools in 

same condition as GSC Kagara. It is high 

time the Northern part of Nigeria made 

education a priority for its own good 

especially.

8—SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 

41,257 killed in road 

accidents in 97 months 

By Clifford Ndujihe 

THEY had been at home for 10 months 

on account of the closure of schools 

due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They 

eagerly returned to school mid last 

month and were set to write their final 

examinations, graduate and join in the 

efforts to develop their father land. 

This will no longer be for Samuel 

Adesomoju Tobi, a final year law student 

and Oluwasemire Ojinni, a final year 

Business Administration student of the 

Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, 

Ondo State. 

The duo were among 15 victims of an 

accident at the university gate on January 

23. While Adesomoju was one time 

president of the Students union of the 

university, Oluwasemire was the first 

female president of the National 

Association of Business Administration and 

Management Students of AAUA. 

Sadly, Oluwasemire died with her two 

siblings in the accident, a development that 

made their mum to slump and die on 

hearing the heart-rending news. 

An articulated truck loaded with cement 

reportedly lost control due to brake failure 

and rammed into business centres and 

shops near the university gate killing no 

fewer than 15 persons with many 

sustaining injuries. 

The AAUA accident is one of the 25 

reported ghastly auto crashes of January 

2021. The 15 deaths are among no fewer 

than 41,257 deaths recorded on our 

highways in 97 months, according to the 

Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, 

Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, NBS, and 

reported crashes tallied by Saturday 

Vanguard. 

The figures excluded unreported cases 

and those who later died from injuries 

sustained from the crashes. 

The death toll shows that every six hours, 

no fewer than four lives are lost on Nigerian 

roads. The daily toll is 15 persons and the 

monthly tally is 426 persons. 

And every year, about 20,000 of the 11.854 

million vehicles in the country are involved 

in accidents, Saturday Vanguard’s 

investigations and analysis of data released 

by the National Bureau of Statistics, and the 

Federal Road Safety Comission have shown. 

According to the NBS, the number of lives 

lost to road traffic accidents from January 

2013 to 2019 are as follows: 2013 – 5,539; 

2014 – 4,430; 2015 – 5,400; (FRSC): 2016 – 

HIGHWAYS OF DEATH: 

•Nation loses 15 persons per day, , 4 persons ever 

ery six hours 

•Ho 

How 204 persons were crushed in January 2021 

5,053; 2017 – 5,049; 2018 –5, 181; 2019 – 

5,483. 

Between January and March 2020, there 

were 1,758 deaths; April to June 2020, 855 

deaths; and July to September 2020, 1,076 

deaths. 

The FRSC and NBS were yet to release 

the data for October to December, 2020 but 

Saturday Vanguard’s tally of reported cases 

showed that no fewer than 1,229 auto crash 

deaths occurred. This means that 4,918 

deaths were recorded in 2020. 

Also, in January 2021, Saturday 

Vanguard’s checks indicated that about 25 

ghastly accidents that claimed no fewer 

than 204 lives took place across the country. 

How Nigeria lost 28,195 

lives to road crashes in 68 

months 

According to the FRSC, there were 12,077 

road accidents of which 5,400 persons died 

in 2015. In 2016, the NBS 

said there were 11,363 

crashes with 5,053 deaths; 

and in 2017, 10,026 

crashes and 5,049 deaths. 

Broken down further, the 

5,049 deaths of 2017 

occurred as follows: First 

quarter, 1,466; second 

quarter, 1,207; third 

An articulated truck 

loaded with cement 

reportedly lost control 

due to brake failure and 

rammed into business 

centres and shops near 

the university gate killing 

no fewer than 15 

persons with many 

sustaining injuries 

quarter, 1,070, and fourth 

quarter, 1,306 deaths. In 

the first quarter of 2018, 

the NBS said that 1,292 

people died in 2,482 road 

accidents in Nigeria. 

Speed violation was 

reported as the major 

cause of road crashes in 

Q1 and it accounted for 

50.81 per cent of the total 

road crashes reported. 

Tyre burst and dangerous 

driving followed closely, 

accounting for 8.26% and 

8.42% respectively of the 

total road crashes 

recorded. The second 

quarter 2018 road transport data released by 

the NBS, showed that road traffic accidents 

killed 1,331 Nigerians in 2608 crashes. 

Also, speed violation is reported as the 

major cause of road crashes in the second 

quarter of 2018 and it accounted for 50.65 

per cent of the total road crashes reported. 

Also, tyre burst and dangerous driving 

followed closely as they both accounted for 

8.59 per cent and 8.40 per cent of the total 

road crashes recorded. 

Altogether, a total of 5,181 Nigerians lost 

their lives in road traffic 

crashes (RTC) in 2018, 

according to the FRSC. 

The Full Year 2019 road 

transport data of the NBS 

reflected that 11,072 road 

crashes occurred in 2019. 

Speed violation is reported 

as the major cause of road 

crashes in 2019 and it 

accounted for 48% of the 

total road crashes reported, 

Wrongful overtaking 

followed closely 

as it accounted for 9% of 

the total road crashes 

recorded while Poor 

Weather recorded the 

least of the total road 

crashes reported. 

A total 

of 35,981 Nigerians got 

injured in the road traffic 

crashes recorded. 33,831 of 

the 35,981 Nigerians that 

got injured, 

representing 94% of the 

figure, are adults while the 

remaining 2,150 Nigerians, 

representing 6% of the figure are 

children. 27,120 male Nigerians, 

representing 75%, got injured in road 

crashes in 2019 while 8,861 female 

Nigerians, representing 25% got injured. 

Similarly, a total of 5,483 Nigerians got 

killed in the road traffic crashes recorded in 

2019. 5,059 of the 5,483 Nigerians that got 

killed, representing 92% of the figure, are 

adults while the remaining 424 Nigerians, 

representing 8% of the figure are 

children. 4,255 male Nigerians, 

representing 78%, got killed in road crashes 

in 2019 while 1,228 female Nigerians, 

representing 22% got killed. 

A total of 17,500 vehicles were involved 

in road traffic crashes in 2019. Car is 

reported to be the major type of vehicle 

involved in road crashes and it accounted 

for 31% of the vehicles involved in road 

crashes reported followed by Motorcycle 

and Minibus as they both accounted for 

20% and 19% respectively. Data on the 

category of vehicles involved in road 

crashes in 2019 reflected that 64.68% of 

vehicles are commercial (11,319), 34.13% are 

private (5,972), 1.17% are government (204) 

and the diplomat with five vehicles 

involved. 

This makes Nigeria one of the countries 

with very high road fatalities in the world. 

Indeed, in May 2017, the FRSC said that 

there were 33.7 deaths per 100,000 people 

in Nigeria every year, making Nigeria one 

of the countries with the highest number of 

fatalities in Africa. The FRSC Corps 

Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, made the 

disclosure during the flag-off of the Global 

Road Safety Week at the Nigeria Union of 

Journalists, NUJ, Secretariat, Kaduna. 

Zimbabwe has the worst road fatality in the 

Continues on page 9

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021—9 

How 204 persons were crushed in January 2021 

Continues from page 8 

world with 74.5 deaths per 100,000 

inhabitants. The world average is 17.4; 

Africa is 26.6; and, according to the 

International Transport Forum, ITF, Road 

Safety Annual Report for 2018, the fatality 

rate for South Africa is 21 while Norway has 

the least road fatality with two deaths per 

100,000 inhabitants. 

As of March 2018, the NBS put the 

number of registered vehicles in Nigeria at 

11,653,871. With an estimated population of 

200 million, the vehicle per population ratio 

is 0.06. 

To reduce carnage on Nigerian roads, the 

FRSC, Public Education Officer, Bisi 

Kazeem, reportedly said that the FRSC 

had ensured full use of the services of the 

National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM, including 

its live stream on social media platforms to 

reach out to the motoring public. 

He encouraged drivers to obey traffic 

laws and regulations and cooperate with 

traffic officers, as it was in their best 

interests and that of other road users. 

The report said a total of 5,535 people got 

injured in the road traffic crashes recorded. 

This represents an average of 61 persons 

per day in three. 

The NBS further said, “major causative 

factors of road crashes in the period under 

review are speed violation, wrongful 

overtaking, use of handsets while driving, 

dangerous overtaking and other factors”. 

“Speed violation accounted for 47 per cent 

of the total road crashes reported,” the 

bureau said, adding that “wrongful 

overtaking followed closely as it accounted 

for 10 per cent of the total road crashes 

recorded, while dangerous overtaking 

recorded the least of the total road crashes 

reported”. 

According to NBS, a total of 3,334 vehicles 

were involved in road traffic crashes in 

those months, with cars reported to be the 

major type of vehicle involved in road 

crashes. 

“Cars accounted for 28 per cent of the 

vehicles involved in road crashes reported 

followed by motorcycle and minibus as they 

both accounted for 24 and 15 per cent 

respectively.” 

FRSC spokesperson Bisi Kazeem said a 

total of 2,656 road crashes were reported 

between July and September, adding that 

the road police agency had not relented in 

its efforts at reducing carnage on the 

highways. 

He attributed most of the 

road crashes and deaths 

that occurred along various 

routes in the country within 

the period to over-speeding. 

Kazeem urged the 

motoring public to 

cooperate with the FRSC, 

saying that it would go a 

long way in preventing 

incessant crashes on the 

roads. 

The spokesperson 

appealed to motorists to 

desist from buying used or 

fake tyres and opt for good 

ones to save lives and 

properties. 

Kazeem encouraged 

drivers to obey traffic rules, 

regulations and cooperate 

with traffic officers, as it 

was in their best interests 

and that of other road users. 

Deadly road accidents are 

frequently reported in 

Nigeria, often caused by 

overloading, bad condition 

of roads and reckless 

driving. 

Timeline of accidents in 

January 2021 

January 2: The Emir of Daura, Alhaji 

Umar Faruq’s younger brother, Abdullah I 

Umar and two of his friends died in motor 

accident along Katsina-Daura road 

January 2: Chief of protocol to Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Tosin 

Ogunbodele and his driver died in an auto 

crash along Ilesa- Akure Road, Ondo State. 

January 4: A truck driver killed a middle 

He attributed most 

of the road crashes 

and deaths that 

occurred along 

various routes in 

the country within 

the period to overspeeding 

aged man on Owerri Road, Onitsha, 

Anambra State while the deceased was 

crossing the highway. 

January 5: Six persons were confirmed 

dead while 9 others sustained injuries in an 

accident involving articulated vehicles and 

a Toyota bus around Car park C on Lagos- 

Ibadan Express way 

January 7: 22 persons 

lost their lives in accident 

involving a truck, a bus 

and a car in Apata, Lokoja, 

Kogi State. The FRSC said 

26 persons were involved. 

January 10: No fewer 

than 37 persons died in 

two accidents in Bauchi 

and Nasarawa. While 20 

persons died in the Bauchi 

crash, a family of six was 

among the 17 that perished 

in Nasarawa. The Bauchi 

accident occurred at 

Tirwun village, a suburb 

along Bauchi-Maiduguri 

Expressway. The victims 

were burned beyond 

recognition. 

January 12: 21 persons 

died while 14 others 

sustained injuries in two 

crashes in Niger and Oyo 

states. The Niger crash 

happened at Panti village, 

Bida on Mokwa Road. 13 

people died, 14 sustained 

injuries. The Oyo accident 

occurred at Ibadan-Ife Expressway. 

January 12: Eight people died in an 

accident at Celica area of Ibadan, Oyo State. 

January12: A young boy, Ayuba Raji, was 

crushed to death by a truck loaded with 

cattle at Challenge Junction, Ibadan. 

January 14: No fewer than 29 lives were 

lost in two road accidents in Kogi and Borno 

states. 

In Kogi, 14 persons including five 

children lost their lives in the accident on 

Anyingba-Ajaokuta Road. Nine were 

injured.. In Borno, 15 people perished after 

two commuter buses collided near Mainok 

village in Kaga LGA, alonh Maiduguri- 

Damaturu Road. 

January 19: Three people died and four 

were injured when a tanker exploded along 

the Presidential Boulevard, Kuto, Abeokuta, 

Ogun State. The tanker had brake failure 

while descending the Kuto Bridge. 

January 20: A middle-aged man was 

crushed to death by a speeding driver along 

Ihiala-Owerri Road, Anambra State. 

January 20: A woman and her baby girl 

were crushed by a tipper truck that rammed 

into a moving tricycle in Effurum, Uvwie 

LGA of Delta State. The driver was evading 

a police van that was chasing the vehicle of 

a suspected fraudster. 

January 20: Two persons lost their lives 

while three sustained injuries in an 

accident at Erinmo Junction along Ilesa- 

Akure Expressway in Oriade LGA of Osun 

State. 

January 22: Six persons died when a 

petro-laden tanker crushed an intra-city 

commercial bus in Owerri, Imo State. 

January 23: 15 students of Adekunle 

Ajasin University, Akungba were killed in 

an accident close to the university gate. 

January 23: No fewer than 19 persons 

died in road crashes in Kaduna and Kwara 

States. 15 persons died on the Kaduna- 

Abuja Highway crash while four died in 

Kwara. 

January 24: Four persons died and seven 

sustained injuries in an auto crash at Otte 

village along Ilorin-Ogbomoso expressway, 

Kwara State. 

January 26: A middle-aged man was 

crushed to death in Bolade, Oshodi, Lagos 

during a stampede caused by commercial 

bus drivers, who were trying to evade 

taskforce officials. 

January 28: An official of Lagos State 

Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA 

was killed by a motorist at Mile Two, Lagos. 

January 30: No fewer than 20 personsdied 

in an accident at Olokonla, along Bode - 

Saadi-Jebba Expressway in Moro LGA of 

Kwara State. 17 of the victims were burnt to 

death. 

2023: Why y Badagry y Division must t produce 

Lagos governor 

—Adediran, an, Ogunsanya 

By Clifford Ndujihe, 

Politics Editor 

Aleading governorship aspirant in 

Lagos, 

Alhaji Abdul Azeez Olajide Adediran, 

and former Secretary to Lagos State 

government (SSG), Princess Adenrele 

Adeniran, have urged other parts of Lagos 

to back Badagry Division to produce 

the next governor of the state in 2023. 

Among the five administrative divisions 

of Lagos, Badagry is the most neglected 

and yet to produce governor of the state 

whether military or civilian. 

Ikeja Division hosts the seat of 

government and produced AlhajiLlateef 

Jakande. Ikorodu Division had late 

Group Captain Gbolahan Mudashiru 

and Sir Michael Otedola as helmsmen 

of Lagos. Lagos Division produced 

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and Epe 

produced immediate past governor, Mr. 

Akinwunmi Ambode while Badagry 

Division is yet to occupy the topmost 

seat. 

Making a case for Badagry, Alhaji 

Adediran, and Princess Ogunsanya 

spoke shortly after Adediran 

revalidated his membership of All 

Progressive Congress, APC, in his 

constituency and Ilewe home town, 

Ward G under Ojo local government Lagos, 

said Badagry had been neglected by 

successive governments in the state. 

Also known as Jandor, Adediran said if 

elected he would make Lagos work for 

Lagosians, lamenting that Badagry Division 

where he hails from is the only division in 

Lagos that has never produced a 

governor. 

‘’Our roads are the worst in the entire 

Lagos. Look at Badagry express way, 

and you can’t even pass through it. This 

project is personal to us, the priorities 

are there looking at us in the face. In 

terms of infrastructural development, 

we are far behind. It appears like a 

deliberate act of those ruling us in 

Lagos to just impoverish us, to ensure 

that we are not among those that can be 

called part of Lagos like Victoria Island 

and Lekki. Governance is beyond that 

but we are coming to bring that 

promise of a better tomorrow. 

‘’We have gone round, and if you look at 

the proximity of this Island to the 

mainland, I think with the state that is 

making a huge amount of money, it will 

not cost us anything to have 

bridges linking everywhere, 

not just a bridge for us, it 

is going to be a very 

iconic one, the moment 

you see it, you can tell 

that this is part of 

Lagos. But 

unfortunately, what 

we have had in the 

past two decades is 

nothing but a total 

neglect of this part 

of Lagos,’’ he said. 

The Visioner of 

Lagos4Lagos 

movement commended 

APC leaders for the membership 

revalidation and registration exercise, 

noting that turnout of members was 

impressive. 

‘’This revalidation is not just a revalidation 

for us, as you can see how our people 

trooped out and seemed very excited about 

what has happened today. So the 

significance for us is just beyond 

revalidation of party membership. To us, it 

signals that promise for a better tomorrow, 

for this region and Badagry division and 

Lagos State as a whole.’’ he said. 

•Azeez 

Also speaking, former Secretary 

to Lagos State government 

(SSG), Princess Adenrele 

Adeniran Ogunsanya, who 

accompanied Adediran to the 

revalidation exercise, said she is 

throwing her weight behind Jandor 

for the governorship position in 

2023 because he is a suitable and 

competent hand. 

Princess Adenrele said: ‘’We 

keep getting a governor that 

is not from here 

(Badagry), and when 

you are not a part of a 

system, you don’t feel 

what those within it 

feel. This is a matter of 

fairness. 

We in Lagos 

accommodate 

everyone, we should 

balance it well, and 

that is what we are 

asking for. We also 

want a change for certain areas that 

have been really deprived. I am from 

Ikorodu, we have been okay but it could 

be better. I saw that Jandor had courage 

because a lot of our people lacked 

courage, and that is why we are in the 

position we are today. I stand by him, I 

believe in him, I believe in what he is 

doing, nobody is a custodian of 

knowledge, but I know that he will do 

well. I pray that it will be him. Some of 

you don’t know the battles that we fight 

and we are being victimized for them.’’


KAGARA SCHOOL KIDNAP: 

My escape was a miracle —Staff 

•I spent hours trekking back into the school premises 

•I’ve never witnessed such a thing in my life —School principal 

By Wole Mosadomi 

Last Wednesday, 

February 17 was a day 

staff and students of 

Government Science 

College, Kagara, in Niger 

State would live to remember. 

That was the day 27 students, 

three members of staff and 12 

family members of the staff of 

the school were abducted by 

bandits in the middle of the 

night. 

As they were marched out of 

their staff quarters and hostels, 

the bandits tied them in pairs 

with ropes to form a long chain 

to ensure that they did not 

escape. They were then made 

to walk few kilometers away 

from the college to where the 

bandits had stationed their 

motorcycles and ferried their 

victims into the bush. 

One of the staff of the school 

simply identified as Batagi 

who escaped from the bandits 

described his experience as 

harrowing. He said the victims 

were ferried in twos or threes 

out of the area on motorcycles 

into the bush before day break. 

According to him,”my escape 

is a miracle. I spent hours 

trekking back after my 

abduction and arrived the 

school premises around 6:am. 

The bandits were able to gain 

access into the school easily 

because the security of the 

school is porous. The bandits 

assembled their victims, tied 

them together in twos or threes 

with rope and whisked them to 

an unknown 

destination”. 

Narrating his own 

experience in an 

interview, the 

principal of the 

school, Dan Asabe 

Ebaidu said the 

number of the bandits 

could not be 

ascertained because 

it was in the night. 

He said, “the bandits 

were many but I 

cannot say the actual number 

since it was midnight. They 

came on foot but we later 

discovered that they had 

abandoned their motorcycles in 

a neighbouring secondary 

school in order not to raise any 

alarm when entering the 

school especially as it was in 

the night. 

“When we saw them, they 

were dressed in army uniform 

and we thought they were on 

routine security parade until 

they started rounding up the 

students and led them away 

from the hostel into the bush. I 

miraculously escaped from the 

bandits and how it happened, I 

cannot explain. In my life, I 

have never witnessed such 

thing”. Malam Dan Asabe said 

the bandits succeeded in 

kidnapping the staff and their 

relatives because the staff 

quarters was their first point of 

call where they abducted 12 of 

the staff and their relatives. 

Immediately the bandits 

arrived the hostel, they were 

said to have woken up the 

students and warned them not 

to panic and should not raise 

alarm. However, one of the 

students, Benjamin Abila, an 

SS3 student, who apparently 

sensed danger was said to 

As they were 

marched out of 

their staff quarters 

and hostels, the 

bandits tied them in 

pairs with ropes to 

form a long chain 

to ensure that they 

did not escape 

have raised the alarm calling 

on his colleagues to run for 

safety and he was gunned 

down immediately by the 

bandits. 

How the kidnap 

was carried out 

The security at the school 

was said to be very porous as 

there was no perimeter fence 

protecting the school because 

the school fence had collapsed. 

The bandits who stormed the 

area few minutes before 2 am 

were said to have had a stop 

over in another Secondary 

school; Attahiru Secondary 

School in Kagara, where they 

parked their motorcycles few 

kilometers to the Science 

College and trekked to the 

targeted school. They 

disguised by wearing Army 

camouflage pretending to be 

security personnel. They first 

moved straight to the 

residence of the staff, 

kidnapped almost everybody 

they met sleeping before 

proceeding to the hostels of the 

students. 

In the past few years, bandits 

have wrecked havoc on many 

villages in different local 

government areas of the state. 

In fact, it is on record that 

eighteen out of the twenty five 

local government areas of the 

state are under the siege of the 

bandits. Many residents had 

been killed or maimed and 

thousands rendered homeless 

while farms have been 

abandoned and taken over by 

the bandits thereby rendering 

the villagers who are 

predominantly farmers jobless. 

Condition of the 

school 

Government Science College, 

Kagara was established as a 

purely Science oriented 

College in 1969. It took off very 

well as it has produced 

outstanding students across 

the country. However, the 

College is presently a shadow 

of itself. There was no 

perimeter fence to provide 

adequate security for both staff 

and students of the School. 

Almost all the buildings were 

dilapidated. It is 

unbelievable 

that 

students 

could pass a 

night in such 

dilapidated 

and 

dehumanizing 

buildings. 

The windows 

in the student 

hostels were 

also in a sorry 

state. The 

louvers of the 

windows and 

doors have all 

broken off 

making the 

students 

vulnerable to 

cold, mosquitoes 

and other forms 

of attack. The 

roof of the 

hostels were also leaking 

while the ceilings have fallen 

off thereby causing intense 

heat. Above all, the students 

were forced to sleep on the 

mats which were not even 

enough for all the students. 

The school could best be 

described as an abandoned 

property which could serve as 

hiding place for hoodlums or 

meant for animals and reptiles 

as their abode. This was where 

the students had been residing 

for the past years unattended 

to until the bandits struck last 

Wednesday. 

The state Governor, Alhaji 

Abubakar Sani Bello has 

however ordered the 

immediate closure of all 

boarding schools in the areas 

most affected by the insecurity 

in Shiroro, Munyan, Rafi and 

Mariga until the situation 

improves.


Why S’South alliance 

with north should 

continue — Omo-Agege 

•S’South govs should stop managing 13% derivation fund 

•Nothing to show for money released for development 

•Ex-gov Uduaghan yet to reveal why he dumped APC 

•Omo-Agege 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, South-South 

DEPUTY Senate President, DSP, 

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and oth 

er leading politicians have discovered 

an impediment in the long-standing pact between 

South-South region and the North as a 

political power and have quietly initiated 

moves to modify the alignment. 

Senator Omo-Agege representing Delta 

South Senatorial district in the Senate who 

related with Vanguard the subject and more, 

confirmed: “For some time now, there has been 

a setback in terms of the historical alignment 

pattern of the South-South. I am happy to say, 

however, that some other well-meaning South- 

South politicians have begun to redress this 

gap. We have made giant strides, but there is 

still a lot of work to be done.” 

He said: “With 2023 fast approaching, the 

South-South politicians and the people will 

have another opportunity to determine whether 

to remain in opposition or to return to our 

traditional political dispositions. It is my hope 

that the APC as a party, will see the opportunity 

that lies ahead in doing business with the 

South-South and will do everything possible 

to take advantage of the emerging opportunity.” 

Senator Omo-Agege declined suggestion 

that politicians from the zone usually compromise 

interests of the region when it comes 

to political horse-trading with their Northern 

counterparts, saying: “I do not agree with your 

profiling of South-South politicians. First, the 

North is not the enemy of the South-South as 

your question seems to suggest. Secondly, in 

politics there are limits to what an individual 

politician can do without concerting with others.” 

“Therefore, compromise which is simply to 

adapt one’s own position to make it acceptable 

to others in order to reach an agreement 

is necessary and inevitable. In fact, politics is 

all about compromise. It is the only way to get 

things done for your people and move forward. 

“This applies to all politicians, including 

Northern politicians. For South-South politicians, 

the need to make concessions and compromises 

is even greater because we are minorities. 

Some of these concessions are easy to 

make but others may require sacrifices. But it 

is wrong and inappropriate to say that politicians 

from South-South pander to the north. 

“Thirdly, the North and the South-South regions 

have cooperated to the mutual benefit of 

both regions. And because of the cooperation 

and compromises we have had, the North and 

the South-South have historically had strong 

alliances. At the heart of the North - South- 

South alliance is our common interest and 

commitment to justice and the unity of our 

country which have enabled us work together 

for the good of our people and the country at 

large. 

“The truth is that the South-South has always 

allied with the national ruling party at 

each point in time; a tendency you really cannot 

fault if you must be Pan-Nigerian. In the 

First Republic, majority of the people in what 

is today South-South were in the NCNC, the 

dominant party in the Eastern region which 

went into alliance with the NPC, 

the overwhelmingly dominant party in Northern 

Region, to form the national government. 

“If you recall, the first most prominent South- 

South politician at Independence, the late Festus 

Okotie-Eboh was the National Treasurer 

of NCNC and the NPC/NCNC alliance made 

it possible for Okotie-Eboh to become Finance 

Minister in the Tafawa Balewa Federal Government. 

“Let us not forget that the alliance also 

helped in the creation of the Mid-Western region. 

Okotie-Eboh was particularly very instrumental 

to creation of Mid-Western region. 

Did Okotie-Eboh compromise the interest of 

the Midwestern region? The answer is an emphatic 

no. Indeed, history has it that when Tafawa 

Balewa developed cold feet on the creation 

of the Mid-Western region at the last 

minute, it was Okotie-Eboh who told him it 

was too late to withdraw support. And in the 

spirit of cooperation and the alliance of NPC 

and NCNC, Balewa gave the final okay. 

“In the Second Republic, the control of the 

South-South shifted to the Hausa-Fulani dominated 

NPN which won the former Cross River 

State that consisted of the present Akwa Ibom 

and Cross River states. There was also the 

former Rivers State which consisted the present 

Rivers and Bayelsa states. In 1982, the Shagari 

NPN administration established the Delta 

Steel Complex in the South-South. 

