13062021 - Amid protest , Buhari vows:: i can die for Nigeria

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PAGE 2 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021 — PAGE 3

PAGE 4 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021

BIAFRA: IPoB gives FG conditions for dialogue 

•Demands nullification of proscription, apology, others 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

mid growing calls for a 

Adialogue between the 

Federal Government and 

Indigenous People of Biafra, 

IPoB, by some eminent 

Nigerians, the pro-Biafra 

group has given conditions 

under which it would 

interface with government. 

In a seven-point demand, 

the self-determination body 

particularly requested the 

restoration of its status prior 

to the August 30, 2017, 

proscription by South-East 

governors. 

Specifically, lawyers, 

human right groups, 

international organisations 

and political office holders, 

had called for a talk as a way 

of ending the current security 

problem in the South-East. 

Ebonyi State governor and 

Chairman of South-East 

Governors Forum, Chief 

Dave Umahi, recently added 

his voice to the growing list of 

those calling for dialogue. 

Legitimate 

He said most of the demands 

of certain people in the South- 

East are legitimate, saying 

government must discuss 

with them. 

Also, a former governor of 

Abia State, Senator Theodore 

Orji, said there was a need for 

federal government to 

dialogue with the leadership 

of the IPoB. 

Speaking with journalists in 

Abuja as part of activities to 

mark his 70th birthday 

celebration, Orji said dialogue 

with the dissident voices, 

including the IPoB, remained 

one of the best ways to achieve 

peace in the South-East 

geopolitical zone. 

He noted that the Igbo, who 

have been crying of 

marginalisation over the 

years, deserved a listening ear 

rather than the use of force. 

Similarly, a former 

presidential candidate, Prof. 

Kingsley Moghalu, urged 

government to dialogue with 

IPoB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, 

and the promoter of 

Oduduwa nation, Sunday 

Igboho. 

Moghalu, a former Deputy 

Governor of the Central Bank 

of Nigeria ,CBN, said such a 

discussion would address the 

root causes of their agitations 

and help douse tensions in 

Nigeria. 

Conditions 

Efforts by Sunday 

Vanguard efforts to know 

From left: Oba Olusegun Adeyemi Ajasa, Awuse of Onigbongbo Kingdom; 

Mrs Mofoluke Oluwasanmi of the Lagos State Council for Arts and 

Culture; Hon. Olufunke Rekiya Hassan of Onigbongbo Local Council Development 

Authority and Mrs Osayande Osaro of the Centre for Black African 

Art and Civilization, during the Language Arts and Culture Day at 

Chrisland Schools, held on Friday in Lagos. 

whether IPoB is disposed to the 

idea of dialogue yielded results 

as its leader, Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu, said the group may 

accept dialogue on certain 

conditions. 

IPoB made its position 

known in a statement 

exclusively made available to 

Sunday Vanguard by its 

spokesperson, Emma 

Powerful, on behalf of Kanu. 

In the statement titled: “The 

Dialogue: It Is Very Simple, “ 

Kanu said: “The world must 

note that what is being offered 

is not a new dialogue but a 

resumption of the dialogue 

that ended on August 30, 

2017. 

Based on this premise, the 

points for resumption of the 

dialogue should naturally 

comprise the following: 

“IPoB must be restored to its 

legal status as of August 30, 

2017, either its status before 

it was proscribed by South- 

East governors. 

“It follows therefore that 

once its legal status is restored, 

the subsequent proscription 

by the federal government/ 

listing as the only recognised 

“terrorist” group will be 

judicially reversed and 

gazetted as such. Provisions for 

doing that are contained in the 

Terrorism Prevention Act. 

Immediate discontinuance 

of all outstanding criminal 

prosecutions/arrests of all 

IPoB members. 

Immediate discontinuation 

of the ongoing so-called 

Operation Restore Peace. 

Apology 

“Federal and state judicial 

commissions of inquiry into 

the arrests, detentions, 

torture and killings of IPoB 

members starting from 

August 2014, when the 

killings started and ending 

with the killings that are 

currently ongoing this 

period. 

“Formal apology from the 

federal and state 

governments and 

reparations must be in 

purview. There shall also 

be a consideration of truth 

and reconciliation. 

Decriminalizing any 

peaceful marches or 

protests done by IPOB going 

forward. 

Referendum 

“In the course of meeting 

these conditions, there 

shall be constituted a highpowered 

committee that 

will work out the details for 

a referendum on Biafra. 

The committee must 

comprise an equal number 

of members nominated by 

the federal government 

and IPoB High Command 

and an ‘observer’, United 

Nations representative 

from the UN office that 

oversees such things as was 

in Sudan, Kosovo, 

Ethiopia.” 

Recall that IPoB was 

proscribed by South-East 

governors on August 30, 

2017, while the Federal 

High Court in Abuja, 

labelled the group as a 

terrorist organisation on 

September 18, 2017. 

The body has been serially 

BOKO HARAM: Thousands of soldiers maimed – Army 

By Henry Umoru 

HE Senate was told 

Tyesterday by the Nigeria 

Army that thousands 

of soldiers and their counterparts 

in sister security 

agencies have been 

maimed in the fight against 

Boko Haram insurgency. 

Briefing the Senate delegation 

on the challenges 

facing a 600 - bed military 

hospital, the acting Chief 

Medical Director, 44 Nigerian 

Army Reference Hospital, 

Kaduna, Colonel 

Stephen Onuchukwu, explained 

that some of the 

wounded soldiers are 

maimed for life and required 

cutting edge medical 

facilities to keep them alive. 

Meanwhile, Senate President 

Ahman Lawan, who 

led the delegation, noted 

that the visit was to show 

empathy and made a donation 

of N10million to some 

of the wounded soldiers in 

action ( WIA) undergoing 

treatment at the hospital. 

Lawan, who lamented that 

after the civil war, there was 

no time in the nation’s history 

that the military had 

faced warfare except now, 

assured that the legislature 

would work with the executive 

to ensure that the 

armed forces were properly 

motivated. 

Speaking further, Onuchukwu 

who is an orthopaedic 

consultant, declared 

that at the 44 Army 

Reference Hospital alone, a 

total of 7, 403 wounded soldiers 

in action had been 

received , treated and some 

undergoing treatment. 

He said, “ Since the war 

against insurgency stated, 

about 7, 403 wounded in 

action military personnel 

have been evacuated to 

this hospital for very urgent 

medical attention. 

“While some of such 

wounded personnel got 

treated and discharged 

with different forms of deformities 

, some are 

maimed for life. 

“Those in this category 

are the ones with spinal 

cord injury being assisted 

with urethral implant for 

them to urinate. 

“Some also have their 

legs and hands cut off as a 

result of cancerous injuries 

sustained at the battle 

front. 

“ These are aside others 

being rehabilitated from 

physical, emotional and 

psychological injuries.” 

accused of masterminding 

recent attacks on security 

agents and formations in the 

region, an allegation it 

denied. 

IMO KILLINGS: 

Uzodinma 

to set up 

Commission 

of Inquiry 

Governor 

Hope 

Uzodinma is set to probe 

killings in Imo State. 

To that effect, the governor 

has promised to set up a 

Commission of Inquiry. 

He dropped the hint yesterday 

when he met with Imo leaders 

at the Banquet Hall, 

Government House Owerri 

as part of activities to mark 

the 2021 Democracy Day. 

Earlier in the day, Uzodinma 

had in a statewide broadcast, 

followed by his appearanece 

at the Imo State 

Broadcasting Corporation 

(IBC) for a phone-in 

programmme that lasted on 

hour, told his listeners that a 

Commission of Inquiry had 

become necessary so that 

Imo people will have a 

clearer picture of what 

happened when lives were 

lost as a result of fight against 

insecurity in the state. 

The governor told Imo 

stakeholders that, in the next 

two weeks, the Commission 

would be set up and members 

inaugurated with the task of 

establishing the immediate 

and remote causes of the lives 

lost in the state and what 

should be done by 

government. 

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021, PAGE 5 

2021 Hajj: Saudi Arabia stops Nigeria, 

others’ pilgrims •Restricts rites to 

60,000 locals 

By Haroon Ishola-Balogun 

with agency report 

audi Arabia has said it 

Swill limit registration for 

this year’s Hajj pilgrimage to 

citizens and residents of the 

Kingdom in light of the coronavirus 

pandemic. 

According to Haramain, 

and Arab News platforms, the 

Ministries of Health and Hajj 

announced, yesterday, that a 

total of 60,000 pilgrims will 

be allowed to perform the pilgrimage 

this year. The Hajj 

begins mid-July. 

It stressed that those wishing 

to perform the Hajj must 

be free of chronic diseases, 

and to be within the ages 

from 18 to 65 years for those 

vaccinated against the virus 

according to the kingdom’s 

vaccination measures. 

Hajj pilgrims should be fully 

vaccinated, or those who 

How Caleb University owner supported 

my PhD programme — Otobo 

By Adesina Wahab 

he Head of Public and 

TCommunity Relations 

at Caleb University, Imota, 

Lagos State, Dr Elvis Otobo, 

has related how the founder 

of the university, Dr Ola Adebogun, 

was very instrumental 

to him completing his doctorate 

degree programme 

among other support he got 

from Adebogun. 

Otobo, in a tribute and 

show of appreciation to Adebogun, 

said God used the university 

founder to adopt him 

as his own son and encourage 

him to face the challenges 

of life. 

Otobo recently completed 

his PhD studies in Information 

Resources Management 

at Babcock University. 

“I met Dr. Ola Adebogun 

in 2014. At that time life was 

at its lowest ebb, but he gave 

me a chance and encouraged 

me massively all the way as a 

father would do to his biological 

son. He kept encouraging 

me all the way as mentor 

and father. First, by his 

kind and motivating words 

any time l have the rare opportunity 

to see him personally 

or talk with him on the 

phone.” 

RESUMPTION: Auchi Poly Rector 

charges students on morals 

FIRST year remem 

brance service for Sir 

Michael Eleonu Anwuri, 

who died on June 3, 2020, 

at the age of 65, holds today 

at St. John’s Anglican 

Church, Ndele, Emuoha 

Local Council of Rivers 

State at 10.00a.m. 

He is survived by his wife, 

took one dose of the COVID- 

19 vaccine at least 14 days 

before, or those who are vaccinated 

after recovering from 

coronavirus infection. 

The decision is “based on 

the kingdom’s constant keenness 

to enable the guests and 

visitors at the Grand Mosque 

and the Prophet’s Mosque to 

perform the rituals of Hajj 

and Umrah,” the ministry 

said. “The Kingdom puts human 

health and safety first.” 

A deputy to the Hajj minister 

meanwhile said that Saudi 

Arabia found great understanding 

from Muslim countries 

over the decision to limit 

this year’s pilgrimage participants. 

The Organization of Islamic 

Cooperation has welcomed 

Saudi Arabia’s decision 

to limit Hajj2021 to pilgrims 

from within the kingdom. 

he Acting Rector, Auchi 

TPolytechnic, Edo State, 

Engr. M. A. Zubair has urged 

returning students of the institution 

to observe good 

morals and adhere to the rules 

and regulations of the college 

as the new academic session 

begins. 

The Registrar, Dr. Godwin 

Ihionkhan, in a statement, 

stated that the academic 

board has approved Tuesday, 

June 15, 2021 as commencement 

date for the new academic 

session for both new 

and returning students of the 

institution. 

According to him, new students 

are expected to begin 

registration immediately 

while old students are also to 

commence registration on 

Monday, June 28, 2021. 

The Acting Rector, while 

wishing all the new and returning 

students peaceful 

and fruitful academic session, 

prayed for their journey 

mercies. 

Family, friends remember Michael 

Anwuri 

Dr. (Mrs.) Adesuwa Anwuri, 

children and grandchildren. 

DEMOCRACY DAY: Amechi congratulates 

Ndokwa nation 

By Tunde Oso 

he Chief Executive Offic 

Ter, Tony Amechi foundation 

(TAF) yesterday congratulated 

every Ndokwa son and 

daughters for witnessing another 

democracy day. 

Amechi, in a statement issued 

in Asaba, Delta State 

capital on Saturday said 

though the people of Ndokwa 

have been marginalised 

over the years, they have reasons 

to celebrate this day. 

“A peaceful and hardworking 

people, Ndokwa nation,” 

according to him, “is a work 

in progress for God and the 

time it noted has come to put 

partisan politics apart for the 

people to foster stronger unity 

and be more formidable 

in order to achieve greatness 

saying, the most important 

thing is that Ndokwa nation 

is undergoing a revolution of 

positive change and accelerated 

development and this 

calls for celebration.” 

The statement however, expressed 

regrets that the nation 

was celebrating democracy 

as she bleeds from insecurity, 

inflation, poverty and 

marginalization but was 

quick to express hope that 

with the unfolding developments 

in Ndokwa nation 

there are reasons to celebrate.

PAGE 6—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021 

JUNE 12: Amid protests, Buhari vows to die for Nigeria 

•Activists storm streets in Edo, Abuja, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, C/River, Rivers 

•Police, transport union workers disperse protesters in Lagos 

•President’s supporters clash with FCT demonstrators 

•Govs vow to deepen democracy, score selves high 

•Shi’ites join ‘Buhari Must Go’ protest 

•Reps, Amnesty International condemn attack on protesters 

By Dayo Johnson, 

Levinus Nwabughiogu, 

Chioma Onuegbu,Maria- 

Therese Nanlong, 

Luminous Janamike, 

Gabriel Olawale & 

Kennedy Mbele. 

As Nigeria observed 

Democracy Day, 

yesterday, there were 

protests in some states despite 

suppression by security 

agents. 

Before the event, many human 

rights groups had vowed 

to protest in major cities 

against what was termed failings 

of the Buhari administration 

irrespective of threats 

against such by the Federal 

Government. 

They had argued that there 

was nothing to celebrate on 

June 12, saying the state of 

the nation is worse off in the 

six-year rule of President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

In Abuja, Lagos, Edo, 

Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Cross River, 

Rivers and other states 

where the protests were 

billed to hold, people turned 

out, but not in large numbers 

as expected for fear of security 

clampdown. 

Meanwhile, some state 

governors held Democracy 

Day celebrations where they 

pledged to deepen democratic 

practices and gave an account 

of their stewardship. 

Earlier yesterday, Buhari, 

in an address to the nation to 

mark the Day, had said the 

day he joined the Nigerian 

Army, he was prepared to lay 

down his life for Nigeria. 

Before his retirement in 

1985 after the military government 

he led was toppled 

in a coup, he was a major 

general in the Army. (Full text 

of the President’s address on 

page 10) 

June 12 is a day set aside 

by the Federal Government 

to celebrate the restoration 

of democracy in the country. 

It was a day in honour of 

the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, 

the presumed winner of 

the anulled June 12, 1993 

presidential election, who 

later died in military detention 

in 1998. 

In 2018, Buhari moved 

Democracy Day from May 

29, the date Nigeria returned 

to democratic rule in 1999, 

to June 12. 

ONDO: 

In Akure, the June 12 

demonstration was a huge 

success as residents protested 

against what they described 

as Buhari’s insensitivity 

to killings in the country 

Ṫhey had stormed the major 

streets in the state capital. 

The youths were at the Post 

Office Junction at about 7:45 

am, chanting solidarity 

songs. They displayed placards 

with various inscriptions 

to express their grievances. 

Some of the placards read: 

“Buhari Must Go”, “Our 

Voice Must be Heard”, and 

“Enough is Enough No to 

Grandpa’s Regime” among 

others. 

Streets were deserted as vehicular 

activities were 

grounded. 

Son of the acclaimed winner of the June 12,1993 

presidential election in Nigeria, Mr. Kola Abiola, 

fielding questions from journalists after participating 

in a public lecture under the theme: ‘This Thing 

Called Democracy’, organised by Tribe Naija at the 

Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, yesterday. 

Photo by Abayomi Adeshida. 

A similar situation took 

place in many of the council 

areas in the state. 

Heavily armed soldiers 

were patrolling major streets 

in other towns in a bid to ward 

off criminals who may want 

to hijack the protest. 

EDO: 

In Benin, civil rights organisations 

protested against bad 

governance, hardship and 

what was described as stifling 

freedom of speech by the Buhari 

administration. 

However, security operatives 

were at the National 

Museum, the takeoff point of 

the protest, to forestall possible 

breakdown of law and 

order. 

It was observed that the 

security personnel outnumbered 

protesters. 

The protesters brandished 

placards with various inscriptions 

that read: “Respect Human 

Rights,” “The Economy 

is in Shambles,” and “ 22 

years After, We Are Back on 

the Streets Fighting for Democracy,” 

among others. 

LAGOS: 

In Lagos, the protest com 

menced as scheduled at 

the Gani Fawehinmi 

Park, GFP, Ojota, despite the 

presence of security agents. 

Though the police denied 

them entrance into the venue, 

the protesters moved around 

with their placards, chanting 

solidarity songs. 

The demonstrators had different 

placards with inscriptions 

including, “Buhari Must 

Go”, “Revert Electricity Tariff 

Now”, and “End Bad Government.” 

Some people believed to be 

members of a transport union 

came to the scene and ordered 

the demonstrators to vacate 

the area. 

“Go home. Everybody 

should go home. No protest 

here. Anyone that creates unnecessary 

havoc here will die. 

What are these hoodlums doing 

here?” one of the union 

workers said. 

At Lekki Toll Plaza, one of 

the areas touted as a likely 

protest site, the place was 

calm. 

However, there were pockets 

of disturbances in some 

parts of the state as armed 

policemen and other security 

agents had to disperse 

some protesters who were 

gathering to hold a protest at 

M.K.O Abiola Gardens. 

Skirmishes were recorded 

in the Mile- 12 and Ikorodu 

axis of the state. But the 

prompt intervention of antiriot 

policemen, who fired several 

teargas canisters to disperse 

protesters, restored sanity. 

Lagos State Police Command 

arrested five persons 

suspected to have participated 

in protests that rocked 

some parts of the state, Commissioner 

of Police, Mr. 

Hakeem Odumosu, said. 

Men of the Rapid Response 

Squad, RRS, led by their 

Commander, Chief Superintendent 

of Police, CSP, Olayinka 

Egbeyemi, were seen on 

major roads patrolling and 

appealing to residents to shun 

any form of disturbances. 

Commercial activities in 

the state were paralysed as 

markets, street shops and 

shopping malls along the 

highways were closed for fear 

of hoodlums attacking and 

looting their items. 

OSUN: 

Civil society organisations 

and student groups took 

to the streets of Osogbo amid 

the presence of security operatives 

to protest against bad 

governance. 

The protesters from different 

groups, including 

Omoyele Sowore’s Take It 

Back Movement, National 

Association of Nigerian Students 

and Campaign for Democracy 

and Human Rights, 

had placards with different 

inscriptions. 

Security operatives, including 

mobile and regular policemen, 

State Joint Task 

Force personnel, Department 

of State Security,DSS, Nigeria 

Security and Civil Defense 

Corps, NSCDC, were 

stationed at strategic locations 

in the state including 

Oke-Fia Roundabout where 

the protesters converged at 

8:30am. 

Addressing the demonstrators, 

Waheed Saka, one of the 

conveners, said: “June 12 

symbolizes resistance in the 

history of Nigeria and no government 

would stop the masses 

from expressing their grievances, 

especially on insecurity 

and bad governance in the 

country.” 

C’RIVER: 

The Police in Cross River 

State fired tear gas at some 

protesters who had converged 

to demand good governance. 

Sunday Vanguard learned 

the event took place at Rabbana 

roundabout and 

Atekong junction yesterday 

morning. 

Governor Ben Ayade had 

warned against any form of 

demonstration. 

OYO: 

In Ibadan, youths protested 

against the alarming insecurity 

and poverty in Nigeria. 

They converged on Mokola 

Roundabout where they demanded 

an end to bad governance. 

Security agents were seen 

at the protest ground. 

Some of the inscriptions on 

the placards include ‘End Impunity 

in Nigeria’, ‘No to fuel 

Price Hike’, and ‘We are tired 

of the Killings, Insecurity, Terrorism, 

and Poverty in the 

Country.” 

RIVERS: 

Civil Society Organi 

sations, CSOs, in 

Rivers State trooped 

out in numbers for a peaceful 

protest in Port Harcourt amid 

strict warnings by the police 

against violent protest. 

Held at the Pleasure Park, 

the event gathered momentum 

before mid-day. The leader 

of the gathering, Chairman, 

Rivers State Civil Society 

Organisations, Enefaa 

Georgewill, said it was high 

time Nigerians condemned 

bad governance. 

Georgewill said: “We are 

here to say that this current 

government is not ready to be 

democratic, not ready to allow 

the civic space and allow 

Nigerians to freely express 

themselves. It banned 

ABUJA: 

Protesters, who had gathered 

at the Unity Fountain, 

Abuja, were dispersed by men 

of the Nigeria Police. 

The placard-bearing protesters 

were chanting “Buhari 

Must Go” and “Say No to No 

justice,” among other solidarity 

songs. 

At Gudu area, police officers 

started firing tear gas canisters, 

making the protesters 

scamper in different directions 

for safety. 

Members of the Islamic 

Movement in Nigeria, also 

known as Shi’ites, joined 

#Take-it-Back protesters, led 

by Omoyele Sowore, to demonstrate 

against what they 

called bad governance. 

The protesters bearing 

placards with inscriptions 

such as “Buhari Must Go,” 

“Free Zakzaky,” “Police Brutality 

has not Stopped,” and 

“Digital Right is a Human 

Right,” among others, had 

earlier been dispersed in 

Gudu District by the Police. 

They, however, converged 

again at Wuse Zone 4, demanding 

obedience to rule of 

law, good governance and an 

end to insecurity in the country 

Ȧddressing newsmen after 

the protesters re-converged, 

the Secretary of IMN’s Academic 

Forum, Abdullahi 

Musa, said: “We, the Shi’ites, 

joined the June 12 protest 

against bad governance, because 

what we have today in 

the country is not a democracy 

but a dictatorship.” 

Some people, who identified 

themselves as supporters 

of Buhari, mobbed a June 12 

protester at Unity Fountain, 

Abuja. 

The action reportedly 

looked like what played out 

during the #EndSARS protests 

when demonstrators 

were attacked in Abuja by suspected 

pro-government supporters. 

A/IBOM: 

In Akwa Ibom State, Governor 

Udom Emmanuel said 

his administration had been 

able to accomplish a lot in the 

last six years despite the economic 

challenges in the country 

Ėmmanuel, who spoke 

while fielding questions from 

newsmen during a media 

parley in Uyo, as part of activities 

to mark the 2021 Democracy 

Day, said his administration 

had achieved not 

less than 85 percent performance 

since it came into office. 

He, therefore, solicited the 

understanding of the citizens 

to enable his administration 

to actualize his 8-point agenda. 

OGUN: 

At an event to celebrate 

Democracy Day, 

Ogun State governor, 

Prince Dapo Abiodun called 

on Nigerians to join hands together 

and build bridges of 

national unity and oneness of 

the country, rather than demolish 

fences. 

Abiodun, who made the call 

in his remarks at the MKO 

Abiola International Stadium, 

Kuto, Abeokuta, said, as 

Nigerians, it is better to live 

in unity for the development 

and emancipation of the 

country. 

According to the governor, 

“the best way to immortalize 

and celebrate MKO Abiola 

and June 12, particularly, at 

this time of our national life, 

is to build bridges and demolish 

fences”. 

Commercial activities were 

paralysed in the satate as residents 

stoyed indoors following 

the threat by Yoruba nation 

agitators to protest. 

PLATEAU: 

In the spirit of June 12, Plateau 

State governor, Simon 

Lalong, pardoned seven prisoners, 

some of whom were on 

death row and assured of his 

commitment to peace and security 

of citizens of the state. 

The governor said the decision 

to pardon them was 

based on the good conduct 

exhibited by the prisoners. 

ONDO: 

At a Democracy Day lecture, 

Ondo State governor, 

Rotimi Akeredolu, called for 

a virile opposition to enhance 

good governance. 

Akeredolu said: “The current 

happenings in the country 

suggest that the lessons 

derivable from the June 12 

experience have been cast 

aside for parochialism which 

finds expression in prebendal 

politics. 

“The level of poverty in the 

land is disturbing. It amounts 

to a hope deferred. Unemployment 

is a major problem 

in the country today. 

“There is an urgent need 

for a paradigm shift. The 

army of young but unemployed 

Nigerians keeps 

growing. Lack of basic skills 

required to address existential 

issues in an underdeveloped 

society among the majority 

of them should be a 

cause of serious concern to 

us all.” 

OPC: 

In a related develop 

ment, a press briefing 

in commemoration of 

the June 12, 1993 election anniversary, 

Aare Onakakanfo 

of Yorubaland, Iba Gani 

Adams, yesterday, said Nigeria 

isn’t practicing the 

ideals the late Abiola lived 

and died for. 

At the event organised by 

Oodua People’s Congress, 

OPC, Adams said: “The 

late Aare MKO Abiola 

represented hope. Remember, 

his campaign slogan 

was ‘Hope 93’ But the 

question remains: Is there 

any hope in Nigeria? And 

the answer is no. It is no 

because the politicians 

that are supposed to give 

hope to hopeless Nigerians 

are fast dashing their 

hopes and eroding the very 

foundation of democracy.” 

REPS: 

Also yesterday, the Minority 

Caucus of the House of 

Representatives criticised the 

actions of security operatives 

against protesters. 

A statement by the leader 

of the Caucus, Ndudi Elumelu, 

said it was against democratic 

tenets to prevent Nigerians 

from protesting. 

The statement reads: 

“The Minority Caucus of 

the House of Representatives 

is disturbed by the 

hostility of the All Progressives 

Congress (APC)- 

led Federal Government 

towards Nigerians protesting 

in commemoration of 

June 12 Democracy Day. 

“The minority caucus 

holds that the show of 

brute hostility and violent 

assault on Nigerians by 

the security forces is condemnable, 

unjustifiable 

and at total variance with 

fundamental democratic 

ethos of freedom of expression 

as guaranteed by 

the 1999 Constitution (as 

amended).” 

Similarly, Amnesty 

International,AI, joined in 

condemning attacks on 

peaceful protesters across 

the country. 

Writing on its Twitter 

handle, it said the reports 

of attacks on those protesting 

were troubling. 

The organisation asked 

government and security 

agencies to respect fundamental 

human rights of 

Nigerians.


NDLEA intercepts 100,000 bottles of codeine syrup at Onne Port 

. 146.95kg illicit drug seized at Abuja airport 

No fewer than 100,000 

bottles of codeine 

syrup with a total weight of 

15,325kilograms have 

been intercepted and seized 

by the National Drug Law 

OYO 

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State addressing protesters 

during the June 12 protest in Ibadan, the state 

capital, yesterday. 

NDDC BOARD CRISIS: How rattled Akpabio 

rushed to meet Tompolo in the creek 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, Niger-Delta 

NOT many would understand the 

predicament of 

Minister of Niger Delta 

Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, 

when he visited Oporoza, the 

traditional headquarters of 

Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri 

South-West Local Government 

Area of Delta State, penultimate 

Thursday. 

He visited a Niger Delta activist, 

Government Ekpemupolo, alias 

Tompolo. 

Tompolo had, previous Sunday, 

given President Muhammadu 

Buhari a seven-day ultimatum to 

swear in the substantive board of 

Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC. 

Before now, Akpabio appeared 

not ready to pay Tompolo such an 

impromptu visit in the creek. 

Before penultimate Sunday, he 

had snubbed stakeholders who railed against 

him all these months, including governors of 

the South-South who denounced his style of 

running the agency with interim management 

and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to 

suspend further disbursement of allocations 

to the commission. 

They suggested putting the money in an 

escrow account until a substantive board was 

put in place. 

