13042021 - Many feared dead, injured, 3 villages sacked in Ebonyi

Ayiri Emami remains Editors seek Our cement
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Ologbotsere — IYATSERE for media other countries
•Olu of Warri's selection followed due
12
8 —DANGOTE
process – OONI OF IFE organisations
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Money printing: LCCI lists more ills of Ways & Means
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VOL. 27: NO. 64312 TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
Many feared dead, injured,
3 villages sacked in Ebonyi
•Houses burnt as suspected assailants attack Ebonyi community •Only 4 persons were
killed—STATE GOVT•We’re yet to confirm whether they are herdsmen or Agila people-
—MONARCH•They were not herdsmen —EBONYI GOVT •I haven’t seen my husband;
my husband’s brother was killed — VICTIM•People sleeping had their heads chopped
off — SURVIVOR•South-East Govs get knocks, commendations over Ebube Agu
FG begs,
as striking
judicial
workers
remain
adamant
14
Sultan
confirms
sighting of
moon,
says
Ramadan
fast begins
today 26
Ballots,
not courts,
should decide
election
8
winners
—JONATHAN
COLUMNIST
INSECURITY IN BORNO...
Gov Babagna Zulum of Borno State (M) Senators Kashim Shettima (Borno Central), Mohammed Ali
Ndume (Borno South) and Abubakar Kyari (Borno North), joined by Borno’s caretaker chairman of
APC, Ali Dalori, after a meeting with Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru over insecurity in
Borno, yesterday.
Resident doctors threaten to
resume strike in 4 weeks
if demands are not met
Criminal elements planning
attack on airports —FG 8
Kukah asks
govs to
14 address
religious
uprising in
North
DAKUKU PETERSIDE 16 ERIC TENIOLA 18
COVID-19 pandemic long
way from over — WHO
•NPHCDA partners ICPC
on vaccine security
7
20
See
inside
Mr & Mrs
5

2 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 3

4 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

vanguardnews
@vanguardnews
@vanguardnews
NEWS HOTLINES
018773962,
08052867058
Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021— 5
POCKET CARTOON
ing refuge in Ukwu-Agba
market square in Ngbo
community.
COMMISSIONING—Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma(2nd
right) cuts the tape to commission the female hostel at Nigerian Naval School
of Finance and Logistics, Owerrinta built by Central Bank of Nigeria. With
him are Dr Okezie Ikpeazu (3rd left), Vice Admiral Awwal Z Gambo (right)
and others.
Many feared dead, injured,
3 villages sacked in Ebonyi
• Houses burnt as suspected assailants attack Ebonyi
community•Only 4 persons were killed – State govt •We’re yet
to confirm whether they are herdsmen or Agila people -—
Monarch•They were not herdsmen - Ebonyi govt•I haven’t seen
my husband; my husband’s brother was killed — Victim•People
sleeping had their heads chopped off — Survivor•S’East Govs
get knocks, commendations over Ebube Agu
By Anayo Okoli,
Peter Okutu,
Chinedu Adonu &
Steve Oko
BARELY 24 hours af
ter the South-East
Governors Forum announced
formation of its
regional security outfit,
EbubeAgu, some Ebonyi
villages were again in
focus yesterday as many
people were feared
killed, following an attack
allegedly carried
out by some assailants
on the villages at Ngbo
in Ohaukwu Local Government
Area.
But the state government
controverted survivors
of the attack who
claimed many people
died, saying only four
persons lost their lives.
This attack came just
two weeks after 25 persons
were killed in four
communities in the state
by suspected herdsmen.
While the state government
attributed yesterday’s
attack to indigenes
of Agila community in
Benue State, villagers in
Ngbo community who
spoke to newsmen, described
them as herdsmen.
When newsmen visited
the affected community,
people were seen running
away from the affected
villages as sporadic
gunshots were still
being heard within the
area, even as houses
were burnt down.
Some victims of the attack
were said to be tak-
Traditional
ruler reacts
The traditional ruler of
Umuogodo-Akpu Community
in Ngbo, Eze
Godwin Ugadu-Ogba,
explained that he heard
that herdsmen were killing
his people.
"I am the king of this
community and my name
is His Royal Highness,
Chief Godwin Ugadu-
Ogba. Early morning today
(yesterday), I heard
rumours that herdsmen
were chasing my people,
killing them, burning
their houses.
"So, I called the Chief
Security Officer, Leonard
Igwe, to invite security
men and find out if it
was true. Within a few
minutes, I also heard the
army and other security
men were going to the
scene of the attack.
"I am expecting that
they will visit me before
going but I have not
seen them. Then, I’m
also waiting for information
from subjects living
nearby that place because
I am too big to tell
lies. I need correct information.
"So, I am still waiting
for their report but what
I know is that whether
it’s herdsmen or Agila
people of Ado Local Government
Area of Benue
State, my people are
being killed, their houses
are burnt and their
properties destroyed.
That is all I know.
"Otuebu Elebe, Iguduobu
and Obodocha villages
were affected. I
think when they heard
that the military were
coming, they ran back,
according to information
given to me. Many people
said they saw dead
bodies.
"Many people sustained
injuries — on
their heads, on their bodies
and these are according
to information given
to me and I can say it is
true because my house
boy who went there came
back and reported to me
but I’m still waiting for
information from the
very place that was affected.”
’Attackers came
through border
town’
It was gathered that the
attackers invaded Ebele
village through Agila
community, a border
town between Ebonyi
and Benue states.
Vanguard learned that
the attackers started
shooting sporadically in
the air with the intention
to sack the residents of
the area. Residents of
the affected villages
have fled their homes.
When contacted, the
Commissioner for Internal
Security, Border
Peace, Mr. Stanley
Emegha Okoro, confirmed
the attack.
Emegha said there was
still confusion as to
whether the attackers
were herdsmen based in
Ebonyi or Agila people
in Benue State who have
an age-long communal
dispute with Ngbo community.
Emegha: “Some people
said it is Agila people,
while others said it is
herdsmen. But we don’t
know the actual people
that carried out the attack.
We can’t say exactly
what happened. This
happened in the night
and we heard about it
this morning.”
Police confirm
Commissioner of Police
Ebonyi State command,
CP Garba Aliyu, also
confirmed the attack,
adding that officers of
the command had been
deployed to the conflict
zone to repel the attackers
from the area.
“We are yet to get any
report from there. I have
not been around and so
I’m waiting for details
from my officers,” he
said.
It was gathered that
many have allegedly lost
their lives, following the
development as houses
of innocent indigenes of
the area had been burnt
down.
Ebonyi State government
had last Wednes-
Continues on Page 27
By Yinka Latona
On strike by JUSUN to demand autonomy for Judiciary
I
don’t think the
Judiciary has been
treated right. The executive
and legislative arms of
government are well taken
care of, why not the
Judiciary? Without financial
autonomy, the Judiciary is
not free at all. I will
encourage those at the
helm of affairs to please do
the needful because no
nation will progress without
a functional Judiciary.
—Goke Aniyeloye,
Cleric
In as much as I support
the aim of the strike, which
is to demand for compliance
with the constitutional
provisions and the Executive
Order on financial autonomy,
it’s obvious the strike will
affect not only lawyers but
other court users. The strike
should be suspended and
the agitation continue
through less disruptive
means.
—Constance Uruakpa,
Writer
JUSUN has every right
to continue with the
strike without looking
back until all the promises
are fulfilled. A report says
that the Accountant-
General of the Federation
is mandated to deduct
from the state account
which I believe no
governor can alter. Why
then are they refusing to
comply with the
President’s order?
—Ademola Fagbemi,
Fashionprenuer
I
think the timing of the
strike is wrong. JUSUN
is aware that the court has
been on recess for long due
to COVID-19 pandemic. I
thought that the judicial
workers would have
explored other avenues to
drive home their demands
rather than embark on
strike. Their action would
affect the lawyers and the
general public.
—Hannah Dosu,
Medical personnel
The strike action
embarked upon by
the Judiciary Staff
Union of Nigeria,
JUSUN, is part of signs
of neglect of the
judiciary which in my
opinion, was
responsible for all forms
of criminal activities in
Nigeria, hence the need
for the full
implementation of its
autonomy.
—Olasunkanmi Fatai,
Makeup artist
Why is it that the
governors’ forum is
not ready to implement
the autonomy? I think
they did not want it to
see the light of the day
in their respective states.
Without autonomy, the
principles of checks and
balances and separation
of power will be dead.
—Mr. Edem Chuks,
Wood maker

6— Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
Bandits kill
7-month-old
baby, father in
Zangon Kataf
By Ibrahim
HassanWuyo
A
seven-year-old boy and his
father were, yesterday, killed
by bandits that invaded Zangon
Kataf Local Government Area of
Kaduna State.
The bandits also reportedly
burnt down seven houses, one
car and a motorcycle.
Kaduna State Commissioner
Internal Security and Home
Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, who
confirmed the attack, said:
“Security agencies have reported
that bandits attacked Wawan Rafi
II village in Zangon Kataf Local
Government Area this morning
(Monday).
“According to the report, two
persons were killed in the attack,
a man and his seven-year-old
son.
“Also, seven houses, one car
and a motorcycle were burnt.”
He added that security
personnel had been mobilised to
the area to repel the assailants.
Foundation
fetes Isoko
widows, elderly
By Emma Okogba
MICHAEL Ujiro Foundation,
MUF, has presented cash gifts
and food items to over 120
households, widows, persons with
disabilities and the elderly drawn
from communities across Isoko in
Delta State.
The presentation ceremony was
held at the country home of the
founder of the Foundation, Chief
Michael Ujiro (Eloviano of Igbide
Kingdom), in Oleh.
One of the coordinators of the
programme, Evans Egbo, explained
that the exercise was the foundation’s
little way of sharing the joy of the
restoration of mankind occasioned
by the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ commemoration.
He stated that the initiative was
borne out of the foundation’s desire
in ensuring that every household in
Isoko has something to eat.
Earlier, members of the MUF and
the beneficiaries prayed for the peace,
progress and unity of Isoko, Delta
and the Nigeria nation.
The foundation is currently
undertaking training of selected
youths in tailoring, ICT, welding,
ICT, make-up costume, electrical
and aluminium works under its
Michael Ujiro Skills Acquisition
Programme, MUFSAP.
9 injured in multiple auto accident in Lagos
By Bose Adelaja
NINE people, yesterday,
sustained injuries in a multiple
accident at Okegbegun, Sagamu
Road area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The accident, which occurred
inward Ikorodu, involved a
containerised truck; an Accura MDS
Wagon car with number plate
LAGOS EPE 313 GL; Toyota Venza,
with number plate, JJJ 787 AE; a
tricycle and commercial motorcycle
at about 1.00 pm.
The injured persons were the
truck driver, a motor boy and seven
passengers.
It was gathered that the driver of
the containerised truck journeying
inward Ikorodu had suffered brake
failure at First Gate bus stop while
in the same direction with the other
vehicles, tricycle and motorcycle.
An eyewitness said on noticing
that the truck had brake failure, road
users and residents scampered for
safety but the other vehicles were
unlucky as the truck brushed them,
inflicting some damage on them but
the tricycle was damaged beyond
repair while its passengers were all
injured and were rushed to a nearby
hospital.
The eyewitness added: “The truck
driver was unconscious for a while
before he was revived by
sympathisers and thereafter taken
to a nearby hospital.
“However, the driver was said to
have exhibited a high level of
experience to have averted massive
destruction of lives and property by
swerving onto the ditch side of the
road.”
When Vanguard arrived at the
scene, a mild drama ensued as the
tricyclist on noticing that the truck
driver had been revived insisted that
he must replace the damaged
tricycle but the tricyclist was shouted
down by sympathisers around, who
ordered him out of the scene.
The owner of the Acura car, who
did not want his name in print, said
he was taking his brother for a
medical check-up when the incident
occurred.
One of the victims, a female, was
seen gasping for breath but
sympathisers took
her to the hospital.
Some residents
urged the
government to find
a lasting solution to
the incessant
accidents at the
Okegbegun axis.
Man arrested for killing 6-month pregnant wife
By Esther Onyegbula
THE Lagos State Police Command
has arrested one Anthony Ikpeama
over his alleged involvement in the
death of his pregnant wife, Adaeze .
He was alleged to have beaten 28-
year-old Adaeze to a coma at their
Lagos residence last Saturday.
Neighbours, who witnessed the fight
rushed her to an undisclosed hospital,
where she was placed on oxygen.
Not done, the suspect was alleged to
have gone to the hospital and removed
the oxygen mask, causing her to breathe
her last.
He immediately fled the vicinity and
took cover at Ajah area of Lagos, where
he was arrested.
A neighbour, who spoke to
Vanguard, revealed that trouble started
for the deceased shortly after her
marriage to Ikpeama in 2014, as her
husband turned her into a punching
bag, even after having two children for
her husband.
The neighbour, who spoke on
The Suspect, Anthony. The late Adaeze.
condition of anonymity, said: “Even
when relatives from both sides
intervened several times by pleading
with the suspect to stop beating his wife,
he remained adamant and continued
to beat the poor lady any time they
disagreed. COVID-19 and the
subsequent lockdown resulting to
staying at home made the domestic
violence worse as it became a daily
ritual.”
Confirming the arrest, spokesperson
for the Lagos State Police Command,
CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who
confirmed the incident, said, “ the
‘woman died on April 10, 2021, after
she was admitted for pregnancyrelated
complications. The suspect,
Anthony Ikpeama, has been arrested.
The Commissioner of Police has
ordered that the matter be transferred
to State CID for proper investigation.
Police sergeant dismissed for shooting girlfriend in Lagos
By Evelyn Usman
A
Police sergeant, Eze
Aiwansoba, attached to Special
Protection Unit, Base 16, Ikeja,
Lagos who shot his girlfriend, Joy
Ndubueze, last October at
Salvation Road, in Opebi area of
Ikeja, has been dismissed from the
Nigeria Police Force.
The duo were reportedly in a
relationship until the lady decided
to quit over physical abuse by the
policeman. However, the police
sergeant accused her of cheating on
him
A verbal confrontation ensued
between the duo at the bus stop that
fateful night and the policeman fired
a shot at Ndubueze in the face,
causing other frightened commuters
to scamper in different directions.
On noticing the magnitude of his
deed, the policeman fled the scene,
abandoning dying Ndubueze to her
fate. Fortunately, she survived at the
hospital where she was rushed to.
During an investigation on his
whereabouts, the sergeant was
discovered to be off duty and not
issued a police rifle or arms as at
the time of the incident.
He later underwent an Orderly
Room Trial after he was fished out
at the State Criminal Investigation
Department, SCID, Yaba, where he
was found culpable.
The Lagos State Police Public
Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa
Adejobi, said: “The Commissioner
of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem
Odumosu, ordered for the orderly
room trial of the suspect where he
was found guilty and recommended
for dismissal. The approval for his
dismissal was contained in a letter
numbered PC. 458465/LS/DFA/2,
dated 2nd February 2021.
“After his dismissal, ex-Sergeant
Eze Aiwansoba was transferred to
the State Criminal Investigation
Department for prosecution via letter
numbered AR:3100/LS/SPM/Vol.2/
311 dated 3rd February 2021.
“The State CID had written a letter
to the Director of Public Prosecution,
Lagos State, for legal advice, which
was eventually replied. It noted that
the sergeant should be charged to
court for attempted murder contrary
to Section 230, Criminal Law of
Lagos State, 2015.
"The ex-sergeant was charged to
Magistrate's Court, Yaba, on
February 9, 2021, with attempted
murder of Joy Ndubueze. The case
is still on."
TOP: The ill-fated truck; LEFT: One of
the injured persons and the mangled
tricycle. Photo: Bose Adelaja.
15 traders
abducted in
Katsina
•They were 9, not 15
—Police
By Bashir Bello
GUNMEN suspected to be
bandits reportedly abducted
no fewer than 15 traders travelling
in a commercial vehicle along the
Tsaskiya-Ummadau road in Safana
Local Government Area of Katsina
State.
In a swift reaction, the Katsina
State police command said persons
abducted were nine and not 15.
It was gathered that the incident
happened at about 3 pm on Sunday
when the traders conveyed in J5
with number plate, KZR 345 ZT,
were returning from Jibia market.
A source in the area, Aliyu
Rumawa, said the gunmen
numbering 20 upon seeing the
vehicle shoot sporadically into the
air to cause chaos and after which
they whisked away 15 of the 18
passengers travelling in the vehicle.
The source said: “Fifteen of 18
passengers in the vehicle were
taken away by the bandits,
numbering about 20 and heavily
armed."
Spokesperson, Katsina State
Police Command, Gambo Isah, told
journalists that only nine of the
victims were abducted out of which
four were rescued and five others
whisked away.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 7
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
FIDAU PRAYER:
All Progressives
Congress National
Leader, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu
(right); former
secretary to the
Government of
the Federation,
Babachir Lawal
(middle), and
Adamawa State
Governor,
Ahmadu Fintiri,
during the 3-day
Fidau prayers for
late Dr. Mahmud
Tukur, at the
Wakili Chambers
family
compound, in
Yola.
APC now its own biggest opposition,
PGF DG raises alarm
By Omeiza Ajayi
AGeneral BUJA—DIRECTOR
of the Progressive
Governors' Forum PGF,
Salihu Moh. Lukman has
tasked leaders of the All
Progressives Congress
APC to take steps to save it
from electoral unviability,
saying the ruling party was
now its own biggest opposition.
Lukman in a statement
which x-rayed the electoral
chances of the party
ahead of the 2023 general
election, said the Peoples
Democratic Party PDP and
others are now just "shadowy"
opposition parties
whose electoral victories are
largely dependent on the
failures of the APC.
"An inconvenient reality,
which every APC leader
and member, committed
and working to protect the
electoral viability of the party,
should be worried about
is that the strongest opponent
of the APC is within
the APC.
"The truth is, other parties,
especially the PDP, are
shadow opposition whose
electoral prospects are
largely dependent on the
outcome of internal contests
in the APC, mainly because
of the reckless and undisciplined
conducts of some
APC leaders.
"If anything, the lesson
from the 2019 elections,
which every APC leader
and member should be reminded
is that APC was
defeated in Rivers, Zamfara,
Bauchi, Adamawa,
Oyo and many other places
by aggrieved APC leaders
who worked against
candidates or leaders of the
party as a result of internal
disagreements around candidate
selections for Governorship
of these states.
''Such internal disagreement
almost cost the party
the loss of Imo State until
the Supreme Court confirmed
the victory of the
APC. In Ogun, it was a
traumatic victory. Kano State
governorship election certainly
had its baggage of
painful experiences.
''Lagos State was a shocking
narrow victory, no
thanks to avoidable chal-
lenges. Rambo political contest
led to the loss of Edo
State in the 2020 Governorship
election", he stated.
He said once APC can
manage the process of internal
contest for the emergence
of candidates of the
party for 2023 elections
such that all those who contested
with the winners can
accept the outcomes as well
as support the candidates,
it is possible for the party
to continue to enjoy all the
electoral advantages associated
with President Muhammadu
Buhari.
"How the party is able to
manage the process of internal
contest is now the
challenge. The biggest
problem in politics, which
compromises both leaders
and members and weaken
capacity to provide generic
support to candidates irrespective
of who emerges
Nigeria seeks global action against drug
trafficking, terrorism
By Kingsley
Omonobi
ABUJA—THE Federal
Government has called
for a well-coordinated international
cooperation to tackle
the links between drug trafficking
and all forms of organised
crime such as terrorism.
This was one of Nigeria's demands
at the ongoing 64th
session of the Commission on
Narcotic Drugs, CND, holding
in Vienna, Austria, presented
before the global audience
yesterday by the Chairman/Chief
Executive of the
National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency, NDLEA, Brig.
General Mohamed Buba
Marwa, retd.
Marwa said: “Nigeria calls
for robust international cooperation
to address the links
between drug trafficking and
terrorism, illicit financial
flows, smuggling of migrants
and other forms of organised
crime.
"We underscore the importance
of technical assistance
by UNODC, which has greatly
assisted practitioners of
•Decentralizes storage of finished
narcotic drugs for medical, scientific use
beneficiary countries and
positively impacted global efforts
to counter and address
the world drug problem, and
urge for their continuation.''
Emphasizing that Nigeria
has continued to adopt her
drug control policies and
strategies to respond to
emerging and evolving realities,
the NDLEA boss said despite
the implementation of
our framework and strategic
action plan, trafficking and
abuse of controlled substances
persist."First, the cultivation
and high traffic of Cannabis
and its abuse has been
on the increase.” According
to him, "our National Drug
Use Survey, 2019 revealed
that over 10 million persons
abused cannabis in one year.
"In similar pattern, the 2019
and 2020 World Drug Reports
identified cannabis as the
most abused substance with
its threat to security, health
and wellbeing of the global
population.
"Second, the trafficking and
non-medical use of synthetic
and pharmaceuticals opioids,
especially Tramadol, remains
a challenge.
is the personal ambitions
of leaders for elective and
appointive positions. Most
times, leaders and members
relate with challenges
based on estimation of
potentials to win support to
access elective and appointive
positions. Hardly
do leaders and members
take initiatives to resolve
challenges without some
associated expectations,
which could be linked to
opportunities to access elective
and appointive positions",
Lukman stated.
He also advised that certain
conditions be put in
place to regulate the conduct
of political leaders especially
elected representatives.
According to him, given
that APC has become the
go-to party in Nigerian politics,
the need to regulate
the conduct of party leaders
is paramount. "Inability
to develop the capacity
to regulate the conducts of
party leaders will be injurious
to the vision of developing
the APC as a truly
progressive party. As much
as it is a welcome development
that the party is winning
new members, there
must be corresponding effort
to regulate the conduct
of party leaders, based on
which efforts are made to
provide new orientation to
all party leaders, especially
the newcomers", he said.
Lukman added that part
of the reasons why the conduct
of party leaders must
be regulated has to do with
the need to ensure respect
for minimum standards of
internal political contests.
According to him, many
political leaders especially
people who contested primary
elections with successful
party candidates
expect some level of compensation
by way of accessing
other positions in government
especially appointive
positions.
“This is in spite of our domestic
control efforts as well
as two tripartite meetings, facilitated
by UNODC, involving
Nigeria, Ghana and India
held in New Delhi and Lagos
in 2019, to address the Tramadol
crisis.
"Nigeria, therefore, reiterates
that legalisation of the illicit
use of cannabis is a violation
of the Drug Control Treaties
while highlighting the urgent
need for change in the
control measures for Tramadol
and other pharmaceuticals,''
he said.
Gen. Marwa added that
Nigeria has decentralized the
storage of finished narcotic
drugs to ensure their access,
availability and affordability
for medical and scientific use.
He said as a result, "we are
now able to optimize data collection
and improve statutory
submission of annual requirement
to the INCB (International
Narcotics Control
Board) with the launch, in
2020, of our national quantification/estimation
survey,
conducted in 2017 and 2019
respectively.“ "We are also on
course to start local manufacturing
of narcotic medicines
from two WHO-prequalified
pharmaceutical manufacturers
to ensure availability and
meet national needs.''
With DSO, 1m jobs'll be generated
in 3 years —Lai Mohammed
By Dapo Akinrefon
LAGOS—THE Minister of
Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday,
expressed optimism
that the commencement of the
Digital Switch Over, DSO,
will generate 1 million jobs in
three years.
He also assured local industries
that the NBC Code has
been amended to curb monopoly
and exclusivity of programme
content.
The Information Minister
said this during a ministerial
Task force's engagement with
stakeholders in the broadcast
and entertainment industry in
Lagos.
He said the taskforce was
setup to quicken the pace of
the DSO rollout across the
country.
His words: "The Federal
Ministry of Information and
Culture considers the DSO as
one of its priority projects, because
of its potential to create
jobs, bring governance closer
to the people through better
access to information, thus
deepening democracy, bring
internet to millions of homes
and also provide quality programming,
especially those
produced locally, to Nigeria's
estimated 24 million television
households, with high fidelity
pictures and sound.
'To date, we have rolled out
the DSO in five states and
Abuja. The programme was
launched in Jos, Plateau State,
on April 30th 2016. Since
then, we have gone live in the
Federal Capital Territory,
Kwara State, Kaduna State,
Resident doctors threaten to
resume strike in 4 weeks,
if....
NATIONAL ASSOCIA
TION of Resident Doctors,
NARD, has threatened to
resume its recently suspended
strike in four weeks should the
Federal Government fail to
honour its agreement with it.
President of NARD, Dr Uyilawa
Okhuaihesuyi, who
gave the warning on behalf of
his colleagues when he featured
as a guest on Channels
Television's breakfast programme,
Sunrise Daily, said:
“We have been given a leap of
faith to believe in the system
and we hope and pray that the
system does not fail us.
“If it fails us, we don’t have
a choice but to call a meeting
in the next four weeks, which
is the timeline for this strike
that we suspended.
“If our demands are not met
in four weeks’ time, I think it
will go back to us going on
indefinite strike again.”
Members of the union had
embarked on strike on April
1, but the action was suspended
after 10 days, following a
meeting with the government
on Saturday.
In their demands, they
sought payment of all salaries
owed to all house officers, including
March salaries, and
payment of all salary arrears
for their colleagues in all Federal
(GIFMIS platform) and
State Tertiary Health Institutions
across the country, especially
ASUTH, IMSUTH,
and UNIMEDTH.
They also called for an upward
review of the current
hazard allowance to 50 per
cent of consolidated basic salaries
of all health workers, as
well as and payment of the
Enugu State and Osun State.
With the recent approval by
the Federal Executive Council
of outstanding payments
to key stakeholders in the
DSO Project, we are moving
rapidly to cover the remaining
31 states. We are kickstarting
the new rollout here
in Lagos State on April 29th
2021, Kano state on June 3rd
2021 and Rivers State on July
8th 2021. We will then follow
up with Yobe state on July 15th
2021 and Gombe state on
August 12th 2021.
"Without mincing words, let
me say straightaway that for
us, the DSO is about stimulating
local content and empowering
platform owners. It's
about creating jobs for our
teeming population, especially
the very creative youth population.
As I have said at many
fora, this project is capable of
generating 1 million jobs in
three years.
"The manufacturing of Set
Top Boxes or decoders alone
is capable of creating between
40 and 50 thousand jobs. TV
Production can create
200,000 jobs. Film Production
can generate 350 to 400,000
jobs. Distribution, which entails
supplying the market
with Set Top Boxes, TVs and
Dongles for the internet, will
require at least 100,000
wholesalers, retailers, electricians,
installers, marketers
and payment solution providers
in order to cover the entire
country, while TV and Online
Advertising can create a further
50,000 jobs: These are just
some of the job opportunities
from a successful DSO Project.
outstanding COVID-19 inducement
allowance, especially
in state-owned-tertiary
Institutions, among other issues
raised.
Giving an update on the
progress made so far since the
strike was suspended, Dr
Okhuaihesuyi acknowledged
that significant progress had
been made.
He said: “We have gained
something significant, but it
may not be enough to end the
strike because as we speak,
there is a meeting that is going
to hold concerning the
N5,000 hazard allowance today,
and with other health
workers on Wednesday.
“For the members we lost
to COVID-19 (17 members
were lost), we have been able
to reach an agreement that the
doctors and health workers
involved should be able to
make claims so that they can
benefit from the group insurance.”
On the demand for the house
officers’ payment, the NARD
president noted that they had
achieved at least about 75 –
80 per cent progress.
He confirmed that about
239 house officers had been
paid as of yesterday morning,
but noted some irregularities
with the payment.
“If we didn’t go on this
strike, we will not be able to
achieve the proposed review
of hazard allowance; if we
didn’t go on this strike, we
won’t be able to have them to
tell us that we should go and
make a supplementary budget
for those that have not
been paid Medical Resident
Training fund,” Dr Okhuaihesuyi
said.