“During this Fourth Republic and consistent 

with the historical antecedents, the South- 

South had been controlled by the national ruling 

party until 2015 when the All Progressives 

Congress won the presidency. And over this 

period, the 13 per cent Derivation principle 

was implemented as enshrined in the constitution, 

the NDDC and the Amnesty Program were 

established. We also had the Vice President and 

ultimately the President,” he asserted. 

N’Delta govs abuse, sidetrack 

13% derivation fund 

On whether his outburst against South- 

South governors on the 13 per cent derivation 

was not a mere campaign strategy for his future 

political ambition, he said: “The fact that 

the impact of the oil wealth coming from the 

Niger Delta is not felt by the people who live in 

the oil producing communities has been a 

source of concern for me, over the years. It is 

also a concern directly shared by numerous 

communities who play host to critical multibillion-dollar 

oil and gas assets, and who bear 

the burden of environmental degradation.” 

“You know very well that industrial 

waste, oil spillages, gas flares, fire disasters, 

acid rains, flooding, erosion and so 

on, caused by decades of oil and gas exploration 

have led to the pollution of farmlands 

and fishponds, which has left the 

host communities with poverty and disease. 

“It is to ameliorate this pitiable conditions 

of the people that 13 per cent of the 

revenue generated from oil sales was set 

aside in section 162 of the Constitution as 

derivative fund to develop the region. Twenty-one 

years and many governments later, 

the condition in the Niger Delta remains 

dire with little or nothing to show for the 

huge sums released so far to the oil producing 

states, for the development of the 

oil producing areas. 

“Rather than channel these funds to the development 

of the requisite host communities, 

governments of the Niger Delta have either 

misused the funds or diverted them to the development 

of non-oil producing communities 

in cities and state capitals. Even in states that 

have oil producing development commissions 

such as Delta State, only 50 

percent of the funds is allocated 

to the Commission to 

manage, on behalf of the host 

communities. What happens 

to the other 50 percent? 

13% derivation 

not campaign 

bombast by me 

“It is against this background 

that a delegation of 

the Oil and Gas Host Communities 

of Nigeria 

(HOSCON) led by the 

Amayanabo of Twon-Brass 

in Brass Kingdom and 

Chairman, Bayelsa State 

Traditional Rulers Council, 

Chief Alfred Diete-Spiff visited 

me, last year. At that 

meeting, we discussed how 

to reverse this trend. One of 

their demands is that state 

governments should no 

longer be allowed to manage 

the 13 percent derivation fund. Not only 

do I support the agitation for direct disbursement 

of the funds to the host communities, I 

am also committed to its realization, 

because it is only fair that the funds be utilized 

in the appropriate areas, which the state 

governments have failed to do. 

So the issue of mismanagement of the 13 

percent derivation fund by state governors is 

not a campaign rhetoric for me. Far from 

being a shot in the dark, the position I have 

taken is both credible and reasonable, just as it 

is a service to the people who called me to 

serve, and in fact, to humanity. 

The manner you walked yourself into political 

limelight, especially after the mace 

saga in the Senate, to become Deputy Senate 

President and currently the highest South- 

South political office holder in this administration 

is epic, how did you do this? 

I believe that all humans are born with the 

same physiology. What makes one a great success 

and another less successful is your effort 

and the grace of God. It was not easy by any 

Senator Omo- 

Agege declined suggestion 

that politicians 

from the zone 

usually compromise 

interests of the region 

when it comes 

to political horsetrading 

with their 

Northern counterparts 

standard. They wanted to end my political career, 

just because I spoke the truth in defense of 

our constitution and the rule of law. It was a 

frontal attack on freedom of speech which the 

constitution guarantees every Nigerian. 

But they wanted to silence me, take away the 

voice of the people I represent in eight local 

government areas of Delta State in the Senate, 

and deny them the effective representation 

they deserve. And when I refused to be 

cowed, they wanted to humiliate me before 

my people and bury me politically. But they 

failed and I survived. And there is only one 

reason this has happened, and that is God. 

With God on my side, I survived it. All glory 

and thanks go to the Almighty God. 

I thank God for giving me the courage to 

stand up against tyranny and injustice; to 

fight for the rule of law and what I believe is 

right for our country. It was Napoleon 

Bonaparte that said that ‘impossibility is 

only to be found in the dictionary of fools’. 

You and I can achieve anything we set out 

to, if we give it all our strength and remain 

resolute. Winners never quit, and quitters 

never win. Never give up. 

Lastly, it is important to, again, let you 

know that my actions were not driven by 

future political considerations. They were 

based on my personal convictions and the national 

interest. Let us be guided by the old saying 

that evil only thrives when good people do 

nothing. We must continue to speak truth to 

tyrannical tendencies. The liberty 

to so do is inalienably 

guaranteed by the Constitution. 

We must continue to be 

courageous and keep taking 

advantage of constitutionally 

guaranteed freedom of 

speech. 

Why was APC unable to 

keep the former governor of 

Delta state, Dr Emmanuel 

Uduaghan, in its fold, rather 

it allowed him to return to 

PDP? 

Politicians do move from 

one political party to another 

in what we know as carpetcrossing. 

It is part of the party 

system of democracy. It is 

not peculiar to Nigeria. 

But it has become an issue 

in Nigeria because the 

practice is so rampant. We 

have situations where people 

change parties every 

election cycle. It is something 

we should not worry 

about because our political parties are 

perceived as more of platforms for contesting 

elections. And that is because the 

parties are perceived to have no distinct 

ideologies that separate them. This is not 

to say that all parties are the same. There 

are differences in orientation, goals and 

objectives such that some, like the APC, 

are more progressive than the others. 

Beyond that, people change parties for 

various reasons. In the case of Uduaghan 

who defected to APC a year to the 2019 

election, he said he was joining APC because 

of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 

commitment to the Niger Delta. And a year 

after the election when he returned to PDP 

he said he had left PDP because he could not 

breathe in the PDP. 

However, he has not disclosed why he left 

APC after the elections. The bottom line is that 

the reasons for carpet-crossing are always a 

personal thing, with actors guided by their 

ambition and the needs of their constituencies. 

And once the individual has decided to 

move, no one can prevent it from happening.


KWARA: For Abdulrazaq, 

it’s been service to our 

people 

—– Amb Nurudeen Mohammed 

• But our APC boat may capsize if ... 

FROM DEMOLA AKINYEMI..ILORIN... 

Alh Nurudeen Mohammed is one of the respected elder statesmen 

of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state. During 

the military era, he served many of the military administrators as their 

Commissioner for Finance till the return of Nigeria to civilian rule in 1999. Alh 

Mohammed also went into politics and sought to become the governor of Kwara 

state on several occasions but he did not succeed. The APC chieftain,who had been 

an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari,during his days in the Congress for 

Progressive Change, (CPC) was appointed as Nigeria’s ambassador to Malaysia 

and Brunnei, from where he returned lately after his assignment. 

He spoke to our state correspondent, Demola Akinyemi, at his residence in Ilorin on 

the crisis in the ruling APC and other sundry issues. 

Excerpts: 

•Abdulrazaq 

Tell us briefly your foray into politics 

before the ambassadorial assignment 

I’ve been into politics since 1979. We 

were in the National Party of 

Nigeria,NPN, the UPN, UNPP and several 

other parties and later the APC. We lost to 

the PDP in the earlier elections, but in the 

last elections, God decided to turn the 

table around and gave victory to the 

coalition that came together to form the 

APC and this is where we are. I have been 

to Malaysia but I came for the elections 

and incidentally, the candidate of the 

APC, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq 

decided that I should handle the election 

process which I did and God gave us 

victory. But again, management of victory 

is what we are now battling with. 

How do you see the emergence of APC 

candidate as the governor of Kwara 

state considering your opposition 

experience? 

The political history of Kwara state 

right from the days of NPN was a coalition 

of people like Olusola Saraki on one side, 

with the Dantoros, Adamu Attahs and 

others coming together in NPN against 

the UPN and God gave victory to us in 

the NPN. The dominant political force in 

Kwara state then was Olusola Saraki, 

and some of us who didn’t believe in his 

political ideology were just watching as 

he ruled the state for all that long. 

Eventually however, God came and gave 

us victory this time. 

How do you see the APC 

administration since May 2019 ? 

It’s been successful, the governor is 

doing his best, providing what 

government is supposed to provide which 

is service to the people and meeting the 

needs of the common people. From all I 

have been hearing, our roads are now in 

better conditions, water supply every 

where, schools have been renovated and 

hospitals have been taken care of among 

other things. 

As a respected member of the party, 

what is your advice on how to resolve 

the current crisis in the party? 

We are all members of the same family, 

there’s therefore the need to resolve it 

amicably. We have to first listen to the 

other side to find out their grievances 

before advising the governor to 

accommodate those demands. We were 

together as a family before God gave us 

victory. Now it’s management of the 

victory due to different opinions, different 

reactions and different outlooks that have 

resulted into one family splitting into 

various groups. So, we need to come back 

to a round table and discuss. Even though 

when we come round to the table, there 

will still be a lot of noise but we just have 

to listen to each other.. 

Considering how the ‘Otoge’ 

movement was launched to ensure 

victory for your party, did you envisage 

the present crisis? 

I didn’t envisage this crisis, but the point 

to be made is that we were only concerned 

about snatching power from somebody 

who had been holding it for long, so for 

everybody, all efforts were directed at 

stopping the other person from getting 

there. So, there was a general consensus 

and a marriage of all efforts to deliver 

for our party. Now, after winning the war, 

there now comes the problem of how to 

manage the victory which is what we are 

experiencing now. 

It appears whatever you have done to 

resolve the crisis as an elder statesman 

has not yielded the desired result 

I have been talking. But I can’t come 

out and be telling you what I’ve been 

doing, it’s not right. The aggrieved 

persons for instance would not want the 

matter to be in the open, but I am trying 

my best. If the aggrieved parties will all 

come and sit down, things will work out. 

We go around in the nights and talk, when 

the result come at the end of the day, we 

will all see it. And again, like I accused 

most of our people that when we were 

looking for victory, every one of us in our 

various denominations and beliefs was 

calling on God to give us victory but when 

the victory was given to us, did we 

remember God again and say God please 

keep us united so that we can deliver? 

Nobody has said God keep us united so, 

God is teaching us a 

lesson in Kwara. 

Was that the cause of 

the crisis? 

Apart from the other 

dimensions that we have 

mentioned, there is also 

the spiritual aspect to it 

in my own opinion. We 

asked God to give us 

victory, but we didn’t 

remember to say God 

thank you and please 

keep us together. So, God 

has left us alone with the 

devil. 

Is it too late to return 

to God and salvage this 

situation? 

No, it is not too late, 

God is always there ready 

to welcome erring people. 

Have you done that? 

Don’t you see me with my tesbi (praying 

beads)? 

Recently, stakeholders from Kwara 

north where you are from agitated for 

2023 governorship slot, how do you see 

the agitation? 

Although the 

central figure 

can assist but 

sometimes 

these problems 

would still come 

Answer—In Kwara north, we are 

entitled to the governorship position. But 

the question now is the timing. For 

whatever reasons, when we were all 

together trying to fight and deliver Kwara 

state, we all came together and put 

somebody there. The constitution of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria permits that 

person to run for two terms. Now, unless 

you want to bring another crisis, you 

shouldn’t be saying that the governor must 

do only one term, because the constitution 

permits him two terms. 

There is an argument that the lack of a 

respected leader within the APC in 

Kwara state, unlike in the days of Dr 

Bukola Saraki who would give an 

instruction and everyone would fall in 

line, was responsible for the current 

leadership crisis in the state party 

When Baba Saraki himself was faced 

by his son, and was booted out, what 

happened to the central figure? 

Management of diversity is the issue, the 

central figure can always backfire. 

Although the central figure can assist 

but sometimes these problems would still 

come. 

The current governor has been seen to 

be working hard to develop the state to 

the admiration of many and while some 

people are impressed, others are saying 

that he has not done anything. How do 

we reconcile this issue of politics and 

performance? 

Its normal, that’s politics, no matter 

what you are doing some other persons 

will say you are doing 

nothing. But the generality 

of the people out there who 

will take the final decision, 

are they satisfied?Those of 

us who are struggling for 

power, we can cause all 

kinds of confusion within 

ourselves but the person on 

the steering wheel, who is 

driving and doing the 

correct things, what are the 

voters thinking about him? 

That is the most important 

thing. But again, like I say 

we are supposed to be able 

to manage our diversity; 

diversity of opinions, 

diversity of reactions, 

diversity of feelings, 

diversity of temperament, 

diversity of so many things 

which coalesce together in 

this party. Some people are 

displeased, we have to find out the cause 

of their displeasure and see how we can 

accommodate ourselves. 

Don’t you think that if the current crisis 

is not resolved early enough it can cost 

the governor his second term? 

We have agreed on so many things, the 

whole boat can tumble and drop all of us 

into the ocean. That is clear, that if we 

don’t manage the journey very well, the 

boat can capsize and all of us will go 

down, that’s why all of us are struggling 

to see what we can do to manage the 

situation. 

There have been allegations of 

hoarding of materials in the ongoing 

party registration,what’s your take? 

I have heard complaints that some 

people were trying to frustrate the 

registration of others, some people have 

been registered, some have not. They are 

normal problems of administration. The 

party has not declared who should be a 

member and who should not. And again, 

registration is a continuous exercise, some 

people join, some leave the party while 

and others die. So, the gate of the party is 

permanently open to members to be 

registered continuously. Registration is a 

continuous exercise. But under this 

political heat going on, some people are 

frustrating others from registering. But if 

I were you, I will just go and sit down and 

leave the whole matter alone. When they 

finish the entire registration, I will just 

walk across and say I want to join the 

party. I can decide that I’m not joining 

now, and wait till next year and walk to 

the party’s office and register as a 

member. Membership registration of the 

party never closes, so, nobody should 

disturb himself. 

What do you think can be done to check 

the incessant attacks by Fulani 

herdsmen on the residents? 

This issue has always been there, we are 

just over exaggerating it. If there are 

criminal elements doing some things, law 

enforcement and other relevant agencies 

should be able to handle them. Everyone, 

has Fulani men around their village who 

speak your language and do their rearing, 

they are part of the community. Then, you 

have the itinerant herdsmen who move 

with the weather. Now, it’s February, the 

rains have withdrawn from the desert 

areas, through the grassland areas, 

towards the forest, so they move with the 

rain backwards, feeding their cattle. 

Those ones have always been doing that 

for hundreds of years. As they move 

through communities there are always 

clashes, cattle do not distinguish between 

the grass that they should eat and the 

grass they shouldn’t eat. So, they cross 

into people’s farms and normally every 

community has this problem which they 

managed. So, it has been in existence. But 

suddenly, everything has turned upside 

down. Are you going to drive away those 

ones around your village who were born 

there and speak your language or those 

ones who for hundreds of years continue 

to move with the weather? Cattle routes 

were marked out in the past so that they 

could be moving.


statements on issues of criminality as it affects 

his Fulani kinsmen. I do hope he will stick up 

with ensuring that the law and its integrity are 

upheld at all times. 

In his own reaction, the General 

Secretary of the Ekiti Council 

of Elders, Mr Niyi Ajibulu, said 

“it is rather unfortunate that the country is 

speedily sliding towards a state of anomie. 

Such statement coming from a governor and 

Nigerians agree with 

a chieftain of the ruling party at the federal 

level seriously depicts the level of our insecurity, 

fear for the survival of the nation and the 

inability of existing security structures 

including legislature to cope. Clearly, it is now 

imperative for us to evolve new strategies for 

ensuring security of all. And if urgent steps are 

El Rufai on bandits 

not taken, hapless citizens would naturally 

resort to self help. What we have been saying 

all along is that there must be community 

policing, in which case those serving in the 

police would be taken from their community. 

It appeared the bandits or the killer herdsmen 

are being given some legitimacy and that is 

what has emboldened them now, government 

engage them in a talk as if they are a legitimate 

group. I support the extreme position being 

•Tell govt never to negotiate with criminals canvassed by the governor and that is on the 

short run. On the long run, we should make 

sure they are not allowed access into the 

community. The call from the governor, is from 

Dayo Johnson, South West Regional 

somebody who knows, somebody who sees the 

Editor; Samuel Oyadongha; Umar 

atrocities and the effect on the economy and 

Yusuf; Wole Mosadomi; Peter Duru; 

the people. I think we have to take extreme 

Festus Ahon, Egufe Yafugborhi; Rotimi 

measure, otherwise the existence of the country 

Ojomoyela; Peter Okutu; Charly 

is in jeopardy”. 

Agwam; Femi Bolaji; Ozioruva Aliu; 

Shina Abubakar; James Ogunnaike and 

Adeola Badru 

Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna State 

recently boldly renounced negotiation 

as a solution to bandits’ criminality. 

He said negotiating with bandits would never 

work. He wants them arrested and dealt with 

squarely. They should be eliminated. Speaking 

on a BBC Hausa programme few days ago, 

Governor El-Rufai declared that those who are 

trying to negotiate with the bandits are only 

wasting their time because the criminal 

herdsmen and bandits who were used to 

receiving about N100,000 in a year herding 

cows are now getting millions of naira from 

kidnapping will never stop. He said the only 

solution therefore is to get rid of them. 

Nigerians have been reacting to El-Rufai’s 

position including his governor colleagues. 

While some argue that it will amount to jungle 

justice and taking laws into our hands, majority 

of the people however support killing the 

bandits whenever they are arrested if that will 

bring peace to the land. 

Excerpts: 

Joseph Ambakederimo, 

Convener, South South 

Reawakening Group said: 

“Bandits are robbers and marauders therefore 

they do not deserve any special treatment from 

the state. Any bandit caught should either be 

summarily dealt with or according to law. 

They cannot continue to hold the country to 

ransom and ride roughshod over everyone. 

People who kill their fellow man should be 

killed so that they will know that killing is bad. 

Therefore, the position of the governor is a 

welcome development and I would implore 

government to tow that line of action and bring 

peace to all trouble spots. No form of 

negotiations and amnesty should be 

considered whatsoever because what is going 

on right now is pure criminality and nothing 

more. A bandit is a bandit and should be treated 

as a bandit.” 

Eric Omare, former President, 

Ijaw Youth Council 

(IYC) worldwide aligned himself with Nasir 

El-Rufai saying, “I agree that killers should 

also face similar punishment. There is no basis 

at all to negotiate with people who kill for the 

fun of it. Above all, people who fight for just 

reasons all over the world don’t kill. The basic 

rule of engagement is not to kill innocent 

people but in the case of Fulani bandits, killing 

is their past time. So I support that they should 

face the consequences of their actions 

according to law.” 

Darlington Nwauju, 

Spokesperson, Niger Delta 

Rights Advocates said, “Sometimes 

the severity of the pains inflicted on the public 

psyche alone slams a death sentence on these 

marauding bandits. The high level of 

destruction on human lives and economy of 

Kaduna state must have influenced Governor 

El-Rufai’s position. However, I think Kaduna 

as a federating unit can make laws to permit 

capital punishment for this category of 

criminals. One is forced to agree with the capital 

punishment option canvassed by Governor El- 

Rufai.” 

Abdulhammed Olabintan, the 

president of the Yoruba 

community in Taraba state, said past 

governments are partly to be blamed for not 

looking out for the well being of the growing 

young population. According to him, “the 

situation we have found ourselves today is a 

result of neglect by successive leadership in 

this country. Most of these outlaws that are 

now terrorizing the rest of us have no job to do 

which has made them resort to crime as a 

means of survival. If past leaders have been 

proactive, parents would have been compelled 

to either enroll their children in school or make 

them learn a trade. However, I won’t agree 

with the idea of holding dialogue with the 

bandits because these groups of criminals are 

everywhere across the country; how many of 

them will the government sit down with and 

dialogue? What the government should do is 

to equip our security agencies to fight crime 

and criminality effectively. They should 

however go further to compel parents to 

compulsorily enroll their children in school to 

acquire formal education or rather send them 

to where they can acquire skills that would be 

useful to them in future.” 

For Andeta’rang Irammae, Taraba state 

publicity secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic 

Party, PDP, said, “you can only go into dialogue 

with an organization that is structured. 

Banditry connotes criminality. These are 

criminals who run into their hideout after 

wreaking havoc, so how do you dialogue 

with people like this? It is rather 

unfortunate that a country like Nigeria 

can be exploited by people who don’t 

mean well for both the political and socioeconomic 

dynamics of the country. It pains 

me when people come out with solutions 

as callous as dialogue. I wonder why it is 

so difficult for our security operatives to 

smoke them out and make them face the 

wrath of the law. What I expect from every 

Nigerian now is to join forces with the 

government to preach peace and compel 

the government to deploy the necessary 

machinery to go after these bandits, arrest and 

prosecute them.” 

Coordinator, Patriotic 

Volunteer League (PVL), 

Mikiste Ewansiha-Thomas has 

thrown his weight behind Governor El-Rufai’s 

position saying his group was ready to render 

any assistance needed to flush out bandits in 

the south. Besides, he said security agencies 

should involve the indigenes of the areas where 

they want to operate. According to him, “these 

are people who are exploiting religion, 

exploiting the vulnerability of the people to 

organise themselves through the forest. When 

Boko Haram started in Borno state, they were 

in localized areas such as Biu, Nguru that small 

area. Now they are in Fika, Damaturu, Yerwa, 

Michika, Hong, and many other areas. The 

bandits in Zamfara state started in a small 

area but now they are 

encroaching Gwarzo, they 

have gone as far as to 

Kaduna. The bandits who 

are coming down south are 

ISWAP from outside 

Nigeria and they are 

kidnapping people to raise 

money not for themselves 

but for their lords who are 

buying arms and 

ammunition with this 

money to prosecute their so 

called caliphate goals. 

Governor El-Rufai is very 

correct, there is no other 

way because even if you 

negotiate with them and 

they collect huge money on 

negotiation, they will pause 

for a while and they will 

start again. So, there is no 

need to negotiate with 

them. We have to give them 

a classic military defeat. 

Al-Qaeda started this way, 

they have not been defeated, the Taliban are 

still there, so El-Rufai is correct, we should 

attack them because these are people who are 

already launching rural guerrilla warfare and 

no modern armed forces in the history of 150 

years of modern warfare have been able to 

defeat guerrilla warfare. The only people who 

succeeded in defeating them were the Israelis. 

We have to mobilise the masses against these 

people and because these criminals are 

operating outside their territory, makes them 

very vulnerable and quick to defeat. We have 

However, I won’t agree 

with the idea of holding 

dialogue with the 

bandits because these 

groups of criminals are 

everywhere across the 

country; how many of 

them will the 

government sit down 

with and dialogue? 

•El-Rufai 

to mobilise the people because their locations 

can easily be detected since they don’t own 

these forests, they only use landmarks to 

navigate their way. There are people who can 

almost close their eyes and walk through these 

forests, they are indigenous people so we need 

to mobilise these indigenous people to join 

forces with the military and go after these 

bandits and they will be defeated. Even if there 

are collaborators, you have to start from 

somewhere and localizing the collaborators 

is not going to be difficult because under 

strategic intelligence gathering, these 

collaborators will be unmasked”. 

Governor Bello Matawalle of 

Zamfara state, however believed the best and 

only option to douse tension and bring an end 

to banditry in Zamfara and beyond was to 

dialogue them. He said “I have always been 

saying that the best solution and option to 

tackle banditry is to seek for dialogue with the 

bandits. I believe if really we 

want to end this banditry we have 

to sit at a round table and 

negotiate. So, the best way out 

for my colleague governors, is 

for them to subscribe to 

dialogue. We are ready to sit 

down and listen to any bandit or 

group of bandits who are 

prepared for dialogue, and listen 

to their grievances, if any but as 

for those who refuse to take part 

in dialogue, we will fight them. 

As a governor, my number one 

priority is to ensure peace and 

stability, and to ensure people are 

sleeping with two eyes closed”. 

Zadok Akintoye, 

political analyst and 

former Publicity Secretary of the 

Peoples Democratic Party in 

Ondo state, said, “the Kaduna 

state governor has spoken the 

truth. Our laws are very clear on 

the issue of armed robbery and 

banditry and it is important to state that, where 

the law fails to hold on to the integrity of its 

creation, society fails. Over time, bandits have 

become more emboldened to flaunt their 

illegal and criminal actions within the 

Nigerian territory because our systems; 

judicial, administrative, enforcement and 

punitive, have failed to stand up to the purposes 

for which they are set up. I totally agree with 

El-Rufai but the question is, why is he taking 

this position at this time considering his past 

Chief Taoffek Jimoh, Coordinator, 

Yoruba World 

Congress, Ogun State said “ anybody that 

is involved in any form of criminality should 

face the full wrath of the law. The law of the 

land should take its course on such person. 

Law is no respecter of anybody, regardless of 

the age, tribe or position in the society. The 

herdsmen have invaded nearly every 

community in the southern part of 

the country and they are killing 

innocent souls indiscriminately, 

but unfortunately, the federal 

government under President 

Muhammadu Buhari is not 

saying anything. It seems the 

federal government is shielding 

them. With the current situation 

of our security, nobody is 

willing to partner with 

Nigeria any more. I want to 

challenge President Buhari 

and all other people in the 

positions of authority in the 

country to take the ‘bull by the 

horn’ and address the 

problem of insecurity 

squarely. 

Chief Abia 

Onyike, Chairman, Media and 

Publicity, Alaigbo Development 

Foundation, ADF, said Fulani herdsmen should 

not be accorded any special treatment as the 

only solution is for them to be decimated for 

peace to reign in the country. He said: “it is 

only in Nigeria that Fulani are too important. 

Three months ago in Guinea, Alpha Conde 

defeated a Fulani opponent to win a third term 

in office. Before then, the Guinea military dealt 

a deadly blow on the Fulani bandits in that 

country. In 2017, a Fulani militia known as 

Seneka rebels were decimated in Central 

African Republic and they disappeared from 

the scene. In Niger, the Tuaregs have held the 

Fulani down and they did nothing. It is only in 

Nigeria that they claim important”. 

Niger State Governor, Alhaji 

Abubakar Sani Bello however has 

thrown his weight behind his Kaduna state 

counterpart, El-Rufai as he condemned any 

sort of negotiation by any individual or group 

of people with the bandits. He said rather than 

stop the crime, it will only aggravate it. The 

Governor who spoke through his 

Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Sani 

Idris said criminals have no other name than 

criminals and should therefore be treated as 

such according to the law of the land. In Niger 

state, many local government areas have now 

been taken over by bandits who are killing, 

maiming, rustling of cows and setting houses 

ablaze and so, if such people are apprehended, 

they should also be killed. Niger and Kaduna 

states are being constantly invaded by these 

criminals and all steps taken to curb this situation 

have not been successful and so we are in full 

support of what the Kaduna state governor has 

said and that is also our stand on it. If any bandit 

is caught in the act, he must be made to face the 

full wrath of the law because they are also 

criminals,” the governor asserted. 