Akpabio had kept overcoming resistance on 

the NDDC board issue, the last being the Ijaw 

Youth Council, IYC, which issued the 

government a 30-day ultimatum to 

Enforcement Agency, 

NDLEA, at the Onne seaport, 

Port Harcourt, Rivers state. 

The illicit substance, cough 

syrup with codeine (100mg), 

packed in 500 cartons and 

•Minister didn’t know severity of crisis– Delta deputy gov 

•Ex-militant leader now understands Akpabio needs more time 

•’Board’ll be inaugurated in July’ 

•Tompolo 

LAGOS 

Shops in Iyana Ipaja,Lagos closed during Democracy 

yesterday. Photo: Joe Akintola, Photo 

Editor 

•Akpabio 

inaugurate the commission’s substantive 

board. The Minister was able to outsmart the 

youth leaders, who spoke from both sides of 

their mouths at the end of a meeting. 

But penultimate Sunday’s threat by 

Tompolo was another kettle of fish. The 

warning was hard-hitting. “I wish to call on 

Mr. President, members of the National 

Assembly and security agencies to work 

towards the constitution of the substantive 

board of the NDDC to avert a total breakdown 

of law and order that will equally affect crude 

oil exploration and exploitation activities in 

the region,”the activist had said. 

“I hereby proclaim a seven-day ultimatum 

concealed in a container 

marked MRKU 1565305, 

bearing imported food 

masks made in India, was 

discovered on Thursday, 

10th June 2021 in a warehouse 

at the Onne port complex 

during a joint examination 

with officers of the Nigeria 

Customs Service, State 

Security Service, National 

Agency for Food and Drug 

Administration and Control, 

among others. 

The seizure followed an intelligence 

received by 

NDLEA, as a result of which 

the container was put on hold 

and moved to the Customs 

Government warehouse within 

the port complex. No importer 

or agent has however 

come forward in respect of the 

container but efforts are ongoing 

to track the owner for 

LOCAL CONTENT: Isoko workers protest Delta Govt’ quit 

notice to Ocean Marine Solution 

Over 200 employees 

of Ocean Marine 

Solution (OMS), a 

surveillance contractor to the 

Nigerian Petroleum Development 

Company (NPDC), have 

protested alleged plot to stop 

OMS over alleged violation 

of the state’s local content law. 

The workers, who converged 

on the four clusters 

under Oil Mining Lease 

(OML) 30 in the Isoko nation, 

were assertive in their demand 

for the vacation of the 

24 - hour quit notice purportedly 

issued by a Delta State 

governnent agency, insisting 

that they were indigenes of the 

host communities. 

Speaking on behalf of the 

placard - carrying workers, 

the Supervisor OMS Isoko 

nation, Chief Emmanuel Erhire, 

appealed to Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa to intervene in 

the interest of peace. 

Erhire said since OMS 

commenced operations in 

the area, vandalism of oil installations 

and illegal oil 

bunkering had become issues 

of the past, stressing that any 

attempt to frustrate the operations 

of the company would 

take the state back to the era 

of zero allocation. 

He maintained that the 

workers were confident in the 

capacity of OMS to perform, 

pointing out that the company 

had not only been consistent 

with its services, but also 

had a robust welfare package 

for its workers. 

Prince Collins Idama, 

Prince Ogologo Ofeh, Chief 

Gabriel Akpoine and Chief 

Omoefe Ojobor, who spoke 

on behalf of the Oleh/Olomoro, 

Uzere, Owhe and Oroni 

Igbide clusters, were unanimous 

in their submissions 

that OMS had done better 

than the two previous companies 

that had handled surveillance 

job in OML 30. 

They said OMS had demonstrated 

enormous capacity 

to secure and protect oil 

pipelines and installations 

within OML 30 and had engaged 

the services of over 200 

youths of the host communities 

to strengthen its operations. 

starting from the date of this publication 

(penultimate Monday) to inaugurate the 

substantive board of the Commission. 

“Senator Akpabio’s temporary reprieve 

from the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) protest 

is a child’s play compared to what is to 

come in a few days. He is about to be 

awakened to the rage of the Niger Delta 

region.” 

Scared 

A source said: “Akpabio became rattled 

when he learned that Tompolo does not 

make empty threats and in fact, that before 

the seven-day ultimatum was issued, he 

must have put in place everything required 

to make his threat real. 

“On Sunday night through early hours 

of Monday, the next day, the minister and 

his top aides worked the phone talking to 

persons identified to be close to Tompolo. The 

supposition that the seven-day ultimatum did 

not emanate from the ex-militant leader paled 

out when more than one acquaintance 

confirmed he authored it. 

“Since the contact cannot hold brief for 

Tompolo, he had to get back to the GOC, who 

said Akpabio should come and see him in the 

creek as the matter at stake was not an issue 

to be discussed on phone. Akpabio has 

paranoia for any river and was apathetic about 

meeting Tompolo in the creek.” 

Delta govt 

Democracy Day: Sign electoral bill into 

law now, Onolememen urges Buhari 

By Prince Osuagwu 

Former Minister of 

Works, Dr. Mike On 

olememen, yesterday, 

charged president Muhammadu 

Buhari to sign the electoral 

bill into law to guarantee 

free and fair elections in 


This was even as he advised 

Nigerians to use the opportunity 

of the celebration to reflect 

more on some of the 

things that used to bind the 

nation together, which are 

unfortunately dividing it 

now. 

In a Democracy Day message, 

Onolememen enjoined 

politicians to reflect on the 

travails of Moshood Abiola, 

whose truncated election victory 

gave rise to the celebration 

of June 12 as democracy 

day. 

He said: “Today, June 12 

marks democracy day in our 

country. I rejoice in joining 

further investigation and prosecution. 

In a related development, 

NDLEA operatives at the 

Nnamdi Azikiwe International 

Airport, Abuja, NAIA, have 

seized nine cartons of khat, 

weighing 146.95kilograms 

at the cargo wing of the airport. 

The consignment packaged 

as dried green tea was 

shipped from Addis Ababa, 

on board Ethiopian airline 

flight ET911. 

Doyin Okupe hails Sanwo-Olu exemplary 

leadership 

Former presidential 

spokesperson, Dr. 

Doyin Okupe, has 

saluted the exemplary 

leadership of Lagos State 

Governor, Mr. Babajide 

Sanwo-Olu. 

The renowned politician, 

who served as 

spokesperson to former 

Presidents Olusegun 

Obasanjo and Goodluck 

Jonathan, credited Sanwo- 

Olu for his impressive and 

laudable leadership strides 

which, he said are worthy 

of emulation. 

“Governor Sanwo-Olu is 

a young man I admire 

greatly despite our political 

differences”, Okupe 

said 

He lauded the approach 

of the governor in handling 

Covid-19 in Lagos 

while appreciating him 

for his numerous contributions 

to the growth and development 

of the state. 

His words,” This young 

man, within the space of 2 

years, has carried governance 

to a sublime degree 

of performance and has 

clearly defined what responsible 

leadership and 

service are 

“I am not an APC member, 

and never will be one, 

but for Governor Sanwo- 

Olu, I doff my hat”. 

Okupe mentioned some 

of the projects of the governor 

to include donation 

of 150 Double Cabin Vehicles; 

30 Saloon Patrol 

Vehicles; 1000 Ballistic 

Vests; 1,000 Handheld 

Radios/Walkie Talkies; 

and 100 Patrol Bikes to security 

agencies. 

millions of citizens in this celebration. 

When we look back 

to what Nigeria was before 

1999, we must be thankful for 

the democratic journey so far, 

away from those eras of military 

rules and interventions”. 

“In retrospection, therefore, 

let’s remember Chief 

Moshood Kashimawo Olawale 

Abiola whose victory 

was truncated on June 12th, 

1993. That presidential election 

was adjudged to be the 

fairest and freest in the annals 

of our history. Even in 

prison, MKO was resolute 

that his stolen mandate must 

be returned and to this, he 

eventually lost his life while 

in detention. 

It is on this note that I urge 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

to revisit the latest 

amendment to the Electoral 

Bill, and sign it into law, to 

guarantee free and fair elections 

at all times. 

With the issue of his safety in focus, Delta 

State government, which was bothered about 

the likely destruction of critical oil and gas 

facilities not only in the state but also in the 

Niger-Delta region, put machinery in motion 

to get Akpabio to do the needful. 

That was the turning point for Akpabio. 

Delta State Deputy Governor, Kingsley 

Otuaro was the head of the engagement. The 

Joint Task Force, JTF, on the Niger Delta also 

supported the efforts of the state government. 

Sunday Vanguard learned that a Senior 

Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

on Security, Mr. Daniel Ezekiel, reached out 

to leaders of different agitating groups to shift 

ground. 

Akpabio briefed Buhari about the 

arrangements and obtained his permission 

to go ahead with the consultative meeting. 

Royal fathers and representatives of the host 

Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko and Ndokwa 

ethnic nationalities in Delta, Ondo, Bayelsa, 

Edo and Rivers states had held a meeting 

earlier to harmonize their position before 

Akpabio, who came on a motorboat with 

Otuaro, arrived at about 3.00 pm, 

penultimate Thursday. 

The minister, apparently underestimating 

the mood of the ethnic nationalities, 

sermonized on the desirability of the forensic 

audit and need for them to maintain the 

peace, assuring that the board would be 

inaugurated by July. 

Addressing the gathering at the palace of 

the Pere of Gbaramatu, Akpabio said: “I came 

to consult you on the way forward and also to 

drop a message that when others are having 

issues with the Federal Government, this 

region should not join. 

“I am saying this because it is only 

somebody who is causing a war that can go 

for a war. We must support the Federal 

Government. What we are looking for in 

Niger Delta is empowerment and we cannot 

have it unless we have peace.’’

PAGE 8 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021 

JUNE 12 

How Dosumu, Adeniji-Adele 

and I outsmarted Abacha, 

swore-in Abiola as ‘President’ 

By Sunbo Onitiri 

The annulled June 12, 1993 

presidential election has been 

repeatedly referred to as a watershed 

in Nigeria’s history. The reasons for this 

assertion are not far-fetched. That election 

was the freest and fairest election in the 

electoral history of the country. 

Then-National Electoral Commission, 

NEC, adopted a unique voting system 

known as Option A4 which made rigging 

and other electoral malpractices 

practically impossible. 

It made accreditation, voting and 

declaration of results happened 

simultaneously in different voting units 

across the country, with the active 

participation of electoral officials, party 

agents and security agents in the presence 

of voters. 

There was no room for bribing of voters, 

hijacking of ballot boxes or falsification of 

results. 

Option A4, though regarded then as a 

unique voting system with several 

limitations, turned out to be very effective 

in checkmating the excesses of desperate 

politicians. 

The end result was that the outcome of 

the election was publicly known even 

before NEC started announcing it in Abuja 

based on returns from states. 14 states’ 

results had been announced and a clear 

winner already emerged before then 

military administration stopped the process 

and eventually annulled the freest and 

fairest election in Nigeria’s history. 

Direct impact 

In examining the direct impact of Option 

A4 in Nigeria’s electoral process, certain 

fundamental issues were very clear. Chief 

Moshood Kashinmawo Osuolale Abiola, 

the leading candidate in the election, who 

would have been declared as president-elect 

if the process had not been truncated, was a 

Muslim. 

The fact that he picked a Muslim running 

mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, 

didn’t matter to voters. 

They massively voted for the Muslim- 

Muslim ticket. 

Religion, therefore, wasn’t a 

consideration in that election. The analysis 

of the result showed that the mandate was 

pan-Nigerian. 

And the fact that MKO’s opponent, Alhaji 

Bashir Tofa, was a northerner with a 

running mate from the South-East had no 

impact on the voting pattern. 

So, tribal and ethnic sentiments were also 

pushed aside by Nigerians. The euphoria 

across the country was so massive that it 

became apparent that a new Nigeria was 

emerging through the June 12 electoral 

process. 

June 12, therefore, could have been a 

foundation for a new Nigeria. 

Quagmire 

The annulment of the election and 

subsequent crisis it generated was what led 

Nigeria to its present quagmire. Another 

process, initiated by the late maximum ruler, 

General Sani Abacha, was a direct opposite 

of the process that led to June 12. 

Abacha was hell bent on transmuting 

from a military dictator to a civilian 

President such that every step of that process 

was rigged to produce him as sole 

presidential candidate of the five political 

parties that emerged. 

That is why he supervised the writing of a 

Constitution specifically designed for him 

to use as civilian dictator. 

In doing this, he had the backing of the 

northern political establishment made up 

of individuals who were unhappy about 

June 12 and who were fundamentally 

opposed to transfer of power to the South. 

Sudden death 

Abacha’s sudden death was a divine 

intervention that saved Nigeria from 

perhaps the worst dictatorship that could 

have emerged in this country’s history. 

It is unfortunate, however, that it was the 

same Abacha’s Constitution that Nigeria 

retained till today which is causing 

division amongst the three major tribes. 

Significant role 

Meanwhile, the late Richard Babatunde 

Adejumo, a lawyer, and I played significant 

role for the June 12 election to hold. We 

obtained the judgment that enabled 

Nigerians to vote at the election. 

I also played an important role at the 

swearing-in of MKO Abiola as President of 

Nigeria otherwise known as the Epetedo 

Declaration. 

How we pulled off 

declaration 

Many Nigerians may still be wondering 

how the swearing-in happened. One year 

after the June 12 election, Abiola decided 

to come out of hiding. He called me to 

arrange a safe place to claim his mandate. 

The call came while I was attending a 

meeting of the Primrose group, which had 

been working to get Abiola to reclaim his 

mandate, in Hon Shitta Bey’s Hotel in Ikeja. 

I took the phone call to the late Senator 

Wahab Dosunmu to talk with Abiola. 

Subsequently we announced MKO’s desire 

to the meeting but many of the group’s 

members such as Shitta-Bey and Hon 

Bushura Alebioshu were afraid to host the 

swearing - in. It was only Senator Dosunmu, 

the late Ademola Adeniji-Adele and I that 

remained and decided to provide a venue 

for the event. 

While I suggested Ojuelegba Bus Stop, Dr 

Wahab Dosunmu was in favour of Epetedo 

and the three of us agreed on Epetedo as it 

provided escape through the 3rd Mainland 

Bridge. We then communicated the venue 

to MKO and our reason for choosing it. He 

then instructed us to get in touch with Prof 

Bolaji Akinyemi to oversee the swearingin. 

After putting finishing touches to the 

swearing-in ceremony, we mobilised our 

fans to the venue and joined Epetedo 

residents who were oblivion of the big event 

that would happen later. 

We expected Professor Bolaji Akinyemi at 

the historic event but he failed to show up. 

We tried his phone but he did not pick it. 

Eventually MKO read his 

speech and we all 

dispersed. Events 

subsequently happened in 

rapid succession, leading 

to MKO’s arrest, detention 

and trial. 

1999 

General Abdulsalami 

Abubakar, Abacha’s 

successor, dusted the 

document prepared by his 

predecessor and presented 

it to Nigerians as the 1999 

Constitution. 

From the outset, it was 

clear that Abacha was not 

working alone in his quest 

to transmute into civilian 

dictator. 

He had a lot of foot 

soldiers across the country. 

What made it easy for 

him to go that far was 

money. Abacha opened the Central Bank 

of Nigeria vaults for anyone willing to work 

for the actualization of his ambition. 

So, many of the politicians who 

participated in the Abacha transition 

programme did so for money. His sudden 

death was not anticipated. And that threw 

spanners into the process. The only viable 

option was for Abiola to be released to claim 

his mandate. But Abacha’s people, 

especially in the military and their civilian 

collaborators, would not want that. 

Investment 

Too much investment had gone into their 

plot to grab power. So, Chief Moshood 

Kashimawo Osuolale Abiola, the presidentelect 

who emerged through the freest and 

fairest election in Nigeria’s history, must 

die for them to achieve their ambition 

despite Abacha’s death. 

It is clear that General Abdusalami 

It was only 

Senator Dosunmu, 

the late Ademola 

Adeniji-Adele and I 

that remained and 

decided to provide 

a venue for the 

event 

•Onitiri 

Abubakar’s transition programme was a 

continuation of Abacha’s programme. 

The registration of new political parties 

was a strategy to allow Abacha’s politicians 

to regroup. 

So, money politics and other bizarre 

behaviors of the present politicians were 

direct consequences of Abacha’s ambition 

designed to bury June 12 permanently. That 

process has now thrown up the worst 

political system, which caters only for 

politicians and their 

appointees while ignoring 

the welfare and wellbeing 

of ordinary Nigerians. 

The chicken has finally 

come home to roost with 

the current APC 

government and its nepotic 

and ethno-focused 

behaviours, forcing 

different ethnic 

nationalities in Nigeria to 

clamor for selfdetermination. 

Damage 

To repair the damage, 

Nigeria must immediately 

initiate a process to allow 

Nigerians to write their own 

Constitution. Further 

attempts to force Abacha’s 

Constitution down their 

throats will lead to doom. 

Nigerians, in writing their 

Constitution, will renegotiate the terms of 

their union in a federation. 

The issue of restructuring will be laid to 

rest permanently. 

It is not too late to start this process. 

Secondly, a process of political reforms 

must begin in earnest. The present political 

system has shut out ordinary Nigerians from 

participating. Money politics, where only 

rich individuals can afford to indicate 

interest in aspiring for public office, is 

undemocratic. The leading political parties 

in Nigeria have used money, not patriotism, 

knowledge, intellect, positive values, 

community development spirit and care for 

the common people, as criteria for selecting 

aspirants to public offices. Where forms to 

express interest, fight for nomination and 

participate in primaries cost millions, only 

money bags can participate. Shutting the 

door against honest, hardworking and 

highly intelligent Nigerians by focusing 

only on money can never lead to good 

governance. 

•Abiola 

Credibility 

Elections must be free and fair. That was 

the credibility of June 12. Nigerians must 

be given free hands to elect their leaders. 

Manipulation of elections to foist 

underserved politicians on the people will 

only compound the woes facing Nigeria. 

MKO Abiola won the June 12 election in a 

free and fair contest. That is why his 

electoral victory has remained a watershed 

till date. 

Recognition 

It is good and appreciated that the Buhari 

administration has post humously 

recognized Abiola as the winner of the June 

12 election and restored full presidential 

privileges to him. Recognition of June 12 

as Nigeria’s Democracy Day is also the right 

thing to do. These actions will, however, 

remain just mere gestures unless political 

reforms in Nigeria are built on the 

foundation of June 12, when Option A4 was 

adopted. 

Mass participation is electoral process and 

free and fair elections. Anything else is 

building on a bad foundation and will 

only lead to the collapse of the country. 

The Electoral Reform Bill should be 

signed into law before 2023. Option A4 

clause should be incorporated into the 

electoral law to checkmate lawlessness and 

fraud. Aftermath of June 12 and unity of the 

country is essential. 

Legacy 

The good legacy President Buhari can leave 

behind come 2023 is to leave Nigeria more 

united than he met it in 2015 by banning open 

grazing in the country, lift the ban on Twitter 

now causing serious agitations in the country, 

arrest unknown gunmen and prosecute killer 

herdsmen. Buhari should put an end to 

insecurity and banditry in Nigeria. Above all, 

government should dialogue with IPOB 

(Indigenous People of Biafia). As President 

Buhari is on his last lap to 2023, he should, as 

a father figure, address the nation and itemize 

his numerous achievements since 2015. Lastly, 

he should declare a state of emergency on 

insecurity as well as tag the armed herders as 

terrorists immediately. 

•Onitiri, a socio-political activist 

and critic, lives in Lagos.

JUNE 12 

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021,PAGE 9 

What IBB told 

me — Emelonye 

By Nnamdi Ojiego 

Badamasi, Portrait of a General, a film that x-rays the life of 

a former head of state, General Ibrahim Badamasi 

Babangida (rtd), popularly known as IBB, was scheduled to be 

released yesterday, 28 years after the annulled June 12, 1993 

presidential election. In this exclusive interview, Obi Emelonye, UK 

based award-winning filmmaker, reveals how it took him three 

years of persuasion before he could get the approval of the retired 

general to do the film. Excerpts: 

•Emelonye 

We learnt that your long awaited 

movie, Badamasi, would premiere on 

June 12 in London. Why was the release 

delayed for over two years? 

This project has been in the making since 

March 2016. However, after the film was 

finished in the middle of 2019, I battled some 

unseen forces whose powers cannot be underestimated. 

First, the planned cinema release 

in November 2019 had to be cancelled when, 

what I call, the ‘murmurs from the dark’ grew 

louder and more sinister. I was receiving 

messages asking me not to release the film. I 

pulled the plug on the release and, together 

with my distributor, decided on a less 

confrontational release strategy online. Even 

that was beset with inexplicable bottle-necks. 

So, after nearly two years of being patient and 

deferring to people I have never met and who 

have refused to formalise their objection to 

the film, a confluence of circumstances led to 

this world premiere, which is proof that there 

is a perfect time for everything in life. Saturday, 

June 12 2021 is the perfect date for the world 

to see BADAMASI, albeit only in London, so 

far. 

What inspired Badamasi? 

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida 

inspired Badamasi (Portrait of a General); his 

mystique, his grass to grace story, his pivotal 

role in the shaping of, for good or for bad, 

Nigerian economy and democracy; his 

involvement in 90% of coups in Nigeria, his 

charm and gap-toothed smile, his legendary 

dribbling, his central role in June 12 and his 

noble silence since leaving office, all made 

him an irresistible dramatic fodder for a 

filmmaker in search of an evocative subject. 

So, why did you choose June 12 to 

release the film? 

I have been asked this question severally by 

people who are drawing a political inference 

on what was a pragmatic and logistically 

astute scheduling. It’s like asking a Hollywood 

producer why they chose September 11 as the 

day for the release of an imaginary 

blockbuster on Osama Bin Laden. The 

alignment of such a film with that iconic but 

deeply relevant date makes compelling 

business sense. A similar strategic and 

commercial sense is one of the reasons for my 

curious scheduling on this fateful Saturday 

June 12, 2021, which spookily aligns with the 

Saturday, June 12 1993. 

I felt that I do not have to justify and 

rationalise why I chose to release a film about 

the architect and main antagonist of the June 

12 saga on a June 12. Unless someone has 

copyrighted or patented that date, I believe 

everyone is free to schedule their weddings, 

film releases or funerals on that date without 

the requirement for effusive explanations. 

Although I have had to make some subjective 

editorial calls in the making of Badamasi, I 

come to this story from the most neutral artistic 

position, if ever one existed. 

I am a commercial Igbo filmmaker who 

lives in London and who harbours no interest 

in the political hegemony of the north or the 

partisan grievances of the west concerning the 

events of 28 years ago. Moreover, this film 

transcends June 12. That date and its political 

correlations are only incidental to the exciting 

and dramatic life story of IBB which the film 

explores. 

If the movie is all about Nigeria, her 

leaders and people, why did you choose 

London, United Kingdom, for the 

premiere instead of any city in Nigeria? 

I have answered that question above where 

I indicated that a premiere and cinema 

released was planned in Nigeria in 2019 

before I was forced to cancel them. But having 

said that, I live in London and it has always 

been my routine with my earlier films like 

The Mirror Boy and Last Flight to Abuja, to 

first premiere them in London before they hit 

Nigeria. Eventually, that may be the case for 

Badamasi. At least, that is my 

hope 

What 

should 

Nigerians and movie 

lovers all over the world 

expect from Badamasi? 

Badamasi is not just a film 

release. I believe it is a 

political, historical and 

cultural event that every 

Nigerian should partake in. 

Every Nigerian, no matter 

their ages, ethnicity and 

status need this film to 

demystify history and 

contextualize the myths and 

half-truths from ‘Chinese 

Whispers’ of the 1980s and 

1990s. 

Apart from its heavy dose 

of inherent relevance, which 

I have subsumed in universal 

paradigms, Badamasi is also 

a fiercely dramatic story with 

military intrigue, heartpumping 

action sequences, 

shootouts, memorable 

character, international standard scene design, 

exquisite acting and a level of visual realism 

not yet seen in Nollywood thus far. My team 

and I have a penchant for cutting edge films 

on unique subject matter. The Mirror Boy and 

Last Flight to Abuja come to mind. I would 

say that Badamasi carries the cake. It is like 

eavesdropping on the past in an interactive 

computer game, through a 4k vista and in 5.1 

Dolby Pro Logic sound. 

Can you tell us about the cast - the 

familiar faces and their roles in the 

movie? 

The film stars Enyinna Nwigwe in the 

eponymous role as IBB. He is a perfect match 

When I went to 

him in 2016, all I 

wanted was the 

story and the 

right to tell it. I 

got that and I 

am humbled by 

that 

responsibility 

for the role and played out of his skin. Little 

wonder he has been rewarded with an Africa 

Movie Academy Award nomination for Best 

Actor in a Leading Role for his gutsy portrayal 

of the enigmatic General. Also in the film, we 

have: Sani Danaja as General Sani Abacha, 

Ali Nuhu as UK Bello, Okey Bakasi as Chief 

Athur Nzeribe, Kalu Ikeagwu as Prof 

Humphrey Nwosu, Julius Agwu as Dr Chu 

Okongwu, Charles Inojie as Barrister 

Clement Akpamgbo and Garuba 

Mohammed as Professor Aminu. Although 

unknown right now, Amara Uwakwe- 

Anyanwu deserves special mention for her 

mercurial performance as Maryam 

Babangida. 

Did you get a sort of approval/ 

permission from Gen. IBB before 

embarking on the project? 

Dem no born me well? I know I am bold but 

not as bold as taking a living man’s story and 

using his name without his permission. We 

are not talking of an ordinary man like you 

and I but still one of the most powerful men in 

Nigeria. Like I said earlier, this project started 

in 2016 when I first had a meeting with IBB to 

ask his permission to tell his story. As a man 

proverbially slow to anger, it took three years 

of my constant nagging and persuasion to 

eventually get his approval. I had to be patient 

because I needed his participation in the 

project. I did not just want to re-hash what’s 

already in the public domain. I wanted 

exclusives, salacious details of events to which 

we only heard anecdotal sketches. And that is 

what I got. That is what makes this film unique. 

It is the perfectly true account of IBB’s private 

life from childhood to presidency. But it may 

not be the perfect truth of Nigeria’s historyonly 

IBB’s perspective. 

What kind of support did you receive 

from the former head of state? 

Beyond telling me the 

details of the story he has not 

told anyone and giving me 

express permission to make 

the film based on that story, I 

did not receive any further 

help from IBB. I was hopeful 

that I could use his influence 

to get military support for the 

production. But that did not 

materialise. He is a very 

proud and private man who 

doesn’t want to put himself in 

a position where people can 

say no to him. I completely 

respect that. When I went to 

him in 2016, all I wanted was 

the story and the right to tell 

it. I got that and I am 

humbled by that 

responsibility. Again, when I 

was battling with the unseen 

forces who didn’t want the film 

to be released, I ran back to 

him and explained what was 

going on. His answer 

weakened me. He smiled and 

looked at me from the corner of his eye and 

said, “The people doing this may be more 

powerful than me…right now”. That was all 

the advice I needed. 

You are known for directing awardwinning 

films with unique storylines 

such as Last Flight to Abuja, The 

Mirror Boy, etc., what informs your 

stories? 

You could say that everything we are goes 

into everything we do. I come into Nollywood 

from a very unique perspective- an ex 

footballer, theatre artist turned lawyer, turned 

filmmaker. I have also spent the better half of 

my life in the UK without losing what I call 

local connection with Nigeria. So, my world 

view is special and that is reflected in my work; 

the subject matter I choose, how I tell the story 

and how I promote them. That is my part in it. 

The rest is God perfecting my imperfections 

and granting me grace beyond my merit. For 

that, I am most grateful. 

You equally make big budget movies. 

How is the fund generated? 