8 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
:Vanguard
News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
AGM:
From left,
Company
Secretary,
Ardova Plc,
Mr. Oladeinde
Nelson-Cole;
Chairman,
Ardova Plc,
Abdul-Wasiu
Sowami; and
Chief Executive
Officer, Mr.
Olumide
Adeosun,
during the
company's
42nd Annual
General
Meeting in
Lagos, yesterday.
Photo: Joe
Akintola, Photo
Editor.
Editors seek govt incentives for media
organisations
By Henry Ojelu
LAGOS — The Nigerian
Guild of Editor has
asked the Federal Government
to treat media organisations
in the country as essential
service providers and
provide them with the needed
incentives to avert an imminent
collapse of the sector.
In a communiqué issued
after its standing committee
meeting held on April 9,
2021 in Enugu State, the
body of editors emphasized
the compelling need for
government intervention to
save the media from total
collapse, insisting that like
other essential service providers,
the media require incentives
from the government.
The Guild lists the required
government intervention
to include, but not limited
to, removal of tariffs on
all imported media consumables,
including newsprint
and broadcasting equipment;
to help protect jobs
and also ensure the continued
existence and operation
of the various media houses,
be they print, electronic
or new media.
The communique read:
‘’NGE also points out that
using public funds to finance
private sector operations to
save them from bankruptcy
and collapse is not new and
had been adopted in other
countries, including the United
States of America, where
government voted public
funds to save the US automobile
industry, the banking
sector and other sectors
from insolvency during the
financial crisis of 2008 and
currently the $2 trillion bailout
budget in 2020 for private
equities amid the COV-
ID-19 scourge.
‘’It recalled that the Nigerian
Government has at various
times in the past and
during the Covid-19 era, voted
public money as intervention
funds for other sectors
of the economy, including
the aviation industry, which
at this moment is largely private-sector
driven.
‘’It notes, however, that the
media appear to have been
excluded in virtually all government
interventions,
through such agencies as the
Central Bank and the Bank
of Industry, thus leaving the
media industry to trudge on
like an orphan.
‘’The Guild endorses the
position of Broadcasting
Organisations of Nigeria
(BON) and Newspaper Proprietors
Association of Nigeria
(NPAN), both of which
have made strong appeals to
the Federal Government for
financial intervention to ensure
that the media continue
to discharge their constitutional
duty, stressing that
the survival of the media is
essential in sustaining and
deepening democracy.
‘’It urges government at all
levels to see the media as
partners in development
and not as competitors or
meddlesome interlopers,
stressing that this will help
erase every form of suspicion
and mistrust that have
attended the relationship
between governments and
the media over the years.
‘’The Guild appeals to the
government and state actors
to always recourse to relevant
sections of the Nigerian
Constitution which give
power, responsibility and legitimacy
to the media to
hold public office holders
accountable to the people.
‘’It deplored the harassment
and continued detention
of some journalists
across the nation which runs
contrary to freedom of the
press and allied rights and
privileges conferred on the
media, to at all times, be free
to uphold the fundamental
objectives of freedom of expression
as enshrined in the
1999 Constitution.
‘’It also expressed worry at
the growing insecurity
across the nation and urges
the relevant security agencies
to step up their efforts to
contain the scourge. It
warned all individuals and
groups fanning the embers
of war, hate and divisions to
desist from such acts, as they
serve no good but do incalculable
damage to the fabric
of our national existence
and cohesion.
‘’The body of Editors congratulates
the newly-decorated
Acting Inspector General
of Police, Alkali Usman
Baba and urges him to ensure
that the war against
crimes and criminality, including
terrorism, kidnapping
and armed robbery, is
not only won but, that the
victory is sustained.’’
FG sets criteria for ambassadorial
appointments
By Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
ABUJA—THE Federal
Government has explained
that only trusted hands
with a track record of diligence,
experience and professionalism
in the Foreign Service
will be appointed into positions
of career ambassadors.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Geoffrey Onyeama, stated
this at a send-off dinner organised
in honour of Nigeria’s
Ambassador-designate to
the State of Qatar, Ambassador
Yakubu Ahmed, who is
also the outgoing Director of
Protocol (DOP) at State
House.
The Minister in a statement
issued by Mr. Abiodun Oladunjoye,
Deputy Director (Information),
State House, said
the appointment of Ahmed
and other career ambassadors
were predicated on posting
dedicated and keen Foreign
Service practitioners to
serve as image-makers of the
country. He said: “Ambassador
Yakubu Ahmed is a dedicated
professional with a penchant
for rigour and detail.
He is very capable and one of
the best in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
“He is personable, affable,
extremely friendly, dispassionate
and objective. He is going
to head a very important mission,
a very important country,
reckoned to be one of the
richest countries in the world,
per capita, and there’s a lot we
...As Presidency holds send forth
for Ambassador Yakubu Ahmed
will be doing with the State
of Qatar.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister
recalled that President Buhari
had visited the State of
Qatar in 2016 and the Emir
of Qatar, His Highness
Tamim Bin Hammad Al-
Thani reciprocated with a
State visit in 2019.
He said there had been discussions
with Qatar on partnership
with Nigeria’s Sovereign
Wealth Fund, for significant
investments in the region
of 5 billion dollars in the Nigerian
economy. He said: “It
is a weighty and strategic
country and very strategic in
that part of the world and we
are putting our best feet forward
to advance the interest
of our country economically
and in other areas.”
Speaking at the ceremony
held at the Old Banquet Hall,
Presidential Villa, Abuja, the
Deputy Chief of Staff to the
President, Adeola Rahman
Ipaye, described the honouree
as a “perfect gentleman, very
even-natured and always well
turned out.”
Ipaye said he had no doubt
that the newly appointed ambassador
would serve the
country well in Qatar, adding
that “we are further encouraged
that when he completes
this assignment he would return
to serve Nigeria in a higher
capacity.”
In his remarks, the Permanent
Secretary, State House,
Tijjani Umar, while congratulating
the outgoing DOP on
his appointment, lauded him
for excellent service to the
State House and the nation.
He said: “He served this
institution and the nation with
the deepest sense of responsibility
and it is very important
that we establish a tradition
where the system appreciates
those who have served it well
and those who will continue
to serve it well.”
The Permanent Secretary,
on behalf of the staff and
management of State House,
presented a gift to Ambassador
Ahmed, who attended the
dinner with his wife and children,
wishing him a successful
tenure in his duty tour.
Responding, the Ambassador-Designate
thanked President
Muhammadu Buhari for
the great honour and privilege
of making him his principal
representative in Doha,
Qatar.
He pledged to deplore his
energy and skill to the promotion
of the existing cordial relationship
between Nigeria
and Qatar, particularly in the
areas of economic, political,
cultural and consular affairs
as well as other key areas.
Ahmed, who joined Nigeria’s
Foreign Service in 1993,
said during his years in public
service, he had learned that
“patriotism, selfless service,
diligence, determination and
perseverance would always
result in the achievement of
the desired objective.”
Ballot, not courts should
decide election winners, says
Jonathan
By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA — Former President
Goodluck Jonathan,
has advocated the need for
legislation that will prevent
courts from declaring a winner
in an election. Speaking
with journalists yesterday in
Abuja, Jonathan insisted that
the situation where the judiciary
was allowed to declare
winners in an election because
of electoral fraud, should be
abhorred, since it is undemocratic.
He explained that the ballot
papers should be the only
means of choosing political
leaders, adding that when a
politician or the electoral system
is found wanting, the
courts should only be made to
order for a re-run and not to
declare a winner. “Ballot papers
should be the basis of selecting
political officeholders.
If it is the judiciary that should
select them then we are not
yet there,” Jonathan said.
“I am not saying the judiciary
is not doing well but our
laws should suppress the idea
of our judiciary returning candidates.
The ballots should
decide who occupies the councillorship
seat up to the presidency;
that is democracy.”
While lamenting a situation
whereby politicians use gifts to
sway voters during the electoral
process, the ex-President
called for punitive measures
against those who indulged in
the unwholesome act.
He noted that in Nigeria
where politicians induced voters
with money and foodstuff
on election day, such action is
a criminal offence in other African
countries.
“The problem we have in
Nigeria is the use of money to
induce some voters. Compared
to other African countries,
we spend too much money
here. Probably, we need to
review our laws because I have
observed a number of elections
in African countries.
“Here, if somebody is contesting
elections, you buy bags
of rice, wrappers, and all manner
of items to induce the electorates.
Ordinarily, our electoral
laws are supposed to frown
on such practices. If you do
that, you are supposed to be
disqualified from contesting in
the election. So these are the
things that make our elections
expensive. I think if the young
people are willing, things
should begin to change."
Criminal elements planning
attacks on airports, says FG
COVID-19 exposes potentials,
talents, creativity of nation’s
scientists — Buhari
By Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
ABUJA — PRESIDENT
Muhammadu Buhari
yesterday said that the COV-
ID-19 pandemic has exposed
the potential, talents and creativity
of the nation’s scientists.
Buhari, who stated this in his
speech delivered at a public
forum organized by the Nigerian
Academy of Engineering,
described Nigerian scientists
as worthy assets to be nurtured.
Represented by Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo, the
President commended Nigerian
engineers for the diversity
of their experience and
competence.
He said: “I think the pandemic
has truly opened up the
immense talents and creativity
of Nigerian scientists and
engineers and if the current
momentum is supported, the
LAGOS — The Federal
Airports Authority of Nigeria
(FAAN) says it has received
an alert from the ministry
of aviation over planned
attacks on airports across the
country.
This was contained in a
memo signed by S.M. Mamman,
FAAN deputy general
manager of administration
and logistics, and addressed
to airport chiefs of security.
According to the document
seen by TheCable and dated
April 9, 2021, airports on the
list include those in Kaduna,
Maiduguri, Sokoto, Kano,
Abuja, and Lagos. “I am directed
to convey an alert from
the Ministry of Aviation regarding
security threats by
criminal elements against Airports
in Nigeria and to request
for the immediate enumeration
of necessary countermeasures
for the protection of Airports/Facilities
under your
purview,” the memo reads.
“Specifically, the Airports
top on the list for which criminals
are considering carrying
out attacks include those in
Kaduna, Maiduguri, Sokoto,
Kano, Abuja, and Lagos
amongst others. However, all
airports are hereby alerted and
requested to operate at a
heightened threat level.” The
airport chiefs have been directed
to “submit a list of existing
and additional countermeasures
to address the threats,
along with their cost implications
where applicable”.
Also, they are expected to
urgently convene an emergency
meeting of airport security
committees “to review the status
of airport security, jointly
recommend appropriate
measures and share responsibility
for effective implementation”.
next few years could be incredibly
exciting. “We are
proud of Nigerian Academy
of Engineers; your membership
is made up of accomplished
Nigerian engineers
across all disciplines, industry
sectors of engineering in
Nigeria and in the diaspora.
“This provides it with the
depth and diversity of experience
and competence to provide
advice on virtually all
areas of engineering in the
country.”
Speaking on the important
role of Science, Technology
and Engineering in dealing
with the pandemic, the President
in a statement issued by
the Senior Special Assistant
to the President on Media and
Publicity, Office of the Vice
President, Laolu Akande stated
that the world turned to
these disciplines for immediate
solutions and answers.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 9
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
REPORT—
Governor Ifeanyi
Ugwuanyi of
Enugu State (left)
receiving the
report on Oruku
Crisis, in Nkanu
East LGA, from the
Chairman of the
Judicial
Commission of
Inquiry, Justice
Harold Eya, at the
Government
House, Enugu,
yesterday.
2023: Igbo president non negotiable
—Mbazulike Amechi, Ezeife, others
•Warn against giving IPoB bad name to hang it
•Okorocha best among Igbo aspirants, says Arewa group
By Nwabueze
Okonkwo & Joseph
Erunke
ONITSHA—ELDERS of
Anambra State, under
the aegis of Anambra Elders
and Stakeholders
(ANELDERS) Forum for
Good Governance, have insisted
that the next president
of Nigeria must come from
the South East region.
In a communique issued after
their enlarged executive
meeting held at the residence
of First Republic Minister of
Aviation, Chief Mbazulike
Amechi yesterday, the forum
maintained that Igbo presidency
in 2023 is non negotiable.
The communique was read
after the meeting attended by
prominent elders and stakeholders
of Anambra State, including
former governor of
the state, Dr. Chukwuemeka
Ezeife who is the national leader
of the forum; former Chief
Judge of old Anambra State,
Justice' Anthony Iguh who is
the national president; past
Chief Judge of Anambra
State, Justice G. U. Ononiba;
Justice Paul Obidigwe and
Justice Peter Umeadi.
The meeting was also attended
by the national vice
president of the forum, Justice
Alpha Ikpeama; Chairman
of Christian Association of
Nigeria, CAN, Anambra
State Chapter, Rev. Ndubuisi
John, among others.
In the communique, the forum
which noted that there
must be a clear leadership
structure in Igbo land to disprove
the negative branding
of Ndigbo as Igbo Enweze
(Igbo have no king), commended
South East governors
for proposing to establish
a security outfit codenamed
Ebube Agu.
Noting that the Eastern Security
Network, ESN, established
by the Indigenous People
of Biafra, IPoB, was necessitated
by the lack of a regional
security network, the forum
urged the South East governors
"to do more in the area of
security by encouraging the
vigilante group with adequate
logistics and at the
same time, equipping our
schools and markets with
CCTV and other surveillance
gadgets."
They described the ban on
open grazing as commendable
and urged the governors
to enforce the law fully, even
as they vehemently condemned
the new wave of insecurity
and appealed to the perpetrators
, whoever they may
be, to stop the senseless acts.
They called on the federal
government to "carry out discreet
investigations aimed at
fishing out the perpetrators of
these dastardly acts and bring
them to book, rather than
pointing accusing fingers at
IPoB, thereby giving a dog a
bad name in order to hang it".
Okorocha best
among Igbo
aspirants, says
Arewa group
Meantime, a northern pressure
group, Arewa Progressive
Front, has endorsed a former
governor of Imo State,Owelle
Rochas Okorocha for President.
To this end, the group enjoined
the Igbo to rally round
the Senator representing Imo
West Senatorial District to actualize
the South East's ambition
of producing Nigerian
President in 2023.
The group insisted that
Okorocha's disposition as a
detribalized Nigerian puts
him at advantage over other
Igbo contenders, adding that
the North will throw it's
weight behind a candidate
that puts the unity of the country
above ethno-religious sentiments.
Spokesman of the group,
Ahmed Bawa, who spoke
with journalists in Abuja,
weekend, opined that "Okorocha
remained the best ticket
that can guarantee the Igbo's
push for the presidency in
2023."
According to the group,
"the former governor has pursued
a united Nigeria, far before
he joined partisan politics.
"This is evidenced in his free
education programme that
is open to all indigent children,
irrespective of their ethnicity
or religion,"
According to him, "If the
Igbo must make any cogent
push for Nigerian presidency,
then, they must be ready to
project their best and most
acceptable leaders. We are
aware of the campaign of
calumny against the former
governor, especially from his
state but we're more comfortable
with him than any other
Igbo politician.
"No politician of Igbo extraction
has assisted the
North to solve the major challenge
of out of school children
as much as Okorocha
has done through his free education
programme. We have
the records and the North will
not ignore such huge investments".
Bawa, who is also a chieftain
of the All Progressives
Congress,APC, hinged the
choice of Okorocha on the
fact that he is "the most widely
acceptable candidate from
the pool of Igbo politicians
angling for the Presidency at
the moment.
"When you look at the potential
or assumed aspirants
for the presidency from the
southeast or the entire Igboland,
you would agree with
me that none of them can
boast of the kind of acceptability
enjoyed by the former
governor of Imo State, Rochas
Okorocha.
"Okorocha's free education,
his longstanding affinity with
the North and his visible human
capital investments
across the length and breadth
of Nigeria cannot be rivaled
by any of those conspiring for
the presidency among the
Igbo."
The APC chieftain advised
key Igbo groups and stakeholders
to unite behind Okorocha
in order to enhance the
chances of an Igbo man becoming
Nigerian President by
2023.
Rise to 21st Century security challenges,
Ikpeazu, Uzodimma task Nigerian Navy
By Ugochukwu
Alaribe & Steve Oko
UMUAHIA—ABIA State
Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu
has charged the Nigerian
Navy to tailor their training
in line with the challenges
of the 21st century.
Ikpeazu who stated this at
the commissioning of the
Central Bank of Nigeria,
CBN, Intervention Projects at
Nigerian Navy Finance and
Logistics College, Owerrinta,
Isialangwa South council,
explained that Nigeria is beset
with myriad of security
challenges, especially, insurgency
which requires urgent
attention.
He further explained that
the trend places new burden
on the shoulders of the Navy
and other security outfits in
the country, stressing that
time has come to put aspect
of Finance Intelligence on the
curriculum of the Armed Forces
of the country to ascertain
movement of funds outside
Nigeria.
The governor commended
the vision of the Nigeria Navy
in thinking towards training
as what is required to enhance
the confidence of the officers
and men of the force.
Appreciating the contributions
of the Nigerian Navy in
sustaining law and order, Ikpeazu
noted that the Nigerian
Navy has remained a flagship
force that every other security
arm in Nigeria tries to emulate.
He pledged the support of
the Abia State government
towards the operations, development
and growth of the Nigerian
Navy Finance and Logistics
College, Owerrinta and
urged the students of the College
to make good use of the
conducive environment provided
for their learning.
In his words: "I commend
the vision and depth of the Nigerian
Navy. It takes a visionary
outfit to think about training
as part of what it needs to
do to enhance self confidence
of its men and make them
more proactive and indeed
better than other naval command
elsewhere among us
and in the globe.
"I think and I am sure that
Nigerian Navy with the unblemished
record of service in
defense of this country has remained
a flagship force that
every other arm of the force
wants to copy and emulate. I
Enugu: Justice Eya panel submits
report on Oruku crisis
ENUGU—THE Justice
Harold Eya-led Judicial
Commission of Inquiry, recently
constituted by Governor
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu
State, to investigate and ascertain
the remote and immediate
causes of the communal
crisis in Oruku Community
of Nkanu East Local Government
Area of the
state, yesterday, submitted its
report to the governor.
Gov. Ugwuanyi, in the wake
of the Oruku crisis, which led
to the killing of the traditional
ruler of the community, late
Igwe Emmanuel Chidiebere
Mba, inaugurated the 5-man
panel, with a view to finding
a lasting peace in the area
and preventing similar crisis
in future.
The governor urged the
people of Oruku Community
to stay the course of peace,
which his administration has
striven to entrench and nurture
in the state.
Submitting the report, the
Chairman of the Commission,
Justice Eya, thanked
Gov. Ugwuanyi for his firm
commitment to the sustenance
of peace and development
in Enugu State.
The Chairman expressed
optimism that the findings
and recommendations of the
am proud to be your host. I
am proud to have you in this
environment and the contributions
you have made in
maintaining law and order
in this part of Nigeria is legendary.
"Nigeria today is challenged
by all kinds of challenges and
chief among them is insurgency
which has now metamorphosed
to all parts of the
country. Time has come for
us to include in our curriculum,
aspects of Finance Intelligence.
We must begin to see
way of looking at movement
of funds within and outside
Nigeria"
In his goodwill message, the
Imo State Governor, Senator
Hope Uzodinma lauded
the officers and men of the
Navy for their efforts in protecting
lives and properties
in Abia and Imo States.
Uzodinma thanked the
management the CBN for
the intervention in the College
and commended the
citizens of Abia and Imo
States for their sustained
support to the Nigerian
Navy in doing their job and
urged them to sustain the
support to the officers and
men of the Navy.
panel will go a long way to
bring lasting peace and security
in Oruku, pointing out
that “this is yet another peacebuilding
initiative of Your Excellency
in Oruku Community
of Nkanu East LGA of Enugu
State”.
He added that the Commission’s
report is the beginning
of another phase in the annals
of the ethnographic configuration
known as Oruku Community,
stressing that “our
gathering here will turn out
to be the beginning of a new
phase of the community’s corporate
existence”.
Justice Eya disclosed that
“the Oruku crisis was a matter
of ego tussle among the
elites that brought the youth
and tore them apart”.
Receiving the report, Gov.
Ugwuanyi expressed delight
that the Commission has
completed its assignment
within the remit of its terms of
reference.
The governor said that his
administration will expeditiously
and diligently study the
report, accept and implement
as appropriate.
He hoped that the findings
and recommendations of the
Commission, as well as the
consequential government
action will restore peace and
order to the community.
Peter Obi's community cries out
over alleged imposition of
leadership
By Vincent
Ujumadu
AWKA—AGULU,
the
home town of the former
governor of Anambra State
and vice presidential candidate
of the Peoples Democratic
Party,PDP, in the 2019 general
election, Mr Peter Obi, is
still boiling following alleged
imposition of a caretaker
committee in the town, despite
a successful town union
election. with the community
appealing to Governor Willie
Obiano to intervene in the
crisis to reduce tension in the
area.
The community, which is
also the hometown of the late
Minister of Information, Prof
Dora Akunyili, held the town
union election on December,30,2020
in which Chief
Oliver Afamefuna won as the
president general, only for the
ministry of local government
and town union matters to
later appoint a caretaker
committee.
Addressing reporters at
Agulu in Anaocha local government
area of the state yesterday,
Afamuefuna decried
what he called "sponsored crisis"
on the community, adding
that only the governor's
immediate intervention
could douse the mounting
tension in the area.
According to him, the community
was surprised that despite
the presence of government
representatives who
monitored the free,fair and
peaceful election in December,
the state government imposed
a caretaker committee
on the community to run its
affairs, thus plunging the
community into crisis.
Afamefuna said: "It is the
good intention of the community
to use this opportunity to
send a very passionate appeal/
SOS letter to the Governor of
Anambra State, Chief Willie
Obiano to personally look
into the current happenings in
Agulu with a view to quelling
the crisis.
"The conflict is being instigated
by disgruntled elements
and if allowed to linger, would
have catastrophic consequences
in the community and
beyond."
He recalled that the former
governor, Mr. Peter Obi, had
waded into the crisis, regretting
that his peace moves did
not yield much because as a
peaceful person, he did not
want to confront the incumbent
governor, Obiano, on
such an issue.

