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M
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PAGE 2— SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (left) with Jude Ogbodo Ogene, one of the six
indigenes of the state who were among the recipients of the President’s NYSC Honours
Award, for the 2018/2019 service year, when the governor rewarded them for making Enugu
State proud, at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday.
Ohanaeze tells Buhari: Restructure Nigeria now or insecurity continues
*Sues for peace after military, ESN clash in Orlu
*IPoB accuses armed forces of waging war against Igbo
By Chinonso Alozie
The President of Oha
naeze Ndigbo World
wide, Professor
George Obiozor, yesterday,
called on President Muhammadu
Buhari to restructure,
renegotiate and decentralize
power to resolve Nigeria’s
insecurity challenges.
Obiozor spoke at the palace
of the traditional ruler of
Amaifeke in Orlu Local Government
Area of Imo State,
Eze Emmanuel Okeke, as he
came to ascertain the security
situation in the area after
the military/Eastern Security
Network (ESN), linked with
Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPoB), clashed.
Tension had risen in Orlu
late last week after the military
began operations in
search of the camps occupied
by the personnel of ESN in
the area.
The tension was exacerbated
when a video of aerial
bombardments, on Thursday,
surfaced on the social media.
The spokesperson of the 34
Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian
Army, Obinze, Owerri,
Babatunde Zubairu, confirmed
the deployment of helicopters
and other military
gadgets in the operations.
The army said the operation
was a product of military
intelligence.
The ESN operatives had, in
January, engaged in a bloody
clash with the army from the
Obinze Barracks where four
soldiers were reportedly
killed.
The Ohanaeze PG spoke
on the Orlu incident during
yesterday’s visit to the
Amaifeke palace: “We are
glad there is peace in Orlu
zone and that people are carrying
out their normal duties.
We appeal to the leaders of
Orlu to maintain peace in
Orlu, a zone traditionally
known for being the most
peaceful in Imo”.
Speaking on the insecurity
in the country, Obiozor said:
“Our position to the Buhari
administration is that no
matter how bad Nigeria problems
may be, only a peaceful
solution will be best to guarantee
Nigeria unity. This can
be achieved through restructured,
renegotiated, decentralized
or through power
devolution.
“Insecurity in the country
is real and must be treated as
a matter of national emergency.
In this context, I congratulate
the South-East governors
and government on the
anti-open grazing ban.
“Those who preach or prefer
military solution to Nigeria
problems are, today,
equally a threat to Nigeria
unity as those enemies they
are fighting”.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous
People of Biafra, IPOB, has
accused the military of waging
war against Ndigbo under
the guise of hunting for
members of ESN.
IPoB also alleged that the
From left: Former Governor of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Chairman of the
PDP Reconciliation & Strategy Committee and Fmr. Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola
Saraki, and Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, at the Government House,
Minna — during the solidarity visit by the Committee to the Government House over the
abduction of teachers and students in Rafi LGA, Niger State.
armed forces, in conjunction
with the Nigeria Police and
the Department of State Service,
invaded South-East
with military jets, tanks and
heavy war equipment.
A statement by IPoB’s Me-
10 years after escape, NDLEA arrests suspected drug baron in Lagos
The Joint Task Force
(JTF) Operation Unit of
the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency, NDLEA,
has arrested a suspected drug
baron, Mr Chidi Olife, who
escaped arrest for alleged importation
of 5.250kg of heroin
concealed in books from
Karachi, Pakistan to Lagos in
June 2010.
Olife’s arrest in Lagos came
just as operatives of the antidrug
agency in Adamawa
State nabbed an illicit drug
dealer, Rabiu Imam, on Friday
with Tramadal tablet
225mg weighing 45.4kg. The
Adamawa State Commander
of the NDLEA, Idris Bello
while briefing the Chairman/
Chief Executive of the agency,
Brig. General Mohamed
Buba Marwa (retd), yesterday,
said other illicit drugs allegedly
recovered from Imam
include Tramadol capsules
100mg weighing 550grms;
Diazepam tablet 850grms.
He said the drug trafficker
was arrested in a house at
Unguwan Madina, Mubi
North Local Government
Area of Adamawa. He put the
street value of the seized drugs
at over N50 million.
A statement by the agency
giving details of Olife’s arrest
states that following intelligence
on the drug source,
flight details, date and place
of arrival, weight and mode
of concealment, name, phone
number and address of the
Defend yourselves statement: Onitiri hits
Magashi, Defence Minister
Lagos activist and critic,
Chief Adesunbo Onitiri,
has berated the Defence Minister,
Bashir Salihi Magashi,
for asking Nigerians to defend
themselves against bandits
and other criminals ravaging
the country.
In a press statement in Lagos,
Onitiri said the minister’s
statement is an admission
that the All Progressive Congress,
APC, government has
failed woefully in its constitutional
duty of protecting
Nigerians and property.
He pointed out that the APC
was elected into power based
on its three points to provide
security, fight corruption and
improve the economy.
But unfortunately, according
to him, the Buhari administration
has failed on all
three fronts.
The activist emphasised
that the responsibility of government
is to protect lives and
property and failure to do
this, it has no constitutional
mandate to remain in power.
“The Minister of Defence
just said Nigerians should defend
themselves against insurgents
and bandits. We
wonder with what?”, Onitiri
said.
“Is he saying that the Federal
Government is now helpless
and can no longer defend
us? Is he calling for anarchy
or asking the citizens to take
up arms to fight the bandits?
“We demand that government
should allow every citizen
to carry arms, especially
AK47 rifle, now that herders
are carrying AK47 rifles publicly
without being challenged
by securitymen”.
He noted that during the
debate at the National Assembly,
it was resolved that
the Federal Government
should declare a state of
emergency on security.
STATE OF THE NATION: Nothing is working in Nigeria
— Obadiah, Utomi, Briggs, Henshaw, others
dia and Publicity Secretary,
Emma Powerful, titled, ‘Finally
the Nigerian Armed
Forces have brought war to
Biafra, but we will defend our
ancestral land,’ alleged that
the Nigerian government is
recipient of the consignment,
a planned controlled delivery
operation was cordinated
and led by the Commander
NDLEA’s JTF, DCN Adeniyi
Olumuyiwa.
The careful execution of the
operation led to the arrest of
Oladimeji Oladotun and Alhaji
Danjuma Idris allegedly
while processing the documents
for clearing the consignment.
Both were said to
be the clearing agents hired
by Olife.
Upon being arrested, Danjuma
was used to effect the
arrest of Oke Ningo who
By Dapo Akinrefon
Some eminent Nigeri
a n s ,
including foremost Economist,
Professor Pat Utomi;
former Deputy Governor of
Central Bank of Nigeria,
CBN and 2019 Presidential
Candidate of the African
Democratic Congress, ADC,
Dr. Malaifia Obadiah; Senator
Henshaw Bassey, Executive
Director of Enough Is
Enough Nigeria (EiE), Yemi
Adamolekun and Tokunbo
Sholu-Ekukinahave expressed
worries over the state
of the nation, saying nothing
is presently working in the
country.
They also noted that life
in Nigeria has become meaningless,
stressing the current
system of the country is unfair;
killing the younger generation
and their talents.
According to them, all indices
show that Nigeria is
now a failing state.
They spoke at the 2nd
Goke Omisore Annual Lecture
organized by a Yoruba
launching land and air attacks
on Ndigbo, saying this
is a repeat of the genocidal
war of 1967-1970, in which
over five million people were
killed.
Federation of African Engineering Organisation honours Aluyor
The Vice-Chancellor, Edo
University Uzairue, Prof
Emmanuel Aluyor, has been
honoured for excellence in
engineering education in Africa
by the Federation of African
Engineering Organizations
(FAEO).
The honour was bestowed
on him at the 2020 General
Assembly and Investiture
Award Ceremony of the organization
held virtually in
Ghana. The award was in
recognition of his tireless efforts
and commitment to excellence
in Engineering education
in Nigeria, as well as
his distinguished service to
FAEO and the larger Engineering
profession in Africa.
In his remarks, President of
the organization, Martin
Manuhwa, praised Engr.
Aluyor and the Vice- Chancellor,
Harare Institute of
Technology, Zimbabwe for
particularly making Africa
proud in actualizing their academic
curriculum without
interruptions or a hindrance,
even in the face of the Coronavirus
pandemic.
Olife had allegedly contacted
to receive the consignment
from the agents on his behalf,
but he (Olife) allegedly escaped
arrest at the point of
receiving the drug as he suspected
the person with the
clearing agent to be an
NDLEA officer.
Intelligentsia Group, Voice of
Reason (VoR) in honour of its
late Convener, Prince Goke
Omisore, themed: “Creating
an Inter-Generational Dialogue
for the Nigeria We
Want”.
Others at the webinar included
Dele Farotimi and
Inibehe Effiong, Social Crusader
and Nigerian Representative
to the All African
Students Union (AASU), Icon
Olawale and Niger/Delta
Activist, Annkio Briggs,
among others.
President of the
BFI Group, Alabo
Dr. Reuben
Meitamuno Jaja
and his wife, Alabota
Patience
Jaja, during his
installation as
Prince Soide
Jaja II and Head
of the Saturday
Jaja War canoe
House of Opobo,
Rivers State.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 3
Land speculators have distorted FUTO
master plan — VC
By Chidi Nkwopara
The management of
Federal University of
Technology, Owerri,
FUTO, has cried out over the
continuing encroachment of
the institution’s land, by speculators,
pointing out that it
was distorting the master
plan.
The University’s Vice
Chancellor, Professor Francis
Eze, who raised the alarm
while briefing the press in
Owerri, however appealed to
land speculators to “stay
away from the institution’s
Bandits strike again, abduct Katsina monarch, 13 others
Amid anxiety over the
fate of abducted students
of Government College,
Kagara, Niger State,
bandits struck again in neigbourbing
Katsina State, abducting
a monarch and 13
others in two separate attacks.
The gunmen were said to
have kidnapped the 91-yearold
traditional ruler of Kunduru
community on Friday
night.
Sunday Vanguard learned
that the victim who is the
Galadiman Kunduru is the
father of the Secretary to Katsina
State Government, Alhaji
Kasimu Ibrahim.
The monarch was whisked
away by the gunmen who
stormed the town on motorcycles
One of his children who
pleaded for anonymity, confirmed
the incident to Sunday
Vanguard yesterday,
adding that the incident had
already been reported to the
Police.
The nonagenarian was
said to be having health challenges.
Sources also said the abductors
had not made any
contact with the family.
As of press time, the Permanent
Secretary could not be
reached as phone calls to his
mobile phone were not replied
to.
When contacted, spokesman
for the Katsina State
Police Command, Superintendent
of Police, Gambo
Isah, said he was not aware
of the incident.
NCFRMI/UNHCR and the task of managing refugees in Nigeria
By Agidike Abdul Onu
The National Commis
sion for Refugees, Migrants
and Internally Displaced
Persons (NCFRMI)
was originally established as
National Commission for
Refugees by Decree 52 of
1989, now Cap. 21, Laws of
the Federation, 2004.. This
was in fulfillment of the Federal
Government’s obligation
under Resolution 319(IV) of
the General Assembly of the
United Nations and Article
35 of the United Nations
1951 Convention.
Article 1a(2) of the 1951
Convention describes the
term “refugee” as any person
who as a result of events occurring
and owing to well
founded fear of being persecuted
for reasons of race, religion,
nationality, membership
of a particular social
group or political opinion, is
outside the country of his nationality
and is unable or
owing to such fear is unwilling
to avail himself of the
protection of that country: or
land because we have not ceded
an inch of the land to any
individual, group or association”.
His words: “The increasing
and unabated encroachment
of FUTO land, by the host
communities had continued
to pose an impediment to the
development of the 41-year
old premier University of
Technology in the country.
“We came in here since
1993, and we have brought
tremendous development to
the host communities, in addition
to offer of employment
and admission to deserving
indigenes but surprisingly,
“ I am not aware of that incident,”
he told Sunday Vanguard.
In a related development,
gunmen kidnapped 13 travellers
in Faskari Local Government
Area of the state.
The victims were made up
of 12 women and the driver
of the vehicle they were travelling
in.
Isah also confirmed the incident,
saying the bandits
struck at 10: am on February
17, 2021.
He explained that the victims
were travelling to Funtua
from Mai Gora to collect
loans from a bank provided
through a family support
programme.
The Police spokesman said
three persons later escaped
from the bandits.
He added that the Police
were making efforts to ensure
that abductees were rescued
alive.
According to him, “it’s not
true that seventeen women
going for a wedding were
abducted.
“What happened was that
thirteen women from Mai
Gora were travelling to Funtua
for this family support
loan facilities from a bank,
somewhere before Dan Rimi
village, these bandits came
from the bush and shot at the
tyres of the vehicle they were
traveling in, forcing the driver
to stop. Three women escaped
while the remaining
nine and the driver were abducted.
“We are making serious efforts
to ensure that the nine
who not having a nationality
and being outside the country
of his former habitual resident
as a result of such events,
is unable or owing to such
fear, is unwilling to return to
it. The National Commission
for Refugees (NCFR) as it was
then called was only responsible
for managing the affairs
of refugees.
However, in 2002, President
Olusegun Obasanjo enlarged
the Mandate to include Migrants
and Internally Displaced
Persons and this was
the beginning of the expanded
responsibilities of the commission.
Over the years, the NC-
FRMI has approached its
mandate of providing Care
and Maintenance as well as
durable solutions to all its
Persons of Concern (PoCs)
including: Refugees, Internally
Displaced Persons, Stateless
persons, and Returnees
among others with every
sense of responsibility.
The corner stone of refugee
operation is the provision of
what we are seeing now is
encroachment of our land by
the host communities.”
Answering a question, the
VC said that out of sheer pressure
by the host communities,
the University management
proposed to cede about 1,000
hectares of her land to the
agitators, leaving about 3,500
hectares, which he said “must
pass through due process”.
Professor Eze dismissed a
Memorandum of Understanding,
MOU, said to have
been signed by the host communities
and the University
for the release of land to the
land owners as fake.
women and the driver who
are still in captivity are rescued
alive. The incident happened
at 10 a.m.”
political protection and material
assistance necessary at
least to guarantee their basic
human rights. In this regard,
the Commission provides
them protection, food and
non food items, skill acquisition
and other forms of empowerment
aimed at ensuring
that they regain their dignity.
They are also assisted to
enroll in the National Health
Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
and to obtain Convention
Travel Document (CTD). Ultimately,
the desire of the
Commission is to ensure that
the refugees are either assisted
to return to their original
homes voluntarily, integrated
in their host communities
or out right resettlement in the
third countries.
The Honourable Federal
Commissioner NCFRMI,
Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed
(Lado) acknowledged
the daunting task of
managing increasing number
of refugees due to insecurity
across the globe which
Nigeria is not left out. On assumption
of office in August,
From left: Oba Benjamin Olanite, Onimeko of Imeko; Alhaji Kabir Labar, South West
Coordinator, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun;
his deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Hon.Jamilu Akingbade and Eselu of Iselu, Oba
Ebenezer Akinyemi at the inauguration of the Peace keeping Committee on Farmer-Herders
Relationship held at the Governor's office, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Saturday
Residents said the bandits
were yet to contact any of the
families of the victims as of
press time.
New passport charges: Group
slams Nigerian High Commission
in Canada
By Adesina Wahab
A
group, the Nigerian
and Canadian Business
Network, NCBN, has
flayed the Nigerian High
Commission in Canada over
its planned introduction of
new service charges for passport
renewal, passport replacement
among others.
The group is also of the view
that the introduction of the
charges at this point on time
is not auspicious, bearing in
mind the various economic
issues Nigerians in Canada
are grappling with now.
It therefore vowed to sustain
its opposition to the outrageous
charges, describing
their introduction as not only
arbitrary and inauspicious,
but also capable of bringing
untold hardship to concerned
family members, as well as
Nigerian students who have
had to grapple with the effects
of COVID-19 pandemic.
While appealing to the
High Commissioner, Adeyinka
Asekun, to halt the implementation
of the new charges
pending a meeting with the
relevant stakeholders, the
group explained that the decision
would impose further
hardship on its members.
According to available reports,
the High Commission
had in a reference letter No.
NHC/OTT/ADM.422/X dated
2nd February, 2021 titled:
“Presidential directive on the
implementation of administrative
charges at Nigerian
missions,” announced the introduction
of the new charges
to ensure “effective management
and efficient service
delivery”.
The letter reads in part:
“Consequently, the High
Commission hereby presents
hereunder, the list of services
as well as the administrative
charges, which takes
effect from Wednesday, February
10, 2021. Passport:
Fresh Issue/Renewal. 50; Expedited
issuance (Wait and
get) 200; Lost Passport
(Caution Fee) 400; Letter of
Certification of Passport 70;
Emergency Travel Certificate
(E.T.C.): With expired Nig.
Passport 50; (ii) Without
Passport (Lost Passport
with police report) 100;
Authentication of Documents
30 (per document); Authentication
of Corporate/Business
documents 150; Letter to Police
for Character Certificate
(police report) 50; Repatriation/Shipment
of Human Remains
50 (per document);
Driver’s License letter 100”.
2019 as the Honourable Federal
Commissioner, he set out
clearly an agenda of strategic
partnership with stakeholders
in order to be able to
tackle the challenges squarely.
On refugee management,
Senator Mohammed said
the Commission has enjoyed
immense support from the
government as well as strategic
national and international
partners in tackling its
mandate.
According to him, the Federal
Government under the
leadership of President Muhammadu
Buhari has done
well for the Commission
through special intervention
funds to support budgetary
provisions while noting that
the United Nation High
Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), the UN Agency
responsible for refugees management,
has been very supportive
to the Commission.
Continues on
www.vanguardngr.com
Onu is Head, Press and
PR, NCFRMI
FG to provide 25 megawatts power
plant in Kano — Minister
By Bashir Bello
Federal Government
says plans are underway
to provide 25 megawatts
power plant before
the end of the year at the
Kano Free Trade Zone to
woo investors and boost
trade and businesses in the
zone.
The Minister of Industry,
Trade and Investment,
Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo,
stated this when he led
Ekitipanupo institutes endowment fund
for late Falegan
By Tunde Oso
Pre-eminent Ekiti intellec
tual round-table, Ekitipanupo
has instituted an endowment
fund in memory of
late Baba Isale of the group,
Chief S. B. Falegan.
In a statement by Ekitipanupo
Leader, Alagba Gabriel
Akinyemi FCS, considering
his unique roles and contributions
to the Ekitipanupo
initiative, members have
deemed it fit to honour the
members of his team on
inspection visit to industries
and warehouses in
the free trade zone located
in Panisau, Ungogo local
government area of
Kano State.
Adebayo said already
the government has
awarded and signed an
agreement with Independent
Power Project, IPP to
provide the electric facility
in the zone.
memory of this great son of
Ekiti.
Akinyemi disclosed that
many options were considered
and after exhaustive debate
comes up with the Option
of Endowment for Prizes
to be instituted in University
of Ado Ekiti in the name
of Chief S B Falegan for the
best graduating Student in
the field of Banking and Finance,
the area where our late
Babaisale was reputed to be
an icon.
Igbo’s funeral begins tomorrow
Barely three weeks after
the death of his wife,
Madam Josephine Igbo, aka
Nne Seminarians, Pa Dominic
Nwafor Igbo, alias Domingo,
has passed on.
According to a statement by
his eldest son, Job Igbo, on
behalf of the family, the retired
teacher, 69, died in a private
hospital at Abakaliki, on
February 10, 2021, following
a protracted illness. He has
been buried. His funeral starts
tomorrow with a Holy Mass
at his private residence in
Ameta Amudo, Ezza South
LGA, Ebonyi State.
Late Pa Nwafor Igbo
Azuka Anugwom dies at 70
The death has been announced
of a renowned philanthropist,
Mrs Azuka
Syllvia Anugwom, aged 70.
The deceased, who ran an
NGO for widows and orphans,
died on January 19,
2021 at Government Hospital,
Owerri after a brief illness.
She is survived by her husband,
Dr. B.SC Anugwom,
who worked as General
Manager at the Nigeria Airways,
London Office, nine
children and 16 grandchildren.
Service of songs holds tomorrow
@ 4pm at St Agnes
Catholic Church, 2 Ikorodu
Road, Mende Maryland,
Lagos.Sending forth for the
deceased holds on Friday @
9am at her husband’s compound
at Umuowa, Orlu
LGA, Imo State.
Interment follows immediately.
Late Mrs Anugwom
PAGE 4— SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
From right: Former president, Goodluck Jonathan; Chibuike Pius Anyim;
Chioma Pius Anyim, wife of the celebrant; Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, former
Secretary to the Government of the Federation , celebrant; Nkechi Pius Anyim
and Chisom Pius Anyim during the 60th birthday of Anyim Pius Anyim on
Friday in Abuja.
WORSENING INSECURITY: S/West govs, monarchs join forces against killerherdsmen
...back NEC in three-point resolution
By Adeola Badru
overnors of South-West
Gstates and traditional
rulers in the region have
agreed to adopt the National
Economic Council (NEC)
resolution on forest management,
which will put the governors
in the position to manage
forest reserves in their
respective states.
The decision was taken
during the over three-hour
closed-door meeting held in
Ibadan yesterday.
In attendance at the meeting
were Governor Seyi Makinde
(Oyo), Dapo Abiodun
(Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola
(Osun), Rotimi Akeredolu
(Ondo) and Kayode Fayemi
(Ekiti).
On the traditional rulers’
side were the Ooni of Ife, Oba
Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Alaafin
of Oyo, Oba Lamidi
Adeyemi; Olubadan of
Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji;
Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Babatunde
Ajayi and Olugbo of
Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick
Obateru Akinruntan.
The Chief of Staff to the
President, Prof Ibrahim
Gambari, who had convened
the meeting, was absent.
Also billed to attend the
parley but absent were the
Inspector General of Police
and the Director General of
the Department of State Service
and Governor Babajide
Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
Gambari, IGP, DSS DG and
Sanwo-Olu’s absence was
blamed on bad weather
which affected their flights.
According to a communique,
the meeting supported
the NEC decision on forest
management, that the nation’s
borders need to be fully
secured and protected, open
grazing must be checked and
that the media must assist to
end fake news.
Miffed by the menace of
open grazing of cattle which
was recognised as one of the
flashpoints for insecurity in
Nigeria over the past few
years, the Chairman of the
South-West Governors’ Forum
and Governor of Ondo
State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu,
who read the communiqué,
noted that the adoption of the
NEC resolution became imperative
owing to conflicts
between herders and farmers
caused by open grazing.
The NEC had, during its
meeting, last Thursday, resolved
that federal and state
governments should recommit
to “the protection of all
residents of all states including
non-indigenous communities
and religious and ethnic
minorities within state jurisdictions”.
It also recommitted to the
arrest and prosecution of all
perpetrators of crime.
Similarly, it was resolved
that in collaboration with federal
authorities, there should
be the commencement of “the
reconstruction of destroyed
•Why Gambari, IG, DSS-DG, were absent
homes and payment of compensation
where appropriate
by State authorities for damage
to property and livelihoods
sustained during targeted
attacks on communities
within their jurisdictions.”
Akeredolu said: “This
meeting was called by the
Chief of Staff to the President,
Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, but,
unfortunately, the Chief of
Staff and the security heads
Let’s assist the poor, Jonathan tells rich Nigerians
Emma Ujah, Abuja
Bureau Chief
Former
President
Goodluck Jonathan
has appealed to wealthy Nigerians
to assist the poor, arguing
that their wealth was a
gift from God.
Jonathan spoke at the
launching of the Jennifer
Etuh Foundation in honour
of the late wife of Mr. Thomas
Etuh in Abuja.
He said, “Let me call on
wealthy members of the society
to please assist the poor
and the vulnerable. This is
important because what we
have is a gift from God. If you
are rich, it is a gift from God.
If you have influence it is a
gift from God.”
The former president said
that there were many Nigerians
who could not afford the
basic needs of life and that
such people would need helping
hands to move them from
poverty.
He eulogised the late Mrs.
Etuh, who was said to have
lived a life of charity, especially
helping poor women and
girls, as well as other needy
members of the society.
Jonathan pledged that his
Goodluck Jonathan Foundation
would work closely with
could not make it here due to
bad weather in Abuja. They
had to cancel their flights.
They called in to tender their
apologies.
“From the discussion, we
had with our Obas here and
the security teams are that are
present, we agreed that the
time is now to support the
descision of NEC, that is National
Economic Council
about forest management.
the Jennifer Etuh Foundation
in order to fulfill the aspirations
of its founders.
In his short remarks, Mr.
Etuh said that the foundation
was established to fulfil the
vision of his late wife who
demanded its establishment
in order to continue the char-
And that we believe that all
the states should be in position
to manage their forests.
“By that, it will give enough
room for you to determine
who and who are there, what
purpose have they signed, and
where we have people who
are there illegally, the state
will have to take some steps
so that we can preserve our
forests. All of us believe that
we support that decision of
NEC. So all of us here are in
support of NEC decision in
forest management.
“We also debated on a few
way in inciting the citizens to
take up arms against other
ethnic groups settling in their
states.
“The governors’ utterances
emboldened criminals to
unleash violence against
northerners.”
Crisis had, on February 18,
ity work she had started.
According to him, hospitals
and diagnostic centres would
be built by the foundation in
all six geopolitical zones of
the federation to provide
world-class services to rural
women who ordinarily
would not be able to afford
them.
From left: Sons of the deceased, David Etuh and
Daniel Etuh; Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Former
President Goodluck Jonathan; spouse of the
deceased, Mr. Thomas Etuh; former Executive
Secretary, Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr.
John Kennedy Opara; wife of the Speaker, Mrs
Salamatu Gbajabiamila; son of the deceased,
Emmanuel Etuh, and his brother Yusuf Etuh, during
the first year memorial service and launch of the
Jennifer Etuh Foundation, held at the Congress Hall,
Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi
Adeshida
other things. Our borders
have become too porous and
that we need to do something
urgently to prevent foreigners
or foreign herdsmen from
coming into this country without
any form of caution, because
a number of them are
coming with their herds or
cows and what they do is
something of concern to all
of us and we belive that our
borders need to be checked
and that we need to tighten
our borders so that all these
foreigners won’t come with
there herds here and destroy
erupted in Sasa following an
argument that ensued
between a pregnant Yoruba
woman and, following the
development, some persons
were feared dead while
houses were burnt.
Governor Rotimi
Akeredolu of Ondo State
Minister describes Ilaji hotels and resort
as perfect model Nigeria needs
T
he Minister for Youths
and
Sports
Development, Mr Sunday
Dare, has described Ilaji
Hotels and Sports center as a
perfect paradigm shift for
sports development in
Nigeria.
Dare made this statement
yesterday while inspecting
the sporting infrastructure at
the Akanran-based Resort.
According to the Minister
who also attended a retreat
organised by the South West
Group of Online Publishers
(SWEGOP) held at the
Center, he noted that there has
been a gradual shift from the
perception that sport is mainly
a tool of entertainment to a
business oriented one, adding
that for sports to fully develop
our farms.
“We also discussed the fact
that the time is now for us to
support cattle breeding. There
is need for government to support
cattle breeding as we are
supporting other areas of
farming.
“We also zeroed in on fake
news. You journalists need to
assist the country that fake
news is played down. You have
the duty on responsible journalism.
You know what fake
news did for us during End-
Sars. We must work at it. We
must not allow fake news.”
Senate President attacks Yoruba governors, says they are responsible for Sasa, other killings
By Henry Umoru
SSenator enate
Ahmad President,
Lawan,
yesterday, lampooned South-
West governors, accusing
them of being the
masterminds of the killings
in Sasa, Ibadan, Oyo State
and other parts of the Yoruba
dominated region.
