22022021-expect-n195-per-litre-for-petrol-marketers-warn

IMF, analysts

split over

growth forecast

for Nigeria’s

economy

Kagara students: Why it’s difficult

to use force on bandits

—NIGER GOVT

7 die as Air Force jet

crashes in Abuja

VOL. 27: NO. 64276 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Expect N195 per litre for

petrol, marketers warn 5

•No plans to increase price in February — NNPC •We’ll react

when price of fuel is increased — TUC •We are not surprised by

marketers’ arrogance — JAF

APC

extends

membership

registration

by 3 weeks,

explains

shortage of

materials 8

COAS gives

troops 48 hours

to recapture

Borno

communities

from insurgents

Bandits kill

father, son,

4 others in

Kaduna

communities

Privatisation

refineries,

national

assets

must be

transparent,

Atiku tells

Mr & Mrs

Police arrest ex-Imo gov,

Rochas Okorocha in Owerri

COLUMNISTS OWEI 16 MAILAFIA 17 SOBOWALE 21

2 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 3

4 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021—5

POCKET CARTOON

AIR FORCE PLANE CRASH—Villagers assisting the Federal Fire Service Fire Fighters as they struggled

Danasabe Kakanda,

to recover the bodies of the victims of an Air Force Plane crash that reportedly claimed seven lives near accused the government

Basa Village, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida of giving the private

depot owners edge over

independent marketers.

He explained that

Expect N195 per litre for petrol, independent marketers

were always left at the

mercies of private depot

marketers warn Nigerians

owners from whom they

rely for supplies, even

though they also own

filling stations and

compete with the

marketers.

•No plans to increase price in February — NNPC•We’ll react

when price of fuel is increased — TUC•We are not surprised by

marketers’ arrogance — JAF

By Udeme Akpan,

Victor Ahiuma-

Young & Obas

Esiedesa

LAGOS — Members

of the Independent

Petroleum Marketers

Association of Nigeria,

IPMAN, have advised

Nigerians to expect a

higher petrol pump price

in the coming days,

saying price may rise to

N195 per litre.

They lamented what

they described as

“inconsistencies” on the

part of the Federal

Government, the

Nigerian National

Petroleum Corporation,

NNPC, and its

subsidiary, the Pipeline

and Products Marketing

Company, PPMC, on

deregulation policy.

NNPC had last week,

ruled out immediate

price rise until a

scheduled meeting

between the Federal

Government and labour

unions at the end of the

month.

While the Trade Union

Congress, TUC, said it

would not react until the

price was officially

announced, the prolabour

civil organization,

Joint Action Front, JAF,

said the marketers’

position did not come to

them as a surprise,

blaming the

development on the

failure of the trade

union movement to

defend workers against

policies inimical to their

interest.

In his reaction last

night, Group General

Manager, Group Public

Affairs Division, GPAD,

Nigerian National

Petroleum Corporation,

NNPC, Dr. Kennie

Obateru, said: “NNPC

has not increased its exdepot

price and has no

plan to do so in February

2021.”

However, IPMAN

members said that

despite NNPC’s

assurance of product

availability, independent

marketers could not

access the product from

NNPC depots.

According to the

marketers, this has

forced them to rely on

independent depot

owners for supplies.

Govt favouring

private depot

owners —

IPMAN

Speaking to journalists

after a meeting in Abuja

at the weekend, Chief

Executive Officer of

Kakanda Oil and Gas

Nigeria

Limited,

He said: “With the

inconsistencies of

government, Nigerians

should expect the price

of fuel to be between

N190 and N195.”

‘FG must come

clear on

deregulation’

Also speaking, Chief

Executive Officer of

Foste Nigeria Limited,

Chief Austin Erhabor,

urged the Minister of

Petroleum Resources,

Chief Timipre Sylva,

through NNPC, to come

out clear to explain to

Nigerians whether they

had deregulated the

petroleum supply chain

or not.

“It is time for them to

separate politics from

economics. Our business

is dying. How can you be

talking about

deregulation and you

are mentioning official

pump price?’’ He

queried.

Erhabor exonerated

petroleum marketers in

the ongoing uncertainty

in the supply chain,

saying the sector was

suffering from confused

government policies.

“These private depot

owners were not

supposed to own filling

stations. They were

supposed to be in the

middle between NNPC

and the independent

marketers.

“Is it fair for somebody

that I am buying from,

my competitor, I buy

from you, you come and

build station close to me,

and you are the one that

is supplying me, how

can I sell? Because if you

want my business to die

off, all you need to do is

supply to the level you

are selling to me in your

depots,” he added.

The Foste Nigeria

Limited boss accused

private depot owners of

systematically edging

the independent

marketers out of business

Continues on Page 35

By Cynthia Alo

Should FG grant amnesty to bandits? (1)

In 2009, the Niger-Delta

militants were granted

amnesty and it yielded

positive results at that time

but I don’t think granting

amnesty to bandits is a good

idea because the region has

been invaded by different

groups. I don’t support it but

since it seems that the FG no

longer knows how to handle

the issue, I suggest they

grant them amnesty while we

sit back and see if it works.

—Evo Chioma,

Social Impact Manager

Bandits are not just

criminals but hardened

criminals; to them, killing is

a habit. There is no moral

justification to grant them

amnesty. People in

correctional centres can be

granted amnesty if the Prison

officials can testify that such

persons have had a change

of heart. If you grant amnesty

to bandits, what message are

you sending to youths who

may see them as role models?

—Arinze Muoghalu,

Self-employed

It will be unfair for the FG to

grant amnesty to bandits. It

will make it look like some

individuals in govt. are part of

the supporters and funders of

the evils perpetrated by the

bandits. If government will

treat simple protesters like

criminals, arrest and torture

unarmed protesters, then for

no reason should amnesty be

considered for bandits. People

should face the consequences

of their actions.

—Agbeniga Johnson,

Visual Artist

How come it's the northern

leaders clamouring for

such. Why are they called leaders

if this is the best solution they can

offer? These bandits have killed

and kidnapped innocent people,

how do you expect the victims to

feel when they see them granted

amnesty? Where does their

loyalty lie exactly, with the

northerners or the bandits? We

should be talking about justice

not amnesty.

—Zainab Atanda,

Copywriter

If the bandits were truly ready

to lay down their arms and

stop the heinous activities in

Nigeria, then the FG should

grant them amnesty without any

special offer not to compromise

the process for personal gain.

Also; the govt. should structure

the security architecture to

combat crime holistically, we

have to discourage the habit of

negotiating with criminals/

terrorists because directly or

indirectly, we are aiding them.

—Zakariya Ndrizah,

Logistics specialist

Bandits are outlaws

who should be

charged to court,

after which the law

should take its

course. The Federal

Government and the

Northern elders

should do what the

law says concerning

bandits.

— Odilichukwu

Frances,

Content provider

6— Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Police arrest

suspected

ritualist in

Bauchi

suspected ritualist has

been arrested by

operatives of the Bauchi

State Police Command over

the killing of a child and

recovered 26 pairs of

children clothing in his

house in Ganjuwa Local

Government Area of the

state.

The state’s Police Public

Relations Officer, Ahmed

Wakili, in a statement,

yesterday, in Bauchi, said the

28-year-old suspect, Rufa’i

Yunusa, who hails from

Rumbu village in Ningi LGA,

was allegedly involved in the

killing of not less than four

children.

The police spokesman

revealed that Yunusa’s arrest

was sequel to a complaint

lodged at the Ganjuwa

Division of the state

command on February 17 by

one Isyaku Ahmed, who

reported that on Tuesday,

February 16, 2021, that

Yunusa took his daughter,

Maimuna, to a native doctor

for traditional treatment.

Yunusa told the father that

his daughter was suffering

from a spiritual ailment and

assured him that she would

be cured.

He collected N10,000 from

the father and took the little

girl into the forest,

purportedly for a spiritual

healing session.

However, after a while, he

returned to inform the father

that the little girl had

mysteriously disappeared

during the process.

He said: “On receipt of the

report, the Ganjuwa

Divisional Patrol team

swung into action, combed

the entire forest and found

the slaughtered body of

Maimuna. She was

immediately rushed to a

hospital where she was

pronounced dead by a

medical doctor.

“The ritualist (Rufa’i

Yunusa) has since been

arrested in connection with

the crime and during

interrogation, he voluntarily

confessed to have

slaughtered Maimuna.

“He further revealed that

she was not his only victim

and claimed to have been

carrying out the act with

parental consent by tacitly

informing them that the

children may not return

during healing sessions.

“A knife and 26 pairs of

children’s clothing were

recovered as exhibits during

the operation. Investigations

are ongoing after which the

suspects will be charged to

court for prosecution and

possible conviction.”

Wakili cautioned parents to

be wary of whom they took

their children for any form of

healing, urging them to

always follow the proper

channels in seeking

remedies for their sick

children.

“There abound many

wolves in sheep’s clothing,”

he warned.

Bandits kill father, son, 4 others in Kaduna

communities •Abduct women, children

By Ibrahim

HassanWuyo

KADUNA—Six

people

were reportedly killed, one

person injured and many abducted

as bandits attacked some

communities in Kajuru and Igabi

Local Government Areas of Kaduna

State.

According to the state

Commissioner for Internal Security

and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan,

the bandits first attacked Ungwan

Sha’awa in Kajuru Local

Government Area where they killed

one Ubangida Dogo in his house

and injured his son, Jude.

He said the bandits withdrew from

the village and then proceeded to

Ungwan Galadima community in

the same locality and killed one

Bulus Gwamna.

The commissioner noted that the

bandits also attacked Ungwan

Gamu village along the same trail

and killed one Daniel Danlami.

Youths kill kidnappers'

collaborator

Based on the attacks, Aruwan said

some irate youth in the communities

lynched one person to death for

allegedly collaborating with the

bandits to attack some of the

communities.

He, however, stated that security

agencies are investigating the

alleged collaboration with bandits

by some locals, during recent

attacks in Kajuru Local Government

Area.

“Preliminary investigations,

thereafter, suggested that the

bandits conducted these attacks

with the aid of some local youths.

“As security agencies probed this

further, one such suspect known

simply as Doctor, from Kujeni

village, was swiftly attacked and

killed by youths of Maro in revenge.

“Just before his death, he

confessed his involvement in the

attack, and named a certain Fidelis

Ali, also from Maro, as another

accomplice of the bandits. Ali has

since been arrested and taken into

custody by the Police.”

Raze church building, 2

houses in Kajuru

Aruwan also revealed that the

bandits also razed the building of

the Holy Family Catholic Church,

and two houses, in Kikwari village,

Kajuru Local Government Area of

the state.

He said, yesterday, that locals fled

the area on receiving information

that some bandits were sighted

outside the village.

“On getting to the location, the

bandits set ablaze the place of

worship and the two houses,” he

said.

Receiving the report, Governor

Nasir el-Rufai commisserated with

the community and condemned the

setting ablaze of the place of

worship and two houses by armed

bandits.

The governor has directed the

Kaduna State Emergency

Management Agency to urgently

assess the damage done and take

appropriate action, noting: “Security

agencies will sustain patrols in the

area.”

Father, son killed

In a related development,

Aruwan revealed that one Sale

Musa and his son, Amiru, were

reportedly shot dead, weekend, by

bandits that invaded Baka village

in Igabi Local Government Area of

•Raze church building, 2 houses in Kajuru

Kaduna State.

It was also gathered that the

bandits abducted women and

children in the locality.

He said: “The bandits attacked the

family residence of the late

Dan’azumi Musa— himself killed

alongside his son, by bandits a week

earlier.

“In the latest attack, a brother to

the deceased one Sale Musa and

his son Amiru, were shot dead.

Aruwan said the bandits,

operating in groups, also abducted

a number of persons, mostly women

and children.

Police arrest 3 herdsmen for arson,

attempted murder in Ogun

By James Ogunnaike

ABEOKUTA

—Three

herdsmen have been arrested

by operatives of the Ogun State

Police Command for the role they

played in the attack of Bamajo village

in Ayetoro area of the state.

According to a statement by the

command spokesman, Abimbola

Oyeyemi, the suspects were

arrested on February 18, 2021.

Oyeyemi said: ”The men had

attacked the village where they set

some houses ablaze and inflicted a

deep matchet cut injury on one

Ismaila Alabi.

“On receiving the report, the Area

Commander, Ayetoro, Mr Anthony

Aruna, mobilised his men, hunters

and youths to the scene where the

entire area was thoroughly combed.

“The combing exercise was

extended to Igboaje bush where one

Musa Yusuf was apprehended with

a gun and a blood-stained cutlass.

"His arrest led to the arrest of two,

Usman Mohammed and Aliyu

Abubakar, who are strongly believed

to be part of those who launched

The suspects.

the violent attack”.

Oyeyemi said the injured victim

was rushed to the general hospital

for treatment.

Meanwhile, the state

Commissioner of Police, Edward

Ajogun, has ordered immediate

Police nab 2 suspects at telecom mast in

Bayelsa •Arrest 9 suspected robbers in Abuja communities

By Kingsley Omonobi

& Samuel Oyadongha

OPERATIVES of Bayelsa

State Police Command

have arrested two suspects for

allegedly stealing telecom mast

inverter batteries belonging to

a telecommunication company.

The suspects identified as

Preye Prekeme and England

Ito were arrested, weekend, at

the Igbogene suburb of

Yenagoa, the state capital.

Spokesman of the command,

Mr Asinim Bustwat, who

disclosed this, yesterday, said

the duo were apprehended

“following a report that an

Airtel mast at Opukuma

community in Kolokuma/

Opukuma Local Government

Area of the state was

vandalised and the inverter

batteries stolen.

“The suspects were

intercepted by police

operatives, at Igbogene,

Yenagoa, on February 20, 2021 at

about 1045 hours while conveying

20 inverter batteries in a Ford 14-

seater bus with number plates

ABN 413 YP and RAV4 Toyota SUV

with number plates JJJ 975 GQ.

“The Commissioner of Police

Bayelsa State Command, Mike

Okoli, has ordered for full-scale

investigation to unravel the

circumstances surrounding the

incident.”

9 suspected robbers

arrested in Abuja

Abuja suspected robbers.

communities

In a related development, the

FCT Police Command also arrested

nine armed robbery suspects for

terrorising residents and road users

along Jabi-Utako, Wuse and Kwali

axis.

A statement by the Police PRO

for FCT Command, Yusuf Mariam,

said the suspects were arrested

Troops based in the Sabon Birni

general area were mobilised to the

location. They engaged the bandits

and rescued some captives from one

of the bandit groups, while another

group had earlier escaped with

another set of hostages.

transfer of the suspects to the State

Criminal Investigation and

Intelligence Department for further

investigation.

He also directed a massive

manhunt for the rest arsonists with

the view to bringing them to justice.

The telecom mast inverter batteries recovered in Bayelsa.

during different coordinated

intelligence operations between

February 10 and 18, 2021.

Exhibits recovered from the

suspects are three locally fabricated

pistols, one unexpended cartridge,

four cutlasses, one cutter, three

television sets, four mobile phones

and a cash sum of N130,000.

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021—7

NDLEA raids cannabis warehouse in Rivers,

arrests 3 suspects

By Kingsley Omonobi

ABUJA—The National Drug

Law Enforcement Agency,

NDLEA, weekend, uncovered

23 bags of compressed blocks

of cannabis Sativa weighing

621 kilograms and 0.029kg of

cocaine estimated to have a

street value of over N17 million.

The compressed cannabis

were discovered in Abuja

Estate, Port Harcourt

metropolis, Rivers State.

After evacuating the exhibits,

the officers proceeded to the

Slaughter area of Trans Amadi,

in Port Harcourt metropolis

where they also recovered

0.006kg of heroin and 0.048kg

of methamphetamine.

According to the Commander,

Rivers State Command of

NDLEA, Rachael Shelleng,

three male suspects were

apprehended in connection

with the seizures and taken into

custody for further

investigation.

She stated that both Abuja

Estate and

Slaughter areas

of Port

Harcourt have

been identified

as very

notorious spots

for illicit drug

peddling,

adding that the

agency will

stop at nothing

to ensure that

the black spots

and indeed the

entire Rivers

State is

sanitised of

illicit drug

menace.

W h i l e

commending the commander,

men and officers of the Rivers

State Command for the effort,

Chairman/Chief Executive of

the anti-drug agency, Brig.

General Mohamed Marwa

(retd) directed them and their

colleagues across the country

and special commands to

intensify the heat and take the

battle to the criminals’ hideouts.

“With the support of all

stakeholders, this war is

winnable. The arrest a few days

ago in Lagos of a suspect who

has been on the run for over 10

years confirms that the maxim

of the new NDLEA, that the

criminals can only run, they

can’t hide, is working because

we’ll smoke them out of their

hiding places,” he stated.

Police arrest 2 traffic robbery suspects in Lagos hotel

•Nab additional 4, recover vandalised rail tracks

By Evelyn Usman

TWO suspected members of a

robbery gang that had been

terrorising commuters along

Agboju/Alakija, Mile Two/Badagry

expressway, Lagos, have been

arrested by policemen attached to

Satellite division.

The suspects, as reliably gathered,

were arrested in a hotel around

Satellite Town.

Information at Vanguard’s

disposal revealed that members of

the gang converged on the hotel

between 6 pm and 7 pm, on any

given operation day to strategise on

how and when to launch an attack

on their victims.

They usually leave the hotel

around 9 pm, when the traffic along

that axis would have built up,

dispossessing helpless commuters

of cash and other valuables.

Thereafter, they would leave for

the hotel to share their loot and return

between midnight and 1 am. By

that time, trucks would have taken

over the ever-busy express road,

Rail tracks suspected thieves.

The vandalised rail tracks.

leaving private motorists at the

mercy of the gang.

However, luck ran against them

over the weekend, as residents said

to have been monitoring them,

alerted policemen attached to

Satellite division.

The Divisional Police Officer, CSP

Chike Oti, was said to have led a

team of policemen to the hotel, to

effect their arrest. Two of them were

apprehended while others escaped.

Spokesman for the Lagos State

Police Command, CSP Olumuyiwa

Adejobi, gave the identities of the

Herdsman attacks 58-yr-old father, son over missing

cow in Bayelsa community

By Samuel Oyadongha

& Emem Idio

YENAGOA— A 58-year-old

man, Goodhead Nation, and his

18-year-old son, Kohgi, were

reportedly attacked by an

unidentified herder over alleged

missing cow in Osuan Bush, in

Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government

Area of Bayelsa State.

Although, the father escaped with

minor bruises, but the son was not

as lucky as he was inflicted with

several life threatening machete

cuts by the attacker.

It was gathered that the son was

rushed to the Emergency Ward of

the Federal Medical Centre,

Yenagoa, where he underwent four

hours surgery.

Narrating how the incident

happened, the father of the victim

said the attack occurred at about 5pm

on Friday while they were working

on their palm farm where the attacker

accused them of cow theft.

He said: ‘We were working in the

farm when this herder came through

the back entrance of my farm. He

came to me and accused us of

stealing his cow.

“We denied the theft and told him

to look at us whether we looked like

someone who can kill a cow. He

attacked me with his stick. He later

brought out his machete and chased

my son. We later discovered my son

by the river side with heavy

machete cuts on his head, waist

and hand.”

Confirming the development, the

Bayelsa State Commissioner of

Police, Mike Okoli, appealed to

The cannabis Sativa

Suspected traffic robbers.

The victim in hospital.

residents of the state to remain calm

as the command is working

assiduously to identify the

suspected herder and apprehend

him.

suspects as Solomon Ayuba, 26, and

Manase David, 20.

Adejobi said: “The police

operatives had placed the suspects

under surveillance for some days

before they were eventually

arrested. Items recovered from them

include one locally-made pistol,

some cartridges and two face

masks.”

Nab additional 4, recover

vandalised rail tracks

He further disclosed that two

suspected traffic robbers were

arrested while attacking a Toyota

Sienna bus with plate number AAA

30 AZ, driven by one Apele

Mohammed at Olatunji Onimole

area of Surulere.

He said: "The suspects: Ismail

Abayomi, 24 and Seun Akinbunu,

25, and others at large attacked the

bus, broke its side screen and robbed

one Atinuke Adisa of her Infinix-8

phone.

“In another development, police

operatives attached to the office of

the Area Commander, Area ‘E

‘Festac, arrested two suspects with

some vandalised rail tracks

belonging to the Nigerian Railway

Corporation on February 20, 2021,

at about 4 pm.

“The policemen that were on

routine check stopped the vehicle

driven by one Victor Akpan, 21, of

Ijora area of Lagos and his

accomplice, one Adesina

Folorunsho, of 36, Biefield, Apapa

Road, and discovered the

vandalised rail tracks in the vehicle.

Abia bizman, US

returnee son

robbed of

N200,000,

$15,000, other

belongings in

Umuahia

By Steve Oko

U MUAHIA-BASED

businessman, and the

Traditional Prime Minister of

Ibeku ancient kingdom, Uche

Akwukuegbu, popularly known

as BAWAS, has recounted his

ordeal in the hands of

hoodlums terrorising residents

of the capital city.

Akwukuegbu said he and his

US returnee son were robbed of

N200,000 and $15,000 costly

phones and wristwatch in a

broad daylight.

The sad incident, according to

him, happened around noon at

Mission Hill, Umuahia while

he was returning from Owerri

Airport where he had gone to

pick his son.

He said a tricycle had

dangerously overtaken him

shortly before the Army

checkpoint at Umuokpara,

where he “nearly ran into the

bush. I stopped to know what it

was all about and people

trooped out from the bush and

started beating me.

“Nothing happened to the

driver of the keke. However, I

decided to see if there was a

need to assist him.

“I did not know that the driver

was used as a trap to get me. It

was all stage-managed. They

started beating me and asked

me to bring money and wanted

to snatch my car key from me.

“When I sensed they were up

for something sinister I zoomed

off to the Area Command to

complain. But they came after

me on bikes and blocked me at

the Mission Hillside of

Umuahia and robbed me of the

N200,000.00, my son’s luggage

containing $15,000.00, a phone

worth several thousands of

dollars, and his Movedo

wristwatch also worth

thousands of dollars.

“I escaped death, with my two

sons in the car. They injured my

son and beat me like a common

criminal at Mission Hill,

opposite Okigwe Park,

Umuahia, and people were

looking on.

“After robbing me, they ran

away and that was when people

knew they were criminals.”

Akwukwegbu said he later ran

to the Area Command,

Umuahia where he reported the

incident, adding that some of

the suspects were later arrested.

Akwukuegbu called for more

presence of security agents on

the road to help checkmate the

activities of criminals in the

state.

Contacted, the Abia State

Police Public Relations Officer,

Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed

the incident, noting that three

of the suspects were already in

the police net.

He said that investigations

into the unfortunate incident

had begun, vowing that

criminals will not be allowed to

have breeding ground in any

part of the state.

8 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

:Vanguard News

Kagara: Why it’s difficult to use force

on kidnappers — Niger govt

•Says no ransom demanded yet by bandits

•Notes negotiation still on with bandits

•Niger gov announces release of abducted travellers

•Nothing wrong in dialoguing with bandits, says FG

By Wole Mosadomi

MINNA— Secretary

to the State Government

SSG, in Niger State,

Ahmed Ibrahim Matane,

yesterday explained why

the military cannot use force

to rescue students and staff

of Government Science

College, Kagara, saying the

bandits who abducted the

students were dressed in

the school uniform.

The SSG, who noted that

this makes it difficult to differentiate

the bandits from

the students, also revealed

that the abductors have not

demanded any ransom

from parents or relatives of

the students or government.

Stressing that government

was not relenting

in securing the release of

the students and staff, the

SSG said: “There is nothing

much yet on their release.

We are still making

contacts with them and we

are hoping that we will

reach the end of this interface

and get some positive

outcome very soon.’’

On why government cannot

use force to secure their

release, Matane said: “It

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

will be difficult because the

bandits dressed like students

to carry out the operation,

so it will be difficult

to differentiate the bandits

from students and we don’t

want to cause any collateral

damage”.

On how soon the release

will be effected, he said:

“In matters like this, you

never know how soon because

we have different

groups, you have many

stakeholders involved.

“Government has been

able to dialogue with the

leader of the gang that abducted

the students but

there are other groups and

leaders and we are still talking

to all of them.

“The bandits said they

are annoyed with the government

because of the way

the security people have

been handling matters affecting

them

“At the interface with the

bandits, it was discovered

that majority of them are

from Niger State and one

of them told the government

negotiating team, including

myself, that they

have taken up arms against

the state because some security

men dispossessed

him of his vehicle, huge

sums of money and cows

and that he had to return

to the forest and begin to

take care of himself all over

again.’’

The 27 students, their

teachers and family members

are spending the 6th

day in captivity of the bandits

as at today. Also yesterday,

Governor Abubakar

Sani Bello announced the

release of the passengers

abducted aboard a Niger

State Transport Authority,

NSTA, last week The governor

made the announcement

via his twitter handle

The tweet read: “Breaking

News: The Niger State

Government has succeeded

in securing the release

of all Abducted #RescueN-

STAPassengers. Details

shortly.” They were said to

have been handed over to

the Zamfara State government

in an undisclosed location

in Zamfara State and

are currently on their way

to Minna, the state capital.

The passengers were abducted

on their way back

to Minna from Rijau, in

Rijau local government

area of the state penultimate

Sunday at Kundu village,

along Minna-Tegina

road. Eight of the abducted

passengers were freed

four days later, after an unconfirmed

report had it that

their families had paid for

their release.

The bandits were said to

have demanded N500 million

ransom for the release of the

remaining victims but the

state governor, Abubakar

Sani Bello, had ruled out the

possibility of paying any ransom

to the bandits but promised

to engage stakeholders in

the negotiation for the release

of the abductees. Kaduna

based Islamic Cleric, Sheik

Ahmed Gumi, had been in the

forefront of their release and

that of the Kagara students but

the students are yet to be freed.

Gunmen had on February

15, ambushed the commuters

who were said to be returning

from a wedding in Rijau local

government area (LGA) of the

state. At least 21 passengers

were reported to have been

taken by the gunmen.

Two days later, the kidnappers

put out a video of the passengers

and demanded a ransom

of N500 million for their

release. They had threatened

to kill the hostages should the

government fail to meet their

demands.

The state government had

said it would not pay ransom

for the abducted passengers

and students of Government

Science College (GSC), Kagara,

who were abducted in

the early hours of Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the federal government

has said there was

nothing wrong in dialoguing

with bandits. Last Wednesday,

gunmen suspected to be bandits

stormed the Government

Science College (GSC) Kagara,

Rafi LGA of Niger state,

and members of staff, and

some members of their families.

Abubakar Bello, governor

of Niger, had noted that

his government was doing

everything to rescue the victims,

including facilitating

negotiations with the bandits.

Speaking on a radio programme

monitored by NAN

yesterday, the Minister of Information

and Culture, Alhaji

Lai Mohammed, flayed Nigerians

who had spoken

against the strategy of dialoguing

with criminals, saying

there was nothing wrong

in doing so.as long as the ultimate

objective was to make

peace. “After war, people still

sit to dialogue. So if some

people have taken it upon

themselves to visit these people

so that they can embrace

peace, I don’t think there is

anything wrong with that,” the

minister explained.