10 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
:Vanguard
News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
PDP
CONGRESS—
Oyo State
Governor,
S e y i
Makinde
(right), with
f o r m e r
governor of
Ekiti State,
Ayodele
Fayose, at
the 2021
PDP South-
W e s t
congress,
held in
Osogbo.
Photos: Dare
Fasube.
Decades of misrule, bad
governance responsible for
insecurity —PAPM
By Dapo Akinrefon
LAGOS—THE Peoples
Alternative Political
Movement, PAPM, yesterday,
attributed the current security
challenges bedeviling the country
to decades of misrule and bad
governance.
A statement by an official of the
movement, Comrade Jaye
Gaskia, expressed worry over the
state of the country, calling
Nigerians to hold the government
and the ruling class accountable.
PAPM is a coalition of social
forces committed to the
emergence of a Mass Workers
Party and the Socialist
Transformation of Nigeria.
The statement reads in part:
“Nigeria, our country, is once
again at a perilous crossroads. The
deteriorating situation
concerning the conditions of living
of citizens and residents, and their
quality of life, which has been in
decline for decades, and certainly
since the inauguration of the
current 4th Republic in 1999, has
now entered a steep and
precipitous phase, threatening a
catastrophic implosion.
"We are very clear about the
root causes of our existential crisis,
the historical incompetence and
the congenital greed of the
country’s thieving and ruining
ruling class and the exploitative,
destructive and repressive
capitalist system, over which it
presides.
"We are equally not ambiguous
about what is ultimately
required to address the crisis
and salvage our country and
her peoples - the displacement
of this light-fingered
and treasury looting ruling
class from power, and the elevation
of the working class
and labouring masses of our
people to the state where they
can exercise legitimate democratic
control and management
of the political and economic
life and processes of
our country.
“The result and outcome of the
legacy of decades of misrule and
bad governance, has been the
current rampant levels of
insecurity of lives and properties.
"And while bandits in power
continue to negotiate with
bandits in the forests and on the
highways, no single inch of the
territory of our country is secure,
and not a single citizen or
resident is safe or can live a life
free from fear.
"Armed bandits, armed
insurgents, armed herders, armed
militias, armed cultists, armed
robbers, and armed kidnappers
lay siege to the country,
exercising varying degrees of
suzerainty over large swaths of
the territory of the country.
It is clear that the ruling class
and all its various factions and
fractions have run out of ideas
and are incapable of resolving the
humongous security challenges,
facing the country, and brought
Lekki Gardens Estate spreading
falsehood —Osborne residents
By Onozure Dania
L AGOS—RESIDENTS
of Osborne Foreshore Two
Estate, Lagos, have denied an
allegation that they were
planning to attack the Managing
Director/CEO of Lekki Gardens
Estate/Foreshore Waters Limited,
Richard Nyong.
Chairperson of Osborne
Foreshore Two Estate Residents
Association, Mrs. Chinwe Mbah,
who described the allegation as
false, said that such a thing was
only in the imagination of Nyong
and his company, noting that the
residents have refused to retaliate
his constant harassment and
intimidation of the residents.
Mbah, in a statement, recalled
that they woke up on April 7,
2021, to find out that a heavyduty
construction truck working
for Lekki Gardens Estate/
Foreshore Waters Limited had
blocked “our entrance and exit
gates, thereby, holding the
residents and visitors to the
estate hostage.
"This is the fourth time in six
months that such was happening
and, as a result, the management
of the estate insisted that they
comply with estate rules guiding
the commencement of any
project/works.
"All stakeholders complied with
these guidelines, with the
exception of Lekki Gardens Estate/
Foreshore Waters Limited.
“We wonder why a reputable
company as Lekki Gardens Estate
would brazenly act above the law?
Why does its MD believe it is
untouchable, in the face of its
obvious noncompliance with
Lagos State building approvals is
the question begging to be
answered?
PDP CONGRESS—From left: Newly elected PDP South-West Chairman,
Taofeek Arapaja; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; former governor of
Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and wife of former governor of
Oyo State, Mrs. Mutiat Ladoja, rejoice after the announcement of Arapaja
as the winner, during the 2021 PDP South-West congress, in Osogbo.
PDP congress: Makinde is S-West leader
—Fayose • There'll be no victor, no vanquished, says Makinde
By Deola Badru &
Shina Abubakar
O SOGBO—FORMER
Ekiti State Governor,
Ayodele Fayose, yesterday,
conceded the leadership of
the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, in the South-
West to Governor Seyi
Makinde of Oyo State.
Addressing party
delegates before the
conduct of its zonal
congress in Osogbo, Mr.
Fayose said the issues in
the build-up to the congress
were circumstantial, which
must be addressed.
He asked: "Who is our
leader? Governor Seyi
Makinde is our leader,
therefore our supporters
and lovers should not be
putting a wedge between
us.
“Distinguished leaders, I
want to assure you that we
will make exploits together
and anyway it goes, I will
accept. In any family where
there is cause to vote, there
will be a divide, but I assure
you, wherever it goes, I will
abide.
“Arapaja was a deputy governor
and is not a small man, even if he
has abused me so much. That is
politics, if you emerge chairman, I
will be the first person to visit you
in Ibadan, because nothing lasts
forever.
“No one offends me and if I
have offended anybody, I
apologise. I and Makinde were
one since the beginning, and
politicking led to this
By Gabriel Olawale
LAGOS—-THE Legislative
Arm of Surulere local
government area of Lagos State
has sealed the office of suspended
council Chairman, Mr. Tajudeen
Ajide, over alleged
misappropriation of funds and
abuse of office.
The decision, which was
collectively made by all the nine
councillors in the council, also
witnessed the appointment of the
Vice-Chairman, Mr. Sulaimon
Yussuf, in acting capacity to
prevent a vacuum in the
• As Arapaja emerges zonal chairman
misunderstanding, but
notwithstanding, you are our
father.”
No victor, no
vanquished, says
Makinde
Meanwhile, Governor
Makinde said there would not be
a winner or a loser after the
congress, describing the election
as an attempt to reposition the
party in the region.
Makinde said: “This is a family
affair. It is an attempt to reposition
our party in the South-West. It
has ramifications for our party
nationally. Whatever the outcome
is, we will take it in the spirit of a
family contest. We don’t want to
defeat ourselves; we want to
defeat the All Progressives
Congress, APC."
Why we must
unite to defeat
Yinka Odumakin for burial April 24
LAGOS—DR.
Joe
Okei-Odumakin said,
yesterday, that the
remains of her husband,
late Afenifere spokesman,
Yinka Odumakin, would
be laid to rest on Saturday,
April 24.
Okei-Odumakin, a
rights activist, made the
announcement of the
order of funeral rites
available to the News
Agency of Nigeria, NAN.
She said: “The rites will
span three days, starting
APC, by Ortom
Earlier, the Chairman of the
Congress Committee, Governor
Samuel Ortom of Benue State,
represented by his deputy, Mr.
Johnson Abounu said that only
a united party can defeat the
APC.
He said: “We have held several
meetings, where we crossed Ts
and dotted the Is to have a
successful congress. It is a PDP
affair and no one is an enemy of
another person. We are aiming to
take control, not just of the South-
West region, but all the regions of
the country and the Presidency
in 2023."
Arapaja declared
winner
Meanwhile, Ambassador
Taofeek Arapaja has been
declared the South-West PDP
chairman after polling 343 votes,
while his opponent, Dr. Eddy
from Thursday, April 22,
Friday 23 and Saturday,
April, 24. There would be
a day of tributes and
Service of Songs at the
Police College, Ikeja,
Lagos, between 11am and
4pm, while his body lies
in state on Thursday,
April, 22.
“On Friday 23, his body
departs Lagos for Moro, his
country home, in Ife North
local government area of
Osun State.
“There will be a Christian
The Legislative Arm of Surulere
Local Government Area of Lagos
State, last Friday, 9th of April,
2021 suspended the council
Chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Ajide
over alleged misappropriation of
funds and abuse of office on
several occasions.
The decision, which was
collectively made by all the nine
Councillors in the council, was
carried out to enable them to
conclude their investigations.
The lawmakers said: “We,
hereby, pass a vote of no
confidence followed by
suspension on the Executive
Olafeso polled 330 votes.
This followed the counting of
votes casted for the duo in at the
end of the PDP southwest Zonal
congress held at WOCDIF
Centre, Osogbo.
The total votes cast are 683,
while 10 votes were voided.
Chairman of the Election
Committee, Mr. Abounu, said
accredited votes, 684, total votes
cast, 674, voided votes 10
Abounu said: “Votes scored by
the candidates are as follows:
Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, 343
Dr Olafeso Eddy, 330. Accordingly
therefore, Ambassador Taofeek
Arapaja, by the authority vested
in me as Chairman, having scored
the highest votes is, hereby,
declared winner.”
Voting was concluded around
6:30pm and the panel insisted
that delegates leave the venue
except agents of various
candidates, as sorting began
around 6:47pm.
wake-keep by 5pm at the
Origbo Anglican Grammar
School, Moro, which will be
followed by a Candlelight
Procession.”
Okei-Odumakin
disclosed that “there would
be Lying in State at Origbo
Anglican Grammar School,
Moro, by 8am on April 24.
This would be followed by
a funeral service by 10am,
after which his remains will
be committed to Mother
Earth at a private
interment.”
Misappropriation of funds: Surulere councillors seal chairman’s
office ....Appoint Yussuf in acting capacity
administration of local
government affairs.
The councillors hinted that
they have also written to the Area
C Police Command to intimate
him of their resolution.
In a statement, the Legislative
Arm said: “Further to our
resolution which suspended the
Executive Chairman, Mr.
Tajudeen Ajide. The Vice-
Chairman, Mr. Sulaimon Yussuf,
should immediately take over the
Administration of the Local
Government to prevent a
vacuum in Administration of the
Local Government.”
Chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Ajide
for his refusal to provide needed
documents/records to the
house to enable council to carry
out its oversight function.
“Our findings show that 95
percent of the contracts of the local
government were executed by two
contractors (Olupopson
Construction Limited and Serial
Touch Limited), while they later
executed 90 percent of the council
contracts.
“The Chairman also expended
the sum of N60 million, which was
not budgeted for in t 2020, on the
pretext of variation on the
construction of Primary Health
Centre at Akerele which is an
impeachable offence."

Vanguard
anguard, , TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 11
:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES:
Social Media Conversation
CONDOLENCE—From left: Deputy Women Leader, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos,
Mrs. Kehinde Babalola; Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; Mrs. Kemi Nelson, National Women
Leader, APC, South-West, during a condolence visit to late Yinka Odumakin's residence,
at Omole, in lagos. Photo: Kehinde Shonola.
Varsities groan under crazy electricity
bills • Why we disconnected erring varsities —Eko DISCO
By Adesina Wahab
LAGOS—AS individuals are
accusing electricity
distribution companies, DISCOs,
of giving them high electricity
bills, popularly called ‘crazy bills’,
educational institutions in the
country are also reeling under the
yoke of such bills, checks by
Vanguard have revealed.
It was also gathered that some
tertiary institutions, mostly
government-owned, are either
disconnected or have been
disconnected at one point or the
other, from the national grid by
DISCOs in their localities.
With inadequate subventions
from the government, the affected
universities, polytechnics and
others are finding it difficult to pay
their electricity bills and the
development is threatening the
cordial relationship between the
schools and the power
FAAN bans passenger pick-up in
front of airports
By Lawani Mikairu
THE Federal Airports Authority
of Nigeria, FAAN, has
released a new prohibition order
stopping drivers from picking
passengers at the front of arrival
terminals, following incessant
clashes between members of the
public and overzealous members
of the task force, acting on behalf
of FAAN.
The General Manager, Corporate
Affairs of FAAN, Mrs. Herrietta
Yakubu, in a statement, said: “The
Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria, hereby advises
passengers, drivers and other
airport users, particularly those at
the General Aviation Terminal,
Lagos, to always comply with all
companies, as well as making the
smooth running of the schools
difficult.
For instance, the Lagos State
University, LASU, Ojo, as at the
time of this report, has been
disconnected by Eko DISCO
because the huge bill it gave the
university has not been paid.
It was gathered that from an
average of about N8 million
monthly bill, the power firm raised
LASU’s bill to N23 million.
At the University of Lagos,
UNILAG, Eko DISCO billed the
institution N84 million for January
2021, N74 million for February
and N88 million for March,
totalling N242 million for the first
quarter of the year.
This is as the students in the
school are yet to resume in their
hostels.
It was gathered that the
authorities of the University of
Ibadan, UI, the Obafemi Awolowo
laid down protocols on COVID-19
to ensure safety of all airport users.
”The Authority will like to
emphasize that in line with
Government protocols, arriving
passengers are to walk down to
designated car parks to board their
vehicles. No driver is permitted to
pick up arriving passenger(s) at
the frontage of the terminals.
”All drivers must park and wait inside
the car parks while arriving passengers walk
down to the car parks to board their vehicles.
”For departing passengers, drivers are
only allowed to drop off passengers in front
of the terminals. They are not permitted to
wait for any reason after dropping their
passengers; it is only a Drop Off zone.
“We will like to advise all our esteemed
customers to strictly adhere to these
rules, to ease facilitation and enhance
the safety of all airport users.”
University, OAU, and the
University of Calabar among
others have had a serious faceoff
with DISCOs in their areas over
the same issue.
The situation is
unbearable
—UNILAG VC
Describing the situation as unbearable,
the Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, Prof.
Oluwatoyin Ogundipe said: “When
students now come on campus and they
begin to use a lot of things, only God
knows how much they will bill us. It is
not that the power supply is for 24 hours
daily, we still have to use generators and
fuel them. If we add the over N80 million
monthly bill to the money for fuelling
generators and maintaining them, won’t
we be talking of about N100 million a
month?
“If a university is now spending about
N1 billion a year on electricity, what will
now be left to provide other
infrastructure? We need a constant
power supply to do administrative work,
keep certain things in the laboratories
and even run online teaching.”
Why we
disconnected
erring varsities
—Eko DISCO
Reacting to the development,
spokesman for Eko DISCO, Mr. Godwin
Idemudia, said LASU was disconnected
because it owed past and current bills.
He said: “LASU is disconnected due
to non-payment of current and
outstanding bills for some months.
“As for UNILAG, the issue of crazy bills
you talked about is something we no
longer encourage in our company. If
UNILAG is in doubt about the bill given
to them, the appropriate thing is to come
forward with the bill and it would be
looked into by both parties and at the
end of the day, the matter would be
resolved amicably."
Ife Heritage Investment inaugurates 30,000 hectares
farm project
By Shina Abubakar
OSOGBO—THE
Ife
Heritage Investment
Limited, yesterday, inaugurated
an investment company with
30,000 hectares of land for
industrial farm settlements, aimed
at turning Ifeland into an
economic hub.
Besides investment in
agriculture, the company is also
investing in the mining sector.
Fielding questions from
journalists at Iyanfoworogi,
Chairman of its Steering
Committee, Pastor Niyi Murele,
said the company is taking
advantage of the Federal
Government’s diversification
policy to invest in agriculture and
mining, the mainstay of Ifeland’s
economy.
Murele said: “This will also
enable Ife sons and daughters,
anywhere in the world, to invest
in Ifeland through the business
initiative.
“Our vision is to lift the living
standard of rural dwellers in
Ifeland collective ownership of
projects under the initiative. We
are also supporting the initiative
of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye
Ogunwusi in ensuring the
economic prosperity of the
teeming populace of the land.
“Our ultimate goal is to turn Ife
into the hub of agriculture and
mining business. And also make
sure that Ife is not just the source
of humanity, but also of economic
prosperity.”
Psalm 23 for him!
Indomie generation, what's this?!

12 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
WEEDDING: Newly wed, Chinonye and Nnamdi Emelumba (middle); Catholic Archbishop
of Owerri, Archbishop A. J. V. Obinna (2nd right); Declan Emelumba, father of the groom
and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Imo State (right); retired DIG Val
Ntomchukwu and his wife, Chioma, sponsors of the couple, moments after the wedding at
Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri.
Ayiri Emami remains suspended
as Ologbotsere —Iyatsere
•Olu of Warri: Selection followed norms, tradition
— Ooni of Ife
By Jimitota
Onoyume & Shina
Abubakar
WARRI— The Iyatsere of
Warri Kingdom, Chief
Johnson Amatserunleghe,
has said Ayiri Emami would
remain suspended as the
Ologbotsere of the kingdom
until after the coronation of
the Olu-designate, Prince
Tsola Emiko.
He disclosed this to
Vanguard, yesterday, saying
it was a decision by the
Council of Chiefs.
The Iyatsere, Chief
Amatserunleghe, who is also
the acting Chairman of the
Council of Chiefs and the
Olu Advisory Council said
the Regent of Warri Kingdom,
Prince Emmanuel Okotie-
Eboh, and the Ruling House
had written to notify the
Council of Chiefs of the
suspension, adding that the
council would set up a
committee to try the
suspended Ologbotsere.
He said: “I cannot say how
long the suspension of the
Ologbotsere will last. It is the
Olu that will make
pronouncement on this. I
cannot say the exact time this
will last. The Regent and the
Ruling House wrote the
Council of Chiefs on the
suspension and the
allegations against him.
“So, we the Council of
Chiefs will set up a committee
to try him. And until this
process is exhausted and the
Olu makes his final
pronouncement, he will
remain suspended. And all
this will run until after the
coronation of the Oludesignate.”
It will be recalled that the
Regent had announced the
suspension of the
Ologbotsere over allegations
of abuse of office at a briefing
recently in front of the Olu
Palace in Warri South Local
Government Area of Delta
State.
Continuing, the Iyatsere
said the chiefs met, yesterday,
at the Olu Palace in Warri
South over the traditional rites
for the late monarch.
Some of the chiefs at the
meeting were Gabriel Awala,
Yaya Pesu, Brown Mene, Dr
Roland Oritsejafor, Solomon
Areyenka, among others.
Olu of Warri:
Selection
followed norms,
tradition — Ooni
of Ife
Meanwhile, the Ooni of Ife,
Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has
hailed the selection of Olu of
Warri-designate, saying the
process followed laid down
norms, culture and tradition.
He added that the Yoruba
nation would continue to
foster mutual respect and
nurture the chain of
relationship that bonded the
two ethnic nationalities.
A statement by Ooni’s
spokesperson, Moses
Olafare, in Osogbo,
Okowa, Bello, IYC, IPDI, others
eulogise Tompolo @ 50
By Samuel
Oyadongha &
Akpokona
Omafuaire
GOVERNOR
Ifeanyi
Okowa of Delta State; his
Kogi State counterpart,
Yahaya Bello; Ijay Youth
Council, IYC, and others,
yesterday, poured
encomiums on Niger Delta
activist and ex-militant leader,
Chief Government
Ekpemupolo (a.k.a Tompolo)
as he clocks 50 years.
Okowa, in a statement by
his Chief Press Secretary, Mr
Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba, said
Ekpemupolo is an illustrious
son of Niger Delta, who had
contributed immensely to the
peace and development of
the region.
He said Ekpemupolo’s
quest for the development of
Niger Delta compelled him
to embrace the presidential
amnesty offered by the
Federal Government to
armed agitators in the region
in 2009, thereby ending the
near-intractable militancy in
the area.
Yahaya Bello represented
by Ms Lucy Akumabor said:
“Tompolo is a hero of our time.
disclosed that Itsekiri
represents a formidable
dominion in the history of
Oduduwa dynasty.
The statement said: “From
the sacred throne of
Oduduwa at Ile-Ife, we
rejoice with Omooba
Utieyinoritsetsola Emiko as
the Olu of Warri-designate
and Itesekiri people all over
the world. We look forward
to peace, concord and
progress across Itsekiri land
during the reign of the Olu
of Warri-designate. The
descendants of Oduduwa all
over the world look forward
to a progressive reign of the
new monarch.
“We are proud of the blood
bound relationship among all
the descendants of Oduduwa
and our Itsekiri brothers and
sisters. We cherish the shared
We are celebrating him
because of the change young
people have brought to
Nigeria. His contributions
cannot be quantified.”
The IYC, in its statement,
urged President
Muhammadu Buhari to
release the property and
valuables of Tompolo seized
by the Federal Government.
The IYC, in a statement by
its spokesman, Ebilade
Ekerefe, said Tompolo is a
symbol of freedom and a
respected role model to many
youths in the region.
It said: “Equally, Chief
Ekpemupolo stood against
the neglect of the region and
against the Federal
Government decision to play
with issues of the Niger Delta
region and the East-West
Road that is still wallowing
in a very deplorable state."
On his part, Alaowei Cleric,
in a statement, said: “An
attack on Tompolo is,
therefore, an attack on the
collective will of the people
God has sent him to liberate.
His detractors should know
that they are not fighting
human being but a spiritual
initiate whose vision is the
collective aspirations of the
oppressed across the globe.
history, common ancestry,
common spirituality, shared
fears and aspirations.
“Our forefathers stood by
each other in moments of
thick and thin, they stood
shoulder-to-shoulder as one
indivisible energy, we hope
to keep this precious gift they
left for us. We cherish this
important history. We shall
guide it and defend it for the
good of the great civilisation
of Itsekiri and Yoruba people,
a memory that has survived
decades of travails and trials.
“Peace and stability for the
people of Itsekiri is our utmost
desire. We want to see Itsekiri
land witness more prosperity,
more fertility, more harmony
and peace of mind with their
neighbours towards a more
united Oodua race and better
Nigeria.”
The Ooni prayed for the soul
of late Olu Ikenwoli, who he
described as a natural
traditional ruler, who meant
well for his people and a great
descendant of Oduduwa.
Happy supernatural birthday
to our living legend.”
The Special Assistant on
Political Matters to the Delta
State Governor, Austin
Ozobo. said the Ijaw nation
and Niger Delta were now
the heartbeats of Egypt
because Tompolo is involved.
Ozobo, who is also the
President of Ijaw
Development Initiative, IPDI
said: “It wasn’t so in the dark
days but it’s getting clearer
today. We can see the
Promised Land from afar.
Power, vision and leadership
are not by size.”
Chief Uduboh Ekomieyefa,
the Miekirigbolomowei of
Gbaramatu Kingdom
saidTompolo is a living
legend and that the country
needs his expertise and
experience to attain a greater
Nigeria.
Chief Simeon Bebenimibo,
the Positarewei of Gbaramutu
Kingdom noted that the
celebration of Tompolo at 50
is the greatest day in his life,
as he prayed for Tompolo to
reach an old age of over 110
so that he can deliver all God
has placed on him.
Seiyefa Ekpemupolo,
Tompolo sibling prayed for
Tompolo’s longevity, stating
that Tompolo has affected
positively an uncountable
number of people.
A’Ibom APC rejects
Akpabio as party leader
Estate agent, Owoeye, applauds
new IGP’s appointment
P
R
By Chioma
Onuegbu
UYO —STAKEHOLDERS
of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, Akwa Ibom
State chapter have rejected the
endorsement of Minister of
Niger Delta Affairs and former
governor of the state, Senator
Godswill Akpabio, as the party's
leader.
The stakeholders in a
communique yesterday in Uyo,
resolved that the Caretaker
Committee Chairman of the
party, Dr Ita Udosen, remained
the party's leader until further
notice, and renewed their
confidence in the party
leadership in the state.
They endorsed the decision of
the State Executive Committee,
SEC, to declare as a nullity, the
unilateral proclamation and
announcement of Akpabio as
the party's leader in gross
violation of the party’s
constitution.
The communiqué by Udosen
read in part: “The Akwa Ibom
State APC held her second
stakeholders meeting in Uyo, to
review the state of affairs of the
E S I D E N T
Muhammadu Buhari
has been commended by a
renowned estate agent, Alhaji
Mutairu Owoeye for the
appointment of Alkali Usman
as the acting Inspector-General
of Police, IGP, describing him as
a very principled and highly
respected police chief and an
astute administrator.
Owoeye said the appointment
of Alkali Usman came at the
time when the country was in
dire need of an experienced
police officer to tackle the
insecurity in the country.
He described the new IGP as
an honest and hardworking
officer that can be trusted with
party in the first quarter of the
year and to also report the
achievements and challenges
facing the party in the state.
“It applauded the
contributions of our beloved son
and National Secretary of the
party, Senator John
Akpanudoedehe. for holding
forth and showing excellence in
the party’s administration.
“The stakeholders endorse the
decision of the State Executive
Committee, SEC, to declare as
a nullity, the unilateral
proclamation and
announcement of Senator
Akpabio as the state party's
leader as in gross violation of
the party’s constitution
following the unauthorised and
illegal stakeholders meeting of
March 28, 2021.
“That the party hereby
reminds every member and the
general public that the state
Chairman (or Caretaker
Chairman as applicable here)
is the Chairman of the State
Caucus as provided for in Article
12.9 Sub (i) of the party's
constitution (October 2014 as
amended) and remains the
party's leader in the state until
further notice.”
Evwreni kingmakers reaffirm
removal of monarch
THE nine Ruling Houses of
Otioghare Royal Family
have reaffirmed the removal of
HRM, Oghenekevwe Owin
Kumane, Eruvwedede III, as
king of Evwreni Kingdom in
Ughelli North Local
Government Area of Delta State.
In a resolution reached at an
extraordinary meeting of the
Otioghare Royal Family
convened by Olorogun Smart
Ukpebitere, at the Otioghare
Family Hall, Evwreni, the
kingmakers alleged that the
Kumanes were not the rightful
occupants of the throne,
disclosing that the kingship was
cunningly taken away from the
Otioghare Royal Family
(acknowledged in the Supreme
Court judgment of 1991).
The communique by Chief
Ukpebitere, Chief Wilfred
Utuedor, Prince Sunday Dolor,
and others, the Otioghare Royal
Family, said: “The Royal Family
also renewed its call on the Delta
State government led by
Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to
remove HRM, Oghenekevwe
Owin Kumane, Eruvwedede III,
as a king of Evwreni Kingdom,
as empowered in Section 28(1)
and (2) of the Traditional Rulers
Council and Chiefs Law (2008)
of Delta State and withdraw of
his staff of office as a permanent
measure to stop the incessant
acts of terrorism, killings, riots,
arson and other forms of
hooliganism.
“An Obah (Regent) Prince
Sunday Dolor has been
installed, who is currently vested
with the powers to handle the
traditional affairs of Evwreni
Kingdom for six months before
a new king will be nominated,
installed and announced by the
Otioghare Royal Family and
presented to the Delta State
government for approval,
gazetting and presentation of
Staff of Office.
“We called on the Executives
of Evwreni Clan Improvement
Union, ECIU, under the
leadership of Mr Bright
Adjogbe to liaise with the state
Police Command to establish a
genuine vigilante group in
Evwreni Kingdom or dedicated
police security in the interim.
“We call on the Delta State
Police Command to carry out
an immediate and detailed
investigation into the day to day
terrorism, killings, riotous,
burning down of dwelling
houses and business places in
Evwreni kingdom."
the country’s security at any time
of the day.
According to him, “Acting IGP
Alkali Usman is a man of
honesty, transparency and
justice. He has zero tolerance for
corrupt practices and he is
known as an advocate of peace,
law and order.
“He is interested in peaceful
co-existence among people even
of different religions and
ethnicity.
“Acting IGP Alkali Usman at
the helms of affairs of Police
should be seen by Nigerians as
a welcome development in an
attempt to free Nigeria from the
insecurity it is known with for
some times."

