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PAGE 2 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
VANGUARD/BANKERS'COMMITTEE ECONOMIC SUMMIT
Photos: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor;Lamidi Bamidele and Akeem Salau
From right: Mr Ifie Sekibo,GMD /CEO, Heritage Bank Plc; Mr Norfadelizan
Abdul Rahman and Mr Rahmon Nasir, Head, Corporate Communications,
UBA
From left: Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD, Fidelity Bank and Mr Ade Shonubi,
Deputy Governor, CBN, during Vanguard/Bankers’ Committee Economic
Summit held in Lagos on Friday.
From left: Mr Herbert
Wigwe, MD, Access
Bank and Mr Segun
Agbaje, MD, Guaranty
Trust Bank
Mr Walter Akpani, MD, Providus Bank
From right: Mr Innocent Ike, MD, Polaris Bank, with
other guests
From right: Yvonne Ike, MD, Bank of America,
and Mr. Kayode Pitan, MD, Bank of Industry.
From left: Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu,
MD, Zenith Bank; Nneka Onyiali-
Ikpe, MD, Fidelity Bank and Mrs
Hamda Amba, MD, FSDH Merchant
Bank
Seyi Awojobi,Registrar/Chief Executive, Chartered
Institute of Bankers of Nigeria

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 3
From left: Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila; Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of
Lagos State; Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat; and Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly, Mr Mudasiru
Obasa, during the 16th Executive Legislative Parley titled: "A Consensus Agenda for Rebuilding Lagos", in Lagos
on Friday.
ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO ARREST YORUBA ACTIVIST:
Shekau, Gumi, others should be under scrutiny, not
Sunday Igboho – S/West, S/East, S/South, M/Belt leaders
*Say bandits blocking vehicles bringing foodstuff from North to South out for war
*Nothing should happen to Igboho – Oodua youths
By Dayo Johnson and
Dapo Akinrefon
THE Southern and Mid
dle Belt Leaders Forum,
SMBLF, yesterday, condemned
the alleged attempted
arrest of Yoruba rights activist,
Mr Sunday Adeyemo,
alias Sunday Igboho, in
Ibadan, Oyo State by a combined
team of security forces.
It explained that people like
Boko Haram leader, Shekau,
and Islamic cleric, Sheikh
Ahmad Abubakar Gumi,
among others, should be under
security scrutiny and not
Igboho.
Gumi has, of late, been mediating
between government
and bandits terrorising some
northern states. Igboho was
said to be on his way to Lagos
for a meeting with Chief Ayo
Adebanjo, Afenifere leader,
when the attempted arrest
happened. .
The forum also expressed
worry over alleged moves by
bandits, to turn vehicles bringing
foodstuff from the North
to the South back in some unhidden
blockage, saying it
was suggestive of war measures.
In a statement by Mr. Yinka
Odumakin (South West),
Chief Guy Ikokwu (South
East), Senator Bassey Henshaw
(South South) and Dr.
Isuwa Dogo (Middle Belt), the
forum urged President Muhammadu
Buhari to show that
he is still the leader of a united
Nigeria.
The statement reads: “The
Southern and Middle Belt
Leaders Forum (SMBLF)
condemns the attempted arrest
of Yoruba rights activist,
Mr Sunday Igboho, in
Ibadan (on Friday) by a combined
team of security forces.
“Igboho was on his way to
Lagos for a scheduled meeting
with one of our leaders,
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, when the
skirmish happened.
“We have noticed the media
denial by the DSS of its involvement
in the dastardly
operation in the atmosphere
of deregulated terror going on
in a supposed democratic environment.
“It came as an embarrassing
thing that as the show of
shame was going on, the president
was defending not
cracking down on bandits because
he is trying to avoid casualties.
“That is an admission of the
soft care for bandits by the
government and pro-bandit
supporters who have been poking
their fingers in the faces of
non-bandit Nigerians.
“The president wasn’t aware
of such caution in using maximum
force against END-
SARS which they celebrated
in Kaduna.
“It is also a demonstration
of two sets of rules in the country,
one for Fulani bandits and
another for non-Fulani communities
who are being treated
like conquered people.
“If there is still serious authority
in Nigeria, it is people
like Shekau, Gumi and troublers
of Nigeria who should
be under security scrutiny now
and not those who have committed
no offence known to
law outside raising their voices
against Fulani genocide
going on across Nigeria.
“We somehow feel it’s not
too late to persuade Buhari to
show that he is still the President
of a united Nigeria by
changing gear to run an inclusive
country with same
rules of engagement for all
nationalities to restore confidence
in the system.
“It has also come to our notice
how bandits in the north
are turning vehicles bringing
foodstuff to the South back in
some unhidden blockage suggestive
of war measures.
“We just hope they know the
implication if Southern communities
for I starting to
block fuel products for instance
from going to the north
and it’s attendant implications.
They should be careful
of what they are throwing as
they don’t know what their
opponents are holding.
“We appreciate the noble
intervention of the Middle Belt
Forum and their sense of responsibility
in condemning
this despicable measure.”
‘Nothing must happen to
Igboho’
Meanwhile, Yoruba youths
under the aegis of Oodua
Youth Coalition, OYC, have
warned that nothing must
happen to Igboho.
They declared: “Yoruba
leaders will be held responsible
if anything happens to Igboho.
A statement by its President,
Tayo Oluyi Akintade,
said that “any attempt to harass,
abduct, arrest or kill Igboho
would be fully resisted”.
They berated the security
agencies making attempt to
arrest the Yoruba freedom
fighter while ignoring bandits
and their supporters who have
continued to dare the Nigerian
state.
Their statement read, “We
saw videos of the attacks on
Chief Sunday Igboho by the
Nigerian security agents and
we at Oodua Youth Coalition
(OYC), a body of young Yoruba
people both home and
abroad, are miffed that the
Nigerian state abandoned
abducted pupils, missing persons,
terrorized people and
bereaved communities to
their fates while chasing shadows.
“Just days ago, we read
that over 300 girls from a
boarding college in Zamfara
were whisked away by terrorists
in broad daylight to an unknown
place. “Earlier, hundreds
of girls were also abducted
in Niger State and were easily
moved out of town to their
hideouts.
“There was also the attack
on a Katsina school where
boys were kidnapped and later
released after non-state actors
‘intervened’. The list is endless.
“It is, therefore, unacceptable
that the government,
which should spend fortune on
intelligence gathering and
nailing these criminals, are
only out for individuals and
citizens who have decided to
protect their people”.
My loyalty to Mr. President
unquestionable – Oshiomhole
By Kennedy Mbele
FORMER Chairman of
the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Comrade Adams
Aliyu Oshiomhole, yesterday,
pledged his unalloyed loyalty
to President Muhammadu Buhari,
insisting his commitment
to Mr. President is unquestionable.
Oshiomhole was reacting to
insinuations that he is fighting
the leadership of the APC and
the President following his reported
disagreement with the
ongoing nationwide membership
revalidation exercise of the
party.
In a statement, Oshiomhole
clarified, “Even in expressing
my reservation about the use of
the word ‘revalidation’, I also
at the same time acknowledged
the necessity to carry out the exercise
of updating the register:
deleting those who have died
or resigned, and register new
members”.
“In addition, the fact that I
left Abuja and travelled all the
way to my village in Edo State
to again register at my unit and
went further to encourage other
APC members to do likewise,
demonstrates my faith and
commitment to the party.
“The National Working
Committee (NWC) under my
leadership resolved to update
the membership register and
consequently advertised, as a
mark of APC commitment to
transparency, invited ICT companies
for expression of interest
with a view to appointing
the most competent one to take
over the membership register
for continuous update of APC
membership records as provided
for in the party’s constitution.
“Given the above, I am therefore
at a loss as to how my advice
that the National Caretaker
Committee should have
used the word ‘update’ rather
than ‘revalidation’ is tantamount
to ‘Oshiomhole’s crowd
re-awakening’ to fight the President
as being insinuated in
some quarters. I hereby state
unequivocally that I neither
have a ‘crowd’ nor belong to
any ‘crowd.’”
Saying that his loyalty to Mr.
President is unquestionable,
the APC National Chairman
went on: “The President
worked tirelessly to persuade
and campaigned to influential
leaders and members of the
party in support of my Chairmanship
candidature. Indeed,
as I have said before and it
bears repeating that I may not
have lasted as long as I did in
office, but for the support of Mr.
President who on several occasions
resisted pressure on
him.”
Edo Varsity VC, Prof
Aluyor’s dad for burial
BURIAL ceremonies
for the late Chief P.S.
Aduku Aluyor have been
fixed for the 5th and 6th of
March at Ivioghe, Agenebode
(less than 30mins
drive from Auchi) at his compound,
White House, 1 Edegbe
Road, opposite Okugbe
Primary School, Ivioghe.
Chief Aluyor was the officer
in charge of the National
Security Organisation
(NSO), now Department
of State Service, Bendel North Division.
In that capacity, he contributed immensely to upholding
security in then Bendel State and the country in general.
The deceased is survived by his wife and many children
including Mr. G.B.O. Aluyor, Chief Lecturer and former
Dean of General Studies, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi; Mr.
Adams Aluyor, Benin-City; Mr. Moses Aluyor, Assistant
Director, VMD NYSC Directorate, Hqts, Abuja; Engineer
(Prof.) Emmanuel Aluyor, Vice Chancellor of Edo University
Uzairue, and Gabriel Aluyor in Houston, Texas, United
States.
Pa Timothy Salako for burial
PA Timothy Salako is
dead. Aged 73, he
passed on to eternal glory
on Wednesday 6, January,
2021.
According to burial arrangements,
Christian
wake holds on Friday
March 5 at his residence
in Fashola Street, Oke Ela
Ilaro, Ogun State.
The remains of Pa Salako
will be committed to
mother earth after a funeral
and interment service at
his residence on Saturday,
March 6.
Mission schools in Kwara reject
govt directive on hijab
By Demola Akinyemi
PROPRIETORS of mission secondary schools have
rejected the approval of hijab wearing in their
schools by Kwara State government and insisted the
schools be returned to them.
The state government had, on Thursday, approved the
wearing of hijab for students of grant-aided schools in
the state. The proprietors in a communique read by their
spokesman, Rev Victor Dada, said the “body condemns
the use of hijab in Christian missions grant-aided schools
as this will cause discrimination in schools and allow
terrorist to easily identify our children and wards.
“Christian mission grant-aided schools should be returned
to the owners promptly as most of these schools
have churches besides them and unnecessary trespass
may lead to break down of law and order.
“Christian faithful should occupy all grant aided
schools. Christians should have a day for prayers and
fasting for God to intervene in the imbroglio.
“We shall continue to interact and dialogue with the
state government on the return of grant aided schools to
the proprietors.”
Enugu govt imposes curfew on
Oruku community, Nkanu East LGA
By Kennedy Mbele
*Late Chief Aluyor
*Pa Timothy Salako
ollowing the killing of the traditional ruler of Oruku
FCommunity, in Nkanu East Local Government Area of
Enugu State, HRH Igwe Emmanuel Chidiebere Mba, on
December 26, 2020, “subject of an on-going Judicial
Commission of Inquiry”, and the recent gruesome murder
of the Vice Chairman of Oruku Town Union Caretaker
Committee, Chief Samuel Ani, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
has imposed a curfew on the community.
A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information,
Nnayelugo Chidi Aroh, disclosed that the curfew was
imposed by Gov. Ugwuanyi, pursuant to Executive Order
No. 2: 2021, dated 25 th February 2021.
Aroh stated that the curfew, which is between the hours of
6pm to 6am daily, commences from 6pm, on Thursday,
February 25, 2021 and ends at 6pm, on Wednesday, 31 st
March, 202, in the first instance.
The Information Commissioner further stated that “the
Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command has been
directed to take all legal measures to enforce this order
and ensure the arrest as well as prosecution of the
perpetrators of this heinous crime”.
The state government therefore “enjoined the people of
Oruku to stay the course of peace and go about their lawful
businesses outside the hours of the day under curfew”.

PAGE 4— SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
Ganduje fires aide who called for Buhari,
APC govs resignation
*Confusion over ex-official’s alleged arrest
*Father, Yakassai, says nothing to worry about
By Bashir Bello
Governor Abdullahi
Ganduje of Kano
State, yesterday, relieved his
Special Adviser on Media,
Salihu Tanko-Yakasai, of his
appointment over what was
described as unguarded utterances
against the All Progressives
Congress, APC,-led
government.
The state Commissioner
for Information, Malam
Muhammad Garba, who
conveyed the governor’s directive
in a statement, said
the sack was with immediate
effect.
He said the aide had failed
to differentiate between personal
opinion and official
stand on matters of public
concern and therefore could
not be allowed to continue to
serve in a government he does
not believe in.
The governor also warned
political appointees and
public servants to guard
against making statements
capable of drawing superfluous
controversy.
The statement reaffirmed
the commitment of Governor
Ganduje to the policies
and programmes of President
Muhammadu Buhari.
Sunday Vanguard recalls
that Salihu Tanko-Yakasai
had on Friday morning reacted
to the abduction of 317
female students of Government
Girls Secondary
School, Jangebe, Talata
Mafara Local Government
Area of Zamfara State on his
verified Twitter handle
@dawisu.
In the tweet, Salihu called
on President Muhammadu
Buhari and state governors
to resign or deal decisively
with the terrorists and bandits
terriorising the country.
He also said APC governments
at all levels had failed
to secure the lives of the electorate.
In October last year, he was
suspended by Ganduje and
later reinstated over what
was termed as unguarded
utterances against the President
during the #ENDSARS
protest.
The decision of Kano State
government, however, attracted
condemnations from
social media users, who said
Nigerian leaders preferred
psychopaths.
Nothing to worry
about—Yakasai
Before his sack, reports had
emerged indicating that the
dismissed aide was detained
by the Department of State
Security Services, DSS.
Why agric needs e-commerce platform, online radio station — Magaji
By Jimoh Babatunde
THE group head,
agribusiness andagroallied
sector, Lagos Chamber
of Commerce and Industry
(LCCI), Mr. AfricanFarmer
Mogaji, says having a
functional e-commerce and
radiostation will help amplify
the positive things in
agriculture sectorin the
country.
Speaking at the launch of
his agricultural e-commerce
platform and online radio
station, which is to provide
smallholder farmers and
investors across value chains
withtimely information,
His father, Alhaji Tanko-
Yakassai, confirmed the development
in a telephone
conversation with Sunday
Vanguard.
Yakassai was not specific
on the identity of the security
agency detaining his son.
Public affairs analyst, Alhaji Tajudeen Ayodeji Kareem, and his wife, Muheeba
Ariyike, during their wedding in Ibadan.
Magaji added that the
platforms will provide
amarket place to sell to
players in the industry.
The e-commerce platform
will not onlyprovide a market
for agro-commodities but
will also support userswith
professional services needed
to boost agribusinesses.
Similarly, the radio station
willprovide programmes on
agriculture, nutrition, and
climate servicesfor farmers,
investors, and other
stakeholders across various
valuechains to learn from
what they heard to boost their
productivity andmake
investments decision.
According to him, “he is in
the custody of security agency
and not kidnappers. I don’t
know which of the security
agencies now because they
(security agencies) are many.
“He was picked yesterday
(Friday) when he went to cut
RESCUED KAGARA SCHOOLBOY:
“The online radio will
provide dailyrelevant
information across various
value chains in the
agriculturalsector. Many
agribusinesses have failed
three
years
afterestablishment because of
adequate information.”
“The e-commerce platform
will providea platform for
aggregation, buying and
selling and also provides
aprofessional platform for
agripreneurs to access
professionalservices of
lawyers, accounting and
engineers among others,”
hesaid.
his hair at the barbing saloon
when he was returning. There
is nothing to worry about
since he is with the security
and not kidnappers.”
Meanwhile, the DSS has
denied arresting or even inviting
Tanko –Yakasai.
Kano State Director of the
agency, Muhammad Alhassan,
said: “We have not arrested
or even invited Salihu,
don’t forget he is our friend,
sometimes, he advises us on
issues of critical security situations
in Kano.”
No food, no water, we were tortured throughout in the jungle
*No ransom paid for victims - Gov Bello
By Wole Mosadomi
Abducted students and
teachers of Government
Science College, Kagara,
Niger State, among others,
were, yesterday, released
after 11 days in bandits’ den.
They were picked up at
Ahmadu Attahiru Secondary
School, Kagara, after release
and taken to Minna, the state
capital, amid tight security.
They were accommodated
at the Niger State Development
Suite opposite the Government
House where they
underwent medical checkup.
Receiving them at Government
House in the evening,
Governor Abubakar Sani
Bello said 38 of the abductees,
including all the students,
were safely delivered
unhurt.
“As early as 4am today, all
the abductees were safely delivered
and they are all here”,
he said.
“One of them is in the hospital
suffering from exhaustion.
Others have been medically
checked and certified
medically fit. However, the
medical team has been directed
to still monitor them
for the next few days to really
ascertain their fitness.
“No doubt, they have been
exposed to torture and we
need to really take care of
them properly”.
Bello disclosed that no ransom
was paid to bandits to
secure the captives release,
adding that government only
incurred some expenses on
logistics.
Bello said the success story
was a joint effort of security
agencies, traditional rulers
and other stakeholders.
“Though they have been
safely delivered, government
still has a lot of work to do by
investigating the causes. With
the discussions with other
stakeholders, we will get to
the root of the crisis,”, the governor
assured.
Reactions
One of the parents of the
abducted students, John Paiko,
from Munya Local Government
Area, said he was
shocked when he received the
news of his abducted son.
“I am eager to see my son
after the release has been perfected.
The bitter experience
will not stop me from sending
him back to school because
he is the only child
among my three children
that is going to school in the
family,” he remarked.
Another parent, Suleiman
Galadima, said he was happy
to see his boy rescued.
One of the rescued students,
Suleiman Lawal, said what
happened to him was like a
dream.
“On the day we were abducted,
we were sleeping and
I thought I was dreaming. We
were tortured throughout in
the jungle. No food, no water
and we were flogged as if we
were criminals. Gaskiya, left
alone, I don’t feel like going
back to school with what I
experienced,”he said. Another
student. said though they
were tortured, he will still go
back to school.
“What has happened has
happened. It is part of life.
There was no food except
beans which was served on
He said that the
government has beenfunding
agriculture but the private
sector’s funding is still
notmatching up to the
resources required to drive
growth in the sector.
He says the e-commerce
platformprovides both a
market place for farmers to
sell their produce and aplace
to offer professional services
to players in the sector.
AfricanFarmer stated that
Nigeria needsto move its
focus of funding beyond the
production level and
shouldstart funding other
aspects of the value chains.
I received 19 threats during banking
consolidation era — Soludo
By Vincent Ujumadu
A
former governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria,
CBN, Professor Charles
Soludo, at the weekend in
Awka, narrated how he received
19 written threats on
his life following his decision
to embark on banking consolidation
in Nigeria in 2004
when he became the boss of
the nation’s apex bank.
In an interview, Soludo
also recalled attempts made
to kidnap his children at Offa,
our palms only for one day.
One sachet of water was
shared between three of us but
I will still go back to school
with this sad experience”, he
stated.
...Four dead, 26 others kidnapped
in fresh attack
Bandits, yesterday, re
sumed operations in
Kagara, Niger State on the
same day that 42 students and
other persons they kidnapped
from a school in the town regained
freedom, according to
Premiumtimes.
No fewer than four persons
were on Saturday reportedly
killed and scores kidnapped
in fresh attacks on the town
and adjoining villages in Rafi
Local Government Area of
the state.
According to Musa Kwabe,
a community leader in Kagara,
eight persons were kidnapped
in Kundu and 11 others
in nearby Gunna district.
He said the four people
killed were from Karako, a
neighbouring village where
seven persons are still missing.
HERDERS’ MENACE: Methodist
Archbishop urges synergy to fight
insecurity
The Archbishop, Meth
odist Church Nigeria,
Archdiocese of Lagos, The
Most Revd. (Dr.) Isaac Ayobami
Olawuyi has charged
Nigerians, irrespective of
class, divide, religion and tribal
affiliations to fast and pray
over the prevailing security
problems in the country.
Dr. Olawuyi made these remarks
while delivering the
sermon to mark the 2021
Annual Ash Wednesday Devotional
Service at the Wesley
Cathedral Olowogbowo
Lagos.
Reeling out the highlights
of the 40-day fasting, the eminent
cleric charged Nigerians,
especially Christians to
renounce sins, to become genuine
light bearers of Christ in
During a rally match for the
launch ofthe e-commerce
platform and radio station ,
he noted thatMarina-Lagos
was chosen for the rally
because in the early 60’smost
of the banks whose
headquarters were domicile
in Marina are thetop funders
of agriculture, noting that all
that has now change.
“Now, with the rally in
Marina we aretrying to get
the attention of the financial
sector back to theagricultural
space again,” he said.
“We want the financial
sector tostart looking at
funding the sector again and
bring their skills onboard,” he
Kwara State where they
were at the time because
many people felt threatened
by the policy.
He said: “I am a very impatient
person to see change
happen and I am passionate
in anything I focus on. When
I was the chief economic adviser
to President Olusegun
Obasanjo, and the tenure of
the former CBN governor
ended and I came in. within
one month, I announced a 13
- point agenda for banking
consolidation. “At that time,
no bank in Nigeria was in the
top 1000 banks in the world.
If you needed to make an investment
of $500 million, you
had to go through the then 39
banks and it was an impossible
task. If you wanted to borrow
abroad, there was no
bank here to guarantee that”.
He also told newsmen the
bandits rustled many cows in
the affected villages.
Muhammed Hussein, a
chief in Kagara and a former
local council chairman,
named one of those kidnapped
as Ibrahim Ruvo,
who is a chief imam at Madaka
village.
“One chief Imam, Ibrahim
Ruvo, was kidnapped around
Madaka axis. He is yet to be
found.”
Mr Hussein begged the
state government to deploy
more security operatives to the
affected communities to prevent
further attacks.
The spokesperson of the
police in Niger, Abiodun Wasiu,
said he would confirm the
incident and send a feedback
when contacted yesterday afternoon.
their respective callings and
also in their thoughts, words
and deeds.
He added that Nigerians
must engage in sober reflections
over the escalating criminal
Fulani herders’ menace,
banditry and insurgents criminal
activities, which had become
an albatross to the nation’s
continued peaceful coexistence.
•Olawuyi
noted. He added that the
bankers’ committeeforum
has lots of funds targeted
agriculture but the money is
stilldomicile in most bankers
because the players are
unable to accessthem.
He says the online radio
station can befollowed on
AgricFM.com and the e-
commerce platform
onAfricanFarmer.ng.
Programmes on the online
radio stationwill cut across
poultry, livestock, forestry,
fishing, and cropproduction.
Government initiatives and
programmes will also be
offocus.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 5
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (middle) with the Senator
representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Senator Chukwuka Utazi
(right) and Senator Ayogu Eze, during the funeral rites of an academic
and a member of Governing Council, Institute of Management and
Technology (IMT), Enugu, late Prof. Nicholas Okonkwo Idoko, at Umuida,
Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, yesterday.
MultiChoice Talent Factory kicks off Acting for
Camera virtual Masterclass
T
he MultiChoice Talent
Factory (MTF) has
announced the first Acting
for Camera Masterclass in
partnership with the worldrenowned
American
Musical and Dramatic
Academy College and
Conservatory of the
Performing Arts on March
2, 2021.
The AMDA which is ranked
number one for performing
arts in the United States will
add a game-changing
dynamic to the MTF
shared-value initiative
offering.
The MTF industry
Masterclasses which was
introduced in 2018 has
provided some of the most
sought-after masterclasses
facilitated by film and TV
experts, including
renowned Nigerian
filmmaker, Tunde Kelani
and veteran Kenyan
producer, Appie Matere,
alongside notable global
partners such as Dolby,
CBS Justice Africa and the
London Film School.
The virtual Masterclass
which is holistically
designed to perfect acting
for film, TV and new
media will delve into
crucial elements including
basic film theory, camera
focused actor warm-up, oncamera
scene work and
more, will be facilitated
by AMDA faculty members,
Jason Chaet , an awardwinning
filmmaker, theatre
director and producer and
serves as the Supervisor of
First Semester Acting,
Acting for Camera and
Screenwriting at AMDA
and Ray Virta who has over
40 years of teaching
experience at AMDA, New
York University and the
Playwrights Horizons
Theater School.
“AMDA College of the
Performing Arts is excited
and honoured to begin this
enriching partnership and
collaboration with
Multichoice Talent Factory.
We see this as an
opportunity to connect our
world-renowned faculty
with individuals who are
already rich with
storytelling and
performance talent
throughout Africa. This
MTF and AMDA
collaboration is an
example of our
commitment to the global
endowment of humanity
through the arts,” said
Blake Babbitt, AMDA
Director of Outreach.
Alongside the Acting on
Camera Masterclass,
AMDA will also facilitate
additional Masterclasses
with MTF throughout 2021
including on-camera
acting technique, musical
theatre performance, dance
and industry tips.
“This partnership with
AMDA couldn’t have come at
a better time as the continent
is experiencing a surge in the
demand and consumption of
original African content
and the exponential growth
has resulted in youth
seeking careers in the
performing arts industry.
Shina Atilola, Divisional Head, Retail and Consumer Banking, Sterling
Bank PLC (left), receiving the Special Recognition Award for Tourism
Support in 2020 from Efetobo Ahwana, CEO, Balearica Awards in Lagos.
JANGEBE ABDUCTION: Female gunmen among our
the release of the abducted
girls.
abductors — Escaped schoolgirls
National Secretary of the
•Whereabouts of captives still unknown
•Kano closes boarding schools
•PDP: Presidency should clear the air
By Bashir Bello,
Ibrahim HassanWuyo,
Omeiza Ajayi,
Luminous Jannamike
Some of the students
who escaped when
gunmen raided
Government Girls
Secondary School
Jangebe, Zamfara State,
yesterday, recounted their
ordeal, saying female
fighters were among
dozens of kidnappers who
abducted them.
The revelation came as
the whereabouts of the 317
kidnapped school girls
remained unknown.
Gunmen had stormed
the school on Friday and
abducted 317 schoolgirls.
Seven of the girls
reportedly escaped from
captivity.
One of the students, who
identified herself as
Madina Hamisu Kawaye,
said she was sleeping when
a woman wielding a gun,
woke her up.
She said: “I was
sleeping deeply, the
woman wore dark clothes
and was holding a gun.
She was hitting the
building with her gun to
wake us up from sleep.
“I stood up confused, I
realised all the girls in our
hostel were taken outside,
some were covered with
blankets.
“I stealthily hid under a
bed. Two other girls hid
under the bed too, when
the female combatant
moved to wake other girls
from sleep.”
“I heard one of the
gunmen telling someone
on the phone that they were
already inside the school
and were gathering the
students. I also heard
another gunman speaking
in Fulani language.”
Another student, Zainab,
who escaped said she
sneaked and hid in a toilet
when the gunmen were
gathering the students,
near the school’s Masjid.
“I ran away from the
gathering and hid in the
toilet. I stayed there until I
heard gunshots and
movement of vehicles that
moved the students away,”
she narrated.
Kano
To forestall occurrence
in neighbouring Kano
State, Governor Abdullahi
Ganduje ordered the
immediate shutting down
of tertiary institutions in
border areas.
The state Commissioner
for Higher Education, Dr.
Mariya Mahmoud
Bunkure, said students of
affected institutions are
expected to vacate
campuses as soon as
possible.
Bunkure said a new date
for the reopening of the
institutions would be
communicated later.
The schools include
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
College of Advanced and
Remedial Studies, Tudun
Wada, School of
Environmental Studies,
Gwarzo, School of Rural
Technology and
Entrepreneurship Dev
(SORTED) Rano and
ABCOAD, Dambatta.
NEF
In a related development,
Northern Elders Forum,
NEF, urged state governors
across the nation to explore
avenues that give them
more constitutional powers
to secure citizens.
It also lamented what it
called the inability of the
Federal Government to
muster the will to limit
citizens’ exposure to
criminals, saying that
despite assurances from
government to end banditry
and kidnappings, the lives
of the people were
becoming more
endangered by the day.
The northern elders said
any state governor who, in
a bid to secure the people,
took steps that bore
dubious legal foundations,
was merely compounding
the insecurity in the land.
NEF, which is an elite
association of elder
statesmen of northern
extraction, stated this
while reacting to the
kidnapping of the girls.
The forum’s Director,
Publicity and Advocacy,
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed,
spoke in a statement
available to journalists in
Abuja on Saturday.
He said: “Northern
Elders Forum shares the
profound shock and
outrage of Nigerians at the
spate of kidnappings of
boarding school children
in different parts of the
North.
Hundreds
“The latest reported
kidnapping of more than
hundreds of female
students in Zamfara State
follows the abduction of
students of GSC, Kagara,
Niger State.
“Apart from the
likelihood of similar
abductions recurring as
bandits engage in copycat
crimes in a region that is
unprotected, these
abductions will severely
damage the poor state of
education in the North,
particularly girl-child
education.
“It has become painfully
obvious that the federal
government is unable to
muster the will or the
capacity to limit exposure
of Nigerians to violent
criminals. Governors have
been left to quarrel over
causes and strategies.
“Many are taking steps
that have dubious legal
foundations, most of which
merely compound the state
of security of the citizen in
the country.
Kidnapped
girls
On its part, the ruling All
Progressives Congress,
APC, said government is
now focused on securing
party’s Caretaker/
Extraordinary Convention
Planning Committee
CECPC, Sen. James
Akpanudoedehe, disclosed
this in a statement issued
Saturday in Abuja.
The party also expressed
delight at the release of
Niger State Transport
Authority passengers.
“It is truly heartwarming
that the abductees have
been reunited with their
families and loved ones. We
appreciate government’s
efforts at all levels
including nonstate actors
which ensured the safe
release of the abductees.
“While President
Muhammadu Buhari
government’s resolve and
capacity to end cowardly
attacks on soft targets is
not in doubt, we must
collectively do more to end
the scourge, particularly
tighter security around
schools.
“We assure Nigerians
that focus is on the safe
release of schoolgirls
abducted from
Government Girls Junior
Secondary School
Jangebe, Zamfara State”,
APC said in the statement.
Also, Chairman Ansaru-
Deen Society of Nigeria,
Kaduna branch, Alhaji
Mohammed Liadi
Olapade, said Nigeria’s
future is threatened by the
constant abduction of
students.
Olapade stated this in
Kaduna during the 8th Day
Fidau Prayer for the late
Chief Imam of Ansaru-
Deen, Alhaji Salaudeen
Delta LG Poll: Onuesoke drums
support for Adode
By Ephraim Oseji
The Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, chieftain
and former Delta State
governorship aspirant,
Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has
appealed the people of
Ughelli North Local
Government Area of the
state to re-elect the
incumbent chairman, Hon
Godwin Adode, in the
forthcoming Delta State
councils election.
Onuesoke, who is Ughelli
North PDP Campaign
Committee member, made
the call while addressing
indigenes of area in Ughelli
yesterday.
He noted that the council
has witnessed tremendous
Mohammed Jamiu.
Meanwhile, the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, has
urged President
Muhammadu Buhari to
clear the air on what it
called the alleged
complicity of some
persons in the abduction of
the students.
Insinuations
In a statement by its
spokesman, Kola
Ologbondiyan, the PDP
said: “There are already
insinuations in the public
space that the abduction
was plotted by
unscrupulous high-level
officials, who are
allegedly benefitting from
the insurgency, terrorism
and banditry going on in
our country.
“In tasking the Buhari
Presidency over the
perplexing reports, the
PDP particularly demands
that the National Security
Adviser, NSA, Gen.
Babagana Mongunu,
should come clean on the
allegations that the
escalation of acts of
terrorism including the
rampant kidnapping of
students,
was
masterminded to heat up
the situation.
“Our party and indeed,
all well-meaning
Nigerians, insist that the
Buhari Presidency must
not keep quiet in the face
of these huge allegations
but immediately clear the
air and restore confidence
in the hearts of Nigerians
before it is too late.”
developments and a nearcrime
free situation since
Adode assumed office,
stressing that Adobe’s three
years in office has ushered
in peace and developments
that have not been
witnessed in the history of
the council since its
creation.
While calling on the
people to re-elect the
incumbent for a second
term in office, he said: “I
am proud to say that Hon.
Godwin Adode has done
well and should be reelected
into office for the
second time. He has worked
for the development of the
council. His hand works
speak volumes for him and
can be seen in all the nooks
and crannies of the
council.”