Former Spokesman of All Progressives 

Congress,(APC) and Commissioner of 

Information and Strategy, Mr Jonathan 

Vatsa in his reaction said Governor El-Rufai’s 

stand was in order. 

“World over, you don’t spare criminals. How 

do you negotiate with bandits or armed 

robbers? Anybody negotiating with bandits is 

questionable. For us to put to rest these criminal 

activities, the bandits should also be killed 

when apprehended. The Federal Government 

should be able to police the movement of 

firearms in the country or better still, 

government should legalise carrying of fire 

arms by all Nigerians.


Sometimes I 

feel no essence 

to live on 

Man who lost wife, three children, 

everything in Lagos building 

collapse tells his story after 

6 months in coma 

By Joseph Erunke 

Even as he tries to conceal the true 

situation of developments around 

him,a look at him evokes pity,given 

that as young as 32,Mr Emmanuel Otache 

moves around in crutches without shelter 

and living from hand to mouth. This is 

certainly not the way he wanted to live life 

but he has no choice as fate has confined 

him to that side of life for now. 

Before October 12,2019,when a 

building located on top a hill collapsed 

on his apartment down similar hill at 

Magodo-Isheri area of Lagos, killing his 

pregnant wife, two children and a sisterin-law, 

leaving him in an 

unconscious state for six 

months at the Lagos 

University Teaching 

Hospital where he was 

rushed to, Otache was a 

promising young family 

man with hope and 

aspiration. He was a young 

man with a beautiful 

family living life without 

depending on anyone for 

survival. 

From Opaha Village in 

Apa Local Government 

Area of Benue State, 

Otache had relocated to 

Lagos in search of greener 

pastures and thought luck 

had shone on him when he 

was engaged as a staff by a 

logistics company, Opay 

Nigeria. 

On that fateful day, like he had always 

done, Mr Otache returned to his house 

after the day’s tedious work. As expected 

of a good wife, Faith served him food after 

which she warmed water for him to have 

his bathe and subsequently go to bed. As 

she did this, little did the couple know that 

it would be the last time they would be 

together on planet earth. 

Mrs Faith Otache, her two kids 

identified as Dominion and Daniel died 

in the building that collapsed during 

rainfall about 4am on the day while Mr 

Emmanuel Otache, her husband and 

father of her children survived narrowly 

with a life threatening injury. 

It was late before help could come the 

way of the victims who were removed from 

the rubble about 7 am. However, 

occupants of the building on the plains 

escaped unhurt. 

Families, friends, associates as well as 

residents of Oton Araromi Isheri area of 

Isheri-Magodo mourned the tragedy. 

Mrs Faith Otache, her two 

kids identified as Dominion 

and Daniel died in the 

building that collapsed 

during rainfall about 4am on 

the day while Mr Emmanuel 

Otache, her husband and 

father of her children 

survived narrowly with a life 

threatening injury 

But more than one year after the 

incident, Mr Emmanuel Otache, the lone 

survivor who went into coma for about six 

months recounts a very sad tale of what 

stripped him of all that he had. 

The 32 year old Emmanuel Otache, 

recalled that, “On Friday night of 11 

October, 2019,after I came back from 

work, my wife boiled water for me to bathe 

and presented me food to eat, I went to 

bed. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what 

happened again as I recovered from 

unconsciousness in the hospital after six 

months. People told me what happened. 

“I didn’t really know what happened but 

was told that it was after heavy rainfall 

that a building on top the one we were 

living in with my family, 

collapsed between 3am 

and 4am at Magogo, 

Isheri, killing my 

children-my wife, children 

and my wife’s sister. 

“I was on admission at 

the Lagos State University 

Teaching Hospital for six 

months. Within that time, 

I was abandoned as 

nobody to care for me 

except my Church, 

Lighthouse Outreach 

Centre that cared for me, 

helped me and fed me. 

While he had survived , 

Otache can’t escape the 

trauma associated with the 

horrible development as 

well as neglect and many 

other challenges confronting him ahead 

of life. 

Whenever I think of my family, I would 

be quick to pray that death comes my way 

so I can join them once because I feel I 

have no essence of living again in this 

world. But on a second thought, I console 

myself because of my belief in Jesus Christ 

that he is the way, the life and the truth. 

While expressing gratitude to those who 

have helped him going, he solicits the 

assistance of government and wellmeaning 

Nigerians to give him a shoulder 

to lean on. 

“Since my discharge from the hospital 

after six more months of being admitted 

there on account of what happened, I have 

no job again and have lost everything I 

worked for. Now, I walk around, living 

from hand to mouth. No house to live 

again in . I want government and spirited 

individuals to assist me start life again, 

he begged. 

Emmanuel Otache can be reached on 

09056969174. First Bank: 3049481636 

•Emmanuel 

Otache


•Makinde 

Shasha market mayhem: 

They’ve killed me; 

victim cries out 

•I lost t my y brother 

other, , my y two houses, goods worth N60m 

•As other victims count their losses 

By Adeola Badru 

With over four hundred (400) ethnic 

groups and several religious sects, 

Nigeria has been grappling with 

problems arising from ethnicity 

and religious intolerance since independence. 

These, many times degenerated into conflicts 

and serious crisis leading to loss of lives and 

property. 

The clash between the Yoruba and the 

Hausa in Shasha area of Ibadan, in Akinyele 

Local Government Area of Oyo State, last 

week was triggered by an exchange of words 

between a Yoruba pregnant woman and an 

Hausa tomato seller and the eventual murder 

of a cobbler, popularly known as “Adex”. There 

was however no evidence that the fight was 

caused by ethnic differences. The victim who 

was stabbed was confirmed dead in a hospital 

on Friday morning, leading to crisis between 

the Hausa community and their Yoruba 

hosts. Within hours, the conflict spread beyond 

the market 

According to eyewitnesses, scores of people 

died on both sides during the crisis. Several 

shops and houses were also burnt down while 

the market was deserted. 

Victims count 

their losses 

One of the victims of the mayhem, Garuba 

Adamu, said: “I am the most unfortunate man 

in the incident. I lost my brother to the crisis. 

My brother left behind a wife and four 

children. He was killed. I lost more than N60 

million because I had many trucks bringing 

perishable goods from the North to the South. 

My two houses in Shasha were burnt down. I 

have a store where I loaded 420 bags of rice, 

beans, corn, and other valuables. They were 

destroyed. They have killed me alive. I just 

returned from the hospital now.” 

Another victim, Muibat Osuolale, a Yoruba 

trader said: “we were in our shops when we 

saw some Hausa men running. We asked to 

know what the issue was. But they said they 

were looking for someone. I said I was not the 

person, but one of them raised a dagger and 

wanted to stab me. I was scared. My children 

were with me; I started screaming. My shop is 

directly beside my husband’s house. My 

husband is crippled. They started throwing 

stones. They threatened to kill us if we refused 

to vacate our shop and home. We ran out and 

they burnt down both our home and shops.” 

One other victim who lost over N30 million 

in the crisis also recounted that his house was 

burnt and looted in the process. He said, “I 

housed these Hausa traders unfortunately my 

house was the first to be burnt on that day. I 

am not a trader. I was not involved in any 

violence. I am a spare parts dealer. I had a 

large sum of money that was burnt with my 

house. I was expected to travel to Lagos to 

purchase some motor parts. I lost over N30 

million.” 

Governors 

sympathize 

This unfortunate incident, attracted the 

attention of many people across the country. 

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State 

was first to visit Ibadan, to sympathise with 

his Oyo State counterpart, Governor Seyi 

Makinde, as they went to the market for an 

on-the-spot assessment of the level of 

destruction that took place during the clash. 

A delegation of the Nigerian Governors’ 

Forum (NGF) also visited to show solidarity 

with the Oyo state government and took 

various to douse tension. 

In his resolve to check escalation of the crisis 

as the Chief Security Officer of the state, 

Governor Seyi Makinde declared a curfew 

and closed down the market until normalcy 

would return to the community. In 

demonstration of the continued peaceful 

coexistence among the ethnic tribes, Governor 

Seyi Makinde received Governor Abdullahi 

Ganduje of Kano State, 

Governor Abubakar Bello of 

Niger state and Governor 

Bello Matawalle of Zamfara 

State. The visit of the four 

Northern governors to 

Ibadan, was at the instance 

of the Nigerian Governors’ 

Forum. 

Before then, Governor 

Makinde, had in a statewide 

broadcast on Monday, 

disclosed that a judicial 

panel would be inaugurated 

to investigate the crisis and 

stressed that anybody found 

culpable would be 

sanctioned. 

While speaking after 

visiting the scenes of the 

destruction, Governor 

Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi 

State, who spoke on behalf 

of the other governors, said 

the conflict at Shasha 

Market in Ibadan was not a tribal or ethnic 

one but “the handiwork of miscreants who set 

out to loot, steal and cause mayhem.” 

He also described the crisis as a regrettable 

spontaneous incident. 

Gov Bagudu admonished youths and social 

media warriors and influencers to desist from 

painting the conflict as tribally-motivated and 

to also stop fanning of the embers of discord 

that could destabilise the country. He noted that 

normalcy had returned to the Shasha 

community as the leaders there were working 

together to put the incident behind them. 

The Kebbi governor said: “the streets of Ibadan 

are calm; there is no one chasing another and 

people are supporting one another to ensure 

normalcy.” He noted that such skirmishes were 

bound to happen in communities, but that 

“sometimes they are exploited by miscreants to 

I lost my brother to the 

crisis. My brother left 

behind a wife and four 

children. He was killed. I 

lost more than N60 million 

because I had many trucks 

bringing perishable goods 

from the North to the South 

loot, steal and to cause mayhem. At Shasha 

Market, we saw the destruction, but more than 

the destruction was the regrettable loss of lives 

that was caused by an unfortunate and 

condemnable spontaneous response to 

emotions. Everyone in the community 

recognised that two issues led to the crisis. 

“First, there had been contention over the 

leadership at Shasha Market. Both the Seriki 

and Baale of Shasha are in agreement over the 

leadership but other interested groups were not, 

hence, there was an undercurrent for trouble to 

brew.” 

Cause of 

mayhem 

“What was the trigger? There was somebody 

pushing a wheelbarrow with tomatoes and 

the items fell in front of a shop. Ordinarily, 

that is normal in markets. But when emotions 

rose and social media posts instigating crisis 

became strident, we had the situation we had.” 

“We sympathise with those who lost their 

lives and property. Also, we appreciate what 

Gov Makinde, community leaders, security 

agents, youth groups, have done so far. We are 

also glad that the Seriki and Baale of Shasha 

are firm that everyone is free to stay and 

conduct his or her lawful activities.” 

Bagudu said Governor Makinde had 

assured that he would continue to engage the 

people to ensure that all 

communities lived without 

fear. 

“As we speak, it is certain 

that some people are hiding 

and experiencing fear about 

what will happen. So it 

behoves us to ensure that we 

communicate properly. This 

will make those living in fear 

to know that the NGF, 

President Mohammadu 

Buhari and security agencies 

are working hard to ensure 

that we treat things for what 

they are,” Bagudu said. 

He also expressed 

satisfaction that the Oyo State 

governor was rendering 

assistance, assuring that NGF 

would support him. 

“In fact, we have given a 

token to support those who 

are already displaced. We will 

meet at a wider forum on 

Wednesday and I’m sure more support will be 

mobilised,” he said. 

The Seriki Shasha of Ibadanland, Alhaji 

Haruna Maiyasin, who regretted the 

unfortunate incident however, lauded 

Governor Makinde for his peaceful 

relationship with the Hausa community since 

the inception of his administration. 

Speaking at the Seriki Shasha’s Palace, 

Governor Makinde sued for peace and 

promised that his government would find 

means to restore peace to the community. 

The governor said: “As a government you 

trust and elected us 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. 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 victims”. 

In furtherance to ensuring a lasting peace 

and to provide succour for the victims of the 

mayhem, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of 

Kano State kick-started the process by 

donating a total of N18.5million to 185 

indigenes of the state affected in the clash and 

Kano State Commissioner of Information, 

Malam Garba Mohammed who led the 

government delegation, handed over a cash 

of N100,000 to the select victims. 

Consequent upon this, the Federal 

Government promised to give humanitarian 

assistance to the affected persons through the 

National Emergency Management Agency. 

The assurance was given by the Director 

General of the agency, Air Vice Marshal 

Muhammadu Muhammed (retd) after an 

assessment of the market to ascertain the level 

of damage. He said the agency had worked 

on an interim report submitted by sister agency 

for the humanitarian support, while urging 

the affected traders to cooperate with a team 

of the agency for necessary measures. 

He said: “The NEMA is working with other 

stakeholders. They have submitted an interim 

report which we have worked on and 

processed. We are aware that this unfortunate 

incident has led to displacement of citizens at 

different locations in Sabo, Shasha, Oojo, 

Akinyele. Humanitarian assistance is being 

processed for them and very soon, it will be 

ready.” 

In line with the President’s directive, the DG 

NEMA Air Vice Marshal Muhammed (retd) 

said government has constituted a team of 

officers of the agency working in collaboration 

with state emergency management agency 

and other relevant agencies to visit Shasha, 

the scene of the incident and conduct an 

indepth assessment of what happened. 

In their respective remarks for peace to reign, 

both Baale Shasha, Akinade-Ajani and Seriki 

Shasha, Maiyasin restated their commitment 

to peaceful coexistence. 

They rose in unison to make case for a quick 

rebuilding, reopening of the market as well as 

provision of palliatives to the affected traders. 

Akinade-Ajani said: “We do not discriminate 

against any tribe; we believe we are of the 

same family. We want peaceful coexistence of 

all tribes here. We want a return to how we 

have been coexisting in Shasha. It is 

unbelievable to hear that some people are 

moving to settle in another place within the 

same Akinyele Local Government. 

“We can’t approve of them selling in another 

place and then coming here to sleep at night. 

Government should arrest and deal with 

anyone causing crisis. We are no more fighting. 

We want to live in peace; we are not fighting 

with Hausa, Igbo. We know those causing 

trouble; help us take them away from Akinyele 

Local Government. We don’t want people that 

beat drums of war. We welcome anyone who 

wants to trade at Shasha market peacefully. 

We welcome anyone that will live here in 

peace.” 

On his part, Maiyasin said: “We are brothers 

and sisters and we must all live in unity. This is 

one Nigeria irrespective of different 

backgrounds. Yoruba people are also living 

in our communities without any fear. We are 

accommodating people and love should be 

our only language.”


Priesthood doesn’t stop 

you from following your 

passion 

By BENJAMIN NJOKU 

When an American 

occupational therapist, 

Anisha Joshi opined that 

“following our passion makes us 

smile, boosts our confidence and 

makes life more satisfying and 

fulfilling,” she probably had Rev. Fr. 

Peter Abiona in mind. 

Abiona is a Catholic priest by 

calling, but he also has a strong 

passion for music. Despite his tight 

schedule as a priest, Abiona still 

finds time to do music. And it’s not 

surprising that the eloquent priest is 

out with his debut album. 

The album, with the hit track, “You 

Are God” contains other tracks 

including, ”Mo Gbe Olorun(I Lift 

Up My God)”,”I Weep No More”, 

and “Instrumental.” 

Rendered mostly in Yoruba, Igbo 

and pidgin English, the songs are 

Rev. Fr Abiona’s way of further 

propagating the gospel of salvation. 

Abiona who was ordained in 2017, 

as a priest, said he’s not doing music 

because of what he would gain from 

it. Rather, “It’s something I love 

doing and it started while I was 

growing up.” 

He also revealed that he started 

playing musical instruments at the 

age of 6, adding that gospel music 

spices his priesthood. Many of the 

parishioners at ‘Our Lady, Seat of 

Wisdom’ on Ago road readily attest 

to his talent in singing. “His 

homilies are always deep and he 

begins with moving songs,” one of 

them said, adding “his combination 

with the parish priest, highly 

cerebral Reverend Father Eric 

Onyeoziri is a blessing to our 

—Rev. Fr Peter Abiona 

*Says priesthood is my calling, music my passion 

*Out with debut album 

parish.” 

Said Father Peter Abiona: “I have 

always loved music from childhood. 

Priesthood is my calling, while 

singing is my passion, adding “ 

Becoming a priest, I got to know 

that music is very important even in 

the lives of the parishioners. 

“When you combine preaching 

with music, it lifts their souls and it 

makes them come closer to God. 

It connects them with their 

maker. Preaching of the 

gospel is fine, but when 

it comes to music, 

people are always 

responsive of the 

message being 

conveyed. My 

music is helping 

me to reach out 

to many 

people.” 

Abiona, 

who’s from the 

O s o g b o 

Diocese of the 

Catholic 

Church but 

currently 

working with 

L a g o s 

Archdiocese, 

dedicated his debut 

album 

in 

thanksgiving to God 

Almighty on the occasion 

of his 3rd year priestly 

ordination anniversary (29/12/ 

2017 – 29/12/ 2020). 

However, narrating what inspired 

him to delve into gospel music, the 

Catholic priest said he was always 

close to the choir while growing up. 

“I have always been very close to 

the choir. I 

was an instrumentalist when I was 

young before I got into the 

seminary.” 

Singing is something Rev. Fr. 

Abiona started doing while 

he was a child. He also admits 

that music runs in their family. 

“My going into music is generic. 

My dad sings and my mum was a 

choir mistress for many years. That’s 

where I developed my passion for 

music.” 

“I started playing instrument at 

the age of 6. Then I was playing the 

local drum. When I was in primary 

and secondary schools, I was good 

at playing instrument. That made 

me to join my Diocese drama group 

because of my skills in playing local 

instrument. I also learned how to 

do acrobatic dance too, while 

growing up,” the priest said. 

Abiona revealed that he 

composed the songs during the 

COVID-19 lock down. 

“ I have always wanted to sing, 

but because of the nature of my 

activities, which couldn’t give me 

enough time to relax and draw the 

inspiration to compose songs, it was 

difficult. But during the last COVID- 

19 lock down, I had the time to go 

back to who I was. So, I composed 

these songs during the lock down. 

The lock down really helped me to 

actualize my dream.” 

Abiona said his third track, “I 

Weep No More” was composed in 

the hope that the deadly COVID-19 

pandemic would be a thing of the 

past, where the people will continue 

to live their normal lives again. The 

last track, according to him, is 

mainly instrumental as a lover of 

instruments. 

“The message of my music is at 

the centre of your life, around you, 

everything you do, who you are and 

what you are. The air you breathe, 

your challenges and sorrows.” 

Describing the message of his 

music as “soul-searching, resolving 

around us and our challenges, the 

priest said his next project is to shoot 

the music video of the songs. He’s 

also planning to put out more soullifting 

music, stressing that “This is 

just the beginning of my journey in 

music.” 

For the Priest, his music which is 

currently available on different 

digital platforms is helping him to 

proclaim the gospel of salvation to 

humanity. 

“When we compose and make it 

musical, it sings more in the ears 

and eyes of the people. It’s 

evangelization, since the nature of 

my work is to propagate the gospel 

of salvation. 

“ So my music which is currently 

enjoying massive airplay within and 

outside the shores of the country, is 

helping me to reach out to many 

people. I have been privileged to 

evangelize beyond my territory. 

Being a musician as a priest is 

helping me to touch more souls even 

those who are far from Him because 

I sing a gospel music” Abiona said. 

Nigerian Fulani must t stop op foreign Fulani NOW! 

W! 

BY Dr Omaghomi Ofioritse 

At the national level ,there is a 

dilemma of primordial versus 

patriotism facing the educated and 

powerful Fulani clan of Nigeria... 

This very serious choice between 

reaction and reason may very well cut the 

last threadbare stitch holding together, this 

poor, troubled nation called Nigeria. 

There are between 20 to 50 million Fulani 

who live either in settled or nomadic lifestyle 

across 18 different African countries ( 

Wikipedia) ; we have to appreciate that it is 

almost impossible to get an accurate 

population figure for the Fulani, due to their 

very fluid itinerant lifestyle. 

In landmass (5) five of these 18 countries 

are bigger than Nigeria. 

Nations like Niger, Chad, Mali, 

Mauritania and Sudan are all larger in land 

area than Nigeria. 

Not withstanding the above. Nigeria 

holds two special attractions for the army 

of foreign Fulani. First, Nigeria is one of 

the wettest of these 18 countries ; with an all 

year round lush green vegetation, secondly, 

the elite, educated Fulani of Nigeria 

constitute a huge political block. 

In a country like ours, this political 

leverage puts the Nigerian Fulani at a 

vantage position to dispense wealth and 

favours and this keeps a large section of the 

country very loyal and afraid to speak up 

against their perceived interest. This is 

because political influence readily translate 

to economic empowerment for cronies or 

economic strangulation for dissenters in a 

developing country with an untoward ease 

of doing business like Nigeria . 

The only other country, where the Fulani 

could have enjoyed huge political 

patronage, was truncated by Mr Paul Biya; 

when he out maneuvered Ahmadou Ahidjo, 

the Fulani civil servant that ruled for the 

first twenty two years following Cameroon’s 

independence from France. 

The above reasons might make foreign 

Fulani battling desertification, to seek 

refuge in Nigeria. Another reason is the 

trouble in Libya, where it is believed that a 

large section of the criminal Fulani 

currently disturbing Nigeria had fought on 

one side or the other of the anti and post 

Gaddafi turbulence. Others came in from 

Mali , having fought with rebels and they 

now see Nigeria as a cash cow. 

These foreign Fulani are very different 

from the ones who have lived side by side 

with the Hausa of Northern Nigeria. 

Unfortunately, these foreigners are using 

the Fula ethnic mask to blend amongst 

indigenous Fulani and then unleash terror 

and banditry in Nigeria. 

We sincerely believe that Nigeria will 

disintegrate economically, if these bands of 

foreign Fulani, continue to swarm Nigeria 

in their numbers, due to the fact that Nigeria 

has very deep challenges of it’s own which 

have weakened its economy and unity. 

The first problem is land hunger. Nigeria 

is one and the half times denser in population 

than China. This means that if 100 Chinese 

are found in a hall in China, then that 

same size of land in Nigeria would have 

150 people crowded into it. 

This land hunger is worse when you 

compare Nigeria with USA; our land 

hunger becomes more scary because 

America is about two times the population 

of Nigeria. But just two out of America’s 50 

States, is far bigger than twice Nigeria’s 

size, so if you share the entire American 

population into two and settle each half; 

one each; into these two states...the 

population density of people in America will 

still be less than in Nigeria! and then the 

remaining 48 states of America will be 

totally unoccupied!!! Free of people and 

available for farming !!!. Frankly the 

population of Nigeria has grown almost five 

times! since independence , while it’s 

landmass remains the same. 

Another present and painful challenge, 

is that crude oil is now a dying resource, a 

giant of the past. Electric powered vehicles 

are now the frightening reality of today and 

likely the norm of the future. 

Nigeria is also not a technology or tourist 

hub; even amongst West African countries. 

As for manufacturing , the pitiable reality 

is that we still import common food items 

like peanut butter. Shame!!! 

Coupled with the fact that excellence and 

competence have been killed on the platter 

of allowing for good geographical spread 

of public offices... 

Laudable as Federal character might 

seem at first, looking at it more closely, one 

would see it’s fatal draw back; in that strict 

adherence to federal character, discourages 

excellence and wealth creation, because 

competence is not the factor for filling 

vacancies, rather it is a turn by turn , rotatory 

federal lottery machine. 

Hard work is not considered. Laziness 

, mediocrity, incompetence and 

unproductivity take over , therefore penury 

and misery are the end result. 

From the above it can be seen that the 

country is weakened. The only thing that 

can pull us from the brinks is a patriotic 

decision by the educated , indigenous and 

hopefully loyal Nigerian Fulani ; to prevent 

and stop this migration of millions of 

foreign Fulani into Nigeria. 

In other words a “Primordial choice” by 

the Nigerian Fulani elite isn’t innocuous; 

it is in fact a dangerous option. 

The right decision would be one of 

patriotism to the Nigerian nation, by the 

elite Nigerian Fulani. 

This is the only way to reverse the telling 

effects on the Nigerian economy brought 

about by the wanton invasion of Nigeria by 

millions of Fulani from North , West and 

Central Africa. 

Nigerian Fulani! Nigeria needs you 

now!!!!


Scientists develop blood test to predict 

environmental harms to children 

cientists at Columbia University 

SMailman School of Public Health have 

developed a method using a DNA biomarker 

to easily screen pregnant women for harmful 

prenatal environmental contaminants like air 

pollution linked to childhood illness and 

developmental disorders. 

This approach has the potential to prevent 

childhood developmental disorders and 

chronic illness through the early identification 

of children at risk. 

While environmental factors — including 

air pollutants — have previously been 

associated with DNA markers, no studies to 

date have used DNA markers to flag 

environmental exposures in children. Study 

results are published online in the journal 

Epigenetics. 

There is ample scientific evidence that links 

prenatal environmental exposures to poor 

outcomes in children, yet so far there is no 

early warning system to predict which children accessible biomarker measured in a small 

are at highest risk of adverse health amount of blood to distinguish newborns at to other environmental exposures, and could 

outcomes. 

elevated risk due to prenatal exposure. They 

eventually be made into a routine test. 

The researchers took a major step toward used air pollutants as a case study, although The researchers used machine learning 

overcoming this barrier by identifying an they say their approach is easily generalizable analysis of umbilical cord blood collected 

through two New York City-based longitudinal 

birth cohorts to identify locations on DNA 

altered by air pollution. Study participants 

had known levels of exposure to air pollution 

measured through personal and ambient air 

monitoring during pregnancy, with specific 

measures of fine particulate matter, nitrogen 

dioxide (NO2), and polycyclic aromatic 

hydrocarbons (PAH). 

They tested these biomarkers and found that 

they could be used to predict prenatal exposure 

to NO2 and PM2.5 (which were monitored 

throughout pregnancy), although only with 

modest accuracy. PAH (which was only 

monitored for a short period during the third 

trimester) was less well predicted. 

The researchers now plan to apply their 

biomarker discovery process using a larger 

pool of data collected through the ECHO 

consortium, which potentially could lead to 

higher levels of predictability. It might also be 

possible to link these biomarkers with both 

exposures and adverse health outcomes. With 

better predictability and lower cost, the 

method could become a routine test used in 

hospitals and clinics. 