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 13

14 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
ROUNDTABLE—From left: Johnbull Kenairu, Special Adviser on Community Development
to Delta State Governor; Ben Agamah, PS, Delta State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural
Resources; Prof. Adegboyega Oguntade, Professor of Agriculture; Kelvin Uwaibi, MD, Edo
Investment Promotion Office; HRM Obi Kikachukwu (Obi of Umunede), representing Delta
State Council of Traditional Rulers; Julius Egbedi, Delta Commissioner for Agriculture;
Chuks Ofulue, Advocacy Manager, PIND Foundation; Prof. Rosemary Okoh, ED, Rural
Linkage Network, and Oteheri Akinruntan, PIND Foundation Advocacy Coordinator, during
the PIND Foundation Access to Arable Land Roundtable, in Asaba, Delta State.
Kukah asks govs to address religious
uprising in North
By Umar Yusuf
Y OLA—CATHOLIC
Bishop of Sokoto Diocese,
Bishop Matthew Kukah,
has challenged Northern
Governors to address
the religious uprising in the
region.
Bishop Kukah contended
that a situation where
Northern Governors meet in
Kaduna or in Abuja drinking
tea and taking photographs
without properly addressing
the teething religious
problems tearing the
North apart is unacceptable.
He spoke yesterday in
Yola at the commissioning
of Sangere-Marghi Housing
Estate, a settlement constructed
by the Catholic Diocese
of Yola, to accommodate
Internally Displaced
Persons, IDPs, displaced by
Boko Haram activities.
He told Governor Ahmadu
Fintiri of Adamawa
State, that when he and his
colleagues meet, either in
Abuja or in Kaduna, he
should remind them to
guide and lead the religious
leaders on the way out of the
religious intolerance in the
region.
According to him, "They
should not only be talking
about dialogue with Bishops,
Imams and Emirs sitting
together and taking
photographs and drinking
tea as there are needs for
concrete manifestation of
ideas between one another.
If the spirit of Islam and
Christianity exist in Nigeria
actually between members
of the two Faiths, we will not
be fighting, shedding as
much blood as we are seeing
today.
"Nigerians are too religious
in paper and not in
practice and this has made
religion to be a liability to
us. It is therefore important
for both Christians and
Muslims to appreciate what
the Catholic Diocese of Yola
has done today in bringing
people of the two faiths dislodged
by the Boko Haram
under one umbrella."
He called on the IDPS not
to regard themselves as refugees,
but to abide by the
teachings and practices of
their religions while in the
estate.
On his part, Governor Fintiri
told Muslims and Christian
faithful to learn to stay
together devoid of religious
acrimony, recalling that the
issue of religious intolerance
in the North began with the
Maitatsene uprising of the
1980s.
He lamented that since
then, religious crisis seemed
to have defied solutions,
adding that insurgency, kidnapping
, armed banditry
and other forms of criminality
bedeviling the North
were offshoot of the 1980s
Maitatsene religious uprising
that rocked almost all
the states in the North.
In his remarks, Bishop
Stephen Mamza, recalled
that the years of insurgency
and counter insurgency operations
have resulted in the
displacement of approximately
1.9 Million people
and created a crisis in food,
shelter, nutrition and loss of
livelihood in Nigeria's
northeast.
Mamza stressed that the
Yola Diocese had been rendering
assistance in feeding
and free medical care for
over 3000 families.
He said "the construction
of the 86 housing estate is
sequel to the presence of the
IDPS in Yola Diocese which
has persisted due to the mass
return of IDPs from Cameroon
Republic and forceful
shutdown of IDP camps by
the Adamawa State Government
thereby pushing the
displaced persons into the
outskirts.
"We have carefully carried
out assessments and held robust
discussions with the
IDPS to review their lives in
the camp after 4 years and
chart a way forward to avoid
dependency syndrome and
rebuild livelihood n a dignified
manner ".
FG begs, as striking judiciary workers
remain adamant
By Victor Ahiuma-
Young
ABUJA—THE Federal
Government yesterday
pleaded with striking members
of the Judicial Staff
Union of Nigeria, JUSUN,
to end their nationwide industrial
action, which has
paralysed activities at the
nation's courts for the past
one week.
This came as the leadership
of JUSUN, insisted that
the strike would not be
called off until the union's
demand is met, saying this
was the last strike
A statement by Deputy Director,
Press and Public Relations,
Ministry of Labour
and Employment, Charles
Akpan, informed that the
Minister of Labour and
Employment, Senator Chris
Ngige, made the appeal in
his office at a conciliation
meeting between the Federal
Government and the leadership
of JUSUN.
Ngige reminded the judiciary
workers that like doctors
and nurses, they are on
essential duties and should
not go on strike.
According to Ngige, the
country cannot make
progress economically and
socially, when the laws of the
country are not enforced.
"You are important people
and that is why we waited to
see if there could be an inhouse
conciliation with the
Chief Justice of Nigeria,
CJN, but since progress was
not made, we decided to exercise
our mandate here as
Ministry of Labour and Employment.
"Grant us peace and we
are going to handle this
matter in a way that doesn't
lose sight of what you are
pursuing. I will do a report
on this meeting and forward
to the President when he returns.
I will make a commitment
here. The Executive Order
10 and its application,
granting autonomy to the
Judiciary which is topmost
on your demand will be tackled
because it is a constitutional
issue. Even Governors
owe their office to the constitution.
You don't pick and
choose what to obey. However,
we must handle this
matter with maturity and utmost
patriotism.
"We are apprehending this
dispute in line with the labour
laws of the country. You
people are judiciary workers
and if any group of people
will break the laws of the
land, it should not be you.
Even if we disagree here, we
will certainly agree later on
one thing, which is to call
off the strike."
Also speaking, the President
of JUSUN, Marwan
Mustafa, who insisted that
the union would not call off
the strike until the union's
demand is met, said members
are guided by the Constitution
of the country in
their action, stressing that
democracy has to thrive on
the rule of law.
Mustafa said, "The Federal
Republic of Nigeria is a
Federation and is guided by
a Constitution. However, we
observed that the particular
provision of the constitution
that grants financial autonomy
to the judiciary has never
been obeyed as much as it
should be, particularly Section
21(3) and Section 81(3).
"Having agitated for so
long for the needful to be done
and it is not done, we went to
court and got a judgment before
2014.We are patient. We
are not lawless people because
we work in a sector
where the Rule of Law guides
our operation. But to our
amazement since we went on
strike in 2015, the government
seems not to hear us until
now."
Also at the meeting were the
representatives of the Solicitor
General of Nigeria, the
Nigeria Bar Association
(NBA) and Senior Special
Assistant to the President on
Niger Delta Affairs, Senator
Eta Enang.
A source at the meeting, lamented
the absence of the state
governors or their representatives,
saying "the governors
do not want the matter to be
resolved soon. Since the President
has issued an Executive
Order 10, the Accountant
General of the Federation
and other appropriate
agencies of the government
should do the needful in accordance
with the President's
order.
The statement added that
the meeting agreed to reconvene
on Thursday.
Konshisha crisis: Ortom apologizes
to families of slain soldiers
•Promises to support military to apprehend
masterminds
By Peter Duru
M ERNOR
AKURDI—GOV
Samuel
Ortom of Benue State has
apologized to the bereaved
families of the 12
soldiers killed in ambush
about a week ago by
armed bandits at Bonta
community in Konshisha
Local Government Area,
LGA, of the state.
The Governor also condoled
with President Muhammadu
Buhari, the
Chief of Army Staff and
the leadership of the
Armed Forces in the
country over the murder
of the military personnel
in the state.
Speaking yesterday, at
the funeral of the army
personnel at the Wurukum
Military Cemetery in
Makurdi, the Governor
who condemned the murder
and described it as
unfortunate, promised to
collaborate with the military
to apprehend the
masterminds of the dastardly
act.
"I condole with Mr.
President who is the Commander-In-Chief
of the
armed forces, the Chief of
Army Staff and indeed the
leadership of our security
forces in the country. On
behalf of government and
people of Benue state, we
condemn the killing of our
innocent soldiers who
were out there to keep
peace in our state.
"It is unfortunate that this
incident took place. I want
the Nigerian army, the
families of the deceased
and indeed all Nigerians
to know that the attack on
security personnel is an
attack on all.
"This attack was unwarranted,
it was not needed
because all these patriotic
soldiers were there to keep
peace and that was why
they were ambushed. Otherwise,
we all know what
soldiers can do and the
capacity they have to de-
MultiChoice talent factory
graduates 20
LAGOS—MultiChoice Tal
ent Factory, MTF, West Africa
Academy has graduated
20 students after 18 months
intensive training in film and
television production, even as
three students won $1000 each
in Chief Executive Award.
The three students that won
the award are Eric Kafui Okyerefo,
Chioma Paul-Dike and
Avuiroevarie Igho Arusi, they
will be mentored by the CEO
for one year.
The students' academic
course which was extended
from 12 months to 18 months
due to the pandemic gave
them the opportunity of acquiring
the MTF Academy
qualification as well as qualification
from the prestigious
New York Film Academy of
Visual and Performing Arts,
NYFA, making them more
sought-after as they re-enter
their respective local film and
TV sectors as highly qualified
industry professionals.
fend themselves.
"So we condemn this and
we want to assure everyone
that my government
will join hands with the
security forces to ensure
that all those who perpetrated
this sad act are
brought to book.
"I equally want to apologize
to the bereaved families,
in the course of my
trying to manage this challenge,
if I said anything
that was offensive to the
families of the deceased I
want to say that I am sorry.
"As a leader, I needed to
say something, the people
needed to hear from, and
as at that time that I made
the comment that it was
two soldiers that were
missing it was based on
the information that was
made available to me.
"But all the same, please
I am sorry. It is the responsibility
of this government
to also join hands with the
leadership of the army to
see how we can support
the bereaved families.
May God reset their
peaceful souls," Governor
Ortom said.
Conducting the funeral
service, Chaplain of 73
Battalion of the Nigeria
Army, Major Ibrahim Mavisky,
as well as the Imam,
Captain A. Bashir noted
that the fallen heroes were
peace makers who went out
not for evil but for peace and
regrettably met their death
in the process.
"The slain soldiers were
out to serve the nation but
lost their lives. We therefore
pray for their souls and that
God should grant them eternal
rest," they said.
Vanguard recalls that a
week ago an Army Captain
and 11 soldiers were ambushed
and killed by criminal
elements in Bonta community,
while on routine
patrol of the troubled communities
in Oju and Konshisha
LGAs who had been
at daggers-drawn over a
disputed farmland.
The students completed an
intensive 3-week online
NYFA course on the production
of micro-documentaries,
Public Service Announcements,
PSAs, music videos
and also worked with the United
Nations on the global
#PledgeToPause campaign.
These exposed the young
creatives to global networks,
making them a part of the
MTF alumni network, while
also connecting them with industry
professionals from
across the continent through
the MTF Portal.
Speaking at the virtual
event, Chief Executive Officer,
MultiChoice Nigeria, John
Ugbe, stated that despite the
difficulty that arose as a result
of the COVID-19 pandemic,
the students were able
to quickly adapt to the transition
from physical to virtual
learning which is a testament
to the world-class nature of the
academy's course.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 15
:Vanguard
News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Apapa gridlock: Has Sanwo-Olu run out of steam?
***As mayhem on Oshodi-Apapa worsens
By Olasunkanmi Akoni and
Godwin Oritse
DESPITE introduction of
the electronic-Call Up
system into port operations,
there seems to be no end in
sight to the Apapa gridlock, as
container-laden vehicles and
tankers continue to park indiscriminately
along Oshodi-
Apapa Expressway.
The situation has made motorists
and commuters undergo
anguish daily as they expressed
doubt over Governor
Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s inability
to restore sanity in the axis
after relieving the Federal
Government’s task team of
their duties on the road.
Stakeholders meeting
on e-Call-up system
The Lagos State Government,
Nigeria Ports Authority,
NPA, and other stakeholders
had agreed to adopt a new e-
Call-up system for trucks at a
crucial meeting which commenced
on February 27, 2021,
which is based on a first-comefirst-serve
basis.
Aside the Lagos State government
and the NPA, other
stakeholders privy to the arrangement
are the Nigeria
Police Force, unions, and
Truck Transit Park operators
The operation was agreed
upon by stakeholders after
thorough consideration to effectively
eliminate the traffic
congestion experienced in the
axis.
Sanwo-Olu’s promises
on Apapa
Governor Sanwo-Olu, during
an unplanned fact-finding
visit to Apapa to ascertain the
causes of incessant gridlock on
roads leading to the seaports,
assured that the new operational
template for the presidential
task team would be
enforced by a combined team
of the Lagos State Special
Traffic and Enforcement Team
and the police.
Sanwo-Olu said his administration
was determined to
restore sanity on the Apapa
axis.
The governor, with members
of his cabinet, physically assessed
the complexity of the
situation that allowed heavyduty
trucks clog up the access
roads, as a blame game ensued
between stakeholders
operating within and around
the Apapa seaports.
While the Committee of
Freight Forwarders and Maritime
Truckers, COFFAMAT,
blamed NPA officials, the
Presidential Taskforce on Port
Decongestion and the police
for the corruption that allowed
truck drivers to park indiscriminately
on the road, the
Council of Maritime Transport
Union and Association, COM-
TUA, absolved the police and
Task Force, accusing COFFA-
MAT, truck drivers and other
stakeholders of not abiding by
the rules.
A customs licensed clearing
and forwarding agent, Mr.
Boniface Okoye, blamed the
Gridlock along Oshodi Apapa Expressway, yesterday.
NCS for giving undue access
to the shippers’ council to
leave empty containers in the
port areas.
He also accused the police
for looking away after allegedly
collecting kickbacks.
Following the accusations
and counter-accusations by
stakeholders, Sanwo-Olu
vowed to checkmate activities
of all operators responsible for
the gridlock in the area.
The governor wondered why
container-laden trucks, not yet
called upon for loading in the
ports, were indiscriminately
parked on the newly rehabilitated
Tincan Island Road, instead
of moving into the approved
terminal provided by
the government.
Sanwo-Olu had said: “This
is about the fourth time that
my government has been trying
to address Apapa gridlock
and bring sanity back to the
area. On each occasion we had
come here, we knew that there
were road constructions. This
time around, there has been a
lot of improvement and we
have seen that a lot of the
roads within Apapa have been
completed. But, there has
been no respite for commuters
in terms of free traffic flow.
“Our plan is to bring about a
cohesive system where all
stakeholders will understand
their roles and resolve challenges
being encountered.
Since last year, the Presidential
Taskforce has been working
on this issue. We will have
a team of policemen and LAST-
MA dedicated to Apapa Ports
for enforcement of task force’s
mandates.”
The governor, however, noted
that the sharp practices
and inadequacies observed in
the handling of container operations
at the ports would be
escalated to the Minister of
Transport, adding that the
misconducts of the policemen
stationed close to the ports
would be reported to the Inspector-General
of Police.
Following the accusations
and
counter-accusations
by stakeholders,
Sanwo-Olu vowed
to checkmate activities
of all operators
responsible for the
gridlock in the area
torists and commuters.
Also, a week and half after
into the system, a scandal involving
counterfeiting of e-
call-up tickets by truck drivers
and owners was discovered.
It was also gathered that the
gridlock is being hampered
due to the on-going dual port
access road construction
awarded by Federal Government.
The road construction is in
collaboration with Dangote
Group and Messrs HITECH
Construction Company, which
had been truncated at Sunrise
area.
In addition to this, the ongoing
road rehabilitation on
the Lagos-Badagry Expressway,
expected to be completed
within two months, has prevented
the free flow of traffic
with the effect spilling over to
Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.
FG speaks on road
construction
On why the section 2 had
Mayhem continues
After a month and 13 days of
the e-call-up system operation,
gridlock has persisted in Apapa
and environs, particularly,
along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.
This has also led to the return
of traffic robbers who
have seized the chaotic situation
to unleash terror on mobeen
neglected till the moment,
the Federal Controller
of Works in Lagos state, Mr.
Olukayode Popoola, said work
was yet to begin on the section
because the section was
under procurement and had
not been awarded.
Popoola, however, disclosed
that papers for award of the
section were being worked on.
Miscreants, touts
cash in
Miscreants and touts have
also hijacked the situation by
extorting huge sums of money
from truckers before allowing
access to the depots and
seaport.
The situation got progressively
worse as law enforcement
agents abandoned traffic
control to miscreants and
officials of port unions.
It was also gathered that no
official of the newly-created
Lagos State traffic enforcement
team could be seen at the
gridlock points as they were
accused of extorting truckers
to grant access to the port
A stakeholders’ meeting held
last week between representatives
of Lagos State Government
and union leaders in
ports operation ended in a
deadlock.
AMATO accuses
Police, NPA of
extortion
Aggrieved members of the
Association of Maritime Truck
Owners, AMATO, accused the
police and NPA of frustrating
the smooth operation of the e-
call-up system.
In his reaction, President of
AMATO, Remi Ogungbemi,
said: “The Apapa traffic has
become a commercial entity for
some that are benefitting from
the situation.”
He suggested that “everyone
that is involved in the
management of traffic in that
axis should be removed and
new people brought in.
“The corruption has taken a
higher dimension and it will
take a collective effort to deal
with it once and for all.”
However, the Lagos State
Police Command exonerated
itself from the continued gridlock
in the axis.
A senior Police officer, who
spoke on the condition of anonymity,
said: “I am surprised
they are accusing the Police.
There is a committee mandated
to ensure free flow of traffic
at Apapa. Gone are the days
when the Police were involved.
“Policemen are just there to
give cover to officials of LAST-
MA. If you must know, LAST-
MA is even more prominent
in Apapa than the Police. They
are more relevant in the affairs
of that place than the Police.
Our men are only there to give
cover to LASTMA and members
of the task force, we do
not have direct link or contract
with any affairs in Apapa or
the ports.”
Why gridlock persists
—Fayinka
When contacted, the Chairman
of Lagos traffic team and
Special Adviser to the Governor
on Transportation, Mr. Toyin
Fayinka, had attributed part
of the gridlock on the Apapa
axis to the ongoing construction
work in the axis.
Fayinka said: “Though,
there has been a significant
progress in this area particularly
on the road construction
site. A lot of road has been
fixed.
“There has not been movement
on these axes due to road
construction by Hitech, particularly
from Sunrise to Tincan
Port.
“So, I will start a conversation
with the Federal Controller
of Works to talk to Hitech.
We equally suspect a foul play
on the part of the unions.”