I don’t think it is correct to say that I make 

big budget movies. The films I have made do 

not rank anywhere near the top of Nollywood 

film budgets. You could say that I have a knack 

for squeezing out value from modest budgets. 

I tell every young filmmaker that they should 

start small and create a name for themselves. 

That is when investors will approach them 

and offer money to support their projects. 

That has been my journey. I started by 

making small, no budget films and gradually 

built a reputation. Afterwards, investors started 

taking me seriously and on the back of recent 

success of my films internationally, funders 

now actually approach me to enquire about 

my upcoming projects that they can invest in. 

I consider myself lucky although I had a hand 

in making my own luck through strategic, 

long-term and patient planning. 

In 2020, during the coronavirus 

pandemic, which shut down businesses 

globally, you became the first film 

director to make a movie via Zoom. 

How did you make it happen? 

It was April 2020 and the lockdown and its 

limitations were beginning to bite really hard. 

I observed my wife conduct a work meeting 

on Zoom and recorded the proceedings. That 

was my eureka moment. I thought that if I 

could get actors, wherever they were to record 

themselves with their own phones, I could 

remotely direct them and record them to make 

a film. That night, I wrote a script for a short 

film that eavesdrops on a video call between 

two lovers separated by Covid 19 lockdown 

on the day that was supposed to be their 

wedding day. 

I cast one of Nollywood’s rising stars, 

Swanky Achufusi of Living in Bondage 2 fame; 

together with a young lady from the outskirts 

of London that I had never met in the role and 

after a brief training for their family members 

to serve as crew, we shot the film over a few 

hours and I released the film titled, HEART 

TO HEART, on my youtube page without 

much expectations. Unknown to me, it was 

actually the first film globally to be so remotely 

made and what followed was a carnival of 

praise and press. 

I was interviewed by the BBC, French 

channels, Channels TV in Nigerian and the 

film was promoted on blogs all over the world. 

Beyond the novelty of its production style, 

Heart to Heart had an uplifting narrative that 

became a little ray of hope and positivity at a 

time when the entire world was subsumed in 

doom and gloom. I kept wondering, why didn’t 

someone think about it before? 

How did your journey into the make 

believe world begin? 

My journey as a filmmaker is a long and 

eclectic one. I first studied Drama at University 

of Nigeria Nsukka. Then I played professional 

football for Rangers international of Enugu 

before I left Nigeria for the UK in 1993. There, 

my pursuit of professional football did not 

work and I started staging plays in theatres 

across south east London. That was when I 

realised that the future was on the screen and 

not on stage. While I thought myself screen 

writing and directing through online courses, 

I obtained an LLB Law degree and returned to 

Nigeria in 2000 to cut my production teeth in 

the fledgling Nollywood industry. 

Continues online at 

www.vanguardngr.com

PAGE 10 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021 

JUNE 12 

Buhari: I can die 

for Nigeria 

President Muhammadu Buhari, in his 

speech to mark Democracy Day, yesterday, 

said overcoming the present challenges 

facing Nigeria “is but one of a necessary 

process that we have to undergo as a nation 

so that we can come out stronger”. He added: 

“The day I joined the Nigerian Army I was 

prepared to lay down my life for Nigeria”. 

Full 

I 

text of the speech: 

join you all today to commemorate 

and celebrate our Democracy Day. It is 

a celebration of freedom and a victory for 

one people, one country and one Nigeria. 

2. As with all democracies we will always 

be going through improvement processes in 

our desire to reach the goal of a mature 

democracy, a strong, evolved and integrated 

nation state to be reckoned with globally. 

3. In the last two years we have witnessed 

and overcome a good number of testy 

challenges that would have destroyed other 

nations especially relating to our collective 

security. 

4. The indefatigable CAN DO Spirit of 

the Nigerian has sustained us and would 

keep pushing us to put these challenges 

behind us. 

5. Unfortunately some of these challenges 

came in the shape of violent outrages leading 

to the loss of lives of many of our dear 

compatriots and the destruction of some of 

our infrastructure, including those devoted 

to improving our democratic processes. 

6. Once again, I want to render my sincere 

and heart-felt condolences to the families 

and friends of our gallant service men and 

women who lost their lives in the line of duty 

and as a sacrifice to keep Nigeria safe. 

7. I extend the same condolence to the 

families and friends of our country men, 

women and children who were unfortunate 

victims of such senseless arsons, kidnappings 

and murders. 

8. I also share the pains of families and 

direct victims of ransom-seeking, kidnaped 

victims who went through unimaginable 

trauma in the course of their forced 

imprisonment. 

9. Let me assure my fellow citizens that 

every incident, however minor gives me great 

worry and concern and I immediately order 

security agencies to swiftly but safely rescue 

victims and bring perpetrators to justice. 

Fellow Nigerians, 

10. When you elected me as your President 

in 2015, you did so knowing that I will put an 

end to the growing insecurity, especially the 

insurgency in the North East, but the 

unintended consequences of our scattering 

them in the North East pushed them further 

in-country which is what we are now facing 

and dealing with. 

11. We will, by the Grace of God put an end 

to these challenges too. 

12. Unfortunately, like in most conflict 

situations, some Nigerian criminals are 

taking undue advantage of a difficult 

situation and profiteering therefrom with the 

misguided belief that adherence to the 

democratic norms handicaps this 

Administration from frontally and decisively 

tackling them. 

13. We are already addressing these 

obstacles and we will soon bring some of 

these culprits to justice. 

14. We are, at the same time addressing the 

twin underlying drivers of insecurity namely 

poverty and youth unemployment. 

15. Interventions led by Government and 

the Central Bank of Nigeria driving 

economic growth over the past 6 years are 

targeted mostly to the agricultural, services, 

infrastructure, power and health care sectors 

of the economy. 

16. In the Agricultural sector, for instance, 

the Anchor Borrowers Programme resulted 

in sharp decline in the nation’s major food 

import bill from $2.23billion in 2014 to 

US$0.59billion by the end of 2018. 

17. Rice import bill alone dropped from 

$1 billion to $18.5 million annually. 

18. This initiative supported local 

production of rice, maize, cotton and cassava. 

Government financed 2.5 million smallholder 

farmers cultivating about 3.2 million 

hectares of farmland all over the country and 

created 10 million direct and indirect jobs. 

19. Several other initiatives, namely 

AgriBusiness/Small and Medium Enterprise 

Investment Scheme, the Non-oil Export 

stimulation Facility, the Targeted Credit 

Facilities operated across the 774 Local 

Governments. 

20. In the manufacturing sector the CBN – 

BOI N200 billion facility financed the 

establishment and operations of 60 new 

industrial hubs across the country, creating 

an estimated 890,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

21. The CBN’s N50 billion Textile Sector 

intervention Facility increased capacity 

utilization of ginneries from 30% to nearly 

90%. 

22. The Economic Sustainability Plan – 

our rebound plan for the COVID-19 

pandemic developed in 2020 is currently 

being executed. The plan is primarily focused 

on the non-oil sector, which has recorded 

phenomenal growth contributing over 90% 

to the GDP growth in Q1 2021. 

23. Though marginal we have recorded 

GDP growth over two quarters; Q2 2020 and 

Q1 2021. This is evidence of a successful 

execution of the ESP by the Federal 

Government. 

24. My vision of pulling 100 million poor 

Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years has been 

put into action and can be seen in the 

National Social Investment Programme, a 

first in Africa and one of the largest in the 

world where over 32.6m beneficiaries are 

taking part. We now have a National Social 

register of poor and vulnerable households, 

identified across 708 local government areas, 

8,723 wards and 86,610 communities in the 

36 States and the FCT. 

25. Our conditional cash transfer 

program has benefited over 1.6 million poor 

and vulnerable households comprising more 

than 8 million individuals. This provides a 

monthly stipend of N10,000 per household. 

26. I have also recently 

approved the National 

Poverty Reduction with 

Growth Strategy Plan 

that augments existing 

plans to further reduce 

poverty in Nigeria. 

27. As at the end of 

2020, the Development 

Bank of Nigeria had 

disbursed 324 billion 

Naira in loans to more 

than 136,000 MSMEs, 

through 40 participating 

Financial Institutions. I 

am to note that 57% of 

these beneficiaries are 

women while 27% are the 

youth. 

28. We are able to do 

all these and still 

As your 

President I 

remain ever 

committed to 

upholding and 

defending 

Nigeria’s 

corporate 

existence 

accelerate our 

infrastructure 

development through sensible and 

transparent borrowing, improved capital 

inflow, improving and increasing revenue 

through capturing more tax bases and 

prudent management of investment 

proceeds in the Sovereign Wealth Fund. 


29. Our infrastructure revolution 

continues with key projects attaining critical 

milestones under the Presidential 

Infrastructure Development Fund; The 

Second Niger Bridge, The Lagos- Ibadan 

Expressway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria- 

Kano Expressway. 

30. I have also approved the establishment 

of Infraco Plc, a world-class infrastructure 

development vehicle wholly focused on 

Nigeria with a capital structure of N15 

trillion. 

31. The rail system is not left out as the 

Itakpe-Warri standard gauge rail was 

completed and commissioned 33 years after 

construction began. The Lagos-Ibadan 

double track railway line which I have just 

commissioned has commenced operations. 

32. We are focused on ensuring that our 

infrastructure drive is key to economic 

growth and one that can be felt by every 

Nigerian. Building critical infrastructure in 

our ports is also opening up opportunities 

for the Nigerian economy. 

33. My approval for 4 new seaports using 

•President Buhari 

a Public-Private-Partnership approach is 

hinged on growing the Nigerian economy. 

These four sea ports; Lekki Deep Sea Port, 

Bonny Deep Sea Port, Ibom Deep Sea Port 

and Warri Deep Sea port will create 

massive job opportunities and foreign 

investment inflows. 

34. We have worked at deepening our 

Eastern ports leading to success like having 

three container ships berth at Calabar port, 

a first in 11 years. Similarly, on October 

30 2019, an LPG tanker operated by NLNG 

berthed in Port Harcourt, the first time an 

LPG ship is berthing at any of the Eastern 

Ports. 

35. As we invest in these new assets, we 

have also made strides in ensuring that they 

are secured and protected. In this regard I 

am also pleased to note the launch of the 

NIMASA Deep Blue project – which is an 

Integrated National Security and Waterways 

Protection Infrastructure that I recently 

commissioned. This initiative is designed to 

add to the layer of security we have to 

safeguard our maritime sector. 

Dear Nigerians, 

36. I will be the first to admit that in spite of 

our efforts and achievements which are there 

for all to see, there is still much more to be 

done and we are doing our best in the face of 

scarce resources and galloping population 

growth rate that consistently outstrips our 

capacity to provide jobs for 

our populace. Our over-all 

economic target of lifting 100 

million Nigerians out of 

poverty in 10 years is our 

goal notwithstanding 

COVID-19. 

37. In the last two years 

we lifted 10.5 million 

people out of poverty – 

farmers, small-scale 

traders, artisans, market 

women and the like. 

38. I am very convinced 

that this 100 million target 

can be met and this 

informed the development 

of a National Poverty 

Reduction with Growth 

Strategy. The specific 

details of this accelerated 

strategy will be unveiled 

shortly. 

39. In the last one year, Nigeria and the 

whole world faced COVID-19 for which no 

one was fully prepared. 

40. Our response to the pandemic involved 

making hard choices in balancing 

livelihoods and public health concerns. You 

are all living witnesses to how successful this 

has been due to a number of pro-active 

measures put in place. Our response to 

COVID-19 is globally acclaimed. 

41. We were able to ensure that the various 

lockdown measures did not impact too 

negatively on the ability of ordinary Nigerians 

to continue sustaining their livelihoods. 

42. During the pandemic, we disbursed 

N5,000 to 1 million Nigerians using a Rapid 

Response Register and advanced N20,000 to 

750,000 beneficiaries of the Conditional 

Cash Transfer Progamme and provided 1.37 

million Nigerians with palliatives from 

CACOVID. 

43. At the same time the Federal 

Government released 109,000 metric tonnes 

of food reserve stocks and 70,000 metric 

tonnes of grains to the poor and vulnerable 

in all 36 states of the federation. 

44. In addition, Government reduced 

interest rates from 9% to 5% for struggling 

businesses and extended credit facilities to 

548,345 beneficiaries. 


45. When this administration decided to 

change our Democracy Day from 29th May 

to June 12th in my first tenure, it was not only 

to honour the sacrifices of the men and 

women of our country who fought for the 

return to democracy but also to 

demonstrate our commitment to satisfy the 

aspirations of the people and creating an 

environment for democracy to be an 

accepted way of life. 

46. As your President, I remain 

committed to providing an enabling 

environment for a free, fair and credible 

electoral system under my tenure. 

47. However, you need to play your part 

by getting involved at any level you can 

supporting a democratic system that works 

for all and not for a section or a select few 

and demand accountability from your 

elected leaders. 

48. My commitment to bequeathing a 

sustainable democratic culture remains 

resolute, my pursuit of a fair society 

remains unshaken and my desire to see that 

Nigeria remains a country for each and 

every one of us has never been stronger. 

49. In responding to the challenges that 

this period imposes on us, Government also 

recognises the need to acknowledge notions 

of marginalisation and agitations for 

constitutional amendments among various 

segments of our population. 

50. While this government is not averse to 

constitutional reform as part of our nation 

building process, everyone must understand 

that the primary responsibility for 

constitutional amendments lies with the 

National Assembly. 

51. This body which, as I said, is the arm 

of government responsible for 

constitutional changes has concluded the 

preliminary stages of amending and 

improving our constitution in a way that 

the majority of Nigerians will be happy 

with. 

52. Government is, however, willing to 

play a critical role in the constitutional 

amendment process without usurping the 

powers of the National Assembly in this 

regard. 

53. As a nation we have come very far 

from where we started and we are getting 

incrementally closer to where we ought to 

be. 

54. Overcoming the present challenges 

is but one of a necessary process that we 

have to undergo as a nation so that we 

can come out stronger. The day I joined 

the Nigerian Army I was prepared to lay 

down my life for Nigeria. 

55. As your President I remain ever 

committed to upholding and defending 

Nigeria’s corporate existence. 

56. In adhering to the Fundamental 

Objectives and Directive Principles of 

State Policy notably section 14(2)(b) I 

shall do all within my power to ensure 

that the Security and welfare of the 

people remain the primary purpose of 

government. 

57. I have, throughout my tenure, 

provided the security agencies with all 

they require relative to available 

resources and will be providing more as 

the dynamics unfold to put an end to our 

security problems. 

58. My strong belief in the Nigerian 

spirit gives me comfort that we are facing 

these challenges with renewed 

commitment to keep our country one. 

59. I thank you for your patience and 

attention and more importantly your 

resolve to join hands in making Nigeria 

the country of our dream. 

Happy Democracy Day! God Bless us 

All, God Bless the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria.

Email:biolasobowale@yahoo.com 

Phone Number: 07081372829 

Twitter:@DrDeleSobowale 

Instagram:delesobowalefranklyspeaking 

Website: www.delesobowale.com 

Milititians’ promises and the 

unmasking of terrorists 

“Zamfara abduction’ll be the 

last” - President Buhari, March 

1, 2021. 

“As you all know, we in the 

present government in Nigeria 

are committed to ensuring that 

there is speedy and unimpeded 

transition to civic democratic 

rule in which we shall not be 

participants” - General Sani 

Abacha, during the 

inauguration of National 

Constitutional Conference, 

Monday, June 27, 1994. 

There is a link between 

the two statements by 

Nigeria’s generals 

which will be revealed soon. 

Let me start with the second. 

Until Abacha made that 

statement, I wrote for 

VANGUARD only on 

Mondays. Suddenly, one day 

in August 1994, Uncle Sam, 

the Publisher, opened my 

office door and asked: “Dele, 

why don’t you write 

something for us on 

Sunday?” It was totally 

unexpected and my first 

impulse was to refuse. But, you 

can’t say “No” to your 

employer, can you? He also 

wanted the article in about two 

hours. Just then a June copy 

of our paper was lying on my 

table with Abacha’s promise 

highlighted. I cannot quite lay 

my hands on the title of the 

article published in August 

1994 anymore. But, I 

remember my major 

Chief Michael Adiotomre,is 

a chieftain of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, and a 

member of the Delta State Advisory 

Council. 

In this interview with 

Sunday Vanguard, the Chief 

Adiotomre, bares his mind on 

some political matters bothering 

on the governorship rotation 

and other salient issues. 

Excerpts 

On the issue of Delta State 

PDP zoning formula that 

has raised a lot of dust after 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's 

recent quarterly briefing, as 

one of the founding 

members of the party, what 

is your take on this? 

The controversies surrounding 

the zoning formula 

in the state is unnecessary. 

I feel that the Governor was 

misquoted or misinterpreted 

when he said there is no written 

document on the issue of 

rotation. One of the governor's 

aides, Comrade 

Norbert Chiazor has in his 

writeup to correct that impression. 

What I think is that the 

governor was only trying to 

explain that there was never 

a written document and 

some persons who have also 

spoken on the issue, like Prof. 

Sam Oyovbaire spoke my 

mind. There was no written 

document but there was 

understanding. 

I also want to use this me- 

comment. “If you believe that 

[Abacha’s promise] then you 

will believe anything.” I then 

proceeded to explain why 

nobody should believe 

Abacha. I was convinced that 

the man was buying time with 

the Constitutional 

Conference, dubbed CONFAB 

by the media. He would 

renege on his promise once the 

reins of power were firmly in 

his grip. 

That first article was more 

momentous than anybody 

could have foreseen. It also 

almost ended my life. I was 

saved by the fact that I was not 

yet on the regime’s radar 

among columnists regarded 

as dangerous. The official 

reaction was delayed for two 

weeks. Then on a Friday, as I 

was getting close to the office, 

somebody waved to me to 

stop. I did. Less than two 

minutes after, I was in the back 

seat of a car heading for my 

first detention under Abacha 

for calling the Head of State a 

liar. I survived that ordeal with 

a warning; but, I lived long 

enough to witness Abacha’s 

efforts aimed at selfsuccession. 

I also re-learnt a 

lesson about “milititians” – 

soldiers who take on political 

roles. 

“Every government is run by 

liars, and nothing they say 

should be believed” - I.F. 

Stone, 1907-1989, 

dium to clear this fact that the 

rotation or zoning principle 

is an idea of the national body 

of the party and it all started 

from the presidency to the state 

and the local government areas 

and all these were gentleman 

arrangement or understanding 

without any written 

document. The first president 

coming from North, West, later 

to East and South of Nigeria 

and same applies to state 

and local government. 

The leaders of the party at 

then, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, 

Chief Tony Anene, Chief 

Awoniyi and Ahmadu Ali and 

others resolved on this understanding 

and the principle of 

zoning and rotation, hence if 

a governor comes from a particular 

senatorial zone, when 

he or she had completed his 

or her two terms of eight years, 

it moves to another senatorial 

district. 

In the case of Delta state on 

the issue of rotation, that was 

why a lot of people wanted 

Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege to take 

over from Chief James Ibori. 

They made all efforts that 

Omo-Agege could take over 

from Ibori but they couldn’t 

succeed because Ibori is from 

Delta Central, so it couldn’t 

work. 

And am aware that the leaders 

in Abuja gave Ibori the 

option to either zone the governorship 

to the Delta South 

or Delta North. That was how 

the governorship left Delta 

VANGUARD BOOK OF 

QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 80. 

Abacha went further to 

reassure the delegates to what 

I later called THE SHIP OF 

FOOLS, by saying: “We are 

aware that it is neither in our 

personal interest, nor that of 

the nation to perpetuate 

ourselves in power.” The 

delegates gave him a 

standing ovation lasting ten 

full minutes. On June 9, 1998, 

Chief Ebenezer Babatope 

was scheduled to advance a 

proposal at a gathering 

convened by Chief Arthur 

Nzeribe. Our dear Ebino 

Topsy, a former strong Awoist 

turned Abacha- collaborator, 

was picked to ask all the 

elected members of the 

National Assembly, NASS, 

under Abacha’s fraudulent 

transition programme, to 

declare Abacha the ONLY 

presidential candidate in the 

1998 election. But, evil men 

proposed; God disposed. On 

June 8, 1998, a day before his 

coronation, Abacha dropped 

dead. I doubt if Babatope will 

ever release the original text 

of his proposal. Later, we 

learnt that the man was a 

world class kleptomaniac – 

among his other vices. 

‘60 Women, children 

abducted in fresh Zamfara 

attack’ - News, March 5, 

2021. 

From Abacha to Buhari is 

only one short mental step. 

When President Buhari 

declared the abduction of 

over 300 schoolgirls in 

Zamfara the last, the 

statement had a familiar ring 

There is no ethnic 

group in Nigeria whose 

peoples’ investments 

are not more in Lagos 

than in their own state 

to it. Something told me we 

were being set up for a promise 

that might not be delivered. I 

wrote a short rejoinder to it 

last week; making clear that 

it is another politician’s 

promise unlikely to be 

delivered. Less than a week 

after the President’s promise, 

bandits struck again in the 

same Zamfara. Ordinarily, 

that should be the end of the 

story. But, there is more. 

THE 

THREE 

MUSKETEERS OF 

NORTHERN TERRORISTS 

“The West does not want to 

accommodate other tribes, but 

we accommodate your tribe in 

Bauchi…” - Governor Bala 

Mohammed. 

‘Nigerians ’ll be shocked by 

those behind schoolgirls’ 

abduction’ - Matawalle 

“What I want you people to 

understand is, soldiers that are 

involved in most of the 

criminalities are not Muslims. 

You know soldiers have 

Muslims and non-Muslims. 

The non-Muslims are the 

ones causing confusion just to 

ignite crisis” - Sheikh Ahmad 

Gumi, Muslim cleric leader. 

If anybody is in search of 

people actively promoting 

terrorists in this country today, 

he can start with these three 

Northern Muslim leaders 

whose explosive utterances in 

recent times need to be 

exposed for what they are. I 

just hope their kith and kin in 

the Muslim North will 

remember that they spoke 

first. These rejoinders have 

become necessary because 

silence often means consent. 

Together, they represent good 

examples of why the North 


will not catch up with the 

South – even if the South 

stands still for 100 years. The 

first things they share in 

common are deception and 

deliberate falsehood. Let me 

start with Bala’s outrageous 

lie. Is Lagos part of the West 

or not? At least 30 per cent of 

all properties in Lagos are 

owned by other tribes apart 

from Yoruba people. Surely 

Bala has visited Lagos several 

times. Very few of the trailers 

and tankers causing gridlock 

at Apapa-Oshodi expressway 

for more than six years are 

owned by Yoruba people. The 

truth is, there is no ethnic 

group in Nigeria whose 

peoples’ investments are not 

more in Lagos than in their 

own state. Can Bala say the 

same of Bauchi? But maybe I 

should stop being polite. 

At 76+, I grew up in Lagos 

knowing about three beggars’ 

abodes – Cow Lane in Lagos 

Island, Kano Street at Ebute 

Meta, Obalende and Agege. 

All the beggars were 

Northerners. My mother was 

born in 1906 in the same 

Lagos and she found the 

beggars there. My 

grandmother was born in the 

same Lagos in 1874 and she 

told me that Bala’s forerunners 

were already there 

begging. My children and 

now some grandchildren 

today still patronise beggars 

from the deep North. At least 

a dozen Northern beggars 

troop past my front gate 

everyday and they never fail 

to collect money from Yoruba 

people. Can Bala point to any 

place in Bauchi (or for that 

matter in the entire North) 

where Yoruba beggars 

gather? We all know who the 

workers are making 

contributions wherever they 

live. And, we know who the 

parasites and beggars are 

hanging on trailers; 

transported with cattle to 

Kara in Lagos. Bala is the last 

person to utter that sort of 

nonsense. Even the state he 

governs depends more on the 

sweats and labour of the 

South-West people; and he 

knows it. Being governor is no 

licence to tell lies. 

“Every time you negotiate 

with terrorists, you become 

their accomplice” - Israeli 

counter-terrorism official, 

VBQ p 244. 

Governor Matawalle’s 

latest statement, like all the 

others on banditry and 

kidnapping, remind me of a 

story told in New York City in 

1968 by Mrs. Golda Meir, 

1898-1978, the first and only 

female Prime Minister of 

Israel, who led her tiny country 

to victory over 100 million AK- 

47 wielding Arabs. Born in 

Kiev, Russia, she recollected 

the story of a man who could 

predict when horses were 

going to be stolen – until it was 

discovered that his friends 

were the horse thieves. 

Matawalle had consistently 

gone against the global 

principle concerning ransom 

paid to terrorists and vowed 

not to stop. The obvious 

question is: “why?” Just as 

clear is the answer. 

“Matawalle must derive some 

benefit from this losing 

strategy.” Now, he has told us 

more than he realised. He 

knows the chief bandits and 

he is not ready to reveal their 

identities because to do so is 

to put an end to undisclosed 

amounts being taken out of 

state coffers ostensibly to pay 

bandits. 

Who will be shocked? Count 

me out. I already have a short 

profile of some of the bandits. 

Just wait a while. 

“Nobody stands all day in 

the rain for nothing” - Chief 

MKO Abiola, 1937-1998. 

A Sheikh in Islam is the 

equivalent of an Archbishop, 

Prelate or General Overseer 

of a Christian movement. 

They are Men of God when 

they stick to the tenets of their 

faith. They become Satan’s 

disciples when they radically 

deviate from the creed 

Gov Okowa misquoted on 

zoning formula — Adiotomre 

•Chief Adiotomre 

Central to Delta South before 

coming to Delta North where 

it is presently with Gov. Ifeanyi 

Arthur Okowa rounding up 

his second term in office. So, 

you can know see that if not 

for the rotational or zoning 

system Omo-Agege would 

have gone as governor from 

the same Central. 

Let me say some of these 

people talking about this 

rotation today may not even 

be aware of a crucial meeting 

convened by Chief James 

Ibori, to his Oghara residence 

were a few of us, about fourteen 

leaders attended to 

decide. 

How would you describe 

Sen. Nwanboshi's comments 

to Okowa on the rotational 

issue and his claim that the 

rotational formula was his 

brainchild? 

Sen. Nwaboshi was at a time 

The spirit and 

understanding of 

rotation is the one 

working in this state 

the pioneer state Secretary of 

the party, and it is expected 

that when he speaks there 

should be a high level of 

respect to the person of the 

governor, Sen. Nwaboshi 

didn’t show respect with the 

manner he addressed the rotational 

issue and that is what 

l have always advised against, 

he is our governor and he 

must be respected and that was 

what l expected of Nwaboshi. 

It is not expected that 

Okowa who is a product of 

zoning should say only God 

knows who will emerge as 

governor of the state come 

2023 when he knows it is the 

turn of central, what is your 

take? 

That is a true statement of 

fact, the governor cannot say 

Mr. A or B will be the governor, 

it's only God that can 

determine who will be. Even 

though the spirit of zoning and 

rotation is being maintained 

as at today from Delta Central 

to Delta South and now 

Delta North, it is coming back 

to where it started again which 

is central and certainly, you 

cannot, only God knows. 

What central people had 

wanted was for Okowa to 

nail it on the head that it is 

the turn of Delta Central, 

what do your take? 

He is the governor of the 

state, you do not expect him 

to have made such statement 

in a public briefing and that 

should not be misconstrued 

for something that should be 

causing issues everywhere. 

There was a time some of 

the party leaders not from 

central had also said after 

North it is coming to Delta 

central, is that not enough. 

The governor has said there 

must be equity, justice and 

fairplay among the senatorial 

districts, what else do you need 

from the governor. 

The spirit and 

understanding of rotation is 

the one working in this state. 