Speaking further, he noted

that the federal government

would not pay any

ransom to secure the release

of abductees of GSC

Kagara, denying also that

ransom was paid to secure

the release of over 300

children abducted in

Kankara, Katsina State.

On the herders-farmers

crisis in parts of the country,

the minister said the

government was taking

steps to address it.

He said the steps include

plans for intensive cattlerearing

to ensure that cattle

rearing and crop farming

don’t conflict.

Insecurity: 44 CSOs ask Buhari

to step aside or face

impeachment, If...

By Gabriel Ewepu

and Luminous

Jannamike

ABUJA — A coalition of

44 civil society organizations,

CSOs, have asked

President Muhammadu Buhari

to step aside or face impeachment

by the National

Assembly, if he can no longer

ensure the security and welfare

of the Nigerian people.

They made the demand at

an emergency civil society

joint action press briefing on

the state of the nation in Abuja.

According to the CSOs, Nigeria

has become a catalogue

of bloodletting under President

Buhari’s watch.

The civil society groups

present at the event include:

Centre for Democracy and

Development (CDD), Centre

for Democratic Research and

Training (CRDDERT), Civil

Society Legislative Advocacy

Centre (CISLAC), Media

Rights Agenda (MRA), Centre

for Information Technology

and Development (CITAD),

Socio-Economic Right and

Accountability Project

(SERAP), Zero-Corruption

Coalition (ZCC), Partners on

Electoral Reform, African

Centre for Media and Information

Literacy (AFRIC-

MIL), National Procurement

Watch Platform, Praxis Center,

Resource Centre for Human

Rights and Civil Education

(CHRICED), Social Action,

Community Action for

Popular Participation,Borno

Coalition for Democracy and

Progress (BOCODEP) and

Global Rights.

Others are Alliance for Credible

Elections (ACE), Youth

Initiative for Advocacy,

Growth & Advancement (YIA-

GA), Tax Justice and Governance

Platform, Environmental

Rights Action/Friends of

the Earth, Nigeria, Women In

Nigeria, African Centre for

Leadership, Strategy and Development

(Centre LSD), Rule

of Law and Accountability Advocacy

Centre(RULAAC),

Women Advocate Research

APC extends membership

registration by 3 weeks

By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA — The ruling All

Progressives Congress,

APC, has extended its ongoing

nationwide membership

registration by three weeks in

order to allow for the capture

of more intending members.

The registration and update

of its membership register

began on Tuesday 9th February,

2021 across the 36 states

of the federation and was

scheduled to last for two

weeks. However, in a statement

issued yesterday in Abuja,

National Secretary of the

Caretaker Extraordinary

Convention Planning Committee

CECPC of the party,

Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe,

noted that the feedback

across the states had been overwhelming

and beyond projected

success level; with a

massive turnout of intending

registrants beyond the expectation

of the party.

He said: ‘’The development

is responsible for the shortage

And Documentation Centre,

Community Life Project, Nigerian

Feminist Forum, Alliances

for Africa, Spaces for

Change, Nigerian Women

Trust Fund, Corporate Accountability

and Public Participation

Africa, BudgiT

Foundation, State of the Union

(SOTU), Action International

Nigeria, Femi Falana

Chamber, HEDA Resource

Centre, Conscience for Human

Rights and Conflict Resolution,

Organization Community

Civic Engagement

(OCCEN), Say NO Campaign—Nigeria,

Women In

Media, Health of Mother

Earth Foundation (HOMEF),

Sesor Empowerment Foundation,

House of Justice, Molluma

Medico-Legal Center,

and Open Bar Initiative.

The groups lamented the

Federal Government’s abdication

of its responsibility for

security, through the Minister

of Defence, Major-General

Bashir Magashi (Rtd), who

reportedly called Nigerian

citizens ‘cowards’ and urged

them to ‘defend themselves’

against bandits and other

criminals. They stressed that

such a comment was capable

of frustrating the war against

insurgency and banditry.

Reading out the text of the

briefing on behalf of the coalition,

Mr. Jaiye Gaskia, of

United Action for Democracy,

UAD, also proposed advised

the federal authorities

to seek international cooperation

to ramp up Nigeria’s

security assets with a view towards

addressing Nigeria’s

insecurity. The CSOs said:

“Nigeria is in dire straits. All

over the country, Nigerian citizens,

including children, are

killed daily by terrorists and

criminals as well as in extrajudicial

killings by state actors

with the government doing little

or nothing about it.

“The government, through

the Minister of Defence, has

instead callously abdicated its

responsibility and called Nigerian

citizens ‘cowards’ and

urged Nigerians to ‘defend

themselves’.

of registration materials recorded

in many states across

the country and thereby warranting

an extension of the

exercise to give every interested

Nigerian the opportunity

to officially identify with the

ruling party, the APC.

“On behalf of the National

Chairman Caretaker/Extraordinary

Convention Planning

Committee (CECPC)

His Excellency, Hon. Mai

Mala Buni, I wish to use this

opportunity to appreciate the

good works of His Excellency,

Governor Yahaya Bello of

Kogi State led Youth, Women

Mobilisation and Persons

with Disabilities’ Sensitisation

Committee, The National

Registration, Revalidation

Committee led by Governor

Sani Bello of Niger State, the

states steering committees for

the exercise and all party officials

who have been both directly

and indirectly involved

in the exercise from the outset."

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 9

:Vanguard News

7 die as Air Force jet crashes in

Abuja

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

•CAS orders immediate investigation

•Buhari condoles with NAF, families of victims

Scene of the crash. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

By Kingsley

Omonobi &

Johnbosco

Agbakwuru

Nigerian Air Force In

t e l l i g e n c e

Reconnaissance aircraft

crashed, yesterday, at Nnamdi

Azikiwe International

Airport, killing all seven

persons on board.

The military aircraft, a King

Air B350 plane, crash-landed

on final approach path of

Abuja Runway 22 at 10:48 am,

shortly after the pilot complained

of engine failure.

The aircraft exploded on

impact, triggering a ball of

flames.

Aviation Minister, Hadi

Sirika, who first confirmed the

crash on his twitter handle,

said: “A military aircraft,

King Air 350, has just crashed

short of our Abuja runway after

reporting engine failure en

route Minna.”

He said the aircraft, marked

NAF 201, departed Abuja at

1033UTC with seven persons

on board, including two crew

members. ‘’The aircraft reported

engine failure at time

1039 and crashed landed on

the final approach path of

Abuja Runway 22 at time

1048UTC. Fire services are

already at the scene of the accident.

All seven persons on

board were reported dead,’’

the minister said.

Pilot complains of

engine failure

A source at the control tower

of the airport, said the pilot

complained of engine failure

barely moments after take-off.

The source, who pleaded

anonymity, said there had

been regular flights from Abuja

to Minna since the abduction

of the Kangara students

last week.

“The aircraft was on its way

to Minna. Moments after, on

getting to Bassa Local Government

Area, he informed

the control tower that he had

experienced an engine failure.

He was advised to return to

the Abuja airport immediately

but it crash-landed,’’ the

source said.

Asked if the identities of

those on board had been ascertained,

the source said they

were in the process of doing

so. “There have been frequent

flights to Niger State since the

abduction of the students at

Kagara. Last week, some

ministers also flew. Soon, we

will know their identities,” he

said. Also confirming the

crash yesterday, the Nigerian

Air Force said seven persons

died in the crash.

Director of NAF Public Relations

and Information, Air

Vice Marshal Ibikunle Daramola,

who gave the confirmation

in a statement, also disclosed

that Chief of the Air

Staff, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka

Amao, has ordered an immediate

investigation into the

cause of the crash.

CAS orders

investigation

While commiserating with

all NAF personnel and families

of the deceased, the CAS

urged the general public to

remain calm and await the

outcome of the investigation.

The statement read:”This is

to confirm that a Nigerian Air

Force (NAF) Beech Aircraft B

350 crashed while returning

to Abuja airport after reporting

engine failure en route

Minna. “First responders are

at the scene. Sadly, all the seven

personnel on board died in

the crash.

“The Chief of Air Staff, Air

Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo

Amao has ordered an immediate

investigation into the

incident while urging the general

public to remain calm

and await the outcome of the

investigation, the CAS on behalf

of all NAF personnel,

commiserates with families of

the deceased.”

The identity of the personnel

involved were not made

public but Vanguard gathered

it is standard operations practice

to allow the NAF authorities

get across to their next of

kins and inform them before

making the names public.

The names of those on

board include Flight Lieutenant

Haruna Gadzama, (Pilot);

Flight Lieutenant Henry

Piyo (Co-Pilot); Flying officer

Michael Okapra (Airborne

Tactical Observation System

(ATOS Specialist); Warrant

Officer Bassey Etim (ATOS

Specialist) and Flight Sergeant

Olasunkanmi Olawunmi

(ATOS Specialist).

Others are Sergeant Ugochukwu

Oluka (ATOS Specialist)

and Aircraftman Adewale

Johnson (Onboard Technician).

Buhari condoles with

NAF, families of victims

Reacting to the crash, President

Muhammadu Buhari

expressed sadness over it.

In a statement by his Special

Adviser on Media and

Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina,

President Buhari extended

his heartfelt condolences

to family members, friends

and colleagues of those who

died as a result of the tragedy.

The president said he joined

the Nigerian Air Force, the

military and other Nigerians

in mourning the unfortunate

loss of the dedicated and courageous

personnel, who died

in the line of duty.

“While investigations into

the cause of the crash are ongoing,

the safety of the Nigerian

airspace remains a key

priority of the government,’’

he said. The President prayed

that God will comfort the bereaved

families and nation,

and grant the souls of the departed

peaceful rest.

Privatisation of refineries, national assets

must be transparent, Atiku tells FG

By Dirisu

Yakubu

A BUJA—FORMER

Vice President, Alhaji

Atiku Abubakar, has backed

the decision by the Federal

Government to privatise

some of its assets, including

the refineries, but insisted that

the sales must be transparent.

The assets include the country’s

refineries, International

Conference Centre in Abuja,

Yola Electricity Distribution

Company, Zungeru Hydro

Power, Tafawa Belewa

Square, among others.

A total of N493.4 billion is

expected to be earned from the

sale of the assets, which were

classified under energy assets,

industries and communication

department, as well as

development institutions and

natural resources.

In a statement, entitled: ‘’Privatisation

of Refineries and

Other Assets: Better Late Than

Never,’’ Atiku called for transparency

in the process of privatising

the assets.

He expressed delight that

the privatisation of public assets,

which he once championed

but was scorned by All

Progressives Congress-led administration,

was now being

embraced by the same administration.

“For decades, I have

championed the privatisation

of our economy and full deregulation

of our oil and gas

sector, among other sectors,

for greater service delivery

and efficiency.

“As chairman of the National

Council on Privatisation, I

advanced these policies,

which saw our economy

achieve six per cent GDP

growth and created jobs for

the masses of our people and

amass the national wealth

that enabled us exit the debt

trap, and secure our financial

independence.

“Even though my ideas were

scorned by the All Progressives

Congress-led Federal Government

over the years, I am

nevertheless most fulfilled that

an administration that once

failed to see the wisdom in

these sound economic policies,

is now facing reality and

has now embraced reason, by

announcing the privatisation

of our refineries and other assets,

which have not always

prospered under public management.

“It is always better late than

never. And I commend the

Federal Government for

coming on board. I urge that

the privatisation process be as

transparent as possible, as that

is the only way to ensure that

Nigeria reaps the greatest

economic benefits from this

policy."

NCAA lifts ban on Boeing 737 MAX jetliner

THE Nigerian Civil

Aviation Authority,

NCAA, has lifted the ban

placed on Boeing’s best

selling aircraft, 737 MAX,

and also certified the aircraft

to resume operations in

Nigeria’s airspace.

NCAA in a statement by

Director-General, Musa

Nuhu, said lifting of the ban

took effect on February 12,

2021.

Airline regulators

worldwide grounded the

MAX in March 2019 after

fatal crashes in Indonesia and

Ethiopia.

It would be recalled that

Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika,

had said two years was

enough time for Boeing to

rectify the problem that led to

the crashes.

“This is enough period to

sort out whatever problem it

is with that plane. It is normal

standard practice that once a

particular aircraft type is

involved in accident back to

back, it is withdrawn from the

market and see if there is

something they are doing

wrong,” Sirika had said.

In 2020, NCAA said a joint

authority technical review,

JATR, comprising

Re-introduce petrol tax,

Customs’ boss, Ali, tells

•Stop concessioning import

duty, Senate to Customs

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA—

THE

Comptroller General of

Nigeria Customs Service,

NCS, Col. Hameed Ali

(retd), has asked the Federal

Government to re-introduce

the N1.50 tax imposed on

every litre of petroleum

products.

He said the tax would be

in consonance with the

Petroleum Product Tax

Regime of 2004.

He also told the Senate

that the NCS would spend

at least N4.17 billion on

recruitment and

appointments; N3.37 billion

on travels; N1.68 billion on

fuel; and N1.45 billion on

training this year.

Ali, who stated these when

he appeared before the

Senate Committee on

Customs, Excise and Tariff

to defend the agency’s 2021

budget, said a reintroduction

of the

petroleum product tax

would help government

shore up its revenue.

The committee is led by

Senator Francis Alimihkena,

APC, Edo North.

According to him, the tax

has the potential of

narrowing

supplementing

government’s deficit budget.

On the Customs 2021

budget, the Customs boss

said the agency would in

2021, spend N1.45 billion to

fuel motor vehicles, plants

and generators, aircraft and

sea boats at the headquarters

international aviation

authorities, carried out a joint

review of the Boeing 737

MAX safety system

alongside Federal Aviation

Administration, FAA, and

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration,

NASA.

On the approval, Nuhu

said the aviation regulatory

body recognised the joint

review of the Boeing 737

MAX safety system, adding

that NCAA came up with

some actions required of all

foreign and domestic

operators.

and area commands

nationwide.

Ali, who reiterated that the

nonfunctional scanners at

the various Customs’

scanning sites had adversely

contributed to the service’s

inability to carry out effective

examination for selective

consignments, said that if

purchased, the NCS will

make them available in

Apapa and Portharcourt.

Ali disclosed that the

agency has targeted a total

of N1.465 trillion to be raked

into the Federation account

this year and that the N1.465

trillion consists of N1.267

trillion for federation and

N198.00 billion for nonfederation.

According to him, when

compared with the 2020

revenue target, the 2021

revenue target is higher by

N85 billion or 5.80 Percent.

Giving a breakdown, he

explained that the expected

income will be utilised as

follows: Personnel cost,

N99.72 billion, representing

41.13 per cent; overhead cost

N19.53 billion, representing

8.06 per cent; capital cost,

N123.20 billion,

representing 50.81 per cent,

with a grand total of N242.45

billion, representing 100 per

cent.

Speaking during the

budget defence, Chairman

of the committee, Senator

Alimikhena, took a swipe at

the Customs over its

concessioning of collection of

import duties, saying there

was no where in the world

such was happening.

Owie mourns 2nd Republic

lawmaker, Dr Junaid Muhammed

FORMER Senate Chief

Whip, Senator Rowland

Owie, has mourned the

death of 2nd Republic

member of the House of

Representatives, Dr Junaid

Mohammed.

In a statement, weekend,

Owie said: “I received with

deep shock, the news of the

death of my brother and

former colleague in the 2nd

Republic House of

Representatives, Dr Junaid

Mohammed.

‘Although he was elected

on the platform of the Peoples

Redemption Party, PRP)

while I was elected on the

ticket of the Unity Party of

Nigeria, he was a true

kindred spirit who had

immense conviction and

indestructible faith in the

unity and greatness of

Nigeria and her unique

destiny in shaping global

affairs.

“We have remain brothers

and maintained close

fraternal relations over the

past four decades and only

about a week ago, on

February 8, 2020, to be

precise, we spoke at length

for over 40 minutes, as we

reviewed the state of the

nation.

“My deep and sincere

condolences go to his

immediate family and the

government of Kano State.

May the good Lord grant us

the fortitude to bear this huge

loss.’’

Meanwhile, Senator Owie

has congratulated the

Commandant General of the

Nigeria Security and Civil

Defence Corps, Dr Ahmed

Abubakar Audi, on his

appointment by President

Muhammadu Buhari.

He described Audi as a

consummate security and

intelligence expert whose

experience would help

attenuate the potential

adverse consequences of

extant security crises on the

nation’s development.

10 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

:Vanguard

News

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

By Johnbosco

Agbakwuru, Peter

Duru, Davies

Iheamnachor,

Luminous

Jannamike &

Olayinka Ajayi

Asocio-political

BUJA—NOTABLE

organizations across the

country yesterday

expressed their support for

call by the governor of

Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun

on the Federal

Government to take

decisive action to rid the

nation’s forests of criminals.

Governor Abiodun at the

weekend had stated that

several forests especially in

the South West have

become the habitation of

criminals and asked the

Federal Government to

take steps to tackle the

challenge.

Some of the groups that

support the governor’s

position include Pan-Yoruba

group, Afenifere; Pan

Niger Delta Forum,

PANDEF; Arewa

Consultative Forum, ACF;

Middle Belt Forum;

Northern Elders Forum,

NEF; Benue Tribal Leaders

amongst others.

Speaking to State House

correspondents, after

meeting behind closed

doors with President

Muhammadu Buhari, at

the Presidential Villa,

Abuja, weekend, Governor

Abiodun said though there

were people who

legitimately reside in the

forests, they have also

become the habitation of

criminals stoking ethnic

tensions around the

country.

He admonished local

northern traditional leaders

(Serikis) residing in the

state to keep registers of

farmers, so as to determine

when undesirable

strangers infiltrate their

ranks.

Abiodun urged the

Federal Government to

initiate concrete steps to

tighten the nation’s borders

to prevent influx of

foreigners, who engage in

criminals activities and flee

to their countries

afterwards.

He said: “We've enjoined

all our Serikis and farmers

to keep a list of those that

live on their farms in

registers, so that when

strangers come in, they will

know who the strangers

amongst them are.

“It is our hope that the

Federal Government will

also now look at how to

better secure our borders,

so that people don't just

cross over, cause crimes

and run away.

“We must do something

about these forests that

harbour criminals,

“We know there are

people that live in the forest

legitimately, but there are

so many people that live in

those forests illegitimately.

We must definitely do

something about them.

“These are some of the

things that we found to

have aided this violence

and escalated it and we

• Gov Abiodun • Pogu • Odumakin

Need to act on forests harbouring criminals:

Afenifere, PANDEF, ACF, NEF, others

back Abiodun

believe that if the right

steps are taken, we can

manage the situation and

we can live together as

brothers and sisters, as

we've always lived for so

many years.”

Abiodun faults

ethnic profoling of

criminals

The governor blamed the

escalation in tensions on

what he said was the ethnic

profiling of criminals that is

occurring, noting that

people in the state find it

difficult to distinguish

between peaceful Fulani

herders and criminal cattle

rustlers.

He explained: “I must say

that the Fulani have lived

with us in Ogun State for

hundreds of years. The

Seriki Fulani from that

particular corridor speaks

better Yoruba than I do

because his father was born

there.

“Part of the problems we

realised we had was ethnic

profiling. Criminals are

criminals and criminals

abound everywhere. There

are criminals in Yorubaland,

there are criminals in

Igboland, there are

criminals in the Niger

Delta, there are criminals in

the north and we see that

even in the north, in the

northeast, in the northcentral,

we see that there

are criminal activities.

“The governor of Niger

State spent a night with me,

by the time he got back to

Niger State, 50 people had

been kidnapped and we

cannot be profiling them

based on ethnic grounds

and be saying, 'oh the

Fulani have kidnapped

Fulani or Hausa men in

Niger.’

“Our people have had a

problem with drawing a

line between peaceful

Fulani people, who are

traditionally herdsmen, and

bandits who are cattle

rustlers, who will steal

cattle, take the cattle to

farmlands belonging to

people, attack them. Now

farmers and indigenes

carry out counter attacks

against innocent people

that have been living with

us.”

To form Joint

Stakeholders

Committee

On the efforts of his

administration to ease

ethnic tension and build

trust among residents, he

said: “We rose up from that

stakeholders meeting with

a few conclusions, one of

which was to form a joint

stakeholders committee

that's composed of the

Fulani, the herdsmen, the

farmers and government.

That has since been put in

place. That committee is

going to be sworn in, I think

sometime this evening.

“We made available

pickup trucks, motorcycles,

telecoms equipment, for the

joint security patrol team to

further strengthen security

along the areas where

these incident had occurred

in the last few weeks.

“I'll like to say that my

colleagues further

demonstrated their

commitment by actually

donating to all sides; to the

farmers and to the Fulani

community.”

On President Buhari’s

response to his brief,

Abiodun said: “I must say

the president was very

impressed with how we've

dealt with the matter.

“He particularly

commented that the steps

we've taken are steps that

he has always

recommended; that we

must have the joint

stakeholders' committee that

has farmers, herders,

traditional rulers and

government and that this

committee should meet like

once a month.”

He added that Buhari

commended the manner

Ogun State has dealt with

the ethnic crisis in the

state.

Afenifere,

PANDEF, Middle

Belt Forum, ACF

others react

Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political

organization, Afenifere, Pan

Niger Delta Forum,

PANDEF and Arewa

Consultative Forum said

the call by Governor

Abiodun is in order.

Speaking on behalf of

Afenifere, the Publicity

Secretary, Yinka Odumakin

maintained that criminals

should be fish out without

hesitation. “Why must you

go to Buhari to seek his

consent on criminals in our

forest? Are you not the chief

security Officer of your

state? Why must you seek

the President’s consent to

get rid of criminals in our

forest? Moves to get rid of

them should be

immediate.”

National Publicity

Secretary, Pan Niger Delta

Forum, PANDEF, Ken

Robinson said: "It shows

that people should defend

their own territory. It is

proper that people should

be vigilant. We encourage

our people to be vigilant.

People should know who

they sell land to and the

stranger that comes into

their community.

"The issues of herdsmen

is not just terrorism, it is

about expansion. It is an

expansionist agenda.

Primordial interest should

not be allowed over the

interest of Nigeria.

"The call is in order. Every

Nigeria citizen should be

very careful dealing with

strangers. Community

people should be aware of

who is coming into their

community. They should

profile their visitors to know

their intentions and mission

before accepting them into

their community.

National Publicity

Secretary of Arewa

Consultative Forum, ACF

also backed Governor

Abiodun’s position. He

said: “In the light of our

current security challenges,

we vote for the two

suggestions. We believe

they will help secure our

lives better."

The National President of

Middle Belt Forum, Dr.

Bitrus Pogu said the forum

agrees with the call by the

Ogun State governor,

adding that the registers

should concentrate on

fishing out foreign herders.

Dr. Pogu who spoke to

Vanguard in Makurdi said:

“We agree with the call by

the Ogun state Governor,

Dapo Abiodun. Let me tell

you why. The Middle Belt

Forum has cried out over

the years on the influx of

foreigners into this country

and we believe that many

of the attacks that happen

in the country are aided by

foreigners.

“We disagree that these

foreigners just come in. We

believe some people bring

them in for some purposes.

And we also believe

strongly that the

government is not telling us

the whole truth.

“Then, when the Ruga

and cattle colony and all

those came up, we

opposed it not because

these programmes are bad

in themselves. We opposed

them because firstly

nobody knows how many

foreign Fulanis are on

Nigerians soil. So we

insisted that every

community know their local

Fulani. That is the starting

point, so that we don’t just

give community land to

people who are not

Nigerians.

“But the government

didn’t want to listen, so we

believe that the

government has a hidden

agenda in that whole

process. That is why we

opposed it. We are in

agreement with the

Governor but we are saying

that the farmers are known,

it is the herdsmen who

come in that are not known.

“It is those people who are

not known, whose numbers

and whose movements

should be curtailed and

known. If we know all the

foreign Fulani that are

coming in then we will

know how to handle them

because I believe that

many of them already have

Nigerian Identification

Cards.

On his part, the

Chairman of Benue tribal

leaders and President

General of Mzough U Tiv

worldwide, Chief Iorbee

Ihagh, said the call by the

Ogun State governor was

apt.

Ihagh said: “the federal

government must have to

work with the state

Governors to open up the

forested communities

where these criminals have

found safe haven and

launching pad to attack

innocent Nigerians.

“The Federal

Government can act fast by

constructing access roads

through most of the forests.

Also these forests can be

harnessed by opening

them up and converting

them to government owned

mechanized farm areas.

“This will create jobs for

people who will moved into

these farms. They would be

provided houses and

security as well. This is

something that can be done

if the government is willing

to listen. Convert the forests

to farms and you will be

surprised that it will

enhance food security in

this country.

“On the issue of

communities keeping

registers to fish out

strangers. That is a laudable

idea. The register should

contain names of the local

Fulanis that are known to

the people and whenever

unknown herdsmen are

noticed in the communities’

security agencies would be

alerted without delay. That

would help to ensure the

security of the people in our

various localities and

communities,” he said.

NEF also backs

Gov Abiodun

The Northern Elders

Forum, NEF, also gave its

support to the call by

Governor Abiodun.

In a statement, NEF’s

Director, Publicity and

Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem

Baba-Ahmed, said: “You

cannot fault the call for a

solution to a problem that

affects all citizens. Our

forests are assets, but the

crimes and the criminal

have turned them into

sources of fear, making

them major threats.

“It will be reassuring to

know that the call is made

for all forests, rather than

those that are alleged to be

a problem because they are

linked to Fulani.

“The North has vast forest

resources, but these have

been taken by bandits. We

hope the federal

government will do what it

needs to do even in those

States which claim that they

have exclusive jurisdiction

over some forest reserves.”

The forum also noted that

the real cause of Nigeria’s

insecurity rested with the

manner the issues of

security and welfare of

citizens were hitherto

designed and managed.

“The country should

address policing and

additional powers to

federating units as a matter

of survival.

“In the meantime, it is

important to continue to

treat forests as economic

assets that should be made

accessible for lawful

activities including

herding,” the Forum said.

Vanguard, , MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 11

:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES:

LAGOS CAN—From left: Southwest Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN,

Rev. Father Raphael Osegboun; Lagos State Governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu; Rev. Mother

Esther Ajayi; Chairman, CAN, Lagos State chapter, Rt. Rev. Stephen Adegbite, and Mrs.

Otitonaye Fadeke, representing Federal lawmaker in the Senate (Lagos Central), Senator

Oluremi Tinubu, during Lagos CAN Interdenominational Divine Service, at the Apostolic

Church, Ketu, weekend.

Why V-Cs, governing councils fight

—Okebukola

By Adesina Wahab

L Executive AGOS—FORMER

Secretary of the

National Universities

Commission, NUC, Prof. Peter

Okebukola, has identified money

as the major cause of constant

bickerings between members of

the governing councils of universities

and vice chancellors of such universities.

Okebukola made the remarks,

while fielding questions during

a zoom presentation of a

collection of essays to mark his

birthday and retirement from the

service of the Lagos State

University, LASU, weekend.