16 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
Matthew Kukah and Pastor Tunde:
Reading the diatribes
By ISSA AREMU
I
AGREE
with Emeritus, Archbishop of
Abuja, His Eminence John Cardinal
Onaiyekan, that politics should be inclusive
of all: the priests and the proletariat alike. Even
more so for participatory democratic politics.
In defence of the right of Bishop of Sokoto,
Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, to periodically
damn bad governance in the country, former
Abuja Archbishop observed that: “...If you
understand politics as to how you organise
and manage the community for the common
good, we are all supposed to be politicians.
....We will continue to talk.
“In the whole project of nation-building and
good governance, people have different roles
to play. The role of Mr President is, of course,
the most important in terms of organising
everything. But the role of religious leaders, if
you are a genuine one, should be to be able to
speak in the name of God." As a veteran of
trade union activist, I bear witness about
some class prejudice against the downtrodden
when it comes to political discourse.
Anytime workers demand for their rights, they
are easily smeared as being “political” as if
politics is the monopoly of the owning class.
While business owners, employers, retired
military officers and permanent secretaries are
proud card carrying members of political
parties, every move by organised workforce to
advance their working and living life is often
seen as “partisan” and dangerous by the ruling
class.
There was even an ouster law that once
prohibited civil servants from joining political
parties even when same civil servants are
encouraged to register as voters and courted
as voting herd. Certainly Emeritus Archbishop
was on point when he said “genuine religious
leaders had a role to play in politics, which
included advancing the course of the masses
and speaking truth to power in the name of
God”. Plato once observed that “one of the
penalties for refusing to participate in politics
is that you end up being governed by your
inferiors”. And that is where my agreement
with the respected Archbishop ends.
Reading through the recent “manifestos”
(or are they “Easter messages”?) of both by
dear friend(sorry Comrade Bishop!) Matthew
Kukah and Pastor Tunde Bakare, it’s clear that
Nigeria is not short of political clergy men
with “star words” of significant political and
partisan impact than the full time politicians.
Indeed the statements of both at Easter elicit
almost feverish reaction of the Presidency than
e v e r
predictable
opposition’s
diatribes. If we
recall past
Christmas/
graveyard
homilies of
Bishop Kukah
and Sunday’s
ISSA AREMU
commentaries
of Pastor
Tunde, it’s self-evident that the duo had
maximised freedom of expression in the
current dispensation to be as politically
relevant than many state actors. The issue,
therefore, is not the right of religious men to
political expression, or right “to talk to power”,
but the content and quality of their talks, the
quality of their politics. There are
critical questions begging for some answers.
First, who are the clergy men or, better still,
“genuine religious leaders”? Can we always
judge all books by their covers?
Pastor Bakare is not just a serving Overseer
of Citadel Global Community Church, CGCC.
He has always been audaciously pastoral as
much as a presidential activist! He was one
time Convener, Save Nigeria Group, SNG.
The Senior Pastor of Latter Rain Assembly was
the political running mate to President
Muhammadu Buhari during the 2011
presidential election. He has also expressed
his willingness to contest for the presidency
after the expiration of President Buhari’s
second term in 2023. At Calgary in Canada,
he predicted he would succeed Buhari as
“Nigeria’s 16th president or head of state”.
He was even reportedly arrested in March
2002 following a dooms-day prediction that
never materialised and critical sermons
critical of former president, Olusegun
Obasanjo. Can a pastor who is part of a
•Bishop Matthew Kukah
Praetorian Guard be said to be talking to power
when indeed he is the one being talked at?
Which then raises the question what platforms
do the “genuine religious leaders” use to talk
to power. To his credit Cardinal Onaiyekan
made his extensive comments on participatory
democracy as a guest on AIT’s breakfast show,
Kakaaki in Abuja, not on the pulpit. Many of
us can relate and engage with the Cardinal,
thanks to his chosen open media platform.
Bishop Kukah is credited as an initiator of
the Kukah Centre, a Nigeria-based policy
research institute, “..for the promotion of an
active and engaged citizenry by providing
support for inclusive dialogue and advocacy
initiatives”. I had thankfully participated in a
number of interactive actions by the centre in
which the inclusive voice of the Bishop was
loud and clear. Regrettably I could not make
sense out of the recent Easter message
entitled “Nigeria: Before Our Glory Departs”
by the Bishop. For one, 3,000-plus word
overloaded with biblical quotes task
imaginations for a distant admirer like me.
Second, some questions posed by Bishop
It’s time we all
changed from the
unhelpful
“agonising
narrative” of
Nigeria to mutually
rewarding
discourses
Kukah exclude
the few optimistic
compatriots like
me. Witness
this: “Nigeria
must now ask
itself: What is left
of our glory?
Where are the
values that held
us together? Day
by day, Nigeria
drifts irreversibly into a dark tunnel. Things
are falling apart with unnerving rapidity
because those who govern have only a pact to
protect their interests. Politics is merely its
conveyor belt of ambition. Nigeria has a date
with destiny. If we do not turn around, The axe
is already laid to the roots of the tree (Matthew
3:10).”
Notwithstanding these apocalyptic
rhetorical questions with equal apocalyptic
answers, the Bishop still sees self as a “a
religious leader” who is (not) afraid to say
what is right”. Which then raises the question
about “what is right” and by who? According
to him: “The nation has since become a
massive killing field, as both government and
the governed look on helplessly.... Our people
seek solace and protection, but frustration and
darkness threaten to drown them. Is their
government on AWOL?”
My check shows that the Comrade-Bishop
delivered the message in Nigeria not in
Ethiopia’s Tigray region where senseless
atrocious war of attrition is claiming
thousands of civilians lives. I just witnessed the
colourful opening ceremony of the 20th
National Sports Festival open in the ancient
city of Benin. Many Federal and state officials
were fully on duty not “on AWOL”. The
energetic and wonderful Nigerian youths
raised the banners of “promised land",
Nigeria’s food basket”, “Glory of all lands,”
“Centre of Unity," “Home of Peace," “Land of
progress”, “Land of Beauty, Sunshine and
Hospitality, excellence”, land of knowledge”,
heart beat of the nation”, “Centre of Learning”
Land of Equit, “The Confluence State” Place
of Harmony” “Centre of Excellence”, “Home
of Solid Minerals” “The Power State” “and
Gateway State”, among many Nigeria’s states.
Not a single banner: “ a killing field”. It’s time
we all changed from the unhelpful “agonising
narrative” of Nigeria to mutually rewarding
discourses to uplift the country for challenges
of development.
•Aremu, mni, vice president of the
IndustriALL Global Union, wrote from Abuja
Imo on the precipice
By DAKUKU PETERSIDE
THE mayhem in the Eastern Heartland
of Imo State has left everyone perplexed.
Security eruptions in Imo State appear to be
an indicator of what the country is turning to.
The state’s stories seem like scenes from
blockbuster sci-fi movies meant to entertain
fans in love with gory violence. A few months
ago, such scenes could not be imagined even
by diehard pessimists in the state. But these
have become the existential realities of citizens
of Imo State today. A few days ago, an armed
gang kidnapped a traditional ruler, His Royal
Highness, Eze Charles Iroegbu, and all the
cabinet chiefs of Nguru Mabise on their way
back from a wedding ceremony.
Unknown hoodlums attacked the Ehime
Mbano police station barely 48 hours after
Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, the former
inspector general of police, Mohammed
Adamu, and other government functionaries
visited the state to inspect a similar attack on
the state correctional facilities and Police in
Owerri. In the early hours of Monday, April
5,2021(Easter Monday), gunmen attacked
Owerri Correctional Centre and freed over
1,800 inmates. This was after setting virtually
all the vehicles in the prison vicinity on fire.
The then Inspector-General of Police,
Mohammed Adamu, released a statement
later in the day blaming the attack on the
outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
No investigation and no briefing preceded the
announcement. The police chief accused IPOB
of masterminding previous attacks on security
officers and facilities in the South East and
South-South region. He argued that who else
has that level of sophistication and
organisation to mobilise and attack security
agencies continuously and succeed apart from
IPOB? It is alleged that an IPOB pastor was
arrested and paraded, which may have gotten
IPOB members angry.
However, in a separate statement, the
Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope
Uzodinma, blamed the recent attack on
security facilities in the state on aggrieved
politicians, saying they aimed to destabilise
his government and that of President
Muhammadu Buhari. In an interview with
Channels TV, Uzodinma claimed that the
incident was an attack on his government and
explained that security agencies had gathered
intelligence on the sponsors of the thugs and
their planning leading to the attack on
government establishments on Monday.
Beyond the contradictory statements between
the chief law enforcement officer in the country
and chief security officer of Imo State, the
details of the alleged jailbreak and attack on
the Imo State Command headquarters of the
Nigeria Police looks like a poorly scripted
drama.
According to reports, the gunmen allegedly
danced and sung solidarity songs for more
than 30 minutes before attacking the facilities,
located within the Imo State Police Command
Headquarters’ compound. The incident
witnessed no fatality except for an escaping
prisoner who seemed to have been a victim of
a stray bullet. So, it means that in the attack on
a correctional centre facility purportedly
secured by heavily armed correctional officers
and located at the heart of the Nigeria Police
in Imo State, not even one of the purported
attackers/
gangsters was
shot or killed.
And not even
one prison
warder or a
s i n g l e
policeman was
shot or killed.
Some reports
also indicated
that there is
DAKUKU PETERSIDE
usually an
Army Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC,
manned by stern-looking soldiers at the
entrance of the Government House, the
Correctional Centre, and the High Court
premises, all within touching distance of the
scene of the mayhem. Yet, there was no
apparent effort to repel the arsonists and
hoodlums. Equally more puzzling is that the
formidable military formation called 32 Field
Artillery Brigade is located less than 10
minutes away from the Owerri Correctional
Facility. Yet, the soldiers failed to respond to
the attack, which is said to have lasted for over
three hours.
A former Assistant Director with DSS alleged
that the secret police alerted the Nigeria Police
and Imo State governor at least three times
•Imo governor, Hope Uzodinma
before the gruesome attack on the state prisons
that fateful day, yet nothing happened. These
anomalies point to the fact that there seems to
be more to the ‘prison attack’ than meets the
eye. As our security agencies strive to uncover
what happened at the wee hours of Monday,
April 5, 2021, at Owerri Correctional Facility,
it should be a thing of worry for Nigerians that
the whole country is gradually being
overwhelmed by insecurity and overran by
criminal elements.
Imo State, for instance, has witnessed more
than five attacks on security formations in the
past months. In recent times, the South East
has become a morbid theatre where security
men are randomly murdered. Many
Nigerians have wondered the fate of the
ordinary, unarmed, defenceless Nigerian if
those with arms to protect the unarmed are
themselves killed at random. We must ask
pertinent questions at this point: who wants to
destabilise Igboland and for what? What
happened to intelligence gathering and
analysis by the security agencies and air
surveillance ? Is it true that one of the eastern
agitation organisations trained over one
thousand youths within the country, yet they
were not spotted, not detected, nor arrested?
Has the whole insecurity issue been turned
into an economic enterprise?
How come in other climes, it is
We must ask
pertinent
questions at this
point: who wants
to destabilise
Igboland and for
what?
straightforward to
trace mass action
and nip it in the
bud? Are there
lessons we should
take from FBI and
S h i n b e t h
organisations of
US and Israel,
respectively on
intelligence gathering and analysis? It has
been reported that weapons are freely coming
into the land and in non-state actors’ hands.
There is the broader narrative of ethnic
nationalism and sympathy towards separatist
movements, which exacerbates the problem.
These acts of violence have significant
implications for the broader issues of national
security. It almost seems as if violence is being
franchised from one part of the country to
another.
It has become apparent that something is
seriously wrong with Nigeria’s security
architecture. We seem to have a problem
getting the right policy to tackle insecurity and
taking the proper steps to safeguard Nigerians’
lives. We cannot make progress as a country if
we persist with the culture and climate of
impunity. The Owerri ‘prison attack’ is a severe
security breach as thousands of dangerous
criminals were released into society with
catastrophic consequences. But as we know,
with our beleaguered country, in the end, it is
unlikely that anything will change.
The Head of the Owerri Correctional Centre
will continue in office. The prison officials who
were supposed to ensure that hoodlums did
not gain access to the prisoners would continue
to receive all their salaries and emoluments.
Simultaneously, the soldiers manning the
armoured personnel carrier will return to their
duty post. No one resigns. No one is demoted.
No one is sacked. No one takes responsibility.
When the ‘fire’ of the incident eventually dies
down, we continue as if nothing happened. In
‘saner climes’ last week’s incident at the Owerri
Correctional Facility would cost many people
their jobs. By the way, it is a fact that there are
places in the world where the need for political
responsibility would mean that such
institutional failures can bring down an entire
government. The South East used to be one of
the most peaceful geopolitical regions in the
country.
Continues online: www.vanguardngr.com
•Peterside, former DG, NIMASA, wrote
wrote from Lagos.

Worsening insecurity and the wild-goose chase for peace
By SEGUN IGE
THERE’s nothing like experiencing
an unvarnished, unadulterated,
uninterrupted peace of mind. Peace, as
a state of wellbeing, controls and
contributes immensely to our emotional
and psychological outfit, strength and
stability, which in turn determine
whether or not we’d be active
participants in the social, physical and/
or physiological realms. All these are
delicate dimensions of the human reality
that should not be tampered or tempted
with yet inevitable existential distresses
of death, denial, defeat, dejection,
deprivation, harassment, and
embarrassment.
There are two kinds of peace – internal
and external. Obviously the two are
intricately interwoven. And external
peace is fundamentally a factor,
facilitator and function of internal peace.
The normal human mind does yearn for
peace, perpetually, especially in
troubled, trauma-filled, tempestuous
situations and circumstances. Nigeria,
as it is, is groaning and agonising under
the heavy grips and whirligigs of
insecurity, banditry, hypocrisy and
malignity. In such a situation, it is, of
course, expected that the overall leader
of a state or nation should be a peaceoracle
– even though he or she might
not be a ‘peace practitioner’ – so that
healing and health could be restored in
the country in one way or another.
There have been lots of groundswells
in the country which cannot even hold
much water with respect to President
Muhammadu Buhari’s London checkup
travel most of which are utterly
unappealing and undrinkable. From the
elite side, it is sort of a cowardly silence
of hypocrisy which doesn’t beggar public
belief at all. From the common side, it
was a rather ‘fight-like-hell’ ‘check-up’
on Buhari’s medical check-up. But why
has, tentatively, Buhari gone on
‘sabbatical leave’, even at these turbulent
times when leaders are extremely
concerned about communal progression
and pacification necessitated by the
pandemic?
Apart from the pain wrought by the
pandemic, aren’t we suffering an
epidemic of insecurity, externally
affecting our internal peace, that
demands deliberative and decisive
working together of all hands and all
heads? By the way, I don’t think Buhari
has necessarily gone to the U.K. because
Our health-care system is
suffering; suffering from a
pulseless electrical activity of a
government grappling with the
‘plandemic’ of funding the oxygen
of nationhood, while
concentrating more on the carbon
dioxide of immaterial nonessentials
of how slippery slope the health-care
system has been. I mean, we’ve got
trained, medical experts here in Nigeria
who’ve faithfully and committedly been
on the frontline combating the COVID-
19 pandemic. They are not weary. They
are not tired. They are not afraid. And
they are not going to give up and give
in to the seemingly unquenchable fires
of the pandemic. Oh, how long have the
brood remained so ungatherable in the
tarpaulin-wings of the hen, even at the
sound-sight of a howling-hovering
hawk! Let’s be factual here: our healthcare
system as well as its workers is
suffering; suffering from a pulseless
The PTF, PSC and matters arising
By EDWIN UHARA
FOLLOWING the successful
transition of the Presidential
Taskforce on COVID-19 to a
Presidential Steering Committee on
COVIDd-19, I have come across
several reactions that trailed the
development since the
announcement was made by the
Federal Government on Tuesday,
April 6, 2021. While some hailed the
move, others expressed reservations.
But one that caught my attention
most is the comment attributed to
the Chairman, Senate Committee
on Health, Senator Ibrahim
Oloriegbe, who said: "I was listening
to the radio yesterday (Wednesday
last week) when I heard that the PTF
on COVID-19 has been converted
to a steering committee. We were not
consulted in terms of what will be
the operational mechanism and so
on ... What is the content of that
conversion? How will the steering
committee work?"
However, at the first national press
briefing of the PTF after Easter break
held in Abuja on April 6, 2021, the
Secretary to the Government of the
Federation and Chairman of the
PTF/PSC, Mr. Boss Mustapha,
announced the approval given by
President Muhammadu Buhari for
the transmogrification of the
Presidential Taskforce on COVID-
19 to a Presidential Steering
Committe on COVID-19 starting
from April 1, 2021 to December 31,
2021 with a modified mandate to
reflect non-emergent status of
COVID-19 as a potentially longterm
pandemic.
The SGF said: "Mr. President has
considered the report and has
approved the following: That the
PTF will transition to a Presidential
Steering Committe on COVID-19,
effective from April 1, 2021 with a
modified mandate to reflect the nonemergent
status of COVID-19 as a
potentially long-term pandemic;
that the structure of the PSC shall
reflect the new focus of the response
with a targeted approach on vaccine
oversight, risk communication,
international travel quarantine
processes ind sub-national
engagement, that the term of the
Presidential Steering Committtee
shall last till December 31, 2021. The
Presidential Steering Committee
would maintain the present
constitution, functions and strategies
of the PTF; be supported by a slim
technical and administrative
structure. The current National
Incident Manager (Dr. Mukhtar
Mohammed) shall formally take
over from the national coordinator
and function as the Head (Technical
Secretariat) and member of the
PSC."
The SGF added that the PSC will
coordinate the vaccine rollout,
deployment and administration,
while a private sector supported
transition consultant will sustain the
multi-sectoral relations and policy
guidance. He further disclosed that
the PSC would meet less frequently
while maintaining effective
communication with Nigerians and
also monitor and audit ongoing
systems, reforms and infrastructure
development in the health sector.
Before the transition, President
Buhari had extended the lifespan of
the PTF twice after the expiration of
its original mandate on September
17, 2020. The first extension was
between September and December
2020, while the second extension was
from December 22, 2020 to March
31, 2021. It will be recalled that the
PTF was established on March 9,
2020 to coordinate and oversee
Nigeria’s multi-sectoral intergovernmental
efforts to contain the
spread and mitigate the impact of
COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. In
other words, the overall goal of the
taskforce was to stop further
transmission of COVID-19 within
Nigeria as well as ensure provision
of basic treatment to those infected;
and reduce the overall social and
economic impact of the pandemic
on the country.
Let me also add that as of the time
the PTF was established, no one
With B1525 being
regarded as Nigerian
Variant, it then means that
Nigerians are going to face
difficulties when travelling
around the world if
nothing is done urgently to
arrest the situation
envisaged the breakthrough we
currently have in the world of
vaccine. Instead, the main goal and
mandate of the taskforce was to
flatten the COVID-19 curve. But
because of the virulent nature of the
disease as well as the huge
investment made in vaccine research
and development by the global
community, COVID-19 vaccine was
found towards the end of 2020.
Hence, the challenge is no longer
electrical activity of a government
grappling with the ‘plandemic’ of
funding the oxygen of nationhood, while
concentrating more on the carbon
dioxide of immaterial non-essentials.
Anyway, I hope Nigeria wouldn’t be
hiring some pulmonologist, someday, to
dissect the cause of year-long
breathlessness and recklessness which
have wreaked lots of havoc, danger and
disaster. This is the backdrop for which
I believe Buhari should have stayed back
to fine-tune the oxygen-providers of
national development, in particular,
internal security, by focusing much more
on weightier matters.
To be sure, all the problems of
insecurity are traceable to education and
health. It’s either schoolchildren are
abducted, kidnapped until one mindboggling
ransom is paid (as if one is
making a sacrifice of restitution – but, in
this case, repatriation!) on the one hand
(even though the same story is
potentially going to surface sooner or
later); or the medical practitioners
voluntarily resign, not essentially for fear
they could contract the virus, on the other
hand. Indeed, the doctor strike which
has been temporarily called off, may be
underway again, which, I believe, is a
pointer to how the life-savers, the caregivers
– who go to the extent of
endangering their own dear lives to save
one or two – are disproportionately,
delinquently depreciated.
Definitely, it’s not only Buhari who
needs peace. I need peace. You need
peace. Nigeria needs peace. Everybody
needs peace. Needless to say, fleeing to
one country for solace and tranquility is
not the problem. But fleeing to countries
which – through patience, pain and
perseverance – have moved from Third
Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 17
about the existence of vaccine, but
about vaccine hesitancy, antivaxxers,
vaccine nationalism and
lately vaccine passports.
Vaccine hesitancy, according to
report, is the reluctance or refusal to
be vaccinated or to have one’s
children vaccinated against
contagious diseases. Vaccine
hesitant individuals often say they
want to “wait and see” as vaccines
are distributed in their community.
However, vaccine hesitancy is
slightly different from anti-vaxxers.
While vaccine hesitant people can
change their mind, anti-vaxxers can
rarely be persuaded to give up their
fixed beliefs that all vaccines are
harmful. According to report, health
experts have recommended that
medical professionals should focus
on those who are vaccine-hesitant
instead of anti-vaxxers. Someone can
become vaccine hesitant because of
misinformation on the social media
or a lack of confidence in the safety
of the vaccines, but anti-vaxxers are
not.
Vaccine nationalism, according to
Indian Express, is when a country
manages to secure doses of vaccines
for its own citizens or residents and
prioritises its own domestic markets
before they are made available in
other countries. This is done through
pre-purchase agreements between a
government and a vaccine
m a n u f a c t u r e r .
While vaccine passport is a proof
that a person has been immunised
against COVID-19. It could be in the
form of a smartphone app or a
written certificate, for those who don’t
have smartphones. According to
Washington Post report, the goal is
to digitise individual countries’
paper vaccination certificates into
internationally recognised passes for
travel. “A few options for vaccine
Send Opinions & Letters to:
opinions1234@yahoo.com
World to First World – and not learning
anything thereby – is the real problem.
It was through hard work. It was through
determination. It was through
perseveringly enduring the persecution
and prosecution of a glorious and fulfilled
land. And, above all, it was through
Dreams. Every developed nation has
its own dream. More often mouthed is
the American dream of emancipation,
equality, tolerance and unity. As a mixed
country, America has anciently,
persistently and passionately been
striving to meet up with the requirements
of obtaining the prize, notably sliding
back-and-forth because of the
“epidemic” and “embarrassment” of
gun-violence. Here we are in Nigeria
with far less comparative hybridity,
supremacy and extremism, yet wishywashying
our ways to the top without
any acute action anchored on solid
visions serving as vehicle to move the
country to the next level. We do need
revolutionaries and visionaries who can
conceive, believe and achieve the
Nigerian dream – because that’s the only
way we can take responsibility, and not
remain perpetual liability, for the future
of this country.
In the face of growing kidnapping,
killing and shooting, the way out of this
apparently most lucrative business
enterprise of the year, as of now, is not
by running away. It’s not by being
psycho-emotionally traumatised and
disillusioned, either, particularly by
incendiary speeches of hate and
incompetence extraordinarily pinnacled
by the brazen brigands. It should,
instead, be a clarion call of courage to
remain unwaveringly and unreservedly
rooted in the hands-and-deck of building
a Nigeria where peace, unity, love and
justice reign.
•Ige, a Lagos-based journalist, wrote via:
igesegunadebayo5@gmail.com
passports exist for Americans so far,
and other countries and regions
have also developed, or are in the
process of developing their own.”
As of today, Nigerian scientists
have also come up with two COVID-
19 vaccines which are waiting for
clinical trial and certification by
relevant bodies. Nonetheless,
another challenging development is
the mutation of the virus leading to
several strains or variants; from the
United Kingdom variant (B.1.1.7 )
to the South African variant (B1351)
to the Brazilian Variant (P.1) and the
less known B1525 widely regarded
as the Nigerian Variant according
to report by the April 8 edition of The
Sun Newspaper of London. With
B1525 being regarded as Nigerian
Variant, it then means that Nigerians
are going to face difficulties when
travelling around the world if nothing
is done urgently to arrest the
situation.
Therefore, Mr. President, in
exercising the powers conferred on
him by the Quarantine Act to take
extra-ordinary measures during
public health crises, decided to
enlarge the scope and mandate of
the defunct PTF by officially
converting it to a Presidential
Steering Committee on COVID-19
with all encompassing mandate and
responsibility to coordinate vaccine
rollout, deployment and
administration, while a private
sector supported transition
consultant will sustain the multisectoral
relations and policy
guidance, among others.
Continues
www.vanguardngr.com
online.
Comrade Uhara, a UN-trained
negotiator, wrote from Lagos
C
M
Y

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
AT last, the 20th edition of the
National Sports Festival, NSF, tagged
Edo 2020 is coasting home. It is a
biennial multi-sports event organised
by the Federal Ministry of Youth and
Sports Development. Athletes from the
36 states of the federation and the
Federal Capital Territory are attending games due to paucity of funds. This,
what is commonly referred to as the the state said, was due to Federal
Nigerian Olympics.
Government's failure to meet its
Edo 2020 suffered several financial obligation to the organisers.
postponements, no thanks to the This is unprecendented. Happily, it was
COVID-19 pandemic which halted settled and the games continued
sporting activities throughout the world seamlessly.
early last year. When the games finally If this hitch was indeed due to party
began it was a big relief to states and politics as widely speculated, we
their athletes who had spent months in condemn it in very strong terms as
camp preparing, long before the sports should never be mixed with
postponement last year.
politics. The General Yakubu Gowon
However, not long after the festival administration initiated the NSF in 1973
commenced, thousands of athletes and as a platform to bring together youths
officials were thrown into confusion from all parts of the country to
when the Edo State Government compete, using sports as a tool to
announced the sudden stoppage of the achieve national healing after the brutal
National Sports Festival: Beyond the medals
30-month civil war. The festival was a
rallying point for national unity and
cultural integration. It was rightly
named the Unity Games. Initially, it
went very far in achieving the set
objectives.
Beyond the political undertone, the
National Sports Festival was meant to
create a pool of budding athletes to be
nurtured, monitored and developed to
international reckoning. It was also
meant to engender mass participation
in sports by the teeming youth of the
country. One of the major canons of
the festival which was developmental
in orientation, has been diluted by
organisers. Until recently, an athlete
who had participated in three previous
Sports Festivals was ineligible to
compete at the games.
However, the National Council for
Sports in its wisdom threw the festival
open for both elite and the upcoming
athletes. Since 2012 when Lagos hosted
it, the festival has lost its innocence.
Budding athletes are now made to
compete side-by-side their more
established counterparts.
It simply portrays a win-at-all cost
mentality by some states which view
their dominance at the fiesta as
justification for the huge funds
allocated to them by their state
governments. This is partly why we are
performing poorly in international
competitions.
It is our belief that the rules should
be returned to the original idea. We
think winning the National Sports
Festival should be beyond gold, silver
and bronze.
Let the conference be now
TO mark the first anniversary of his
presidency on May 29, 2016, President
Muhammadu Buhari, granted a rare
television interview. In an answer to a question
on the National Conference of his predecessor,
President GoodlluckJonathan, held in 2014,
President Muhammadu Buhari declared: “I
advised against the issue of National
Conference. You would recall that ASUU was
on strike then for almost nine months. The
teachers in the tertiary institutions were on
strike for more than a year, yet that government
had about N9 billion to organise that meeting
(national conference), and some (members)
were complaining that they hadn’t been paid.
I never liked the priority of that government
on that particular issue, because it meant that
what the National Assembly could have
handled was handed to the conference, while
the more important job of keeping our children
in schools was abandoned. That is why I haven’t
even bothered to read it or ask for briefing on
it, and I want it to go into the so-called
archives.”
I am sure that statement was made in error.
His critics charged that the statement was
overbearing and disdainful. We are told
everyday that no knowledge is lost. Marie Julie
Romney wrote that “no knowledge is lost, only
sheathed in a sea of perfectly complacent
heedless things”. Bipin Kumor G. J. added that
“seek the knowledge, and everything else will
find the way to you”. The statement drove away
some people with genuine intentions who may
have wished to give advice to President Buhari’s
government. The statement gave an impression
further that the President will not seek advice
from anyone. A government, like any
organisation, requires collective leadership.
A common mistake leaders do is to act and
behave that leadership is not a team sport like
rugby or netball or football. True collective
leadership is what happens when several
capable people with complementary strengths
and competencies, sharing common high
values and character, and centred around a
compelling purpose and vision, combine to
provide direction among a company of people
and contribute to their success.
It requires specific conditions for the success
of the whole: trust, shared power, transparent
and effective communication, accountability,
and shared learning. It is based on the
recognition that without the diverse gifts,
talents, perspectives and efforts of many,
sustainable change is difficult to achieve.
Collective leadership is a process. It is
dependent on the relationships among the
human parts in the system, whether that system
is two people working together, a team, or a
whole organisation. Leadership is not a oneman
show. It is the responsibility of every leader
to bring everyone on board. No matter how
powerful you are, you need friends. In fact, the
best leaders are those who search for friends
and seek their advice.
OPINION
How can one throw into the dustbin the job
of over 400 delegates who took part in the
National Conference of 2014? Certainly there
must be some useful suggestions in their report.
We are nearing anarchy in this country now.
The solution does not lie in violence but in
dialogue. In the light of current events in this
country, there is an urgent need to convene a
national conference so that we can sit down
and talk about the future of our country. I
remember a famous quote by Sir Winston
Churchill’s biographer, Sir Martin Gilbert,
who quoted the former British Prime Minister
as saying “jaw-jaw is better than war-war”. We
must not allow this country to disintegrate on
our heads. There is need to talk.
Since 1999, apart from President Umaru
Musa Yar’Adua (August 16, 1951-May 5,
2010), only President Muhammadu Buhari
has failed to convene a conference. President
Yar’Adua could be excused in that his health
and eventual death robbed us of the
opportunity to assess him properly. He was
President from May 29, 2007 till he died on
May 5, 2010. He spent his last nine months
attending to his health. On February 21, 2005,
President Olusegun Obasanjo, convened the
National Political Reform Conference. The
How can one throw into the
dustbin the job of over 400
delegates who took part in the
National Conference of 2014?
conference was organised by the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot
Ekaette, while his office was the secretariat of
the conference.
Chairman of the conference was Justice Niki
Tobi(July 14, 1940 – June 19, 2016), while the
deputy chairman was Alhaji Sule Katagum
from Bauchi State and Ishaq Oloyede from
Ogun State was co-secretary. The secretary of
the conference was Matthew Hassan Kukah
(69) born in Anchuna, Zangon Kataf Local
Government Area of Kaduna State, an area
Send Opinions & Letters to:
opinions1234@yahoo.com
that has seen so much unrest and oppression.
You cannot come from Zangon Kataf and not
be radical. Their story is a sad one. Bishop
Kukah is the current bishop of the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. The assistant
secretary of the conference was Mr. Akin
Arikawe from Igbotako in Ondo State, who
retired as a permanent secretary, Federal
Ministry of Finance. Arikawe is now a finance
consultant in Abuja. I served as the media
coordinator of the conference.
Those who attended the conference included
Anyim Ude, Ayodeji Otegbola, Awaisu Kuta,
Helen Esuene, Barnabas Gemade, Wale
Oladipo, Martin Elechi, Aliyu Akwe Doma,
Sule Lamido, Murtala Nyako, Ibrahim
Shema, Jonah Jang, Adams Oshiomhole,
Abdullahi Ganduje, Olusegun Adesegun,
Yakubu Lame, Humphrey Abbah, Kabiru
Turaki, Emeka Anyaoku, Barnabas Gemade,
Afe Babalola, Kema Chikwe, Mathew Kukah,
Olusola Saraki, Adamu Ciroma, Garba
Nadama, Joshua Dogonyaro (Lt. General),
Fidelis Oyakhilome, Ebitu Ukiwe and
Chukwuemeka Ezeife. Others were Victor
Malu, Joseph Wayas, Bassey Asuquo, Matthias
Offoboche, Edwin Clark, Martin Elechi, Nimi
Brigss, Peter Okebukola, Wale Babalakin,
Nkoyo Toyo, J. Idachaba, Bala Usman, Garba
Nadama, Adebayo Adedeji, Matthew Mbu,
Hassan Adamu (Wakilin Adamawa); Murtala
Nyako, Samuel Ogbemudia, Maiji Maina
Lawan, Don Etiebet, Jerry Useni, Olusegun
Adesegun, Ike Nwachukwu, Chekwas Okorie,
Shehu Sani, Mike Ozekhome, Umaru
Shinkafi, Auwalu Yadudu, Paul Unongo, Albert
Horsfall, Wale Babalakin, Ibrahim Tahir,
Ishaq Oloyede, Peter Adebiyi, Abdulkadir
Orire, Tony Nwoye, Baba Dantiye, Smart
Adeyemi, Nduka Obaigbena, Bello
Mohammed, Ibrahim Haruna (Major
General), Femi Okurounmu, Joe Irukwu, Don
Etiebet, Ajibola Ogunshola, Isaac Shaahu,
Senator Francis Ellah, John Dara, Leedum
Mitee, Adeyinka Adebayo (General), Jerry
Gana, Kanu Agabi, Iro Dan Musa, Joy Ogwu,
and Fola Adeola.
Continues next week