The actors in South, North 

know it. It is unfortunate that 

some actors in Delta South 

recently came out with publication 

that Delta central has 

produced governors and they 

made reference to late Chief 

Felix Ibru, late Chief Marierie 

when we are talking about 

PDP as a party, these people 

you referring to were not in 

PDP, so it is uncalled for. 

This zoning and rotation is 

a child of PDP. We are talking 

of zoning, if it is not limited to 

PDP, is APC talking about zoning 

in Delta State? No. Are all 

the other political parties 

talking about zoning? The 

answer is no. So, it is a child 

of PDP. People should limit 

their augment to PDP. 

May advice to political 

leaders in Delta State is that 

they should maintain peace. 

They should not allow their 

personal interest to kill the 

house that PDP had built in 

Delta State. PDP has used the 

zooming system effectively in 

Delta State to promote the 

party in Delta State and l hope 

PDP will use it to win the next 

elections come 2923 and we 

should not destroy the party. 

The only thing I don’t like is 

the agitation for ethnic 

rotation. It is not very good 

for the Nigeria politics to start 

talking of ethnicity. You 

cannot build a nation on 

ethnicity, that the one that 

central produce belongs to 

Ughelli, the one of Delta 

South produce belongs to 

ltsekiri and the one that Delta 

North produce belong to Ika, 

this is not good, it is wrong, in 

other words, what they are 

saying is that they are 

promoting ethnicity that the 

next governor should come to 

Ijaw ethnic group. 

Continues on 

www.vanguardngr.com


DEATH OF MAN IN THE SYNAGOGUE: 

How we made huge 

money hosting TB 

Joshua’s teeming guests 

— Ikotun-Egbe residents 

•Over 200 hotels not enough, landlords convert 

houses to emergency guest houses 


One week after the death of founder 

of the Synagogue Church of All 

Nations, SCOAN, Prophet 

Temitope Balogun Joshua, residents of 

Ikotun-Egbe community in Alimosho Local 

Government Area, LGA, of Lagos State, are 

already counting their losses. 

TB Joshua, as he was popularly known, 

died on Saturday, June 5, 2021, at the age of 

57. 

His death was officially announced 

through his church’s Facebook page on June 

6. 

“On Saturday, 5th June 2021, Prophet TB 

Joshua spoke during the Emmanuel TV 

Partners Meeting: ‘Time for everything — 

time to come here for prayer and time to 

return home after the service”, SCOAN said. 

“God has taken His servant, Prophet TB 

Joshua home — as it should be by divine 

will. His last moments on earth were spent 

in the service of God. This is what he was 

born for, lived for and died for’, the church 

declared. 

The father of three was one of Africa’s most 

influential preachers with millions of 

television and social media followers. 

According to report, more than 15,000 

people from Nigeria and abroad attended 

his weekly Sunday services. 

Following the demise of the cleric, who 

some people described as controversial, 

businesses within and around his church are 

already experiencing downturn and difficult 

time. 

Residents whose means of livelihood are 

tied to the activities of the church said he 

was a huge blessing. 

Religious Tourism 

The popularity of SCOAN attracted 

worshippers from within and outside 

Nigeria. Those who besieged the church 

believed that if they could have the 

opportunity to meet and be prayed for by 

the late cleric, their problems would be over. 

Olatunde, who resides in Ikotun attested 

to this. 

His words, “TB Joshua had so many 

followers. He had so many people that 

believed in him. In fact, they believed he 

was their second God. 

“They believed that no matter the situation 

they were in, if they could just see him, their 

problems would be over and it worked for 

them.” 

Business Explosion 

Speaking further, Olatunde narrated how 

businesses sprang up and blossomed in the 

neighborhood through religious tourism. 

“When worshippers come to see Prophet 

Joshua, they are required to register and wait 

for their turn. To see the man of God usually 

takes weeks or months. 

“So while you wait for your turn, you will 

need shelter, you will need food and other 

basic things and these needs now became 

business opportunities for those of us who 

trying to provide these services. 

“What this means is that the more people 

visited and the longer they stayed, the more 

business owners smiled to the bank.” 

Over 200 Hotels 

The influx of people enabled 

establishment and growth of many 

businesses especially in the hospitality 

industry. 

One of the businesses that benefited most 

is hotels and guest houses. This is evident in 

the number of hotels that litter the area. 

In a bid to provide shelter and 

accommodation for the teeming visitors, 

many people ventured into hotel business. 

Residents who spoke to Sunday Vanguard 

said there were over 200 of all categories of 

hotels and guest houses within and around 

Ikotun-Egbe. 

Because of how ubiquitous hotels are 

around the communities, a respondent 

quipped that the entire area was about to be 

turned to a hotel region. 

“Every day you see new hotels springing 

up. Big men were coming from outside to 

buy properties here. They bought old houses, 

demolished them and built hotels. I think 

there were plans to convert this whole area 

to hotels”. 

House Letting 

Even with this huge number of hotels in 

Late TB Joshua 

the area, it was still not enough to cater for 

the accommodation needs of surging 

tourists that besieged SCOAN premises 

daily. 

To solve this problem, residents were forced 

to cash-in on the situation by letting out their 

residences to, in some instances, stranded 

visitors or to those who could not afford hotel 

bills. 

The house letting came in two ways - those 

who operated it as business and those that 

let occasionally. 

Business oriented ones regarded 

themselves as semi-guest houses. They have 

single rooms for those that desired privacy 

and it could cost as high as N3, 000 per 

night. They also have open rooms (sitting 

rooms converted to hostels) with about 10 

pieces of 2 by 6 mattresses. With N1, 000, 

one can secure a bed here for a night. 

On the other, many families let out theirs 

occasionally. They vacate their rooms for 

strangers for an amount ranging from N1, 

000 to N3, 000. Those who could not let out 

their rooms allow squatters sleep on couches 

in sitting rooms for about N1, 000. 

Low Patronage 

The death of SCOAN founder has, 

however, dealt a huge blow to businesses 

that rely on the church for survival. Business 

owners have started counting their losses as 

there was sharp decline in the number of 

visitors, resulting to low patronage. 

From local food vendors (mama put) to 

fast food centers and hotels, the story was 

same. 

A chief chef at Sweet Savor Hotel and 

Suites, Mr Etim, said the death of the 

popular cleric was already impacting 

negatively on their business. 

He disclosed that since he started working 

in the hotel, there was never a day the hotel 

was not fully booked. 

“But everything has 

changed now. Since the news 

of TB Joshua’s death, our 

rooms are rarely fully 

booked”, he said. 

“As chef in this hotel, I 

do make dishes, 

especially continental 

foods, till 2am every 

day because of the 

number of customers 

we attend to. 

“We have to satisfy 

our guests who are 

mostly foreigners. I 

cannot tell you how 

much we make daily 

from the rooms, 

restaurant and other 

services because I am 

not the accountant or 

auditor. 

“However, to have 

an idea of how much 

we make, we have 

about 36 rooms here 

and our cheapest 

rooms are N15, 000. 

“We also have rooms 

that cost as high as 

N30, 000 per night 

and people were 

staying up to six months. Before now, if you 

come to our hotel on a Monday, you may 

not be able to get a room for the week 

because all our rooms are usually booked 

for the week before Monday. I must be 

honest with you, we were making money”. 

Similarly, a hotel manager who did not 

want his name in print bemoaned low 

patronage since the sad incident occurred. 

“You can see how everywhere is quiet. This 

is not how it used to be. If you had come 

here by this time last week, you would see 

people moving around, people going out 

and coming in, but since Prophet passed on, 

activities were at standstill and it is affecting 

us”. 

No programme in two years 

Meanwhile, for Mr Emmanuel, who let 

out rooms to visitors, patronage had been 

low for more than two years, even before 

the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. 

“The poor patronage we are experiencing 

is not because of TB Joshua’s death. We have 

been experiencing it for a long time now”, 

Emmanuel said. 

“This is because the man stopped holding 

programmes in the last two years. 

“So people have not been coming the way 

they used to because it is programmes that 

bring them to the church. 

Prayer Line 

“When we entered into this business newly, 

there were programmes every week. 

“There was a Prayer Line that usually holds 

every Thursday and, in order to be in church 

early enough for the programme, people 

would arrive Wednesday or even Tuesday. 

“Also, after the Thursday prayers, most of 

the attendees do stay behind for Deliverance 

Continues on page 13


I don’t want to die, woman 

battling cancer cries 

By Kennedy Mbele 

high. 

Mrs Olanrewaju Tunde Adegoke is critically 

ill after being diagnosed with cancer. In this 

interview, Adegoke speaks about the 

excruciating pains she is going through while 

soliciting for help from kind hearted Nigerians 

to enable her complete treatment. Excerpts: 

HOW did you know you could be 

having cancer and what steps did 

you take? 

I knew I stood the risk of having cancer 

because I had three lumps in my left breast 

several years ago but the moment the lumps 

were removed, I erased the possibility of 

cancer from my mind because they were 

examined in the laboratory and it came out 

to be fibroid adenoma and cyst; that was 

when I turned 33 years, about 13 years ago. 

What happened thereafter? 

The doctor who removed the lumps told 

me I had nothing to fear since the lumps 

had been examined and confirmed to be 

ordinary fibroid adenoma. There were no 

more lumps in my breast for many years, 

but suddenly five months ago, I felt a hit on 

one of the scars and within a week I started 

itching at that point and within four weeks 

something tiny like tumor started growing 

from under the scar. I was no longer 

comfortable at that point. Within two 

months, the tiny growth widened to like 

2cm and this made me to go to hospital to 

report my feelings. 

When and where was it confirmed 

that the ailment you have is cancer? 

And what were your immediate 

reactions? 

In February this year, I went to the 

National Hospital Abuja to see my doctor 

and immediately a biopsy was performed 

and the tissues were sent to the laboratory. 

The result indicated that what I have is 

cancer. My first reaction was, why will 

lumps removed, tested to be ordinary fibroid 

adenoma and cysts suddenly turned out to 

be cancer after 13 years. I shed tears of 

sadness, but immediately I wiped the tears 

because God spoke to me right there in the 

hospital that I will survive even though I 

was not aware then that the financial 

commitments for the treatment were very 

TB Joshua: Over 200 hotels not enough, landlords 

convert houses to emergency guest houses 

Continued from page 12 

Service on Saturday and Sunday service. 

“So, almost everybody that came on 

Tuesday or Wednesday stayed till weekend 

and, for us, it meant more business. 

“Then, there was no week my spaces were 

not occupied. 

“However, the story has changed. We 

rarely see customers. 

“My point is that things have changed and 

business has become bad even before he 

died. 

Finished work 

“And, if you ask me, I will tell you that the 

man finished his work long time ago. “If 

not, how could he stay for over two years 

without any programme? Until now, there 

was no Sunday service even before the 

Covid-19 lockdown. 

“It was only after his members 

complained so much that he started 

Emmanuel TV Partners programme last 

April”. 

Dangerous Venture 

Asked about the dangers of letting out 

rooms to total strangers, Emmanuel 

retorted, “Life is all about risk. There is risk 

in every business. So, we can’t because of 

risks do not do business. “And if you continue 

to look at the risks, you can’t live; you won’t 

be able to do anything. 

“Having said that, the most serious issue 

in this business is when a guest dies in your 

residence. 

“What happens at times is someone can 

die in your house. 

“You know, some of those that came to 

Can you tell us about the doctor’s 

report confirming cancer? 

According to the doctor’s report, 

immunohistochemistry was carried out and 

I was diagnosed with Histologically 

confirmed Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of 

the left breast, that is ER Positive, PR 

Negative and HER2 Neu Positive. This 

cancer, according to the doctor, is highly 

aggressive, yet highly treatable. 

How is the treatment going? What 

stage are you in now and what is next? 

Treatment started immediately cancer 

was confirmed to shrink the tumor and it is 

stage 2 cancer. Next is surgery and I will be 

due for it in June (next month). 

People generally believe cancer 

treatment can be painful and 

expensive. Tell us your experience? 

Cancer treatment is actually very painful 

and expensive. I do not wish an enemy to 

have such ailment. It is advisable to go to 

hospital where there are oncologists on 

ground for international standard of 

diagnosis and treatment otherwise it can 

turn out to be a mess. At the time I was 

diagnosed, I was given about two weeks’ 

appointment to come back to see the 

oncologist at the National Hospital Abuja 

due to long queues of people waiting to see 

oncologists too. As I was waiting for the day 

to come, even in serious and unbearable 

pains, doctors went on strike. I was only left 

with no option than to go to a private cancer 

center here in Abuja where I commenced 

treatment immediately and the pains 

disappeared. My experience is very 

encouraging because the tumor has reduced 

in size but it will take a long time and so 

much money to complete treatment. Doctors 

say I may need about N26million to 

complete treatment. 

What kind of help have you received 

and what help do you need now going 

forward? 

I have received assistance from close friends 

and family members. But we have spent so 

far all the immediate family savings of 

N6.5m and we are totally out of funds now 

but we still have a lot way to go. I need 

the Synagogue are sick people seeking 

divine healing. 

“The people may look healthy but are sick 

inside but you won’t know and let him house. 

“When something like that happens, it 

always put the person who let out the room 

in serious trouble because you don’t know 

anything about the person. We don’t pray 

for that but it happens once in a while. 

“Another risk is letting your room out to 

petty thieves. 

“This happened to me about nine years 

ago. I can remember it vividly. We 

accommodated one man who gave his 

name as Solomon. 

“The way he spoke when he came made 

us think he was a good person. 

“So, on a Sunday, when everybody had 

gone to church, the man came back and 

told my wife he wanted to take some things 

the prophet asked him to bring, that he 

would be going back immediately. 

“So my wife allowed him in alone and 

returned to our own apartment. The man 

went in and broke into other rooms and 

stole people’s belongings and disappeared. 

“All the victims asked us not to worry 

except one who lost a laptop and insisted 

we pay him. He even took us to Ikotun police 

station and we paid him about N75, 000 

for his loss. 

Measures 

“How we operate now, even then, is when 

everybody leaves for church service, we will 

no longer allow anyone in unaccompanied. 

“If you want to go to the room when others 

are still at service, somebody must go in 

with you. 

“Why it happened to me then was 

because my wife can trust so easily and 

gave him access to the room alone. I 

contributions from people with 

compassionate hearts so that I can continue 

the treatment. 

If you had been diagnosed of cancer 

earlier, do you think you would have 

been in this situation? 

My regret is that the earlier investigation 

did not alert me to any danger. If I had been 

told from the beginning that there is 

possibility of any lump or tumor coming 

back, I wouldn’t have undergone necessary 

treatment and wouldn’t be in this situation 

now. 

What advice do you have for women 

generally on cancer? 

Women, young and old, should go for CT 

scan and mammogram at least once a year. 

The problem is that it is not affordable for 

most women and it is quite unfortunate that 

there is so much hardship in this country 

which makes it difficult for ordinary citizens 

to afford the costs since our healthcare 

services are so poor. There is no access to free 

CT scan or mammogram in Nigeria, and 

that is why we have so many women with 

cancer without knowing they are carrying 

such a deadly disease in their bodies. 

Do you think government is doing 

enough to help cancer patients in the 

country? How available are facilities 

and personnel to treat cancer using 

always warn her that you don’t do that in 

this business. 

“In cases of death, we now request for 

some information including names and 

phone numbers of next of kin before giving 

out rooms.” 

Benevolent 

Giver 

TB Joshua’s kind gestures are known 

widely and the communities where the 

church was located were the ultimate 

beneficiaries. 

He provided social amenities such as 

water and electric transformers for the 

people. 

A restaurant operator, Mrs Blessing, said 

this of the late pastor, “People around here 

loved him so much because he was too good 

to them, he took care of them. “If you are a 

giver, people will love you. 

“The day he died, all the Agbero (local 

touts) along this road were crying because 

he used to ‘settle’ them. He used to give the 

boys money. 

“Not only the Agberos, he was also good 

to everybody. For example, during the 

Covid-19 lockdown, he gave every 

household and every staff member of 

companies, a bag of rice and money. All of 

us benefitted from his benevolence.” 

Security 

How secured is the neighborhood in view 

of number of people that visited daily, our 

reporter asked Mr. Osakwe, a security guard 

with one of the companies close to the 

church. 

“There’s no case of robbery because 

there are no thieves around this area”, 

he said. 

your experience as case study? 

Our government is not helping cancer 

patients at all. Facilities are not available, 

only 2 to 4 hospitals have the facilities to 

treat cancer patients in the country and I 

learnt that not all the 4 hospitals have the 

facilities functioning at the moment. 

Imagine people coming from all over Nigeria 

to National Hospital Abuja for radiotherapy 

because that is the only place where you 

have functioning facility in the whole 

country. It is so sad that cancer patients are 

dying every day because of lack of free 

medical care and dearth of facilities as well. 

Tell us your high and low points in 

this battle against cancer and how you 

overcame. 

My high point in this battle is just the fact 

that I live in Abuja and I have little fund to 

start the treatment immediately I was 

diagnosed. My low point in this battle is that 

I feel depressed thinking about funds to 

complete treatment. I am yet to overcome 

it because my treatment still has a long way 

to go, which is the main reason for soliciting 

for funds from well-meaning people. 

* Those who wish to help Olanrewaju can 

donate to her cause through GTB account 

number 0036147987. She can be reached 

through telephone number 08072793318 

“Those who would be stealing were taken 

care of by the prophet. No matter the time 

one comes to this area in the night, nothing 

will happen to you. 

“I can tell you that since I moved in to this 

place many years ago, I have not heard of 

snatching of bags, phones or shout of ‘thief, 

thief’ in this area let alone robbery attacks.” 

Open Defecation 

It is expected that, especially in this part 

of the world, that wherever people gather 

overnight, they tend to mess up the 

surroundings by defecating openly in any 

available space. But Mr. Osakwe said that 

was not the case with the Synagogue. 

“There is nothing like open defecation or 

littering of environment here”, he said. “The 

church provided adequate facilities to cater 

for every member and visitor. You can see 

for yourself, go around and check if you 

can see anything of such.” 

Renewed Hope 

Meanwhile, the residents of Ikotun and 

Egbe communities are not giving in to 

despair over the death of their greatest 

benefactor. 

They are very optimistic that whoever 

that would succeed the late prophet would 

be more powerful and do greater 

miracles. 

“Though TB Joshua is dead, I believe it 

will get better. The way I look at it is that 

somebody who is greater will take over”, 

Emmanuel prayed. 

“Our prayer is for God to give us 

somebody who will be greater than TB 

Joshua to attract more worshippers from 

all over the world to the Synagogue. What 

we want to see is somebody who is more 

powerful than Joshua. If his successor is 

powerful, testimonies will spread and 

people will start trooping in again”, 

Etim, on his part, said.

PAGE 14 —1SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021 

Foreign envoys can be 

more supportive of Nigeria 

It is certainly not a 

coincidence that 

communities which 

have been unable to 

recognize the centrality of 

communication in the 

process of human 

development are those that 

are yet to develop. The United 

Nations Scientific and 

Cultural Organization 

UNESCO, saw this long ago 

when she declared the 1970s 

as the ‘Communication 

Decade.’ It did not only take 

as long as 17 years for Nigeria 

to become aware of the 

declaration, her 

communication policy has till 

today remained in the realm 

of experimentation, thereby 

failing to use effective 

communication for 

development. Nigerians such 

as this writer in the 

communication sector who 

have often cried out against 

the posture are sometimes 

regarded as antiestablishment, 

whereas 

listening to them would have 

done the nation better than we 

are today. Each time the 

National Broadcasting 

Commission is in the news 

these days, it is more often or 

not, a directive to restrain 

radio and television stations 

as if broadcasting which 

came to Nigeria in 1959 is 

still an infant. Surely, 

government needs to 

reconsider this by making 

broadcast regulation a tool to 

facilitate communication 

rather than to hinder it. 

Against this backdrop, some 

people were saddened by the 

decision of government to 

suspend Twitter in Nigeria. It 

was a decision which ran 

counter to the understanding 

that an increase in 

communication 

opportunities can put a nation 

in a position where leaders 

would inevitably find 

themselves on the same page 

as adversaries for mutual 

dialogue to the benefit of 

society. Those who have 

argued to the contrary by 

citing China as a world power 

without Twitter and other 

western devices are obviously 

comparing oranges with 

apples. First, China is not an 

ideal model of the type of 

government that Nigerians on 

their own volition, subscribed 

to. In addition, China has its 

own special type of Twitter. As 

a result, we cannot ban Twitter 

like China did, without 

creating a Nigerian type of 

Twitter as China has 

done.Here, we reiterate the 

conclusion of other analysts 

that China’s so-called ban on 

Twitter did not and has not 

stopped innovative young 

Chinese or visitors from using 

other platforms to access 

Twitter within China. 

Fighting Twitter is in our 

considered opinion virtually 

fruitless and unnecessary, 

hence some foreign envoys 

who have exacerbated the 

showdown under the guise of 

supporting free speech have 

not really been helpful. We are 

indeed, worse off on this 

Twitter matter for gaining a 

friend such as Donald Trump 

– a man notorious in and out 

of office for slander.What 

makes the help of our foreign 

friends undesirable, is that in 

helping us to underscore the 

fundamental importance of 

free speech, they adopted a 

contemptuous posture.It is 

one help that reminds us 

clearly that the white man’s 

interest in Africa is ever 

superficial. Foreign envoys in 

Nigeria are diplomats who 

need to always be guided by 

the basic principle of 

reciprocity – a principle in 

international law which 

expects each country to adopt 

a particular behaviour 

symmetrical in response to 

that adopted by another 

country. African envoys in 

American and European 

societies don’t dictate to their 

host countries the way some 

of theirs in Nigeria did last 

week on the Twitter matter. 

It is irrelevant that what the 

envoys told our government 

tallies with what some of us 

have always canvassed. They 

have no jurisdiction to so act 

in view of the persuasive 9 

rulesenunciated by Hans 

Morgenthau (1904 –1980) a 

foremost twentieth-century 

figure in the study of 

international relations. The 

very first of those rules in the 

words of Hans is that 

‘diplomacy must be divested 

of the crusading spirit.’ Our 

foreign envoys would have 

been better friends of Nigeria 

We are indeed, 

worse off on this 

Twitter matter for 

gaining a friend such 

as Donald Trump – a 

man notorious in and 

out of office for 

slander 

if they had sought audience 

with our government to offer 

advice on the Twitter 

controversy. But to come 

together to publicly issue a 

joint statement against 

government policy amounts 

to an aggressive intervention 

in the internal affairs of 

Nigeria. A look at their 

statement shows clearly that 

they said nothing different 

from what the critical 

segment of Nigeria and our 

opposition political parties 

had also said. The only point 

they made or probably sought 

to make was that they are a 

superior race that must whip 

a straying black government 

into line. They are totally in 

error because as 

Morgenthau’s 9 th and last rule 

reveals, it is not them but our 

‘government that is the leader 

of public opinion’ in Nigeria. 

In truth, we didn’t vote for 

foreign envoys. 

It is hoped that the envoys 

learnt some lessons from the 

matured disposition of 

Geoffery Onyeama, Nigeria’s 

Minister of Foreign Affairs 

who took time to explain the 

link between the Twitter ban 

and national security. This the 

minister did notwithstanding 

that many other nations 

hardly bother to rationalize 

what they imagine can 

adversely affect their national 

security. Despite Onyeama’s 

conciliatory demeanour, the 

envoys according to the 

media still publicly said they 

were insisting on free speech. 

Our premise is that as good 

as free speech is, it is not 

foreign envoys that should 

insist on it in another country. 

Nigeria has several 

personalities including 

former President Olusegun 

Obasanjowho often publicly 

admonish our government, 

whenever they see the need to 

do so concerning certain 

policies and events. Each time 

that happens, our counsel to 

those who quarrel with such 

critics is that they shouldleave 

themessenger and 

interrogate the message. We 

are unable to do same with 

foreigners who dabble into 

our internal affairs, just as we 

do not expect our 

ambassadors to interfere in 

the local affairs of their host 

countries. 

Bearing in mind that some 

of the envoys hail from 

countries that claim to be 

traditional friends of Nigeria, 

we call on them to be more 

helpful to the country by 

avoiding to further heat-up an 

already heated polity. We also 

call on Nigerians themselves 

to recognize the superiority of 

dialogue to other methods of 

resolving issues. For those 

who feel aggrieved over the 

Twitter matter and are unable 

to accept government’s 

decision, we recommend that 

they follow the due process of 

law instead of violent protests 

that can hurt us all. Luckily, 

many interest groups have 

chosen to legally challenge 

the suspension of Twitter. 

Among them is the powerful 

Nigerian Bar Association 

(NBA) whose President, 

Olumide Akpata has said ‘the 

action of the federal 

government has no 

constitutional backing’ 

promising a law suit to 

challenge it. There is also a 

report that dozens of Nigerian 

groups including the Socio- 

Economic Rights and 

Accountability Project 

(SERAP) have filed lawsuits 

on the subject at the ECOWAS 

Community Court of Justice. 

They are in order. 

On the part of government, 

there is no doubt that she has 

made her point. She has 

established that no matter 

how articulate our activists 

are, the current ruling 

Nigerian government like 

other governments worldwide 

is better positioned to 

determine what can 

challenge the respective 

country’snational security. 

Having made the point, it is 

time for our President to play 

the role of the father of the 

nation by reviewing policies 

which negatively affect a 

cross section of the country 

especially for the benefit 

ofwell-meaning citizens. In 

the case of Twitter, over 40 

million subscribers in the 

country most of whom are 

young unemployed citizens 

are affected – a figure that the 

nation’s leadership cannot 

ignore if the President is 

desirous of seamlessly 

fulfilling his promise of lifting 

100 million people out of 

poverty. Nigeria needs both 

free speech and peace. 

PhD,Department of 

Philosophy, 

Universityof Lagos 

08116759758 

opuruiche2000@gmail.com 

On the increasing possibility of 

Nigeria’s disintegration (3) 

Historically uninformed 

members of the elite in 

southern Nigeria, especially 

those parading intimidating 

academic and professional 

titles, seem unaware that 

some of the most influential 

muslim members of the 

Fulani military cum civilian 

establishment headed by 

different sultans of Sokoto 

never abandoned completely 

the ambition of continuing 

the nineteenth century jihad 

of Usman Dan Fodio until the 

entire country is dominated by 

Muslims or, in otherwords, 

until the Koran is dipped into 

the Atlantic ocean in the 

south. The most audacious 

public expression of that 

ambition came from Bala 

Mohammed, governor of 

Bauchi State, who in a 

television interview few 

months ago revealed the 

federal government’s plan to 

make Nigeria a homeland for 

the Fulani. Now, with the 

benefit of hindsight, the 

northern revanchist coup of 

July 29, 1966, repudiation of 

the Aburi accord 

championed by several highranking 

selfish federal civil 

servants from the southin 

concert with British and 

American diplomats, the 

devastating jihadist civil war 

against Biafra, succession of 

military coups that produced 

northern muslims as heads of 

state, and annulment of the 

June 12 presidential election 

– all this can be better 

explained and understood as 

the unfolding of the 

philosophy of Fulani 

domination in Nigeria 

backed by Islam. 

As I stated at the very 

beginning of this series, 

Nigeria at this moment ison 

a cliff-hanger of possible 

disintegration. Therefore, 

based on the metaphysical 

principle that any composite 

entity can disintegrate when 

the conditions are right, the 

possibility of ”Niger 

Area”imploding was 

immanent immediately the 

colonial amalgam was 

created by British imperialists 

notwithstanding the boastful 

false claim by successive 

military adventurers and their 

civilian clones that Nigeria’s 

unity is non-negotiable and 

sacrosanct. It is also evident 

from our analysis that at the 

outset leading politicians 

from the south in general 

wanted a viable modern 

democratic country while 

their northern counterparts 

were pulling in the opposite 

direction of creating an 

Islamic state governed in 

accordance with sharia. 