PAGE 6 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021

By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Editor
O fewer than 720 persons have been
Nkidnapped across Nigeria since the
beginning of 2021, research commissioned
by Sunday Vanguard revealed.
The findings, which covered Nigeria's six
geopolitical zones, South-West, South -East,
South-South, North-Central, North-East
and North-West including Federal Capital
Territory, FCT, Abuja, represent the
reported cases.
Of the zones, North-West led with more
than 400 cases while North-Central had
250. This was followed by the North-East,
FCT, South-West, South-South, and South-
East. The South-East had the least reported
cases.
The total figure represents the confirmed
cases by the Police and eye witnesses'
accounts, which were eventually reported
by the media.
Sunday Vanguard learned that other
unreported incidents may have taken place,
especially in Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto, and
Katsina states. Thus, the sum total may well
be above 720 if the cases were all captured.
Pattern
The pattern of abduction remained the
same in the North, where victims were
often kidnapped en mass during attacks
on remote villages and schools.
Mass abduction of travellers on the
highways emerged as the latest model of
operation by gunmen who have become
more daring.
This is not prevalent in the North alone
as highways in the South-West and
South-South have become hot spots.
Those identified include Benin-Ore
Highway, Benin-Auchi-Okene Highway,
Keffi-Akwanga Highway, Akure-Owo
Expressway, Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja Road,
Zaria-Sokoto-Gusau, Bauchi-Tafawa-
Balewa Highway, Wukari-Takum Road,
and Minna -Kotongora Road among
others.
In the South-West where herdsmen
have been accused of most of the incidents,
abductees were often abducted on the
highways and forests while a few cases
took place at victims' farms.
The varying modus operandi in North
and South was further highlighted in a
2020 SBM report.
Approach
The finding stated thus: "It would
appear that in the south, while
kidnapping may be frequent, the selection
of victims is more targeted and the
kidnappers see it more like a business
transaction, trying hard to extract
money from their criminal activities.
This targeted approach makes their
victims less expendable as they are
usually fewer in number at a time. In
the North, the modus operandi is more
likely that a larger number of people are
simply rounded up and then ransoms
demanded en masse. Because of this
approach, victims that are unable to pay
up as quickly as expected are more likely
to be killed by the kidnappers."
Official statistics of incidents within the
time under review could not be obtained
as Sunday Vanguard gathered that the
data is often released quarterly by the
Police.
Meanwhile, last Friday's abduction of
Government Science College, Jangebe,
Talata Mafara, Zamfara State,
schoolgirls underscored how established
kidnap for ransom has become in Nigeria.
In its familiar tone, the Police in a
statement by Force Public Relations
Officer, Frank Mba, condemned the
incident, promising to rescue the girls.
"The IGP, while condemning the
barbaric and callous abduction of the
innocent female students, has assured
that the Police and other security forces
will not relent until the abducted students
are successfully rescued and reunited
with their families. The joint rescue
operation is being carried out by the
Police, the Military and other members
of the law enforcement community with
support from the State Government and
other stakeholders, "the Police said.
Clear strategy
Sunday Vanguard notes that after each
mass abduction state and federal
governments condemn the attack in
strong terms, with promises to rescue
abductees. But if the revelations of
released victims were anything to go by,
governments’ usual claims of not paying
ransom are false.
Without any clear strategy for arresting
the scourge, which has spread to every
part of the country, authorities and
individuals pay huge sums to
kidnappers.
For instance, the SBM said Nigeria paid
$18.3 million, N7 billion, between June
2011 and March 2020.
"SBM Intelligence analysed data
covering the period from June 2011 to
the end of March 2020 using a collection
of public sources, police and media
reports, as well as SBM’s extensive
research network spread across the
country. What we have found shows that
between June 2011 and the end of March
2020, at least $18.34 million has been
RAGE OF KIDNAPPERS:
paid to kidnappers as ransom. Even more
frightening is that the larger proportion of
that figure (just below $11 million), was paid
out between January 2016 and March
2020, indicating that kidnapping is
becoming more lucrative, "the report
added.
N3 billion, ransom
Last year, a committee set up by
Governor Bello Matawalle to find
solutions to banditry in Zamfara State,
disclosed that over N3 billion
was collected by bandits as
ransom from relations of
abducted victims in the state.
Chairman of the
committee, Mohammed
Abubakar, made the
disclosure while presenting
the committee’s report to
the governor.
He said the report covered
the period from June 2011
to May 29, 2019.
Abubakar said the money
was collected from 3,672
victims whose relatives
paid to secure their freedom.
The former Inspector
General of Police ,IGP, said a
total of 4,983 women were
widowed, 25,050 children
orphaned and 190,340
persons displaced by
banditry over the period in
the state.
In a related development, Dan-Aji
community of Faskari LGA of Katsina
State, where bandits abducted 26 girls,
countered the claim by the Zamfara State
government that no ransom was paid to
secure their release from captivity.
The community said N6.6m ransom was
paid for the release of the girls.
Captives
Sunday Vanguard also learned that
some abductors now sell their victims to
another set of people who are big in the
business. The new buyers in turn place huge
ransom on the captives.
According to a victim who resides in
Sokoto, the pattern seems to be the trend
among kidnappers at Abaji, Lokoja, and
Okene axis of Kogi State.
“Apart from Shika and Giwa axis on
Zaria-Gusau-Sokoto Road, another
dangerous place is Abaji area close to
Okene. The kidnappers in that area are
not herdsmen. They kidnap travellers
and sell to herdsmen who now negotiate
with victims’ relatives,” the victim who
pleaded anonymity said.
The kidnapped Public
Relations Officer of Edo
State Command of
Nigerian Immigration
Service, Mrs. Bridget Esene,
even alluded to this while
narrating her ordeal.
“I was later sold to
another set of gunmen
who then took me deep
into the forest,” she added.
The timeline below
shows how threatening
kidnapping has become to
Nigerians.
JANUARY 4:
Kidnappers abducted a
Senior Protection Assistant
with the United Nations
High Commission for
Refugees, UNHCR,
Abubakar Idris, popularly
known as Alooma, along Damaturu Road,
Borno State.
On the same day, gunmen kidnapped a
medical doctor, Akindele Kayode, from a
Health Care Centre at Tapa in Ibarapa
North Local Government Area, LGA, Oyo
State.
January 5:
In Niger State, residents of Yakila
community in Rafi LGA were attacked
by bandits, who kidnapped the village
head, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdul –amid, a
nurse and her two kids.
No fewer than 40 persons were
kidnapped in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021,PAGE 7
720 kidnapped in two
months, N10bn ransom paid
•Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger worst hit
•S/East, S/South record least cases
•Benin-Auchi, Zaria-Sokoto-Gusau, Benin-Ore,
Keffi-Akwanga roads emerge hotspots
•VICTIM: Captors now sell abductees
Mass abduction
of travellers on
the highways
emerged as the
latest model of
operation by
gunmen who
have become
more daring
State. Birnin Gwari Progressive Union said
the victims were in kidnappers’ den in Niger
State.
Gunmen killed one person and abducted
over 20 others along Mungi Buga in
Gwari Gadabule village in Toto LGA,
Nasarawa State.
A traveller was abducted while his
driver was killed along Ise Isua -Akoko
Highway, Ondo State. The Police said the
body of the driver was recovered and
deposited at the mortuary in Ikare.
January 6:
A fashion designer’s apprentice in Ondo
town, Ondo State, Temitope Adeniyi,
kidnapped his lover’s three months –oldbaby
girl.
January 5:
Zamfara State Police Command said
kidnappers struck at Kaduari village in
Maru LGA and kidnapped six children of
one Alhaji Sabi Gyare.
January 12:
A lecturer with Ken Saro Wiwa
Polytechnic in Bori LGA of Rivers State,
simply identified as Mr. James, was
abducted by gunmen at his residence in
Ugwurutali, Ikwere LGA of the state.
January 13:
Gunmen kidnapped four nursing
mothers alongside 14 others in Mando
village, Birnin Gwari LGA, Kaduna State.
Chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate
Progressive Union, BEPE, Salisu Haruna,
in a statement said the adductors invaded
the area with AK47 rifles, raided a
number of houses.
January 14:
An Ekiti-based petrol dealer, Suleiman
Akinbami, was kidnapped and his
abductors demanded N60million
ransom.
January 15:
A kidnap attempt claimed the lives of
Alhaji Yinusa Gambo and Mallam Surajo
at Chikaji village, Igabi LGA, Kaduna
State. The state Commissioner for
Internal Security and Home Affairs,
Samuel Aruan, said the duo lost their lives
when they tried to escape from bandits
Continues on page 8

PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
720 kidnapped in two months, N10bn ransom paid
Continued from page 7
who tried to abduct them at the residence
of the Alhaji.
January 20:
Dean, Faculty of Science and Education
and Head of Department of Mathematics,
Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina
State, Professor Johnson Fatokun, was
abducted at 9pm along Akwanga-Keffi
highway at Kurmi Shinkafa village.
January 23:
25-year-old son of Bauchi State Auditor-
General, Ziilkifiru Muhammed, escaped
from kidnappers’ den. Mohammed was
kidnapped alongside his father’s friend,
Tiyasu Suleiman, along Bauchi- Tafawa
Belewa highway after the Auditor
General, Abdu Aliu was shot. He later
escaped the next day while the abductors
were sleeping. His father could not escape
with him for age reasons and the beatings
he received from the abductors.
January 24:
Bandits invaded Kafin Koro and
adjourning villages in Paikoro LGA of
Niger State killed five persons and
abducted one while 10 others sustained
various degrees of injury.
January 24:
A spokesperson for Nigeria Immigration
Service, Edo State Command, Mrs.
Bridget Esene, was kidnapped by
unknown gunmen in Benin. She said her
abductors sold her to herdsmen.
January 25:
Kidnappers attacked Raphael
Orphanage Home in Abaji Area Council
of the FCT, Abuja abducting at least eight
children and three others.
January 25:
The wife of the late Zonal Chairman of
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kogi
State, Matthew Kola –Ojo, was among 14
people kidnapped between Ife and Egbeda
in Ijumu Council Area of Kogi State.
January 26:
A former councilor in Nkari Ward 4 in
Ini LGA of Akwa Ibom State, Benjamin
Akpan, said four persons were abducted
after an attack in the area.
January 27:
An aide to the member representing Oru
West Constituency in Imo State House of
Assembly, Dominic Ezerioha, was
abducted by gunmen.
The victim, identified as Chetachi Linus
FORMER spokesperson for two
former Presidents (Olusegun
Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan), Dr.
Doyin Okupe, has signalled his intention to
run for President in 2023. Okupe, in this
piece, promises to tackle insecurity
headlong, saying he will submit a postdated
letter to the National Assembly to
resign if within two years in office he is
unable to fulfill his promise.
I will also submit a post-dated letter of
resignation from office by myself and the
vice president to the NASS. It will be dated
30th September 2025.
It shall be activated by a vote of two
thirds majority of the joint sitting of the
National Assembly, who would have
satisfied themselves with the fact that
my administration has not done enough
or anything vividly substantial in the
war against banditry, kidnapping,
criminal herdsmen and Boko Haram that
have plagued this nation.
I say all this with great and profound
sense of responsibility considering the
gloom and perplexity that these menaces
have brought on our Nation while we all
appear helpless and hopeless and we have
a raging internal war, pervading fear of
insecurity and lack of safety, severe inter
ethnic hatred and strife tending to tear
the nation apart.
I sincerely believe that things do not
need to be the way they are. I have been a
very close aide of two great Presidents and
have been close enough to Power to know
what can be done under these perplexing
Igboenyesi, popularly known as London
Biggy, was kidnapped while on his way
to Uli in Anambra State.
January 28:
Barely 48 hours after the appointment
of new service chiefs, bandits were on the
rampage in Niger, Kaduna and Taraba
state, killing persons and abducting
others. No fewer than 83 persons were
said to have been abducted, including 27
wedding guests who were abducted along
Wukari- Takum Road in Taraba State.
56 were kidnapped in Niger State.
February 1:
Kaduna State Commissioner for
Internal Security and Home Affairs,
Samuel Arwan said some people were
abducted when bandits attacked Barawa
village, Fatika District, in Giwa LGA of
the state.
Also, Peace Ogbogbo, the wife of an
Ughelli businessman in Ughelli North
LGA, Delta State, was kidnapped. Her
abductors demanded N25 million as
ransom.
February 2:
The Police in Abuja confirmed the
abduction of John Makama, father of
Gwari Local Council Chairman at about
1.00 am. The gunmen stormed the
victim’s residence, shot sporadically into
the air and abducted the man alongside
his two siblings.
February 6:
A farmer, Solomon Akinmeji in Iju
Akure North Council Area of Ondo State
was said to have gone into his farm, only
to be kidnapped by some herdsmen for
objecting to their destruction of his farm.
February 9:
Gunmen attacked an ambulance
conveying a corpse, killing an occupant
and abducting one. The incident
happened at Ahor, Benin Bye-pass, Edo
State.
February 13:
The traditional ruler of Uruagu, Nnewi,
in Anambra State was abducted.
The victim, Obi Charles Afam Obi was
kidnapped in Orafite on his way back
from a burial ceremony.
February 14:
No fewer than 18 persons were abducted
by bandits, who ambushed a passenger
bus in Rah LGA of Niger State on
Valentine's Day.
The bus, belonging to the Niger State
2023: I will run for
President, end insecurity
in two years — Okupe
•Vows to submit post-dat
t-dated
resignation to quit if promise fails
circumstances. This write up is not about
immodesty. I am convinced within
myself that I have the knowledge, the
intellect, the exposure and experience
that will be required to lead this nation
out of its present predicament , if no other
seriously minded person is willing to offer
themselves. As a teaser I will elaborate
briefly but not in too much details on
what government can do to curtail this
rampaging menace.
As President I will declare
a state of emergency in the
affected states. I know
politicians will not like this.
But without security the
nation and its politics will
neither survive nor exist.
Governors will not leave
their political offices but
their duties and functions
shall be strictly limited to
administrative matters
while the state of emergency
is in place . The state
assemblies will be on
temporary holiday till
things return to normalcy.
I will appoint a senior
military personnel to be the
State Security administrator
not lower than a Brigadier-General. He
will be fully in charge and be responsible
for the safety and security of citizens of
the state. The National Security Adviser
in consultation with the Service Chiefs
will coordinate these states commanding
officers nationally. National Security
Council meetings will be thrice weekly
BANDITS will
be stopped
dead on their
tracks. The
situation where
bandits
operate
unchallenged
for 3 to 4 hrs
will no longer
be possible
Transport Authority was said to be taking
the passengers from Kontangora to Minna
when the incident occurred.
February 9:
Jimoh Folowosele, an indigene of
Aramoko Ekiti, in Ekiti West LGA, was
abducted while on official duty in
Geidam, a border town in Yobe State.
He was said to have been abducted
alongside two of his colleagues and has
been in captivity since February 9, 2021.
A 46-year-old tipper lorry owner in
Ilorin, Alhaji Musa Atere, was also
kidnapped.
Atere was kidnapped around 6 a.m.
along Ogundele/Madi Road in Ilorin LGA
of Kwara State.
February 21:
A student of the Sociology Department,
University of Ibadan, Emmanuel
Odetunde, was abducted around 5 pm
while working at his father’s poultry
farm in Oke Odan, Apete area of Ibadan,
Oyo State.
February 2:
40 people were kidnapped in a renewed
bandit attack on Shiroro communities in
Niger State.
The incident occurred when gunmen
on motorcycles stormed four villages of
Kurege, Sabon Gida, Sararai and Rafin
Kanya, killing some people and abducting
others.
February 10:
Unidentified gunmen kidnapped seven
travellers on Benin-Warri Highway. The
incident occurred at the Sapele Oghara
axis.
February 15:
No fewer than 20 villagers from
different communities in Rafi LGA of
Niger State were kidnapped.
The bandits numbering over 50
invaded the communities on
motorcycles, riding from village to
village, shooting sporadically, which
resulted in the killing of 11 persons,
including the village head of Kusherki,
Alhaji Masut Abubakar.
February 17:
42 persons out of which are 27 students
were among those kidnapped from
Government Science College, Kagara in
Rafi LGA of Niger State.
February 20:
The driver of Adamawa United Football
Club, Kabiru Mohammed, was kidnapped
•Okupe
excluding emergency meetings. A daily
report of security of all affected states
shall be on my desk
8.00am daily.
I will deploy 2,000
military troops and
3,000 special police force
officers to each of the
affected states, (this may
be subject to what is
readily available).
Each state will have 2
transport helicopters, 1
surveillance helicopter
with night vision
capability and a
surveillance helicopter.
I will arrange with
international private and
commercial satellite
companies to cover the
affected areas 24/7. This
service came into use
sometimes ago during the BAGA inferno
attack by Boko Haram. We were able to
see a whole town real time with each
housing units clearly demarcated. Today
bandits can be located and movements
monitored through infra red Ray's or
thermal radiation from satellite focused
on the area in question.
on Benin-Ore Highway.
February 18:
Bandits invaded communities in
Shiroro, LGA of Niger State, kidnapped
no fewer than 10 persons after killing two.
February 18:
Gunmen were said to have kidnapped a
91-year-old traditional ruler of Kunduru
community in Katsina State.
13 others were also said to have been
kidnapped in Faskari LGA of the state on
their way to Funtua to access poverty
alleviation loans.
February 22:
A 24-year-old-man was abducted by
bandits at a popular poultry farm, at Oke
Odan, Ido LGA of Oyo State. It was said
that the abductors who invaded the
poultry shot severally before kidnapping
the victim, who is the son of the owner of
the farm.
February 22:
81-year-old, Chief Bassy Iyamba was
kidnapped from his house in Calabar
South LGA, Cross River State.
February 23:
Also, a lecturer with the Department of
Linguistics and Communication,
University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Jones
and a first-class traditional ruler in Rivers
State were abducted by some suspected
kidnappers, who also attacked journalists
of the Rivers State Television, RSTV. The
lecturer was kidnapped at Andoni Ogoni,
Road Rivers State. The traditional ruler,
King Aaron Ikuku, was kidnapped in
Andoni LGA of the state.
February 24:
Scores of travellers were abducted by
suspected Boko Haram members along
Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway.
February 25:
No fewer than 317 students of
Government Girls Science Secondary
School, Jangebe, Talata Mafara LGA,
Zamfara State, were abducted by bandits.
February 27:
Bandits killed six persons and kidnapped
15 others in renewed attacks on
communities in two LGAs of Niger State.
One of those killed was at Pandogari
town in Rafi LGA where five people were
abducted while another five were
murdered in Gurmana in Shiroro LGA of
the state.
•Additional report by Kennedy
Mbele
Every school and hamlets and villages
will have multiple part time trained civil
security agents with electronic panic
buttons gadgets which will upon
activation notify and alert nearest
security posts and cells. It will display
location of the distress caller without him
saying a word. This will be available with
teachers pupils, village heads, chiefs,
priests, special okada riders and
transporters and market heads all over
the state.
BANDITS will be stopped dead on their
tracks. The situation where bandits
operate unchallenged for 3 to 4 hrs will
no longer be possible. Any major mass
movement in the forests will be detected
by satellite and ground forces will be
mobilised instant .
This will cost money. I have done some
rough estimated. 1 Billion US$ will get
this project under way and our citizens
and children can all sleep with their eyes
closed.
I have written this not to seek any
attention or create arguments. People do
not have to agree with what I have
proposed. If I am the Nigerian President,
this will be my brief to my security
council. They will give their input and
we will swing to action.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 9
Archbishop Kaigama:
Kidnappings in
Nigeria will
continue if...
By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja
The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama,
is one of Nigeria’s most respected clergymen. He served as the
President of Nigerian Bishops Conference (2012-2018), and
currently chairs the Episcopal Conference of West African Catholic
Bishops. In this interview, Kaigama speaks on the spate of clergy
kidnappings and murders in Nigeria and the new US President Joe
Biden’s move to increase funding for international abortions, among
other issues. Excerpts:
here have been many
Tkidnappings and also murders of
priests in Nigeria in recent past. In
your view, what is the motivation
behind these kidnappings?
Nigeria is a complex society with a
population of more than 200 million people.
The country has around 500 different
languages and 250 distinct ethnic groups.
Thus, uniting these complex groups into one
unified socio-political entity since the
amalgamation of the country in 1914 has
proven to be a daunting task. Kidnapping here
takes place in various contexts and for various
reasons. The consequences are also many.
However, it has been observed that people are
kidnapped for two primary reasons: political
bargain and economic gain. In Nigeria and
other countries of Africa, political factors,
poverty, and lack of employment opportunities
among the youths are playing fundamental
roles in the rise of the phenomenon of
kidnapping.
What is the key to ensuring that those
who are kidnapped are not killed?
Kidnapping has remained an intractable
social crime in the country today. It is believed
that most cases of kidnapping go unreported
for fear of reprisals. Some people say they do
not even have confidence that the police can
help them out of their predicament. Each
victim has so-called kidnap ransom value
which makes him attractive target. This value
is determined by a number of factors which
include the victim’s socio-economic or
political status, family, or corporate premium
on the victim, the type of kidnappers involved,
as well as the dynamics of ransom negotiation.
Kidnappers persist in their activities even
despite the present penalty for kidnapping
which ranges from one to twenty years in
prison, with the possibility of life
imprisonment for extreme cases involving, for
instance, murder. This does not seem a
deterrent enough for kidnappers anyway.
Is the Catholic Church ever willing
to pay a ransom for a kidnapped priest
or bishop?
As a matter of principle, the Church does
not pay ransom for kidnapped victims. To
begin with, the Church does not have that kind
of money and because our personnel are
practically everywhere, paying a ransom will
only encourage their regular kidnapping.
What is more, paying a ransom means
endangering the lives of the priests, nuns and
collaborators of the Church who live and work
in rural areas and shuttle between villages to
serve the people spiritually, pastorally, and
socially. Above all, paying ransom encourages
criminality and invites the kidnappers to do
more harm.
In my view, the efforts to stem the onslaught
of kidnapping have been lackadaisical,
coupled with the absence of sophisticated
security equipment to track kidnappers who
take to the hills and forests with their victims.
In your view, what will it take to put
these kidnappings to an end? What
needs to be done?
Firstly, government should, as a matter of
urgency, come up with poverty alleviation
programs and employment opportunities,
targeting, especially the youths who mostly
engage in abductions and kidnappings for
economic reasons and due to unemployment.
Secondly, to effectively combat kidnapping,
government must give the phenomenon top
priority and foreign governments could also
support the war on kidnapping in Nigeria with
good intelligence gathering equipment and
the training of security personnel. Law
enforcement agencies and the judiciary are
said to be compromised and even the resources
released to tackle this and similar crimes are
said to be wrongly or corruptly applied, which
undermines even the feeble efforts the
government tries to make.
Although the number of coronavirus
cases is lower in Africa than in other
parts of the world, it has still had a
devastating impact on the economy
and civil society. How can people cope
in Nigeria?
In Africa, but also in the developed parts of
the world, the coronavirus
is still an enigma: the health
complications it may cause;
how far it has actually
spread, and whether
antibodies can deliver longlasting
immunity. Fake
news and mistrust of
government efforts mean
that many Nigerians believe
that the pandemic is a hoax,
but a visit to the hospitals
and isolation centers tells a
different story.
Sociologically, the
pandemic has caused social
disruption by limiting social
relations. “Social
distancing” has created
more social gaps. The socioeconomic
effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic in
Nigeria include job losses, a
sharp drop in income of the
informal workers and the
poor, food insecurity,
business and school
closures, a decline in oil
revenues and economic
uncertainties. The homeless
and internally displaced
need practical help with food, water, sanitation,
and healthcare in order to survive. Conflicts
in Nigeria have also diminished our already
fragile humanitarian efforts. We are now
seeing an increase of malnutrition in children,
and a health system at serious risk of becoming
overwhelmed. A large number of people
survive on daily income. Inflation in the
country and government price increases for
electricity; fuel, etc. are not helping matters.
What has the spiritual toll been on
people in Abuja Archdiocese, and what
In my view,
the efforts to
stem the
onslaught of
kidnapping
have been
lackadaisical
can the Catholic Church do to
reassure and comfort those who are
struggling?
The COVID-19 pandemic is also giving
us a time for reflection. What is new about
our situation is that for the first time in
world history, the economy is globalized –
as the coronavirus is global. This is an
opportunity to return to a relationship with
God and follow his lead through the
wilderness of the current crisis. Churches
in Nigeria are reopening but with pretty
strict restrictions, and no-one is quite clear
yet how sustainable this “new normal” will
be. There is a growing consensus that the
virus does not hit everyone equally. If
anything, it seems to be exacerbating
inequalities. The COVID-19 pandemic will
have long-lasting repercussions for the
Church, but as Christians, we should
continually rise to the many challenges the
pandemic presents.
In the Archdiocese of Abuja, we are
providing some support for persons who
may need special spiritual, pastoral care
and counseling by the clergy and other
experts. Priests have been instructed to
encourage personal and
family prayers. Many
priests use the social
media to send messages of
hope and words of
encouragement to their
parishioners, while
keeping the parishioners
and indeed the entire
world in fervent prayer.
The COVID-19 pandemic
has exposed strongly the
inequalities of economic
resources and the
shortage of health
services and qualified
personnel. There is,
therefore, the need for the
provision of material
assistance to the less
privileged and
marginalised among us,
irrespective of faith,
social standing, or ethnic
background. We have
been calling on all our
clergy and religious,
members of sodalities and
indeed all the laity
including even children
and teenagers to kindly
make sacrifices and
contribute to this cause. We have been
following the directives of the government
and public health officials and heeding the
advice of medical experts. Christians are no
different from others in this respect. We
share the health challenges and personal
anxieties of all our neighbors, and we bear
the same responsibilities during this crisis.
The time of the virus is both a gift and a
provocation for Christians – not only for
our personal faith, but for what we have to
offer others.
•Kaigama
Nigeria is expecting the arrival of
vaccine. Pope Francis has often called
for equitable distribution of the
vaccines, with particular concern for
the poor. Do you believe Nigeria will
have enough doses to slow the spread?
What role do you think the Church can
play in ensuring the poor and
vulnerable also have access?
Nigerian officials say the country is ready to
receive its first COVID-19 vaccine doses by
the end of January. The government wants to
vaccinate 40% of the country’s population by
the end of this year. But experts say the cost
and storage of the vaccine pose a challenge.
Nigeria does not have adequate storage
facilities to hold vaccines at the required
temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius. Also,
the demand and cost for vaccines are very
high. It has been observed that the vaccines
may go to the richer countries. This will be
unfortunate. All efforts should be made to
ensure that vaccines are available to low and
medium-income countries irrespective of their
inability to pay. By this time, Nigerian
authorities should be bargaining with
vaccine manufacturers in Britain, Russia,
and China about opting for vaccines that
are easy to store and deliver.
Immunization, as a way of responding to
the pandemic, could be a global public
good, provided that vaccines are
adequate, safe, qualitative, efficacious
and effective and should also be “free from
ethical concerns.” The vaccines should be
provided to all in a fair and equitable
manner, giving priority to those who need
them most, as Pope Francis has
emphasized.
In an era in which travel is much
more difficult, and in which many
countries in the west are struggling
with their own internal problems,
is Africa at risk of being more
isolated, and will it have to learn
to become more reliant on itself?
There is no doubt that developing
countries in Africa and their economies
are already facing a harsh impact of the
coronavirus pandemic. While some
countries have in place economic
stimulus plans to ease the financial
burdens caused by the virus, most
countries in Africa do not have the
capacity to do so. There is, therefore, an
urgent need for international support for
African countries to effectively respond
to the crisis as only a few countries have
the capacity to put in place economic
stimulus packages to ease the burden on
people and businesses.
The COVID-19 emergency calls for
financial resources to be made available
immediately, including from external
sources. The international community
may also need to extend reprieve on debt
and increase other external flows that
impact the ability of African governments
to extend and deliver effective public
health services, transparently and equitably.