According to Lawan, the
governors are also
responsible for the violence
and attacks against
northerners in the region.
Speaking in an interview
with BBC Hausa Service,
Lawan attributed the
violence to the latest call for
the eviction of herders from
south-western states, adding
that utterances by some
governors in the zone were
responsible for the killings in
Sasa and other violence
against northerners in the
region.
“Leadership failures in
the region caused what
happened in Oyo State and
other things that kept
happening in the southwestern
states,” he said.
“Some utterances by some
governors also went a long
Bandits, criminal herdsmen are not Nigerians — FG
•Seeks amendment of ECOWAS protocol to block them
he Federal Government,
Tyesterday, addressed the
issue of insecurity facing
Nigeria, saying some of that
the bandits and criminal
herdsmen terrorising the
country are non-Nigerians.
Consequently, the
government said it is seeking
amendment of the ECOWAS
Protocol on free movement
of human and cattle within
the sub-region.
This came on the heels of the
spate of kidnappings and
banditry across the country,
the latest of which was the
mass abduction in Kagara,
Niger State, last Wednesday.
The Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, disclosed this
when he featured on
Channels Television
programme ‘Sunrise Daily.’
According to the Minister,
bandits and criminal
herdsmen coming into the
country through the land
borders could not be checked
because of the ECOWAS
Protocol that allows transhuman.
“The ECOWAS Protocols
allows trans-human between
all the ECOWAS countries.
That is why we are thinking
of seriously reviewing the
ECOWAS Protocols in that
respect. What we find out
today is that a lot of
criminalities have been
introduced through the
herdsmen and trans-human,”
he said.
According to him, the
criminal herdsmen and
bandits also have access to
sophisticated weapons
because of the proliferation
and smuggling of small arms
and light weapons across the
sub-region.
“The issue of smuggling of
small and light arms is a very
serious one and it has to do
with border control. If you go
and build a house in the slum
as a rich man, poor people
will not allow you to rest.
Nigeria is surrounded by
countries that are either poor
or land-locked,”
Mohammed said.
“We say we want to develop
our local agriculture to
ensure food sufficiency, by
encouraging our farmers to
grow rice, maize, cassava and
stop importation of rice.
“But our neighbour, the Benin
Republic says no, because
they make their living from
the duties they collect from
their ports. So, when we are
charging 70 per cent duties
on imported rice to
discourage importation, they
will charge five per cent.
“All the rice smugglers from
Thailand and the rest of the
world will come to Benin
Republic, but the rice is
destined for Nigeria market.’
had, last month, issued a
seven-day quit notice to
herdsmen operating illegally
in the state’s forest reserves.
Apart from ejecting
herdsmen, the governor also
banned underage grazing,
night grazing, and cattle
movement within the cities
and on highways.
KAGARA: No contact with abductors of students, others — Source
By Nnamdi Ojiego
ontrary to reports that
Ccontacts had been
established with the
kidnappers of students and
workers of Government
Science College, Kagara,
Niger State, Sunday
Vanguard gathered that the
abductors have not been
located by state and non-state
actors.
Niger State governor,
Abubakar Sani-Bello, had
said consultations were
ongoing between
government and some
bandits for the purpose of
releasing the abductees.
He added that
negotiations were at the final
stage.
This was sequel to a visit to
some bandits in the state by
Sheik Ahmad Gummi and
some government officials.
But a source who was
among those who visited the
bandits told Sunday
Vanguard that those who had
a meeting with Gummi and
Niger State officials were not
the abductors of the Kagara
students and workers.
The source said the bandits
only promised to assist in
identifying the kidnappers,
who belonged to another
group of bandits terrorising
the state.
According to the source,
“No direct contact has been
established with the
abductors of the Kagara
students. We visited the
bandits in the forests, but
those people Nigerians saw
on television are not
responsible for the Kagara
incident. They were
kidnapped by another group
and they have all been taken
inside the forest. The bandits
only promised to assist in
locating them and
establishing contacts with
those responsible’’.
in Nigeria compared to the
way it is in the advance
countries, there is need to
develop the business aspect of
it.
He added that his office in
conjunction with the Sports
Ministry has been working on
a policy plan that will see
Nigerian government taking
a total departure from the
perception of seeing sports as
a means of entertainment
alone.
His words, “For a while
now, I have been working
along with the Sports
Ministry on a policy which
will see us developing the
business model for sports in
Nigeria because that is the
only way sports can be fully
maintained and developed.
Some of those who received Dare
during the inspection of facilities at
Ilaji Hotels and Resort
C
M
Y
K
SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 5
APC MEMBERSHIP REVALIDATION:
Furore over Tinubu,
Akande, Oshiomhole
•We want to return party ownership
to members — Akpanudoedehe
•Keyamo, Nwoye, Lukman also speak
By Clifford Ndujihe,
Politics Editor & Omeiza Ajayi
THE membership revalidation and
registration exercise of the ruling All
Progressives Congress, APC, across the
country is being assailed by knotty issues,
controversies and crises.
Suspicion among leaders, battle for
territorial control, alleged attempts to whittle
down the influence of some founding pillars
of the APC, and weed out disgruntled people
from the party among other issues have made
the exercise a war of sorts being fought on
many fronts.
Currently, the exercise has been fraught with
complaints and crisis in many states including
Kwara, Delta, Rivers and Imo.
It was suspended in Delta on account of
misgivings over the composition of the
committee.
The APC secretary of the caretaker
committee in Delta, Chidi Okonji, alleged that
the chairman of the registration panel, Wilson
Anyaegbu, was doing the bidding of a certain
leader of the party in the state and that
nominees for registration officers came from
an Abuja-based politician.
According to him, party leaders, including
the Minister of State for Labour, Festus
Keyamo; NIMASA Director, Victor Ochei;
founding leader, O’tega Emerhor and Great
Ogboru, were schemed out.
Indeed, Keyamo, on February 10, alleged
plans to hijack the exercise in Delta by an
unnamed political leader.
He raised the alarm in a protest note to Yobe
State Governor and Chairman of the APC
Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention
Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni;
Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-
Agege; Anyaegbu and other top party leaders.
In Kwara, Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, called for
cancellation of the registration over alleged
non-observance of APC’s rules and guidelines.
Some youths are already in court to stop the
exercise in Kwara and Rivers.
In Imo, two factions are at each other’s
jugular over ownership of the exercise. The
faction of the party loyal to
Governor Hope Uzodimma
said the exercise had started
while the rival camp led by
Dan Nwafor said nothing like
that is on in the state.
Chairman of the South-East
Governors Forum, and
Governor of Ebonyi State,
Dave Umahi, who recently left
the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, for the APC, cried out to
Buni, last week, that the South-
East zone was facing scarcity
of registration materials.
Aside the flaming crises, two
former national chairmen of
the APC and some leaders
faulted the necessity and
legality of the exercise and they
were countered by some
leaders.
Thus, an exercise that should
have united leaders of the
party appears to be causing
more division and hiatus as a
pitch battle for the soul of the
APC rage.
Otherwise, the issues of scarcity and hoarding
of registration materials, denying some areas
the materials, angst over composition of the
registration committees, litigations against
the exercise, claims and counter-claims
among feuding leaders would not be upwelling.
A host of APC leaders seem to see the exercise
as an election itself. They are in a rat race to
get more of their supporters registered why
denying their perceived opponents
opportunity. The number of members each
politician gets registered is expected to count
during party primaries ahead of 2023 whether
direct or indirect.
As seen in recent primaries of the party,
those who controlled the party
structure determined who
emerged as delegates and
candidates.
‘’In the past, only a few
people controlled the party
structures to the disadvantage
of most members of the APC.
We want to end that and give
all members of the party equal
footing,’’ a top leader of the
party told Sunday Vanguard.
Why Akande,
Tinubu,
Oshiomhole
kicked
Some said
Tinubu said
this, Akande
and
Oshiomhole
said that. They
know that the
party is bigger
than an
individual
Interim National Chairman
of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande,
who was also a governor of
Osun State, described the
exercise as a waste of time and
resources, which, if not
carefully controlled and expeditiously
managed, might end up in contempt and
disgrace.
Reacting to the registration/revalidation
exercise in Ila Orangun, Osun State, he said:
“I see the present APC membership
registration within less than a decade after
the original register as an indefensible
aberration leading to certain ugly perceptions.
“The first major perception is that APC,
already having a well-computerised register
for an average of 100 leaders of similar
ideological orientation per each of the more
than 120,000 polling units across Nigeria,
might be lacking comprehension and matrix
of the modern-day technology.
“The APC leadership might be wasteful and
unappreciative of the proper use of money in
a kind of scanty economy in which
Nigeria now finds
itself.”
National
Leader of
the APC
a n d
former
governor
of Lagos,
Asiwaju
B o l a
Ahmed
Tinubu, shared Akande’s
views during an interaction
with journalists at his Ikoyi
residence in Lagos after
registering.
Noting that he had not
heard that the party’s register
submitted to the Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, at the
time of APC registration had
been invalidated, he said:
“Since we have a foundation
and that foundation is on
which the structure up till the
present was built at the time
of the registration of this party,
I will not fault Baba Akande’s position; I will
not but endorse it.”
There is no revalidation
in APC Constitution –
Oshiomhole
•Akande
Immediate past National Chairman of
•Oshiomhole
APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, also
faulted the revalidation of the membership of
the party by the Interim Caretaker
Committee, saying it was contrary to the
party’s constitution.
Oshiomhole told reporters after revalidating
his membership of the party at Unit 1, ward
10, Iyamho, Etsako West Local Government
of Edo State.
“APC is governed by a constitution and not
by man, the constitution only provides for
registration, and I registered as a member of
the APC in 2014 under the Interim National
chairman, Chief Bisi Akande”, he said.
‘’There is nothing in the APC Constitution
that says a member shall revalidate or renew
his membership.
“Once you registered when you joined the
party and you have not decamped, you are a
member.
“So, revalidation is strange to our
constitution. I have only done this because I
want peace to reign but in doing this we have
to be careful not to create constitutional
breach.”
•Tinubu
Fayemi, Odigie-
Oyegun, others counter
However, Ekiti State Governor and
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’
Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and former
APC National Chairman, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun, disagreed with
criticisms of the exercise.
Fayemi said there was nothing wrong
with the exercise since it was being done
in compliance with the party’s
constitution, adding that the views
expressed by Akande and Tinubu didn’t
portray the exercise as unconstitutional
and illegal.
“Baba Bisi Akande is my father. I hope
you know that and he is somebody I
have the greatest respect for but I also read
the constitution of the party.
“What the constitution says I believe in
Article 9 is that the party register must be
updated every six months. So, if this is being
done in compliance with the constitution of
the party, I really don’t see anything wrong in
it.
“We don’t want to de-register anybody, let
members revalidate their membership, and
those who are non-members but interested
should also feel free to join us, that is what the
exercise is all about”.
On his part, Odigie-Oyegun dismissed THE
insinuation that the registration/revalidation
exercise was aimed at destroying the political
base of any party member.
“I cannot understand the logic behind such
thinking or fear. I also cannot comprehend
reason some people started raising dangerous
alarm about the exercise when it had already
started.
“The exercise was on the front burner for
over three months and it was postponed twice
or more. These people did not raise an eyebrow
then until it started. Honestly, I cannot
understand why.”
Nagging questions
The dust billowing from the exercise is
raising a number of questions in the polity. Is
there a provision for revalidation of
membership in the constitution of the APC?
What happens to members who could not
revalidate their membership within the two
weeks window provided for the exercise? Why
are registration materials being hoarded?
Why is the task being undertaking by the Buniled
Caretaker/Extraordinary National
Convention Planning Committee, whose sixmonth
initial tenure was extended recently by
another six months?
Won’t the scarcity of registration materials,
requirement of voter’s card among others
affect members who do not have the
documents?
We want to return APC to
members — Akpanudoedehe
Speaking on these issues, Secretary of the
APC National Caretaker Committee, Senator
John James Akpanudoedehe, told Sunday
Vanguard that the exercise is in the best interest
of APC because it would return ownership to
members and make the party a disciplined
Continues on page 6
PAGE 6 —SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Furore over Tinubu, Akande, Oshiomhole
Continued from page 5
one.
Asked what would happen to a member who
did not revalidate his membership, he said:
‘’It’s at his liberty. That means he is no longer
a member of the party. That means he is not
interested in contesting for political positions
on the platform of the party because
membership is one of the requirements for
you to vie for any office.
“The National Executive Committee, NEC,
of the APC gave us the mandate to revalidate
our membership register; it doesn’t matter
whether we are right or wrong.
‘’In their wisdom, the NEC said, ‘go and do
this’. If you don’t or not a law abiding person
or feel you are bigger than the process, or there
is something you know and we don’t know,
you can stay out of it. “But the fact is that you
must follow the rules and regulations. That
means you are a sympathizer of the party, with
my understanding.
“I am even shocked by the massive response.
We were targeting the number of votes we got
last time, but, as I’m talking to you now, we
don’t have cards; we have to be rushing to
print more cards.
‘’With due respect to what they did before,
you can’t go to any ward and see your name in
any register; it was stored in the cloud. Who
does that?
“Now, by the time we finish, we will return
the membership to the wards. It is a continuous
thing. If you are not joining today, may be you
will join tomorrow and they will issue you the
card.
‘’We can remember when someone said,
‘don’t do it because of COVID-19’. That was a
trap. We disagreed and said ‘thank you, we
are going to finish this in six months and get
out of here. We will not over stay our
welcome’”.
Told that the caretaker committee had
exceeded its six months without organising
national convention and has been handed an
extension of six months, he said: ‘’You are a
living witness of what happened. We were in
lock-down for many months.
“We are on the right path and doing what
exactly they asked us to do. The response to
the revalidation is truly tremendous and
unimaginable.’’
Asked if the party is doing biometric and
other modern captures, he said: “Yes, for sure.
You have to put your fingerprints. By the time
we come down, it’s going to be the property of
APC – the computer, data centre, etc.
“It’s not going to be anywhere else. It is going
to be here. We are going to print the kind of
chip card like the INEC card. If you put your
information everything will come out. When
we finish we will send the cards to the wards
for people to go and collect”.
On comments that the party hierarchy wants
to use the exercise to work against initial pillars
of the party and check their 2023 ambition,
Akpanudoedehe said: ‘’No, I don’t think that’s
the truth. If you are a popular person and they
want you to stop you... have you not been
seeing people coming from the PDP and other
parties and becoming what they want to
become in APC?
“That’s not the problem at all.
To become President in Nigeria a lot of
interests must be taken into consideration.
We are trying to organise APC to be a
disciplined party.
“We need members of the APC to own the
party. We have to do it because President
Buhari is not going to be on the ballot. We
have to be sure that those who are members of
this party are also voters.
“One of the requirements is voter’s card. You
have to put your voter’s card number there. If
you don’t vote on that day, we know our people
have sold us out. We can calculate how many
votes we can get in any state”.
On comments that membership
revalidation is unconstitutional because there
is no provision for it in APC Constitution, he
quipped: “Let’s say it is not in the constitution,
what power has the constitution given to the
NEC?
“The NEC said we should go and do it and
you say it is unconstitutional? NEC authorised
it, what makes anyone feel it is not
constitutional?
‘’Some said Tinubu said this, Akande and
Oshiomhole said that. They know that the
party is bigger than an individual. The
President holds them in high esteem. He does
not expect us to disrespect them. “Akande is
an elder statesman. When he advises, whether
right or wrong, you don’t expect me to start
arguing with him.
‘’Tinubu is my personal friend;
even though my loyalty has
shifted to the President, you don’t
expect me to forget my
friendship with him and start
abusing him.
“These are elder statesmen
that we must respect. Even if
every other person can abuse
them, I won’t. Besides I came
from ACN.
“If Oshiomhole talks, he is
talking from the angle of anger,
so we simply ignore it.
‘’We have internal mechanism
of resolving grievances. We have
been mandated to do the
revalidation exercise, and until
mandated otherwise, we will
stick to our mandate.
“Their opinion or whatever
they say will not derail what we
are doing”.
On PDP leaders’ allegation
that APC was doing the
revalidation and registration to
prepare a rigging template for 2023, he said:
“When somebody is more technical and
knowledgeable than you, what will you do?
What does membership revalidation have to
do with rigging techniques? Their argument
does not hold water. It is senseless.
“Membership revalidation is, for example,
Tambuwal and Saraki left with their
structures, if other people are coming to our
party in those states, how do we know? “What
about those coming to the party with their
members?
‘’In the wisdom of NEC, it says ‘we are giving
waivers to everybody’. So if you join the party
now, it is like you are foundation member of
the APC”.
‘They are wrong’
Caretaker Chairman of the APC in Enugu
State, Dr Ben Nwoye, also faulted Tinubu,
Akande and Oshiomhole.
According to Nwoye, who spoke to Sunday
Vanguard in an interview, Akande was wrong
to have publicly faulted the initiatives of one
of his successors when he had channels of
making his submissions to the party
leadership.
He said; “On what our revered leader, Baba
Akande, said, one of the guiding principles of
The National
Executive
Committee,
NEC, of the APC
gave us the
mandate to
revalidate our
membership
register
leadership is that when you leave office, your
successors running the same office, you are
supposed to allow them the peace of mind of
handling the affairs of the party within the
confines of the constitution as they deem fit.
“This type of politics is normally not
acceptable; you cannot stand up and begin to
criticize what your successor does in office.
“So, whatever informed the criticism of the
methods on how this particular Caretaker
Committee has decided to run the office, it is
not expected that our elder, our leader, one of
the founding fathers will go to the press to
make his criticism.
“What he should do is to advise and where
the advice is given and perhaps not taken, you
will watch the outcome of the decision which
you advised against.
“However, having said that, I beg to differ
with Baba Akande on several fronts. One, it is
in our Constitution that every so often, I believe
it is six months, there shall be membership
registration.
“However, the revalidation I believe is
occasioned by the fact that successive
leadership, perhaps, did not
maintain accurate register of
members.
“I am a founding member
and I know that there were
attempts by successive
chairmen who promised that
the registration would be
electronically done and that
everyone would receive a
permanent card. They never
did.
“The first registration was
done in 2013 and, up to this
moment, we are still going
about with slips of paper.
“From July 31, 2013 when
the party was formed till date,
nobody has a permanent
membership card.
“So, one can say it is also a
failure of successive leadership
that led to this revalidation.
“No member from 2013 to
the present time has
permanent membership card.
It is a failure.
“People are carrying slips that may have
been torn, the data system is not well
maintained, some people are dead and some
names omitted
Director General of the Progressive
Governors’ Forum, PGF, Salihu Mohammed
Lukman, on his part, said the fact that the
three men revalidated their membership
indicated that all party leaders are in sync
with the decision of the APC.
‘APC leaders not opposed
to registration’
Speaking on the issue, Lukman said,
notwithstanding that after making those
strongly worded remarks, Akande and
Oshiomhole revalidated their membership of
the APC, media reports were reduced to
negative conclusions suggesting, perhaps, that
part of the foundation leadership of the APC,
including Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is in
disagreement with the leadership of the party,
especially the Caretaker Committee on the
decision to conduct the membership
registration/revalidation exercise.
According to him, the disagreement among
some leaders of the party is proof of the
democratic credentials of the APC which
allows for internal contestations.
“Is it really true that because leaders are in
disagreement, crisis will set in? Is it even
possible for leaders of any political party not
to disagree? Is there any political party worthy
of any potential electoral victory whose
leaders are in complete agreement with every
position the party approves? If all leaders are
in agreement, why do we have internal contests
in political parties? Why should we even be
interested in internal democracy?” the DG of
Progressive Governors Forum said.
“Once you eliminate internal disagreements
among leaders of political parties, democracy
will lose its appeal.
“Rather than contest, what we will end up
having in politics is some notional faith in the
sanctity of the party and its leadership. “Like
all our religious shrines, all that we will be
talking of as members of our respective parties
is some claims about the purity of our leaders
and our party even as we know that our only
justification in joining the party is far from
any imagined purity.
“Integral to our decisions to join the party is
the expectations we all seem to have in terms
of what being members should translate to.
“This is where most times leaders often
distinguish themselves. While to ordinary
members, the issue is about political
permutations of who is going to emerge as
candidate for election, for leaders, it is more
about ensuring that the party is able to retain
its electoral viability.
“Call it enlightened self-interest, every leader
will be much more concerned about the
capacity to win elections as the propelling
factor for personal ambitions.
“As members of APC, we should be proud of
our leaders and their ability to make open
their positions about all the issues around the
challenges facing the party.
“We should be inspired by their disciplined
commitment to support the decisions of the
party irrespective of their personal positions.
“We should be proud of the illustrious
leadership of Chief Akande, Asiwaju Tinubu
and all our leaders in APC for demonstrating
in very strong unequivocal terms that to
remain united is not about denying what your
personal preferences are with regard to
choices open to the party in addressing
challenges.
“Being united should be about accepting
decisions that are not necessarily supportive
of our personal preferences.
“Since the time of the APC merger
negotiations between 2012 and 2013, there
has never been time when all our leaders are
in agreement.
“This is partly why there have always been
internal contests within the party.
“Part of the challenge facing the party today
is to ensure that internal contests in the party
reflect the freedom of party leaders and
members to express themselves within the
limits of both the rules of the party and the
country.
“It must be emphasized, therefore, in all the
debate leading to the current membership
registration/revalidation exercise of the APC,
no one has disputed the current membership
register of the APC.
“The emphasis has been that it should be
updated to delete names of members who have
left the party and register new members.
“In addition, the register should be
domiciled in the National Secretariat of the
party and not with individual leaders.
“Having the membership register in the
custody of individual leaders especially when
such leaders are being speculated to have
ambitions for electoral contests is
problematic.
“With all leaders of the party, including Chief
Akande and Asiwaju Tinubu, accepting to
revalidate their membership, the message is
that every party member should revalidate
his/her membership.
“There is no better evidence today that all
APC leaders are united other than the ongoing
membership registration/revalidation
exercise.”
Rules fair enough - Keyamo
Minister of State, Labour and Employment,
Festus Keyamo, dismissed the fear that the
APC membership registration and
revalidation was targeted at diminishing the
influence of some party leaders.
Keyamo told Sunday Vanguard that the
rules set for the exercise appeared fair to all
tendencies in the party but however conceded
that in politics, uniform application of such
rules could pose a serious challenge.
“In the last four, five days, I have been in
Delta where I flagged off the exercise in the
state as the Minister from Delta”, he said.
“I also received the state registration
committees. So far, so good, the rules they
have set for the purpose of conducting this
exercise appear fair enough. The rules appear
equitable enough.
“However, in most cases in politics, the
application of the rules would be the problem.
“So, we are watching closely. We are
watching the committees closely. So far, they
have tried to engage all stakeholders; they
have tried to get our opinion on every issue”.
C
M
Y
K
C
M
Y
K
SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 7
PIB: Origin of ‘oil war’ in
Niger Delta communities
In continuation of the story of the rivalry between two Niger Delta leaders, National Chairman, Host
Communities of Nigeria (Producing Oil and Gas), HOSCON, Bishop Mike Emuh, and his Host Communities
of Nigeria (Producing Oil and Gas), HOSTCOM, counterpart, Chief Benjamin Style Tamaranebi, which led to
the exchange blows at the hallowed chamber of the House of Representatives during the public hearing on
Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), Sunday Vanguard traces the origin of the feud.
By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor,
South-South, Sam Oyadongha, Jimitota
Onoyume, Egufe Yafugborhi and Chioma
Onuegbu
Scrapping or no
scrapping NDDC
Maintaining that HOSTCOM
scandalously demanded for the scrapping
of NDDC, Bishop Mike Emuh told Sunday
Vanguard: “The act that Benjamin
performed at the National Assembly was
not as a result of argument on the bill, no.
“We have not made any presentation
there. He has a limitation of education,
which was why he said at the National
Assembly that NDDC should be scrapped.
Why should you ever think about scrapping
NDDC?”
But the HOSTCOM President (Benjamin
Tamaranebi) shot back: “We are not
opposed to the existence of NDDC but the
Commission has failed on its mandate and
is now a political tool.
“Therefore, NDDC should be
restructured. The Oil Production
Development Areas Commission is the key
to oil and gas bearing communities that
will deliver sustainable development.”
13 per cent derivation
Emuh also charged at Tamaranebi’s
HOSTCOM for calling for 13 per cent
derivation to be channeled directly to host
communities, saying,” He has also said that
13 per cent derivation should be channeled
to host communities in the PIB, that it
should be Host Communities Development
Commission and it should be paid directly
to the Commission.
“That is an error. 13 per cent derivation is
a law that has been established. NDDC is
a law that has been established. PIB law is
yet to be established; so these are his
deficiencies.
“I want to say that NDDC should stay,
nobody should scrap NDDC. You can only
amend the law. At the same time, 13 per
cent derivation, you can only review and
you do not have to talk about taking it away
from governors. PIB is that if Host
Communities Development Commission is
established, let the host communities do
the nomination of directors and
commissioners, not politicians, which is our
stand.”
‘Our problem with
the word settlor’
Tamaranebi also said: “HOSTCOM also
wants expunged from PIB Sections 115 and
117.
“Section 115 talks about settlors, which
is that oil companies are settlors in our
land. “How can they be settlors in our land,
they should remain as tenants. Section 177
talks about giving them Certificate of
Occupancy. “We want these things
expunged from the bill. A settlor in their
words cannot be a landlord, we do not want
to see that word settlor.”
Genesis of crisis
A Niger Delta monarch privy to the
formation of HOSCON told one of our
reporters: “After forming HOSCON with
other persons, Chief Wellington Okirika
was called to head DESOPADEC but
between 2010 and 2015 when he was away,
some individuals, led by Chief Alfred
Bubor, changed the acronym from
HOSCON to HOSTCOM.
“We began to educate them since that
time because most of them were new
members that the group was founded as
HOSCON but they
remained adamant until
2015 when it became clear
to Okirika that these
people were ready to
cause more trouble.
Bubor’s alleged
deviation from
other founders
“He (Okrika) now
brought in Bishop Mike
Emuh. That was after
much discussion. Bubor
group agreed that he was
about to finish his two
terms of three years each.
“He took over Chief
Okirika in 2010, his first
tenure ended in 2011,
another one ended in
2015.
“So in 2015, they agreed
that Bubor would step
down because it was not
supposed to be a life thing.
“The highest you can get is two tenures
but on the day he was putting in another
executive, Bubor disagreed and the other
founders said this cannot be, you cannot be
blindfolding us and Mike (Emuh) was put
in place.
“There is nothing they have not done
against Mike. They worked against him to
the extent that they said that the money
collected on gas flare was not anywhere.
“They said Mike is fake and published
that Mike has been removed by host
communities. We were not bothered
The other group
went to arrange
their own
certificate of
incorporation at
the CAC, there is
nothing they have
not done until this
very last one (fight)
at the National
Assembly
because we know that he is the National
Chairman.
“They took us before South-South
monarchs, there was nothing the other
group did not do, they took us before
TROMPCON and, in that meeting, they
brought a document for Mike to sign but
he told them he was not signing.
“We were invited to a reconciliatory
meeting with 10 people but they came with
more than 100 people.
“Looking at the situation on ground, some
people advised Mike to sign but write
under that he signed under duress.
“They required that him and one other
executive member of HOSCON to sign the
paper, but after he signed, the document was
taken to Prince Whiskey, now a monarch, who
declined to sign, saying he did not come to
sign agreement but for reconciliation.
“When they saw the way he spoke, they left
the meeting.
“After the meeting, the Emuh-led HOSCON
was invited for a meeting at Aso Villa, Abuja.
When the other group saw the
photographs of our visit in
newspapers, they were
infuriated and that was when
the current trouble started.
