01052021

2—SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 1, 2021

SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 1, 2021—3


Insecurity: Why we need mercenaries 

— Lawmaker 

*Says, Our security agencies compromised, politicised 

*We must weed out Boko Haram members in our military 

*We won’t play politics with security again -Reps 

*Govt officials shortchanging bandits in ransom payment 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

A 

member of the House 

of Representatives Committee 

on Defence, Hon. Yunusa 

Ahmad Abubakar has 

pushed for the engagement of 

mercenaries to effectively prosecute 

the war against terrorism 

and banditry in the country, 

saying Nigeria's security architecture 

as presently constituted 

has been politicised and 

compromised. 

Speaking on a breakfast 

television show monitored in 

Abuja on Friday, Abubakar 

who is also a chieftain of the 

ruling All Progressives Congress 

APC said majority of 

members of both chambers of 

the National Assembly are on 

all fours with him with regards 

to recruiting mercenaries. 

While he said the lawmakers 

have resolved never to play 

politics with the nation's security 

challenges, Abubakar said 

the mercenaries to be hired 

should be allowed to operate 

outside the command of those 

currently prosecuting the war. 

His comments came as a 

former Chairman of the 

House Committee on Capital 

Markets, Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf 

lambasted President Muhammadu 

Buhari for killing the 

morale of troops and allowing 

partisan considerations 

rubbish his part credentials as 

a former military commander 

Ȧccording to Tajudeen who 

is a member of the opposition 

Peoples Democratic Party PDP, 

though Nigeria got it wrong 

in its approach to fighting terror 

from the outset, the President 

Buhari administration 

has a lot of share of the blame 

going by its broken promise 

of leading from the front. 

He said; "Even the National 

Assembly bent over backwards 

to accommodate certain 

excesses that should have 

been serious impeachable offences. 

I remember that at a 

point, he (Buhari) just took a 

billion dollars without any appropriation, 

without recourse 

to the National Assembly and 

said because he wanted to fight 

insurgents. He took the money 

from the Federation Account 

even before sharing, 

meaning he took from states, 

LGs and everybody, not just the 

federal. We kept quiet and 

when we came to the floor, we 

said a lesser evil can be allowed 

for the general good; that if he 

is committing this offence and 

it is for the good of the nation, 

let us allow it. 

"The leadership has failed. 

Before the 2015 election, there 

was urgency in fighting this insurgency. 

Late 2014 to early 

2015, we had our military, 

working with the mercenaries, 

take the war to the Boko 

Haram terrorists. 

"When Buhari came in, rather 

than sustaining it, we 

quashed the system that was 

on ground. We sent packing all 

the men that had been on 

ground for about two years. 

That is why I said the President 

refused to put into action 

his long years of experience as 

a military man but allowed 

Pic From left: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari; 

National Security Adviser, retired Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno; Chief 

of General Staff, Gen Lucky Erabor; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Ibrahim 

Attahiru and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral, Awwal Gambo during a 

security meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday (30/4/21) 

partisanship to take over, saying 

no, we cannot continue 

with what they (Jonathan administration) 

were doing". 

Asked to proffer solution to 

the issue, Tajudeen said; "The 

president himself should sit up. 

Don't just say it, act. How can 

the Chadian Army be more 

well-kitted than the Nigerian 

Army? 

"The president himself first 

contributed to the low morale 

when he kept his service chiefs 

- Courses 25, 26, 28 when 

Course 33 were going on retirement. 

So, why will I be exceptionally 

committed to this 

war when I know that it is not 

about being promoted at the 

right time? And when it was 

even known to everybody that 

it was not anything significant 

they did what kept them in 

those offices. 

"We need to identify those 

who are Boko Haram members 

within our military echelon 

and begin to weed them 

out because there are stories 

everywhere that when we have 

intelligence reports, and we 

are advancing to terrorist 

camps, then one officer gives 

a counter instruction for the 

troops not to advance", he added. 

Mercenaries to the rescue 

Abubakar on his part lamented 

that much has not 

been done in prosecuting the 

war on terror. 

He said; "The situation that 

we have allowed ourselves to 

reach is really pathetic. Just 

last weekend, we encapsulated 

the issue as Nigeria being 

at war with itself because the 

war is more or less taking 

place within us. 

"So many resolutions have 

been passed as far as the 

House of Representatives is 

concerned and we have 

thrown our weight behind solutions 

to this problem. Unfortunately, 

much has not been 

done and we are in a precarious 

situation that majority of 

us in both chambers of the National 

Assembly have reached 

a consensus that we need a 

helping hand. These mercenaries 

have to be hired to really 

fight the war and lessen the 

intensity. 

"The reasons are not farfetched. 

We have seen that the 

armed forces whether the military 

or police along the ranks 

have been compromised, have 

been politicised. A lot of members 

of the armed forces have 

really taken sides and they are 

not helping matters. So, the 

best option is, we hire mercenaries 

so that apart from the 

declaration of a state of emergency, 

we need a helping hand, 

mercenaries that will come 

and push these people and 

then we have to enhance this 

our tripartite kind of approach 

with our neighbouring 

countries", he stated. 

When asked whether the 

mercenaries will operate independently 

of the military or 

under the same command of 

the allegedly compromised 

military, Hon. Abubakar said; 

"The immediate-past Chief of 

Army Staff, Buratai said we 

need at least 20 years to win 

the war. Do we have to wait for 

20 years? Are these the kind of 

people that we will now entrust 

with prosecuting the war?" 

Enemies within 

The lawmaker also disclosed 

that Nigeria is not serious 

about winning the war on 

terror, adding that there are 

however some internal saboteurs. 

"We made some progress 

before but we were not serious 

to prosecute the war. There are 

a lot of enemies within. We 

have some Judases even 

among those prosecuting the 

war. Last week, the Zamfara 

government arrested security 

officials working with bandits. 

It has been happening. We 

have been hearing about this 

even in Maiduguri and it is the 

same soldiers who are now 

using the war to enrich themselves 

rather than protecting 

Nigeria's integrity. So, some 

people are doing this just to 

amass wealth for their selfish 

reasons. Some are doing it for 

political reasons and you cannot 

also rule out foreign 

collaboration. I can come 

out boldly and say France 

thinking of taking control of 

the Anglophone, that Nigeria 

being an English-speaking 

country surrounded by the 

Francophone countries and 

then the control of oil in our 

territory in Chad. 

"Before President Idris Deby 

of Chad died, he led troops to 

decimate the Boko Haram. 

His son who took over from 

him also led troops two days 

ago to do same. If Chad with 

obsolete equipment could do 

that, why can't Nigeria do the 

same? It is because of the internal 

crisis. We don't even trust 

ourselves. Some are there to 

make money, some are there 

to promote a political tendency 

and that is why we feel that 

we can no longer trust the Nigerian 

Army. 

"The astonishing fact is that 

the security agencies know all 

these their camps. We also have 

NIGCOMSAT. We have the intelligentsia 

ready to contribute 

their quota. 

Bandits shortchanged 

"Also, the people in government 

do not study their advisers. 

They connive and pay ransom. 

When they pay ransom, 

only about less than 30 percent 

gets to the bandits. The 

scenario in Katsina and even 

Zamfara is there. It is the socalled 

civil servants, local government 

chairmen and district 

heads who are now the 

ones distributing the booty". 

Won't politicise security 

Abubakar added that the 

House has resolved to ask the 

National Security Adviser 

NSA and Service Chiefs to furnish 

it with all records regarding 

prosecution of the war. 

He said; "Two days ago, 

there was a sudden reawakening 

in the House that we shall 

no longer play politics as far s 

the security of this nation is 

concerned. After all, security 

is the first duty of government 

as enshrined in the constitution 

and if we as National Assembly 

cannot safeguard or 

protect that aspect of the constitution, 

then we have failed". 

SATURDAY VANGUARD, MAY 1, 2021 — 5 

We’re determined to end 

criminality, violence in Nigeria 

— Presidency vows 

*Warns insurgents, bandits, criminals 

will get it rough 

*Schedules another security meeting on 

Tuesday 

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor & Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

Apparently alarmed by the atrocities unleashed on the 

nation and its citizens by criminals, the Presidency on 

Friday vowed to do all within its powers to end the cycle of 

violence and restore peace and stability nationwide. 

This assurance came at the end of a crucial enlarged security 

meeting called at the instance of President Muhammadu 

Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Friday in the wake 

of rising security challenges in the land, which have threatened 

national unity and peace. 

Although the Presidency adjourned the meeting till Tuesday 

next week to take further briefings from concerned security 

heads and agencies, the National Security Adviser, Major- 

General Babagana Monguno, said in a terse statement made 

available to Vanguard that Nigerian security agencies were 

set to put an end to the spate of criminality and violence 

being visited on the country and its citizens by hoodlums. 

Monguno said: “Concerned about the persisting security 

challenges in parts of the country, Mr. President summoned 

a crucial meeting of the National Security Council today 

(yesterday) as he continues to frontally confront the situation 

in the country. 

“At today’s meeting the President made it abundantly clear 

that while the insurgents, bandits and criminals are still at 

it, he has no doubt that the Nigerian Security agencies and 

all of us as a nation will certainly overcome all the current 

security problems and defeat the forces of evil marauding 

about in different parts of the country. 

“While the criminals continue to test the will of the Nigerian 

government, the President and the Council which adjourned 

today’s critical meeting until Tuesday morning to 

receive further briefings from the Security Chiefs, are set 

and determined to decisively end the assault on the nation 

and will do all that it takes. 

“Mr. President is very prepared to take profound measures 

in the wider interest of the people and the Nigerian 

nation. There shall be no relenting until peace and security 

is significantly restored in our communities,” the NSA said. 

It will be recalled that the spate of violence being unleashed 

by criminals under various names as terrorists, bandits, insurgents, 

hoodlums, unknown gunmen and others, have 

ceaselessly taken their malevolence to an intolerable level 

in recent months, while others have threatened to dismember 

Nigeria for their personal interests. The unrelenting attacks, 

kidnap for ransom and in some cases, wholesome 

seizure of innocent students from their school premises and 

dormitories, have forced many countries to warn their citizens 

to avoid certain places in Nigeria. 

It was unclear on Friday what steps the administration 

intends to take in order to rein in the atrocious elements 

terrorising the country 

Again, armed herders kill five 

in two separate attacks in 

Benue communities 

By Peter Duru, Makurdi 

No fewer than five persons have been report 

edly killed in two separate attacks on Imandeakpu 

and Mbatyough Saghev communities in 

Guma and Gwer West Local Government Areas of 

Benue state, respectively. 

Saturday Vanguard gathered from source in the 

area that the attack on Imandeakpu along the Gbajimba 

Federal University of Agriculture, FUAM- 

Gbajimba left four persons dead and several others 

injured. 

According to the source, the armed marauders 

invaded the community at about 11pm, shooting sporadically 

and mowed down anyone they caught. 

He said, “the attack was unprovoked, the armed 

herders sneaked into the village when everyone had 

gone to bed and started shooting sporadically. 

“The sound of the gunshots created pandemonium, 

people ran out of their houses amid rapid gunshots 

and those that could not flee quickly were 

gunned down and butchered like animals. 

“As we speak, the village has been deserted, some 

are fleeing towards Gbajimba, the Local Government 

Headquarters while many others are heading towards 

the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. 

“We learnt that security personnel have moved into 

community to forestall further attacks,” he said 

In Gwer West Local Government, the marauders 

were said to have invaded Mbatyough Saghev at 

10pm where they reportedly killed another victim 

whose corpse has been deposited at the Naka General 

Hospital mortuary. 

Efforts to get the reaction of the Police Public Relations 

Officer, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, Catherine 

Anene were unsuccessful as calls put to her 

phone were not responded to.

6 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, MAY 1, 2021 

MAY DAY: Insecurity, COVID-19 worsen 

workers’ woes — Labour 

*Asks FG to reclaim Nigeria from insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, militias 

By Victor Ahiuma-Young 

& Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

AS Nigeria today join 

other countries across the 

globe to mark the May Day, 

otherwise known as Workers’ 

Day, Labour leaders 

have been lamenting the 

socio-economic and political 

environments in the 

country, saying COVID-19 

and insecurity have compounded 

workers’ woes. 

Leaders of Nigeria Union 

of Petroleum and Natural 

Gas Workers, NUPENG, 

National Union of 

Electricity Employees, 

NUEE, Association of Senior 

Civil Servants of Nigeria, 

ASCSN, National Union 

of Chemical Footwear 

Rubber Leather and Non- 

Metallic Products Employees, 

NUCFRLANMPE, 

Maritime Workers Union 

of Nigeria, MWUN, are 

unanimous that Nigerian 

workers are really suffering 

and passing through difficult 

times. 

NUPENG in a May Day 

message by its President 

and General Secretary, 

Prince Williams Akporeha 

and Afolabi Olawale, 

among others, said “NU- 

PENG is using this auspicious 

occasion to highlight 

the fact that Nigeria oil and 

gas Industrial Relations atmosphere 

has been grossly 

affected negatively with numerous 

challenges ranging 

from redundancy, casualisation, 

outsourcing, hostile 

employers, non-implementation 

of Collective Bargaining 

Agreements (CBA) 

to non-recognition of 

Unions in the workplace. 

“Sadly, the COVID-19 

pandemic further plunged 

the workers into so many 

other harrowing challenges; 

even in the post covid- 

19 era some workers are yet 

to survive the negative effects 

which took serious toll 

on their socio-economic 

and psychological well-being. 

Nevertheless the oil and 

gas Workers will remain 

resolute and undaunted, 

and will never give up, as 

the Union will continue the 

struggles and resist every 

obnoxious and anti-labour 

practice with all the resources 

at our disposal. We 

are strongly committed in 

our mandate to defend, 

promote and protect the 

rights of our members and 

this we promise to do with 

all our strength and conviction. 

Organised Labour however 

challenged the Federal 

Government to reclaim 

Nigeria from the stronghold 

of Boko Haram insurgents, 

militias, bandits, 

armed herders, kidnappers 

and other criminal elements 

that have taken over 

almost all parts of the 

country. 

Labour lamented that “It 

is unfortunate and a terrible 

injustice to the memory 

of Nigeria’s founding fathers 

that virtually every 

part of the country has been 

engulfed by one form of security 

challenge or the other.” 

THE Vice Presidential 

candidate of the People’s 

Democratic Party in the 

2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, 

has felicitated with workers 

as the world celebrates 

Workers’ Day. 

In a release made available 

to the press by his Media 

Office, Obi noted that the 

universality of worker’s day 

testifies to the unity in the 

goal of labour worldwide, 

which he said was for the 

uplift of the society and the 

ennobling of the human person. 

Lamenting the poor condition 

of workers in Nigeria, 

Obi noted that things are 

made worse because poor 

economic realities in the 

country subject workers, as 

he said, “to live even below 

frugal comfort when even 

the agreed salaries are not 

paid.” 

Obi said it was most pathetic 

that retirees are owed 

pension and gratuities even 

The two Labour centres in 

the country, among others, 

said “During the 2nd NLC 

National Peace and 

Security Summit which 

took place on the 29th of 

April 2021 at the International 

Conference Centre, 

Abuja as part of this year’s 

May Day commemorations, 

it was clearly established 

that human insecurity 

as marked by mass unemployment 

is the main 

driver for the physical insecurity 

besieging our dear 

country. 

“According to data by the 

National Bureau of Statistics 

(NBS), unemployment 

figures in Nigeria has 

reached an all-time high of 

33.3% in the last quarter of 

2020 from 27.1% in the second 

quarter of 2020. 

“Part of the challenge of 

unemployment and insecurity 

is the crisis of poor 

governance. Weak budgets 

that lead to poor appropriations 

and poorer budgetary 

oversight is the bane of 

our development. 

“It is unfortunate and a 

terrible injustice to the 

memory of Nigeria’s 

founding fathers that virtually 

every part of the country 

has been engulfed by 

one form of security challenge 

or the other. In the 

North East, there is the challenge 

of Boko Haram 

terrorism. In the North 

West, there is the challenge 

of rural banditry and kidnap-for-ransom. 

In the 

North Central, there is the 

now they require all possible 

care. 

Linking what Nigerians, 

including workers suffer to 

the cumulative years of leadership 

failure, he said that 

the inability of salaries and 

income to sustain Nigerians 

was principally due to 

the daily plummeting of the 

Naira, thus rendering life in 

the country “precarious and 

uncertain.” 

Encouraging workers not 

to lose hope, Obi urged them 

to remain faithful and help 

in returning the glory of the 

country by being alive to 

their civic responsibilities of 

enthroning as our leaders, 

those with experience and 

the wherewithal to lead. 

On the part of the leaders, 

Obi said that it was about 

time poor leadership, that 

had got Nigeria and Nigerians, 

including workers on 

their knees was checked. He 

called for reasonability in the 

challenge of farmers and 

pastoralists clashes. In the 

South South, armed militants 

still operate in the mangroves 

engaged in all manner 

of economic sabotage. 

In the South West and South 

East, local militias are filling 

the vacuum created by 

the absence of the state and 

are heating up the polity 

with ethno-religious rhetoric. 

“In the midst of this confusion, 

Nigerians are asking 

“where is the state?” Many 

Nigerians understand the 

grave dangers of surrendering 

our sovereignty to a mob 

of violent and non-descript 

non-state actors. Already the 

numbers are piling up as the 

humanitarian carnage left 

in the wake of Nigeria’s medium 

to high intensity conflict 

continue to rise. 

Oyo State Security Network 

Agency, 

Amotekun Corps, members 

of Oodua Peoples 

Congress (OPC) and Vigilante 

Group of Nigeria 

(VGN) have arrested six 

suspected kidnappers 

who mounted illegal 

roadblocks in Oke Ogun 

area of Oyo State. 

way those in government 

treated workers, reminding 

them of workers’ role and 

contributions to the growth 

of the country thus urging 

them to use the occasion of 

Workers Day to reflect about 

the country. 

THE family of late spokesman of 

Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin 

has announced the establishment of 

Yinka Odumakin Foundation to keep 

his legacy to mankind beyond the 

grave. Late Odumakin’s widow, Dr 

Joe Okei-Odumakin, in a statement 

yesterday said,”after a life dedicated 

to intense struggle for justice, fairness 

and natural identity, we reconcile 

ourselves to a great void which 

would not be filled. We also dedicate 

ourselves to the duty of honouring 

his core convictions. It will be compulsory 

for us to go beyond piecemeal 

records to a compendium. A cor- 

DMO puts Nigeria’s loans from 

China at $3.714 b 

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief 

TOTAL loans obtained by Nigeria from China Ex 

port-Import (EXIM) Bank, which have been drawn 

down, stood at $3.714 billion as at December 31, 2020, 

according to a document posted on the website of the 

Debt Management Office (DMO), yesterday. 

The document indicated that $449.89 million has been 

repaid from the principal and $391.66 million , as interest, 

with an outstanding of $3.264 billion. 

The Nigerian Railway Mordernization Project (Lagos 

- Ibadan section) loan of $1. 267 billion which was contracted 

on August 18, 2017 stood out as the single largest 

facility from the Chinese to the country. 

It has 2.5 per cent interest rate and a grace period of 

seven years and a tenor of 20 years, thereby maturing in 

September 2037. $ 884.27 million, representing 69.77 

per cent has been disbursed. $29.82 million has been 

paid back as interest. 

The series of loans started with the Nigerian-Communications-Satellite 

$200 million facility , which was 

signed on January 12, 2006, with 3 % and a grace period 

of 5 Years. That loan with a maturity date of June 29, 

2018 has been fully repaid. 

Nigerian National Public Security Communication 

system Project loan to the tune of $399.5 million with 

2.5 per cent interest was taken in 2012. With a grace 

period of seven years and 20-year tenor, it will mature 

on September 21, 2030. 

The entire $399.5 million was fully drawn down. Total 

payment of principal as at December 2020 was $92.19 

million and interest of $89.04 million, leaving a total 

outstanding at $307.31 million. 

The Nigerian Railway Mordernization Project (Idu- 

Kaduna section) loan of $500 million was similarly contracted 

that 2010. With an interest rate of 2. 5 per cent 

and seven years grace period, it will mature on September 

21, 2030. It has been fully drawn down, with an 

outstanding payment of $384.62 million. 

The Abuja Light Rail Project loan of $ 500 million was 

contracted in 2012 with similar terms of 2.5 per cent 

interest rate, grace period of seven years and a tenor of 

20 years. It had been fully drawn down. Only $38.46 

million and $ 66.78 million have been paid on principal 

and interest, leaving an outstanding of $461.54 million. 

There are four facilities which have not been drawn 

down. They include: Nigerian 40 Parboiled Rice Processing 

Plants Project (Fed. Min. of Agric & Rural Dev.) 

($325.67 million); Nigeria Supply of Rolling Stocks and 

Depot Equipment for Abuja Light Rail Project ($ 157 

million); Nigeria Greater Abuja Water Supply Project 

($381.09 million); Nigerian Four Airport Terminal Expansion 

Project Ancillary Project, ($183.62 million); the 

additional loans for Nigerian Four Airport Expansion 

Project and Nigerian ICT Infrastructure Backbone 

Project, ($208.90 million); and the Nigerian ICT Infrastructure 

Backbone Phase II Project (CRY2.300 billion). 

INC guarantees collective 

existence of Ijaw people 

— Otuaro 

By Etop Ekanem 

DELTA State deputy governor, Deacon Kingsley Bu 

rutu Otuaro, says the Ijaw National Congress, INC, 

is “a laudable initiative that had guaranteed collective 

existence of Ijaw people in the complex Nigerian federation”. 

While delivering his goodwill message, yesterday, at 

the opening ceremony of the INC elective convention 

holding in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, Otuaro 

further stated “the establishment of the INC was a dream 

come true”, adding that the body “has supported the 

development process of the Ijaw nation”. 

The Deputy Governor expressed hope that the ongoing 

elective convention “will overcome the transitional 

challenges the INC had faced for some time now, and 

usher in a new leadership to move the Ijaw nation forward”. 

Otuaro appealed to the aspirants to “approach 

the contest with the spirit of sportsmanship” just as he 

expressed confidence that INC electoral commission in 

place will ensure a credible process that will guarantee 

the emergence of a new leadership to move the Ijaw nation 

forward”. 

Yinka Odumakin: Family to establish foundation 

in his honour 

pus which exhaustively sums up the essential 

Yinka Odumakin. More importantly, 

a Yinka Odumakin Foundation 

shall be established to keep his benefits, 

his legacy to mankind beyond the 

grave”. 

While expressing gratitude to Federal 

Government, states and individuals for 

“uncommon outpouring of empathy, solidarity 

and support” to the family in 

many ways, the family appealed to 

“those who keep using Yinka Odumakin’s 

name for wrong and selfish reasons 

to please stop. We do not wish to 

call people out at this point but we might 

be very direct if such abuse continues”.

IPOB: South East govs willing tools to imperial 

powers — Col Nyiam 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

THE South East gov 

ernors have been 

accused of being willing 

tools to powerful elements 

outside the zone 

which has made them to 

work against the collective 

interest of their people. 

Retired Col. Tony Nyiam 

made the allegation 

when he appeared on 

the African Independent 

Television, AIT, programme 

in Abuja. 

He also condemned 

the approach of the Federal 

Government in handling 

the security situation 

in South East, adding 

that the approach 

would intensify the 

Anarchy is here with us — Archbishop Obinna 

By Chidi Nkwopara, 

OWERRI. 

THE Catholic Archbish 

op of Owerri Ecclesiastical 

Province, Most Rev. Anthony 

J. V. Obinna, has raised 

an alarm that “with so many 

killings, kidnappings, banditry 

and bloodshed, anarchy 

is here with us.” 

The cleric, who raised the 

alarm when he paid a pastoral 

visit to Imo State University, 

Owerri, also opined that 

“things are going wrong because 

those who are supposed 

to govern the country and its 

citizens have woefully failed 

to faithfully discharge their 

constitutional duties.” 

His words:“There is so 

much killing and bloodshed 

in the land. We are getting so 

brutish in this land. Blood of 

innocent Nigerians is literally 

flowing in our land, on a 

daily basis. 

“Kidnapping, banditry, 

armed robbery and other serious 

crimes, have become 

huge businesses in this land. 

Anarchy is sadly here with us.” 

Archbishop Obinna was 

also of the view that because 

of palpable blindness and selfishness, 

Nigerian leaders 

have woefully failed to live up 

to people’s legitimate expectations. 

Obinna said: “Nobody is 

now safe, including the leaders 

and followers, military 

and civilians. We are in a 

state of collective madness, 

intimidation, destruction and 

if you like, operation kill and 

disappear. Our shepherds are 

simply after themselves. 

“There is widespread uncertainty, 

fear and panic. 

There is confusion everywhere. 

Today, we now hear 

about rampaging but unknown 

gunmen, who mindlessly 

attack our security personnel 

and destroy or burn 

their operational vehicles and 

facilities.” 

Continuing, Archbishop 

Obinna was not particularly 

happy with those who are into 

drugs, stressing that the ugly 

habit has transformed many 

Nigerians into anything but 

human beings. 

“Drugs have turned many 

Nigerians to anything but 

good people. Drugs have led 

many people into damnable 

and despicable acts,” the cleric 

said. 

WAEC goes tough on candidates, schools involved 

in malpractices 

By Elizabeth Osayande 

THE West African Exam 

inations Council, 

WAEC, has said candidates 

and schools caught in any act 

of malpractice will be dealt 

problem instead of minimizing 

it. 

Asked to analyze the 

attack on the residence 

of the Governor Hope 

Uzodinma in Omuma 

and the killing of the 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, Eastern 

Security Network, ESN 

Commander, General 

Ikoso Don, he said what 

was happening in Imo 

State and the entire 

South East was as a result 

of loss of confidence 

in the leaders. 

He said, “First of all, 

Governor Hope Uzodinma 

is a long time friend. 

When he was a young 

man who used to come 

with. 

This is as the council stated 

that those with complaints 

have one year grace after the 

release of results to make an 

appeal. These decisions and 

more were reached at the justconcluded 

71st meeting of 

around us then in 1989 

and 1990s, he was a 

close friend to one of our 

young friends in the military 

and I have known 

him for a long time. 

“So I sympathize with 

the governor but the 

thing is this, what is 

happening in the South 

East is the beginning 

and intensification of a 

gorilla war. The governors 

of the South-East 

are losing ground because 

they are willing 

tools of the imperial 

power. 

“The system we have 

in Nigeria is such that 

both in terms of structure 

of government and in 

terms of the political parties 

both PDP (Peoples 

Democratic Party) and 

APC (All Progressives 

Congress) is such that if 

you do not dance to the 

tune of the imperial 

power you will not get 

entry to the primaries. 

“So most of the South 

East governors are behaving 

like the willing 

tool of the oppressors 

and the consequences of 

that is that the South 

easterners no more trust 

the state and they are 

now resorting to self 

help which is dangerous 

and there is a need for 

strategic plan.” 

Asked to mention the 

imperialists and how the 

governors had become 

willing tools, he said, “I 

will quote Chief Ayo 

Adebanjo in his speech 

recently at the burial of 

Yinka Odumakin, he 

mentioned who are the 

imperialists. 