Money Printing: LCCI lists more ills of Ways & Means
•More analysts raise alarm over deteriorating public finance
By Babajide
Komolafe, Yinka
Kolawole & Nkiruka
Nnorom
ECONOMY
THERE appears to be
more controversies
surrounding the alleged
borrowing by the Federal
Government to argument
the March 2021 statutory allocations
as the Lagos
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, LCCI, and economic
analysts indicated
that the situation is even
worse and could lead to further
depreciation of the naira
as well as send negative signals
to the citizens on the
state of government finance.
.
The Governor of Edo State,
Godwin Obaseki, had told a
stakeholders meeting last
Thursday in Benin City that
the FG printed about N60
billion to top up the amount
meant for distribution to the
three tiers of government as
inflow from the Federation
Accounts Allocation Committee,
FAAC.
Responding to Vanguard
on the development, the Director
General, LCCI, Dr.
Muda Yusuf, said, “The situation
is even worse than the
picture he painted. CBN financing
of government deficit
has reached unprecedented
levels in recent
years. In 2020, it was in excess
of two trillion naira. In
monetary parlance, it is referred
to as Ways and Means
financing by the CBN.
“These are reflections of
the weak revenue performance
of government in the
face of growing expenditure.
The situation clearly poses
serious macroeconomic
risks, some of which has
started to crystallize.
“The biggest of such risks
MONEY MARKET
are the inflation and currency
depreciation risks. It
is a contributory factor to
the current uptick in inflationary
pressures in the
economy.”
Headline Inflation was
17.33 percent as at February,
the highest in recent
times. Food inflation was
even much higher at over
21 percent.
Yusuf stated further:
“There are also implications
for the currency. Mounting
ways and means financing
increases money supply
and invariably weakens and
INDUSTRY
money illusion, where our
Gross Domestic Product,
GDP, may seemingly increase
but in real terms, the
value may be lower than
what it was before the sudden
rise in currency component
of money supply.
“If it is not properly managed,
Nigeria may be going
the way of Zimbabwe or
Venezuela, when you may
need a large quantum of
naira to exchange for convertible
currencies such as
dollar, Euro whose supply
have been adversely affected
by low sales of crude
Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 —19
government is just trying to
securitize the Ways & Means”
funding option.”
David Adonri, Managing
Director/Chief Executive
Officer, Highcap Securities,
described it as an irresponsible
and destructive way of
financing the government,
saying that it does not reflect
the productive capacity of
the nation.
He stated that the income
generating capacity
of the federal government
oil during the COVID era.” collapsed, hence the resort
Ayodeji Ebo, Head, Retail to printing of money to finance
FAAC allocation.
Investment, Chapel Hill
Denham, in his reaction, said: He said: “It is an irresponsible
and destructive
“If the statement is true, then
this is worrisome as the states way of financing government.
It creates money
continue to receive “easy
money”. This will not allow that is not reflective of the
state governments look inwards
to create avenues to economy. The excessive
productive capacity of the
increase their internally generated
revenue.
“Ways and Means” fuels
money created through
“Beyond the inflationary inflation. “That FGN has
impact, it also sends negative
signals to the citizenry sort to this method means
found it expedient to re-
due to the high cost of governance.
I hope this trend is pacity of government has
the income generating ca-
not sustained as the federal collapsed.”
Our cement price is lower in Nigeria than other
countries — Dangote
By Kenneth
Ehigiator
MANAGEMENT of
Dangote Cement Plc
has said yesterday that the
price of its product per bag
from the factory was between
N2,450 in Obajana
and Gboko, and N2,510 in
Ibese, inclusive of VAT.
The clarification came
against the backdrop recent
insinuations that the company
sells cement in Nigeria
at significantly higher
prices relative to other
countries, particularly
Ghana and Zambia.
Dangote’s Group Executive
Director, Strategy, Portfolio
Development & Capital
Projects, Devakumar
Edwin, who gave the clarification
at an interface with
journalists in Lagos, revealed
that while a bag of cement
sells for an equivalent
of $5.1, including VAT in Nigeria,
it sells for $7.2 in
Ghana and $5.95 in Zambia
ex-factory, inclusive of all
taxes.
He said that though the
company has direct control
over its ex-factory prices, it
TAJBank deploys NQR solution to ease
customer transactions
TAJBANK, Nigeria’s
non-interest bank,
has announced the deployment
of the NQR
Payment solution, an indigenous
Quick Response
Code (QRC) by the Nigeria
Interbank Settlement
Scheme (NIBSS), for merchants
and customers as
the newest addition to its
innovative e-business
channels.
The NQR Payment solution
is a secure QR-codebased
payments and collections
platform developed
for merchants and
customers to receive and
make payments for goods
and services in a quick,
easy, contactless and secure
manner.
A statement signed by
depreciates the currency.
“All of these are taking a
huge toll on production
costs, operating costs and
the welfare of citizens.”
Also commenting, Dr
Adebayo Adedokun, Trade,
Finance and Development
expert, Department of Economics,
University of Lagos
said: “If what the governor
said is true, it will increase
monetary base or Money
Supply in the economy
void of increase in economic
activities, The effect
of which will be inflationary.
“This will also lead to
could control the ultimate
price of cement in the market.
According to him, it is important
to distinguish
Dangote’s ex-factory prices
from prices at which retailers
sell cement in the market.
He frowned on intentional
misinformation or
the Founder/Chief Operating
Officer of the bank,
Mr. Hamid Joda, indicated
that the ingenious
solution would further
drive TAJBank’s culture
of innovation and create
a seamless payment experience
for its rapidly
growing individual and
corporate customers in
their banking transactions.
“We are excited to have
this payment channel introduced
into the nation’s
financial system as an addition
to other innovative
solutions we have deployed
over the past few
months. This is a proof
that, as we have said in our
communications signature
line, TAJBank’s interest
is always in our customers”,
Joda enthused.
In his remarks, the noninterest
lender’s Chief Marketing
Officer/Co-
Founder, Mr. Sherif Idi,
also maintained that the
deployment of the NQR
payment solution would
revolutionize the e-payment
experience and open
new frontiers for small, medium
and large scale businesses
who are major
stakeholders of the bank.
Since it commenced operations
in the non-interest
banking segment of the
financial services industry,
TAJBank is noted for its
impeccable track record of
growth and innovation,
rendering exceptional
quality services to customers.
The lender’s NQR solution
is open to all customers
of the bank, both merchants
and individuals,
across all its branches and
digital channels globally.
demarketing allegedly
sponsored by some individuals
to the effect that
Dangote sells its cement at
higher prices in Nigeria
relative to other African
countries at the expense
of Nigerians.
Devakumar described
the allegation as false, misleading,
and unfounded,
and challenged the media
to conduct independent investigation
into the price of
cement in some other African
countries, including
Cameroun, Ghana, Sierra
Leone, Zambia.
‘’To ensure that we meet
local demand, we had to
suspend exports from our
recently commissioned export
terminals, thereby foregoing
dollar earnings.
‘’We also had to reactivate
our 4.5m ton capacity
Gboko Plant which was
closed 4 years ago and run
it at a higher cost all in a bid
to guarantee that we meet
demand and keep the price
of Cement within control in
the country.”
“Over the past 15 months,
our production costs have
gone up significantly. About
50% of our costs are linked
to USD so the cost of critical
components like: gas, gypsum,
bags, and spare parts;
has increased significantly
due to devaluation of the
Naira and VAT increase.
‘’Despite this, DCP has not
increased ex-factory prices
since December 2019 till
date while prices of most
other building materials
have gone up significantly.
‘’We have only adjusted
our transport rates to account
for higher costs of
diesel, spare parts, tyres,
and truck replacement.
Still, we charge our customers
only N300 – 350 per
bag for deliveries within a
1,200km radius.
‘’We have been responsible
enough not to even attempt
to cash in on the recent
rise in demand to increase
prices so far’’,
Devakumar said.

20 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
COVID-19 pandemic long way from
over, says WHO
• NPHCDA partners ICPC on vaccine security
By Sola Ogundipe,
Omeiza Ajayi
& Gabriel Olawale
THE
COVID-19
pandemic is a long
way from over, the World
Health Organisation,
WHO, declared on
Monday.
The Director-General of
the WHO, Dr Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
said transmission of the
COVID-19 virus was
being driven by what he
described as confusion,
complacency and
inconsistency in public
health measures.
Tedros who spoke
yesterday in Geneva
during a world press
conference, said: “So far,
some 780 million vaccines
have been administered
globally, but measures
including wearing masks
and maintaining physical
distancing must be
applied to reverse the
trajectory.
“We too want to see
societies and economies
reopening, and travel
and trade resuming. But
right now, intensive care
units in many countries
are overflowing and
people are dying – and
it’s totally avoidable.
"This disease (COVID-
19) is not flu. Young,
healthy people have
died. And we still don’t
fully understand the
long-term consequences
of infection for those who
survive.”
Continuing, Tedros
observed that many
people who have
suffered even mild
COVID-19 disease report
long-term symptoms
including fatigue,
weakness, “brain fog”,
dizziness, tremors,
insomnia, depression,
anxiety, joint pain, chest
tightness and more.
“The COVID19
pandemic is a long way
from over,” he declared,
even as he noted that
there were many reasons
for optimism.
“The decline in cases
and deaths during the
first two months of the
year shows that this virus
and its variants can be
stopped,” he added.
Tedros said that in some
countries, despite
continuing transmission,
restaurants and
nightclubs are full,
markets are open and
crowded with few people
taking precautions.
“Some people appear
COVID-19 vaccination in progress at a health centre in Lagos.
to be taking the approach
that if they’re relatively
young, it doesn’t matter
if they get COVID-19,”
he said.
"WHO does not want
endless lockdowns. The
countries that have done
best have taken a
tailored, measured, agile
and evidence-based
combination of measures.
"As a result, many of
those countries have
gained control over
COVID-19, and their
people are now able to
enjoy sporting events,
concerts, restaurants and
seeing their family and
friends safely.
"With a concerted effort
to apply public health
measures alongside
vaccine equity, we could
bring the pandemic
under control in a matter
of months.
“Whether we do or not
comes down to the
decisions & the actions
that govts & individuals
make every day. The
choice is ours-
"The COVID-19
pandemic has shown that
global manufacturing
capacity is not sufficient
to deliver vaccines and
other essential health
products quickly and
equitably to where they
are needed most.”
According to the WHO
D-G, Africa had a
coordinated approach.
"Early in the COVID-19
pandemic, African
countries came together
to agree on a coordinated
approach to the
pandemic, and now
they’re coming together
for a coordinated
approach to scaling up
manufacturing.
"Investing in
sustainable and secure
domestic manufacturing
capacity & national
regulatory authorities is
critical for providing
essential immunisation
programmes, & for
building strong, resilient
health systems against
the inevitable health
emergencies of the future.
"WHO is also ready to
provide immediate
technical support to assist
countries in assessing
the feasibility of local
production, and in
accessing technology and
know-how.
NPHCDA partners
ICPC on vaccine safety
TOWARDS safety and
accountability in the
deployment and
administration of COVID-
19 vaccines in Nigeria, the
National Primary Health
Care Development
Agency, NPHCDA, has
partnered the Independent
Corrupt Practices and
other Related Offences
Commission, ICPC.
Disclosing this in Abuja
on Monday, the Executive
Director/CEO of the
agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib,
said the collaborative effort
is founded on ICPC's three
fold mandate 'of
enforcement, prevention,
and public education and
enlightenment to prohibit
corrupt practices and other
related offences.
Shuaib stated that the
collaboration will ensure all
appropriate anticorruption,
accountability,
and transparency
measures are established
and sustained throughout
the four phases of the
COVID-19 vaccination
campaigns.
His words: “These
measures are imperative,
as any form of corruption
in the COVID-19
vaccination effort of the
Federal Government will
inevitably undermine the
response to the pandemic,
deprive citizens of their
right to vaccination, and
ultimately derail the goal
of achieving herd
immunity.
“The ICPC will track and
monitor the deployment
and use of COVID-19
vaccines across the country,
with a focus on four critical
areas - theft and
embezzlement; service
provision; vaccine
availability; and advisory.”
Acoording to Shuaib:
“The NPHCDA, therefore,
assures the public that
those with intentions of
perpetrating any unlawful
acts in this regard, such as
extortion, diversion of
vaccines and/or funds
meant for the vaccination
exercise, will be
apprehended and would
face the full wrath of the
law.
“The general public is
therefore encouraged to
report any act of corruption
in the vaccination process
to NPHCDA or ICPC,” he
asserted.
FCT vaccinates
40,000
The Federal Capital
Territory Administration
FCTA said it has
vaccinated over 40,000
residents against the
COVID-19 virus since
March 17 when the
exercise begun in the
territory.
Acting Secretary, Health
and Human Services
Secretariat, Dr Ndaeyo
Iwot disclosed this on
Monday in Abuja during
the flag-off of the exercise
for FCT indigenes by the
Senator representing the
territory, Philip Aduda
alongside the two
members in the House of
Representatives.
"In the FCT, we have
vaccinated over 40,000 and
over 1 million for the
country", he said.
Okeremeta seeks N2m for
cancer treatment
By Gabriel Olawale
ISRAEL Okeremeta, 37,
is a confirmed cancer
patient desperately
seeking N2 million to
complete treatment.
Narrating his ordeal to
Good Health Weekly, he
tearfully lamented that his
worsening health
condition has denied him
opportunity to c ater for his
wife and daughter.
“I am a dry cleaner, but
since this illness started, I
have functioned properly.
I try to do some laundry,
but I did not have the
strength.”
A medical report signed
by Consultant
Haematologist, Prof
Akinbami A., said Israel
was diagnosed with a Non
Classical Hodgkin’s
L y m p h o m a
(haemotological cancer) in
April 2020.
The report confirmed
that he is on
chemotherapy but in need
of funds to continue
treatment.
According to Israel, it all
started two years ago with
a little discomfort later
diagnosed as cancer at the
Lagos State University
Teaching Hospital,
LASUTH. Since
commencing treatment he
has undergone eight
sessions of chemotherapy.
“Each session costs
about N200,000,
unfortunately I am
stranded. I have
exhausted my savings
Israel Okeremeta
and even sold my
belongings. The doctor
said I need to continue with
chemotherapy for sometime
which will cost about N2
million to get rid of all the
cancer cells.”
Israel is currently going
through a lot of pain, and
has not gone for treatment
for some time.
He is umable to breathe
well and lacks stamina to
stand. He has no appetite,
and constantly sweats and
coughs.
“I am slowly dying daily.
Fellow Nigerians, I beg you
to support me so that I can
go back to the hospital to
continue treatment. I need
your assistance for me to
stay alive and look after my
family. Whatever you can
support me with is highly
appreciated.
If you are touched to
assist, kindly send your
donation to Okeremeta
Israel, GT Bank
0106927738 or contact him
on 07036314163.
150 min physical activities can prevent
cardiovascular diseases ----NHF
THE Nigerian Heart
Foundation, NHF, has
urged Nigerians to
participate actively in
physical activity to avert
the risk of Non-
Communicable Diseases
even as it explained that
30 minutes’ physical
activity five times a week
or 150 minutes per week,
is enough to prevent
cardiovascular diseases.
Speaking during the
maiden edition of World
Physical Activity Day it
organised, the Executive
Director, NHF, Dr.
Kingsley Akinroye said
that several reports have
established that physical
inactivity is associated with
increased risks of coronary
heart disease, stroke, heart
failure and cancer.
“Physical activity helps
to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular diseases
and also have direct effect
as improved endothelial
function or immune
function and reduced
systemic inflammation,
platelet aggregation or
oxidative stress.
“A World Health
Organisation guideline
on physical activity
recommends at least 150
minutes of moderateintensity
aerobic physical
activity.
He, however appealed to
government, nongovernment
organisations,
health and education
authorities as well as sports
organisations to develop
policies for physical activity
that is supportive reduction
of obesity.
“In the past most of our
schools have playground
for pupils but that culture
has been eroded
“Government should no
longer approve schools to
be built close to road and
any school without
playground should not be
approved.
The Chairman Planning
Committee, Mrs Pamela
Umebuani said that the
Nigerian Report Card on
Physical Activity for
Children and Youth 2013 to
2018 (NHF) continued to
record that Urban resident
Nigerian Children and
Youth are more overweight
and obese than their rural
counterparts due to a shift
from traditional types of
diet to more westernised
diet such as high fat, high
sugar, low-fibre, and less
involvement in physical
activity.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 21

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

WITH
the
emergence of
technology and its contribution
to ease of doing business,
a myriad
oinvestments across
various sectors now
leverage on technological
offerings to advance their
businesses. Nigeria ranks
very high among the list of
nations where entrepreneurs
and established
businesses are powering
their trade with the use of
technology.
The technological advancements
and improvement
in number of internet
users has greatly worked in
Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 23
How digital landlord is driving short-let home rentals with artificial intelligence
favour of players in the shortlet
homes industry, one of
which Digital Landlord is a
major player. The firm recently
adopted the use of artificial
intelligence to drive
rentals of its short-let apartments
where it witnessed a
great increase in the number
of requests since its launched.
Commenting on the initiative,
the Founder/Chief Executive
Officer of the firm, Mr.
Keji Giwa disclosed that his
firm invested heavily in improving
the customer experience
on all Short lethomes
digital platforms taking advantage
of AI Chatbots to automate
responses, creating a
virtual agent to take bookings
and deal with customer service
issues 24-7.
According to him: “This will
maintain an instant response
time and a 100 per cent response
rate without the need
for a human agent except for
escalating 2nd line or 3rd line
sales or customer service issues
while at the same time
making room for a personalised
and fully customised native
IOS and Android app by
year end 2022.”
He noted further that with
the aid of technology; “We
aim to increase our short-let
portfolio to accommodate
the 98 per cent of extra booking
opportunities the company
was not able to fulfil in
2020 due to its limited
number of property. In that
short space of time, the company
has taken bookings
from just 500 guests out of
its 25,200 booking requests
in a year due to a limited
number of property accounting
for only 1.98 per
cent of total booking enquiries
in a year.”
With more investment opportunities
becoming available
for investors in the real
estate and short-let homes
sector, Keji Giwa, had predicted
that in 2020, investors
in his firm through Digital
Landlords scheme received
a 17 per cent short-let rental
net income on all property.
He argued that such investors
are set to experience the
same in 2021.
“In 2020, all existing Digital
Landlords received a 17 per
cent short-let rental net
income on all their properties
and are set to experience the
same in 2021. Compare this
to local rental income rates of
around 3 per cent-4 per cent
in Nigeria, that’s a whopping
425 per cent – 566 per cent
difference in margins. Digital
Landlords can expect to get
back their return on investment
in just 8 years compared
to 20 years for local rental income
and then experience
year-on-year profit after each
consecutive year.
“These market dynamics
suggest a less competitive,
untapped market gap and
therefore more attractive investments
in increasing Short
lethomes short let apartments
in Lekki, Victoria
Island, Osapa London, Oniru,
Ikoyi and Ikate. The brand
aims to increase its short-let
portfolio to accommodate
the 98 per cent of extra
booking opportunities the
company was not able to fulfil
in 2020 due to its limited
number of property.”
Real estate firm unveils new business model to boost
home ownership
By Kingsley
Adegboye
Richlife Group, a Lagos-based
real estate
development company
has unveiled a new
business model to boost home
ownership called Real Home.
The initiative which targets
millions of subscribers across
the country, requires wouldbe
subscribers to make a one
time payment of N60,000
each and be qualified for a
two-bedroom apartment between
18 and 24 months after
the payment. The apartments
will be built in Lagos,
Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano,
Ibadan, Abeokuta and other
cities across Nigeria.
The Co-founder of the
group, Mr. Bankole
Oluwasheyi, while explaining
the idea behind the initiative,
said the product is
about trying to make housing
affordable and accessible,
pointing out that there
are so many average Nigerians
and below average Nigerians
who cannot afford to
buy land not to talk of building
homes of their own.
According to Olusheyi, “If
you go across the length and
breadth of the country, and
you want to approach any real
estate company, you will be
told to make a deposit of a
specific amount and pay the
balance in instalment spread
over a period of time. But this
product is not like that. What
we intend to do with this
product is that those who are
interested in keying into the
scheme are to make a one
time payment of N60,000
which is called subscription
money, and what this means
is that you have subscribed
for the home ownership
project called Real Home.
“You are not expected to
make any payment again.
The subscription is like investment.
All you need to do
is to wait for 18 months or
24 months to allow the investment
to grow and you
will qualify for a two-bedroom
apartment without
paying any additional
money.
“The fund to execute the
project is not coming from
government, neither is it
coming from anywhere. The
fund is actually coming from
the subscribers themselves.
You know that N60,000
cannot buy a plot of land, it
cannot buy sharp sand,
granite or iron rods and all
other materials needed to
erect a two-bedroom structure.
All you are seeing now
is just N60,000, but by the
time you put the number of
subscribers running into
millions together, you will no
longer be talking of
N60,000, but billions of
Naira.
“As a subscriber, you are
not expected to make a
choice as to the location or
city you will like your apartment
to be. Everybody has
to wait for the apartments to
be ready before allocations
are made, and allocations
will be made randomly and
not by any particular order.
We have our housing
projects everywhere across
the country. We have at different
locations in Lagos,
Ogun and Oyo states, Abuja
Port Harcourt and other
states.
“So, if you allow people to
make choices, everybody
will prefer to be allocated
their apartments in Lagos or
Abuja, and who stays in
other housing projects that
will be constructed across
the length and breadth of Ni-
geria for subscribers? This is
the reason people are not allowed
to make choices. In
fact, the allocation will be on
first come, first served basis.”
The co-founder who disclosed
that for over five
years the group has been in
the business of real estate, it
has done not less than 5,000
allocations to clients while
not less than 1,000 housing
units are being constructed
by those who bought plots
of land in its sites in Imota,
Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu,
Agbowa, Ofada, Ifo,
Abeokuta, Shagamu interchange
and other locations
across Nigeria, said government
has not helped the
plight of real estate sector in
the country.
Explaining the unveiling of
Bukunmi Oluwashina as
Brand Ambassador of the
group, Oluwasheyi said “We
are making her our brand
ambassador because we realise
that the product being
Community empowerment: Environment
stakeholders, Sterling One Foundation
kick-start beach clean up
By Peter Egwuatu
STAKEHOLDERS in
the environment
sector of the nation’s
economy have emphasised
how environmental
sanitation, waste collection,
sorting and recycling can
translate to community
empowerment.
The stakeholders who
disclosed this at the Alpha
Beach, Lekki, where Sterling
One Foundation last
weekend kick-started
environmental sanitation of
beach communities in Lagos,
stressed that the exercise
would engender income and
economic development in
the coastal communities.
Olapeju Ibekwe, Chief
Executive Officer of Sterling
One Foundation, said that
cleaning of beaches would
empower communities on
the coastline.
According to her: “Those
who will ensure that our
communities are cleaned are
the youths and women living
within the communities. The
exercise was not mere cleanup,
but a project that would
address at least seven of the
Sustainable Development
Goals, SDGs of the United
Nation which include
eradication of poverty and
hunger, achieving good
health and well-being,
achieving sustainable cities
launched today, and the
reason behind her choice as
the face of this product is
due to the number of followers
she has first and foremost.
“The product requires
that we bring on board as
many as possible average
Nigerians and those below
average that cannot afford
homes of their own. Those
that cannot buy land and
build houses of their own
are the target of this product
being launched today.
“So, looking at the large
number of people required
to subscribe to the product,
we saw that having done our
feasibility study and research,
we looked into different
industries such as moving
and music, and we came
across Bukunmi. We saw the
total number of followers
she has. She has 2.3 million
followers. We decided to
make her our brand ambassador”.
and communities, and
gender equality, life above
water and descent work,
economic growth and
partnership for the
achievement of SDGs”.
She added that the
Foundation was looking for
more partners to drive the
project, pointing out that.
“Micro plastics have
negative health implications
on humans if they find their
way into fishes consumed by
humans.
“So, the collaborative efforts
would be required to ensure
that Nigerians would live
healthier in a more caring
and sustainable
environment. This beach
will be adopted and cleaned
throughout the year, and we
are going to be adopting
more beaches in the course
of the year.
“We believe it is a drop in
the ocean. It will cause some
ripples and the ripples will go
far to ensure that our coast
lines and beaches are
comparable to the best in the
world,” Ibekwe said.
On the sustainability of the
project, Ibekwe noted that
funds realised from recycled
wastes would be used to
sustain the project.
She said that Sterling One
Foundation are investors in
giving.ng, the crowd raising
platform on which funds for
the project will be raised.