“While further validation is needed, this 

approach may help identify newborns at 

heightened risk for health problems. With this 

information, clinicians could increase 

monitoring for high-risk children to see if 

problems develop and prescribe interventions, 

as needed.” 

Polymer optical sensor implant for long-term health monitoring 

Researchers have developed an 

extremely sensitive miniaturized 

optical fibre sensor that could one day be 

used to measure small pressure changes in 

the body. 

“Our new pressure sensor was designed 

for medical applications and overcomes 

many of the issues of using silica-based 

fibers,” said research team leader Hwa-Yaw 

Tam from The Hong Kong Polytechnic 

University. 

“It is sensitive enough to measure pressure 

inside lungs while breathing, which changes 

by just a few kilopascals.” 

The researchers describe their new optical 

fibre sensor in The Optical Society (OSA) 

journal Optics Letters. 

The sensor, which is based on a Fibre Bragg 

grating (FBG) inscribed into a fibre made 

from a new polymer called Zeonex, was able 

to detect pressure changes of just 2 

kilopascals. 

“Our FBG sensor could be used in various 

medical applications because, in addition to 

its biocompatibility, the fibre is chemically 

inert and also not sensitive to moisture,” said 

Tam. 

“Our ultimate objective is to use these types 

of sensors to monitor various parameters — 

including pressure, temperature and strain — 

inside animals and people.” 

Many fibre optic sensors are based on FBGs, 

tiny periodic microstructures that can be 

inscribed onto a fibre. When pressure rises the 

fibre stretches slightly, increasing the grating 

period in a way that changes its refractive 

index and shifts the light output toward the 

red end of the spectrum. Similarly, a decrease 

in pressure produces a blue shift. 

Making an FBG sensor from a traditional 

silica optical fibre is not ideal for medical 

applications, especially those involving longterm 

use in the body, because these fibres 

exhibit a relatively high stiffness and can be 

brittle. 

FBGs embedded in silica fibers also have 

limited sensitivity to small pressure changes 

because the material does not stretch and 

contract very easily. 

To overcome the hurdles, the researchers 

turned to the advanced polymer Zeonex. This 

new material is not only chemically inert and 

works well in the aqueous environments like 

those found in the body, but also exhibits a 

higher light shift in response to a pressure 

change compared to silica fibres. 

To demonstrate the new sensor, the 

researchers compared its performance with a 

traditional polymer-based sensor 

of a similar design. 

They found that the Zeonexbased 

sensors with the side-hole 

design produced a response that 

was linear, repeatable and had 

negligible lag or errors. The tests 

showed that the sensor can be 

used for low pressure 

measurement up to 50 

kilopascals above or below 

atmospheric pressure with a 

resolution of 2.0 kilopascals. 

The sensitivity of the pressure 

measurement is increased by 

80 percent compared to a 

traditional polymer-based 

sensor. 

The researchers are now 

working to further reduce the 

sensor’s response time, which 

is currently few tens of seconds. 

They also want to expand the sensor to 

measure other physical and chemical 

parameters such as pH and to functionalize 

the probe so that it can detect the pressure 

of a particular gas. 

EFCC: Can Bawa challenge Nigeria’s 

graft gods? 

By Soni Daniel, 

Northern Region Editor 

•Bawa 

With the appointment of a young 

ster, Abdulrasheed Bawa, 40, by 

President Muhammadu Buhari to 

head the country’s anti-graft agency, the Economic 

and Financial Crimes Commission, 

many have raised both excitement and concern 

over the choice. Apart from those criticising 

his emergence on the ground that only people 

from Bawa’s tribe have headed the organisation 

since its inception, others have pointed 

out that his choice has flouted the law establishing 

the commission, which stipulates that 

the chairman should be a police officer, not 

below the rank of an assistant commissioner 

of police. 

But these issues pale in the face of the superior 

fact that Bawa is duly qualified to lead the 

EFCC given the fact that he is a trained law 

enforcement officer with a law-enforcement 

agency. He can also be said to be the right 

candidate for the job at the moment given the 

thinking in the Presidency that it is high time 

the agency was headed by a non-police officer 

as has been the case since its inception. 

Thus, Bawa can be rightly presented as one 

who has been properly schooled in the art and 

science of law enforcement, economic and financial 

crimes investigations and prosecution. 

Although Bawa, a native of Kebbi State 

and a graduate of Economics and International 

diplomacy, appears as an innocuous school 

boy with a baby face, he comes into the job 

with at least 17 years experience, having joined 

the EFCC in 2004 at the time he was only 23 

years old. From available records, the Kebbi-born 

officer, has spent his entire career with 

the EFCC and risen to the pinnacle of the establishment 

through the instrumentality of 

hard work, commitment and dedication to a 

single course of detecting and punishing economic 

and financial crimes-bank fraud, cybercrimes, 

official corruption and fraud cases. 

Bawa may be young and inexperienced in 

political intrigues that have plagued many 

Nigerian leaders and organisations but those 

who chose him for the tough job might have 

leveraged on his toughness in pursuing and 

prosecuting those bent on enriching themselves 

through economic and financial crimes and 

impoverishing the nation and its people. 

But given the ruthlessness of the ‘godfathers’ 

of graft who define the national political space, 

picking and choosing those who should hold 

sway in certain places and time, can Bawa withstand 

the forces that are already holding Nigeria 

on its jugular and selfishly and poignantly 

looting its treasury with impunity? 

With the EFCC designed to fish out and punish 

without fear or favour anyone who dips 

their hands into the national treasury and Bawa’s 

appointment having to be sanctioned at 

the highest political level by some of the kingmakers 

who may be facing some unfinished 

corruption cases, would he be able to look any 

culprit no matter how powerful and influential 

in the face and drag them to court without 

fearing for his continued stay in office? 

Not minding the fanfare that comes with 

Bawa’s appointment, the job is as tempting as 

it is promotionally huge. He can use the new 

post to write his name on the right side of history 

and can as well flounder his name and 

everything depending on how he goes about 

doing the tough job, which has already rubbished 

many and sent them to the wrong side 

of history while they are still alive. 

Although his choice resonates with those who 

have been campaigning for more Nigerian 

youths to be given prominent positions in government, 

the euphoria can easily be disrupted 

if Bawa does not deviate significantly from 

the malady that has often afflicted some of his 

predecessors and created furore over the management 

of confiscated assets, selective arrest 

and trial of suspects and sometimes ignoring 

those who have blood on their hands because 

of their proximity to the corridors of powers. 

The new EFCC boss, if confirmed by the 

Senate has an ample opportunity to rewrite 

the history of the commission by approaching 

the job with unprecedented ruthlessness 

and neutrality in dealing with crime suspects 

and charging them to court promptly so as to 

send the right message to potential criminals 

and set a new tone for economic and financial 

war in the country. His appointment 

should not encourage the usual grandstanding 

and flip flop in economic and financial 

crime fight, which has encouraged many powerful 

and influential elements in the land to 

loot with ease and flaunt the illicit wealth with 

recklessness. Some even use the proceeds 

of crimes to fight back the system and promote 

their stooges into high offices in the land, 

thereby perpetuating sleaze as a way of life 

that pays to indulge in. 

That’s why Bawa must learn fast, act fast 

and settle fast to confront the monster that 

has eaten deep into our nation’s fabric 

and dented the image of Nigeria as a catastrophe 

over the years even with the 

mantra of ‘fighting corruption’ ringing 

boisterously across the land. 

It is either he wins the fight and etches his 

name in gold or loses it and burns his fingers 

in the cauldron called EFCC, no matter the 

good intentions of his godfathers who pushed 

him into the job. 

The choice to do good to all manner of 

people without fear, ill-will or affection 

in the discharge of this thankless job, 

rests squarely with him! 

Welcome on board, Bawa!


Last week, I told you a strand of 

the story of my trip to the popular 

Ladipo Spare Parts Market in 

Lagos. I also told you about the heavy 

rain that caught up with me while I was 

there. By the time the rain subsided, 

everywhere was flooded. Floating on the 

flood were empty food packs, plastic 

bottles of water and drinks, among other 

debris that were earlier disposed of 

indiscriminately. From Ladipo Market to 

Agege Motor Road, the story was the 

same, flood everywhere, with debris Real eal and met 

floating. On Agege Motor Road, one of 

the reasons for the flooding became 

apparent. The flood had started 

debris 

subsiding, leaving behind the debris. I 

saw one vulcaniser clearing the debris service, but I know in some low 

by the road side, where he plies his trade, income neighbourhoods, residents do 

and dumping them into the drains. Down not like paying for such services, so 

the road about 150 metres away, a hotel the refuse disposal there is either 

security man was doing the same thing. epileptic or non-existent. The roads 

There lies the problem of Ladipo, Agege and drains are basically their 

Motor Road and many parts of Lagos and dumpsites. 

the rest of Nigeria during the rainy Whatever the shortcomings of the 

season. We have converted the open Ladipo Market spare part dealers, I 

drains to garbage dumps. When it rains, admire them for their ingenuity. You 

they are useless to do the work they are cannot take it away from them. Long 

built to do. I have asked this question before your vehicle comes to a halt, 

many times before: where did we get this their expert eyes have surveyed it 

culture of open drains that breeds this and they bring forth many of the parts 

irresponsible behaviour from? I have gone and services you need. Many of us 

to a few places in the United Kingdom, in business and marketing 

our colonial masters, I never saw open departments need to learn from their 

drains. 

marketing skills: spotting business 

The other thing that beats my opportunities with an eagle eye 

imagination is why people decide to be wherever we find ourselves. Many of 

so cruel to themselves. In Mushin and us gloss over opportunities in our 

adjourning areas like Idi Araba and Itire environments and it is hurting our 

(that is not to say middle class and businesses and life generally. 

highbrow Ikeja, Surulere, Lekki, Victoria The traders are also very 

Island and Ikoyi are spared), any heavy persuasive. They talk you into buying 

rain brings sorrow. As my vehicle waded parts you need (sometimes want), but 

through the flooded roads in Mushin, not the reason why you came to the 

some people were already baling water market. In those days, I used to 

from their flooded houses. If you go into spend at least twice the money I had 

these houses, some do not have dustbins. budgeted, each time I went to Ladipo. 

They dump their garbage sometimes by But on this day, I only went with the 

the roadside or inside the open drain in money I had budgeted. 

front of their houses. Some people are Notwithstanding, I overspent, thanks 

quick to point fingers at government to that plastic we carry about called 

inefficiencies, but in some cases, the debit card. But in all fairness to me, 

people are the problem. Where I live, every item I purchased was needed. 

trucks come to empty the bins every week, But give it to them, they are great 

so we have no reasons to dispose our salesmen. The traders are also very 

waste anyhow. And we pay for the resilient: it is this resilience, in 

eal and metaphoric floating 

addition to their eagle eyes for 

opportunities and great 

salesmanship, which has made many 

of them runaway successes. 

But before you go to Ladipo, like 

many other markets, carry out your 

little research to have 

an idea of the prices of 

the items you want to 

purchase. If not they 

will rip you off, but still 

leave you with the 

feeling that you are a 

great bargain hunter. 

One of them wanted to 

sell an item I bought 

recently for N300, 

albeit the fake one, for 

N2,000. If I had not 

fallen victim to the 

fake, I could have 

parted with a lot more 

money, but I ended up 

buying the original for 

N500. I learnt my 

lesson long ago on 

how traders rip 

customers off. In year 

2000, I needed to buy a generator. I 

contacted John (not his real name), 

the electrician nearby, to take me to 

Alaba International Market. He was 

nowhere to be found on the day we 

agreed to go to Alaba. The next day, 

he showed up. We went to Alaba 

International Market. After over four 

hours of hard bargaining, we got one 

for N96,000. I went home feeling 

very fulfilled and thankful that John 

had helped me to get a good bargain. That 

was until my brother, Emma, came from Delta 

and saw the generator. “Brother, bro 

wod’onana (Brother, how much did you buy 

this gen?)” He asked. I adjusted myself and 

proudly told him N96,000. “Awhawere (They 

cheated you),” he exploded. He bought the 

same type of generator for N63,000 in 

Onitsha the previous weekend. 

Then everything began to fall into place. 

The initial date we were supposed to go to 

Alaba, when John did not show up, he had 

gone to Alaba to set me up. In anger we went 

to Alaba the next day to confront the seller, 

but his army of boys wanted to fight with us. 

We were badly outnumbered. I told Emma 

we should leave. I wanted to arrest John, 

but my parish priest told me to ignore him, 

which I reluctantly did. He went further to 

tell me to pray for John, which I was even 

more reluctant to do. A few days later, John 

started selling wires and electrical parts, 

apparently from the money he made by 

defrauding me. He, with his 

collaborators, ripped me off, 

of over N30,000, which was 

plenty of money in year 

2000. The exchange rate 

was about N35 to a US 

dollar. You do the 

arithmetic. That was 

We have 

converted the 

open drains to 

garbage dumps. 

When it rains, they 

are useless to do 

the work they are 

built to do. 

November. By December, 

John travelled home for 

Christmas. He never got 

back to Lagos. He died in 

an accident at Ore. Teledensity 

was low then, so his 

corpse was in the morgue 

for two weeks before his 

wife in Lagos and his 

people in the village knew 

what happened. When I 

heard, it was tough to 

ignore his betrayal of trust, 

but I did and prayed for the 

repose of his soul. Another thing that hurt 

me was that my money went to waste, John’s 

new business packed up. I would have been 

consoled to see John grow to a successful 

electrical parts merchant, knowing that my 

money, albeit illegally taken, contributed to 

his success. The whole incident reminds me 

of the fickleness of life, the emptiness of 

trying to make it by all means and foolishness 

of pursing vengeance. If not well managed, 

our lives can easily become floating debris. 

Isee myself as a stakeholder in what was 

known as Nigerian Prisons Service but 

changed to Nigerian Correctional 

Services (NCoS). Whatever affects that para - 

military organisation also affects the nation. 

Now the name suggests that our leaders need 

to balance the polity. 

New Service chiefs were appointed recently 

and the South-East geo-political zone was 

ignored. No officer of South-East extraction 

has so far been deemed fit to head any of the 

various paramilitary agencies. The Controller 

-General of NCoS, Ja’afaru Ahmed, from Kebbi 

State retired from service in January 2021. 

There is no substantive CG yet. John Mrabure 

is acting as boss at the moment but is due for 

retirement. I have a feeling that fair play must 

be applied in picking the next CG. We have 

enough Service and Para- military chiefs from 

the North. It would be inconsiderate to pick a 

Northerner as Ahmed’s successor. 

I am sure there are officer gentlemen from 

other zones who are eminently qualified to 

move up. However, the South- East deserves 

another shot at this plum job. The story is not 

sweet to the ear at all. It is like there is a deliberate 

policy to diminish the people. 

On July 1, 2005, Okwara Uche Kalu, from 

the South-East was appointed Acting CG. This 

followed the exit of Abraham Iyorker Akpe. It 

was expectations turned to exasperation. Kalu 

acted for one year and was never confirmed. 

Olusola Adigun Ogundipe moved in and was 

there until 2012. 

Zakari Ohinoyi Ibrahim took Ogundipe’s 

place and left in 2014. Aminu Suley acted for 

five months before stepping aside for Dr. Peter 

Ezenwa Ekpendu from the South-East on 

December 5,2014. Ekpendu spent just two years 

before Ahmed was announced as the next CG. 

This is the same agency where the first 

substantive indigenous Director of Prisons, 

Frank Sumola Giwa-Osagie, spent 10 years 

and six months between 1961 and 1972. The 

rank of Controller- General was first worn by 

Lily Ojo in 1991. He retired in 1995. 

I also know that A. A. Ahmadu was in charge 

for about 11 years, from 1975 to 1986. Even 

Ibrahim Mohammed Jarma, the man who 

Balancing equation @ 

correctional services 

introduced weapons training spent six years 

as boss. Carrying arms was not novel for 

the second Director of Prisons, Lt.col E. L. 

Salier and the fourth, Col. V. L. Mabb, were 

soldiers. 

Mabb was in office for 11 years and three 

months between 1932 and 1943. 

I insist on fair play in choosing the next 

CG because the Correctional Services and 

Sports have come a long way. Giwa- 

Osagie was Vice President of the Amateur 

Athletics Association of Nigeria in the 

1970s. He was picked on merit as Director. 

For a man who attended Kings College, 

Lagos and joined as a cadet in 1948, that 

appointment was generally accepted. 

Steven Ibn Akiga was Minister of Sports 

in 2002. We met in Japan and he said he 

was a member of the Prisons Football Club. 

Akiga was also Aide de Camp (ADC) to 

Jomo Adapoyi, Director of Prisons between 

1972 and 1975. 

David Ejoke perhaps remains one of the 

best athletes produced by the Correctional 

Services. He won two medals at the First 

All African Games, Brazzaville ’65. Ejoke 

made it to two Olympic Games, Tokyo ’64 

and Mexico ’68 respectively. 

My good friend, Malam Alhassan 

Yakmut, is today, Secretary, Civil Defence, 

Correctional, Fire and Immigration 

Services Board (CDCFIB). He represented 

Nigeria in Volleyball and was a Director, 

at the Federal Ministry of Sports and 

Youth Development. Yakmut is 

very popular in the South-East 

where he kept the Nnamdi 

Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu 

glowing as Zonal 

Coordinator. 

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni 

Rauf Aregbesola, is an Ijesha 

man. May I remind him that 

there is a strong bond between 

the Igbo and Ijesha- Yoruba. 

He knows that the Ijesha 

Progressive Association 

Canada (IPAC) is led by an 

Igbo man from Enugu. I am 

sure,beyond politics, he is 

supposed to make 

recommendations based on 

merit. 

I am a keen watcher of 

developments in the 

Correctional Services because 

it is like family business. My 

grandfather, Chief Obasi 

Onukwuire, was made a 

Warrant Chief in 1912 

through the influence of his kid brother, 

Uchegbu, a Warder. Uchegbu’s wife, 

Sarah, called her husband ‘Gand roba’, 

for warders were known as Gang Drivers. 

The Traditional ruler of my town, Eze Nelson 

Obasi, retired from Service, as a Controller. I know 

so much about the big Correctional Services farms 

in Ibite Olo. I also met a Controller at Ikoyi, I guess, 

Mrs. Ononye in 2007. I was told she was good in 

Karate during training. 

I had an in- law, Chief Henry Ehijator, who retired 

as Controller of Prisons, old Anambra State. He 

helped the Esan of Edo State in the Correctional 

Services as much as Chief Tony Anenih did in the 

police. They were contemporaries. I also know that 

CG Ogundipe is one of the younger siblings of Brig. 

Babafemi Ogundipe. 

So when I speak passionately about this paramilitary 

organisation, I am in order. President Buhari 

must be informed that at this time when ethnic 

tension is high, it will be politically wrong to give 

the CG job to someone from the North. 

It will be politically correct to look for a candidate 

from the South-East, 

based on merit. I am so 

sure that should Yakmut 

and Aregbesola shine 

their eyes, they will find 

one worthy senior officer 

from the South-East. 

Customs, Immigration, 

New Service chiefs 

were appointed 

recently and the South- 

East geo-political zone 

was ignored. No officer 

of South-East 

extraction has so far 

been deemed fit to 

head any of the various 

paramilitary agencies 

EFCC are all headed by 

Northerners. 

I am personally going 

to write a protest letter 

should this job elude the 

South-East. President 

Buhari is also my friend, 

those who think they 

have connections at the 

Villa must respect my 

friendship with the 

President. And if the 

wrong candidate is 

announced, I will find out 

exactly what happened. 

Ohanaeze, Afenifere, 

Arewa Consultative 

Forum, Middle Belt 

Forum and the South- South Peoples Assembly will 

definitely wade into this appointment. Enough of 

injustice. I am so sure those who think Mr. President 

is not watching are in for a big surprise.

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Anyone who lives or has lived in 

Nigeria knows that the occupy 

Lekki protest of last Saturday 

would not hold. And if it did, it would 

be low key probably with some casualties 

on the side of the protesters. They would 

know that the balance of the power which 

was touted by the preceding 

grandstanding and flexing of muscles 

by the two sides would invariably tilt 

towards the side with the real muscles – 

the law enforcers. So I was not surprised 

when the Lekki neighbourhood and 

most of Victoria Island were disturbed 

by the sound of sirens throughout the 

weekend – even after the protest had 

been completely muzzled. Neither was 

I surprised by the massive movement of 

heavily armed personnel to the Lekki 

toll plaza. Nor by the belligerent 

swagger of the law – or anti-protestenforcers. 

It’s our way. We lack a sense 

of proportion. We use excessive force 

where minimal force would suffice and 

are curiously absent where 

overwhelming force is necessary. 

Don’t get me wrong, I am not in 

support of the protest. Not at this time. 

My reason is largely economic. The last 

protest which came soon after the COVID 

19 lockdown, brought Lagos to its 

economic knees and set it back several 

decades developmentally. Besides, the 

argument that the toll gate should not 

be opened yet after four months of 

closure is curious. If the alleged shooting 

of the endsars protesters had taken place 

on the Third Mainland Bridge would 

the bridge then be closed until the 

tribunal finished its sitting? Again, one 

has to ask what the occupy Lekki protest 

would achieve except another economic 

disruption which could escalate to 

another purposeless carnage. At the end, 

the poor, largely the youths would suffer 

more. Besides, the protest seemed to be 

targeted at the perceived financial 

revenue of an individual which gives a 

political colouration to it. I am more in 

support of a monument of sorts being 

put there to remind us all of what 

happened on October 20, 2020. 

Having said this, the level of force 

deployed to the scene was hardly 

proportional to the perceived threat. 

These protesters would not be armed. 

Friends and charitable foes must 

be pitying the lot of Lai 

Mohammed, Nigeria’s minister 

of information and tormentor in chief, 

first of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and 

subsequently of Dr. Bukola Saraki. 

When Yekini Nabena, who was in the 

shadows in the heyday of Lai’s activism, 

decided to take on Lai and rubbish his 

contributions to the Muhammadu Buhari 

legacy, it again brought another oddity 

associated with politicians. 

Nabena who was or is the Deputy 

National Publicity Secretary of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC had delved 

into the crisis between Lai and Governor 

Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara 

State and urged the minister to submit 

to the leadership of the governor. 

When Lai rebuffed him as a nonentity, 

N a b e n a 

squirmed back 

depicting the 

minister as the 

baggage in the 

Buhari cabinet! 

Saraki must be 

having a laugh 

and so, must 

Reno Omokri 

and all the many 

folks who had in 

the past suffered 

from Lai’s 

sharp-witted 

tongue and 

statements. 

As the 

longest-serving 

spokesman of 

the opposition, 

with a pedigree 

ranging from 

A c t i o n 

After the party leadership 

tilted towards the governor 

and against Lai in handing 

over the registration of 

party membership 

materials to the governor, 

the minister is 

undoubtedly faced or 

headed towards a cul de 

sac that only God can help 

him out of. 

Congress, AC, Action Congress of 

Nigeria, ACN to the militant days of the 

APC, Lai’s contributions to the 

evolvement of the democratic culture 

remain memorable. 

As opposition spokesman, Lai wouldn’t 

Swatting a fly with a sledgehammer 

The ammunitions in the hands of most of 

them would be posters. The protesters 

would not be many given the lack of 

consensus among the major actors and 

the lukewarm attitude 

towards it by the rest of us. 

So deploying road and air 

operations against a 

handful of unarmed 

protesters was comical and 

an overkill. Especially since 

many areas in the country 

need the services of the 

security operatives more. In 

Ogun State, just a few 

hours’ drive from the toll 

plaza, a helpless 

community has sent an SOS 

to government to help save 

its farms from invasion and 

its people from being 

kidnapped. Further down in 

Oyo State, there have been 

weeks of skirmishes which 

could have been prevented 

had authorities acted 

proactively. Many States 

have cried out that their 

forests have been infested 

and need them cleansed 

and bandits flushed out. But 

the security operatives have 

been largely unresponsive to these cries. 

Many roads have been made unsafe by 

kidnappers and herdsmen. The nation 

knows these roads. The security heads 

are aware of these roads. But they pay lip 

service to the security needs of the areas. 

We all know that a small fire soon becomes 

a conflagration if it is not quickly attended 

have let it pass that people were stopped 

from peacefully demonstrating. He 

certainly would have as opposition 

spokesman shouted himself hoarse if 

Nigerians do not see the president up and 

about and challenged the president to 

move from his den in Abuja and feel the 

pulse of Nigerians outside 

Aso Rock. 

And certainly, Lai as 

opposition spokesman 

would have daily 

embarrassed any 

spokesman of government 

who claimed or claims that 

Boko Haram had been 

defeated or degraded in the 

face of insecurity all around 

the country. 

Even more, Lai as 

opposition spokesman 

would have so much 

embarrassed the ministers 

in government and 

challenged them to travel on 

Nigeria’s roads without 

loads of security. 

As an opposition 

spokesman, his attributes 

were legendary. Your 

correspondent gathered reliably, that he 

was a first choice for the position of Chief 

of Staff at the inception in 2015, but it was 

an offer he politely declined for personal 

reasons. Perhaps, Buhari’s legacy may 

have been better defined. 

So, given his attributes, it was 

SATURDAY Vanguard, , FEBRUARY 20, 2021—19 

to. So our tardiness in putting out these 

fires could cost us dearly at the end of the 

day. Yet should there be a senatorial 

election in a State in which the powers 

that be are interested, the place would be 

crawling with ‘law 

enforcers’. And a 

State CEO on an 

official visit would 

go with a large 

contingent of 

armed personnel 

just to feel safe and 

to feel good. This 

speaks to the mind 

set of our leaders 

and security chiefs 

when it comes to 

their perception of 

security threats. It 

explains what they 

feel about the 

plight of Citizen 

Joe and Citizen 

Jane who just want 

to earn a modest 

but decent living 

and thereafter be 

able to sleep on 

their beds at night. 

But to them, a 

security threat is 

probably limited only to things that affect 

their tenuous hold to power. 

A recent social media post after the 

botched occupy Lekki protest showed two 

contrasting pictures. The first one showed 

the protesters being shoved, shirtless and 

handcuffed, into police trucks. The other 

picture had politicians sitting down to take 

To rid the 

country of 

growing 

insecurity will 

mean focusing 

on substance 

and not on 

shadows 

The travails of Lai Mohammed 

embarrassing that someone who many 

Nigerians have not heard or seen 

articulate a statement on his own as ruling 

party spokesman would come and 

embarrass him. 

Lai’s problems with Abdulrazaq did not 

just start recently. The first public flash of 

crisis came when Lai was appointed a 

minister for the second term and the 

governor honoured him at the reception 

in Abuja in August 2019. 