Again, lop-sidedness in the 

geopolitical structure created 

by Britain which is 

advantageous to the north 

was a serious obstacle against 

Nigeria’s evolution into an 

equitable nation in that it 

created the opportunity for 

northern leaders to blackmail 

the British and the other two 

Lop-sidedness in the 

geopolitical structure 

created by Britain which is 

advantageous to the north 

was a serious obstacle 

against Nigeria’s evolution 

into an equitable nation 

southern regions for 

concessions 

by 

threateningsecession, which 

would have been ineffectual 

had the northern region not 

been treated by colonial 

officials as a single political 

unit ab initio. That said, 

southerners must accept that 

their First Republic 

politicians committed serious 

blunder by underestimating 

the political sagacity of 

Ahmadu Bello and his 

acolytes: despite the 

impressive educational 

superiority of Azikiwe, 

Awolowo and others over 

their northern counterparts, 

the latter manifested a more 

realistic understanding of how 

to use what they have to get 

what they want politically. 

Unfortunately, myopic 

selfishness, lust for power,and 

malignant quest for primitive 

accumulation prevented the 

Sardauna, Tafawa Balewa 

and others from using 

political power to improve the 

wellbeing of the suffering 

masses in their region. 

Certainly, no one can deny 

the multiply plural nature of 

the country in terms of 

differences in ethnicity, 

culture, religion, language, 

and habits which make 

nation-building quite 

demanding and very difficult. 

And after one hundred and 

seven years there is no scintilla 

of doubt that Nigerians have 

failed to develop a strong and 

sustainable national 

consciousness that can 

override centrifugal forces 

tending to tear the country 

apart. Physical symbols of 

nationhood such a single 

geographical location and 

paraphernalia of national 

political and economic 

organisation cannot replace 

that inner feeling of 

belongingness to a single 

country by the citizens which 

serves as a necessary 

foundation for genuine 

nationhood. Put differently, 

without the psychic or 

psychological glue 

connecting a group of people 

together in the pursuit of 

shared values and historical 

destiny, it is impossible to form 

a nation. The emotional 

connection between 

Nigerians from different 

ethnic, religious, and sociocultural 

backgrounds is 

extremely tenuous. Thus, 

Nigeria is a crippled giant 

according to Prof.Eghosa E. 

Osaghae, and if care is not 

taken her limbs might soon 

be amputated for good. 

Repeated failure of the 

northern-dominated federal 

government to create a 

conducive environment for 

the blossoming of strong 

feelings of togetherness in 

Nigerians and emotional 

attachment to a single nation 

irrespective of ethnicity and 

religion has reached its 

apogee in the presidency of 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

prompting speculations in 

certain quarters that the 

dominant faction or segment 

of the Fulani ruling cabal 

think that now is the best time 

to implement the 

Fulanisation and 

Islamisation project initiated 

in the nineteenth-century by 

Usman Dan Fodio. Despite 

denials by a handful of Fulani 

politicians, evidence is 

mounting that the sinister 

programme has been on 

surreptitiously for decades, 

but it gathered traction after 

the Biafran war ended in 

1970, aided and abetted by 

myopic egoistic southerners. 

That is one of the inescapable 

conclusions from Prof.Omoc 

Omoruyi’s eponymous 

exposé on a traumatic period 

in Nigerian politics entitled 

The Tale of June 12: The 

Betrayal of the Democratic 

Rights of Nigerians, and 

Dr.ChinweizuIbekwe’s little 

pamphlet, Fulani Caliphate 

Colonialism: The Taproot of the 

Trouble 

with 

Nigeria.Consider, for 

instance, how northern 

military heads of state 

deliberately calibrated and 

configured the loci of political 

power to serve northern 

interests. In all the military 

coups after July 29, 1966 the 

highest decision-making 

body of each military regime 

had been dominated by 

northerners who created all 

the states and local 

government areas. Presently, 

there are 36 states and 774 

LGAs: the north has 19 states 

and 417 LGAs, compared to 

southern Nigeria’s 17 and 357 

respectively. The 109 member 

Senate comprises 58 

northern senators and 51 from 

the south. Out of 360 members 

in the House of 

Representatives the north has 

191 members and the south 

169. From the statistics above, 

one can see easily that the 

north has numerical 

advantage over the south in 

the number of states, local 

government areas and 

membership of the National 

Assembly. That is why on any 

issue which comes up in the 

federal legislature with ethno- 

religious underpinnings 

northern federal legislators 

would always brag to their 

southern colleagues that 

democracy is a game of 

numbers, meaning that they 

have the numerical strength 

to pass any bill favourable to 

their region and frustrate any 

legislation that might favour 

the south, a situation that 

played out not too long ago 

when the National Assembly 

passed the bill that created the 

North-East Commission 

whereas bills granting special 

status to Lagos and for 

establishing a special 

commission for the south-east 

were rejected. Although the 

north is not monolithic in 

terms of ethnicity, religion and 

culture, the Fulani 

domination of that part of 

Nigeria using Islam as a foil 

is such that in consequential 

matters bothering on politics, 

economy and security, those 

from what is sometimes 

called “the political the north” 

display appreciable herd 

mentality: in the federal 

parliament those from there 

vote en bloc to protect 

northern interests which, in 

practical terms, are the 

bulimic interests of the 

northern ruling elite and their 

foot soldiers. 

It follows that the obnoxious 

trend of northern political 

domination which began 

rearing its ugly head before 

independence has continued 

till the present time. Given the 

intimate umbilical cord 

linking political power and 

distribution of benefits from 

such power, it is not surprising 

that in spite of the derivation 

share of 13% to oil-producing 

states in the south northern 

Nigeria as a whole still 

receives a sizeable percentage 

of oil revenue to which the 

region contributes not even a 

single dollar. 

To be concluded.

ADETUTU AUDU 

08023849036, 

08112662587 

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 13, 2021, PAGE 15 

Atiku Abubakar is 

grandfather again 

•Seyi 

Tinubu and 

wife 

•Atiku 

Seyi Tinubu 

throws 

birthda 

thday y bash 

for daughter 

Seyi Tinubu, suave businessman and son 

of APC National Leader, Asiwaju 

Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and his wife, 

Layal, threw a bash to celebrate the fourth 

birthday of his daughter, Noella. 

The parents threw a cute Barbie-themed 

party which was attended by friends and 

family members. 

The mother of the celebrant, Layal, took 

to her Instagram page to share how she 

showed up to celebrate with her 

daughter. 

Pink was the colour of the day as the 

venue of the party was beautifully 

decorated in pink. 

The People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for last general elections, Atiku 

Abubakar, is a grandfather again. 

The latest addition to the Waziri of Adamawa’s family is courtesy one of his sons, Mustapha 

Abubakar .The baby boy is Mustapha’s first with his wife, Afrah El-Nafaty. 

Atiku’s other son, Adamu, who is also the 

Commissioner, Adamawa State Ministry of 

Works and Energy 

Development, 

revealed the 

birth of the 

child in a 

post on 

Instagram. 

•Aderinokun 

Amaju 

Pinnick 

T 

mourns 

hese are not best of times for the 

Nigeria Football Federation, NFF 

President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as the 

football chief helmsman is bereaved. 

Not many know that the former banker 

and wellness expert, Arinola Adebiyi, 

is related to Amaju. 

The late Arinola, the brain behind 

Venivici, a highbrow Spa in Lagos, 

shared a filia bond with Amaju. 

Arinola’s mother and Amaju’s father 

were siblings. 

Since her demise last week, Amaju has 

remained 

•Pinnick 

inconsolable.ediate 

appointment after her service year 

and rose to become the 

Group Head, General 

Business. She later moved on 

to Dere Otubu’s Staco 

Insurance where she was 

Deputy Director before 

moving to Equity as 

Executive Director. 

Indeed, Nwakuche has 

been around for quite a 

while. Spurred by the 

untiring passion to assert 

herself and establish her 

ingenuity at work, she has 

chosen to remain on top of 

her game. 

The insurance expert has 

joined the billionaire 

banker, Tony Elumelu’s new 

Heir Insurance Company as 

Acting Managing Director. 

Heirs Holdings (HH) 

announced the Group’s 

transformative insurance 

industry play, with the 

launch of Heirs Insurance 

Limited (HIL) and Heirs Life 

Assurance (HLA) at the 

companies’ Victoria Island 

headquarters in Lagos. 

Olowu honours Olumide 

Aderinokun, wife 

Property merchant and politician, Olumide Aderinokun, 

and his media personality wife, Stephanie, were 

honoured as the Akinruiyiwa of Owu Kingdom and 

Yèyé Akinruiyiwa by the Olowu of Owu 

Kingdom last weekend. 

Aderinokun entered politics in 2011 

when he lost his bid to represent his 

people of Abeokuta North Federal 

Constituency at the House of 

Representatives on the platform of the 

People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He 

tried again and won the primary 

election on October 3, 2018. 

The celebrity couple married on 

August 12, 2017 on the Greek Island 

of Mykonos and they have a 

•Fani-Kayode 

daughter.

PAGE 16 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021 

Women are 

smart cheats 

—Blessing Okoro 

The war of the sexes has been fought on many 

fronts. One that keeps raging with no end in 

sight is about the sex or gender that loves 

sex more than the other. In her dramatic fashion, 

self-styled intellectual entertainer and 

relationship expert, Blessing Okoro, known as 

Blessingceo has affirmed that women love sex 

more than men, saying men make out to be the 

big cheat when the women actually cheat more but are 

discreet about it. 

“Women love sex more than men. Women enjoy sex 

more than men and they want sex more than men. 

Women pretend more than men, they are very 

pretentious in nature and they have to be because of the 

society they have found themselves in. In the society we 

are, pretense simply means innocence, it means you are 

a saint and every man wants a saint for a wife. And 

every woman is pretending to be a saint. In this part of 

the world called Africa they call you a saint when you 

pretend you are naive. You are a good woman when you 

don't want sex but that is a lie, women want sex. Women 

are good pretenders because that is what African men 

want,” she said. 

“A lot of women are beginning to cheat, even more 

than men but they are smart about it. This is because 

a lot of men think they married a naive and 

conservative woman. But it is the naive women that 

are cheating more. That's why it is good for a man to 

make love to his wife very well. No woman is a 

naive woman,” she added. 

My haters 

want me dead, 

says Bobrisky 

By Sylvester Kwentua 

Social media star and famous 

cross-dresser, Bobrisky, has sent 

a note of strong warning to his 

haters. In a blunt but fiery 

social media post, Bobrisky 

also made them realize he 

was going to pepper them 

some more, even as they 

wanted him dead. 

“Don’t come here to 

patronize me please. 

Bob, come back 

online, we missed 

you, blabla!! You 

want me dead. 

Sad, I am 

coming to 

pepper many of 

you.” Bobrisky 

•Bobrisky 

posted. 

Meanwhile, in 

a n o t h e r 

development, 

Bobrisky 

recently 

announced to 

the whole 

world that he 

had been verified 

on SnapChat, a 

picture app. 

“Yaaaaaaaay, I 

just got verified 

on SnapChat..” 

Bobrisky 

announced on 

Instagram. 

•Sunarchy 

new artistes 

•Blessing Okoro 

•Anita Joseph and 

hubby MC Fish 

Engaged Nollywood actress, Peggy 

Onah, shares romantic details 

Sultry Nollywood actress, Peggy Onah who 

recently relocated from Enugu to Lagos is 

off the courtship market. She is taken and 

soon to be married in a matter of weeks. 

The gleeful actress shared the news with 

Potpourri via a WhatApp chat, 

revealing some details of how the 

romance played out. 

“We met in Lagos. We met at an unusual 

place while on different missions. I was 

so scattered on that day that I wasn’t 

thinking of making any acquaintances. 

He, on the other hand was so carried 

away and busy with the business he came 

for, that I could swear he wasn't seeing 

me,” she narrated beaming with joy 

She revealed that she was going 

through emotional stress at the time 

and had no thought of a romantic 

•Peggy Onah 

relationship of any kind. 

and Heartthrob 

“I was so lost in thoughts that anyone 

who saw me would really know I wasn't 

happy,” she continued. “I think he 

noticed I was emotionally down. He 

walked up to me and he tried to crack jokes 

with me. I refused to pay attention to his jokes 

but at some point his jokes got to me and I started 

laughing. He has a good sense of humour and 

that made us get along easily regardless of what 

I was going through at the time. We exchanged 

contacts. He always called to check on me. He 

became a brother I never had and also a father. 

At some point we got so used to each other that 

we could not stay for a day without talking to 

each other.” 

According to her, at that point they knew they 

were in love. What followed was a marriage proposal to 

which the delectable actress said “yes”. And the rest, as 

they say, is history. 

Anita Joseph showers mother-in-law 

with accolades for birthing hubby 


Curvy Nigerian actress, 

Anita Joseph won’t 

stop talking about how she 

is enjoying her marriage to 

MC Fish, her showbiz 

husband. Whether she is 

throwing jabs at him on 

social media or she is 

splashing her timeline with 

pictures of both of them, she 

won’t just stop talking about her 

husband, who she is madly in 

love with. 

In a recent Instagram 

video, accompanied with 

a post, Anita Joseph 

celebrated her mother-inlaw. 

According to her, 

‘giving me a good man.’ 

“This is the woman who gave me a 

good man! The woman whom God has 

used to bless me...Mother In-law as 

people call but I call mine mother inlove. 

Mummy I pray and promise to 

always love you and never leave your 

side. Thank you for loving me even 

though MC Fish is jealous. I’m 

married to the most amazing 

family.Wait till you see my father inlove,” 

she posted. 

Anita Joseph and MC Fish met in 

2017, according to Anita in past posts, 

and they officially got married on 

February 14, 2020. 

Ever since she got married, similar 

to any newly wedded woman, Anita 

Joseph has not been able to hide her 

joy from her fans, as she continues to 

update them about their union, even 

on controversial matters. 

Sunarchy unveils three new 

music act 

Nigerian music record label, Sunarchy 

has just signed into its family three 

new music artistes, Peter Rock (Junior 

Waifo), Vikky Parah, and K Maurice. 

The event which took place in Lagos 

was alongside the listening party of 

their new EP, titled ‘Grace’. 

Sunarchy, a music label founded by 

Mr Sunny Oniafo Robinson in the 

United States of America, before 

moving to Nigeria last year, also 

specializes in digital photography, 

cinematography, event, movie 

productions and other projects. 

According to its founder, "Sunarchy 

is focused on taking Nigerian music 

industry to another level, giving the 

audience meaningful songs that relate 

more with situations of the country. 

“Signing of these three talented acts is 

timely. Our vision is to give opportunity 

to young artistes so they can use their 

talent to reach out to everyone. 

"We have three types of artistes on our 

record label. We have the one that does 

gospel and highlife, another does Afropop 

and another pure Afro. 

“Our mission is to take music to another 

level, to give the audience quality music, 

music that has meaning, not just singing 

for singing sake," he stated. 

For Junior Uwaifo, he has been singing 

for the past 13 years, "My team was 

created in 2007. My father has so much 

influence on my career but I make my 

own sound as a highlife and gospel 

music." 

Also speaking at the event, Akwa Ibom 

State-born K Maurice said, “I am 

bringing the kind of message the people 

have been yearning for, the message for 

this time. I pass messages through Afro 

music, and I look up to nobody in the 

music industry. I am currently working 

on an album, EP and a single" 

Vicky Parah whose real name is Gbesinu 

Victor Adesegun, remarked: “People 

should expect boom tracks. One of them, 

Shayo, will be coming out soon." 

Speaking further, the music label boss 

revealed that music star, Waje, and some 

undisclosed names are on the list of 

artistes to be featured on the EP of his 

new signees.


Nollywood yet to marry storytelling 

with technicalities — Elenini producers 

Allen Onyige and Adeniyi Joseph 

Omobulejo are the producers of Yoruba 

drama series, Elenini currently running 

on GOTV/DSTV Nigeria and both are 

graduates of Multichoice Talent Factory. In this 

interview with Potpourri, the duo (Onyige 

from Rivers State) and (Omobulejo from Ogun 

State) share their experience in producing the 

series and how GOTV/Multichoice has 

impacted them and the movie industry at large. 

What inspired the story behind the 

production of "Elenini"? 

ALLEN ONYIGE 

ELENINI is a story about an Igbo man who 

is married to a Yoruba lady but has a wife in 

his home town. Hell will break loose when 

the Igbo wife comes visiting. 

I can’t particularly say what event inspired 

the story. I think, though, that it might have 

been inspired by my day-to-day conversations 

with Adeniyi Joseph and the cultural 

differences that were unearthed. I’m from 

Rivers State and he is from Ogun state. 

ADENIYI JOSEPH OMOBULEJO 

ELENINI is actually a product of another 

story that we couldn’t afford to do at the time 

and we knew from the beginning who our 

audience are and we had to tell a simple story 

very relatable to them. 

As an African story what message are you 

sending out? 

ALLEN ONYIGE 

Our key message is ‘Love and Tolerance’. 

We all know the cultural tension we face in 

Nigeria. If you follow our story, you will 

understand what we did with our characters. 

For instance, ‘Uzor’, our lead character, made 

decisions out of love and not culture, even 

though his family tried to tie him down to a 

cultural marriage he had never accepted. 


There are a lot of themes that the story 

explores, such as the consequences of infidelity, 

dreaming big, friendship, platonic and 

romantic love. There is just something for 

everyone to learn while they are entertained. 

What challenges were there in producing 

the series? 

ALLEN ONYIGE 

In producing these series, the major problem 

•Onyige and 

Omobulejo 

we had was people management. We got to 

engage almost 300 people (Cast and Crew). 

Aside the ‘drama’ we were producing, we 

were dealing with people’s individual drama 

•Onyige and 

Omobulejo 

that sometimes cost us 

production time. 

ADENIYI JOSEPH 

OMOBULEJO 

Like every production 

there were challenges and 

mostly unforeseen but the 

biggest of them was 

human management 

which also happens to be 

my biggest lesson 

How has the exposure 

of your production on 

GOtv impacted you and 

the industry? 

ALLEN ONYIGE 

There is a popular quote 

that says ‘Knowledge is 

power’. The knowledge 

that I gained from the 

production has elevated 

me and has equipped me 

with the needed experience 

that most people seek in 

the industry. This means 

that I can easily execute 

any kind of project without 

fear. Just bring it on. 


The impact is a process. We have however 

received a lot of good feedback on social media 

like twitter because GOtv has given the show 

a very wide coverage and some persons have 

reached out to applaud the fact that it’s a 

premium content delivered in Yoruba which 

raises the standard for other producers and 

ultimately impacts the industry in terms of 

the quality of what is produced. 

What lessons did you learn from MTF that 

you deployed in this production? 

ALLEN ONYIGE 

MTF is not an academy where one is taught 

just film-making. We were also taught about 

the business of film-making. For me, the 

project was almost like a practical course from 

MTF. All I did was put to use what I had 

learned from MTF. This included people 

management, integrity, accountability, 

storytelling, technical skills, business 

management, emotional intelligence, etc. 


MTF is really about fixing mindsets and it 

helped me further realize my capacity as a 

leader and that skill was severely tested 

during the production of ELENINI which has 

made me find myself and as such I have 

increased capacity in many ways and 

increasing capacity is the only way to be 

relevant. 

As MTF graduates, how well have you 

integrated into the mainstream Nollywood? 

ALLEN ONYIGE 

With the wealth of knowledge and 

experience I have had, it is safe to say I can 

easily find myself in mainstream Nollywood. 

However, with the challenges facing 

Nollywood, it is not clear if I have integrated 

or not. Nollywood has not been 

able to marry storytelling and 

the technicalities of 

storytelling. This results in 

backwardness. Sometimes, it 

is traceable to the budget and 

investors. 

ADENIYI JOSEPH 

OMOBULEJO 

MTF already prepared us 

for this by introducing us to 

industry professionals but 

what’s really important in 

Nollywood is to show capacity 

consistently and we have shown 

a bit of what we can do and we 

just hope for more opportunities 

to do more and more and then 

we can help contribute to the 

industry. 

Tiwa Savage Vs Seyi Shay: 

Celebrities, fans react 


Early this week, two of Nigeria’s talented musicians, Tiwa 

Savage and Seyi Shay engaged each other in a public scuffle, 

at a saloon in Lagos. 

In what appeared to be a two-year old accumulated beef, the 

two songstresses let out what had been on their minds, as they 

were heard on a recorded video, threatening to expose and deal 

with each other. 

Ever since the beef on Tuesday, the internet has been agog 

with celebrities and fans taking sides. Here are what 

some celebrities and fans said on Instagram: 

People should not be forced to keep friends- 

Do2dtun 

Celebrity DJ and Hypeman, @Do2dtun feels 

people should not be forced to keep friends. “The 

issue with this friendship thing is everyone just 

believes we have to be friends to cohabit. We all 

don't have to be friends to cohabit. Let us just 

respect each other..if it is out of the window then 

we have nothing to talk about.. period! ..” he 

said. 

They don’t need the curses- Daddy Freeze 

Controversial OAP, @Daddy freeze, was 

•Tiwa Savage 

more concerned about the curses...” Ewo ni ti 

epe(Why the curses?)” Freeze reacted. 

Tiwa please let go, Efe pleads 

Ex BBnaija winner, @Efewarriboy, on his own 

part, pleaded with Tiwa Savage to let go, while blaming Seyi Shay 

for not calling Tiwa on phone. “I f king said this thing that 

time they were bashing my baby. I said keep the same energy. 

It DON'T matter how long. I am all for peace. But some sins 

should be addressed. You could have called her before now to 

squash. Rather than running into her and assuming all is well. 

After that whole episode. @tiwasavage baby. You will always 

be our queen. Please let it go. God bless all of us. Na Buhari be 

our problem las las,” he pleaded. 

Tiwa Savage is classy even in a fight- Monalisa Stephen 

Voluptuous Nigerian actress, model and media personality, 

Monalisa Stephen, seems to be more interested in Tiwa’s 

carriage, while fighting: “Tiwa is so classy sha . Even as 

she dey fight she still dey classy..all her words con 

dey sound like better lyrics. Too possssh,” she 

noted. 

Don’t let anybody stress you Tiwa - Yetunde 

Bakare 

Nollywood actress/producer, Yetunde 

Bakare, pleaded with Tiwa Savage to let go, 

as everybody gets talked about. 

“Don’t let anybody stress you my Queen 

TIWA. When nobody talks about you, then 

you’re nobody!”, she pleaded. 

Tiwa is the real deal- Sexy Steel 

Nigerian designer, stylist, actor and 

•Seyi Shay 

musician, Sexy Steel, just eulogized Tiwa 

Savage...” Tiwa is the real savage.”


Not t all newly 

wly-w 

-weds make love on their wedding night! 

Even those with a 

jaundiced view on 

matrimony still see the 

wedding night as something 

to look forward to. After 

months of planning and 

executing a wedding, you’re 

now alone with the spouse 

you vowed to spend the rest 

of your life with - starting 

with the wedding night. And 

sex, what else rears its 

interesting head. But are 

things that cut and dried? 

According to a recent study, 

more than half of couples 

don’t manage to 

consummate their marriage 

on their wedding night – 

with alcohol, stress and 

exhaustion named as the top 

passion killers. 

Mercy, a polytechnic 

lecturer was 23 and a fresh 

graduate when she got 

married to Elijah some 30 

years ago. “He never 

actually proposed”, she 

explained, “so, I guess 

getting married was simply 

mutually agreed. My 

parents saw it as a social 

suicide to openly `live in sin’ 

as some of our mates did. 

Planning the wedding just 

happened and my mother 

went into overdrive making 

plans for the wedding of her 

only child and the whole day 

was exhausting. It was a 

huge relief to arrive at a 

mutual friend’s family 

house in a nearby state for 

ANAMBRA GUBER: PDP in trouble as court voids 

state EXCO, nullifies South-East zonal congress 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

Barely two weeks to the 

governorship 

primaries of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, in Anambra state, a 

Federal High Court sitting in 

Abuja, has nullified the South- 

East Zonal Congresses which 

held on March 6, 2021. 

The plaintiff, Samuel 

Anyakorah had approached 

Justice Adegbola Adeniyi of 

the High Court of Justice, 

Abuja Division, seeking 

among others, the 

nullification of the March 

Congresses unless there is 

recourse by the PDP (1st 


Agroup, 

Socio-political 

Imolites 

Collective, IC, has 

accused politicians of 

sponsoring crisis and violence 

in Imo State, stressing that 

intra and inter-party 

disaffection has assumed a 

dangerous dimension in the 

state. 

The group also urged 

Governor Hope Uzodimma 

to focus on delivering on his 

I restored electricity to communities in darkness for 

over 7 years — Waive 

By Ochuko Akuopha 

M EMBER 

representing 

Ughelli 

North/Ughelli South/Udu 

Federal Constituency in the 

House of Representatives, Rev. 

Francis Waive, has said he 

had facilitated the restoration 

of electricity to some 

communities that had been 

off the national grid for over 

seven years. 

Speaking in Ughelli, 

Ughelli, North Local 

the only honeymoon we 

could afford. 

“It was a huge company 

house and he and his wife 

had gone to a considerable 

extent to make the guest 

room very romantic. The 

clueless man had also 

arranged for a small 

welcoming party that night. 

Not one to miss an 

opportunity for past time 

drinking with his friends, 

Elijah cajoled me into the 

party venue – not to the 

marriage bed. Eventually, 

after much imbibing, we hit 

the sack. `Well’, he leered, 

`I suppose we’d better consummate 

this marriage’. I 

told him, the room seemed 

to be spinning. I felt sick as I 

wasn’t used to drinking. The 

feeling overwhelmed me. 

The bathroom was down the 

corridor, I ran as fast as I 

could, but I missed. I 

staggered back to the room, 

shaken and shame-faced. 

`I’m sorry, I think I’ve 

messed up the corridor”, I 

told Elijah and passed out. 

He spent what was left of our 

wedding night clearing up 

the corridor and cleaning 

me up. No wonder it didn’t 

last – we were divorced nine 

years later!” 

Did we make love on our 

wedding night? “You bet we 

did!” hooted Ndidi cheekily. 

Married to David for 20 

years with four children, she 

defendant) to the extant list of 

already inaugurated party 

officers and delegates that 

emerged “from the Anambra 

PDP congress conducted on 

28 November 2017 and 1st 

December 2017, validated by 

the Senator Grace Bent Ward 

Congress Appeal Panel 

Report under the supervision 

of Sir Chukwudi Umeaba as 

acting chairman, State 

Caretaker Committee.” 

In a suit brought before the 

temple of justice, numbered, 

HC/CV/774/2021, 

Anyakorah on behalf of 

himself and all local 

government chairmen and 

ward executives who emerged 

Government Area, Delta 

State, while giving account of 

his stewardship for the second 

legislative year, Waive listed 

some of the communities to 

include Okolor, Ekrota and 

Okperhenre in Udu local 

government area as well as 

Otor-Edo and Owhawha in 

Ughelli South local 

government area. 

He noted that "Okwemor, 

Otegbo and Egbo-Ideh 

Communities are set to be 

reconnected", saying "I have 

also facilitated rehabilitation 

of vandalized power 

from the 28th November 2017 

and 1st December 2017, by 

way of originating summons, 

sought a declaration that 

virtue of Article 2 of the 

Constitution of the PDP 

(amended in 2017), “the said 

constitution is supreme,” 

arguing that it has “a binding 

force on all members and 

organs of the PDP and that any 

action or step taken contrary 

to the relevant provisions of 

the constitution is unlawful, 

illegal, null and void and of 

no effect whatsoever.” 

The plaintiff also argued 

that it is unlawful for the PDP 

“whether during its South- 

East Zonal Congress of 6th 

Group condemns insecurity, bloodletting in Imo State 

mandate instead of joining 

issues with politicians that 

have no good intentions for 

Imo people except what they 

would get out of political 

positions. 