“So the other group went to
arrange their own certificate
of incorporation at the CAC,
there is nothing they have not
done until this very last one
(fight) at the National
Assembly.
“We were given the
impression that we would be
represented by two members
and HOSCON was
represented by two
members; we also thought
that HOSTCOM would be
represented by two
members.
“The only thing I can
remember is that
HOSTCOM people just
came and said Mike could
not present his paper before
them.
“He, Benjamin, was raining blows on Mike,
it is most unfortunate, and it is not as if Mike
went to meet him and said ‘I must present
first’, so Benjamin’s action looked
unbelievable.
“If you watched the video (of fight), you
would see that Mike was seated and Benjamin
was standing raining blows on him.
“His position is that he would speak first,
that he is the authentic Chairman. Note that
Okirika handed over to Bubor, both are Ijaw,
and he still thinks that he, an Ijaw from
Bayelsa State, would continue as National
Chairman. Emuh is Urhobo. Is the group
owned by Ijaws? Are there no other tribes in
the group?”
The monarch explained that because Emuh
is a bishop, he does not want crisis among
host communities.
“Even on that day that Benjamin fought him
at the National Assembly, some people
brought the police to arrest Benjamin but he
(Emuh) said they should leave him”, he added.
‘We‘re duly registered’
HOSTCOM leader, Tamaranebi,
responded to the claims: “My group
(HOSTCOM) is a reliable structure. Oba of
Benin is the life grand patron, King Edmund
M Daukoru is the Chairman of BOT,
TROMPCON President General is a board
member while Pa Edwin Clark is the grand
patron. Other well meaning personalities are
involved.
“The other group is not known anywhere;
it is a political group going about with youths
and claiming to be doing pipeline jobs,
modular refinery and youth empowerment
schemes etc.
“They do not have structure in any
community. The government of Delta State
gave us office complex at 11 Uti Street,
Effurun, Warri where our national secretariat
is, so what are they saying?
“We were duly elected and inaugurated, not
just appointed by anyone and we are a
registered organization and our operations
are guided by our Constitution”.
Intervention
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to
the President on Niger-Delta, Senator Etang,
who was disturbed by the dirty linen being
washed in the public by leaders of the host
communities, invited the warring factions to
a peace meeting in Abuja.
Emuh and Tamaranebi attended the
meeting.
A source in the Emuh-led HOSCON told
Sunday Vanguard: “The Special Adviser
explained that he was disturbed by what
happened at the House of Representatives and
wanted both sides to iron out their differences
and present a common front on PIB.
“It was resolved at the meeting that we will
put on a common front on the PIB but other
issues were not resolved.
“In fact, he said it not him that will resolve
them.
“So we have not resolved, the battle
continues at home, we only agreed to present
a common front on PIB”.
Addressing the two factions on the need to
present a harmonized position before the
House of Representatives’ Committee, Etang
said: “We would request using the
instrumentality of this Office for the House of
Representatives and the Senate Committee,
even in their Committee Session, to hear us
present a harmonized position at the National
Assembly.
“We have not invited you to settle any
dispute but we have invited you to shake
hands with each other and move on because,
in the Niger Delta, dispute and disputation
is a regular feature; so we are not settling
dispute.
“I know you people do not have dispute with
yourselves, you only agree to disagree on the
procedure and the disagreement passed the
elbow to the ankle.”
The presidential adviser decried a situation
in which oil companies divide host
communities while they sponsor and put fire
on both sides.
“They take the oil, desecrate the
environment, abuse your children and your
youths, give them instrument of selfdestruction
and while we keep fighting,
they keep clapping and taking our
resources”.
“Under President Muhammed Buhari,
this would not happen again, we would not
be perpetually at war with ourselves and
we have agreed to come together for the
purpose of defending the interest of the
entire community.
“So what I intend to do is to work with
you, put you on the same page on issues
contend on the Host Communities Content
of the Petroleum Industry Bill, to enable you
put up a unified presentation on what you
want for the Host Communities for the bill
to become law”.
But Tamaranebi explained that the pact
at the meeting was to jettison the demand
for 2.5 per cent and stick to 10 per cent
equity for host communities.
“We did not just ask for 10 per cent equity
without knowing our left from our right.
The system is 100 per cent, the Federal
Government holds 60 per cent equity and
the oil companies 40 per cent. We are
saying that both sides should surrender
five per cent each and let us have 10 per
cent equity as host communities”, the
HOSTCOM leader stated.
“Who says we are going to make any
financial contribution? Our land and other
assets therein are already there as our 10
per cent contribution, we have surrendered
our land to them for the business”.
• N ext Sunday, Chief Wellington
Okrika and more stakeholders in Niger
Delta oil communities speak
PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
•Musa
KAGARA:
Killings for seven years preceded
41,257 killed in road
accidents in 97 months
Says nine Niger LGAs under siege
'How Katsina, Zamfara ara fores
orest t aids banditry in Niger'
school children abduction – Senator Musa
•Says nine Niger LGAs under siege
•'Ho
•Speaks on why he sponsred motion on state of emergency on security in Senate
By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Editor
MID security forces’ manhunt for
Athose behind the abduction of 42
people, including 27 children, from
Government Science College, in Kagara,
Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State,
Senator Sani Musa, who represents Niger
East where the LGA falls in the Senate,
speaks on the siege his constituents had
been enduring over the past seven years
from banditry. According to him, it is not
only Rafi LGA that is under siege in Niger
East. The other eight LGAs in the senatorial
district are under attack. Heavily armed
men in military uniforms raided the
Government Science College on
Wednesday, killing one student and spiriting
others into a nearby forest. The mass
abduction came just two months after 300
students were kidnapped from a school in
Kakara, Katsina, President Muhammadu
Buhari’s home state, while the President
was visiting home. The boys were later
released by their captors after negotiations
with government officials but the incident
triggered outrage and memories of
schoolgirls kidnapped by armed gangs in
Dapchi, Yobe State and Chibok, Borno State
that shocked the world. Out of at least 276
girls who were kidnapped by the Boko
Haram group from Chibok, at least 100 are
still unaccounted for. In this interview,
Senator Musa reveals how bad banditry
has become in Niger State. He also frowns
on the act of negotiating with bandits who
he describes as criminals and terrorists.
Excerpts:
How bad are things in Niger State?
Kidnapping has become a recurring
decimal in Niger State in the last seven
years. Almost every time I stood at the
hallowed chamber, I brought the issue of
security in Niger, especially in my
senatorial district, to the fore. The area
consists of nine local government areas of
the 24 local government areas in the state.
In the last seven years, three of the local
governments have had serious attacks
which were unreported. Because of that, I
feel it is necessary that government, going
by the Constitution, which guarantees the
protection of lives and property, acts on it. I
just felt it was necessary to ask on the floor
of the Senate that a state of emergency be
declared on insecurity in Nigeria.
Abduction of schoolchildren happened in
Chibok. It happened in Dapchi. It has now
happened in Kagara. We can’t guarantee
where next. Necessary steps have to be
taken. A few days ago, about 19 people
lost their lives to bandits in Niger East.
The Village Head of Daras in Kusherki
District heard a bang on his door and
bandits forcefully entered his room, took
him out and shot him in the presence of
his family. They took his brother, his son
and wives away.
Pandogeri
Some people came for an examination
in Kagara. On their way back to
Pandogeri, they were attacked. Two
people lost their lives while seven were
abducted. The same thing happened in
Sarkin Power in Munya Local
Government Area. It is continuous. The
Federal Government needs to take the
security of this nation as its priority. No
matter what development we are talking
about, no matter what palliative we give
to people, if there is no security, it is as
good as not doing anything. I stand to be
corrected, is there anybody in this
country that is immune to insecurity?
The Federal Government is
overwhelmed. I can say it without fear
or favour that other tiers of government,
it seems they lack the knowledge of how
to rise to the security
challenge.
Tell us the number of
local governments
seriously under the
siege of bandits…
There are nine local
governments in my
senatorial district. I can tell
you that almost all the local
governments in the
senatorial district have been
attacked. Worse of it is the
Rafi Local Government Area
where Government Science
College, Kagara is situated.
Shiroro Local Government
Area, from Alawa axis to
Erena, has been under
constant attacks. There is no
presence of anybody in that
axis other than bandits. I don’t
call them bandits, I call them terrorists. If
you go to Munya Local Government Area,
it is the same thing. The situation is
underreported. If you go to Gurarara Local
Government Area by Lambata, it
happened. Between Minna and Suleja it
happened. It happened in Tarfa Local
Government Area where some people were
kidnapped just at the boundary between
Niger and Kaduna State.
Could you explain what you mean
by a state of emergency in this context?
What I meant by a state of emergency is
very clear. It is an automatic option of doing
Kidnapping
has become
a recurring
decimal in
Niger State in
the last seven
years
what is needful and what is necessary to be
done. For instance, when you say that the
local government chairman is the chief
security officer of a local government, what
are his functions? It is to maintain law and
order in the local government. Is that what
is happening today? I can tell you without
fear of contradiction that the majority of
the local governments in this country are
not operational. When you talk about the
states, I can’t be the chief security officer of
a state who has been having intelligence
reports on security matters and I will come
to the media to make statements that will
be instigating the populace. In that essence,
is there a security approach to it? At the
national level, we have all the service chiefs,
we have the Department of State Security
Service, DSS, Defence Intelligence Agency,
and National Intelligence Agency, who
daily provide intelligence reports to the
President and other organs of the state. Are
other organs of the state making good use of
the reports? The answer is no. What I meant
by state of emergency is for the federal
government to ask all state governments
to take security as a
priority.
Boko Haram/banditry
Boko Haram has been
there for over 10 years. This
banditry in the North-West
and North- Central has been
there for over seven years.
Do you want to tell me that
it is just something we have
to live with? We don’t have
to live with it. If we have
armed forces that are
overwhelmed, what do we
need to do? We have youths,
a generation that is just
being wasted. We have
youths that have
graduated without jobs,
why can’t we make use of
them? Why can’t we
recruit them to address the
security challenge in this
country? Why can’t we get the funds, buy
weapons and equip the armed forces to make
sure they chase these people to their door
steps? Why do we always wait until an
attack happens before we take action? Why
can’t we get our soldiers ready and go into
the bush to face these people?
Are you saying the President
hasn’t done enough?
The President has done what is needful
to be done. The President has assented to
the budget. The President has never
deprived the armed forces of what they
require. The President has done so much
for the state governments. Some of the
state governments cannot even pay
salaries. The federal government is
assisting them. A lot of the state
governments are embezzling security
funds.
But the President controls the
police and the military…
I am one person who was very vocal about
former service chiefs. I felt they had done
their beats and there was the need for them
to go so that new people can take over. And
this has been done. Mr. President has done
that. The new service chiefs have
commenced work. What I am saying is that
we should energise them and give them all
the logistics they require to face these
criminals. When you are talking about
ransom, in a decent society, this cannot be
allowed to continue. If you negotiate with
one group today, another cell will come up
tomorrow. It is not done. No country will
tolerate that.
Locating bandits
Talking about the terrain, Kagara Forest
in Katsina and Zamfara extends to Kamuku
Forest through Kosheriki and Pandogeri.
If you come through Shiroro, the Alawa
Forest is there. Most of these bandits were
coming through the Alawa axis. And I had
said it in so many of my motions on the
floor of the National Assembly, that the
military should establish a base within
Alawa axis. There is no way they can’t pass
through Alawa when they are coming from
Zamfara. After my governor had tried many
things without success, he tried to see how
the Alawa axis can be handled. Meanwhile,
these bandits had already come in. Without
the field presence of the armed forces, we
can’t do anything in that area. That is why
these guys have a field day in that axis. And
it is a hilly area but not a dense forest with
poor visibility. I have spoken severally with
my governor on the matter and he told me
that he shares intelligence with his Kaduna
State counterpart. It is by so doing that we
are able to know the locations these people
use. The governor has no powers to deploy
the army and the police. All he can do is to
get the information which he gives to them.
There is nothing he can do without federal
might. That is the reason I am asking the
federal government to declare a state of
emergency. With the insecurity in this
country, we cannot runway from the
disintegration our elders are talking
about.
North has already destroyed itself
“The North has become a
region of endless funerals and
perpetual bereavement.
Bandits in the North have
become a state. They impose
fines and taxes, send notices,
control spaces, determine life
and death and operate without
challenge” – Senator Shehu
Sani of Kaduna State, March
2020
I
wish that historical Lord
Lugard and the King or
Queen of England who
granted him the powers to rule
and ruin our lives are alive
today to behold the explosions
being set off by the time bomb
they planted in this part of
Africa in 1914. History does
not tell us its alternatives. In
other words, we don’t know
what would have happened if
amalgamation had not
occurred. But, we are now
beginning to see the
beginning of the end of the
“geographical expression”
(apologies to the late Chief
Awolowo) they formed and
named Nigeria by the satraps’
concubine.
More than a century after,
the feudal, mostly Islamic
North, backward, slow to
adapt to changes, mostly
lacking in any interest in
universal education and
bereft of vision, remains
relatively just that. Just about
any major calamity impeding
progress and tending towards
the destruction of the disaster
waiting to happen is now
located squarely in the North
whose elite have, for too long
lived, under the illusion that
the region could increasingly
breed millions of almajiris
side-by-side with the selfish
tiny political and feudal
minority without dire
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consequences. Well, the
“judgment days” are here.
The almajiris, hitherto docile
and gratefully accepting the
crumbs from the elite’s tables,
have literally turned the tables
against their masters –
including Sani – who, now
dumped from the buffet table,
discovered wisdom which
previously escaped him and
his friends and associates for
years. This article could easily
have been titled, LESSONS
FROM A SUPER-
TERRORIST, and it would still
have been apt. In my library
is a little known book titled,
HITLER’S SECRET BOOK,
and written by the late
German monster himself.
One thing I have learnt from
my adventures into history is
the fact that when the major
topic on the national agenda
is war, then go and read what
war-mongers think about it.
What is wrecking Nigeria,
especially the North, and will
continue for years to come, is
TERRORISM. So, the first
port of call is a super-terrorist
– Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945. It
will amaze our leaders and
readers to know how much of
what had developed in the
North since the rise of Boko
Haram in 2009 could have
been predicted by reading
Hitler’s book. The FG in
particular might also pick up
some ideas about what to
expect next. Finally, they just
might discover how to
combat it – for the sake of our
country Nigeria. I wish them
luck; although it is doubtful
that those in charge of our fate
now can ever learn anything
useful. People who have lost
the appetite for reading have
almost always lost the
Leaving the country
in the hands of the
least competent
people to manage its
affairs after
independence was a
master-stroke of
wickedness
appetite for learning, for
thinking deeply and for
finding novel solutions to
serious problems. The brain,
like any organ, rots – if not
actively used – as is the case
within Abuja’s top
government circles. Buhari, as
the Commander-In-
Condolence Delivery, C-I-CD,
is contented to just send
condolence messages to the
bereaved without an
accompanying message of
hope that terror will abate.
There is no discernible plan.
He is an example of what
David Halberstam, in his bestselling
book, titled, THE
BRIGHTEST AND THE
BEST, called “the best general
for another war.” General
Buhari (retd), clearly tired, is
leading this war effort so
badly, it is pathetic. He is
actually now part of the
problem and it is increasingly
difficult to see him as part of
the solution. That is bad news
for all of us. “An increase in
the population which finally
no longer stands any relation
to the productive capacity of
its own soil to support life” –
Hitler p 22. That, according
to Hitler, follows from
prolonged periods when a
people or nation or parts of it
regard “large families as a
blessing rather than a
burden.” Only recently, the
Federal House of
Representatives was treated to
a show put up by a buffoon. A
member from one of the
northern states brought his
four wives for exhibition of his
prowess. He announced that
he already had 19 children
and he was just starting
because his father had several
wives and over 80 children.
He did not tell us how many
of the 80 siblings are
almajiris. That is the sort of
lunacy to which the South is
yoked – like indentured slaves.
Eventually, as Hitler had
warned us, territorial
expansion becomes
imperative for those who have
exhausted the limits of their
capacity to provide for
themselves within their own
domains. I will come to it later.
But, the rapid and violent
expansion of herdsmen
communities, all over
Nigeria, in the last four years
and nine months, is more
deliberate than most of us
realise and it is being
encouraged at the topmost
level of government. The body
language says it all but what
is being said to southerners
and Middle Belt people can
only be understood by a few.
The C-I-C is alive and well in
Abuja. But, first let us trace the
history of how we got here and
how goddamned Lugard and
the British got us here.
POPULATION WAS THE
CAUSE OF OUR DESTINY
Preparatory to their
departure, our evil-minded
colonial masters had a
strategy for making the
contraption they glued
together to form Nigeria
eventually unworkable – an
accident waiting to happen.
First, they conducted a bogus
census. Whereas everybody in
the far better educated South,
Christian or Muslim, had to
be sighted to be counted, the
same was not true of the North.
Women and young girls in
harems were counted sight
unseen. My eldest brother, who
was born in Zaria, was one of
the enumerators. The
Megida of each primitive
shanty stood in front of the
place and issued a figure – so
many wives and kids. The
figures were accepted as the
truth. The problem was, the
young people in the
communities knew how
many of their age groups were
in each shanty. My brother,
who spoke Hausa fluently,
knew that the figures he was
forced to record were grossly
exaggerated because the
District Heads and Serikis
had conducted a campaign
misleading the people that
money would be distributed
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021,PAGE 9
per head. So, the more people
in the shanty the more money
could be expected. The North
was declared to have a larger
population than the South.
That made Nigeria unique in
the history of the world – a
country in which the arid zone
had more people than the
luxuriant and well-watered
South. It was a deliberate
ploy. England was just getting
ready to play its biggest jokers.
Armed with a bogus census,
political constituencies were
created and the North was
given the majority. The
country was handed to the
region with less than five per
cent literacy compared to
already close to 50 per cent in
the South. Leaving the country
in the hands of the least
competent people to manage
its affairs after independence
was a master-stroke of
wickedness. But, they were not
finished with us just yet. While
southerners were encouraged
to attend schools, northerners
were urged to go into the Army
with the ominous words “who
controls the army controls the
nation”. That was a campaign
which the late Sardauna of
Sokoto, Premier of Northern
Region, carried to all the
schools – primary and
secondary – in the North.
Meanwhile, Awolowo and
Azikiwe enrolled us in
schools. The Army was
actually intended to safeguard
northern elite interests and not
to protect the nation against
external aggression because
none of our closest neighbours
– Cameroun, Benin Republic,
Chad, Niger, Sao Tome, etc –
was strong enough to attack
us. The first coup of 1966,
which was quickly crushed,
came as a surprise. It was a
temporary setback for the
British. Thereafter, political
and religious leaders in the
core North – North-East and
North-West – went about
encouraging their people to
breed like bed bugs – the more
the better. Incidentally, most
of the Middle Belt was left out
of the race to over-populate
the earth – mainly because of
the higher percentage of
Christians in the old Benue/
Plateau zone. When the oil
bonanza started in 1973 and
federalism had given way to
unitary government under
General Gowon, population
became the primary basis for
sharing crude oil revenue. The
lion’s share went North; the
left-over came to the Niger
Delta. It never ceases to
amaze me when Niger Delta
people welcome Gowon as
they do. Making a hero out of
somebody who enslaved the
people is the clearest sign that
the black man is indeed
mentally retarded. The man
took 50 per cent derivation
from them and gave only one
and a half per cent in the worst
case of barefaced robbery in
history and yet they still clap
for him? Gowon established
the template for the economic
enslavement of the South –
which exists till today. If I am
an Ijaw or Ibibio, or Ilaje,
Gowon would never be my
hero. Never! He started the
injustice which is still the basis
for federally-allocated
revenue till today. It might
shock our readers to know
that Gowon did not act alone.
The Federal Commissioner
(Minister) for Finance during
the Gowon administration
and the author of the atrocious
edicts which resulted in the
economic rape of the South
was none other than our own
dear late Chief Obafemi
Awolowo. Papa helped to
enslave us despite his known
position on true federalism.
We might never know why
Awolowo did it. But, we
cannot deny his complicity in
the financial crimes against
the South. He and Gowon
took our 50% and gave back
to us as derivation a mere
1.5% as federating units.
Lagos now generates about
60 per cent of Value Added
Tax, VAT, revenue. It gets back
less than four per cent!! But,
without realising it, Gowon
also set the events which will
destroy the North eventually.
He encouraged population
explosion and idleness. He
probably never knew about
Ghandhi’s warning regarding
the things that would destroy
a nation.
•Article first published on
March 15,2020
Joyfulhomes
2015@gmail.com
Do you really believe His word?
Brethren, we’ll start off by
asking a question that
many people will answer in
the affirmative.
Do you really believe the
Word? You are likely to say, if
I don’t believe, I won’t be a
Christian.
The answer is deeper than
that. The true test of your
belief is actually a test of your
faith. It’s easy to say, “I am a
Christian. I go to church, I
serve God, I’m
knowledgeable in the word of
God’. These words are 50% of
the answer to the question.
The answer to the question
lies in how you respond to a
major challenge in your life.
You may have been waiting
to have a child for years, five
years, seven years even 10
years. If your attitude is let
the LORD do it when he wants,
or you begin to say, I am tired
of praying, or you say, my
parents never waited, why
should I be waiting? Once you
allow these thoughts in your
life, Brethren, you are not a
believer. It doesn’t matter if
your go to church 10 times a
day.
Let’s consider examples of
one or two persons that
believed the Word and others
that had doubts.
Daddy Abraham is the best
example. Genesis 16 vs. 1: “
Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare
him no children……”.
Abram was 99 years
according to Genesis 17 vs. 1:
“ And when Abram was ninety
years old and nine, the LORD
appeared to Abram, and said
unto him, I am the Almighty
God; walk before me, and be
thou perfect”. In verses 5&6
of the same chapter the LORD
said, “ Neither shall thy name
any more be called Abram,
but thy name shall be
Abraham; for a father of many
nations have I made thee.
And I will make thee
exceeding fruitful, and I will
make nations of thee, and
kings shall come out of thee”.
If you and I were in
Abraham’s shoes, we would
have our doubts.
It’s human to have doubts
but those in whom the Spirit
of the Lord is, have their belief
strengthened by faith.
A good example of a
Is your faith strong
enough for you to
discard the medical
report from your
thoughts and hold on
to the Word of God?
believer that had doubts is
found in Sarah, the wife of
Abraham after they
unknowingly entertained the
Lord. Genesis 18 vs. 10-13 “
And he said, I will certainly
return unto thee according to
the time of life; and, lo, Sarah
thy wife shall have a son, And
Sarah heard it in the tent door,
which was behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah
were old and well stricken in
age, and it ceased to be with
Sarah after the manner of
women. Therefore Sarah
laughed within herself,
saying, After I am waxed old
shall I have pleasure, my lord
being old also?
And the LORD said unto
Abraham, Wherefore did
Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I
of a surety bear a child, which
am old?”.
Note - she laughed within
herself. In other words,
though she was a believer, she
doubted the Word.
Doctors may have told you
that the eggs you produce as
a woman is weak, you may
even have been told that you
have reached menopause like
Sarah, or were you told that
your fallopian tubes are
blocked, or that your
husband’s semen is lifeless, it
doesn’t matter the report that
medical science has given
you.
What matters is what you
believe? Do you believe the
word of God in Genesis 1 vs.
28 “ And God blessed them,
and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and
over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth”.
Is your faith strong enough
for you to discard the medical
report from your thoughts
and hold on to the Word of
God? If indeed you are a true
Believer, that medical report
should make you move close
to God and remind him of his
promise to your. Do you know
that God gave Abraham
conditions that he must fulfill?
Genesis 17 vs. 1&2 attests to
this: “ And when Abram was
ninety years old and nine, the
LORD appeared to Abram,
and said unto him, I am the
Almighty God; walk before
me, and be thou perfect.
And I will make my
covenant between me and
thee, and will multiply thee
exceedingly”. Are you
walking with the LORD? Are
you striving to be perfect?
Simply put, are you living
your life in accordance with
the Word of God?
Are you not giving in to
pressure from your friends
and parents that you should
go and impregnate another
woman outside your
marriage?
If you walk with God, the
LORD, He will give you the
physical and spiritual strength
to disregard such pressure.
Brethren, bear in mind that
all parts of your body are
created by God and not
medical science.
Therefore, God can make
possible what doctors have
told you is impossible.
I once met a lady that
doctors said, the husband’s
semen was weak and the
woman’s chances of
producing fertile eggs was
about 40% given her age.
Scientifically speaking, the
doctors were correct.
However, our God is
beyond science. He is able to
make the barren fruitful at
anytime. Age is no barrier to
a miracle in the presence of
the Lord.
The couple I referred to now
have three children, including
a set of twins.
May the LORD strengthen
your faith and reward your
faith as you hold on to HIM
in Jesus name.
Last week, I stumbled on the
story of a couple that had been
waiting to have children for
six years but according to
them, God embarrassed them
with five babies at once.
The woman speaking on
Punch online said, “ People
used to call me barren before,
they used to insult me but I
thank God today, that God
embarrassed with five babies
at a go. Two boys, three girls.
What else can I ask from God?
I really, really, thank God for
this great gift that he gave to
me.
Brethren, what if the man
had fallen into the
temptations of impatient inlaws
and unfriendly friends?
What if the woman too had
cheated on her husband in a
bid to have children? To do
any of these may mean
shutting your doors against
the miracle of God. The
testimony they now have may
elude them.
Even if you have doubts like
Sarah, the merciful God can
rise up for you and you will
become a mother.
Sister, Brother, hold on to
God. I see the Lord embarrass
you with your heart’s desires
before this year ends in Jesus
name.Ensure you have an
improved relationship with
the Lord that is never late.
I see your rejoice soon.
Be reminded that 40 days
fasting period in the Christian
calendar started on
February17, Ash Wednesday.
As you key into the fasting
and prayer, make your
demand specific before the
Lord.
God be with you.
PAGE 10 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
My heart has been broken
more than 999 times
—Evia Simon
Challenges
Challenges are part of our daily life’s
routine. I have faced a lot of challenges
in the industry since I started acting. I
have had to face a senior female
colleague who insulted me for doing
nothing on a location. I have had to hear
a voice-note of a senior colleague who
denied me after she introduced me just
because she felt intimidated. I have
escaped accidents from jealous
colleagues severally. I have also, at
different times, being propositioned for
sex for a role by a director or a producer.
Another annoying challenge in the
beginning is the belief by some directors
that they are doing you a favour and not
paying you for your service. But in all,
man is not God. There is always time and
season for every one
Low points
My low point is trying to prove a point
to a director or a producer that I can do
this because most of them feel if they
haven’t seen you act they find it difficult
to believe you can give your best. I have
learnt so much, which is believing in
yourself and never giving up, no matter
the countless times you have to go on and
on to get what you really want from the
career you have chosen.
On sex
Well, sex is sex, and having sex outside
marriage is a sin against God because
our body is the temple of God. We are not
supposed to have sex before marriage. But
it’s better having it with someone you love
and care about.
On relationship
Relationships are sweet when you and
your partner understand each other.
Being there for each other, knowing each
other’s likes and dislikes and not taking
advantage of each other.
On marriage
The word “marriage” is big because it’s
a school you will never graduate from. It’s
where two people come together to form
a union as husband and wife to become
one. So many women go into marriage
for many reasons which I find very
annoying and improper and they end up
breaking up after six months. Don’t get
married if you are not mentally and
spiritually ready for it; if you can’t trust,
forgive, learn,
understand and make amends. But
marriage is sweet if you get to marry your
friend , your gist and gossip partner. A lot
of women are waiting for marriage to get
out of poverty which is very wrong.