PAGE 10—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
KIDNAPPING:
Troubling news
about Leah Sharibu
— Rev. Para Mallam
By Sam Eyoboka
REVEREND Gideon Para-Mallam has been in the vanguard of the
campaign for the release of captives of Boko Haram, especially
teenager, Leah Sharibu, who has spent three years in Boko Haram
enclave. Leah was abducted on February ‘19, 2018 alongside about
110 of her colleagues at Government Girls Secondary School,
Dapchi, Yobe State. Whereas her colleagues were released days
later, she has remained with her Boko Haram captors since then.
Where are you from, are you a
pastor in charge of a Dapchi church?
I live in Jos. I am not a pastor in Dapchi
and I do not live in Dapchi, Yobe State.
However, I have carried a heavy burden in
my heart concerning Leah Sharibu and her
parents for the past three years. And this
burden will continue until Leah is set free
from captivity of Boko Haram. The journey,
for me, into Dapchi, Yobe, has been more of
a spiritual one since March 21, 2018, when
Leah Sharibu and the other girls were
kidnapped from Dapchi, I prayed for all
the girls even though at that time we didn’t
know who was a Christian or Muslim.
Then three weeks later (March 21, 2018)
the Dapchi girls were released but Leah
Sharibu was held back on account of her
refusal to convert to Islam.
While watching the news later that
evening of March 21, 2018, I watched many
jubilating parents who had their daughters
released to them. But one woman who was
weeping looked dazed, sad, later slumped
and passed out. This distraught woman was
Rebecca Sharibu, Leah’s mother. I was
moved with deep compassion and I heard
God clearly nudging me to do something
by working for the release of her daughter,
Leah Sharibu.
Later, I was able to link up directly with
Leah’s father first, Nathan Sharibu, who
later linked me up with Leah’s mother. From
then on I have remained in touch with them
till date.
What about Leah’s parents: do they
feel hopeful, discouraged three years
after?
Two days ago in the evening, I spoke with
Leah’s parents. We do this every now and
then. They remain unbowed, and full of faith
that one day they will see Leah. Their spirits
have not been broken. They are full of pain;
the Nigerian government has never called
to encourage or provide any updates since
October 2018. Leah’s father, Nathan
Sharibu, said “we remain hopeful that Leah
will be free one day.”
Rebecca Sharibu said: “Timings are in
the hands of God and by His grace we will
see Leah one day.”
To their prayers, I say AMEN!
What do they think
about Leah’s
decision to keep
faith with God?
Leah is right
now a heroine
of the
Christian
faith. Leah’s
story is the
b e s t
typology of
Christian
persecution
in Nigeria.
Her decision
to be faithful
to God is both
courageous
a n d
commendable.
H e r •Sharibu
uncompromising
stand should inspire
and serve as a clarion
call to young people but
particularly all Christians in
Nigeria and abroad to reconsider their
commitment to Christ.
Has government said anything of
late about Leah?
I started advocating for the release of Leah
since March 21, 2018, including an
interview with the BBC in the UK in April
2018. Then a major advocacy work which
led President Muhammadu Buhari to call
and speak with Leah’s mother while she was
staying briefly in our home in September
2018. It is sad, however, that the Nigerian
government after this has not called to
encourage or provide any updates to the
parents as they received their last call from
the Federal Government in October 2018.
Neither has the Federal Government made
any official statement about Leah to suggest
the possibility of her release.
This culture of silence has damning
psychological torture for Leah’s parents and
others who similarly have their loved ones
in Boko Haram’s captivity. Our President
and the relevant power structures in
Nigeria need to act swiftly to free Leah and
Para-Mallam
others in captivity.
For one wonders
how could a
government be so
powerless and
helpless? The global
community needs
to unite! This is not
only about Leah
Sharibu but our
shared humanity.
It’s unbelievable but
today, February 19,
2021, young 17-yearold
Leah Sharibu has
spent 1,096 days in
Boko Haram captivity.
Let’s unite across borders
and act to - Free Leah!!!
What is the last news
you have about Leah?
Some aspects of the news about Leah
I received in November are troubling but
not something I would like to go into details
here. There is no way to verify but it also
calls for prayers and intentional concerted
efforts both local and global to secure her
release at the earliest time possible. The
good news, however, is that Leah is still alive
and this so far is the most encouraging news
about Leah to date.
Leah was last seen by her mother Rebecca
at the end of January 2018 during visitation
at Government Girl’s Secondary School,
Dapchi. However, since February 19, 2018
when ISWAP – Islamic State in West Africa
Province invaded the school and kidnapped
110 girls along with Leah Sharibu, she has
never been seen by any of her parents.
One month later on March 20, 2018,
when 109 girls were freed, Leah was kept
back when she refused to renounce her faith
in Christ.
So, the last set of people who saw Leah
were her schoolmates. On September 2018,
a video of Leah making an appeal for her
release from captivity surfaced. That was
the last we have ever heard directly from
Leah.
But on January, 2020, one of those who
was kidnapped by ISWAP and later
released brought direct word from one of
the captives who met with Leah. Some of
the contents of the message won’t be
divulged at the moment. We will share this
at the best time the Lord permits.
Do you know where she is?
It is difficult to know exactly where she is
located now. The terrorists, from what we
hear, do not keep their captives in one
location but do move them from one location
to another. So, its difficult to say exactly or
with certainty where Leah might be now.
Sometimes we hear they are in the Lake Chad
region, other times, in Niger Republic or
Chad. Its hard to be precise. Remember that
by the end of October 2018, her captors
declared that Leah and others, like Alice
Ngaddah (the UNICEF AID Worker and
mother of two, who was kidnapped on March
1, 2018), would be slaves for life. They were
subsequently married off to some of their
Commanders.
Some media outlets spoke about
her conversion to Islam. Is
something proved? Or just
speculation?
Yes, this is true, the rumour had been
on for sometime and an eye witness
account confirmed this rumour to me
privately. But I asked a simple question
when interviewed by Open Doors
International on this in February 2020:
would this be a voluntary or forced
conversion? Would forced conversion to
Islam in captivity be considered a willing
conversion? Do not forget that Leah was
held back in the first place because she
decided at the young age of 14 to remain
true to her Christian conviction. What a
heroine of the Christian faith that Leah is
and represents. Let’s pray for her to remain
solid in her faith in Christ even at this dark
hour when the trial of her faith is being
stretched to limits that even adults won’t
easily cope. Leah, keep strong in Him!!!
How old is Leah now?
Leah was kidnapped at the young age of
14. She celebrated her 15th birthday in
captivity on May 17, 2018. This innocent
schoolgirl, whose girl-child education has
been truncated, celebrated her 16th birthday
in May 2019, then 17th birthday in May
2020. Why is the world standing by and
watching on to see her left in unjust
captivity?
What is your message to Nigerians?
I try to pray for Leah and others such as
Alice Ngaddah, Grace Tuka, Lillian Daniel
Gyang, Pastor Lawrence Zongo and two
other women – all Christians and several
unnamed captives. Yesterday, Tuesday
February 16, 2021, as I prayed for Leah,
God gave me this word of encouragement
for Leah: ‘Do not be afraid O little . . . [Leah]
for I myself will help you, declares the LORD.”
Isaiah 41:13-14.
This is a message of HOPE to all. I will
encourage Nigerians to keep faith alive
concerning Leah as they pray. Support Leah’s
parents practically as you may be able to.
Challenge your government to use its power
and diplomatic channels to raise Leah’s issue
with our President and the relevant structures
of power in Nigeria to act to free Leah and
others in captivity.
For how could a government be so
powerless and helpless? Remember before
Leah, some of the Chibok girls are still
unaccounted for? Sadly, another 27 school
kids were kidnapped from Kagara in Niger
State. For how long would the Nigerian
government allow such acts of impunity to
continue?
It would appear to me that there are too
many ungoverned spaces in Nigeria and
our territorial integrity as a nation is by
implication compromised.
Pray now for Leah
– Pastor Adeboye
•Govt failed Sharibu family
– Archbishop Martins
THE General Overseer of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God,
Pastor E.A. Adeboye, has called for
prayers for the release of Leah Sharibu
from captivity.
Adeboye called on all pastors of the
RCCG as well as well-meaning people
across the world to intensify prayers and
efforts towards the release of Leah.
The respected cleric, speaking on the third
anniversary of the abduction of the teenager,
charged every parent and people of
goodwill to use whatever influence they have
to ensure that Leah as well as other children
in captivity are released.
On his part, Catholic Archbishop of
Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins,
urged the Federal Government to secure
the release of Leah.
According to him, the failure of
government to secure her release three years
after abduction was regrettable in view of
the enormous financial and material
resources expended on the war against
insurgency and all forms of insecurity in
the country.
The Director of Social Communications,
Rev. Fr Anthony Godonu, quoted Martins
as saying government owes the family of
Leah and indeed all Nigerians the duty to
not only secure her release and others in
captivity but also to put an end to all forms
•Adeboye
of insecurity.
“It is sad to note that three years have
passed since Leah Sharibu, a Christian
student of the Government Science
Secondary School, Dapchi, Yobe State, was
abducted from her school along with other
girls and has since been in captivity”, he
said.
“The Federal Government did promise,
as a matter of priority, to ensure her
release. Unfortunately, she and others are
still languishing in captivity.
“We have been told that several efforts
have been made to ensure her release, but
we are yet to see them materialize.
“One can only imagine the severe
physical, emotional, and psychological
torture she and her parents have been
going through all these years.
“We are therefore appealing to President
Muhammadu Buhari to do all in his
power as the Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces of Nigeria to secure her
release and other abducted students and
reunite them with their families.”
He urged the new Service Chiefs to take
the fight against insurgents to a new level
by boosting the morale of the officers and
men of the armed forces while employing
intelligence to locate and decimate Boko
Haram and bandits terrorizing the
country.

Raging Nigerian war: Fulani
against the rest
“ Sir, there are many
nationalities in d
cookedup country
calld Nigeria; non likes to
takeova d others land.
ONLY d Fulani want to
takeover other peoples
land. So where is
Fulaniland so that we too
can go and live there?
Thanx” - Regular SUNDAY
VANGUARD reader,
February 21, 2021
As someone who had lived
and worked in all the four
corners of Nigeria, as well
as places in between, I had
long been puzzled by one
astonishing fact which is
often ignored by everybody
when discussing our current
ethnic conflicts. I have
travelled all over the
country, visiting on the
average twenty eight states
a year during a ten-yearperiod.
Still, the same fact
keeps staring me in the
face. Yet for one personal
reason – to which I will get
shortly – my mind refused
to acknowledge this vital
but inconvenient truth.
And, the truth is there is no
place in the whole of
Nigeria one can call Fulani
land. None.
Go state by state, zone by
zone, and you will discover
specific parts of the
Nigerian territory which
are recognised as land
belonging to particular
ethnic groups – no matter
how small in size and
number. Before and while
working on my book
IBRAHIM
B
Email:biolasobowale@yahoo.com
Phone Number: 07081372829
Twitter:@DrDeleSobowale
Instagram:delesobowalefranklyspeaking
Website: www.delesobowale.com
BABANGINDA 1985-1992:
LETTING A THOUSAND
FLOWERS BLOOM, I had
taken a keen interest in
documenting ALL the
ethnic groups in this
country. It has taken me
over 30 years to gather the
list on page 373 of that
book. From A-Z, starting
with Abonema and ending
in Zuru, 85 ethnic groups
have so far been identified,
including the Adara people
of Kaduna State. Despite a
few trips to various areas of
the state, the Adara, whose
presence was revealed to
me recently by Obadaiah
Mailafia, escaped my
attention. I am sure there
are more to come –
otherwise we have been
deceiving ourselves about
the number of nationalities
we have in Nigeria.
About one thing however,
nobody can fool me. All the
other people known to me
have a definite
geographical location in
this country they and others
call their own. It is easy for
most Nigerians to identify
Yoruba, Ibo, Ijaw, Tiv,
Kanuri, Berom, Efik, Igala
and Ibibio etc lands –
among the large ethnic
groups. What most people,
however, cannot know is
how even some small
nationalities have very
strict historical
geographical territories
they call their own. Two
examples will help to
illustrate the point.
From Keffi to Toto in
The lack of an
ancestral territory
has forced the
Fulani to spread
all over the
country in search
of parcels of land
to grab
Nasarawa State, less than
60 kilometers apart, about
three or four ethnic groups
have occupied that territory
from time immemorial.
Indigenes of those places,
including those who have
never been there, still claim
the places as their own. Till
his death, our late Prince
Tony Momoh, as well as
others like him, claimed to
be from Afemnai – despite
the fact that he spent less
than one percent of his time
on earth in that place. He
never claimed Lagos where
he spent the vast majority
of his time in this side of the
grave. About 45 kilometers
separate Auchi, the
headquaters of Afemnai
people from Oke and
Sabon Gida Ora – where
some of the Ishan people
call home all their lives –
even if they don’t know
where they are.
Remarkably, nobody
disputes (or has disputed)
the ownership of these
places with their ancestral
owners. Most conflicts,
including violent ones,
occur at the boundary of
two groups. There is never
any disagreement between
Beroms and their ethnic
neighbours about the core
territory of each group. The
single national exception to
everything written above is
the Fulani. To be candid,
there is no Fulani land in
Nigeria. The lack of an
ancestral territory has
forced the Fulani to spread
all over the country in
search of parcels of land to
grab. It cannot be
otherwise. Usman Dan
Fodio, 1754-1817, started
it all. And briefly, here was
the history of how we
started on the long journey
which has brought us to the
brink of an all-out-war
today. Just remember what
a great historian said.
“History is, indeed, little
more than the register of
the crimes, follies and
misfortunes of mankind” -
Edward Gibbons, 1734-
1794, VANGUARD BOOK
OF QUOTATIONS, P 92.
Two among the crimes of
mankind got us on the way
to where we are. The British
came from the South
holding the Bible and guns
to conquer the nationalities
below the Niger and Benue
rivers. The Islamic
Jihadists came from the
Middle East with Quran
and also guns to subjugate
the inhabitants of the parts
of the North now called
Northern Nigeria.
Englishmen never laid
claim to any land in the
geographical space which
in 1914 became Nigeria.
They left in 1960. The
Islamic Jihadists, led by
Dan Fodio, stayed, and
after conquering the
largest Northern ethnic
group – the Hausa – forced
them to help capture and
subjugate several other
nationalities. The only
major exception were the
Kanuri of Borno State.
Under their traditional
ruler, El-Kanemi,
Kanuriland remains “the
land of the unconquered”
till today. No El-Kanemi
will ever accept the Sultan
of Sokoto as his superior.
The Fulani, as Dan
Fodio’s descendants were
called, immediately
established an apartheid
social and political system
under which people of every
other ethnic group were
second class citizens;
Fulani were first class. The
amalgamation of North
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021,PAGE 11
and South in 1914 and the
British scheme to hand over
to the Fulani-led North was
the final step towards
covert legitimisation of
Nigerian apartheid; which
was only a little bit better
than the South African
version.
Under Ahmadu Bello and
Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the
Fulani superiority complex
was mooted. Power was
shared fairly evenly with
other ethnic groups. Other
Northern leaders – Gowon,
Mohammed, Babangida,
Abacha, Abubakar and
Yar’Adua – were
enlightened benevolent
dictators and they avoided
rubbing salt on injury with
even-handed distribution of
power during their regimes.
And, that explained why the
resentment of Fulani
domination of the North
had not led to open
confrontation until now.
Buhari’s election as
President changed
everything. With the first 40
to 60 appointments he
made, Buhari had
demonstrated that his own
was going to be a
government of the Fulani,
by the Fulani and mostly for
the Fulani. Without
realising it, his response to
the genocides in Enugu
State and Agatu in 2016
was a wake-up call to all
other Nigerians who had
ignored a growing
problem.
“Dan Fodio was a Fulani
descendant of a Torodbe
family that was wellestablished
in Hausaland”
-WIKIPEDIA
This brings us to the
question asked by our
reader above – “where is
Fulani land?” The obvious
and honest answer to that
question is this. “There is no
Fulani land in the whole of
Nigeria. After first of all
establishing the Caliphate
in Sokoto, and from there
capturing several
communities, they failed to
hold any particular
geographical area as their
new homeland. Instead,
they were contented to
appoint Emirs and Serikis
as rulers of the people and
they demanded and
received the right to graze
their cattle anywhere. Until
1967, there was very little
dispute about that. Even
places which were not
conquered by the Islamic
Jihadists allowed them free
grazing right down to the
water front in the South.
“Anyone who controls the
army controls the nation” -
Ahmadu Bello
(IBRAHIM
B
BABANGIDA 1985-1992:
LETTING A THOUSAND
FLOWERS FLOW, Pg 22)
Until 1966, the Fulani
had undisputed hold on
power. The first coup
changed that. The second
coup in 1967 which ended
with Gowon, an Ngas from
Lur, a small ethnic group
from Plateau State, who
was surrounded by officers
from other small tribes, was
the beginning of the end of
Fulani political power
hegemony. Ahmadu Bello,
a descendant of Dan Fodio,
had inadvertently shown
young men from other
nationalities how to reduce
Fulani political power. Get
armed. Alhaji Shehu
Shagari, another Fulani,
was tossed out by officers
from minority tribes. They
installed General Buhari, a
Fulani; and again removed
him 20 months after.
Yar’Adua, another Fulani,
was imposed by Obasanjo
– not his kinsmen. Finally,
Buhari would not have
defeated Jonathan even in
2015 if the progressives of
the South-West had not led
a coalition of political
adventurers to persuade
Buhari to run one more
time. For all concerned, the
decision to field Buhari was
a monumental blunder. It
has led us to where we are
now.
But, remember this.
Fulani now occupy every
“forest” they can find
because, unlike the rest of
us, they have no land
anywhere in Nigeria to call
their own.
To be continued…
Joyfulhomes
2015@gmail.com
God has not forgotten you
Glory be to God. We
started January, saw
the end of January and now
we are saying goodbye to
February 2021. It could only
be God that has kept us alive.
All Praises be to the Lord.
Brethren, the time of fasting
and praying, isn’t a time to be
downcast. It is not a time for
one’s spirit to be low. It is not
the time to begin to give room
to doubt.
When we say prayers, like “
Remember me O Lord”. Does
it mean God has forgotten us?
Usually, those types of prayer
points come up when we are
still expecting to “ see God in
action”.
Brethren, God is always
active. He never stops
attending to us. No wonder
the Psalmist said in Psalm 121
vs. 4 (KJV) “ Behold, he that
keepeth Israel shall neither
slumber nor sleep”.
Many of us spend more
time, asking “ God why me?”
instead of thanking the LORD
for those things he has been
doing that are not visible to
us
Ḟor instance a couple
looking forward to
conception is likely to sigh
and be unhappy when the
woman sees her period. They
have forgotten that there are
women whose periods aren’t
only irregular but had ceased
even when they are not close
to the age of menopause.
Such a woman fails to see
that the manifestation of her
monthly period is a sign that
her miracle is on the way.
Perhaps you are familiar
with the story of Noah and how
God kept him and his family
away from the flood.
Genesis 8 vs. 1: “ And God
remembered Noah, and every
living thing, and all the cattle
that was with him in the ark:
and God made a wind to pass
over the earth, and the waters
assuaged”.
Do you think that God
forgot Noah? I don’t think so.
Remember it was God that
told him to build the ark and
also gave directives as to who
and what should be in the ark.
Another Bible, Isaiah 49 vs.
14-16 states: “ But Zion said,
“ The LORD has forsaken me,
and my Lord hath forgotten
What you see in
the spiritual realm
is what you will
get in the physical
me.
Can a woman forget her
nursing child that she should
have no compassion on the
son of her womb? Yea, they
may forget, yet I will not forget
thee.
Behold, I have graven thee
upon the palms of my hands;
thy walls are continually
before me”.
Woman, God has not
forgotten you and will never
forget you. The walls of your
womb he sees continually
and he knows that your
children must occupy that
womb.
At times what we perceive
as a delay is not a delay. God
is actually working on the
spiritual that determines the
physical.
I’ll share with you the
unusual story of childbearing
delay in the life of a man. He
got married to his woman, but
they had no children so the
woman left him. It was also
the same situation with the
second woman he married.
She also left him after all
attempts to have children
failed.
Then he took a third wife
and she dragged him to a
particular church.
There they began to pray.
With intensive prayers, it was
revealed that his mother was
the reason he never had
children. Why? She feared
that once he began to raise
children, he would no longer
care for her.
God showed the couple
mercy and they were blessed
with a set of twins, a boy and a
girl. How would any one
know that the women didn’t
really have infertility issues
and that their inability to have
children was a spiritual
challenge imposed on the
man by his mother?
This was an unusual case but
many cases are like this.
Society focuses on the woman
but the challenge may
actually be a spiritual burden
on the man.
Brethren, stop thinking that
God has forgotten you.
I also know of the case of a
lady who had miscarriages
about 10 times. This is more
painful. She got pregnant,
carried the baby in her womb
but never carried any in her
arms. Her agony can only be
imagined.
When no one expected, God
in his mercy showed up for her
and blessed her with a baby
boy.
The solution to challenge
came through prayers not
science. Series of examples
abound.
There was also the case of a
couple born into Christian
homes but in their
desperation to have children,
went to an herbalist.
When the herbalist did all
he could and no child was
conceived and he became
sympathetic to them because
they had spent so much. He
said to them, “ Go and meet
Hallelujah people”.
In other words, they were
asked to go to a church of
God.
They did and today, after
over two decades of waiting
they are parents of children.
A couple that was called
barren asked the Lord to stop
giving them children. They
now have enough.
The stories I have shared
with you should lift up your
faith that there is no situation
that God cannot change.
Brethren, what is that
challenge that has denied you
a fulfilled life. Take it to God
in prayer. Even as we ask, we
must focus on the realization
of our request. As you pray,
begin to see yourself conceive,
deliver and carry your baby
or babies. Stop seeing yourself
as a barren woman.
What you see in the spiritual
realm is what you will get in
the physical.
Last week, there was a report
of a couple that God blessed
with a set of sextuplets, four
boys and two girls.
What was remarkable about
this couple was the fact that
they had waited for 21 years
before God gave them a set of
twins, a boy and a girl in 2015.
The couple, Doris and
Seiyefa Wilson was again
blessed with sextuplets after
six years. They probably
thought they were in another
phase of delay after they had
the twins.
The husband, Seiyefa spoke
of pressure from his relations
to marry another wife but he
resisted them.
He said on a particular day,
he saw a woman begging with
triplets, though he hadn’t
enough money on him, he
asked that money be
transferred to him and he gave
the woman 25,000.
According to him, the woman
was pleasantly surprised. She
prayed for him that God
would give him, double what
he gave her and behold, God
blessed him with a set of
sextuplets.
Brethren, we’ll take some
lessons from the story of the
Wilson couple.
First, is that God
empowered the husband to
resist pressure for relations. If
you are in a similar situation,
God will help you to resist
pressure from relations in
Jesus name.
Secondly, we learn that
delay is not denial. Third
lesson is that showing mercy
to others provokes God to
show us mercy.
Didn’t the scripture say in
Matthew 5 vs. 7 “ Blessed are
the merciful: for they shall
obtain mercy”.
Trust God brethren, he has
not forgotten you.
Your miracle is on the way
in Jesus name.

PAGE12 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
Give your haters
a show to behold
—Tiwa Savage
Nigeria’s leading superstar singer, Tiwa Savage,
has done a whole lot of things since her arrival
on the music scene in 2013 with her debut
single “Kele Kele Love”. Some bad, some good,
depending on the divide you find yourself.
Trick or treat, it doesn’t matter because this
Isale-Eko, Lagos State-born mother of one
keeps winning.
She’s the composite performer who has
dazzled with both mother nature and
improvisations life has to offer. She’s not
wet behind the ears when it comes to her
stagecraft and magic, and oftentimes
may have led her to the edge of
immorality or morality. But she
understands the game she’s in and plays
it like a master puppeteer, having her
fans dancing on the string she weaves. A
little body show here and there doesn’t
take a skin off her teeth. Even if it means
baring it all, Tiwa can bear taking the
plunge, which she had on a number of
occasions. She did again, on her birthday
on 5 th of February. She knew what was
to follow and damn it all she did.
“No one watches you more than your
haters, make sure you give them a
show,” she had captioned the poolside
bikini picture she posted. She had given
too many disconcertingly mesmerising
shows in her illustrious 8 years career as
a solo artiste and one more wouldn’t
definitely rock her boat or knock them
off their rockers.
Any man who loves
you will never hide
A
—Mandy Ujunwa
usty Nollywood actress, Ujunwa Mandy
BObi is as desirable as any woman could be
in terms of frontal endowment. But if you are
looking for secret relationship, you may be on
a wrong page with the ebony bombshell of
lusciousness from Nnewi, Anambra State.
In a recent post on Instagram, she expressed
her opinion about secret relationships.
She writes, “ A secret relationship is a fraud.
Any man who loves you will never hide you,
my sister”.
One of the respondents to the post is a
colleague of hers in the mammary section,
known on Instagram as @Noradosh and she
was quick to give the younger Mandy her own
piece of mind.
“And a public relationship ain’t good either
my sister” she had said.
Mandy was a makeup artist before becoming
an actress and her first movie was an Igbo
movie, “Obi Ngbawa”, in 2016. She has
featured in movies like Angry Mother, Odida
Kingdom, The Little Prince, and some Igbo
movies like: Ajondu, Onye-Nna, Dimona etc.
AYKO Agency presents AYKO2021
YKO Agency is set to present AYKO2021,
a talent and modelling competition
opened to individuals between the ages of 18
and 24 years, with a compelling story.
Emphasis is on supporting the up-skilling and
employment (therefore wealth growth) of the
winners at the end of the competition.
The Agency was formed out of the names of
its co-founders, Ayoola Bakare (@ayoola) and
Koya Onagoruwa (@adeonagoruwa). Both
have always been driven and inspired to “give
something back”, and in addition to the
aforementioned, are committed to supporting
other worthwhile causes including mental
health awareness, digital poverty, and
community support.
Entries are open from March 8, 2021 to
young adults between the ages of 18 and 24
years old. Twelve models and/or talents will
•Tiwa Savage
•Mandy Ujunwa
be selected from the poll of applications and
presented before the judges on June 11, 2021,
at a glitzy event managed by Pride Rock
Entertainment, where five lucky winners will
be picked.
These five winners will be going home
with a cash prize of N500,000 each, a threeweek
intensive Bootcamp training session
with AYKO Agency to help them hone and
develop their skills, financial literacy and
personal development and an exclusive signon
as a model or talent with AYKO Agency.
AYKO Agency is not only out to develop
the creative capacity of the models and
talents, but strongly believe that investing
in the well-being and improving the lifestyle
of the talents and models will encourage selfgrowth,
which will help them to realize their
own potentials.
•Efe Omorogbe
N
I’m blessed
with shape
African men
love
—Biodun
Okeowo
Sultry and
sexy
Yoruba actress,
•Biodun
Biodun
Okeowo
Okeowo, known
in the industry as ‘Omo
Butty’ or ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ is
without doubt, one of the
hottest and most talented
Yoruba-speaking actresses
on the scene and she has
remained so for many
years. She’s the
conventional ‘figure
eight’ African woman.
In an interview
with Potpourri the mother
of two who still keeps her
shape as good as it was ten
years ago, revealed what is
most alluring about her
physical appearance.
“Well, I will say my hips and
eyeballs. God has blessed me
with what African men really
like. Even the modern day African
man who pretends to like a
skinny woman, after getting down
with her, he would marry a
woman who has ample flesh in the
right proportions,” she said.
And her secret is simple : “I have
been a vegetarian for many years
now and the reason is not farfetched.
I have the tendency to be
overweight, so I’m seriously
checking it in order not to lose
my figure-eight shape,” she revealed.
Biodun Okeowo who is a single
mother claimed to have married as a
virgin.
Entertainment community
to celebrate Efe Omorogbe
@ 50
igerian Entertainment Today (Netng) and Lagos-based music
management company, Now Muzik have announced a music
business roundtable in partnership with the Association of Music
Artistes Managers of Nigeria (AMAMN) to celebrate
legendary talent manager and creative entrepreneur, Efe
Omorogbe as he turns 50. The virtual event is set to hold
on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, and will see a team of
seasoned speakers drawn from different sectors of the
entertainment industry, shed light on the topic, “Talent
Management: Perception, Reality & Challenges In A
Changing World”.
The round-table is part of several activities lined
up to celebrate Omorogbe who has contributed
immensely to the growth of the Nigerian
entertainment industry over the past two decades
as he hits the big 50. Mostly popular for managing
Nigeria’s foremost superstar, 2baba, Omorogbe’s
work in the industry has cut across different facets
including media, A&R, songwriting, event
production and film-making.
For the round-table, Omorogbe will be joined
by key industry players including the CEO of
Black House Media, Ayeni Adekunle; CEO of
Hip TV, Ayo Animashaun; talent managers
Godwin Tom and Sunday Are; Senior Manager,
Sponsorship & Promotions at MTN, Osaze
Ebueku; EVP at Chocolate City Group, Aibee
Abidoye; media personality, Olisa Adibua; and
superstar singer, Seyi Shay. The session will be
moderated by Buki Sawyer-Izeogu of Buki HQ,
while industry powerhouse, Edi Lawani will
deliver the keynote address.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE13
No limitations in
•Aramide Ottun
my dictionary
—Aramide Ottun
Aramide Damilola Ottun is a budding Yoruba actress blessed with both brain and
beauty. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the University
of Lagos. She’s a producer of two films, namely; Public Toilet and 1 O’Clock. She
has also featured in many films, among which are: Legal Wife, Igbese Kan, Corpers’
Lodge, Bangles and many others.
In this interview with AYO ONIKOYI, she speaks on her journey into Nollywood,
the industry and other things that shaped her life.
•Aramide Ottun
MultiChoice to air highlights from BBNaija season 5 from March 1
MultiChoice Nigeria is set
to air highlights from
BBNaija Season 5 from
Monday, March 1, till Friday,
March 26, 2021, on Africa Magic
Urban (DStv channel 153) and
Africa Magic Family (DStv
channel 154 & GOtv channel 2) at
10pm.
BBNaija lovers will have another
opportunity to relive some of the
best moments of the BBNaija
Lockdown edition, six months
after the epic grand finale which
saw Olamilekan “Laycon”
Agbeleshe emerge winner. The
highlight episodes will also get
fans primed and excited for the
upcoming Reunion show of the
season.
BBNaija continues to be a TV
•BBNaija Laycon and Nengi
The beginning
Acting has always been a thing of
interest to me right from my primary
school days. I used to call friends
around to mimic them. Friends would
gather around me during the break
time to watch me put a smile on their
faces and sometimes I got a free lunch
doing so. Then it was something I did
for fun not knowing it was a calling.
Watching myself do what I enjoy doing
on TV brings tears of joy and a feeling of
fulfillment. Thanks to the likes of my
mentor Antar Laniyan who made it possible
for me to start professionally.
Challenges
The major challenge as a producer is sourcing
for funds. Other challenges include looking for
sponsors, trying to find characters that best suit
your imagination as well as welfare and
logistics involving the cast and crew. I started
as a nobody, loads of things were thrown at me.
I remember one producer telling me I wasn’t
good enough. A colleague also told me I was
wasting my time. Hard work and persistence
got me this far. I once got that producer and that
colleague to work with me on my own project. I
am sure they must have forgotten what they said
but those words motivated me, it made me grow a
thick skin. The past motivates me to work on my
present. And to my mentors and guardians, I will
forever be grateful.
Low and high moments
The highest point of my career so far was taking a bold
step to produce my own movie. It wasn’t easy at all. I
repeat, it wasn’t easy at all for me. And the low point
was when I started getting disappointments from
people, the gossips and small talks plus lack of
investors. I nearly had a heart attack when royalties
weren’t coming in as expected but I got to understand
the industry during my second production. Thanks to
God, I got more than I imagined. The lesson learnt was
never to put your trust and hope on people and always
have a plan B for every Plan A. What will be will
always be but never have the mind of going through
the back door. No short cut to success. God is always
the way out.
phenomenon in Nigeria and across
Africa. The Lockdown edition set the
record for the number of votes cast with
900 million votes recorded during the
show and over 60 billion impressions on
digital. The edition also broke the
Showmax live-streaming record,
becoming the most-watched live
entertainment content ever on the
streaming service.
Fans of the reality TV show will enjoy
up to 40 episodes, containing their
favourite and most memorable moments
from the Lockdown edition. BBNaija
Lockdown Highlights will air on Africa
Magic Urban (DStv channel 153) and
Africa Magic Family (DStv channel 154 &
GOtv channel 2) from 10pm till 11pm
daily, available to customers on DStv
Premium, Compact Plus, Compact,
Confam, Yanga and GOtv Max and Jolli.
On sex, relationship and marriage
Sex should be when you want to start breeding, like
having kids. Marriage should be when you are mentally
ready for what marriage entails and relationship is about
preparing your body, soul and mind for marriage and sex.
Life is in circles, those three are real circles of life.
Sexiness
To be sexy is to be confident, smart, well mannered and
neatly dressed. Yes, a woman should flaunt her
endowment when she can.
Social media
Social media has shown me what is to come in the
movie industry and how prepared I should be. Many
actors and actresses are coming up with no one way style
of acting and I have to be on that side of diversity.
Producers, content creators, scriptwriters and directors
are out there showcasing new style of filming plus acting.
Now is about taking advantage of each opportunity,
learning from what others are putting up, working and
avoiding a repetition of their own errors when I am
putting out my own stuff. Social media has shown me that
the movie industry is not what it used to be.
Limitations
There’s no limitation in my dictionary as an actress. I go
all hard and out. There’s no role I can’t take on and
interpret very well. I’m here to win now and always.
Selling points
My dedication, passion and determination are my
selling points. Understanding scripts, interpreting them
so well and respecting people are parts of my selling
points and, so far so good, it has brought me this far. They
will tell you “Aramide Ottun is dedicated, loyal,
respectful, gives you 100% attention on set and yes she
interprets her scripts so well”.
Feminism
Feminists are a bunch of myopic, self-centered,
mediocre ladies.
Heartbreaks
It’s like saying or asking you why do human drink
water. Show me a man or a woman that’s not got his or
her heart broken before. We all have been to the
island of heart breaks. Some still live there but I
went on a visit, though the journey wasn’t fine.
But thank God I am here today, stronger and
much beautiful in the inside than outside.
Lucrativeness of acting
It’s lucrative when you master your craft
through hard work and understand the
Nigerian film industry. First, you need to know
you will have lots of sleepless nights. Second,
fear of the unknown, it is the number one
downside of working and not getting it right
but if you get it right you get the pay. Before
acting can be lucrative it entails a lot of hard
work, determination, focus and stability. One
can become an `A’ list for producers, content
creators, companies looking for brand
ambassadors to push out their brand and of
course, in some cases marketers might demand
your appearance based on fans requests and
you know what that means:- more money. With
that I am sure bills get paid .

PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
The signals you get t when your marriage isn’t wor
orking
Will the average
p e r s o n
experiencing
problems in their
relationships know whether
or not to walk away? It goes
without saying that divorce
now is quick and with little
rancour, single parenthood
are on the increase and more
men now opt for the single life
despite the fact that eligible
women are two a penny
(seemingly). Yet, never before
has there been that fear of
uncertainty in abandoning a
relationship that was
obviously going nowhere
than now. A few months, ago,
I ran into a friend’s daughter
and asked after her mother.
Sheepishly, she told me it was
a long time she saw her
mother last as she was now
living with her fiance. That
would have been perfectly in
order if it was what she wanted
too. “I would have preferred
for us to get married”, she
shrugged, “but he doesn’t
want to commit himself until
I’m pregnant”.
What happens if she gets
pregnant, gets married, and
later has a miscarriage? Will
the man abandon her some
two years later if she can’t
conceive again? These
questions and lots more ran
through my mind but I didn’t
want to make the poor girl
more miserable than she
already was. She is currently
hopping from one
gynaecologist to the other and
when I asked her if the lover
of her life had gone for a test
too, she said it wasn’t
necessary as he’d already
fathered a child. I wanted to
Leaders of Benikrukru
United Communities in
Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri
South West Local
Government Area of Delta
State have raised an alarm
over a fresh oil spill said to be
gushing from a faulty oil
pipeline believed to be owned
by Chevron Nigeria Ltd.
Benikrukru Community is
host to Chevron Abiteye
Flowstation in Warri South
West Local Government Area
of the state.
The leaders said thick crude
oil slick flowing at high speed
has covered the surrounding
swamps and spreading to
their communities with the
fear that it might cause a fire
outbreak aside other
damages.
tell her that was no proof. That
I knew a few ‘surrogate’
fathers who’d made a few
‘barren’ women mothers. The
legal fathers are none the
wiser and the mothers are
now free of criticisms and
jibes from their in-laws. Their
marriage seems to be on an
even keel. The situation that
gives a lot of concern is where
the couples know that their
marriage is lying on its back
with its hooves virtually in the
air but sit tight and hope that
things will get better.
Unfortunately, they seldom
do. Boma, a retired industrial
nurse in her sixties now sits
alone in her lovely house,
wishing she’d had the
common sense to kick her
wayward husband out of their
matrimonial home
when she realised he was a
bum despite the fact that he
was a medical doctor. “I had
a very shrewd father who
believed in putting a bit by for
the rainy day”, she said.
“When I was working, after
my training in England, he
was always urging me to save
and send whatever I could
home so he could buy me
some property. His letter
bothered on an irritation at
times but his insistence
goaded me into doing
temporary jobs - and petty
trading along with my regular
job so I could send him
money. He always made up
for the balance and thanks to
him, when we came back, I
had a few plots of land here
and there.
“My husband went into one
of the armed forces and there
was a house thrown in with
his job, I got a good job too as
an industrial nurse, and
thanks to my family
connections, I was able to get
quite impressive contracts. In
no time, at all, I had
developed the two-plots I had
in choice areas then sold the
other plots to build another
one house in Victoria Island.
My darling husband, in the
meantime, was having the
time of his life sampling the
delight of the dames around
him. It would have been
alright if he hadn’t been
obsessively jealous. Any man
I talked with was a potential
lover and he was often violent
with whoever he suspected.
I’ve lost count of the black eyes
he gave me, the disgrace with
which he’d marched me out
of parties because he believed
I was too friendly with men.
There had been occasions,
when he’d come to our official
clinic to rough-handle senior
colleagues I was attending to
Oil leakage threatens Ijaw communities
After an investigative tour of
the site of the leakage with
journalists on Wednesday, the
representives of the
communities warned that
failure of the company to mop
up the spread of the spill could
cause colossal damage to the
area.
They called on Chevron and
regulatory bodies to quickly
deploy safety measures to
mitigate the effects, claiming
that the spill had already
caused damage to their
environment and fishing
activities.
Spokesperson for the
Benikrukru United
Communities, Pastor Blessing
Tortor, while addressing
journalists, claimed that the
spill flowed from the Abiteye-
Otunana bulk line belonging
to the oil giant.
According to him, the new
spill started on February 18,
without any message from the
because he thought they’d
come under the guise of
having quickies with me in
my office! The man’s
imagination was dangerously
fertile.
“I was often regarded with
pity and the children too were
fearful of him. But as long as
he had his Cognac and
Benson, he was alright until
he got drunk - then it was
bedlam. When I left regular
employment, I started
travelling and he would pinch
shoes, costume, jewelry or any
fanciful female things I had
to sell and give them to his
girlfriends. I actually saw one
of them wearing a set of
jewelry and exclusive shoes
that I’d earlier imported, but
found missing, at a party and
challenged him. He called the
lady over and boomed for
everyone to hear that she got
her shoes from as I thought
they were mine. You can
imagine the type of reactions
oil company, alleging that the
area had suffered several other
oil spillages without a cleanup
carried out by the Chevron
we got from other guests.
“I had a few flings of my
own, of course who wouldn’t
under the circumstance? But
I never had peace of mind and
my kids didn’t have much
respect for him. When he died
suddenly five years ago, I
couldn’t
believe the number of
women that showed up as
mothers of his children! There
was even one spotting an
advanced pregnancy! It was
hard convincing them that the
love of their lives was so busy
enjoying life he didn’t even
bother to buy a piece of land
not to talk of building a house
in spite of his connections.
Tongues are now wagging
more furiously than ever
before that I’d sat on the
property my husband
acquired in my name when
he was a public officer, that I
was denying his other
children fund out of spite.
Whereas, if I’d left when
common sense dictated I
should, all these wouldn’t have
happened. How many
accusers would I show
documents!
“These days, I look at my
married children and marvel
at the ease with which they
communicate with their
spouses. I’m glad they’ve
learnt from the harsh
treatment I received from
their father. Whenever any of
their friends tell of illtreatment
they receive in their
matrimonial homes and I tell
them not to stick any abuse
that could rob them of their
pride, they look at me in
wonder, believing old people
Igwe Nwobodo crowned Isu 1 of Umuisu
By Gabriel Olawale
Having won the
igweship election
conducted on January 18,
2021, in Umuisu Ugbawka
autonomous community, in
Nkanu East Local
Government Area of Enugu
State, His Royal Highness,
Igwe Sunday Nwobodo, was
on, February 20, 2021,
officially crowned the
traditional ruler of Umuisu
Ugbawka autonomous
community.
It would be recalled that
Igwe Nwobodo won the
election unopposed, after Mr.
Obere Ani, who had earlier
indicated interest to contest
alongside Nwobodo,
voluntarily withdrew from the
contest at the venue of the
election conducted by the
office of the Ministry of
Chieftaincy Matters, Enugu
State government, and
representatives from all the
villages that made up the new
autonomous Community.
Doctor Charles O. C.
Egumgbe, the Commissioner
in-charge of ministry had said
management.
He said that the current
leakage had spread to
Benikrukru, Oborogbene,
Asantuagbene, Ogbagbene,
Kenyagbene, Kokodiagbene
and other communities
during the election that they
came on the directive of the
state governor, to ensure that
the election was free and fair.
Having confirmed the
election satisfactory, and
announced Igwe Nwobodo as
the winner of the election, the
Ministry, in a letter dated
January 29, 2021, recognized
Nwobodo as the Traditional
Ruler of Umuisu Ugbawka
Autonomous Community.
The letter signed by Dr.
Charles O. C. Egumgbe, noted
in parts: "HRH, Igwe Sunday
Nwobodo, Umuisu Ugbawka
Autonomous Community,
like me should advocate
matrimony at all costs. Well I
don’t. You should always stick
a situation, good or bad, as
long as you’re comfortable
with it. Once you’re not, you
should think of an alternative
- otherwise you’ll be bitter for
the rest of your life.... “
Between father and
son (Humour)
A successful executive
decides it’s time to make a
man of his son so
he takes him down to the
local brothel. The son
disappears into a room with
one of the girls while he waits
outside - but can’t help
listening through the door.
Now the son is very well
endowed and the girl gasps at
the amazing sight. As they
begin the business, he takes it
very gently but the girl begs
for more.
“Just put it in another inch”,
she says and I “knock N500”
off the price. So he does but
still she begs for more.
Another inch and I “knock off
another N500”, she informs
him. And so it goes on, the
girl is so delighted with the
man’s performance that she
promises to take off more and
more money. “Please, please”,
she moans till eventually she
cries, “a little bit more and it’s
free”. Now all this time, the
father has been listening
outside the door and when he
hears this, he bursts into the
room and shouts, “Move over
son, leave this to me. It’s time
to make a profit”.
because of the tidal current,
adding that it has caused
untold hardships to the
predominantly fishing
population in the
communities.
Nkanu East Local Government
Area, Enugu State. Your
Royal Highness, recognition
as a Traditional Ruler. I have
the honour to inform you that
having considered your selection
by your community satisfactory
and following the
state Traditional Rulers Law,
Cap. 151, Revised Laws of
Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Lawrence
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has
approved your recognition as
the Traditional Ruler of
Umuisu Ugbawka
Community, with effect from
January 18, 2021".
Ebioh Ubong Victor, 2nd left and Emily Iyasele, 2nd right were recently joined as husband
and wife at a traditional marriage ceremony in Lagos. The new couple are flanked by the
bride's father and his wife, Engr and Mrs Dennis Iyasele.
From left: HRH, Igwe Harford Mmadukaibeya Agana, HRH, Igwe Sunday
Nwobodo, Isu 1 of Umuisu, and Lolo Promise Chioma Nwobodo, during his
installation in Ugbakwa, Enugu State,

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 15
Vanguard/Bankers'Committee Economic Summit
ECONOMY: 2021 is our
year of active recovery
— Emefiele, CBN Governor
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefield,
CON, says 2021 is expected t be a yer of active recovery for the
global economy and Nigeria must not be left out. He spoke during
Vanguard Economic Summit organised in collaboration with
the Bankers Committee in Lagos on Friday.
Godwin Emefiele,
CBN Governor
IT is indeed a pleasure to participate in
this Summit, organized by the Van
guard Newspapers, and please permit
me to express my deepest appreciations to a
man I have great respect for, the publisher
of Vanguard Newspaper, fondly called Uncle
Sam Amuka. I would also like to thank
his management team, for their relentless
efforts towards the success of today’s event.
Given the external and domestic factors that
are influencing current outcomes in our
economy, I believe this summit presents a
significant opportunity to address critical
stakeholders on events that are shaping our
economy, and the policy responses being
embarked upon by the Central Bank of Nigeria
to support faster economic growth and
continued stability of our financial system.
It is in this light that the theme of today’s
conference ‘Bankers’ Initiative for Economic
Growth’ is appropriate and timely when we
take into account the unprecedented impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global
economy and indeed the Nigerian economy
in 2020. Policy makers across the globe
have been faced with a dual challenge of
trying to address an public health crisis, and
a major economic challenge. Before I speak
to the efforts we are making on both fronts,
let me first summarize the economic spillovers
we have suffered from COVID-19.
Economic Impact
of COVID-19
As most of us are aware, the spread of the
virus, along with the corresponding containment
measures, led to a significant slowdown
in global growth in the first half of
2020. Countries such as the United States,
United Kingdom, India and South Africa
witnessed contractions of 9.5 percent, 20
percent, 24 percent and 17 percent respectively
in the 2nd quarter of 2020. Commodity
exporting countries like ours also faced
significant revenue challenges as commodity
prices such as crude oil, dipped by over
65 percent in the 1st half of the year. In addition,
investors pulled over US$100 billion
from emerging market countries in the 1st
half of the year, which resulted in a corresponding
depreciation in the currencies of
several emerging market countries.
Global Response
As a result of the downturn in growth, advanced
and emerging market countries implemented
series of conventional and unconventional
measures, aimed at curtailing
the spread of the virus and stimulating greater
economic recovery. In the United States,
the Federal Reserve acted boldly and swiftly
with policy actions amounting to over
US$3 trillion in liquidity support to households,
businesses, and financial markets, On
fiscal policy front, the US government committed
over $4 trillion to mitigate the effects
on the downturn on households and
businesses. In total, US stimulus measures
amount to close to 35 percent of its GDP. In
the United Kingdom, the Bank of England
has, so far, committed $1.2 trillion as part
of its quantitative easing program, in addition
to fiscal measures amounting to £280
billion ($375 billion). This is equivalent to
roughly 56 percent of the UK’s GDP. In
emerging markets like India and South Africa,
we have seen combined fiscal and monetary
stimulus efforts of close to 15 5 percent
($400bn) and 10 percent of GDP ($26
billion) respectively. In Nigeria our combined
stimulus measures so far is about
US$18 billion, which is close to 4.5 percent
of our GDP. Contrary to expectations by
some analysts that the Covid-19 pandemic
would lead to a prolonged downturn in the
global economy, they did not quite envisage
the proactive forcefulness with which policymakers
could r e s p o n d t o t h e c r i s
i s . I n d e e d , t h e unprecedented amount
of stimulus, along with the successful development
of several vaccines, and easing of
movement restrictions, helped to support a
robust and faster-than expected recovery in
the 2nd half of the year. The United States,
India, UK and South Africa witnessed positive
growth of 7.5, 21.9, 16.1 and 6 13.5 percent
respectively in the 3rd quarter of 2020.
Notwithstanding these recoveries, most advanced
and emerging market countries
including Nigeria, but with the
exception of China, are expected
to see full year negative growth in
2020. According to the IMF, global
growth is expected to decline
by 3.5 percent in 2020 but would
recover sharply to a growth of 5.5
percent in 2021.
Consequently, 2021 is expected
to be a year of active recovery for
the global economy and Nigeria
must not be left out. In Nigeria, the
onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
in the 1st half of 2020, and the measures
put in place to contain the
spread of the virus, caused a significant
shock to our economy. The
downturn in economic activity,
which was particularly significant
in the 2nd quarter of the year, was
driven by a series of external factors
such as the drop in commodity
prices, outflows of portfolio
funds, supply chain disruptions, in
addition to the lockdown measures
imposed, in order to curtail the
spread of the virus. Consequently,
the Nigerian economy contracted by 6.1
percent in the 2nd quarter of 2020, down
from a positive growth of 1.87 percent recorded
in the 1st quarter of 2020.
The over 70 percent decline in crude oil
prices in the first half of the year, led to a
significant reduction in our foreign exchange
earnings. Today, crude oil prices
have recovered from its low of $19 per barrel
in April 2020, and currently stand at an
average of $60 per barrel. The drop in crude
oil earnings and associated reduction in foreign
portfolio inflows significantly affected
the supply of foreign exchange into Nigeria.
In order to adjust for the decrease in
supply of foreign exchange, the naira depreciated
at the official window from N305/
$ to N360/$ and now hovers around N410/
$. With the decline in our foreign exchange
earnings and subsequent adjustments in the
value of the naira vis-à-vis the US dollar,
the CBN has continued to implement a demand
management framework, which is designed
to support improved production of
items that can be produced in Nigeria, and
further conservation of our external reserves.
Measures
These measures have helped to prevent a
significant decline in our reserves. Our external
reserves currently stand at over $35
billion and is sufficient to cover more than
7 months of import of goods and services,
even though the international rule of thumb
is for reserves to cover about 3 months of
imports. On inflation, we note that the general
price level in 2020 has responded to
several shocks including disruption to global
and domestic supply chains as a result
of COVID-19, energy price adjustments,
supply/logistic bottlenecks reflecting insecurity
in many parts of the country, the adjustments
in the exchange rate, which has
made imports more expensive. To this end,
headline Inflation rose from 12.26 percent
in March 2020 to 16.47 percent in January
2021. The rise in inflation along with the
need to implement growth enhancing measures
that would enable the Nigerian economy
to emerge from the recession, continues
to pose a dilemma for policy making
authorities. Research conducted by the CBN
notes that the rise in inflation has been due
to cost-push factors rather than demand pull
factors. As a result, the CBN has placed
greater weight on utilizing tools that would
address the shocks to economic growth,
while at the same time helping to provide
facilities that can reduce the cost-push factors
in inflation. Let me now turn to some of
these measures in greater detail.
Response by the Monetary and Fiscal Authorities
In response to the impact of COV-
ID-19 on key economic variables earlier
mentioned, the fiscal and monetary authorities
took unprecedented measures to prevent
the economy from going into a tailspin.
Our first objective
was to restore stability
to the economy
by providing assistance
to individuals,
Domestic
financial
conditions
have
remained
supportive to
growth, due
to measures
being
implemented
by the CBN
SMEs and businesses
that had been severely
affected by the pandemic,
as well as by the
lockdown measures.
Some of the measures
we took include: i. A
1-year extension of the
moratorium on principal
repayments for
CBN intervention facilities;
ii. Reduction
of the MPR rate by 200
basis points from 13.5
to 11.5 percent, between
May and September
2020 in order
to spur lending. iii.
Regulatory Forbearance
was granted to
banks to restructure
loans given to sectors
that were severally affected
by the pandemic iv. Reduction of the
interest rate on CBN intervention loans from
9 to 5 percent
v. Mobilization of key stakeholders in the
Nigerian economy through the CACOVID
alliance, which led to the provision of over
N25bn in relief materials to affected households,
and the set-up of 39 isolation centers
across the country. vi. Strengthening of the
Loan to Deposit ratio policy, which has resulted
in a significant rise in loans provided
by financial institutions to banking customers.
Credit to the private sector rose by 17
percent in 2020. vii. Disbursement of over
N204 billion to 447,671 beneficiaries, under
the target credit facility for affected
households and small and medium enterprises,
through the Nirsal Microfinance
Bank viii. Disbursements of over N83.9 billion
in loans to pharmaceutical companies
and healthcare practitioners, to support 81
healthcare projects, which would expand
and strengthen the capacity of our healthcare
institutions.
ix. Disbursements of over N476 bn out of
our N1 trillion facility to support 76 manufacturing
and real sector projects, which
would boost local manufacturing and production
across critical sectors. x. Disbursements
of over N260bn to 1.28 million farmers
under the Anchor Borrowers Scheme in
2020 to support cultivation of key staple
items by farmers.
Domestic financial conditions have remained
supportive to growth, due to measures
being implemented by the CBN. Aggregate
domestic credit grew by 17 percent
between January and December 2020, highlighting
the effects of the CBN’s intervention
programs, our LDR policy and accommodative
lending rates by the banks. Nonperforming
loan ratios have fallen from 6.5
percent in January 2020 to 6.0 percent as of
December 2020. In the equities market, the
Nigeria Stock Exchange has continued to
record positive performance, as the All-
Share Index increased from 20,098 in April
2020 to 40,270 by December 2020. The rise
in the index is due to positive sentiments
arising from improved earnings and output
by several listed corporates on the exchange.
These measures have helped to mitigate the
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the
economy.
As a result, Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
growth had a swift rebound in the 4th quarter
of 2020, as it expanded by 0.11 percent,
after two consecutive periods of negative
growth. The rebound in growth was driven
by Agriculture and ICT, as these sectors grew
by 3.42 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively
in the 4th quarter of 2020. Contraction
in the manufacturing sector declined
to 1.5 percent from 8.78 percent in the 2nd
Quarter of 2020. This result is similar to the
Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index,
which stood at 49.6 points in December
2020, indicating a recovery in manufacturing
activities relative to a low of 43 points
in April 2020, even though it still remained
below the 50-point benchmark. In addition,
of the 46 economic activities tracked by
NBS, 31 of these activities expanded relative
to 13 activities in the 2nd quarter of
2020, reflecting continued improvements in
growth. Overall, in 2020, annual growth of
real GDP stood at –1.92 percent, relative to
the 2.27 percent growth recorded in 2019.
While the indicators above provide positive
signs that the economy is on a recovery path,
GDP growth at 0.11 percent indicates that
the economy still remains on a fragile recovery
path.
It is therefore imperative that we do all we
can in 2021 to ensure that we build on the
positive momentum and strengthen our efforts
at stimulating growth. Let me repeat,
with the discovery and deployment of vaccines,
2021 will be a year of massive global
recovery and Nigeria MUST not be left out.
In order to drive and sustain this recovery
therefore, we need to engage in the following
broad actions: 1)Sustain the accommodative
fiscal and monetary policy measures
aimed at improving access to finance to
households and businesses 2) Prevent a resurgence
in COVID-19 related cases 3) Ensure
that a significant number of our population
is properly vaccinated. 4)
Improving Foreign Exchange
inflows into the
country
Let me briefly elucidate on these points.
Accommodative Monetary Policy In 2021
it is imperative that the CBN continue to
provide accommodative monetary policy
measures that will enable faster recovery
of the economy, through improved flow of
credit to households and businesses in key
sectors of the economy such as Agriculture,
ICT and Manufacturing. These measures
are essential if we are return our
economy to a sustainable growth path,
while reducing our exposure to volatility
in commodity prices. While accommodative
monetary policy measures that will
support growth remain paramount in our
priorities for 2021, we would continue to
pay attention to trends in inflation, as
price stability is critical in guiding savings
and investment decisions by households
Continues on page 16

PAGE 16— SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
Vanguard/Bankers'Committee Economic Summit
ECONOMY: 2021 is our year of active recovery — Emefiele, CBN Governor
Continued from page 15
and businesses. Agriculture As indicated
earlier, the agriculture sector
was a key driver in taking the
Nigerian economy away from
negative growth in the 4th quarter
of 2020. It is important that we not
only sustain measures aimed at increasing
productivity of the sector,
but also ensure that we continue
to produce items that can be produced
locally rather than resorting
to imports of these items. More
importantly our agricultural sector
also offers significant opportunity
for the nation to earn foreign
exchange through the exports
of processed agricultural
products. Over the next 3 years,
we will continue to encourage
the banking sector to increase
its loans to the agriculture sector
from 4 percent to 10 percent by
2024. We are also pursuing an indepth
restructuring of the Nigeria
Commodities Exchange
Board in order to improve access
to finance as well as productivity
for stakeholders in the agriculture
sector. With enhanced logistics
and the provision of warehouse
receipts through the Commodities
Exchange, farmers will
be able to access finance, expand
production and supply needed
By Sam Onuigbo
The world is in an
unprecedented time as it
grapples with the scourge
and consequences brought upon it
by the COVID-19 pandemic. This
pandemic has exacerbated the
existing socio-economic and
environmental challenges faced by
the world and more importantly in
developing countries. The virus has
continued to spread – and the spread
has entered multiple phases across
the globe as it wreaks havoc on
global economies with a huge
effect on African countries.
Many countries, especially in
Africa have embarked on
economic recovery plans to
recover better and create a buffer
that will stimulate rapid
economic growth and recovery
across all sectors. I am delighted
that Nigeria, through the
leadership of the President has
also put forward a bold
economic plan for recovery in the
form of the Nigerian Economic
and Sustainability Plan
(NESP).
Before COVID-19 shocked the
world, the Nigerian government
had in place, the Economic
Recovery and Growth Plan
(ERGP) which was targeted to
run between 2017 and 2020. The
plan was meant to provide a
buffer to the already fragile
economy and highly constrained
fiscal space. The ERGP
highlighted a number of
initiatives and projects that were
consistent with the effort to tackle
climate change and other
environmental issues in the country.
These include the Great Green Wall
initiative to address land
degradation and desertification, and
support communities adapting to
climate change; implement
environmental initiatives, and
continuation of the Ogoni Land
cleanup while reducing gas flaring.
It also sets a target to raise a Green
Bond to finance environmental
projects while establishing one forest
plantation in each state. The ERGP
also planned to rehabilitate all forest
reserves and national parks to
enhance eco-tourism as it establishes
a functional database on drought
and desertification while
encouraging and promoting the
development of green growth
initiatives.
Although COVID-19 may have
slowed down economic growth, it is
still important that action on climate
goods to off-takers. I n
f o r m a t i o n a n d
C o m m u n i c a t i
o n s Technology
Another sector
which has
emerged as a
significant
source of resilience
in mitigating
the impact
of COVID-
19 on the economy,
is Information
and Communications
Technology
(ICT). In the •Emefiele,
4th quarter of 2020,
the ICT sector made
contributions of over 14.70 percent
to GDP growth, 4 percent
points higher than its contributions
a year earlier. The Central Bank
in 2021would seek to encourage
banks and other financial institutions
to leverage ICT in improving
penetration of financial services
to households and SMES, while
supporting productivity across key
sectors in the economy. Infrastructure
Finance With the decline in
revenues due to federal and state
government, alternative ways of
funding infrastructure are critical
if we are to generate
sustained
growth of
our economy.
As we
are all
aware, a
wellbuilt
infrastructure
system
can
have a
multiplier
effect on
growth by
enabling
the expansion
of business activities
in the country. That is why I
am delighted that Mr. President
has continued to give all the necessary
approvals and support to
establish the Infrastructure Corporation
of Nigeria Limited. InfraCorp
will be co-owned by the
CBN, the African Finance Corporation
and the Nigerian Sovereign
Investment Authority and
would become fully operational
by the second quarter of 2021.
This vehicle would enable the use
of private and public capital to
support infrastructure investment
that will have a multiplier
effect on growth across critical
sectors.
Improving Foreign
Exchange Inflows
Non-Oil Exports
The CBN intends to support
measures that will improve our
non-oil export earnings significantly.
As a result, we intend to
aggressively implement our N500
billion facility aimed at supporting
the growth of our non-oil exports,
which will help to improve
non-oil export earnings. Exporters
will be further encouraged to repatriate
their export proceeds as stipulated
under our extant laws. The
CBN will continue to ensure that
exporters have unfettered access to
their export proceeds.
Remittances
The CBN has already taken several
measures to increase the flow
of diaspora remittances into the
country using formal channels. In
December 2020, we instructed all
international money transfer operators
(IMTOs) to provide remitters
with the option of sending for-
Putting climate change at the center of Covid-19
recovery plan
change and other environmental
issues are not reversed as the country
charts a course for economic
recovery. The world has coined the
term “build back better” as a means
of making the point that
governments around the world
should use the opportunity of
rebooting their economies from
the impact of Covid-19 as a
means to also take action on
climate change and put their
economies on the path to long term
sustainability. I am delighted that the
government has demonstrated vision
and leadership in this regard. It is
heartwarming to see that many of
Be it digital profile or real life,
being trendy and having
make up on point is the new
mode to be chic. It isn’t easy for all to
achieve it in a fast-paced life and
especially it’s expensive to keep up
with new ways of styling. So clearly
there was a gap that existed of being
in style and keeping it affordableand
the boss lady, Lata Franson
identified it earlier on and founded
Style Thy Look with catch phrase
‘Change your Style, it’s affordable!’
And Style Thy Look makes being
trendy an easy, within your means
and an achievable routine.
Lata, is a post graduate in
Commerce, a proficient website
designer by passion, loving wife, a
home maker and a confident mum
of two kids. It all started in 2017 when
Lata, based in Lagos, Nigeria who
herself is particular about her fashion
and make up choices found there
the key projects in the Nigerian
Economic and Sustainability Plan
have the potential if implemented
in a good faith, to enhance green
recovery in the country. These
include the mass agricultural
programme, road construction
using indigenous materials,
mass housing Programme, the
5million Home Solar Power,
SME/MSMEs Support,
Survival fund, Promoting
domestic gas utilization and
digital technology and social
intervention programme. On
the other hand, it should be
stressed that climate change
also has multi-dimensional
security implications and that
the failure to address these
security issues will hinder our
LATA FRANSON: Face behind Style Thy Look
•Lata Franson
was not much choices in the market
available on the spot for her makeup
and fashion needs. You either had
to pre-order or wait nearly 4 weeks
to get a simple make up item like a
face cream of a brand. It didn’t help
her to be party ready and unique yet
stylish and couldn’t change her
fashion sense because of the delay in
receiving the goods of her selection
in time for the next party. She kicked
off to close the gap by being an
Oriflame consultant and to study the
market needs first hand. For many
years while she thought that there
would be many more fashionconscious
woman like her in the
market, it wasn’t an overnight idea
to start a woman led entrepreneur
set up while balancing the ever
challenges of home maker- mum
life. After a careful research &
understanding of the market desires
& with the support of her husband,
Franson Davis, @Stylethylook was
established and is growing rapidly
since it’s inception.
She clearly catered to the socialeconomic
needs of the fashionconscious
cohort in Nigeria while
boosting their self-esteem needs of
consumers wanting to be most
appreciated for their fashion
persona while keeping wallets
healthy. And now Style thy Look also
plans to expand its customer base
across borders and be International.
International brands are readily
available on the website
www.stylethylook.com and as such
the following are household names
now in the market – thanks to
@stylethylook for its impeccable
marketing- Lakme, Pure Elements,
Oriflame India, Colorbar Cosmetics,
Maybelline Global & India, Loreal,
L. A. GIRL, Milani Cosmetics,
Absolute New York & many more.
Interestingly, Style Thy Look
tapped on the most widely
acknowledged and accepted
marketing tool in today’s digital
world- WhatsApp early on in 2017
itself where not only it connected
regularly with woman on hunt for
their favourite branded cosmetics
but also created a database and
catered to their ever growing make
up needs by adding the brands they
wanted the most. Neutrogena,
Olay, Victoria’s Secret are some
big labels which get added to
customers shopping bag.
Style Thy Look is known for her
first-class management of the
entire Business 2 Consumer model
and an A star customer service
feedback. From packaging,
inventory, customer portfolio,
invoice management to doing R&D
and up-notching to its increasing
love & demand in the market, Lata
has done it all with utmost
professionalism and it is only
making STL shine more and be
desirable every day.
Having an analytical &
corporate bent of mind and being
an entrepreneurial mum herself,
Lata with Style Thy Look also
doesn’t forget catering back to the
community with its corporate
social responsibility and gives back
5% (or $1 whichever is higher) from
each order to Young Fighters
Foundation (@yffglobal). It
benevolently channels the good
cause from its customers via its
business and helps yffglobal assist
children fighting cancer and its
research. What a holistic enterprise
Style Thy Look is.
eign exchange to beneficiaries in Nigeria.
This new measure has helped to
reduce the diversion of FX by some
IMTOs, who had thrived from FX arbitrage
arrangements, rather than on
improving transactions volumes to
Nigeria. Indeed, we have already
seen remittances improve from a
weekly average of about US$5
million before this policy, to over
US$30 million per week. We believe
this measure will help to significantly
boost inflows of FX and
create much more liquidity in that
space. Distinguished ladies and
gentlemen, in concluding my remarks,
let me add that while the
effects on COVID-19 has brought
on several challenges to our economy,
it also offers a unique opportunity
for us to build a more resilient
economy in 2021 that is better
able to contain external shocks,
whilst supporting growth and
wealth creation in key sectors of
our economy. Proactive steps on
the part of stakeholders in the
banking and financial system in
supporting the growth of sectors
such as Agriculture, ICT and Infrastructure,
will strengthen our
ability to deal with the challenges
that have been brought on by 27
COVID-19, and stimulate the
growth of our economy.
ability to build back better.
The Nigerian government is also
working very hard to revise and
enhance its national climate
change pledge through the
Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDC). Through an
ambitious NDC, government will
continue to demonstrate
leadership in determination to
tackle climate change which, like
the Covid-19 can be a major
constraint to economic growth.
Connecting the NDC with the
National Economic and
Sustainability Plan will help to
maximize the synergies and ensure
that our recovery plan also helps
us to meet our Paris Climate
Accord Obligations.
I am delighted that in the recently
Launched “2021 Macroeconomic
Outlook Report” by the Nigeria
Economic Summit Group (NESG)
- a non-profit, non-partisan
private-sector-led think tank with
a mandate to promote and
champion the reform of the
Nigerian economy into an open,
globally competitive economy, it
has been identified that renewable
energy sector is one of the key
sectors that can act as enablers for
the intended recovery. Other
sectors include manufacturing,
construction, trade, education,
health, and professional services
with ICT.
The leadership of the (Federal)
House of Representatives has also
shown dynamism and
commitment to work with the
Executive branch of the
government to promote legislation
and policies that will facilitate the
recovery along the lines that are
just, equitable and sustainable in
the long run. It is very important
therefore that our international
development partners recognize the
commitment of the government,
enormous work before us, and make
available substantial resources that
can help developing countries to scale
up their effort to put climate change at
the center of green recovery. It should
be remembered that while Africa is one
of the vulnerable continents to climate
change it has contributed the least to
the problem. It is therefore in the
interest of equity and global solidarity
that the industrialized countries do
their bit to help us respond and adapt
to the impact of climate change.
•Rep. Sam Onuigbo, former
Chairman, House Committee on
Climate Change is the Vice
President (Africa) GLOBE
International and also
Chairman, Climate Parliament
Nigeria Chapter.