At that reception, Bashir Bolarinwa, BOB 

the chairman of the state chapter of the 

party introduced Lai as the leader of the 

party in Kwara. 

Within a week of that reception, 

mobilization for signatures to remove BOB 

as chairman among his exco members 

commenced. However, fortunately for him, 

not enough signatories were obtained to 

remove BOB. 

Since that Abuja incident continued 

efforts to remove BOB as chairman have 

surfaced now and then, here and there. 

BOB unlike many other political actors 

has stood firm with Lai. After all, they were 

both imports from Lagos. 

After the party leadership tilted towards 

the governor and against Lai in handing 

over the registration of party membership 

materials to the governor, the minister is 

undoubtedly faced or headed towards a 

cul de sac that only God can help him out 

of 

Ṡurely, he is bound to be frozen out of 

the political arena in Kwara except the 

governor decides to have mercy. 

photographs with suspected bandits after an 

alleged attempt to negotiate with them. The 

first picture was captioned ‘how Nigerians 

treat peaceful protesters’. The second caption 

read ‘how Nigerians treat terrorists’. Our 

disproportional approach to the use of force; 

our lack of discretion on how to maintain law 

and order is what led to the endsars protest 

in the first case. The allegations of brutality 

and use of indiscriminate force against youths 

who happened to fit a particular profile boiled 

over and culminated in a reasonably popular 

youth protest. People were said to be tortured 

sometimes to the point of death because they 

were in possession of phones they didn’t know 

was stolen in the first place. Some had found 

themselves in detention for the contents of 

their phones or computers. Misdemeanours 

at home or in the office that should receive a 

slap on the wrist would end up in 

brutalisation and incarceration. Talk about 

swatting a fly with a sledgehammer. 

Meanwhile hardened criminals who operate 

atop a chain of command are given a wide 

berth. Bandits are courted and negotiated 

with. Our Courts are equally as guilty. A man 

was once jailed four years for stealing a goat. 

Yet politicians and public officials who loot 

the treasury are left to roam about scot free. 

The battery of senior lawyers who get rich 

thieves off the hook on technicalities are as 

guilty. They shouldn’t complain about the 

infrastructural decay in the country. 

To rid the country of growing insecurity will 

mean focusing on substance and not on 

shadows. It will mean diverting our scarce 

resources to dealing with the real criminals 

and their sponsors. It will mean setting 

examples. Should the Federal Government 

have the will to rid the Ondo State forests of 

bandits for example, it would send an 

unmistakeable message to bandits in other 

places who use the cover of the bush to commit 

heinous crimes. Should the courts have the 

will to jail a few rich public officials, it would 

send an unequivocal message to their ‘kith 

and kin’ still in office. 

If we can prioritise and deal with crimes 

according to their severity and not on the 

profile of their perpetrators; if we can be 

passionate and equitable in our pursuit of 

justice and not cherry pick the low hanging 

fruits then we can maybe begin to get a handle 

on the various crimes that have unfortunately 

led to insecurity everywhere in the country. 

Kwara is a sure test for the APC’s claim to 

democratic norms. If it is really so, all 

tendencies including that of Senator Gbemi 

Saraki should be given an open hand in the 

registration and the eventual election of party 

officers. 

But the unfolding development in Kwara is 

not the first time that a godson would fight a 

political godfather. 

Adamu Attah, the first civilian governor of 

the state was made by the Oloye, Senator 

Olusola Saraki in 1979. 

Attah, however, rebelled midway and the 

National Party of Nigeria, NPN leaders 

apparently sided with Attah not wanting to 

lose a governor. There was also the gist that 

Saraki’s rivals in the NPN aiming to stop his 

presidential aspiration decided to humble him 

by backing Attah. 

However, Oloye went home and ensured 

that Attah despite the support of the NPN 

machine lost the 1983 re-election to Cornelius 

Adebayo of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN. 

Saraki again suffered the same rebellious 

act from the two governors he foisted on the 

state in the Fourth Republic. 

Mohammed Lawal pulled all the tricks but 

Saraki was so prepared in 2003 and with the 

backing of his son, Bukola, ensured that 

Lawal suffered the same fate as Attah in 1983. 

The second rebellion against Saraki was, 

however, what finished the old man. This 

time, the rebellion came from home. It was 

his son, Bukola who as governor refused his 

sister Gbemi as his successor as his father 

desired. Oloye vowed to use the same tricks 

he had successfully used against Attah and 

Lawal. But alas, the attack from home 

wounded him not just emotionally, some 

allege it killed his spirit, leading to his death 

a year after that epic 2011 battle. 

Apparently, Bukola is the only godfather in 

Kwara who did not suffer a rebellion. His 

appointed governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed came 

quietly and went quietly, even if he brought 

down the roof on Bukola! 

So, for Lai who led the revolution to upstage 

the Saraki phenomenon, he has his job well 

cut out. Only that the echoes of the past now 

stir him in the face. So bad that one as Nabena 

is the one hitting at him!


They won’t face reality. They won’t 

accept facts. 

In the North, the chickens are 

coming home to roost. 

The northern elite are the most shortsighted 

and selfish in Africa. The breed of 

the Aminu Kanos and the Sarduanas have 

gone extinct. The preoccupation of the bulk 

of North’s political leadership, a rapacious, 

self-conceited bunch masquerading as 

politicians, political mercenaries is 

political conquests rather than 

development. How could anyone run a 

parched ground like Yobe and sleep well, 

let alone have time for national politics? 

I know politicians in the south and 

elsewhere in the country are not better, but 

the south’s situation is not as stark as the 

North’s. In not resisting westernization, the 

south’s culture has masked the equally 

gaping southern political leadership 

deficiencies. The south has fairly good 

literacy levels. The south has no good 

healthcare and public schools but the south 

has teachers and exports doctors to the West. 

The south could yet crumble, but the North 

is already in tatters. 

That’s why the continuing somnolence of 

the North’s public has become tragic. 

For so long northern governors competed 

for farcical righteousness. They competed 

to institute the sharia. Sharia is good. But 

the adoption of religious 

fanaticism as state policy 

by politicians to hoodwink 

the people and win 

elections was costly 

charlatanism. They got 

the votes but didn’t give 

them education and jobs. 

All they did was legitimize 

extremism, encourage 

more children to embrace 

the Almajiri system, and 

indirectly bolster the idea 

that western education is 

corruption. The governors 

watched and frolicked in 

Abuja as school 

enrollment figures 

plummeted. 

Zamafara, the erstwhile 

throne of righteousness, is 

now tired of sharia. 

Where is the 

wealth of millions 

of children born in 

the wild to 

herdsmen, born 

into the servitude 

and perpetually 

slavery of roaming 

thousands of 

miles with cattle to 

earn crumbs? 

Zamfara directly 

negotiates with outlaws. 

Some days ago, Mr 

Matawalle, the Governor 

of Zamfara, in a blatant 

display of empathy for 

bandits, literally justified 

banditry. He said some of the bandits were 

not criminals. They were wronged people 

who took to assault rifles and RPGs to fight 

for justice the way they knew best. This is 

the same Zamfara where people lost their 

limbs for petty theft. The same Zamfara 

where a former deputy governor placed a 

The North and its political 

ostriches 

fatwa—kill on sight order— on a 

Nigerian journalist for alleged 

defamation. In today’s Zamfara, the 

governor now sympathies with 

insurgents, terrorists. That is the story 

of the North. 

Quota system, federal character, and 

differential cut-off marks can only do 

so much. They can fetch a few unmerited 

positions which the occupants would use 

to fatten their egos and pockets. They 

can’t create jobs and healthcare for 

impoverished millions who live 

miserably, threatened by a burgeoning 

desert. 

The North’s elite is 

culpable. The North has 

experienced a frightening 

population explosion. 

Everybody knows that the 

pace of population 

growth in the North has 

far outstripped the 

country’s economic 

growth. But desperate to 

retain a hold on power, 

the northern elite love the 

skyrocketing population 

numbers. So they have 

failed to initiate any 

population control 

measures. They have no 

hospitals. They have no 

schools. They have no 

teachers, yet they will do 

nothing to check the 

burst. 

Children who are 

unschooled and 

unsheltered will 

invariably end up streets 

urchins and intensify 

societal decay. They 

know. Yet, in the face of that ticking 

bomb, we are often reminded that every 

child comes with his own wealth. Where 

is the wealth of millions of children born 

in the wild to herdsmen, born into the 

servitude and perpetually slavery of 

roaming thousands of miles with cattle 

to earn crumbs? 

The chickens are back to roost. We will 

reap what we have sown. 

Before our eyes, banditry has seized 

the North. Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, 

and Niger. Taraba, Benue, Plateau have 

had their stories. The Northeast is 

already desolate; the northwest is falling 

apart. Rather than hold village 

meetings every day, 

weep together to find 

lasting solutions to 

these problems, the 

northern elite have 

their eyes on 2023 and 

A b u j a 

calculations. Sometimes 

I wonder if we shouldn’t 

just surrender 

sovereignty to the 

European Union so 

that our local 

politicians can 

concentrate on being 

local government 

chairmen. 

The minister of 

defense, in a veiled jab, 

called us cowards. In 

their days, he said, they 

used to stand up to 

violent criminals. Their 

days were the 

Maitasine days, I 

guess. But now, he has 

suggested, we must not 

sheepishly surrender to 

bandits. He urged us to confront 

insurgents with RPGs with bare hands. 

Please forgive the minister. He is out of 

touch. When he tried to recant, he said 

he wanted us to be courageous. He 

moves around courageously with armed 

security guards. It’s not his fault. 

Honestly, the courage missing in the 

North is not that which can lead to a 

bloodbath when bandits who seek to 

dine with governors and collect bags of 

ransoms come to abduct school 

children. The courage missing is that 

needed to confront the governors and hold 

them accountable. 

The ordinary people in the North are easily 

seduced by the political conquests of their 

leaders rather than developmental 

projects. They are delirious when their 

leaders win federal appointments and 

become big men. The courage they need is 

the courage to force accountability. The 

courage to prioritize their reality—poverty, 

illiteracy, and misery—above the vanity of 

their selfish leaders’ ego diameter. 

But that courage will come. I know the 

North’s masses have the innate capacity, the 

effervescent temperament to turn around 

quickly and chase away political ineptitude 

overnight. But they are still slumberous. The 

spark they need will come quicker if regional 

autonomy is granted. The stark pictures of 

the regions, juxtaposed side by side, in a 

restructured federation, will rouse fury. When 

powers are devolved and resource control 

ceded to the regions, a healthy rivalry will 

ensue. The people of the North will see their 

potentials and see their nightmarish decline 

in 3D. 

Today, any governor can hide under the 

federal government. After 

restructuring, the federal 

government will be so thin 

and so naked it can not 

conceal anybody’s 

ineptitude. Some healthy 

regional rivalry had 

begun in the first republic. 

When regional 

governments return, 

Rather than hold 

village meetings 

every day, weep 

together to find 

lasting solutions to 

these problems, the 

northern elite have 

their eyes on 2023 

and 

calculations. 

Abuja 

Northeast youths’ 

migration to Lagos to 

become okada riders 

alongside literal refugees 

from Niger Republic will 

become visible. 

While we have an obese 

Abuja, the northern 

political elite can live in 

abject self-deceit. Aminu 

Kano was worried about 

the poor. He mingled with 

them and made them his 

preoccupation. Today 

besides a man like Gov 

Zulum and El Rufai, 

perhaps, many other 

governors do not 

understand the depth of the problem. They 

do good talks, pay lip service to development, 

and sleep well. They are not shocked by the 

data that has the core north in the 

neighborhood of a wretched 

Afghanistan. When regional restructuring 

and resource control forces the truth on the 

North, it will see the lies and rise. It will find 

the Aminu Kanos and it will recover lost 

grounds. 

The North thirsts for the naked truth, but 

its leaders are soothing it with clothed lies. 

Surprisingly, the Nigerian Chief of 

Defence Staff (CDS) is often seen as an 

officer who has been merely kicked 

upstairs to make way for, sayan Army, Air or 

Naval Chief of Staff. In fact, there were 

murmurs of disaffection when former President 

Shehu Shagari appointed Nigeria’s first Chief 

of Defence Staff, Lt. General Alani Akinrinade, 

in 1981, during the Second Republic, from 

Army Chief, to be the apex military coordinator, 

and appointed Gen. Inua Wushishi as his 

successor. 

The recently dropped Chief of Army Staff, Lt. 

Gen. Yusuf Buratai, for all his failures, was 

decidedly more than a decorative flower vase, 

while he occupied that office. He forgot one 

important thing; that he was not the Chief of 

Defence Staff; General Abayomi Gabriel 

Olonisakin was. 

Please, dear Gen. Leo Eluonye Onyenuchea 

Irabor, as CDS, there is a terrible sore that your 

predecessors have allowed to fester; reforming 

the character of the average military man or 

woman for the concept of honour; a keen sense 

of ethical conduct: INTEGRITY, to take root. 

In the US, it is easy to guess who is a soldier; 

because of their behaviour, punctuality, sense 

of duty towards others, their readiness to defend 

the underdog, respect for the rule of law and 

those in authority over them, esprit de corps (a 

feeling of pride and mutual loyalty shared by 

the members of a group) and elevated sense of 

integrity. Here esprit de corps is exhibited only 

in a mob attack against a civilian. 

Dear General, the military and paramilitary 

academies destroy the morale of youths 

because the average soldier or policeman is 

worse than the worst civilian in cutting corners, 

in making the quick buck, in telling lies, in 

smoking ganja, in disobeying traffic lights, in 

lawlessness, what lesson has the military learnt 

from the losses suffered in the hands of Boko 

Haram? When USA, after fighting brilliantly 

against Britain in the American War of 

Independence, suffered disgraceful 

losses in the War of 2012, it was time to rejig 

Gen Leo Irabor: Ref 

eform the 

Militar 

ary; coordinate 

operations 

its military. So, Captain Sylvanus Thayer 

approached the Secretary of War, James 

Monroe, in 1815, with his plan. After touring 

Europe for two years, Thayer took charge at 

West Point. The late American journalism 

legend, Jenkin Lloyd Jones in an article titled 

a MAN OF HONOUR, said that Thayer 

“had been thinking about those intangibles 

that separate merely clever fighters from 

great leaders. He had been wondering why 

military history was full of fools for whom 

men would gladly die while abler men 

couldn’t get a following. And he concluded 

that perhaps the difference was honour and 

truth and devotion to duty”. 

From that day, the training at West Point 

changed to bring about “Honour without 

Supervision,” Thayer’s motto. Soon, all 

other military academies copied the change 

at West Point. Yet, we have soldiers who 

suspect that their own commanders, at all 

levels, have short-changed them. So, their 

loyalty and devotion are shallow. Today in 

American military academies, barracks and 

parade grounds “honesty is raised almost 

to a fetish” wrote Jenkins. And Thayer used 

to say: “A cadet does not lie, cheat or steal”. 

Not in Nigeria; here, even Service Chiefs 

have been found guilty of embezzlement. 

Soldiers sell arms to terrorists and betray 

fellow soldiers. Troops suspect officers of 

creaming off their rations or ammo. 

The second reform is that you must 

provide command. You must be a conductor 

of the Nigerian military orchestra. The 

bombing runs of the Air Force must be 

coordinated with the actions of the ground 

forces to cut off and decimate escaping 

terrorists. The intelligence units must 

become fruitful. In a symphony, the rising 

volume of the brass, the increased speed of 

the guitars and violins, the heightening 

kpam kpam dim dim of the drums, the 

crashing of the cymbals, the wailing of the 

trumpets, and the baritone or soprano voice 

or voices are all coordinated to give a 

predetermined effect. So you must coordinate, 

yes, provide command. 

Esprit de corps is one of Henri Fayol’s 14 

administrative principles. The principle states 

that an organisation must make every effort to 

maintain group cohesion in the organisation. It 

notes that dividing your competition is a clever 

tactic, but dividing your own team is a serious 

error. But dear Gen Irabor, there appears to be a 

terrible competition and mutual suspicion 

between the different military arms. 

You may have often read about what the Air 

Force has done to nuetralise bandits or Boko 

Haram insurgents, or what the Army itself has 

done, but have seen relating to a heightened 

collaboration among the various services? Also, 

there appears to be little input from the 

intelligence arms of the military, so insurgents 

abduct school children and receive ransom 

before they release them. This is a cause for shame 

for often, we read or hear about instances or 

accusations of collaborations between soldiers 

and insurgents. Even military and political 

leaders complain about villagers giving real time 

intelligence to vandals to successfully ambush 

troops. But those heartless criminals move from 

their bases, carry out a campaign without the 

police or the military getting any hint. If the 

criminals could recruit and maintain 

informants, why can’t the military? 

In the 1991 Operation Desert Shield, General 

H. Norman Schwarzkopf, was the actual 

Commander-in-Chief, United States Central 

Command, in the Middle East war theater. But 

everyone knew who coordinated all operations; 

sea, air and land; General Colin L. Powell, 

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - though 

his job was really to advise the US President. 

Today the world still talks about the Powel 

Doctrine of war. Give us the Irabor Doctrine, and 

may it consign Boko Haram and banditry into 

history! You were Theatre Commander, 

Operation Lafiya four years ago. So, you know 

you have an urgent job to conclude. 

God’s speed!

SATURDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 20, 2021—21

22 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 

You are multi-talented. 

How do you cope with 

these talents? 

When God gives you talents, 

He equally gives you the will, 

wisdom and knowledge to 

manage them. 

How do you combine your job 

as an actor who could play 

some negative roles with your 

religion or faith? 

My job is different from my 

faith which you chose to call 

religion. As a professional, I am 

supposed to play or act any and 

all roles assigned to me. This 

has nothing to do with my faith 

as a Christian. But I need to 

correct one impression here, 

being religious is different from 

being spiritual. 

You may be religious yet very 

carnal....but once you are 

spiritual, you see things from 

divine point of view. 

You have featured in countless 

movies, which of them is most 

outstanding? 

Life evolves and no 

progressive dwells in the past 

or wants to remain static. Each 

work I do takes me to a bigger 

challenge. It is very difficult for 

me to pick any of my works as 

outstanding because I try to go 

a step further in every job as 

they come....more so, the roles 

differ with each movie. 

I have tried as much as 

possible to maintain a standard 

professionally. I don’t go below 

that standard, instead, I go 

higher. So with such mindset 

on your job, everything comes 

out with a different higher or 

better result. So it is difficult to 

pick. 

Wha 

hat t I tell my 

female admirer 

ers 

when they y make 

advances to me 

— Odunlade Adekola 

*Says: ‘My family is my strength’ 

Multiple award- winning actor, 

Odunlade Adekola is our 

guest this week. In this 

interview with DESMOND 

EKWUEME, he speaks on how Nollywood 

could improve to compete favourably with 

Hollywood and Bollywood. He also talks about 

his career and how his family has been his 

source of strength among other salient issues. 

Excerpts 

Many of the actors on set with 

you refer to you as “Boss”. 

How much of a boss are you 

to them? 

This question should have 

gone to them...and not me. 

However, being a boss and a 

good one for that matter goes 

beyond the job. You must be 

friendly with your colleagues. 

The boss and subordinate 

relationship works better while 

you’re on location or set 

shooting a movie. There must 

be seriousness which boils 

down to professionalism. 

Outside that arena, you see 

yourselves as one big family. 

You should care and concern. 

You must know what’s 

happening to your colleagues 

outside the job. You must know 

how they are faring. You should 

be part of their pains and gains 

so to say. When you keep such 

relationship, it won’t be out of 

place for colleagues to address 

you as Boss. 

Have you groomed actors and 

I am not a husband snatc 

tcher 

her, Ada Ameh cries 

out ...as she makes public appearance after the death of her only child 

Ada Ameh 

By BENJAMIN NJOKU 

Nollywood actress, Ada 

Ameh, was in high 

spirits once again 

during the week, after months 

of mourning her only child, 

Aladi Godgifts, who died in 

October, last year, following 

an unsuccessful surgery in 

Abuja. 

Since her daughter’s 

demise, the star of M-net 

produced TV series 

‘The Johnsons’ has 

refused to be 

consoled, as 

s h e 

continues 

to mourn 

the loss 

of a 

young girl, whom she had at 

the age of 14. 

But at the night of 

tributes,which was held in 

honour of the late movie 

producer, Chico Ejiro, on 

Tuesday, at the National 

Theatre complex, the Idoma, 

Benue State-born actress was 

spotted cracking jokes and 

exchanging pleasantries with 

her colleagues, as if she has 

overcome the painful exit of 

her daughter. It was perhaps, 

her first ever public 

appearance after the death 

and burial of Aladi. 

However. while she was 

having a swell time with her 

colleagues under the popular 

Abegi tree, after the event, 

Onos Morgan ready to take Nigerian 

music scene by storm 

Italy-based Nigerian singer and 

songwriter, 

Onoriode 

Oghenevwogaga popularly known 

as Onos Morgan is banking on his 

recently released debut single, “Alika” 

to break into the Nigerian music scene. 

Onos Morgan teams up with the prolific 

singer, Graham D to serve fans and music 

lovers this well curated record. 

“Alika” happens to be the singer’s first 

project of 2021. The song, already 

available on different digital 

platforms, is said to have the potential 

to top charts in the coming weeks. 

The Delta State-born Afro-pop singer, 

who doubles up as a dancer, relocated 

to Italy in 2015, where he has 

developed his passion for singing. 

He’s all out to take the country’s music 

space by storm, and his debut single 

is his starting point. 

one of her colleagues jokingly 

accused Ada Ameh of being a 

husband snatcher following 

the fact that she was playing 

passionately with one of her 

male colleagues. 

The actress, who’s best 

known for her role as Anita in 

1996 movie titled “Domitilla” 

and as Emu Johnson in the 

award winning sitcom, ‘The 

Johnsons’ quickly denied the 

accusation. “I am not a 

husband snatcher,” she 

enthused. 

Indeed, while the event 

lasted, the popular actress 

was not only lively, but was 

also seen jumping from one 

place to another, reuniting 

with her friends and 

colleagues. 

Onos 

actresses? 

The hallmark of a good leader is to 

groom other leaders. By the grace of God, 

some people have benefitted from my 

tutelage in the industry even as young 

as I am. But I won’t mention names 

because I am still growing and yet to 

reach the point I want. 

Many of your fans describe you as 

ladies man. How do you react to this? 

It depends on what they mean. Yeah if, 

you say ladies like my work or roles 

in movie, I will understand and 

appreciate. 

By ladies man, they 

seem to be talking 

about your look. 

Or haven’t you 

been told by 

your female 

fans that you 

are handsome? 

Oh, sure...and 

I show 

appreciation 

by saying, 

Thank you to 

them. Of 

course, I 

equally thank 

my creator for 

making so. 

Has a lady 

ever made 

advances to 

you? 

It is normal for 

such to happen 

in the western 

world. But in our clime, 

we often see such as an 

abomination or a taboo. 

When a female fan of 

mine makes advances at 

me, I simply thank her, 

then, remind her that I 

am a happy family 

man....and then make 

her to understand that 

she could get my betters 

as there is a good man for every 

good woman. 

How do you combine family 

life with your job as an actor? 

I am always grateful to God for 

the kind of family especially 

wife that He gave to me. When 

you truly have your better half 

as a wife or husband, every 

other thing falls in place. Once 

the home front is at peace, you 

will surely have a sweet and 

smooth sailing career. Beside, 

every successful man there is 

always a virtuous woman and 

vice versa. Truth is my family 

is my strength. 

What is the secret of your 

scandal free career? 

Fear of God and selfdiscipline. 

Temptations will 

come naturally but with the fear 

of God which goes with 

prayers, you will conquer. 

How will you describe 

Nollywood? 

It is an industry with great 

potential. It is growing in leaps 

and bounds...yet it has potential 

to grow more. All we ask for is 

for an enabling environment 

from government to help us 

thrive. 

It would be nice if the 

entertainment industry gets 

greater attention and 

consideration in government 

finances because this is a 

money spinning industry. What 

you invest is what you get. That 

is why Hollywood and 

Bollywood remain on top. They 

have made the movie industry 

in America and India part of 

their income generators. 

Government must equally 

tackle piracy. By this move the 

copyright laws should be 

effectively put to use.


C 

hristina Ozturk, 23, only gave 

birth to one child naturally 

before setting up a programme to 

select multiple surrogate mothers 

and have as many kids as possible. 

A young mum who already has 11 

babies hopes to have dozens more 

using surrogate mothers. 

Christina Ozturk, 23, lives with her 

millionaire hotel owner husband 

Galip Ozturk in the coastal town of 

Batumi in the former Soviet republic 

of Georgia where the practice is 

legal. 

And after 10 babies, including one 

that the mum gave birth to naturally, 

the couple have got the process down 

to a fine art. 

They mentioned on social media 

they wanted at least 105 but later 

admitted that number was a joke. 

All of the potential candidates go 

through counselling and sign legal 

paperwork before becoming 

pregnant with children that are 

genetically from Christina and her 

husband. 

he young mum, who is originally 

from Moscow, Russia, was a single 

mother when she decided to take a 

break to the subtropical paradise 

referred to as the ‘Las Vegas of the 

Black Sea’. 

She said it was love at first sight 

when she met Galip on the first day 

there, and described him as her 

“mentor, guide and fairytale prince 

all rolled into one”. 

For his part, he confirmed it was 

love at first sight as well. “She is so 

easy to be with, she always has a smile 

on her lips and yet at the same time 

is shy and mysterious. 

“She was the kind of wife I always 

wanted for myself, an uncut diamond 

where I saw what a pure and kind 

heart she had,” he said. 

After the meeting things moved 

quickly, with Christina taking her 

little daughter Vika with her and 

moving to Batumi. 

The couple also agreed that they 

wanted as many children as 

possible, but they were ambitious 

and realised quickly that her 

reproductive ability was not enough 

to meet their demands. 

So they decided to get involved in 

using surrogate mothers, which 

works out at a cost of around EUR 

8,000 (£7,000) for everything 

involved. 

She said: “At the moment, I have 

10 children with the latest addition, 

Olivia, who arrived at the end of last 

month. 

08116759759 

Young mum, 23, already has 11 1 kids and 

wants dozens more with wealthy husband 

“I gave birth to my eldest daughter 

Vika myself six years ago. 

“The rest of the children are 

genetically ours from my husband 

and I, but were carried by 

surrogates.” 

On social media they have spoken 

about having 105 children but admit 

this was just a random number. 

She added: “I don’t know how 

many they will eventually be, but we 

certainly don’t plan to stop at 10.” 