On being sexy
Being sexy to me is how intelligent a
woman appears to be; smart, elegant and
outspoken. You can be sexy in your body
and be a dumb ass. And if you want to
flaunt your sexiness make sure you are
very intelligent and smart to compliment
it
On social media
Social media has been the greatest tool
to the success of my career. Gone are the
days when social media was not in use
and your works were only seen by certain
people. But now social media is a
platform to reach millions of people
around the world without moving a
muscle.
beautiful Nollywood
Voluptuously actress, Evia Simon has come a long way
in the movie industry. She started acting in
2007 but officially began her journey in
Nollywood in 2011. She’s an actress as well
as a producer. Some of her films include;
Child Not Bride, Unbreak and Mind’s Eye.
She has seen the good, the bad and the ugly
sides of Nollywood and she bares it all in
this interview with AYO ONIKOYI,
Entertainment Editor.
Embarrassing moments
My most embarrassing moment is when
you are being cast for a role and some other
actors come to lobby with money or their
body to get the role and you are being
pushed out of the job. It is so embarrassing
because you might have already announced
to your friends you are starting the job.
Another embarrassing experience was
when a senior colleague insulted me
and said to me I could never grow in
the industry. If you ask her what I did
wrong she’s got nothing to say. She
even threatened to leave the set if I was
allowed to remain.
Turn-on in opposite sex
What turns me on in a man is his
generosity. Not just to me but to everyone
around him; near or far. What turns me
off in a man is laziness and someone
who doesn’t care about people but
himself alone.
Sacrifices
Leaving my business to suffer and
travelling from state to state must be the
biggest sacrifice. Also, letting go of one of
my most cherished relationships because he
wants to get married to an actress.
Heartbreaks
My heart has been broken more than
999 times and in fact shattered
severally. What I did was to build an
unbreakable wall around me not to
let my heart be broken again and
if you can break the wall and
penetrate through, then
maybe you are the right
person. I have also had my
share of bad
relationships, I have
seen and met 999 wrong
guys who think I am
made, not knowing I am
managing my life,
hustling to survive.
How `GOtv’ Max giving more content for less
Since the reign of terrestrial television broadcasting
went from the front row to the backseat in the wake of
cable or digital television revolution, the question has
been about content. And in the battle of content and what
the viewers want, only the fittest and strongest are
surviving and a step ahead beyond the imagination of
their viewers.
First to rule the digital realm in Nigeria is
unquestionably DStv, and then MultiChoice introduced
GOtv, a Digital Terrestrial TV service platform which
delivers an array of quality and entertaining programmes
at affordable rates.
When they materialized on the scene, they met a few
others already pulling their weight, but GOtv has
consistently shown its innovative streak by playing the
game differently. One of such tactics is offering more
content for a lower price.
While they have packages to suit all types of pockets,
the package called GOtv Max, was the trump card to flip
the balance in Digital Terrestrial TV service. As it is, the
service provider is offering far more than ever before for
less. A look at what GOtv Max offers is not only mouthwatering
but also in sync with the prevalent economic
condition of Nigeria and Africa at large.
GOtv customers on Jolli and Jinja packages can still
•Evia Simon
take advantage of the “Max For Less” offer which started
on January 14. This limited time-only offer, gives GOtv
customers on the lower packages the opportunity to enjoy
quality entertainment on the GOtv Max package at a
discounted price of N2,999 only instead of N3,600. Jolli
and Jinja customers who upgrade to the Max package
get a wider range of quality entertainment to choose from
over 72 great local and international channels.
Sports lovers get to enjoy world-class sporting action
such as: La Liga and Serie A and other select matches of
the EPL, UCL and UEFA Nations League airing on
SuperSport channels – SS La Liga, SS Football, SS Select
1&2.
There’s also a great serving of American and European
leagues including Major League Soccer (MLS), Scottish
Premier Football League (SPFL), Dutch Eredivisie on
ESPN.
GOtv Max package also boasts of quality international
series and reality programming on channels such as BET,
StarLife, CBS Reality, Discovery ID; local movies and
dramas on Africa Magic Family, ROK GH and ROK 2; a
variety of kids and educational content on channels such
as Cartoon Network and Disney Junior; and movies from
M-Net Movies 4, TNT Africa and lots more.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE11
•Bolanle
Ninolowo
Bolanle Ninolowo
(Nino B)
One actor that is very hot
in demand right now is none
other than six-pack Ninolowo
Bolanle. Every actress who is
worth her name wants to be
featured alongside this amazing
pound of beautiful flesh.
Bolanle Ninolowo popularly known
as Nino B is a Nigerian actor,
accountant, and entrepreneur. He began
his career in the banking and music
industries before venturing into the
Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood.
He made his debut
production, Rebirth in 2010, and came to
limelight in 2014, following a series of
films he starred in. Over the past few years,
Bolanle has made a name for himself and is
often regarded as one of Nollywood hunks.
Alexx Ekubo
Nollywood actor, Alexx Ekubo, is famous
for his lover boy roles and good looks. A
member of the ‘Chop Life Gang’, alongside
his friends IK Ogbonna and Yomi Casual,
Alexx is blessed with a charming personality.
A versatile hunk, he is one of the most
relatable Nigerian celebrities on social media,
with thousands of female admirers.
An award-winning actor, model,
motivational speaker, compere, producer and
entertainer, Alexx is “Johnny” from the
popular music video of Yemi Alade Song
“Johnny”. He has won numerous awards and
competitions including the Mr Nigeria
contest in 2010 where he emerged 1st Runner
Up, which gave him the platform to launch
his mainstream movie career in Nollywood.
He is a Law graduate from the University of
Calabar and also has a Diploma in Mass
Communication from Calabar Polytechnic,
Nigeria.
Kunle Remi
Kunle Remi is an actor, model and
entrepreneur. A graduate of the NewYork Film
Academy, he started acting professionally
after winning the 2010 edition of the reality
TV show, Gulder Ultimate Search.
From then on, Kunle has featured in many
award-winning Nollywood films such as
Tiwa’s Baggage, Sobi’s Mystic, Falling, etc.
He has also starred in several TV series,
including Tinsel, Lagos Cougars Reloaded,
Africa Magic’s Forbidden among others.
Talk about dripping with finesse! Kunle is
the total package; an amazing actor, a
handsome, charming dude with a body to die
for! The 32-year-old has continued to wow his
teeming fans and has been crowned the king
of Tiktok in Nigeria for his entertaining and
creative contents on the platform.
He was rumoured to have dated actress
Adesua Etomi before she got married to
singer, Banky W. Kunle however denies this.
IK Ogbonna
Another member of the ‘Chop Life Gang’.
Since he first featured on our screens, IK has
kept the charm and ramped up the heat.
Dubbed one of the most stylish men in the
country, IK Ogbonna joined Nollywood after
his university education and has risen to
become one of the biggest Nollywood actors.
His first appearance in a movie was ‘Lovelorn’,
produced by Rukky Sanda in 2013 and he has
Nollywood hottest
hunks
•Alexx
Ekubo
By Juliet Ebirim
They’ve got it all; the abs, the smile, charisma,
successful careers and incredibly charming looks.
These ones have established themselves in the
hearts of many. Though not exhaustive and in no
particular order, here are male Nollywood hotties
setting our screens on fire!
•Kunle
Remi
•Uzor
Arukwe
also won several awards for himself.
He hit fame with his role in the movie
‘Playing Safe’ alongside Tonto Dikeh
and Ini Edo.
IK Ogbonna and his Colombian wife, Sonia
Morales parted ways in 2019.The couple got
married in 2015 and have a son.
Mawuli Gavor
Mawuli Gavor, is a Ghanaian born actor and
producer who also plies his trade in
Nollywood. A TV presenter, accountant and
entrepreneur, Mawuli is known for his six
packs, heavily built biceps and baritone voice
. Mawuli is the hot drink of chocolate we never
knew we needed, until he stepped onto the
scene, bringing steam to our screens, whether
playing Linda’s husband in Rumor Has It, or
playing the estranged son of a wealthy
patriarch in Chief Daddy, Mawuli is the
epitome of class and sexiness.
He is also known for his exquisite fashion
sense and made headlines when he kissed
BBNaija Cee-C during a fashion shoot.
BBNaija’s Diane was also alleged to have a
thing for him.
Timini Egbuson
For those who don’t know who this charming
dude is, Timini is the younger brother of
Nollywood veteran actress, Dakore Akande
(nee Egbuson). The actor who also doubles
as a voiceover artist and influencer has carved
a niche for himself in the industry. His
handsome face and well-structured figure
cannot be ignored and his fashion sense is
top-notch. His role in blockbuster movies like
Elevator Baby, SGIT, MTV Shuga Naija, is
•IK
Ogbonna
•Swanky
JKA
•Ayoola
Ayolola
•Timini
Egbuson
commendable.
Timini first came onto
our screens thanks to
MTv’s Shuga series, since
then, the Bayelsa native has branched out into
the big screens, with roles in movies like Fifty,
alongside his sister, …but beyond his acting
capabilities, Timini is a classy man, stunning
on and off screen, working his charms on his
female fans.
Fredrick Leonard
Frederick Nnaemeka Leonard is a Nigerian
actor who won the award for Best Supporting
Actor in a movie at the Golden Icons Academy
Movie Awards in 2014 and in 2016, won the
City People Movie Award For Best
Supporting Actor of the Year at the City People
Entertainment Awards.
Beyond his steady climb since his
emergence, Frederick has successfully turned
the heads of ladies his way and still remains
at it! He is no doubt one male figure ladies
purr at every time a picture or a video is
dropped on his social media timeline. This
dude is not just a hunk of muscle and frame
but also a smart ass!
Enyinna Nwigwe
Enyinna Nwigwe definitely makes the list.
This fine gentleman was first noticed in Jeta
Amata’s ‘Black November’ and has gone
ahead to register his presence in various
movies ever since, including the blockbuster
‘The Wedding Party’. Since then,
Enyinna has grown in leaps and bounds,
blessing us with his presence
on our screens.
And we must
admit, the
leading man
role, suits him
rather nicely.
If he were to
upload a picture
Instagram, with the
caption “Single and
searching” many ladies
would fall over themselves to
get his attention. The actor’s
good looks cannot be hidden.
However, his relationship status
remains in a tight lid.
•Fredrick
Leonard
•Enyinna
Nwigwe
Ayoola Ayolola
Nigerian actor and singer, Ayo
Ayoola came to prominence
when he won the 5th
Season of Project Fame
West Africa, a popular
reality TV show, in the
year 2012. His compelling
and commanding roles in
various web series and
movies such as Skinny
Girl In Transit, The Men’s
Club, If I Am President,
Isoken, and Everything In
Between will surely have
you swooning, as he will
definitely grab and keep
your attention..
Whatever your taste and
flavor, Ayoola is sure to
make it on your menu,
because, what’s not to
love? A dazzling smile,
sexy eyes, confident aura...
The 34-year-old Covenant
University graduate is a
performer through and
through, definitely made for
our screens. Ayoola left many
ladies in tears in 2019 when
he showed off his girlfriend
whom he described as the
“entire love of my life” on
Instagram.
Uzor Arukwe
Uzor Arukwe is a
Nollywood actor and
model from Abia State.
Popularly known for his
role as Inspector Sam in
the 2017 action/comedy
Sergeant Tutu. Uzor
started acting
professionally in the
popular TV series
Flatmates alongside
Yaw in the early 2000s.
His big break came in
2017 after he starred in
the popular comedy,
Sergeant Tutu. So far,
Uzor has had the
opportunity to work with
some of Nollywood’s
biggest stars, featuring in
over 40 Nollywood
movies and counting.
He is known for the
confidence he exudes in
delivering his lines and his
ability to blend into any film
genre ranging from comedy to
high-paced action movies.
Currently one of the mostsought-after
Nollywood actors, Uzor is an act
that grows on you. Behind that nerdy
demeanour, he’s got a sexy body on him, one
that we hope will grace our screens for a long
time.
•Mawuli
Gavor
Swanky JKA
Jideofor Kenechukwu Achufusi, born 17
October 1991 is a Nigerian actor and model,
best known for his portrayal of Nnamdi Okeke
in Living in Bondage: Breaking Free as well
as Neo in Trace TV’s campus drama series
Crazy, Lovely, Cool. Known professionally
as Swanky JKA, he won the Trailblazer
Award at the 2020 African Magic Viewers
Choice Awards. Originally a model, Achufusi
began his acting career playing supporting
roles in Nollywood films Poka Messiah, Black
Rose, Pretty Little Thing, Ofu Obi and A
Lonely Lane.
Swanky JKA seems like the innocent new
kid who joins the class in a new school year
and steals everyone’s attention. Since he
exploded on the scene, this tall glass of
champagne has established himself as a
Nollywood heartthrob. He has gotten a good
start in the entertainment industry and there’s
no doubt the future looks very bright for him.
PAGE12 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
I was never
married,
Google lies
—Actress, Ejine
Okoroafor
Just like the old mantra, “The mirror
never lies” the new one everyone has
become so comfortable with is “Google
never lies” or “Ask Google” when in doubt.
But the search engine is not infallible just
as a Nollywood actress by the name of
Ejine Okoroafor just pointed out
to Potpourri.
According to her, her Google update has
it that she’s married which is totally false.
Hear her: “My update on Google says I’m
married. I don’t know the stupid blogger that
wrote it in 2013 when I had my son in South
Africa. I was never married. I am a single
mother of one.”
According to her update on Google “Ejine
got married to Prince Wale and the product of
that marriage is a son delivered in December
2013 in Sandton, South Africa.”
This cannot be farther from the truth and
the actress, who is very much single wants
to clear the air on this.
Ejine Okoroafor is also a movie producer
and an entrepreneur. She has produced
movies like “Trophy Wife” directed by
Tchidi Chikere among others.
There’s lot of money on Instagram
—Happiness Adebayo
play with that business, it
Happiness Adebayo, Chief Executive
Officer of Glee Luxury Hair and
Skincare, who is unarguably referred to
as number one in Africa in the business
of human hair and skincare, recently
revealed in an Instagram post what has
helped her business to grow.
According to her, her discovery or the
advent of Instagram changed the game
for her.
Hear her: “When I started my businesses
on Instagram I had no idea they would
turn out so big by just marketing and
screaming on here. In fact if I had known
that I could put up something for sale
here and they will get sold out in no time,
turn over, make sales, save and make a
lot of money, maybe I would have
doubled my hustle again.”
“There is a lot of money on Instagram
if you are consistently consistent. Don’t
Nigerians rate “Two Weeks In Lagos”
high after impressive opening weekend
After an impressive opening weekend
debut at cinemas across the country,
Nigerians across board have nothing
but praise for the movie Two Weeks In
Lagos as the movie got up to a flying
start at cinemas across the land.
The movie which features the likes of
Mawuli Gavor, Toyin Abraham, Beverly
Naya, Joke Silva, Deyemi Okanlawon,
Prince Jide Kosoko, Tina Mba, Shaffy
Bello, Okey Uzoeshi, Steve Onu among
others has spent barely a week at the
cinema and has posted impressive
numbers at the box office.
The movie which is an original love
story talks about a young man who has
his eyes set on the lady he wants to
marry but has to contend with his
parents as they have other ideas of a
bride for him, he is torn between
working towards marrying the bride his
way or having to seek the will of God
concerning her.
Two Weeks In Lagos has also been
•Ejine
Okoroafor
can grow big if you build
it. Even if it’s pure
water I post for sales
here strategically I
will cash out,” she
adds.
Happiness
Adebayo goes
by the name
@gleeoflife
on Instagram
and currently
boasts over
5 0 0 , 0 0 0
followers. She’s a
mother of three.
Recently she gifted top
Nollywood actress,
Mercy Aigbe who is her
brand ambassador a Range
Rover HSE.
tipped by industry watchers to pull more
impressive numbers at the cinema judging by its
picture quality, the way the cast of the movie
collectively interpreted their respective roles and
the quality of the lens used in shooting this
amazing story of love.
•Cast from Two Weeks in Lagos
•Happiness
Adebayo
Many people
don’t
understand what
real romance is
—Nadia Buari
Top rate Ghollywood-Nollywood actress, Nadia
Buari has aired her opinion on what real
romance is all about. The actress was in the spirit
of the St. Valentine’s Day, when she made her
thoughts public through her social media
handles, perhaps, to give out some
tips to the vulnerable and naive
lovers yearning to celebrate
love on that day, a week ago.
According to her, in a lengthy
post, “I think a lot of people
don’t understand what real
romance is. Anyone can buy
•Nadia Buari flowers, candies and
jewelries, there’s no love in
those.”
The truly romantic things
in life are those little things
you do every day to show
you care, and that you are
thinking of them. It is
going out of your way to
make them happy. The
way you hold her hand
when she’s scared; or
you save the last piece of cake for him. The
random text in the middle of the day, just to say “I
love you” or “I miss you”. The way he stops to
kiss you when he passes by. It’s dedicating your
favourite song to her, and letting her eat your fries;
telling her she’s beautiful even when she’s in
sweats; with her hair in a ponytail and no makeup.
It’s putting your favourite show on pause so she
can tell you about her day, and laughing at his
jokes even the really lame ones. It’s slow
dancing in the kitchen and kissing in the
rain. Romance isn’t about buying. It’s
about giving. True romance is in the
gestures,” she says.
However, in real life Nadia has not
been so lucky, or so it seems. She dated
a handful of other celebrities like
Michael Essien and Jim Iyke but the
trysts never came to fruition. She’s a
mother of 4 children out of which there
is a set of twins but the snag here is that
no one knows the father or fathers and
the actress has never said a word about
that.
Genesis Restaurant
launches new
French designed
outlet in Lagos
Genesis Group of companies which has been
in existence for over 30 years with
interests in cinemas, restaurants, hotels,
industrial catering and real estate, launches a
new French designed restaurant outlet on Adeola
Odeku, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The now 23 Genesis Restaurant outlets across
Nigeria are known for their signature looks and
tastes. You will be pleased to know that the Adeola
Odeku location does not disappoint. Every detail
of this location was well thought out and intricately put together
for you by a stellar team of national and international professionals.
The stunning interior was designed by Patrick Norguet, the
renowned French designer acclaimed for amongst other things, his
iconic redesign of the McDonalds on the Champs Élysées in Paris.
The project was exquisitely managed by the award-winning Dakota
Design (South Africa) and Harcourt Aduke Associates (Nigeria).
The modern fit-out of the building was executed by Desmo UK
(United Kingdom) and the external design flawlessly done by
Architect Chuka Okolo of PDT Consulting (Nigeria).
Genesis Founder and Group Managing Director, Dr. Nnaeto
Orazulike, shared the vision behind this location: “The Genesis
experience is anchored on exceptional delivery of style and taste.
When deciding to open our Adeola Odeku outlet, we had the Lagos
professionals in mind. From the opening hours of 7:00am to 10:00pm
every day of the week, to our delivery services and cost-friendly
tasty meals, you can dine in style without breaking the bank.”
APC’s bashing of Lai
Mohammed is unwise
At end of the 2015
election which was
won by the then
opposition party- the All
Progressives Congress
(APC), many Nigerians were
confident that Lai
Mohammed, the party’s
national publicity secretary
would easily clinch the
position of Minister of
Information.This was
informed by his satisfactory
performance not only in his
management of the party’s
political and electoral
information but also his
aggressive posture as the
party’s ‘attack dog’ which
virtually disarmed the then
ruling Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP). Lai has since
then served as Nigeria’s
Information Minister
making him the face of the
ruling party. It also made
him the undisputed leader
of the party in his home state
- Kwara, which had no
higher member in
government.
This position changed in
2019 when the APC became
the ruling party in Kwara
State. Although Lai retained
his position as the highestranking
office holder at the
federal level from the state,
he can no longer lay claim
to the same privileged
position in the state which
now has an APC governor.
PhD,Department of
Philosophy,
University of Lagos
08116759758
opuruiche2000@gmail.com
In the November 3
presidential election,
about five out of six in the total
votes with which Joe Biden
surpassed Hilary Clinton
came from Georgia’s biggest
metropolitan cities, namely,
Augusta, Atlanta, Columbus,
and Savannah. The Stacy
Abrams Effect was also visible
in the senate run-off election
in the state, as Democratic
candidates defeated the two
incumbent Republicans to
secure a razor-thin majority
for their party in the upper
legislature. With the
increasing importance of
patterns of racial and ethnic
configuration in
determining the outcome of
elections in the US, the
question now arises: What is
the significance of black
votes to Biden’s electoral
victory? The short answer is
– extremely significant. In
fact, without the solid
support he got from black
voters during the primaries,
it is very unlikely Biden
would have emerged as the
presidential candidate of his
party let alone defeat
Donald Trump in the
general election proper.
Remember, when the
Democratic Party
commenced its presidential
primaries last year, Joe
Biden initially fell behind
Pete Buttigieg and Kamala
Harris. His resurgence
started in South Carolina, a
state where 56% of the
primary voters were black,
and 61% of them voted for
him. Three days later, on
Super Tuesday, Biden won
ten states with
The dwindling position of
Lai in the state has become
glaring with the decision of
the party to undertake a
membership drive and
revalidate existing
membership. Rather than
work together, the governor
and the minister plus their
followers have been at
loggerheads as if the
registration exercise is a
contest between them.
Only last week, the fight
between the two groups got
a media boost when
Minister Lai addressed a
press conference stoutly
criticising the handing of the
membership exercise in
Kwara State. According to
the minister, officials sent to
the state to conduct the
exercise violated the
procedure set by the party as
the registration was being
done without Party
Membership Register
adding thattemporary
membership slips, were also
not given to any purportedly
registered member.Having
convinced himself that the
anomaly was happening in
no less than 80 percent of all
registration units in the state,
Lai called for the
cancellation of the
exercise.If anyone imagined
that the minister had a point,
Yekini Nabena, the deputy
national publicity secretary
Biden, Trump and the DisUnited
States of America (2)
overwhelming support from
blacks. It has been estimated
that Biden probably got
about 90% of black votes in
the last presidential
election, which is
impressive but still less than
95% and 93% for Obama in
2008 and 2012 respectively,
but 8% more than Clinton’s
in 2016. The improved
turnout of black voters last
year is probably because of
the meteoric increase in
early and mail-in ballots
caused by the covid-19
pandemic that tended to
discourage in-person voting
especially among
D e m o c r a t s .
Besides,Democraticleaning
voters had learnt a
bitter lesson from their
complacency after Clinton’s
defeat in 2016 and, this time
around, decided not to take
any chances. Accordingly,
president Joe Biden owes
black people a ton of
gratitude for defeating
Donald Trump. In order to
retain their support he
should implement
programmes that address
the main concerns of the
African-American
community such as racism,
police brutality and
growing unemployment,
crime and dilapidated
infrastructure in black
communities.
Trump’s emergence as
president has proved once
again that democracy does
not necessarily guarantee
that the most qualified
candidate would be elected.
Objectively considered,
Hilary Clinton was better
qualified in terms of
of the party, held an opposite
view. Nabena openly
berated Lai over his demand
for the cancellation of the
exercise and advised the
minister to put himself in the
position of the state governor
and submit to his leadership
of the party in the state.
Unfortunately, the
intemperate and abusive
diction of both leaders
showed that the registration
exercise had bluntly divided
the ruling party into two
warring groups - those in
favour and those against the
exercise. The minister who
promised to avoid
exchanging words with the
party’s publicity secretary,
did not forget to describe
Nabena as an impostor on
the ground that with the
dissolution of the national
executive of the party no one
was mandated to be the
party’s spokesperson. On his
part, Nabena described Lai
Mohammed as the “biggest
problem” of the Buhari
administration, who has
added no value to
government in the last 5
years. This public fight which
was an assault on the
reputation of the ruling party
went on for days with no
intervention by party
leaders. Certainly, all is not
well with the APC!
Nigerian politicians are
generally known to be bad
losers who always adversely
criticise any exercise where
they lose, but there is nothing
special about the Minister’s
complaint to warrant the
bitter war of words between
him and Nabena.
Interestingly, no one is in a
position to disprove the
minister’s alarm going by
how our politicians always
seek to win any contest
without playing by its rules.
Trump’s emergence as
president has proved
once again that
democracy does not
necessarily guarantee
that the most qualified
candidate would be
elected
temperament, cognate
experience and track record
to be America’s president
than Trump, a man whose
persona and life as a
businessman and public
figure seem somewhat
shallow and contrived. Yet,
Trump was clever enough to
exploit the throbbing
resentment of white voters
worried about the changing
demographics that seem to
threaten their irrational
white supremacist beliefs,
and disenchantment
amongst a section of
minority groups who feel
that the 8-year presidency of
Barak Obama did not
improve their existential
conditions in any substantial
way. Clinton, like every
politician, committed
blunders that made her lose
narrowly in states that she
should have – for instance,
collecting huge fees for paid
speeches she gave to
Goldman Sachs after
serving a government that
bailed out the financial
sector which made her seem
bad to many voters, and the
issue of using private e-mails
while serving as Secretary
of State.. But Trump was
worse: his lack of
discipline,flippant cruelty
and nonchalant attitude to
the fine details of policy,
penchant for conspiracy
theories, ringing egoism and
transactional approach to
public office among other
deficiencies eclipse
Clinton’s deficiencies. In
my opinion, Clinton lost for
two main reasons. The first
This is more so, as Lai’s
grudge is against
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq,
a state governor who
naturally belongs to a
privileged group that plays
The attack on
Lai Mohammed
along with the
tacit approval
given by the
party is unwise
the totalitarian politics of
winning every contest and
quite often scoring more
votes than the total
available. As Umar Ghali
Na’Abba, a former speaker
of the House of
Representatives explained
the other day, state
governors are largely
responsible for the absence
of internal democracy in
political parties in Nigeria.
The implication of this is
that in a bid to control party
machinery, state governors
often adopt the policy of all
is well that ends well, no
matter the procedure
adopted.
In the case of political
party membership registers,
our politicians are still not
in the frame of mind of
producing any viable
documents. This is however
one is sexism – Americans
were just not ready in 2016
to vote a woman into the
White House. America is a
great democracy and
arguably the greatest
country in human history.
Yet, a sizeable percentage of
Americans are still not
psychologically prepared to
break the last glass ceiling
in presidential politics. As
Ezra Klein, editor-in-chief
atVox puts it, “Many of
Clinton’s strengths were
hidden by our gendered
expectations of leaders –
what she was good at would
have been important for her
presidency, but it was not
what 44 male presidents in
a row have taught us to…see.
Anyone who thinks that
sexism isn’t a force in
American politics should
have a good answer to the
question of why, in a country
that’s more than half
women, there has never
been a female president and,
aside from Clinton, no
woman has ever come close
to winning a major party’s
nomination.” Secondly,
these days in virtually all
democratic countries the
ability to govern based on
objective assessment of the
candidates running for the
topmost political office plays
a second fiddle in the minds
of a broad section of the
electorate. Majority of
voters tend to gravitate
towards candidates with the
ability to attract attention
and enthusiasm. Now, in
terms of relevant knowledge
and capacity to govern,
Clinton was light years
ahead of Trump. However,
Trump, a former reality
show host, knows how to get
the attention of his
audience, and he used that
to great effect when he ran
against Clinton. But
everything has its limits.
Trump’s ability as a crowdpuller
which galvanises his
loyal supporters makes him
a great candidate which, as
we have seen, does not
necessarily mean he would
be a great president. His
shambolic tenure in office
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 13
not a new hobby. From a
vantage position of
personal observation as a
Director in the nation’s
electoral body some 3
decades back, I recall the
mystery found by a team to
which I belonged while
verifying party membership
registers during the
transition to civil rule
programme of President
Ibrahim Babangida’s era.