Left:Managing Director, Global Synco Enterprises, Prince Sunny Nwodo, National 

Volume Winner receiving the key to a Toyota Landcruiser Prado from the Head of 

Sales East, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Anthonio Louis Okojie during the Lafarge Africa 

2021 Customer Awards. 

the Nigeria Examinations 

Committee (NEC) of WAEC 

held on Tuesday, 27th and 

Wednesday, 28th April, 2021 

at the WAEC Testing and 

Training Centre (WTTC), 

Ogba, Lagos. 

In a release signed by the 

Acting Head Public Affairs, 

WAEC, Mr Demianus 

Ojijeogu, the decisions were 

parts of the decisions reached 

at the meeting by the Committee 

which is the highest decision 

making organ of 

WAEC. 

“ The Committee, after diligent 

deliberations, approved 

appropriate sanctions in all 

established cases of malpractice, 

as prescribed by the rules 

and regulations governing 

the conduct of the council’s 

examinations. 

“ It approved that the entire 

results of candidates involved 

in proven cases, which 

attracted Cancellation of Entire 

Results (CER), be cancelled, 

while subject results of 

those involved in proven cases, 

which attracted Cancellation 

of Subject Results (CSR), 

be similarly cancelled. 

“In addition, some candidates 

will also suffer other 

sanctions such as barring 

them from sitting for the council’s 

examinations for two 

years, some schools will be 

derecognized for a specified 

number of years or have their 

recognition completely withdrawn, 

some supervisors that 

were found wanting in the discharge 

of their examination 

duties will be formally reported 

to their employers and 

blacklisted while some invigilators 

will also be reported 

to the appropriate authorities 

for disciplinary action. 

SATURDAY VANGUARD, MAY 1, 2021 —7 

May Day: Glo Lauds Nigerian 

Workers 

TELECOMMUNICATIONS solutions provider, 

Globacom, has described Nigerian workers as “the 

most resilient in the world,” saying their patriotism, diligence 

and doggedness, even in the face of global economic 

challenges, is worthy of commendation. 

“Globacom congratulates Nigerian workers as they 

join their counterparts all over the world to mark another 

workers’ day. Their commitment to nation building 

and their resilience over the years is well appreciated. 

We salute their dedication and uncommon courage, and 

wish to use the occasion of the workers’ day celebration 

to urge them to rededicate themselves to the social and 

economic development of the country,” the company said 

in a press statement issued on the celebration. 

While calling on workers to continue to display dedication 

in spite of the challenges facing the nation and its 

people, the network called on them to remain dedicated 

to duty, redouble their efforts at achieving excellence in 

the work place and remain committed to the noble cause 

of building a strong, virile and prosperous nation. 

“Service to our dear fatherland and dedication to building 

an enduring work culture that will help set Nigeria 

on the path of industrialization and true greatness should 

be the vision of everyone,” Glo added while expressing 

the hope that the challenging times being experienced 

globally and particularly in Nigeria would soon be over. 

Nigeria not on track with 

electoral reforms — EU 

By Victoria Ojeme 

THE European Union has expressed concern over pend 

ing issues surrounding the non passage of the electoral 

act into law. The head of the European Union delegation to 

Nigeria and ECOWAS Ambassador Ketil Karlsen stated this 

in Abuja during a press briefing ahead of this year’s Europe 

Day. Ambassador Karlsen who expressed concern that Nigeria 

was not on track with regards to electoral reforms, explained 

that being a leader in Africa, the country was ranking 

low on women participation in governance. 

He said when passed into law, the electoral law would address 

some of the limitations existing in the current law. 

The EU Ambassador urged INEC and all stakeholders to 

ensure the electoral act was passed before 2023 elections. 

He said the president’s refusal to assent to the electoral act 

at the peak of the 2019 general elections due to the proximity 

with date of 2019 elections could be avoided if all hands are 

put on deck. 

On human rights and freedom, Ambassador Karlsen announced 

that Nigeria was one of the pilot countries for the EU- 

UN Global spotlight Initiative, a multi-year joint effort to 

eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls 2030. 

He said an initial investment of twenty five million Euros was 

made to Nigeria in that regard. 

Ewhu ovie stool not hereditary 

– Ziregbe 

PRINCE Charles Ziregbe, one of the aspirants for 

the vacant stool of the king Ewhu Kingdom, in Ughelli 

South Local Government Area of Delta State, has said he 

wanted to be Ovie of Ewhu because he feels he is the right 

person to occupy the seat at this critical time. In a release, 

he debunked the rumours going round that he is contesting 

because he feels the kingship is hereditary and wants 

to occupy the stool because his grandfather, 

OvieOmokoZiregbe was king from 1945 to 1961. 

Prince Ziregbe argued that if it were so, his grandfather’s 

eldest son would have succeeded him. Instead, the throne 

moved to the other two ruling houses of Uwheruvwe and 

Okpor before coming back to the ruling House of Ekade 

following the death of the last king of Ewhu, HRM OvieOnesaJabinOgaga. 

Prince Ziregbe reiterated that he wanted 

to be the next Ovie of Ewhu because he is most qualified, 

not because his grandfather had occupied the stool. 

Christians worry over spread of banditry, 

attack on security formations 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

Christians in the country have again enjoined the Federal 

Government to take necessary steps to curb banditry, 

kidnapping and attack on security formations spreading very 

fast across the country. 

Speaking under the aegis of Pentecostal Fellowship of 

Nigeria, PFN,the Delta State Chairman of the body, Bishop 

Dr Kingsley Enakirerhi and a member of the National Advisory 

council of the PFN, Bishop Simeon Okah said the insecurity 

situation in the country was disturbing. 

Bishop Okah said President Muhammadu Buhari should 

give security the priority attention it deserves . 

“ No nation does well without effective security system. See 

the banditry, kidnapping of students and citizens in the country. 

See the attack on police stations in the east. All these are 

very worrisome,” he said. 

“The state and the federal governments should remove politics 

and deal with the problem of insecurity squarely,” he said.


Politicians behind unrest in South-East 

— Nwanyanwu 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

NATIONAL chair 

man of the Zenith 

Labour Party, ZLP, Chief 

Dan Nwanyanwu has 

blamed the recent violent 

skirmishes in the South- 

East, particularly the invasion 

of Police Command, 

Correctional Service 

Headquarters and the residence 

of Imo State Governor 

Hope Uzodinma on 

failed politicians who lost 

out of the state’s power 

equation. 

Nwanyanwu stated this 

when he appeared as guest 

of the Channels Television 

breakfast programme, 

Sunrise Daily. 

According to the ZLP 

boss, “the correctional 

centre is beside the Government 

House and the 

residence of the Brigade 

Commander is not far 

away, same as where the 

Police Commissioner lives. 

That is the safest place in 

Owerri. But people got in 

there, shot for two hours, 

released all the prisoners 

and nobody fired a shot to 

repel them. From where 

the 34 Artillery Brigade is, 

at that time of the night to 

that point wouldn’t have 

taken more than seven 

minutes. Everything stood 

down only for the Commissioner 

of Police to wake up 

and accuse the Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB of 

doing it without any investigation. 

We did our investigations. 

IPOB has no 

hand with what happened 

in Owerri. 

“Terrorism is now being 

imported into the safest 

place in the South-East. It 

is being done by persons 

who think that this governor 

should be given restless 

nights because people 

have lost power. It is the 

opposition that is fighting 

Hope Uzondinma. You 

have taken the resources of 

the state to the point that 

you now think you are richer 

than the state and now, 

you are using it to fight us. 

You can pay bandits, 

called unknown gunmen. 

Let’s stop calling them unknown 

gunmen because 

they are known. These people 

are being funded by 

politicians. Will Hope 

Uzodinma allow his house 

to be attacked? These are 

people that have lost out in 

the power equation,” he 

said. 

Chief Nwanyanwu called 

for the involvement of citizens 

in the fight against insurgency, 

adding that government 

is overwhelmed 

and incapable of winning 

the war using force as the 

only option. 

Vice President, Professor 

Yemi Osinbajo, Nwanyanwu 

argued, was right when 

he stated recently that the 

elites need to speak up and 

join forces in the anti-terrorism 

fight, saying it was 

the failure of the elite to act 

that threw up non-state actors 

that are now making 

the country unsafe for everyone. 

“In the South-East, a 

gentleman saw an opening 

and exploited it. The elites 

have refused to stand up to 

be counted. I understand 

what the vice president is 

saying. How many people 

make up Miyetti Allah? 

How many are there in 

IPOB leadership? How 

many are these people 

compared to the population 

of those areas? It is so 

because we have not keyed 

in the citizens in the fight 

against insurgency. We 

cannot use force all the 

time; carry the citizens 

along,” he counselled. 

NNPC makes U-turn, says FAAC remittance will be 

boosted 

By Obas Esiedesa 

THE Nigerian Na 

tional Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, yesterday 

reversed its decision 

to make zero contribution 

to the Federation 

From left: Political Adviser to British Deputy High Commissioner, Lagos, 

Mr. Wale Adebajo; UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Girls’ Education, 

Helen Grant; UK Minister for Africa, Mr. James Duddridge; Lagos State Governor, 

Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Mr. 

Ben Llewellyn-Jones; Commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget, Mr. 

Sam Egube; his counterpart for Transport, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde and others, 

during the UK Minister’s courtesy visit to the governor, at 

Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, recently. 

PTAD commences adjustment 

to pension benefits 

THE Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, 

PTAD will commence the adjustment to pension 

benefits arising from the implementation of the new 

minimum wage from this month’s payroll. The arrears 

will take effect from April 2019 while the PTAD will 

also commence payment of the arrears from May 2021. 

The Executive Secretary of the directorate, Dr Chioma 

Ejikeme, who disclosed this yesterday at a press briefing 

said with the granting of the presidential approval 

for the implementation of the consequential adjustment 

to the pension benefits, “PTAD is now empowered to 

start the upward adjustment of all pensioners’ benefits 

according to the approved template.” 

She said, “as a responsible agency of government saddled 

with the mandate of overseeing the payment of 

pension benefits to pensioners under the Defined Benefit 

Scheme and taking care of their welfare, we are encouraged 

to do more for our pensioners. We will continue 

to strive to improve the quality of their lives. 

“Let me at this point inform and caution our senior 

citizens once again, that PTAD will not request for any 

gratification from anybody before the money will be 

paid into their account. They should not give their account 

details to anybody. They should report any scammer 

or anyone requesting for gratification before their 

benefits would be paid to PTAD.” 

JUSUN Strike: Why FG must embrace mediation 

—Law Don 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

A 

professor of law 

and Senior Advocate 

of Nigeria, SAN, 

Mohammed Tabi’u, has 

implored the Federal 

Government to deploy 

conflict management 

strategies, especially 

mediation, to resolve the 

ongoing strike action by 

the Judiciary Staff Union 

of Nigeria, JUSUN. 

Prof. Tabi’u maintained 

that the sole issue 

that led to the strike 

that has stagnated judicial 

activities in the 

country for more than 

Account Allocation Committee, 

in the month of 

May, due to high cost of 

petrol subsidy. 

The Corporation in a 

statement by its Group 

General Manager, Group 

Public Affairs Division, Dr. 

Kennie Obateru explained 

that the shortfall in remittance 

will be remedied. 

NNPC had in a letter to 

the Accountant General of 

the Federation warned 

that it would not make any 

remittance to the Federation 

Account Allocation 

Committee in the month 

of May after spending 

N111.966 billion to subsidize 

petrol consumption in 

March. 

NNPC’s Chief Financial 

Officer, Umar Isa in the 

letter explained that the 

amount spent on subsidy 

in March would be net-off 

from oil and gas revenue 

in April due in May leaving 

no balance for FAAC. 

Isa also projected that 

NNPC would only be able 

to remit just N12.966 to 

FAAC in June also due to 

subsidy payment. 

However, Obateru clarified 

in the statement that 

“the revenue projection 

contained in the letter to 

the Accountant General of 

the Federation being cited 

in the media pertains only 

to the Federation revenue 

stream being managed by 

the Corporation and not a 

reflection of the overall financial 

performance of 

the corporation”. 

three weeks, could be 

effectively resolved 

through dialogue. 

The legal luminary 

spoke at the official 

launch of a five-year 

strategic action plan and 

public presentation of 

the mediation house 

project of the Institute of 

Chartered Mediators 

and Conciliators, 

ICMC, which held in 

Abuja yesterday. 

JUSUN had on April 6, 

ordered its members 

across the federation to 

shut all courts to press 

home their demand for 

implementation of financial 

autonomy for the 

Declare emergency, US can’t 

stop insecurity in Nigeria 

— VATLAD 

By Emma Amaize 

VANGUARD for Transparent Leadership and De 

mocracy, VATLAD, has said the United States and 

other friendly countries cannot help Nigeria win the battle 

against insecurity. 

The group in a statement by the national president, Mr. 

Emmanuel Igbini, yesterday, advised President Muhammadu 

Buhari and National Assembly to proclaim a state of 

emergency and officially declare that the country is at war. 

It blamed unpatriotic and desperate elite, who it referred 

to as ‘domestic terrorists’ for the problem facing the country, 

urging leaders of the country to take decisive actions 

against the internal guerrillas. 

VATLAD asserted: “Our attention has been drawn to media 

publications wherein it was reported that President Muhammadu 

Buhari has appealed to government of United 

States of America for assistance to fight against the external 

forces and terrorists threatening the security and territorial 

integrity of our country.” 

“The US and other friendly countries cannot move in 

officers and equipment of their armed forces into Nigeria 

to assist our armed forces in this war except and until President 

Buhari and our National Assembly issue a proclamation 

of state of emergency and officially declare that Nigeria 

is at full military war against external enemies and 

terrorists in line with section 305 of 1999 Nigerian Constitution, 

as amended. 

“These unpatriotic and desperate Nigerian elite who have 

constituted themselves into domestic terrorists and undermining 

our nation’s peace and security must be brutally 

dealt with immediately using the full force of our military 

the same way the US deployed its Special Forces against 

those Americans sponsored by former President Trump to 

invade Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. The US Congress 

did not hesitate to declare these US citizens, who invaded 

the Capital Hill as terrorists and called in the US armed 

forces to deal decisively with them. 

“While we are not opposed to seeking assistance or cooperation 

from US and other friendly countries in addressing 

these increasing wars against Nigeria, we are, however, 

patriotically compelled to ask the question: Is US the solution 

to this war on our country? 

“We wish to once more state unequivocally that the US or 

indeed any other friendly countries cannot successfully help 

Nigeria win this war we face without first and foremost 

Nigerian leaders admitting the fact that the major enemies 

are those unpatriotic and desperate Nigerian elite in partisan 

politics and businesses, who continue to undermine the 

peace, unity and security of Nigeria and Nigerians for their 

personal interests. 

judiciary. 

The union noted that 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari had on May 22, 

2020, signed into law, 

an Executive Order that 

granted financial autonomy 

to both the legislature 

and the judiciary 

across the 36 states of the 

federation. 

The Executive Order 

equally mandated the 

Accountant-General of 

the Federation to deduct 

from source, any amount 

due to state legislatures 

and judiciaries from the 

monthly allocation to 

each state, for states that 

refuse to comply with 

the executive order. 

The Nigerian Bar Association, 

NBA, earlier 

threw its weight behind 

JUSUN’s action, even as 

lawyers staged peaceful 

protests across the federation. 

Meanwhile, fielding 

questions from journalists 

at the ICMC event 

in Abuja, Prof. Tabi’u, 

SAN, stressed that the 

protracted strike action 

which has lasted for over 

three weeks, amplified 

the need for governments 

at all levels to pay 

more attention to the 

development of other 

Aternative Dispute Resolution, 

ADR, processes, 

such as mediation.


10—SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 1, 2021 

How fear of Zik forced 

Awolowo to hold Action 

Group meetings in secret 

—Basorun Arogbofa 

•Conditions that will make 2023 elections hold 

•Yoruba have suffered a lot 

•Afenifere votes for restructuring not secession 

•We’ve no problems with breakaway groups like YCE, ARG, YUF 

•Afenifere isn’t a secret cult, but principled 

•We’re conscience of the nation, offering Nigeria effective leadership 

By Dayo Johnson Akure 

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere has clocked 70 years. The General Secretary 

of the group, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa (OFR) who equally doubles as the Ondo 

state chairman of the group spoke with some selected journalists on the journey so far. 

In this interview, he explains the philosophy behind the group, its impact on the nation 

and its anxieties about 2023 elections amongst other issues. 

Excerpts: 

Afenifere is 70 years old, how was 

the journey so far? 

Afenifere is a little bit above 70 

years, running to 71 years. The first 

meeting to bring Afenifere members 

together actually took the form of Action 

Group. They met on March 26, 1950 in 

Ibadan at the request of Chief Obafemi 

Awolowo. He invited about 60 people but 

only seven turned up. Among those who 

attended the first meeting were Chief S T 

Oredein, Chief Shonibare and five others. 

Thereafter, six or seven meetings were held 

and it was not until the third meeting for 

example that a stalwart like Chief Michael 

Adekunle Ajasin attended on invitation from 

Chief Awolowo. 

And one might ask, why was it so? Why 

were meetings held in the secret? The simple 

reason was that Chief Obafemi Awolowo did 

not want Zik (Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe) to kill the 

Action Group with his press control in 

Nigeria, and even up to Ghana then. So, he 

had to plan very carefully before coming out. 

Before Action Group was finally launched, 

there were nine meetings. During the sixth 

meeting, Baba Awolowo almost called it quit 

because of poor attendance. But by this time, 

he had got Chief Ajasin strongly behind him. 

So, it was Baba Ajasin who encouraged him 

to go ahead and that was why during that 

sixth meeting, Chief Awolowo had to tell 

Chief Ajasin to preside because that was his 

meeting. Thereafter, things started coming 

up, until a year after, precisely, March 28, 

1951 when the formal inauguration took 

place in Owo, which lasted three days, as a 

mark of respect for the role played by 

Chief Ajasin. 

Nigerians have some misconceptions 

and misrepresentations about this 

group, what exactly does this group 

stand for? 

There are a lot of controversies, misrepresentations 

and a lot of misconceptions, no 

doubt. Not very many people understood the 

umbilical cord between Action Group and 

Afenifere or what one can refer to as a 

symbiotic relationship between the two. 

Afenifere can be identified with three 

philosophies. The first is Afenifere as a 

generic term means (Love me, I love you or a 

group of people who show interest in one 

another, who love one another). Another 

philosophy of Afenifere is Afenifere as a 

political slogan for political parties founded 

by Awolowo family. For example, when we 

say Afenifere, we say ‘ire owo, Afenifere, ire 

omo’ (goodness of money, goodness of 

children). The third philosophy as a political 

or socio-political organization, like Action 

Group (AG), UPN, SDP, AD and PAC. And for 

each of these political parties, people relate 

them with Afenifere. But for the sociopolitical 

organization which we’re celebrating 

and which I’m the Secretary General, 

what we have is just Afenifere. So, we have 

Afenifere from three different perspectives. 

One of the misconceptions by the 

younger generations about this group is 

that it operates like a secret cult 

Everybody has a right to think in his own 

way but we do know that Afenifere conducts 

its activities openly in broad day light and 

invites people to its meetings, for example, 

members of the press. And I do know too that 

some of us do not belong to any secret 

society. For example, I don’t belong to any 

secret society. The youths or 

anybody who may think that 

way may be because once 

Afenifere takes a decision, it 

becomes binding. And until they 

find out that there is something 

wrong with the decision taken, 

they don’t go back, 

they are always 

united in their 

actions. So, if people 

feel that by behaving 

in that 

•Awolowo 

•Azikiwe 

way, 

they belong to a 

special group or a 

secret cult, no. If it 

were a secret 

organization, 

things would have been worse. 

Hide original message 

Are these philosophies and ideologies on 

which the group is built still in existence, 

because many of the members both old 

and young have left the fold 

In a family like Afenifere which is sociopolitical, 

it’s not always that you will have 

everybody that will remain within the same 

group. A few could decide for one reason or 

the other to say, let’s set up our own group. 

Others could say, well, for this and that 

reason, let’s organize a parallel organization. 

And if they did that, the main body, 

Afenifere had never raised an eyebrow 

because you’re free to move out. You’re not 

bound to stay there, you can decide to opt 

out. And there have been groups like that, 

that have opted out. Take for example, the 

Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Yoruba 

Unity Forum (YUF), and of course, the 

Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG). They opted 

out and formed their own organization. 

They appointed their leaders and things like 

that. Since they’re not able to stay within, 

they decided to stay out and we don’t have 

any problem with them, but we’re hopeful 

that one day some of them will come back. 

Even with the main Afenifere body, we still 

have one or two people who may not find 

everything there as comfortable as they may 

think. In Afenifere, you find people who are 

highly disciplined, people who can make 

sacrifices, people who can endure, people 

who don’t just run after political parties 

because of money, people who don’t change 

political parties as many times as possible. 

People who have conscience, people who 

love one another, people who love this 

country, people who are forthright, people 

who are principled. These are the people you 

find in Afenifere. So, others can decide to 

leave because of one reason or the other, no 

problem, but we’re increasing in number. 

Is it also right to say that members of the 

group are too rigid 

As for being too rigid, yes we can be rigid if 

our philosophy can’t be faulted. You can’t 

fault our philosophy, our principle of good 

intentions. We stick to our philosophy. For 

example, we believe in true federalism. So, 

until the end of the world, we’ll be singing 

that song. We also believe in restructuring. 

Until anything comes that is better, we’ll 

stick to this point. If they say we’re rigid on 

that basis, yes we’re rigid. You can’t fault 

what we believe in, and what we believe in is 

the right thing. It is just about determination 

and strength of character. Not people who 

will be here today, but will be there tomorrow 

and will change camps because of one 

thing or the other. We believe strongly in our 

philosophy because we’ve fought about it 

because of the advantages it will bring to the 

people. So, until we’re faulted, we’ll stick to 

our principles. 

70 years of 

Afenifere, yet the 

Yoruba are not 

speaking with one 

voice, they are 

marginalised, has the 

group really done 

much for the race? 

The Yoruba race is a 

beautiful race, very 

sophisticated, very 

enlightened. You can’t 

take Yoruba people for 

a ride. You just can’t 

lead them by the nose. 

They have different 

opinions on issues and 

so, we don’t expect 

such a people to just be 

in one common pool, 

it’s difficult. We’re very 

intelligent. Even, when 

Chief Awolowo was 

there, the election he 

contested which made 

him the Premier of 

Western Region, I’m 

not sure he had more 

than 50 percent of the 

populace on his side, 

yet he won because of 

his own programme 

and his philosophy. So, 

we don’t expect 

everybody in the land 

to be ‘follow follow’ 

because of the socio 

and economic 

problems in this 

country, and because 

of our own intelligence 

and ability not to be 

held down unnecessarily. 

Despite the 

problems we have as a 

race, and these are 

problems of intelligent 

people, trying to 

outwit one another, 

Afenifere has been 

able to give effective 

leadership. Not only to 

the Yoruba but also to 

Nigeria despite the 

fact that we don’t 

control the greatest 

percentage of the 

populace. Take for 

example, a few years 

ago, you’ll recollect 

when this problem of 

marginalization was 

becoming too oppressive, 

Afenifere brought 

the Yoruba leaders 

together in Ibadan. All 

the other Yoruba socio 

cultural groups were 

there. We extended the 

invitation beyond the 

Yoruba circle, the 

Ohaneze and some 

other groups were there, so we’re offering 

effective leadership. 

•Arogbofa 

What exactly is the group celebrating? 

We are celebrating maturity and old age. 

We’re also celebrating the group’s ability to 

continue to offer leadership to the Yoruba 

people and simultaneously celebrating the 

group’s ability to offer quality opinion and 

leadership traits. We are also celebrating the 

respect the nation has for Afenifere. The 

nation has respect for us. Any time we speak, 

they listen, so we’re celebrating this. We’re 

also celebrating our ability to stick to 

philosophy and ideology despite apparently 

insurmountable problems. In particular, we 

are celebrating quality leadership the 

Afenifere has been providing for this nation. 

From the time of Awolowo to Ajasin, from 

Ajasin to Adesanya and from Adesanya to 

Fasoranti. So, we are celebrating all these. 

Continues on page 11

Conditions that will make 

2023 elections hold 

Continues from page 10 

What is the relationship between the 

group and others like Arewa, Ohaneze and 

what has been the group’s impact in the 

polity 

Afenifere is socio-political while Ohaneze 

and Arewa are socio-cultural. That marks 

the difference. We talk politics when the 

need arises. We accept it as our own philosophy. 

The others too, don’t come out, they’re 

more concerned about their socio-cultural 

activities. And when there are crises, 

occasionally, those who see things from the 

same point of view can come together. Like 

Afenifere and Ohaneze on the issue of 

marginalization, they came together, 

socially and politically as well. Essentially, 

all these groups were founded after 

Afenifere to defend the interests of the 

people in their geopolitical zones. 

As to the impact of Afenifere on the 

Nigeria polity, I’ll like to say that we have a 

lot to say in this regard. For example, the 

welfare policy of Afenifere on free education, 

free health, gainful employment and 

integrated rural development, in deed, what 

the founder himself referred to as life more 

abundant to the people. This has transformed 

the lives of Nigerians and has 

continued to be a reference point and 

benchmark for performance, for the 

government whether at local, state or 

federal level in Nigeria. Alongside this 

welfare philosophy is the political philosophy 

of true federalism as best option for a 

heterogeneous and multiple society like 

Nigeria. Thirdly, Afenifere serves as watchdog 

and conscience of the nation as demonstrated 

in the actions and addresses of our 

leaders and communique of meetings. For 

example, the effect of Papa Awolowo’s short 

but pungent dismissal of a census that took 

place sometimes, where he described it as 

barren exercise. Or Papa Adesanya’s 

damning condemnation of Yoruba crawlers 

in a federal government where they were 

playing a second fiddle. And of course, a 

recent world press conference, addressed by 

Chief Fasoranti entitled ‘Nigeria heading 

for the cliff’. 

Again, any government founded on 

Afenifere philosophy has always provided 

good administration and kept to its welfare 

policies. For instance, Action Group under 

Awolowo, UPN and even AD. Such governments 

have benefitted the people immensely. 

And if I may add, even while 

Afenifere parties were in opposition, the 

Afenifere welfare and political ideas were 

preeminent in such administration. A case 

in point was when Awolowo was leader of 

the opposition. He was able to bring all 

these ideals into the government, even 

though they were not acceptable. But in 

retrospect, you’ll recollect that was the 

beginning of the problem in this country 

because he kept on saying all was not well, 

that nepotism was already in place, that 

people were not having access to the good 

things of life and things like that. So, 

Afenifere has always impacted positively on 

the polity. 

What is the relationship between 

Afenifere and some splinter groups in the 

region like YCE, YUF ARG and how has 

the group been coping and still remain as 

the leading voice of the Yoruba people? 

All these groups were part of us. But like I 

said, we didn’t tie down anybody. It’s a 

matter of belief. These groups opted out for 

one reason or the other and we don’t quarrel 

with their going out because we’re optimistic 

that one day, they will still come back. 

But we also realized that they have high 

respect for us. And of course, the Yoruba 

people and all Nigerians know that 

Afenifere is the conscience of the nation, the 

other groups are under us. When the other 

groups speak or take action, they are not 

heard, but when Afenifere comes out, it’s like 

bush fire. When we come out with our 

communiques after our monthly meetings, 

people are eager to know what are they 

saying? What do they have for us? And when 

we address the press, people are eager to 

know what else do they have to say. So, 

Afenifere has a very large image. Our other 

brothers, we have no problem with them. 