Looking forward to
governors rescuing Nigeria
Palpable tension caused
by Nigeria’s
increasingly unsafe
environment moved to near
boiling point last week when
two of our state governors,
Samuel Ortom and Bala
Mohammed of Benue and
Bauchi states respectively
employed intemperate
language to controvert one
another. While some people
were able to understand
Ortom’s hurt from the
number of persons of Benue
origin killed and/or
displaced by herders from
their homes and farmlands,
others were prepared to
tolerate the anger of Bala
Mohammed who has
become the leading voice
against the tendency to
criminally profile the Fulani.
When it is realized that the
posture of both governors
can hardly provide any
solution to the intractable
problem on ground, it makes
sense to appeal to both
leaders and all their
counterparts nationwide to
ignore justifications and
embrace their primary
constitutional mandate
which is to ensure the welfare
and security of those they
lead.
Luckily, Bala Mohammed
has taken steps to restore
some level of normalcy by
apologizing to all Nigerians
PhD,Department of
Philosophy,
University of Lagos
08116759758
opuruiche2000@gmail.com
The Nigerian situation
has degenerated so
badly since 2015, specifically
after retired Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari came
to power, that an increasing
number of the citizens are
now nostalgic about the
much-inveighed or vilified
administration of former
President Goodluck
Jonathan, although die-hard
buharimaniacs still believe
the fairy tale that things are
better now than they were in
2014. On the other hand, it is
clear that Prof.Wole Soyinka,
Bola Tinubu, Rotimi
Amaechi, Atiku Abubakar
and the so-called intellectuals,
political juggernauts and
leaders of opinion across the
country who packaged
Buhari as the messiah that
would undo the mess by the
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) after sixteen years in
office were tragically
mistaken. Without any
scintilla of doubt the main
failures of Buhari’s
administration are not new:
they have been the leitmotiv
of various governments
especially since the Biafran
war ended in 1970, namely,
mindless corruption
especially amongst the ruling
military-civilian elite,
insecurity and shambolic
management of the economy.
Although these three
fundamental pillars of
misgovernance have
worsened under the All
Progressives Congress (APC)
who may have been
disgusted by the diction he
used while defending his
people. Bala no doubt
appreciates the need to be
sensitive to the sensibilities
of other Nigerians. We thank
the governor for his decision
to reduce tension in the polity
especially his call on all
herders to drop their AK 47
weapons. The earlier
explanation by the governor
that he only used AK 47
figuratively would mean
that his appeal should apply
to all those who possess
whatever weapons or
implements of coercion to
desist from hurting fellow
citizens. It is our hope that
all other governors will
adopt a similar position in
the days ahead. Indeed, it is
not just governors; all
leaders must depart from the
part of parochialism which
has of recent pushed them
into defending the
indefensible. To this end, no
one should be engaged in the
type of truth told the other
day by governor Simon
Lalong of Plateau state that
farmers also carry AK 47.
The appropriate message is
that no Nigerian should
carry unauthorized arms, let
alone using such
implements to commit
extra-judicial killings.
The path to unity which
The possible impossibility of
Nigeria (1)
notwithstanding the
exculpatory shibboleths from
APC apologists and
sycophants, the worst
abomination under the
current government is
President Buhari’s ringing
nepotism in appointing those
that occupy the most
consequential positions in the
armed forces, the Police,
Customs and Immigration,
NNPC, NPA, DSS, NIA and
so on. Intellectually dishonest
and morally crippled
commentators shamelessly
deny what no one in his right
senses would dare to question.
In that regard, not only are
the three arms of government
at the centre headed by
northern muslims, Buhari has
consistently manifested and
gotten away with
unprecedented pro-north
disposition to governance
which actually contravenes
the federal character
provisions in the gravely
flawed1999 constitution. If
Nigeria is practising a
functional democracy where
the relevant institutions are
controlled by individuals of
integrity and courage to stand
for truth, the president should
have been impeached by the
National Assembly. Why?
Because he has breached
severally stipulations of the
constitution he swore to
protect, foremost among
which is his failure to secure
the citizens and lead in a
manner that gives Nigerians
from every part of the country
many of our governors seem
to have followed in the last
few weeks makes it
mandatory for the same
governors to be the first to
condemn any divisive
statements irrespective of
their authors. Sadly, such
talks which our governors
should ignore while working
to rescue Nigeria have
become quite many. They
include the statement by
former governor Isa Yuguda
that the federal government
should subsidize herders’
businesses because it also
supports agriculture. That
statement would have had
only one meaning under
normal times but to
reiterateit at a time of
tension is ill-advisable as
some people might
understand it to mean a tacit
support for herder invasions
here and there. In any case,
which of the three herders
identified by governor
Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano
is Yuguda speaking for?
Would it for example include
the foreign Fulani herders
that Ganduje categorized as
criminals?
Our governors must also
ignore much of what Sheik
Gumi has said so far as well
as those of people opposed
to the cleric because the pro
and anti Gumi narratives
are distractions. In specific
terms, we need to encourage
people to quickly forget
statements such as Gumi’s
argument that killings by
bandits are mostly
accidental. It would also be
detrimental to our fragile
peace process to embrace
the call by different groups
for government to
investigate Gumi for
allegedly behaving like the
spiritual leader of bandits.
Another negative
Trump’s emergence as
president has proved
once again that
democracy does not
necessarily guarantee
that the most qualified
candidate would be
elected
a sense of belonging. That
President Buhari ought to
have been removed from
office particularly now that
his hardened pro-north
outlook has accentuated the
simmering ethno-religious
tensions which have
bedevilled the country since
independence cannot be
disputed by anyone with a
modicum of objectivity and
regard for accountability by
public
officials.
Unfortunately, the National
Assembly dominated by
northerners and agbataekee
politicians from the south, led
by Ahmed Lawan, lacks the
courage to do the right thing
at the right time. Indeed, the
current federal legislature is
the most subservient to the
executive branch and the
most shamelessly spineless
since the purported return to
civilian rule (not necessarily
to efficient democracy)in
1999. When the definitive
history of Nigeria’s
experiment with democratic
governance is finally written,
names of the current federal
legislators will be listed in the
Hall of Shame as mere rubber
stamps for failing to rise up to
the occasion because of greed
and “anything goes” attitude
to the Buhari-led government.
That Nigeria is a
contraption put together by
British imperialists
principally for British
information that our
governors must
discountenance is last
week’s statement credited to
my friend, our Information
Minister who revealed that
A unity of direction
which our governors
are able to achieve
through a collective
resolve must be
immediately
followed by a design
on uniformity in
operating
procedures
in many countries of the
developed world, school
children are also subjected to
kidnapping. The statement
which uses one wrong to justify
another is unacceptable,
instead we would like to hear
about arrangements by our
government to do some great
things such as exploits to the
moon because other nations
have also been showing off
their prowess in this era of
advanced technology
The venues of criminality in
Nigeria today are the states
making the leader at that
level- the governor the most
affected by every criminal act.
The resort to the President for
help makes huge sense but the
pace at which help comes or
does not even come, places the
governor in jeopardy. A
Nigerian governor can
therefore not afford to toy
with the issue of criminality
economic interests is beyond
dispute. Less universally
accepted but certainly true is
the claim that since
independence Nigerians have
not been able to create a
genuine nation out of the
colonial amalgam or
contraption left behind for
them by the colonialists. Even
some of the most respected
politicians who worked
directly with British colonial
officials were sceptical about
the workability or viability of
Nigeria as a modern
geopolitical entity. For
example, according to the
Sardauna of Sokoto and
powerful premier of the
northern region, Sir Ahmadu
Bello, the Lugardian
amalgamation of the
northern and southern
protectorates to form Nigeria
should not have happened. In
1953 at a session of the federal
parliament, he claimed that
“The mistake of 1914 has
come to light, and I should like
it to go no further.” During one
of the earlier constitutional
conferences held before
independence, his protégé
who later became the first
and only prime minister to
date, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa, affirmed that
Nigeria “existed as one
country only on paper. It is still
far from being united.
Nigerian unity is only a British
intention for the country.”
Chief Obafemi Awolowo who,
despite his tribalistic
inclinations ranks as one of
the most capable politicians
to have emerged from
Nigeria, concluded that
“Nigeria is not a nation; it is a
mere geographic expression.
There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the
same sense as there are
English or Welsh or French.
The word ‘Nigeria’ is merely
a distinctive appellation to
distinguish those who live
within the boundaries of
Nigeria and those who do
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 17
more so as it has become a
notorious fact that each
governor picks a huge
monthly security vote to
counter crimes and
criminality in each state.
There is hardly any Nigerian
today who disbelieves the
argument that security vote is
a certified source of
corruption. Under the
circumstance, our governors
must quickly come together
and evolve a unity of direction
in combating the current
common challenge. First,
what is the nature of the
challenge? Events have shown
that it is not about religion or
ethnicity. As Kayode Fayemi,
Ekiti state governor and
chairman of the Nigerian
Governors’ Forum explained
a few days back, the issue at
stake is terrorism. If there is
any governor thinking
differently at this point, the rest
have to plead with him to
come on board.
A unity of direction which
our governors are able to
achieve through a collective
resolve must be immediately
followed by a design on
uniformity in operating
procedures. Today, there is
hardly any rationality in the
subsisting template which
counsels our leaders to
dialogue with bandits. Before
now, Nigerians who believed
that dialogue in every conflict
can be a win-win strategy
have waned. Perhaps this
explains why Bello Masari,
Katsina state governor has
been more silent these days
than Muhammad
Matawelle, governor of
Zamfara state who had
argued strongly that
negotiating with bandits was
no sign of failure! Of course
the report of a fresh abduction
of over 300 students from the
not.” Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe,
unarguably one of the greatest
African politicians and
champion of One Nigeria,
stated in a 1964 lecture at the
University of Nigeria,
Nsukka, that in the country
“Tribalism is a reality.
National unity can be a
reality; but at present it is not
quite a reality.” That is not all.
While Azikiwe and his
followers obsessed with
forging a united Nigerian
nation worked tirelessly to
actualise it key prominent
northern politicians had
another idea, which was to
continue the conquest began
in the early decades of the 19 th
century by the arch-jihadist,
Usman Dan Fodio. For
instance, in 1947, Balewa told
the British colonial governor
that “We do not want, Sir, our
southern neighbours to
interfere in our
development…I should like
to make it clear to you that if
the British quitted Nigeria
now at this stage the northern
people will continue their
uninterrupted conquest to the
sea.”
The opposition of
prominent northern political
leaders and emirs to the
unification of Nigeria was
very strong in the last two
decades before independence
and few years afterwards.
Several of them considered
the option of secession which,
in the words of Ahmadu Bello,
“was very tempting.” The
British journalist and writer,
Frederick Forsyth, explains
that the northern premier
jettisoned the idea of session
for two major reasons: the
difficulty of collecting customs
duties along a land border
and the unreliability of access
to the sea through a
neighbouring independent
country. Therefore, it is clear
that the dominant faction of
the northern ruling elite
intended to conquer their
Government Girls Secondary
School Jangebe, in Zamfara
state must have at this point
placed Mattawele himself in
despair concerningthe
efficacy of his preferred
approach. The frustration of
Sani Bello, Niger state
governor about no help from
the federal level challenges
the bond of unity among
governors. What we have seen
so far is much of condolence
visits by governors to affected
states, but do the visits
translate to real support to a
colleague under severe stress?
It is probably time for our
governors to listen to
Akinwunmi Adesina,
President of the African
Development Bank who has
asked Nigeria to leave
‘Federal Fatherism To A
CommonWealth.”
Nigerian governors need to
learn a few lessons from what
they have been occasionally
subjected to in the recent past.
An analyst would not be said
to be harsh if he concludes that
our governors are yet to
appreciate the real
consequences of a failure to
squarely face good
governance. Too many of
them are too distracted by
what is now commonly
called the politics of 2023;
yet the approved period for
electioneering is still quite
far. In earnest, a huge
portion of the time for
governance that is choked
by electioneering has easily
exposed Nigeria’s poor
governance to the global
media. The dilapidated
structure of the Kagara
“government” school from
where some students and
teachers as well as some of
their family members were
abducted almost two weeks
ago is instructive.
southern neighbours had the
British not intervened, and
opted not to pursue secession
for mainly economic reasons
beneficial to their region, not
to the whole of Nigeria.
Inherent in any multiply
plural country like Nigeria
are centrifugal forces tending
to tear it apart thereby
constituting a constant source
of vulnerability. Aside from
authoritarian nations such as
China, Russia and North
Korea which still are under the
iron grip of one party or one
family dictatorship, advanced
democracies like the United
States, United Kingdom and
India have succeeded to some
extent in creating traditions
and institutions which ensure
that the centripetal
gravitational pull of
commonalities amongst the
diverse ethnic nationalities is
greater than the centrifugal
forces pulling in the opposite
direction. In this process the
quality of leadership, and by
implication the followership
as well, is of fundamental
importance. That is why even
in the United States which has
been under democratic rule
for over two hundred years
and where muted calls for
secession by disgruntled
Americans can be heard from
time to time, institutions that
unite the country have been
successfully mobilised by
patriotic leaders to neutralise
such demands at least for the
time being.
It is easy to point out the
example of countries like
America and India that are
more populous and culturally
diverse than Nigeria and use
it to question the rationale
behind recurrent agitations
for secession by certain
sections of the country or at
least for renegotiating the
foundation on which its
geopolitical architecture was
built. To be continued.

PAGE 18—SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
The sure mercies of David (3)
Earthquakes can be disastrous, and they
are even more lethal when combined
with tsunamis. Earthquakes bring
down buildings. To escape, you must run out.
But with tsunamis, the flood confronts those
who manage to run out of collapsing buildings.
Earthquakes take place in earthquake zones.
There are some parts of the world that are sitting
on what is called a fault. It is like sitting
on a crack. The crack can expand or enlarge
at any time, leading to earthquakes.
Here in Nigeria, we are sitting on a fault.
There is a fault between Nigeria and Cameroun.
That is why there is a high incidence of
land erosion in eastern Nigeria. In short, earthquakes
and tsunamis can easily take place in
Nigeria.
Victoria Island, Lagos and the whole Lekki/
Ajah axis is reclaimed land. It is practically
below sea level. That is why the beaches often
washing ashore. You just wake up one morning
and find water all over. So, if you have a
tsunami in Lagos, parts of Lagos might disappear.
There but for the grace of God. By the grace
of God, all that happens is that we merely read
about earthquakes and tsunamis in the newspapers.
They hardly happen in Nigeria.
Whatever happens, we must never lose sight
of the mercy of God in Nigeria. Remember
this, if we continue in His word, God’s mercy
in our lives endures forever. That is the covenant
of the sure mercies of David.
Merciful God
David came back to Ziklag and discovered
that the Amalekites had burnt the city to the
ground. They had taken everything take-able
Let the dead bury their dead
THUS SAITH THE LORD!Jesus warned
one of His disciples, who was to bury his
late father, to allow the spiritually dead bury
their own dead--MATTHEW 8:21-22. Jesus
knew that the conduct of that burial would be
a snare to his soul, hence the warning!Eating
drinking and dancing at any ceremony, especially
burial ceremonies, is nothing but idolatry,
against which the people of God are warned
by the Spirit of God in 1 CORINTHIANS 10:7.
Burial is not a time of feasting, but a time of
mourning. But the heart of fools is in the house
of feasting, while the heart of the wise is in the
house of mourning. Therefore, it is better to go
When you are at your wit’s
end, don’t be at your
faith’s end
and carried away captive all the wives, sons,
and daughters of the people. So, what happened
to the sure mercies of David?
The people wept until they had no more
power to weep. They blamed David for
their adversity and some even wanted to
stone him. But David encouraged himself
in the Lord. He remembered that God is
merciful.
Have you ever been discouraged? Encourage
yourself in the Lord. His mercy
endures forever. It does not matter if Lazarus
is dead. It does not matter if he has
been dead for four days. It does not matter
if he smells already. God’s mercy endures
forever, even in death.
God brings light out of darkness. He
brings peace out of trouble. He brings good
out of evil. He works all things together for
good for those who love him and for those
who are called according to His purpose.
Therefore, when you are at your wit’s end,
don’t be at your faith’s end.
The mercy of God had not departed from
David, for His mercy endures forever. The
mercy of God never departs, no matter the
situation or circumstance. God told David
to pursue the enemy and assured him that
he would overtake and recover all.
But David had only 600 men. By the time
he got to the Brook Besor, 200 of them said
The wonders of freedom from sin
Pastor William Kumuyi
Do not wait until the slip
pery slope sinful lifestyle you have been
used to all these while become your downfall
because at that time you would regret the expensive
decision of relegating the offer of God.
Now that it is free and the hustle and bustle of
the consequences of sinful pleasure has not
caught up with you. That is why Jesus is calling
you to come out from the sin inflicted life of
wasted years!
Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever."
God has never seen a sinner that He cannot
forgive his or her mountainous trespasses. Even
if your sin is as tall as Mount Everest and wide
as the Great Wall of China, the blood of Jesus
will watch it all away. If Jesus did it for others in
time past, not forgetting the notoriously vile
thief at the cross, then nothing stops Him from
doing it for you too. In fact, the sole business of
God is to save sinners, which you happen to be
one amongst many.
I believe that you can still recall that our
first parents on earth Adam and Eve were
not born as you and I were born, but were
created by God in His glorious image while
the rest of us were born by a woman.
In that case, I want to inform you that
there is something peculiar about anybody
and everybody born of a woman. Whether
it is Cain or Abel, yourself or myself, the
Caucasian, Hispanic, or the African. That
thing is sin. The problem of sin has been the
bane and headache of man kind for thousands
of years gone by.
Psalms 51:5 "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive
me."
The sinful act of disobedience on the part
of Adam and Eve not only caused their excommunication,
but also had them expunged
from the nature of God; and in exile,
outside the Garden of Eden, they began
procreating and multiplying the seed of sin,
and that is how you and I came into this
world. Psalms 58:3 "The wicked are estranged
from the womb: they go astray as
soon as they be born, speaking lies."
When you arrived into this world together
with Cain and Abel, sin accompanied your
entrance.
Have you noticed that cunning character
trait of that little boy or girl? The truth
remains that there is no formal place where
they are schooled at such early stage of life
the course of disobedience. No one teaches
anybody how to tell lies, pretend or become
hypocritical. It is just innate and inbred
within the subconsciousness of the mind of
the person.
to the house of mourning than to go to the
house of feasting—ECCLESIASTES 7:2,
4.In PSALM 106:28-29, it is written, “They
(the children of Israel) joined themselves to
BAAL-PEOR and ate the sacrifices of the
dead. Thus they provoked Him to anger
with their inventions and the plague brake
in upon them.” Animals slaughtered for
food during burial ceremonies, are sacrifices
to demons, and not to God—1 CORIN-
THIANS 10:22-23. Eating such food is
eating sacrifices of the dead, which provokes
the Lord God to anger. The conduct
of “burials” by the spiritually dead is usually
worldly and bedeviled with the traditions
they were too tired to continue and he had to
leave them behind. But “nothing restrains the
Lord from saving by many or by few.” (1 Samuel
14:6). Then they found an Egyptian in the
field. The man was sick and dying. He had not
eaten for three days and three nights.
He who has received mercy has mercy to give.
David had mercy on the man. He gave him
bread to eat and water to drink. He also gave
him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of
raisins. And that was the man who God used to
reveal to David the location of the Amalekite
raiders. For His mercy endures forever.
David launched a surprise attack on the Amalekites
and routed them. And he recovered all
that they looted from Ziklag. Moreover, David
led captivity captive and received gifts. Remember
the same thing happened to Abraham when
his nephew, Lot, was taken captive. Abraham
chased the enemy, routed them, and came back
with spoils.
This was repeated with David, and it was repeated
with Jesus. They led captivity captive
and gave gifts to men. It will be repeated with
you. You are the seed of Abraham, of the House
of David, and are predestined to be conformed
to the image of Jesus Christ.
Plenteous redemption
of the land, which transgress the commandment
of God—MATTHEW 15:3. Through worldly
and ungodly burial ceremonies, majority of the
people of God have been captured by the devil,
and if no true repentance, they will find themselves
in hell—ISAIAH 5:11-14.The minds of
majority of the people of God have been corrupted,
by the devil, from the simplicity that is in
Christ Jesus—2 CORINTHIANS 11:3. Therefore,
they have no knowledge of Christ’s doctrine
of simplicity in burial, and of allowing the
dead to bury their dead.The sentimental honour
given to “corpses” by loved ones is nothing but
Necrolatry, which is a branch of idolatry! Saints
of God are warned to flee from idolatry—1
CORINTHIANS 10:14. They are also warned
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Even the captives of
the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of
the terrible be delivered; for I will contend with
him who contends with you, and I will save your
children. I will feed those who oppress you with
their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with
their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh
shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior,
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.’”
(Isaiah 49:25-26).
Although the Amalekites burnt everything in
Ziklag to the ground, God made sure they killed
no one. David himself had attacked the Amalekites
(1 Samuel 27) and killed everyone he found.
Yet God ensured that the Amalekites did not kill
any of David’s people. For His mercy endures
forever.
This means everything that will happen to you
will be for your correction and not your destruction.
For God’s mercy endures forever.
The Amalekites were nomadic people. They
did not live in one place. They moved around,
living wherever they found themselves at any
given time. That means even when they go to
war, they carry along their jewelry and their
“television sets.” They bring along with them
everything they have, including their cattle,
their sheep, and their goats.
So, by the time that David pursued and overtook
them, he got back far more than he lost.
He got all the property the Amalekites carried
around with them. He got all their flock
and herds. When he came back to Ziklag, the
people who had spoken of stoning him now
started hailing him, saying: “This is David’s
spoil.” But it came from God’s sure mercies
of David.
Gift of God
Some of David’s men insisted that the 200
who stayed behind should not be included in
the division of the spoils. They felt it would be
unfair to include them, after all, they did not
fight. But an extreme concern for fairness is
often a camouflage for greed.
David understood that a man can receive
nothing unless God gives it to him. He understood
that it is not of him that wills or runs but
of God that shows mercy. Therefore, he knew
that it was not because some fought that they
got the booty. It was because God fought for
them. It was because the Lord was on their
side.
Therefore, whether they fought or not, David
included everyone in the division of the
spoils. He even sent some to friends in Israel
who had nothing to do with the matter, saying
this is a present from the Lord.
David made this protocol into a statute and
an ordinance in Israel. In the kingdom, you
must be ready and willing to share with others.
And so, God says: “Incline your ear, and
come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live;
and I will make an everlasting covenant with
you, even the sure mercies of David.” (Isaiah
55:3).
Success in life, ministry: The knowledge of God
INTRODUCTION
IN the last discourse, we men
tioned about renewing our mind
if we want it to be synchronized with
God’s will. We must therefore understand
the destination mind we are to
be renewed to. This is God’s mind, or
the mind of Christ. We shall be treating
this in this article, giving us the
needed stimulus to desire and have
God’s mind.
HAVING THE MIND OF GOD Pastor Akinola
For “who has know the mind of the Lord that
he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of
Christ (I Corinthian 2:16). When you have the
mind of Christ, you will be able to hear the voice
of God and appraise all spiritual matters (I
Corinthian 2:15).
Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing
God, has said, ”Find out where God is at work
and what God is doing and join Him”. Even
there is a Yoruba adage that says, It is only what
God backs that goes easy, but difficulties pervade
the ways of those things that do not have
God’s backing”.
This is all that is required in having the mind
of God. Then it will be easy for you to know His
mind and subsequently follow Him all the way.
This is the pathway to true success. Some people
of great faith in the scripture could perceive
the mind of God and obtained favor from Him.
ABRAHAM KNEW GOD’S MIND
Then the men rose from there and looked
toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them
to send them on the way. And the LORD said,
shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing ,
since Abraham shall surely become a great and
mighty nation, and all the nation of the earth
shall be blessed in him?” (Genesis 18:16-18).
Abraham knew that God was going to judge
Sodom, although He did not
reveal this plan to him. Abraham’s
spirit was so sensitive
that he could pick up the spiritual
realm and he was accurate.
Are you not our God, who
drove the inhabitants of this
land before your people Israel,
and gave it to the descendant
of Abraham your friend forever?
(II Chronicles 20:7). His
spiritual sensitivity was due to
his close walk with God, like a
man relating to his best friend.
Also, God called Abraham, “My Friend” in
Isaiah 41:8. In the following chapter, God
spared Lot and his family from His wrath.
God adjusted His plan of destroying Sodom
completely because of one man’s request. Abraham
knew the mind of God. He gained the
favor of God to ask for a change in His plan.
YOU CAN ALSO BECOME A FRIEND OF
GOD TODAY
You too can become a friend to the Lord
today, if you can have His mind. (John 15:14-
15). The starting point to becoming a friend
of God is to be His child. When you repent of
your sins, confess and turn away from them,
and accept the Lord Jesus Christ into your
heart as Lord and Saviour, He washes you
clean with His atoning Blood, and makes you
a child of God. (John 1:12).
From this point onwards, the Spirit of God
leads and guides you as God’s dear child. He
takes over control, because you were born
J.K. Akinola. (Senior Pastor)
The Gospel Faith Mission International
(GOFAMINT), Ibadan, Nigeria. (Telephone:
08033376660, 08055405095)
Pastor (Dr). E.O. Abina – General Overseer
not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers in
the conduct of the burial of their dead—2
CORINTHIANS 6:14.Christ’s Doctrine on
burial is exemplified by the conduct of His
own burial—Matthew 27:57-60. And by the
conduct of the burial of Moses by God—DEU-
TERONOMY 34:5-6.
CHRISTIAN GOSPEL CHURCH
(The Truth Centre) 4, Christian Gospel
Avenue, Besides Psychiatric Hospital,
Uselu, Benin City, Edo State.
Email:cgc.com.ng@gmail.com
Telephone :+234(0)7052061135,
+234(0)9030731406
Website: www.cgc.com.ng