Part of what we found then
was that the registers were
filled with fake entries of
ghost names and in some
cases non-existent
addresses. In one location,
we ran into a major problem
as one old man we visited
collapsed as soon as we
asked him about a name
listed against his house. It
turned out to be the name of
his son who died 11 years
earlier, now listed as current
party leader in the area. So,
whereas the alarm raised by
minister Lai may not be
correct, no one can vouch
for what the minister’s
faction of the party may also
have perpetuated during the
ongoing registration
exercise.
In other climes, party
membership registers help
the parties to know their
numerical strength and also
serve as a guide to the
direction from where to
seek more members. But in
Nigeria the registers are
patently fake, just as every
exercise to admit more
members or to validate
existing membership is used
to displace power blocs
within the party. In other
words, admonitions by
President Buhari to his
party leaders to use the
current exercise to positively
position the APC is a tall
order. Indeed, the appeal by
has exposed the soft
underbelly of relying on
bluster and braggadocio
without real substance or
governing ability.
Therefore, although for the
second time he deployed the
catchy slogan “Make
America Great Again,” to
captivate voters,
unfortunately for him and
Trumpians his ‘America
First’ policy was not
anchored on a detailed
pragmatic economic
framework that would
cushion the negative impact
of his trade wars particularly
with China. In addition, his
bizarre attitude to the covid-
19 pandemic which has
killed over 400,000
Americans and devastated
America’s economy was the
biggest nail in the coffin of
his re-election effort against
Biden.
One of the important
reasons why Biden
succeeded where Clinton
failed was because of his
gender. Again, all things
considered, he appears
more “presidential” and
compassionate than Trump.
Millions of Americans were
tired of the chaos, uncouth
and petulant attitude of
Trump and were looking
forward to a possible Biden
presidency to restore the
decorum, gravitas and
decency in the White
House.Whereas Trump, in
the eyes of many voters, was
widening the racial cleavages
and fault-lines in Americaby
encouraging white
supremacist and other
extreme fringe groups, Biden
consistently propagated the
gospel of unity and pledged
to work very hard not only to
tackle the covid-19
emergency head-on but also
to reduce the divisions
exacerbated by his rival.
Biden’s message of being a
unifier-in-chief rather than
divider-in-chief resonated
with voters who rewarded him
with over seven million votes
more than Trump, a feat
unprecedented in American
political history.
That Trump is
Senate President Lawan for
the APC to use the present
exercise to target 100
million members would
likely be marred by leaders
seeking to overwhelm local
rivals. It is thus rational to
suggest that none of the
factionsis bothered about
the authenticity of
membership registers. What
they want is to tilt the
registers in a manner that
would win future party
primaries for them.
Painfully,the APC has
failed to see the collateral
damage of the atomistic
behaviour of its factional
leaders. To rubbish Lai
Mohammed as Nabena has
done goes beyond a
personal loss. By telling
Nigerians that Minister Lai
only tells lies, our cynical
nation has been reinforced
to discountenance whatever
the minister says later about
government activities since
his party member has
testified that he is an
effortless liar. To say the
minister is of no use to
government; yet he was
picked some 5 years ago
and reappointed 4 years
later suggests that the ruling
party is neither discrete nor
result-oriented in
assembling dead woods to
run government business.
While it is easy to ignore
opposition politicians who
lambast government
officials, the situation is not
same when the attack is
from within. It is worse when
the victim is the
g o v e r n m e n t ’ s
officialspokesperson who
bears an imprint of the
ruling party’s image. The
attack on Lai Mohammed
along with the tacit
approval given by the party
is unwise.
temperamentally unfit to be
president as Hilary Clinton
claimed several times was
proved beyond reasonable
doubt by his disgraceful
incitement of insurrection in
the Capitol on January 6 as
Congress was about to certify
the Electoral College results.
Several commentators from
across the world, especially
America’s chief rivals China
and Russia, gleefully point to
that event as evidence of the
poverty of democracy. That
judgment is flawed:
democracy,as the Austrianborn
British philosopher Karl
Popper remarked, is superior
to other forms of government
because it provides an orderly
nonviolent mechanism for
replacing bad leaders.Indeed,
that the insurrection inspired
by Trump and his supporters
ultimately failed is a
validation of America’s
democratic institutions,
particularly the willingness of
major actors in the electoral
processes, including judicial
officers, to carry out their
constitutional duties without
undue bias in favour of the
incumbent president.
On the surface, Nigeria
operates the presidential
system modelled after the
American paradigm. The
fundamental difference is the
kind of human beings that run
the system. If Trump was
Nigeria’s president seeking
re-election, beginning with the
chairman officials of the socalled
Independent Electoral
Commission (INEC) would
have concocted results in
various states showing that he
“won” with a wide margin.
The judiciary up to the
Supreme Court would have
invented outlandish reasons
why the fabricated results
should stand in spite of
evidence to the contrary. In
politics institutions matter.
However, the intellectual and
moral quality of human
beings running the institutions
matters most – and there lies
the fundamental difference
between America’s
presidential system and its
deformed clone in Nigeria.
Concluded
PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Alabi-Isama: An officer and a socialite?: A tribute
This article was published
in the Vanguard when Gen
Alabi-Isama hit 70. Very little
has changed since then except
that he finally published his
book, which was a block-buster
that sold out so fast. Alabi-
Isama had to autograph its
pirated version for his friends
and admirers after the first
edition sold out! He is the
chairman of the Amala Group,
a bunch of professionals who
meet once a month to savour
bowls of hot Amala with
choice pieces of meat washed
down with the best of drinks!
Gen. Isama recently turned
80 and this reprint is a
celebration of the legendary
soldier!!!
Ihave often wondered
who General Godson
Alabi-Isama would
have turned out to be if he
hadn’t made that spur-of-themoment
decision to enrol into
the Nigerian Armed Forces a
few months shy of his taking
his West African School
Certificate Examination
(WASCE). He wasn’t scared
of the exams - he’d taken quite
a few after that and came up
tops. According to him, he had
watched a few military
parades in Ibadan where he
lived with his late mother,
fancied being part of it and if
he didn’t take that chance of
joining fresh recruits then, he
might never have the
opportunity again. He passed
the test and that was it! Alhaja,
his poor mum, was almost
apoplectic. An only son of her
two children joining the
Armed Forces? And, this at a
time when joining the Forces
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The Lagos State
government has
commenced the
process for the review of the
State Properties Protection
Law, LSPPL, 2016 to expunge
the option of fines for any
convicted landgrabber(s) with
a mandatory six-year jail
term
Ṗermanent Secretary,
Lagos State Lands Bureau,
Mr. Bode Agoro, revealed this
at a stakeholders’ forum on
fraudulent sales of state
government land by
landgrabbers, popularly,
called “Omo-Onile,” held in
Aausa, Ikeja.
He said: “Since the first of
February 2021, you probably
must have been exposed to our
advertisement calling on
Lagosians to the activities of
was like sounding your own
death knell. After a lot of
efforts to pull her son ut failed,
the poor woman had to resign
herself to her fate.
Well, Alabi-Isama
thankfully lived to tell the tale
of his exploits in the Army, and
he is still telling tales of his
mesmerising adventure in the
war-front to anyone who
cared to listen. You must have
recently read of his military
exploits in the various
newspapers that have carried
his stories - so I’ll spare you
all that - again! All I’m
convinced of is that if he
hadn’t been a soldier, he would
have excelled in any other
profession of his choice. At
37, he suddenly found himself
in the midst of us ‘bloody
civilians’, hung around for a
while, then relocated to the
USA to cool his heels before
restrategising. And, so began
a chain of events that
eventually moulded him into
the man he is today - a
Brigadier-General and a
highly-successful
businessman carving his
niche in the telecoms business.
Yet, the man is not as cut and
dried as he seems. A socialite
in his own right, it is amazing
how he could make friends
with the low and mighty and
make all of them feel like his
bosom buddy. You step into
his house - and the revel
begins! He virtually pours
booze down your throat - you
name your poison, he has it -
from champagne to the best
of brandies down to lager and
exotic wines and soft drinks.
But scarcely would you find
him touching the stuff. Once
•Gen Alabi-Isama
a member of the ‘Champagne
Charlie’ gang, he said he once
drove for house through a
nerve-wracking traffic from
Ikeja to his Surulere
residence. He was naturally
in his soldier-temper when he
got home. Still seething, he
popped open a bottle of
champagne and glug the lot
straight from the bottle! “It
knocked me for six,” he
confessed. “Why I reacted so
badly to a drink I’d enjoyed
for years really frightened me.
There and then, I resolved not
to touch the stuff and I haven’t
really looked back. Apart
from a few celebratory drinks,
I’ve stuck to my gun. I guess
I’d had more than my share
of the stuff. My exploits as a
member of the ‘Elbow
Raisers’ Club attested to that.
But, there are a lot of things to
enjoy in life than steeping in
booze...”
Like what, for instance? I
asked him. “Like charting the
Djooky music contest calls for entries as Brian
Malouf, Patrice Rushen, others emerge judges
He is a people’s
man who made a
lot of lasting
friendship during
the war, people
whose lives he
had saved still
show him a lot
of gratitude
course of all my children
some of who, thank goodness,
are in some of world’s best
professions.” He is also very
passionate about his business
- and there is his resolve to
write a book about the civil
war. Interesting how his life
always revolve round his stint
in the Army. Several books
have been written about the
war and a lot of Generals
have given different accounts
of their dare-devil adventures
that another book would be a
sort of so-what? To the reading
public. “Not this one I’m
writing,” he assured. “It’s so
easy to distort facts when
you’re not smack in the
middle of action. My book is
guaranteed to fill in the gaps.”
Alabi-Isama is a
perfectionist and that is
preventing his book from
going to press. He has refused
to use a ghost-writer and he is
writing the book long hand
and with his computer. He is
By Tunde Oso
AS part of its efforts to
improve the traffic
situation in Lagos, Lagos
State Management Agency,
LASTMA, has partnered with
the Association of Nigeria
Courier Operators, ANCO by
appointing some members of
the association as Special
Traffic Mayors, STMs.
Speaking at the induction
of the new mayors in Lagos,
Commandant of Special
Traffic Mayors, Lagos, Mr
Othman Adesina Tajudeen
said the burden of managing
and controlling the traffic in
the metropolitan city is so
enormous it could not be left
for LASTMA or Police alone,
hence the partnership with
private organisations like
ANCO.
According to him, with the
involvement of the special
traffic mayors and publicspirited
individuals, the
chaotic traffic situation and
enending and ubiquitous
gridlock will be a thing of the
past.
Educating the newlyinducted
ANCO members on
the functions of a mayor, the
LASTMA chief said: ‘’You are
to control traffic anywhere
there is gridlock and chaos on
the road; You are also to
monitor road users and traffic
painstakingly going through
the mountain of photographs
he has of his war days. A sort
of collector’s item, he
muttered he might just make
a separate book of those! A
glance at him on his desk with
that determined scowl on his
face had often made me want
to turn back and run, as more
often than not, I’d be used as
his sounding board. In time I
realised that he often asked
your advice, you gave it, he
sighed and promptly did
exactly what he set out to do!
And, he had got into a lot of
trouble for that too! I had
shown my indignance when I
had to intervene in some of
his skirmishes but he wasn’t
having none of it. “My sister,”
he often patronised, “you
know I seldom go out. Most
of the time you find me here
at home in my corner,
minding my business. So, how
could I be guilty of all those
things people accuse me of?”
Then, the argument would
start. The soldier in him never
allows him to cede. “I don’t
suffer fools,” he snaps. So, he
cuts those he sees as traitors
off without a backward
glance. I have often reminded
him he is no longer a soldier,
that he now has to deal with
mere mortals and make
allowances for their
shortcomings. Once in a
while, he listens. Other times,
he gives me the look he must
have given some of his preys
in the war-front before he
pounced!
In spite of all that, he has a
large and generous heart.
Why he decided to have his
Land grabbing: Convicts to face 6-yr jail term with no option of fine
...as Lagos reviews law
By Nnamdi Ojiego
This year’s winner of the
prestigious Djooky
music contest award will go
home with the star prize of
$10,000 and an all-expensepaid
recording session at
Capitol Recording Studios in
Los Angeles, United States of
America.
The runner up will get a
$5,000 cash prize and the
third prize winner will pocket
a cash prize of $2,000.
The Djooky song contest
is a global music competition
dubious elements in certain
communities who are selling
Lagos State government
lands to unsuspecting people
in some parts of Lagos.
“The lands are located at
Okenla village, Ibeju-Lekki,
Idake village, Ajao Oki,
Ladegbole, Imedu, Iratirin,
Obadimisi, Ogombo, and Eti-
Osa, among others.
“These land grabbers have
now taken their game to a
new level as they have the
audacity to erect signpost
bearing government logo and
excision application file
numbers in their desperate
attempt to deceive prospective
buyers into believing that
sales of such lands are
genuine transactions and
have government backing.
“In line with our vision to
be a platform for efficient land
resources management that
promotes easy access to land
that runs four times a year
(winter, spring, summer and
autumn), and opens to all
types of music and genres
from artists across the globe
including African countries
like Nigeria, Ghana,
Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire,
Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda,
Tanzania, South Africa,
Namibia, Mozambique
and Zimbabwe.
The contest, backed by
world-recognized platinum
producer, Brian Malouf, will
kick start the national voting
round from February 21-23,
and title registration in Lagos
State and our mission to
entrench a culture of
excellence, that ensures
prompt and efficient
service delivery anchored
on the most current
technology,
“We are doubling efforts
to confront all
circumstances that may
undermine transparency
and integrity in the process
of accessing land for either
residential or commercial
purposes.
“The Attorney-General of
the state has drafted the
proposed amendment bill
and presently with the state
House of Assembly for a
public hearing. In the next
two months or less, we
expected the law to be in
operation.
‘The focal point of the
review is to remove the
aspect of the option of fines
2021. The continental and
global voting will hold from
24 - 26 and 27 - 28 February
2021.
This year’s judging panel
includes multi-platinum US
producer, Brian; Grammynominated
artist and music
director, Patrice Rushen; UK
Ivor Novello winning
songwriter, Sacha Skarbek
and producer/music executive
and songwriter Justin Gray;
and Music Producer and
Founder of BukiHQ Media,
Buki Sawyerr-Izeogu,
amongst others.
and make it mandatory of
six years in jail for convicted
landgrabber(s).
“We cannot afford to fold
our arms while some persons
continue to take advantage of
hardworking and responsible
Lagosians by selling illegal
lands to them.
“This is even so as the
consequences of those
transactions put lands bureau
The management of Edo
State University
Uzairue, formerly Edo
University Iyamho, has
announced
the
commencement of
postgraduate studies.
This was contained in a
statement made available to
Sunday Vanguard.
According to the
statement:"Edo State
University Uzairue, formerly
Edo University Iyamho has
scored another academic
milestone with the
commencement of admission
into her postgraduate
programme for the 2020/
2021 academic session after
securing the approval of the
National Universities
Commission (NUC).
The commencement of the
postgraduate programme is
a sequel to the graduation of
70th birthday bash at his late
mother’s city of Ilorin beats a
lot of us who had been
warming up for the big event.
He did have a good party, a
lot of people whose hearts he
had touched over the years
managed to make their way
to the venue in spite of the fact
that it was a day to Christmas.
Alabi-Isama is still
expanding on details he
wants in his soon-to-bepublished
three-part book.
“Why don’t you turn it into a
sort of Encyclopaedia of the
Nigerian Civil War?” At least
I tried to! Alabi-Isama has
remained a good friend. His
children relate well to him.
So, do his wives. He is a
people’s man who made a lot
of lasting friendship during
the war. People whose lives he
had saved still show him a lot
of gratitude. Even now, he
seems humbled by the fact
that he pops into
establishments looking for
one favour or the other and
up pops someone, eager to
help and extol his help when
they stared despair in the face.
He boats of a stack of
awards; and letters of
commendation mostly from
his business associates
abroad. But his best moments
are when he is amongst
friends and family, dolling out
hospitality and making as
much noise as most of his tipsy
guests whilst he remained as
sober as a judge. Izam! This
is wishing you the best of the
rest of your years. As for the
twins you have on your wishlist,
may they materialise in
your children and not in you!!!
LASTMA inducts courier operators as Special Traffic Mayors
officers with a view of
providing information and
updates to the agency.
‘’Special traffic mayors are
also expected to participate in
workshops, seminars and
training on traffic
management periodically to
avail themselves of best global
practices.’’
under unnecessary pressure
when the buyers eventually
come forward to process title
documents. That is why it
is better to proactively
tame this preventive action
now".
The STM Commandant
pointed out that the same laws
guide LASTMA officers and
Special Traffic Mayors,
reminding the new inductees
that being a mayor does not
make them above the law,
stressing that it rather behoves
a responsibility on them to be
exemplary and lead by
example.
Edo State Varsity, Uzairue commences
postgraduate programmes
two sets of students and a
resource verification visit to
the University by the National
Universities Commission in
November 2020.
"The University secured
approval for postgraduate
Diplomas, Masters and
Doctors of Philosophy in
Economics, History and
International Studies and
Political Science. Others
include; Biochemistry,
Computer Science, and
Microbiology and
postgraduate Diplomas,
Masters in Accounting
With this, graduate students
from around the country are
advised to visit the
University’s website for more
details and procedures to
obtain the postgraduate
admission form for the
commencement of their
programmes.
SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 15
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Aviation Minister,
responds to the reactions trailing his rumoured
bid to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Trap, spy claims
Over the last one week, millions of Nigerians have expressed concern about which
direction I am going politically and much has been said.
Some have gone out of their way to reach out to me and offered their counsel out of
genuine love and concern.
Others have not reached out to me and have written or spoken out of ignorance, hate
and malice imputing the worst motivations for actions which they claim I have
purportedly taken.
This contribution is an attempt to provide answers to just a few of the oftentimes
asinine and absurd assertions and observations that the latter group has made.
Some say they warned me and that I have fallen into a trap whilst others say my voice
has been silenced, I am a spy and that this signals the end of my political career. My
response to them and others who have conjured up even stranger motivations and
conspiracy theories when it comes to FFK is as follows:
To whom it may concern: spare me your crocodile tears and be rest assured
that I am too big, too intelligent, too experienced and too forthright to fall into
any trap. It is impossible to castrate a lion, render it impotent or silence its
roar.
Beliefs
I stand on all my beliefs, core values and principles. I am the
voice of the voiceless, I am a warrior, I fear nothing, I fear noone,
I am as constant as the northern star and I will ALWAYS
stand against evil.
Speaking to other leaders across party lines in order to
build bridges, engender peace, foster stability and enhance
national unity ought not to create such national and
international rage, panic and pandemonium.
Are we so divided that we can’t even talk to one
another and take pictures together without
causing a public stir and setting the Internet
on fire?
You insult me and say I am scared of
prison because I had a meeting with two
APC governors?
Do you know how many PDP and APC
governors and leaders I interact with and
meet regularly? Do you know how
many I talk to on a daily basis?
Do you know that I was prosecuted
for seven years by PDP governments
which tried to jail me simply for
speaking out against them yet it did not
deter me? Ask those that were in the
Yar’Adua and Jonathan
administrations.
After a while they got tired because
the more they tried to intimidate me into
silence or make me flee the country, the
more I stood my ground and fought from
my corner till they gave up.
Does that sound like a man that is scared
of death or prison?
You insult me and say I am broke because
I had talks with two APC governors.
Do you know that what I spend on salary
in one month is more than what some of
these people that are claiming I am broke
earn in five or 10 years?
I have 55 domestic staff in my house alone.
Not one of them gets below 70,000 naira
per month which is higher than the national
minimum wage.
I do not owe salaries and I feed each of
them three square meals every day.
I do all this just to help them and to ensure
they can look after and feed their families.
Does that sound like a broke?
That is my little contribution to the welfare
of our people because I certainly do not
need so many staff. I employ them just to
keep them off the unemployment line.
Apart from that, do you know how many
people I give scholarships to and how many
people’s children I feed and educate? Do
you know how many other families I am
responsible for in terms of day-to-day living?
The Bible says “be your brother’s keeper”
and I do these things unto the Lord. I do
them and I will never stop even when my
good is repaid with evil.
The Lord has always provided for me and
given me the fat of the land. He has always
caused me to be a blessing to others though
I do not make noise about it.
For the last 60 years of my life He has
been good to me. He has caused me to excel,
prosper and flourish and from beginning
to end He has always been with me and
mine. You say I make money through
politics; meanwhile I left public office in
2007 which is 13 years ago! Does that make
sense to you? In any case is politics my only
source of income?
Am I your conventional politician who
craves for elective office? Do I even attend
their meetings? I have been in this game
since 1990!
I have been making contributions to
current affairs, political discourse and
politics for the past 31 years which is long
before most of today’s governors or
Ministers even knew the meaning of the
word.
NADECO
And it was always a struggle which
involved sacrifice. Where were my
detractors when I was in NADECO and
fought against military rule?
The records are there and so are the essays
and some of the people I worked with.
Where were they when we set up
•Dikwa
Fani-Kayode opens
up on ‘defection’:
I am a lion
that cannot
be caged
September Club in 1989 and some of the
nation’s greatest leaders and elder
statesmen and top politicians over the last
30 years, including Presidents,
governors, Ministers and
legislators across party lines,
were members?
Where were they in the days of
NRC, SDP and Choice ’92 when
politics was real, when the
greats held sway and when men
honored their word?
Where were they when we
risked all for MKO Abiola’s
stolen mandate and June 12th
and even had to go into exile for
years because of it?
Where were they when we
stood against the annulment of
June 12th and fought against
the government of General Sani
Abacha?
Where were they when we
formed the Progressive Action Movement
in 1999 and some of the nation’s brightest
and best young stars and minds made their
I owe noone
any
explanation
for what I
will do or
will not do
tomorrow
contribution to national affairs?
Where were they when we fought against
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff who was
allegedly sent to destroy the PDP?
Where were they when I led
President Goodluck Jonathan’s
presidential campaign in 2015 and
took the battle to the gates of the
enemy?
Where were they when I stood
behind President Olusegun
Obasanjo and faced down ALL his
detractors?
Where were they when I was
targeted and almost assassinated
on two separate occasions during
the Obasanjo presidency simply
because I was the President’s
defender-in-chief and armour
bearer and was totally committed
to his cause?
I did all this in the past and
present and you say I am making money
from it? Do you know the risks involved in
these things?
Do you know I could have been killed
together with members of my family long
ago and most certainly would have had it
not been for God?
Can my detractors give up so much and
risk so much just for politics? Honestly it
really is the deepest insult.
Wealth and politics
Some of us were born into wealth and have
never lacked it. We were born into politics too.
We were born into the circles of power so
nothing moves us.
For us politics is a noble calling and not a
profession. It is about proffering solutions to
complex national issues and not about
acquisition of primitive wealth.
We gave up all for the struggle for democracy
and the opportunity to help to develop our
country and move her forward and now we
are insulted and mocked and told we did it for
money? Which money?
How much can I be bought or bribed with?
All the money in the world could not move me
because I have never lacked it.
What have I not had or enjoyed in life from
a very young age? Where have I not been?
I came to the conclusion long ago that all is
vanity and that material wealth means nothing.
I would never sacrifice my principles or
integrity for it.
Mallam Abba Kyari, the President’s late and
powerful Chief of Staff, was my brother for
over 40 years and we interacted regularly
whilst he was in power.
I never asked him for ANYTHING from his
government just as I never asked or got
ANYTHING from any of the previous Federal
Governments between 2007 and 2021.
If I had done so I would not have been able
to criticise those governments publicly and I
would have been exposed. You cannot criticise
where you eat from.
I did not join APC when Abba was in
government and I did not compromise my
principles when I could have asked him for
anything since he had the ear of the President.
I respected and loved him for who he was
and NOT for the position he held and the
feeling was mutual.
I opposed his government in spite of our
friendship and did not share his views yet we
remained friends because our friendship was
well above politics.
That is what civilised people do. They agree
to disagree and respect each other’s views.
They never let it come between their friendship.
I opposed Abba’s government and risked
losing an old and loyal friend and brother
because I believed passionately in all I said. I
believed all that I said then and I still believe it
today.
All that and now you dare to question my
resolve and consistency? It is laughable.
Consistent
You say I am inconsistent. Meanwhile I
have been more consistent in my views over
the last 30 years than 95% of Nigerian
leaders and I have stuck to my guns despite
all manner of persecution and suffering!
You say I have no relevance meanwhile
millions all over the world read my words
avidly every day and follow my actions
religiously because I inspire them due to
the fact that I have always had the courage
of my convictions and I have always spoken
truth to power.
Unlike most politicians I actually inspire
people and give them hope. And most
important of all they trust me and trust my
judgment.
They have also acknowledged the fact
that more often than not my words are
prophetic and I have displayed remarkable
insight and foresight when it comes to
national affairs.
How many of your so-called “relevant”
leaders have done that? How many of them
have displayed such courage under fire for
years on end?
How many of them can have their
newspaper columns in three national dailies
closed over the years due to threats to the
publishers from government and yet keep
writing his essays on social media with
millions of people all over the world still
reading them and receiving the message?
How many of them can be blacklisted by
newspapers and television stations with
threatening orders from above and still
keep talking?
How many of them across party lines can
mould the thoughts and guide millions in
this way with their counsel, words, actions
and thoughts?
First seven years of persecution under PDP
then five years of persecution under APC!
HOW many of your leaders can stand such
fire and pain and still fight on?
Almost all of them ever do is sell you down
the river, tell you lies, ignore your pain,
deceive you, mock you, use you and give
you crumbs in return for your acclamation,
support and loyalty but you love them for
that.
You say I am scared of even more
persecution. At the age of 60 you believe I
am scared?
Continues on page 16
PAGE 16—SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Searching for Home in
The Camp
Title: The Camp
Author: Livinus Jatto
www.thecampbook.com
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Number of pages: 131
Year of publication: 2020
Category: Fiction
By Adegoke Tope Mark
‘As the vehicle clambered
up the last hill leading to
Auchi town, the subtle
petrichor of wet sand mixed
with cow dung and the
stench from overflowing
dustbins lining the main
road reminded him of
home.’ The Camp, Livinus
Jatto
What tribe you belong to,
your state of origin, religion
is somehow what are used
as yardstick to gauge a
Nigerian. It doesn’t really
matter his qualification or
merit, these defining
yardsticks or measures are
the sentimental tools for
sizing up a Nigerian. Thus,
the Nigerian identity is
very much troubled at
home too; it begs the
question, what or where is
home truly? This is the
story of Paul Badamosi in
Livinus Jatto’s debut novel,
The Camp. Through this
character’s many obstacles
and development, we
witness the displacement of
a person within his own
country, and how systems
that favours ethnic bigotry
and religion and
mediocrity up-ends him at
different stages of his life
and career.
The novel is worked into
eleven chapters, with every
chapter short and titled to
encapsulate the core theme
it focuses on. In the opening
chapter titled ‘A Camp
Called Home’, it follows the
origin of Paul Badamosi
who became Faul Badamasi
through the hand of the
clerk who registered him
into primary school:
He didn’t notice that the
Hausa teacher called him
Faul, with his Hausa accent.
Fani-Kayode opens up on ‘defection’: I am a lion that cannot be caged
Continued from page 16
What more can they do to me that they
have not done already? And what more am
I looking for in life that I have not enjoyed
over the years?
Yet you say I am scared! And those that
say so can barely endure one tenth of what
I have endured.
Some of them make noise from the safety
of other countries and stay away from Nigeria
out of fear of being locked up yet they mock
those of us that live on the doorsteps of our
oppressors in Nigeria and dare them to their
faces.