They have their reasons for doing what they 

did, we didn’t send them away and we 

haven’t closed the door against them, the 

door is still open. I think it’s a matter of 

differences in personalities and differences 

in operation. 

From the time of the late Pa Adesanya, 

Ajasin, Fasoranti and now to Adebanjo, the 

change of baton of leadership seem to be 

seamless, but why do you prefer older 

people and not the younger generation? 

Afenifere is an old socio-political organization. 

We’re celebrating age, maturity, 

doggedness. We’re also celebrating experience 

and we feel that all these qualities are 

more in the hands of the elderly ones. Papa 

Awolowo crossed the 70 years barrier before 

he died. Of course, Baba Ajasin, I think 

crossed 80 years barrier and Adesanya too 

and Chief Fasoranti, 95. You can’t buy 

experience in an old organization like 

that. Myself as secretary, I’m 82. I’m 

also an old man. It’s only those who 

have experience that can 

manage such an organization 

but there are places and 

positions for other members 

of the group. As an organization, 

we leave the field to the 

younger ones. And if you look 

back, you’ll see that it is the younger 

who have been governors, commissioners, 

ministers and so on. 

When Chief Adefarati was there, 

he was a relatively young man 

and his commissioners were 

made up of young people. 

What about Mimiko 

himself, a young man, the 

commissioners were made 

up of young people. When 

you go to Lagos, when 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was 

there, he was a young man 

and his commissioners 

were also young people. 

Afenifere as a political 

organization stayed 

behind the scene to offer the experience, 

ideas and to call them to order when we feel 

they are going astray. Afenifere is a group 

with principles, it is matured, it’s not just a 

young organization. There are opportunities 

for younger ones in Afenifere. Even as at 

now, if they say I’m an old man, younger 

ones are manning the other positions. Chief 

Shonibare who is the treasurer is not an old 

man, the late Yinka Odumakin, our former 

Publicity Secretary was not an old man. 

Kole Omololu is not an old man, he’s a 

young man. So we’ve been fair and balanced. 

And any young man who can prove 

himself is welcomed at that level. In Nigeria 

politics, how many women do we find there. 

It’s all over because the impression we have 

about our women is that they should hold 

the home front to 

stabilize the home while 

they allow their men to 

go out because they see 

politics as a hot area. As 

to the absence of very 

many young men, the 

problem is that, the 

present situation in our 

country has not helped 

young men to be stable 

anywhere. Most of them 

are on the move, they are 

on the fast lane for 

wealth. Even when they 

come into politics, 

changes come as many 

times as possible within 

a year. So, in a sociopolitical 

organization 

like Afenifere which 

believes strongly in 

ideology and philosophy, 

you can understand 

why they would not be 

able to stay very long 

there because they know, 

this is a group of people 

who are thinking for this 

country, making 

sacrifices for this 

country, where the 

money is not there for them to share. So, 

they go to political parties where they can 

make money or contest elections even when 

Afenifere has gone out of its own way to 

found political parties for them. 

Afenifere is sociopolitical 

while 

Ohaneze and 

Arewa are sociocultural. 

That 

marks the 

difference. We talk 

politics when the 

need arises. 

What is Afenifere’s position on the call 

for secession by some leaders in the South 

West? 

Afenifere sees itself as the father of the 

Yoruba groups and also sees itself and 

behave as the conscience of the nation. 

These two have to be blended. We’ve been 

talking about restructuring this country, it’s 

not a new thing. Baba Awolowo said it and 

ever since, it has become a singsong that the 

country should be restructured to have true 

federalism. We believe that if this country is 

restructured our problems will be solved. 

•Arogbofa 

Afenifere still stands on restructuring. As to 

secessionist tendencies, we’re being cautious 

because of the outcome of secession. We’re 

being very cautious, but for restructuring, we 

support it fully. Those who are calling for 

secession may be doing so because of their 

recent experiences which are not good. Look 

at what is happening all over the country, 

especially in the south with kidnapping, 

raping, killing, herdsmen atrocities as well 

as insecurity of lives and property. It appears 

as if the federal government is becoming 

powerless and our people are being denied 

a lot of things. If the younger ones see things 

from this angle and they see themselves 

being driven away from their lands or being 

harassed from their lands or the Fulani 

herdsmen want to take away their lands by 

force, they are right to seek 

a redress. And I think all 

these things are now 

pushing the younger ones to 

talk of secession. In 

Afenifere, from what we 

called self-determination, 

Yoruba have suffered a lot 

within the recent past but 

we are of the opinion that 

restructuring will be better 

for us than secession. 

The 2014 National 

Conference report has not 

been looked into by the 

present administration, 

will the group subscribe to 

another constitutional 

conference and participate? 

Some of us are not too 

happy because all we need 

to make this country work 

is already in the 2014 

Confab report. What are the 

problems facing us in this 

country? Insecurity of lives 

and property. Ways of 

addressing them are there. 

For example, the need for 

state police, we stated it 

there. When you talk of unemployment, in 

that report, there is solution for the issue of 

unemployment. Another problem we’re 

facing in this country is lack of development. 

We made provision that every state 

should develop what it has. Apart from 

giving a competitive orientation, it will 

make every state to be more responsible to 

its citizens because we were very well briefed 

of the fact that every state has enough 

mineral deposits good enough to make 

everybody in the state happy, but this is not 

being done. We’ve held so many meetings to 

do this kind of thing and if there is the need 

for any Confab or whatever, let the presidency 

bring together all these reports and 

harmonise them. That will solve the 

problem. It’s very unfortunate that the 

present government started on a false note 

SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 1, 2021—11 

of not having the strength of character and 

courage to look into the 2014 Confab 

report. The theory of continuity of governance 

is being breached. It must be about the 

continuity. Whatever lapses that might have 

been contained in that report shall be 

separated and those things that were good 

for the country should have been implemented. 

After all, it was not foreigners 

that sat for that period, it was us Nigerians, 

brought together from different parts 

of the country. 

Was Afenifere supporting former 

President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 so 

that he would implement the 2014 

Confab report if reelected? 

We fully supported him because, long 

before that period, we were asking for an 

opportunity to discuss Nigeria and the 

way out. The National Assembly wouldn’t 

give us a chance, but President Jonathan 

then decided to organize it. We were very 

happy that yes, a time has come to see 

how this country can move forward 

instead of crashing. And we came 

together from different nooks and 

crannies of this country, irrespective of 

age, status. He allowed us to talk about 

Nigeria, short of dividing it which effect 

was very patriotic. And we went to action 

and came up with about 600 resolutions 

without a division. We didn’t vote on any 

of them. Jonathan gave the impression 

that he would implement all those 

resolutions but don’t forget that there 

were about three major areas of implementation. 

Those that could be implemented 

through administrative fiat, those 

that will go through legal implementation 

and the National Assembly. I’m not 

sure that Jonathan knew then that it was 

going to take that long process and so 

many organs would be involved but we 

were optimistic that this was an opportunity 

which we bought and did the best we 

could and gave all we had for making the 

Confab report a success. Some were 

trying to blame Jonathan for organizing 

a Confab very close to the elections, well, 

but who knew that he was not going to 

win. He didn’t know he was going to win, 

we didn’t know he wasn’t going to win 

either. So, we gave him our support. 

Another general election is due soon, 

is the group still out to back whoever 

will implement the Confab report? 

As for 2023, things are still dicey. 

Afenifere is of the opinion that until two 

things are in place, one might find it 

difficult to stake his neck. Restructuring is 

one of them. Look at the issue of terrorism, 

killings, attempts by some groups to drive 

others away from their possessions and 

things like that. There is also the constitution 

that is faulty and foisted on us by the 

military. All these are problems. There is 

insecurity of lives and property, unless all 

these things are addressed, how can you 

have a successful election? These are our 

anxieties about 2023. So, we want a 

situation where some of these things are 

addressed, so that whenever we are going to 

have an election, you and me will be safe 

and alive. With the way things are going, 

unless some drastic measures are adopted, 

who knows who will see 2023 or who will be 

alive by that time. So let us see how much of 

the problems we can clear now before we go 

into 2023. People are on the field talking 

about 2023, but they should please also 

address the issues on the ground. 

You’ve signified your intention to step 

down as the group’s General Secretary, 

what’s your story in the last ten years of 

your stewardship 

It has not been easy, but I thank God. I 

took over during a domestic crisis but I was 

able to pull the association out of the crisis 

when I was brought in as Secretary General. 

This was in 2011. I was able to mobilize the 

few members I inherited. Now, we are very 

many, despite the many problems. For 

instance, we now run state branches 

effectively which was not so then. Afenifere 

consists of all manners of characters, 

politicians, local and national leaders in 

their rights, coming from different backgrounds 

but meeting on the Afenifere 

platform. It also consists of different sexes, 

ages and religious backgrounds. The fact 

that the membership is increasing daily is a 

pointer to my effective management and 

harmonizing all these differences. Again, 

many members must have been able to 

learn something from what they refer to as 

my level headedness and the way I handled 

issues when they were at breaking points. I 

served the leaders to the best of my ability 

but I had to serve the association better 

serving the leader with the best of my ability 

but serving the association better for 

continuity. And of course, mine is a peaceful 

and smooth handover of power, no rancour, 

no acrimony, no altercations despite dealing 

with human beings of different characters, 

different orientations. It’s been a period of 

10 years of brain tasking all the time 

because of what we stood for in this country 

as the conscience of the nation. And of 

course as the Secretary, the life wire of any 

organization, there were problems but 

because of skillful management we were 

able to overcome all these problems by the 

grace of God and the cooperation of other 

members.


Give me the chance to fly PDP flag and 

you won’t regret it – Obiora Okonkwo 

Stories By Vincent Ujumadu 

Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, an aspirant on the platform of 

the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has toured the 326 

wards in the 21 local government areas of the state during 

which he appealed to the would –be delegates to the party’s 

primary in June to give him the chance to fly the party’s ticket. 

After the tour, Okonkwo still assembled them in Awka to 

reemphasize his plea, assuring them that they would never regret 

it if they gave him the opportunity. 

Cheered by the people, who also included some PDP 

stakeholders, Obiora told them: “Our effort is to make PDP great 

and take over Anambra Government House in November. If we 

win the election, the first set of appointments we will make will 

come from party members. This is because we know that there are 

many PDP members who are capable of occupying sensitive 

positions and such people need to be rewarded. If we win, our 

administration will also be meeting with the people every 

quarter to get the feeling of the people at the grass root. 

“Our opponents will entice you with money and after 

that it ends. Once they get into office, they will forget you. 

Maybe once in four years they will come and distribute 

tricycles to you and call it empowerment. Some are 

distributing vehicles now because election is at hand, 

but they had never asked how your party was being run 

over the years. They forget that some people have been 

making sacrifices for the party over the years without making noise about 

it. “Obiora Okonkwo gives N50000 to political wards every month, pays 

the rent for the state secretariat and has been paying legal fees for the 

numerous court cases instituted against the party by those who claim to 

be PDP members. If the party is not functioning at the various levels, will 

they be buying forms to contest for governor on its platform? 

“We must therefore be very watchful and careful because many people 

are working against the interest of the party and pretending to be our 

members. Some of the aspirants are even making efforts to stop you from 

being delegates and they are planning to prevail on the party leadership 

to resort to electing a three –man delegates for the primaries, thereby 

dropping you as delegates. 

“By the special grace of God I have the capacity to win the election. And 

when I win the election with you working together, I promise to be a good 

shepherd. A good shepherd protects his sheep and he is always ready to 

lay down his life for the safety of his sheep. 

“But for you to be a good shepherd, you must be courageous, have the 

capacity and the necessary tool to protect your sheep and fight for them 

when the need arises. 

“So, if you agree that I should be the candidate of our party, we will surely 

succeed. I don’t make empty promises as you all 

all have seen the evidence; you are witnesses to 

what I have done. We are working hard for the 

good of Anambra State and the PDP. If we get the 

mandate of the people, by God’s grace, we will 

put smiles on the faces of our people.” 

know. You 

•Okonkwo 

Umeh denies opposing 

Soludo’s aspiration 

Former national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, 

Chief Victor Umeh has denied reports that he is 

opposed to the 

governorship ambition of the former governor of the Central Bank 

of Nigeria, CBN, Professor Chukwuma Soludo. 

The social media was awash last week Umeh granted an interview 

to a local radio station wherein he allegedly described Soludo as 

unelectable, ambitious and politically blind. 

Denying the report, Umeh’s media team said at no recent time did the Senator grant 

any interview to any other radio station within or outside Anambra State that might 

have led to discussing any aspirant of APGA, let alone disparaging one. 

The statement read: “Senator Victor Umeh, being true to himself as a strong, loyal 

and dedicated party man, will never go out of his way to disparage any aspirant of the 

party. 

And, for the records and clarity sake, Senator Umeh, shares a very cordial 

relationship with Prof Charles Soludo.* 

“This is clearly the handiwork of mischief makers in a bid to inject bad blood and 

instigate unnecessary suspicion where there should be none. 

“This rebuttal wouldn’t have been considered necessary, but for the consideration 

of the innocent and unsuspecting party members, and indeed members of the public 

who might have given in or might be tempted into giving in to the absurd of a 

publication that never came from Senator Victor Umeh, who has given his all to the 

party and even ready to give more to ensure that the party produces a worthy successor 

that will continue with the developmental drive synonymous with APGA.” 

•Umeh 

Obiano’s Airport as APGA’s 

‘joker’ for the November poll 

•Obiano 

The Anambra International Cargo and 

Passenger Airport built by the Governor Willie 

Obiano administration at Umueri in Anambra East 

local government area of the state has put 

The media team of Senator Andy Uba, one of the governorship 

aspirants on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, 

has faulted the report that the party’s aspirants have not 

been forthcoming with the purchase of forms and other preparations 

for the November 6 election. 

The media team said yesterday that Senator Uba has paid for 

the nomination forms and therefore could not be said not to be 

serious with preparations for the forthcoming primaries of the party. 

“The report is false as Senator Uba had paid for the forms and so 

cannot be said to not be forthcoming. 

“The report attempted to lump all the aspirants together, both 

the serious and the not serious, the contenders and the pretenders, 

governorship aspirants on the platform of APGA in an 

advantageous position as the project has become a measure of 

success of the party’s 15 –year reign. 

Apart from the airport, there are two other legacy projects 

which the administration is vigorously executing namely, the 

International Conference Center and the Township Stadium, 

both in Awka. 

A public analyst, Mr. Joe Anatune said these projects would 

rub-off on youth employment that would definitely reduce youth 

agitations, deepen security gains and impact positively on the 

state’s economy. 

“Obviously, the current APGA administration in Anambra 

State has upped the ante by its performance since it took over 

the machinery of governance in the past 15 years. 

“Members of the party now have a crucial decision to make 

by way of choosing a flag bearer in the Anambra 2021 

governorship election, who will ensure that the party retains 

its coveted position in the state, in addition to maintaining its 

reputation as an excellent performer in delivering the 

dividends of democracy. These should be the critical factors 

that will be uppermost in the minds of the delegates for the 

June 23, 2021 primaries,” Anatune said. 

UBA ahead of other APC aspirants, says media team 

the fainthearted and the brave ones, which we find to be incorrect. 

“To set the records straight our principal, knowing full well that the 

Anambra governorship race will not be a tea party and seeking to 

key into the vision of the APC at the national level and its 

desire to win more states in the South East,,has paid for the 

forms and will in due time be going forward to pick them 

and submit them. 

“To say that he is not forthcoming is in bad faith for, aside 

from paying for the form, is the only aspirant to have toured 

the 326 wards and visited the 21 local government areas, a 

feat no other aspirant is yet to even contemplate , two 

months to the primaries, “ the media team said. 

•Uba

How we can 

stop banditry 

—Katsina SSG 

Current waves of insecurity in 

Katsina have continued to be a source of 

worry not only to the state but also the 

entire country. What t is the state government 

doing to contain the ugly situation? 

It is really an unfortunate situation we 

are experiencing and the worse we experienced 

was in the just past year 2020 when 

the rate of kidnapping and other forms of 

criminality increased in various places almost 

on daily basis. This is where the largest 

number, in our history, of students were 

kidnapped by bandits and fortunately we 

were able to rescue them within a period of 

just one week. I don’t think there is anywhere 

in the world where such a number 

was involved and the rescue operation 

lasted effectively within three days, because 

that was when the negotiation was started. 

.The strategy that should be adopted to 

bring these problems to an end immediately 

is when all the states concerned are 

involved because no matter what a particular 

state is doing, if the other states are not 

doing the same thing at the same time, the 

bandits will move to the place they consider 

safe haven to hide and from where 

they will continue to launch their attacks. 

For instance, most of the attacks in Katsina, 

the bandits come from Zamfara. They are 

in the same group, they organize and move 

from one place to another and as we all 

know, they are naturally mobile. So it has 

to be a well-coordinated effort by a national 

platform where you have the Army, maybe 

from the Defense Headquarters to command 

the operation at the centre while the 

state governors, as political heads of their 

respective states, should also come together 

and take common positions on things that 

will help the military to achieve what they 

want to achieve...There must also be a synergy 

between what the state governments 

are doing and what the military are doing. 

With that, I believe this issue could be tackled 

within the shortest possible time, and I 

hope by 2021 this will be actualized because 

if we keep on using same approach 

in this fight we should not expect a different 

result. Because since we started the fight 

against bandits, it is the same approach. 

Now, it has not yielded results, so why don’t 

we change the approach? Another very important 

thing that the security agencies need 

to do is to try to block their source of fire 

arms. It is very clear that most of the arms 

these bandits are using come from Niger 

Republic. So it is the responsibility of the 

federal agencies, especially the intelligence 

unit, to look at ways of how these things are 

By BASHIR BELLO 

After bandits kidnapped 300 students of Government Science College, 

Kankara in Katsina State on December 11, 2020 and later released them 

Saturday Vanguard reached out to Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, Secretary to 

State Government to have an insight into what happened and how to end 

kidnapping and other forms of banditry in Nigeria. 

Dr. Mustapha Inuwa bared his mind to our BASHIR BELLO, stating 

clearly that kidnapping will never end if Nigerians continue to pay 

ransom to the bandits. He said that rather than pay ransom to criminals 

governments should pay compensation to families of victims, admitting 

that sacrifices must be made to end kidnapping. He also made other 

suggestions that the federal and state governments ought to have 

considered. It is on this basis that we today refresh you with valid points 

from the man who has seen it all with bandits. He adduced reasons why 

negotiation with bands will not work, recalling why the peace talks the 

state had with the bandits failed. He also paints a pathetic picture of the 

state of our security men that should interest the Federal Government. 

Read excerpts from the interview we first published January 9, this year. 

It is strongly to the attention of the authorities. 

coming and block them. If you collaborate 

with Niger government to block these 

sources, I believe you render them very ineffective 

and the few ones that are coming 

from Plateau state and other parts of the 

country, use the intelligence report to block 

them as well. But if you allow this proliferation 

of fire arms, this issue will never 

end. Another important issue that the government 

will need to do is to sensitize the 

populace of the implication of paying ransom. 

Once Nigerians continue to pay ransom, 

these people will find it very difficult 

to stop their crime, because in a situation 

where you kidnap somebody and receive 

millions of naira, tell me what business will 

they do to earn this money within a week or 

so? We can understand it is a very delicate 

situation because you cannot tell somebody 

whose loved one is kidnapped not to pay 

ransom because the major fear is they will 

be killed. It is a dicey situation but people 

have to make sacrifices. Other countries 

stopped kidnappings by refusing to pay ransom 

but anybody killed in the process, government 

paid compensation to the family. 

People now connive to kidnap their relations, 

associates and neighbours simply because 

of what they will get from ransom 

collected. Kidnapping has become lucrative. 

We must stop it by not paying ransom. 

Our people too, have to be up and doing 

because most of these people have their informants 

among us especially in the rural 

areas. In any village you go, you have 

people informing the bandits about the 

movement of the security. Sometimes, when 

the security men chase them, these people 

provide them where to hide. It is really an 

unfortunate situation where people connive 

with the bandits to carry out attack on their 

communities. And what they don’t understand 

is that if today they attack one family, 

tomorrow it may be your family that will 

be attacked by another group. So it is important 

for the traditional, religious and 

community leaders to continue to appeal 

to the people to be God-fearing to understand 

the implication of supporting these 

bandits and their activities. So the issue is 

not for only one sector. The security men, 

government or communities must be collective 

and then we pray. But we must not 

pray without backing it with action because 

we Muslims believe there is nothing beyond 

Allah’s control. But it must be prayer with 

decisive action against these people. 

Let me take you back on issue of ransom, 

here you are discouraging payment 

•Mustapha Inuwa 

of ransom and there is controversy surrounding 

the release of the schoolboys. 

Does it mean ransom was not paid to secure 

the release of the Kankara students? 

Not a dime was paid. Take it from me 

that not a dime was given to those people in 

order to release these boys. 

There are some uncomplimentary remarks 

that the government has not done 

enough on this issue of insecurity, what’s 

your take on that? 

You don’t blame people for holding such 

opinions. Some say it out of ignorance because 

they don’t know how the government 

works. Some don’t know what is the responsibility 

of the state and what the federal government 

is supposed to do. What is important 

to them is that the government should 

provide security for their lives and property, 

and anything short of that, they can 

say anything. As you know, we inherited this 

problem and we promised to bring it to an 

end. So people have every right to expect 

the government to do just that. But those 

who know, will understand that the state 

government can only support the security 

agencies. They(security agencies) are not 

under their command. The governor cannot 

direct the military or any other security 

agency to move one kilometer and conduct 

an operation without clearance from their superior 

officers. The governors cannot recruit 

one person into the security agencies. The entire 

responsibility lies with the federal government. 

So a local person may not know all 

these. But some know it but they like politicizing 

even issues that ought not to be politicized. 

Some do it out of mischief. So there is nothing 

you can do. What is most important to me is 

not the ignorant comment of the people but 

the efforts of the government to bring about 

positive results to secure lives and properties 

of our people. 

Some are celebrating the non-kinetic approach 

adopted by Katsina state government 

in securing the release of Kankara schoolboys, 

are you considering such approach in 

taming this issue of insecurity? 


You see, in this state we did it twice. In the 

early 2017 we had that and we were able to 

achieve relative peace for almost two years. 

Later, of recent, the security agencies, under 

the influence of the Inspector General of Police, 

also insisted that we go with this nonkinetic 

approach which we did. But you see, in 

all the two cases, what we realized is that one, 

these people don’t have a common leader 

whom if you agree with, everybody accepts. 

They have different groups and even within 

the groups, they don’t have a common leader, 

unlike Boko Haram, which is based on a particular 

ideology. These are pure criminals and 

thieves. They don’t have a common leader that 

all others follow. If anyone enters into an 

agreement with the government, the rest will 

pull out, suspecting that he has amassed 

wealth and now pulling out. And if he is not 

careful they can even kill him. 

Is that responsible for why the peace deals 

failed? 

That is why the first peace deal we had failed. 

About 90 per cent of those who accepted amnesty 

(embraced peace) and repented were 

killed by the bandits. Because, as long as they 

remained in the forest, there will never be 

peace, they must have guns to protect themselves 

and so on. 

Secondly, this non-kinetic approach is not 

something that is accepted by all the states. 

Kaduna for instance, has never entered into 

any peace deal with the bandits, Zamfara is 

currently doing it, Sokoto has never accepted 

it while Katsina has done it. So there is no way 

you can have this with only one state. They 

move from one place to another. So it is difficult 

for us to get the understanding of everybody 

and all the groups. For instance, if you 

talk to Shekau and other splinter groups and 

they accept peace, it could be said to be okay. 

But here it is not possible. Again, even if you 

want to negotiate peace with these people, let 

it be from the point of strength. Let it be on 

their demand or request, may be after having 

been confronted and devastated and they realized 

that there was nothing they could do, 

and they decided to accept peace, then you 

could give them a condition to surrender all 

their weapons. But if you allow them to hold 

their weapons it will not work. You will go 

back to square one. So, even if the security 

agencies want to continue with this non-kinetic 

thing, let it be from the point of strength. 

Because what is important in the non-kinetic 

approach is to make sure that all their weapons 

are collected and sources of arms supply 

blocked. So honestly, the issue of non-kinetic 

approach is not an option to me because they 

are not the kind of people that can reason. 

They are ignorant of all kinds of education 

(both western and Islamic education) and 

under heavy influence of drugs. Some of their 

kidnapped victims who were later released 

when narrating there experience said the bandits 

inject themselves. So they know nothing 

but violence and criminality. And their leaders 

fear them because they can even kill them. 

It even happened severally, Buharin Daji was 

killed by his associates, and all those we knew 

were killed by the same bandits. 

If Kinetic approach will fail who and where 

do you look up to? 

From the military. The problem is they have 

very inadequate personnel. The whole security 

agencies in Nigeria put together are not 

up to one million. The police is about 340,000, 

the army is about that figure or about 500,000. 

Those are the two that are involved in this 

kind of operation. Then they also lack equipment. 

This is very serious. I could recall an 

incident, where about 292 army officers were 

brought for a particular operation with only 

four vehicles. It is either the state government 

supplies or they don’t move. So also with 

armoury. There are times you find out there 

own weapons are not as modern as the ones 

used by the bandits. Sometime ago, in 

Dutsinma, some bandits were arrested with 

their weapons, do you know that whenever 

the police want to go for operation, they use 

firearms seized from the bandits because their 

weapons are more modern and newer than 

theirs. Also, when they are going for operations, 

they give them counted bullets but the 

bandits have unlimited bullets and that is why 

you find them shooting sporadically into the 

air to cause chaos and commotion before they 

start operation. So honestly the government 

has to address all these issues surrounding 

personnel, general logistics for the agencies 

otherwise they will be handicapped. 

So indirectly, what you are saying is the 

end to banditry lies solely on the Federal 

government? 

No doubt about it. Constitutionally, it is the 

sole responsibility of the Federal government. 

You were quoted to have said, the state 

was left alone to bear the brunt of the whole 

thing. Have the situation improved? 

Improvement like I told you, the police have 

brought additional vehicles to there command 

including APV to all the Frontline local government 

areas and more personnel. But still 

you find issues around logistics, allowances 

and so on. You see, if we would get the results, 

achieve peace, no problem because security 

is the most important thing. It is the most important 

thing that you do. But what is saddening 

and frustrating that you are spending 

money but not getting the desired results. 

Read more at: https:// 

www.vanguardngr.com/2021/01/stoppaying-ransom-to-kidnappers/



Banditry: Why are you withdrawing 

security men from their posts? 

By Wole Mosadomi 

The frequent invasion of some local gov 

ernment areas of Niger state by ban 

dits has become worrisome to the 

people of the state especially those directly 

affected. Many lives and property worth millions 

of naira have been lost, several communities 

sacked and residents displaced from 

their ancestral homes. And more pathetic is 

the fact that their houses as well as their foodstuffs 

and seedlings meant for planting this 

year have been completely burnt down by the 

bandits. Even if they go back to their villages 

today, many of them have nowhere to lay their 

heads or start a new life. The hope of the people 

who are predominantly farmers have been 

shattered with their seedlings burnt down as 

they have nothing with which to start the new 

farming season. 