24 — Niger-Delta Voice, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
VOL. 2: NO. 279 TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
Suspected militia infiltrate A’Ibom
communities, raid police stations, kill officers
•Affected villagers in 3 LGAs afraid to return home after joint military operation
•Security operation ongoing — Police Commissioner
AKWA A IBOM
… LAND OF PROMISE
By Chioma Onuegbu,
Uyo
IFOT AKANG— FLEEING
residents of Ikot Afanga, Ntak
Ikot Akpan and Ukana Uwa
of Essien Udim Local Government
Areas, Akwa Ibom State,
displaced after unsuspecting
ethnic militia that infiltrated the
communities in the last few
months, used the localities as
hideaways to launch ceaseless
attacks on security agencies,
facilities and killed law
enforcement officers, are scared
stiff to return home.
Inhabitants who spoke to NDV
at St. Anne’s Catholic Cathedral,
Ikot Ekpene, where they are
currently taking refuge, said they
did not know that miscreants were
living among them until recently
when they started attacking
security facilities, and killing their
operatives in the area, especially
police officers.
We can’t go to farm,
market – Mrs. Udoh
A resident of Ukana Uwa, Mrs.
Veronica Udoh, said she and her
family fled the community
immediately the killings and
burning down of police stations
worsened in the area.
“Some people left the community
this week (last week) when the
Army told us to leave because they
are coming to flush out criminals
in the community, but my family
and I left since two weeks ago after
those people burnt a policeman
inside his house. We are staying with
one of our relatives inside Ikot-
Ekpene town.
“I came to the Cathedral today
because they asked all of us that
are affected by the security
problem in our village to come;
that they are going to give us
palliatives because of the suffering
we are passing through. Most of
us are farmers, some are traders.
We are sad because of what has
befallen us. We cannot go to our
farms, we cannot go to market.
“And we are even afraid to go
back because we heard yesterday
(Wednesday) that those boys have
returned to their camp after the
military ended their operation on
Tuesday and left. And it was the
Army that asked the people to
leave the community, so it is when
they ask us to go back and assure
us that the area is safe that I will
go back home,” she said.
Why villages are empty
— Abassinyang, resident
Also a resident of Ntak Ikot
Akpan simply identified as Mr.
Abasinyang, lamented: “My
prayer is that God will intervene
and save our people, our
communities from this security
challenge. It was terrifying to be
woken up always by heavy
shootings. Our people were not
sleeping with two eyes closed. So
before the joint military operation
on Monday April, 5, many had
already fled their homes.
“We were afraid to just wake up
to see a security facility set ablaze
reason some of their people finger
members of the Indigenous People
of Biafra, IPoB, is because their
target on security operatives and
the destruction of security
platforms.
“If you see their operation, it is
the same template they are using
in Abia and Imo states. I believe
that if it is any other group, they
would have made their demands
known. So at a point, it became
clear to some of us that they are
IPoB members.
“Maybe they want to annex our
territory because we do not want
to trace our identity to IPoB, but
we are Nigerians, we are not
Biafrans,” Abasinyang asserted.
We hear miscreants are
back to camp
–Udeme, villager
Similarly, Mr. Udeme from same
Ntak Ikot Akpan said: “As you can
see, we are stranded - men, women
and children. We are here at this
IDP camp because our
communities are no longer safe.
We do not understand why it has to
be Essien Udim. Almost every
family left their homes when the
Army instructed that we vacate a
day ahead of the joint military
operation.
“Those miscreants also ran out
of the community when they got
the information that there will be
aerial surveillance to flush them
out. So if anybody got killed or
maimed during that raid, it will
be few people who could not vacate
before 8.00 am that the military
operation started.
“In fact, people do not even want
to go back home for now because
we heard those boys have returned
to their camp in our community,
though they never attacked the
villagers. But we are afraid what
will happen now because of the
military joint operation,” he
added.
Mop-up security
operation continuing
— Police Commissioner
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of
Police in the state, Mr. Andrew
Amiengheme, had in a statement
obtained by NDV last
weekend, assured the people that
a mop up security operation was
still ongoing in the affected area.
“Residents of the affected area
and environs are to remain calm
and be security-conscious as
security agencies will continue to
do their best to restore peace, law
and order in the affected area and
around the state,” the police boss
said.
BOGOBIRI: C’River fun village where residents
excrete in drainage, nearby bushes
•Gov Ayade takes open defecation free campaign to bustling Hausa colony
CROSS RIVER
…THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE
LIFESTYLE EXTRA
By Emmanuel Una
BOGOBIRI — WITH such appetizing
delicacies like suya, roasted chicken,
kilish, fruits, cold drinks and other
nourishments on parade, Bogobiri, a Hausa
settlement positioned right in the heart of
Calabar, capital of Cross River State, is the
center of pleasure, particularly at night, for
fun seekers.
The hamlet comes alive with bevy of
activities when people from across the city
throng the place to catch fun while relishing
some of the ram and cattle-baked peppered
meat.
Incidentally, this fun village where people
spend several hours every night is one of the
filthiest parts of Calabar.
Sanitary blunder—Ayade
Governor of the state, Senator Ben Ayade,
last week, decided to take the launching of
Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet campaign to
that part of town to enlighten residents on
the need for cleanliness while gearing
towards achieving the 2025 target of Nigeria
attaining Open Defecation -Free status.
Ayade, represented by his deputy, Professor
Ivara Edu, told Bogobiri residents that the
place is one of the largest settlements in the
state and plays very important role in food
distribution network in the state, which is
why high sanitary level is required there.
“During our pleasure outings, when we
need suya, we come here, roasted ram meat
is sold here, chicken, goat meat and even
fruits, we get them from here.
or security agents burnt alive or
shot dead. And some of us have our
houses very close to police
stations. I know of a man who
came and moved his parents out
of the village because his mother’s
blood pressure problem worsened
as a result of the situation, so the
environment is no longer safe for
our people.”
Alleged IPoB connection
He, however, disclosed that the
Some residents of troubled Essien Udim LGA, Akwa Ibom State, taking refuge at
St. Ann's Catholic Cathedral, Ikot Ekpene.
“So if one of you makes a sanitary mistake,
if I come here to buy suya, I can take a
disease home, and if I have a visitor in my
house, he too could contract the disease and
possibly take it to another local government,
so you must ensure that you use toilets and
wash your hands with soap every time you
visit the toilets,” he asserted.
Stop defecating in drainage
henceforth
He said the present practice where
residents of the community empty their
bowels in drainages, bushes and
surrounding vicinity lead to the spread of
diseases and should be stopped henceforth.
Prof Esu said cleanliness is the state’s
identity and nothing should be done to take
the state back on this position, stressing that
local government councils would in future
be rated based on their level of cleanliness.
He stated that six of the 18 local
government areas have attained Open
Defecation-Free status and all hands should
•Occupants practise hand-washing as
Ayade takes sanitation campaign to
Bogobiri.
be on deck to keep the state clean.
Shun disease dispersal
—Commissioner
Commissioner for Water
Resources, Obol Godwin Ettah, said the state
was mobilising the population to create
awareness on the need to desist from
defecating in the open and avoid spreading
diseases.
“Cross River State is one of the cleanest
states in Nigeria and Obanlikwu, one of our
local government areas, is the first to attain
the Open Defecation-Free status in the
country as far back as 2016 and our target
is to achieve a state-wide Open Defecation-
Free status by 2025,” he added.
56m Nigerians still
defecating openly —Okpara
Coordinator of the Clean Nigeria
Campaign, Mrs. Chizoma Okpara, who
represented Minister of Water Resources,
Engineer Suleiman Adamu, said the launch
was a move towards achieving open
defecation-free status and 44 local
government areas in the country have
attained the status.
Her words: “Access to water is crucial in
enhancing water and sanitation target and
about 56 million people defecate in the open
in Nigeria, placing it at the top of countries
still practising open defecation pyramid in
the world and this is not good for the image
of the country. “
She called on governments, both state and
local, to facilitate the provision of sanitation
facilities in schools, markets, parks and
public places to curb spread of diseases and
Covid-19 pandemic.
What RUWATSA did
Director-General of Rural Water Supply
and Sanitation Agency, RUWATSA, Elder
Ikpeme Ita said the agency has dug over
3,000 boreholes and hand pumps and over
300 toilets across the state to enhance handwashing
practice.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 25

26 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
SOKOTO—THE Sultan of
Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad
Abubakar III, has declared
today, April 13, as the first day
of Ramadan 1442 AH in Nigeria.
Abubakar announced the
sighting of the new moon in a
radio and television broadcast
in Sokoto yesterday.
He said the new moon was
sighted in different parts of
Nigeria and that report of the
crescent sighting were received
from Muslim leaders
and organisations across the
country.
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews
Wike plotted to discredit Amaechi
from beginning ----Ugboma
PORT
HARCOURT—
GOVERNOR Nyesom
Wike of Rivers State has been
accused of setting an agenda
to discredit his predecessor
and Minister of Transportation,
Rotimi Amaechi from the
onset of his (Wike) administration.
Speaking on a TV programme,
yesterday, a member
of Wike's transition committee,
now Chief Medical Director of
the University of Port Harcourt
Teaching Hospital, UPTH,
Prof Henry Ugboma, said tarnishing
Amaechi's image was
Wike's number one agenda
even before his inauguration
as governor of Rivers State.
Ugboma said, "I can rightly
tell you that the Governor Wike
has this paranoid issue against
the Minister of Transportation,
Rotimi Amaechi. I noticed this
as a member of the Peoples'
Democratic Party, PDP, and that
was one of the reasons I left the
party. I was a member of the
transition committee set up by
Wike immediately after the
election to marshall out and
put together things that will
destroy the Minister of Transportation,
and Governor Wike
immediately set us to task, that
we must derive and contrived
things that will mess up Amaechi
and destroy him politically,
and make sure that he
doesn't take up any political
position in the country. That
was the mandate given to the
transition committee.
"Directors, Permanent Secretaries
and people in MDAs of
the state were invited, some of
them threatened, some of them
encouraged that they will be
given positions if they come up
with issues that will give them
the report that they will give to
the Judicial Panel of Inquiry
that the governor, Wike will
setup to immediately indict
Amaechi.
"We immediately went to
task. But when I saw what was
happening, the reports they
were issuing out, lies, immediately
on the floor there, we were
asked to start with the RSSDA
(Rivers State Sustainable Development
Agency) a scholarship
unit that was setup by
Amaechi, that sent a lot of our
children from Rivers State to
overseas for higher education.
"They were immediately written
to, to come back and continue
their academics in the
country or forget about their
education. Some of them have
gone into depression overseas
because they couldn't continue,
and staff of RSSDA were
not paid salaries for months
and years, till date, I don't even
know if that department still
exists. This was what Wike
started with as he came in."
Ugboma detailed how Wike
planned to make a public spectacle
of Amaechi to deny him
the chance of serving in President
Muhammadu Buhari's
cabinet, including the Judicial
Panel of Inquiry setup to indict
him (Amaechi) using false,
cooked up reports.
"They came up with plans to
destroy one after the other, all
the laudable projects that
Amaechi did, all were setup,
accusing him that he stole so
much money from even the
institutions that he dealt with,
but all were Lies. And they
brought out a young man, one
Wechie Livingstone who came
Edo Assembly approves
appointment of SAs by Obaseki
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY—THE Edo
State House of Assembly,
yesterday, approved the appointment
of 15 Special Advisers
by Governor Godwin
Obaseki.
The governor had in a letter
dated March 31, 2021, by
Secretary to State Government,
SSG, Osarodion Ogie,
requested the House to approve
the appointment.
The letter reads, "I write at
the instance of Governor
Obaseki to inform the House
of the need to appoint Special
Advisers for the governor.
"Accordingly, Mr Governor
has directed me to seek the
kind approval of the House
Oil/Gas: Analyst sets agenda
for local content development
By Udeme Akpan
AS NIGERIA'S oil and gas
industry continues to experience
many challenges,
mainly as a result of the prolonged
Covid-19 pandemic,
an expert, Dr. Wisdom Enang,
has proposed measures targeted
at taking the industry to
the next level.
Enang articulated his ideas
at the just-concluded 4th Lawyers
in Oil and Gas Conference
and Awards, which had
Nigeria's Oil and Gas Future:
Law, Policy and Regulation as
its theme, in Lagos.
In his presentation, the Nigerian
Oil and Gas Local
Content Policy: Gains, Improvement
Opportunities,
and Imperatives for the Future,
Enang noted the various
positive impacts of local content,
including the rise of crude
oil production and exploration
through increased indigenous
participation; the rising
number of fabrication
yards; development of two
Sultan confirms sighting of moon, says Ramadan
fast begins today
“After due verification and
authentication by the national
moon sighting committee
and state committees’ confirmation,
as well as routine scrutiny,
I hereby announce the
sighting of the new moon of
Ramadan which signifies the
end of Sha’aban 1442 AH.
“Consequently, in accordance
with Islamic law, Muslim
Ummah is directed to
commence fasting on Tuesday
accordingly,” he said.“
The Sultan enjoined Muslim
faithful to devote themselves
to the worship of Allah
throughout the Holy month,
urging them to use the period
and said he
had declared for the
party(PDP) then. The young
man later apologized to
Amaechi that he was forced to
say all that he said when he
went to the National Assembly
to tell them that Amaechi
stole this and stole that, that it
was Wike that sent them to do
that. He apologized to the
minister that all the things he
said were lies and deceit. So
all those things were programmed
and planned by
Wike just to falsely indict
Amaechi."
for the appointment of 15
Special Advisers for the governor,"
Ogie said.
Contributing to the debate
on the letter, Majority Leader
of the House, Henry
Okhuarobo urged members
to approve the governor's request,
adding that it was the first
step to constituting the state
executive council.
The House unanimously
in a voice vote approved the
governor's request to appoint
the15 Special Advisers.
The speaker, Marcus Onobun,
thereafter, directed the
Clerk of the House, Yahaya
Omogbai to convey copies of
the approval to the governor
for immediate action.
world-class pipe mills: the
SCC Pipe Mill, with an installed
capacity of 270,000
MT per annum; and the Yulong
Pipe Mill, with the capacity
to manufacture
400,000MT per annum;
growth in the number of service
companies; rise in the
number of rigs and marine
vessels owned by Nigerians
from three per cent to 40 per
cent currently, and establishment
of the Nigerian Content
Development Fund to deepen
and expand investment in
the industry.
"With Nigerians developing
competence in jobs that were
the exclusive preserve of expatriates,
most of the jobs that
were executed outside Nigeria
are now being performed
by Nigerians and in Nigeria.
This has led to the retention
of a large chunk of the industry
expenditure in-country,
with the attendant positive impact
on employment generation
and growth of Gross Domestic
Product, GDP."
to pray for the progress, peace
and prosperity of the nation.
“We further call on Nigerians
to continue to live peacefully
with one another irrespective
of religious and tribal
difference,” he said.“
He urged Muslim faithful
to use the period to pray for
leaders on their commitment
towards addressing all health
related issues and security
challenges in the country.
The Sultan also urged
wealthy individuals to assist
the poor, while stressing the
need for increased religious
tolerance and brotherhood in
Nigeria.
BURIAL: Delta State Head of Service, Mr. Reginald Bayoko, consoling
Mrs. Augustina Obiegba, wife of the late Permanent Secretary, office of the
Head of Service at the funeral ceremony of the late Permanent Secretary,
Mr. Cletus Obiegba, at Ibedeni, weekend.
EMPOWERMENT:From left, Oba Adeniyi Rufai, Olojo of Ojo Kingdom,
Guest of Honour; Tajudeen Obasa, member, House of Representatives, Ojo
federal constituency, and Mr Johnson Adeniyi, a beneficiary, during the
Community Project and Empowerment Programme by Ojo federal
constituency with Obasa Unity Foundation, presentating laptops to
beneficiaries, at Ojo Local Government Secretariat, Lagos, yesterday. Photo:
Kehinde Gbadamosi.
BIRTHDAY: Deacon Peter Igbifa IYC President (middle), flanked by Chief
Ekomiefa Uduboh, Ms. Lucy Akumabor (behind the cake), representative of
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Jacob Abai, (red cap); Publisher of
Gbaramutu Voice and others cutting the birthday cake on behalf of Niger Delta
activist and ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a Tompolo) during
his 50th birthday yesterday.
Supporters of Tompolo rallying in Warri, during the birthday celebration.
Photos: Akpokona Omafuaire

Many feared dead, injured,
3 villages sacked in Ebonyi
Continues from Page 5
day, put modalities in
place to set up 1,000 vigilante
groups across the
state.
Attackers not
herdsmen
— STATE GOVT
However, the state government
said in a statement
signed yesterday by
the Chief Press Secretary
to the Deputy Governor,
Dr. Kelechi Igwe, insisted
that the attackers were
not herdsmen.
The statement read: "Ebonyi
State Government
has received with dismay
violent attacks on the people
of Umuogudu Akpu-
Ngbo Community in
Ohaukwu Local Government
Area of the state in
the early hours of Monday,
April 12, 2021.
“The general public is
hereby informed that preliminary
investigations
have indicated as follows:
That the attack was not
carried out by herdsmen
as being speculated in
different quarters.
“That the Government of
Ebonyi State is in touch
with the leadership of the
herdsmen (Miyetti Allah)
who denied involvement
in the attack.
“That the leadership of
the herdsmen has assured
government and
people of Ebonyi State
that they will not on any
account perpetrate attack
on any part of Ebonyi
State.
“That the recent attack
on Ngbo is linked to the
age-long crisis between
the community and their
Agila neighbours of
Benue State.
“However, the Deputy
Governor of Ebonyi State,
Kelechi Igwe, has swiftly
responded by directing
the military and Police to
move into the community
to repel the attack and
restore peace.
“The general public and
in particular, the people
of Ngbo are requested to
remain law abiding and
avoid reprisal as government
is working hard to
restore normalcy to the
affected community.
“Please be assured of
the readiness of the governor,
David Nweze Umahi
led administration to
secure the lives and property
of citizens at all
times.”
Naira depreciates to
N409.75/$ in I&E window
By Elizabeth Adegbesan
The naira yesterday depreciated to N409.75 kobo
per dollar in the Investors and
Exporters (I&E) window.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative
exchange rate for the naira rose to N409.75 kobo
from N409 per dollar last week Friday, translating
to 75 kobo depreciation for the naira.
The volume of dollars (turnover) traded in the
window yesterday fell slightly by 18 percent to $45.35
million from $55.21 million last week Friday.
vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews
I have not seen
my husband; my
husband’s brother
was killed —Victim
Some victims of the attack
are still taking refuge
in various locations in the
area as the affected villages
are said to be in
mourning.
A survivor, Ogba Ngozi,
said she was yet to see
her husband, even as her
husband’s brother was
killed during the unfortunate
incident.
“All our houses were
burnt, they chased us out
and killed some of us.
Herdsmen and Agila people
carried it out. It started
today (yesterday); they
chased us out. Look at
how we are dressed since
early hours of today (yesterday).
“Government should
please come to our aid
and stop these killings
because we are almost finished.
I have not seen my
husband and my husband’s
brother was killed.
Their names are Chidiebere
and Emmanuel
Nwalinwajoku.
“We were inside our
houses and before we
woke up early this morning,
we were hearing
gunshots everywhere and
they were coming near us
and we started running.
While we were still running,
we heard that they
had started killing, even
my neighbour was killed.
“That you saw us here
is because the situation
has calmed down and we
went to take some food to
eat. When we got home,
we discovered that our
houses had been burnt.
They killed one man
called Abannani. They
destroyed our properties,
like sewing machines,
motor bikes etc.
“Government should
come to our rescue because
there is no life in
us again. We are going to
take refuge somewhere
and all my children have
been on the run since
morning (yesterday). No
food or water. I’m still
looking for them. My
name is Ngozi Ebenyi
Onwe.”
Another survivor, Christopher
Elechi Agu-Elebe,
explained that the attack
took place in the morning,
perpetrated by Agila people.
“Early this morning
(yesterday) at about
6:15am, the people of
Agila attacked us. They
started shooting and before
we could check to
find out what was happening,
they had killed so
many persons.
"Many houses were
burnt. We are just coming
back from where we went
to pick our village man
who was killed. His name
is Emmanuel Ali.
“We could not ascertain
those who carried out the
attack because the gunmen
were armed but we
have a common boundary
with the people of Agila
and we have this agelong
land dispute with
them. They came from
there and went back
there.”
Another survivor, Alike
Victory, lamented that
their children had been
killed and that they do no
know where to run to.
“What happened this
morning (yesterday) is
giving us concern. They
killed all our children, we
don’t know where to run
to. If government can
come to our aid, please
they should do. Things
are getting tougher.
"We don’t know what to
do. People’s houses were
burnt. People’s children
who were sleeping had
their heads chopped off.
We don’t know what to do.
Government should come
to our aid.”
Yet another survivor,
Onwe Sunday, said: “We
were sleeping in our
houses this morning (yesterday)
when unknown
gunmen attacked us, killing
us. We know that they
are from Agila because we
have age-long boundary
dispute with them. And
they came from the same
place and went back after
destroying properties.
"Government should
come to our aid because
we don’t know what led
to this kind of killing.
Hunger everywhere,
problems everywhere.”
S’East govs get
knocks, kudos
Sequel to these wave of
attacks which have spread
across states in the South
East, the governors of the
zone had on Sunday,
formed a regional security
outfit, code-named
Ebubeagu, to secure the
zone.
However, reactions have
continued to trail the governors’
action as former
speaker of ECOWAS Parliament,
Senator Mao
Ohuabunwa, said the
move would curb the
growing insecurity in the
zone.
Ohuabunwa said: “The
courage and unity of the
governors in establishing
the outfit were strong indications
that the security
of the zone is paramount
to the governors.”
He expressed confidence
that the outfit
would in collaboration
with other security agencies,
help unmask and
checkmate the elements
behind the rising insecurity
in the zone.
He therefore, tasked the
various State Houses of
Assembly in the zone to
quickly provide the necessary
legal backing for
the outfit.
Similarly, a leading
right group, Intersociety,
said the formation of the
outfit was suspicious due
to the panicky and hurried
manner it was announced.
“Coming when all
hopes have been lost from
state actor angles, forcing
most citizens of the region
to place their hopes, expectations
and solutions
on the table of non-state
actors, we are very surprised
to hear the sudden
announcement.
“Intersociety also doubts
Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021—27
NEWS HOTLINES
018773962,
08052867058
EBONYI ATTACK: People gather to show concern over four persons feared dead as suspected assailants
destroy houses, injure many in Ebonyi Community, yesterday. Photo: Peter Okutu.
THE Nigerian and
Ghanian Twittersphere
has been set
abuzz over the announcement
of the
choice of Ghana as headquarters
of the microblogging
platform.
Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s
chief executive officer,
announced the development
yesterday
“Twitter is now present
on the continent. Thank
you Ghana and @NAkufoAddo.
#TwitterGhana,”
Dorsey tweeted.
The announcement has
the sincerity and genuineness
of the promoters of
the new security outfit. It
is doubtful, too, whether
critical indigenous stakeholders
and other interest
groups were duly consulted
and carried along.
‘’The new outfit is most
likely a baptism name given
to the 2019 illegitimate
and unpopular Community
Policing arrangement
by the same South East
governors.
“We, therefore, have
strong reason to suspect
and conclude that the
South East governors’
newly created security
outfit, tagged “Ebubeagu
Security Outfit” is a
caliphate inspired counter
measure to truncate or
weaken non-state actor
arrangements, including
vigilante and vigilantism
resort to legitimate selfdefense
safeguards provided
in Section 258 of the
Criminal Code and Section
59-60 of the Penal
Code (operational in the
Igbo parts of Benue and
Kogi States).
“The latest moves by the
South East governors are
also likely geared towards
using the so-called
Ebubeagu Security Outfit”
to protect and consolidate
the Jihadist herdsmen
incursions and settlements
in bushes, forests
and farmlands in the
South East region and its
outposts in Benue, Kogi,
Rivers, Cross River, Delta
and Edo States.
‘’The name Ebubeagu,
as a matter of fact, is
meaninglessly a camouflage,
especially when
the Nigerian Army has
used similar camouflages
like Egwu-Eke and Atilogwu
Udo to massacre over
700 unarmed and defenseless
citizens of the
region and maim over 800
others and engage in other
atrocious conducts, including
roadblock, to foster
corrupt practices.’’
Also reacting, Alaigbo
Development Foundation,
ADF, also demanded
a law by each state to
back the ban on open
grazing.
It’s spokesman, Chief
Abi Onyike said: “Well,
they have made pronouncement
on the regional
security outfit.
There should be a law
banning open grazing of
cattle in the South East.
The law should be passed
in the five state Houses of
Assembly.
‘’To orally make an announcement
banning
open grazing shows lack
of commitment on the part
of the governors. They
are being smart.
“Again, we will like to
know their logistics preparations.
Where are their
vehicles and other operational
facilities and
equipment like in the
case of Amotekun in Yoruba
land?
“Let the South East governors
go and use the
draft bill prepared by ADF
in 2017 to make binding
laws against open grazing.
If they fail to do that,
then it exposes them further
as unserious people”.
Twitter chooses Ghana as Africa HQ
since generated reactions
from some Nigerians
on Twitter, as they
have taken to the microblogging
platform to register
different opinions,
especially on the choice
of Ghana instead of Nigeria.
While some blamed the
choice on policies said to
negatively affect the
ease of doing business
in Nigeria, others
claimed the government’s
clampdown on
protesters during the
#EndSARS protests contributed
to Twitter’s decision
to choose Ghana.
“Maybe Jack couldn’t
get SIM card,” Nimueh
Anacksunamun, tweeted.
“The choice of Ghana
as HQ for Twitter’s Africa
operations is EXCEL-
LENT news. Gov’t and
Ghanaians welcome
very much this announcement
and the confidence
reposed in our
country,” the president
tweeted in reply to Dorsey’s
tweet.