Some of them have not been able to face
hardship or deprivation and neither can they
bear it when their rights are being violated.
Yet to many of us this has become the norm
and we are used to it yet we still continue to
struggle and fight the system regardless. Let
me give you just one example. Do you know
that I have not been able to travel out of Nigeria
for the last 13 years because my passport was
first seized by a PDP government for eight
years and then by an APC government for five
years?
Do you know that I could not even go for
medical check-ups outside the country because
of that?
Locked up with
B/Haram suspects
Did you ever hear me complain or did this
ever stop me from speaking truth to power,
standing firm against injustice or speaking
up for the weak, the persecuted and the
voiceless?
Do you know I was locked up by both PDP
and APC Federal Governments for no just
cause?
Do you know I was even locked up in Boko
Haram detention centers with Boko Haram
suspects?
Do you know that only terrorists were kept
in the facility that they kept me? Do you know
that that place was worse than Gauntanamo
Bay and that it was built by the British
government?
Neither was he aware of the
future impact of the
misspelling of his surname,
which now read
“Badamasi”. At first glance,
Badamasi and Badamosi
looked the same, but the
politics of Nigeria made this
almost innocuous difference
a matter of survival. The
Northerners spelt theirs
Badamasi, while those from
the Southwest, mostly
Yorubas, and Binis in the
Midwest spelt the same
name Badamosi.
Whichever way it was
spelt, it meant
approximately the same
thing. (pg. 9)
Paul who was born to a
stern and disciplinarian
father learned from the
onset of his childhood the
complexity of his identity.
His parents migrated from
Midwest Nigeria
somewhere called Tabo
Gido-Ora to seek a new life
in the northern part of
Nigeria called Badaka State
immediately after the Civil
War. Badaka is a fictional
state but resembles any
cosmopolitan urban centres
in the north that has
various ethnic groups
domiciled there. The
author here is leaving the
setting blank thereby
creating a kind of template
anybody with similar
experience can copy theirs
on. This makes the story
ring true and shows the
history of a nation is knitted
with its peoples:
The difference between
the North, the South, the
East and the West replicated
throughout the whole
national life of Nigerians
and defined Paul’s growth
and development as it did
the growth and
development of the
country. These differences
determined who could
legitimately claim to have
a stake in the entity called
Nigeria. It shaped Paul’s
evolution. It also played an
important role in the
stunned growth of the
country. Both Paul and other
Nigerians conduct
themselves as if they were
internally displaced. (pg. 9)
As the narrative is
centred on Paul, it follows his
frustrations and
disappointments in his
quest to arrive at a place or
point where he can call
home. When he decides to
visit his parents’
hometown, he discovers
home is just an idea as he
has become an alien in his
parents’ state of origin. They
come from a minority
group as ‘Midwestern
Northerner’. He also
discovers that baggage
comes with certain
advantages and
disadvantages. The
advantage being that
standard could be lowered
for him to scale through
educational challenges. The
author writes that the pass
mark for JAMB, a tertiary
entrance examination in
Nigeria, can be lowered for
northerners to fulfil the
federal quota or character
as stipulated by the
constitution. This, he
attests, through the
protagonist entry into the
university. The advantage
he thought he had soon
turned into a big
disadvantage as he couldn’t
apply for a bursary from his
Badaka State because he is
not legitimately recognised
there because his parents
only settled there and
therefore cannot lay claim
to his place of birth.
Do you know how terrifying that was and
that I could have been killed or maimed whilst
there?
Yet did you ever hear me complain about it,
submit, compromise, give up or back down
from criticising the government or previous
governments because of these trials and
tribulations?
How many of your so-called “relevant” and
“great” leaders can bear such torment and
injustice without cracking? Did you ever see
or hear me crack? Did I ever break?
Do you know what horrors my first wife
Regina and my daughter Remi were subjected
to by a PDP government? Do you know why
they had to go into exile and live abroad?
Do you know what hell my ex-wife Precious
and first son Aragorn were subjected to by the
APC government?
Do you know the tears we shed secretly and
the number of times we suffered and were
forced to go underground for no just cause?
Do you know the kind of stress and torment
this put us through? Do you know that all our
bank accounts were frozen for five years?
Did all that stop me or stop us from standing?
Did we not endure and bear it all with dignity
for years and still continue to make our
contribution to national affairs with zeal and
passion?
Yet leaders like me that make these sacrifices
and speak truth you describe as having no
relevance, no consistency and you hate.
You mock, ridicule, insult and believe the
very worst about us at the drop of a hat. Some
even have the nerve and effrontery to say we
are not politicians simply because we have
not run for elective office.
It is those who speak truth and that are
courageous enough to expose and confront
evil that you hate, judge and always think and
assume the worse off at the drop of a hat.
Do you know that despite facing the most
vicious persecution and prosecution for seven
long years the court found me not guilty of
corruption whilst I was Minister of Aviation
and Minister of Culture and Tourism and
acquitted and discharged me?
How many of your leaders can endure going
to court for seven years before four different
CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR: NPDC, NOSL remember
Eastern Obolo communities, others
T HE
P e t r o Nigerian
l e u m
Development Corporation
(NPDC), in conjunction
with their partner, Natural
Oil Field Service Limited
(NOSL) (a subsidiary of
Sterling Oil), reached out to
host communities in
Eastern Obolo during
Christmas/New Year.
600 bags of rice, 66
cartons of noodles, 66 bags
of salt, 66 cans of cooking oil
and cartons of wine were
handed over to Engr. Hope
Etetor, son of the
paramount ruler of Eastern
Obolo LGA who represented
Dr Charles Mboung, leader
of the Local Government
Committee on Oil and Gas,
in the presence of other
committee members, Mr.
Uro Bills and Mr. Loveday
Ekuyok, at the admin head
office of NPDC in Eket.
The NPDC team was
represented by Mr Olutope
Bello while Group Capt
Ettete Ekpo (rtd) led the
NOSL team which paraded
Mr. Eugene Unwana, Mr.
Ubong Eti and Mrs. Emem
Thomas. About 33
communities from Eastern
Obolo benefitted from the
gifts. They include
Akpabom, Elekpon,
Atabrikang and Okoroete.
Bills and Loveday lauded
the kind gesture in spite of
the adverse economic
situation in the country,
saying they got only rice in
2019 but got salt, cooking
oil, noodles and wine in
addition to rice in 2020.
They urged NPDC and
NOSL to continue to reach
out to their communities,
improve engagement with
them to ensure a conducive
environment for their
operations.
In a brief chat with the
Base Manager, Mr Fabian
Ebri, in his office, he said, in
addition to the items given
to the Eastern Obolo
communities and
neighbours, military and
some governmental
agencies got another 1,200
judges and in the midst of a vicious media
witch-hunt in which most people who knew
nothing about the case had declared me guilty?
How many of you could have survived
that without capitulating, cracking,
begging and bending the knee?
Do you know that I have been facing
prosecution for the past five years in two
separate courts for doing absolutely nothing
wrong except leading a presidential campaign
against Buhari and for Jonathan in 2015 and
as a consequence of politically-motivated and
malicious charges which were filed only
because of my bitter and vicious opposition to
the Buhari government?
Do you know that under my tenure as
Minister of Aviation there were no plane
crashes whilst the year before I came in there
were five and 453 died in those crashes?
Do you know that I put a stop to those crashes
and that I am the only Minister of Aviation in
Nigerian history under which there were NO
plane crashes?
Poll
Do you know that despite all the challenges
and persecution I was recently polled by 85%
of the readers of Vanguard Newspaper that I
was the loudest and most consistent voice of
opposition against the Buhari government
over the last five years?
All this yet you label me a coward and
someone that has achieved nothing?
Do you know that most of those leaders you
revere and love so much are cowards who are
unable and unwilling to risk all and speak
truth to power.
All they are able to do is to mislead you and
their followers to hate and insult those of us
that really care for you.
Joker
Honestly some people need mental health
checks and medical attention!
And for anyone to say I will not be welcome
in a party that I have not publicly expressed a
desire to join amazes me.
The joker that claimed I was rejected by the
bags of rice as NPDC and
NOSL considers them
important stakeholders.
Ebri said NPDC and NOSL
will constantly reach out to
all involved in making
their operations smooth
and peaceful.
From left: Mr. Eugine Unwana, Group Capt Etete Ekpo
(rtd), Mr Olutope Bello, Engr. Hope Etetor, Mr.
Loveday Ekuyok and Mr. Uro Bills during the
presentation.
Some of the items donated.
Ekpo, leader of the NOSL
team, in a chat after the
presentation, assured all
that the company, as
always, would continue to
give attention to the welfare
of host communities and
other stakeholders.
APC needs to tell me where and when I applied
to join them and what my registration number
was!
Did I tell you I am leaving PDP for APC? Or
did I tell anyone that I will stay in PDP forever
no matter what happens or no matter what
they do to me or to the country?
You see, unlike most, I am a one-man army
and riot squad and I am accountable to no
man or party. I am only accountable to God!
Unlike most, I do not do things in the dark
and I do not shy away from speaking the truth
or my mind once it is set.
When and if I ever choose to make a move I
will be clear and categorical and I will let the
world know, so hold your hate fire till we get
to that bridge.
Yet know this: I owe no-one any explanation
for what I will do or will not do tomorrow, I
will gladly live with the consequences of my
actions and decisions and I will defend myself
and explain my actions when I choose to do
so if I believe it is ever necessary.
2023 realignments,
new alliances
I do not know what the details are yet but,
before 2023, there WILL be many
realignments and new alliances. Both parties
will see many shifts and many individuals will
change sides.
This is because we must get it right in 2023
and we must ensure that whoever takes power
at the center, regardless of party affiliation,
restructures our country and takes our nation
to the promise land.
We must build bridges and secure the peace,
unity and progress of this country and most
important of all we must avoid civil war and
do all we can to save our nation from armed
conflict and fratricidal butchery.
That is the challenge before us today and
that is the reality of Nigerian politics.
Whilst others meet secretly and hide from
the cameras in their quest to achieve these
objectives, I will not. I am the beloved of the
Lord and I am a LION!
No man born of woman can silence my roar!
I am who I am. I am FFK.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 17
Must you confess to an affair?
Most people want to
keep their affair secret
because they want to have both
the marriage and the affair.
According to Zelda West-
Meads in her book: The
Trouble With You: “Many
people claim that an affair
helps sustain their marriage,
or provides a part of their
needs that are not being met
in the marriage. They are
unhappily married, and they
may recognize that the person
with whom they are having the
affair is not offering what they
want on a full-time basis, but
just providing something
which is important at the time.
There are some people who
want their affair to be
discovered, as a way of
signalling to their partner that
for them, the marriage is over.
Or there are some people who
want the affair to be
discovered because of their
guilt. They believe, foolishly,
that if they tell their partner –
and this is usually at the time
when the affair is moving to
an end or has just ended – they
will be forgiven.
But life is not like that and
their partner is not into
forgiveness at this stage – it’s
too soon. So, the person who
confessed, far from being
forgiven, suddenly finds they
are on the receiving end of
outrage, anger, hurt, or even
the desire to murder or destroy
their partner or the other
person involved. The desire
to confess can be a selfish act
if all you are trying to do is
relieve your guilt. But if your
partner suspects that you are
having an affair, and insists
they want to know the truth, it
is fairer to admit it.
If, on the other hand, an
affair is over, and particularly
if it is in the past, there is little
point in suddenly telling your
partner all about it, because
for them, it will not feel over
at all. Not only will this hurt
them deeply, but they will want
to know all about it. Equally,
a one-night stand or a brief
but regrettable encounter,
would be deeply upsetting.
Whichever way you look at
it, discovery of an affair really
does shake most marriages to
their foundations. Some fall
apart, others grind on
unhappily, or continue and
then break up several years
later. Others, however, can
recover and can end up being
stronger and more loving than
before the affair – although
for most couples, this is a long,
painful journey.
Can the marriage be rebuilt
after an affair? “If you
really want to rebuild the
marriage, and you’re both
committed to this, it is
possible, although not easy”,
says the author. “It takes time
and a great deal of talking.
The person who has not had
the affair usually needs to talk
much more than the
unfaithful partner tends not to
want to be questioned about
the details of the affair. They
see a fresh start as a way to
put the affair behind them and
get on with repairing the
‘marriage’. But their partner
has to be given time and the
opportunity to express
negative feelings of hurt,
disbelief, anger, grief, rejection
and loss of confidence and
self-esteem. As well as this,
some questions have to be
answered honestly. Who the
affair was with, how long it
had been going on, who else
knows, when they met, and
what the affair meant to them.
This is painful to hear, but if it
remains unsaid, it gives their
partner no chance to deal with
what has been going on.
What is usually not a good
idea, however, is to talk about
intimate sexual details,
because these can really stay
in the mind of your partner
and haunt them for years. So,
when they ask, as most do, it
is kinder not to be explicit. If
you say too much, it can get in
the way in the future,
particularly when making
love. It takes time for these
memories to fade.
The next state in the
recovery process is moving
from the recriminations to
starting to look at what went
wrong and what led to the
affair. This is often
particularly difficult for the
partner who has not had the
affair. For them, it is often
easier to stick with the thought
that it’s all their partner ’s
fault and to go on blaming
them, rather than looking
at what they might have
contributed. It is only by
discussing what was going
on before the affair that
you can begin to
understand each other and
then painfully and slowly
start to rebuild your
relationship.
What about making love
again? West-Meads
believes it is usually better
not to rush into making
love too quickly after the
discovery of an affair.
Some couples do so
because the person who has
not been unfaithful and
want their partner to stay,
feels it is a way of keeping
them or repairing the
relationship. It’s more
often a woman who thinks
this. She sees it as a way of
showing she still loves her
partner, or as a way to
compete with the mistress.
It usually does not work.
This is because the man is
missing his mistress,
feeling guilty, or both,
which can result in loss of
interest in sex or the loss of
an erection, which then
feels like further rejection
to the woman. Or the
woman is too plagued by
thoughts of the mistress, or
the relationship is still too
tentative. Either way, both
of you can end up getting
hurt.
So for both sexes, if you
do make love fairly soon
after the discovery of an
affair, it may be all right
but you are more likely to
think of what your partner
might have been doing with
their mistress or lover.
These flash-backs are
always possible, but they do
fade and die. However, in the
early days, the memory or the
imagination are likely to be
very vivid and do not help the
recovery process. It is better
for most people to allow time
for trust to be rebuilt before
love again.
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Coca-Cola Foundation awards $85,000 grant
to Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative
By Josephine Agbonkhese
The
Coca-Cola
Foundation, TCCF, has
awarded a grant of $85,000
to a non-governmental
organisation, Aid for Rural
Education Access Initiative,
AREAi.
According to the Public
Affairs, Communications &
Sustainability Manager,
Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited,
Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, the
grant will be used to curb
plastic pollution in six states
across the federation, through
recovery and repurposing of
600 tons of PET Bottles in 12
months.
Speaking to Vanguard,
Gideon Olanrewaju, Founder,
AREAi, said beneficiaries of
the project will include over
60 communities in the Federal
Capital Territory, Yobe, Kano,
Kaduna, Kwara and Oyo
states, where periodic recycling
activities will take place and over 300
women will be recruited as waste
pickers and sorters.
"These female waste collectors will
be trained on financial literacy and
environmental safety practices,
equipped with Personal Protective
Equipment, PPE, and empowered
through a trash-for-cash recovery
scheme.
"Recycling stations would be
instituted across these states, with
public recycling bins also distributed
to strategic locations to drive
effective recycling processes and
activities in the various
communities," he explained.
Reiterating Coca-Cola's
commitment towards addressing the
issue of plastic pollution,
Onyemelukwe said: "Coca-Cola
remains committed to addressing the
issue of plastic pollution across the
world. Our vision for a World Without
Waste focuses on recycling and
behavioural-change initiatives.
Peaceful coexistence: Uvwie monarch
lauds Arewa community
His Royal Majesty
Emmanuel Ekemejewa
Sideso, Abe 1, the Ovie of Uvwie
Kingdom has commended Arewa
people in Uvwie kingdom for
their peaceful and friendly
disposition since he ascended the
throne.
The Uvwie monarch made the
commendation in his remarks at
his 13th coronation anniversary,
noting that Arewa people under
the leadership of Alhaji Suleiman
Jauro had always identified with
his palace and indeed the
kingdom in ceremonial activities
in wonderful ways.
The traditional ruler also noted
that there had never been issues of
menace of herdsmen or clashes
between Arewa people and his
subjects under the Arewa
leadership of Alhaji Jauro in
Uvwie kingdom.
While assuring Arewa people
and other non indigenes of their
peaceful stay in Uvwie, Abe 1
urged the Arewa community and
other non indigenes to sustain their
cordial relationship with the Uvwie
people.
Alhaji Jauro, the Arewa leader
in Uvwie, in a chat with our
correspondent shortly after the
event, expressed delight over the
remarks of the Uvwie monarch,
vowing that the remarks would
spur them to build more cordial
relationship with Uvwie people.
While pledging his continued
loyalty to the Ovie of Uvwie
kingdom on behalf of the Arewa
people in the area, Alhaji Jauro
remarked that the Uvwie monarch
has always carried the Arewa
people along in his rulership of
Uvwie kingdom.
"That is why we always feel at
home. We pray that Allah should
blessed him (Abe1)with more
peaceful and prosperous reign, " he
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Eko Club: Again, Fanimokun
wins at Appeal Court
The Court of Appeal, Lagos, has
dismissed the case filed by the Eko
Club Board of Trustees and Guardian
Council of Eko Club against Chief
Babatunde Fanimokun over his third term
as President of the club. Fanimokun was
the president of Eko Club from February
2017 to February 2019.
However, his attempt to vie for a third
term was opposed by Eko Club and the
Guardian Council. Meanwhile, the Club
and Council brought a candidate, Dr.
Shamsideen Dosumu as their preferred
choice.
The Federal High Court, Lagos, presided
over by Justice C. J. Aneke, on Monday,
March 9, 2020, held that Fanimokun has
every right to vie for selection as the
President for a third consecutive year.
But the Board of Trustees and Guardian
Council challenged the judgment at the
Court of Appeal.
In her ruling on Wednesday, February 17,
2021, Justice Otisi, dismissed the appeal
and upheld the judgment of the lower
court.
PAGE 18—SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
The sure mercies of David (2)
What would you do if God told you (a
Christian) to attack some people and
kill everybody, including women and
children? You might decide to pity some of
them. You might see a newborn baby and decide,
out of the goodness of your heart, to spare
him. In short, you might end up declaring that
you are more righteousness than God.
Several years ago, God told me to terminate
the appointments of all the people working
with me. He then said I should tell those who
still wanted to work with me to reapply. He
told me, furthermore, that two people would
not reapply because He did not want them to
continue working with me.
So, I did as I was told, and the two people did
not reapply. They asked when they could submit
all the official paraphernalia with them,
and we made an appointment for the next day.
Then, I became very sad. I said to myself in my
heart, I was not even talking to God mind you:
“What a pity that they have to leave.” And God
heard me.
I got into trouble. The Holy Spirit rebuked
me sharply. “Are you more righteous than God?
I said some people should go and you are asking
that they should stay in your mercy. What
do you know about mercy?”
I know nothing at all.
Judgment of Amalek
For God to be merciful to
us, he has to be merciless
to somebody else
When God told Saul to attack the Amalekites
and kill everybody, that extreme instruction
came out of God’s kindness to Israel. God
remembered the wickedness of the Amalekites
in attacking Israel from the rear in the wilderness.
He was also trying to prevent the Amalekites
from attacking David’s people in the future.
Do you know that if Saul had completely
wiped out the Amalekites as instructed, they
would not have attacked David’s people
much later at Ziklag?
“Now it happened, when David and his
men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that
the Amalekites had invaded the South and
Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with
fire, and had taken captive the women and
those who were there, from small to great;
they did not kill anyone, but carried them
away and went their way. So, David and his
men came to the city, and there it was,
burned with fire; and their wives, their sons,
and their daughters had been taken captive.”
(1 Samuel 30:1-3).
In effect, the judgement of God on Amalek
reflects the mercy of God on Israel. This
is how the psalmist expresses this kingdom
dynamic. He says the mercy of the God
who killed the firstborn of Egypt but brought
out Israel safely endures forever:
“To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for His mercy endures forever; and made
Israel pass through the midst of it, for His
mercy endures forever; but overthrew Pharaoh
and his army in the Red Sea, for His
mercy endures forever… To Him who
struck down great kings, for His mercy endures
forever; and gave their land as a heritage,
for His mercy endures forever; a heritage
to Israel His servant, for His mercy endures forever.
(Psalm 136:15-22).
According to the scriptures, calamities occur
because God’s mercy endures forever. The
psalmist says God killed all the firstborn of Egypt
because His mercy endures forever. He drowned
all Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea because His
mercy endures forever.
In effect, the mercy of God to Israel is the judgement
of God to Pharaoh. Israel knows that the
mercy of God endures forever because in one
day God killed all the firstborn in Egypt in one
fell swoop and spared all the firstborn of Israel
in Goshen. Had the two different acts of God
not occurred simultaneously, Israel would have
been oblivious of the mercy of God.
Thus, the same Red Sea that was the instrument
of God’s deliverance of the Jews was the
instrument of God’s destruction of the Egyptians.
Unmerited favour
God did this so both the Israelites and the
Egyptians can fully appreciate the mercy of God.
Some people were destroyed so that their land
may be given to the Israelites. In this way, all
men everywhere would fully appreciate the unmerited
favour of God.
Thus, God says to Israel: “I sent the hornet
before you which drove them out from before
you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but
not with your sword or with your bow. I have
given you a land for which you did not labour,
and cities which you did not build, and
you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards
and olive groves which you did not plant.”
(Joshua 24:12-13).
Similarly, God gave me a fellowship that I
did not start. He gave me a house in exclusive
Victoria Island, Lagos that I did not build. He
gave me a school, Nouveau International
School, Lagos that I did not establish. He gave
me a car, Toyota RAV4, that I did not buy. My
house in Lagos is full of very expensive paintings
that I did not pay for.
As for you reading this, some people have died
of Covid-19 but you have survived, for God’s
mercy endures forever. Some people contracted
Covid-19 and died while you contracted
Covid-19 and survived, for God’s mercy endures
forever.
Therefore, from today, never talk about
God’s unfairness again. What do you know
about fairness? Who taught you fairness? Is it
fair that your name should be written in heaven?
It is fair that some should be in the hospital
now but you are at home? Is it fair that you
can see, but some are born blind? Is it fair that
you should know the Lord and others don’t?
Any insistence on fairness would cost you
your salvation. The person who insists on fairness,
or vengeance, is the person who despises
the grace of God.
Double-edged sword
Therefore, if your father should die, if your
brother you have an accident, if you should
fail in your exams, if your husband should
leave you for another woman, from now start
seeing everything that happens from the perspective
of God’s mercy.
The word of God is sharper than any double-edged
sword. Jesus is both a sanctuary
and a rock of offence. He is a sanctuary and a
gin and a snare at the same time. This is because
for God to be merciful to us, he has to be
merciless to somebody else. For us to live,
Jesus Christ had to die.
In your life, the mercy of God endures forever.
You are born again, you are in the ark
of Jesus Christ, for His mercy endures forever.
From the ark, Noah must have seen a
lot of dead bodies floating on the water and
rotting in the sun, for God’s mercy endures
forever. You have received what God promised:
the sure mercies of David.
“Therefore, consider the goodness and severity
of God: on those who fell, severity;
but toward you, goodness, if you continue
in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will
be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue
in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God
is able to graft them in again.” (Romans
11:22-23).
CONTINUED
I ‘died’ but God raised me on third day – Asubiaro, G.O., Calvary Assemblies
By Adegbola Temitope &
Abiodun Theresa
From left: Pastor Asubiaro, celebrant; Pastor Paul,
Guest Speaker and Mrs. Asubiaro when the General
Overseer of Calvary Authority Pentecostal Assemblies
celebrated his birthday.
The General Overseer of Calvary Author
ity Pentecostal Assemblies (CAPA), Pas
tor Abel 'Segun Asubiaro, has narrated
how he passed out following a sudden ailment
but God raised him on the third day.
Asubiaro gave this testimony in appreciation
to God and in obedience to the vow he
made to God that no matter the day his birthday
falls, he will always set aside that day with
family, friends and Church members to appreciate
Him.
He explained during his 61st birthday thanksgiving
service held on Saturday, February 6,
2021 that he lost consciouness on Friday, August
14, 2020 and God raised him on Sunday,
August 16, 2020.
“Before Friday, August 14, I had been having
signs of weakness and tiredness”, Asubiaro
started.
“But on that Friday I could hardly walk and
I was already hearing strange voices of melodious
songs different from human voices.
“I managed to give myself Holy Communion
thinking that it was time of departure.
“By 7 p.m. or thereabouts, I lost consciousness.
I knew that anywhere I slept on that day
will be where I will breath my last except there
was divine intervention.
“I was forced to one hospital which had not
happened for the past 31 years.
“From the 14th to the 16th of August, I did
not know what happened in this realm. I came
back to life between the night of 16th & Monday
17th.
“After the sudden/quick recovery, the medical
report revealed that my sugar level on the
14th of August was 598 (I have forgotten the
B.P. on the report now) which the doctors involved
said no one gets to (598) and recovers.
“One of them said my being alive before
I was brought to hospital was beyond explanation.
“Now, the miraculous aspect of
it is this.
I recovered within weeks not on special
diet and not on medication of any sort.
“I am back on my feet performing all
pastoral functions (conducting revival programmes,
having fasting & vigils, etc) doctors
said that I would not be able to perform.
“The recovery and back to normalcy
clearly showed that what happened was not
just an ordinary illness”.
Guest Speaker at the occasion, Pastor John
Dada Sunday Paul, District Superintendent of
the Christ Apostolic Church, Royal District, Ikorodu,
said Asubiaro is a gentleman who takes
God's work as though it was his life.
“When God asked us to number our days, it
means you should know that your life is not
yours and, no matter the number of days we use
on earth, we should use them wisely and for the
purpose God created man”, Paul said.
The Guest of Honor urged Christians to pray
and fight the battle for Nigeria spiritually.
“They should pray in unity that God should
fight for us. That is what will make peace to
reign in this nation”.
Earlier in his sermon titled, 'Be a part of histo-
Primate Ayodele empowers journalists, youths, widows
By Jacob Ajom
The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual
Church, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele
marked his 2021 annual Thanksgiving
with a difference. The Primate, in his usual
manner, dished out gifts, ranging from cash to
cars, tricycles and facilitated the award of scholarships
and jobs to hundreds of youth.
Widows were empowered, the poor were given
various forms of assistance, while some
lucky religious devotees were aided with funds
If there is nothing to
write or put on record
about you in history,
that means you have
come to this world in
vain
to go to the holy lands for pilgrimages.
Strikingly, Primate Ayodele did not discriminate
between the beneficiaries as, apart
from Christians who will be travelling to
Jerusalem, there were Muslims who also
got funds to go to Mecca.
The church leader also recognised the
positive role the media has been playing in
not only his life, but in the growth of his
church. In appreciation, Primate Ayodele
gave out a jeep each to two journalists, Lukmon
Akintola of Octopus News and Folorunsho
Hamzat of the Status News, an online outfit.
Ten other journalists got N200,000 each from
the church leader. He also announced the donation
of a bus to NTA 10, Lagos.
Speaking at the presentation, Primate Ayodele
told the journalists not to see the gifts as bribes.
“You should be free to criticise me if I do wrong.
What I am doing here is a directive from God.
He gave me all I have and I should share what
he has given me with those who don't have.”
ry’, the District Superintendent encouraged
Christians not to pass through the world without
making impact.