Most surprising is the fact that the Security 

Task Force members stationed at strategic 

communities have been withdrawn with no 

replacement till now. Members of the Task 

Force were withdrawn from their duty posts 

in Allawa area and in Munya local government 

area of the state after being attacked by 

the deadly bandits who have been ravaging 

some areas in the state for the past months. 

On several occasions the Joint Task Force 

had the upper hand against these bandits until 

few weeks ago when five soldiers 

and a mobile police man were 

killed by the bandits in an early raid 

at their Camp in Allawa area. The 

security personnel were also withdrawn 

from their duty post in 

Zagzaga Community, in Munya 

local government. 

The Security Post in Zagzaga 

Community had been in existence 

since 2012 maintaining peace in the 

area until bandits stormed the camp, 

burnt down the food store and one 

of the vehicles, went away with the 

other vehicle and kidnapped the 

RSM on duty only for his corpse to 

be found in the bush few days later. 

Worried over these unfolding 

events especially the withdrawal of 

the Joint Task Force from their 

posts in the past few weeks and with 

the continued raiding of the communities 

by the bandits, the question the communities 

have been asking is what could have 

been their offence for the Niger state and the 

Federal government to have neglected them 

and left them in the hands of the bandits. 

They therefore appealed to both the state 

and the Federal government to come to their 

aid by bringing back the security personnel to 

their duty posts to avoid further shedding of 

innocent blood. 

As at today, most villages in Shiroro, Munya, 

Mariga and other communities have been 

sacked by the bandits and the people are now 

in various IDP Camps in Minna, the state capital. 

Statistics of people on arrival at the IBB 

Primary School indicated that 3,704 of them 

reported in the camp. But when our correspondent 

visited the camp last Wednesday, the 

•Displaced Niger residents ask Military authorities 

•What’s our offence to deserve this neglect? 

•Say it’s better to die at home than in the hands of bandits 

number had drastically reduced to 904. 

Neglect by government 

According to an investigation carried out 

by our correspondent, besides the classrooms 

that were flung open for the displaced persons, 

there was no government presence there. 

Most of them slept on bare floor except for 

those who managed to bring in their mats. 

Water was also in short supply as there were 

only four storage tanks available to store water 

and with only two filled with water which 

was not enough for the high population. 

Also, no adequate health facilities were provided 

as the only First Aid Box available could 

only serve a family of about six members. It 

was stocked with few packets of Panadol and 

other analgesic, with blood tonic tablets 

stocked in various nylons. One then wonders 

the fate of the people especially the pregnant 

women and the children in case of any emergency 

especially in the night. 

The people were crowded with all the simple 

rules of Covid-19 absent as none 

of them was wearing nose mask. 

In fact, the mention of nose mask 

sounded strange to them as they 

were not aware of what it meant. 

Most disappointing is the fact 

that all the roads leading to the 

Camp are very porous without 

any security put in place to 

watch the people in the Camp 

while there was only one rickety 

police pick-up van and two other 

grounded cars parked in front 

of the Chanchaga local government 

Secretariat. One wonders 

at what speed these vehicles 

could move in case of any emergency 

especially in the night. 

The emergency camp which 

is just 50 meters from the Correctional 

Centre and the Bako 

Kontagora memorial Stadium and about 200 

meters from the Central Police Station and 

directly opposite the Emir of Minna’s Palace 

calls for more security presence. Except for 

donations of food, water, detergents and others 

from public spirited organisations for the 

upkeep of the people, survival at the camp 

would have been terrible. 

Most surprising is 

the fact that the Security 

Task Force 

members stationed 

at strategic communities 

have been 

withdrawn with no 

replacement till 

now 

Some leave camp in 

frustration 

Following the horrible condition which they 

were subjected to at the camp, many of them 

hurriedly left the camp and decided to take 

the risk of going back to their community. 

One of them simply identified as Adamu said 

there was no point remaining in the camp 

•Linda Luka with her new born 

baby boy-Sunday at the IBB Camp 

Minna yesterday. 

where there was nothing to encourage him to 

stay. 

“As I am speaking with you, I don’t know the 

whereabout of my second and third wives and 

three of my children. There is nothing that 

will make me continue to stay here and nothing 

to suggest of any good thing to come from 

the government. And instead of wasting away 

here, it is better I go back to my village and 

start looking for other members of my family,” 

he remarked. 

Speaking in the same vein, one Abubakar 

Saliu said with what he had experienced in 

the hands of the bandits, he was no longer 

fearful. 

“I have had two bitter experiences in the 

hands of the bandits and I managed to survive. 

My expectation was that we would be 

adequately taken care of and would be protected 

here by the government since our arrival 

here few days ago but nothing is happening. 

It is better for me to go back to my village 

and continue to suffer and even be killed there 

honorably by the bandits than to run from 

death in my ancestral home and come and 

face the same death and end up dying 

dishonourably here, “ he declared. 

As at Wednesday evening, the population at 

the IBB Camp had reduced to 904 from 3, 

704 within two days. 

Despite the seeming hardship and uncomfortable 

environment, three pregnant women 

however successfully put to bed with the nursing 

mothers and babies doing well. One of 

them it was learnt has relocated with her husband 

to another village to get more medical 

attention. The other woman, Linda Luka beaming 

with smiles with her baby boy named Sunday 

wrapped in his hand gave praises to God 

for sparing her life and the new baby. 

The husband who is a farmer from Kuchi in 

Munya local government said his wife gave 

birth on the road as they were running out of 

their village after being pursued by the bandits. 

“So, I thank God that I am alive with my 

wife and the new child and the four other children 

that are also here”. 

Dauda Aboki while narrating his own experience 

said what he and other villagers passed 

through in the hands of the bandits was better 

imagined. 

According to him, “the last time the terrorists 

came, they didn’t come with their motorcycles 

so their first assignment was to raid the 

villages and seized our motorcycles. They used 

our own motorcycles to move from one house 

to the other and from shop to shop to steal, 

carting away our cash and other valuables 

at home and all our provisions in the shops. 

They left with some motorcycles that had 

fuel with the stolen goods and set the other 

motorcycles that had no fuel ablaze out of 

annoyance. We begin to wonder what is our 

offence that the government has neglected 

us and left us in the hands of bandits”, 

Dauda narrated. He said many of them 

didn’t have anything to fall back on in their 

villages again even if they eventually went 

back. 

Most of those who chose to remain in the 

IDP Camp have however resolved not to go 

back home despite the fact that they were 

anxious to go and farm except adequate 

security was provided for their lives and 

property. 

Meanwhile, no fewer than 19 persons suspected 

to be informants to armed bandits have 

been arrested by members of vigilante in both 

Shiroro and Munya local government areas 

of the state. 

Two of the suspects were said to be brothers 

from the same parents while three were Fulani 

men. 14 others were rounded up at Fuka in 

Munya local government area. The suspects 

were said to have been handed over to the 

police. 

The state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani 

Bello had during an emergency security meeting 

with security agencies, traditional rulers 

and other relevant stakeholders few weeks ago 

declared that one of the greatest challenges 

hindering the war against the armed bandits 

in the state was the role informants from 

within the villages were playing with the bandits 

and therefore called on the traditional 

rulers and others to be wary of these unscrupulous 

people, fish them out and hand them 

over to the security agents.


Air Peace first to land 

in Anambra Airport 

...As Obiano, Allen Onyema, Anambra people 

celebrate Nigeria’s longest Runway 

From left: Chief Primus Odili, Chief of Staff to Governor Willie Obiano Rt Hon 

Uche Okafor, Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly Chief Allen Onyema, 

CEO, Air Peace Airline Dr. Victor Oye, National Chairman of APGA Dr. Pascal 

Agbodike, Deputy Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly 

The Anambra International Cargo and 

Passenger Airport in Umueri 

community, Anambra East local 

government area was, yesterday, 

inaugurated by the state governor, Chief 

Willie Obiano amidst pump and 

pageantry. 

People from all walks of life witnessed 

the epoch making event and even those 

who doubted the ability of the state 

government to executive the project 

commended Obiano for achieving the 

great feat. 

The airport has a fourstorey 

terminal building 

with shops, a ten floor 

control tower and a car 

pack that can 

accommodate 750 

vehicles. It has 3.7 

kilometers run way and it 

is bigger than any other 

run way bin the country. 

During the inaugural 

ceremony which took 

place at the airport 

premises, three aircraft 

landed on the facility. 

The Chief Executive 

Officer of Air Peace 

Airlines, Chief Allen 

Onyema, whose two 

aircraft were the first to 

land at the new airport 

was the first passenger to land, while 

another private jet said to belong to the 

chairman of Obijackson Group, Chief 

Ernest Obiejesi also touched down while 

the inaugural ceremonies were still on. 

The first plane, an Air Peace aircraft, 

marked 5N-BUJ landed at exactly 2:25pm 

while the second one marked 5N-BVD 

landed at about 2:45pm. 

Governor Willie Obiano, who was elated 

at the legacy project executed by his 

administration in a record time described 

project as a dream come true. 

He recalled that the journey by Anambra 

people to own an airport began 30 years 

ago by the administration in the state then, 

adding that the airport would expand the 

economic frontiers of the state and improve 

the socioeconomic wellbeing of its people. 

Obiano said: “The most interesting 

thing about this airport is that we did not 

borrow a Kobo to build it. This, in itself, is 

a record in leadership. 

“Our dream for an airport started almost 

30 years ago when the government of 

The airport has a 

four-storey terminal 

building with 

shops, a ten floor 

control tower and a 

car pack that can 

accommodate 750 

vehicles 

Anambra State acquired 530 hectares 

of land in Oba, Idemili South LGA with 

the intention of building an airport but 

that never materialised. That dream is 

fulfilled today. 

“We began the airport to expand the 

frontiers of excellence in Anambra State 

seven years ago. We announced that 

our mission was to make Anambra State 

the first choice in investment destination 

and a hub for economic and commercial 

activities. 

“And we also said that our mission 

was to create a socialist 

table where indigenes 

and non indigenes alike 

will have opportunities for 

wealth creation. This 

airport is the fulfillment 

of our vision and mission 

statement. 

“It is difficult to create a 

new economic corridor 

without a functional 

international airport that 

will serve as a direct 

bridge between us and 

the world.” 

The CEO of Air Peace, 

Chief Onyema said he 

was delighted to have his 

planes as the first to land 

at the airport which has 

the longest runway in the 

country. It’s a 3.7 kilometer 

runway. He said his first visit to the 

project was indeed an eye opener that 

a determined administration could 

achieve whatever it means to achieve. 

Onyema said: “This is one of the fastest 

airports to be approved by the federal 

government and it is due to quality of 

work done. What we have is the widest 

runway ever in Nigeria and it can land 

Airforce380, which is the largest aircraft. 

This is the first time an airline in Nigeria 

will be doing test run with Boing 737. 

“The president will surely approve it 

as an international cargo and passenger 

airport and it will offer job opportunities 

to millions of people and it is going to 

energize the economy of Anambra in 

particular and Nigeria in general. The 

3.7 kilometers runway is bigger than 

any other in the country and the 

wonderful thing was that it was built in 

a record time. I really shed tears of joy 

when I landed and may God bless 

Governor Obiano for this wonderful 

achievement.”

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Her maiden name was Dayo 

Akin-Williams. Her friends 

and many acquaintances called her 

D-Willie. She was a likable but feisty 

woman who stood up for causes she 

believed in. One of those causes was 

Nigeria. She was petit in stature but 

very tall in intellect. She came on my 

radar when she represented Queens 

College Lagos in inter school 

debates. She was a worthy debater. 

She made you forget her gender and 

stature, and forced you to focus on 

her eloquence and prowess in the 

spoken word. It was her forte.I got 

to know her better when she joined 

me along with Julie Edokpolor now 

Oyegun -another worthy debater for 

Queens College—on the Editorial 

Board of Teen and Twenty Magazine, 

a magazine produced and edited by 

youths for youths in the early 70s. 

There, the lively debates continued 

as we tried to set agenda for Nigerian 

youths. We were young and full of 

idealism. We believed in Nigeria. We 

believed in ourselves and our places 

in the country. We had big dreams. 

Harold Robbins said: ‘Dreams die 

first’ in one of his bestsellers. How 

true. Our dreams for Nigeria died 

spectacularly. I wish I could ask all 

those who were on the Editorial 

Board with me how they now feel 

about Nigeria. Unfortunately, some 

of them have passed on. D-Willie 

joined them in March. May her soul 

rest in peace. 

The death of D-Willie (Mrs Olaofe) 

jolted me in many ways because I 

had not seen or heard of her in a 

while. It also brought many things 

home to me. They say the death of a 

contemporary sends a cryptic 

message to the living. Part of her 

message to me was on the death of 

our idealism. Our youthful passion. 

And ultimately, our country as we 

knew it. If anybody had told me back 

then that Nigeria of 2021 would look 

anywhere near what it is now, I would 

have walked away from such a 

person in disbelief. And probably in 

disgust for daring to think of such 

rubbish. Unfortunately, I witnessed 

its descent into this morass, perhaps 

Tuesday’s virtual meeting of United 

States Secretary of State, Tony 

Blinken with President Muhammadu 

Buhari should have extensively reshaped 

the relationship between Nigeria and 

the United States. 

However, there are fears everywhere, 

that it may not. 

Cast against the dodgy, if not arrogant 

posture of the Barack Obama 

government towards Nigeria, the 

expectation from everywhere is that the 

new democratic government would 

have out of experience learnt how to 

deal with the Nigerian situation. 

The lessons to be learnt are, however, 

not only on the American side. 

Nigeria also has its lessons to learn. 

When in 2007, the President George 

Bush administration finally resolved to 

establish an African Command, the 

Nigerian government at that time still 

adept with the professionalism of its 

military was very hostile to the concept. 

It was perhaps partly due to the success 

of Nigerian diplomacy that no African 

territory was found fitting enough or 

willing to host the African Command. 

Eventually, it had to be located in 

Stuttgart, Germany, outside the 

continent! 

At that time, the Nigeria government 

and the military thought it an 

embarrassment that America would 

hold a foothold on the country or the 

continent. 

Fifteen years on, and in the tenure of a 

retired general and after progressive 

humiliation in the hands of a rag-tag 

Boko Haram army and bandits 

everywhere, Nigeria has come full 

circle. 

When President Buhari had his virtual 

meeting with Blinken on Tuesday, the 

Nigerian leader almost like a whisper 

was practically begging for the 

Americans to relocate the African 

Command to the continent. If not for 

pride, Buhari would not have even 

We created ed this monster 

er. . It’s up 

to us to tame it 

more than most of them, because I 

stayed on in the media while they 

moved on to other areas of endeavour. 

For me as a ringside chronicler, the 

age of hope gradually eased into the 

age of disillusionment when I saw the 

deterioration in the calibre of 

leadership and better understood the 

system that produces it. We moved 

from the era of a 

leadership that wanted to 

prove something to the 

White colonialists and to 

country, to a leadership 

which thought only of the 

good of its region, to one 

which thought of tribe, to 

one which thought of self 

but hid behind tribe and 

religion. 

As a journalist, I was 

able to see a selection 

process which ignored 

technocrats and naively 

thought the engine of 

government could run by 

itself—the Western 

countries tend to put their 

best brains in the Civil 

Service. We do exactly the opposite. 

Sadly, we didn’t seem to care as long 

as crude oil was being pumped and 

more money was available to support 

an indolent lifestyle. Successive 

leaderships, perhaps because of a 

faulty selection process which made 

them owe their allegiance to cabals 

rather than the people, typically forgot 

Concerning right now 

are the voices calling 

for secession; violent 

secession if peaceful 

one is not feasible;they 

ignore the processes 

that lead to secession 

and 

the 

consequences of it 

to take the talakawas along. So as they 

rotated the lucrative wheel and moved 

from one looting position to the other, 

they contemptuously forgot the soil 

from which they sprang and refused 

to nurture it. The gap between the rich 

and the poor widened. If successive 

leaderships noticed it, they were not 

alarmed by it. In fact, they began to 

exploit it. The poorer 

the people, the more 

dependent on the 

largess, the droppings 

by the table, they 

SATURDAY Vanguard,MAY 1, 2021—17 

would become. The 

cancer of poverty, 

disillusionment and 

listlessness was slowly 

eating into the bones of 

the society but our 

leaders offered 

analgesics. We were 

treating cancer with 

Panadol. Even now 

that the cancer is 

nearing stage four and 

it is getting 

aggressive, our 

leaders are still in 

denial. They still don’t know enough 

to turn to oncologists and seek expert 

help. 

Right now, we are hearing of wars 

and rumours of wars. Chaos and 

anarchy are descending upon the 

land. Nowhere seems to be safe 

anymore. Even to go for a walk in the 

neighbourhood is fraught with danger. 

Buhari’s difficult icult engagement 

with the Americans 

minded ceding Sambisa Forest to the 

Americans to locate their base. 

As the president said: “The support of 

important and strategic partners like 

United States cannot be 

overstated as the 

consequences of 

insecurity will affect all 

nations, hence the 

imperative for 

concerted cooperation 

and collaboration of all 

nations to overcome 

these challenges.” 

However, as almost 

all diplomats say, 

Nigeria is too important 

to be allowed to slip into 

anarchy and that may 

have explained the fact 

No one has 

defended Ms. 

Begum, now 21 of 

being too young at 

15 when she like 

Pantami, sided 

with terrorism 

that President Biden, unlike Obama 

decided not to boycott the country in his 

first international engagements in Africa. 

However, the question that is open to 

many is whether the Nigerian government 

is willing to be helped. 

That question comes in the face of the 

images and assertions of the Buhari 

government. 

On matters of human rights, anticorruption 

and, yes, America’s unwavering 

stance on terrorism, the Buhari 

administration has many issues to 

contend with in winning 

American consideration. 

It is telling that Mr. Blinken 

had his engagement with 

Buhari at a time that the Dr. Isa 

Pantami issue was still 

unfolding. 

President Buhari perhaps 

would have forgotten that a 

Nigerian youngster, Umar 

Farouk Abdulmutallab was 

sentenced to four life terms and 

50 years jail without parole for 

his failed attempt at carrying 

out a terrorist attack. 

However, even without 

investigation, the Buhari 

administration rushed to exonerate 

Pantami on the excuse that he was a much 

younger man and had been converted 

since. 

To the embarrassment of those who 

found some soft spots for the minister, 

more vitriolic videos of the minister came 

out after he was exonerated without 

investigation in which he vowed to 

personally lead a jihad against his fellow 

Depending on who you are listening to, 

the chaos is contrived; the anarchy 

planned. Something akin to what writer 

Robert Ludlum called: ‘organised chaos’ 

in some of his spy books. The aim being 

to destabilise the country and bring it to 

its knees. It is not as implausible as it 

sounds. There are antecedents. For as 

long as there is wealth inside the ground 

and there are leaders who are stupid 

enough and greedy enough to collude 

with foreigners to loot it, nations will 

always be ravaged. For as long as there 

are religious fanatics who have messianic 

fervour, nations will always be destroyed. 

For as long as leaders are not proactive 

and choose to see crime with tainted 

lenses, nations will retrogress. There are 

people who benefit from chaos; who profit 

from war. They exploit fault lines 

wherever they can find them to achieve 

their aim. Concerning right now are the 

voices calling for secession; violent 

secession if peaceful one is not feasible. 

They ignore the processes that lead to 

secession and the consequences of it. 

These people are unwittingly helping the 

anarchists to succeed because divided, 

our resistance will be feeble. United, it 

will be strong. Hopefully strong enough 

to defeat the dark forces that have ringed 

us in. 

We created this monster. It is up to us 

to try and tame it. The process of taming 

the monster starts with the government 

at the centre stopping its divide and rule 

policies. It is weakening the unity of the 

country and strengthening the hand of 

the anarchists. A few inclusive 

appointments can calm frayed nerves. So 

will an immediate positive 

announcement on restructuring. Then it 

should enlist the help of the states by 

giving them teeth to bite. The governors 

are toothless bulldogs at this critical 

moment when it comes to fighting crime. 

They need state police like yesterday. It 

will be a mistake for Buhari and his 

advisers to think they can fight this from 

the centre alone. Assuming of course, 

that he and those allegedly ruling on his 

behalf, still want a united country. 

Incidentally, one of the school debates 

D-Willie participated—and distinguished 

herself in—was titled: ‘it’s better to jawjaw 

than to war-war.’ I hope our leaders 

from both sides of the divide think of this. 

citizens. 

Had Pantami been in the United States it 

would have been unimaginable that he would 

not have been questioned, to wit, to find out 

his role in the reported sabotage allegations 

made against the Nigerian military in their 

combat against the Boko Haram insurgents. 

He certainly would not have remained in the 

government. 

So, going on, the Americans would be at 

their wit end to open up to the Buhari 

administration given fears that a terrorist 

sympathizer is entrenched within the inner 

circles of the administration. 

The Buhari administration needs to be told 

that terrorism is now no longer a local crime. 

It is an international crime. Not only has 

Pantami thrown sympathy to our local Boko 

Haram enemies, but has also sympathized 

with Al Qaeda, America’s mortal enemy. 

Shamima Begum who was born in the 

United Kingdom was 15 years old and of a 

lesser age than Pantami when she sought 

cohabitation with ISIS in Syria. She was 

promptly cut off from her UK citizenship and 

has now been left to wallow in the state of 

misery. No one has defended Ms. Begum, now 

21 of being too young at 15 when she like 

Pantami, sided with terrorism. 

Beyond Pantami, the Americans would also 

want to see a more robust fight against 

terrorism. Presently, there seems to be no 

articulated state policy on what is terrorism. 

Lamentably, much of the focus seems to be 

on Nigeria’s governors who are 

constitutionally incapacitated in addressing 

the issue of terrorism. 

Pity the lot of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the 

governor of Kaduna State, one of the few 

governors who has been able to make his 

declaration known and live by it in refusing 

to engage the terrorists. 

For many in the land who six years ago 

believed that the body language of Buhari 

would end terrorism, we are still asking, what 

happened? It is a question that sometimes 

spins the unimaginable conspiracies of a 

mole in the villa!


The diabolical silence of 

the Igbo elite 

Achild who leaves skelewu to 

dance surugede must be 

reminded; surugede is a dance of 

the spirits. Those whom the gods want to 

kill they first make mad. 

Osinbajo fears civil war. War is hell, but 

we could be in for worse. The rampant 

slaughter of police and military personnel 

on the streets is the devil at full throttle. 

Our governments have only a little time to 

spare us a slow descent into Armageddon. 

No one will enjoy a Sergeant before the 

cascade into a Liberia. 

Igbo elders and elites are silent. They lost 

their voice against evil when it was in its 

infancy. That’s what political opportunism 

does. Everything is seen through the prism 

of petty smash and grab politics. Now the 

monster is prancing around with fangs and 

claws; it could be prudence to remain mute. 

After all, if armed robbers, you can call them 

whatever you wish, can visit a governor at 

his country home at 9 am on a Saturday 

morning day, then what can a timid selfcentred 

politician do? 

Professor Osinabajo told a poignant story 

a few days ago. His friend 

was a supreme court judge 

in Somalia. Then the 

trouble started. The elite 

kept quiet. The trouble 

festered into a war. The 

country fell apart. The 

courts closed, and judges 

fled to become commoners. 

Later, on a UN mission, 

Professor Osinbajo met his 

friend, bowl in hand, 

waiting for a food ration on 

a long queue. Someone 

called it a nice piece of fearmongering. 

That bold 

fellow lives in London. 

I have checked the Twitter 

handles of many vocal Igbo 

politicians. In the last 

month, they never 

mentioned “unknown 

gunmen.” They have largely 

avoided the monster. 

Soludo was attacked; they 

said nothing. The Owerri 

prison was broken, and murderers freed; 

they looked away. Then a governor’s house 

was attacked, his guards killed, his house 

set ablaze; yet no word from the champions 

of Igbo politics and none from the bishops. 

Igbos used to be bold. 

A village priest in a church in Imo raised 

the issue of the unknown gunmen in his 

sermon recently. Murmurs of approval 

from a section of the congregation greeted 

the brutal actions of the gangsters. Then 

the priest explained to his excited 

congregation that those who can burn a 

governor’s house could set ablaze all the 

cathedrals in the state. The congregation 

quietened. All it would take might be a 

devilish epiphany. The leader of the gang 

could say that in the republic that is to 

come, the ways of white colonialism must 

be forsaken and African spirituality 

reinstated. That would be all. He might 

even put the seal of God beside the 

pronouncement. 

When commercial kidnapping started in 

Nigeria, it started with the abductions of 

foreigners in the Niger Delta. The locals 

looked away. It wasn’t their problem. 

Many foreigners flew away; the others 

learnt to fly without perching. A few years 

later, the criminals’ appetite became 

omnivorous, and the shadow of death 

loomed over the entirety of Port Harcourt. 

Soon everybody in Port Harcourt knew 

somebody who had been kidnapped and 

ransomed or killed. Aba would later 

convulse, fold and flee. The entire town. 

Arson has started in Igbo land with police 

stations. Commissioned arson is 

antithetical to the capitalist nature of the 

Igbo nation. If it becomes rife, markets, 

warehouses, and homes would all be in peril. 

The Anambra governorship elections are 

months away. A group has sworn to maim and 

kill those who would take part in campaigns 

and the election. The government has said 

nothing. The traditional institutions have said 

nothing. Igbo professional groups have said 

nothing. They might need to borrow balls. In 

the last four weeks, many security agents have 

been murdered on the streets in Anambra. 

Anambra 2021 is in jeopardy and the state that 

produced Azikiwe and Ojukwu has been 

intimidated into silence. 

I used to wonder how North Korea came into 

the worship of one man. But after reading about 

how Kim Jung Un, and his father before him, 

distributed death whimsically to persons and 

families, it became apparent. The elites in 

North Korea now laugh aggressively and 

uniformly at every joke cracked by their 

president. A careful campaign to obliterate 

dissent has begun in Igboland. Soon silence 

could be a mortal sin, and we could be 

tumbling over ourselves to sing eulogies to a 

supreme leader. 

By the time the cheerleaders of violence 

realized they had 

castrated themselves in 

Somalia, it was too late. 

Their country had 

become a gangland. The 

rule is simple. When 

chaos sets in, the man 

with the gun and 

capacity to do evil 

becomes king. Somalia 

Commissioned 

arson is 

antithetical to 

the capitalist 

nature of the 

Igbo nation 

has been partitioned by 

violence. The falcons 

you see today may not 

hear the falconers 

tomorrow. We are all in 

it, the initiators 

inclusive. Once the 

goons learn that the 

native oaths they took 

were mere rituals, they 

would resign their 

membership of the 

monkey company 

working for a 

gluttonous baboon in 

London or Ethiopia. 

Before silence becomes dissent, a capital sin, 

let’s look at its current shades. Today’s silence 

in Igbo land is of many types. There is cowardly 

silence. The bishops and traditional rulers 

could be in this group. They are not that naive. 

They can foretell the consequences of the 

drama unfolding. These elders would have 

spoken out now, but they have seen the police 

fall, and they do not want to die yet. They have 

squirrelled into holes and occasionally appear 

to attend Ebubeagu meetings behind closed 

doors. 