28 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
CHANGE OF NAME
ABIODUN
I, formerly known as
OGBOKA OLUWASEUN
ABIODUN, now wish to be
known and addressed as
OGBOKA PETER GREAT.
All former documents remain
valid. General public please
take note.
SALLAU FESTUS
I, formerly known as Hauwa
Lawal, now wish to be known
and addressed as Hauwau
Lawal Sallau. All former
documents remain valid.
General public please take note
GAMBAR
I, formerly known as DAVID
JIBRIN GAMBAR , now wish
to be known and addressed as
DAVID JIBRIN.All former
documents remain valid.
General public please take.
AMADI
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss Chinyere
Linda Amadi now wish to be
known and addressed as Mrs
Chinyere Linda Sam-Sike. All
former documents remain
valid. General public please
take note.
UNYIME
I formerly known as Miss UNYIME
JOSEPH JOHNSON, now wish
to be known and addressed as Mrs
HAPPINESS FRANCIS
THOMPSON. All former
documents remain valid. Akwa
Ibom State University and the
general public should take note
ISHOLA
I formerly known as
ABDULFATAH MOSHOOD
ISHOLA now wish to be called
and addresed as ISHOLA
MOSHOOD ABDULFATAH.
Correct date of birth is 27-01-1988.
All former documents remain valid.
General public should take note.
BELEMA
That my name was wrongly written
on my account as OTONYE-OBOM
instead of OTONYE OBOM
BELEMA GODSWILL, now wish to
add BELEMA GODSWILL to my
name. My full and correct name is
OTONYE OBOM BELEMA
GODSWILL. All former remain
valid, general public should take
note.
OLATUNJI
I formerly known and addressed as
Olatunji Babalola Abiodun Now
wish to be known and addressed as
Sijuade Muheenat Abiodun. All
former documents remain valid
general public and authority
concerned please take note.
IBEBUIKE
I, formerly known as JOSEPH
EZUGWU IBEBUIKE, now
wish to be known and addressed
as EZUGWU JOSEPH
IBEBUIKE. All former
documents remain valid.
General public please take note.
ADESODE
This is to confirm that Vakporaye,
Rosaline Adesode Isi, Vakporaye,
Adesode.I.R, Vakporaye, Adesode
Isibhakhome, Vakporaye, A.I.R refers
to one and same person, henceforth
wish to be known and
addrssed as Adesode Isibhakhome
Vakporaye. All former documents
remain valid. General public please
take note.
MATAZU
I, formerly known as Aisha
Kabir, now wish to be known
and addressed as Aisha Kabir
Matazu.All former documents
remain valid. General public
please take.
TIMTA
I, formerly known as
ZAKARIYA ABDULRAZAQ
TIMTA, now wish to be
known and addressed as
Z A K A R I Y A
ABDULRAZAK.All former
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General public please take.
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I formerly known and
addressed as OBIEFUNA
NGOZI CLARE now wish to
be known and addressed as
EZEOYE NGOZI CLARE.
Former documents remain
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CHIDIEBERE
I, formerly known and addressed as
ONYEIROKOJO CHARLES
UDOKA, now wish to be known and
addressed as ONYEIROKOJO
CHARLES
UDOKA
CHIDIEBERE. All former
documents remain valid. Diamond/
Access, Fidelity, Ecobank and the
general public to take note.
AMOGU
I, formerly known as AMOGU
NNENNA NDUKWE, now
wish to be known and addressed
as UKAEGBU NNENNA
ALENA NDUKWE.All former
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KEBIRU
I, formerly known as Achimi
Kebiru, now wish to be known
and addressed as Mohammed
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please take note.
UWANA
My name was wrongly
captured as JOY UWANA
WILLIAM instead of JOY
AMANAM FRANCIS , now
wish to be know as addressed
as JOY AMANAM FRANCIS.
All former documents remain
valid, General public take note.
OT EZE
I, formerly known as EZE
VERA, now wish to be known
and addressed as EZE
TIMAYA CYPRIAN. All
former documents remain
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OLANREWAJU
I formerly known and addressed as
Olanrewaju Muheenat Abiodun Now
wish to be known and addressed as
Sijuade Muheenat Abiodun. All
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concerned please take note.
PETER
I, formerly known as AZAKI
JOSHUA, now wish to be
known and addressed as AZAKI
PETER JOSHUA. All former
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I, formerly known as Musa
Aminu, now wish to be known
and addressed as Musa Aminu
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please take note.
DANLAMI HAKIMI WAMA
I Formerly known as TABITHA I, formerly known as Zainab
HAKIMI Now wish to be called
and addressed as TABITHA
Wama Aminu, now wish to be
MARKUS YOHANNA Because of known and addressed as Zainab
Marriage All Former documents Shishi Aminu. All former
remain valid Any Authority
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concern and the general public to
please take note
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MUHAMMED
EKWUOCHA
PEACE
I, formerly called BABAJI I formerly known, called and I, formerly known as Miss
addressed as MISS EKWUOCHA
SADIQ MUHAMMED, now
Janet Peace Monday, now wish
CHRISTABEL CHIKAODILI,
to be known and addressed as
wish to be called BABAJI
now wish to be known, called and
addressed MRS ANAKA Miss Somtochi Janet Anyim.
SADIQ. All former documents CHRISTABEL CHIKAODILI, All
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remained valid. The public to GENERAL PUBLIC Authorities valid. General public please
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Concerned to please take note. take note.
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ADAMU DANLAMI Now wish to
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SALIHU All Former documents
remain valid Any Authority concern
and the General public to please
take note
By Festus Ahon
ASABA—THE people of
Ekpan community in
Uvwie Local Government
Area, Delta State, have
commended Governor
Ifeanyi Okowa for wading
into the crisis surrounding
the appointment of Community
Liason Officers,
CLOs in the community.
The people in a letter to
the Governor, signed by
Olorogun Joe Amurun,
Chairman, Ekpan Integrity
Group/Coalition
Ekpan Patriots Groups,
CEPG and Deacon M.E.
Emewakeme, President,
Ekpan Stakeholders
Group, ESG, thanked him
for asking the community
to let the status quo remain
in the interim on the
issue of CLOs.
The people under the
umbrella of the Coalition
of Ekpan Patriots Group,
CEPG, said; “we applaud
your administration for
this timely and pragmatic
intervention in releasing
the letter through the Director-General
on Security
Matters asking the community
to let the status quo
remain in the interim.
“That proactive step on
the part of the government
saved the community from
witnessing another bloody
orgy and/or a period of anarchy.
We must profusely
thank you sir for a job welldone
.
“It shows the desire of
your government towards
ensuring and sustaining
the present peaceful atmosphere
in Ekpan. We
totally align ourselves
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews
:@vanguardnews
Ekpan community lauds Okowa for wading into
its internal crisis
with your position and
stand pending when the
State Security Council will
deem it necessary to look
into the matter especially
the criteria employed in
CLOs selection.”
While lamenting that the
decision by the state government
to ensure peace in
the Ekpan community regarding
the appointment
of CLOs, the people, said
"the peace initiative of the
government is being
thwarted by the action of
self-seeking Unuevworos
who have refused to yield
to the wise counsel of government.
Meanwhile, the Director-General,
Security
Matters, Delta State,
Chief David Tonwe, in a
letter dated February 18,
2021, which was addressed
to the
Unuevworo of Ekpan,
High Chief Peter Iffie
which read in parts, said:
“The attention of the state
government has been
drawn to the recent unfortunate
action by some
group of youths representing
Ekpan Community/Ekpan
Development
Committee who visited
various companies operating
in Ekpan Area and
presented fresh nominees
for immediate appointment
as Community Liaison
law and order and
therefore surmounts the
effort of the State Government
in ensuring enduring
peace within Effurun
and environ. This, the
State Government will not
in any guise condone.”
Security Council, where
attention is already being
given to matters arising
thereto.”
International Breweries unveils first sustainability
report
By Gabriel Olawale
L INTERNATIONAL
A G O S —
Breweries Plc has unveiled its
first Sustainability Report
which discloses the giant
beverage maker’s impact and
stewardship on the economy,
society and the environment.
Themed “Driving
Sustainability for a Better
World,” the report is a
reflection of the
transformational journey of
the organisation, highlighting
its commitments, progress,
challenges and opportunities
in 2019. It also communicates
International Breweries’
impact and ultimately,
contributions to building a
sustainable society.
Speaking on the publication,
Managing Director,
International Breweries Plc,
Hugo Rocha said the initiative
showcases the company’s
commitment to running the
business responsibly, focusing
on the triple-bottom line
approach. “More than just
profit, we are dedicated to
entrenching sustainability in
our operations and ensuring
that our activities do not
negatively impact our
stakeholders. Our success is
hinged on our commitment to
our core vision of Bringing
People Together for a Better
World, our agile business
model, core values in our 10
Principles, leadership, and
strong corporate
governance” he said.
NUJ
congratulates
Ogbimi on
Isoko North by
election
victory
By Ochuko Akuopha
OLEH—NIGERIA Union
of Journalists, NUJ,
Isoko Chapel, has
congratulated Mr. Jude
Ogbimi on his election as
member representing the
Isoko North constituency in
the Delta State House of
Assembly in the just concluded
by election in the constituency.
The chapel, in a statement
by its Chairman, Comrade
Emmanuel Ekebe and
Secretary, Comrade Mike
Ilaya, described Ogbimi's
emergence as timely and a
call to service to the Isoko
nation and Delta State at
large.
The chapel urged Ogbimi
to hit the ground running not
only to sustain his
predecessor's legacies but also
bring his wealth of experience
to bear in expounding the
legislative space towards
attracting democratic
dividends to his people.
The Chapel canvassed the
need for the majority leader
seat in the Delta State House
of Assembly which became
vacant with the sudden death
of Hon Tim Owhefere to
remain within the Isoko
Federal constituency in line
with what has been the
practice in the House since
inception.

Adekuruoye promises
Gold in Tokyo, hails
Sports Minister
One of Nigeria’s biggest
medal hopes at the Tokyo
Olympics,Odunayo
Adekuruoye says her sight is
firmly set on winning gold for Nigeria
at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
this summer in Tokyo,Japan.
Adekuruoye who was ranked the
world number one freestyle wrestler
in the 57kg after winning her
sixth consecutive African championship
crown in February last year
also won her event at the ongoing
20th National Sports Festival and
says her preparations are on course
towards making history in Tokyo.
‘The Sports Festival is part of my
preparations for the Olympics and
I will like to thank the Honourable
Minister for Sports, chief Sunday
Dare for ensuring we have the festival
despite several postponements
occasioned by the outbreak
of the Covid-19 pandemic,’ said
Adekuruoye who also says chief
Dare has provided the enabling
environment for her and others to
have good preparations for the Olympics.
‘I am going to Tokyo with the sole
aim of winning the gold,’she said.
Adekuruoye also hailed Honourable
Daniel Igali, the chairman of
Nigeria Wrestling Federation for
his immense contributions to the
development of Wrestling in Ni-
geria.
‘Our chairman
has been
a God-sent and
his presence and
contribution have
been very
impactful. Wrestling
has become a major sport Nigerians
are looking at for medals
at the Olympics and we shall, by
the grace of God make history by
winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics.’
Igali,it would be recalled won
gold for Canada at both the World
Lagos State Women basketball
team emerged winner of the 2020
National Sports Festival Basketball
event after defeating Bayelsa in the
finals played yesterday.
The Lagos ladies who lost to Kano
in their group opener 48-59 points
bounced back pretty well to win their
last group game against Nasarawa
before dispatching host-Edo in the
semi-finals 57-45 points.
Having booked a place in the final,
it was all about the team from the Centre
of Excellence defeating Bayelsa 47-
38pts to claim the much coveted gold
medal.
Championship in Ankara,Turkey
in 1999 and at the Sydney Olympics
in 2000.
Agege congratulates Ajagba
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- THE Deputy President of
the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo
Agege, All Progressives Congress,
APC, Delta Central has congratulated
Nigerian heavyweight boxer, Efe
Ajagba, on his victory over American
Brian Howard.
In a statement yesterday in
Abuja by his Special Adviser,
Media and Publicity,
Yomi Odunuga,
the Deputy President
of the Senate
described
the Ughelliborn
athlete
as a rising
star not only
of the
Urhobo nation in
particular but also of
Delta State, Nigeria and
Africa as a whole.
Omo- Agege who noted that
Efe Ajagba comes from the
same Delta Central Senatorial
District with him, stressed the
need for the youth to emulate
Ajagba’s can-do spirit by pushing
themselves to the limit. By doing
this, he added, there will be no stopping
them.
The 2016 Nigerian Olympian and
rising heavyweight contender at the
weekend made another strong statement
with his 12th knockout win of
his career by delivering an emphatic
third-round knockout of Brian Howard
in front of a sold out crowd at the Osage
Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The elated Omo- Agege said, “Efe
Ajagba is a proud son of Urhobo. We
are known for our resilience, bravery
and high level of competitiveness in
all walks of life. He holds the record
for the fastest victory in boxing history
after his opponent was disqualified for
leaving the ring one second after the
opening bell. As an Amateur, he won
gold medal at the 2015 African Games
and bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth
Games.
National Sports Festival: Lagos, Gombe claim basketball gold
In the third place game, Kano was
too powerful for the Edo Women’s
team who they resoundingly defeated
63-40pts to claim the bronze medal.
In the men’s category, after a well
T
•Ade
•Sunday
yson Fury admits he will ‘move on’
from the Anthony Joshua fight if he
does not hear anything about a fight deal
by today.
The Gypsy King has repeatedly vented
his frustration about the delay in negotiations
over the all-British unification fight that
would bring all five of the heavyweight belts
together.
Talks between Joshua and Fury’s camp
Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 29
fought battle between Kano, Gombe
and Lagos states for the ultimate gold
medal, Gombe state emerged 2020
NSF basketball champions.
In the last game of the competition,
Gombe defeated Lagos state, 57-49pts
as they comfortably led the pack courtesy
of superior points difference over
Kano.
Fury threatens to walk away from Joshua’s fight today if..
have insisted for several weeks that a fight
deal is ‘imminent’ but the latter has now set
a deadline for a resolution.
Fury told the Behind the Gloves podcast:
‘If I don’t hear anything by Tuesday, I’m
just going to move on because it’s been a
long time in the making.
‘It was June last year when I did that video
when I said I had agreed terms with Joshua.
Like we both agreed to fight each other, but
•Ajagba
I’ve got to fight Wilder first. That was a year
ago.’ Joshua said: ‘Positive news this
evening! I’m lacing up my running boots rn
(right now)!!!
‘@258MGT and @Matchroomboxing
have received the first OFFICIAL offer to
host the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship
Of The WORLD! I will be victorious
God willing! No place to hide now! I’M
COMING.’

30 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
Edo, Lagos women
football end in fisticuffs
Stories by Ben Efe, Benin
The final of the National
Sports Festival women
football between Edo and
Lagos States ended in fiasco as the
Lagos women vehemently protested
poor officiating.
Edo scored the only goal of the
game to win the gold medal. But
trouble started when an Edo team
There was a gale of protest as
Bayelsa’s Bravin Kirop
swept the men’s 10,000m and
5000m gold medals. Competitors
alleged that he was Kenya-born
and ineligible to run at the National
Sports Festival.
Bauchi marathon runner,
Adamu Muazu claimed to have
seen the Keyan at the Access
Bank Lagos Marathon held last
weekend.
“As far as we are concerned the
player got injured. It took six minutes
for the medics to patch her up.
However, the referee did not add
those minutes during injury time.
He called off the game just after a
minute of added time. The Lagos
team players and officials lost their
heads.
“The Edo women played a good
game. Why would the officials
spoil a good day?
Athletes protest Kenyan
runner in Bayelsa’s colours
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel
has warned his players not
to get ahead of themselves as they
enter a season-defining week.
The Blues take on Porto tonight
with one foot in the Champions
League semi finals following last
week’s 2-0 win in their first-leg
quarter final against the Portuguese.
And then on Saturday, Chelsea
face Manchester City in the FA
Cup semi-final as the Blues look
to play in their second consecutive
Wembley final.
‘Well if you want to finish the
season with a trophy we’d better
win both matches, otherwise
could be difficult,’ Tuchel
quipped. ‘Because the Premier
League title will not be our job to
lose.
‘Everybody can wreck their
heads about it, but we are there
to play football, and this is the target,
and this is the challenge actually
– to keep focus.
‘It doesn’t help to reflect too
much about it, we have to play
these games but it’s most important
for me to be fully focused on
what we do, and forget that we
have already a result, and forget
what we did at Crystal Palace because
it’s the past.
‘There’s nothing less interesting
in football than the past. Everything
that counts in football is the
Bayelsa athlete is keeping his
medals until there is a proof he is
ineligible to run,” said Gabriel
Okon who is Athletics federation
of Nigeria performance director
and technical official at Edo 2020.
“We haven’t seen any protest
from any quarter yet. Okon added.
Kirop ran 30.12. 96secs to win
the race, Ishmael Sadjo of Cross
River was second with 30.13. 78.
Mauzu was third with 30.53.31
secs.
Osheku tips
Nigeria for
4x400 medal
at Tokyo
2020
Following the 51.71secs
posted by Imaobong Nse Uko
in the women’s 400m final of the
National Sports Festival, veteran
coach Tony Osheku has tipped Nigeria
for a medal in the 4x400m relay
at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Nse Uko beat Patience Okon-
George a tested 400m runner to the
gold and an excited Osheku who
guided Falilat Ogunkoya to setting
the African record 49.10seconds at
Atlanta 1996 games said Nigeria’s
chances are bright.
“Nse Uko’s run is one of the best
I have ever seen in a long while.
“She can still make the Olympics
mark of 51.30 with the way she is
going.
“But the beautiful thing is that
with her time she can help Nigeria’s
4x400m. There is also Daniel
Philip Effiong’s daughter who is
running 51. Our chances are so
bright.”
Champions League
Tuchel warns Blues not to underrate Porto
Holders Bayern Munich are still
without Robert Lewandowski
for their must-win UEFA Champions
League quarter-final second leg away
next match, the next competition.
‘So full focus on tomorrow (today),
we can be absolutely selfconfident,
because we have a
strong squad, the squad can rely
always on their work-rate, their
intensity, we are always a tough
team to play against.
‘And so the fight is on for tomorrow
(today). We must take the
chances that are there. We play in
three competitions and hopefully
we’ll still be in three competitions.
‘Tomorrow there’s no trophy to
win, on Saturday there’s no trophy
to win, but of course these are
matches where we can take decisive
steps, we are well aware.’
Nwaokocha completes
sprints hat-trick for
Delta State
Grace Nwaokocha yesterday won the women
200m and 4x100m relay gold with Team Delta
to complete a sprints hat-trick.
Nwaokocha ran a 22.79 seconds personal best
and made the Olympics qualification
standard. She had previously made the
100m mark. Bayelsa’s Godbless Tima
finished second in the race with 23.63
and Praise Ofoku was third with
23.74seconds. Nwaokocha had
won the women 100m with
11.42seconds in day two of Edo
2020 competitions.
In the men’s race Alaba
Olukunle of Edo State won
with a personal best of
20.51secs he came back to
help Edo State win the
4x100m.
Jerry Jakpa of Lagos was second
with 20.59seconds and Chidi
Okezie of Delta State settled for
bronze.
The final of the 4x400m relay, women
long jump and other events will be concluded
today.
CYCLISTS(Ese Ukpeseraye, first right, Tombrakpa Grikpa, third right)
Cycling: Edo, Delta women gift
Akwa Ibom Elimination race
gold
The cycling event of the 20th
National Sports Festival
ended in Benin City yesterday
with host Edo and Akwa Ibom
Fireworks as Bayern eye
revenge against PSG
Forbes most-valuable football clubs
Barca overtake Madrid at top of
table •Man Utd out of top three
Barcelona have moved ahead of
Real Madrid to become Forbes’
most valuable football club at £3.46billion
- just marginally ahead of their
LaLiga rivals, while Liverpool have
jumped up three places to fifth and
ahead of Manchester City.
Manchester United have fallen out
of the top three most valuable football
clubs in the world.
The Red Devils, who are valued at
£3.05billion, have moved down a place
to fourth with German giants Bayern
Munich above them in third.
Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea are
England’s next most valuable club at
£2.33billion while Stan Kroenke’s Arsenal
are just behind the Blues in
eighth place, rated at just over £2billion.
The updated list is a blow to Real
Madrid who have lost their status as
Forbes’ most valuable club in the
world.
Zinedine Zidane’s side beat their rivals
to the LaLiga title last summer
while the Catalans recently announced
losses of £83.5m for last season and
debts that had more than doubled to
£420m.
to Paris Saint-Germain tonight.
Lewandowski told Sky Sports over
the weekend he won’t be taking any
risks after sitting out last week’s 3-2
loss in Munich with a knee injury
sustained on international duty with
Poland.
The 2020 FIFA Best Men’s Player
would be a loss for any side - he was
instrumental in Bayern’s clean sweep
of six trophies in the last year and has
been in imperious form again this
campaign with a personal best haul
of 35 goals in the Bundesliga - but
the European champions have the
means to cope.
Niklas Süle and Serge Gnabry are
definitely out, but head coach Hansi
Flick has intimated Kingsley Coman
and Jerome Boateng - who picked up
knocks - should be fit.
Bayern likely need to win by at least
two clear goals to progress to the semifinals.
PSG have personnel troubles of
their own. The difference between a
fortuitous win and a heavy loss in
Munich, first-choice goalkeeper
Keylor Navas was substituted off
early in the defending Ligue 1 champions’
4-1 win at Strasbourg on Saturday,
and he could be replaced by
Sergio Rico in Paris. Influential defender
Marquinhos misses out with
a groin injury sustained in the first
leg, while left-back Layvin Kurzawa
is another big question-mark.
•Mbappe
•Muller
•Grace
states sharing the men and
women gold medals between
themselves.
In the women category, the rivalry
between Ese Ukpeseraye
and Tombrapa Grikpa cost Delta
and Edo states, which had the best
riders of the pack, a placing on
the medals podium as both riders
worked their elimination from the
23.4km 13 laps race.
Following their elimination,
Mary Sunday representing Akwa
Ibom state shrugged off the stiff
challenge from Tawakalit Yekeen
of Oyo to pick the gold in a time
of 44mins, 41.06 secs while
Tawakalit got the silver with a
time of 44mins, 42.10secs.
Jessica Gambo from Kaduna
state placed third in a time of
44mins, 43.12secs to take the
bronze medal.
The men’s 57.6km race which
turned out to be the most exciting
saw Edo, Borno and Oyo states
picking the gold, silver and
bronze medals in that order.
Temple Bethel of Edo finished
in a time of 1hr, 55mins, 25.78secs
to win the gold, Emmanuel
Gabriel of Borno placed second
with a time of 1hr,
55mins,30.01secs for the silver
while Oyo rider, Sodiq Ajibade
took the bronze with a time of 1hr,
57mins and 50.10secs.
TOP TEN LIST
1. Barcelona - $4.76billion
(£3.46bn)
2. Real Madrid - $4.75billion
(£3.46bn)
3. Bayern Munich - $4.22billion
(£3.07bn)
4. Manchester United -
$4.2billion (£3.06bn)
5. Liverpool - $4.1billion
(£2.98bn)
6. Manchester City - $4billion
(£2.91bn)
7. Chelsea - $3.2billion
(£2.33bn)
8. Arsenal - $2.8billion
(£2.04bn)
9 Paris Saint-Germain -
$2.5billion (£1.82bn)
10. Tottenham Hotspur -
$2.3billion (£1.67bn)

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 — 31

Vanguard, TUESDAY, APRIL 13 , 2021
TODAY’S CROSSWORD
QUICK CROSSWORD
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION
TODAY’S PUZZLE
Sudoku
YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
ACROSS
1 Dachshund (7,3)
7 Young swans (7)
8 Capture (5)
10 Tidy (4)
11 Inside (8)
13 Spanish capital (6)
15 Divulge (6)
17 Guilty (8)
18 Skin complaint (4)
21 Restrict (5)
22 Single eyeglass (7)
23 English country (10)
DOWN
1 Greek letter S (5)
2 Second-hand (4)
3 Not present (6)
4 Surpasses (8)
5 Silhouette (7)
6 Cost-effective (10)
9 Very rarely (6,4)
12 Enormous (8)
14 Predicament (7)
16 Ascends (6)
19 Go by bike (5)
20 Opposed (4)
How to Play Sudoku
Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have
two of the same number).
Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine
lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block
(nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means
that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.
No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or
multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.
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