Changing the filthy garment (3)
Zech.3: 3-4 says, “3
Now Joshua was
clothed with filthy
garments, and stood before
the angel. 4 And he
answered and spake unto
those that stood before
him, saying, Take away
the filthy garments from
him. And unto him he
said, Behold, I have
caused thine iniquity to
pass from thee, and I will
clothe thee with change
of raiment”
A garment whether
filthy or clean speaks
more of one appearance.
The garment speaks or
describes a lot about who
we are both in the physical
and spiritual realm.
When our spiritual garment
is filthy, it means our
spirit personality is polluted
or defied due to sin.
Sometimes, the enemy
can put a filthy garment
upon one’s life in the spiritual
and it will manifest
in the physical as affliction
that will attract reproach
thus the person is
mocked and destiny shattered.
Joshua stood before the
angel of the Lord in a filthy
garment and Satan standing
at his right side to accuse
him. This means that
Joshua appeared on garment
of iniquity. But God
seeing the wickedness of
Satan commanded those
that stood before Joshua to
take away the filthy garment
from him, for his sin
is forgiven and replaced by
garment of mercy.
Satan is the accuser of
brethren and is very cunning
in his schemes and
devices in trapping people
into sinning against God
so that he will put upon the
person filthy covering. But
if we repent God will show
mercy and not allow the
plan of our enemy to come
to pass. Our repentance
embolden the angel to remove
the filthy garment on
us
İn the case of blind Bartimaeus,
the Scripture says
that he cast away his beggarly/
filthy garment before
getting to Jesus to receive
healings. This means
he repented before approaching
Jesus for healing.
Mk 10: 46-52 says, “And
they came to Jericho: and
as he went out of Jericho
with his disciples and a
great number of people,
blind Bartimaeus, the son
of Timaeus, sat by the highway
side begging. 47 And
when he heard that it was
Jesus of Nazareth, he began
to cry out, and say,
Jesus, thou Son of David,
have mercy on me. 48 And
many charged him that he
should hold his peace: but
he cried the more a great
deal, Thou Son of David,
have mercy on me. 49 And
Jesus stood still, and commanded
him to be called.
And they call the blind
man, saying unto him, Be
of good comfort, rise; he
calleth thee. 50 And he,
casting away his garment,
rose, and came to Jesus. 51
And Jesus answered and
said unto him, What wilt
thou that I should do unto
thee? The blind man said
unto him, Lord, that I
might receive my sight 52.
And Jesus said unto him,
Go thy way; thy faith hath
made thee whole. And immediately
he received his
sight, and followed Jesus
in the way”
We all wear a spiritual
garment that can be clean
or unclean depending on
our lifestyle. And it takes
the grace of God to remove
filthy garment impose
upon ourselves or by
our enemy. So, in order to
avoid wearing a filthy garment
we must repent and
give our life to Christ.
Filthy garment can severe
relationship with God
thereby bringing painful
situations in your life. And
this might bring about reproach
and mockery. When
you put on filthy garment
people will hate you.
Filthy garment brings
about that action of stigmatization
that one carries
as a cross and will be
wondering what he has
done to society. The reproach
of putting on filthy
garment is better not to be
experienced in life. Those
that had the experience
narrate their ordeal
throughout their life and
never escaped the mockery
of the world. My prayer is
that devil will never place
a mark of hatred on you
and family. But if he has
done that already and you
are in pain, today it will be
changed.
Isa 10:27 says, “And it
shall come to pass in that
day, that his burden shall
be taken away from off thy
shoulder, and his yoke
from off thy neck, and the
SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 19
Every evil personality ministering
affliction to you will fall into the deep
he dug for you, and all what they
afflicted you with shall return to
them
The G.O. of the Lord's Chosen Church, Pastor Lazarus Muoka in a chat
with Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, during the later's one year thanksgiving
ceremony at the Ecuminical Centre,Yenagoa.
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State(right), his deputy(left) and others
welcome the G.O. of the Lord's Chosen Church, Pastor Lazarus Muoka at
the Ecuminical Centre, Yenagoa, during the One year Thanksgiving ceremony
of is Excellency,
The Lord's Chosen South-South Choir ministering at the Ecuminical Centre, Yenagoa, during the One year Thanksgiving
ceremony of is Excellency, Senator Diri of Bayelsa State.
yoke shall be destroyed
because of the anointing”
The burden of hatred,
evil influences, sicknesses,
lack of promotion, barrenness,
etc shall be taken
away from you. You shall
put on a new garment.
May be your filthy garment
is the sorrow you are
going through as a result
of terrible diseases such as
HIV, Cancer, diabetes, TB,
moving object, kidney
problem or HBP. It may be
poverty, childlessness,
blindness or insanity. But
if any of the above is your
case my God will change
your filthy garment and replace
it with a clean one.
Beloved, all that have
hindered you from receiving
good things must bow
today. It may be that over
the years, you have been in
abject poverty and when
you see people living affluent
life, you will begin to
ask yourself whether you
have done any unforgivable
sin that has subjected
you to misery condition.
Today because you read
this message, that garment
of misery shall be
changed.
Sometimes when it appeared
that you were about
to have a breakthrough,
suddenly, it turned out to
be a moonlight tale. And
this has been your case for
many years but as from today
the story will change.
All the people that are
mocking you will after this
ministration bow down
before you.
Are you going through
affliction, and people are
attributing it to evil attack
and thus doubt your survival.
I want to tell you
those people are not your
Creator. Today, God will do
a new thing in your life and
it shall spring up and a new
garment shall cover you.
Every evil personality ministering
affliction to you
will fall into the deep he
dug for you. And all what
they afflicted you with
shall return to them.
Some people misery garment
may be chronic sin.
They commit sin with impunity.
They found it difficult
to resist the urge to tell
lies, drink alcohol, fornicate,
commit adultery,
cheat, steal, smoke etc. To
them, stopping evil is like
an impossible task. And
they are asking, whether it
is possible for one to stop
telling lies, smoking,
drinking alcohol and etc?
Whenever people who
know them as drunk, see
them, they mock them.
They even will mockingly
suggest buying drink
for them because they believe
that their stock in
trade is nothing but to
drink. But that yoke must
be broken, if only you can
come to Jesus today, renouncing
all your evil
deed and accepting Him
as your Lord and personal
Saviour, you will be
clothed with garment
washed with blood of the
lamb.
Matt 11: 28 says, “Come
unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden,
and I will give you
rest” You must go to Jesus
for you to wear a new garment
and be free. He is
the only One that can remove
your filthy garment
infected by sin, diseases
and affliction, and put on
you the new garment of
life devoid of sicknesses
and diseases. If you can
come now, a new garment
shall be given to you.
Come and it shall be well
with you.

PAGE 20—SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
Lagos CAN inducts executives, honours
Sanwoolu, Tinubu, Esther Ajayi & others
By Olayinka Latona
The Lagos State chapter
of the Christian Association
of Nigeria, CAN has inaugurated
its new set of executive
members.
Rt. Rev. Stephen Victor was
named the chairman of the
new executive inaugurated
while Rev. Abel Asubiaro as
the Vice Chairman. Other
members of the new executive
are Rev. Father Matthew
Ogunyase as Secretary, Pastor
Dickson Asaaju as Assistant
Secretary, and Apostle
Opasola as the Treasurer.
The new executives started
on a new note as the Lagos
State Governor, Mr. Babajide
Sanwoolu was decorated
grand patron of the association
while Revd Mother Esther
Ajayi, founder of Love of
Christ Generation Church
was made grand matron of
the association.
Also decorated as matron
and patrons were Senator
Oluremi Tinubu, Chief Olu
Okeowo and senator Solomon
Olamilekan Yayi.
The inauguration took
place during the yearly Interdenominational
Divine Service
of CAN which was held
at the convention ground of
The Apostolic Church, Nigeria,
Ketu and it was hosted by
the Catholic Secretariat of
Nigeria.
The decoration was done
along with the inauguration
The revival equilibrium
TEXT:ACTS 15:28
“It seemed good to the Holy
Spirit and to us not to burden
you with anything beyond the
following
T
requirements:”
o resuscitate or to bring
to live is to revive. Many
men and women have grown
spiritually cold and have fallen
into the state of spiritual
unconsciousness such that urgent
revival attention is required
if they will not fall off
into the world. The world itself
is experiencing a prison
break of sin, iniquity, demons
and uncleanliness. Preachers
By Pastor G.C. Osuigbo
CAC Madaiyese Regional Headquaters
Plot 701/702 Durumi District
P.O. BOX 2577
Garki, Abuja.
Contact us on: 08155555048, like us on
facebook @cacdurumi
of righteousness at all levels
and in all professions are required
for recruitment, are
you one? Attaining equilibrium
is key to long and lasting
Revival.
It was George Whitefield
that said that “I am persuaded
that many preachers talk
of an unknown and unfelt
Christ, and many congregation
are dead because dead
men are preaching to them.”
John Wesley his mentor also
said “If the preacher will burn,
others will come to see the
fire.”
Rev. Emmanuel Awazie
*Assemblies of God Church
Nigeria, 111 Clegg Street,
Surulere, Lagos.
God stooped to reconcile the world
to himself
The act by which God is
able to put mankind to rights,
or by which He has resolved
the sin question in man, remains
a mystery. Every man
knows by the way he is made
that there is such a thing as
justice; and Job quizzes “Do
you think it’s possible for any
mere mortal to be sinless in
God’s sight, ... we humans,
smelly and foul, who lap up
evil like water?” Job 15:14-
16. Sin made man to lose the
capacity for the sense of rightness,
and God who is righteous
had to undertake the
process all by Himself.
Righteousness means two
things, first that God’s law is
just, and second, that every
of the newly elected chairman
of the Chapter, by the President
of CAN, Dr. Samson Ayokunle.
Appreciating Lagos CAN
for the honour bestowed on
him which is also first of its
kind in the history of the body
of Christ in Lagos State, governor
Sanwoolu said that he
would forever cherish it and
also described it as a great development.
sinner is unjust; therefore if
God is to justify a man He can
only do it by justifying the law,
and by destroying the sinner
in man. That is the meaning
of Redemption, that God, in
Christ Jesus, can justify the
unjust by destroying the sin
nature in him, and remain
righteous. The critical moment
therefore in the life of
the individual, is “that the
Light,” Jesus Christ has come
into our experiences, and men
have “loved the darkness,”
their own point of view, their
own prejudices and preconceived
determinations, “rather
than the Light” Jesus Christ.
That is the condemnation -
John 3:19.
The Apostle Peter warns
that “…It’s judgment time for
He used the occasion to
thank God for the two years
he has spent as the governor
of the state pointing out however
that those two years have
been challenging.
Sanwoolu said the challenges
notwithstanding, the
state has been able to record
some giant achievements in
the area of infrastructural
development.
Catholic priest drags brother
to court over alleged assault
By Chinedu Adonu
ACatholic Priest, Rev.
Fr Anthony Ali, has
dragged his brother,
Amobi Ali, aged 37, to Chief
Magistrate’s Court at Enugu-
Ezike in Igbo-Eze North Local
Government Area, Enugu
State, for allegedly assaulting
him and their father,
Mr. John Ali.
In a charge sheet, MIE/6C/
2021, the plaintiffs, Fr. Anthony
Ali and Mr. John Ali in a
three-count charge alleged
that the defendant on February
2, 2021, at Umuopu
Community, Enugu-Ezike,
Igbo-Eze North, assaulted
them. They accused him of
unlawfully beating them and
threatening their lives with a
pestle if they failed to settle
him thereby committing an
offence punishable under section
120 of the criminal code
cap 30 vol.11 law of Enugu
state, 2004. The defendant,
after the charge was read to
him, however, pleaded not
guilty to the three-count
charge.
The defendant Counsel,
Leonard Ekeh, prayed the
court for bail for his client
according to section 88/c of
the Act, 2007.
The Magistrate, Sylvester
Eze, admitted the defendant
to N100,000 bail with one
surety in like sum.
Eze who advised the family
to go home and make
peace, adjourned the case
until March 10, for hearing
should the peace talks fail.
Briefing journalists after the
court session, Eke said it was
a family and domestic matter
that should be resolved at
home.
When God visits His people
with strange acts and visitations
that lead to individual
and mass repentance, spiritual
awakening and righteousness
consciousness a revival
is said to have
occurred.Revivals are like the
process involved in making
wine known as brewing. The
vessel(s) God would use to
anchor the revival has to be
groomed by the Spirit and the
revival itself has to be brewed
into manifestation. History
has proved that when revivals
occur without adequate
knowledge to manage it, it
goes into excesses that may
attempt to neutralize the very
good work which God intends
for the people. This is
why attaining equilibrium in
revival is necessity.
Equilibrium is state of balance,
I have discovered that
in the equation of revival
there must be balance.
God’s family. We’re first in
line…” 1 Peter 4:17 (The Message).
Judgment implies the
expression of the thoughts of
the one who has the authority
to pass the verdict on a person
and on a matter in consideration;
the matter in consideration
may impinge on
life and death. However, we
have access to God through
the redemptive sacrifice of
Jesus Christ; with this access
and a right standing before
the throne of mercy, we are
introduced into the abyss of
His love. It is an unfathomable
abyss, and faith in Him
gives us the access.
There is no other way of
understanding and entering
the divine love other than the
understanding of the principle
by which the raw mineral
enters the vegetable kingdom.
The plant has to reach way
down into the soil to pick up
the mineral which it now
projects into the plant’s life,
in the same way, God had to
condescend in Christ to pick
us up.
Postponing S/West congress'll spell
doom for PDP -- Prof. Akitoye-Rhodes
By Gabriel Olawale
Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP,
Collectives, Professor Tejumade
Akitoye-Rhodes, has
warned that any attempt to
halt or postpone the South-
West Zonal Congress scheduled
for March 6.
Akitoye-Rhodes said that
the purported lawsuit that
seeks to derail the exercise is
rather disingenuous, suspicious,
offensive and in bad
taste.
His words: "If allowed to
subsist, it will lay a very dan-
Minister for Education laments state
of infrastructure in FGGC, Owerri
By Chinonso Alozie
The Minister of State for
Education, Emeka
Nwajuba, has described the
infrastructure in the Federal
Government Girls College,
FGGC, Owerri, as embarrassing.
Nwajuba spoke in Owerri,
after he commissioned an ultra
modern classroom project
built by the FGGC, Owerri,
Old Girls’ Aassociation led
by Mrs. Nkiruka Nwachukwu.
Nwajuba said that due to
the infrastructure deficit, that
it has limited the number of
admission of students into the
school as well as the institution’s
activities.
He said: “I am accepting
this classroom project built by
the Alumni old girls on behalf
of the federal government.
We say God bless them.
Federal Government College
Owerri, is the most demanding
college in in the country,
that is why we are looking for
The Vice Chancellor,
Federal University of
Petroleum Resources, FU-
PRE, Effurun, Delta State,
Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh,
has hailed President Muhammadu
Buhari's led administration's
commitment to ensuring
a conducive learning
environment for the students.
He gave this commendation
during the commissioning
of the 1.35MW Solar Hybrid
Power Electrification by
the Deputy President of the
Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, at
the school.
While expressing his profound
gratitude to the federal
government and the rural
electrification agency, Prof.
Rim-Rukeh said the management
and students of the institution
are honoured to be
a custodian of one of the offgrid
solar hybrid power
projects in Nigeria.
gerous precedent that may
eventually set the party itself
on the path of implosion.
"The governor of ?y? State,
Seyi Makinde brought to the
public forum an attempt by
the PDP National Legal Adviser
to halt and postpone the
South-West Zonal Congress
already scheduled for March
6th through a very dubious
court process. There is apparently
no smoke without fire.
"It is an insult to Governor
Makinde himself who is the
leader of the party in the
South-West. If this charade is
permanent site, the infrastructure
deficit is becoming embarrassing
thereby limiting
the number of students for admission.”
Earlier her remarks, the
another way of telling the
Yoruba people that they are
not wanted in the PDP, they
should note that no party can
win the presidential election
without significant electoral
input from the South-West.
"We strongly advise the National
Working Committee to
warn the Legal Adviser who
is obviously playing an unveiled
destabilising role to
desist forthwith. The Peoples
Democratic Party is currently
facing all kinds of self-inflicted
challenges from various
quarters."
FUPRE VC lauds FG as Omo-Agege commissions
1.35MW Solar Hibrid project
"FUPRE is first of its kind in
the whole of Africa, as the vision
of the institution is to
become a world class petroleum
university that will provide
skilled personnel and
allied sectors, training centers,
research, consultancy
and extension services.
"We will not hesitate but
hurriedly appreciate the three
billion naira projects approved
by the Buhari's led administration
and appealed to
the federal government to
continue to support the institution,
as we are like the Oliver
Twist who will always ask
for more, hence we asking for
more for us to achieve our set
goals."
On his part, Minister of
Power State, Mr. Jedy Agba,
commended President Buhari's
commitment towards
ensuring nation's massive renewable
energy resources for
Dep. President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege(middle),
Minister of Power for State, Engr. Jedy Agba (left), while
Hon. Francis Waive and the MD/CEO,Engr. Ahmad Salihija
Ahmad look on, during the commissioning of the Solar
project.
Director/principal, Federal
Government Girls’ College
Owerri, Mrs. Chinwe Obiagwu,
while thanking the Alumni
group said: “This is a laudable
project. You must have
motivated yourselves to be a
able to put up such a structure.
Your are indeed women
of substance.
Lagos partners agency on e-waste
management
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Lagos State government
is partnering with the
National Environmental
Standards and Regulations
Enforcement Agency, NES-
REA, to encourage proper
handling and management
of e -waste in the state.
The Managing Director,
Lagos State Waste Management
Authority, LAWMA, Mr.
Ibrahim Odumboni, disclosed
that 30 pick-up locations
have been identified for
smooth kick off of the scheme
with strict observation and
compliance of safety guidelines
in line with global best
practices.
“The scheme is leveraging
on the established foundation
of LAWMA which is recognised,
even beyond the shores
of Nigeria. The state would
provide conducive environment,
in addition to robust
monitoring system to ensure
success and continuity of the
scheme.
“This laudable initiative
will shape the future of waste
management, create jobs and
promotes harmonious public-private
initiative that is
beneficial to all,” Odumboni
said.
efficient utilization to energize
schools and businesses
across the country.
While speaking to newsmen
after the commissioning of
the project, Senator Omo-
Agege, appealed to the students
to own and protect the
facility, as much has been invested
on the project, stating
that with with the Covid-19
ravaging the world, federal
government does not have the
resources to throw away.
Madam Onakemu
dies at 92
Mrs. Powder Mevay
en Onakemu, (Nee
Jone), aged 92, is dead. She
died in Okwagbe in Ughelli
South Local Government
Area of Delta State.
According to the burial arrangement
by the family, her
burial comes up on Friday,
March 26, in Okwagbe/Imode
both in Jeremi Clan,
Ughelli South Local Government
Area of Delta State. She
is survived by children and
other relatives.
Late Mrs Powder Onakemu

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 21
Scene from a female genital
mutilation session. Inset: Ndep
FEMALE CIRCUMCISION NIGHTMARE:
My sister bled to death
after we were brutally cut
…Dr Ndep, survivor, narrates unforgettable experience
By Morenike Taire & Funmi Ajumobi
The world marked the 2021 annual International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
(FGM) within the context of COVID-19 under the theme, ‘No Time for Global Inaction: Unite,
Fund and Act to End Female Genital Mutilation’. On the occasion, Dr Antor Odu Ndep, a public
health practitioner, researcher and a Senior Lecturer at University of Calabar, in this interview, speaks
about her unforgettable experience of circumcision twice and the excruciating pain of losing her sister to
the same process.
Cultures
Majority of our cultures perform FGM as a
ceremony to welcome a girl into womanhood.
It used to happen in my grandmother’s time.
She told me the female genital cutting
ceremony was a time to show that you were a
high class woman, seen as higher than other
women. If a girl that is not circumcised is
talking, you can interrupt and that girl will
have nothing to say again. If she tries talking,
you can look at her and tell her, ‘This one that
has clitoris, you have the gut to talk to me?’
Female genital cutting is painted as
something you have to do to belong in order
to be high in the society. Over time, however,
that aspect of you belonging to a different class
wore off because people now start going to
school and could not get the time to spend in
the circumcision home. So they started doing
it during holiday.
The cutting
I was living in Cameroun at that time. I came
home (Cross River) on holiday and that was
the best opportunity to cut me because they
didn’t know when they would see me again. I
was eight years old and my junior sister was
three at that time and few of my cousins that
were around were also cut. They gathered
about seven of us at the backyard and had us
cut. My mummy, as the last born of the family,
had no say in the arrangement. The first born
was the one who proposed to cut all the little
girls in the family and she was old enough to
be her mother. So, she had no say but was just
informed about it and she was also a survivor.
Death
That was the first time that cutting led to a
death in the family. My three years old sister
died five days later. She bled to death. She
was a happy young child who was healthy.
After the cut, her wound was almost beginning
to heal and it had started itching her as a sign
that it was healing up but, as a three years old
girl, she just scratched the place and the blood
that gushed out was like it was coming from
her heart. As the heart was pumping, that was
how it was gushing out. That time, we had just
a dispensary in my village and before they
could get her into the dispensary, she was dead.
Pain
My pain was different because after a week,
they said my clitoris was growing back and
they had to cut me twice and, as the fighter
among all of us because I have big body
from my young age, they had to bring in
my cousins to sit on my chest and others sat
on my two legs and some were holding my
hands. To this day, I’m not close to those
cousins because there is an accusation on
the pain in my life. I recognize them as my
cousins. We greet, talk but I did not nurture
a relationship with them.
Talking about myself now, I carried the
death of my younger sister in my heart for a
long time and I still do because she would
have been a grown up woman probably in
her late 40s now but her life
was cut short over something
that has no relevance to her
life.
Sex only in the head
I grew up like that, got
married and the sexual part of
me which I had very elaborate
idea of how to enjoy sex was all
in my head and not in my body.
The way my mind thinks about
it is not the same way my body
is responding to it. I am such a
person that communicates and
had to communicate with my
partner about my situation
which I told him he has to be
more concerned about me for
me to enjoy my sexuality. There
are millions of women who are
not bold to have such
communication with their
partners and so are living in
silence, suffering.
Public health
That experience I had through genital
My three years
old sister died
five days later.
She bled to
death. She was a
happy young
child who was
healthy
mutilation is part of what brought me into
public health. I believe in working with
families and communities to address female
genital mutilation, but from the point of view
of the community and not from our point of
view as scientists because we are dealing with
the cultural thing. A lot of time in translating
a name from our local languages into foreign
languages, we remove a lot of meaning from
it. There was an international organization
when I was in secondary school that came to
talk about female genital mutilation. In my
dialect, we call it ‘moninkim’ which is not
equal to female genital mutilation.
‘Moninkim’ is a whole institution with so many
other things attached to it and part of it is the
cutting. Then, what WHO did was to call
everything female genital mutilation.
UN people
When they came, they chose Saturdays in
agrarian community to teach the
women and Saturday was the
only day children sit with their
parents to help them. Already they
were not happy to listen to what
they were saying. Then the UN
people came with a white man,
doctors and a nurse who is an
Igbo woman born and raised in
Lagos. A lot of people don’t
understand why I am underlining
that. An Igbo woman brought to
Cross River State to address a
cultural issue will not have the
understanding I have that
moninkim is not female cutting.
What our women were hearing
was that they did not know how
to raise their daughters.
Institution
Moninkim is an institution
where a girl has information on
transiting to a woman. They are taught how
to be women, how to be mothers, how to be
wise, how to carry themselves in the society
where men think all things are theirs, how to
be able to get what you want from a man
without him thinking you are manipulating
him. All these things are part of the education
that girls get during period of circumcision.
So saying that moninkim is bad, then all those
things there would be thrown away. That was
how they left because they weren’t making
any inroad and I knew something had to be
done.
Safehaven
When I met Safehaven Development
Initiative, an NGO working on how female
genital mutilation at the grassroots level will
come to an end, I advised the Executive
Director, Mrs Margaret Onah, on the best way
to go about it to have result. The whole
community was signing up to eliminate the
cutting but not to eliminate moninkim. They
agreed that it is the cutting that needed to be
eliminated and not the institution of moninkim
because the institution is tied into traditional
marriage.
Brides
We come out as moninkim to dance; which
is the first step to show ourselves as brides. So,
if we say we should eliminate moninkim, then
you are eroding a whole part of that culture.
We like to see ourselves well dressed and come
out as brides that have been trained. I will not
want my daughter to miss that part of our
culture during her traditional marriage but
never to be cut.
Father’s intervention
We lost that little girl and my father decided
to take matter into his hands and,
subsequently, my younger sisters that came
after my late sister were not cut. All of us in our
age group were cut when we were little girls
and we have decided that our daughters will
not be cut. When it is time for them to get
married, we are going to put them in the
moninkim house to get that education at the
traditional level. It is by making a room in
your house and preparing a throne for her. It
is expensive because girls can be put there for
as long as six months. In Calabar you hear the
term ‘fattening room’, but it is not the right
name for it. That was the derogatory name
that the white man gave the culture. Of course,
when you keep a young girl for six months
without working and well fed, massaged and
pampered, she is going to put on some weight
but it is not ‘fattening room’ but rather a
preparatory room. It is where we are prepared
for marriage.
Memorandum
Through the Safehaven Development
Initiative, we have entered several
communities in our clan. There are some
communities that, during our traditional
new year or new year festival, girls who
may have been cut in the past come out to
dance for the whole community but for
the past five years that Safehaven
Development Initiative has been working
there, girls still go into that bridal
preparatory room, but no cutting happens
and they still come out and dance because
the kings and everyone in the clan have
signed a memorandum that they are not
going to support anyone who cuts her
girl. We educate our communities that
they don’t have to cut a girl in order to be
able to celebrate her. If their little girls
go to school and graduate, they can
celebrate them. If she is a farmer and she
has a good harvest, they can celebrate and
honour her too. It is all about celebrating
a woman but they don’t have to hurt the
woman in order to celebrate her because
cutting and then turning around to
celebrate her does not make sense. We are
eliminating the cut but we insist that our
girls must be celebrated by their families.

PAGE 22— SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
Mark my words, we’ll
create 100 industries
in 100 days in Delta
— Olorogun Gbagi
*2023: ‘What Okowa, Ibori,
Uduaghan told me’
By Emma Amaize,
Regional Editor, South-South
LEADING Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, 2023 governorship as
pirant in Delta State and, conceivably,
the highest private investor in
the state, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi,
faulted, by some Deltans who disbelieved
his potential to build 100 industries
in his first 100 days in office, if
elected as governor in 2023, has insisted
it is not only achievable but surpass-able.
Gbagi, a former Minister of State
(Education), entrepreneur, criminologist
and lawyer, told Sunday Vanguard
in an interview: “The old adage that the
taste of the pudding is in the eating has
become an issue with modern day narrative.
In fact, I was extremely conservative
when I gave the number as 100.
I repeat it is not a slip, it is doable and
I will surpass it but let us be held accountable
and responsible with the issue
of 100.
“I give you an example. I created one
day just by opening Deco Road in Warri
3,000 businesses that run between
Deco Road, Onitsha, Aba, Lagos, Port
Harcourt and every major trading
business across the country. That is nothing
compared to the kind of thing I am
talking about.
“While people are picking from my
views and my comments and utterances
to want to sharpen their situation,
the simple thing Deltans should think
about is that if that if I am the highest
private investor in the state, then I
should know what it takes to industrialize
Delta state and my target is to
catch up with major cities in the world,
Lagos being my first”.
Buoyed up
Gbagi added: “I have gone round the
state. I am encouraged by the people,
the electorate are no longer fools.
Deltans have seen it all, they know I
can change the state and the leaders
and people have told me to go ahead.
They have agreed, they said ‘Gbagi, we
have not seen any other person in the
race except you.’
“So I believe very strongly that they
mean what they are saying and let anybody
from any party come, let us have
a debate and face the country, let us
face the state and tell the people who
we are and where we are we coming
from.
“Let those who want to rule the state
come out and tell us what business they
have they done, what trade have they
participated in and, if you cannot do
anything for yourself, you have not been
able to do a business, employ people
and understand what it takes in life,
how do you say you want to rule people,
rule them with what?”
On Ibori
Speaking on his relationship with a
former governor of the state, Chief
James Ibori, known as a political godfather
, he said: “I would say for those
of us who are climbing, we talk less and
act more. While you cannot know the
mind of man,James Ibori and I have
met. I take in its totality what he told
me, what he believes I am and let me
just take one out of alignment in one
of our discussions - ‘Olorogun you are
a very steady character, with all that
has happened to you in the PDP, you
have remained steadfast and you are
the only one that has refused to abandon
the party for another even though
everything stares at you to do so. I
thank you very much for all that you
did when I was away. I heard of it.’
“He believes I can do a fantastic job”
On Ibori’s successor, Dr. Emmanuel
Uduaghan, he said: “I rejected appointment
as minister (under Jonathan)
even when former Minister of Information,
Chief Edwin Clark, had told me
I created one
day just by
opening Deco
Road in Warri
3,000 businesses
that run
between Deco
Road, Onitsha,
Aba, Lagos,
Port Harcourt
about bit. I also refused the plea of Gen
Theophilus Danjuma (retd) and his wife
to be minister and traveled abroad. It
was Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who
called me one morning when I was in
the United Kingdom to ask for my CV.
He explained that he was with President
Goodluck Jonathan to conclude
my nomination as minister having
consulted with my father, Dr. Clark.
“We had series of meetings thereafter
and Uduaghan did not mince
words when he announced in a statement
that were Delta to have two
Deltans who believe in the development
of the state like Olorogun Gbagi,
Delta State would not be where we are
today; that we need more Gbagis; that
this man believes in the state; and he is
the biggest investor in the state.
“In the same manner when we
opened the Robinson Gbagi Plaza at
PTI Junction, Effurun, the current governor
and his Commissioner of Commerce
made a strong statement that they
were very much appreciative of my development
skills and belief in the state
and they need more Gbagis.
“I do not believe that anybody of
Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan’s age will
lie. He has called me, he sent me messages
during my birthday to get ready
for a higher responsibility of governing
the state, we may not talk everyday but
I tell you, what you believe in, you believe
in.
“The fact remains that Emmanuel Uduaghan
knows I have character and I
can develop this state, that my yes is
my yes, my no is my no. There was
something James Ibori was telling me
one day when we did the anniversary
of the governor in 2015. He had asked
me to do something and I had not said
yes or no but whilst I was keeping quiet,
he said ‘I use Urohobo to beg you,
Gbagi, I know that once I use
that word, you would say yes’.
And I like a joke, I said ‘okay, yes’
and I honored that statement. I honored
that situation where I had completely
gone 99 per cent to the
right, I left it because a leader has
spoken to me, that is how you test a
man with character.
“So, all my leaders, including Governor
Okowa know, without mincing
words, that I would take Delta to the
next level to the admiration of everybody.
As I have said I cannot do it
alone”.
‘Okowa doesn’t talk anyhow’
On Okowa, he said: “People do not
go to history, they are too much in a
hurry to draw conclusions. Dr. Ifeanyi
Okowa was the creation of many
people, which I am happy to be part
of. Needless to, at this time, discuss
what we did as a people and as party
loyalists for his emergence. The state
is working on a particular system even
though I always pride myself that,
•Gbagi
zoning or no zoning, I will contest
election in Delta. I can contest election
even in Nigeria for the office of
President because that is how I have
programed my life which is why I do
not play to the gallery.
“The fact here is that Dr. Okowa is
a man who has reciprocated the most
of my support and love and he has
tested my honesty. He knows everybody
who is talking about Gbagi. He
also knows that they are all just envious
and that they are people who
have nothing and don’t meet my standard.
I find Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to be a
very honest man, a man who wants to
keep to his promise, he is not a man
who just talks. A number of people
who had come to meet me to discuss
Okowa, I challenged them. For instance,
someone called me one day
and the man you supported to be governor
allocated only N600million for
the Delta State Oil Producing Areas
Development Commission, DESOPA-
DEC. I sent him (Okowa) a message
on the claim and, in less than four
minutes, the governor replied showing
evidence that he paid over N1.6
billion.
“I did not believe that Okowa most
probably being a son of the kind of
father that brought him up was deceiving
me. I have tested him. If
Okowa makes a promise to you, he
will not renege on it, he has not reneged
on what both of us have discussed.
“There was one day I went to Okowa
and I was discussing a particular person
for appointment...if I have spoken
to Okowa at all, I have spoken
more about people of the entire state
than my own local government or senatorial
district, that is how free minded
I am.
“If you see Okowa calculating pennies,
small, small money and how to
manage revenue to run the state, you
would see the zest and feeling he has
for the state. Of course no man is a saint,
but in my rating of him, he is a fantastic
gentleman. If you have an agreement
with Okowa, produce a copy of
that agreement, tell me where he
failed and we would take him up”.