There is silence as payment for protection— 

silence in lieu of protection money. When 

gangs rule, people pay for protection. When a 

vocal politician keeps mute in the face of 

egregious evil, he could curry the favour of the 

mob. Many great social crusaders, who have 

lost their voices and can’t discuss the 

barbarism of the ‘Unknown GunMen’ boldly 

and truthfully, fall into this otherwise noble 

group. You might call them chameleons. But 

some of them are actually mice. They used to 

brag about their ability to speak truth to power. 

They have now seen not a pet cat that laps milk 

but a feral cat. And they have tucked in their 

tails. Then there those who have chosen silence 

to egg the monster on, to instigate an 

apocalypse from which they might gain a 

political advantage. They are the hyenas. They 

desperately want a change in the existing 

power equation and wouldn’t mind getting into 

the mix through the backdoor or rat hole. 

Some see the birth pangs of a new republic. 

For others, it’s spice, entertainment. Some say 

that going for broke is the best way to strike 

the best bargains when dealing with the hardhearted. 

Something is certain; vultures are 

circling. Adults are home, and our goat is going 

into labour tethered. Have the gods made us 

mad, madly silent?



Nigeria’s security challenges 

can be resolved in 6 months 

—Jaji ex-House Chair on Security 

•Modern equipment, not mercenaries needed to tackle 

Nigeria’s security challenges —Jaji 

•Throw 2023 presidential race open to all Nigerians 


Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, one of the leaders 

of the All Progressives Congress APC 

in Zamfara state and a Governorship 

Aspirant is the immediate-past Chairman, 

House of Representatives Committee on Internal 

Security. In this interview, he proffers solutions 

to Nigeria’s growing security challenges, 

accuses some 2023 presidential election 

hopefuls of stoking crisis and posits that without 

a political party, President Muhammadu 

Buhari would still have emerged as Nigeria’s 

president assuming the constitution allowed 

for independent candidacy. 

Excerpts: 

You are from Zamfara state where there is 

a vowing wave of insecurity. What is the way 

out? 

The issue of insecurity is taking another 

dimension. If you are managing this, 

something will come up again. The 

incumbent governor’s effort is by way of 

dialogue. He is trying to talk to the bandits. I 

think for now, even the governor has realised 

that it is not the best approach because he has 

been talking to them and all the machinery of 

government that he has deployed to see that 

these bandits surrender their weapons and stop 

this heinous activities that they have engaged 

in for almost two years, you can see that the 

result is not commensurate with what the 

government has invested in it. So, I think the 

governor and security agencies need to think 

again. 

How about the security situation in the 

country? 

It is time for all those agitating for 2023; all 

of us we need to talk to ourselves. We have 

only one country, that is Nigeria. What is 

happening in the South East, South South, 

South West, North, there is no doubt, there 

may be people somewhere who just hide 

and they are orchestrating all these 

atrocities, because they are politically 

connected and if we didn’t come together 

and forget our political differences and focus 

on Nigeria, that means the problem will 

continue to escalate and it will consume all 

of us. 

So, whether you are APC or PDP, we 

need to look at this issue carefully. What 

is happening in Lagos, that there are 

issues coming up between Hausa and 

Yoruba, and if the government in 

Lagos does not manage it very well, 

then it will start happening in the 

North. We need to think holistically 

because the way this insecurity is 

going on, it is not as if they are 

trying to sabotage President 

Muhammadu Buhari, it is not about President 

Buhari, it is about Nigeria. If you think that 

you are sabotaging the efforts of President 

Buhari, then you are killing yourself because 

after Buhari, Nigeria will continue, unless if 

you want Nigeria to continue after President 

Buhari with another meaning. 

Don’t you think President Buhari’s 

lopsided appointments and the general 

feeling of injustice has contributed to the 

wave of insecurity as also recently alluded 

to by Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele who chairs 

the Senate Committee on Human Rights 

and Justice? 

If you look at President Buhari’s 

appointments, it is already balanced. This 

is just a campaign gimmick. They are just 

doing the campaign of lopsidedness in 

•Aminu Sani 

Buhari’s appointment just to smear his 

administration, not because there is 

actually lopsidedness in his appointments. 

Even the federal character they are 

hammering on, it is only restricted to some 

appointments, maybe the Ministers, the 

federal character commission and other 

commissions that there must be a chairman 

from this or that area, that is what the 

federal character and even the Constitution 

is talking about. But they also consider 

maybe the DG, some MDAs chairmen, 

executive secretaries as part of the federal 

character of which it is not. But in any case, 

it is equally important for you to get the 

statistics of people who were appointed from 

2015 to date and you will see that there is 

no lopsidedness in the appointments. 

So, I think it is people who want to demarket 

this administration, it is not about 

injustice. Injustice comes when a leader 

decides to give out an appointment without 

considering the merits or demerits of the 

people. But look at the way they were given 

appointments. They considered merit, and 

there was no sentiments attached. 

As an ex-lawmaker, what should be the 

role of the National Assembly in resolving 

Nigeria’s complex security puzzle? 

The National Assembly has a lot to do, 

in tackling this issue of insecurity. If you 

look at the budget of all the security 

agencies in Nigeria, it is too small to 

tackle the current security challenges. So, 

the National Assembly has to do 

something. They don’t have to rely on the 

budget the Executive submitted to them 

regarding the security agencies. They 

should think and listen to the security 

agencies and invite them, what need their 

needs are. From there, if it is established 

that the security agencies were given 

enough funding, then the National 

Assembly will continue with their 

oversight functions to know how the 

money was spent or utilised. When I was 

the chairman, I think there was a time 

money was budgeted to some of the 

security agencies but they were able to 

access only 60 percent of that money. 

Even if they get the 100 percent, it will 

not take them anywhere and then they 

were getting less than 100 percent or 60 

percent. So I think the National 

Assembly needs to look at this issue 

holistically. For me, I believe there are 

strategies which if the Executive and 

the National Assembly puts in 

place, the issue of insecurity will be 

resolved and Nigerians will start 

seeing the results maybe, from 

three to six months, if they put 

them in place. Let the Executive 

and the Legislature come 

together and provide a special 

fund. Maybe the Executive 

should set up a committee on 

procurement; the committee 

that will not compromise 

whatsoever, and provide 

whatever they are asked to 

provide. The National 

Assembly and the Executive should work 

together to provide a special fund, get the 

equipment, I think in three or four months 

some of the equipment will be ready and 

then they will see how they will fight this 

insecurity to finish. But for now, what we 

can do within our power is to pray. 

Would you say the security agencies are 

overwhelmed? 

Well, they are overwhelmed because they 

don’t have sophisticated equipment. If they 

have it, between three to six months, it would 

be resolved. People were talking about 

mercenaries because they (mercenaries) have 

the equipment that we don’t have; they are too 

sophisticated. If we have it, that means our 

security agencies will finish them (criminals) 

in no time. 

Continues on 

www.vanguardngr.com 

•Late Wale Kalejaiye 

By Evelyn Usman 

Emotion ran high last weekend 

i 

n 

Ikorodu as the remains of 40 – 

year-old Kaleijaiye Wale were 

being lowered to mother earth. 

Late Wale had led a team of policemen 

to Akodo community , Ibeju Lekki area of 

Lagos, two months ago, to effect the arrest 

of some criminals said to be terrorizing the 

area. 

The policemen were said to have arrested 

one of the suspects and were on their way to 

make other arrests when some armed 

hoodlums attacked them, in a bid to release 

How hoodlums attacked policemen, murdered 

informant in Lagos 

•Bring his killers to book- family appeals to IGP Baba 

•Raises alarm over alleged attempt by serving House of Reps member to shield suspects 

their arrested colleague. 

While the police team managed to 

leave 

the scene with the 

suspect, the same 

was not the 

testimony of 

Wale as the 

hoodlums 

reportedly 

descended on 

him and 

whisked him to 

an unknown 

place. 

•Destroyed 

vehicle 

Killed 

H i s 

bloated 

body was 

recovered a 

few days 

later , at the 

shore of a beach in Magbon 

Segun community within Ibeju Lekki, 

with marks of violence all over it . 

Narrating how late Wale struggled to 

disentangle himself from the assailants, 

one of the survivors during the attack, 

Wasiu Adegbite , said, “Both of us led 

policemen from the IGP Monitoring Unit 

, Abuja , to the community that day. We 

identified the prime suspect who was 

arrested and were about leaving when over 

three hundred thugs who were armed with 

guns ,broken bottles ,iron rods and other 

dangerous weapons mobilized themselves 

.“We were around Akodo General Hospital, 

when they started shooting. The policemen 

did not shoot. They managed to escape with 

the arrested suspect . But our vehicle got 

stuck in the sand. Wale and I had to come 

out and started running .They chased us and 

caught up with Wale . He struggled to 

escape but they were too many for him 

“ I could not wait to help him because my 

life was also in danger. I thought they would 

only beat him and leave him but they took 

him away. Policemen at Akodo Division 

recovered his body where it was dumped at a 

beach. They also retrieved my car which was 

destroyed by the hoodlumsr”. 

Call for justice 

The distraught family has therefore called 

on the Inspector-General of Police IGP 

Usman Baba to fish out Wale’s assailants, 

alleging that a member of the House of 

Representative was making moves to shield 

those fingered . 

Spokesman for the Kalejaiye family, Jalailu 

Alimi, who expressed shock at the 

hoodlums’ affront on the the policemen 

said , ” we know nothing can bring Wale 

back to life. All we demand is for the 

perpetrators of the dastardly act to be arrested 

and brought to book. 

“We are calling on well - meaning Nigerians 

to come to our aid so that my brother’s death 

won’t be in vain. We heard that a serving 

House of Representatives member is trying to 

shield his killers from justice” . 

On her part, late Wale’s elder sister, Imisi 

Oluwanishola , said, “ The only way that my 

brother will not die in vain is for the Police 

and the government to arrest and prosecute 

those who killed him . The former IGP Adamu 

Mohammed ordered that those arrested be 

charged to court . My brother was a 

promising young man who had plans for the 

family. All we need is justice for this wicked 

act”. 

Crime Guard gathered that four persons : 

Tajudeen Agbaje, Segun Hassan , Bariu 

Oluwo and Ayoku Ogunlaja were arrested 

in connection with the attack and were taken 

to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where they 

were interrogated. They were however said to 

have been granted administrative bail 

following the ongoing nationwide strike by 

judicial workers.



Aussie identical twins who eat, sleep and shower 

toge 

ogether with their shared boyfriend of nine year 

ears 

reveal their very y unusual bathroom habit 

08116759759 

Australia’s most famous identi 

cal twins who eat, sleep and 

shower together with their 

shared boyfriend have revealed they 

also go to the bathroom at the same 

time. 

Anna and Lucy DeCinque, 35, from 

Perth, take their sisterly bond to a 

whole new level - they dress alike, 

spend every minute together, and 

both want to get pregnant to their 

partner of nine years, Ben Byrne, 40, 

at the same time. 

The sisters - who have earned the 

world title of the ‘most identical 

twins’ - are so close that they go to 

the toilet together and measure out 

their food to ensure they are eating 

exactly the same amount. 

‘When she goes to the toilet, I come 

with her; when she has a shower, I 

come with her,’ Anna told the New 

York Post. 

‘You name it and we do it. We’re 

never apart. I don’t think we’d function 

without each other. We have separation 

anxiety. We’re bound to each 

other.’ 

The DeCinque twins are showcasing 

their extraordinarily interconnected 

lives in the American TLC network’s 

new reality TV series, Extreme 

Grieving son had to carry dead mum’s body 

on bike as India’s Covid crisis spirals 

A 

grieving son drove his dead 

mother to the crematorium 

on his motorbike in India as the 

rampant Covid crisis caused a 

shortage of ambulances. Devastated 

Narendra Chenchu sandwiched 

her body between himself and 

brother-in-law Ramesh for nine 

miles — and was told to ‘go easy’ 

when he was stopped by police. His 

mother, who was in her 50s and 

known as G Chenchu, had tested 

positive for coronavirus just hours 

before her death and had passed 

away while going to hospital. The 

second wave of the virus has crippled 

India in recent weeks, with 

Delhi state reporting one Covid 

death every four minutes. There is 

a severe shortage of ambulances, 

forcing locals to find their own 

means of transport. Mr Chenchu 

said police stopped him as he 

drove his bike to the crematorium 

in Andhra Pradesh and asked what 

had happened to his mother. He 

explained that all ambulances 

were full of Covid-19 victims and 

they told him to ‘go easy’ and 

waved him on. ‘I can’t wish this 

upon anyone,’ Mr Chenchu 

said. ‘It is going to haunt 

me every time, whenever I 

will ride this motorcycle.’ 

India this week became 

the fourth country in the 

world to surpass 200,000 

Covid-19 related deaths. 

The death toll rose by 

3,645 yesterday and there 

were 375,000 new infections. 

Amid a huge surge 

in cases and record deaths 

in recent weeks, the country is running 

out of hospital beds and is low 

on oxygen to treat patients. Dr Ashita 

Singh, of Chinchpada Christian 

Hospital in Maharashtra state, 

told BBC Radio Four: ‘[There is] a 

lot of dependence on indigenous 

medicine, in ancient beliefs. ‘We 

have a lot of patients who are on 

our wards right now who have 

marks on their abdomen because 

they first went to the witch doctor 

— who gave them hot iron branding 

in the hope that the evil spirit 

that is supposed to be causing this 

illness will be exorcised. ‘[The 

witch doctor] is their first port of 

call. Only a small proportion come 

to the hospital. Most go to the witch 

doctor or the indigenous practitioner.’ 

Meanwhile, a charity group has 

launched an appeal urging Brits 

to help tackle the Covid crisis 

sweeping India. The Disasters 

Emergency Committee has called 

for funds for PPE, medical supplies, 

ambulances and isolation 

facilities as virus cases overwhelm 

hospitals in the country. The group 

brings together UK organisations 

including the Indian Red Cross 

Society, ActionAid, Oxfam India 

and Save the Children. 

riage Act 1961. 

The trio, who live 

with the twins’ mother, 

share a king sized 

bed, with Ben in the 

middle, and hope to 

one day achieve 

their nuptials overseas. 

Although the 

DeCinques have 

featured in many 

media appearances 

over the past decade, 

the show 

will be the first time 

Ben’s side of the story will play 

out on screen. 

‘He was the one who really wanted 

us to do this show,’ Lucy said. 

‘People were waiting to hear his 

voice, his views and what it’s like living 

with two girlfriends. Ben is such 

a chilled guy, he’s not really like 

“look at me I’ve got two girlfriends” 

he just loves us for who we are.’ 

Last year, the twins revealed they 

eat just one meal a day and work out 

for six hours everyday to maintain 

their svelte physiques. 

In a video on their shared YouTube 

channel, the DeCinques said they 

were ‘addicted to exercise’ and ‘often 

feel exhausted’ as a result of their 

draining lifestyles. 

Lucy said: ‘We only eat once a day, 

we know that’s bad. 

‘It comes from our mum. We know 

Sisters. 

The program - which chronicles 

the lives and relationships of the 

DeCinques and four other sets of siblings 

- launched in the States on 

Monday and will hit Australian 

streaming services later this year. 

‘We were ready to showcase our 

love story,’ Lucy told Confidential. 

‘We are the show to be quite honest, 

I don’t think there’s anyone more 

extreme than the two of us.’ 

The sisters have been dating their 

mechanic boyfriend since 2012 and 

want to get married, but polygamy 

is banned under the Australian Marthat’s 

unhealthy but we only eat at 

night.’ 

The twins have reportedly spent 

more than $250,000 (AUD) on 

matching plastic surgery in recent 

years. 

Man arrested after dating 35 women 

‘to get presents all year round’ 

AJapanese man has been ar 

rested after he allegedly 

started relationships with 35 different 

women in order to receive 

gifts all year round. Takashi Miyagawa, 

39, is accused of defrauding 

the women by telling them 

each a different date for his birthday 

so that he had a constant 

flow of presents and cards. His 

real birthday is November 13. 

The women then joined forces 

and created a victims’ association 

together, before reporting 

him to the police in February. 

They claim Miyagawa, from the 

Japanese region of Kansai, swindled 

them out of 100,000 yen 

(about £665) worth of birthday 

presents, clothes, and cash in total. 

One woman, 47, believed Miyagawa’s 

birthday was on February 

22, while he told another, 40, 

it was in July and a third, 35, it 

was in April. It is thought there 

could still be more victims due 

to come forward. Miyagawa met 

each of the women through his 

work at a marketing company, 

which sells shower and bath supplies. 

Each of them believed they 

would eventually marry Miyagawa, 

the news site claims. The investigation 

into his alleged 

scheme is ongoing.

Attacks on Prisons: FG outraged, issues 

shoot-at-sight order 

*Declares Prisons ‘Red Zones’ 

*Use maximum force to quell attacks — Aregbesola 

*Fleeing inmates rearrested for murder 


THE 

Federal 

Government has 

expressed great outrage at 

the recent wave of attacks on 

Custodial Centres of the 

Nigeria Correctional 

Service NCoS, ordering 

personnel of the Service’s 

armed squad to shoot-atsight 

any internal and 

external aggressor. 

Minister of Interior, 

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola 

gave the order at an 

emergency meeting with 

NCoS Squadron 

Commanders, Field 

Commanders and Heads of 

Armed Squads. 

This was as he said some 

of the inmates who escaped 

from the custodial centres 

have been rearrested for 

murder. 

He also cautioned the 

personnel against 

trafficking which he said was 

one way through which 

criminals invade the 

facilities having known that 

they could smuggle 

contraband into the facilities. 

While he declared the 

centres as “red zones” which 

must remain inviolable at all 

costs, Aregbesola directed the 

officers to deploy maximum 

force rather than minimum 

force against aggressors. 

He said; “Our Custodial 

Centres must be red zones. It 

is a quarantine centre for 

those who by law should not 

live among free men. When 

a person is declared unfit to 

relate with other humans, it 

is the duty of the authorities 

to guarantee it. 

“We are with you 

absolutely to make our 

Custodial Centres 

inviolable. Attacks on centres 

is no longer a happenstance. 

There is a pattern now and 

we can no longer give any 

excuse to allow these attacks 

to succeed. I was at the 

Owerri centre when we were 

told about the circumstances 

surrounding that attack and 

the question someone asked 

was, where are the casualties? 

“If this meeting must 

make any meaning at all, 

you will be held absolutely 

responsible going forward 

for any attack on our 

custodial facilities. I asked 

representatives of the 

advanced nations about 

how it works and they told 

me a custodial centre is a 

fortress and a sacred facility 

that nobody should even 

have the temerity to attack, 

not to talk of succeeding at 

attacking. So the current 

security challenges are just 

being used as a cover. A 

pattern is fast emerging and 

we must take it as such. 

“Well, we must commend 

you for your 

professionalism, diligence 

and sacrifice in the 

performance of your duties. 

We appreciate you but the 

line must be drawn where 

you say enough is enough, 

where nobody can cross, to 

dare or to attempt to break 

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, addressing Squadron Commanders, 

Field Commanders and Heads of the Armed Squads of the Nigeria 

Correctional Service NCoS, during an emergency meeting yesterday in Abuja. 

our will. 

“I am aware of your yeoman’s 

job in foiling attacks, 

particularly jailbreaks. I must 

commend you for your 

brilliance in Ikoyi, Bauchi, 

Ubiaja and Kano recently. 

“The custodial facilities are 

a symbol of the authority of the 

Nigerian State. They are sacred 

and inviolable institutions. You 

will notice that they are usually 

built around military fortresses, 

to show how important they are. 

This is to deter would-be 

attackers from inside or outside. 

“More importantly, you are 

armed and positioned to 

directly guard them and defend 

their integrity. Your mission is 

to defend the facilities at all 

costs. Let me repeat again, 

defend them at all costs. 

You are empowered by the 

highest authority in the land to 

use every means necessary to 

defend the custodial centres 

against internal and external 

aggression. The weapons you 

carry and the instrument you 

have are to be lawfully deployed 

for maximum effect, in 

protecting the facilities. 

Anyone or group of persons 

that decide(s) to attack them 

should not live to regret it. 

“You must not fail because 

failure means you have 

contributed to the insecurity 

in the land by allowing 

criminals to invade society. 

This begins with vigilance. You 

must be on the watch for any 

instrument or material that 

could aid criminals in 

perpetuating jailbreaks. 

Again, earlier this month, 

vigilant officers stopped one 

of their colleagues from 

smuggling a mobile phone to 

an inmate in Bauchi. It will be 

difficult, if not impossible, for 

inmates to break from inside 

without receiving assistance 

from officers, no matter how 

little. “Never again must a 

successful attack happen on 

any of our custodial facilities, 

not even in our farms. 

Whoever attempts it must 

simply regret it. By the time 

you make it almost a life and 

death matter when you 

attempt a custodial facility, 

that will be the end of such 

attack. 

Rearrested for murder 

“Some of the escaped 

inmates from Edo have been 

rearrested for murder, another 

crime. There was a particular 

case that immediately he 

escaped from the centre in 

Edo, he went straight and 

killed all those he said 

facilitated his initial arrest. 

Luckily he has now been 

arrested and faces a double 

jeopardy, one for escape from 

lawful custody and two, for 

murder”, Aregbesola added. 

Earlier, Acting Controller 

General of the NCoS, John 

Mrabure charged the 

personnel to scale up efforts 

at securing the facilities. 

According to him, the 

management would continue 

to punish those who shirk in 

their responsibilities and also 

reward those who perform 

exceptionally. 

Despite headwinds, Zenith Bank’s profit 

after tax rises by 5% in q1 2021 

IN a clear demonstration of 

its resilience, Zenith Bank 

Plc has announced its unaudited 

results for the first quarter 

ended 31st March 2021, with 

Profit After Tax (PAT) rising 

by 5% to N53.1 billion, from 

N50.5 billion recorded in 

March 2020. This is despite 

a very challenging macroeconomic 

environment aggravated 

by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

From the unaudited statement 

of account presented to 

the Nigerian Stock Exchange 

(NSE) on Friday, 30th April 

2021, the Group’s Profit Before 

Tax (PBT) also grew by 

4%, from N58.8 billion to 

N61.0 billion in the same period. 

The profitability was driven 

by the optimisation of the 

cost of funds and improvement 

in non-interest income. 

The Bank’s cost of funds reduced 

significantly from 2.6% 

in March 2020 to 1.1% in 

March 2021. This was also 

reflected in interest expense 

which dropped by 45% from 

N32.8 billion to N18.0 billion 

over the same period. 

Non-interest income increased 

by 10% from N46.6 

billion to N51.2 billion, driven 

by growth in credit-related 

fees and fees on electronic 

products. 

Non-interest income was 

boosted by the increase in 

fees and commission income, 

which resulted from 

the increased volume of 

transactions across all the 

Bank’s channels. Cost of risk 

dropped from 0.6% in March 

2020 to 0.5% in March 2021, 

which affirms the Bank’s prudent 

risk management, even 

as gross loans increased by 

2% from N2.92 trillion to 

N2.98 trillion in Q1 2021. 

The Bank’s robust customer 

acquisition strategy and 

the effectiveness of its electronic 

platforms and digital 

channels enabled it to deliver 

a N54 billion increment in 

the savings account balance, 

which is solely retail. Customer 

deposits grew by 6% from 

N5.34 trillion in December 

2020 to N5.68 trillion in 

March 2021. Transactions on 

electronic channels also grew 

astoundingly as new customers 

continue to be attracted 

to the Bank’s various userfriendly 

digital platforms. 

Going forward in 2021, the 

Bank expects that the ongoing 

economic recovery and 

improvements in the yield environment 

will translate into 

improved numbers for the 

Group. This is expected to be 

supported by local and international 

COVID-19 vaccination 

campaigns, rising commodity 

prices, and global 

economic growth of up to 6%, 

as estimated by the International 

Monetary Fund (IMF). 

The Group will continue to 

position itself to take advantage 

of positive developments 

in the domestic and global 

economy to deliver improved 

financial performance and 

returns to all its stakeholders. 

SATURDAY VANGUARD, MAY 1, 2021 — 23 

Baba Ijesha’s sexual assault 

saga: We can't crucify him until 

he’s found guilty — ANTP 

*He’s a disgrace to our film 

industry—Iyabo Ojo 

*James Omiyinka a.k.a Baba Ijesha 

THE President of Association of National Theater Arts 

Practitioners,ANTP, Comrade Victor Ashaolu has dispelled 

rumours that the umbrella body of Yoruba movie stars may ban 

popular actor, James Omiyinka a.k.a Baba Ijesha, saying “We 

cannot crucify him until he’s found guilty by the law.” 

Baba Ijesha was arrested last week for sexually assaulting a 

minor, after comedian, Damilola Adekoya a.k.a Princess reported 

the matter at Sabo Police Station. The case was later transferred 

to the Gender Unit of the State CID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, for 

proper investigation. 

However, Baba Ijesha’s arrest has continued to generate a lot of 

mixed reactions in different quarters, with some of his female 

colleagues spitting fire, insisting that the embattled actor should 

be made to face the wrath of the law. 

Meanwhile, when he was contacted on the telephone yesterday, 

the president of ANTP, Comrade Ashaolu debunked claims 

that the association may take a disciplinary action against the 

actor. 

According to ANTP boss, it will be premature for the association 

to take any disciplinary action against Baba Ijesha, when he 

has neither been charged to court nor found guilty of the offence 

he’s accused of. 

In his words, “As you are reading the unfolding drama, that’s 

how I am also reading it on the internet. Let him finish his case 

with the police. He cannot be facing two wars at the same time. 

They haven’t charged him to court. So, he cannot be crucified 

until he has been found guilty.” 

“Luckily, we are not the ones who arrested him. The law enforcement 

agency did, and they are conducting their investigation. 

They have not charged him to court. So, if we take any action 

now, it will be premature. Let him be charged to court first and 

foremost, found guilty of the allegation, after which we will base 

our action on the findings of the police and the court.” 

Comrade Ashaolu said, while the unfolding drama lasts, there’s 

need for everyone to be calm as well as pray for the actor. He, 

however, condemned Baba Ijesha’s action, saying “If the victim 

were to be my daughter, I wouldn’t say he has done the right 

thing.” 

However, since Baba Ijesha’s rape saga went viral on the social 

media, his colleagues in the industry have been divided over the 

matter. While the likes of Iyabo Ojo,Chief Femi Branch, Mercy 

Aigbe, Nkechi Blessing, Bukunmi Oluwasina, among others, are 

protesting that Baba Ijesha should be jailed, actor Yomi Fabiyi, 

Lege Maimi, and others are demanding for the CCTV footage of 

the alleged rape. 

Following this demand, Iyabo Ojo on Thursday released a 

video where Baba Ijesha was captured on camera, begging for 

forgiveness after he was allegedly caught sexually molesting the 

14-year-old girl. 

The 43-year-old actress released the video amid reports that the 

police plan to release the accused on bail on Friday. In the video, 

the actor could be seen begging Princess for forgiveness. 

When she asked him why he did what he is being accused of 

after all she had done for him, the embattled actor blamed it on 

the devil. 