Kagara: SERAP calls for probe, recovery of missing

N7bn from UBEC, SUBEB

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS — Socio-Economic

Rights and Accountability

Project, SERAP, has urged

President Muhammadu Buhari to

probe allegations of corruption in

the Universal Basic Education

Commission, UBEC and state

Universal Basic Education

boards, SUBEBs, between 2004

and 2020, including missing

N3,836,685,213.13 documented

in the 2017 Annual Report by the

Auditor-General of the

Federation.

SERAP also urged Buhari to

“direct Attorney-General and

EFCC defends chairman-designate's promotion

By Innocent Anaba

ABUJA—THE Economic

and Financial Crimes

Commission, EFCC, yesterday,

denied allegations that its

Chairman-designate,

Abdulrasheed Bawa, was

illegally promoted to Chief

Detective Superintendent,

CDS, on Grade Level 14,

without regard for public service

rules.

It described the allegation of

the promotion by an online news

medium, as “extremely

prejudicial, libelous and untrue.”

President Muhammadu

Buhari, last Tuesday, appointed

Bawa as substantive EFCC

chairman, subject to confirmation

by the Senate.

Under Section 2a (ii)(iii) of the

EFCC Act, a nominee to be

appointed as chairman must “be

He added that the other major

cause of disagreement was ego

trip on the part of either ouncil

members or a VC.

The former Acting VC of LASU noted:

“Most of the time it is a matter of money.

It may be that council members may be

interested in making some financial gains

from a project in the university and the

management may resist that. Ego trip is

also a factor. Either of the sides may

embark on needless ego trip.”

Recall that the University of

Lagos, UNILAG, last year was

embroiled in faceoff between the

council and the VC which led to

dissolution of the council and the

eventual reinstatement of the

suspended VC.

On why it is now becoming

difficult to appoint a substantive

Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar

Malami, and the anti-corruption

agencies to make public the

outcome of any investigation, and

to prosecute suspected

perpetrators, if there is relevant

admissible evidence, as well as

fully recover any missing public

funds.”

In the open letter dated

February, 20, 2021, signed by

SERAP Deputy Director,

Kolawole Oluwadare, the

organization said: “Allegations of

corruption in UBEC and SUBEBs

violate the right to education of

millions of Nigerian children who

continue to face unsuitable

a serving or retired member of

any government security or law

enforcement agency not below the

rank of Assistant Commissioner

of Police or equivalent; and

possess not less than 15 years

cognate experience.”

Before the nomination, Bawa

By Kingsley Adegboye

LAGOS—THE umbrella body

for the 61 investors that

secured different development

lease agreements from the

Federal Government, through

the Ministry of Industry, Trade

and Investment, and the Trade

Fair Management Board, TFMB,

have petitioned the government

over its plan to concession the

VC for universities and the

selection processes being

truncated in some cases,

Okebukola explained that the

office had become attractive to be

ignored.

On the call by some people for

the reintroduction of satellite

campuses by tertiary institutions,

Okebukola opined that it would

be a great disservice to the sector

to do so.

“Before I was appointed the

Executive Secretary of the NUC,

the then President, Chief

Olusegun Obasanjo, called me for

a meeting in Aso Rock and I expressed

my feeling about some issues relating to

education in the country and when I

was appointed the ES, we issued a close

down order on these satellite campuses.”

learning conditions, as shown by

the poor learning and boarding

facilities at the Government

Science College, Kagara, Niger

State, where dozens of school

children, teachers and their

relatives were abducted by

gunmen.”

SERAP said: “Investigating the

allegations of corruption and

mismanagement in UBEC and

SUBEBs, prosecuting suspected

perpetrators and recovering any

missing public funds would

contribute to addressing the

education crisis in the country,

which has disproportionately

affected the most vulnerable and

marginalized, and entrenched

inequality.”

was a Deputy Detective

Superintendent on Grade Level

13 and had spent 16 years in

service.

Last Thursday, it was

announced that the EFCC had

promoted him and 88 others, to

CDS, Grade Level 14.

Lagos Trade Fair complex: Investors

reject BPE's concession plan

Lagos International Trade Fair

complex on Lagos-Badagry

expressway.

The Bureau of Public

Enterprises, BPE, last week,

issued a statement that it would

showcase investment

opportunities in Lagos Trade Fair

complex, TBS, Calabar and Kano

Special Economic Zones, SEZs,

to the investing public in a

webinar, in Abuja.

The biter doesn't like being bitten.

Many, especially those that have gone.

Just one of the things men do.

12 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

:Vanguard News

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

CLOSING: Delta

State Head of

Service, Mr.

Reginald Bayoko

mni (middle), Mr.

Goodluck Audu,

representing the

Director-General

of ASCON (right)

and Permanent

Secretary, Office

of the Secretary to

the State

Government, Mr.

Austin Oghoro at

the closing

ceremony of the

16th edition of the

seven weekends

management

course in Asaba.

PIB: A-Ibom former minister demands

oil blocks allocation review

•Describes penalty sharing for gas flaring as absurd

By Chioma

Onuegbu

UYO—FORMER Minister

of Lands, Housing and

Urban Development, Chief

Nduese Essien has demanded

that the Petroleum Industry

Bill, PIB, should review the allocation

of oil blocks in the

country to also accommodate

people from the oil-producing

areas.

Essien during an interaction

with newsmen yesterday in

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said

that people from oil-producing

areas deserve to be allocated

oil blocks and to be involved

in the process of exploitation

of petroleum without

which the PIB was not going

to have any meaning.

He said, "I have taken a

Akwa to N-Deltans: NDDC'll no longer

embark on projects that are at variance

By Festus Ahon

ASABA—THE Interim Ad

ministrator of the Niger

Delta Development Commission,

NDDC, Mr Effiong

Akwa, weekend, assured that

the commission would no

longer carry out projects that

are at variance with the aspirations

of the people of the

Niger Delta region.

Akwa gave the assurance

when he led the management

team of the commission on a

visit to Governor Ifeanyi

Okowa in Asaba, Delta State.

He told the governor that he

was in Asaba as part of his engagements

with key stakeholders

in the region to share

his plans for the people of the

region.

He said that NDDC was

committed to the sustainable

development of the Niger Delta

and announced a donation

of five waste disposal trucks

to the Delta State Government

by the NDDC.

The NDDC boss who presented

keys and documents of

the trucks to Governor Okowa

commended the governor for

his administration's efforts in

empowering Delta youths.

Speaking further, he commiserated

with the governor

over the death of his father, Pa

look at the Petroleum Industry

Bill and the first thing that

caught my attention is the

opening statement which

states that, "The property and

ownership of petroleum within

Nigeria and its territorial

waters, and continental shelf,

exclusive economic zone is

vested in the government of

the Federation of Nigeria.

"But unfortunately, the Federal

Government went and

bestowed this ownership on

selected people from non-oil

producing areas. This provision

actually came into being

at the peak of the Nigeria

civil war to pull resources

from petroleum for the prosecution

of the war, probably

as a stop-gap measure.

"By the end of the civil war,

successive military governments

bestowed the property,

ownership and management

of petroleum, almost exclusively

on people from non-oil

producing areas of the country.

It was a technical knockout

attained through the possession

of political authority.

"Consequently with the

long years of "bestowed" and

unbridled ownership, exploitation,

management and accumulation

of wealth from

petroleum, the non-host communities

have been misled

into believing, mischievously

though, that they are indeed

the real owners of petroleum

in Nigeria.

"This is a fundamental distortion

in the petroleum industry

which the PIB should address

to bring everybody in

line in smooth and peaceful

functioning of the industry.

The way out is to review the

•As Commission donates five waste disposal trucks to Delta

Okorie Okowa, who was buried

last Tuesday, adding "It is

the prayer of the management

of the NDDC that God should

grant you and your siblings

the fortitude to bear the irreparable

loss".

In his remarks, Governor

Okowa, enjoined the management

of the NDDC to focus

on the development of the

Niger Delta, stressing the

need for the commission to

pursue a vision that was people-oriented.

Urging the NDDC to do

something that would positively

impact the people, he

said, "For the sake of sustainability,

everything we do must

be sustainable because I have

seen roads done under emergency

projects that failed under

three months. NDDC

should spend more money on

bigger projects that connect

communities, and have the

capacity to impact on the

people."

Okowa commended the Interim

Administrator for

reaching out to stakeholders

in the region for inputs for the

development of the area and

expressed hope that NDDC

would truly live up to the expectations

of the people.

Advising the management

of the commission to partner

state governments in the region

in its activities in the interest

of the region, the governor

said, "The NDDC is supposed

to be an interventionist

agency but because of politics,

we have continued to allow

ourselves to be caught in the

web of competition which

ought not to be so."

By Davies

Iheamnachor &

Olayinka Ajayi

PORT

HARCOURT—

THE Presidential Amnesty

Programme, PAP, office has

launched investigations into

fraudulent activities of some

contractors engaged by the

office to train and empower

ex-militants.

The office also disclosed

that it subsequently paid 104

contractors owed by the

scheme, adding that the payments

would continue based

on the availability of funds.

The Interim Administrator,

PAP, Col Milland Dikio (retd),

who confirmed the development

in a statement, weekend,

said already preliminary in-

allocation of petroleum

blocks and ensure no such disparity

occurs in the industry."

The elder statesman also

pointed out that the PIB does

not define who the host community

is, saying that failure

to specify who the host community

is would merely create

confusion and hamper the

implementation of the bill and

further worsen host communities

status.

He also questioned the justification

for sharing of the

penalty paid for flaring gas to

all parts of the country and

described the situation as

most absurd.

"As it is now, the communities

hosting petroleum resources,

they host the hazards

and deprivations, they also

host the gas flaring, while all

the benefits such as royalty,

gas flaring penalties, and all

the other things are paid into

the Federation Account and

shared to all Nigerians. It is

the most absurd situation.

"Also I am suggesting that

the agencies set up to oversee

the activities in the petroleum

sector should state specifically

what positions would be

given to people from the oilproducing

areas, on the

Boards, in the agencies, whatever,

so that we can be sure of

participation in the management

of the petroleum industry.

"So the PIB should look into

such areas and be able to address

the inconveniences and

the causes of disaffection within

the host communities that

have always led to the disruption

of production," Essien

said.

Okowa orders investigation into

death of his aide

By Festus Ahon

ASABA—Governor Ifea

nyi Okowa of Delta

State, yesterday, ordered Police

authorities in the state

to immediately commence a

thorough investigation into

the death of his Senior Special

Assistant on Youth Development,

Okiemute

Sowho, who was killed by

unknown gunmen in Sapele

on Saturday with a view to

bringing his assailants to

book.

Okowa in a statement by

his Chief Press Secretary,

Mr Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba,

said the death of Sowho was

quite painful, adding that he

was a politician, who was a

strong pillar of support in

youth mobilization, especially

in Sapele area.

"I was shocked to hear of

the killing of Okiemute

Amnesty Office begins probe of erring contractors

• Clears accumulated debts of 104 verified contractors

vestigations had uncovered

acts of fraud carried out by

some of the contractors.

Dikio said: the "Presidential

Amnesty Programme has uncovered

unsavoury acts of

fraud perpetrated by some

vendors/contractors. The office

is currently investigating

these activities to determine

how widespread and the extent

of involvement or connivance

with internal elements

within the programme.

"While this investigation is

ongoing, we will not stop the

payment of those whose contracts

and documents have

been verified and reconciled

as soon as the expected funds

are released.

"However, it will be recalled

that before the close of the year

2020, the PAP had sequentially

paid a minimum of 104 contractors

that had hitherto been

owed. This process will continue

until everyone is paid

what they are owed, subject to

the availability of funds.

"It must be noted that while

the continuing process is evidence

of the PAP's commitment

to its mandate which

covers the delegates, the investigations

will continue to ascertain

the issues that gave rise

to this allegation.

"Meanwhile vendors/contractors

whose contracts have

not been revalidated, have not

received an approval to selffund

or been mobilized for

their respective contracts are

advised to suspend and maintain

the status quo."

Sowho. He will be missed

by thousands of people

whom he had assisted in one

way or the other. His role in

politics and the development

of his community, local

government and indeed,

the state, will remain an inspiration

for other youths in

politics.

"On behalf of the government

and people of Delta, I

mourn the death of Sowho,

who was my aide until his

untimely demise. I commiserate

with his family and

urge security agencies to investigate

the unfortunate

incident and bring the perpetrators

to justice.

"Let me urge all Deltans

to remain peaceful and

maintain the existing peace,

and report all suspicious

movements and acts to security

agencies."

NALPGAM seeks FG's intervention

over hike in cooking gas price

By Henry Ojelu

THE NIGERIAN Associa

tion of Liquefied Petroleum

Gas Marketers, NALP-

GAM, has appealed to the

Federal Government to urgently

intervene in arresting

the galloping hike in the

price of Liquefied Petroleum

Gas (LPG), also known as

cooking gas across the country.

NALPGAM in an open letter

by its Executive Secretary,

Mr Bassey Essien and

National Public Relations

Officer, Mr Raphael Aguele,

addressed to Chief Timipre

Sylva, Minister of State for

Petroleum Resources, urged

the Federal Government to

put in place a policy that

would encourage full domestication

of LPG.

The marketers said, "If all

molecules of gas produced

should be domesticated, the

local markets will be adequately

supplied and prices

stabilized.

"By this way, the concerted

efforts of the federal and

state government agencies

to encourage the use of gas

would not be in vain.

"Thus we urge your urgent

intervention to address the

plight of stakeholders, else

all the expansion programme

of the government

will be an exercise in futility,"

NALPGAM said.

Delta NBA demands probe into

pregnant colleague's murder

By Onozure Dania

WARRI—THE Nigerian

Bar Association, Warri

Branch, Delta State, has demanded

a full and comprehensive

investigation into the

circumstances that led to the

unlawful and gruesome murder

of one of its colleagues,

Mrs Nkiru Agbasu (nee Ibe)

and her unborn child.

Mrs Ogbasu was alleged to

have been hit by a stray bullet

during a kidnapping of a Lebanese

on the Warri-Sapele

Road in Delta State.

NBA, in a statement by its

Chairman, Chief Emmanuel

Uti, after the association's

meeting in Warri, said they

were not satisfied with the explanation

giving by the police

concerning the death of

Mrs Agbasu.

The association said that it

was worried and suspicious

that, Mrs Agbasu might have

been assassinated, as the alleged

commercial vehicle

where she was alleged to be

travelling, was nowhere to be

found and no occupant of the

said vehicle could be traced.

The branch condemned in

totality the execution-style

shooting of Mrs Agbasu, who

was heavily pregnant at the

time of her death, adding that

her unwarranted murder was

one attack too many, targeted

at lawyers carrying out

their lawful duties.

"The Branch recalls with

pain, the unresolved murder,

in similar fashion of Eguono

Dafioghor, and Samuel

Eguanghanju, both members

of the NBA Warri branch and

happening within the last decade.

To date, the Nigerian

security agencies have failed

to find the perpetrators of

these heinous crimes, left the

investigations inconclusive,

the murders unresolved and

the Branch and their immediate

families crying for justice.‘‘

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 13

:Vanguard News

Last Ohanaeze election not credible, falls

short of expectations of Ndigbo ---ASETU

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

OPENING: From left— Mr. Emma Udeaja; Dr. Amamchukwu Ezeike, Medical Director, First Maf Hospital;

Chief Cletus M. Ibeto, CON, founder and Chairman, Ibeto Group; Chief Chika Emenike, Chairman, Rento Hotel

and Suites; Lolo Amaka Emenike; Chief Oliver Nwagbala; and Valentine Ozigbo, at the opening of Rento Hotel

and Suites, in Owerri.

Police arrest ex-Imo gov, Okorocha in Owerri

•For breaking into Royal Palm Estate sealed by Imo Govt•May be charged to

court today •Ex-political appointees arrested alongside ex-gov •Free-for-all

between govt supporters, Okorocha's loyalists

By Chinonso Alozie

OWERRI—MANY people

were injured and vehicles

were damaged, yesterday, as

former Governor of Imo State,

and Senator Representing

Imo West Senatorial District,

Senator Rochas Okorocha allegedly

ordered his loyalists to

break into the Royal Palm Estate,

sealed by the Imo State

Government, along Akachi

road in Owerri.

Last week, the Imo State

Government sealed the Royal

Palm Estate allegedly

owned by Okorocha's wife,

Nkechi, based on the white

paper report from the judicial

panel set up by the administration

of Emeka Ihedioha,

which has been legalised by

the Governor Hope Uzodimma

Administration.

Following the breaking of

•Urges credible Igbo leaders to rescue apex Igbo body

By Anayo Okoli

ENUGU—Association of

South-East Town Unions,

ASETU, has faulted the recent

general election of Ohanaeze

Ndigbo, which produced Professor

George Obiozor as president-general,

saying it fell

short of the expectations of the

vast majority of Ndigbo.

ASETU said that it observed

the breach of constitutional

provision, including the section

that stipulates that the town

unions are the building blocks

of Ohanaeze, “as vast majority

of town unions reported that

they were not carried along in

the process.”

“In many instances, the delegates

to the election were reportedly

hand-picked, instead

of chosen through congresses

at the local levels. All of these

have combined to arguably vitiate

the credibility of the election”,

ASETU argued.

The group called all genuine

and serious Igbo leaders

to intervene, and come together

to chart the way forward as

Igbo need serious leadership

at this time.

“We cannot throw away the

baby with the bathwater. It will

amount to indelible abomination

to the entire Igbo race if

we allow our collective masquerade

(Ijele) to fall to the

ground. The way forward has

to be inclusive and handled by

men and women of integrity,”

ASETU said in a statement by

National President, Chief

Emeka Diwe and National

Secretary, Hon. Gideon Adikwuru.

The statement was issued

after its National Executive

meeting, where a report of its

observers to the election was

considered.

ASETU said the election

“fell short of the expectations

of the vast majority of Ndigbo

in this critical moment in

time”, insisting that “the

complaints that the electoral

process was neither open nor

participatory are not unfounded.”

“The 2021 Ohanaeze Ndigbo

Election has shown the level

of dedication in the hearts

of our people and their preparedness

to take part in every

process that will usher in

genuine leadership to drive

the rebirth of the Igbo Nation.

Given the numerous and existential

challenges Ndigbo

face today, it is expected that

Ndigbo are keen to get strong

and reliable hands that will

steer our development and

security plans. This passion

animated by the purest of patriotism

must be harnessed for

the attainment of a greater

Igbo Nation.

“However, the 2021 Election

of Ohanaeze fell short of

the expectations of the vast

majority of Ndigbo in this critical

moment in time. The

complaints that the electoral

process was neither open nor

participatory are not unfounded.

ESN vs Military: S-East turning into battle ground

—Anyanwu

By Chinonso Alozie

O WERRI—SENATOR

Samuel Anyanwu who

represented Imo East Senatorial

District, yesterday, said

that the South-East zone has

been gradually turned into a

battle ground.

Anyanwu spoke to newsmen

in Owerri on the recent

military invasion of forests in

Orlu and Orsu, where camps

of the Eastern Security Network,

ESN, were destroyed by

the military.

He said that the presence

of the military men were causing

psychological injury to

the seal, Okorocha's loyalists

were confronted by government

supporters leading to a

free for all wherein many people

were injured .

The incident which happened

around 17: 20pm

along Akachi road in Owerri,

also led to damaging of vehicles.

Meanwhile, the immediate

past Imo governor has been

arrested by the police.

innocent people in the affected

areas.

Anyanwu started by calling

on "Governor Hope Uzodinma

to immediately intervene

to bring public sanity before it

degenerates into another

bloody clash as witnessed few

weeks ago in the state, as you

can see South Eastern Nigeria

is gradually turning to a

battle ground.

"The action was capable of

causing psychological injury

to innocent people owing to the

fact that there was no proper

notice that military would

embark on such strange display

within the affected areas.

“It is wrong for the military

to intimidate the people with

strange movement of their

The Imo State Police Command

has confirmed that it

has taken Senator Okorocha

into custody to explain why he

led violent thugs to break into

the government sealed estate.

The State Police Public Relations

Officer, PPRO, Orlando

Ikeokwu, confirmed this to

newsmen in Owerri.

He said that the police

moved to Akachi road when

they received a distress call

that the Royal Palm spring

Estate sealed by the government

had been violently

opened by men led by Okorocha.

Orlando said: "The command

received a distress

call regarding what we

termed to be an unrest at

Royal Spring palm estate,

and the operatives moved to

the place, we discovered

Okorocha led some persons

to the place hitherto sealed

by the Imo Government.

"The command calmed

the situation and invited

Okorocha, to come and explain

why he led the violent

breaking into the estate that

led to damages."

Vanguard investigation

also revealed that those arrested

alongside Okorocha

included some of his former

political appointees, Steve

Asunobi, Lasbery Anyanwu

and Ijeoma Igboanusi.

Sources told Vanguard,

yesterday that Okorocha

might be charged to court

today.

hardware without properly informing

the rural people who

are made up of peasant farmers.

This action does not only

affect them psychologically

but also frightens them from

going about their normal businesses."

“Governor Hope Uzodinma,

as the Chief Security Officer

of the state should rise fast

to arrest the situation before

innocent people are humiliated.

Obviously, proper publicity

would have been carried out

to intimate the people about

the ongoing military displays

in those affected LGAs, but

where that was not done, the

military should immediately

withdraw their personnel for

the sake of peace.''

ADF protests skewed

appointment of judges

against S-East

By Dennis Agbo

THE ALAIGBO Develop

ment Foundation, ADF,

has petitioned President Mohammadu

Buhari and the

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice

Tanko Mohammed over

on-going appointment of Justices

of the Court of Appeal

which it alleged was being

manipulated to deliberately

deny the South-East its quota

and appropriate number of

Justices in the Court of Appeal.

The Igbo group said the appointments

negated the principle

of Federal Character as

enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

In the petition signed by its

President, Prof. Uzodinma

Nwala, ADF called on the authorities

to intervene in the ongoing

exercise by the National

Judicial Council, NJC,

which made recommendations

for appointment of certain

persons as Justices of the

Court of Appeal.

ADF described the marginalisation

of South-East in the

appointments as "unfortunate,

improper and unjustifiable

decision of the NJC to

marginalize and emasculate

the South-East geo-political

zone in the exercise."

ADF said that it was very

unjust and unfair for only one

Justice to be appointed from

the South-East out of 20 Justices

that are being appointed

from the six geopolitical

zones, whereas the other zones

such as North-West was allocated

eight slots; North- East

three; North-Central two;

South-West four and South-

South two.

"The NJC recommendation

is a brazen act of injustice and

inequity meted against the

South-East and we appeal to

President Buhari and the CJN

Justice Tanko Mohammed to

intervene and save the situation."

"To allow the current exercise

characterized by lack of

transparency and political

manoeuvres to sail through

would be antithetical to the

evolution of an upright judiciary."

Anambra APC alleges IPOB

attack at revalidation centres

By Vincent Ujumadu

AWKA—THE All Progres

sives Congress, APC, in

Anambra State alleged, weekend,

that some people suspected

to be members of the Indigenous

People of Biafra, IPOB,

attacked its officials at Isseke

in Ihiala Local Council during

the ongoing registration and

revalidation exercise taking

place across the country.

State chairman of the party,

Chief Basil Ejidike, who spoke

during the party's stakeholders

meeting in Awka said the attackers

carted away materials

meant for the exercise.

The stakeholder's meeting

was attended by the state leader

of the party and Minister of

Labour and Employment, Senator

Chris Ngige, all the governorship

aspirants for the November

6 election in the state,

President Muhammadu Buhari's

aides and the state leadership

of APC.

According to Ejidike, the

party had already instructed

Ihiala local government area

supervisors to furnish it with

the full details of the incident

for proper action to the taken

He said: "There was a reported

incident of attack on

our workers by suspected

members of the Indigenous

People of Biafra, IPOB, who

carted away materials meant

for the registration exercise in

Isseke, Ihiala local government

area. We have already

requested the local government

area supervisors to furnish

us with details."

Apart from the IPOB incident,

there was also a report

that registration officials were

facing a lot of pressure from

some stakeholders in Orumba

area of the state, who allegedly

were trying to manipulate

the exercise, thereby creating

tension at the centres.

However, the chairman said

the party needed more materials

for the exercise in many

locations as the ones sent were

not enough to cover the 4,907

polling units in the state.

Anambra 2021: Ngige, PDP,

APC can't stop APGA —Umeh

AWKA—FORMER Na

tional Chairman of the

All Progressives Grand Alliance,

APGA, Senator Victor

Umeh, poop-poohed claims by

Senator Chris Ngige, minister

of Labour and Employment,

and leader of the All Progressives

Congress, APC in Anambra

State that APC was prepared

to win the November 6

Anambra governorship election.

Describing Ngige as a boastful

politician who has never

won an election freely in the

state, Umeh also said that the

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP

cannot stop APGA.

He said: "What happened in

2017 is supposed to be fresh in

the mind of Dr Chris Ngige

whom I read in various newspapers

insulting APGA, insulting

the government, and writing

us off."

Promising that Senator

Ngige would lose his ward in

the Anambra governorship

election, Umeh said: "He has

boasted repeatedly and on each

occasion, we defeated him to

stupor. APGA as a party has a

structure in every corner in Anambra

State. He is boasting

that he must take power from

APGA and flush us out on November

6. After all his boasts in

the previous elections, he has

always lost his ward. And on

November 6, 2021, he will lose

his ward again. Because he has

never won in his ward. When

he says these things I don't know

whether he thinks that we are

no longer alive. He is a customer

I have had since 2003.

"In 2003, we defeated him

in almost all the polling units

in Anambra State and PDP

rigged the election and put him

in power. And we went to the

court and got rid of him. In

2010, he tried it again and we

bashed him very badly. So, he

has always been losing election

to APGA.

14 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

:Vanguard News

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

VISIT: Chief of the

Naval Staff, Rear

Admiral Awwal

Gambo,

presenting a

souvenir to the

Commandant

Armed Forces

Command and

Staff College, Jaji,

Air Vice Marshal

Abubakar Liman,

during the

Commandant’s

visit to the Naval

Headquarters, in

Abuja.

COAS gives troops 48-hrs to recapture

Borno communities from insurgents

•We've been forced out of council secretariat for over 2 yrs —LG Boss

•As fire outbreak renders over 1200 IDPs homeless

By Ndahi Marama

M Chief AIDUGURI—THE

of Army Staff,

COAS, Major General Ibrahim

Attahiru yesterday gave

troops of the Nigerian Army,

'Operation Lafiya Dole' 48

hours to clear insurgents off

Marte Local Government

Area, LGA, of Borno State recently

seized by Boko

Gov Sule partners UNDP to tackle food

insecurity •Donates 400 hectares of land

By David Odama

LAbdullahi AFIA—GOVERNOR

Sule of Nasarawa

State weekend said the

State Government would involve

agencies and organizations

willing to develop

agriculture and ensure food

security in the state.

This came as the state government

donated 400 hectares

of land to the United

Nations Development Programme,

UNDP, in Awe and

Keana Local Government

Areas, LGAs, for agriculture

aimed at addressing food insecurity.