She said: “We just not ready to talk 

about the final number. Everything 

has its time.” 

While admitting it is more difficult 

to raise a large family than she 

assumed, she said she had planned 

at first to have a baby every year 

before she learned about surrogacy. 

A clinic deals with the surrogate 

mothers, while Christina and Galip 

monitor health indicators and set a 

meal plan during pregnancy. 

The couple only choose young 

women who have already had at 

least one pregnancy, and have no 

addictions. 

One surrogate had trouble giving 

up the baby but legally had no rights 

and had to hand it over. 

Georgia has allowed surrogacy 

since 1997 as long as the couple 

involved are heterosexual and 

married. 

While still using surrogates, 

Christina has not ruled out having 

other babies herself but said it 

currently not practical while IVF is 

a big strain on her body. 

Christina said people assume she 

has an army of nannies while she 

lives the high life, but claims she 

actually spends all day with her 

children. 

Police officer 

icers s punish teens by y shaving 

off f their eyebr 

ebrow 

ows s after parking fee scam 

Murder Riddle 

A 

HUSBAND who allegedly 

threw his pregnant wife off a 

cliff after posing for a selfie with her 

tried to claim her life insurance and 

took out loans in her name. 

Hakan Aysal, 40, was arrested for 

the murder of his wife Semra Aysal, 

32, and their unborn baby while on 

holiday in Butterfly Valley in Mugla, 

Turkey. 

Prosecutors allege Aysal brutally 

pushed his wife off the 1,000ft cliff so 

that he could cash in on the insurance 

he had taken out on her life. 

The seven-months pregnant 

woman and her unborn child were 

both instantly killed following the 

incident in June 2018. 

The couple had been taking 

pictures on the cliff, and prosecutors 

say the “accident” was in fact murder 

carried out by the husband. 

They claimed his motive was 

cashing in on the insurance he 

previously took out. 

In the indictment prepared for the 

crime of “deliberate murder” 

against the husband, it stated he 

planned the ordeal in order to get 

the guarantee of £40,865 from 

insurance. 

Prosecutors claimed that the only 

reason they sat on top of the cliff for 

three hours was so that he could 

make sure no one was around. 

As soon as he realised they were 

alone, he deliberately killed her by 

pushing her off the cliff, according 

to prosecutors. 

The indictment also noted that 

Aysal had claimed the insurance 

payment a short while later, but it 

was declined when news of the 

investigation was 

unveiled. 

The Fethiye High 

Criminal Court has ruled 

that he be remanded in 

custody for premeditated 

murder. 

In a video interview, the 

court heard from the 

victim’s brother, Naim 

Yolcu, who said: “When we 

went to the Forensic 

Medicine Institute to get 

the body, Hakan was 

sitting in the car. 

“My family and I were 

destroyed, but Hakan did 

not even appear sad.” 

He added: “My sister was always 

against taking out loans. However, 

after she died, we learned that she 

had three loans taken by Hakan on 

behalf of my sister. 

“Also, Hakan had a fear of heights, 

what extreme sport is she going to 

be doing when she is scared of 

heights?” 

Asked about the questionable 

insurance premiums, Aysal said: “I 

have been interested in extreme 

sports since 2014; parachute, 

bungee jumping, rafting. That is why 

I had life insurance before I got 

married.” 

Aysal was also asked about the 

article in the accident personal 

insurance which stated that he was 

the heir if she died. 

Aysal said: “I did not examine the 

policy much. The banker arranged 

the paperwork. 

“I just brought it to my wife to get it 

signed. I was not aware that there 

was such an article.” 

He has denied being responsible 

for her death, saying: “After taking a 

photo, my wife put the phone in her 

bag. 

“Later she asked me to give her the 

phone. I got up and then heard my 

wife scream behind me when I 

walked a few steps away to get the 

phone from her bag. 

he teenagers were demanding 

Tmotorists pay a parking charge 

in a beach side car park in South 

Sulawesi, Indonesia, with the police 

taking the odd step to stop them committing 

the scam again. 

Two teenagers had their eyebrows 

shaved off by police officers as punishment 

for an alleged parking fees 

scam. 

Video footage shows the two boys 

having their brows lopped off by a 

razer after they reportedly admitted 

to extorting money from motorists 

in Indonesia. 

The pair are said to have been ordering 

charges from tourists on a 

road overlooking the Losari Beach 

in South Sulawesi province on October 

31. 

And when the police got involved, 

rather than take them to a police station 

they decided to teach the boys a 

strange lesson. 

One tourist had called the police 

after refusing the teens’ demands, 

who are said to have also threatened 

him. 

Officers eventually found the alleged 

culprits and they are reported 

to have admitted to the scam and 

apologised in front of the motorist. 

Iman Hud, Makassar public order 

chief Back in Makassar, said the 

punishment was supposed to “discourage” 

them from further wrongdoing. 

“The punishment serves as a light 

sanction so that they do not repeat 

their actions,” he said, adding beach 

parking fees were scrapped in 2015 

to help tourism. 

“The two young men forced the 

owner of the vehicle to pay the parking 

fees. They even dared to threaten 

them,” he said. 

The footage shows the bewildered 

kids looking a little distressed as an 

officer in a face mask uses a razor. 

Odd punishments may seem a 

thing of the past, but there are still 

plenty of examples in recent years. 

In Ohio, US, a woman was reportedly 

ordered to spend a night in the 

woods after abandoning 35 kittens 

in a park. 

She was also given the choice of 

jail, house arrest or a large charitable 

donation, but opted to stay overnight 

in the woods with just the 

clothes on her back. 

The same judge had reportedly 

also ordered a man to stand on a 

street corner with a pig and a sign 

saying “This is not a police officer” 

after calling some officers pigs.


bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 

Romance - The great stress buster! 

(Valentine’s Day Special) 

To renounce your 

individuality completely, 

to see with another’s 

eyes, to hear with 

another’s ears, to be two, and 

yet, but one, to so melt and mingle 

that you no longer know you are 

you or another, to constantly 

absorb and constantly radiate, to 

double your personality in 

bestowing it – that is love” - 

Theophile Gauter. 

“Few things”, said Alain, a 

chronic romantic; “can rival 

stumbling bleary-eyed on the 

morning mail and finding a letter 

bearing the handwriting of your 

beloved. I imagine tearing open 

the envelope and being caressed 

by a flow of prose, full of tender 

compliments, unambiguous 

sentiment and courageous 

displays of affection. He misses 

you; he can think of nothing else 

or no one else but you. He 

stumbles to find the right words. 

He could never bring himself to 

say it before, but yes, you are his 

flower, his Venus, his honey pie. 

He longs to hold you in his arms 

to kiss the nape of your neck and 

caress your eye-brows till the end 

of time...” 

My God! Can this be the same 

tongue tied character who 

yesterday would rather have 

climbed Everest than say, “I 

missed you?” Who would have 

thought that beneath this exterior 

lurked a most passionate and 

sensual wordsmith? 

It’s St. Valentine’s season once 

again dear readers. Yes, romance 

ought to be in the air. This hasn’t 

been a particularly happy year 

so far. What with the aftermath 

of political and non-political 

shenanigans, the ASUU sixmonth 

strike actions and your 

stress over how you’re going to 

pay that huge over draft you 

wheedled but of your 

disapproving bank manager to 

pay yet another batch of school 

fees? But optimistic we should 

be and the year is not ended yet. 

Who knows what pleasant 

surprise these adventures that 

are our leaders have up their 

sleeves for us? 

So cheer up then! I’ve gone 

through my archives with a tooth 

comb to bring you few of the best 

passionate letters that spanned 

three centuries. So, sit back and 

enjoy them! Should take your 

mind off the seething rage you 

now feel! 

Remember the French warrior, 

Napoleon Bonaparte and his 

Waterloo fiasco? Beneath his 

warring heart apparently beat a 

very romantic and passionate 

one: In 1776, he wrote the love 

of his life, Josephine: “I have not 

spent a day without loving you; 

I have not spent a night without 

embracing you; I have not drunk 

a single cup of tea without 

cursing the pride and ambition 

which force me to remain 

separated from the moving spirit 

of my life. In the midst of my 

cities, whether I’m at the head of 

my, army or inspecting the 

camps, my beloved Josephine 

stands alone in my heart, 

occupies my mind, fills my 

thoughts. If am moving away 

from you with the speed of the 

Rhone torrent, it is only that I 

may see you again more quickly. 

“Dear Nora”, wrote James 

Joyce, the author of classics like 

Ulysses and The Portrait of the 

Artist As A Young Man, in 1904: 

“I came in at half past eleven, 

since then I have been sitting in 

an easy chair like a fool. I could 

do nothing. I hear nothing but 

your voice... I am like a fool, 

hearing you call me “dear”. 

“When I am with you, I leave 

aside my contemptuous, 

suspicious nature. I wish I felt 

your head on my shoulder. I 

think I will go to bed...” 

Zelda Sayre, fiancé of Scott 

Fitzgeralf wrote in 1919 before 

they got married: 

“Sweetheart, please don’t be 

so depressed. We’ll be married 

soon and then these lonesome 

nights will be over for ever – 

Scott, there’s nothing in all the 

world I want but you and your 

precious love... I would do 

anything to keep your heart for 

my own. I don’t want to live, I 

want to love first, and live 

incidentally. Don’t ever think of 

the things you can’t give me; you 

have trusted me with the dearest 

heart of all and it is so damn 

much more than anybody else 

in all the world has ever had...” 

Franz Liszi, whose lover Marie 

d’ Agoult, left her husband to 

elope with him wrote her this: 

“My heart overflows with 

emotion and joy! I do not know 

what heavenly languor, what 

infinite pleasure permeates it 

and burns me up. It is as if I 

have never loved!!!. Tell me, 

whence these uncanny 

disturbances spring, these 

inexpressible foretastes of 

delight, these divine tremors of 

love... All this can only be, is 

surely nothing less than a gentle 

ray screaming from your fiery 

soul, or else, some secret 

pregnant tear-drop which you 

have long since left in my breast. 

“Marie! Marie! Oh, let me 

repeat that name a hundred 

times over; for three days now, it 

has lived within me, oppressed 

me, set me afire ... Oh! Leave 

me free, to rave in my delirium. 

Drab, tame, constricting reality 

is no longer enough for me. We 

must live our life to the full, living 

and suffering to extremes! This 

is to be! To be!!!” 

Another literary giant, John 

Keats in 1819, wrote his 

heartthrob, Fanny Brawne: 

“Even when I’m not thinking of 

you, I receive your influence and 

tenderer nature stealing upon 

me. All my thoughts, my 

unhappiest days and nights 

have I found not at all cured of 

my love of beauty, but made it so 

intense that I am miserable that 

you are not with me or rather I 

Good fortunes can actually come your way 

Forget four-leaf clovers, 

horse-shoes, and lucky 

charms – “If you want good 

fortune to smile on you, all 

you need to do is get into a 

lucky frame of mind, then sit 

back and enjoy as everything 

starts going your way...” 

advises Professor R. Wiseman 

in his book: The Lucky factor. 

Here are some of the steps he 

recommends to help you find 

your lucky self: 

Step 1: Reset your mind: 

The first step on the road to 

good fortune is to programme 

your mind to think of yourself 

as fortunate. Start, by 

resisting the temptation to 

relive your past failures and 

worries. Many of us do this, 

but all it achieves is to blind 

you to any good coming your 

way. Lucky people get things 

in perspective, look for 

opportunities in a disaster and 

focus on the future. 

Try this: ‘Refraining’ is a 

technique often employed by 

psychotherapists to help 

clients get positive 

perspective. It involves 

placing an experience that 

you’re viewing negatively 

into another frame, which still 

fits the facts of the situation 

equally well or even better, 

but changes its entire 

meaning. 

So if, for example, you were 

unsuccessful in a job 

interview, instead of 

concluding that you’re always 

unlucky, congratulate yourself 

on getting an interview and 

consider the positive things 

that have come out of it. 

Step 2: Pat yourself on the 

back: Professor Wiseman’s 

studies show that successful 

people don’t assume their 

winning catch in a netball 

game was due to change – 

they put it down to their skill. 

So don’t tell yourself that 

what you’ve achieved is a 

fluke; think of it as an 

example of your ability. 

Try this: Wiseman 

recommends keeping a luck 

‘Journal’, where you note 

down all the good things that 

have happened to you along 

with how you’ve influenced 

the outcome. So, for example, 

it might be that you looked 

great in a pair of jeans you’ve 

just bought (because you’ve 

been to the gym regularly). 

Step 3: Look Lucky: Lucky 

people expect, and are always 

open to good fortune, which 

radiates from the way they 

carry themselves. Make 

yourself one of them by 

mimicking their body 

language. 

Folded arms hunched 

shoulders and lack of eye 

contact are all clear signals 

that you’re feeling 

uncomfortable, which won’t 

make people warm to you. 

Instead, look up and around 

and smile – how else are you 

going to get lucky in love if 

you miss the opportunity to 

catch the eye of the handsome 

guy at the bar? 

Try this: If you find yourself 

worried about making a fool 

of yourself, or messing up, 

Wiseman suggests creating 

your own lucky mantra. Start 

and end each day by 

repeating a sentence that 

makes you feel positive such 

as, “Things are going to go 

my way.” Soon, it will filter 

into your subconscious and 

become part of the way you 

perceive yourself, and a 

natural part of how you 

interact with others.” 

Step 4:Become a social 

butterfly: Lucky people have 

broader social networks than 

others, which increases the 

chances of them having lucky 

encounters,” says Professor 

Wiseman. “We asked 

thousands of people to 

classify themselves as either 

lucky, neutral (neither lucky 

nor unlucky), or unlucky. 

Next, they were presented 

with a list of 15 common 

British surnames and asked to 

indicate whether they were on 

first-name terms with at least 

one person for each surname. 

The results were dramatic and 

demonstrated the huge 

relationship between lucky 

and social connectivity. 

breathe in that dull sort of 

patience that cannot be called life. 

I never knew before what such a 

love as you have made me feel 

was; I did not believe in it, my 

fancy was afraid of it lest it should 

bum me up... I would never see 

nothing but pleasure in your 

eyes, love on your tips, and 

happiness in your steps...” 

Our last letter is from an 

unknown housewife who could 

compete with the best wordsmith 

any day. She wrote her husband. 

“It’s been fifteen years now since 

I became your wife. I never got 

a diamond, but I got a wonderful 

life. I’ve become a wealthy 

woman, have riches without 

price. You’ve given me beautiful 

children, not just once, not twice, 

but thrice. 

“You’re there to boost my ego, 

and help my confidence grow. 

I’ve become a better person, with 

your love for me, I know. Yes, 

I’m a wealthy woman. I’ve riches 

beyond measure. I don’t need 

valentine present. You are my 

greatest treasure”. 

Still deliberating on St. 

Valentine’s Day, do you know that 

Valentine card originated 

through St. Valentine, a third 

century Christian who was 

martyred on 14 th February in 

AD270? During imprisonment, 

he restored the sight of his 

gaoler’s daughter, and on the eve 

of his execution, sent her a 

farewell note, signing it ‘from 

your Valentine.’ 

The custom of sending 

Valentine cards was later revived 

in 1926 by Lady Jeanette Tuck, 

the wife of the greetings card 

planner, Sir Adoph Tuck. She 

realised that the Victorian lady, 

no longer young and a little 

unhappy with the pace of the 

twenties, would welcome the 

opportunity to send a courtly 

token of affection to someone she 

loved. The custom has since 

gone from strength to strength! 

So, this is hoping that you will 

all have a lovely celebration of 

love, (and life, come to think of 

it!). With naughty smiles on your 

face remembering that: “Nature 

couldn’t make us perfect, so, she 

did the best thing – she made us 

blind to our faults, just as love is 

blind to the faults of the one upon 

whom it is bestowed”.


Abefe has finally been dislodged from 

her exalted position as the Queen of 

the Manor. The one who reigned 

supreme until the most brutal and unkind 

dethronement recently, as the official 

matriarch of the family, has been pushed off 

the top of the ladder. In the most intriguing 

and damning manner, Abefe is no longer 

the one to be referred to as “Madam” by all. 

She can no longer determine who gets what 

and when it is due to them, of her husband’s 

wealth and connections. No more is she the 

woman to whom all the PR and patronages 

for oga’s favours must be deposited. For, at 

the height of her reign, you might not be 

able to see oga, either at home or in the office 

without her consent. As the official Mrs., She 

attended all the social and official functions, 

even registering her presence with or without 

her husband in tow. As “Emi-oga”, Abefe 

was the all in all of the title and all it entails. 

But like a flash of lightning, Abefe’s world 

had come crashing down all around her. In 

a twinkle of an eye, everything she had come 

to identify as her own, right or wrong was 

snatched from her, leaving her in a state of 

shock and bewilderment. As the reality of 

what has transpired right before her eyes 

dawned on Abefe, the once exalted queen of 

the manor, has found herself desolate, alone 

and bereft of the will to live. For without her 

king, she is nought. Now, weeks after, Abefe 

looks like one in mourning, only that the 

one for whom she mourns is still alive, hale 

and hearty but lost to her now cold arms. 

Her king has acquired a new queen. This 

one, much younger, more beautiful and 

classy, better educated, exotic to behold, soft 

to the touch, above all, is still very flexible at 

the joints and knows how to tickle the king’s 

fanny, such that Abefe is no longer top on his 

list of pleasure items. Abefe no longer gave 

him the kind of pleasures this younger, 

beautiful arm candy does. Yes, she made him 

feel young, needed as a child needs her 

loving daddy to care for her. The young 

Yetunde Arebi 

The fall of Abefe’s 

kingdom 

lady’s hopes, safety and happiness depends 

of Abefe’s king and he was going to give her 

his cover, openly and officially. Only Abefe 

could come against his wishes and he was 

prepared to sacrifice her 

and all they’d shared in 

over 20 years. The die was 

cast. Abefe just had to take 

the fall, so he could move 

on with his quest for the 

desires of the heart and the 

pleasures on the loins. 

Abefe, now thrown from 

grace to grace battles with 

humiliation, her pride and 

honour snatched away, she 

desires nothing except for 

the ground to open up and 

swallow her. She thinks 

that death is better than the 

shame she is going 

through. Better than the 

segregation she will suffer 

from the circle of honoured 

For in Nigeria, 

you only need to 

have the right 

connection and 

not necessarily 

what good you 

have to offer 

Stanford Wives’ 

Association. Better that the 

exclusion from creme de la 

creme of high society 

parties and functions. Yeah, better than being 

subject to the questioning gazes of people 

once regarded as friends, trying to figure 

out if all she’d been accused of are indeed 

true. And better than stand by, out in the 

cold, to watch as a little slip of a girl mount 

her throne to fit perfectly into her shoes. 

Had anyone informed Abefe that her 

throne was under threat by another 

devouring female a couple of years back, 

she would have scorned it 

off as anyone as sure of her 

position ought to. For Abefe 

was sure that her king had 

reached his final destination 

in the journey of life and love. 

At close to three scores and 

ten, was there anything 

extraordinary to be 

searching for on the love 

track? All he needed was 

some stability in his life to 

enable him enjoy his wealth 

and status in society. So, with 

respect, she’d ‘mummied’ 

him into boredom, packing 

his lunch and cleaning his 

mess after him in silence. For 

her king did mess up a lot, 

not sparing maids and 

nieces in the trail of his 

rampaging libido. All these 

she’d endured for the sake 

of the throne, dragging her 

family along on the journey of emotional 

and sexual abuse. A sacrifice now in vain. 

However, Abefe is not as innocent as she 

appears. Nay, Abefe has only fallen by the 

sword she’d once wielded against another 

as herself. She has only been given a dose 

Twitter: @yetundearebi 

yetty5050@yahoo.co.uk 

08054700825 

of her own medicine, only this time, a more 

potent brand. For Abefe was not the first 

queen to mount the throne of honour as Mrs. 

Her king once had a Queen with whom he’d 

started life’s journey back in their rustic 

village. She was once his girl in the days of 

their youth, back in the dark ages when 

neither of them knew not what laid ahead. 

She later became his woman and finally 

wife with whom he bore four blessed 

children, male and female of equal 

numbers. Together, they’d struggled to 

raise their young family, created wealth and 

dreamt of the good life happily ever after. 

The good life did come. For in Nigeria, 

you only need to have the right connection 

and not necessarily what good you have to 

offer. 

The connections bought positions, power 

and wealth. Alas, it also brought along pain. 

Abefe was one of the women who walked 

into the palace another had built with her 

sweat and blood and quickly decided to 

covet it for herself. Smitten with her beauty, 

youth and social lifestyle, a once devoted 

lover, husband and father soon became 

estranged from the wife of his youth, and a 

stranger to his helpless children. He found 

every reason in the book to convince their 

family and friends that his once best friend 

had become an enemy who wished him no 

good. The queen went from pillar to post, 

deploring missiles and emissaries to her aid 

in a bid to secure her palace. Only, it was 

too late. 

Abefe’s wiles were too sophisticated to be 

ignored and the king’s heart had been 

captured. Thus, Abefe reigned for over 20 

years after the banishment of the first queen. 

It is now Abefe’s turn to be banished from 

the palace. This time, in a more vicious and 

well articulated plot. Abefe was led out of 

the palace in handcuffs on trumped up 

charges of attempted murder of the king. 

What a world! Let him that thinks he stands, 

take heed. 

Do have a wonderful weekend!! 

OKONJO-IWEALA: Hope rises for global 

trade accord 

By Victoria Ojeme 

Prior to Monday’s announcement of 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the new Di 

rector-General of the World Trade Organisation, 

it was not clear who would be the 

next DG following the impasse orchestrated 

by former U.S President, Donald Trump’s administration 

decision not to support the election 

of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. 

While Okonjo secured the support of 110 of 

the 164 member countries and was set to defeat 

South Korea’s trade minister, Yoo Myunghee 

at the final stage of the race on October 

28th, the United States opposed her candidacy. 

However, things took a new turn after Yoo 

Myung-Hee of South Korea, withdrew from 

the race, leaving just Okonjo-Iweala as the sole 

candidate. 

Okonjo-Iweala, was appointed the head of 

WTO by representatives of the 164 member 

countries, according to a statement from the 

body. 

The appointment came after new U.S. President 

Joe Biden endorsed her candidacy, which 

had been blocked by Trump. 

Biden’s move was a step toward his aim of 

supporting more cooperative approaches to 

international problems after Trump’s “America 

first” approach that launched multiple 

trade disputes. 

Okonjo-Iweala is actively involved in mobilizing 

financial support in the fight against 

COVID-19 as African Union’s (AU) Special 

Envoy and a Special Envoy to mobilize International 

Health Organization’s Access to 

COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. 

According to Wendy Cutler, the Vice President 

of the Asia Society Policy Institute, Washington 

DC, “by lifting the US reservation on 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for director-general, Joe 

Biden stands to gain immediate international 

goodwill.” 

The WTO’s decline accelerated dramatically 

over the past four years, with the United States 

retreating from leadership, the US–China trade 

war spilling over to Geneva, and the many 

excessive trade restrictions imposed worldwide 

through the COVID-19 crisis. With Director- 

General Roberto Azevedo’s early departure, 

the WTO leadership transition has since been 

less than smooth, with no one serving in an 

•Okonjo-Iweala 

acting capacity and the United States blocking 

consensus on a new director-general. 

There are still glimmers of hope. Middle 

powers have undertaken important work, such 

as the recent statement on trade and health 

issued by Canada, the European Union, Japan, 

Australia and others. Biden has also emphasised 

the importance of working with allies 

and partners and through international 

organisations to achieve US foreign and economic 

policy objectives. And it is hoped that 

Okonjo-Iweala’s selection will set Nigeria 

ahead in the International community. 

Okonjo-Iweala has emphasised her experience 

fighting COVID-19 as her strong suit. As 

head of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and 

Immunizations (GAVI) she understands the 

importance of open trade so that vital supplies 

can get to where they are needed. 

During her campaign, she promised to empower 

the WTO’s secretariat. Some analysts 

say that could be controversial as some members 

will resist what they see as a threat to their 

power over negotiations. But it could also help 

poorer countries, some of which lack the capacity 

to draft proposals on their own, making 

it hard to participate in talks. Her political 

clout will be useful too. If the problems of the 

global trading system were purely technical, 

“they would have been solved long ago”, she 

told members in July. 

The Economist suggests that Okonjo-Iweala’s 

success would also say something about 

the geopolitics of trade. China rejected Ms 

Myung-hee which allows it to keep its deputydirector-general 

spot. (Historically, jobs have 

been divvied up among regions.) Japan’s nasty 

trade dispute with South Korea makes it 

unlikely to support Ms Myung-hee. Brazil, a 

big exporter of farm products, may have been 

put off by South Korea’s membership of the 

G10 group of countries, which staunchly defends 

agricultural subsidies. Indeed, the agreement 

on the next director-general was born 

from a host of disagreements. 

Former colleagues of Okonjo-Iweala 

also believe she is 

well-suited for the position. 

“Ngozi is one of the most qualified 

people for that particular 

post she vied for. So I wish her 

well in terms of the final decision,” 

Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, 

a former minister of national 

planning, told DW. 

Okonjo-Iweala and Usman 

had served alongside each other 

as ministers under Nigerian 

President Goodluck Jonathan 

in 2011. Before taking up the 

Cabinet portfolio, Okonjo- 

Iweala had resigned at the 

World Bank, where she served 

for 25 years. 

An internal memo, addressed 

to World Bank employees on 

July 8, 2011, seen by DW, notes 

that Okonjo-Iweala had played an exceptional 

role there. Bob Zoellick, the World Bank’s 

president at the time, wrote that her contribution 

had been stellar. 

“Along with her oversight of the bank’s work 

in Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia, 

and Human Resources, Ngozi has played a 

pivotal role in overseeing the Bank’s work to 

help countries hurt by high and volatile food 

prices,” Zoellick wrote in the memo. “As you 

are aware, with Ngozi’s leadership, we put together 

a food crisis response fund to allow for 

fast assistance to countries in need. It has helped 

more than 40 million people in 44 countries.” 

“I know that she will discharge her duties 

very well as she has done in a lot of jobs she has 

held before,” Usman said of his former colleague. 

Okonjo-Iweala will have her work cut out 

for her particularly in terms of the ongoing 

dispute between the US and China. She will 

become the first African and the first woman 

The appointment 

came after new 

U.S. President Joe 

Biden endorsed 

her candidacy, 

which had been 

blocked by Trump 

to hold the top position at the WTO. 