Earlier, Iyabo Ojo shared a video on her Instagram page, where 

she called out actor Yomi Fabiyi who likened Baba Ijesha’s case 

to that of Baba Suwe who was wrongly arrested and unlawfully 

kept in detention by the National Drug Law and Enforcement 

Agency (NDLEA) in 2011 for alleged drug trafficking. 

In the video, Iyabo Ojo described Baba Ijesha as a disgrace to 

the Yoruba film industry. “He’s a disgrace to the ANTP, Theatre 

And Motion Pictures Practitioners of Nigeria,TAMPPAN. His mess 

is our mess. He has dragged the names of these association in the 

mud and I will not cover him up,” Iyabo fumed. In the same manner, 

actress Mercy Aigbe slammed the embattled actor for not only 

tarnishing his hard earned name, but also, bringing shame to the 

industry. “The fact that there is no substantial evidence doesn’t 

mean that a crime wasn’t committed!..... all I can say is shame on 

Baba Ijesha! Shame! Shame! Shame! You are a disgrace to Nollywood 

for finding yourself in this situation in the first place! I know 

that little girl wouldn’t have lied against you,” Aigbe wrote on IG. 

Meanwhile, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, 

Thursday, said Baba Ijesha would remain in custody pending 

the legal advice from the Ministry of Justice, adding that all 

parties, including the victim and the accused, were interviewed at 

the police command on Wednesday. 

He, however, said the offence which Baba Ijesha was being accused 

is a bailable offence.


COVID-19: Beware of false sense 

of security, WHO cautions Africa 

•Says resurgence of infections imminent 

By Sola Ogundipe 

Despite the comparatively low in 

cidence of COVID-19 cases 

and deaths, the World Health 

Organisation, WHO, has warned Africa 

against complacency about the pandemic, 

saying the continent faces a 

high risk of resurgence of infections. 

One of the reasons for the resurgence 

is not unconnected with the fact that 

the actual number of COVID-19 infections 

is much higher than announced. 

Others include low testing and vaccination 

rates, poor adherence to public 

health measures, mass gatherings, 

vaccine hesitancy, and an overall 

sense of complacency among many Africans. 

Since the onset of the pandemic in 

December 2019, Africa has been 

spared the worst of the crisis. Despite 

the false sense of calm, however, the 

World Health Organisation (WHO) 

has warned that African countries are 

not out of the woods by any margin. 

In a risk assessment of 46 countries, 

the WHO highlighted that just one 

country faces a low risk of COVID-19 

resurgence. Three countries face a 

very high risk, 20 face high risks, and 

22 face moderate risk of resurgence. 

The risk was estimated using seven 

indicators with data from the past four 

weeks, including COVID-19 cases per 

million people; the percentage of 

change in new cases; the percentage 

of change in new deaths; the reproductive 

number (the rate at which an 

infection spreads); the pandemic 

trend; the average weekly number of 

tests per 10 000 people; and the percentage 

of the population that has received 

at least one vaccine dose. 

According to WHO, most countries 

in the Africa region are experiencing 

community transmission, yet 31 out of 

the 46 countries analysed performed 

fewer than 10 tests per 10,000 people 

per week in the past four weeks. 

“This suggests that the number of 

cases reported in the past 28 days may 

not reflect the true situation as countries 

continue to target only people 

with symptoms for testing.” 

With more than 4.5 million confirmed 

cases and over 121,000 deaths to date, 

Africa has not experienced a significant 

surge in cases since January and 

the epidemic curve has leveled out for 

six weeks running. 

It is this relatively low number of 

cases that is encouraging complacency 

and reducing observance of preventive 

measures. 

For instance, in Nigeria, people are 

becoming carefree and indifferent 

about the pandemic and even though 

vaccination campaigns 

have rolled out for weeks, 

enthusiasm has waned 

since the onset of shortages 

of vaccine doses and reported 

incidences of 

adverse effects among recipients 

of some vaccines. 

The adherence to the 

Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions 

and other 

safety protocols such as 

wearing of face masks, 

hand hygiene, and social 

distancing has dropped 

drastically. 

Worse still, political rallies 

in countries such as 

Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, 

Guinea, and Kenya 

caused a spike in new 

cases and upcoming elections 

in Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, 

The Gambia, Sao Tome, and 

Principe, and Zambia could also trigger 

a rise in cases due to mass gatherings. 

Concerned about the situation, the 

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr 

Matshidiso Moeti cautioned that the 

pandemic is not over in Africa. 

” We cannot be lulled into a false 

sense of security. The devastating 

surge of cases and deaths in India, and 

increases in other regions of the world, 

are clear signs that the pandemic is 

not yet over in African countries. 

“A new upsurge of COVID-19 infections 

is a real risk in many countries 

even if the region’s case count in recent 

weeks appears to be stable. “Combating 

COVID-19 fatigue appears to 

be the key battle in our collective response 

to the pandemic. 

“The pandemic’s shockwaves have persisted, 

but we must work hard to ensure 

that they do not become intractable and 

further weaken health system’s capacity 

to cope with potential surges in COVID- 

19 infections,” Moeti said. 

”Most new cases are still not being detected 

among known contacts. Investigation 

of clusters of cases and contact tracing 

are worryingly low in most countries 

in the region. We must scale up testing 

including through rapid diagnostic tests 

to enhance response to the pandemic.” 

WHO urges countries to step up case 

finding in areas with widespread community 

transmission, increase capacity 

to isolate cases and reorganise the 

health workforce including by redeploying 

health workers to the most-affected 

areas. 

The pandemic has 

had a widespread 

impact across many 

sectors; with key 

health services in 

Three countries 

face a very 

high risk, 20 face 

high risks, and 

22 face moderate 

risk of resurgence 

several African 

countries still reeling 

from disruptions experienced 

more than 

a year since the first 

cases were confirmed 

on the continent. 

Of the 40 countries 

responding to a 

WHO survey conducted 

earlier this 

year, 95 percent reported 

disruptions of 

varying degrees. 

While the survey 

shows there has been 

an improvement in service 

provision, with 41 

percent of services disrupted between January 

and March 2021 compared with 64 

percent in the last quarter of 2020, the persistently 

high levels of disruption to health 

services even after many countries have 

eased restrictions is concerning. The COV- 

ID-19 pandemic appears to be having a 

long-term impact on health services. 

Most countries have implemented policies 

to revamp essential services, but more 

support is needed to enhance the welfare 

of health workers, restore people’s confidence 

in seeking health services, and 

build stronger safeguards for the health 

system to better cope with shocks. 

Godrej advocates proactive measures to eradicate malaria 

(L-R) Dr Salau Tajudeen from the Nigerian Medical Association, the Good Knight 

team- Chukwuema Okeke, Ayodele Otujinrin, Chitwan Singh, and Deputy Director, 

Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Abimbola Osinowo (1st from right), at the event 

marking the World Malaria Day in Lagos. 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

At an event held at the Radisson 

Hotel Ikeja, Lagos, Good Knight 

Nigeria joined the rest of the world 

to commemorate the annual World 

Malaria Day. The gathering was designed 

to sensitize, educate, and lend a voice to the 

global drive to end malaria, with emphasis 

on employing proactive measures for best 

result. 

Held every April 25th, the World Malaria 

Day 2021 which had its theme, ‘Reaching 

the Zero Malaria Target’, perfectly 

captured the vision and direction of global 

health governing body, World Health 

Organisation (WHO). 

Contributing to some of the measures 

embarked upon by government to curb the 

scourge over the years, Godrej Nigeria, 

makers of Good Knight insecticide also 

seized the opportunity presented by the 

occasion to officially unveil the product. 

A whole lot of other activities were also 

put together by the Good Knight Nigeria 

team, leveraging social media as well as 

other innovative channels aimed at 

contributing to reaching the zero-malaria 

target in all regions of the country. 

The activities also featured a community 

clean up exercise by the team, covering areas 

such as Otto community, Oyingbo, etc, 

during which the dwellers where introduced 

to the repellent after the sanitation exercise. 

The exercise extended to sensitizing the 

locals on the need to maintain a clean 

environment which is pivotal to eradicating 

mosquitoes thereby, achieving 

the Zero malaria target. 

There were also, the 

Social 

M e d i a 

Challenge 

partnering Lagos 

State Ministry of 

Health, Influencer engagements and 

activations to effectively drive 

awareness for the campaign against 

malaria. 

Speaking during the event, the Godrej 

Business Head, West Africa, Chitwan 

Singh, stated that the launch of the 

Good Knight power shots was in 

furtherance of the company’s battle 

against malaria in Nigeria. The product 

he disclosed, is being manufactured locally 

with all the advanced technology and 

innovation which makes it healthy for 

Nigeria environment, adding that, “The 

company understands how important the 

battle to safeguard the environment from 

malaria and work towards innovative 

solutions, is to Nigeria. So, safety is critical 

and key concerns that propelled the 

manufacture of the non-irritant repellent 

that will help ensure zero mosquitoes, zero 

malaria” 

“The Good Knight Nigeria Team is poised 

to continue efforts in its counter-malaria 

quest while working in collaboration with 

the Ministry of Health and other relevant 

entities to ensure that zero malaria is 

achievable in Nigeria”, Mr Singh added. 

Also, Dr Salau Tajudeen who represented 

the President of the Nigeria Medical 

Association, pointed out that 

statistics shows that malaria 

is the number one killer 

disease which has caused 

the death of millions of 

children especially 

those under five 

years. 

“To take 

care of 

mosquitoes 

i s 

automatically 

t o take care of malaria”, 

h e noted, pointing out that 

“ T h e product has assured us that 

we can eliminate threat of malaria without 

attracting respiratory illness. So its 

congratulations to Nigeria because the 

product is a major leap in our efforts to contain 

malaria” 

The event had in attendance, special guests 

and representatives of industry practitioners 

including the Deputy Director of the Lagos 

State Ministry of Health, Dr Abimbola 

Osinowo.

Iwas a very relieved man when I got 

married, especially to the one I loved 

and have deep feelings for. The love 

and feelings remain deep. One of the 

irritants some of us had during our bachelor 

days was having deep feelings for girls who 

either could not reciprocate or did not even 

give a hoot about us. To add to our 

frustration, we got loved by girls whose 

deep feelings we could not reciprocate. We 

were like “God, why don’t you just transfer 

the deep feelings Girl A has for me to Girl 

B, who I have deep feelings for, but is not 

reciprocating, so that I can just get married 

and move on with my life.”I am not sure 

God answers such prayers of “transfer of 

love.” 

But once in a while, some of us did meet 

girls who also had deep feelings for us. 

Some of these relationships with mutual 

feelings eventually hit the rock, while some 

led to marriage. I guess even in our 

sinfulness, God’s mercy was still very 

present with us. Some of these marriages 

are still waxing stronger like 

old wine. But some of those 

who went ahead to marry 

those they did not have deep 

feelings for out of sympathy 

have a different story to tell. 

Those who forced 

themselves on their current 

spouses, using traps like 

money and pregnancy also 

have different stories to tell. 

It takes fundamental love for 

a loving marriage to endure. 

Every marriage goes through 

turbulence. Among other 

factors, fundamental love 

helps it to overcome the 

turbulence. 

That is partly why I can 

never understand how any 

normal person can go into a 

marriage where it is obvious 

from the beginning that your 

spouse will not love, 

celebrate, respect and honour you. These 

are some of the fundamental ingredients 

of a happy marriage. It is foolish to go 

ahead and get married when there are red 

History is, unfortunately, about 

to repeat itself. 

It is just a year and 

few months to the next election, but 

opposition parties are behaving as 

though Nigeria is healthy. No intense 

preparation is on to turn the tide 

against the All Progressives Congress 

(APC) under whose watch Nigeria 

turned into a land of tears, sorrow and 

blood because of general insecurity and 

the global poverty capital. The citizenry 

has nothing worth having. 

As is usually the case with failed 

administrations, excuses are being 

advanced for this failure, but the APC 

and its key players are still filled with 

either a blind conceit or a terrible and 

galloping hypocrisy. 

Hey, you may have already become 

firmly convinced that I have set out 

today to hammer APC, but that would 

be decidedly wrong; my anger is 

directed against the Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP), especially its variant that 

former President Goodluck Jonathan 

left behind (or abandoned—depending 

on whether he is still a member of that 

party of he now belongs to APC). 

With less than two years to the next 

presidential elections, Nigeria is just 

where she was in 1981/82. By then it 

was obvious that former President 

Shehu Shagari’s administration had 

failed beyond redemption. Yet, the 

opposition political parties stood 

largely on their own as independent 

groups ready to repeat the mistake that 

resulted in their individual losses in 

the 1979 election and thus made 

possible the NPN administration which 

Shagari headed as president. That the 

NPN nearly did not acquire the needed 

twelve and two third of 19 states 

national spread to meet the set down 

rules for a victor to emerge from the 

1999 election did not convince the 

opposition parties to unite against the 

NPN in the next election. 

With Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Nigerian 

Peoples Party (NPP) holding the then 

two South-Eastern states plus Plateau 

state and Chief Awolowo’s Unity Party 

of Nigeria holding firmly to the South- 

Western states and South-South’s 

Bendel State, and Alhaji Waziri 

Ibrahim’s Great Nigeria People’s Party 

(GNPP) controlling affairs in Bornu and 

Gongola states in the North East, and 

The mys 

yster 

ery of the heart 

flags like these. Unfortunately, this 

foolishness is driven by desperation, 

and desperation is more blinding than 

river blindness. 

But history keeps repeating itself. 

Many of those coming behind have 

learnt nothing from those ahead of 

them. They still want to get married to 

people who do not 

have deep feelings 

for them and vice 

versa. And when they 

are rebuffed or 

jilted, they dig 

themselves into a 

mess because of 

desperation, anger 

Bad as being jilted 

is, young people 

must realise that 

being jilted is 

nothing new. It has 

been with man from 

time. Sometimes, it 

is just a mystery of 

the heart 

and sometimes 

unforgiveness. 

Recently, I read a 

story of a lady who 

poisoned and killed 

her herself and her 

former boyfriend, a 

week to his (former 

boyfriend) wedding 

to another lady. 

What message was 

she sending? If I 

cannot have you, no 

one else will. You 

take your own life 

because a man jilted you? What 

foolishness? The man was never meant 

for you in the first place, that was why 

he left you. As we say in Warri, water 

when you go drink nor go pass you. I 

believe that for every woman who is 

destined to get married, God created 

a man for her. It is your responsibility 

to pray for God, to lead you to that 

man through the guidance of the Holy 

Spirit. When you meet that your 

prospective husband, no woman, born 

of a woman, can take him away from 

you. So, those men and women 

committing suicide because of the loss 

of a lover are just killing themselves 

for nothing. 

Do not get me wrong, being jilted is 

traumatising; it can lead to suicidal 

tendencies. I have been there before 

and I know the pains and agony first 

hand. But I also know that nothing 

lasts forever and time heals. When you 

get jilted, even in your pains and 

agony, give God thanks giving, 

because we are admonished to praise 

God in all situations (1 Thessalonians 

5:18). Having done your 

thanksgiving, turn to God; He is a 

great burden carrier, if you take refuge 

in him (Matthew 11:28). Finally, God 

has a way of replacing what you lost 

with something equally good or better. 

There is absolutely no need to kill 

yourself or maim, poison or burn a 

lover who dumped you. 

The best and sweetest form of 

revenge is to be successful. Become 

the rejected stone that became the 

cornerstone. That is best form of 

revenge for anybody who rejected you, 

whether in a relationship or other 

Lateef Jakande, Abubakar Rimi, 

Sam Mbadiwe; the great failure 

Alhaji Aminu Kano’s Peoples 

Redemption Party (PRP) having 

Governors in Kano and Kaduna 

states, NPN would have defeated 

in 1993 if those parties teamed up 

against their common foe. 

In 2011, the Action Congress 

fused with the Conscience Party to 

give what remained of PDP a 

drubbing. What remained of PDP? 

I said that with all 

conviction for the 

PDP that Jonathan 

led into that election 

was a wounded, 

dying, wobbly, 

fading and 

vanishing PDP 

which Obasanjo 

handed over to 

Umaru Musa 

Yar’Adua and which 

Jonathan further 

d a m a g e d . 

Remember that 

former Vice- 

President Alex 

Ekwueme and the 

40 wise men had 

fashioned PDP into a 

decidedly national 

party. It came 

complete with the 

idea of rotational 

presidency to allow 

Nigeria to heal from 

the wounds a lengthy and nasty 

military regime had inflicted on it. 

How is PDP preparing for 

the 2023 election? It must 

first reclaim its soul 

damage by Obasanjo’s 

corrosiveexcesses, 

remodel it after what 

Ekwueme had 

envisioned, and master 

planners, game 

changers, strategists like 

Chief James Ibori or Dr 

Bukola Saraki 

The PDP wise men had formed a 

party that would not be dominated 

by any ethnic group but which 

would be absolutely Nigerian, so 

that one heavy and debilitating 

load; that ethnic overhang, would 

for once be banished from Nigerian 

politics. Unfortunately, General’s 

Theophilus Danjuma, Ibrahim 

Babangida and 

Aliyu Gusau did 

not allow Dr 

Ekwueme to 

have the first 

shot at the 

presidency in 

1999. Yes, it is 

easy to blame 

them, right? We 

would all be 

wrong if our 

blame is not put 

in its truest 

context. They 

had played some 

roles in the Gens 

M u r t a l a / 

Obasanjo 1976- 

79 military 

administration— 

Nigeria’s golden 

epoch. So, why 

not bring back 

Obasanjo for a 

grand encore? 

They must have reasoned thus. But 

that proved a disaster—but known 


aspects of life. Rather than wallow in self-pity, 

build yourself, improve yourself, work harder, 

get better. It is a sacrilege for anyone who 

rejected you to meet you where he left you after 

a while. Success is from God and he gives it 

liberally. God uses people to bring others 

success, but if the person he sent to you refuses, 

God will either force him like he did with Jonah 

or fleshen dry bones to get it done (Ezekiel 37). 

Why will you commit suicide or homicide 

because someone rejected you? Is that person 

God? Does He have the final say? 

Bad as being jilted is, young people must 

realise that being jilted is nothing new. It has 

been with man from time. Sometimes, it is just 

a mystery of the heart. At other times, it is just 

the heart of man being desperately wicked. 

Jeremiah 17:9 captures it succinctly, 

“The heart is more deceitful than all else 

and is desperately sick, who can understand 

it?” While I was growing up, I heard the stories 

of artisans who sent their fiancées to the 

university. The thinking was that it is not good 

for both husband and wife to be uneducated. 

By the time the women graduated, they refused 

to marry the men who sponsored their 

education. There were also women who took 

care of the home and supported their husbands 

for higher education. By the time they came 

back, the husbands dumped them because they 

were “beneath their new status.” Some of these 

women were lucky to remain in the marriage 

while their husbands married second wives who 

“matched” their new status. Nothing is new 

under the sun. Your life is precious. Do not waste 

it because of a man/woman who cannot love 

and appreciate you. 

The last word is for people who kill or maim 

former lovers. The truth is you are not marriage 

materials. Marriage is an institution where you 

forgive, forgive and continue forgiving. And 

you do not get into marriage before you learn 

the act of forgiveness. It is a habit you should 

bring into marriage. So if you do not know 

how to forgive, marriage is not for you. Second, 

love partly means protection. You protect what 

you love. If you can kill or maim someone 

because he/she jilted you, then you never really 

loved him/her before; your feelings were 

different. Some married people still maintain 

cordial relationships with their exes. They wish 

them well. It does not matter how the 

relationships ended. Whatever happened is in 

the past. 

to us only with the benefit of hindsight. 

Or, who would have told Danjuma, that 

Obasanjo would spit on the rich 

recommendations of his Presidential Policy 

Advisory Council (PPAC)? Jonathan did 

the same too in 2011; 12 problems were 

identified for him to solve but he bombed 

in all. Jonathan got into office with some 

28 or so PDP states. He left office with 

about 12. Right before the elections, five 

governors had left the PDP and he did 

not see the danger that portended. And 

they fell victim, reaching agreement with 

Bola Tinubu’s Action Congress and 

Buhari’s Conscience Party, when Buhari 

follows the dictates of his mind; some call 

him stubborn, others say his is inflexible. 

I say he is not a team player. And today, 

Nigeria is more divided, ethnically, than 

ever before. Ekwueme’s labours are now 

in vain. 

That brings us to the title of this column; 

in 1983, Zik and Awo still embraced their 

petty squabbles, so neither could lead a 

conglomeration of other parties. The only 

option open was for a new but serious 

presidential candidate to emerge; think of 

a Lateef Jakande and Abubakar Rimi 

ticket. Think of a Sam Mbakwe or Jim 

Nwobodo and Rimi or Balararabe Musa 

ticket. Of all, only Nwobodo is still alive; 

what a loss! And then the GNPP would 

have been promised the Senate 

presidency post. 

The NPN would have been defeated, 

despite their landslide rigging because a 

tsunami would have battered it. But it was 

still a world of “Awo or nobody else” in 

the West and “Zik or nobody else” in the 

East. But Shagari won, not Awo or Zik. 

UPN lost Oyo and Bendel states, and NPP 

lost Anambra and Rimi lost in Kano. 

The rest is … Nigeria’s sorry history. 

So, how is PDP preparing for the 2023 

election? It must first reclaim its soul 

damage by Obasanjo’s corrosive excesses, 

remodel it after what Ekwueme had 

envisioned, and master planners, game 

changers, strategists like Chief James Ibori 

or Dr Bukola Saraki (without sworn 

enemies) should reorganise PDP. Atiku 

Abubakar should recreate the Peoples 

Democratic Movement (PDM) wonder. 

Nigeria needs a party Nigeriana which 

promises administration Nigeriana. Just 

think about Nigeria’s fate … from 

Jonathan’s mistakes and the confusion 

since APC’s victory in 2015. Think about 

that.


AMINU 

CHANGE OF NAME 

I, formerly known as Amina 

Suleiman Aminu, now wish to 

be known and addressed as 

Amina Amin. All former 

documents remain valid. 

General public please take 

note. 

FATIMA FESTUS 

I formerly known and addressed 

as FATIMA SALAUDEEN, 

now wish to be known and 

addressed as FATIMA 

SALAUDEEN AHMED. All 

former documents remain 

Valid. Concerned authorities 

and the general public should 

please take note. 

USMAN 

I, formerly known as Usman 

Muhammad , now wish to be 

known and addressed as Usman 

Muhammad Usman, with D.O.B= 

01-02-1997 NOT 20-02-1996. All 

former documents remain valid. 

General public please take note. 

ORJI 

I formerly known and addressed as 

NWAKAEGO CHINEDU ORJI 

Now wish to be known and 

addressed as VICTORIA ISIOMA 

ESENI. All former documents 

remain valid, General public and 

authority concerned please take note 

SADAM 


SADAM MUHAMMAD 

ABDULLAHI, now wish to be 

known and addressed as ABBA 

MUHAMMAD. All former 

documents remain valid, General 

public and authority concerned 

please take note 

OKON 

I, formerly known, called and 

addressed as Christiana Nse Okon, 


addresed as Christiana Kufre 

Abraham. All former documents 

remained valid. HCPC and general 

public take note. 

OMUMUH 

I, formerly known and addressed as 

Omumuh Emmanuela Chika now 

wish to be known and addressed as 

Mrs. Agu Emmanuela Chika. 

Former documents remain valid. 

General public take note. 

ORUIGBANI 

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS 

ORUIGBANI, SOLOMON 

NGWANMITOP, NOW I WISH 

TO KNOWN, CALLED AND 

ADDRESSED AS IKPOKO, 

SOLOMON NGWANMITOP, ALL 

FORMER DOCUMENTS 

REMAIN VALID. BANKS AND 

GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE 

TAKE NOTE. 

ABBOT 

I Formerly known as JANET 

ABBOT Now wish to be called 

and addressed as JANET 

MATHEW, because of Marriage. 

All Former documents remain 

valid Any Authority concern and 

the General public to please take 

note 

HASSAN 


SHEHU MUHAMMAD HASSAN, 


addressed as SHEHU 

MUHAMMED AHMED. Old dob 

01/01/1983. New dob 05/09/1985. 



TRAVIH 


TRAVIH ABIODUN ANTHONIA 


addressed as MATANMI 

ABIODUN ANTHONIA. All former 




SAMIYU 

I, formerly known as Samiyu 

Mudasiru, now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

Semiyu Mudasir. All former 



note. 

MERCY 

This is to notify the general public 

that the bearer of these names 

EMEONYE MERCY, HARRY 

MERCY & STANLEY MERCY 

. refers to one and the same person, 

henceforth the bearer wishes to be 

addressed as STANLEY MERCY. 

All documents bearing these names 

remain valid. The general public 

should please take note 

MERAB 

I, formerly known as Merab 

Linda Mpamugo, now wish to 

be known and addressed as 

Nwachukwu Linda. All former 



note. 

AKPAN 


Miss MARY BASSEY AKPAN 


addressed as Mrs MARY 

IBEREDEM JOHN. All former 



please take note 

AGBALEKE 

I, formerly known, called and 

addressed as MISS AGBALEKE 

OLUCHUKWU CHIZOBA, now 

wish to be known and addresed as 

MRS. FESTUS OLUCHUKWU 

CHIZOBA. All former documents 

remained valid. General public 

should take note. 

OMUMUH 

I, formerly known and addressed 

as Omumuh Innocentia Maris now 

wish to be known and addressed 

as Omumuh Innocent Maris. 



OLAITAN 


as ABDULRAHMAN SAHEED 

OLAITAN now wish to be known 

and addressed as 

ABDURRAHMAN SA’EED 

OLAITAN. All former documents 

remain valid.General public and 

concerned authorities should take 

note. 

ODAWIN 


Odawin Felicia, now wish to be 

known and addressed as Odawn 

Felicia. Former documents remain 

valid. General public take note. 

RUFAI OT 

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS 

SALIFU RUFAI DOB 21-JULY- 

1991 NOW WISH TO BE 

KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS 

SALIFU SULEIMAN EL-RUFAI 

DOB. 08-08-1999 ALL FORME 

DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. 

ODESANYA 


as Miss Odesanya Olukorede 

Ibukun, now wish to be known 

and addressed as Mrs Jaiyesimi 

Olukorede Ibukun.All former 

documents remain valid.General 


ARUA 


ARUA UGOCHI Now wish to be 

known and addressed as AMA 

UGOCHI NDUKWE. All former 




U.S. announces priority appointments for 

Student Visa Applicants 

THE U.S. Mission will 

prioritize student visa 

applicants and ensure Nigerian 

students resuming this 

Fall get visa interview appointments 

well in advance 

of their program start date. 

U.S. Mission Country 

Consular Coordinator Susan 

Tuller announced on Friday 

that the Embassy in Abuja 

and Consulate General in 

Lagos will make every effort 

to assist student visa applicants 

in a timely fashion 

while keeping personnel and 

customers safe. 

“As we continue to prioritize 

the health and safety of our 

staff and customers, processing 

student visas remains a 

high priority for the U.S. 

Mission in Nigeria,” Country 

Consular Coordinator Tuller 

said. “We will increase the 

number of student visa appointments 

in May and June 

to ensure that we can offer 

appointments to as many 

students as possible. If your 

U.S. studies are scheduled to 

begin this Fall, we encourage 

you to schedule your appointment 

as quickly as possible.” 

Tuller explained that all 

student visa appointments 

must be booked through the 

U.S. Travel Docs website at 

www.ustraveldocs.com/ng/. 