The governor who spoke

through his Special Adviser

on NGOs and Development

Partners, Mrs Munirat Abdullahi,

while handing over

the land to the representatives

of UNDP noted that the

donation was aimed at ensuring

food security in the

state through mechanised

farming.

Sule explained that the

project was a component of

the peace building projects

of his administration in collaboration

with the UNDP, to

address the plight of persons

affected by farmers, herders'

crisis.

He said 300 farmers each

from Jangwa and Ribi communities

of Awe Giza and

Kadarko in Keana LGAs,

who were affected during the

crisis, were the targeted

beneficiaries of the UNDP

project..

"Over 10, 000 family

members are expected to

benefit from the positive impact

of the project at the end

of the programme," the governor,

stated..

Sule explained that apart

from making available 400

hectares of land in the benefiting

communities, the state

government would also offer

technical assistance, while

the UNDP would provide

farming inputs, equipment

and other resources to ensure

the success of the programme

insisting that the state government

would always work with

all genuine organizations towards

improving on the standards

of the people.

Governor Sule urged corporate

organizations and

wealthy individuals to invest

in agriculture, to enhance

food security and eliminate

restiveness among youths in

Delta HoS cautions civil servants on 2nd wave of

COVID-19

ASABA—DELTA State

Head of Service, HoS,

Mr. Reginald Bayoko, has

cautioned Civil Servants in

the state against non adherence

to the COVID-19 safety

protocols, saying the reality

and gravity of the second

wave of the pandemic

is more devastating.

Mr. Bayoko gave the advice

when he granted audience

to the Chairman of the

State Primary Health Care

Development Agency, Dr.

Isioma Okobah, who led

other members of the Board

and some management

staff of the Agency on an

advocacy visit to the office

of the HOS in Asaba.

The HoS, while admonishing

civil servants in the

Haram insurgents.

General Attahiru also directed

troops to clear terrorists

off Kirenowa, Kirta,

Wulgo, Chikingudo communities

of Marte and Ngala

local government areas

in the state.

He gave the ultimatum

while addressing troops of

the Nigerian Army Super

camp 9, Dikwa, saying "areas

around Marte, Chikingudu,

Wulgo Kirenowa and

Kirta must be cleared in the

next 48 hours. You should be

rest assured of all support

you required in this very

onerous task.

" I have just spoken to the

Theater Commander, and the

General Officer Commanding

7 Division, you must not

let this nation down. Go back

and do the needful and I will

the country.

Receiving the land on behalf

of the UNDP, the Project

Manager of Thrive Agric, an

implementing partner of the

UNDP, Enyi James, expressed

gratitude to the state government

for the donation and

support towards improving

the lives of farmers.

He assured the government

that UNDP would soon commence

agricultural activities

in the area, to assist in addressing

issues of food security in

the state and the country

stressing that they would train

the farmers on modern techniques,

provide boreholes and

supply them with farming inputs,

to enable them engage

in dry season farming.

be right behind you."

Meanwhile the Executive

Chairman of Guzamala LGA

of Borno State, Umar Kyari,

lamented that since Boko

Haram terrorists dislodged

thousands of residents in the

last two and half years, all operations

of the council were

being done at Nganzai LGA..

The Guzamala council

chairman said, residents were

in a very difficult situation

compounded by last week fire

outbreak which took place in

Nganzai Internally Displaced

Persons, IDPs camp, which

rendered over 1,200 Guzamala

persons homeless with no

food or means of livelihoods.

According to him: " Recall

that in the year 2018, we in

Guzamala Local Government

Area Jubilated when

troops of Operation Last Hold

accompanied us including

6,000 IDPS back to Gudumbali,

the Headquarter of

Guzamala Local Government,

we couldn't stay there

for a long, as Boko haram dislodged

troops and the civil

population.

"Precisely on 20 June 2018,

we were forced out of Guzamala

and now taking refuge

at various camps in the state.

" Since then, Guzamala

Local Government secretariat

and administrative

works are been operated

temporarily in Nganzai Local

Government Area.

State to strictly observe all

COVID-19 safety guidelines

to prevent the spread of the

disease, faulted perceptions

in some quarters that the

deadly virus only struck high

calibre personalities in the

society, describing such belief

as erroneous, baseless

and could not stand scientific

verifications.

He commended the management

of the Agency for

its sustained campaign

against the COVID-19 pandemic

in the state, saying

there was the need to complement

the efforts of the

State Government at combating

the spread of the virus

towards saving lives in

the state. He emphasised

that the need for continuous

checking of body temperature

before entering any government

premises, proper

wearing of face mask, use of

alcohol based hand sanitizers

and provision of soap

and water for washing of

hand before entering any

government establishment

in the state.

Earlier, the Chairman of

the Agency, Dr. Isioma

Okobah, told the HoS that

the visit was to solicit for the

collaboration of the office of

the HoS to sensitise civil servants

on the need to adhere

to preventive protocols

against the virus. She noted

that such a collaborative effort

would go a long way in

stemming the rising tide of

the pandemic. Okobah

begged for acceptance of the

prescribed vaccine for the

treatment of the virus in the

state.

Rising tension: Stop ethnic

profiling, pursue peace

—Olawepo-Hashim

By Soni Daniel,

Northern Region

Editor

ABUJA—AS ethnic tension

rises across the country,

former presidential candidate,

Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim,

has warned Nigerians to

desist from engaging in ethnic

profiling so as not to worsen

the situation and embolden

Nigeria's enemies to create

more crises for the nation.

The politician and businessman,

who was reacting to rising

ethnic tension in the land,

warned that pitching one ethnic

group against the other

and pushing for attacks and

reprisal attacks could only

promote more suspicion and

mistrust and lead to avoidable

destruction.

In a statement made available

to Vanguard in Abuja yesterday,

Mr Olawepo-Hashim,

expressed serious concern over

the ongoing attacks and

counter attacks arising from

the age-long farmers-herders

conflicts and exacerbated by

other security challenges, but

warned that they should never

be a justification for ethnic stereotyping

capable of provoking

ethnic pogroms.

Olawepo-Hashim said: "All

patriotic Nigerians should be

worried. I am worried. We all

have roles to play, community

leaders and social organizations

must tone down divisive

rhetoric," he said.

"Now is the time to motivate

and encourage various

security agencies to step up

their games. Now is the time

for government leaders to act

as statesmen. We must unite

to save the nation.

"Public officers at all levels

must avoid statements and

actions that show support for

any party to the conflict as it

has tendency to undermine

national cohesion and security.

"On clashes between herders

and farmers all over Nigeria,

it is well agreed by all

reasonable citizens and leaders

that a pastoral practice

that ruins the legitimate businesses

of others, must immediately

give way to a more acceptable

and modern arrangement.

"We need a transition to a

system that accommodates

the aspirations of poor farmers

and herders who have long

been neglected by successive

governments. This is the most

urgent task of public policy

at both State and Federal levels.

US-based newspaper, NIDO to

host conference on patriotism

among Nigerians

NEW YORK—A US-based

media organisation,

Global Patriot Newspapers

(GPNews), is set to host an international

conference aimed

at reviving the spirit of patriotism

among Nigerians.

GPNews is organising the

virtual conference in collaboration

with the Nigerians in

Diaspora Organisation

(NIDO), New Jersey Chapter,

with support from the Nigerian

consulate in New York.

The event, billed for March

6, will address issues around

national development, constitutionality,

governance, security,

politics, human rights and

justice in Nigeria, according

to the organisers.

In a statement, the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

of GPNews,

Mr Simon Ibe, and the President,

NIDO New Jersey, Dr

Kazeem Bello, said the forum

would feature top government

officials, renowned academics,

and pro-democracy and

human rights activists

"The event is an attempt to

question the root causes of

lack of patriotic fervour

among many Nigerians and

what should be done to reverse

the trend.

"There will be questions as

to why some are not proud of

their motherland, will not buy

locally-made products and

are ever ready to badmouth

their country.

"Focus will be on the need

for love for country in the conduct

of government business

and interactions between individuals

and entities in the

polity," they said.

According to them, the conference

is seeking to establish

mantras such as 'Nigeria first',

'Love the motherland', 'Buy

Nigeria', 'Promote Nigeria'

and 'Die for Nigeria'.

The organisers said login

details of the nonpartisan

webinar, scheduled to begin

at 4 p.m. (West African Time)

would be released soon.

Abavo community honours

DBS GM

IN RECOGNITION of his

outstanding contributions

to the development of Journalism

and advancement to the

overall growth of Abavo community,

the General Manager

of Delta Broadcasting Service,

DBS, Asaba Mr Frank

Whyte Osabohien has been honoured

with an Award of Excellence.

The President General of

Abavo Development Union,

World Wide, Jonathan Agbejiagwe

said the gesture was to

appreciate and encourage the

awardee to continue to work

for the good of the society, saying

that Mr Osabohien was a

strong source of inspiration to

the younger generation and

youths in particular.

Agbejiagwe acknowledged

the positive development currently

going on in the state

broadcast outfit describing

the General Manager as an

agent of positive change who

deserved the support and cooperation

of all stakeholders.

He urged him to remain

resolute and focused in the execution

of his strategic plans

and development vision for

DBS, Asaba.

The Chairman of DBS,

Asaba, Comrade Felix Ofuo

described the Award as

unique and significant considering

the fact that it came

from the Awardee's Community.

Receiving the Award, Mr

Osabohien commended the

leadership of Abavo Community

and the traditional Ruler

of Abavo Kingdom Uche Irenuma

11 for finding him Worthy

for the Award.

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 15

16 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Send Opinions & Letters to:

opinions1234@yahoo.com

Bala Mohammed school of

anarchism and disunity

THE Nigerian state has never

been as divided and besieged

in its 107-year Amalgamation, as

it is witnessing today. The 1966-

67 crises which led to the threeyear

Civil War was roughly

between two parts of the country.

In the present crises, all parts of

the country are in turmoil. The

North East is besieged by the Boko

Haram and Islamic State

terrorists, the North-West by

marauding bandits who have

seized territories and the North

Central by terrorists and bandits,

many of them, foreigners. The

southern part of the country while

having issues of criminality,

cultism and ethno-nationalism,

has the general challenge of

kidnapping and banditry

perpetuated mainly by men

identified as criminal elements of

Fulani ancestry from within and

outside the country who

camouflage as herdsmen.

In his January 2019, interview

with Arise Television in Abuja,

President Muhammadu Buhari

explained this phenomenon to the

Nigerian people: “The Nigerian

cattle herder used to carry nothing

more than a stick, but these are

people with AK-47 and people

refuse to reflect on the demise of

Gaddafi. Gaddafi for 43 years in

By OLUDAYO TADE

LORI-IRO (based on deliberate falsehood

or lie) is a metaphoric expression which

unpacks the relationship of falsehood between

Nigerian politicians and the public.

Popularised recently by an Ibadan based street

evangelist, Gbadamosi Ismail, Lórí-Iró is useful

in dissecting the failures of social institutions

in Nigeria. It reveals how relationships are

consummated based on lies and culminates

in heartbreaks, broken relationships, and

fragile national unity. Blessed with deceitful

lips, an average Nigerian politician, whether

holding an umbrella or broom, mesmerises

vulnerable electorates with messianic posture

as harbinger of growth, development, peace

and prosperity.

This is the social context that characterised

the ascendancy of the repackaged candidate,

Muhammadu Buhari, who had been serially

rejected thrice. His rejections then were

anchored on electorates’ fear of voting a

religious fundamentalist and a clannish lord.

Those in opposition then, particularly from

western Nigeria campaigned against

candidate Buhari for fear of violence, clannish

rule and alleged Islamisation agenda. By 2014,

the opposites harmonised with assemblage of

strange bird fellows and the foundation of what

we experience today was laid by ambitious

acclaimed leaders who failed to learn anything

from history. They clothed candidate Buhari

as converted democrat. Their campaign was

anchored on lori-iro and they presented a false

outward identity and pretended that the inward

identity of their candidate was no longer

important.

Today, that Lórí-Iró identity is hunting the

national life as fear of victimisation by bandits

and terror herders envelopes the land. The

regret now is that President Buhari who

promised to fight corruption, defeat terrorism

and fix the economy has not delivered on this

Libya, at some stage, he decided to

recruit people from Mali, Burkina

Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, from

Central African Republic and these

young chaps are not taught to be

bricklayers, electricians, plumbers

or any trade but to shoot and kill.

So, when the opposition in Libya

succeeded in killing him, they

arrested some and they did what

they did to them. The rest escaped

with their orphans and we

encounter some of them in the

North-East and they are all over

the place now organising attacks.”

With tension threatening to boil

over, the Northern States

Governors’ Forum, NSGF, met in

a virtual conference of February

9, 2021 and declared: “The current

system of herding mainly through

open grazing is no longer

sustainable, in view of growing

urbanisation and population of the

country.” They, therefore,

suggested the adoption of modern

methods of herding including

ranching. The governors asked

political authorities in the states

to isolate criminality from herding,

hunting or farming and bring

criminals including those illegally

occupying forest reserves, to book.

They said they are working to

douse tension generated by the

eviction order issued to criminal

tripod upon which his government is mounted.

Many of his statements, one of which is ‘I belong

to nobody’ has come to be appreciated as Lórí-

Iró based on lived experiences of Nigerians

since 2015. From 2010 through to 2016,

Nigeria’s best ranking on the global

Corruption Perceptions Index, CPI, has been

136 out of the 176 countries. By the end of

2019 when PMB contested second term, CPI

of Nigeria was 146 and nosedived further to

149 in the 2020 CPI ranking.

Although the government is challenging the

2020 CPI report, the National Bureau of

Statistics, NBS, 2019 study affirmed the

deepening corruption under Buhari and the

upward mobility of insecurity as the major

concern of Nigerians. Under this presidency,

might is right and criminal herdsmen are

unleashing terror on farming communities,

raping, kidnapping and grabbing ancestral

lands. This is what I call, herdsmen

Self-help is activated when

government fails to live up to the

constitutional roles of assuring

safety of lives and properties

nationalism. Herdsmen nationalism is the

notion that the cultures of the Fulani and its

herding community and their interests are

superior to any other cultures in Nigeria.

Emboldened by this ethnocentrism and the

desire to actualise it, criminal herdsmen are

strengthened with the current political capital

in Aso-rock. They are energised and

empowered by the consciousness that their

patron is in power and the pendulum of power

tilts to their side. Mouthing the narrative of

having right to live anywhere as ‘Nigerians’,

criminal herdsmen trample on the livelihoods

of farmers, rape their women, displace them

and acquire their lands. The consequences of

these intended actions are food insecurity as

farmers can no longer access their farms owing

herdsmen in some parts of the

country, with threats of reprisals,

and urged Nigerians to live

peacefully as an entity.

Two days later, Governor Bala

Mohammed of Bauchi State,

broke ranks with his northern

governor colleagues, distancing

himself from their communiqué.

Using the platform of the Bauchi

Correspondents’ Chapel magazine

launch, he fired three carefully

packaged rocket launchers at their

peace efforts.

In his first salvo, Mohammed

claimed that because: “the Fulani

man…has been exposed to cattle

rustlers who carry a gun, kill him

and take away his cows he has no

option (but) to carry AK 47 because

the government and the society are

not protecting him. It’s the fault of

the government.” In this, he

justifies the proliferation of arms

in the country and killer herdsmen

Governor Bala

Mohammed is like a

hunter who uses a goat

to set a trap; he cannot

plan to catch a rabbit; he

certainly plans to catch

something bigger than

his bait

carrying guns. Secondly, he places

them above the laws of the country

including Nigerian Firearms Act

of 1990 which provides that no

person shall “have in his

possession or under his control any

firearm or ammunition except

such person has a licence from the

President or from the Inspector-

General of Police”.

A governor who swore to uphold

the constitution and laws of

Nigeria, makes superfluous

arguments for some people in the

country not to obey the laws of the

country. Since he is aware, as

Lórí-Iró leadership and herdsmen nationalism

President Buhari explained in

2019, that many of these armed

bandits are mercenaries, the

governor cannot be patriotic in

defending their profession and

rationalising their criminality. He

presents the criminals as victims

and falsely accuses Nigerians as

being responsible for their

situation.

In his Monday, September 16,

2019 interview on Channels

Television, Bala Mohammed had

rationalised the invasion of

Nigeria by such men. “The Fulani

man is a global or African person.

He moves from The Gambia to

Senegal and his nationality is

Fulani…As a person I may have

my relations in Cameroon but they

are also Fulani. I am a Fulani man

from my maternal side, we

(Nigerians) will just have to take

this as our own heritage,

something that is African. So we

cannot just close our borders and

say the Fulani man is just a

Nigerian….They are all Nigerians

because their identity, their

citizenship is Nigerian even

though they have relatives from all

over the world. So, presumably

they are Nigerians because they

move all over and have relations

all over. That is why our

population in Nigeria is fluid.” So,

Mohammed knows precisely

those he is making a case for.

His second salvo against the

Northern Governors is that

Nigeria is a no-man’s land:

“Nobody owns any forests in

Nigeria, it’s owned by Nigeria.

Under Section 23, 24 and 25 of the

constitution, every Nigerian is free

to stay anywhere.” His third false

claim is that: "The West (Yoruba)

doesn’t want to accommodate

other tribes but we are

accommodating your tribe in

Bauchi.” He also attacked the Tivs

on the same claims. In this, he

to fear of being attacked by terror herders and

public resistance to herdsmen atrocities in

southern Nigeria. The negligence of

governments and perceived pampering of

criminal herders by the security agencies

underlie ongoing sustained resistance and

outcry against criminal herders in southern

Nigeria. This is happening because our Lórí-

Iró leaderships are negating the lyrical counsel

preached in our national anthem that ‘living

just and true’ enables a country to attain lofty

heights of nationhood to build a country where

peace and justice reign. Nigeria’s Lórí-Iró

leaders only sing the national anthem but do

not act the lyrics. While leadership at the

national and sub-national levels are preaching

peaceful living, little is being said about justice.

Justice is the pillar upon which peace stands.

Justice is needed for those killed, kidnapped,

raped and displaced in farming communities

by criminal herders.

We are often reminded (based on lies/loriiro)

that we are one indivisible country even

though there are obvious diversities. For

instance, southern Nigeria operates Criminal

Code while northern Nigeria operates Penal

Code. Some states in northern Nigeria operate

Sharia law with Sharia court and their

enforcement agents. Whoever is found within

that space irrespective of whether you believe

in it or not must comply. Child Rights Act is

implemented in most southern states while

northern states have been lukewarm. Show me

how many southerners have violated cultural

and religious norms in northern Nigeria and

have been spared without sanction. What then

gives a criminal herder the right to migrate

down South to cause acrimony and challenge

local norms, values and laws governing human

conducts?

Self-help is activated when government fails

to live up to the constitutional roles of assuring

safety of lives and properties. When nobody is

sure of tomorrow or who the next victim of

strives to stoke the ethnic tension

and pour petrol on it.

I have asked myself why Bala

Mohammed is championing this

strand of anarchism and disunity.

It cannot be for money, because

even as executive governor with

unrestricted access to security

votes, he is very rich. I also do not

believe he is high on anything.

However, the immediate past of the

governor revealed that he was

facing criminal charges before he

ran to be governor which gave him

automatic immunity from

prosecution of any kind until he is

out of office.

The Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission, EFCC, had

in 2016 arrested Bala Mohammed

for alleged involvement in a N1.6

trillion questionable land

allocation to Aso Savings Limited

in the Federal Capital Territory.

The anti-graft agency had on May

10, 2017, arraigned Mohammed

before Justice Abubakar Talba of

the Gudu Division of the Federal

Capital Territory High Court for

an initial N864 million fraud. The

governor’s son, Shamsudeen Bala,

was also charged with laundering

about N1.1 billion.

So can Bala Mohammed’s

gambit be to put himself out as

champion of the Fulani herders so

that if his prosecution eventually

reopens, he would claim he is

being persecuted for his claimed

Fulani origins? Can it be that he is

sending signals to the ruling All

Progressives Congress that he is

game and would want the case

against him dropped entirely?

Some kind of calculation must

be going on. Governor Bala

Mohammed is like a hunter who

uses a goat to set a trap; he cannot

plan to catch a rabbit; he certainly

plans to catch something bigger

than his bait.

criminality will be, a defensible space

approach becomes inevitable and this is

manifested in territorial protection against

perceived enemies. The mindset of criminal

herders is better appreciated through the lens

of the governor of Bauchi State, Bala

Muhammed, who postulated the theory of AK-

47 defence. This governor who is a Fulani from

his maternal side had hitherto asked Nigerians

in a television interview to continue to live with

the realities of herders. This is why a

sympathetic Fulani headed government

cannot shut borders on criminal herders

migrating into Nigeria to wreck havoc at the

expense of law-abiding indigenous Fulani

herders. Bala Muhammed informs us that the

AK-47 assault rifle brandished by criminal

Fulani herders is for self-defence and protection

against their endangered lives and livelihoods

in the forests.

If Fulani are being profiled, Sheik Gumi’s

motivated trip into the den of Fulani bandits

in Zamfara affirmed that framing. Gumi

revealed meeting with over one battalion

(1,000) of armed Fulani bandits in three

locations inside Zamfara forest. He claims that

the bandits are angry with their governor but

refused to reveal the reasons for their anger.

His advocacy is now how to use state resources

to placate bandits created by the system they

run. Down South and within the same

administration, harmless #ENDSARS

protesters are hounded and dehumanised by

security forces. This is the tragedy of the

inequality in securing Nigeria - the State

negotiates with terrorists and bandits but

clamps down on genuine and harmless

protesters. What government is saying is that

the kingdom of Nigeria suffereth violence and

only the violent sits with the high and mighty

in government and gets the best treatment. This

is a path to destruction as criminals in other

zones will adopt similar approach and demand

to be appeased.

Continues online. www.vanguardngr.com

•Dr. Tade, a sociologist wrote via

Dotad2003@yahoo.com

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 17

Send Opinions & Letters to:

opinions1234@yahoo.com

Men in dark times (1)

THE Voice of Reason, VOR,

Lecture Series are dedicated to

the memory of the late Goke

Omisore, businessman and scion of

one of the great aristocratic families

from Ile-Ife, Arole Olagoke Omisore

was born on February 19, 1949. He

passed away on October 7, 2018, age

of 69.

I never had the privilege of meeting

Arole on this earth plane. But his

reputation went far and wide. He

was well known as a man of culture;

the quintessential Omoluabi that is

widely celebrated in the humane

ideals of Yoruba civilisation. May his

soul rest in peace!

The German-Jewish political

philosopher Hannah Arendt was

one of the most gifted women of her

generation. She had to flee in order

to escape the holocaust. She was one

of those who kept hope alive even as

fellow Jewish intellectuals like the

remarkable Walter Benjamin

succumbed to despair and suicide.

In her book, Men in Dark Times

(Harcourt Brace, 1968), Arendt

underlined the importance of

keeping hope alive even in the

darkest hour: “even in the darkest of

times we have the right to expect

some illumination…from the

uncertain, flickering, and often weak

light that some men and women, in

their lives and their works, will kindle

under almost all circumstances and

shed over the time span that was

given to them”.

Our duty as watchmen in these

days of blood and iron is to read the

signs, the times and the season - to

stand sentry against the barbarians

at the gates. Things have never been

so bad. The only thing worse was our

bitter civil war in which an estimated

two to three million perished.

In a manner of speaking, we have

been at war for the past decade; a

low-intensity civil war waged on our

people by Boko Haram, herdsmen

militias, Islamic Jihad and the lot. A

war of conquest and hegemony

deploying the weapons of

kidnapping, rape, rapine,

beheadings and land dispossession.

What is unsettling about this war

is that a government we elected to

protect us seems to have taken sides

with the Enemy. I make bold to say

so, because of the N100 billion that

was allegedly paid from our

national treasury into the coffers of

Miyetti Allah, a terrorist

organisation. I say so, because one

of the governors confessed on

national telelvision that they had

gone to neighbouring countries to

bribe foreign Fulani leaders so that

they will not come back and kill

more people. I say so, because of the

appeasement, the double-face, the

prevarication, the taqiyya, the deceit

and dissimulation.

We have spent something like a

quarter of our national budget on

defence and security, with nothing

to show for it. Insecurity is big

business. A cartel of civilians and

military is game-theoretically

profiteering from the cauldron. A

sordid gravy-train. Many times, the

weapons from our military end up

in the hands of the terrorists; many

of whom are also adorned in our

army and police uniforms. Those

detained are later set free. Some of

the killers have allegedly been

inducted into our armed forces while

others have been given overseas

scholarships. It is the mystery of

iniquity.

The allegations of a sinister

agenda of Islamisation and

Fulanisation by former President,

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, might not

be that far-fetched after all. This is

reinforced by the body-language,

hermeneutics and gestalt of this

administration; by the crass

nepotism that characterises the

regime at all levels.

Nowhere is this more pronounced

than in the national security

architecture. At a recent public

lecture in Abuja, Navy Commodore

Kayode Olofinmoyin (retd), a former

Military Administrator of Ogun

State, caused a furore when he

criticised the “unhealthy”

composition of the National

Security Council whereby nine of the

If millions are to

perish because of

the diabolical

wickedness of a

few politicians, it

shall be my duty to

stop them

11 members come from the Muslim

North while only two are from the

South. I would add that none is from

the Middle Belt. The retired naval

officer described this skewed

composition of our security

officialdom as an abuse of the very

spirit of our federalism and a factor

in the rising geopolitical tension

across the country.

There is also the silence of the

northern intelligentsia. A silence that

speaks louder than words. The

German theologian, Dietrich

Bonhoeffer, who faced up to Adolf

and the Nazis and paid the supreme

price for his courage and daring,

declared that, “Silence in the face of

evil is itself evil: God will not hold us

guiltless. Not to speak is to speak.

Not to act is to act.”

One northern governor even had

the inanity to say that “Not all

bandits are criminals and not all

Boko Haram are terrorists.” This is

akin to saying that not all demons

are wicked and not all fallen angels

are evil. Oxymoron of the century.

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah’s

Christmas homily drew a lot of ire

in the expected quarters. But his key

message resonated with most

Nigerians: that the president is

turning nepotism into a state policy;

that our country under his leadership

appears to be heading towards

darkness; that the government is

systematically institutionalising

northern hegemony by “reducing

others in public life to second-class

status”; that even the North that the

president ostensibly seeks to favour,

has not fared any better; and that

“ours has become a house of horror,

with fear stalking our homes,

highways, cities, hamlets and entire

communities”.

But words are not enough. Those

who are about to die reserve the right

to fight back. It is a sacred duty. The

right to life is guaranteed in our

constitution. Nigeria is also a

signatory to the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights. The

Law of Nations since Hugo Grotius,

Natural Justice, Equity, and

Universal Global Ethics prescribe

that communities that face an

existential threat to their very

survival have not only a right but also

a bounden duty and moral

obligation, to resort to self-help if the

state is unable and/or unwilling to

protect them.