“I see her appointment as a validation of 

African women’s competency and leadership 

skills, and of African women’s excelling despite 

the systematic hurdles and obstacles facing 

them,” Fadumo Dayib, the first female 

Somali presidential candidate, told DW. 

Dayib added that the choice of Okonjo-Iweala 

is a sign that “the tide is turning in favour of 

competent women and it’s about time that 

happened.” 

Nigerian economist Tunji Andrews agrees 

with Dayib. He says the international community 

has finally realized that Africans can sit at 

the table with global powers. 

“Many people across the world will start to 

say, let’s put more Africans in such roles, not 

just roles of peacekeeping, but roles of intellectual 

capacity and roles of pedigree.” 

Although Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala 

will make history by becoming 

the first female and black African 

to lead WTO, Amara Nwankpa 

says his fellow Nigerian brings 

more than just “diversity and inclusion” 

to the world stage. 

“I’m optimistic that her impact 

on global trade will be positive, 

given that her antecedents suggest 

that she’s passionately committed 

to reducing inequality, poverty, 

and corruption across the 

world,” Nwankpa, director of 

Public Policy Initiative at Shehu 

Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, 

a Nigerian nonprofit that is 

committed to promoting national 

unity and good governance, 

told DW. 

During her second term as finance minister, 

Okonjo-Iweala was “credited with developing 

reform programs that helped improve 

governmental transparency and stabilize 

the economy,” according to the US business 

magazine Forbes, which ranked her No. 

48 in the world’s top 50 “Power Women” in 

2015. 

The Harvard-educated economist holds 

a Ph.D. from MIT and chairs the Gavi 

board, a global vaccine alliance instrumental 

in ensuring that developing countries 

have much-needed access to COV- 

ID-19 vaccines. 

Nwankpa says her background shows 

that “she brings to this job impressive skills 

in international negotiations and leadership 

capacity to confront the key challenges currently 

facing the planet.” 

“She’s exactly the person that the world needs 

at the helm of international trade in these turbulent 

times,” he added.

26 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 

CALL ON UNARMED NIGERIANS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES: 

Magashi, defence 

minister under fire 

•He should’ve been fired by now – Gbagi, HM Ayemi-Botu, HRM Whiskey 

•YCE, Afenifere, Agbekoya blast him 

•Magashi said nothing wrong - Brig-Gen. Ikponmwen (retd) 

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South; Dapo Akinrefon & 

Rotimi Ojomoyela 

MINISTER of Defence, General Bashir Magashi, faced barrage of criticisms, weekend, 

over his proclamation that weaponless Nigerians should defend themselves against 

bandits. 

Angry reactions have continued to trail the remarks credited to the Minister of Defence, Maj. 

Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd) asking Nigerians to defend themselves whenever they were attacked 

by bandits and other criminal elements. 

The Minister of Defence, while reacting to the kidnap of students in Niger State had tasked 

Nigerians to defend themselves. 

In their separate reactions, the Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, the pan-Yoruba socio-political 

organisation, Afenifere and Agbekoya Farmers’ Association, yesterday, berated the minister 

over his remarks. 

•Magashi 

His statement is 

embarrassing —YCE 

The Secretary General of the YCE, Dr. Kunle 

Olajide, said, “I’m not happy about it at all, 

because the Minister of Defence is supposed 

to be the Chief Defence Officer for all 

Nigerians and the territorial integrity of the 

country and if he now calls all us to rise up 

and defend ourselves it means that he is 

throwing up his hands in despair, that he can 

no longer protect us and that the government 

is no longer interested in protecting us. So 

anybody who wants to live should find other 

means of protecting himself or herself. And 

that is particularly more embarrassing in a 

country where it is unlawful to purchase and 

carry fire arms. So, he is literally calling on 

Nigerians to violate the law of this country 

and go and look for fire arms anywhere they 

can get it to protect themselves. 

“It is as if there is no government in place, I 

have been expecting our legislators, both at 

the state and national level, and our governors 

to rise up and challenge him and call the 

attention of the president to such statement 

which is an abdication of responsibility.” 

Should we attack with bare 

hands against AK-47? 

—Afenifere 

In its own reaction, the Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical 

organisation, Afenifere, lampooned 

the minister for making such remarks. 

Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka 

Odumakin said: “We are not impressed with 

that deception. To defend ourselves with bare 

hands against AK47? When the people are 

ready, they will see.” 

It’s a licence to carry 

firearms — Agbekoya 

Farmers’ Society 

Also, the Agbekoya Farmers Society, said 

such remark has given Nigerians licence to 

carry fire arms. 

Agbekoya’s National Publicity Secretary, 

Mr. Adetunji Bandele said: “The position of 

Agbekoya on this is that, the government and 

security agencies in Nigeria have lost the battle 

against insurgency, banditry and kidnapping. 

The minister of defense has given green light 

to Nigerians to carry fire arms and weapons 

to defend themselves. Such a statement 

coming out from the minister of defense is an 

indication that the federal government is 

supporting the criminal Fulani herdsmen to 

carry AK47.” 

It’s official endorsement of 

self defence—S-West security 

stakeholders 

On its part, the South-West Security 

Stakeholders said the minister’s statement was 

an official endorsement of self-defence. In a 

communique issued after its security summit, 

which was convened by the Aare Ona Kakanfo 

of Yoruba Land, Iba Gani Adams, the summit 

faulted the minister’s remarks. 

The summit was attended by members of 

the Oodua Peoples Congress, Agbekoya, 

Hunters Group, Isokan Ile Yoruba, Vigilante 

Group of Nigeria (JAHUN), Vigilante Group 

of Nigeria, Ibarapa Group and Community 

Society Awareness Initiative. 

According to their communique, “the 

meeting noted the exasperation inherent in 

the statement of the Minister of Defence of the 

nation calling on Nigerians to defend 

themselves. This is clearly official 

endorsement of self defence. The meeting 

feared that the situation, if not addressed, 

signals a grievous national crisis. The meeting 

therefore called on the government to quickly 

arrest the apparent descent into anarchy. 

“The meeting aligned with the call of the 

governors of South West that President 

Muhammadu Buhari should prove his 

innocence in the carnage being perpetrated 

by herders by not only unambiguously 

condemning the nefarious acts but also take 

clear steps to exterminate it. 

Defence minister should’ve 

lost his job by now – Gbagi 

Criminologist and former Minister of State 

(Education), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, 

expressed surprise at the implication of the 

minister’s declaration just as a retired military 

officer and paramount ruler of Seimbiri 

Kingdom, Delta State, HM Charles Ayemi- 

Botu found the proclamation unacceptable. 

However, former Provost Marshal, 

Nigerian Army, Brig Gen Don Idada 

Ikponmwen (retd.) said the minister should 

not be crucified for voicing the palpable truth. 

Olorogun Gbagi who spoke to Saturday 

Vanguard on phone, said: 

“Asking Nigerians to defend 

themselves, my immediate 

reaction is that could that 

actually have come from the 

Minister of Defence of 

Nigeria, will that 

automatically not remove 

him from that office by any 

standard of measurement in 

the world. Is it possible for a 

man who is supposed to be 

coordinating the agencies 

of security in the country to 

make such a statement. That 

statement by itself is 

disturbing to the diplomatic 

world, disturbing to 

investors, disturbing to 

people that have any reason 

to have anything to do with 

this country, disturbing to 

what the flag represents to 

the entire fabric of this 

country. 

“I find it unacceptable and unbelievable that 

the Minister of Defence can ask Nigerians to 

handle their own security by themselves. It is 

a grand failure, accepting that that nation has 

collapsed and indication that there is no more 

government.” 

“If the Minister of Defence made that 

statement, it is a serious confirmation of what 

The minister of 

defense has given 

green light to 

Nigerians to carry 

fire arms and 

weapons to 

defend 

themselves 

people like General Theophilus Danjuma 

(retd), Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state 

and people all over the country have said, even 

President Muhammadu Buhari alluded 

partially to it. But coming from the Defence 

Minister, it speaks volume not just to Nigerians 

but the entire world. Anarchy is what has been 

spelt out as the position we find ourselves in 

the country. 

“As a criminologist, I am disturbed that a 

statement such as this is credited to the defence 

minister of the federal government, I think 

this calls for serious discussion and to go to 

the drawing board - as to where we got it 

wrong, as to who are benefiting from these 

hoodlums, as to who are taking advantage of 

the country and its resources and creating this 

mayhem. As I said five years ago, I do not see 

why the military apparatus should not move 

to exterminate this mess we have found 

ourselves. But for the defence minister to 

accept, which again is a blatant truth of the 

situation on ground, we need to decide as a 

people where we go from here. The man whose 

duty to protect us has spoken, we have to decide 

as people and as a country whatever it will 

take for us to go forward,” he said. 

Resign or be sacked 

– HM Ayemi-Botu 

Retired army officer, HRM Ayemi-Botu, 

said: “The Minister of Defence has made total 

mockery of himself and the President who 

appointed him as Defence Minister and the 

entire nation that he is incapable and not 

qualified to be appointed to such sensitive and 

very important ministry.” 

“No wonder the entire security architecture 

in Nigeria has failed or better still collapsed. 

To tell Nigerians to defend 

themselves is a clear 

demonstration that he has 

surrendered the country to the 

insurgents and he should 

resign immediately if Buhari 

does not sack him within the 

next 24 hours. 

“It is very shameful for this 

unguarded statement 

coming from the minister, 

taking into cognizance the 

numerous deaths recorded on 

a daily basis and the security 

situation that is at the brink 

of collapse and the Senate 

asking the President to 

declare a state of emergency. 

But the question that is 

begging for answer is where 

is the National Security 

Adviser? In developed 

countries when the service 

chiefs were shown the way out, 

both the Minister of Defence 

and the National Security Adviser would have 

equally been sacked. But ‘Baba Go Slow’ is 

taking his time until the entire country is 

invaded, overrun and overwhelmed by the 

tripod of Boko Haram, combined team of 

foreign and indigenous Fulani killerherdsmen 

and bandits unabatedly 

rampaging, raiding, kidnapping, taking 

hostage innocent students who are our future 

leaders throughout the length and breadth of 

Nigeria,” the monarch added. 

Govt should issue firearm 

license to Nigerians - HRM 

Whiskey 

Security advocate, HRM Whiskey informed 

Saturday Vanguard that: “The statement by 

the defence minister has more security 

implication on the general security 

architecture of the nation. Firstly, is the defence 

minister accepting that our security operatives 

have been overwhelmed by bandits? Or is he 

advocating for individual arms for defenseless 

Nigerians who are being killed like chickens 

in their farms?” 

“If the two questions have affirmative 

answers, then let government start the issuance 

of permit for guns ownership. On the other hand, 

if the defence minister is encouraging our 

populace to defend themselves without arms 

against heavily armed bandits, then he must be 

encouraging our unarmed Nigerians to embark 

on a suicidal mission which will result in a journey 

of return. 

“The country must now sit down and review 

the general security architecture of the country 

as evidence are now available that most of these 

deadly bandits are foreigners and if that is 

correct, the Federal Government must rise 

swiftly and deal decisively with all foreign 

bandits and their collaborators so that Nigeria 

and Nigerians will enjoy their peaceful life 

once again,” the monarch stated. 

We are not in state of 

hopelessness – Ikponmwen, 

ex-Army Provost Marshal 

Brig- Gen Ikponmwen, who is also a lawyer 

asserted: “I would like to start by saying that 

this is not the first time in recent times that 

pronouncement such as this has been made. 

Gen Danjuma once spoke in the same vein. 

His statement was applauded by some 

people while others criticized him. Now, the 

follow up question is how and when did we get 

to this point of apparent breakdown of security? 

One cannot proffer answer to this poser without 

first having a meaningful appraisal of the right 

to selfdefense on one hand and the doctrine of 

social contract on the other hand. Right to selfdefense 

can simply be defined as the right to 

prevent being a victim of force or violence 

through the use of a sufficient level of 

counteracting force or violence. It is an inherent 

right to use force in response to an armed attack. 

Originally, there was no restriction to anybody’s 

effort to defend his life and property. 

“So it was until the advent of social contract 

doctrine which concept originated during the 

age of enlightenment and usually concerned 

the legitimacy of the authority of the state over 

the individual. Social contract arguments 

typically posit that individuals have consented 

either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some 

of their freedoms and submit to a central 

authority in exchange for protection of their 

remaining rights for the maintenance of social 

order.

Trade Ministr 

try to support t SMEs as more 

than 700 benefit from P&G, BoI Academy 

Stories by Moses Nosike 

he Federal Ministry of industry, 

T Trade and Investment (FMITI) 

said it is committed to providing 

Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) 

the required support and trainings 

as over 700 (SMEs) benefit from the 

P&G-BoI SME Academy. 

Speaking, the Vice President, 

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who 

delivered the keynote address at the 

webinar program titled: ‘SME 

Development and Growth as a 

Precursor to Nation Building’ said: 

“The Federal Government believes 

wholeheartedly that SMEs are the 

bedrock of the economy and we are 

constantly aiming to support 

innovations that can help SMEs 

grow and in turn groom the 

economy and provide job 

opportunities. 

The government has been 

working diligently and creatively on 

engaging the most vulnerable 

businesses especially during this 

current crisis. We thank P&G and 

BoI for this proactive initiative 

In order to bring about the 

desired social values of human 

life and build the Nigerian children 

to a responsible adults, Indian 

Christian Congregation has 

initiated a charity outreach of its 

ministry, ‘Abraham Children’ as an 

avenue to the Nigerian child 

especially the most needy ones 

among us. 

According to the General 

Overseer, Indian Christian 

Congregation, Santhosh Abraham, 

Abrahams Children is an initiative 

which was developed as part of the 

charity outreach ministry of the 

Indian Christian Congregation. 

“The purpose of this programme was 

to partially support needy Nigerian 

children between the age group of 4 

and 14 to provide sound Biblical 

and social values of human life and 

build them up as responsible adults 

who can contribute to the future of 

Nigeria. We are also open to work 

as a channel of blessings for some 

overseas ministries who would like 

to contribute into the lives of such 

needy Nigerian children. 

On how ICC initiated ‘Abraham 

Children’, Santhosh said, “In 2020 

designed to ensure a better 

Nigeria”. 

In addition, the Minister for 

Industry, Trade and Investment, 

Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo reiterated 

the need to create a favorable 

business environment for SMEs in 

Nigeria: “The FMITI is committed 

to providing SMEs the required 

support and trainings needed to 

Do Nigerians really have money in Pension? 

There is a popular 

misconception about saving 

for the future, particularly through 

pension schemes. Those who save 

for the future start to count their lose 

at the point of making those savings 

giving a number of factors, hence, it 

is a wise decision to rather invest for 

the future. 

According to a real estate 

investment Analyst, Munachino 

Obinna eze this article is to enlighten 

Nigerians on finance and value of 

money saved or sometimes invested. 

“I will start this article by talking 

about pension savings, how it works, 

its stated benefits and the negative 

part which you are yet to be informed 

about. Even though I don’t like 

talking about the negative aspect of 

a subject, on the contrary, it is 

important to make smart decisions. 

More certainly, there is always a 

light at the end of the tunnel. 

As people develop through their 

lifetime they have an expectation 

that a time will come when they will 

have to retire. For some people, 

pension is sufficient to provide a 

basic level of income. 

Results from research studies 

revealed that complete retirement 

leads to a 5-16 percent increase in 

difficulties associated with mobility 

•Fourth from right is James Useghan with friends at the media lauch of his 

book; ‘The Competent Youth’ recently in Lagos. 

•Munachino Obinna Eze 

and daily activities, a 5-6 percent 

increase in illness conditions, and 

6-9 percent decline in mental 

health, over an average postretirement 

period of six years”. 

Eze said that it is expected that 

when people retire they will 

experience a reduction in income - 

a pension makes up for some of this 

loss of income upon retirement. 

“Pension schemes can provide 

protection in the form of lump sums 

for the pensioner or to his/her 

dependants in the event of death. In 

order to encourage pension 

schemes, governments provides tax 

relief on contributions made to 

pension schemes and the growth in 

their investments. 

Pension savings may lead to deeper 

and more efficient capital markets. 

Pension savings directly increase 

funds in capital markets available 

for private investment. In addition, 

deeper capital markets may lead to 

better allocation of capital, thereby 

improving overall efficiency and 

economic growth”. 

Continuing he said, “although 

these are some of the reasons and 

benefits of subscribing to pension 

plans. On the contrary, there are 

other things that you are not told. 

This is why at Muna Real Estate, 

our mission is your prosperity. We 

implore people to make wise 

investment decisions at earlier 

stages of their lives so as to avoid the 

huge mistakes most people do not 

even realize they are making and 

continue to make. We will review a 

few things: Control, Inflation and 

Depreciation. 

Control - Given that your pension 

will be invested in stocks and shares, 

there will be a fair bit of risk involved. 

Of course, if your pension 

investments do perform terribly for 

a while, the good news is that if you’re 


ICC initiates outreach ‘Abraham Children’ to develop, create values for 

Nigerian children 

•Abraham and wife happy with 

the Nigerian children 

as a result of the COVID 19 

lockdowns all Nigerian schools were 

closed and many poor children were 

left without any formal education or 

access to any online education. Basic 

needs like food, shelter and clothing 

were also lacking. As part of our 

‘Abraham Children’ of ICC outreach 

at awareness programme 

social responsibility, we decided to 

adopt 50 children from Orile area of 

Lagos and supported them”. 

Santhosh said also that to our 

surprise, there were almost a 

response of 1000 children who 

wanted to be part of this ministry. 

“Due to the social distancing terms 

we decided to call them in lots of 50 

and start registering them into the 

Abraham’s Children programme. 

While registering we also conducted 

an awareness session about COVID 

19 as well as the precautions needed 

consistently project their 

businesses in an upward trajectory. 

Remarking, the Managing 

Director, P&G Nigeria, Mr. Adil 

Farhat highlighted the need to 

continuously support SMEs in 

Nigeria as they have the potential 

of outrightly transform the country. 

Farhat added, “in line with the 

focus of Nigeria’s economic 

recovery and growth plan to drive 

industrialization and economic 

growth through globally 

competitive SMEs, P&G in 

collaboration with the FMITI and 

tanbic IBTC Bank PLC, a 

Ssubsidiary of Stanbic IBTC 

Holdings PLC, has reaffirmed its 

commitment to the growth of 

Nigeria’s agriculture sector by 

supporting farmers and other 

players in the agricultural value 

chain. 

As the demands on agribusinesses 

change seasonally, the foremost 

financial institution provides 

financing solutions for agricultural 

enterprises to suit their 

requirements. These needs range 

from availability of resources,to 

farming equipment, as well as 

enhancement of seasonal cashflow, 

amongst others. 

The bank offers various lowinterest 

credit facilities across the 

agricultural sector that will help 

clients to cushion the impacts of the 

to safeguard themselves during this 

pandemic time. All registered 

children were provided with 

facemask and a bag of rice too”. 

Continuing, Santhosh told the 

media that ICC has already 

registered 1000 children into this 

programme tagged ABRAHAMS’ 

CHILDREN. And all registered 

children will be given a certificate. 

“After this we would be in constant 

touch with the children, praying for 

them and providing them moral 

and spiritual values”. 

However, we will be monitoring 

their educational progress and also 

support the best students for their 

educational needs. “Along with this 

we would be supporting them in 

their psychological, medical and 

welfare needs. If you want to know 

more about this programme or 

want to be a part of this initiative, 

contact us. 

He further said that Indian 

Christian Congregation also 

organizes outreach programmes 

to Orphanages, Old Age Homes, 

Prisons and the unreached. “There 

is no greater privilege than to be a 

blessing to others and to take the 

gospel of Jesus Christ to the 

needy”. 

still far off retirement, there’s plenty 

of time for those investments to 

bounce back. What’s more, you will 

be able to acquire more shares for 

your money in a falling market. So, 

this may work to your advantage, 

but if you are approaching 

retirement and your pension 

scheme is performing badly, it can 

be extremely worrisome. 

That said, most pension schemes 

use ‘life styling’ – a process where 

your pension money is 

automatically moved out of shares 

and into a lower risk investment 

such as fixed interest bonds and/or 

cash as you come closer to 

retirement age. 

One of the biggest fears is also 

misappropriation of funds and 

terrible investment decisions made 

by those who control or have access 

to pension funds. The big question 

is: do you have control over this 

pension fund? The sad answer is 

NO. 

Inflation on the other hand 

increases the price of goods and 

services over time, effectively decreasing 

the number of goods and 

services you can buy with money in 

the future as opposed to that same 

amount of money today. 

If your earnings remain the same 

the BoI launched the SME 

Academy to improve their standard, 

ensure longevity, and facilitate 

integration into global value chains. 

Contributing, the Managing 

Director/Chief Executive Officer of 

BoI, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, in his 

presentation reiterated the 

importance of the SME Academy 

especially during this challenging 

economic situation across the 

globe. “The maiden edition was held 

in October 2019. This second 

edition and first virtual event has 

been expanded to incorporate 

structured trainings. 

Stanbic IBTC boosts Nigeria’s agriculture 

sector with low-interest loans 

Covid-19 pandemic 

Speaking on this, Head, 

Agribusiness, Stanbic IBTC Bank 

PLC, Wole Oshin, said that the 

agribusiness financial solution is 

geared towards ensuring that 

players in the agriculture space are 

not hindered by lack of finance. 

He said: “The Bank’s suite of 

agribusiness solutionsminimises 

risks, ensures maximum control and 

optimises profits associated with 

international trade by making 

transactions smoother, simpler and 

safer for all parties involved.Some 

benefits of the Stanbic IBTC 

Agribusiness Finance include: 

availability of gap-funding for 

unforeseen financial needs, 

maintenance of cashflow and 

flexibility of repayment terms based 

on the type of funding. This facility 

is also versatile and can be utilised 

for funding resources, vehicles and 

farming equipment.” 

U.S. supports 

Nigeria Dairy 

Industr 

try, , set to train 

stakeholders 

T 

he first shipment of pregnant 

Jersey breed dairy cows from 

the United States arrived at the Ikun 

Dairy Farm in Ekiti State. 

Ikun Dairy Farm, a joint venture 

between Promasidor Nigeria 

Limited and Ekiti State 

Government plan to produce 

10,000 liters of milk daily and will 

take delivery of two additional 

shipments of dairy cows from the 

United States over the next couple 

of weeks. 

These shipments will provide a 

better breed of cow for the rapidly 

growing Nigerian dairy industry, 

helping to diversify the Nigerian 

economy. 

Gerald Smith, Counselor for 

Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. 

Mission to Nigeria noted that 

introduction of U.S. dairy cows will 

boost local milk production and 

contribute significantly to ensuring 

sustainable food security in 

Nigeria. 

Smith explained that the 

successful cattle shipment was as a 

result of the strong partnership 

between the Foreign Agricultural 

Service of the U.S. Mission in 

Read more on 

www.vanguardngr.com 

but inflation causes the prices of 

goods and services to increase over 

time, it will take a larger percentage 

of your income to purchase the same 

good or service in the future. 

So, for example, if an apple costs 

$1 today, it is possible that it could 

cost $2 for the same apple one year 

from today. This effectively 

decreases the time value of money, 

since it will cost twice as much to 

purchase the same product in the 

future. To mitigate this decrease in 

the time value of money, you can 

invest the money available to you 

today at a rate equal to or higher 

than the rate of inflation. 

Another big question is: the annual 

interest on pension, is it higher or 

lower than the annual inflation in 

the market? The sad answer is NO. 

We will now take a look at time 

value of money and see how 

Depreciation sneaks into the 

equation. 

Read more on 

www.vanguardngr.com 

Munachino Obinna Eze is a real 

estate investment Analyst with a track 

record of multiple property 

investments for clients and himself in 

various countries.


The Dream Academy - the 

future of grassroots sports 

development 

It is most unlikely that many would 

be familiar with the name of a 

town called Ileogbo. I never heard 

about it until a few months ago, 

when I was appointed as a 

consultant to work on a project sited 

in Ileogbo in Osun State. 

Two weeks ago, a seed was 

planted in the little-known rural 

township, comfortably and serenely 

nestled half-way between Iwo and 

Oshogbo, in Osun State. 

I was in Ileogbo to witness a 

dream become reality. 

My visit was meant to be for the 

purpose of a meeting, but it turned 

out to be a big pleasant surprise. 

The invitation to go to Osun State 

had to be honoured. One month 

before, I had been made a consultant 

on a project, I was very excited 

because when we laid the 

foundation stone of a similar project, 

the first in Nigeria, in the little 

hamlet of Wasimi Orile in Ogun 

State, some 17 years ago, my hope 

was that sports stakeholders would 

take whatever happened with the 

Segun Odegbami International 

College and Sports Academy 

(SOCA) as a test of the feasibility 

and possibility of such an institution, 

take useful lessons from my own 

experiment, avoid the mistakes I 

make, embrace the successes I 

record, and establish many more of 

such a model around the country in 

order to fast track the development 

of the youth population that are 

crazy about taking up the vast 

opportunities that professional 

sports in several parts of the world 

offer the most gifted young boys 

and girls. My intention was that 

SOCA would be a model. 

It has been 17 years since the 

turning of the sod of SOCA in 

Wasimi Orile, and the laying of the 

foundation by Otunba Gbenga 

Daniel, the governor of Ogun State 

at the time. 

It took a little while but since 

then, at least 4 other such 

academies, all of them for young 

footballers only, have sprung up in 

Abuja, Owerri and in Orile Imo in 

Ogun State and all are running 

well. 

Yet, this number is but a drop in a 

country with 60 percent of its 200 

million people as youths in a world 

of boundless opportunities in the 

sports industry. 

From the introductory brief I got, 

this particular academy is 

envisioned to top all existing similar 

institutions in the country. The 

vision is to establish, potentially, the 

biggest and best grassroots sports 

development institution in Africa. I 

was excited about the prospect. I 

needed to see and hear, first hand, 

from the horses' mouth how this 

would be achieved. 

So, I broke my 'hibernation' and 

embarked on my first travel outside 

Ogun and Lagos States in a long 

time. For obvious reasons of the 

Coronavirus pandemic, and 

because I belong to the vulnerable 

age-group, I had been confined to 

the 'bubble' of my homes, my 

workplaces and the SOCA, all in the 

short hops between Lagos, 

Abeokuta and Wasimi Orile. 

Weeks ago, I traveled to Osun 

State to witness and be a part of 

history. I am very glad that I did. It 

turned out to be a fantastic 

experience worth all the 'trouble' to 

convince my family to let me go 

outside our 'bubble'. 

This is the brief on the Sports 

Academy. 