She warned applicants 

against the use of third-party 

services, including touts, and 

fixers who broker visa appointments. 

According to her, agents or 

third parties often seek to 

benefit by charging a fee for 

GIFT 

I formerly known as 

Isidahomen Enimhien now wish 

to be known and addressed as 

Esekhagbe Enimhien Gift. All 

former documents remain 

valid. Authorities concerned and 

general public take note 

ABDUL 


Aishat Abdul, now wish to be 

known and addressed as Mariam H. 

Abdullahi.. Former documents 

remain valid. General public take 

note. 

USMAN 


IDRIS DANJUMA USMAN, now 

wish to be known and addressed as 

IDRIS DANJUMA MAKERI.and 

my correct date of birth is 26/7/ 

1973 not 10/11/1975. Former 

documents remain valid. General 


JATAU 


Abubakar Jatau, now wish to 

be known and addressed as Garba 

Muhammad. Former 

documents remain valid. General 


MADUKA 

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MR 

MAXMILLIAN OBUMNEME 

MADUKA, NOW WISH TO BE 

KNOWN AS MR MAXWELL 

OBUMNEME EJIDIKE. ALL 

FORMER DOCUMENTS 

REMAIN VALID. GENERAL 

PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE. 

their services and they may 

not always provide the correct 

information, which can harm 

an applicant’s chances of 

qualifying for the visa. 

“Both Nigeria and the 

United States benefit when 

Nigerian students study at 

one of our world-class educational 

institutions. To prepare 

for your U.S. educational 

opportunity, we encourage 

you to check out Education- 

USA Advising Centers at our 

American Spaces in Abuja, 

Lagos, Ibadan, and Calabar, 

or 

at 

educationUSA.state.gov,” 

she added. 

Nigeria sends more students 

to American colleges 

and universities than any 

other country in Africa and is 

the eleventh largest source 

worldwide of international 

students to the United States. 

In academic year 2019-2020, 

a record-breaking number of 

nearly 14,000 Nigerians 

pursued graduate and undergraduate 

degrees in the 

United States. 

Over the last 21 years, the 

EducationUSA Advising 

Centers in Nigeria have directly 

contributed to an increase 

in the number of highly 

qualified Nigerian applicants 

to U.S. institutions. In 

2020, advisees of Education- 

USA services received scholarships 

worth $28 million. 

Additional information on 

U.S. travel and student visas 

is available at 

travel.state.gov 

ng.usembassy.gov. 

Audiomack partners Slum2School for 

under-served children 

By Juliet Ebirim 

or 

Moving music forward 

means empowering the 

next generation of creatives 

and in this light, Audiomack 

will be donating 

$5000 USD worth of tablets 

and headsets that will 

support the Slum2School 

initiative in Africa. The initiative 

is volunteer-driven 

empowering under-served 

children in slums and remote 

communities with 

quality education, entrepreneurial 

skills and psycho-social 

support to enable 

them realize their full 

potential and become social 

reformers. 

These funds will go towards 

supporting 38 

learners with tablets in the 

virtual learning program, 

which was designed to 

combat the impact of 

COVID-19 on education in 

disadvantaged communities 

in Nigeria. 

Speaking about the initiative, 

Charlotte Bwana, 

Head of Business Development 

and Media Partnerships, 

Audiomack Africa, 

reiterated their commitment 

to empowering its 

host communities. She 

said, “While the pandemic 

has impacted all aspects of 

our lives including the education 

sector, we recognize 

the increased gap on 

children from underprivileged 

communities as 

they are unable to access 

quality education and 

learning materials. This 

donation demonstrates our 

efforts to bridge this gap 

because we are committed 

to fostering a world where 

everyone has the 

opportunity to learn and 

prosper.” 

Also commenting, Otto 

Orondaam, Founder of 

Slum2School Africa said, 

“We are glad to collaborate 

with Audiomack who 

shares in our vision to 

transform the society by 

empowering under-served 

children in slums and remote 

communities with 

quality education. 

World Malaria Day: Godrej Nigeria holds 

clean-up exercise in Oyingbo 

By Juliet Ebirim 

CHARITY they say be 

gins at home and the 

state of one’s environment 

and living conditions are 

indeed two sides of the 

same coin. One is directly 

proportional to the other. 

This therefore suggests that 

the state of cleanliness of a 

community determines the 

lifestyle of its occupants. 

It takes a healthy community 

to produce sound individuals 

that contribute to 

its positive development, 

which is only some of the 

reasons Godrej Nigeria organized 

a community 

clean-up exercise as part of 

their corporate social responsibility 

and to mark 

the World Malaria Day 

2021. 

The exercise which held 

on Thursday, 22nd April 

2021 at Otto Community, 

Oyingbo, featured a courtesy 

visit to the local rulers 

of the community, activations, 

sanitation of environment 

and sensitizing the 

locals on the absolute need 

for a clean environment 

towards ‘Reaching the Zero 

Malaria Target,’ which is 

the theme for this year’s 

World Malaria Day. 

Staff and members of 

Godrej Nig, makers of 

Good Knight insecticide 

joined in the exercise, because 

they believe that the 

family is precious and every 

moment spent together 

needs to be celebrated and 

preserved. Also, social media 

influencers including 

Waje, Aproko Doctor 

among others joined in 

lending their voices to the 

cause. 

Lecturers hail Oboreh’s appointment as VC 

SOME lecturers of the 

Delta State University 

of Science and Technology, 

Ozoro have hailed the 

appointment of Prof Jacob 

Oboreh as the pioneer 

Vice Chancellor as a recognition 

of merit and hard 

work by Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa. 

They also said Oboreh as 

a former Rector of Delta 

State Polytechnic distinguished 

himself in the areas 

of creative administration, 

facilities development 

and improving academic 

standards. 

Those who spoke yesterday 

in Ozoro were Mr. 

Chyke Gbemudu of General 

Studies Department, 

Mr. Sam Igbi of Mass 

Communication Department 

and Mr. Kator Peter 

Enahwo of Agriculture 

Science Department. 

The lecturers believed 

that Oboreh would build a 

strong foundation for the 

university just as he did 

during his tenure as Rector 

of Delta State Polytechnic, 

Ozoro. 

Mr Gbemudu observed 

that the appointment was 

a cheerful news and members 

of the academic environment 

were very happy, 

stressing that Okowa has 

displayed great wisdom 

and administrative sagacity 

by putting a square peg 

in a square hole. 

Buhari reappoints Runsewe, others 

By Osa Amadi, Arts Editor 

P 

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has reappoint 

ed Otunba Segun Runsewe as Director-General, National 

Council for Arts and Culture for another term of 

four years to continue the deepening of Nigeria’s cultural 

economy. 

The appointment was announced yesterday by Garba 

Shehu, President Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on 

media and publicity. Others who were also reappointed 

were Mr Folorunso Coker, Director-General, Nigeria 

Tourism Development Corporation and Alhaji Adedayo 

Thomas, Executive Director National Film and Video 

Censors Board (NFVCB). The President also approved 

the appointment of Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed 

as the Chief Executive Officer /Artistic Director of the 

National Troupe of Nigeria. Alhaji Ahmed was until his 

appointment, Director of Culture in the Ministry of Culture 

and Tourism, Bauchi State.


HIC, partner 

tners empower er youths 

on building from small to great 

Stories by Moses Nosike 

In attempt to reduce the rate of 

unemployment in the country 

especially among the youths 

and make them become selfreliant, 

and by extension create jobs 

for others, an international 

christian newtwork organisation, 

Higher Impact Club International 

and its partners had concluded a 

life changing empowerment 

programme with seasoned 

entrepreneurs. The programme was 

hosted by the President, IWM, HIC 

grand patron, Dr. Isaiah Wealth. 

Speaking at the event, the 

President, Higher Impact Club 

International, Salvation Alibor 

said, “it is a club of business 

professionals and career people who 

are interested in building a team of 

persons who are capable of 

changing and transforming the 

narrative for the world today, using 

the mindset of God. As Christians, 

we have the capacity of changing 

the world we’re living. We can’t 

change it without having the 

knowledge, so we organise such 

events occasionally to help our 

people grow in the knowledge they 

needed to transform their business, 

career and growth in every aspect. 

According to Alibor, HIC is not 

limited to Gospel Pillars Church, 

as you can see the attendance here 

is from different denominations. 

“There are also non Christians in 

attendance. We bring experienced 

and knowledgeable persons who 

can share their knowledge and help 

us to grow in what we intend to 

accomplish as youth”. 

On the challenges of the club, he 

said that over 10 years of existence, 

the club has experienced more 

success than challenges. 

In addition, the immediate past 

President of the club, Dr. Innocent 

Ekeleme, said that the programme 

is all about empowering the youth, 

young people with the knowledge, 

skill set that would help them build 

their business from the grassroot 

level to maturity stage. 

To enable ease of payments and 

achieve instant value in a 

flexible manner for its post-paid 

customers, MTN Nigeria has 

introduced Remita, a leading 

electronic payment platform, for 

the management of all its post-paid 

invoicing, payment as well as 

service-and-expense reconciliation 

needs. 

With this development, 

enterprises and individuals on 

MTN’s post-paid billing system will 

now be able choose an invoice and 

amount to pay through any of the 

multiple payment channels 

available on Remita, receive a 

payment notification and an 

automatically updated 

transactions record with Nigeria’s 

largest mobile company. 

The telecommunications giant 

made this announcement recently 

after integrating its system with 

Remita’s invoicing and payments 

solutions suite. The partnership is 

expected to holistically transform 

the experience of post-paid 

customers of MTN Nigeria, 

enabling them consummate 

transactions in the most convenient 

way, achieve payment flexibility 

and maintain a record that is upto-date 

and truly reflective of their 

payment status. 

With post-paid payments now to 

be made on Remita, customers can 

centrally view, pay and manage all 

From Left: Former President (HIC) Dr Innocent Ekeleme; Presiding 

Pastor, Gospel Pillars Church Ikeja, Apostle Abrich Agbi; keynote 

speaker, Chairman/CEO, Coscharis Group, Dr Cosmas Maduka 

Receiving an award from Thelma Onuoha of British Council, 

Nigeria; President, Higher Impact Club (HIC), Mr. Salvation Alibor, 

during capacity development workshop on’ Building from Small to 

Great ‘organized by Higher Impact Club (HIC) of Isaiah Wealth 

Ministries held in Lagos recently. 

He said, “we found out that with 

the challenges in the economy, there 

is a need for mentorship and our 

youths need somebody who had 

taken the step they need to take so 

that they could be cautious of the 

business constraints in our operating 

environment which involves 

partnership constraint, financial 

constraint, security constraints etc. 

“Today we brought somebody who 

had gone through the ladders, 

settled with N200.00 but today he 

has grown his business to millions 

of dollars level. He was invited to 

inspire, teach and show us the 

principles and how to navigate 

during challenges”. 

Keynote speaker and a born 

entrepreneur, the Chairman/CEO, 

Coscharis Group, Dr. Cosmas 

Maduka who took time to explain 

to participants business principles 

and laws for a successful business, 

advised young entrepreneurs to take 

their destiny in their hand. 

According to him, an 

entrepreneur is someone who is 

optimistic, who believes that nobody 

controls his destiny, not even 

government or the state. “You need 

to be clear in your mind where you 

want to go. The more the country 

becomes more difficult, the more it 

becomes clear in your mind where 

you are going to go. I’m quite 

confident that as an entrepreneur I 

live the best time of my life 

regardness the hardship or 

economic situation. That is what 

distinguishes a truly born 

entrepreneur and those who are 

doing it trying to impress other 

people. Though government can 

make it a little better, but it’s not the 

time to give up. It’s the time to start 

proffering solution to problems. 

Never did I think I would get into 

farming but in 2016 when we saw 

where this economy was going, we 

took over 3,000 hecters of land in 

read Anambra. 

more on 

www.v 

.vanguar 

anguardngr 

dngr.com 

MTN Nigeria introduces Remita to enhance post-paid 

transactions 

their bills. They can also retrieve 

their invoices and complete 

payments for their total outstanding 

bills or selected invoices. They would 

also be able to enter a custom 

amount to be settled through a wide 

array of payment options available 

on Remita including card, internet 

banking, electronic wallet, USSD, 

bank transfer, phone number and 

registered Remita profile. Remita 

transactions can also be completed 

at any bank branch and agent 

locations nationwide. 

To enjoy Remita’s fast and reliable 

service for MTN post-paid bills, 

customers are to visit Remita 

website for payment options most 

seamless for them. 

Setting the pace for other players 

within the telecommunications 

industry, Remita billing and 

payment system is the first and only 

one of its kind within Nigeria which 

offers such an impressive level of 

transparency, ease of use and instant 

service consummation for post-paid 

customers. 

Speaking on the collaboration, 

David Okeme, Divisional Head, 

Vertical Markets and Payment 

Applications at SystemSpecs, 

providers of Remita, said, “With the 

increasing competition in every 

sector of the economy today, we at 

SystemSpecs are always exploring 

opportunities for collaboration, with 

the objective of improving customer 

read more on 

www.v 

.vanguar 

anguardngr 

dngr.com 

EL-1: (L-R) Executive Chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, Engr 

Valentine Buraimoh, Director of Accreditation, Medical Laboratory Science 

Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Dr. Tosan Erhabor, Director General/Chief 

Executive Officer, Nigeria National Accreditation Systems 

(NINAS),Pharmacist, Celetine Okanya and the Managing Director/Chief 

Executive Officer, EL-Lab Medical Diagnostic and Research Centre, Prince 

Elochukwu Adibo at the presentation of ISO15189:2012 certificate to EL- 

Lab by NINAS and MLSCN in Lagos Thursday 

From Left: Chief Security Officer, Zone 4 C.D.C, Igbogbo Baiyeku LCDA, 

Prince Otepola Oyerinde, Chief Executive Officer, ForeverLiving Fitness 

and Wellness Centre, Udeaja Oluwasegun, Ag. Head Operations, Lagos 

State Lotteries Board, Samuel Rowland and Manager, Retail Channel, 

Betway Nigeria, Clement Okolie at the presentation of gym equipment to 

ForeverLiving Fitness and Wellness Centre in Ikorodu, Lagos State . 

2021 World Book, Copyright Day: 

9mobile affirms commitment to 

promoting literacy in Nigeria 

Innovative and youth-focused 

telecommunications company, 

9mobile has restated its 

commitment to supporting 

initiatives that promote a culture 

of reading and publishing, 

especially among the youths. 

The telecom company gave this 

assurance while marking this 

year’s World Book and Copyright 

Day, an event set aside to promote 

reading, publishing and the 

protection of intellectual property 

through copyright. 

According to the Executive 

Director, Regulatory and Corporate 

Affairs, 9mobile, Abdulrahman 

Ado, the World Book and Copyright 

day presents an opportunity to 

celebrate Nigerian authors, inspire 

youths to read more as well as pen 

down their own thoughts through 

writing and publishing. 

“The importance of books cannot 

be over-emphasized. Books are 

valuable assets that stimulate 

innovation and national 

development. At 9mobile, we are 

passionate about the growth and 

development of the youth and by 

extension, Nigeria. We see education 

as a critical factor for driving 

sustainable development and 

impacting the lives of Nigerians. 

The World Book and Copyright Day 

ties into our CSR efforts to promote 

education in Nigeria. We are 

leveraging this auspicious event to 

encourage Nigerian youths to 

embrace the culture of reading and 

learning,” he said. 

read more on 

www.v 

.vanguar 

anguardngr 

dngr.com 

Rot 

otar 

ary y partner 

tners s local council on 

maternal health 

In furthrance of the partnership programme between the Amuwo Odofin 

Local Government Area of Lagos State and the Rotary Club of Lagos, 

Festac Cosmopolitan, the Club yesterday, donated birth kits to some 

expectant mothers at the Council Secretariat in Festac. 

During the event, the council chairman, Valentine Buraimoh, who received 

the gift items described the humanitarian gesture as life saving, even as he 

added that it would go a long to solve health challenges in the area. 

The Council boss thanked the Club for the wonderful donation and enjoined 

other associations of the same calibre to emulate the kind gesture. 

President of the Club, Uzoamaka Akaneme, said that the Club decided to 

make the donation, particularly to pregnant women, who are due for delivery, 

because most of them are low income earners, who might not be able to 

afford some of the birth kits. 

“This is also to celebrate maternal and child health, which is celebrated 

by Rotary Club in this month of April. About 25 pregnant women who were 

at the health centre for their antenatal care received the kits. The Health 

Centre received two fetal Doppler machines used to check the heart beat of 

an unborn child. 

Akaneme noted that items such as cotton wool, delivery blade, delivery 

pads and other materials were contained in the branded bag, which she 

said would also be useful to the women as nursing mothers. 

She said that she feels happy and fulfilled each time the Club under her 

leadership carries out such a humanitarian service. I feel good and fulfilled 

because these are the things that one feels should ordinarily be done 

individually, but sometimes, it becomes hard for an individual. But, when 

we come together as a club, and pool resources together, it becomes easy. 

However, Rotary is known for doing good to the society. I am happy as a 

person that we keep on doing projects and things that impact people and 

our community in a positive manner”. 

In his speech, the Project Director and Past Assistant Governor, Ik Ugwu, 

said the project would bring about reduction in maternal and child mortality, 

enhance safe and higeinic delivery, as well as alleviate poverty in the area. 

He said that the donation which was to mark the Rotary celebration of 

maternal and child health, was equally a practical demonstration of the 

Club’s commitment to assist the Primary Health Centre to continue to 

provide quality care and services.


Enugu Rangers’ enthusiasts celebrate 

Ugwuanyi’s jinx breaking spirit 

Fans of Enugu Rangers 

International Football 

Club, on Friday, paid 

glowing tributes to Governor 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu 

State, for his sheer dexterity, 

resilience and mind-blowing 

achievements in revamping the 

club and returning it to its 

winning ways, within one year 

of his administration. 

The enthusiasts, who spoke 

during the launch of “The New 

Dawn”, a book on Enugu 

Rangers International Football 

Club, written by Basil Ojengwa, 

at The Base Event Centre, 

Enugu, narrated with nostalgia 

how Gov. Ugwuanyi 

repositioned and gave 

maximum support to the club, 

which enabled it to win the 

2016 Nigeria Professional 

Football League (NPFL) title 

and the 2018 NFF/AITEO 

Federation Cup, after 32 

trophyless years. 

Describing Gov. Ugwuanyi as 

a jinx breaker, the Rangers fans, 

said that the governor’s 

achievements, commitment 

and steadfastness in returning 

the club to its winning ways as 

well as other feats in the sports 

industry were legendary and 

unprecedented. 

They added that lovers of 

Rangers football club all over 

the world are indebted to the 

governor for resuscitating the 

club’s ‘never say die’ spirit, 

which according to them, was 

the pride of the Igbo man, after 

the Civil War. 

Reviewing the book, the 

member representing 

Ezeagu Constituency in the 

State House of Assembly, Rt. 

Hon. Chima Obieze, 

highlighted that the author 

narrated “the contributions of 

a great leader (Ugwuanyi) 

who can best be described as 

a peaceful leader, lover of 

football, silent achiever and 

a consensus builder”. 

Hon. Obieze added that 

“the author dedicated this 

book first to the Almighty God 

and then to the man God used 

to bring Rangers back to her 

winning ways, Rt. Hon. 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi”. 

The lawmaker explained 

that the five-chapter book also 

dwelt on the evolution of 

football and football clubs, 

the advent of football in Africa 

as well as the metamorphosis 

of the name Rangers 

“through a military name 

used during the Nigerian Civil 

War”, among other 

narratives. 

In his address, Gov. 

Ugwuanyi who expressed 

delight at the event, said that 

he was evoked by “the 

reminiscences of the rich 

history and career trajectory 

of Rangers International 

football Club”, when he 

received the invitation for the 

book launch. 

“I recalled that Rangers 

International football club is 

CAF Confederation Cup: Enyimba draw Pyramids 

E 

nyimba of Aba have been 

drawn against Egyptian clubside, Pyramids 

FC in a draw ceremony conducted at the CAF 

Headquarters in Egypt. 

The Aba Elephants needed a 95th-minute goal 

from Cyril Olisema to leapfrog Orlando Pirates 

to the leadership of Group A. This gave them 

the advantage of playing the first leg away in 

•Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (left) with former Super 

Eagles Coach Christian Chukwu, at yesterday's event. 

a football club like no other; 

formed in 1970 (immediate 

post-civil war period) in the then 

East Central State. This Club 

announced its arrival in the 

Nigeria Soccer space with the 

win of a national soccer 

competition and qualification 

for the African Cup of 

Champions Clubs. 

Noting that Rangers football 

club took a break from winning 

trophies for 32 years, Gov. 

Ugwuanyi said: “In 2016, with 

our modest efforts in resourcing 

and restructuring the Rangers 

Football Club while leveraging 

the sweeping goodwill of the 

Club as well as unwavering 

support of the teeming Rangers 

Fans, it pleased God to grant 

our darling club the Nigeria 

Professional Football League 

(NPFL) trophy. 

Egypt on May 16. 

Pyramids FC will not be 

easy opponents for Enyimba 

as they were finalists in the 

2020 edition of the CAF 

Confederation Cup, beaten 

1-0 by Moroccan side, RS 

Berkane. 

They are third on the Egypt 

Premier League with 30 

points from 18 matches and 

they have only lost twice in 

the league. Pyramids 

qualified from Group D with 

12 points, losing twice to 

Raja Casablanca. 

In other quarterfinal 

pairings CS Sfaxien of 

Tunisia have a date with JS 

Kabylie of Algeria; Orlando 

Pirates of South Africa have 

Raja Casablanca to deal 

with and Coton Sport of 

Cameroon have a West 

African derby against Jaraaf 

of Senegal. All the first legs 

are to be played on May 16 

while the second legs are 

scheduled for May 23. 

Sports Ministry, , AFN move to 

secure Olympic relay 

qualifications for Nigeria 

F 

ollowing the refusal of the Polish Embassy to issue 

entry visa to Nigeria’s contingent to the World Relays starting 

on Saturday in Silesia, Poland, the Federal Ministry of Youth and 

Sports Development and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) 

have moved to ensure Nigeria qualifies for the five relay events at 

the Tokyo Olympics. 

To this end, a number of athletics meetings have been secured in 

the United States of America while a five-nation relay meeting is 

also on the cards to hold in Nigeria before the window for 

qualification closes on June 29,2021. 

It must be noted that only top 16 relay teams/ times will 

participate at the Tokyo Olympics. The Ministry is properly guided 

and Team Nigeria is not in any jeopardy. 

Said Niyi Beyioku, the AFN Secretary General, “The Sports 

Minister had to involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure 

we got the team visas to Poland but the embassy stood its ground 

and we, decided to switch to plan B which was to convert a prearranged 

training tour to inlcude qualification for the five relay 

events. The AFN wants to assure Nigerians that our relay teams 

will be in Tokyo come this July.” 

10.000 fans can now 

watch EPL matches 

No fewer than 500 away 

fans are expected at various Premier League match 

venues for the last two games this season. Football supporters 

have been denied access to watch their favourite clubs play live 

since March 2020 owing to the outbreak of the deadly 

coronavirus. However, with the vaccination programs currently 

going on across the country, the UK government is willing to 

allow about 10,000 fans into the stadia for just two games. 

Meaning that as of May 17, every match venue in the EPL 

will be chanced to accommodate 25 percent of its capacity and 

this includes the 500 fans from the away team. 

Mbaka is a contractor — Presidency 

*APC threatens to report him to Pope 

Jonboscow Agbakwuru & 

Omeiza Ajayi 

THE Presidency yes 

terday said that the 

refusal of President Muhammedu 

Buhari to grant 

Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka’s 

request for contract may 

have been the reason for 

his call for the President 

impeachment. 

Father Mbaka, who is 

the Spiritual Director of 

Adoration Ministry, Enugu, 

has in his sermon at 

his adoration ground said 

that God is angry with 

President Buhari and told 

him to resign or the National 

Assembly should 

impeach him. 

He said on Wednesday 

that the anger of God was 

on the President over his 

inaction on the wide 

spread of killings across 

the country. 

The fiery Catholic cleric 

was one of the strong supporters 

of President Buhari 

in 2015 and 2019 

elections as he described 

the President as the awaiting 

messiah for the country. 

Reacting to the call for 

the resignation of the President, 

the Senior Special 

Assistant to President Buhari 

on Media and Publicity, 

Mallam Garba said 

that Father Mbaka had 

approached the President 

for contract which was not 

given to him. 

The statement with the 

title, “Father Mbaka is everything 

apart from what 

he claims” read, “An outsider 

distilling the avalanche 

of verbiage, will be 

surprised that after supporting 

the President two times 

to win the Presidency, Father 

Mbaka has made a 

complete U-Turn, preposterously 

asking President Buhari 

to resign or be impeached. 

“ Here is the point of departure: 

Father Mbaka 

asked for a meeting 

and to the shock of 

Presidential Aides, he 

came accompanied by 

three contractors. The 

President graciously 

allowed them in, and to 

everyone’s surprise, 

Father Mbaka asked 

Rev. Fr.Mbaka 

for contracts as compensation 

for his support. 

“Anyone familiar with 

President Buhari knows 

that he doesn’t break the 

laid down rules in dealing 

with contracts or any 

other government business 

for that matter. He 

requested the appropriate 

authorities to deal 

with the matter in accordance 

with laid down 

rules. 

“Inside the Villa, discretion 

prevailed, that if 

those pictures and requests 

were made public, 

the followers will 

turn against the religious 

leader. None of it 

was released. Now, this 

is what is eating Father 

Mbaka.” 

Before the statement 

from the Presidency, the 

Deputy National Publicity 

Secretary of the ruling 

All Progressives 

Congress APC, Yekini 

Nabena, had cautioned 

the Spiritual Director of 

Adoration against making 

statements that 

could cause instability in 

the country, threatening 

to expose him before the 

Pope. 

Reacting to Mbaka’s 

statement Friday in Abuja, 

Nabena said it was 

unfortunate for a man of 

God “who is supposed 

to deploy all known 

spiritual means of averting 

crisis to rather be 

threatening a democratically 

elected government 

for his own personal 

benefits while pretending 

to be speaking 

for the people.” 

While making reference 

to the book of Mark 

4: 35-40 where Jesus 

Christ calmed the storm 

when a wild storm came 

up and the waves 

crashed over the boat, 

Nabena said Jesus did 

not blame anyone but 

prayed and calmed the 

storm. 

“One would wonder 

who Father Mbaka is 

emulating because the 

Lord Jesus Christ did 

not threaten to bring 

down the government 

during his own time, in 

fact, Jesus Christ obeyed 

and honoured constituted 

authority. That’s why 

he paid his tax. 

“We are calling on Father 

Mbaka to concentrate 

on his spiritual 

calling and stop speaking 

like politicians who 

it is obvious he (Mbaka) 

has been dining and 

wining with. If Mbaka 

has found another political 

ally, it is better to 

leave political message 

for politicians. 

“Calling on President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

either resign or be impeached 

because of the 

current challenges is 

ungodly. Father Mbaka 

should not, however, 

take his luck too far because 

there are a lot to 

tell the Vatican and the 

Pope about his person 

and his sources of inspiration”, 

Nabena said. 