General Theophilus Yakubu

Danjuma (retd) said as much during

a convocation lecture he delivered

in his home state of Taraba in August

2018. Expressing disappointment at

the failure of the military and the

federal authorities to protect

ordinary people in the face of

horrendous assaults to lives and

property, the General declared: “our

armed forces are not neutral. They

collude with the bandits to kill

people, kill Nigerians. If you are

depending on the armed forces to

stop the killings, you will all die one

by one.”

Amotekun and Eastern Security

Network, ESN, are justified by law,

universal ethics and the doctrine of

necessity. Ondo State Governor

Rotimi Akerodolu was well within

his rights to order the flushing out of

alien bandits illegally occupying the

forest reserves within his jurisdiction;

alien herdsmen that have been

killing, raping and kidnapping

innocent citizens. Sunday Igboho is

a brave hero of his people. The war

drums are out. The dogs of war are

howling. The hyenas are baying for

blood. The vultures of history are

hovering over an overcast sky.

Not too long ago, I raised the alarm

about some evil people that were

planning to plunge our country into

civil war. For speaking out, I was

hounded and persecuted. A ransom

was paid for my head. My former

colleagues on the Editorial Board of

the Daily Trust newspapers treated

my testimony with unbelievable

venom and contumely. They

ridiculed my academic

qualifications and poured scorn on

my person. It was the ultimate

betrayal by people I once regarded

as friends.

Today, I am feeling vindicated. The

respected cleric Sheikh Ahmad

Abubakar Gumi came out recently

to say that “Mailafia was right”. God

knows, I did not speak out of malice

or spite. I spoke out of a deep sense

of moral conscience and moral

responsibility. If millions are to

perish because of the diabolical

wickedness of a few politicians, it

shall be my duty to stop them. The

philosopher Immanuel Kant noted

that “We are not rich by what we

possess but by what we can do

without.” I can do without a lot. I

am a humanist, a philosopher and a

servant of the Most High. I fear only

the Lord. The enemies of liberty are

my enemies forever.

(Being the text of the Second

Goke Omisore Voice of Reason

Annual Lecture, Delivered by Zoom

on Friday, February 19, 2021)

Nigeria: A country that lives in denial

By SUNDAY ONYEMAECHI EZE

NIGERIA is a country living in denial of

its division, challenges and troubled

chequered history. Anybody who lays claim to

the fact that the country is united now is living

in illusion or is outrightly delusional. Right

before and after independence, there was

already a misunderstanding and suspicion

accompanied by regional power intrigues

which characterised that era.

People could not see the cold war brewing

among the regional trio. The three regional

leaders of Azikiwe, Awolowo and Ahmadu

Bello did not buy into the same thinking and

understanding of what Nigeria should or

ought to be.

One should have seen that from their dress

codes, mannerisms, regional policies and

commentaries. While the South East and West

were ready for independence, the North took

another three years to be ready. The pre and

post independent political events and the

unfortunate civil war were sore reminders of

our continuous troubled history.

Since then, there has been this growing

suspicion and mistrust among the major ethnic

groups. Besides, no government both military

and democratic has made genuine effort

towards resolving Nigeria's lingering

problems. Committed leaders of war-torn

nations were able to make history by uniting

their people and returning to the global arena,

but what did our leaders do?

They were more interested in setting up

cosmetic committees and conferences

designed abinitio to feather their political nests

rather than addressing the governance deficit,

general societal malaise and decadence.

Until someone is willing to address the

numerous demands and grievances of all and

set out a genuine mechanism of peaceful

coexistence, the nation will continue to be in

disarry. One finds it often laughable when those

in government echo their commitment towards

ensuring that to make Nigeria one is a task

than must be accomplished.

In fact, government is gradually losing or

has lost its credibility with the way events are

unfolding. Emergency regional leaders like

Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho and even

leaders of Boko Haram and banditry groups

are creations of a clueless government. These

emergency regional leaders stand for their

people and render those services government

ought to have rendered but refused to.

A country not decimated by the

contours of tribe, ethnicity and

religion should have stood with

one united voice in the quest to

end the atrocities of SARS

Nature abhors vacuum. We seem to

underestimate the power of these non state

actors but it is becoming glaring that despite

labeling them and their groups as terrorists,

many people still believe in them.

One could imagine that government's

seeming commitment always comes in form

of generic press statements issued by Garba

Shehu and co. who I am quite sure are tired of

doing one thing all the time to expect different

results.

Who takes the presidential media aides

seriously now? When it was obvious that the

ex-service chiefs had run out of ideas to tackle

insecurity in the land, the same government

left them on the saddle for additional years

with a reward of non career ambassadors after

retirement. Someone says the bonus was a

canopy to escape the waiting dragnet of the

International Criminal Court.

Never in the history of Nigeria have the

recruitment processes into key government

offices become a sore point of controversy and

conflict. One section of the country has enjoyed

major patronage than others. The facts and

figures are available for people to see but

government, like the ostrich continues to hide

its head in the sand, offering its body for the

doubting Thomases to take selfies as evidence.

Issues of leadership and recruitment

processes, constitution amendment, revenue

sharing formula, good governance,

restructuring, resource control, insecurity, and

fiscal federalism have been at the heart of

Nigeria's problem. However, people in and

outside government who are beneficiaries of

the old order will suffocate every proposed

change that seeks to confront their inordinate

desire or interest to accumulate power and

wealth.

The #ENDSARS protest had widened the

already existing divide between the North and

South. While the protest against the high level

of impunity among SARS units and general

police brutality in the country was successful

in the South, the North seemed not to be

bothered.

Most states in the North did not participate

in the protest giving credence to the fact that

something was amiss. There is a general

consensus that SARS activities have gone

overboard, therefore, a country not decimated

by the contours of tribe, ethnicity and religion

should have stood with one united voice in the

quest to end the atrocities of SARS.

Today, the quit notices issued to Fulani

herdsmen living in others parts of Nigeria leave

a sour taste in the mouth. The killings and

burning of Hausa businesses in Ibadan have

added another ugly dimension. It is

condemnable to kill the innocent and

stereotype a group. The stereotyped group

should wash itself off such elements which gave

them a bad name, but is it a coincidence that

almost everybody is pointing accusing fingers

against Fulani? Government officials and

individuals concerned are feasting on the rage

of the moment; some are threatening fire and

brimstone.

Fanning the embers of violence with our

monthly data plans while in our cosy homes is

misguided. Every region now has own

narratives championed by those who have no

business in leading. But the question is: have

we really addressed the generic problems and

issues? The answer is no! Those who should

seek for the balm of Gilead are the trouble

makers themselves.

Having spent most of my adult life in the

North and still counting, I can authoritatively

say that the North is a fertile ground for

businesses, growth and development. Many

are those who had nothing upon arrival in the

North but are millionaires today. People of the

North are very accommodating, trustworthy

and very friendly. The life of an average

northerner is simple and lived for that day

because tomorrow will take care of itself.

The expanse land in the North is an asset yet

to be tapped by both government and

individuals. The import of rich asset like land

for agriculture and agri-businesses has not

caught the attention of northern leaders.

Nigeria more than ever before is comfortably

seated on a tinder box.

When leaders chose to genuinely address

most of these known contending and conflicting

issues, peace will definitely return.

•Eze, a media and communication specialist,

wrote via sunnyeze02 @yahoo.com

18—Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

COME March 1, 2021, Nigeria’s Dr.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will assume

office as Director General of the World

Trade Organisation, WTO, to pilot

world trade till August 31, 2025. She

will not only be the seventh Director

General of the organisation, she will

also be the first woman and African

to be saddled with such a prestigious

but challenging assignment at this As her predecessor, Dr. Robert

pandemic juncture of history. Azevedo bowed out in August last

As staunch supporters of her year, Okonjo-Iweala had all but

candidacy based on our conviction that brushed aside her fellow contestants

she is tailor-made for this job, we to the coveted seat except for the

congratulate and wish her unqualified strong opposition of former President

success. She fought the political battle Donald Trump of the US, who had

involved like the proverbial Trojan, preferred South Korea’s Yoo Myung

capitalising on her humongous Hee.

goodwill across the world as a former Now that she has accomplished her

Managing Director of the World Bank. political mission, it is time to address

She leveraged on her experiences as her full attention to the job itself. She

an unsuccessful candidate for the is coming to office at a time the world

presidency of the World Bank in 2012, is poised on the threshold of

a race she lost to Korean-American, uncertainties spawned by the

Jim Yong Kim.

coronavirus pandemic and massive

Okonjo-Iweala’s challenges as WTO DG

tech-based disruptions.

With the arrival of several vaccines,

the world is looking forward to a

gradual recovery from the pandemic

and the new order of things it will

throw up. World trade has been most

battered by the pandemic.

This is just the right time for a

newcomer and reform-minded leader

to take charge and ensure total

inclusion in leading world trade

towards full recovery.

During the highly-charged

campaigns, Okonjo-Iweala had

pledged to break the deadlock

between the world’s biggest

economies - the United States and

China - which are still engaged in a

cold war of sorts on trade.

She must move to ensure a successful

and inclusive implementation of

multilateral negotiations which had

been pending for 25 years; and she

must desist from being seen as a pawn

of any of the superpowers.

Most importantly, Okonjo-Iweala

has a duty to ensure that the interests

of developing economies, especially

those of Nigeria and Africa are taken

along, especially now that the African

Continental Free Trade Agreement,

AfCFTA, has come on stream with 31

members having signed up.

We have no doubt that Dr. Okonjo-

Iweala will once again make

Nigerians proud by re-enacting her

track record of achievements at the

WTO and thus open new

opportunities and goodwill for more

Nigerians to be given the opportunity

to serve on the global stage.

OPINION

Kagara abduction: The coup de grace to Northern monopolisation

By SEGUN IGE

IT’S a pity that the #BringBackOurBoys

has suddenly died down. It’s a pity that yet

another group of schoolboys has been

abducted. And it’s a pity that we don’t actually

know what will happen next.

By the Wednesday, February 17 abduction

of 42 people, including 27 students and three

teachers, in the Government Science College,

Kagara, Niger State, it is unequivocally

reasonable to submit that the Nigerian

government is still grappling with the sphinx

of insecurity, increasingly of students,

incessantly in the North.

From North-East Borno to North-West

Katsina, the insurgents have tactically and

strategically migrated to North-Central Niger.

And they’ve tentatively monopolised northern

spheres of the country, born out of the civil

disobedience and negligence group of

demagogues, who’re impervious to corrections

and immune to warnings. To a visionary

leadership, this should have been a foreseeable

future, yielding a firm persuasion of cementing

the cracks in the entire northern walls of the

country, where these ungentlemanly guys have

expediently held hostage for their siege and

seizure.

And when I was writing about the Kankara

schoolboys abduction, I did speak concerning

these existential exigencies and urgencies in

the country, particularly by imposing certain

national security laws on specific areas of the

country threatened by domestic terrorism and

Islamic extremism.

On December 11, 2020, when the schoolboys

were abducted, social activists and advocates

were technically leaning towards some

#BringBackOurBoys campaign, especially

because of the April 14, 2014 experience, when

over 270 Chibok girls were kidnapped by the

adversaries. But then, the

#BringBackOurGirls crusaders, in particular,

Oby Ezekwesili, were too quickly deemed to

be witch-hunted as the over 300 boys were

repatriated sooner or later. Meanwhile, a few

of the boys had become escapists before

Governor Aminu Masari inconceivably

essayed to rescue others.

I side with Ezekwesili who, observing how

inchoate and otiose the efforts of the Nigerian

security agencies have been, and particularly

angst by the Federal Government’s apparent

deficiencies and delinquencies in rescuing the

Chibok girls, did suspect some corridors-ofpower

rabble-rousers riding roller-coasters

with public intelligence of the December 11

Security of schoolboys

and girls should be of

tremendous duty to be

embraced in season and out

of season

event by playing political gimmick and

flimflam. The claims of trying to gain

credibility, security-wise, by perhaps planning

and plotting a “putsch,” and a week later

percolating them through from far-away

lands, expelling schoolboys who’d been

intellectually trading competitively perfectly

on learning grounds, could have, in fact, been

the worst threat of human rights for human

wants.

Having a lot of explainers and not having a

set of visionaries is not really the hallmark of

values-based leadership. Typically, an

envisioned leader would a posteriori examine

what has happened, what is happening, in order

to predict and prepare for what will happen.

Such experiential deduction and conclusion

would help him guard against any eventuality.

Being envisioned is to know where and how

one is and where and how one is going to get

to the preferred destiny. This is what the security

system lacks, even with the exhaustion the

Kankara abduction made in terms of how

exophoric our law enforcement agencies are.

Ending SARS or SWAT is not really a problem.

Occupying Lekki Tollgate is not necessarily the

solution to how fundamentally depowered our

security forces are. The point is the so-called “forces

beyond our control,” who have been

institutionally ingrained in the social fabrics of

the polity, are unilaterally masking up the

malfeasance and misdemeanor and masochism

wrought by the security personnel. More teethgnashing

problems persist in the North, by the

way, demanding urgent and immediate attention

and intervention. And the North geographically

covers two third of the Nigerian territories and

borders. (The devastating Fulani-herdsmen crisis

is as yet a firestorm in the firmament fervently

fomented by some group of warmongers.) Time

and again, parents and guardians are pathetically

distressed and perennially disturbed by the looping

and looming of these terrorists threatening the

lives of their wards every now and then. It’s a

simultaneous shame that while the pandemic

would not let the students learn, the bandits

themselves are harum-scarum proving to be more

vindictively unvaccinated. As we are on the

threshold of shipping in COVID-19 vaccines, we

should be inspired by the Kagara abduction, this

time invoking death, in providing lasting jabs,

Send Opinions & Letters to:

opinions1234@yahoo.com

since, jointly, both of them are existential threats

to human existence and coexistence.

We should begin to be concerned about the

power of inclusive politics hinged on uniting

the federal entities of the country. All

ideological and cultural biases should be burnt

out in the social exercise of seeing and treating

each other the same way. Inclusive politics is

also a necessary narrow-for-a-broad-purpose

tool that can and should resuscitate our ties

with other nations, especially economically,

where we have been uncontrollably, and

inevitably, operating on budget deficit

exacerbating our gross domestic product. But,

as they say, charity begins at home. And we

can start commensurately by focusing, much

more, on export substitution; intelligently

diversifying our revenues into agricultural

sectors; and defunding budgetary allocations

lavished out on in-statu-pupillari officials.

Security of schoolboys and girls should be

of tremendous duty to be embraced in season

and out of season. It’s a collective responsibility

of ensuring the outrage in the North is

denoisified. And I also think that all modes of

learning, for now, should be virtual as the

government sees to the matter. It’s not

impossible, in the long run, to build

impenetrable walls of Jericho around the cities

and towns of Northern states. Experience is a

good teacher; but it can only be better if we

learn from its pleasant and unpleasant

teachings by doing the right things at the right

times; and it could only be best if we

conscientiously and consciously abide therein

by carrying out the lessons therefrom.

Continues online via:www.vanguardngr.com

•Ige, a freelance journalist, wrote from

Lagos viaigesegunadebayo5@gmail.com

By Nkiruka Nnorom

Investment analysts have said

that there could be a possible

reversal of the three week

downward trend in the equities

market this week following the

anticipation of release of full

year earnings reports coupled

with dividend declarations by

quoted companies.

They, however, observed that

despite the respite expected from

the release of 2020 earnings

reports, profit taking activities

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 19

Equities pricing: Earnings reports, dividend expectations to temper bearish sentiment

may still keep sentiment low.

This is even as investors lost

N13 billion last week as bearish

performance extended to a third

consecutive week as a result of

the upward retracement in yields

in the fixed income market as

well as further spike in inflation

rate.

Consequently, the market

capitalisation dropped to

N21.026 trillion from N21.256

trillion, while the All Share Index

(ASI) shed 0.6 percent to close

at 40,186.70 points.

Sell-offs in Stanbic IBTC

Holdings Plc,(-14.0%), BUA

Cement Plc (-1.8%) and MTN

Communication Nigeria Plc (-

1.1%) fuelled the weekly loss.

Also, the sectoral performance

was negative as three of the five

sectors recorded losses. With the

exception of the oil and gas

(+4.6%) and banking sectors

(+0.5%) that posted gains, the

Insurance (-1.7%), consumer

goods (-1.0%) and industrial

goods (-0.7%) recorded losses.

Activity level was also weak,

as volume and value traded

declined by 42.6 percent weekon-week

(w/w) and 22.9 percent

w/w, respectively.

In their forecast, analysts at

Cowry Asset Management

Limited, a Lagos-based

investment banking firm, said:

“We expect the local equities

market to close northwards as

investors’ position in stocks with

good dividend yields ahead of

the release of audited full year

2020 financial results and

announcement of corporate

actions in the coming weeks.”

Also, analysts at Cordros

Capital said: “We expect the

deluge of corporate earnings

accompanied by dividend

declarations to temper bearish

sentiments within the week.

“However, we do not rule out

the possibility of continued

profit-taking activities due to

growing concerns about yield

elevation in the fixed income

market. As a result, we think

the local bourse will likely

exhibit a zig-zag pattern.”

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

IMF, analysts split over growth

forecast for Nigeria’s economy

•Analysts dispute IMF’s 1.5% forecast for 2021

•Project 2.7% economic growth for 2021

By Babajide Komolafe

Following the faster than

expected economic

growth in Q4’2020 and lower

contraction for the full year

2020, leading investment

analysts have disputed the

1.5 per cent growth forecast

for Nigeria’s economy in

2021 by the International

Monetary Fund (IMF),

projecting that the nation’s

economy will grow by about

2.7 per cent this year.

The IMF in its latest World

Economy Outlook released

last month revised downward

its growth forecast for

Nigeria’s economy in 2021 to

1.5 percent from 1.7 percent

and 2.6 per cent earlier

projected in October and

June last year.

Explaining the rationale for

the IMF’s lower forecast for

Nigeria’s economy in 2021,

the trio of Ari Aisen, Jesmin

Rahman, and Jiaxiong Yao of

the IMF, African

Department, said: “Nigeria’s

recovery is expected to be

weak and gradual under

current policies. Real Gross

Domestic Product (GDP)

growth in 2021 is expected to

turn positive at 1.5 percent.

Real GDP is expected to

recover to its pre-pandemic

level only in 2022.

“The near-term outlook is

subject to downside risks

from pandemic-related

developments with Nigeria

experiencing a second wave.

Over the medium term, a

subdued global recovery and

decarbonization trends are

expected to keep oil prices

low and Organization of the

Petroleum Exporting

Countries quotas in place,

restricting oil-related

activities, fiscal revenues,

and export proceeds. Non-oil

growth is also expected to

remain sluggish, reflecting

inward-looking policies and

regulatory uncertainties.”

This gloomy outlook was

however contradicted by

analysts in leading

investment firms in the

country, who projected

stronger economic growth of

about 2.7 percent in 2021.

Their bullish outlook is

driven by the higher-than -

expected performance of the

economy in the fourth quarter

of 2020 (Q4’2020).

Last week, the Nigeria

Bureau of Statistics (NBS)

released its GDP report for

Q4’2020.

According to the NBS, the

economy recorded GDP

growth year-on-year (y/y) of

0.11 per cent in Q4’2020,

higher than 3.62 per cent, y/

y, contraction recorded in

the previous quarter

(Q3’2020). It also represents

the first positive GDP growth

in three quarters, indicating

the nation has exited

recession.

The NBS report also

showed a full year GDP

contraction of 1.92 per cent

as against the GDP growth

of 2.27 percent in 2019.

However, the GDP growth

of 0.11 per cent in Q4’2020

and the 1.92 per cent

contraction for 2020 beat

projections by the IMF and

most analysts.

For example the 1.92 per

cent GDP contraction for

2020 was lower than the 4.3

per cent and 3.2 per cent

contraction projected by the

IMF and the World Bank. It

was also lower than the 2.0

per cent contraction

projected by global

accounting firm, PwC.

Similarly, the 0.11 per cent

GDP growth in Q4’2020 was

higher than the contraction

projected by most analysts.

“Our expectation was a

slowdown in contraction to -

1.95% and was undone by

robust growth of 3.42% for

agriculture, the sector’s best

showing since Q4 ’17", said

analysts at FBNQuest

Capital Limited.

Also expressing similar

sentiment, Director General,

Lagos Chamber of

Commerce and Industry,

LCCI, Muda Yusuf said,

“The quarterly performance

was a pleasant surprise.”

The

surprising

performance of the economy

in Q4’2020 stimulated a

surge in analysts’ optimism

about the nation’s economic

growth prospect in 2021, with

an average projection of 2.7

per cent GDP growth.

While analysts at United

Capital Plc projected a best

case scenario of 2.1 per cent

GDP growth for the in 2021,

analysts at Afrinvest

Securities Limited and

Vetiva Capital Management

Limited projected 2.5

percent and 3.5 per cent GDP

growth respectively for the

year.

The robust growth

projections, according to the

analysts are however subject

to some conditions including:

Adequate measures to

prevent herder-farmer

clashes from underwhelming

agriculture output; Measures

to address rising insecurity

in the country; Faster-thanexpected

recovery in the oil

sector; Improved dollar

supply by the Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN) and the

move towards exchange

rate unification.

In addition, LCCI,

suggested: Effective

management of the

pandemic locally and

globally; Widespread vaccine

rollout; Direction of global oil

market; Fiscal and monetary

policy direction; and Ease of

doing business reforms.

United Capital projection

Explaining the basis for the

2.1 per cent GDP growth

projected for 2021, analysts

at United Capital, said:

“Looking ahead, we remain

optimistic about the

sustained pace of recovery in

the aggregate level of

economic activities. While

growth in Q1’21 may be

muted due to a high base

effect of Q1’2020, our

optimism feeds largely on

potential stronger recovery in

Continues on page 20

20 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

FINANCIAL VANGUARD

Shareholders sue FG over plan to borrow

N158bn unclaimed dividend

By Nkiruka Nnorom

Aggrieved by the plan

of the Federal

Government (FG) to borrow

the over N158 billion

outstanding unclaimed

dividend, shareholders have

sued the government at

Federal High Court of

Nigeria, Abeokuta Division,

seeking to restrain the

government from going

ahead with the plan.

They said that allowing the

federal government to go

ahead with the plan would

frustrate efforts by

shareholders to recover any

outstanding unclaimed

dividend given the tedious

processes involved in

making that claim as

contained in the 2020

Finance Act.

The case with Suit No. FHC/

AB/FHR/14/2021 has the

Attorney General of the

Federation and Minister of

Justice, Minister of Finance,

Budget and National Planning

and Accountant General of the

Federation as respondents.

The shareholders under the

aegis of Palm Wealth

Shareholders Association

(PWSA) in a court notice

signed by their President,

Emokeraro Simon, are

praying the court to restrain

The

Standards

Organisation of Nigeria

(SON) has expressed its

commitment to the effective

deployment of information

and communication

technology (ICT) towards

becoming a high performing

agency.

This was one of the

outcomes of the

organisation’s strategic

management retreat held in

Calabar, Cross Rivers State

last week at which the

agency committed to giving

automation of its services

high priority.

In a communique issued at

the end of the retreat,

Director General, SON,

Mallam Farouk Salim stated

that the organisation has

also developed its strategic

plan for 2021 to 2024 to guide

its programmes and actions

geared towards achieving its

set goals and targets.

It said that the agency will

consider the adoption of an

Enterprise Resource

Planning (ERP) System to

fully automate and integrate

its operations nationwide in

order to achieve more

effective and efficient service

delivery.

Salim stated that SON

would institute an efficient,

open, transparent and

effective performance

measuring mechanism, as

well as a reward and

sanctions programme to

ensure accountability and

consequence management,

stressing that a staff

recognition and reward

the FG from calling for or

transferring the unclaimed

dividends of the applicants

(shareholders) in public

quoted companies to the

Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund

to be floated by the

government contrary to the

Constitution of the Federal

Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as

amended), and the African

Charter on Human and

People’s Rights Act, Laws of

The Association of

Securities Dealing Houses of

Nigeria ( ASHON) has

urged the Federal

Government to initiate

policies that will enable

commodities exchanges to

contribute towards Nigeria’s

economic growth and

development.

Making this call in a

statement a statement

signed by its Chairman,

Chief Onyenwechukwu

Ezeagu, the Association

said:” To enable the

operators in the

Commodities Ecosystem

operate optimally, the

Continues from page 19

Q2 and Q3-2021 relative to

the negative growth

observed in the

corresponding quarters of

2020.

“Specific to the non-oil

sector, we expect the

improved performance in

Services to be sustained as

people become more

confident to go about their

daily activities. Also, we

think the Agricultural sector

would build on the gains of

2020 as demand remains

strong, security challenges

abate, and weather

conditions improve.

“In the oil sector, we expect

improved performance in FY-

2021 considering the low

base for oil production in

2020. While the country’s

the Federation.

According to them, doing so

without proven legal and

constitutional ground is

unconstitutional and violates

the applicants right to acquire

and own moveable and

immovable personal

properties as enshrined in the

1999 Constitution. (as

amended).

In an affidavit in support of

their application, the

production continues to be

capped under the OPEC+

quota, we expect a recovery

in production as OPEC+

gradually returns production

level back to pre-pandemic

levels following recent price

gains and positive

sentiments from increased

rate of vaccinations which

could spur demand for travel

and consequently oil.

“Overall, we maintain our

base case scenario GDP

growth forecast of 1.7% for

FY-2021 with a bull case

forecast of 2.1% premised on

faster than expected

recovery in oil sector GDP.”

Afrinvest projection

Analysts at Afrinvest also

explained the rationale for

projecting 2.5 percent GDP

growth in 2021. They said:

shareholders observed that

they are “intimidated, in fact,

psychologically traumatised

and threatened by the

provisions of the Finance

Act, 2020, arguing that it

would inflict grievous harm

on the shareholders if the

provision is allowed to come

into operation and the

dividends, which the

shareholders are working

seriously to claim taken over.

ASHON advocates measures to support

commodities exchanges

By Peter Egwuatu

SON adopts ICT to enhance performance

programme will be put in

place before the end of

2021.

He said that SON will

strengthen its supervisory

role over its stakeholders, to

ensure that all certified

products deliver value for

money to consumers while

also tracking manufacturers

and importers that use fake

SON certification marks as

well as logo for prosecution.

On enforcement of

standards, the SON Chief

Executive stated that the

agency has resolved to adopt

additional approaches

government should enact

relevant policies that prevent

illegal mining by foreigners,

ensure autonomy of the

Capital Market apex

regulator, the Securities and

Exchange Commission

(SEC), protect export

proceeds, legislate laws to

enable Agricultural

Commodities to be linked

to financial markets and

fungibility and support for

Pension funds for increased

participation in the

commodities ecosystem.

“The announcement to

inject N50 billion into the

Nigeria Commodities

Exchange by CBN, is a

welcome development. Any

including data analytics,

risk-based assessment,

outcome-focused

regulation, collaborative,

coordinated and proactive

enforcement among others.