It will combine sports and 

education. It will be co-educational 

(for boys and girls). It will be fully 

residential (the students will all live 

on the campus). It will promote more 

than football which would remain 

its main catchment area. There will 

be track and field athletics, tennis 

and golf. It will run at a senior 

secondary school level only, to start 

with, and shall use the junior 

secondary schools around the 

country to identify young gifted and 

passionate children that fit the 

profile of those that can be admitted 

to the school and become the best 

Eagles 'll miss Chukwueze – Ugbade 

Ex International Nduka Ugbade 

has stated that the Super 

Eagles will miss the services of 

forward Samuel Chukwueze 

during the forthcoming Nations 

Cup qualifiers. 

Chukwueze’s injury has ruled 

him out of the doubleheader 

encounter next month and 

Ugbade told brila.net that the 

Rohr-led side will surely miss 

Samuel Chukwueze. 

“It is an injury that has not made 

him play much at Villarreal this 

year and I am sure the National 

team will miss him,” Ugbade said. 

Meanwhile, head coach Gernot 

Rohr has revealed new players 

won’t be invited for their 2022 

Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in 

March. 

The three-time African 

champions will square off against 

the Republic of Benin and then 

take on Lesotho in Afcon 

qualifying games. 

The Super Eagles are leading 

Group L with eight points and a 

win in either of their matches next 

month will seal their place in the 

continental showpiece while defeat 

in both games will halt their target 

of playing in the competition. 

•Chukwueze 

From what I saw 

two weeks ago, 

from what I heard 

from the horses' 

mouth, and 

knowing the 

antecedents of the 

drivers of this 

vision, a very 

healthy grassroots 

sports development 

institution, called 

the Lanreleke 

Sports Academy, 

will birth a healthy 

baby in September 

2021 

in the world. 

Down the line, beyond secondary 

school education, the academy will 

also introduce education classes 

and entrepreneurship courses that 

will empower the student/athletes 

with higher education and specific 

fit-for-industry programmes. 

At the end of the programmes, the 

graduates can then embark on either 

further education, or proceed 

directly to careers in professional 

sports, depending on the level of 

their sports talent and development. 

Either way, the graduates would 

have been well-equipped for life 

with the training they would have 

received in the Sports Academy. 

The brief was sweet music to my 

ears. I only needed to add my 

experiences in running a similar 

project, fit it snugly into the 

expectations of the brief, and 

guarantee its success. 

To demonstrate the seriousness of 

the project, Engineer Lanre 

Adeleke, an enigmatic 

entrepreneur, whose construction 

CAF CC: Enyimba star talks tough 

ahead clash with Rivers Utd 

Enyimba striker Tosin Omoyele 

has stated that the People’s 

Elephant will take the fight to Rivers 

United the same way the Egumaled 

side approached the first leg in 

Aba a few days ago. 

Omoyele said the people’s 

elephant will not relent despite 

leading the encounter on 

aggregate. He said the Osho-led 

team was willing to take the fight 

to Port Harcourt and get a point. 

“They came here with a fight on 

arry Kane should be fit to play 

HWest Ham on Sunday, Jose 

Mourinho has confirmed. 

The top scoring Tottenham striker 

was left out of the squad for Thursday’s 

4-1 Europa League win over 

Wolfsberger, but any fresh injury 

concerns were played down by his 

manager. 

Asked if Kane, who returned from 

an ankle injury less than two weeks 

ago, will play in east London, 

Mourinho said: “I believe so. He’s an 

experienced guy that had injuries in 

the past. He knows his body better 

than anyone. 

“He knows that I want him to play 

every minute of every game. So it’s 

our own ground we too we are 

going to do the same thing by 

taking the fight to them this 

weekend. 

“But we just believe that it can 

only be done with God on our 

side.” 

The 1-0 goal difference that 

separated both sides in this 

encounter was scored by midfielder 

Cyril Olisema. 

The match comes up tomorrow 

in Port Harcourt at 4 pm. 

works in different parts of the 

country are amazing success 

stories, invited me to Osun State to 

witness the take off of the 'plane' of 

implementation already revving on 

the tarmac. 

He tells me the institution must 

take off in 9 months time, in 

September 2021, yet the foundation 

stone had not been laid by the time 

I entered Oshogbo to catch up with 

him. His further projection is that 

the institution will be fully 

completed in 2 years! 

The time table is breathless. 

Construction work has started on 

the huge site with cranes and 

caterpillars strewn all over the vast 

virgin area in Ileogbo, some 200 

acres of land that will house an 18- 

hole golf course, a helipad, a hotel 

and golf academy section, a 

sprawling school campus of 

classroom blocks, sports fields, and 

tartan and laterite tracks, boarding 

facilities, a mini 6000-capacity 

stadium and other service and 

recreational facilities. 

I am dazed. SOCA is 17 years old 

since the foundation stone was laid, 

and we are nowhere near (not even 

half way) completing all the 

infrastructure to run a world class 

academy. 

With Engineer Adeleke whose 

antecedents in infrastructural 

construction speak volumes in all 

the States where he has projects, 

adopting a unique funding strategy 

that diminishes the burden of 

paying for the projects off State 

governments, and delivers every 

project either on time or well before. 

expectations. 

When I arrived Oshogbo on the 

first day of my two-day visit, he was 

waiting and roaring to go. We met 

with his key staff and other 

consultants on the project. He then 

led our delegation to meet with the 

governor of Osun State, Gboyega 

Oyetola, in his residence, that 

evening. 

The very unassuming and amiable 

governor, whom I had known for 

some years, welcomed us warmly 

and brightly. Incidentally, the 

governor and I have always had a 

mutual liking for each other. I 

believe he knows I respect and like 

him a great deal. His calmness, soft 

voice and very humble disposition 

are disarming. 

Before I knew what was going on, 

I was called upon and thrown into 

the deep end of explaining the full 

scope and benefits of such an 

academy to Osun State. 

Understandably, I was assuming 

my role as the chief image maker of 

the project that aims to promote the 

highest level of sports development 

at the grassroots with the highest 

level of scholarship in a simple, 

viable and workable combination. 

Of course, all the evidence of the 

project's efficacy is 'daylight' in the 

model in Wasimi Orile, and the 

whole world can go there and have 

their own taste of 'paradise' for the 

youths. 

With the commitment of Lanre 

Adeleke and the political will of 

support that I saw of the Osun State 

governor, achieving the dream of 

making Osun State the new Mecca 

of grassroots sports development, 

empowering the youths of the State 

with education and fulfilling their 

passion for sports, building a 

community of youngsters that will 

be some of the best in the world of 

sports and scholarship through the 

Sports Academy, I can feel the air 

of a resounding success blowing in 

the wind. 

Lanre wants to make the academy 

the biggest and best on the 

continent. That's his commitment - 

to deliver it. 

The government's commitment is 

to ensure that there is a good access 

to the vicinity of the school, that 

there is electricity supply to the area, 

that public water supply gets to the 

environment and that a specific 

number of the State's children are 

sponsored there annually. 

After paying a visit to the Oba of 

Ileogbo in his Palace, the entire 

entourage drove to the huge 

construction site where the first 

foundation stone was to be laid. 

That's when the surprise of the day 

was sprung on me. 

Unknown to me, the honour of 

undertaking that historic first step 

had been ceded to me. 

That's how, mask-in-face, in 

accordance to coronavirus protocols, 

in swirling dry dust of Harmattan 

in the month of January, I stepped 

into a dug shallow trench, a 

bricklayer's trowel in hand, laid 

down the first brick of the Classroom 

block and said a short prayer 

committing the project and its 

successful completion to the Creator 

of the Universe. The resounding 

chorus of 'Amen' marked the start 

of a very exciting journey that will 

unfold in the coming months in 

Ileogbo, the little Town that will 

soon become a household name in 

the world of sports. 

Like a jigsaw puzzle, daily since 

then, small pieces are being added. 

In September 2021, the academy 

will take off with its first set of young 

boys and girls that will be admitted 

in the coming months to pioneer this 

dream project. 

My advise to parents that have 

children, gifted in sports and 

passionate about pursuing sport 

within an academic or vocational 

institution that will provide a solid 

ground upon which their future can 

be built, is that they should watch 

out for more information on the 

processes for admission. 

From what I saw two weeks ago, 

from what I heard from the horses' 

mouth, and knowing the 

antecedents of the drivers of this 

vision, a very healthy grassroots 

sports development institution, 

called the Lanreleke Sports 

Academy, will birth a healthy baby 

in September 2021. 

Mourinho: Kane fit to face West Ham 

never a question of a choice. 

“But I believe on Sunday he is going 

to be okay and ready.” 

Tottenham coped well without Kane 

as goals from Heung-min Son, Gareth 

Bale, Lucas Moura and Carlos Vinicius 

put them in a commanding lead 

heading into the second leg with 

Wolfsberger. 

Bale also registered an assist in an 

Onazi signs for Lithuanian champions 

Zalgiris 

L 

ithuanian A Lyga champions 

Zalgiris have completed the 

signing of former Lazio and 

Trabzonspor midfielder Ogenyi 

Onazi on a free transfer. 

Onazi has been a free agent since 

January 5 when he left Danish Super 

Liga club SonderjyskE by mutual 

agreement after he was restricted to 

just two league matches in six 

months. 

Prior to the completion of the deal, 

the Nigeria star has been working his 

socks off with a personal training 

programme which he often shared on 

social media. 

His arrival in Lithuania is expected 

to boost Zalgiris, who won their 

eighth top-flight title last November. 

Onazi could make his debut in 

impressive display, before being 

substituted in the 64th minute. 

Mourinho has hinted the Welshman 

could be involved against West Ham. 

“One of the reasons why he left the 

pitch was to try to have him available 

for the next match because one of the 

things that is not easy related to his 

condition is the accumulation of 

minutes,” he said. 

Lithuania when the Green-Whites 

battle cup winners Panevezys for the 

Super Cup on February 27. 

Back in 2018, the Super Eagles 

midfielder's career took a blow when 

he ruptured his Achilles tendon 

while in action for Trabzonspor in the 

Turkish Super Lig. 

The injury ruled him out of action 

for more than a year and his contract 

was terminated by the Black Sea 

Storm. The setback also made him 

miss the 2019 Afcon in Egypt where 

Nigeria finished third. 

The 28-year-old immediately 

teamed up with Denizlispor on a 

short-term contract until the end of 

the 2019-20 season before he moved 

to Denmark.

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021— 29

30— SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 

ONYEAKA : Wh 

Sam Onyeaka was one 

of the storm troopers 

who made Enugu 

Rangers African Winners 

Cup champions in 1977. A 

veteran of many battles, he 

survived the Civil War, 

survived Demba Diop 

Stadium, Dakar and met with 

Idi Amin in Kampala. One 

outcome that continues to 

haunt him is the 3-0 loss to 

Insurance of Benin in the 

grand finale of the 1978 

Challenge Cup. 

Our Columnist, Emeka 

Obasi, got him talking from 

the United States recently. 

Excerpts: 

One of your team mates, 

Nwabueze Nwankwo, was 

buried on February 5, 2021. 

I understand you were 

close. 

Yes, we were quite close. 

Captain Nwabueze 

Nwankwo of the defunct 

Biafra Army, a Rangers 

pioneer, former Green 

Eagles’ defensive midfielder, 

was a great footballer. A 

vigorous player, built for the 

game, one could easily 

match him with Dick Tiger 

for his body building. He 

took the lead on our 

marathon races. 

You have sad memories of 

the 1978 Challenge Cup 

final in Lagos. Rangers 

were given a thorough 3-0 

battering by Bendel 

Insurance. 

It was my worst match. A 

strong team does not care 

about home or away ground. 

The business is to win home 

and away matches. Enugu 

Rangers of the 1970s did it. 

In 1977, Rangers did not 

lose a game, home and 

away, playing in the African 

Winners Cup. 

Against Insurance in 1978, 

we played about four hard 

games, including continental 

assignments, in 10 days. The 

fatigued Rangers players 

could not stand the pressure. 

The Insurers were good but 

not so good to beat Rangers 

3-0 under normal 

circumstances. 

No team in Nigeria could 

play more than three 

important games under 10 

days and survive it. 

Insurance rested for 10 good 

days and the NFA refused to 

give Rangers a breather by 

moving the duel. 

Ok, let us talk about your 

most memorable match. 

My most memorable 

definitely must be the 

African Winners Cup quarter 

finals second leg match 

against AS Police of Senegal 

at the Demba Diop Stadium 

in 1977. I was at my peak 

and had everything going 

my way. No player could 

match my speed. 

We needed at least a score 

draw to advance since the 

first leg in Lagos ended 

goalless. We sensed trouble 

right from touchdown. On 

match day, it was obvious 

that hell would be let loose. 

Trust Rangers, we gave 

them more than a good fight. 

Chimezie Ngadi got the 

opener. I made it two. The 

Senegalese were lucky to get 

one past us. It ended 2-1. 

Come and see beating. I was 

stabbed in two places. 

Nnamdi Anyafo, Okey 

Emordi and reserve keeper, 

John Uwanaka were not 

spared. 

As we made our way to the 

dressing room, more beating 

and stoning continued. All 

the players were cramped in 

a tiny four by nine feet toilet 

room. We had to be 

smuggled out in a police 

truck. 

What of the semi finals 

clash with defending 

African Winners Cup 

champions, Shooting Stars? 

That game really divided 

Nigeria and General 

Olusegun Obasanjo saw it 

and took the right action by 

moving the second leg to 

Kaduna. Obasanjo had also 

done well after we defeated 

AS Police by sending a 

military aircraft to bring us 

back to Nigeria. 

The tension generated by 

the semi final match 

involving Rangers and 

Shooting Stars made it 

uninteresting. Both teams 

played below their normal 

standard even if we won 

through penalty kicks. 

•Sam Onyeaka with the 

Challenge Cup he won with 

Rangers in 1976 

•Onyeaka and Chukwu 

Who was your toughest 

marker? 

Without any doubt, my 

toughest opponent was Sam 

Ojebode of Shooting Stars. 

He was a tough defender to 

beat, experienced player. 

You crossed over to 

Rangers from Vasco Da 

Gama. Tell me about the 

Enugu derby. 

Vasco kept Rangers on 

their feet. Playing against 

Vasco then was like Rangers 

taking part in the Challenge 

Cup or a continental 

championship. Anytime both 

teams met, it was internal 

war. 

You had two nicknames, 

404 and Achimota. Let us 

talk about them. 

hit Rangers 3 

Chief Ernest Okonkwo, the 

greatest soccer commentator 

known to Nigerians, named 

me 404. He coined the name 

apparently because of my 

speed, with or without the 

ball. I was one of the fastest 

players in the country. The 

French car Peugeot 404, 

known for its speed was 

common at the time. 

Achimota came from 

Achimota College, Ghana. I 

had intention of securing 

admission into that famous 

elite school before I diverted 

attention to the United 

States. I fell in love with the 

name and it became my 

nickname throughout my 

High School period at the 

GTC Awka. I am from Awka 

too. 

You saw battle during the 

Civil War. That experience 

should interest your 

admirers. 

I was a Biafran Air Force 

officer in charge of the 

Airport Fire Fighters 

Squadron based at the Uga 

Air Force base. 

The landing Airstrip was 

constructed at a secondary 

school, about three miles 

from Uga and used as BAF 

base. It was a mile off the 

Aguluezechukwu- 

Ekwulobia- Uga Junction. 

The runway was not tarred. 

The runway lights were 

giant lanterns. Air Force 

personnel inside the 

trenches along the runway, 

will light up the lanterns and 

place them above their 

dugouts. 

The plane blew them off as 

it passed each lantern on 

both sides of the runway. 

We covered the runway 

with palm fronds after the 

landing and during the day. 

The plane taxied into 

hideouts near 

Aguluezechukwu, about a 

mile or more off the landing 

strip. Nigerian Air Force 

aircraft were unable to hit 

Biafran planes on the 

ground because of that. Even 

when they finally detected 

and bombed the Air Force 

base, the Biafran Babies 

(minicon) were never hit. 

You must have been 

familiar with Count Gustav 

Rudolf von Rosen, the 

Swedish philanthropist who 

donated five jet fighters and 

also fought for Biafra. 

The man was my hero. As a 

group leader in the Biafran 

Air Force Fire Fighter 

Squadron, I was there 

during take-off and landing 

on a daily basis, mostly at 

night. The DC-3 was 

converted to a war plane 

together with the Biafran 

Baby. 

The small two- seater 

training plane was fitted 

with two six rocket 

launchers, at each wing. Von 

Rosen and his pilots 

destroyed more military 

hardware than the Nigerian 

Air Force, with their best 

Russian MIG planes. 

Operation Biafra Babies 

and Swedish Air Mission, 

better coded as OPS BB and 

SAM did not miss your 

name 

That’s a funny one... 

you’ve got me thinking. 

How did this soccer trip 

begin? 

My soccer journey started 

in Jos, at St. Paul’s 

Elementary School, before 

the war. I was born in Jos, 

Dankalfana Lane, in 1950. 

We left in 1966 for good. 

After the war, I continued 

with soccer at Government

y Insurance 

-0 in 1978 

School Awka and the 

Government Trade Center 

(GTC) Awka. I also played 

for Awka Iron Founders 

Football Club. Upon leaving 

GTC Awka, I was gainfully 

employed by the Nigerian 

Construction and Furniture 

Company (NCFC) Enugu. I 

was part of the company’s 

football team, Dragons. 

In 1973, I joined Vasco Da 

Gama, Enugu briefly before 

I was recruited by Enugu 

Rangers where I ended my 

career. 

My post secondary 

education was at Alabama A 

and M University and the 

University of Alabama in 

Huntsville, USA. I qualified 

as an engineer. 

At GTC, we won the All 

GTC Cup in the then East 

Central State of Nigeria and 

the Ejidike Cup in the early 

1970s. I also played for the 

University of Alabama in 

Huntsville (alongside 

Ndubuisi Luis Isima and 

Idika Aku). We did not win 

any national trophy but we 

left indelible marks within 

•Alaba 

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 — 31 

Alaba ‘ll be EPL’s best-paid 

player if Chelsea sign him 

DAVID ALABA will 

become the best-paid 

player in the Premier League 

should he join Chelsea this 

summer. 

The Austrian star, 28, has 

confirmed he will quit Bayern 

Munich at the end of the 

season. 

Alaba is out of contract at the 

Allianz Arena and has turned 

down a number of extension 

offers, believing the club to be 

undervaluing him. 

It’s claimed the versatile 

defender is chasing wages of 

£400,000 a week - with Bayern 

unwilling to go that high. 

Chelsea and Real Madrid 

appear to be locked in a 

straight shootout to sign Alaba. 

And while £400,000 a week 

would be an astronomical paypacket, 

signing him for 

UCL net bursters: 

Obafemi Martins makes top 5 level of most UCL goals before 21st birthday 

•Obafemi 

NCAA. 

You sacrificed so much for 

Rangers and were unable to 

attend your dad, Ichie 

Johnson Nwofor Onyeaka’s 

burial. 

We, the players appreciate 

what Ndigbo did for us. It 

was an honour to play for 

Enugu Rangers and I am 

ready to do it all over again 

if old age should allow me. 

What about your children, 

are they interested in 

soccer? 

None of my siblings or any 

of my sons was interested in 

playing football. In America, 

football ( soccer) was not a 

popular game among the 

youth, so my kids were 

interested in Basketball and 

American football. 

I met my wife (Cathy) in 

Nigeria as I was 

approaching retirement. We 

have four boys : Benjamin 

Nweze, Samuel Jr., Kenneth 

and Kevin. 

Europa Cup: 

Iheanacho to miss Slavia Prague return fixture 

Leicester City will be without 

Kelechi Iheanacho for the 

return fixture of their Uefa 

Europa League Round of 32 

clash with Slavia Prague after 

the Super Eagles striker was 

shown a yellow card in the 

competition on Thursday. 

Just after he replaced Jamie 

Vardy in their goalless draw in 

Prague, Iheanacho received a 

yellow card in the 64th minute 

which increased his bookings 

to three yellow cards this 

campaign and he will 

consequently serve a onegame 

suspension. 

The Super Eagles forward has 

been impressive in the Europa 

League so far with three goals 

to his name after seven 

matches, and his absence 

might be a concern for the 

Foxes who are aiming for a win 

against Slavia Prague at the 

King Power Stadium next 

Thursday. 

Nigeria midfield dynamo 

Wilfred Ndidi also received a 

yellow card in the encounter, 

but Brendan Rodgers has rued 

the bookings handed to the 

Super Eagles duo and he 

summed up the officiating as 

“really poor”. 

“I thought the officials were 

really poor, I’ve got to say,” 

Rodgers was quoted as saying 

by Leicestershire Live. 

•Iheanacho 

Europe’s football governing 

body, 

UEFA has published the players 

with the most Champions 

League goals before the age of 

21, with a Nigeria 

international making the cut. 

Former Monaco striker 

now at Paris Saint- 

Germain, Kylian 

Mbappe is the top 

scoring player with 

nineteen goals to his 

name, followed by 

Borussia Dortmund’s 

Aussie Open: Medvedev confronts 

Djokovic in men’s final 

Daniil Medvedev will face 

Novak Djokovic in the 

Australian Open 2021 final, 

after beating Stefanos 

Tsitsipas in straight sets! The 

men’s final comes up 

tomorrow 8.30 am(Nigerian 

time) 

Medvedev extended his 

winning streak to 20 matches 

on Friday, as he advanced to 

the Australian Open final for 

the first time with a dominant 

6-4, 6-2, 7-5 victory against 

Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

Aside from a late third-set 

comeback attempt from 

extraordinary talent Erling Braut 

Haaland with eighteen goals. 

In third place is Real Marid’s 

Karim Benzema who racked up 

twelve goals before his 21st 

birthday while ex-Ajax 

Amsterdam star Patrick Kluivert 

comes in fourth with nine goals. 

There is a four-way tie for fifth 

place, with each of ex-Inter 

Milan striker Obafemi Martins, 

Barcelona legends Lionel Messi 

and Javier Saviola, and Real 

Madrid icon Raúl González 

scoring eight goals. 

Tsitsipas, Medvedev 

neutralised his opponent’s 

attacking skills and contested 

the majority of the two-hour, 

nine-minute encounter on his 

terms inside Rod Laver 

Arena. 

The World No. 4 landed 46 

winners, compared to just 21 

unforced errors, and won 88 

per cent of his first-serve 

points (49/56) en route to 

victory. 

“It was definitely not easy, 

because we saw the match 

with Rafa was kind of the same 

score after two sets. [In] the 

Super Sunday: Milan derby headlines Serie A 

...As Real, Barca battle mid-table foes in La Liga 

The top-of-the-table fixture 

from Serie A this weekend 

sees Milan and 

Internazionale meet in the 

Derby della Madonnina 

(Milan derby) tomorrow 

afternoon. Not only is this 

clash about bragging rights, 

it will also be key to deciding 

the Scudetto – with the teams 

in a pitched battle to try and 

prevent Juventus claiming a 

10th straight title. The much 

anticipated encounter will be 

aired live on SuperSport and 

GOtv Select 1. 

There’s usually no shortage 

of ‘edge’ in this match, but 

there will be even more this 

time around after their last 

meeting – a 2-1 win for Inter 

in the Coppa Italia in late 

January – featured a verbal 

bust-up between star strikers 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and 

Romelu Lukaku. 

Juventus complete the 

round with a Monday night 

clash at home to Crotone. 

The round also features a 

potential thriller between 

Atalanta and Napoli on 

Sunday evening. 

Top picks from the legendary 

La Liga, sees log leaders 

Atletico Madrid host Levante 

at Estadio Wanda 

Metropolitano today. 

Elsewhere, in Spain’s top 

flight today, champions Real 

Madrid will face Real 

Valladolid at Estadio 

Municipal Jose Zorrilla 

Barcelona have also had 

their fair share of struggles 

this season, though Ronald 

Koeman’s men have 

improved since the turn of the 

year and will be confident of 

defeating Cadiz at the Camp 

Nou on Sunday afternoon . 

Martins scored the first of his 

Champions League goals on his 

starting debut in the competition 

against Bayer Leverkusen on March 

19, 2003 and his eighth was against 

Porto in March 2005. 

The Super Eagle netted just one 

goal in the Champions League after 

his 21st birthday and it came against 

Villarreal in the quarterfinals of the 

competition in March 2006. 

Overall, Martins made 34 

appearances in the UCL - 25 in the 

colours of Inter Milan, 4 for 

Wolfsburg and 5 for Rubin Kazan. 

absolutely nothing would take 

the edge off. 

Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is 

keen to add Alaba to his 

defence to play on the left of 

his back-three. 

But, in order to bring him to 

England, Chelsea will have to 

pay him more than any other 

player in the Premier League. 

Manchester United 

goalkeeper David De Gea 

currently leads the league in 

wages, raking in £375,000 per 

week. 

The Spaniard signed a new 

deal with vastly improved 

terms in September 2019. 

More-recently, Pierre- 

Emerick Aubameyang put 

pen to paper on a new deal 

last summer, pledging his 

commitment to Arsenal for 

£350,000 a week. 

third set, Rafa was 

dominating but didn’t 

manage to win the match, so 

I got a little bit scared and 

tight,” said Medvedev, in an 

on-court interview. “It is the 

semi-final of a Slam… It was 

not easy, but I am happy I 

managed to switch my game 

on, especially in some tight 

moments on my serve and I 

am really happy to be in the 

final.” 

•Djokovic 

•Medvedev 

Haaland admits, 

Mbappe inspired me 

ERLING HAALAND paid 

tribute to Kylian Mbappe for 

motivating his own fantastic 

performance in the Champions 

League. 

After the Paris Saint-Germain 

star hit a hat-trick past Barcelona 

on Tuesday, Borussia Dortmund’s 

Haaland struck a brace against 

Sevilla a night later. 

The Norwegian teed up 

Mahmoud Dahoud’s powerful 

equaliser in the last-16 first leg 

before completing the first-half 

comeback. 

A devastating counter-attack 

saw Jadon Sancho play a 

delightful flick into Haaland for 

his first before adding another 

calm finish before half-time. 

With Dortmund 3-2 up and in 

control of the tie, he stated 

afterwards that Mbappe’s Camp 

Nou heroics drove him onto a 

performance of his own. 

Haaland told Norwegian 

broadcaster Viaplay: “It was good 

to score goals. 

“I love the Champions League 

and when I saw Mbappe score the 

hat-trick yesterday I got free 

motivation, so thanks to him. 

“He scored some nice goals and 

I got a good boost from him.”

C 

M 

Y 

K 

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 

CROSS WORD PUZZLE 

SOLUTION ON PAGE 3 

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