In a statement signed by the 

President, Longinus Duru, and 

the Secretary, Ernest Iroha, 

the group said time has come 

for all patriotic citizens of Imo 

to rise up against attempts by 

politicians to make the state 

a theatre of war. 

IC noted with regrets that 

said: “I’d been counting off 

the minutes for months. We 

were born again Christians, 

so we were virgins and had 

been waiting for the night 

with the keenest 

expectation. My husband is 

an evangelist, and when we 

went for counselling before 

we got married, the 

Reverend had asked us why 

the need for marriage. 

Apparently, he was 

expecting some pious 

answer such as `To help 

each other in Christian 

work’. We both immediately 

and unanimously replied, 

`Sex’. Why else would you 

get married? 

“We were so excited about 

the prospect that wild horses 

wouldn’t have kept us away. 

But my mother unwillingly 

scuppered our sneaking off 

the peace and harmony, 

which Imo is known for, 

began to slide as soon as the 

state government made 

efforts to enforce the findings 

of a commission of inquiry 

that investigated the large 

scale looting and 

misappropriation by previous 

administration. 

“We are an aggregation of 

Imo State citizens from 

various professions without 

affiliation to or with any 

political party or politically 

infrastructure and withdrawal 

of court cases towards 

restoration of power supply in 

Olomu clan Agbaghare and 

Imode Communities. In no 

distant time these 

communities will enjoy the 

benefits of my efforts." 

He said: "In a year that saw 

reduced number of House 

sittings due to Covid-19 

restrictions, I presented a total 

of 12 Bills and three motions. 

This is in addition to regularly 

contributing to debates on the 

floor of the House. In all, my 

efforts are geared towards 

improvements in the living 

in the afternoon for sex. We 

were to remain in the family 

house, in our room, for the 

few hours in between the 

easy church wedding and 

the reception. So she’d left 

us alone, hinting she fully 

expected my new husband to 

make the most of the time 

we had before the reception 

proper. I was so 

embarrassed at her even 

having these thoughts that I 

made very sure we didn’t. 

Instead, I stayed in the living 

room with friends. I made 

sure my hair remained up 

and tidy, leaving my mother 

in no doubt whatsoever that 

it hadn’t been rumpled and 

tussled. At close to midnight, 

with the party still in full 

swing, we retired, sober and 

excited to our hotel room 

and enjoyed a night of 

March 2021 or at any other 

time, to adopt or publish the 

name of a state chairman, 

alongside persons purporting 

to be EXCO members, local 

government chairmen and 

national delegates without 

recourse to the officers and 

delegates that emerged in 

2017. 

He further sought an order 

nullifying or setting aside all 

Congresses, designations or 

appointment made by the 

PDP concerning the state 

chairman for PDP in 

Anambra state, EXCO 

members, local government 

chairmen, national delegates 

amongst others. 

exposed persons. We have 

watched with dismay the 

wanton destruction of 

property, loss of lives and 

descent to anomie in our dear 

state. 

“Having studied the 

unfolding pattern of violence, 

which has a mix of 

criminality, brigandage and 

political vendetta, we have 

decided to come together to 

take proactive steps to avert 

further destruction and 

despoliation in Imo State". 

standard of our people as well 

as the protection of lives and 

property. 

"I continue to participate in 

various Standing and Ad-hoc 

Committees of the House 

traversing the nation on 

oversight duties. Like I 

promised during the 

campaigns, I can't be a 

sleeping or docile legislator. 

This has paid off well for our 

people especially in the House 

Committee on Power where I 

serve as Deputy Chairman. I 

have used the clout of the 

office for the benefit of our 

people." 

madly-looked forward to – 

and extremely inexpert – 

love making. It was worth 

the wait! 

Tunji and Kate had been 

living together for a couple 

of years before they got 

married 30 years ago. “But 

did we consummate our new 

married status on our 

wedding night at one of the 

poshest hotels in the city? We 

did not. In fact, to my 

enduring shame, we didn’t 

even retire to bed at the same 

time. Kate was three months 

pregnant, her growing 

bump hidden by an empire 

line wedding dress. Halfway 

through the reception, 

when the dancing proper 

began, she made her 

excuses. But I was still in the 

mood to hang out with my 

friends, whooping it up until 

my new sister in-law politely 

but firmly told me that my 

place was upstairs with my 

new bride – not downstairs 

twirling other women 

around the dance floor. 

“When I got to our room, 

there was just far too much 

to talk about, from what 

friends and relatives had 

worn, to how one or two of 

them behaved, to an 

assessment of the food and 

the drinks, the speeches. We 

were so happy everything 

went according to plan we 

just collapsed on the bed and 

fell asleep”. 

Presidential Amnesty Phase 3 

inaugurates national, state exco 

By Kennedy Mbele 

The Presidential 

Amnesty Phase 3 

Programme under the 

leadership of General Tonye 

Bobo has inaugurated its 

national and state executives 

to run its affairs in the next two 

years. 

The event was held at Gerrex 

Global Hotel Ogbe - Udu in 

Udu LGA of Delta State, with 

critical stakeholders in 

attendance reinforcing the vote 

of confidence earlier passed on 

General Tonye Bobo as the 

National Chairman PAP-3 in 

Benin City. 

A statement issued at the 

event reads: “ 0nce again, we 

pledge our loyalty to the 

leadership of General Tonye 

Bobo as the National 

Chairman Presidential 

Amnesty Phase 3.” 

General Tonye Bobo, the 

National Chairman of the 

Presidential Amnesty Phase 3, 

in a brief speech shortly before 

Sensational international Disc 

Joker, DJ, Oluwaseyi 

Ayomikun, professionally 

known as DJ Spaxx, has given 

reasons why he’s the best 

afrobeat DJ in the Tri-state - 

New Jersey, New York and 

Connecticut, in the United 

States. 

Dj Spaxx performances span 

through several clubs, 

concerts, stages, parties and 

private gigs in Nigeria, United 

Kingdom, Dubai and United 

States of America (USA). 

At a time, he was the official 

DJ to Burna Boy, Skales and 

Mr MayD. He also worked as 

DJ at Pow Fm in London and 

now at various clubs in the 

USA, including, Tribe Lounge, 

B2 Sports bar, Barcode, Ace 

Atlanta, Eden Atl, and Mr 

Souls to mention but a few. 

In a recent chat with Sunday 

Vanguard, Spaxx said, “Being 

a good DJ is about your ability 

You’re put on notice! 

(Humour) 

The newly married couple 

returned home from 

honeymoon and travelled 

down to the husband’s 

country mansion. “We’ll 

take the pony, darling”, he 

said, “and then you can get 

a better view of our land. 

However, they’d only 

travelled a mile when the 

pony began to get awkward 

and refused to cross over a 

small stream. “Come on 

you bugler!” stormed the 

man and hit the pony a 

severe blow. The animal 

moved slowly. 

“Right, that’s one”, said 

the man. Ten minutes later, 

the pony stopped again. 

The man got down and hit 

the animal with a piece of 

wood. “Now get going”, he 

yelled. `That’s two’. But just 

as they came in sight of the 

house, the pony was startled 

by a flock of pigeons and 

refused to move. No wonder 

how hard he was hit, he 

remained still. 

“Right!” Screamed the 

man, enraged, “that’s three”. 

And he took his hunting rifle 

from the back bag and shot 

the pony dead. “Good 

heavens!” exclaimed the 

new bride. “How on earth 

could you be so cruel? I feel 

as if I’m married to a 

monster!” “Right. That’s 

one”, replied the husband. 

the inauguration, advised the 

incoming exco members both 

at the national and state level 

to avoid the creation of factions 

capable of jeopardizing the 

purpose of the group. 

Tonye Bobo emphasized that 

all the exco members are 

expected to serve 

wholeheartedly to support the 

states and the national body 

under his leadership. 

The PAP Phase 3 head, who 

stated that everyone is useful 

in the actualization struggle, 

disclosed that besides the 

Advisory Committee Chaired 

by General Godstime 

Ogidigba, many other 

committees will soon be rolled 

out to engage all the critical 

stakeholders. 

General Tonye Bobo who 

thanked Col. Milland Dikio, 

the interim PAP Administrator, 

said: “ Even though we want 

government to do more, we 

have become peace 

ambassadors to encourage the 

workaholic Dikio to achieve a 

better result". 

DJ Spaxx: ‘Why I’m best Acrobat DJ’ 

to mix songs to entertain 

people, your skills (scratching 

beat matching), looking at 

your crowd and being able to 

tell if they are feeling you or 

not. 

“It is also about giving the 

people what they want and 

making them like what they 

don’t think they want. One 

thing I know for sure is my 

ability to mix all genres, flow 

with my crowd and introduce 

them to new songs. 

“I can definitely go 12 hours 

straight and still keep them 

dancing that’s why I stand out.” 

on the challenges faced by 

Nigerian DJs, Spaxx added, 

“”I am not even going to be 

shady but a lot of DJs out there 

go through hell. I had my fair 

share of hell in Nigeria. There 

are times I would perform for 

a whole day on a truck only to 

be paid N5,000.”


CONSTITUTION REVIEW: 

Row escalates as Afenifere, 

YCE, Tiv leaders, others 

challenge Senate 

By Dayo Johnson, Peter 

Duru, Ola Ajayi, Shina 

Abubakar and Rotimi 

Ojomoyela 

Secretary General of Afenifere, Chief 

Sola Ebiseni, has said the Senate, 

through its Deputy President, Omo- 

Agege, has vindicated the group’s position that 

the current step at amending the 1999 

Constitution is an exercise in futility. 

Others who joined issues with the Senate 

over the Constitution issue include Convener 

of YesWeFit Revolutionary Movement and 

former presidential aspirant, Thomas-Wilson 

Ikubese, Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, retired 

Methodist Archbishop of Ilesa and Ibadan, a 

former Minister of Transportation, Chief 

Ebenezer Babatope, a former Minister of 

Communication, Mr Adebayo Shittu, a 

former envoy to the Philippines, Ambassador 

Yemi Faroumbi, Secretary, Ekiti Council of 

Elders (ECE), Niyi Ajibulu, Secretary General 

of Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Dr Kunle 

Olajide, Afenifere Organising Secretary, 

Akogun Kole Omololu, Senior Elders Forum 

of the YCE and President General of Mzough 

U Tiv, MUT, Worldwide and Chairman of 

Leaders of Benue Ethnic Groups and Sociocultural 

Organizations, Chief Iorbee Ihagh. 

THE Senate had said it could not give 

Nigeria a brand new Constitution as 

demanded by some socio-political and 

cultural organisations in the country, saying 

the best it could do was to amend the existing 

one as it was currently doing. 

Deputy President of the Senate and 

Chairman, Committee on the Review of the 

1999 Constitution, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege 

(APC, Delta Central), who disclosed the Senate 

position, said though the Senate respects the 

opinion of those who want a new Constitution, 

a section of the document does not give the 

National Assembly the powers to produce a 

brand new Constitution. 

“Now, some of our compatriots have urged 

that rather than amend the Constitution, we 

should make a new Constitution altogether”, 

Omo-Agege stated. 

“We respect this opinion, and we believe it is 

a most desirable proposition. 

“However, we are conducting this exercise 

in accordance with the extant legal order, 

which is the 1999 Constitution. Specifically, 

Section 9 of the Constitution empowers the 

National Assembly to alter the provisions of 

the Constitution and prescribes the manner 

in which it is to be done. 

“Unfortunately, it does not make similar 

provision or provide mechanism for replacing 

or re-writing an entirely new Constitution. 

“To embark on any process without prior 

alteration of Section 9 of the Constitution to 

provide the mode through which an entirely 

new Constitution could be made will amount 

to gross violation of our oath of allegiance to 

the Constitution. 

“In other words, it will take a new 

constitutional amendment to be able to give 

Nigerians a most desired new Constitution. It 

would be unconstitutional to do otherwise. 

Omo-Agege spoke on the heels of the 

argument by the Southern and Middle Belt 

Forum (SMBLF) that the National Assembly 

was wasting its time amending the present 

Constitution, contending that what the country 

needs is a new Constitution written by the 

people. 

The Forum described the current attempt to 

amend the 1999 Constitution by the National 

Assembly as fraudulent. 

The leaders also warned that failure to 

restructure the country might 

lead to the Nigeria’s 

disintegration 

The SMBLF, which 

comprises the Pan Niger Delta 

Forum, PANDEF; the pan- 

Yoruba socio-political 

orgnisation, Afenifere; 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the 

Middle-Belt Forum, had met 

at the Ladi Kwali Hall of 

Sheraton Hotels and Towers 

in Abuja. 

“The meeting urges the 

Federal Government to heed 

the genuine and reasonable 

nationwide calls for a 

transparent National 

Dialogue, and take urgent 

steps towards restructuring 

and birthing a new 

constitution; to bring back 

equitable harmony to the 

country”, a communiqué 

issued at the end of the meeting 

said. 

“We insist that it is 

imperative to immediately 

restructure the country, 

considering the precarious 

prevailing atmosphere before 

any further elections”. 

But reacting to the Omo-Agege statement, 

Ebiseni said, “We are only amused that Senator 

Omo-Agege, a lawyer, would seek to trivialise 

such a serious national issue on the 

interpretation only of Section 9 of the 

Constitution on its amendment”. 

The Afenifere Secretary General went on: 

“Contrary to the wrong interpretation of the 

Section, an alteration of the Constitution or 

any statute or document could be by 

amendment, change or outright substitution. 

“Thus, in saner climes, the National 

Assembly could use existing documents, 

including the 1963 Constitution and the 2014 

National Conference report, and prepare a 

new draft Constitution altering the present 

Constitution by substitution and get the 

concurrence of the requisite number of state 

Houses of Assembly. 

“When India was confronted with a 

constitutional crisis in 1953, Prime Minister 

Jawaharlal Nehru appointed the States 

Reorganisation Commission which 

recommendations were submitted to 

parliament and reorganised India states along 

linguistic groups. 

“Our small western neighbour, Republic of 

Benin, under the elected government of 

President Mathew Kerekou, commissioned a 

National Conference in 

1990 which 

recommendations birthed 

a new Constitution of the 

people which has since 

endured. 

“In the Nigerian 

I don’t expect 

them to give us a 

new Constitution 

because they 

themselves are 

products of a 

flawed, 

fraudulent 

Constitution 

unfortunate situation the 

Senate Deputy President, 

from Delta State, is only 

running away from the 

fact in the 1999 

Constitution, the National 

Assembly, dominated by 

the beneficiaries of the 

fraudulent Constitution, 

cannot make any 

meaningful or 

fundamental changes. 

“The President, who is 

supposed to be the father 

of all, lacks the sagacity of 

a statesman. 

“He would rather 

dance to the tune of those 

who gave him 95% votes; 

he could not see why 

Bayelsa with eight local 

governments would have 

the same number of 

senators with Kano’s 44 as 

if the number to Bayelsa is 

all it deserves; he would rather teach Igbo 

youths the genocidal lessons their fathers and 

mothers were taught. 

“The National Assembly ought to know that 

the situation in Nigeria where government 

officials cannot travel from Minna and Ilorin 

to Lokoja for zonal public hearing, for security 

reason, is beyond crass legalese’. 

Critical conditions 

On his part, Ikubese, Convener of YesWeFit 

Revolutionary Movement and former 

presidential aspirant, said he was shocked that 

the Senate was not disposed to a new 

Constitution, saying critical conditions 

require critical solutions. 

“I urge the Senate to put letters aside and 

act swiftly to save what is left of this country 

before it’s too late”, he said. 

“This is not the first time we’ve embarked 

on constitutional amendment through 

confabs. How did it all end? 

“This is why we shouldn’t travel the same 

old route that will leave us in the middle of 

nowhere. 

“All we need is the political will power to get 

it done and birth a brand new nation that we 

can all be proud of. 

“What we need now is a brand new 

Constitution, and not an amendment, that we 

know will not be implemented like previous 

ones. 

“The Senate has a golden opportunity to 

write their names in gold. They shouldn’t throw 

it away”. 

Unitary govt 

Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, in his 

submission, said since the process of the review 

has started, there is hardly anything anybody 

can do about it. 

His words: “Since the whole exercise has 

started, it will be difficult to discontinue. I’m 

sure members of the National Assembly are 

listening to the people by way of public 

hearing being held and also believe that it 

will provide adequate impetus for them to 

know what the people want. 

“So, instead of writing a fresh and new 

Constitution, they can amend the existing one 

as long as they listen to the people because 

they are the ones they are representing. 

“That’s the Constitution that devolves to the 

states and reduces the overwhelming powers 

which the FG has today so that we will no 

longer be a unitary government but become a 

true democracy.” 

New thing 

While contributing to the subject, Shittu, a 

former Minister of Communication, said the 

1999 Constitution doesn’t recognize any 

process of mischievous formulation. 

“The Constitution provides for amendment. 

There is no justification for throwing away 

the current Constitution. There is no process, 

method recognized to bring about a new 

Constitution”, Shittu, a lawyer, said. 

“Those advocating for a new Constitution, 

what is the new thing they want to bring in 

which cannot be brought in through an 

amendment once they can convince 

Nigerians and the National Assembly through 

their proposals? 

“It must go through the National Assembly, 

the only arm of government empowered to 

begin the process of amendment. 

“When it involves changing the whole 

Constitution, it is not only the National 

Assembly; it must involve the state Houses of 

Assembly. 

“It is then we can say this is the wish of the 

generality of all Nigerians. Anything other 

than that, those calling for a new Constitution 

are calling for the overthrow of governmental 

order. It’s not a matter of sentiment but a matter 

of law and constitutional processes must be 

followed”. 

Reconsidering position 

Babatope, a former Minister of 

Transportation, described the position of the 

Senate as very surprising. 

“I find it very interesting because the 

responsibility of running a country is that of 

the National Assembly and so the Senate 

should not turn down the request of Nigerians 

if they want a new Constitution”, Babatope 

said. 

“I think Nigerians should begin to mount 

pressure on individual lawmaker and the 

Senate collectively without any form of 

violence to make them reconsider their 

position. 

“The Senate should do everything in it power 

to give the people what they want. 

“The Senate should realise that the people 

are agitating for a new Constitution because 

of the failure of the 1999 Constitution and it 

should also realise that it represents the people 

and, for that reason, should reconsider its 

stance on a new Constitution”. 

Law made for man 

Faroumbi, a former envoy to the Philippines, 

Ambassador, described the Deputy Senate 

President position as an indication that he 

lacked the capacity to lead the legislature. 

“What the Deputy Senate President said 

indicates the magnitude of mental poverty 

that is affecting our leadership”, he said. 

“For the Deputy Senate President to say that 

they are not in the position to give us a new 

Constitution unless we make an amendment 

to the 1999 Constitution indicates that the man 

lacks perspective of political situation since 

1999. 

“I hope he will go and find out what 

happened under Ken Nnamani. I hope he will 

Continues on page 20


Row escalates as Afenifere, YCE, Tiv leaders, others 

challenge Senate 

Continued from page 19 

go and find out how when Obasanjo became 

President, he asked then three political parties, 

the AD, APP and PDP, to set up a committee to 

work on a new Constitution. 

“I hope he will be reminded that President 

Obasanjo set up Jerry Gana Committee that 

went round Nigeria making consultations on 

how to write a new Constitution and I hope he 

will find out that it was just because there was 

a clause of third term that the whole thing was 

rejected in the Senate. 

“It is because our Constitution is wrong that 

we have symptoms of banditry, kidnapping 

and all of that. 

“In a properly structured country, each area 

would have taken care of its own security while 

external security is provided by the Federal 

Government. 

“Each area would have developed itself in 

such a way that our economy will be better 

than this, there will be more employment and 

there will be no tendency for people to become 

criminals. 

“The law is made for man and not the other 

way round. I am particularly disappointed in 

the Senate position and I recall that those who 

make peaceful change impossible make 

violent change inevitable. 

“If there is more violence and the crisis in 

the country gets worse, the Senate must be 

held responsible because they failed to act”. 

Referendum 

Olajide, Secretary General of YCE, 

condemned the position of the Senate against 

a new Constitution or a return to the 1963 

Constitution. 

He said the Senate stand is a reflection of 

the 1999 Constitution which, according to 

him, places democracy upside down. 

“Democracy is supposed to put the people 

at the center of all activities but what do we 

have in Nigeria? People are at the fringe, they 

don’t even reckon with the people. The moment 

our people are elected into executive position 

or into the legislature, they turned against the 

people”, the Yoruba leader said. 

“It is an aberration to expect this Senate to 

give us a new Constitution. 

“What we expect the Senate to do is to start 

a process by initiating two bills or one as the 

case may be, one to provide for referendum in 

our Constitution and the other is the enactment 

of Constituent Assembly Constitution that will 

arrange for Constituent Assembly election 

where Nigerians, through elected 

representatives, will decide the type of 

Constitution they want, the type of political 

system they want to practice and all over 

things. “It is like going back to the basics where 

we started from, 1960/63. 

“It is very wrong for the Senate to pronounce 

authoritatively that they cannot give us a new 

Constitution. 

“I don’t expect them to give us a new 

Constitution because they themselves are 

products of a flawed, fraudulent Constitution. 

“For example, I’m happy Governor 

Akeredolu mentioned it that we do not need a 

bi-cameral legislature at the center as the 

people reside in local governments and states, 

that is where the bulk of the power must reside, 

not in Abuja. 

“Therefore power should reside where the 

people reside, states and local governments 

and we should not have more than 15 items in 

the Exclusive List and the rest residual for states 

and local governments. 

“They are products of a flawed Constitution 

that gave them the status of masters instead of 

servants of the people. 

“We need a new Constitution and we must 

have a new Constitution. 

“How many are they? They are less than 1, 

000. So, how can they make pronouncement 

for about 220 million Nigerians? They are 

our servants, their tenure is transient. They 

are expected to reflect what Nigerians want, 

not to tell us what they want. 

“The 1999 Constitution has made politics a 

commercial business, so about 85-90% of 

them are not interested in politics; they are 

interested in their pocket, to make profit. 

“As far as they are concerned, they have 

invested in commercial enterprise and so they 

want to make their money, whereas politics is 

vocation, service. 

“This is why Nigerians must be assembled 

to jettison this presidential system of 

government, bring government nearer to the 

people, parliamentary system, make the 

President or Prime Minister a member of the 

National Assembly, make governors 

members of state Houses of Assembly and 

them make them contest election only in their 

constituencies where they are known rather 

Two years of Gov AbdulRazaq's 

giant strides in Kwara 

By Demola Akinyemi 

IDING on the "O to ge" (enough is 

R enough) political mantra, Mallam 

AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman did not leave 

anyone in doubt that he was on a mission to 

change the fortune of the state of harmony, 

for the best. 

To the chagrin of his political admirers, on 

May 29,2019, and in his bid to demystify 

governance unlike the flamboyance lifestyle 

of his predecessors, he drove himself to Kwara 

State Government House, along Ahmadu 

Bello way, GRA, Ilorin in a black Hilux jeep, 

to be sworn in as the governor of Kwara State 

and he has maintained the low profile 

lifestyle, two years after. 

In fulfilling his mantra of "Everyone 

matters", AbdulRazaq has also 

demonstrated, in a most unmistaken 

manner, his passion for youths who have 

been in the vast majority among his cabinet 

members so far. 

He has also been giving women due 

attention based on his promises during 

electioneering campaign because they were 

entirely left out of elective offices during the 

last general elections in 2019. 

Coordinator of the Women Wing, Kwara 

Must Change, Mopelola AbdulMaliq-Bashir 

said, "With the high percentage of women 

participation in the development of Kwara 

State comes accolades, praises and adulation 

from all quarters, including the 

international community where the giant 

strides of Governor AbdulRahman 

AbdulRazaq have been described as 

unparalleled in the number and the nature 

of the ministries that women were asked to 

oversee. 

"Without mincing words, the present 

administration in Kwara State has 

unequivocally placed Kwara women in a 

pride of place among their peers across the 

country and all over the world. Even the 

naysayers can't deny this administration of 

this achievement. 

"Though, like Oliver Twist, Kwara women 

are asking for and looking forward to more 

responsibilities as 2023 elections beckon. We 

ask to be considered for more elective posts to 

assist in bridging the gap in political 

representation as recently captured by the 

National Assembly. We know it is doable. 

We believe it can be done. 

"We therefore make bold to say with the 

present administration, the women of the 

state of harmony are in for a real that will 

wipe away the neglect of the past, and usher 

in a glittering ray of hope that shines forever." 

From the exemplary leadership of the 

number three man in the state, the Speaker 

of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon 

Yakubu Danladi-Salihu , in his 30s, the 

current administration has further proved 

that there is future for Nigerian youths. 

In this new era, Mal. AbdulRazaq is indeed 

pulling out the youths from the dungeon and 

placing them on the pedestal of economic 

prosperity through effective participation in 

governance, digital training and 

empowerment, agri-prenuer , business 

training and mentorship, loans and business 

incentives and many more. 

In Kwara of today, there's a reward for 

intellectual creativity and innovation 

unlike in the past where the only creativity 

being rewarded and celebrated was the 

ability to snatch the ballot box. 

The stakeholders must also be properly 

guided that this government has recruited 

more youths to the mainstream of teaching 

and civil service than the last government. 

The process of these recruitments has been 

adjudged to be the best in the history of this 

country. The entire process was not only free 

of any undue influence but also fair in the 

distribution of appointments based on needs 

assessment. 

Kwara state has never had it so good in in 

terms of project distribution and 

management until the last two years. The 

projects are now well distributed across the 

sixteen local governments. As at today, 

there's no ward that hasn't benefited from 

the good policies of AbdulRazaq 

AbdulRahman. 

More rural areas are being opened up 

through rural access road construction; 

hospitals are being renovated and upgraded 

to support primary and secondary health 

care system; schools are not left out in the 

renovation and support to deliver in the 

mandate of affordable and quality education 

for the children of the masses; water is being 

provided to the communities through the 

than this monetized political system. 

“What is the assurance that the President 

will even sign their current jamboree? 

“So their admittance to say they cannot give 

us a new Constitution should make them 

honest and modest enough to say that the 

Constitution that brought them to office is not 

good, so they should honestly give us a 

referendum, a Constituent Assembly. 

“Let us select representatives and 3-4 months 

they will give us a new Constitution which 

will go to the people in a referendum, not an 

illegitimate National Assembly”. 

Fraudulent 

Ajibulu, Secretary, Ekiti Council of Elders 

(ECE), on his part, said the pronouncement of 

the Senate was fraudulent, pointing out that 

building on the 1999 Constitution cannot 

work. “No amount of amendments would 

make it reflect the yearnings of Nigerians or 

reflect the Nigerians current realities”, he said. 

“All these amendments they are taking about 

cannot work because, from the beginning, it’s 

fraudulent. 

“Our position all along has been a 

referendum and writing a true Constitution 

that will reflect the yearnings of Nigerians. 

“There is no way the current Constitution 

can be amended to reflect the yearnings of 

Nigerians. 

“We cannot fix this country based on the 

Constitution we are running now. 

“All these efforts to amend or re-amend are 

efforts in futility. It will not get us anywhere; 

we have to go back to the basics. 

“Majority of Nigerians agrees that we 

should have a Constitution that will reflect 

the yearnings of Nigerians and put us on 

course as a country”. 

Political will 

Omololu, Afenifere Organising Secretary, 

said if the National Assembly can muster the 

political will, they can give Nigeria something 

close to a new Constitution. 

2014 Conference Report 

Senior Elders Forum of the YCE, speaking 

through its former National Chairman, 

Dansaaki Samuel Adeleye Agbede, said, “The 

current Constitution is riddled with 

extraneous items which are not in tune with 

the happenings of the modern day Nigeria. 