Salim expressed SON’s

commitment to the effective

implementation of the

National Quality Policy

recently approved by the

Federal Executive Council

as well as the Nigerian

National Standardization

Strategy to provide adequate

support for economic

development.

act by the Federal

Government to stimulate the

growth and development of

the commodities ecosystem

through the Commodities

Exchanges is highly

beneficial to the entire

ecosystem. Commodities

Exchanges play an

important role in the

commodities ecosystem

because they introduce

structure, transparency, and

price discovery into the

system. It is important to

note that commodity

exchanges are not

commodity traders, they are

simply a structured platform

that deals in both

commodities spots and

commodities securities in

multi-asset classes as

approved by SEC.

“Although

this

announcement is a welcome

development it is also

important to note that any

intervention into one

commodities exchange

creates an uneven playing

field that defeats the benefits

of healthy competition among

the participants in the

Ecosystem. It is also

important to note that this

injection of funds is better

served within the ecosystem

to support the farmers,

aggregators, miners,

refiners, processors and all

the other participants in the

commodities ecosystem.”

“In 2021, we project a

recovery of 2.5% in real GDP

to be driven by increased

economic activities in the

non-oil sector as activities

pick-up on the back of the

land borders reopening and

general recovery in

sentiments.

“Further, we anticipate a

moderate expansion in the

oil sector as global oil

demand is projected to

remain weak while prices

recover faster. The major

downside risks to our

forecast include weakerthan-expected

oil price and

production, worsening

insecurity and unfavourable

weather patterns in the

agriculture sector. We have

ruled out the possibilities of

lockdown despite increasing

case count from COVID-19.”

COVER

Union Bank

unveils UnionX

Innovation

Challenge 2021

Union Bank Plc has

unveiled the 2021

UnionX Innovation

Challenge, as part of efforts

to support young start-ups

and boost innovation in the

start-up ecosystem.

Tagged ‘A New

Discovery’, the Challenge

will discover, showcase, and

support eligible

entrepreneurs across

Nigeria with innovative,

technology-focused

Minimum Viable Products

(MVPs).

Speaking on the UnionX

Challenge and Union

Bank’s focus on innovation,

the Bank’s Head, Retail

Banking and Digital, Lola

Cardoso said, “The

UnionX Challenge

highlights our focus on

supporting innovation as

key driver of sustainable

development and growth of

Nigeria’s vibrant start-up

ecosystem, and the society

at large.

Union Bank has a rich

heritage as a trusted

partner to generations of

Nigerians; providing the

support they need to

achieve their goals. This

Challenge is one of the

many ways we continue to

build on this heritage.”

During the entry period

which ends on March 14,

2021, early-stage start-ups

registered in Nigeria are

invited to submit innovative

MVPs with the potential to

transform society. These

innovative MVPs should

focus on sectors including,

but not limited to Financial

Technology, E-Commerce,

Health, Education and

Agriculture. Entries will be

submitted on the Union

Bank website. The top 3

MVPs will attract cash

prizes totalling N4.5million

from Union Bank in addition

to a 2-month incubation

programme with

GreenHouse Capital.

IMF, analysts divided over growth forecast for Nigeria’s economy

Vetiva Capital projection

Expressing optimism for a

3.47 per cent GDP growth

rate in 2021, analysts at

Vetiva Capital, said:

“Following a bumpy 2020,

the economy is on course to

recover in 2021, riding on the

previous year’s low base.

Barring the return of hard

lockdown measures, we

expect higher growth

outcomes in 2021 especially

in the mid-quarters (Q2 &

Q3), which were the most hit

by the pandemic in the

year.

Consequently, we expect the

economy to bounce back by

3.47% y/y in FY’21.

“However, an unfavourable

base from Q1’20 could limit

the pace of recovery in the

quarter to 0.75% y/y.”

ECONOMISTS TALKING TO FGN

IN VAIN

“It requires wisdom to understand wisdom. The

music is nothing if the audience is deaf. ”

Walter Lippmann, 1889-1974, VANGUARD BOOK

OF QUOTATIONS, p 275.

ABANDON hope, all

those who intend to

advise the Federal Government

of Nigeria, FGN, regarding

how to get the economy

grow at a faster rate than

what we have experienced

since 2015. This Federal

Government is not likely to

listen. I weep for Nigeria.

How do I know that?

Simple. Just take a look at

the Medium Term Economic

Framework, MTEF, just released

and submitted to National

Assembly, NASS. The

NASS, predictably, will accept

it without much question

and consign Fellow Nigerians

to a future destined

to be characterised by worsened

poverty, recurrent famine,

increased unemployment

and more banditry. With

that document, Nigeria is

well on the way to becoming

the first Almajiri economy in

history. By 2023, more Nigerians

will be dependent on

those gainfully employed. It

will require at least ten years

of good governance to bring

us to where we are today –

which is a bit worse than

where we were in 2012. Here

is why.

“FG’s 2020-2023 MTDS

Will Increase Nigeria’s

Debt, Crowd Out Private

Sector From Local Market.”

— News, February 2021.

Once affluent nations have

fallen into hard times for

several years; empires have

literally returned into dust

since the dawn of human history.

King Pharaoh failed to

listen to warnings about impending

danger. Rome

NASD gets SEC approval to float Investor

Protection Fund

By Nkiruka Nnorom

NASD Plc, the OTC

market for all unlisted

securities, said it has secured

approval from the Securities

and Exchange Commission

(SEC) to float an Investor

Protection Fund (IPF) at the

end of the first quarter (Q1)

of the year.

Bola Ajomale, Managing

Director/Chief Executive

Officer, NASD Plc, disclosed

this at the virtual 2020 market

review of the Exchange,

saying that operators in the

market are expected to

provide the take-off fund for

the IPF.

He stated that the funds are

expected to be ready before

the end of March, 2021,

adding that operators who fail

to contribute to the IPF would

be restricted from the market.

Ajomale stated that the

Exchange launched

VentureRamp portal for donorbased

crowdfunding following

the release of crowdfunding

rules by the SEC in January

this year.

He added that the Exchange

would launch an investmentbased

crowdfunding by the

burned while Emperor Nero

amused himself. Chile was

one of the most prosperous

nations during the Age of

Copper. Today, without the

$5 billion bribe the USA

gives annually to Egypt to

remain at peace with Israel,

that nation would have been

a failed state long ago. Each

nation had invariably embarked

on its long term decline

during the tenure of

one ruler. It is now certain

that Nigeria will experience

eight straight years of economic

hardship, but, in addition,

will need at least another

eight years to get out

of it.

“Leadership can be

summed up in two words:

intelligence and integrity…”.

— John Brademas, VAN-

GUARD BOOK OFQUOTA-

TIONS, VBQ p 125

Managing the modern

economy requires a great

deal of intelligence and

some luck as well. One important

aspect of brilliance is

the ability to foresee some of

the consequences of measures

taken or ignored. This

administration has been particularly

lacking in that area.

It certainly never considers

the repercussions of its economic

policies and programmes.

Despite its selfdeceit

about wanting to diversify

the economy, its

MTDS is still largely dependent

on export of crude oil

and the annual increase in

cumulative deficits. The deficits

will inevitably be funded

by increasing the debt

end of Q1’21.

According to him, the

Exchange is planning rules to

guide transactions in

commercial papers, while the

new market is expected to

open in Q2’21.

On digital currencies

trading, he said that NASD is

anticipating the release of

regulation for crypt tokens and

will, possibly, open a portal

It is now certain

that Nigeria

will experience

eight

straight years of

economic hardship,

but, in

addition, will

need at least

another eight

years to get out

of it

to that effect in Q3.

Reviewing activities in the previous

year, he said that despite the disruptions

to economic activities caused by the Covid-

19, the market capitalization rose by 4.9

percent to N525.94 billion from ¦ 501.14

billion, while the NASD Securities Index,

which opened at 697.54 points, rose 6.29

percent to close at 733 points.

Also, year-on-year (Y/Y) value traded

increased by 21.08 percent to N12.68

billion, while volume traded witnessed a

significant increase of 195.23 percent to

7.93 billion units.

Interswitch launches platform to boost

SME growth

By Peter Egwuatu

Interswitch Group has

announced the launch of

Quickteller Business for Small

Scale Enterprises, SMEs and

corporate entities to facilitate

significant participation in

banking services.

The company in a statement

said the launch of Quickteller

Business further expands the

reach of Interswitch’s popular

e-commerce solution to a

broader audience of business

users, helping to facilitate

growth in the burgeoning

SMEs sector across Africa.

On the launch of the new platform, Akeem

Lawal, Divisional Chief Executive Officer,

Payments Processing at Interswitch Group

said: “The SME sector is a potential gamechanger

for economic growth and

development in Africa. Interswitch has been

at the forefront of digital payment innovation

across the continent, enabling individuals,

businesses, and governments to transact

more efficiently over the last 17 years.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic causing

disruptions to businesses of all sizes around

the world, the new platform will help African

business owners prosper, by enabling access

to effective and convenient digital payment

and transaction solutions and technologies.

Quickteller Business will also offer a threemonth

zero transaction fee incentive for SMEs

that sign up now, as part of its launch offer.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 21

burden during the period.

For a start, $1.2 billion will

soon be borrowed for what is

billed as Agricultural Mechanisation.

On the face of it,

there should be no objection

to more mechanised farming

in Nigeria. We need more

technology if we want to

quickly bring more land under

cultivation in Nigeria. The

problem is the integrity of the

nation’s economic managers.

Loans for agriculture and water

resources are very popular.

The NASS finds it difficult

to reject them. Unfortunately,

the funds seldom end

up being spent purely on agriculture;

and when done the

equipment purchased are

never put to good use before

they are quietly sold as scrap

to well-connected individuals.

The gains of the few eventually

become the burdens of

the rest of us.

According to MTDS 2020-

2023, the FG proposes to increase

the debt-to-GDP ratio

to 40 per cent during the period.

The ratio was 25 per cent

from 2016-2019. As if it would

make a lot of difference, the

FG intends to raise more of

the loans internally. That

means that the nation’s battered

economy will be expected

to provide most of the

loans. Again, it is easy to observe

that this FG does not listen

to anybody. The stubbornness

would have been forgiven

if the results since 2016

have justified its position. But,

the records available on paper

and the harrowing hardship

suffered by Nigerians

prove conclusively that there

is no intelligence, wisdom or

integrity in the management

of the Nigerian economy.

It bears repeating that the

World Bank, International

Monetary Fund, African Development

Bank, as well as

other global financial institutions

had warned that our

debt-servicing percentage is

not sustainable at 25 per cent.

What will they think of our

government when they read

the MTDS raising it to 40 per

cent?

Implied but un-stated is the

fact that the Central Bank of

Nigeria, CBN, will be relied

upon to supply a significant

proportion of the new loans.

As the lender of last resort, it

owes a great deal of obligation

to bail out the country

through Ways and Means

operations. Whereas, well

enlightened leaders are aware

that CBN’s supply of loans is

not infinitely elastic, the FGN

is ignorant of limits. Collectively,

Nigeria’s Economic

Management Team reminds

me of Uganda under late General

Idi Amin (1925-2003).

Amin ordered the Governor of

the Bank of Uganda to “go and

print more money” — because

he could not understand that

there is a limit to printing

money before the bills become

worse than tissue paper”. It

should be of concern to all of

us that we have another soldier

in charge. We might be

heading for a similar experience

in Nigeria soon.

Already, the signs of trouble

are everywhere. Basic inflation

has exceeded 16 per cent;

the food component is actually

over 20 per cent and rising.

Just as the FG turned

deaf ears to those of us warning

about the consequences of

bandits, kidnappers, herdsmen/farmers

clashes nationwide

for food production, the

same government is rushing

headlong into taking more

loans. Already, a serious famine

is underway; because

farmers have deserted their

farms. Food prices are set to

continue to escalate with possibilities

of widespread unrest.

Some people are already

warning about political disintegration.

No economic index

is positive on which we can

hope to fashion a strong economic

recovery. So, how on

earth are we going to repay

the loans piled up by 2023.

A NIGERIAN PUZZLE

Dr Adesina is the President

of the African Development

Bank. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

is now the Director-General

of the World Trade Organisation,

WTO. Before those

two, Nigerians had headed

the Organisation of Petroleum

Exporting Countries, OPEC.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku was

the Secretary-General of the

Commonwealth.

What sort of country is this,

which sends its brightest and

best abroad to help continents

and the world to do

better; but elects the worst to

manage its own affairs?

Whose heads should be examined?

22 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 23

24 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 25

26— Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 27

28 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

•Remains of vehicles burnt by Boko Haram insurgents

KILLING FIELDS:

1,525 Nigerians killed

in six weeks of 2021

•Kaduna, Zamfara, Borno deadliest states

•South-East most peaceful zone, North-West deadliest

By CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, Politics

Editor

AS flames of violence and other forms of

lives guzzling insecurity flicker in many

parts of the country, Nigeria has literally become

a killing field.

In the first six weeks of 2021, lives of no fewer

than 1, 522 persons have been wasted across the

country, Vanguard’s investigation, and data

obtained from the Nigeria Security Tracker, NST,

a project of the Council on Foreign Relations’

Africa programme, have shown.

The Nigeria Security Tracker tracks violence

that is both causal and symptomatic of Nigeria’s

political instability and citizen alienation. The

data are based on weekly surveys of Nigerian

and international media. The 1,525-death figure,

which is conservative, covers only reported cases

arising from the Boko Haram insurgency,

banditry, herdsmen

crisis, kidnapping,

communal and cult

clashes, armed

robbery, and

brutality of security

agents among

others.

Many security

The three

southern zones

accounted for 300

or 18.19 per cent

of the 1,525

deaths

breaches are not

reported. It is also difficult to tell the number of

abducted victims who die in captivity as

unconfirmed reports put the number of those in

various kidnap dens across the country at over

5000.

The 1,525 deaths are about half of the 3,188

lives lost between January and December 2019,

according to a report by Global Rights. It is also

four times the 348 people killed in violent attacks

across Nigeria in December 2020, as reported

by a non-governmental organisation, Nigeria

Mourns. Currently, Nigeria is the third country

most impacted by terrorism, going by the Global

Terrorism Index 2020 after Afghanistan and

Libya.

The 2020 terrorism index report said though

total deaths from terrorism in Nigeria fell to

1,245 in 2019, a 39 per cent decrease from the

prior year, terror-related incidents also fell by

27 per cent, marking the lowest level of terrorist

violence in Nigeria since 2011. Boko Haram,

How Nigerians were killed in the zones

South-East – 85

South-South – 103

South-West – 112

North-Central – 155

North-East – 346

North-West – 724

Nigeria’s deadliest terrorist group, recorded an

increase in terrorist activity mainly targeted at

civilians by 25 per cent from the prior year.

Additionally, Fulani extremists were

responsible for 26 per cent

of terror-related deaths in

Nigeria at 325 fatalities.

The herdsmen crisis is one

of the reasons the county is

boiling now following

prevailing incidents in

many southern states

especially Oyo, Ondo and

Ogun.

Deaths in the states

Of the country’s 36 states,

and the Federal Capital

Territory, Abuja, only three

had zero reported deaths

linked to insecurity. The

states are Bayelsa, Bauchi,

and Kebbi.

The most deadly states

are Kaduna (409), Zamfara

(267) and Borno (257).

Kaduna and Zamfara are

the hotbeds of banditry

ravaging the North-West

zone of the country while

Borno is the epicentre of the

Boko Haram insurgency.

States that recorded high

deaths include: Yobe (76),

Niger (73), Delta (46),

Ebonyi (43), Katsina (41),

Oyo (37), Plateau (31),

Lagos (26), Rivers (24), Imo

(23), Ogun (20), and Ondo

(20). Others are Nasarawa

(16), Cross River (15), Benue

(12), Anambra (11), Akwa

Ibom (11), Kogi (11), Kwara

(8), Taraba (8), Osun (8),

Abia (7), Edo (7), Sokoto (5),

Adamawa (4), FCT Abuja

(3), Kano (2), Gombe (1),

Enugu (1), and Jigawa (1).

According to the data, the

South-East zone is the most

peaceful zone with 85

reported deaths followed by

the South-South, which had

103 deaths, and South-West,

112 deaths. Conversely, the

North-West is the deadliest

zone with 724 deaths,

followed by its flanking

North-East, which

witnessed no fewer than

346 deaths and North-Central that had 155

deaths.

In the South-East, Ebonyi on account of the

Effium-Ezza communal crisis recorded most

deaths followed by Imo, which tally was spiked

by the clashes between security forces and the

Eastern Security Network, ESN, of the

Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in Orlu.

In the South-West, Oyo State was on the front

burner due to the herdsmen and locals’ crisis in

Ibarapa as well as Amotekun brushes with youths.

Cult-related killings and other crimes took the

Continues on page 23

How 1,522 lives wer

ere e wasted in six weeks

•January 1: Seven farmers were killed by bandits in Mashegu LGA of Niger State. Many were left injured

during the attack on the farmers in their farms in Babban Rami.

•January 1: A 20-year old woman, Mrs. Suwaiba Shuaibu, lured and stabbed her teenage rival, Miss

Aisha Kabir, 17, to death because her husband proposed to marry Aisha.

•January 2: Unknown men killed Quadri Okunola, popularly called Kudeti, a father of three at Macaulay/

Odudu, along Igbogbo/ Bayeku road, Ikorodu, Lagos.

•January 2: One person was killed in Osogbo, Osun State, when cult groups clashed during a carnival

party at Isale-Osun area of the town.

•January 2: Bandits killed a chief executive officer of a filling station and his two cousins in Idere, Ibarapa

North LGA, Oyo State.

•January 2: Bandits invaded Kawaran Rafiu village in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State and killed the chief

Imam of the village, Danleeman Isah. Also killed was the Sarkin Yaki of Godogodo, Yohanna Abu.

•January 2: Bandits killed 19 persons in Giwa, Kaduna.

•January 2: Gunmen killed three and kidnapped two in Ibarapa, Oyo.

•January 2: Robbers killed two civilians and police officers killed two robbers in Ughelli, Delta.

•January 2: Military airstrikes killed “several” Boko Haram militants at two separate locations (estimated

at 20) in Bama, Borno State.

•January 3: Suspected internet fraudsters killed a girl, 18, in a hotel at Owa community in Ika North LGA

of Delta State

•January 3: No fewer than 19 people were killed in a two-day attack in Kaduna. Twelve of the victims were

indigenes of Kaya, Gura LGA.

•January 3: Boko Haram killed six soldiers and one civilian in Chibok, Borno.

•January 3: Bandits killed nine in Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State.

•January 4: Nigerian troops killed “several” bandits estimated at 20 in Birnin-Gwari, Giwa, Igabi, and

Chikun LGAs in Kaduna.

•January 4: Four people were shot while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in a bloody

violence in some parts of Ibadan, Oyo State.

•January 4: Police men killed two suspected members of a three man robbery gang in Ughelli, Delta State.

•January 4: Bandits killed nine people including three infants in Zankoro, Kaduna State.

•January 4: Two passengers were killed and many others were declared missing following an attack on

two commercial boats on Bonny Waterways, Rivers State

•January 5: Gunmen killed one and kidnapped 20 in Toto, Nassarawa.

Continues on page 23

1,525 Nigerians killed in six weeks

Continues from page 28

tally of deaths in Lagos to 26. In the South-South,

Delta and Rivers were on the front-burner due to

pirates’ activities in Rivers; and cult clashes and

armed robbery-related killings in Delta.

In sum, the three southern zones accounted

for 300 or 18.19 per cent of the 1,525 deaths.

The northern zones recorded 1,225 or 81.91 per

cent of the tallied deaths.

A host of Nigerian leaders have decried the

rising waves of insecurity in the country and

tasked President Muhammadu Buhari on

urgent action. Speaker of the House of

Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said on

February 10 that Nigeria’s leaders had failed

and must come together irrespective of political

differences to save the country.

He said: "Every time a citizen going about his

business is killed or kidnapped, losses his

property or livelihood, we have failed in our

obligations."

Senators, on the same day, spoke in like

manner, saying that Nigeria was becoming a

failed state on account of insecurity and asked

President Buhari to issue an executive order on

the need to flush out criminal herders.

Indeed, Nigeria’s last military Head of State

and Chairman of the National Peace

How 1,525 lives were wasted in six weeks

Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar

(retd), warned on Wednesday that Nigeria is on

the highway to disintegration unless insecurity

is decisively tackled. "In the last two weeks or so,

•Homes burnt by bandits

Continues from page 28

•January 5: Boko Haram attacked Askira/Uba, Borno but were repelled by

military airstrikes that killed “several” (estimated at 10) insurgents.

•January 5: Pirates killed two in Bonny, Rivers.

•January 5: Gunmen killed former education secretary of Nasarawa local

government, Malawi Salisu at Mungi sharp corner, Buga Gwari, Gadabuke,

Toto local council. The hoodlums abducted no fewer than 20 people travelling

in three vehicles and took them into the bush. Salihu was among those abducted.

His body was later found in the bush near the road.

•January 6: Bandits killed a police man and kidnapped five others in attacks in

Shiroro and Raji local governments in Niger State

•January 6: Gombe state police command killed a kidnap suspect identified

as Ustas during gunshot exchange with police men at Pinga, Gombe

•January 6: Bandits killed four in Chikun, Kaduna.

•January 6: Amotekun killed three civilians in Ibarapa, Oyo.

•January 6: Boko Haram killed commuters (no number given, estimated at

10) in Nganzai, Borno.

•January 6: Military airstrikes killed “several” (estimated at 10) Boko Haram

militants in Damboa, Borno.

•January 6: Four persons reportedly lost their lives during inter-communal

conflict between Abankang and Alok communities in Ikom LGA, Cross River

State.

•January 7: Gunmen abducted a traveller and killed his driver along Ise/Isua/

Akoko Highway in Ondo State.

•January 7 Bandits attacked Katarma village in Chikun local Government,

Kaduna, killed four persons and kidnapped many women.

•January 7: Three persons were feared dead during a bloody clash between

youths and Amotekun operatives at Tapa, Oyo State

•January 7: A mob set ablaze a suspected ritualist said to be in possession of a

human heart at Orile, Lagos.

•January 8: Soldiers killed five civilians during a clash in Baruten, Kwara.

•January 8: The Nigeria Customs Service killed three commercial drivers at a

checkpoint in Baruten, Kwara State.

•January 8: Gunmen attacked a police station and killed three police officers

in Ezza South, Ebonyi.

•January 8: Two passengers were killed in a pirate attack on two commercial

boats around Dema Abbey Community on Bonny waterways

•January 9: Amotekun operatives killed seven in Ibarapa North, Oyo.

•January 9: Gunmen killed three in Kauru, Kaduna.

•January 9: 28 Boko Haram militants and 13 soldiers were killed during a

clash in Gujba, Yobe; in a separate incident, Nigerian soldiers killed another 30

militants in Gujba.

•January 9: Nigerian troops killed 50 bandits in Kaura-Namoda, Zamfara.

•January 9: Gunmen killed one person while attempting to snatch his vehicle

at the ever-busy Zoo Road in Kano Metropolis.

•January 10: Gunmen killed three mobile police officers in Ughelli North,

Delta.

•January 10: Gunmen killed two in Riyom, Plateau.

•January 10: Nigerian troops killed five bandits and lost one soldier in Faskari,

Katsina.

•January 10: Three suspected thieves were burnt at different locations in Calabar,

Cross River State.

•January 10: A man died after his estranged lover bathed him with petrol and

set him on fire in Makurdi, Benue State.

•January 10: Gunmen opened fire on a couple, killing the lady in the process at

Ekuigbo, Ethiope, Delta State.

•January 11: Five soldiers and six Boko Haram militants were killed during a

clash in Damboa, Borno.

•January 11: Gunmen killed a councillorship candidate and kidnapped two

others in Oshimili South, Delta.

•January 11:A Boko Haram suicide bombers killed himself and six Nigerian

soldiers in Damboa, Borno.

•January 11: A female corps member, Chidimma Odume, macheted and killed

her lover at Abak Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

•January 11: Inter-communal clash between the people of Edondon and

Ohumuruket in Obubra LGA, Cross River claimed no fewer than four lives

•January11: Two people were feared dead, while three others were missing

after suspected pirates attacked two passenger boats along the coastal waters

of Aru-Gbanaama and Polokiri in Bonny LGA of Rivers State.

•January 12: Gunmen killed two in Kauru, Kaduna.

January 12: Military airstrikes killed “several” (estimated at 10) Boko Haram

insurgents in Kaga, Borno.

•January 12: Suspected land grabbers killed four in Ikorodu, Lagos.

•January 12: Security forces killed four bandits in Shiroro, Niger State.

•January 12: Two villagers were killed in an ambush by gunmen between

Bakin Kogi and Narido village in Kauru LGA of Kaduna State

•January 10-January 12: Cult clashes resulted in 14 deaths in Ikorodu, Lagos.

•January 12: At least five persons reportedly shot dead in a

renewed clash between the people of Emede and Igbide clans in Isoko South

LGA, Delta.

•January 12: Mr. Obiezu, the younger brother to Imo State Accountant General,

Valentine Obiezu, was killed after failed attempt to kidnap him at his village,

Akatta, Oru East LGA.

•January 12: The remains of a farmer, Wole Agbola, who was abducted, was

discovered in the bush in Aba-Odo, Oyo State a few kilometres from where he

was abducted after his family paid N2million ransom.

•January 12: A soldier and 10 bandits were killed in a clash between troops and

bandits at various locations in Katsina. A clash at Batsari LGA claimed five

bandits, while another five went down at Maigora, Faskari LGA.

•January 13: Bandits killed two in Igabi, Kaduna.

•January 13: An Amotekun operative killed one civilian in Ibadan North, Oyo.

•January 13: Military airstrikes killed “several” (estimated at 10) Boko Haram

militants in Konduga, Borno.

•January 13: Suspected herders killed two at Iniongwu village in Guma LGA,

Benue State.

•January: Robbers shot and killed Pastor Kelvin Orumor, the General Overseer

of Kingdom Advancement Christian Centre, at Edjeba area of Warri, Delta

State.

•January 14: Bandits killed two farmers at Chikaji Village in Igabi LGA,

Kaduna.

•January 14: Military airstrikes killed “several” (estimated at 10) Boko Haram

insurgents in Bama, Borno.

•January 14: Boko Haram landmines killed five soldiers in Chibok, Borno.

•January 14: Nigerian troops killed “scores” (estimated at 40) of bandits in

Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna.

•January 14 Officials of DSS beat a policeman, Fawale Rauf, 33, to death at

River Side area of Osogbo, Osun State.

•January 15: Communal violence led to two deaths in Ibarapa North, Oyo.

•January 15: Nigerian troops killed “scores” (estimated at 40) of Boko Haram

militants in Marte, Borno.

•January 15: Bandits killed five police officers and kidnapped thirteen others

in Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna.

January 16: Bandits killed one in Igabi LGA, three in Chikun LGA, and one in

Giwa LGA in Kaduna.

•January 16: Soldiers killed five civilians, and one soldier was killed in retaliation

in Maiduguri, Borno.

•January 16: Bandits killed a livestock guard and shot NSCDC officer in

Makurdi, Benue

•January 16: Communal violence led to two deaths in Anambra East, Anambra.