ADETUTU AUDU
08023849036, 08112662587
SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 23
•Osibajo
Ogun agog for
Oba Adeniran
The sleepy town of Ado Odo, Ogun
State was agog on Saturday, February
20 as Oba Abdul Lateef Adeniran
Akanni, the Olofin Adimula of Ado
Odo Awori Kingdom, held a
foundation laying ceremony
of his ultra-modern
private kingdom in
Ogun State Housing
Corporation, Oke-
Oyinbo, Ado Odo.
The grand celebration
attracted royal fathers
of all hues, top
politicians, wellwishers,
and Ogun
State top
government
functionaries.
The proposed
edifice,
seated on a
large acre of the land,
is strategically located
in the heart of the
state.
On Sunday, February 14, the leader
of INRI Evangelical Spiritual
Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, gave
out over six tricycles and millions of
naira for house rent, healthcare, JAMB
and WAEC forms, and school fees for
indigent students.
The respected servant of God also
secured jobs for student members of
the INRI Ministry, including
scholarship awards and made offer for
sponsored trips to Jerusalem and
Mecca on pilgrimage.
Other materials given out include
beds, freezer, television sets and
Dolapo Osibajo prays
for Aisha Buhari
The First Lady, Aisha
Buhari, attained the
golden age on February
17 although she is not in
town to celebrate the
milestone.
The First Lady had
reportedly flown to Dubai
during Sallah in August over
alleged severe neck pain as well
as to shop for items for her
daughter’s wedding.
Well, she came back from the trip and
arranged the wedding during the
lockdown, no thanks to the Covid-19
generators.
Primate Ayodele then set a record
by becoming the only pastor to
empower journalists with over N2
million and two exotic cars
Speaking at the occasion, he said
that his love for humanitarian
activities knows no bound,
explaining that he doesn’t take tithe
and that all he does is from his
personal efforts. Beyond giving
prophecies, he declared, God is his
only source of income.
Every year, Ayodele extends his
charity gestures to different strata of
pandemic.
While reports say she has packed out of the
Villa and relocated to the UAE, others say
wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo,
did not allow the day go uncelebrated.
In a post on Instagram on Wednesday,
Dolapo said a prayer for the wife of the
President, wishing her long life and good
health.
“Happy 50th birthday HE aishambuhari. I
wish you many happy returns of today, peace,
joy, long life and good health. May all your
prayers be heard and answered. May the
desires of your heart be granted. God bless
you today and always,” Dolapo wrote.
Buba Marwa’s magic wand
Since the Adamawa-born Brigadier-
General Marwa (retd) left office as
Nigeria High Commissioner to South
Africa — his last major position he
was appointed to by the late
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua —
he seemed to have been left in the
cold. But for Marwa, 2021 changed all
that as it began on a very interesting
note.
His recent appointment as the chief
executive officer of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has further
signified his relevance in the political
clime. Unarguably close ally of President
Muhammadu Buhari, Marwa had
worked assiduously as
Chairman, Presidential
Advisory Committee for
the Elimination of
Drug
Abuse,
•Oba
Adeniran
Gifts galore at Primate Ayodele’s Thanksgiving
PACEDA, between 2018 and
December 2020, along with others
to develop a blueprint on how to
end drug abuse in Nigeria. Sources
said, after studying the reports on
national drug strategy, that it was
unanimously agreed that Marwa is
the best man to be appointed as
nation’s drug czar to address the
opioid epidemic. And he has
shown more than enough capacity
and results to justify Buhari’s
tapping him for the job. As NDLEA
boss, Marwa has hit the ground
running with characteristic
decisiveness and seriousness of
purpose, setting out his agenda and
strategies to combat the truly
terrifying menace of drug abuse
and addiction in Nigeria,
particularly among the youths, and
reading the riot act to drug cartels
across the country.
With hindsight on what he did
with ‘Operation Saki’ in Borno and
particularly ‘Operation Sweep’
during his days in Lagos where he
made use of intelligence and
secretive force, Marwa’s method is
not that different this time around.
Within a month as the nation’s drug
czar, he has led the antidrug
agency to seize
various types of illicit
drugs worth billions
of naira with strong
determination to
•Marwa bring drug
barons to their
knees.
the society including public and
government institutions like the police,
FRSC, hospitals, schools and religious
houses. He announced that INRI Church
would be kicking off roads construction in
her locality.
The event was witnessed by dignitaries
from far and wide.
The roll call include the Minister of
Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Hon.
Jude Idimogu, representing Oshodi-Isolo
in the Lagos House of Assembly; Prochancellor
of Oduduwa University, Dr.
Rahmon Adedoyin; the Ojon Of Ejigbo,
Oba Morufu Ojoola, and veteran
Nollywood actor, Taiwo Hassan a.k.a.
Ogogo.
Others are delegates from the
International Association of World Peace
Advocates (IAWPA) led by Amb. Nabit
Kapoor.
Members include Ambassadors Blessing
Palmberg and Emmanuel Nkweke.
Delivering his congratulatory message,
Aregbesola, represented by Hon. Dipo
Okeyemi, described Ayodele as ‘a friend of
the Interior Ministry’, while commending
the cleric for his support for widows and
youth.
IAWPA, affiliated with the United
Nations, decorated Ayodele as the ‘first son’
of the organization. The body also hoisted
the United Nations flag in his church.
•Leo Stan Ekeh
Leo Stan Ekeh
dreams afresh
at 65
Billionaire businessman, Leo
Stan Ekeh, is a goldfish that
has no hiding place with his
achievement in business – most
especially the ICT sector.
With his Zinox conglomerate,
he single-handedly led a
revolution in the Nigerian digital
space.
The Imo State born digital guru
clocked 65 on Tuesday, February
22. Not known for loud parties,
Ekeh spent the day quietly with
family and few friends reflecting
on the years gone by and what
lays ahead to strive for.
Beyond his love for business
and good life, Leo is reputed as
one of Africa’s biggest
philanthropists.
The man who has scored first in
many of his dealings has finally
set a retirement plan for the year
2022.
He would resign as the
Chairman of his business
conglomerate and pass the baton
to a younger generation.
Though many of his admirers
argued that his retirement was
motivated by his plans to go into
politics in 2023, his target was to
build his company’s net worth to
over 10billion dollars, a feat
which he has since achieved
before the targeted time.
Toyin yin Lawani
ani
finds love e again
Fashion stylist and entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani,
is sending the tongues wagging again.
This time, the mother of two is engaged to her
photographer, Segun Adebayo.
Lawani announced the good news on her
Instagram page. Posting a video of the engagement
in a cozy restaurant on Valentine’s Day, she wrote:
“I WAS SO SURPRISED AND SHOCKED by
@segun_wealth and @deeeunknown and didn’t
know when I beat him with the flower on me, I
felt they just brought val’s gift until I saw uncle
on the floor
“BUT I SAID YES. Best Valentine’s Day ever.
Officially Mrs Adebayo wouldn’t have had it
another way ‘cause he’s my Best friend and
Creative partner, we work so well together.
“The king of all Queens is Taken”.

PAGE 24—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
By Adesina Wahab
The ban placed on
crytocurrency by the
Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) on the
grounds that it encourages
money laundering and
terrorism has continued to
generate ripples.
Youths, especially, say
cr
trading in cryptocurrency
gives them the opportunity to
be gainfully employed and
suggested that instead of
banning trading in it,
government can evolve means
of regulating it. They that
outright ban would be like
throwing away the baby with
the bath water.
Cross section of the youths
told our correspondent that
government should take a cue
from countries such as
Australia where a regulatory
platform had been created to
ensure that things are done
in accordance with the laws
of the land.
A former teacher in a private
secondary school, who gave
his name as Johnson, said his
job, where he earned less than
N35, 000 a month, was wiped
off as a result of the outbreak
of coronavirus.
“Our February 2020 salary
was yet to be paid when the
lockdown was announced last
March and it did not take the
owner of the school a.long
time to send us messages that
running the school was becoming
difficult and eventually we were laid
off and a friend later introduced me
to cryptocurrency trading.
“It has sustained me since and I
think that is better than stealing or
engaging in fraud that tarnishes the
image of the nation. Honestly,
banning it is not the solution, it would
rather create more problems. Which
jobs has the government provided for
youths to do?
“I agree that the business is very
volatile, but all businesses have their
own risks too. By February 2020, the
Cryptocrisis
•Why we can't let go of
crypt
yptocurrency despite
volatile nature — Youths
Many young Nigerians
have taken interest in
cryptocurrency and
blockchain related
matters because of their
educational and career
benefits - for traders
and non-traders
price rose to over $10,000 only to drop
to $9,160 in March and $8,784 in
April. I entered the market in March
and despite a decline in the market,
I still made a profit.
“I like the volatile nature of
cryptocurrency and with the help of
cryptocurrency trading, I’ve been able
to earn money at home, even much
more than the salary I earned as a
teacher. I have been able to feed my
family and conveniently pay my other
bills,” he stated.
Another youth, Samuel, urged the
government to have a rethink, noting
that the social consequences of
banning it could be greater than
whatever the government thinks
it is trying to prevent.
He recalled that he
downloaded the Binance app,
a global crypto exchange, and
began a journey that saw him
meeting his needs without
much stress.
“Apart from those trading in
it, there are people have set up
exchanges to make the
business seamless. To say there
is no way the government can
monitor how it goes is a lie. The
Security
Exchange
Commission, SEC, can do that
among other government
agencies. I used the money I
made from it to pay my school
fees and I have graduated and
still earning a living from it.
Many people would be thrown
into a state of confusion if the
ban if not reversed. Crime
would increase and further
more, many youths who
hitherto shunned internet fraud
would go into that, “ he opined.
He appealed to the
government to take another look
at the matter.
Many young Nigerians have
taken interest in cryptocurrency
and blockchain related matters
because of their educational
and career benefits - for traders
and non-traders.
Few days ago, a former
Deputy Governor of the CBN,
Kingsley Moghalu, said
Nigerians had made over $500
million
through
cryptocurrencies in the past five
years, though some said it could be
more.
Since the announcement by the
CBN, global exchanges like Binance
and Luno have suspended naira
deposits on their platforms, while local
exchanges like BuyCoins, Bundle,
and Quidax have done the same and
have placed restrictions on naira
deposits on their platforms.
While the National Assembly has waded
into the matter, asking officials of SEC and
others to appear before them, industry
watchers are waiting to see where the
pendulum will finally swing.
No proof Bitcoin,
others boost
economy
—Ronak Gadhia
By Nkiruka Nnorom
Ronak Gadhia is the Director of Sub-
Saharan Banks & Research, EFG
Hermes Frontier. In this interview,
he speaks on the ban on cryptocurrency
trading in Nigeria, saying that volatility and
lack of regulation in the cryptocurrency
space could have a significant negative
impact on Nigerians in case of sudden
correction in the value of the assets.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,
has given reasons for the ban on
cryptocurrency in Nigeria. Do you
have a contrary opinion?
Apart from the reasons highlighted by the
CBN which include that trading in
cryptocurrency is unconstitutional, not a
store of value, volatility, and speculative
risk, I think the CBN may have also been
prompted to act due to the potential for
perpetuating illegal scams and money
laundering activities on the platform. Also,
it can also be argued that the ban is an
extension of the CBN’s attempt to plug
various sources of FX leakages in the
Nigerian economy
To what extent does it constitute
a threat to Nigeria’s financial
system?
The inherent volatility and lack of
regulation combined with the increasing
popularity of cryptocurrencies among
Nigerians could have a significant and
negative impact on Nigerian savers if
there was a sudden and significant
correction in the value of these
instruments (as has consistently been the
case in the last few years) or, indeed, if
some of these underlying instruments turn
out to be Ponzi schemes.
Do you agree that it also puts
the investment of participants in
danger?
Yes, lack of proper regulations for any
financial instrument increases the risk
of loss for participants. Furthermore,
the lack of basic financial education
augments these risks in our opinion.
Some have argued that
cryptocurrency is even an economic
booster to any economy in the world...
We would ask how? What are
the real assets that have
been created on the
•Gadhia
back
of
cryptocurrencies?
Can this be
demonstrated?
Nigeria was
said to have
ranked second
globally in the
cryptocurrency
space. Should
that not have
discouraged
the CBN from scraping it in the country?
Perhaps, instead of completely banning
the trading of cryptocurrencies, the CBN
should have sought ways of regulating the
industry, like in South Africa, and/or tried
to determine why the asset class has become
so popular and introduce alternative asset
classes to meet that demand.
Can you tell us how much Nigeria
has made from it in the last few years?
It is difficult to tell, but some analysts
estimated that Nigerians have traded up to
US$500 million of cryptocurrencies in the
last five years. However, this value traded
should not be understood to be a net benefit
to the Nigerian economy. That is a different
matter.
Daily Crytocurrency trading is
believed to worth about N2 billion,
a figure that is more than the value
of daily trade at the Nigerian Stock
Exchange. What is your thought on
this considering the recent
development?
First, this shows the decreasing
importance of the Nigerian Stock Exchange
as a capital intermediary in the Nigerian
economy as trading volumes have
persistently been on a downward trend in
the last 10 years, and as a result, are much
lower than other economies of a similar
size.
Second, the significant volume for
cryptocurrencies suggests that the
currency investment needs of a vast
proportion of Nigerian investors are not being
met by the existing product available in the
country. The CBN and other regulatory bodies
such as the Pension Commission (PenCom),
the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) among others should try to introduce
new products that could satisfy this need.
Having said that, one cannot ignore the
possibility that the high usage of
cryptocurrencies is being driven by
money launderers.
What do you think those affected
by the CBN policy should do?
They should lobby the CBN to reconsider
their decision to either allow trading of
cryptocurrencies in a regulated environment
or introduce an alternative product, such as a
Naira digital currency, as we have seen in
other countries.
What do you think the CBN should
have done differently?
As indicated above, I think the CBN could
have sought to regulate the industry like in
South Africa. Having said that, we are very
encouraged to see the CBN take an active
position on cryptocurrencies, and for this
reason, we are confident that a regulatory
framework will be built for the trading of
these currencies.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 25
By Josephine Agbonkhese
08054650907
Email: jossynovia@gmail.com
•MAUREEN
By Josephine Agbonkhese
Arecipient of the Women Economic Forum 2020 Award, a style
entrepreneur of repute, and an alumna of the Metropolitan
School of Business and Management, United Kingdom; the
Lagos Business School; Strathmore Business School, Kenya; and the
Lagos State University, Olaedo Maureen Emelie is on a single
mission— to inspire women who are struggling to conceive.
In this interview with Sunday Vanguard, the Founder of Tales of Trying
To Conceive, a platform under which she is realising her passion,
recounts her personal infertility experience, reveals why a lot of
couples stay longer on the waiting list, and speaks on her recently
unveiled book Finally Pregnant!
Why a book on delayed conception
instead of one on business or
management as an accomplished
entrepreneur?
Infertility is a challenge many families
are faced with and I was there at the early
stage of my marriage. It’s a place where
victims mostly feel alone and left out. I
saw the need to remind us that our stories
may not actually be the worse. What you
think might be your nightmare may
actually have hopes written all-over it;
and most times, it takes hearing another’s
journey to understand it.
I once had a seminar educating women
on what’s more vital in this journey. We
decided to speak on our different stories
OLAEDO MAUREEN
EMELIE:
Tales of
Trying To
Conceive
and by the time it got to the fifth person,
we knew it was the best decision, seeing
and hearing all the different versions of
life struggles women go through to have
children. It is important we keep
reminding ourselves of how everything
happens according to the plans of God;
and these are the reasons for the book
Finally Pregnant!
Can you recount your experience
on the waiting list?
Oh wow, it’s really a place I wouldn’t
wish anyone to be in. For my husband and
I, we wanted a baby as soon as we
concluded the marriage rites; so, you can
imagine how frustrating it was for me.
Nothing else mattered at some point. I
kept moving from one clinic to the
other for a solution, test after test, and
always ended up being told “you are
fine”. Our worst nightmare is our
hopes being raised and
dashed at the end of every
test. I prayed to have a
result that will point out
what the delay was
about but it almost
took forever before the
break came. Facing
infertility is
challenging and
getting to the root
cause is a quandary. It
happened after the
longest five years of our
lives and we couldn’t be
more grateful.
What’s the hardest
part of hoping to
miss a menstrual
flow each month?
Oh, the dreaded two
weeks wait. The simplest
way to explain it is
embedded in the word
anxiety. Having to swallow
the hard pill every month is
troubling and most times, if
care is not taking, one may
begin to lose sanity and start
dwelling in
misery or self pity. From the
beginning of every cycle,
there is always a feeling that
it will be the last time. From
planning the best ovulating
time, to trying to avoid
stress in order to achieve the
aim—which is pregnancy.
So, when it fails, it’s simply
devastating.
How did it feel like to
finally overcome the
struggle?
It felt like I already had
the child when I got a
positive pregnant test result.
I was overwhelmed with joy.
My praises to God was
heard. In fact, I was so
excited that I began to call
everyone I know,
announcing that I got a
positive pregnant test. I
suddenly felt like a
complete woman in five years. In a
nutshell, it’s still one of the best news of
my life. I was amazed that everything had
suddenly fallen into place.
Looking back, do you think the
anxiety was worth it?
Finally
Pregnant! is
a riveting
story of four
women who
found
themselves
drowning in
misery
To do justice to this question, I must not
fail to mention that it is almost
unavoidable. Wanting something and
seeing others do it with ease while you
struggle, is not easy; but at the same time,
it’s best avoided if one can. Not everyone
can the handle pressure that comes with
the wait. Wanting something so badly and
finding it hard to cope with the
environment, gets the victim anxious. To
avoid or minimise it, one may need to
intentionally do things that take their
mind off the worries from time to time.
Intead of worrying each month,
don’t you think couples should
consider adoption after waiting a
few years?
Well, adoption is a good idea only if the
couple involved are willing to go that
route. It is not in any body’s place to
suggest. However, it is a good thing to do.
Our background and understanding are
different; suggesting adoption to anyone
may come off as you stating that they are
not capable. It doesn’t mean that you are
not a caring person but it is more like
being insensitive. Everything about a
couple going through infertility must be
handled with care to avoid trigger.
But what’s your view on the child
adoption process in Nigeria; how
should it be improved?
The process involved in adopting a
child in Nigeria is still cumbersome and
it will be a welcome development if the
time involved are shortened.
From your experience, are there
attitudes or habits that further
delay conception?
Yes. Many people are still struggling
with infertility because of impatience.
They tend to move from hospital to
hospital without finding the major cause
and finishing up a treatment or
procedure. No one gets out of a trouble
completely without understanding why
and where it emanated from. So, treating
infertility requires a valid test result
before anything. They are mostly eager
to get a result, forgetting that what Mrs A
did to get a result might not work for Mrs
B because of the peculiarities involved.
So by the time they are trying that out, it’s
usually a case of back to square one.
A word of advice for women on the
waiting list...?
I understand that it is a difficult
challenge but you can always help by
being intentional about all you do. For
instance, what were the things you
planned doing before infertility? If you
planned to become a business owner, have
you allowed infertility to deny you that
too?
Have you been able to find out why the
delay. If yes, are you consistent with a
good fertility doctor? You need a fertility
specialist to guide you through with all
that you need to do.
Who do you have in your circle and how
helpful are they? Do you keep quality
friends? How helpful can they be?
All the above will help direct or redirect
one trying to conceive.
What will be your advice to
members of the public concerning
their perception of infertility?
No one chose to be
infertile. So, when you come
across any couple facing
infertility, be nice. Avoid the
curiosity to ask questions; if
you were not told, don’t get
involved. It takes a lot to put
up a good smile while going
through infertility; don’t
ruin it. That weight she
added is not about
pregnancy, so, don’t ask. If
it’s pregnancy, time will tell.
If you feel the need to pray
for them, you can go ahead
without getting them
involved.
Briefly on your book,
Finally Pregnant!...
Finally Pregnant! is a
riveting story of four women
who found themselves
drowning in misery but
found a way to be a support
system to each other. It’s a
book to remind us of a few other stories
like ours or may be worse. It is to help
you understand what and who is
important in the journey, giving you tips
on various ways to handle the challenge
and most importantly, to remind you that
you are not alone.

PAGE 26 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
China using economic diplomacy to assert
authority in Africa — Ambassador Amedu-Ode
By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Editor
Nigeria’s immediate past envoy to Singapore,
Ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode, in this
interview, speaks on US/China relations, both
countries’ influence in Africa and Nigeria’s
relationship with China among other issues.
50 years of Nigeria-China
diplomatic relations was recently
celebrated. As an ex-diplomat with
deep knowledge of Nigeria’s
engagement with foreign nations, tell
us the significance of the event...
Last February 10 was the 50th anniversary
of the establishment of diplomatic relations,
at Principal Envoy levels, between Nigeria and
the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The first
significance of that, in my opinion, lies in the
fact that half a century of deepening diplomatic
relations between Nigeria and China who
became independent in 1960 and 1947,
respectively, is epochal. It is epochal because
of the mileage covered, time-wise, without any
major upheavals. Thus, by the time China
emerged as the second-largest economy in the
world in 2010, the attraction was for Nigeria
to emulate the Chinese model in the quest to
transform its massive human and resource
endowments into a higher and better standard
of living for the vast majority of our population
with support and assistance from China.
This effort at deepening the bilateral relations
has proceeded on an even keel. For example,
in 2004 and again in 2006, then Chinese
President Hu Jintao was on state visits to
Nigeria and addressed a joint session of the
National Assembly (NASS). Both nations
signed a memorandum of understanding on
establishing a strategic partnership. This,
China has supported Nigeria’s bid for a seat in
the United Nations Security Council(UNSC),
but it is likely offering the same support to
Egypt. Response to the hesitation of the US
and other Western powers to aid Nigeria in
efforts to combat insurgents in the oil-rich
Niger Delta has led the Nigerian
government to develop close military
cooperation with China, by way of supply of
arms, equipment and technology and
training to the Nigerian armed forces. Both
nations also signed a US$311 million
agreement to develop cooperation in
communications and space programmes.
Not many Nigerians know that China
EX-SERVICE CHIEFS:
Sad, Nigeria dumping political
appointees on Foreign Service
— Ambassador Olumoko
By Olayinka Ajayi
Olufunso Olumoko is a former Career Ambassador to Thailand with
accreditation to Myanmar. In this interview, Olumoko decries the
appointment of Non-Career Ambassadors as against trained ambassadors.
Excerpts:
What is your view on United State’s
new policy on LBGT and pushing to
other countries like Nigeria for
bilateral relations?
It is within the prerogative of the Biden
administration to articulate whatever social
policies that are in tandem with the
Democrats’/Liberal philosophy in the US.
However, Biden should not try
to force any other country that
does not share the same outlook
to follow the same doctrine.
Biden should respect the different
cultural, religious and social
systems of other countries and
not willy-nilly tie them to US
preferences. To try to sanction
Nigeria over her policy on LGBT
will be wrong-headed and
Nigeria will resist it to the hilt as
same-sex marriage and other
LGBT peculiarities are
anathema to the basic grains
and mores of the Nigerian
society. It will be a wrong start
and will definitely strain US/
As for the
performance
of Okonjo-
Iweala, there’s
no doubt
she’ll acquit
herself
creditably in
her new
position
•Amedu-Ode
helped develop and launch the Nigerian
Communication Satellite (NigComSat -1
and NigComSat -2). NigComSat - 1 was
launched into orbit in 2007 to expand
cellular and internet networks in Central
Africa. There was, however, a downside in
our bilateral relations in 2020 specifically,
in the consular area. Last April, during the
first phase of the covid19 pandemic,
Nigerian authorities were compelled to
condemn China’s discriminatory attitude
towards Nigerians, after a video emerged
on the web showing Nigerian residents in
China being discriminated against by locals.
China seems to be overtaking the US in
terms of trade relations with African nations,
especially Nigeria. Why is it so and what do
you think is the future of the
relationship?
Statistics available corroborates this position
of Chinese superiority to the US or any other
trading bloc in her trade relations with African
countries, Nigeria inclusive. While Chinese
investment in Nigeria is calculated to be worth
about $15 billion, that of the US is at $5.5
billion. These are 2019 figures and I doubt
very much if they have been any drastic changes
to these figures. The ascendancy of Chinese
investment in Nigeria over those of other
foreign countries is attributable to a few
reasons. In the first place, as the country’s
Nigeria relations that otherwise promise to
be resurgent and robust under Biden
administration.
On Okonjo-Iweala election as DG of
WTO
Her recent confirmation is not only a pride
to Nigeria and Africa but also to
womanhood. Ngozi, in terms of
intellect, sagacity and bravura,
is a lady who can stand her own
any day and anywhere; she has
amply demonstrated this in the
course of her high wire campaigns
and the subsequent global
politicking that only delayed her
confirmation. It’s impossible to
cover a shining star!
This brings up an important
issue. Nigeria should always put
her best foot forward. If she puts
on her best candidates she’ll
always excel. Just imagine if
Nigeria had not wisely substituted
her original candidate for this
position and fielded a more
formidable and better qualified
modernization began to succeed, it became
imperative for her to look beyond her
boundaries not only for raw materials that are
not readily available in the country but also
for markets for her finished products.
The relationship between China and the
US under Trump was frosty. It seems that
won’t be the case under Biden. Biden recently
called the Chinese Leader, XiJping to wish
the Chinese people a successful Chinese
New Year. Can you analyse the significance
of such a gesture?
Mr. Biden’s approach to the entire spectrum
of governance will likely be markedly different
from that of Mr. Trump. Trump’s abrasive
approach in the execution of both domestic
and foreign policies was very untoward. In
foreign policy exertions on the platform of
diplomatic interface, whether at the
summit level or otherwise, a diplomatic
agent’s conduct is spiced with huge doses of
courtesies underpinned by etiquette, Mr.
Trump’s style of name-calling (e.g. calling
the coronavirus the Chinese virus) was
viewed with dismay, to put it mildly. Under
Mr. Joe Biden, it is expected that such reality
show attitudes will not even be
contemplated, not to talk of indulging in it.
It is to me, a return to the ways of civilized
conduct of heads of state and governments and
their representatives. A phone call by the US
President to his Chinese counterpart on the
occasion of the Chinese lunar New Year
celebrations is an extension of courtesy as I
explained above. However, it is also indicative
of a rapprochement. It is like saying to Mr. Xi
Jinping “I want to do business with you “.
Therein lies the significance of that phone from
Washington DC to Beijing.
The West, especially the US, has always
been seen as having an overbearing influence
on African nations. Why has it been a norm
in international politics and what are the
advantages and disadvantages for African
nations?
US dominance in global affairs, at the
expense of European countries, especially,
England and France is a post-second World
War (WWII) phenomenon.
Even at that, former colonial powers of
Europe still have spheres of and considerable
influence on the African continent and
beyond.
Their dominance became a ‘norm’ when
•Olumoko
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala? Nigeria is currently
undergoing a new wave of resurgence and
limelight internationally because she’s
fielding her first teams and it is yielding
results. A few examples will suffice: Amina
Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General
(UN D/SG), Akinwunmi Adesina at the
African Development Bank(AfDB), Benedict
Oramah at the African Export Import Bank
(Afreximbank), Bankole Adeoye, AU
Commissioner for Political, Peace and
Security and now Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at
the WTO!
As for the performance of Okonjo-Iweala,
there’s no doubt she’ll acquit herself
creditably in her new position. She comes
well prepared, intellectually and with very
good experience both internationally and
nationally being twice Nigeria’s Finance
Minister.
Both in her campaign debates and
acceptance speech, she has set the tone and
clearly outlines her priorities at WTO. Given
seen from the antecedents of western historical
perspective. With the industrial revolution,
Europe gained enormous powers as a
consequence of the newly discovered
(industrial) capacity to produce more and
at cheaper costs. This translated into the
building of sea-going vessels with which they
began their forays into other lands.
By the late 19th century (1884 - 5), the
infamous partitioning of Africa was already
a done deal at the Berlin Conference. From
the partitioning emerged the colonial
experience (on both sides of the divide -
colonizers and the colonized) as we know it
today. The US, though not a colony holding
power in the classical definition of it, did,
however, inherit and garner a significant
amount of influence on the international
scene as a result of the devastating effects of
WW II on Europe.
Unlike the West, it has been observed that
China with its economic influence appears
to have little or no influence on sovereign
states in Africa including Nigeria...
This depends on your definition and therefore
understanding of the word influence. If you
view it from the point of view of the ability to
coerce our continent to do their bidding in the
classical case of gunboat diplomacy, then you
are correct. But, permit me to observe that
because of the advent of neo-colonialism,
former colonial powers are wont to exercise
the same if not more power than they did while
operating the full colonial machinery. Do not
forget, however, that there exist the concept
and practice of soft power. In politics (and
particularly in international politics), soft
power is a term used to refer to the ability to
attract and co-opt, rather than coerce (contrast
hard power).
In other words, soft power involves shaping
the preferences of others through appeal and
attraction. This is what, in my opinion, the
Chinese are deploying in their engagements
with the rest of the world, including with the
US. Credit facilities from the Chinese to several
countries lend credence to her use of economic
diplomacy to consolidate her soft power.
Earlier than this era of provision of credit, you
can recall that the move to love China had
begun in the 1970s with Chinese films and
cuisine. These two laid the foundation for the
economic model that we are witnessing now,
including, of course, the $900 billion Silk Road
project. In Africa, China built and donated the
Headquarters of the African Union (AU). That
project cost the Chinese taxpayer some USD
200 million.
Continues on www.vanguardngr.com
her track records, I have no doubts at all that
Ngozi will do impressively well and make
Nigeria exceedingly proud that come 2025
when her current term ends, she’ll be re-elected
for second term. Mark my words!
But some people are of the view that Joe
Biden’s administration support for Okonjo-
Iweala’s WTO election could give a soft
landing for reconsideration of LGBT in
Nigeria?
Such perception is puerile and it
underestimates the quality of Nigeria’s foreign
policy decision makers and Nigeria’s stature
in the comity of nations.
Agreed, Nigeria may have its internal
problems but she cannot be taken for suckers
by the US. Support for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
for soft landing for reconsideration of LGBT?
As I already stated, the issue of LGTB is so
basic and fundamental and an anathema to
the two major religions systems in Nigeria it is
laughable that a go-ahead by the US for Ngozi
is in exchange for Nigeria softening its LGBT
stance!
How would you describe the proposed
appointments of retired Service Chiefs as
non-career ambassadors?
It is extremely saddening that in Nigeria, the
political class continues to dump political
appointees on the Foreign Service. These
political appointees are often offered plum
diplomatic postings at the expense of Career
Officers who, through their entire career, have
been professionally trained with a view to
attaining the rank of Ambassador as the nadir
of their careers. A couple of months ago,
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed
initially 53 Non-Career Ambassadors
compared to only 40 Career Ambassadors.
The sadder aspect is that about a quarter of
these Career Ambassadors are being sent out
as Deputies to political appointees! Now, with
the appointments of the ex-Service Chiefs as
Ambassadors, the ratio of political appointees
to professionals is 58 to 40.
Continues on www.vanguardngr.com