“By the time the 1999 Constitution is 

amended, more than 75 per cent of it would 

have been altered and when that is done, you 

•Governor AbdulRazaq 

renovated dams and boreholes where 

necessary. Revolution is also ongoing in the 

health sector. 

For the first time since its creation in 1967, 

Kwara now has a general hospital that is 

worth that name in facilities and in 

accreditations. Until now, the premier 

general hospital had no functional intensive 

care unit (ICU) facility. No state hospital had 

any. Today, the AbdulRazaq administration 

has delivered a 12-bed ICU that is not just 

the largest in central Nigeria but is equipped 

with modern gadgets that include 

ventilators, patient monitors, defibrillators, 

syringe pump, suction machines, infusion 

pumps, and appropriate ICU beds, among 

other medical tools required to manage 

patients in critical condition. Before now, ICU 

equipments were available only at the 

University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Oke 

Oyi, a federal government facility. 

Governor AbdulRazaq will not stop 

breaking new grounds in taking Kwara to 

higher heights as he recently approved the 

award of contract for the establishment of a 

garment production factory. 

To be known as Garment Production 

Village in Ilorin, the factory will provide job 

opportunities for thousands of Kwarans, 

particularly youths and women. 

Furthermore, recently the governor 

performed official groundbreaking 

ceremonies for Ilorin Innovation Hub and 

Visual Arts Centre -- two ongoing signature 

projects that he said would place the state 

firmly on the global map of technology and 

can no longer regard it as a Constitution. 

“So the spirit and intent of the so-called 

Constitution would have been lost. So, I agree 

with those who say they should just disregard 

it and choose a better alternative. 

“The issue of going for a new one is going to 

be a long process and because of the tortuous 

route it is going to take, it cannot meet up with 

the issues of the moment. 

“The issues at hand are so enormous that 

starting a new Constitution is going to be a 

waste of everybody’s time. 

“We don’t know what will happen between 

when they begin and when they will end it. 

“We all know that having a Constitution 

which will be done by the people and for the 

people is not going to take a short route. 

“We are facing a serious security problem 

and I believe that FG should show some 

maturity and open mindedness by taking steps 

to cure the ills of the moment”. 

“If there’s anything to be done to solve the 

problems, it is going back to the report of the 

2014 National Conference. They only need to 

fine-tune it to satisfy the yearnings of the 

people”. 

People’s Constitution 

Ihagh, President General of Mzough U Tiv, 

MUT, Worldwide and Chairman of Leaders 

of Benue Ethnic Groups and Socio-cultural 

Organizations, urged the National Assembly 

to bring back the 1963 Constitution if it is 

unable to give Nigerians a new Constitution. 

He noted that the 1999 Constitution, which 

was put together by the military, “is 

antithetical to the wishes and aspirations of 

the Nigerian people. 

“So, I must say that the 1999 Constitution is 

not a Constitution at all. It a product of the 

military which certainly does not reflect the 

hopes, wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian 

people”, the tribal leader said. 

“Hence I believe that if members of the 

National Assembly say they cannot give us a 

new Constitution to replace the flawed 1999 

Constitution, the best option for us as a nation 

is to go back to the 1963 Constitution and 

probably have it amended. 

“The 1963 Constitution is a better document 

than what we have in the 1999 document. Even 

when we went to Abuja for the constitutional 

amendment parley, that was our position. 

“Since they cannot give us a new 

Constitution let us have the peoples’ 

Constitution of 1963 and have it amended 

and certainly not the 1999 Constitution.” 

tourism development. 

The unveiling ceremony, conducted 

alongside the visiting French Ambassador 

to Nigeria Jerome Pasquier, came hours 

before he commissioned the 3-kilometre 

asphalt road that leads to Nigeria's first 

museum in Esie town in Irepodun Local 

Government Area of Kwara South. 

The Ilorin Visual Arts Centre will be the 

first purpose-built contemporary film and 

art institute in West Africa and the second 

Dolby Atmos Certified film production studio 

in the subregion, the Governor said. 

When Governor AbdulRazaq took over the 

mantle of leadership, many staff of state 

owned tertiary institutions were owed 

several months of salaries, likewise the 

pensioners. 

In one full release, the Governor approved 

and released over N700,000,000.00 to pay 

all the outstanding salaries of all teaching 

and non-teaching staff of all the three 

Colleges of Education; Ilorin; Oro; and Lafiagi. 

Also, since his inauguration in May 2019, 

no civil servant at both State and Local 

government levels has failed to receive his 

or her monthly salary every month as and 

when due. 

As of today, no civil servant in both State 

and Local government levels earns less than 

the N30,000.00 minimum wage 

In addition, pensioners who were a sorry 

sight in the days of the immediate past 

administration now smile home with 

monthly regular payment of their pension 

and gratuity. Within just two years of his 

administration, it is a public secret that 

Governor AbdulRazaq has paid close to N20 

billion naira as pension and gratuity to 

retired civil servants in the State. 

Conscious of the urgent need to deflate the 

labour market, restore hope of the 

unemployed youths, Mallam AbdulRazaq 

moved extraordinarily to employ close to 

5000 teachers in SUBEB and TESCOM. The 

recruitment exercise has been acknowledged 

by all patriots and stakeholders, home and 

abroad as the most transparent, nondiscriminatory, 

non - partisan and 

detribalised in the history of Kwara State. In 

addition, the civil service is currently 

concluding arrangements for recruitment 

of additional 1000 civil servants the same 

way. Medical practitioners, pharmacists, 

nurses, community health officers and other 

health officers have also been employed to 

boost health services in the State. 

It's indeed a new dawn in the state of 

harmony as residents await improved 

dividends of democracy in the next two 

years.

Loud Whispers 

Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender 

Specialist, Social Entrepreneur 

and Writer. She is the Founder 

of Abovewhispers.com, an online 

community for women. She is the 

First Lady of Ekiti State, and she 

can be reached at 

BAF@abovewhispers.com 

Happy birthday 

Iorganised a public 

reading for my latest 

book ‘Where is Your 

Wrapper’? towards the end of 

April. Just before the event, I 

had a conversation with one 

of the panelists who would be 

asking me questions about 

the book. She wanted to 

know if I feel inspired every 

time I sit down to write, or if I 

just sit in front of my laptop 

and the words start to come. I 

thought about it and I told her 

it is a bit of both. There are 

things that happen on a daily 

basis at home and abroad, 

worth talking about. And 

sometimes I just draw a blank 

till I sit down and set my mind 

to writing. Recently, I have not 

By Gab Ejuwa 

For the fifth day running, 

residents of seven 

Itsekiri host communities 

who had disrupted 

operational activities of Con 

Oil Nigeria Plc at its Obodo 

Field in Warri South Local 

Government Area of Delta 

State have vowed not to 

vacate the facility until their 

demands were met. 

The protesters, drawn from 

Ifiekpo, Uwakeno, Omadino, 

Ewekwara, Jaluwa Efueye, 

Aja Osolo and Obodo, the 

host communities under the 

aegis of OML 15 

Eystone Development, 

a property 

development 

company, providing 

affordable housing across 

Nigeria, has announced 

Hassan Ismail as the Chief 

Executive Officer, CEO, and 

Sadiq Kosoko as Chief 

Operating Officer, COO. 

Reacting, Hassan Ismail, 

who has over 12 years of work 

experience, spanning oil and 

felt much inspiration though. 

There is so much death, terror, 

sadness, pain and fear going 

around. When I sit down to 

think and write, I don’t know 

where to begin. How do I 

express my anger, frustration 

and fear? 

What I can do is continue to 

be hopeful, that a time will 

come when things will be 

much better. On June 11th 

2021 I will be 58. Fifty-eight. 

I usually joke that you will get 

to an age when you can be a 

badass and tell someone to go 

to hell and they will ask you 

for the bus fare and even 

directions. I think fifty-eight 

pretty much qualifies for that. 

Sometime in 1988, I went 

Eystone names Ismail as CEO 

gas, investment, technology, 

and real estate sectors, said: 

“I am excited about the 

opportunity to employ my 

skills in solving the housing 

problems of the average 

Nigerian through Eystone 

Development.” 

Also, the COO, Kosoko, 

said: “I am set to employ my 

existing and yet-to-be 

acquired skills in ensuring 

effective day-to-day activities 

into the Wimpy fast-food 

restaurant at Piccadilly Circus, 

London. I picked up my meal 

and sat down to eat my burger 

and milk shake. As I was trying 

to place my bag by my side, 

my elbow hit the milk shake, 

which tipped over and sent my 

burger flying on the floor. The 

bread roll went in one 

direction, the burger flew 

somewhere else and the 

lettuce and pickles……… 

There was such a mess. You 

can’t begin to imagine how I 

felt. Horror, embarrassment, 

shame, panic, I felt it all.Of 

course, it was an accident, but 

I blamed myself for being 

clumsy enough to send my 

lunch crashing all over the 

floor in a busy restaurant. I felt 

so many eyes on me, judging 

a young black woman who 

did not know how to comport 

herself in a public space. I felt 

like an intruder who does not 

belong, but is allowed in 

anyway and of course proves 

to be unworthy of the ‘honour’. 

I was too confused to think 

clearly about what to do next, 

so I panicked and ran out of 

the place. For a long time after 

I asked myself why I ran away. 

Why did I not simply ask for 

the ruined lunch to be cleaned 

up and order another meal? 

of the company.” 

Speaking on the 

appointments, Adetola Nola, 

representing the Eystone 

Development’s Board of 

Directors, said: “Hassan and 

Sadiq are the right leaders for 

Eystone Development. With 

their business development 

skills, they leaders will create 

and strengthen strategic 

partnerships, develop strategic 

alliances, expand our sales." 

Not having choices 

is one of the worst 

conditions to be in 

as a human being. 

What was the big deal in 

dropping your food? 

I have always been a 

confident person, but at that 

time in my life, I was feeling 

vulnerable and uncertain. I 

had just left Nigeria to goand 

live in London and was 

homesick. I was trying to 

adjust to life in a new place. I 

was not happy with the place 

I was staying at the time and I 

was still looking for a job. I 

was unsure of what the future 

held for me. I had never lived 

in London, I was born and 

grew up in Liverpool. My 

boyfriend was back in 

Nigeria and I missed him 

terribly, though he joined me 

a few months later and we got 

married shortly after. 

What did I learn over the 

years about what happened 

Itsekiri host communities seize Con Oil 

platform, issue quit notice 

Communities Consultative 

Forum, had issued a 14-day 

ultimatum to the oil firm 

which expired on Wednesday 

over its alleged failure to 

recognise and deal with the 

newly-elected Comrade 

Monday Agbeyi-led exco of 

the Forum. 

The protesters, who carried 

placards emblazoned with 

different inscriptions, warned 

the oil firm to recognise the 

Agbeyi-led Exco or be ready 

“to vacate our land.” 

One of the leaders of the 

protesters, who did not want 

to be identified, said, “We are 

not fighting the Federal 

Government or law 

enforcement agents, but we 

have vowed to stay here until 

Con Oil respects our 

proclamation that it should 

desists from further dealing 

with the previous exco which 

tenure expired on December 

21, 2020, but the Comrade 

Monday Agbeyi exco which 

FUATA: Ndokwa group commends 

Nwaoboshi, hails Omo-Agege 

*As bill passes second reading 

By Tunde Oso 

s the bill for the 

Aestablishment of the 

Federal University of 

Agriculture and Technology, 

Aboh, FUATA, passed 

through second reading on 

the floor of the Senate, a 

socio-political pressure 

group, the Organisation For 

Ndokwa Unity, a k.a. 

Ndokwa Unite, has 

commended in no small 

terms the Senator 

representing Delta North 

Senatorial District in the 

Nigerian Senate, Senator 

Peter Nwaoboshi, for his 

efforts at making the 

establishment of the 

university a reality in the 9th 

Senate. 

The group made this 

known in a statement written 

and signed by the Chairman, 

Steve Uweh, in Asaba, the 

Delta State capital yesterday, 

noting that Senator 

Nwaoboshi has brought light 

at the end of the tunnel for 

Ndokwa nation while the 

statement called on all well 

meaning Ndokwa sons and 

daughters to rally support for 

the achievement of the lofty 

goal set by the duo of the 

Deputy Senate President, 

Senators Ovie Omo-Agege 

and Nwaoboshi saying, 

there’s strength in unity as the 

old saying goes. 

According to the statement, 

the push for a University in 

Ndokwa land has never been 

A 

political pressure group 

in the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP) in 

Isoko Nation, Isoko Political 

Watchdog (IPW), has 

appealed to Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa to give the next 

commissioner slot already 

zoned to Isoko South 

Constituency 11 in Isoko 

South LGA of Delta State to 

Erohwa/Umeh Ward 8. 

IPW said such appointment 

will address the gross 

maginalisation of Erohwa/ 

Umeh PDP faithful in political 

appointments in Isoko South 

this good until DSP Omo- 

Agege, a fortnight ago vowed 

to the Ikpalas in Kwale, the 

headquarters of Ndokwa 

West Local Government Area, 

to facilitate the establishment 

of FUATA in Aboh, ostensibly 

to place Ndokwa land on the 

global map of nations with 

University. 

Senator Nwaoboshi who 

Local Government Area of the 

State. 

The group said Erohwa/ 

Umeh 8 is the only ward in 

the council yet to produce 

commissioner, special adviser 

or any other critical political 

appointment that had been 

zoned to Isoko South LGA 

since the return of democracy 

in 1999. 

Coordinator of Isoko 

Political Watchdog, Pastor 

Simeon Emamowho, made 

the appeal on Wednesday at a 

press conference held in Oleh, 

the administration 

headquarters of the council, 

was unanimously elected by 

our communities for a fouryear 

tenure.” 

It was further learnt that the 

protesters were piqued that the 

oil firm had refused to respect 

the endorsement by the Delta 

State government and the 

Olu of Warri Palace of the 

Agbeyi exco. 

They urged the oil firm “to 

respect constituted authorities 

and start dealing with the 

Agbeyi-exco to pave way for 

the development of our 

communities.” 

sponsored the bill for the 

establishment of the 

University in his speech had 

alluded to the rich cultural 

heritage of Ndokwa people, 

the contributions by that 

nation to the national 

economy on account of its 

enormous oil and gas wealth 

and the roles played by them 

to ensure he returned as a 

Senator, a statement which 

confirms the electoral 

strength and capacity of a 

nation standing on a tripod 

namely: Ndokwa East, 

Ndokwa West and Ukwani 

Local Government Areas. 

Group urges Okowa to appoint Isoko South 

commissioner’s slot from Erohwa/Umeh Ward 

while commending the 

governor for the dissolution 

of the State Executive 

Council. 

Emamowho, flanked by 

leaders and members of the 

group drawn from the two 

Isoko LGAs, said the group 

will not watch while a section 

of Isoko Nation is denied of 

their right in spite of their 

contribution to the growth of 

the PDP in the state 

particularly in Isoko. 

The Executive 

Secretary of the 

Society for 

Neighbourhood Peace 

and Development,Mr 

George Utomhim, has 

urged former President 

Goodluck Jonathan to 

do more to facilitate 

peace and stability in 

West Africa. 

Utomhim, who spoke 

in Lagos at a press 

briefing congratulating 

the former president on 

his recent appointment 


in that restaurant, and my 

reaction? I learnt that selfesteem 

is not meant to be 

armour you put on in the 

morning and take off at night. 

Self-esteem is just like your 

skin, and you should not be 

able to shed it like a snake, 

even when someone tries to 

peel it off you. I learnt that 

things crash to the ground all 

the time, and it does not have 

to be our fault. That when we 

see things crashing and 

burning around us, we are not 

immune if we are not affected, 

it is simply not our turn. That 

there is no such thing as a tidy 

and clean world to live in, 

there will always be a mess to 

be cleaned up. Sometimes it 

will be your job to clean up 

the mess or at least seek out 

those who can. That no matter 

what you do, you will be 

judged from the hair on your 

head to your toenails, so don’t 

worry about being judged, 

focus on being you. That when 

you tip something over or you 

yourself get tipped over, you 

can stand and fight or you can 

live to fight another day. At 

least you have a choice. Not 

having choices is one of the 

worst conditions to be in as a 

human being. I learnt that it 

is okay to feel unsure or 

as Chairman, ECOWAS 

Council of the Wise, lamented 

that the region is plagued with 

crisis. 

He said: “There are 

enormous challenges 

bedeviling the African region 

at this time, with terrorism, 

banditry, civil and social 

unrest now the order of the 

day. 

uncertain, but not if you give 

someone else permission to 

make you feel that way. I 

learnt that one of the worst 

things you can do to yourself 

is make yourself feel small. If 

you do that, you become a 

midget in everyone’s eyes. 

I have no intention of 

walking into a restaurant and 

have my meal land on the floor, 

ever again. However, should 

it happen again, the 5.8 

version of me would smile and 

calmly call the attention of the 

waiter to the mess. I would 

order another meal, slowly 

enjoy it with a cold glass of 

Chardonnay, leave a hefty tip 

and sashay out of the place 

with my ‘Know your mate’ 

handbag on my arm.Life is too 

short. Way too short, especially 

these days. 

As I mark another year, I am 

grateful to God for the mercy 

and grace I have received. I 

do not take every new dawn I 

rise to see for granted. With 

this comes the responsibility 

to ensure that I teach young 

women that it is okay to drop 

things, as long as you learn 

how to pick them, and 

yourself, up again. Running 

away is not an option. There 

is still a loooooooooong way 

to go. Amen. 

Certified Life Coach releases 

song for peace in Nigeria 

A 

gospel minister, Mrs. 

Oluwafumilola Philip- 

Adewunmi, has released a 

divinely inspired song, titled 

‘Alaafia’ (Peace), which she 

produced to address 

challenges across the globe 

including Nigeria. 

Minister Adewunmi, who is 

a certified life coach and NLP 

practitioner, said the song is 

a spiritual recipe to the 

challenges facing the country, 

stating that music is a strong 

avenue and medium to get the 

message across to everybody. 

According to her, the 

Alaafia single, which was 

produced by Femi Olaiya 

and available on her website 

page, divulges to all the type 

of peace the Lord Jesus 

promised those who trust in 

him regardless of the storms 

of life and challenges seeking 

to displace joy from their 

hearts. 

Speaking on the 

significance of the album, she 

said, “I chose to produce this 

particular song because I 

think is very germane to the 

position we are in right now 

globally. The pandemic has 

sent everybody into some form 

of panic and has taken 

peace from a lot of people. 

The fear in the land is 

palpable and drums of war 

are rolling, but the word of 

God is alive and His peace 

will take over through this 

song. 

The Obafemi Awolowo 

University graduate noted 

further that, “The reason 

why I chose to produce this 

song is because I want 

every one of us believers 

and non-believers to begin 

to speak peace into our 

situation and country, 

because our words will 

create the world we find 

ourselves. 

“So, when I say where 

ever I go Alaafia, whatever 

I do Alaafia, whoever I 

meet Alaafia- I am 

intentionally surrounding 

myself and my person with 

peace and I think we all 

have to do this as well.” 

Confident that the song will 

accomplish its aims, she said, 

“My song will go on social 

media platforms, print media 

and radio. By God’s grace 

television as well. People will 

begin to sing it; and as they 

sing the messages will begin 

to sink. Leaders will get to 

listen to the song, sing the song 

and begin to desire the 

realities of the song. By and 

large, change will come.” 

Oluwafunmilola Philip- 

Adewunmi has featured 

extensively in different roles 

and capacities. Alongside her 

husband, she runs ‘So 

TiGboIntiative”, an NGO 

focused on the wholesome 

development of the Nigerian 

youth and young adults. 

•Adewunmi 

Utomhim tasks Jonathan 

on Africa's peace, stability 

“This appointment is 

indeed a clarion call on the 

former President to put his 

tenacity and experience to 

bear. Our organisation wishes 

him the very best, believing in 

his ability to achieve, given 

the required support, true 

regional peace and stability 

that will guarantee 

sustainable development.”


Dear male readers, you need to learn to work with the 

tools you have! 

Why do men 

always have 

performance 

problems on the brain? 

Dejo, a company director, 

suave and sophisticated, is 

now single after his wife opted 

to stay back in Britain with 

their three kids. She was not 

only fed up of the marriage, 

she didn’t fancy packing in her 

good job to come to the 

nightmarish state she heard 

Nigeria was in. “Women like 

me”, Dejo confided, “but I’m 

really in a panic about my 

dick size. Finding a new 

woman is no problem. What 

I’m worried about is their 

reaction to the size of my dick 

because it is definitely smaller 

than average. My wife was 

cool about it because I was her 

first and she didn’t know any 

different. But, I’m 41 now and 

the women I’ll be meeting 

here are bound to be 

experienced and notice 

straight away I’m undersized. 

Do you think I should let 

them know what to expect 

before we hit the sack?” 

Here we go again, I 

groaned. Men do this to 

themselves all of the time. I 

told Dejo that what he was 

assuming is what all men 

assume. Women want big 

dicks! The fact, backed by 

surveys, is that the vast 

majority of the women do 

not want large dicks. Male 

readers should read this 

sentence three times, then 

repeat: Women do not want 

large dicks! If you’re 

reading this and have a 

large one, change the 

sentence to: Women don’t 

just want me because I have 

a large dick. 

I try to tackle this topic 

head-on (ahem!) this week 

because this fear seems to 

be holding a lot of men back 

from having a good and 

rewarding sexual 

relationship with their 

partners. The fact is, width 

tends to count more than 

length. This is because nearly 

all the nerves of the vagina 

are concentrated in the first 

inch or so, and a thicker penis 

connects with more 

satisfaction. All this is really 

irrelevant because by 

assuming your size is crucial, 

a man is placing too much 

emphasis on penetration. A 

new lover is far more likely to 

have her orgasms through 

other sexual fun and games 

with her partner. 

It’s not that women don’t 

love sex just as much as men 

do (well, nearly as much!), it’s 

just not the be all and end all. 

If you readers must know, the 

measurement of an average 

penis is believed to be five to 

seven inches long, when it’s 

erect and three inches when 

flaccid – you can search the 

net for this fact and God knows 

what else you’ll come up with, 

you’ll get accurate 

information this way. 

I couldn’t ask Dejo out-right 

the actual measurement of his 

tool – it would be rude! - but I 

told him that even if he was 

under average, he shouldn’t 

run around broadcasting it to 

any woman he’s interested in. 

If he likes her and takes things 

slowly, his size wouldn’t be a 

big deal. So, dear readers, I’ve 

said it before and I’ll say it 

again: women don’t fall in 

love with penises, they fall in 

love with the men attached to 

them, so stop worrying! 

Easier said than done, you 

might say. What with shovel – 

full of porns thrown into our 

face all of the time with men, 

seemingly well endowed, 

getting on with it like a sex 

machine and their female 

victims howling with 

pleasure! The fact of it is that 

these people are porn stars 

following the scripts of their 

deranged producers. The 

average woman doesn’t have 

large boobs and fat behinds. 

These films are designed to 

entertain, not what you should 

do in the bedroom all of the 

time. Things are not helped 

by the increase of women 

seeking plastic surgery to 

have enhanced boobs and 

bums. And we have surgeons 

who are ready to oblige here 

in the country, so you no 

longer need to travel abroad. 

Unfortunately, not all these 

surgeries are successful, 

leaving victims with wonky 

boobs and bums; and wishing 

they’d left nature’s works the 

way she’s made them! 

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DTHA 'll facilitate implementation of Govt policies — Oborevwori 

By Festus Ahon, ASABA 

SPEAKER of the Delta 

State House of 

Assembly, Chief Sherrif 

Oborevwori, has reiterated 

the determination of the 

House to continually strive 

to ensure total 

commitment and sense of 

accountability to facilitate 

the implementation of 

government’s policies and 

programmes in the state. 

Speaking at a media 

briefing to commemorate 

the Second Anniversary of 

the seventh Assembly at the 

Legislators' quarters, 

Oborevwori commended 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

for his support and respect 

for the legislature as an 

arm of government. 

He said: "Expectedly, we 

are moving into the Third 

Session with a lot of hope 

and confidence. I say this 

because the world is 

gradually coming out of 

the COVID-19 pandemic, 

having rolled out vaccines 

to mitigate the spread of 

the virus. 

Recall that the Second 

Session began at the peak 

of the COVID-19 

pandemic and the Delta 

State House of Assembly 

was not excluded from the 

disruptions caused by the 

pandemic globally. 

"Sadly though, in this 

same period under review, 

the Delta State House of 

Assembly lost one of its 

finest and very experienced 

lawmaker in the person of 

late Mr Tim Kome 

Owhefere, KSC, who until 

his death on January 27th, 

was the Majority Leader 

of the House. His demise 

has remained a huge loss 

to the House till date. May 

his gentle soul continue to 

rest in perfect peace. 

"It is heartwarming to 

note that we are making 

steady progress every other 

day. We started on a good 

note and I have no doubt in 

my mind that by the special 

grace of God we are going 

to finish strong. 

Disclosing that a total of 

14 bills and 34 motions 

were received by the House, 

he said: "Nine were 

Executive Bills, while five 

were Private Member Bills. 

Out of the 14 bills, nine have 

been passed and eight were 

given assent by the 

Governor. The remaining 

five Bills are still 

undergoing legislative 

consideration in the House. 

"One remarkable feat 

among the Bills passed and 

assented to, is the passage 

and establishment of the 

three new Universities in 

the State. This is to cater for 

our qualified teaming 

youths that wished to 

further their education to 

tertiary level but were not 

getting admissions due to 

limited admission spaces". 

Ewu-Urhobo in 

Ughelli South Local 

Government Area, 

Delta State, was agog with 

celebration as Prince 

Clement Oghenerukevwe 

Ikolo was crowned as the 

Ovie (king) by Ahavwa 

kingmaker family. 

The crowning of His Royal 

Majesty, Prince Ikolo was 

performed by Chief Ozoro 

Obigba, the most elderly of 

Ahavwa Kingmakers House 

at the community hall in 

Ewu-Urhobo Community. 

The members of Ahavwa 

kingmakers family of Ewu- 

Urhobo kingdom who spoke 

to journalists during the 

ceremony disclosed that 

HRM Prince Clement 

Oghenerukevwe Ikolo 

passed the process of the 

selection and screening 

exercise by the Ekade Ruling 

House, before his crowning 

as the Ovie of Ewu-Urhobo 

Kingdom. 

Speaking after the 

ceremony, Chief Ale Jude 

,the Otota of Ebeje family 

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Some other 

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support just as he promised 

to take the kingdom to 

greater heights. 

The newly crowned Ovie ( 

traditional ruler ) of Ewu - Urhobo 

kingdom, Prince Clement 


acknowledging cheers from the 

people of Ewu - Urhobo shortly 

after he was crowned.

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 13, 2021,PAGE 23 

Redeemed from death to life 

How many times have you heard these 

kinds of testimonies? “Praise the 

Lord! Hallelujah! God has blessed 

me with a brand-new car.” “My wife just gave 

birth to a beautiful baby girl.” “Glory be to 

God; I have just been promoted at work.” 

These testimonies are invaluable, but you 

must admit they are run-of-the-mill. In the 

first place, they are not limited to believers. 

Unbelievers also buy new cars, have children, 

and get promoted. But there are testimonies 

that separate the sons of God from the sons of 

men. Those testimonies are usually preceded 

by a death, after which they reveal the power of 

resurrection. 

Living death 

Imagine you are in church when Lazarus 

gives this testimony: “Praise the Lord! I fell 

sick and died. After four days, the Lord Jesus 

raised me from the dead.” I bet you would sit 

up and really pay attention. Or imagine you 

were there when Jonah says: 

“Praise the Lord! I was thrown overboard on 

the high seas. A big fish came and swallowed 

me. I was in its belly for three days and three 

nights. While there, I phoned Pastor Joshua 

and told him to labour in prayer with me. After 

three days, God answered, and the fish vomited 

me at Nineveh harbour.” Now, how about 

that for a testimony? 