•January 16 Deputy Registrar of FUTA, Dr. Amos Arijesuyo died from gunshot

wounds he sustained after he was attacked by gunmen along Ilesa-Akure

Highway while returning to Akure from Ibadan.

•January 16: Two were killed and scores injured in a renewed crisis between

Umueri and Aguleri communities of Anambra State.

•January 17: Kidnappers killed a man, Elliot Ofa and kidnapped three others

at Ethiope West LGA, Delta State.

•January 17: Bandits killed 10 during an attack on Janbako, a community in

Maradun LGA, Zamfara State.

•January 17: Bandits killed five including an 80-year old woman and a village

head in separate attacks on two villages of Chikun as well as travellers in Giwa

LGA of Kaduna State.

•January 17: Five riot policemen were killed in an ambush on the highway in

Kaduna State.

•January 17: 24 people were killed as bandits and cultists went on rampage in

Borno, Benue, Cross River and Niger. A soldier and five civilians died in a clash

in Maiduguri. Late Gana’s loyalists attacked a Benue community and killed

three persons. Bakassi cult clash claimed four lives in Cross River. A Catholic

priest was killed by bandits in Niger with his brother and 17 others kidnapped.

•January 17: 35 bandits were killed by troops of the Operation Hadarin Daji in

different encounters in Zamfara and Katsina states.

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021— 29

tension has been growing in the country and the

embers of disunity, anarchy and disintegration

are spreading fast and if care is not taken, this

might lead us to a point of no return," he warned.

Continues online www.vanguardngr.com

30 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

ADEMOLA

GABRIEL

UCHENNA

OKEOMA

I, formerly known as Ademola I, formerly known as Aigbe I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss

Thomson, now wish to be Gabriel, now wish to be known Uchenna Clara, now wish to

Okeoma Chiamaka Rita

Iloborom, now wish to be

known as Ademola as Aigbe Gabriel Aimohosa. be known as Mrs. Chijiokeknown

as Mrs. Chiamaka

Thompson. Former Former documents remain Ofoma Uchenna Clara. Former

Okeoma Rita Ezenmo. Former

documents remain valid. valid. General public pls take documents remain valid. documents remain valid.

General public pls take note. note.

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

NWAOCHA

OKONKWO

OCHEI

ALUKO

I, formerly known as Nwaocha I, formerly known as Helen I, formerly known as Ochei I, formerly known as Miss

Sunday Elijah, now wish to be Chidinma Okonkwo, now wish

Emmanuella Amaka, now wish Olubunmi Mary Aluko, now

to be known as Adegbuji wish to be known as Mrs.

known as Ifeanyichukwu to be known as Helen

Emmanuella Amaka. All documents

bearing my former Former documents remain

Hassan Olubunmi Mary.

Sunday Elijah. Former Chidinma Orji. Former

documents remain valid. documents remain valid. name remain valid. General valid. General public pls take

General public pls take note. General public pls take note. public please take note. note.

AKPOYIBO

EMERIEWE AN

ADEJOH

EVIDENCE

I, formerly known as Queen I, formerly known as Emeriewe I, formerly known and I, former known as Miss

Akpoyibo, now wish to be Eseoghene Angela, now wish to addressed as Miss Helen Evidence Iruoghene Igholoja,

known as Queen Eguridu. All be known as Mrs Eseoghene

Adejoh, now wish to be known and also known as Miss

and addressed as Mrs Clement Aliyah Igholoja, now wish to

former documents remain Gloria Ezekiel Eghwrudjakpor.

Francess Helen. All former be known as Mrs. Aliyah Aliu

valid. The general public and All former documents remain documents remain valid, Hassan henceforth, all former

whom it may concern to valid. General public take general public please take documents remain valid.

please take note accordingly. note.

note.

General public take note.

AKEMU

IORTYER

OGEDEGBE

BRIGHT

I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known and I, formerly known as Peter I, formerly known as Miss

addressed as Miss Sandra

Angela Omoyear Bright, now

Akemu Vivian, now wish to

Ebimene Ogedegbe, now wish

Doose Iortyer, now wish to be

wish to be known as Mrs.

be known as Mrs. Unukpo known and addressed as Mrs to be known as Peter Ebisine Angela Iremise henceforth.

Vivian. Former documents Adzua Sandra Doose. All

Johnson. Former documents

Former documents remain

former documents remain

valid. General Public, to whom

remain valid. General public

valid.General public please remain valid. General public it may concern should please

pls take note.

take note.

pls take note.

take note.

JACK

ALUMONA ENEGIDE JOEL

IFEANYI

My name currently is Ifeanyi Stanley

I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss Alumona My name now is Nwajimeje Joel as it Onyeka as it appears on my Jamb

Osikiemea Diana Omubo Jack Veronica Chioma, now wish to be appears on all my credentials and results and other documents. Ifeanyi

and Osikiemea Omubo Jack,

documents. Ajabor Joel was the name Stanley was the name I used in my

known and addressed as Mrs.

NECO Exams. I wish to reconcile the

I was answering before as it appears

now wish to be known as Mrs Mekiriuwa-Lucky Veronica Chioma.

two that I am same person. I wish to

on my primary six leaving certificate. be called Ifeanyi Stanley Onyeka.

Diana Omubo Utukpe. Former Former documents remain valid. Former documents remain valid. Former documents remain valid.

documents remain valid. General Public, Authorities General Public, Authorities

General Public, Authorities

concerned please take note.

General public pls take note. concerned please take note.

concerned please take note.

LINUS

OWHUTU

MADUGU

AMAFINI

I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Akota I, formerly known as Mrs.

Linus Mary Oluchi, now wish Owhutu Ovwata Precious, now Naomi Madugu. now wish to Amafini Stephen, now wish to

to be known as Mrs. Dike wish to be known as Mrs.

be known as Naomi Akota. All be known as Mrs. Amafini

Mary Oluchi. All former Oremiephan Ovwata Precious.

former documents remain Sunny. All former documents

documents remain valid. All former documents remain

Fidelity Bank Plc and general valid. General public please

valid. General public please

remain valid. General public

public please take note. take note.

take note.

please take note.

EYAREFA

MOSES

IGBINEWEKA OBIE

IGBINEWEKA

I, formerly known as Eyarefe I, formerly known as Moses I, formerly known as Alex I, formerly known as Sharon

Maria Omoleye, now wish to Edosa Igbineweka, now wish Odunayo Igbineweka, now

Emipat, now wish to be known

be known as Ojo Maria to be known as Alex Edosa wish to be known as Sharon

as Ovwile Emipat. All former

Omoleye. All former Igbinosa. All former Odunayo Igbinosa. All former

documents remain valid. documents remain valid. documents remain valid. documents remain valid.

General public please take General public please take RCCG and general public to

RCCG and general public to

note.

take note.

MONDAY

AGBAMA

ADEYEMO

OSAGIE

My name was mistakenly written as The names, Agbama Innocent I, formerly known as Osagie

I, formerly known as Adeyemo

Warieta Peter Monday, instead of Matthew, Matthew Innocent Caroline Omonrobonamu,

Adenike Adebisola, now wish to be

Warieta Timothy Akpowena. But Agbama and Innocent Matthew now wish to be known as

known as Olanegan Adenike

Agbama refer to one and the same Omozuhiomwen Caroline

Elizabeth. All former documents henceforth want to be addressed as

person, but now wish to be known Omon. All my former

remain valid. General public please Warieta Timothy Akpowena. Former and addressed as Agbama Innocent

documents remain valid.

take note.All former documents

documents remain valid. GTB and Matthew. All documents bearing the

above names remain valid. General

General public please take

remain valid. General public please

general public should take note.

take note.

public please take note.

note.

YUSUF OG

OJIKERI

BANA

UDUKEREGBE

I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Mr. I, formerly known and

Yusuf Fausat Omowunmi, now Ojikeri Chioma Grace, now Shettima Aliu Bana, now wish

addressed as Miss Udukeregbe

Elohor Angela, now wish to be

wish to be known as Mrs Bello wish to be known as Mrs. Madu to be known as Mr. Shettima

known and addressed as Mrs.

Fausat Omowunmi. All former Chioma Grace. All former Aliyu Muhammed. All former

Carter Elohor Angela. All

documents remain valid. The documents remain Valid. The documents remain Valid. The

former documents remain

general public should take general public should please general public should please valid. General public please

note.

take note.

EGBEJI-TITUS AGBAFOR IB

STEPHEN UGWUOKE

This is to confirm that the names I, formerly known and I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known as Miss

Egbeji-Titus Dede Gentle and addressed as Agbafor Chinyere Stephen Miriam Ugomma, Esther Ukamaka Ugwuoke,

Egbeji Dede Lordly refer to one and

now wish to be known and now wish to be known as Mrs now wish to be known as Mrs

addressed as Eze Okoronkwo

the same person. I now wish to be

Ihezue Miriam Ugomma. All Esther Ukamaka Egboro. All

Chinyere. All documents

known as Egbeji Dede Lordly. All

documents bearing my former documents bearing my former

bearing former names remain

former documents remain valid. valid. The general public should

name remain valid, general name remain valid, general

General public please take note. take note.

public please take note. public please take note

OMONGBALE

I, formerly known and

addressed as Rosemary Iziegbe

Omongbale, now wish to be

known and addressed as

Rosemary Iziegbe Ilori. All

former documents remain

valid. General Public please

note.

ADEJUMO

I, formerly known as Miss

Adejumo Taiwo Mary, now

wish to be known as Mrs.

Awodiran Taiwo Mary. Former

documents remain valid.

General public pls take note.

UMERAH

I, formerly known and

addressed as Gloria

Kenechukwu Umerah, now

wish to be known and addressed

as Gloria Deborah

Kenechukwu. All former

documents remain valid.

General public please take

note.

UCHE

I, formerly known as Miss

Kawekwune Josephine Uche, now

wish to be known as Mrs. Friday

Josephine Uche henceforth. Former

documents remain valid. General

Public, to whom it may concern

should please take note.

AKINDELE-OBE

I, formerly known as Miss

Akindele-Obe Moyomola

Anuoluwapo, now wish to be

known as Mrs. Adeyemi

Moyomola Anuoluwapo.

Former documents remain

valid. General public pls take

note.

NMADU

I, formerly known as Miss

Favour Mmesoma Mmadu,

now wish to be known as Mrs.

Favour Mmesoma Ezuma. All

former documents remain

valid. General public please

take note.

UCHE

My name was wrongly written

as Uche Ayozieuwa (where

Godswill was ommitted),

instead of Ayozieuwa

Uchechukwu Godswill. All

former documents remain

valid. General public take note.

ETAGHENE

I, formerly known as Miss

Etaghene

Jane

Edjemuvwokoghene, now wish

to be known as Mrs Edeimu

Jane Edjemuvwokoghene. All

former documents remain

valid. Banks general public take

note

BLESSING

This is to confirm that the names

Osaiyuwu Blessing and Erebholo

Blessing refer to one and the same

person. I now wish to be known and

addressed as Erebholo Blessing. All

former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

PATRICK

I, formerly known as Patrick

Henry Edet, now wish to be

known as Patrick - Grace

Henry. The names, Henry and

Edet are both personal names

of my late father. All former

documents

remain

valid. General public please

take note.

NWAOCHA

I, formerly known as Nwaocha

Chima Innocent, now wish to

be known as Ifeanyichukwu

Chima Innocent. Former

documents remain valid.

General public pls take note.

ONWUANAKU

I, formerly known as Miss

Onwuanaku Chidinma Mary,

now wish to be known as Mrs

Ukatu Chidinma Mary.

Former documents remain

valid. General public pls take

note.

OKAM

I, formerly known and

addressed as Miss Okam

Obianujunwa Cynthia, now

wish to be known and addressed

Mrs Iduh Obianujunwa

Cynthia. All former documents

remain valid. General public

please take note.

UGOCHUKWU

I, formerly known as

Ugochukwu Gaynor Chika,

now wish to be known as

Adetoye Gaynor Chika.

Former documents remain

valid. General public pls take

note.

IBORO

My correct name is Iboro

Martin, but it was wrongly

arranged and written as Martin

Iboro in my BVN details. Iboro

Martin remains my correct

name. All former documents

remain valid. General public

please take note.

NKEIBE

In opening my bank account, my name

was mistakenly written as Nkebi

Christian, instead of Nkeibe

Christian. I now wish to be known

as Syvernus Nkeibe Christian. All

former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

OLURONBI

I, formerly known as Miss

Oluronbi Shakirah Abiodun,

now wish to be known as Mrs

Adejumobi Shakirah Abiodun.

All former documents remain

valid. General public take note

MEGBELEYE

I, formerly known as Miss

Megbeleye Gladys Roli, now

wish to be known as Mrs.

Duntoye Golden Omotekoro.

All former documents remain

valid. The general public

should please take note.

ISRAEL

This is to confirm that the names

Nwabunwene Israel and

Nwabunwene Animam Israel refer to

one and the same person. I now wish

to be known as Nwabunwene

Animam Israel. All former documents

remain valid. Ecobank, Fidelity

Bank, UBA and general public please

take note.

MEBAGHANDUN

OFOWINOR

I hereby confirm that the name

Mebaghandun Amonetsone

Victoria and Mebaghandun

Victoria refer to me. All documents

bearing my former

name remain valid, general public

please take note

CHANGE OF NAME

ARUBI

This is to confirm that the names

Emmanuel Edematie Arubi, Emma E.

Arubi, Emma Arubi, Edematie Arubi

and Emma Edema Arubi refers to one

and the same person. All former

documents remain valid. The general

public should please take note

FLORA

I, formerly known as Miss

Flora Kwakpovwe, now wish

to be known as Mrs. Dim-

Simon Flora Kwakpovwe. All

former documents remain

valid, any authority it may

concern and the general public

to take note

MASKOLI

I, formerly known as Maskoli

Joy Oghogho, now wish to be

known as Mrs. Anwenede Joy

Oghogho. All former

documents remain valid.

General public please take

note.

MOBOSI

I, formerly known as Miss Mobosi

Patience Chidinma, Mobosi Favour

Chidinma respectively, now wish to

be known as Mrs. Efe Favour

Chidinma. All former documents

remain valid. General public please

take note.

IDRIS

I, formerly known as Hajara

Idris, now wish to be known as

Hannatu Ahmed. All former

documents remain valid.

General public take note

ALAYO

I, formerly known as Mrs.

Alayo Florence Tinuke, now

wish to be known as Mrs. Alayo

Risikat Atinuke. All former

documents remain valid.

General public take note

OKON

I, formerly known as

Christiana Oyoro Okon, now

wish to be known as Christy

Okon Ikwo. All former

documents remain valid.

General public take note

ALHASSAN

I, formerly known as Maryam

Alhassan, now wish to be

known as Maryam Sunday

Shawulu. All former documents

remain valid. General public

take note

IBRAHIM

I, formerly known as Ibrahim

Tseba Cheryang, now wish to

be known as Ibrahim Tseba

Chergyang. All former

documents remain valid.

General public take note

OLISEH

I, formerly known as Miss

Oliseh Maureen Ndudi, now

wish to be known as Mrs

Olugbode Maureen Ndudi. All

former documents remain

valid. General public take note

OJUKWU

I, formerly known as Ojukwu

Comfort Ude, now wish to be

known as Godswill Comfort

Ude. All former documents

remain valid. Concerned

Authorities and the general

public to take note.

EDET

I hereby confirm that my name was

wrongly written as Oden Ebri Edet

in my Pensioners Verification

Excercise, instead of my correct name

as Edet Ebri Edet. All documents

bearing my former name remain valid,

general public please take note

OFURE

I, formerly known as Omoaka

Blessing Ofure, now wish to

be known as Omoaka Blessing

Joy. All former documents

remain valid. General public

take note

AKUMBUR

I, formerly known as Akumbur

Elizabeth, now wish to be

known as Akumbur Modupe

Elizabeth. All former

documents remain valid.

General public take note

EZEH

I, formerly known as Miss

Ezeh Stella Ogochukwu, now

wish to be known as Ani Stella

Ogochukwu. All former

documents remain valid.

General public take note

CHUNDUNG

I, formerly known as

Chundung Mary Dawang, now

wish to be known as Mary

Dawang. All former documents

remain valid. General public

take note

HUSSEIN

I, formerly known as Hussein

Abdulrasheed, now wish to be

known as Abdulrasheed

Hussein. All former documents

remain valid. General public

take note

EZEAKA

I, formerly known as Miss

Ezeaka Faith Nkechi, now wish

to be known as Mrs Anioke

Faith Nkechi. All former

documents remain valid.

General public take note

ANYAOHA

I, formerly known as Anyaoha

Chiamaka Clementina, now

wish to be called and addressed

as Arisa Chiamaka Marylucy.

All Former documents remain

valid, Concerned Authorities

and the general Public to take

note.

:Vanguard

News

:@vanguardnews

It’s time to take fight to adversaries

— CDS

By Kingsley Omonobi

ABUJA — THE Chief of

Defence Staff, CDS,

Major Gen Lucky Irabor,

has said it was time the

military took the fight

against the nation’s adversaries

to wherever they

were domiciled.

Speaking while

unveiling his leadership

philosophy in Abuja over

the weekend, Gen Irabor

said: “Now is the time, that

the task must be done. The

appointment has come at a

defining moment in the annals

of our great nation.

‘’At all times, but particularly

at a critical time such

as this, the call to serve

comes with a huge

responsibility, which elicits

a clear direction and

philosophy of leadership to

act as guiding principles of

conduct behaviour and a

road map for action.

“The overall import of

these reflections is to

emplace a homogeneous,

highly-motivated,

disciplined and missionready

force to deliver its

constitutional roles and

contribute its quota as a

foremost national

institution to facilitate

national security, peace,

stability and sustainable development

of the nation”.

The CDS said he would

promote synergy and

mission command as

essential elements for

operational planning and

execution for all security

challenges requiring

military intervention across

the nation. He said this was

because no agency

(security) could do it alone,

and promised to promote

active cooperation and

collaboration between the

military and other relevant

stakeholders, key players,

departments, agencies and

organizations in aggregating

overall national

resource endowments to

comprehensively deter,

counter, overcome or

resolve all security challenges

across the nation

requiring military intervention.

General Irabor said the

privilege and honour to

lead thousands of patriotic

and distinguished

Servicemen and women

who constantly put their

lives in harm’s way in the

interest of the nation, was

very clear to him. He said:

“As we begin a new phase,

it is imperative to understand

the basis of leadership

and followership as

well as the covenant of duty,

responsibility and service to

the nation.

“I envisage a knowledgedriven,

skill-based, objectfocused,

fiscally

responsible, systematic,

creative, forward-looking,

ethical and citizenminded,

conscientious and

caring armed forces. I look

forward to a defence organization

where personnel

contribute on the basis of

their knowledge, hard and

soft skills as well as humane

aptitudes.

“I recognize the importance

of preserving the

time-proven standards of

competence that

distinguished leaders

throughout history. In specific

terms, I will advocate

competence, skills and experience,

diligence and

commitment, decisiveness,

honesty, integrity, trust and

passion for service”.

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 31

:@vanguardnews

By Emmanuel

Elebeke

ABUJA—THE National

Board for Technology

Incubation, NBTI, has

graduated 289 innovative

entrepreneurs from 24

incubation centres spread

across the country.

The entrepreneurs before

the graduation successfully

completed the compulsory

three incubation programme

at their various centres with

varying areas of

specialization.

The NBTI said each of the

grandstands are expected to

create an average of three

jobs and over 2000 jobs in total

with more opportunities

expected to be created by 458

entrepreneurs so far captured.

They are also expected to

produce and send about 1,800

products into the market and

inject over N4billion in to the

economy.

Speaking at the virtual

graduation ceremony of

entrepreneurs hosted at the

various TIP Centres in the

NEWS HOTLINES:

08052867023,

08052867058

NBTI graduates 289

entrepreneurs, targets 2000 jobs

country, the Director General

of the agency, Mohammed

Jubrin said the graduation

was significant to the nation

because the only way out of

commodity economy is for

individuals and

organizations to innovate and

adopt innovative

technologies.

The DG said despite the

ravaging COVID-19

Pandemic, the agency found

the event as an opportunity

for Nigeria to be more

creative and innovative in the

ways of doing things.

Of the 289 graduands from

the 24 centres across the

country, he explained that

most of them excelled in

various fields of production

such as fabrication, food

processing, agro-allied,

chemical/pharmaceuticals

and waste to wealth.

Though, with some

negative sides to the

economy, he said that

COVID-19 Pandemic has

made businesses and trade

across the globe to depend on

ICT to drive their daily

operations.

Auto-club by Access helps

customers drive dream cars

L AGOS—NIGERIA’S

largest retail bank,

Access Bank has brought the

dreams of Nigerians aspiring

to own a car one step closer to

reality by unveiling its newest

service called “Auto-club by

Access.” Auto-club by Access

is a one stop shop designed to

cater to every Nigerian’s

automobile needs by

providing auto services

ranging from vehicle

purchase, maintenance,

usage to disposal and so much

more at affordable pricing.

The service offers Vehicle

finance for brand new cars

such as SUVs, Sedans, Buses,

and Vans and for preowned

cars (popularly called

Tokunbo cars) from specific

approved dealers that have

been certified to be in

excellent condition. Auto-club

by Access also offers equity

release which is offered to

customers to enable them

refinance vehicles purchased

from approved partners/

dealers

Auto-club by Access has a

loan tenor of up to four years

with interest rates as low as

Desire to create jobs led to Rento

Hotels —Kotec Group CEO

O WERRI—THE

Chairman and Chief

Executive officer of Kotec

Group of Companies Chief

Chika Emenike has said his

desire to create more job

opportunities for the youths

moved him into the hospitality

industry and the creation of

Rento Hotels and suites.

He spoke during the official

opening of the 83-room Rento

Hotels and Suites led by

Chief Cletus Ibeto held in

Owerri, weekend

Responding to question

about why he went into the

hospitality business, He said:

"First, job creation. Second,

quality service first. People

believe in money first but I

believe in customer

satisfaction first, when

someone says my product is

very good for them, I am

satisfied"

The Kotec boss noted that

his over four thousand work

force across his various

15%, depending on the

finance variant chosen. The

service is available to

salaried customers and

business owners with

verifiable sources of income

as well as businesses and

corporates.

Speaking at the unveiling,

the Executive Director, Retail

Banking Division, Mr. Victor

Etuokwu said “we

understand that in Nigeria,

owning a car is not a luxury

but a necessity and an

important part of our role as

a Bank is to make our

customers lives easier to

access more. This new

service is a very practical

way to do so.”

“For our customers who

wish to take advantage of

this service, all they have to

do is fill an interest form on

the Access Bank website

h t t p s : / /

www.accessbankplc.com/

personal-banking/loans/

vehicle-finance.aspx or

walk into any of our branches

across the Country and

request for vehicle finance or

contact your account officer”

companies have been trained

to deliver quality services

saying that customer

satisfaction remains their

watchword.

Chairman of the occasion,

Chief Cletus Ibeto, founder

of Ibeto Group noted that

Rento Hotel and Suites,

Owerri, has been formally

commissioned to commence

full-scale operations to meet

the needs of corporate

bodies, tourists and other fun

seekers, and affirmed it

would provide job

opportunity to more than 50

youths.

The business magnet,

expressed satisfaction over

some of the attractive

features and facilities of the

Hotel which includes high

speed internet services, All

Day Dining Restaurant,

Indoor Executive Bar, Pool

Bar, Fitness Gym, an all

round security surveillance,

uninterrupted power supply

and lots more.

32 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 33

:Vanguard News

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

Risk management, effective leadership for public,

However, identifying them

private sector executives

alone is not sufficient, but

Let's face it! The world had

never encountered a

more disruptive time than

the last year when COVID-

19 swept the globe and

almost grounded

everything to a standstill.

Since its emergence,

individuals and businesses

have been struggling to

survive. However, while

concentrating much on

reducing the pandemic's

impact, many have

forgotten that there have

always been other risks that

need attention, too, even

during these crises. To

succeed in these dynamic,

digital and turbulent time,

there is an urgent need for

strategic leaders who can

align culture, risk and

strategy for success.

Truth be told, every

organisation faces risks,

including internal ones that

often arise from its daily

operations/activities. For

instance, some risks may

arise from inappropriate,

unethical, or illegal actions

of the employees and even

the management. These are

common, but thankfully,

they are preventable. Some

other risks also come from

external sources, and there

is little that the management

can do to prevent them.

They include political and

natural disasters. But that's

not all. Don't forget there

are social, economic

landmines too to navigate,

one of which triggered

EndSARs. Cyber threats

are still very much around,

and the risk from it is

growing as we adopt

technology more to scale in

a period of physical

distancing. They did not

vanish when COVID 19

struck. Being a leader at

such a time requires

additional knowledge and

skills on how to provide

effective leadership.

At the forthcoming

TEXEM, UK's "RISK

MANAGEMENT AND

E F F E C T I V E

LEADERSHIP FOR

SUPERLATIVE

PERFORMANCE

DURING TURBULENT

TIMES" programme, you

will have a chance to learn

how to manage risks that

your organisation faces

during these times.

Indeed, with practical

leadership skills, it is

possible to strike a balance

and even thrive despite the

many challenges your

organisations and others

face. Yes, resources might

not be enough, but with

whatever you have, it is

possible to get ahead if you

can efficiently allocate those

scarce organisational

resources. However, note

that the bar for efficiency

has been raised very high

in these disruptive times

that only cultured minds

who can integrate risk

management and strategy

can thrive in this volatile

era. So, learn with TEXEM

and hear from a team of

We are in a

historical time

that is likely to

change the

organisational

management

style forever

highly experienced

leadership pros!

As a leader, you need to

identify which risks are

preventable and which

ones are unforeseen if you

want to manage them truly.

the ability to provide

effective leadership

separates organisations that

thrive from those that

merely survive. Key topics

that the programme will

cover include:

•Managing risks in times

of crises

•Preventing and

managing reputational &

brand risks for

organisational leaders

•Integrating risk with

strategy

•Managing the people

side of risk

•Managing ESG risks

during turbulent times

•Balancing risk

management and

innovation

•Managing Cyber

Security Risks: insights for

managers

And others

Leveraging TEXEM's

tested, proven and

impactful; a methodology

that has enhanced 4,000

executives' leadership

quotient in 11 years, this

programme would be

delivered by worldrenowned;

•Dr Graham Wilson of

the University of Oxford

•Mike Wilkins, MD, S&P

Global Ratings

•Ambassador Dr Peter

Collecott, Chair of

Ambassador Partnerships

•Sir Ambassador

Richard Gozney, The

Lieutenant Governor of

the Isle of Man

•Prof. Andrew

Chambers, World's first

Professor of Internal Audit

As it has always done,

TEXEM will use a unique

methodology to offer you

the training in a way that

makes it enjoyable and

effective. If you have

attended one, you will attest

that all its past programmes

have been active and

interactive sessions. So, as

you prepare to participate

in the forthcoming

programme, expect peerto-peer

learning, group/

individual virtual activities,

games and times for selfreflection.