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 27
Women know all men are obsessed with size! A woman’s views
“ Years ago,” recalled Lizzy
a fifty-something IT
expert, “when our house was
always full of small children,
I staggered downstairs with a
few of fellow-mothers after a
chaotic session with some of
the children in the bathroom,
all wanting to be refreshed at
my toddlers birthdays. We
found the visiting Dads were
pouring well-earned drinks.
We, mothers reported that, just
before we finished cleaning
the children, all the three and
four-year-old boys had been
snapping at their pants’ elastic
and comparing the size of
their willies. The mothers all
laughed. So did the fathers,
for a brief moment, but then,
almost in chorus, they asked:
‘Um... and whose was the ...?
“Civilized, cultured, happily
married men, not porn-hound
among them, but they couldn’t
help it. Willie - worship, willypride
is hard-wired deep in the
male brain. However, much
they denied it, men do seem to
care.”
Re-acting to an early report
in the column about King’s
College London’s measuring
of 15,000 penises in 16
countries to determine an
average size for men’s tackles,
Lizzy wondered “Why else
would King’s College London
have bothered to trot around
15,000 men with a tape
measure (one hopes not the
hard, cold, sharp steel sort)
and proudly report that the
average length, unstimulated,
is 3.6in and 5.6 when erect, if
men weren’t so fixated on their
tackles?
I do admire the chaps’
willingness to collaborate in
that measurement in the
presence of researchers with
a white coat and a ruler. But
the very fact that 15,000 men
were happy to go through this
bizarre academic exercise
shows that they mind about
their little friends. And that
they all secretly, privately
hoped that their willy would
be bigger than the average.
“To be fair, some women go
over - the top admiring
surrounding abs, pecs and
glutes at social gatherings; we
do like a man who looks
healthy. It’s a primitive need
in the female to bond with a
man who is going to be able
to take the rubbish out
unaided. But honestly, hand
on heart, I suspect that every
few of us during early
courtship - or afterwards, or
even after, the golden wedding
- are particularly worried
about whether we are getting
the full 3.6m average.
“The idea that we are
waiting with a ruler and a
scornful frown for the willies
to come up is miles from
reality. I blame author Jilly
Cooper for giving men that
impression, with all her
crazed descriptions of things
rearing up like the Tower of
Pisa or space shuttles.
“I suppose the trouble is that
writing sex scenes, you have
few choices. You can resort to
heavy innuendo, or do some
Barbara Cartland Stuff about
being carried away to heaven
on wings of bliss. Or you can
throw in the towel and pretend
the female eye will only be
delighted by the spectacle of
something that would fit
neatly into the skyline, not the
groin! The porn industry is
obsessed with size, but anyone
with half a brain and heart
knows porn has little to do with
the reality of love making.
Most of us have never cared
about size. We don’t carry on
like the fearsome coven on
TV’s Sex And The Cuty,
shriekingly comparing notes
on the back of taxis or at
restaurants. It is worth
nothing, without comment,
that much of the genius
behind those series and films
came from - ahem - men. Gay
men in many cases. “In
ancient civilisation, penises
were considered to have
mythical significance linked
to male power and eternity. At
Pompeii, there is an ancient
Roman mural of the fertility
god Priapus walking around
with the most tremendous
todger, as long as a trombone.
Also there is the Ceme Abbas
Giant in Dorset, cut into a
hillside with his John Thomas
riding high. The eternity
aspect of this symbolism is
easily explained and the
ability to sire offsprings could
bestow power, for the more
sons you had, the better you
were able to defend your
household.
“But those were primitive
concerns. The correlation
between penis size and power
in the modern era, even 200
years ago, is less persuasive.
Napoleon was notoriously
small. For this information,
we can thank a cruel
pathologist who allegedly
removed his ‘item’ after his
death and pickled it in
formaldehyde.
It was later auctioned in
Paris. Heaven knows if the
object in that jar indeed,
belonged to the 19th century
French emperor, but it was
used against him
posthumously as a way of
diminishing his reputation.
How trivial and cheap, to
mock a great man after his
death in such a fashion. Even
if he was on the ‘petite’ side,
Bona Parte was a mighty
general with unarguable
power.
“From the sublime to the
ridiculous, that silly of John
Prescott suffered something
similar when he was caught
having an affair with his typist
a few years ago. I recalled a
front page of a national
newspaper that featured an
illustration of a cocktail
sausage. Poor old Prescott.
However, the mockery did not
do his reputation any harm.
If anything, it made the onetime
deputy Prime Minister
more popular.
“Last year, a statue of
peacocking footballer
Cristiano Ronaldo was
unveiled in Madeira. Necks
were clutched and faces
fanned when it was first shown
to the public because the
shorts featured an
implausibly large bulge. And
David Beckham has been the
subject of speculation after his
numerous poses in underpant
adverts. He claims he has
never stuffed socks down his
front to create a bigger
impression. But if he did,
would it matter? Shrinks
might say so, but I’m not
convinced.
“In the real world, that’s not
the way women carry on. The
only ones I’ve ever known talk
about male size were sad,
angry girls, unhappy in
themselves about their failure
to bond happily with any of
the possessors of the said
tackle.
What we like is much harder
to measure. I know a lot of
women, and have been one for
ages, and it’s simpler than you
think. We like hugs, we like
tenderness, we like men who
seem (often baffling) to be
delighted and aroused by the
very sight of us, even without
make-up and a heavy cold.
We really like to be laughed
into bed and treated with
affectionate consideration
once we’re there.
“We like man who think our
enjoyment is at least half the
point of the exercise, if not a
bit more. We approve of
chaps, of any dimension, who
work out how to make the
main event fun all round. We
like men who chat and don’t
mind being rolled over when
they snore or hauled around
when they have hogged the
duvet, we like faithfulness and
kindness, and a man who
loves to cuddle the baby even
when it’s leaking a bit. And
we really like it when they
grow out of caring about 3.6in,
or expecting it to be
worshipped.”
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Rising crimes: Anglican Grammar School old
students warn youths to shun vices
By Akpokona Omafuaire
THE Old Students
Association of Anglican
Grammar School, Okpara
Waterside in Ethiope East
Local Government of Delta
State have warned youths and
students to resist attraction to
criminal vices which are
capable of ruining their future.
This call was made weekend
during their inaugural reunion
meeting and thanksgiving
service at the school.
They urged students to
emulate good characters and
imbibe hard work as the surest
way to success in life.
This warning was given by
the duo of Assistant
Commissioner of Police,
Victor Erhivwode and
Comptroller of Prisons,
Ohwofasa Godwin, old
students during their various
speeches.
They said that the wave of
crime rate is alarming and future of
youths are being destroyed, they
warned against all forms of
criminality. They urged youths to
acquire education and skills which
will prepare them for the future.
In his welcome address, Mr. Prince
Majemite said that the reunion was
special and a step towards realising
the development of the school.
"In his lecture, Prof. Franklin
Sanubi, guest lecturer and AGSO old
boy said that the reunion offers
member the opportunity to reminisce
on past experience.
On his part, Ven. Samuel
Ewoforama, Principal, Anglican
Grammar School, Okpare
Waterside stressed the need for the
old boys to use their various
connections to attract development
to the school.
He revealed that such connections
has led the Delta State Government
led by Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to recently
approve the building of a Principal
Quarters and six classrooms block.
Agribusiness: : Firm set to unlock over
$80bn South Wes
est t GDP, , agric potential
By Gabriel Ewepu
AS agriculture continues
to take centre stage in
Nigeria’s march to economic
diversification, a firm called
Odua Investments Company
Limited, yesterday, disclosed
moves to unlock estimated
South West Gross Domestic
Product, GDP, worth over $80
billion.
The move was made known
in a statement signed by the
Group Chairman, Odua
Investment, Dr. Segun Aina, on
the inauguration of six new
directors of one of its
subsidiaries, SWAgCo.
According to Aina, the
appointment of new directors
of SWAgCo is perfectly timed
to ensure the implementation
of its strategies to take
advantage of the huge
economic potentials in
agriculture across the South
West region and beyond.
He also explained that
SWAgCo is an Agricultural
Investment Company, fully
owned by Odua Investment
Company Limited. With a
strong capital base, SWAgCo
was established to unlock
unrealized agriculture and
sub-optimised agribusiness
value by transforming
underinvested agribusiness
opportunities within Nigeria
into institutional-grade
investment operations.
While the parent company,
Odua Investment is a
private holding company
with shareholding by the
South Western
governments (Ondo, Ogun,
Ekiti, Lagos, Oyo and Osun
States with population of
40Million and GDP of over
$80billion).
Also, the statement made
it known that as part of the
strategy to reposition the
entire group, the company
deemed it fit to appoint the
new board members for a
four-year term.
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A
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Building and Conflict
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asserted that Governor
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Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP ) candidates in the
March 6th 2021 local
government council
elections.
Okoh , a former Vice
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media chat with our
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LG polls : Okowa's achievements 'll
boost PDP chances — Okoh
Excellency, Governor Okowa.
So my assertion is based on
this fact . Deltans would want
to appreciate him by voting
massively for his party, the PDP,
" she added
She also noted that besides
Governor Okowa's
achievements , the PDP was a
peoples-oriented party which
she said has positively
touched the lives of Deltans
right from the administration
of former Governor James
Onanefe Ibori, " so PDP
remains the party to beat in
Delta State".
She hailed the PDP
leadership at the state and
local government levels for
the emergence of female
candidates in vice
chairmanship and
councillorship positions in
most local government areas
in the forthcoming council
elections .

PAGE 28 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
BY KEHINDE
OLAOSEBIKAN
TOMORROW, March 1,
2021, in faraway Geneva,
Switzerland, Nigerians will
be completing the takeover of
the leaderships of trading bureaucracies
as they affect Africa
and the world as a whole.
Nigeria-born Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
in a historic engagement
assumes the position of
the Director General of the
World Trade Organization
(WTO), as the first woman, first
African, to occupy the coveted
global seat this Monday.
She will be joining and leading
her fellow Nigerian brothers,
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President
of the African Development
Bank (AfDB) and Professor
Benedict Okey Oramah,
President and Board Chairman
of African Import-Export
Bank (Afreximbank), who have
been in charge of trade and
commerce of the African continent
for over Five years now,
in the administration and promotion
of trade across the
globe.
Essentially, Dr. Okonjo Iweala
as the DG of WTO would be
administering world trade organisations’
trade agreements,
providing for trade negotiations,
handling trade disputes,
monitoring national trade pol-
BY LEVINUS
NWABUGHIOGU
HIS name resonates
across the political
firmament for the positives.
He is tenacious, resilient
and unequivocal.
His candour is vexatious,
yet he speaks with some
enigmatic, mythical valour
and philosophical temerity.
From a tortuous, stifling
political background in a
sub-national scene in
1999, he has continued to
rise in geometrical progression,
weathering the
stormy shrills of betrayal
to becoming an Iroko, a
political colossus to the
utter amazement of the
marauding forces and to
the administration of his
supporters.
Anyone with an impeccable
sense of political history
of Abia State at the
dawn the 4th republic, precisely
between 1999 and
Okonjo-iweala, Adesina, Oramah rule the world of trade,
commerce
mittee on Information
from 2011 – 2015, a position
for which he worked
as the Spokesman of the
Senate.
Abaribe was also appointed
Chairman Senate
Committee on Power, Steel
Development and Metallurgy
from 2015 – 2019
and at the inauguration of
the 9th senate on June 11,
2019, he emerged the Minority
Leader.
Undoubtedly, Abaribe’s
legislative imprints at the
national parliament are
big and boldly seen beyond
his immediate Abia
South Senatorial District.
To the people of Abia
South Senatorial District
whom he represents,
Abaribe has recorded very
unassailable achievements.
For Ndigbo, the people
of the south east, the Senator
has continued to proicies,
providing technical assistance
and training for developing
countries, and ensuring
cooperation with other international
organizations.
Dr. Adesina blazed the trail
on May 28, 2015 when he
emerged as the first Nigerian
to lead the AfDB charged with
the development of trade and
commerce in Africa. Erudite,
versatile and ever innovative,
Adesina served meritoriously
in that position for five years
and the tyranny and bullying
of the immediate past President
of the United States of
America, Mr. Donald Trump
was not potent enough to deny
him a second term in office. He
did well as the helmsman of
AfDB and the board of the bank,
and indeed the entire world appreciated
and rewarded him
with a second term in office.
Closely following Adesina’s
steps, Professor Oramah was
first appointed as the President
of Afreximbank on September
21, 2015 and with stellar performance
matched with profound
and stainless conduct,
the University of Ibadan Agricultural
Economics graduate
BY BOB CHIMUNAYA
IBENEME
IN a tribute to his friend
Comrade Issa Aremu on
his 60th birthday, Dr Alex Otti
had narrated how in his early
years as a bachelor a certain
landlord had overturned
a previous housing arrangement
with his friend, Issa,
with whom he was sharing
an apartment and made him
‘Alex’ vacate his room without
prior notice and he “The
Son of man” had nowhere to
lay his head!”
My path with this “Son of
man” crossed during the
2015 Abia gubernatorial
election. We have an Abia
State Diaspora group based
in US and Canada which I
happened to be the Secretary
of. In the course of searching
for a gubernatorial candidate
that our group in Diaspora
will support, we had
to do a lot of background
check. After much research
and background enquiries
our group settled for the then
bank MD who was contesting
the gubernatorial election
in Abia.
Our group, consisting of
mainly well-informed politically
conscious professionals
in the United States and Canada,
had worked independently
and we unanimously
agreed to support Otti as our
preferred candidate.
For the most part, in this
part of the world that we live
in, people are respected when
their stories portray a humble
beginning that sprouts
success through self-discipline,
dedication, hard work
and perseverance irrespective
of the challenges their
background had posed.
Otti’s background had
been an excellent fit and
made him an easy choice for
us. In his case, this is a story
of a young man whose parents
had minimal income
that could barely sustain their
family daily living expenses
not to talk of sending their
children to the University.
Young Alex would have to
hawk on the street in the
*Benedict Oramah
was seamlessly appointed to
serve for another term of five
years unanimously by the
Board of the bank last year.
In his first term as the President
of Afreximbank, Prof.
Oramah transformed the
bank beyond the expectations
of the board. At all times, in
good, bad, progress and adversities,
he has effectively and
positively made the most of
the Afreximbank, navigating
and advancing African trade
through thick and thin.
With profound policies and
programmes, Oramah proactively
positioned the bank
to respond to the challenges
Abaribe: The Made-In-Aba Senator at 66
2003 would remember the
unsavory political trajectories
that dotted the time,
featuring Senator Enyinnaya
Abaribe as the deputy
governor of Abia State
under Senator Orji Uzo
Kalu.
Like always, Abaribe had
at the time stood against
certain misdemeanors in
the governance of the State
in most ardent manner,
warning against reducing
the state to an individual
fiefdom and a clubbed oligarchy.
He had warned
against personalizing our
common patrimony by a
gluttonous, power intoxicated
persons.
Of course, his stance became
a huge insult and
embarrassment to the political
forces at the time.
Expectedly, all hell was let
lose against him and pronto,
impeachment onslaughts
became in rife.
But a cat with nine lives,
Abaribe survived three different
ferocious impeachment
attempts on him by
the then State House of Assembly.
On March 7,
2003, he resigned his office
and opted to run for the
office of Governor against
the incumbent. This ambition
gave birth to Otuonu
Movement, a renaissance
that awakened the political
consciousness of many
geographical sections of
the state especially his
Ukwa/Ngwa nation made
up of 9 local government
areas.
Though the bid was unsuccessful,
the next move
in 2007, however, landed
Abaribe at the Senate of
the Federal Republic of
Nigeria where he has been
since then, presently serving
a fourth term.
At the Senate, Abaribe
has taken his philosophy
of good governance which
sits on the tripod of justice,
equity and fairness to a
of the Africa Free Trade Agreement
and resourcefully evolved
PATIMFA to mitigate the negative
effects of COVID 19 on
African trade and commerce.
Today, Afreximbank is a major
catalyst for trade and commerce
in Africa, ditto for the
AfDB under the leadership of
Adesina.
Overall, both Adesina and
Oramah have proved their mettle,
adding real values to the
AfDB and Afreximbank respectively
with the unprecedented
transformation of trade, commerce
and industry in the last
five years. They have done Nigeria,
their home country, really
proud.
Ascending the WTO highest
position with what can correctly
be described as the best of
credentials, preparedness, support
and confidence; Dr. Okonjo-Iweala
emerged the 7th President
of the 164 nation organisation
when the international
community was looking for a
leader who will not only be able
to exercise intellectual leadership
and diplomatic skills in
advancing the multilateral
agenda but who is also a good
communicator with strong
managerial skills.
More than ready to lead the
world, Okonjo Iweala’s immediate
response to her selection
confirmed that she was exactly
the most suitable person, the
person God has deliberately
prepared for the WTO leadership
for this very moment. Profusing
quality leadership, humility,
focus and seriousness,
she said: “I am honored to
have been selected by WTO
members as WTO Director
General. A strong WTO is vital
if we are to recover fully and
rapidly from the devastation
wrought by the COVID 19 pandemic.
I look forward to working
with members to shape
*Senator Enyinnaya
Abaribe
notch higher, showing a
predilection to the saying
that what is good for the
geese is also good for all.
Since his sojourn at the
Senate, Abaribe has held
many notable offices
which included Vice
Chairman, Senate Committee
on Inter-Paliamentary
Affairs 2007 – 2011;
Chairman Senate Com-
and implement the policy responses
we need to get the global
economy going again. Our
organization faces a great
many challenges but working
together we can collectively
make the WTO stronger, more
agile and better adapted to the
realities of today.”
As the Amazon at WTO
works towards giving the world
a stronger, more active and
better trading structure and the
duo of Adesina and Oramah
see to the realization of the
much desired an African Integrated
market for the greatest
benefits of Africans and the
world, Nigeria will continue to
earn greater prestige even more
than the bumper one at hand
today. It is a moment to be
proud of being a Nigerian. It is
also a time for all of us to be
more dedicated, committed to
the cause of our motherland
and contribute our best in
whatever we are doing and
wherever we find ourselves.
Contnues on www.
vanguardngr.com
*Olaosebikan is the
CEO of Midas Communications,
a global PR firm.
ALEX OTTI: ‘Son of man’ turns 56
*Dr Alex Otti
morning before going to
school to help make ends
meet. He ended up going to
the University of Port Harcourt
against all odds, graduating
with a first class in
economics and the best student
overall with the highest
GPA. He eventually rose
to the peak of his career by
attaining the height of a
bank Managing Director in
Nigeria. It was indeed a
perfect choice and easy for
us to support his candidacy.
Over the years, in the
course of interacting with
Otti, I found out that there is a
lot of special attributes attached
to this one man that
have earned my admiration
and great respect. My grandfather
used to say “Sabi book
no be sabi sense”. Not only has
Otti proven to be an academic
genius; he also has the native
wisdom, which for the
most part is very essential to
be successful in life.
To me people don’t care
much about you until you
show how much you care
about them. In 2018, kidnappers
abducted my mother in
my village. I had reached out
to some of my contacts. Otti
was far away in Germany but
he followed up with me almost
on daily basis until my
mother was released. He has
always been there for me and
my family both in good and
bad times and so he is to
many of his friends some of
whom he has kept close relationships
for as long as
40years and still counting. In
him I find a man whose loyalty
to true friendship is parallel
to none.
Over these years I have
tried to study Otti through
some of his actions, decisions
and stand on issues and
found him to be a true leader
in every definition of leadership
and an administrator
par excellence. He has exhibited
boldness where a lot of
leaders will shiver, he has
stood by the truth where most
men will bend in order to be
politically correct and he has
judged men not by what people
say about them but based
on the content of their character
as they have proven to
him. His ability to be calm
and rationale in the midst of
a storm is a rare gift and hardly
will there be a problem
with him not having a solution
or an idea of solving the
problems. His versatility in
almost every sector of the
economy be it banking, energy,
telecom, Information
Technology etc is outstanding.
In our home state of Abia,
Otti has carved his name on
stone and has made himself
from obscurity to sublime.
Hardly will you mention Otti
in any village in Abia that
both the old and young will
not know him. This is not just
because he had contested elections
in the state, but because
of his humanitarian deeds
and developmental strides in
various communities.
Contnues on www.
vanguardngr.com
•Ibeneme, an engineer,
writes from United States.
tect their interests in matters
of national significance.
In fact, if there is a
voice so firm and loud
against the marginalization
of Ndigbo, it is that of
Abaribe.
Consequently, many
have reasoned that though
the world has regrettably
become enmeshed in some
moral cataclysmic earthquake
and political subterfuge,
Abaribe still belongs
to the circle of men
who by God’s unlimited
grace are holding so tenaciously
to their creed of decency;
men who in their
inmost souls are true and
honest; men who are not
for sale. Consequently,
they see him as the last
man standing.
Contnues on www.
vanguardngr.com

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 29
Arsenal boss rates Ndidi’s Leicester high
ahead EPL clash
*Ndidi
There is no luck behind
Leicester City’s rise
into the Premier League’s
top four, Arsenal manager
Mikel Arteta has said.
In his assessment of the
Foxes ahead of today’s
clash, the Gunners boss
praised the club’s smart recruitment
and the development
of the players under
Brendan Rodgers, saying
they “totally deserve” to be
third in the table.
City sit 15 points clear of
Arsenal ahead of the clubs’
meeting, albeit it was the
north London side that enjoyed
greater success in
Europe this week, beating
Benfica 3-2 in their ‘home’
leg in Greece to make the
last 16, while Rodgers’ men
were knocked out by Slavia
Prague.
“They’ve been really consistent
in the league,” Arteta
said at his pre-match
press conference. “I think
they’ve done a lot of good
things, there’s not any luck
or anything like that in how
they’ve developed as a
team.
“Obviously they have a really
good manager, a great
coaching staff and they
have made a lot of good decisions
in the last few seasons.
“They have built a way of
playing which is completely
suited to their recruitment
policy they have, and with a
bit of time the quality that
they had already in the team
– plus some young talents
that they have recruited and
experienced players they already
have – they have a really
good mixture.
“I think they totally deserve
the position they are
in at the moment.”
U-17 AFCON: Eaglets thrash
Bayern Munich sponsored
side
Eaglets’ prepara
tions for the U-17
Africa Cup of Nations
received a boost with
their 5-1 thrashing of a
Bayern Munich sponsored
side yesterday in
Abuja.
The Eaglets will kick off
their campaign of the
tournament with a game
LeBron James hits back at Ibrahimovic over
political jibes
LeBron James has hit
back at Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s
claim that athletes
like him should keep
out of politics and stick to
their sport.
The AC Milan forward
called out the basketball
icon on Friday, saying that
he was taking advantage
of his status.
The Los Angeles Lakers
star, famously told to “shut
up and dribble” by television
presenter Laura Ingraham,
has been outspoken
about non-sporting issues
throughout his career and
has now felt compelled to
respond to the Swedish
striker’s comments.
“[LeBron] is phenomenal
at what he’s doing, but I
don’t like it when people
have some kind of status,
they go and do politics at
the same time,” Ibrahimovic
told Discovery+ in
Sweden.
But the James replied:
“It’s funny that he’s (Ibrahimovic)
said that because
I believe back in 2018 he’s
the same guy who said that
when he was back in Sweden,
he was talking about
the same things. Because
his last name wasn’t a certain
last name, he felt like
there was some racism going
on while he was out on
the pitch… right?
Woods in good spirits after
horror car crash
Tiger Woods is in
“good spirits” as he
continues to be treated in
hospital following a serious
car accident in Los
Angeles.
A statement posted to
the legendary golfer’s
Twitter account said that
he received successful
“follow-up procedures”
on Friday to treat his injuries.
“Tiger and his family
want to thank you all for
the wonderful support
and messages they have
received over the past
*Tiger Woods
few days,” the update
added.
Woods was moved to
the Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center on Thursday
in the next stage of his
recovery.
Open fractures to the
45-year-old’s tibia and
fibula - and further injuries
to his foot and ankle
- had been stabilised
during surgery with the
insertion of a rod, screws
and pins.
But the severity of his
injuries, when coupled
with the fact that he was
already sidelined following
a fifth back operation,
means his professional
golfing career is
now hanging in the balance.
Investigators have said
that Woods survived
“what would otherwise
have been a fatal crash”
on Tuesday morning because
the interior of his
vehicle had remained
largely intact.
“He did say that, right?
Yeah. I thought he said
that. I speak from a very
educated mind. I’m the
wrong guy to go at because
I do my homework.”
James was named The
Associated Press’ Male Athlete
of the Year in 2020 after
leading the Lakers to
the NBA title, marking the
fourth time he’d claimed
the award.
*James
against
N
Tanzania on
March 14, before playing
Algeria and Congo.
However, according to
SCORENigeria reports
officials of Bayern Munich
are not happy with
the loss of their team to
the Eaglets, they sensed
that such loss could hurt
their brand.
Super Eagles and
former Bayern Munich
defender Gernot Rohr
watched the friendly
played. And he urged
the team to keep their
heads high in Morocco,
because some them
could make it straight to
the Super Eagles.
“In my first match
against Tanzania in Uyo,
I took one U-17 player in
2016. You know who?
Victor Osimhen,” added
Rohr.
“He came from the U-
17 team. “So, you boys
are already close (to Super
Eagles).”
Barca reignite title hopes,
down Sevilla 2-0
Barcelona reignited
their title hopes after
Lionel Messi and Ousmane
Dembele scored in a
2-0 victory over Sevilla
yesterday to put them two
points behind Atletico
Madrid.
Atletico still have two
games in hand, the first of
those coming against
sixth-placed Villarreal today,
but a dip in form from
La Liga’s leaders has given
their chasing rivals
hope.
Barca looked dead and
buried a few weeks ago but
this was their ninth win out
of 10 in La Liga, a surge
that has put them back in
contention, with Atletico
playing against Real
Madrid next weekend.
Sevilla started the day as
arguably the form team at
the top, having won all of
their last six league games,
the last five of those without
conceding a goal. But
they were second best at the
Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, a
dominant performance
from Barcelona exposing
them still as slightly short
of Spain’s top three.
It also creates an intriguing
back-drop to Wednesday’s
Copa del Rey semifinal
second leg when these
two teams meet again,
with Barca hoping to overturn
a 2-0 deficit at Camp
Nou.
Pedri and Ronald Araujo
could be doubts after both
were substituted in the second
half with what looked
like injury problems.
*Usoro
Tokyo 2020: Usoro leaps
qualification standard, competition
arrives for Brume
By Ben Efe
Former junior athlete Ruth Usoro, had heads turning
on Friday night when she leapt 6.82m in the women
long jump event at the NCCA Big 12 Championships in
Lubbock Texas, USA.
Usoro who was discovered by late coach Adu Uruemu,
with the jump, met the Olympic qualification standard
for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan.
She has also brought local competition for World
Championships bronze medallist, Ese Brume. Brume who
was sixth at the last Olympics in Rio, Brazil has a personal
best of 7.01m and won bronze with 6.91m at the
Doha World Championships in 2019.
Certainly Nigeria can now boast of two world class
long jumpers and it will be an exciting prospect to see
Brume and Usoro compete. Chioma Ajunwa still holds
the women’s record for the event with 7.12m since Atlanta
1996 Olympics.
Usoro, also good at the triple jump, set a national
record of 14.28m in January, to erase Chinoye Ohadugha’s
41.21m set at the 2017 All Africa Games. It was
Usoro’s first jump of the season.
“It is a heartwarming performance from the young
lady. She has proved to be very consistent this season
and we are hoping to see more of such from her.
“Certainly, we can now boast of two athletes we are
sure can give us medals, with the right kind of preparations
for the Tokyo 2020 Games,” said former African
tripple jump champion and Athletics Federation of Nigeria
board member, Rosa Collins.
Iheanacho steps up for
battle against Gunners
L
eicester coach Brendan Rodgers, is banking
on Kelechi Iheanacho to fill in the gap for
James Maddison in today’s Premier League clash
against Arsenal.
Leicester City will be without their first-choice attacking
midfielder for the match and his usual replacements,
Dennis Praet and Ayoze Perez, are fit
either.
Last Thursday against Slavia Prague, Rodgers
moved Youri Tielemans forward, but he admitted that
did not work, and so it is likely that the Belgian will
drop into his usual deeper role for the visit of the
Gunners.
One bonus is that Iheanacho is now available after
a midweek suspension, and he could be the man
Rodgers turns to.
Mass confusion as ref disallows
Brighton’s goal
EPL referee, Lee Mason sparked mass confu
sion during West Brom’s clash with Brighton
yesterday.
The Seagulls endured a frustrating first-half at the
Hawthorns as they trailed to Kyle Bartley’s 11thminute
goal and then missed the chance to equalise
from the penalty spot through Pascal Gross.
And it got worse for Brighton when Lewis Dunk
thought he had equalised when his quick free-kick
caught out West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone
in the 29th minute.
Despite blowing his whistle for Dunk to take the
free-kick, referee Mason disallowed the goal, which
led to protests from Brighton players.
In a manic five minutes, Mason then allowed the
goal to stand, only for VAR to rule it out due to the
official blowing his whistle a second time before the
ball had crossed the line.
The free-kick was eventually retaken by Dunk,
whose effort was comfortably saved by Dunk.

PAGE 30 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021

SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021, PAGE 31

SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
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