''Let the world know and be able to put it on
record that you actually came to this world.
There are some histories that cannot be
erased. You must be someone that has an impact
in history because if there is nothing to
write or put on record about you in history,
that means you have come to this world in
vain”.
Paul advised against celebrating the dead
than the living. He gave five steps to make
someone a partaker of history: Always think
of what to do for God, do not wait for you to be
compelled before you are moved to do the
work of God, have zeal and a great passion
for things that need urgent attention in the
church of God and sacrifice for genuine prayer
and fasting with a big heart to work.
Asubiaro, addressing the gathering, said he
owed God a lot as he had no regret since he
started the ministry.
“In some ministries, people have godfathers
to push them to the top but God is my godfather”,
the General Overseer said.
“He secured the building and everything
needed to start the ministry.
"God has been so kind to me.
Unlike some churches where the elders frustrate
their pastor, my elders are very unique
and very supportive. They are God-sent angels
to me.“I never thought of becoming a
pastor but there were so many experiences I
went through that proved that God called me
despite my refusal several times not to do the
work of God.
“Despite all odds, we are now building young
generations (called young crusaders) to also
buy into the vision of going out there to expand
the ministry”.
He assured that those who didn't get this
year should be hopeful. “Next year, it could be
your turn,” he pleaded.
The height of the day's activities was the
hoisting of the United Nations flag at the
church premises, as, according to Amb Nabit
Kapoor, head of delegation from the International
Association of World Peace Advocates,
IAWPA, Primate Ayodele was being honoured
by the UN for his enormous contributions to
world peace, particularly in Africa. The IAW-
PA chief was accompanied by Amb Blessing
Palmberg, Amb Emmanuel Nkweke, among
a host of other important personalities.
C
M
Y
K
Some of the beneficiaries of miracles waiting to testify during the last crusade at the national headquarters
SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 19
For your old
garment to
become new
you must be in
Christ because
in Him only shall
we obtain new
life
FIRST TESTIMONY
HOW SOWING SEED
BROUGHT ABOUT BLESS-
ING OF A FOUNDATION
OF 3 BEDROOM FLAT
My name is Sister Antonia
Alemo. I reside in Ogun state
and worship at Ojore branch
aka Solution branch. I want
to testify the goodness of God
upon my life. It happened that
I was not able to attend last
year’s annual program titled
“from Sorrow to Joy program”,
because I travelled to
my hometown. So it was my
children that attended the program.
So, on Sunday being
the last day of that crusade, my
son called me while Pastor was
rounding up his ministration
and said Mummy, Daddy GO
is rounding the prayer now, I
should queue into the prayer.
So as I was listening to the prophetic
utterances of our Daddy
GO, he said, there was a
woman listening to my
prayers who is worried because
she is no longer experiencing
menstrual period but
now I’m commanding that
period to be restored. When I
heard that I knew that the
word of knowledge was for
me. In the night of same day,
I started feeling pain at the
back and before I knew it my
period started flowing and
that was how my 6 months
menstrual period was restored.
Secondly, I took a loan of
#250,000 in a place where I
am working and pondering
on what to use it for, one
thought ministered to me to
use it and buy land. So, I
called my former branch
pastor, Pastor Enoch and told
him that I want to buy a land
and he prayed for me. Thereafter
I had another ministration
that asked if I had consider
the bad condition of my
branch pastor before venturing
into purchasing personal
property. So I changed my
mind and out of the money
sowed a seed of 30,000 into
the life of my branch pastor.
Lo and Behold within a short
time God released showers of
blessings upon my life that
today, God of Chosen made
me to lay a foundation of 3
bedrooms flat.
Thirdly: My Managing Director
which is also my husband’s
brother favoured me
with 50,000 last December
SECOND TESTIMONY
One of the beneficiaries of miracles rejoicing during the
last crusade at the national headquarters.
ISAIAH 64: 6 says, “But we
are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags; and we all do
fade as a leaf; and our iniquities,
like the wind, have taken
us away”
Beloved, in every sense
of it, filthy garment
epitomizes ugly situation.
The horrible situation
could be physical such as dirtiness,
muckiness and grimness
or spiritual as when one
is engrossed in chronic sin
such as smoking, adultery,
fornication, masturbation,
lying, fighting, drunkenness,
etc, of which you have made
efforts to stop but to no avail,
instead it has brought reproach
to you on many occasions.
Filthy garments could
also be considered as a condition
of barrenness, poverty,
lacks, hindrances, etc. It
could also be affliction of different
kind or sickness and
disease. I want to let you
know that the filthy garment
in the form of ugly situation
mentioned above must be
changed so that the purpose
by which you were created
would be actualized. You
should understand that all
those ugly situations are the
works of the devil and for it to
be changed Jesus Christ must
be presence in your life.
The Scripture says, “… For
this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that He
might destroy the works of the
devil” (1Jn 3: 8). In order to
destroy these ugly situations,
Jesus was manifested. But before
then we were bonds, fetters,
shut and locked up in the
prison-house of affliction,
poverty, barrenness, sickness,
diseases, and above all subjected
under the dominion of
sin, and power of Satan, but
the Son of God came to rescue
us, to break our fetters,
and to set us free. He came
that we might have life and
have it more abundantly. Your
ugly situation in the form of
filthy garment remains until
He comes into your life.
Putting on the new garment
means that you have been
Former Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha (right), presenting to the General
Overseer of the Lord's Chosen , Pastor Lazarus Muoka(left), the child he granted full
scolarship during theMgbidi 2021 Crusade
baptized with Christ, surrendered
and ready to obey
Him. When you accept Jesus
Christ as your Lord and personal
Saviour and are baptized
in Him, you have put on
Christ and through this have
removed the filthy garment,
that dirty garment that have
been constituting reproach
and mockery in your life and
in the lives of members of
your family.
Those problems that have
brought shame and mockery
to your family, and even to
you, those problems that people
would see and conclude
that nothing good will come
from you are the works of the
devil. Those problems of stigmatization
that will make
people say, you are the son or
daughter of that poor man
that has been sickly, that
woman that has been suffering
from diabetes and then
they will conclude that you
will likely suffer the same, are
the works of the devil. If that
is your situation, I declare today,
that situation cannot remain.
Today, if you are suffering
the judgment of poverty,
sickness, oppression or affliction,
but are ready to accept
Jesus as your Lord and personal
Saviour, God will show
you mercy and that mercy
shall prevail against judgment.
I am assuring you that experience shall be no more,
day, that old and filthy garment
every power behind your you shall be clothed with a
problem shall be withered. new garment that will bring
All your sorrow shall today about all round blessing upon
be turned to joy and it shall your life. The only requirement
be well with you in Jesus for this new experience is to
name.
repent and surrender your life
Beloved, that mockery to Christ.
must cease. If they have referred
to your family as a if any man be in Christ, he is a
2Cor. 5 : 17 says, “Therefore
home where nobody goes to new creature: old things are
seek for spouse, family passed away; behold, all things
where people die prema-
are become new”
Changing the filthy garment (2)
turely, a family that even if
one marries the woman will
not stay at home and cannot
conceive, and even if the
woman manages to have
one child, the child would be
imbecile or a sicklier, I want
to tell you that from today
after your garment have
been changed, those aspersion
will no longer be your
portion. If they have told you
that they know where you are
coming from and could predict
your end and as far as
they are concerned you are
potentially an object of
mockery and caricature. So,
looking at you, makes them
draw conclusion that you are
a failure because nobody has
made it in your family. But if
these things are your experiences,
consider them as
filthy garment we are talking
about that must be
changed today by the operation
of the Holy Spirit in
Jesus name.
I don’t know what has constituted
a filthy garment in
your life and business but
what I know and can assure
you is that with God all
things are possible. Remember
that when God comes
into any situation there must
be a positive change. As He
comes into your situation to-
For your old garment to become
new you must be in
Christ because in Him only
shall we obtain new life. If any
is in Christ, his affections, his
motives, thoughts, hopes, and
whole life will be renewed. So,
have your filthy garment
changed today by giving your
life totally to our Saviour Jesus
Christ. And as you do so I am
assuring you it shall be well
with you in Jesus name.
WITHOUT WOMB I
GAVE BIRTH TO FIVE
CHILDREN
My name is Sister Margret
Ejeh. I’m from Ayabo 4 in Ijegun.
I joined Chosen in 2008
in a programme titled “Hope
for the Barren” (Needy). I am
that sister that had ectopic
pregnancy in June 2008. Because
of the ectopic pregnancy,
my womb was cut off including
my fallopian tubes
but by the grace of God of
Chosen today I am a mother
of five children.
For the benefit of new comers
who did not know my testimony,
let me repeat it in a
summary. In 2008, I had ectopic
pregnancy, because of
that, my womb and fallopian
tubes were cut off. In the sight
of man, I couldn’t conceive
again but in the sight of God,
all things are possible. In
November of that year, I was
invited here by my uncle in
that very programme but that
time it was called Hope for
the Barren. During ministration
through prophetic utterances
the General Pastor said
“There is a woman here
whose womb was cut off, I
request for new womb from
above for her, in the name of
Jesus I give her a new womb
now”. I claimed it and shouted
amen. Brethren, that was
all. That statement alone
changed my situation and I
became pregnant. The cutting
off of my womb was done
at LUTH by professor Abudu.
But God began a new thing
in my life, in the year 2009, I
had my first Child named
dominion, my second child
named Abundance came in
2011, in 2013 I had Victory
and in 2015 I had Confidence.
And now the last is Hope that
came 2018.
In 2008, when I firstly came
in here, I was just looking,
watching what was happening.
Today, I’m a living testimony.
As you too have come,
God will give you hope in
Jesus name. To crown it all,
this last delivery was in my
bedroom, not in the hospital.
God of Chosen is wonderful
indeed. May His name be
glorified in Jesus name.
C
M
Y
K
C
M
Y
K
PAGE 20—SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
We have translated Bible into 26 Nigerian
languages — BSN
By Olayinka Latona be dedicated on February 27,
at the Atiku Square, Ayetoro
THE Bible Society of Ni
geria, BSN said it has
translated the Bible into 26
Nigerian languages in addition
to the Braille Bible for
those who have visual disability
and Nigerian Sign
Language Bible for the deaf.
The General Secretary of
BSN, Rev. Dare Ajiboye revealed
this during a news conference
to dedicate the Igala
Bible and Okun New Testament
at Bible Guest House,
Ilupeju, Lagos.
The BSN boss noted that
through translating the Bible
into Nigerian languages, the
society has helped to preserve
various Nigerian languages
and culture.
Adding that the two languages
are spoken predominantly
among locals in Kogi
State.
In his words: "This is in pursuance
of our mission to meet
the scriptural needs of every
Nigerian and to help them interact
with the Word of God.
So far, we have the full bible
in 26 Nigerian languages,
while revision and translation
is ongoing in 10 Nigerian
languages.
"It costs us a minimum of
N72 million to complete a
translation project, if completed
in 12 years," he said.
On the dedication of the two
Bibles, Ajiboye said that the
Okun New Testament would
Jesus the pioneer and perfecter
of our faith
TEXT: HEB 12:1-2
“Therefore, since we are surrounded
by such a great cloud
of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and
the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance
the race marked out
for us. 2 Fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter
of faith. For the joy set before
him he endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the
throne of God. 3 Consider him
who endured such opposition
By Pastor G.C. Osuigbo
CAC Madaiyese Regional Headquaters
Plot 701/702 Durumi District
P.O. BOX 2577
Garki, Abuja.
Contact us on: 08155555048, like us on
facebook @cacdurumi
from sinners, so that you will
not grow weary and lose
heart.”
The word ‘therefore’ is a
part of speech known as
a conjunction which is used
to join a phrases or sentence
together. It can best be described
as a linker referring
to the consequences of one
event upon another. The preceding
chapter in Christian
circles is known as the library
of faith. It is a catalogue of
heroes of the Jewish and
Christian faith who surmounted
all oppositions to
stand out for Christ. The first
Rev. Emmanuel Awazie
*Assemblies of God Church
Nigeria, 111 Clegg Street,
Surulere, Lagos.
Friendship with Jesus (2)
The fundamentals of
friendship with Jesus
Christ rest in inherent qualities,
which are formed in us
by the incoming and indwelling
of the Holy Spirit; they
are not by natural birth. Then
as we obey the revelation
granted, friendship begins to
grow.
Like anything that thrives
and that is beneficial,
friendship must be cultivated
and nurtured and certain
conditions are essential for
the achievement of this, viz:
1.Acquaintance with
Him: Friendship is based
on a relationship “Can two
walk together, unless they
are agreed?” – Amos 3:3.
This is the very foundation
and the implication is that
you must have renounced
in Kogi State, while the Igala
Bible would be dedicated on
March 13, at the Chapel of
Resurrection, Kogi State University,
Ayingba.
He said that the Okun New
Testament translation had become
the fastest new testament
translation with a
record of four years and three
Satan, the world and every
sinful entanglement in order
to cultivate a relationship
with God.
2.Read and meditate on
God’s word: The person
who will cultivate a relationship
with God must have
a passionate hunger for His
word. You must long to meet
Him daily in the word. He
commands that “This Book
of the Law shall not depart
from your mouth, but you
shall meditate in it day and
night, that you may observe
to do according to all that is
written in it. For then you
will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have
good success.” Joshua 1:8.
The vigour of our spiritual
life will be in exact proportion
to the place held by the
Scriptures in our lives and
months, while the Igala Bible
was completed within 11
years.
He added that the Old Testament
of Okun is in its advanced
stage of completion.
The society also called on
the Federal Government and
other tiers of government to
make deliberate efforts to
preserve Nigerian languages
by enforcing their usage,
especially in schools.
Baptist cleric emerge CTPAN president
By Olayinka Latona
CHRISTIAN Tourism
Practitioners Association
of Nigeria, CTPAN has
elected the Senior Pastor of
Shepherdhill Baptist Church,
Obanikoro, Lagos, Rev. Israel
Kristilere as her new president.
The body which comprised
of over 60 registered pilgrimage
operators nationwide
was led by Mrs Adeola Adekola,
the CEO of Ideal Pilgrimage,
until when Israel
Kristilere was unanimously
elected as the new president.
At the same time, Deaconess
Lola Oluokun was elected
Vice President while Pastor
(Mrs) Jumoke Adeniyi,
was elected General Secretary
and a host of other officers
were elected.
In his response, Rev. Kristilere
appreciate the body including
the former executives
for counting him worthy to
lead the group.
He, however, pledged to
work with all the members in
order to take Christian Pilgrimage
in Nigeria especially
the privately organized
tours to an enviable height.
While reflecting on the
challenges the COVID19
pandemic posed on Christian
Pilgrimage in the last one
year, he expressed hope that
in the next few weeks, the borders
of Israel shall be opened
to Nigerian pilgrims again
and those who have been
yearning to walk in the footsteps
of Jesus and experience
the Holy land shall find their
dreams coming to pass.
The cleric further solicited
for the support and co-operation
of all CTPAN members
as they all strive together to
make a difference during their
tenure and bring into the fold
other Private Christian Pilgrimage
operators that are
yet to join the association.
verse of chapter twelve points
us to these cloud of faithful
witnesses who despite their
outstanding spiritual accomplishments
are incomplete in
the spiritual order of things
without us. They had been effective
witnesses despite the
negative effect of the environment
upon their lives. Our
own times and seasons although
ladened with its own
peculiarity should not overwhelm
us. The heroes before
us are heroes because they
overcame and are witnesses
and a confirmation to us that
we too shall overcome.
The evidence to their becoming
heroes of the faith is
that they threw off sin that
hinders and easily entangled
them. Definitely a great number
of those listed had one
form of entanglement or the
other, but that they appear listed
here proves that they overcame.
thoughts.
3.Make prayer a lifestyle
– Ps. 5:3: It is impossible to
be in a relationship and not
have time to commune and
talk with each other. Prayer
is talking with God. People
who are in a relationship
frequently want to express
their thoughts and feelings
towards each other and in
prayer, friendship is developed
and expressed with
God, “Evening and morning
and at noon I will pray, and
cry aloud, And He shall
hear my voice.” Ps. 55:17;
it is not just in order to have
things, but is a place of
sweet adoration and dealings
with Him.
There are many more
conditions that are necessary
but as we learn to fellowship
with Him on a regular
basis, He will not leave
us empty; He is not selfish
“Then you will call upon Me
and go and pray to Me, and I
will listen to you. 13 And you
will seek Me and find Me,
when you search for Me with
all your heart.”– Jeremiah
29:12 – 13.
FG, activists call for stiffer sanctions
against child abuse
By Dirisu Yakubu
gainst the backdrop of
Afrequent incidences of
child molestation and abuse,
the federal government,
stakeholders and activists,
Wednesday, called on the
National Assembly to come
up with laws providing for
tough sanctions against
infringement on the rights of
the child.
They specifically drew the
attention of the public to
Section 15 (Right of a child
to free, compulsory and
universal primary education,
etc) of the Child’s Rights Act,
wondering why the law
prescribed that in the event of
failure of a parent or guardian
to enrol a child under his care
in primary school, such a
person would pay a fine of
N2000 or spend a month in
prison in lieu of fine or both.
Addressing participants at a
workshop on child abuse,
organised by Kidsright
international, Minister of
Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline
Tallen, decried the fact that
By Etop Ekanem
he management of
TSoloti Gaming Limited,
a new investor in Nigeria’s
fast-growing gaming
industry, has announced its
entry into the gaming sector.
Soloti Gaming Limited
recently obtained its
operation licences from the
National Lottery Board and
Lagos State Lottery Board
and is poised to
revolutionise the sports
betting industry in Nigeria.
The Chairman of Soloti, Mr.
Adebayo Tade expressed
optimism at the consistent
growth trend in the gaming
industry in Africa and
Nigeria.
According to Mr. Tade, “We
have over the last two years
been conducting extensive
research on the gaming
industry in Africa, notably
West Africa, and we believe it
Onuesoke lauds Buhari’s support for
Premium Steel Coy
By Ephraim Oseji
Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) chieftain
and former Delta State
gubernatorial aspirant, Chief
Sunny Onuesoke has
commended the Federal
Government support and
encouragement for the
development of Premium
Steel and Mines Limited,
Warri, Delta State and other
steel industries in Nigeria.
He equally hailed the
government move for the
proposed Metallurgical
Industrial Bill, stressing that
when approved, it would
support the growth and
development of the steel
industry in Nigeria.
Onuesoke made the
commendation during the
facility tour of Premium Steel
and Mines Limited, by
the Minister of Mines and
Steel Development,
Olamilekan Adegbite,
recently.
The Minister had earlier
called on the steel company
to speed up the production
process, as the mandate of the
Students hail appointment of Akwa as NDDC
Sole Admin
By Jimitota
Onoyume
Akwa Ibom State’s
students have hailed
the appointment of Mr
Okon Effiong Akwa as the
Sole Administrator of the
Niger Delta Development
Commission, NDDC.
A statement by the
some states in the country are
yet to domestic the Child
Rights Act.
Represented by Adekunle
Balogun-Ashry, the Minister
counselled parents and
guardians to accord child
right pride of place, noting
that until children are
protected from the ills of the
society, they would struggle
to realize their potentials
early in life.
“A memorandum was last
By Chioma Obinna
morale of frontline
Thealth workers at the Nigerian
Institute of Medical
Research, NIMR, is gradually
getting low following nonpayment
of their COVID-19
allowances by the institution.
The workers accused the
management of NIMR of refusing
to pay their accrued
COVID-19 allowances.
Soloti Gaming Limited announces
entry into Nigeria’s gaming industry
is time to revolutionise and
reposition the gaming
industry in Nigeria, offering
innovative and more
strategic outcomes beneficial
to the over 70 million Punters
in the Nigeria Gaming
industry.”
Speaking on the entry of
Soloti Gaming Limited’s
foremost product, FRAPAPA,
Mr Derrick Bell, Chief
Executive Officer, stated: “We
are thrilled to announce the
entry of FRAPAPA; a unique
product under Soloti
Gaming Limited into
Nigeria’s fast-rising gaming
industry. Our entry into
Nigeria supports our
strategic business decision
and global growth strategy
aimed at adding value to the
gaming industry through
innovative offerings, human
capital engagement and the
value chain of wealth
creation.”
Ministry was to expand the
steel sector and use it to
diversify the economy, create
jobs and generate revenue for
the government.
Reacting to the minister’s
statement, Onuesoke said
Premium Steel would save
the nation more than a
million tons of steel in import
and conserve about $600
2 couples win Tec
echno’s Blue
Valentine promo
By Ephraim Oseji
Two couples, Osho
Ganiyat Kofo and Gift
Ajirioghene Efeteha won N1
million each in the Techno’s
Blue Valentine promo held
recently in Lagos.
The programme was held
to celebrate St. Valentine’s
Day and reward couples.
The PR & Strategic
Partnership Manager, Tecno
Mobile, Jesse Oguntimehin
said: “Without a doubt,
Valentine’s Day is a big deal
President of National
Association of Akwa Ibom
State Students, NAAKISS,
University of Port Harcourt
chapter, Comrade. Favour
Emah, said Akwa would
take the commission to a
greater height.
” We congratulate our
great son, Mr. Okon Effiong
Akwa on his new upliftment
as the interim Sole
Administrator of the
year presented before the
National Assembly for the
review of the Child Rights Act
and I can assure you that we
won’t rest until the right thing
is done. States in Nigeria that
are yet to adopt this law need
to rise up and show concern
for our children who are the
leaders of tomorrow,” said
Balogun-Ashry, who pledged
the readiness of the Ministry
to work with stakeholders
and civil society
organizations with thematic
focus on child’s rights.
COVID-19: NIMR health workers
grumble over allowances, working
conditions
Some who spoke to Sunday
Vanguard under anonymity
said they had only
been paid three months of
their COVID-19 allowances
in April, May and June 2020.
According to them, the
management of NIMR has
continued to claim that the
federal government has not
paid their allowances.
The workers also claimed
that the results of COVID patients
were being delayed due
to the failure of the management
to fix one of the machines.
While saying the situation
in NIMR may impact
negatively on the efforts of the
federal government to reduce
the spread of the virus, a patient
who pleaded anonymity
at the NIMR Laboratory
for COVID-19 test told Sunday
Vanguard that the workers
are facing a lot of pressure.
He said many patients who
were manifesting COVID-19
symptoms, last Wednesday
were asked to come back for
the result one week after.
He said: “We found out that
the delay was because one of
the machines for the test has
broken down and has not
been fixed.
“I also learnt that some
NIMR employees are sleeping
over in the office just to
ensure that deadlines are
met.”
Responding to the allegations,
the Director-General
of NIMR, Professor Babatunde
Salako, in a text message
to Sunday Vanguard
dismissed the allegations.
million in foreign exchange
when operated at full
capacity.
Onuesoke said it is exciting
that the present government
has initiated a simultaneous
and wide-ranging
investment plan in
infrastructure, which is
expected to boost the steel
demand, while also serving
as the backbone of Nigeria’s
industrialisation.
all over the world. It is a day
for lovers to celebrate and
flaunt their love
’’This year, Techno played
the ultimate lover to its fans,
serenading them with lots of
gifts and cash to the tune of 2
Million.’’
The smartphone brand
called for Nigerian couples
in romantic relationships to
tell their love stories as each
participating couple shared
beautiful stories and records
interactive videos with their
partners telling how old their
love journey was, their
experiences, and the things
they admire in each other.
NDDC. We are indeed so
proud of you and we pray
that God will be with you
throughout your service in
good health”, they said.
” You will bring your
wealth of experience to bear
on the job, take the
commission to greater
heights. You are a nobleman
from Akwa Ibom and a great
value to the commission “, the
students said.
C
M
Y
K
SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 21
FIREWORKS IN KANO OVER ‘DIVISIVE’ CLERIC
Among other sins, Abduljabbar
has led a lot of people astray
—Prof Labdo
By Bashir Bello
Umar Labdo is a professor of
Islamic political thought at
Maitama Sule University,
Kano. In this interview, Labdo
speaks on the banning of an Islamic
cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar
Nasir Kabara, by Kano State
government on account of
preaching inciting messages.
The state government had, a
fortnight ago, banned the cleric for
alleged inciting preaching.
Muhammad Garba, the state
Commissioner for Information,
who announced the order in a
statement, said government
considered the cleric’s mode
of teachings as incendiary.
Kano State government
has banned an Islamic
cleric,
Sheikh
Abduljabbar, from
preaching and other
religious activities for
what it termed as
incitement...
I think the decision of Kano
State government to ban
Abduljabbar from preaching and
other religious activities is
long overdue. It should
have been done a long
time ago. This man
claims to be an Islamic
scholar but his ways are
divisive. He is working
to divide Muslims in
•Labdo
Kano and other places in Nigeria. His
method is that he quotes non-text from
authentic sources but gives them
interpretations that are entirely his
own. Islam is 1, 500 years old. This
young man is now coming out with
new interpretations that are unheard
of. I am an expert in Islamic Studies,
although my field is Islamic political
thought. I did my Islamic studies in
Arabic not in English as others do. I
can tell you authoritatively that
Abduljabbar is a charlatan. I can’t even
call him a scholar because
he doesn’t understand
the Qur’an. Everybody
will tell you that whenever
he quotes from the
Qur’an, he makes grave
mistakes. And an Islamic
scholar is supposed to
commit the Qur’an to
memory which is the basic
requirement of Islamic
scholarship. In the past,
committing the Qur’an to
memory used to be the
elementary stage of
studying Islam. The
Qur’an is a fountain while
other knowledge of Islam
emanate from the Qur’an.
How can somebody who
doesn’t know Qur’an claim that he is
an Islamic scholar?
Sermons
Second, if you listened to his sermons
and lessons, you will be surprised that
some people regard him as a scholar. This
is somebody who will be uttering
unguarded utterances. This is
somebody who will tell his followers to
slaughter anyone who differs or goes
contrary to their teachings. He was
openly calling for violence. This is the
kind of person that, if left unchecked,
could grow to be another Maitasine,
another Muhammad Yusuf (leader of
If you
listened to
his sermons
and lessons,
you will be
surprised
that some
people
regard him
as a scholar
Boko Haram).
First, he told
young people
not to go to
Western
school like
Zakzaky did in
the 1980s. We
were in the
university and so
we knew what
•Sheikh
Abduljabbar
Nasir Kabara
happened. Now,
Abduljabbar is trying
to take the place of
Zakzaky because he is also
a Shiite. Now, because Zakzaky is old
and devastated because six of his
children were killed and he has
been in detention for five years,
Abduljabbar is trying to take
his place. He said that
publicly. That is why I said
what government did was
right. It came a little late
because the young man
has led a lot of people
astray. Many young
people now listen to him as
if he is significant. He is
zero in the world of
knowledge and not a
religious man. He is
exploiting our bad situation
because we have a lot of
Almajiri children and
unemployed youths
roaming the streets that
need to be entertained. And
he is providing
entertainment.
Sword
Go to social media, you will see him
sometimes with a sword, marching on the
streets of Kano and hundreds follow him.
And he would threaten that whoever dares
him would be dealt with. If not because
we are not serious, how could we tolerate
this man all these years? He should have
been dealt with long ago. What the Kano
State government did is in order and they
are equally fair to him for even agreeing
to organise an open debate. It is also in
line with Islamic tradition and culture
to organise an open debate
between opposing camps.
For hundreds of years,
traditional rulers have
been organising this. In
history, here in Kano, Emir
Sanusi I, organised such an
open debate. It is to convince
the populace that what the
government did is in order.
Let this man come out and
air his views and scholars
will be there.
Don’t you think a lot of
people might also be
derailed during the
debate?