Indeed, this is a

leadership programme you

do not want to miss. For

your information, each time

there is a programme,

previous participants are

always the first ones to sign

up. You are welcome to

attend too, even if it is your

first time.

As a leader, these strange

times have taught us the

need to make time for

serious introspection. We

are in a historical time that

is likely to change the

organisational

management style forever.

TEXEM's forthcoming

programme will help you

to come up with the right

ideas and reflection.

Undoubtedly, it is easy to

give up on dreams and

think that it is impossible.

However, here is a potential

lifeline; attending this

TEXEM forthcoming

leadership programme

that seeks to explore all

these threats might be all

you need to awaken the

giant/leader/manager in

you. Yes, it seems

impossible until you begin.

During the executive

development programme,

you'll realise what is

happening to your

organisation is happening

to all others, including

your rivals. Still, you turn

into an opportunity and

win depending on how

people react to the

situation. We are in an era

where change is

inevitable. Using the same

methods expecting to sail

through turbulent times

won't work. As a leader,

you need to change your

focus. More precisely, you

need to re-establish your

norms, revisit your shared

purpose, reassess your

organisational resources

and most importantly,

understand that your team

now faces emerging

constraints that need new

ideas to fix.

Risk Management, Effective Leadership for superlative performance

during turbulent times for Public, Private Sector Executives

34 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

I’ve never been

passionate about

any other thing in

my life—Donna Duke, Artist

By Prisca Sam-Duru

DONNA Duke, a self-taught

mixed media portrait painter

based in Lagos, is passionate about

the African narrative. Her paintings

which primarily involve the

interpretation of black portraiture,

exhibits countless narrative within

human existence.

Donna’s works explore mixedmedia

through the use of acrylic, oil,

metal and 24k gold leaf and resin, a

technical style which at times, is

combined with a collage of

traditional West African fabric on

wooden panels.

Professionally, Donna who is the

daughter of the former Cross River

State Governor, Donald Duke,

started her creative activities over a

year ago but began drawing and

painting at the age of five when she

was also involved in other creative

activities. She, however, stopped

making art when she got to

secondary school. According to her,

“After I graduated from the

university, I just decided to try the

hobby again.”

Donna Duke read history which is

completely unconnected to art but

her raw talent and supportive

parents, she noted, are responsible

for her achievements in the art

industry. “I am incredibly lucky. I’ve

always had very supportive parents.

They’ve supported me more than I’ve

supported myself. When I thought

about where my creativity could go,

they backed me completely and gave

me the resources and tours. Their

words and encouragement more

than anything brought me this far

and in such an isolating profession

like art; because you work all by

yourself with your materials all the

time, it’s really nice to know there

are people who support what you are

doing.”

The artist was at the Noire

Exhibition which was one of the few

events that rounded off activities in

2020. It was her very first exhibition

as an artist but the pieces she

displayed were classy and did not

present her as a first-timer. “The

Noire Exhibition was my first

outing. By the grace of God I plan to

hold a solo exhibition. The Noire

Exhibition was like a dream come

true. It was a great opportunity for

me to have people see what I’ve been

doing. It was daunting actually and

I was nervous all through but, I’m

happy it turned out well”.

Definitely, no other way to describe

her experience at the exhibition other

than that it ended beyond her

imagination. Donna took to her

Instagram page where she has over

4,000 followers after that experience

and wrote; “The last few months have

been an overwhelming and

exhilarating few, culminating in my

first art exhibition last weekend. I am

beyond grateful to my family, friends

and everyone who came to support

me and the five amazing

@thenoireexhibition artists, without

whom none of this would have been

possible. Thank you to everyone that

bought a piece, feeling incredibly

blessed to have sold out at my first

exhibition.”

The works she exhibited in the

Noire Exhibition were all produced

in 2020 and they took her between

two and six months to complete. “I

work on multiple pieces at a time so,

some works took me two months,

others between four and six months”,

she explained.

Donna is unapologetically

fascinated by African narrative and

By Chukwuma Ajakah

IN his collection of poems titled A

Booktiful Love, UK-based

Nigerian poet, Tolu’ Akinyemi,

explores the vicissitudes of life from

diverse perspectives. The 63-page

book published by Roaring Lions

Newcastle (2020) features 48

poems that focus on topical issues

such as the phenomenal

Coronavirus pandemic scare and

its aftermath, sex for marks scandals

in the ivory tower, domestic

violence, election rigging, ethnic

profiling and politics of exclusion,

revolution and xenophobia.

The anthology is divided into three

broad parts. Part 1 features 16 poems

•Donna Duke standing in front of her art works

achieves more by projecting the

aspects easily ignored by most

creatives. “I’m very passionate about

telling the black experience not

necessarily the experience of

suffering, or experience of the entire

negative price that come with being

black in this world. I tell stories even

if it's mundane things such as love

and I want to make sure we are

represented and our voices and

conversations are part of the topic.”

That was the objective of The Noire

exhibition in the first place;

encouraging black women to

represent themselves better in the

Life lessons from Tolu

Akinyemi’s Booktiful’love

NTA, NCAC join forces to combat rape

THE Nigerian Television

Authority, NTA, and the National

Council for Arts and Culture,

NCAC, have resolved together to

tackle the menace of rape in Nigeria.

The Director-General, NCAC,

Otunba Segun Runsewe and the

Director-General, NTA, Mallam

Yakubu ibn Mohammed made this

resolution when the NCAC boss

paid a courtesy call on his

counterpart in NTA headquarters

Abuja.

Runsewe said the efforts of NTA

on the issues of rape in Nigeria has

drastically reduced rape cases as

indicated by statistics from other

states of the federation.

He added that the sustained

dissemination of information and

condemnation of rape by NTA has

gone a long way to sensitize rape

victims and their families on what to

do and whom to complain to when

they fall victim to rape.

Runsewe said as the custodian of

culture in Nigeria and Africa, he

knows that no aspect of Nigerian or

African custom or tradition supports

which include Isolation, Bury Me

in a Library, It’s Okay Not to feel

Okay, Write for Rights, Your Dreams

Are Valid, Trial and Error, A Date

with Hope and Life Lessons. Part 2

contains Pertinent Questions, Say

No to Xenophobia, I Belong to

Nobody, Aso the Death Post, Erect a

Statue for Me in Imo, Saints, Cold

Room, Strange Dance of Chickens,

Body Language, Ignoramus and

Revolution Now. The poems

featured in Part 3 include A Booktiful

Love, Beauty & Brains, Beauty and

Priceless, Beauty and Queening,

Beauty & Fierce, Beauty& Virtuous,

Portarait of a fake Fie Love, Fairy,

Loud Voices, Grief in Solitude,

Starved, Foundational Mess and a

The D-G, NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe (r) and the D-G, NTA,

Mallam Yakubu Ibn Mohammed.

rape and as such, he will throw his synergy needed to fight the

weight behind any institution that scourge.

is ready to fight rape and rapists in The DG of NTA affirming his

Nigeria.

support to the Federal Government

According to Runsewe, he finds in eradicating the scourge of

in the NTA a formidable ally in banditry, kidnapping and rape,

sensitizing Nigerians on the stated that NTA has decided to be in

dangers of rape and the the forefront of the fight against

consequences of rape on the victims. rapists and other social vices in

He added that his organisation Nigeria.

strongly believes that NTA and

Continues

NCAC can form the much-needed @www.vanguardngr.com

creative space.

Asked what her next step after the

Noire Exhibition would be, Donna

said: “By God’s grace after the Noire

Exhibition, I want to make sure that

everything I create is authentic to me,

and how I see the world. I never want

to feel as though I’m mass producing

something which is a feeling that I’m

rushed to produce something. I

would really love to keep doing this

because I’ve never been passionate

about anything else in my life.”

Continues

@www.vanguardngr.com

Booktiful Love Story.

The thematic treatment of A

Booktiful Love encompasses love,

marriage, beauty, relationships,

hope, mental health, human rights,

academics, politics, culture,

economy, dreams, disillusionment,

hatred and death. The poet explores

the central theme of love for

education in many of the poems,

including the title poem, A Booktiful

Love, Beauty and Brains, A Date

with Hope, Neophyte, Your Dreams

Are Valid, Writers, Write for Rights

and Ignoramus. This thematic focus

is clearly depicted in each of the six

stanzas of A Booktiful Love as in the

following lines where the poet plays

on literary terms: Our love was

layered in similes and metaphors/

Your love language was erotica/

And meeting you was non-fiction/

I tell you stories coloured in fantasy/

And send you to dreamland with

poetry/ Rhymes, and free-flowing

verses/ This isn’t science fiction or

historical fiction/ This was us/ There

are days I am buried in the pit of

self-help books.

Continues

@www.vanguardngr.com

Artpedia

Nigeria holds

'The

Persistence

of Time'

exhibition

By Adesina Wahab

ARTPEDIA Nigeria is set to

launch a new gallery space

with The Persistence of Time, a

group art exhibition featuring top

Nigerian contemporary artists and

opening on Saturday, 20 February

to Friday, 30 April 2021.

The Persistence of Time brings

together 28 paintings from the

gallery’s expansive collection

featuring artists Ada Godspower,

Elizabeth Ekpetorson, Frederick

Idele, Ikechukwu Ezeigwe,

Habeeb Andu and Sejiro Avoseh.

The title of the exhibition borrows

from the iconic painting of Spanish

artist, Salvador Dalí, one of the

remarkable artists of the

Surrealism art movement named

The Persistence of Memory (1931).

Tallying with the movement, it

presents a school of artistry that

has been shaped by time —

through individual experiences

and social events — and

distinctively marked by the

capricious forms and precise

reflections of the unconscious

mind.

The show is a walk through the

socio-political connotations of

Avoseh easily identified for his

style of fusing collage and painting

techniques to create dissimilar

forms layered in a complex manner

to the hasty yet measured

brushstrokes of Elizabeth

Ekpetorson who logs time and

allows its resulting elements such

as emotions and reactions fuel her

artistic production.

It is almost always a prerequisite

in many art shows to create a

concept that introduces a

completely fresh meaning and

sense to a collection. The

exhibition, The Persistence of

Time, theorises the influence of

time in artistic innovation. This is

reflected in the

interconnectedness of the 28

randomly selected and displayed

artworks by six artists who have

independently produced each

body of work at different times

(dating from 2017 to 2021). It also

realises other sub-themes totalled

as creative inspirations and range

from sociopolitical influences to

identity that indicate the actuality

— accurately serving as a

repository where evidences of the

now will be stored for posterity.

Established in November 2020

by Onomen “Nomzky” Onohi, a

familiar name in the Nigerian

music scene as well as an avid

collector of art, this exhibition will

be the first in the Artpedia gallery

space, officially launching it into

the art community and sector. The

Persistence of Time is curated by

Lagos-based curator, Kennii

Ekundayo.

Participating artists are Ada

Godspower, Elizabeth

Ekpetorson, Frederick Idele,

Ikechukwu Ezeigwe, Habeeb

Andu and Sejiro Avoseh

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021—35

Expect N195 per litre

for petrol, marketers

warn Nigerians

Continued from page 5

by hoarding petroleum

products to ensure that

only their filling stations

were loaded first.

“As we speak, most of

us have paid money to

these depots without

getting product. And

before your eyes they are

loading up their own

trucks. These private

depots are known,” he

said.

‘Marketers now

unhappy over

petrol supply

chain’

On his part, former

National Publicity

Secretary of IPMAN, Dr.

Emma Ihedigbo, also

said oil marketers were

no longer happy about

what government

agencies were doing with

petrol supply chain.

“What we are saying in

effect is that we are

crying out that, PPMC

wants to strangulate

IPMAN members and all

the businessmen dealing

on petroleum products

and we are no longer

happy about it. And if

nothing is done, we will

come out and tell the

world what is going on,”

he warned.

Trade unions

not ready to

defend workers

— JAF

Reacting last night, the

umbrella body for prolabour

civil

organization, Joint

Action Front, JAF,

through its National

Secretary, Abiodun

Aremu, said: “This

should be expected from

marketers as long as the

leadership of the Nigeria

trade unions movement

is not prepared to defend

workers against policies

that are inimical to their

interest.

“Why would the

marketers not be so

audacious to make such

reckless statement when

our trade unions’

leadership, capitulated

to the policy of

deregulation on

September 28, 2020 and

called off the popularly

mobilised nationwide

strike at the dying

minutes without regard

to the views of longstanding

relationship

with pro-labour allies?

“This has undermined

public confidence in

labour leadership role in

the struggle to resist the

hardship and untold

sufferings imposed by

the ruling APC

government on the

working people and the

majority of poor

Nigerians.

“The arrogant

pronouncement by the

marketers should serve

as a wake-up call on the

leadership of organised

labour to begin a new

process of rethinking,

ideological repositioning

and reaffirmation of the

stand of labour against

neo-liberal exploitative

policies of deregulation,

privatization and the

need to ensure that

public goods is at the

centre of socioeconomic

policies.

“JAF, therefore, wants a

to assure organised

labour of its readiness to

collaborate and struggle

with labour as long as

the primary focus of the

struggle

unapologetical defence

of workers’ interest and

oppressed masses

MoU—From left: Division Head, Health and Education Sectors, Sterling Bank PLC, Obinna Ukachukwu,

Commissioner of Health, Kaduna State, Dr. Amina Baloni, Senior Vice President, Africa, Zipline, Daniel

Marfo, Kaduna State Governor , Malam Nasir Ahmad El-rufai and the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza

Balarabe, during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of Zipline

medical drone services for COVID-19 vaccine delivery in Kaduna.. Friday.

against ruling class and

marketers’ interest.

“Organised labour

should realise that the

era of unprincipled and

half-hearted prosecution

of resistance struggle

should be gone.

Organised labour should

be prepared to assure

Nigerian workers and

the oppressed masses of

Nigeria that labour

should no longer bark,

no longer rush to the

negotiation tables but

ready to stand by the

collective principles and

resolve of the congress of

workers.”

On its part, , President

•Ask FG to dismantle all road blocks on federal highways

•Threaten withdrawal of services after 7 days, if ...

of Trade Union Congress

of Nigeria, TUC, Quadri

Olaleye, simply said

until the marketers

increase the pump price

of fuel, “‘we are not

going to say anything.”

#EndSARS, Shasha crisis: Food, cattle

dealers demand N475bn compensation

By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA—Food and

cattle dealers,

under the Amalgamated

Union of Foodstuff and

Cattle Dealers of

Nigeria, AUFCDN, have

demanded N475 billion

compensation for lives of

members lost during the

#EndSARS protests last

year and the Shasha

market crisis in

Ibadan,Oyo State, two

weeks ago.

Besides, the group,

consisting of 75

independent unions,

demanded the

dismantling of all road

blocks on the nation’s

highways.

It also demanded an

accord with state

governments to withdraw

services anytime their

members were subjected

to attacks.

The organisation,

which position was

contained in a

communique, signed by

its President, Comrade

Muhammad Tahir, and

the Secretary General,

Ahmed Ahmed,

respectively in Abuja

yesterday, sought

thorough protection of

members across the

country.

It gave the federal

government a 7-day

ultimatum to meet its

demands, threatening to

withdraw its services in

the country should

government fail to meet

its demands.

In the communique,

the union regretted that

in spite of the series of

complaints written to

President Muhammadu

Buhari, National and

State Houses of

Assembly, first class

emirs, relevant agencies

and all security

apparatai in the country,

its members have

continued to suffer

various forms of

intimidation, frustration,

humiliation as well as

the destruction of

properties, while some

had been killed.

The group enumerated

the challenges

confronting AUFCDN

members to include

armed robbery,

kidnapping and multiple

taxation arising from the

illegal road blocks

mounted at strategic

locations.

The communique read:

“Given the lack of safety

of our members and their

properties nationwide,

imposition of multiple

taxations in the

highways, despite our

contribution to peace,

progress, unity and

economic growth of

Nigeria, our members

unanimously demands

as follows:

“The Federal

Government under

President Muhammadu

Buhari should

immediately revisit our

demands written at

various times to address

the bedevilling issues

which include but not

limited to compensation

of lives and properties

lost, to protect the rights

of our members while on

transit and at their

places of doing business,

to dismantle illegal road

blocks mounted on the

highways by hoodlums

in total disregard to laws

of the federal republic of

Nigeria, most especially

from Adamawa, Taraba,

Benue down to Port

Harcourt.

“To draw an agreement

between state

governments and

amalgamated union of

foodstuff and cattle

dealers of Nigeria, that

henceforth, if any

violence of any nature

erupted in that state and

our members are

attacked, we will not

hesitate to immediately

withdraw our services.

“We are, therefore,

giving the federal

government of Nigeria

seven days ultimatum

from the date of

acknowledgment of

receipt, within which to

address the issues raised

or we have no option

than to call our members

on a nationwide strike.”

Also speaking,

President, Northern

Consensus Movement,

Awwal Aliu who noted

that AUFCDN had

written to world bodies,

including the United

Nations and some

foreign governments,

lamented that 251 of its

members were killed

during the #EndSARS

protest and the Shasha

market crisis.

While warning that the

entire country would be

thrown into chaos should

President Buhari fail to

address the incessant

killings, he insisted that

the Fulani cattle herders

were Nigerians and as

such, had every right to

reside and carryout

businesses in any part of

the country as stipulated

Nigeria’s

constitution.

“There is insecurity,

there is distrust among

Nigerians and we feel it

is time for the authorities

to do something about it,

otherwise, it will

degenerate to a situation

where the country will

go into chaos and that is

what we are trying to

avoid.

“We had earlier given

a 21 days ultimatum and

now we are giving a

seven-day ultimatum

and if nothing is done,

certain services will be

withdrawn.

“151 of our members

were lost during the

#EndSARS protest and

another 100 in the

Shasha market crisis, we

also have lost 100 trucks.

We are demanding N475

billion as compensation

for the loss of lives and

properties.

“We are about 75 trade

union organisation that

constitute this body and

if this body decides that

we are withdrawing our

services, you know what

that means.

“This is an economicdriven

association; we

produce and export from

one part of Nigeria to the

other part of Nigeria

goods that are

consumable and such

consumable goods will

be withdrawn and that

means economically,

something will happen

but we are giving the

federal government this

number of days within

which to address this

problem.

“This continuous

killings and destruction

of properties has become

a non stop thing and a

word they say is enough

for the wise; it is either

the government act or we

act and by the time we

are acting nobody should

blame us. We will not

continue to accept other

Nigerians looking down

on us or humiliating us.”

36 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Djokovic wins 9th

Australian Open title

N•Djokovic

ovak Djokovic beat

Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-

2, 6-2 to win a record-extending

ninth Australian

Open title on Sunday.

The win at Rod Laver Arena

gave the 33-year-old Serb his

18th Grand Slam tennis

crown, putting him just two

behind the record 20 jointly

Ronaldinho

loses mother

to Covid-19

Barcelona and Brazilian foot

ball legend Ronaldinho has

reportedly lost his mother two

months after the 71-year-old

was tested positive for the

deadly COVID-19.

Dona Miguelina is the name

of Ronaldinho's mother and she

was said to have passed on after

failure in battle against the virus

while in hospital.

When Ronaldinho was in

prison due to fake passport issues

he had, the Brazilian footballer

used to talk about him

missing his mother claiming

that she was precious to him.

According to the report on

Espana, they claimed that Peruvian

national TV station

America actually reported the

demise of Ronaldinho's mother.

•Ronaldinho and Mother

held by Swiss great Roger

Federer and Spanish ace

Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic demolished the

fourth seed in front of 7,400

fans to end the Russian’s unbeaten

run at 20 matches.

In winning his third straight

Australian Open, he denied

Medvedev his first. The 25-

year-old had lost his first

Grand Slam final at the 2019

US Open.

Much like Dominic Thiem

Lautaro Martinez's double helped

Inter Milan to an impressive

derby win over AC Milan as they

opened up a four-point gap at the

in last year’s final, Djokovic

faced an opponent desperate

for success and his own seat

at the Grand Slam table.

But unlike the Austrian,

who pushed Djokovic to five

sets, Medvedev never really

threatened.

Djokovic made a mockery

of the Russian’s 20-match

winning streak and his prematch

barb that all the pressure

to win was on the champion.

Inter thrash AC Milan 3-0

top of Serie A.

Martinez's early header laid the

platform for a confident Inter display.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic twice went

•Lukaku scores the finisher for Inter as Milan look helpless

FrieslandCampinaWAMCO, via

its Peak Milk brand, has renewed

its partnership with the Nigeria

Football Federation as Official Milk

of the Super Eagles, sustaining a relationship

that has lasted well over

two decades.

Peak became the Official Milk of

the Super Eagles prior to the 1998

FIFA World Cup finals in France,

Ebuehi on target first time

this season

Super Eagles defender Tyronne

Ebuehi scored his first goal of

the season as Twente threw away

a two-goal lead in their Eredivisie

clash against Feyenoord at the De

Grolsch Veste.

The Nigeria international has

been one of Twente’s impressive

performers this season having

joined the club on a loan deal from

Benfica.

Ebuehi was making his 22nd

league appearance on Sunday afternoon,

and he marked it by doubling

Twente’s lead.

Danilo had given the home side

the lead in the 13th minute before

Ebuehi’s strike a minute later

put Ron Jans men in firm control.

Jens Toornstra pulled one back

for Feyenoord in the 24th minute,

but Twente went into half-time

with the advantage.

The home side had numerous

chances to extend their lead following

the restart but were

wasteful in front of goal with

Osimhen taken to hospital after

worrying head injury

SUPER Eagles forward Victor

Osimhen lost consciousness

during Atalanta-Napoli and was

rushed to the hospital, but

according to Sky Sport the Napoli

striker is now alert.

The Nigeria striker hit his head

after a Cristian Romero challenge

in the stoppages of Atalanta-

Napoli.

Sky Sport reports Osimhen lost

consciousness for a few minutes

before he was stretched off.

At the beginning nobody

noticed the player’s hit was so

severe, but after a few seconds,

players urged doctors to enter the

pitch.

Osimhen was rushed to

Bergamo’s Papa Giovanni XXII

Hospital accompanied by

Napoli’s doctor and is reported to

be alert.

close levelling for Milan but the

hosts were caught out chasing the

game.

A fine team move saw Martinez

tap in his second and Romelu

Lukaku finished another incisive

counter-attack with a low effort

into the bottom corner.

While the normal raucous atmosphere

that usually greets this fixture

will have to wait until fans

return to stadiums, supporters of

both clubs lined the route to the

ground, underlining the significance

of the match.

This was the first time the sides

had met while occupying the top

two positions in Serie A since April

2011.

On that occasion AC Milan's 3-

0 win helped them go on to win

the Scudetto but having reversed

that scoreline, Antonio Conte will

now feel his Inter side are well

placed to lift their first title since

2009-10.

Peak renews relationship with NFF as

Official Milk of the Super Eagles

Ndidi sees yellow as Leicester beat Aston Villa

ames Maddison and Harvey Barnes scored as Leicester

JCity edged out an Aston Villa side missing the injured

Jack Grealish. Nigerian midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi was in

action for the Foxes but he was given a yellow card in the

34th minute. Despite the booking, he played for the entire

duration of the match His Nigerian compatriot, Kelechi

Iheanacho was an unused substitute

Maddison found the net inside the opening 20 minutes,

side-footing the ball into the far corner.

Moments later, Barnes was on hand to strike home a rebound,

giving the Foxes a deserved two-goal lead.

Villa lacked creativity without captain Grealish - who has

a leg injury that is set to keep him out for around a month -

but were given a lifeline when Bertrand Traore volleyed home

a loose ball.

With England manager Gareth Southgate watching on,

English duo Maddison and Barnes barely put a foot wrong

for Leicester in the first half.

Maddison, 24, had been involved in eight goals in his

past nine league appearances coming into this fixture, and

it took him just 19 minutes to curl Leicester in front after a

lay-off from Barnes.

where the Eagles reached the Round

of 16 with spectacular wins over

Spain and Bulgaria. France ’98 remains

the only FIFA World Cup finals

that Nigeria has made the

Round of 16 ahead of her last game

of the group phase.

Peak’s relationship with the NFF

as a key supporter of Nigeria’s

number one football brand continued

through time to the time Africa

hosted its first-ever FIFA World Cup,

in South Africa in 2010, and months

prior during the Africa Cup of Nations

finals in Angola.

Taye Ige, President/CEO, HS Media

Group (owners of the HotSports

brand) and the sports marketing/

activations agency for

FrieslandCampinaWAMCO, said

on Sunday: “During these tournaments,

Peak also sponsored the production

and broadcast of high-end

programmes on terrestrial national

network and satellite television

which daily informed and entertained

Nigerians back home on developments

in the Super Eagles’

camp. These included Peak Soccer

Moments and Super Eagles’ Peak

Time, both produced by HotSports

Nigeria Ltd.

Luciano Narsingh guilty of missing

two one one ones.

They would rue those misses as

Feyenoord drew level in the 67th

minute courtesy of a penalty from

Steven Berghuis.

Both teams had the chance to

win it late on, but neither could

take advantage, and they had to

share the points.

•Ebuehi

•Osimhen

‘Waldrum will

transform Super

Falcons to world

beaters’

Randy Waldrum has got off to a

winning start with the Super Falcons

and his representative, Obinna

Emelogu, has said the African champions

are on track to become a top

team in the world.

The Falcons have won their opening

two matches against CSKA

Moscow and Uzbekistan in their

maiden appearance at the

invitational Turkish Women’s Cup.

Emelogu, who cut his teeth as an

intermediary with the sensational

transfer of Kenneth Omeruo to Premier

League club Chelsea in 2012,

has backed the experienced American

coach to bring top value to the

Super Falcons.

“Waldrum is committed to taking

the Super Falcons beyond Africa

and with the total support of his employers,

the team will before long be

holding their own against some of

the best teams in the world,” USAbased

Emelogu told SCORENigeria

“There is a lot of work ahead but

this year will afford the coach the

chance to know the team better and

also expand the player pool so as to

bring new energy.

“From his first outing with the

team, he has already given debuts

to Toni Payne and Patricia George.

“I believe many more deserving

players will also get their chance to

represent their country under this

coach.”

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 37

38 — Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 — 39

Vanguard, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

TODAY’S CROSSWORD

QUICK CROSSWORD

FRIDAY’S SOLUTION

TODAY’S PUZZLE

Sudoku

FRIDAY’S ANSWER

ACROSS

1 Plot (10)

7 Organised group of devotees (3,4)

8 Pound (4)

10 Frozen sweets (4)

11 Final (8)

13 Reply (6)

15 Consume (6)

17 Instances (8)

18 Fair (4)

21 Uninteresting (4)

22 Spare time (7)

23 Heavy projectile (10)

DOWN

1 Small boat (5)

2 Invalid, not binding (4)

3 Small smooth rounded rock (6)

4 Needed (8)

5 Large city in Illinois (7)

6 Boer (9)

9 Rued (9)

12 Airship (8)

14 Broad-bladed kitchen implement (7)

16 German capital (6)

19 Customary (5)

20 Former Italian currency (4)

How to Play Sudoku

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

two of the same number).

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

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

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

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

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

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.

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

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

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

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