The APC chieftain 

also called on other 

clerics to “emulate the 

likes of Pastor Enoch 

Adejare Adeboye of the 

Redeemed Christian 

Church of God RCCG 

and Pastor WF Kumuyi 

of the Deeper Life Bible 

Ministry and many other 

true men of God who 

will rather fast and pray 

to avert crisis in the 

country instead of 

threatening the government 

of the day”.

The rise and rise of 

the power of Athletes! 

I 

have waited a long 

time for a period 

such as this to come. 

Now, it may be here. I 

can see the faint outlines 

of an emerging super 

force that can drive the 

essential change that 

càn alter the face and 

fate of sports in Nigeria, 

for good, forever. 

The social media is the 

fuel propelling this 

phenomenon with 

ongoing conversations 

on several athletes’ 

platforms, telling their 

stories and discussing 

their plight. For the first 

time, differences are set 

aside and discussions 

have been frank. Crises 

are being resolved 

between warring groups 

and individuals, with a 

message of fresh hope. 

There is now a 

different route to a better 

future. It has begun to 

sink that until and 

unless athletes come 

together in a common 

front and fight their own 

cause, they will continue 

to languish in neglect, 

sidelined from the 

administration of sport 

where their success 

beyond their careers in 

sports lies. 

In all of sport, it is the 

athlete that matters 

most. Everything is put 

in place and in order so 

that the athlete can 

perform and excel. 

Success even for the 

administrator is 

measured only with the 

athletes’ success on the 

field, in the courts or in 

the the track. So, 

Athletes lives matter. 

Transiting their 

relevance from the field 

to the boardroom has not 

been easy. 

As a digression let me 

go back to an incident in 

the early days of my 

retirement, and my 

venture into 

administration. 

I should have heeded 

some good advise by 

Chief Jonathan Ogufere, 

former Chairman of P 

and T Vasco Dagama FC, 

Enugu, former President 

of the West Africa 

Football Union, WAFU, 

former board member of 

the Nigeria Football 

Association, NFA. Ten 

years after my retirement 

from active participation 

in football, he met me 

one evening at the NFA 

secretariat within the 

premises of the National 

Stadium, Surulere, 

called me aside, and had 

a very interesting 

conversation with me 

about my activities since 

exiting football, and the 

future he foresaw. 

He read the fire in my 

eyes, understood the 

direction I intended to 

head and then gave me 

his counsel in a calm and 

measured tone, not 

intending to offend my 

sensibilities or dampen 

my enthusiasm, passion 

and determination to 

enter into football politics 

and administration 

where he also believed I 

could start to influence 

positive and rapid 

development in the 

game of football. 

He advised that my 

transition from the 

football field to the 

boardroom should be 

gradual and strategic, 

even though I was 

eminently qualified to 

aim for the topmost job 

in Nigerian football. 

He advised that 

because he and some of 

his colleagues in the 

corridors could influence 

it, I should aim for the 

office of Secretary- 

General of the NFA, get 

a proper education and 

grounding in the politics 

of 

football 

administration, and then 

launch a bid for the 

Presidency. The SG’s 

office was by simple 

appointment which they 

could influence and get 

me into. It was also an 

office I could use to 

mobilise and galvanise 

the most passive, most 

potent, but wasting force 

in Nigerian sports - the 

footballers. 

I should have listened 

and reasoned more with 

him. I was in too much 

of a hurry. 

Uncharacteristically, I 

was stubborn. I did not 

think deeply enough. 

I even privately raised 

the funds to organise the 

greatest assembly of 

Nigerian international 

footballers in history to 

support my silent vision 

and ambition. I invited 

them from all over the 

country, transported 

them and accommodated 

them at Dr. Victor 

Olaiya’s Stadium Hotel. 

These were survivors 

from the first Nigerian 

national team , the 1949 

UK Tourists, to the 

players in the national 

Odegbami: Spoiling for another chaos in Nigerian football 

By Fred Edoreh 

Writing in Today.ng 

blog of April 24, 

2021, under the title: 

“Re-setting the button of 

Nigeria football 

Administration”, our 

revered Segun 

Odegbami wants the 

Honourable Minister of 

Sports, Sunday Dare, to 

dismantle the statutes 

and structures of the 

Nigerian Football 

Federation to pave way 

for certain unidentified 

class of persons to 

succeed President 

Amaju Pinnick’s board 

when their tenure 

expires in late 2022. 

Echoing Harrison 

Jalla, Odegbami says the 

statutes are the bane of 

Nigerian football 

administration and 

development and he 

wants the minister to 

immediately start the 

process of tearing them 

down, irrespective of 

how and what the 

Federation of 

International Football 

Associations might feel 

or do. 

My immediate 

reaction is simply to ask 

Sunday Dare to beware. 

Any discerning reader 

would readily see that 

“Mathematical” is 

simply stoking the 

embers for another 

season of anomie in 

Nigerian football. 

We have had one too 

many. From inception, 

the Amaju board had 

been dragged in circles 

of harassment and 

intimidation through 

successive ministerial 

regimes until the 

Presidency had to step 

forward to declare its 

disposition for Nigerian 

football to remain 

aligned with the 

universal statutes of 

world association 

football. 

But howbeit that they 

have come out unscathed 

from several attacks, the 

distractions and 

destabilisation have had 

their toll on the home 

game. 

The NFF statutes in 

question were approved 

by its congress, have 

been passed as a bill by 

the National Assembly 

and only awaiting the 

assent of the President. 

That is what Odegbami 

and Jalla want Sunday 

Dare to dismantle. 

Rather than focusing 

on politics to heat up the 

polity and create 

distraction in Nigerian 

football, the major 

concern for stakeholders 

at this time should be 

organising properly to 

Three months to Olympics: 

Dare dissolves boards of sports federations 

Three months to the 

Tokyo 2020 

Olympics, the Minister 

of Youth and Sports 

Development Mr 

Sunday Dare has 

dissolved boards of 

sports federations and, 

in their places 

constituted caretaker 

committees. 

The Minister who 

was represented by the 

Director of Federation, 

Elites Athletes 

Department Federal 

Ministry of Youth and 

Sports Development Dr. 

Simon Ebhojaiye stated 

“Within the last 4 

years, a few of the 

National Sports 

Federations Boards 

performed remarkably 

well, Having run a full 

Olympic cycle, the 

Boards of the NSFs 

inaugurated on 21 

June, 2017 are hereby 

dissolved to pave way 

for fresh elections.” 

To ensure continuity 

in the administration of 

the Federations, 

Caretaker Committees 

were put in place to 

manage the affairs of 

the Federations until 

elections are conducted 

and the new boards 

inaugurated” 

Ebhojaiye further said 

“Mindful of the Olympic 

Games in July 2021, the 

Caretaker Committees 

will work assiduously 

towards enhancing 

team Nigeria 

participation at the 

Games. The Ministry in 

partnership with the 

NOC, will release in 

due course, the timetable 

for the elections 

into National Sports 

Federation Boards” 

ensure the Super Eagles 

qualification to the Qatar 

FIFA World Cup and 

successful outing at the 

forthcoming African Cup 

of Nations tournament in 

Cameroon, all 

happening in 2022. 

The task is to ensure 

adequate and smooth 

financing for the Super 

Eagles’ ten qualifying 

matches to the World 

Cup, their campaign in 

the AFCON and the 

necessary friendlies and 

camping to both events. 

It is common 

knowledge that the 

government budget for 

the NFF this year is less 

than N1bn for all the 

activities of all the 

national teams. That can 

only be enough for about 

four Super Eagles away 

games. Under the 

prevailing difficult 

economic climate, there 

*Chukwueze 

SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 1, 2021— 29 

team at the time of the 

conference in the early 

1990s. 

The conference was 

attended by Isaac 

Akioye, Justin 

Onwudiwe, Peter 

Anieke, (all members of 

the 1949 UK tourists) 

Chukwuma Nzeogwu, 

Okwudili Daniel, Johnny 

Egwuonu, Paul 

Hamilton, Ismaila 

Mabo, ‘Daimond Toe’ 

Baby Anieke, Cyril 

Asoluka, Haruna Ilerika, 

Victor Oduah, Godwin 

Etemike, Simeon Njoku, 

several members of the 

All-African Games team 

of 1973, my own 

colleagues Okala, 

Chukwu, Otubusen, 

Nwankwo, and so on. It 

was the largest 

congregation of 

international footballers 

that represented Nigeria 

before Independence in 

1960 to around1990. 

Yet, Chief Ogufere said 

I needed to walk 

gingerly into the new 

world I was going into; 

that I needed to crawl 

and to stoop in order to 

conquer. Specifically, he 

told me he would 

support any step I took 

to become the Secretary- 

General of the Nigeria 

Football Federation, 

before attempting later to 

become its president. 

I should have listened 

but I did not. I have 

blamed nobody for how 

is even no certainty on 

when the funds would 

be released, like we 

have experienced 

before. 

True stakeholders 

should worry about that 

and the implications for 

coming events for all the 

teams and other 

development 

programmes. 

In 2010 and 2014, the 

government saw reasons 

to set up a Presidential 

Task Force to source 

funds from the corporate 

community to support 

the Super Eagles 

qualification campaigns 

and participation at the 

World Cups proper. 

Things are even 

tougher now and there 

is just how far the NFF 

can go with sponsorship 

marketing as brands and 

corporate organisations 

are currently focusing 

my attempts at getting 

into the boardroom of 

Nigerian football went 

because when I arrived 

at the gates, at the 

elections, the people I 

met there were ‘aliens’ 

from another planet. 

There was not even one 

person from the players’ 

fraternity, persons we 

grew up with, living a 

narrow life, cultivating 

friendships that would 

last a life time, sharing 

rooms, doing everything 

together, eating 

together, wearing 

common clothes, 

thinking as one, playing 

as one, winning and 

losing together, that was 

part of the electorate. 

In all things we were 

an inseparable team 

with a common mission 

and goal - to win and 

succeed. 

That’s who we are as 

sports persons. We are 

fed and we grow up on 

that diet of community. 

By the time we exit 

sports as athletes, the 

greatest error we make is 

thinking that the rest of 

the world out there that 

adored and worshiped 

us throughout the days 

that we entertained them 

and made them happy, 

would remain with us in 

the boardroom. We are 

wrong. It is a different 

world. 

Continues online: 


mostly on their survival. 

Even for sponsors to come 

in, Nigerian football 

requires some stability. 

At this time, the 

politics of succession 

into the NFF board with 

the suggested 

dismantling of the NFF 

statutes just to help the 

political ambition of a few 

persons would be a 

major and devastating 

distraction for Nigerian 

football. 

One major problem in 

the Nigerian football 

environment is the sense 

of entitlement and 

insatiable craving for 

administrative power by 

a section of exfootballers. 

They give 

the impression that they, 

only, know the game and 

unless and until they are 

given positions of 

leadership on a platter, 

whatever incumbent 

Contimuesonline: 


Chukwueze is Europa League 

assist king 

Samuel Chukwueze is 

now the joint-assist 

leader in the Europa 

League this season after 

setting up Manu Trigueros 

for Villarreal’s opener 

against Arsenal yesterday. 

Chukwueze showed 

quick feet to move past two 

Arsenal defenders for 

Trigueros to fire home a low 

...Makes Europa League Team of The Week 

Samuel Chukwueze 

has been recognized 

for his performance 

against Arsenal, with the 

winger making 

Whoscored.com’s Europa 

Team of the Week following 

the conclusion of the 

Europa League semifinals, 

first leg encounters. The 

Nigeria international was 

involved in the build-up to 

Villarreal’s opening goal 

netted by Manuel 

Trigueros after five 

minutes when the winger 

cut inside, and although he 

was dispossessed. 

shot past Bernd Leno. 

The assist is Chukwueze’s 

fifth in the Europa League 

this season, making him the 

joint-assist leader and 

moving past Nicolas Pepe, 

who has four. 

The former Golden 

Eaglets star has been 

brilliant for the Yellow 

Submarines in recent weeks. 

The 21-year-old has five 

goal contributions in his last 

five games for Villarreal 

(three goals and two assists). 

He is also among the 

seven nominees for La Liga 

player of the month for 

April. Chukwueze will hope 

to continue in this form when 

Villarreal travel to London 

next week for the second leg 

of their clash against the 

Gunners.

Simy Nwankwo, n 

30— SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 1, 2021 

Eagles recall – Dr 

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr must be the hap 

piest man on planet earth at the moment. His 

wards have been painting Europe with goals. 

His biggest wish is to see his players continue 

to do well leading up to the 2022 World Cup 

qualifiers. 

Nigeria is grouped alongside Liberia, Central 

Africa Republic (CAR), and Cape 

Verde. Only the top team in each of the 

ten pools will advance to the final knockout 

stages, where they will play home 

and away for a place in Qatar. 

Early this week, Gernot Rohr stirred 

the Hornet’s Nest when he said one of 

Europe’s top scorers, Simeon 

Nwankwo who plies his trade with 

Serie A club, Crotone had very slim 

chance of making his Super Eagles 

squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. 

He argued that with the likes 

of Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho 

and Paul Onuachu firing on all cylinders, 

Nwankwo would not have it easy breaking 

the ranks. 

The lanky forward scored a brace 

against Parma last weekend to bring 

his total goal-haul for the bottom of 

the table club to 29 to become Nigeria’s 

most successful striker in the 

history of Italia calcio. 

In a chat with EuropaCalcio, Rohr 

said competition for places in the 

Eagles was very high but advised 

the striker to move to a better club 

to boost his chances of nicking a 

place in his team. He added that 

at the moment, he had very good 

strikers who play similar style 

like the Crotone forward. 

“So it is very difficult to be part 

of the Nigeria attack,” Rohr said. 

“We have very good players. 

“I believe that next year he must go and play in a 

bigger club and in a team that is stronger than 

Crotone.” 

A Former Director of the National Institute for 

Sports, Dr Tijani Yusuf is not happy with the coach’s 

assertion. “This is ridiculous,” he said. 

“Any coach worth his salt would look for goal scorers 

to put into his team, players who can give him 

goals in order to win matches. 

“It is therefore, most surprising that Gernot Rohr is 

talking that way about a player who has scored more 

than 20 goals in Serie A.” 

He opined that Nwankwo playing with Crotone 

should have attracted more praise from Rohr instead 

of trying to deride the player because his club was at 

the low end of the table. 

“When you talk of the five top leagues in Europe the 

Serie A is a grade A league alongside the English 

Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga and the 

French Ligue 1. It is a grade A league in Europe. So 

what is Rohr talking about?” Dr Yusuf asked. 

The retired Director from the Ministry of Youth 

and Sports Development wondered if Rohr acts alone 

on players invitation to the national team. “Does 

Rohr have backroom staff who advise him? 

“They know what they want, but all we want is, let 

the best play for this country. We want good results.” 

Former Super Eagles Assistant coach, Sylvanus 

Okpala said, coach Gernot Rohr has the prerogative 

to choose whoever he wants to play for him, 

because only he that knows those who would guarantee 

him victory. 

“The point here is that he has other strikers who 

are performing well. As a coach, he wants to rely on 

those strikers. Another thing is that if Simy is also 

playing well for his club, does it mean that it is only 

.Okpala says coach invit 

vites only 

By Jacob Ajom 

the striking position that he can play?” 

he asked, suggesting that the coach 

can, as well, look at other positions 

within the frontline, either left or right 

or in the wings for Nwankwo. In football, 

you don’t know what will happen. 

He could be drafted in to play in a position 

he may not have been known with. 

We have had situations where an attacker 

was asked to play in the defence.” 

Our weekend editor, Onochie 

Anibeze also leant his weight behind 

the argument. “If Rohr was a good 

coach, he would not have said that he 

wouldn’t need Simy because of the 

presence of other strikers in the Eagles. 

“In the days of Clemens Westerhof, 

there were matches he fielded 

Amokachi, Yekini and Samson Siasia. 

But he made sure Siasia was a little 

behind, like an attacking midfielder, 

while Amokachi and Yekini played 

upfront,” Onochie recalled. 

“A good coach cannot throw away 

a jewel like Simy Nwankwo. He 

would have him in the squad and 

make adjustments to accommodate 

him.” 

However, more than two years 

after Ighalo retired, Super Eagles 

manager Gernot Rohr revealed 

that the ex-Man Utd 

could be handed a recall to the 

team. 

When asked why he wants 

Ighalo back, Rohr told Elegbete 

TV: “The answer is simple. The 

answer is when you look at the 

age of all the players that you speak 

about, they are all young, and also we 

need experience. 

Commenting on Ighalo’s impending 

recall to the national team, Joba 

Ogunwale said, “Rohr’s latest comment 

about Ighalo is the latest in a series of 

recently questionable decisions from the 

German tactician. 

“In a season that Nigerian strikers 

have stood out at their respective clubs, 

Ighalo’s potential recall raises a question 

on Rohr’s thought process.” 

He continued, “Paul Onuachu, Sadiq 

Umar, Kelechi Iheanacho, Terem Moffi, 

and Simy Nwankwo are all having a 

brilliant campaign at their respective 

clubs, yet Rohr is considering adding 

Vallencia, Barca set t to tickle fans 

The race for the titles and Champi 

ons League slots in the top European 

League hots up this weekend with all eyes 

on the legendary La Liga where one or 

two points separate the leading four teams. 

The pick of matches where fans are expected 

to stay glued to DStv and GOTv 

channels will be the cracker at the Estadio 

de Mestalla where Barca who are in the 

midst of a tough title battle with Atletico 

Madrid and Real Madrid, will need all 

three points against homers, Valencia. 

The weekend’s action also sees a relegation 

six-pointer between Eibar and 

Deportivo Alaves from Estadio Municipal 

de Ipurua on Saturday afternoon while title 

hopefuls Atletico and Real will be in 

action late the same day. 

The Rojiblancos head to Estadio Manuel 

Martinez Valero to face relegation-threatened 

Elche, while Los Blancos will welcome 

Osasuna to Estadio Alfredo Di 

Stefano. 

Another tasty clash on the menu is the 

round-closing battle between Sevilla and 

Athletic Bilbao on Monday with the 

former looking to confirm a top-four finish 

and the latter hoping for a strong end 

to what has been an otherwise disappointing 

campaign – underlined by a 

heavy loss to Barcelona in the recent Copa 

del Rey final. 

The headline fixture from Serie A this 

weekend sees Sassuolo host Atalanta at 

the MAPEI Stadium on Sunday. 

Messi & Ronaldo 

Lagos woos women to judo 

Following the successful seminar 

for women judokas, the Lagos 

State Judo Association (LSJA) is aiming 

to encourage females to take up 

the sport for self-defense in the society. 

Speaking at the one-day seminar organized 

by LSJA in collaboration with 

Tinubu Support Group (TSG) at the 

Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, 

Rowe Park, the chairman of LSJA, 

Sheriff Hammed said the aim of the 

seminar was to woo more women to 

the sports in their effort to popularize 

the sport as well as using the sport as 

a form of self-defense amidst the security 

challenges bedeviling the country. 

“This seminar is part of our efforts 

to revive judo in Lagos and we are using 

the seminar and judo exhibition to 

create awareness in the fight against violence 

and sexual harassment against 

women because of what is happening 

around the society. This is part of our 

mission to improve the sports and probably 

get more female athletes to participate 

in judo. So this is to enlighten the 

public and educate our girls about the 

art of self-defense.” 

For the Coordinator of TSG, Niyi 

Gbodimowo, the partnership was aimed 

at improving the fortune of judo in Lagos. 

“With this partnership with the Lagos 

State Judo Association, we believe we 

can help to develop the sport and give 

back to the youths who are the future of 

Nigeria.”

SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 1, 2021 — 31 

ot Ighalo deserves 

Tijani Yusuf 

player 

ers he trusts ts can give him victor 

ory 

Ighalo’s name to the list. And if Rohr is considering handing 

anyone a recall, it should be Simy and not Ighalo.” 

On Rohr’s insistence for Ighalo’s return, Dr Yusuf said, 

“I have heard some people saying Ighalo should not come 

back because his presence might rupture the chemistry 

already established in the team. 

“Rohr should listen, even though it is his prerogative 

to select his team. It is therefore surprising that 

when you have people who are knowledgeable 

about football, people who have played the game 

trying to make inputs, and then you ignore them. 

It spells doom for our country. If he knows 

his onions, he can arrange a squad that can 

match any team in the world.” 

On his part, Okpala insisted, “It is 

Rohr’s choice. We can’t question why 

he is inviting Musa and Ighalo. Probably, 

he knows them more than the 

other 

person you are talking about. But 

that does not 

stop him from inviting the other per- 

son because a squad 

is made up of 23 players and it is not all the 23 players that will 

play. He can bring him in, train with the team, to build his confidence 

so that anytime he is called upon to play he will not see 

himself as a stranger. All we are looking for is result. When he 

doesn’t get good results we can then ask questions.” 

Eagles striker 

ers in Europe: 

Simy 

Victor Osimhen: 7 

Nigeria’s Iheanacho 

has scored 14 goals 

in his last 14 appearances, 

as many as he managed in 

his previous 76 for Leicester. 

Only Harry Kane (18) 

has been involved in more 

goals than Iheanacho (15) 

among Premier League 

players in all competitions 

this year. 

Simy Nwankwo: 

29 goals 

With 29 goals in the 

calcio, Simy 

Nwankwo has now scored 

29 goals in his Serie A career 

— wiping the record 

set by another Super Eagle: 

Obafemi Martins, until 

now the top Nigerian 

scorer in the Italian league 

with 28 goals for Inter Milan 

between 2002 and 

2006. And that’s not all.3 

days ago 

Osimhen 

Kelechi 

Sadiq Umar: 26 

goals 

In the current season 

Umar Sadiq scored 

26 goals. In the club he 

scored 26 goals ( Super 

Liga, Copa del Rey, 

Europa League , Liga 

Adelante, Friendlies). 

Umar Sadiq this seasons 

has also noted 3 assists, 

played 4004 minutes, 

with 31 times he played 

game in first line. 

Members of the Palle Group, Ibori Golf and Country Club, Asaba presenting 

food items and toiletries to Job Orphanage Home, Agbor during the 

Palle Group Golf Kitty held at IGCC golf course on Saturday in Asaba. 

Umar 

Kelechi Iheanacho: 14 

goals 

Kelechi Iheanacho has scored 

1þã 4 goals in his last 14 

games for Leicester! The Nigeria 

international is enjoying his best 

season in Europe. He is definitely 

the hottest strike in England at the 

moment. 

Terem Moffi: 14 goals 

Terem Moffi who plays for Lorient 

in France netted his first Ligue 1 

hat-trick at the weekend and has been 

outstanding in his first year in one of Europe’s 

top five leagues. He has scored 

14 goals so far this season. The 14-goal 

haul after 28 games 

means Ikpeba’s tally 

is likely to be beaten 

after 23 years. The 

Lorient frontman’s 

return has come in 22 

starts, which adds further 

gloss on an amazing 

goalscoring season 

Moffi 

Items worth hundreds of thousands of 

naira were donated to Job Orphanage 

Home by Palle Group, Ibori Golf and Country 

Club (IGCC), Asaba, Delta state over the 

weekend. 

The group under the leadership of Tam 

Brisibe donated items such as rice, vegetable 

oil, noodles, toiletries amongst other things 

to the orphanage home at the end of its golf 

kitty held at the IGCC golf course in Asaba. 

Speaking at the event where about fifty golfers 

from within the club and other clubs took 

part, Brisibe narrated the need to identify with 

the less privileged and to share parts of what 

God has given members of the group to help 

those who are in need. 

He thanked members of the group and the 

leadership of the IGCC for the leverage and 

support to achieve this feat. 

At the end of the energy sapping golf kitty 

Adef 

defisa 

isayo lauds 

PwCChess4Change tourney 

Ahead of the PwCChess4Change 

Grand Slam slated for next month, 

the Honourable Commissioner for Education 

in Lagos State, Mrs. Folashade 

Adefisayo has commended the organisers 

and sponsors for impacting positively 

on students in the state. 

The Commissioner made the commendations 

during the sponsors’ courtesy 

visit to her office recently. 

According to her; “As an educator, I’m 

a great believer in chess and it’s fantastic 

that the competition provides the students 

with the opportunity to travel, to 

network and also to learn the king 

among games. So, I’m excited about it. 

“Chess teaches a lot. It teaches you 

about decision making. You can’t make 

a move without thinking of the impact 

on your opponent and what your opponent’s 

reaction would likely be. So, that 

means you really have to think deep. I 

believe in transporting skills and they 

can take that skill into thinking strategically 

and creatively.” 

Speaking during the visit, PwC’s partner, 

Mr. Pedro Omontuemhen said; 

“Education is an area we focus on at PwC. 

We continued to support education since 

the last administration and even the 

present administration by getting involved 

in so many ways.” 

Betw 

tway y donates gym 

equipment to promote 

fitness in Ikor 

orodu 

odu 

In an effort to improve the services ren 

dered to residents of the Lagos community, 

leading online betting provider, 

Betway Nigeria, on Thursday, 29 April, 

2021, donated gym equipment to 

ForeverLiving Fitness and Wellness Centre 

located in Ikorodu. 

With Ikorodu being the second-largest 

hub for Betway Nigeria, the brand aims to 

connect with residents in the area on a 

personal level by helping them achieve 

their fitness goals. 

Led by Udeaja Oluwasegun, 

ForeverLiving Fitness and Wellness Centre 

is a pop-up gym that encourages members 

of the community to adopt fitness routines 

and meal plans vital to maintaining 

a healthier lifestyle. The centre was established 

in 2020 and initially offered a free 

membership plan as part of its early campaign. 

Oluwasegun is a certified fitness 

coach trained in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 

where he was based before returning to 

Nigeria in 2018 to set up the fitness centre. 

The centre has grown by providing fitness 

and wellness programmes to people 

who otherwise would not have had access 

to them. Currently, the fitness centre 

records a remarkable attendance of up to 

150 fitness enthusiasts who seek the services 

and guidance of well trained professional 

fitness coaches on a daily basis. 

Obiyio, Umeh win Palle Group Kitty for charity 

...Group donates to orphanage home 

tagged ‘Palle Group Kitty For Charity’, the duo of 

Nelson Obiyio and Edith Umeh were declared 

champions in their various categories. 

Obiyo having played a net score of 77 emerged 

best in the men’s category ahead of Henry 

Onianwa who beat Tam Brisibe on count back as 

they both played 78 net to place second and third 

respectively. 

Similarly, Umeh recorded the best performance 

at the one day golf event to win the trophy just as 

the Lady Captain, Hetty Egbai settled for second 

place with 77 net while third place went to R Iroawa 

due to her 81 net recorded at the kitty 

In the ladies veteran category, Mrs M. Attoh was 

adjudged winner with a net score of 83, as L. 

Ogbetou who played 94 net emerged second. 

Ben Egonu with 75 net emerged best in the vet 

men’s cadre ahead of George Ugboma who recorded 

76 net to place second having beaten K. 

Emu who placed third on count back with a 78 net.

C 

M 

Y 

K 

SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 1, 2021 

CROSS WORD PUZZLE 

SOLUTION ON PAGE 27 

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

Advert Dept Hotline: 01-4544821. Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com 

Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X). EDITOR: ONOCHIE ANIBEZE. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

01052021

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