No, he would air his views
and scholars would be there to reply
him. It would also be an opportunity to
examine his evidence and show that it
is faulty. Once this is done, even if he is
not convinced, people would be
convinced. That is why it is for
government to organise this open
debate.
What about his followers?
I think his followers should be
rehabilitated because most of them are
jobless. They are idle people. They just sit
around and some are drug addicts.
Government should empower them by
using scholars to salvage them from the
situation he led them into.
Ganduje instigating Imams
against Abduljabbar — Lawyer
By Bashir
Bello
R abiu
Shuaibu
Abdullahi
is a member
of the legal
team of the
b a n n e d
Islamic cleric
in Kano,
S h e i k h
Abduljabbar
Nasir-Kabara. In
this
interview,
Abdullahi accuses Kano
State government of wrongly
accusing his client of inciting the
public. He gives a fresh
perspective on the matter.
What can you say about the
controversy surrounding Sheikh
Abduljabbar?
On February 3, this year, around 11:30
am, we heard an announcement from
Kano State Commissioner for
Information that Sheikh Abduljabbar
has been banned from preaching. His
mosque and all his places of religious
activities were directed to be closed
with immediate effect. The following
day, at about 5 am, security men were
mobilised to his residence, library,
mosque, school, and others situated at
Sani Mainange in Filin Mushe. Since
then, he has not been allowed to come
out and nobody was allowed to see
him except his lawyers who got access
to him after encountering many
difficulties. The team of lawyers sat
down and resolved that we should take
legal action for the reinforcement of
his fundamental human
rights. His freedom of
liberty was affected, right
of movement, religion,
assembly, thoughts, and
life among others. We
now filed a case before
Federal High Court and
it was slated for hearing
on February 10, but the
matter was not heard
because we had two
motions (motion ex-parte
and motion of notice). The
judge said the matter
itself is of urgency. Both
are of urgency, so he
would not entertain the
motion ex-parte but will
entertain the substantive
matter on February 18.
We will now appear
before the Federal High
Court for the hearing of the motion of
notice.
What is the update about your plans
to go to the state High Court?
We have two problems. First is the ban
from preaching, closing of his mosque
which touch on fundamental human
rights and that is the one we took to the
Federal High Court. The second issue is
an order given by a Magistrate Court in
Gidan Murtala. That order was not
properly given to our understanding. We
got the order and observed that only one
party (applicant) was before the court but
not the respondent. We have never seen
that kind of order before.
Recently, some lawyers said there
shouldn’t be dialogue in the matter...
Yes, I read the view of my learned friend,
Barrister Marouf Yakasai. He is a very
good friend but, with all due respect, he
did not even understand the issue. It seems
he didn’t read the order of the court. The
order banned Sheikh Abduljabbar from
preaching and conducting other religious
We have two
problems.
First is the
ban from
preaching,
closing of his
mosque
which touch
on
fundamental
human
rights
activities. It also stopped media stations
from broadcasting his preaching and his
alleged unguarded utterances. What is the
relationship between this and dialogue?
Is he going to preach in that dialogue? Is
he going to make unguarded utterances
in that dialogue? Dialogue is different
from preaching. It implies he will discuss
with Ulamas. We welcomed the idea when
we heard that government is now trying
to do justice to our client by giving him a
fair hearing. These Ulamas lodged a
complaint against him. They said he is
making unguarded utterances.
Let’s go back to the dialogue, is your
client looking forward to it?
My client is very eager for this dialogue.
I went to my client a few days ago on the
dialogue. He said he is waiting for the
dialogue and wishes it comes soon. It is
with this dialogue that my client will
enlighten the public on his intentions,
interpretations and understanding of
Islam. Without the dialogue, justice will
not be served and people will not
understand what is happening. Without
this dialogue, people will be deceived.
They are already being deceived. And
some minorities are deceiving the public
and want to continue. That is why they
don’t want this dialogue to take place
because definitely, something will come
out of it.
But your client is said to have a link
with the Shiite movement...
My client has already answered this
question in an interview with BBC. Let me
quote my client. He said: “If you ask me,
are you a Shiite? I will ask you what is the
meaning of Shiitism? The answer you give
will determine the answer I will give you”.
These are the wordings of my client and I
don’t want to add to it. If
he is allowed to exercise
his right of movement,
will he be safe? My client
did not see any threat
from anybody here in
Kano except that from
government who sent
security men to guard
him. At a meeting between
the governor and the
Friday Imams,
penultimate Thursday, he
(Governor Ganduje) gave
them directives on what
he wanted them to say in
their sermons on Friday.
He was instigating
Imams to preach against
him and he is now sending
security men to guard and
protect his life. Would
you accept it? We don’t see
any threat from the public but
government. Our governor’s utterances
are very scary.
The cleric was quoted to have
allegedly said he is being witchhunted
for working against
Ganduje in 2019...
This is purely a religious issue. Can
you hide under Ulamas to take revenge
on what happened during an election?
He is not supposed to do that. Leaders
are leaders because they have big
hearts above their subjects.
But some people are saying
government’s action is long
overdue...
That is their view. Have you ever heard
Sheikh Abduljabbar on radio or
television station? He doesn’t take his
preaching to public radio stations or
television stations. It is through social
media. It is you that will buy your data
and log into the site voluntarily. Why
would you log into the site, listen to
him and complain? It is restricted to
those willing and not the entire public.
Y
K
PAGE 22 —SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Viewpoint
BY GAB EJUWA
BY ABDUL JELIL ADEBAYO
WITH over 15,000 cubic meter per hour
and about 131 million cubic meter per
annum, the FCT Water Board can be said to be
one of the best potable water providers not only
in Nigeria but also across the sub region.
It is a government utility organisation saddled
with the responsibility of providing safe,
adequate and affordable water supply service
in the country. And it has not failed in that aspect
despite the challenges along its path of
operations.
The Board was established in 1989 with the
sole responsibility of providing water supply in
accordance with World Health Organization
and Nigerian drinking water quality standards
to residents of FCT, Abuja.
With four departments and seven operational
units and 17 Area offices, only 40 per cent of
FCT has potable water.
Its main sources of raw water are the Lower
Usman Dam (LUD) in Abuja and Gurara, Kachia,
in Kaduna State. It has six storage tanks
and 13 booster stations for high elevation.
The Board has 54,584 customers including
major ones like Julius Berger, Transcorp,
Remembering Hannah Arit Ejuwa
HOSE we hold most dear never truly leave
Tus, they live on in the kindness they
showed,the comfort they shared and the love they
brought into our lives.’’ —IsabelNorton
How timeflies!!
Just like yesterday!!
It’s exactly 365 days now that my Friend, Bestie,
Comforter, Sunshine, Dearest,
Soulmate,Sweetheart, Counsellor, Adviser, Treasure,
Precious, Gold, Diamond, Jewel, Darling
and One in a Million Wife - HANNAH ARIT
EJUWA - left us for the great beyond.
On February11, 2020.
Indeed, my heart is still heavy and full of sorrow;
the pain is unbearable while the woundis still
open.
Han, how could I ever forget you? Your presence
was a never-ending delight ; your good
deeds will forever remain indelible in my heart.
I remember those good old day sand our
perfect bonding. We shared a lot of things in
common! Yes, O!! Such a person like you is rare.
No one can ever replace you. Your untimely and
sudden death mean much to me as it left a big
vacuum in my heart and life.
Han, howcould I ever forget you, when everything
reminds me of you? I love you. Han, I still
love you! I have not stopped loving you. And, I
will not stop loving you. Each time I sit up, memories
of your love kept crowding in on me!
How can I forget you when everything reminds
me of you? You were a wonderful person to be
remembered always. You brought joy into my
life. I thank you for all you did to my life. You were
my pillar of strength. My life pillar. I vividly remember
how you led me to know Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Saviour. You made me know thatthere
is God, and there are gods. The gods that
have mouths, but cannot talk; have eyes, but
cannot see; have ears, but cannot hear; of whose
hands and legs are paralysed and are deaf and
dumb. You made me know that the one and
only God is JEHOVAH!!! Jehovah Jireh! Jehovah
Rapha! Jehovah Elohim! Jehovah El-Shaddai!
Han, you are always in my heart. You left too
soon. I never thought I was going to lose you this
soon!
Each evening, my mind could not accept the
fact that you were gone, hoping somehow, that
one day you would come back from work, and
shout ‘’Gabo, honey, I love you; which food should
I prepare for you?
I have cried and cried and cried over and over
because there’s no one who can ever take your
place.
What a life!
Hans, thatyou are gone is like a candle in the
FCT Water Board Giant Strides
Sheraton, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,
University of Abuja Teaching Hospital,
NIA, NAF, CBN, Nigerian Army, 7UP, Coca
Cola, Dantata and Sawoe, Presidential Fleet,
NNPC, CGC and ACG.
Since the appointment of Dame Joy Okoro as
acting General Manager of the Board late last
year, there have been changes that reflect in the
increase of its revenue generation and performance.
Out of her intolerance for corruption,
The Abuja Water Supply Master Plan first
phase is fully operational and has raw
water supply source from LUD and Gurara
she warned the Board staff to desist from collecting
cash from customers with the claim to
help them pay. She vowed that any staff caught
would be dealt with; this, she said, would stem
tide of corruption among its 1,402 staff.
*Arit Ejuwa
whirlwind; it is still a mirage. You always say
you were not going to leave me; that we are
forever! Now I have to go through life alone.
Alone without you is emptiness and void. Like a
match stick without its box! Naked! How could
I burn without you?
Oh, death where is thy sting? If nobody had
ever told you, you’re most wicked and callous!
Why did you snatch away my soulmate? Anyway,
who are we to question Jehovah God?
Only He knows why! He alone knows best,
Okoro therefore urged customers to make use
of the four platforms for payments: direct payment
at the 16 area offices of the agency, e-
Transact, Remita and Nibox. She also encouraged
regular customers meetings with the area
offices, where complaints are tabled and addressed.
Before her appointment, the monthly revenue
was as low as #95,000 to #150,000 monthly,
but now the revenue has increased from between
#195,000 and #209,000 monthly, an
improvement stakeholders commend her for.
In the meantime, funding of the Board is
through FCT annual statutory budgetary appropriation
and Donor Agencies. Unfortunately
the funding has been irregular, insufficient
and inconsistent with attendant consequences
in slow operation and dwindling revenue generation.
For instance, in 2011, the Board was able to
realize #2.195 billion while, in 2016, it realised
only #1.585billion and, as of August last year, it
generated #895million only. A poor outing one
may say. But since the assumption of office of
why He decided to take you out of this sinful
world for you to be with him in Eternity.
Hans, no day passes without the loving
thoughts of you! I sit and contemplate many
things. You were a vibrant prayer warrior, very
hospitable. Always ready to help those who
came to you for assistance; you could almost
give your eyes to please people. You very much
believed in the Biblical saying, that, ‘’It is more
blessed to give than to receive.’’ You are the best
wife in the universe! Awife like you is really
hard to find.
You’re a kind-hearted woman! It is no overstatement
t o declare that you are the best
woman any man could desire! You were a precious
gift from God, somuch beauty, love and
patience, very pleasant, loving and characteristically
courageous. I appreciate your care and
devotion. You touched my heart in so many
ways; your strength and smileeven on dark days
made me realise I had an Angel beside me. You
encouraged me when I was down. I remember
on such occasions, you would lovingly say, ‘’Gabo,
cheer up.’’ For the rest of my sojourn here on
Earth, you’ld have a Special place in my heart! I
miss you dearly!
Continue to rest in the bosom of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ until the Resurrection Day
when we shall meet to part no more.
‘’Sleep on, beloved, sleep and take thy rest...
Lay down thy head up on thy Saviour’s breast...
We love thee well, but Jesus love thee best...
Good night!Good night!! Good night!!!!
Okoro, the revenue has increased to an average
of #200million every other month.
In spite of this, however, the Board has been
able to serve the city effectively. It has also over
40 per cent coverage level of water supply to
the FCT and environs. It has introduced AMR
meters to enhance billing efficiency and revenue
generation.
The infrastructural development plan was
designed to be implemented in five phases,
which, unfortunately, was not followed hence
the hiccups in smooth flow of water to every
cranny of the territory.
The Abuja Water Supply Master Plan first
phase is fully operational and has raw water
supply source from LUD and Gurara.
The 1, 2, 3, and 4 Water Treatment Plants,
WTPs, are fully operational, while six Storage
Tanks at the periphery of the city (2, 3, 4 and 5)
are completed and 1 and 6 located at Katampe,
Maitama, Asokoro, Apo and Lokogoma
Districts re under construction.
Continues on
www.vanguard.ngr.com
•Abdul Jelil is an Abuja based journalist
and writes via
abduljelil2001@gmail.com
BY CHUKWUMERIJE OKEREKE
30% power supply from renewables by 2030: Another perspective
VICE President Yemi Osibanjo was re
ported by many news platforms as reaffirming
the commitment that Nigeria will
achieve at least 30 percent of its power supply
from renewable energy by 2030.
It is reported that he reinstated the commitment
to this ambitious target while inaugurating
a 1.12 MW Solar Hybrid Project at the
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, in Bauchi
State.
The intention to have at least 30 percent of
the total electricity supply from renewable energy
is very welcome and heartwarming.
It signals that Nigeria is committed to the
Paris Agreement and fulfilling its climate
change action pledge as contained in the Nationally
Determined Contributions (NDC).
More importantly, it shows that Nigeria is cognisant
of the global transition away from fossil
fuel and the vast opportunities that renewable
energy provides for solving the country’s
energy poverty and economic development
challenges. With around 80 percent of its rural
population relying on wood, charcoal,
dung, and other traditional biomass for cooking,
there is no doubt that expanding access to
affordable, reliable and clean household energy
services is one of the most pressing developmental
challenges facing Nigeria today. At
the same time, the supply of adequate and affordable
modern energy is a key enabler of
other developmental sectors in the country.
Furthermore, the fact that this commitment
is coming from the Vice President at
the period of Covid-19 pandemic, indicates
that the Nigerian government understands
that COVID-19 should not be used as an
excuse to focus on more fossil fuels and ignore
investment in renewable energy as a
central piece of the post-COVID-19 economic
recovery. It is commendable that the
government has embarked on Energising
Education Programme (EEP), which is
aimed at solving the energy deficit in all
the 37 federal universities and seven teaching
hospitals in the country by using renewable
energy, with the programme having
been completed four projects at four
different sites.
However, in as much as the commitment
is commendable, government must be clear
that just saying that 30 percent of the total
electricity supply will come from renewable
energy by 2030 is not sufficient to make it
happen.
The commitment must instead be backed
up by a clear and bold plan of action.
There is a need to fashion a workable strategy
towards achieving the target because as
of today Nigeria is not on course to meeting
the pledge. So far, there have been several
places where the government is missing it –
namely political will, policy implementation
and evaluation, financing and investment.
One mistake the country has made so far
is that it seemed to concentrate too much on
solar energy in meeting this ambitious target.
While aggressive investment in solar is
welcome, focusing only on solar PV to meet
the target as seems to be in the case in the
current NDC is too ambitious and unrealistic.
This overemphasised interest in solar PV
electrification may also be responsible for the
low renewable energy penetration in the country.
Continues on www.vanguard.ngr.com
* Okereke, a professor, is the Director, Centre
of Climate Change and Development at
Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-
Alike Ebonyi State. He is a Visiting Professor
at Oxford University, UK and Coordinating
Lead Author for the United Nations’
IPCC.
ANAMBRA 2021: Help is on the way to make our state great again
BY EJIKE ONUOGU
THE definition of a failed state is often
found in the history of its foundation, and
in that foundation lies the truth that has
plagued Africa since the dawn of the 20th century.
A foundation built on the emergence of
despotic leaders and other human moles infused
in the fabric of governance, whose primary
allegiance is not to Africa, but to the
whims and caprices of a Colonial Human
machine, dedicated to burrowing into the
mindset of a people, programming them to
live only in the here and now of time, and in
that psychological arrest, Springs and sustains
a failure to reflect on the past and project into
a brighter future. The envisioned outcome is
perpetuation of apathy, inertia, and lack of
motivation, blindsided by a dominant egodriven
pursuit of self-serving principles to the
exclusion of altruism.
The success of this war machine unleashed
against Africa has found expression in the failure
of many Africans states to chart a course of
unity amongst her people, provide a solid foundation
for sustained economic growth, raise
awareness of her people on the doctrine of collective
nation-building, shedding the cloak of
divisive forces embedded in religious, ethnic
and tribal sentiments and intolerance as well
as other class driven caste systems. These and
other factors have chained Africa to the ground,
preventing the emergence of a time-driven
paradigm shift, challenging Africa to greater
heights and place in the world of human accomplishments.
Little wonder the great continent
of Africa is at the bottom of the barrel in
infrastructure development, human capital
acquisition, healthcare delivery, resource and
production- oriented educational curriculum,
as well as technological innovations. Black
Africa must be ashamed that it ranks first in
poverty, infant and maternal mortality, corruption
index, human rights violations and a
host of other vices.
The Nigeria situation is a microcosm of an
African tragedy where a nation is turned on its
This overemphasised interest in
solar PV electrification may also be
responsible for the low renewable
energy penetration in the country
head by the shortcoming of its own people. By
extension, the black man in failing to understand
himself and his positioning in the pyramidal
stratification of the human race, continues
to live in a fool’s paradise, oblivious of the
fact that his house is on fire. It is not an accident
but rather by design that the black man is
positioned at the bottom of this pyramid in
terms of productivity, self-sustenance and definition
of character. Africa, through abandoning
its heritage and cultural values, in preference
for a white only ideology has opened itself
up for exploitation and self-imprisonment;
more so as the dichotomy created by these competing
variables will never fit into a coherent
monolithic construct of a pathway to global
competitiveness. This is our Achilles’ heel and
the reason why Africa is so vulnerable to the
intrusive forces of colonialism and neocolonialism.
In the Nigerian experiment, history must not
always repeat itself especially when the outcome
is inimical to our survival. History will
always judge us for standing by and doing
nothing in the face of growing danger in a
society drifting towards attrition, moral decadence,
collapse of her traditional ethos, and a
struggle between the forces of sensual validation
and vindication of just practices, values,
self-sacrifice and self-effacement.
Indeed, the danger of a dying society is that
it is agog with celebration of the primordial
and mundane aspects of life to the exclusion
of the need to take stock of the expedient needs
of that society.
When this is juxtaposed with the fact that
everybody can intellectualize on what the
problems are, and able to proffer rambunctious
solutions to these problems; the missing
link has always been the inability to bring these
solutions to fruition.
Continues on www.vanguard.ngr.com
*Onuogu, a medical doctor, lives in New
York, United States
C
SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021, PAGE 23
CAF Confed Cup: Green blasts Anyasi-Agwu over
false thuggery claims
...Crunch time ... Rivers United and Enyinmba
The build-up to today’s
CAF Confederation
Cup second leg play off tie
between Rivers United and
Enyimba has been marred
by accusations and counter
accusations.
Enyimba was reported to
have written a petition to
CAF complaining that Rivers
United planned to unleash
thugs against the visiting
Enyimba entourage.
The match has now been
upgraded by CAF as a
“high risk”.
However, Rivers State
Football Association
chairman Chris Green said
Awoniyi targets Liverpool return
Former Flying Ea
gles star Taiwo
Awoniyi, has said he is
hopeful of returning to
Liverpool despite the
lingering issue of workpermit.
Awoniyi currently on
loan at Union Berlin
was signed by Liverpool
in 2015, but has
spent most of his time
outside the English
Premier League after
failure to pass the hurdle
of work-permit.
“Liverpool will always
be the priority for me
and I am grateful to everyone
at the club,”
Awoniyi has told World
Soccer Magazine on
seeing his path blocked
on Merseyside.
“I still don’t have the
work permit to play in
England. But with the
new rules in place, and
the minutes I have
played in Germany this
season, no one knows
what the future will
hold regarding the UK
work permit.
“If I become eligible
*Awoniyi
to play in the UK, I
think I can have a say
on what my decision
will be. Things have
changed remarkably
with the new rules and
this will certainly help
me decide my next
step.
“Liverpool is a very
special club. They are
always in contact to see
how I am doing and to
ensure I know that they
are following my
progress out here. It
motivates me to know
my parent club is following
up and have my
best interests at heart.”
Enyimba was engaged in a
tactic of intimidation, he
accused Enyimba and their
chairman, Felix Anyasi-
Agwu of bad faith.
“To me, it’s uncalled for
and it’s regrettable because
I didn’t expect that
Felix Ayansi Agwu, an executive
member of the Nigeria
Football Federation
(NFF) will write against a
fellow Nigerian team. It is
sad commentary of our
game and he has actually
done a disservice to Nigerian
football,” he said.
“As the Chairman of the
Rivers State Football Association,
it is my responsibility
to ensure that the
game goes hitch free. And
that is what I am going to
ensure.
“Football is a game of
friendship and amity. I
wonder what Enyimba
would gain by heightening
tension in a football match
of brothers. This is why we
have said that it is quite unethical
for a person to be
head of a club and a member
of the Executive Committee
of the NFF. We expect
a good example.”
Rivers United will be tough
—Enyimba coach
Holding a 1-0 advan
tage from the first
leg, Enyimba of Aba coach,
Fatai Osho said today’s
CAF Confederation Cup
tie against Rivers United
will be a tough duel.
The winner of the tie will
qualify to play in the group
stage of the competition.
Rivers United are highly
motivated for tie and playing
in front of their teeming
supporters today in Port
Harcourt, their target is to
beat Enyimba and advance.
But Enyimba are
equal to the task of stopping
the flow of Rivers United.
“It is not going to be an
easy task, we’re quite aware
of that.
“Looking at the quality of
our opponents and looking
at what happened in the
first leg, none of the teams
will be so sure of getting the
ticket because the two
teams looked equally
matched.
“We have to be honest
with ourselves, coming in
here, it won’t be an easy task
but we want to be optimistic
that we’ll scale this hurdle.”
Osimhen disowns brother’s
claim on Napoli
Super Eagles striker,
Victor Osimhen has
disowned claims by his
brother Andrew Osimhen,
that he was not playing to
potentials at Napoli.
Osimhen has scored only
two goals after his high
profile move to the Italian
side. He has battled with
injury and coronavirus infection.
“I wish to make it clear
that asking for a footballrelated
opinion from a relative
of mine is not the
same as asking me directly.
I love Napoli, the club,
my coach, and my team. I
especially love my teammates
and I hope to continue
growing and improving
to help the team more”,
he posted on Instagram.
“This is my official opinion
and I ask you to respect
it. No one is my spokesperson
or whatsoever,” he concluded.
Osimhen is barring any
circumstances will be on
hand to help Napoli in today’s
Serie A clash against
Atalanta.
Arteta banks on Saka to lift Arsenal against City
Arsenal coach Mikel
Arteta, has said he
would continue to play
Bukayo Saka despite the
19-year-old facing the
threat of burnout in his second
full season as a firstteam
regular.
Another highly-rated
product of the Emirates
Stadium academy system
has cemented a standing
as a key man for the Gunners
and England despite
*Osimhen
his relative lack of senior
experience.
Arteta continues to select
the youngster whenever he
can, with 29 appearances
taken in across all competitions
in the current campaign,
and is not about to
start reining Saka in.
“I think he’s in a great
moment, he’s full of confidence,”
Arteta has told reporters
of Saka ahead of a
Premier League clash with
Manchester City today.
“He’s been really important
in recent results. His
form is probably the highest
that it’s been since I’ve
been here and he’s been really
consistent. He needs to
keep going and (we need to)
be wise with him because
at the moment he’s a big
part of the team.
“I think we have to protect
him and keep the extractions
where they
should be, but I’m not going
to put a brake on his
development or how much
he can do week in, week
out.
“We have to support him
and give him the best possible
advice all the time,
and then manage his minutes
so he can maintain this
level.
“It is (difficult) at the
moment because he’s been
a real threat. He’s involved
in a lot of goals all the time
and his consistent performances
make him a starter
obviously. So it’s a fine
balance, but at the same
time he’s 19 years old and
we have to protect him.”
Tuchel berates Hudson-Odoi as Chelsea falter at Southampton
*Osaka
Osaka beats Brady to grab
second Australian Open title
Naomi Osaka crushed Jennifer Brady 6-4 6-3
to secure her second Australian Open title
yesterday and cement her standing as the new queen
of the women’s game.
Osaka’s one-sided win over the 22nd-seeded
American in the final at Rod Laver Arena gave the
Japanese juggernaut her fourth major crown, with
her career still budding at the age of 23.
She joined Monica Seles and Roger Federer as
winners in their first four Grand Slam finals, marking
her out as the ultimate big match performer.
“My reaction is that that’s very amazing company,”
Osaka told reporters, sitting next to the winner’s
Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
“I hope that I can have one grain of how their
career has unfolded. But you can only wish and you
can only just keep going down your own path.
“But it’s definitely something crazy to hear.”
Ojez lauds sports minister on
National Stadium pool
reopening
Swimming enthusiasts have heaved a sigh of relief
at the complex as the Sports Ministry has cleared
the coast for activities to reopen at the National Stadium
swimming pool complex in Surulere, Lagos.
The pool has been under lock and key for almost a
year running following the coronavirus lock down and
the renovations embarked upon by the Sports Ministry.
While the swimming pool was closed, there was no available
Olympic standard swimming pool for the athletes
to practice or do their time trials.And there were fears
that the complex renovated by entertainment entrepreneur,
Joseph Odubeatu a.k.a Ojez, will relapse into disrepair.
“It is a good thing that the Sports Minister, Sunday
Dare has directed the swimming pool to be opened again
we thank him very much,” Mr Odubeatu said yesterday.
“It was not because of our personal gains that we embarked
on the renovations. It was because of our commitment
to sports development in the country and we
are going to cooperate with the sports ministry to ensure
that the facility is well maintained and ready all the time
for athletes training and hosting of national and international
competitions.”
Dean returns with red card for Ajayi
M
ike Dean took centre stage on his return to the
Premier League by showing a red card to West
Brom defender Semi Ajayi at Turf Moor yesterday.
After taking a break from top-flight duty on the back of
receiving death threats for a recent decision, the referee
once again had to make a potentially match-defining
VAR call.
Dean initially waved play on amid Burnley protests for
handball against Ajayi, who had intervened in attempt
to prevent returning striker Matej Vydra from storming
through on goal.
As soon as play stopped, though, the 52-year-old headed
straight towards his pitchside monitor and, ultimately,
returned to brandish a red card to Ajayi.
Dean followed that up by turning down two strong Clarets’
penalty appeals upon the restart, the first of which
for another handball incident he wasn’t asked to consult
VAR for.
Chelsea coach, Tho
mas Tuchel has said
that he was “not happy”
with Callum Hudson-
Odoi’s performance in the
1-1 draw at Southampton
when he substituted the
winger after bringing him
on at half-time.
The England international
reacted angrily to
being substituted but Tuchel
stood by his decision
and said he expected more
from Hudson-Odoi.
“I am not concerned
about Tammy Abraham, it
was not about the injury, it
was hard for him to show
his quality,” he told BT
Sport after the game.
“He could not put his
stamp in this game so we
changed the formation. We
brought in Callum Hudson-Odoi
but I was not
happy with his attitude,
energy and counter-pressing.
“I took him off and we
demand 100%, I feel he is
not in the right shape to
help us. It was a hard decision
but tomorrow it is
forgotten and he has all
possibilities to start
against Atletico Madrid.”
Speaking in a news conference
afterwards, Tuchel
added: “It was hard to
create chance and we
needed counter-pressing
to force errors for the second
ball and get an easy
chance.
“We had to be sharp with
counter-pressing and I
didn’t feel this from Callum
today. I did not feel it,
but I trust him.”
SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
SEE SOLUTION PAGE 3
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