Jesus was crucified and he died. On the third 

day, he rose triumphantly from the dead. On 

his resurrection, he told his disciples: “You shall 

be my witnesses.” What does it mean today to 

be a witness of the death and resurrection of 

Jesus? 

You have to experience a living death and 

Success in life, ministry: Persevering to succeed (11) 

INTRODUC- 

TION 

In the race to 

wards success, 

there are many ups 

and downs, hills and 

valleys. These could 

be part of the deterrents 

to make you 

back down, retreat or Pastor Akinola 

even surrender! In 

the last session, we learnt that crucibles are 

necessary tools and pathways which a successful 

leader must pass through before coronation. 

In this session, we shall be considering 

the art of keeping our eyes on the finishing 

line, refusing any compromise, and acknowledging 

the factors and people that God 

sent your way in order to bring you to the 

successful actualization of your vision. If you 

do not learn this art, you may not be able to 

sail through a leadership crucible successfully. 

KEEPING YOUR EYES ON THE FIN- 

ISHING LINE 

When you keep your eyes on the finishing 

line, you have very little room for distractions. 

Distractions will certainly come on your 

way to success, but it takes the discipline of 

focus to fix your gaze on the finishing line. 

Our Prime Example is our Lord Jesus Christ, 

as expressed in Hebrews 12:1-2. The finishing 

line is the “joy that was set before him”. 

So He endured the cruciblesof the cross, the 

shame and the agony. This joy before Him 

was the success of procuring eternal life free 

of charge for God’s creation, who were already 

lost in sin. It was a great joy and achievement, 

worth all the shame and suffering. An- 

Abiding Iin Christ’s Doctrine (3) 

IN JOHN 17:17, it is written: “Sanctify 

them through the truth: thy word is truth.” 

And in EZEKIEL 36:24—26, it is also written: 

“For I will take you from among the heathen, 

and gather you out of all countries and 

will bring you into your own land. THEN WILL 

I SPRINKLE CLEAN WATER UPON YOU, 

and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness 

and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A 

new heart also will I give you: and I will take 

away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I 

will give you an heart of flesh.” 

This is the doctrine of Christ, known as the 

Doctrine of Sanctification through the truth. 

This truth is the clean water, mentioned in 

Do not believe in any faith 

where the dead cannot 

be raised back to life 

then be resurrected from the dead. You have 

to be thrown down a well; sold off as a slave; 

and then resurrect in Egypt as the prime 

minister. 

A resurrected man is a completely different 

kettle of fish from a natural man. A 

resurrected man has been fed to the lions. 

He has overcome death and no longer fears 

death. Indeed, he can no longer be killed. 

John says: they overcame him by the blood 

of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; 

and they loved not their lives unto 

the death.” (Revelation 12:11). 

There is no other way to overcome in life 

except by undergoing a living death. Jesus 

says: “He who overcomes, I will give to 

him to sit down with me on my throne, as I 

also overcame, and sat down with my Father 

on his throne.” (Revelation 3:21). 

To overcome like Jesus, we must be prepared 

to experience the fellowship of 

Christ’s sufferings. So doing, we experience 

first-hand the power of his resurrection. 

It is at these imperatives that many of 

us draw back from following Jesus. (Hebrews 

10:32-35). 

Triumphant life 

other great example we had already learnt in our past episodes 

was Joseph. He remembered the promise of God that 

sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down for him. Even though 

he didn’t know how and whenit was going to happen, yet He 

stayed close and focused to God who gave him the vision. 

Distractions may however sometimes overcome you, but 

you can wriggle out from under it’s grip, and cry to God like 

Caleb did in Joshua 14:11-12, that, “… Now therefore, give 

me this mountain…”. That was after some 45 years of the 

original promise. May you also recover all lost territories as 

you keep your eyes on the finishing line which God has set 

before you in Jesus Name. 

GIVING ALL THE GLORY TO GOD 

In the process of waiting for fulfillment of a vision or promise, 

you need to give God the praise ahead of what He is 

about to do in your life. Of course, this already makes God 

take the glory whenever He does it, because it is no longer by 

your own power or design, but His own plan and purpose. 

Considering the case of our father Abraham, while fixing his 

gaze on the finishing line which God gave him, we have this 

record of him in Rom. 4:18-21, 

18. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become 

the father of many nations; according to that which 

was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 

19. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own 

body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, 

neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 

20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; 

but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 

21. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, 

he was able also to perform 

CONCLUSION 

Once you have put your trust fully in God concerning whatever 

He has said to you in His word, and you begin to give 

Him praise in advance, the matter is no longer in your hands 

but His. This is the way of good success. It is sweat-less 

success. 

J.K. Akinola. (Senior Pastor) 

The Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT), 

Ibadan, Nigeria. 

Email: flprofenassociate@gmail.com, 08033376660, 

08055405095.Pastor (Dr). E.O. Abina – General Overseer. 

Verse 24. 

God also says: “FOR I WILL TAKE YOU 

FROM AMONG THE HEATHEN.” This 

is Christ’s doctrine of SEPARATION, which 

the Spirit of God spoke about in II CORIN- 

THIANS 6:14—18: “BE YE NOT UN- 

EQUALLY YOKED WITH UNBELIEV- 

ERS: for what fellowship hath righteousness 

with unrighteousness? And what communion 

hath light with darkness? And what 

concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what 

part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 

For ye are the temple of the living God; as 

God hath said, I will dwell in them and 

walk in them; and I will be their God, and 

The life Jesus gives is the resurrected life. Jesus 

does not just say: “I am the life.” He says: “I am 

the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25). Before 

there can be life, there must be a death and 

then a resurrection. Hannah says: “The LORD 

kills and makes alive; he brings down to the 

grave and brings up.” (1 Samuel 2:6). 

The true Christian life is “the resurrected life.” 

The promised abundant life in Christ is a life 

after death. To live it, we must become a Lazarus. 

We must die in our afflictions and then be 

raised to newness of life. Jesus says: “a grain of 

wheat that falls on the ground will never be more 

than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will 

produce lots of wheat.” (John 12:24). 

In the scriptures, God reveals himself as the 

resurrection and the life to a number of people, 

including Job, Joseph, Shadrach, Meshach, 

Abednego, and Daniel. The revelation follows 

a familiar pattern. God decrees their death in 

afflictions, and then he raises them back to life. 

The new life inevitably makes them impregnable 

to the travails of life. 

Sons of God must conform to the image of 

Christ. Jesus died and rose from the dead. Thereafter, 

death no longer had dominion over him. 

By the same token, the life of the redeemed is the 

resurrected life. Without death, there can be no 

resurrection. Therefore, the redeemed is a man 

or woman who died and has risen from the dead. 

The problem here is that most Christians simply 

do not want to die. But if God does not kill 

before he makes alive, then the motions of sin in 

us would soon corrupt and defile the new man 

in the redeemed. 

Jesus warns: “No one puts new wine into old 

wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine 

is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they 

put new wine into new wineskins, and both are 

preserved.” (Matthew 9:16-17). 

Life after death 

In this life, life does not prevail over life. But 

death normally triumphs over natural life. 

Therefore, to be victorious in this life, we must 

conquer death. Death boasts: “No matter what 

The Law 

08120202087 

law is good and powerful in 

Tthe society. It makes any nation 

function normally. Without the law, it 

is almost impossible for citizens to 

know good and bad. 

If citizens fail to place high value 

on the application of the knowledge 

of the law and rule of law, they, undoubtedly, 

will be law breakers, transgressors 

and sinners. 

These hinder the exaltation of the 

nation, hinder abundance resources 

for the development of the nation and 

good of all citizens, hinder perfect and 

peaceful coexistence and hinder the 

knowledge of the importance of the 

application of the wisdom of greater 

than Solomon. 

Law breakers, transgressors and sinners 

also hinder patriotism in the nation; 

patriotism that is demanding, 

patriotism that can make the difference, 

patriotism that made former NI 

one of the best nations, and can make 

modern NI one of the best nations on 

earth. 

Law breakers and sinners in the 

country, especially those that go unpunished, 

can hinder God's blessings 

upon a nation, because sin is a reproach, 

a hindrance to any nation or 

they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out 

from among them, and be ye separate, saith the 

Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I 

will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, 

and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the 

Lord Almighty.” 

In JOHN 17:16, it is written: “They are not of 

the world, even as I am not of the world.” 

The doctrine of separation also includes separation 

from all the pollutions of this present 

world, which include all kinds of worldly ceremonies 

and worldly festivities (celebrations) 

which we, in the time past of our life, took pleasure 

in, as written in 1 PETER 4:3: “For the time 

past of our life may suffice us to have wrought 

the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, 

lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings 

and abominable idolatries.” 

IF BELIEVERS IN CHRIST DO NOT OBEY 

you become, no matter what you acquire, I 

will get you in the end and bring it to nothing.” 

Since death is always victorious over natural 

life, the only life that is worthwhile is the 

life that has prevailed over death. If your life 

cannot prevail over death then you are done 

for. The victorious life is life after death. 

If Jesus had performed all his miracles, only 

to die like any other man, he could not have 

been the Messiah. He might still have been a 

remarkable man. But he would nonetheless 

have been just another prophet. 

Do not believe in any faith that cannot guarantee 

the resurrection of the dead. Do not 

believe in any faith where the dead cannot be 

raised back to life. Only Christianity guarantees 

this. Even in my ministry, the Lord has 

raised the dead back to life. 

Just think about it. If there is no life after 

death, then the poor and the needy would be 

the most miserable people on earth. However, 

Jesus says: “God will bless you people who 

are poor. His kingdom belongs to you!” (Luke 

6:20). 

Why should a man come into this world just 

to encounter all kinds of problems and, at the 

end of it all, simply die? Paul says: “If our 

hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are 

worse off than anyone else.” (1 Corinthians 

15:19). 

The problems of this life only make sense in 

light of the life after death. It is the life after 

death that makes this life bearable. It is the 

life after death that gives meaning to this miserable 

life. Therefore, even in this life, God is 

determined to socialise us into the resurrected 

life. Even in this life, God insists that we lay 

down our lives so he can raise us from the 

dead. 

Listen again to the words of Jesus: “Therefore 

my Father loves me, because I lay down 

my life that I may take it again. No one takes 

it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have 

power to lay it down, and I have power to take 

it again. This command I have received from 

my Father.” (John 10:17-18). 

people. 

But obedience to the law exalts a nation. 

When citizens obey the law, rule of law in 

the society, there will be righteous citizens, 

and those who do the right thing always are 

righteous; righteousness brings exaltation 

to the nation. 

The law is spiritual (Romans 7:14), and 

all who are placed in highest position, higher 

position and high position are all ministers 

of God (Romans 13:1-4). 

Let every soul be subject unto the higher 

powers, for there is no power but of God, the 

powers-that-be are ordained by God. 

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, 

resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that 

resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 

For rulers are not a terror to good works, 

but to the evil, wilt thou then not be afraid of 

the power? Do that which is good, and thou 

shalt have praise of the same. 

For he is the minister of God to thee for 

good, but if thou do that which is evil, be 

afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain, 

for he is the minister of God, a revenger to 

execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 

If patriots in the country, the Presidency 

and security officials cannot see or know 

all law breakers, transgressors and sinners 

in the country that bring hindrances to the 

nation, then highest powers (God Almighty, 

Love Almighty) spiritual measure should 

be consulted, sought after and applied for 

the good of all patriots, citizens including 

those unborn. 

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher 

powers" 

This is what every citizen should do, everybody 

is involved, no one is left out; collectively, 

all citizens must stand to work for 

the exaltation of the nation, and make this 

nation the best and avoid the condemnation 

of former NI and the humiliation of the 

next generation. 

PETAP, 08120202087. 

THIS DOCTRINE OF SEPARATION, THEN 

GOD CANNOT DO, IN THEM, THIS 

WORK OF SANCTIFICATION. 

Believers in Christ that have been sanctified 

by this truth, and are keeping it, are the righteous 

nation, that will be allowed to enter 

through the gates into heaven, as written in 

ISAIAH 26:2: “Open ye the gates, that the 

righteous nation, which keepeth the truth, may 

enter in.” 

Christian Gospel Church 

(The Truth Centre), 4 Christian Gospel 

Avenue, Beside Psychiatric Hospital, 

Uselu, Benin City, Edo State 

Email:cgc.com.ng@gmail.com 

Telephone: +234(0) 7052061135, 

+234(0)9030731406 

Website: www.cgc.thetruthcentre.com

PAGE 24—SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 13, 2021 

Taking the kingdom 

by force (1) 

Matthew 11:12 

says, “And from 

the days of 

John the Baptist until now 

the kingdom of heaven suffereth 

violence, and the violent 

take it by force.” 

Beloved, it’s important 

at this hour given the fact 

that we are in a perilous 

time to make haste and 

escape from the trap posed 

by the attraction of the 

world and vehemently 

pursue the cause of the 

kingdom of God through 

righteousness. We must begin 

to reject whatever that 

will hinder or entangle us 

to the world because there 

is no more time. Anything 

that will hinder us from 

making rapture or doing 

the will of God, doing 

what God says must be 

abhorred. It is no longer in 

doubt that the end of all 

things are at hand, thus we 

must cut off everything 

that will hinder us from 

making heaven without 

further delay, no matter 

how fascinating that maybe. 

The disciples of the old 

followed this line, defied 

all worldly allurement and 

ran a good race even when 

doing so was a threat to 

their life. They suffered violent 

in the hand of the 

chief priests and Sanhedrin 

but persevered till the 

end. 

Likewise, he that will inherit 

the kingdom of God 

must maintain holiness, 

righteousness, and peace 

with his neighbor. He 

should note that the gate 

of hell will oppose every 

contrary step he takes and 

if he is not absolutely determined 

to give up his 

sins and evil companions, 

and have his soul saved by 

all means, he will surely 

not enter into the King- 

dom. 

Luke 13: 24 says, “Strive 

to enter in at the strait gate: 

for many, I say unto you, 

will seek to enter in, and 

shall not be able” 

We are advised to do anything 

within our reach to 

ensure the Kingdom of God 

doesn’t elude us. This is because 

the door of the kingdom 

is so narrow that it 

does not allow carrying of 

baggage of sins into it. We 

cannot take our sins of debauchery, 

lusts, worldliness 

and worldly pleasures into 

the Kingdom. The gate is 

constricted and allows only 

total holiness and righteousness. 

Although many 

may manifest some desire 

to enter but because they do 

not strive for it, they will be 

shut out. If they neglect righteousness 

and commitment 

which will help them to enter 

they will jeopardize 

their chances of gaining the 

Kingdom. 

Mark 9:43-48 says, “And 

if thy hand offend thee, cut 

it off: it is better for thee to 

enter into life maimed, 

than having two hands to 

go into hell, into the fire 

that never shall be 

quenched: 44 Where their 

worm dieth not, and the fire 

is not quenched. 45 And if 

thy foot offend thee, cut it 

off: it is better for thee to 

enter halt into life, than 

having two feet to be cast 

into hell, into the fire that 

never shall be quenched: 46 

Where their worm dieth 

not, and the fire is not 

quenched.47 And if thine 

eye offend thee, pluck it 

out: it is better for thee to 

enter into the kingdom of 

God with one eye, than having 

two eyes to be cast into 

hell fire: 48 Where their 

worm dieth not, and the fire 

is not quenched” 

It is very clear that the 

eyes, feet, hand and other 

organs of our body are 

important parts of our 

body but the Bible in emphasizing 

the importance 

of the Kingdom says if 

those part of our body 

could constitute hindrance 

for our making the 

Kingdom, we should cut 

them off. The Scripture 

averred that it is better to 

enter heaven with one 

hand than be cast into 

hellfire with two hands or 

two eyes and miss the 

kingdom. 

So, whatsoever it would 

cost to qualify for the 

Kingdom now should be 

welcomed. We must make 

sure that whatsoever is 

standing on our way must 

be violently dealt with in 

order to make it, and 

nothing else should be 

given consideration than 

what will support our entry 

into the Kingdom. 

Gen. 19:17 says, “And it 

came to pass, when they 

had brought them forth 

abroad, that he said, Escape 

for thy life; look not 

behind thee, neither stay 

thou in all the plain; escape 

to the mountain, lest 

thou be consumed.” 

Lot was warned to escape 

for his life and not 

to look behind because 

the city has been judged 

and about to be destroyed. 

God commanded 

him to avoid looking 

back as that could prove 

fatal to him. Same warning 

to escape for our life 

and look not behind has 

been extended to us. Our 

life is in danger of being 

perished if we refuse to 

repent and seek the kingdom 

of God. We must 

strive to heed the warning 

and escape otherwise 

Once you 

cross over into 

the next realm 

of existence 

there will be no 

opportunity for 

repentance as 

judgment will 

start 

immediately 

we perished. Self-preservation 

is the first law of 

nature, to which every 

other consideration is 

minor and unimportant. 

You have been warned to 

escape, so make haste and 

don’t give attention to 

anything that will hinder 

you from escaping. 

Luke 9: 62 says, “And 

Jesus said unto him, No 

man, having put his hand 

to the plough, and looking 

back, is fit for the 

kingdom of God”. 

Any person who undertakes 

to enter the Kingdom 

of God must do it 

with his whole heart. Jesus 

told the person that promised 

to follow Him but 

desired first to go and settle 

the affairs of his family, 

that if he would be one 

of His ministers, he must 

be like a ploughman, who 

looks forward, and not 

backward, who minds his 

plough and nothing else. 

This is because if he does 

otherwise, he will never 

make his furrows right, 

for they will either be too 

deep or too narrow. Likewise 

they that desire to 

enter into the Kingdom 

must mind it wholly, attend 

to that alone, give it 

their whole time, strength 

and be devoted to it. The 

things of the world must 

be put behind them and 

they must not look back 

upon them. Ploughing 

work is a hard work, thus 

a strong and steady hand 

is required for it; he that 

ploughs must keep on, 

Sister Virginia, healed of 3-year fractured leg 

during the Umuobom 2021 Crusade in Imo State. 

and not to draw back. In 

other word, no difficulties 

must discourage him from 

striving for the Kingdom. 

I want to let you know that 

if you must make heaven at 

last, you must of necessity 

cut off so many things that 

constitute baggage in your 

life. If you are carrying the 

baggage of doubt maybe 

you are saying because 

God has not done this or 

that, you will not continue 

running the race, my friend 

if that is your position, you 

may miss the Kingdom. You 

need to make up your mind 

to strive to enter regardless 

of whether it is convenient 

or not. Think about it and 

determine to win the race 

no matter the situation. Everything 

that needs to be 

done should be done now 

before the rapture or death 

comes. The Bible says it is 

appointed unto man to die 

and after that comes judgment. 

Once you cross over 

into the next realm of existence 

there will be no opportunity 

for repentance as 

judgment will start immediately. 

If you refused to accept 

Jesus or do the will of 

God and cross over, you 

will have yourself to blame. 

If rapture has taken place 

and you want to amend, it 

will be very difficult because 

grace would have 

gone, so it is better you do 

it now and not by force before 

it is too late. If you 

continue to delay and the 

rapture takes place, grace 

will cease. 

Matthew 7:22-23 says, 

“Many will say to me in 

that day, Lord, Lord, have 

we not prophesied in thy 

name? and in thy name 

have cast out devils? and 

in thy name done many 

wonderful works? 23 And 

then will I profess unto 

them, I never knew you: depart 

from me, ye that work 

iniquity” 

If you are following the 

Lord and you are not serious, 

or serving the Lord and 

living in sin, you are endangering 

your soul. You 

should not allow anything 

that will hinder you from 

making heaven and go to 

hell fire at the end. Whatever 

that might be that 

could hinder you from 

making it into the Kingdom 

must be cut off, so 

that it will not be when you 

cross over, you will hear depart 

from me, ye that work 

iniquity, I never knew you. 

Take your salvation very serious 

now and deal with 

that thing that could be a 

hindrance to making heaven 

at last so that depart 

from me shall not be your 

portion. 

Worshippers praising God during the Umuobom 2021 Crusade in Imo State. 

One of the beneficiaries of instant miracles lifted shoulder high, during the 

Umuobom 2021 Crusade in Imo State.

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 13, 2021,PAGE 25 

Your decision begets your 

destination 

Text: “And the younger of 

them said to his father, Father, 

give me the portion of goods 

that falleth to me. And he 

divided unto them his living”. 

(Luke 

L 

15:12) 

ife has four constants 

and variables, which 

are Time, Birth, Death, and 

Decision. 

However, we influence 

each of these variables. 

According to the Encarta 

dictionary of the English 

language, a decision is 

something somebody has 

chosen or makes up his or her 

PASTOR O.C. CHUKWUEZIE. 

CAC Madaiyese Regional Headquaters 

Plot 701/702 Durumi District 

P.O. BOX 2577 

Garki, Abuja. 

Contact us on: 08155555048, like us on 

facebook @cacdurumi 

mind about after considering 

alternatives. Luke 15: 11-32 

reveals the life of a man who 

had two sons, whose names 

were not mentioned but the 

younger is regarded as the 

“prodigal son”. Prodigal is a 

French word that has been 

adopted in the English 

language: it means being 

wasteful or extravagant. 

The prodigal son, who was 

the younger of the two sons 

decided to have his share of 

his yet-to-die father’s wealth. 

Having bequeathed it to him, 

he went ahead to squander it. 

The decision he made 

consequently determined 

what he got. 

All noble things are difficult (2) 

Drifting is easy; the hu 

man nature loves to 

stray from God its maker, and 

to wander aimlessly onto ignoble 

things; the flesh finds it 

easier to do things dishonourable 

naturally. The Bible 

speaks of the works of the 

flesh "...which are: adultery, 

fornication, uncleanness, 

lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, 

hatred, contentions, jealousies, 

outbursts of wrath, selfish 

ambitions, dissensions, 

heresies, envy, murders, 

drunkenness, revelries, and 

the like...and, those who practice 

such things will not inherit 

the kingdom of God. – 

Gal. 5:19-21. 

Rev. Emmanuel Awazie 

*Assemblies of God Church 

Nigeria, 111 Clegg Street, 

Surulere, Lagos. 

The discipline of the Holy 

Spirit and that of deliberate 

personal practice are required 

to keep one's life on the 

path of nobility, honour, virtue 

and distinction. The apostle 

Paul reminds that in a race 

everyone runs, but only one 

person gets the prize? So run 

to win! All athletes are disciplined 

in their training. They 

do it to win a prize that will 

fade away, but we do it for an 

eternal prize. So run with purpose 

in every step...not just 

shadowboxing. Discipline 

your body like an athlete, 

training it to do what it should. 

Otherwise, ... after preaching 

to others you might be disqualified." 

- 1 Cor. 9:24-27. 

The principle of aspiring (2) 

*Ituah Ighodalo is the Senior 

Pastor, Trinity House, Trinity 

Avenue, Off Ligali Ayorinde 

Street, Victoria Island, 

Lagos.+234-808-895-6162 

info@trinityhouseng.org 

And as he talked with 

them, behold, there 

came up the champion, the 

Philistine of Gath, Goliath by 

name, out of the armies of 

the Philistines, and spake 

according to the same 

words: and David heard 

them. 24 And all the men of 

Israel, when they saw the 

man, fled from him, and 

were sore afraid. 1 Samuel 

17:23-24 KJV 

The victory over Goliath 

required a counter challenge 

by the children of Israel. David 

understood what Elisha 

said to his servant. And he 

answered, Fear not: for they 

that be with us are more than 

they that be with them. 2 

King 6:16 KJV. 

Everybody has a Goliath 

that is speaking against their 

face saying,”we will see how 

you succeed”. 

To counter this 

however, in every 

home, nation 

and place 

there is a David 

that has been 

looked down 

on. It is up to us to let go of 

our fear and let David overcome 

the uncircumcised philistine 

that is enslaving us and 

trying hold us back that we 

may not succeed. 

There is nothing wrong in 

aspiring in life, career, family. 

It is human nature to aspire 

to succeed. The challenge 

in life is that even as we 

aspire, we are frightened by 

the Goliath in our life, we are 

afraid to come out of our 

comfort zone. We have become 

enslaved by the circumstances 

of our life; we listen 

to what people say. The 

slothful man saith, There is 

a lion in the way; a lion is in 

the streets. Prov. 26:13 KJV. 

Too many people have very 

littleaspiration, and most 

people aspire to nothing. 

In 1 Samuel 17 the children 

of Israel saw the giant 

You are the architect of your 

decision’s outcome but you 

aren’t the master of the 

consequences. In other words, 

you have control over your 

choices but have no power 

over the consequences. The 

very rich young man ended up 

in penury to the extent of 

trying to share meals with pigs 

as a result of a foolish decision. 

What decision are you about 

to make? Think twice before 

you act. Let God preside over 

it. Allow Him to show you the 

way at all times. It is costly to 

put God behind in your 

decision making. Negative 

decisions automatically 

produce negative results. 

Good decision determines 

glorious future and otherwise. 

Ths glorious future and 

otherwise. The decision you 

make today will determine 

your destination tomorrow. 

Most times, God does not 

interfere with our decisions. 

Rather, He permits it. Get His 

perfect will instead of the 

permissive one. Only then are 

you guaranteed of His 

backing which enables you to 

achieve your destined goal in 

life. 

No man is born virtuous, 

virtue or nobility or honour is 

an outcome, the quality of life 

and strength developed in you 

as lawfully engage in the fight 

of faith. We must "fight the 

good fight of faith, so as to lay 

hold on eternal life, to which 

you were also called ...." – 1 

Tim. 6:12. The beloved apostle 

counselled young Timothy 

to "...be strong through the 

grace that God gives ... in 

Christ Jesus....to endure suffering 

along with him, as a 

good soldier of Christ Jesus. 

Soldiers don't get tied up in 

the affairs of civilian life, for 

then they cannot please the 

officer who enlisted them. And 

athletes cannot win the prize 

unless they follow the rules. 2 

Tim. 2:1-5. As we apply ourselves 

to the principles or rules 

divinely given in God's word, 

the Bible, God purifies and 

transfigures us to the point 

where we realize that all our 

virtues are in Him alone (Ps. 

87:7). 

and ran away, their aspiration 

of victory in battle over the 

philistines were dashed by a 

goliath. They were gripped by 

fear. Life is for the bold and 

the brave, and the life we are 

not strong to protect will run 

away from us. Goliath means 

an exile, a wanderer from the 

wine press. Goliath was therefore 

not worthy of the fear 

because he was a nobody in 

the land, all he had was the 

noise he made. A lot of the 

Goliath in our life has no substance 

and is not worthy of the 

fear and attention we give to 

it. 

For us, that challenge we 

face may seem like a big and 

insurmountable, but the truth 

of the Word of God tells us that 

nothing can be too big for the 

God who is lord over all we 

can see or think. The mystery 

of challenges is anything that 

is big is only so in our imagination. 

It is like smoke in the 

wind, like chaff. Whatever is 

big in our eyes is very tiny before 

God, all we need to do is 

to give David a chance in our 

life to express himself and to 

try what he wants to try so he 

can bring the Goliath in your 

life down. 

Nigeria’s crises generated from spiritual realm 

By Pastor Bassey Amah 

igeria’s crises are gen 

Nerated from the realm 

of spirit and the solutions lie 

spiritually. God has the capacity 

to end the crises without 

delay if the spiritual approach 

is followed. By so doing, 

God’s promises will be 

fulfilled in Nigeria and we 

will overcome the visible with 

the invisible. 

We have pastors boiling 

with anger and speaking ill 

of the people and government 

while asking for forgiveness. 

Such pastors cannot pray 

to bring healing to the land 

no matter how highly placed 

they are because we cannot 

approach God with filthy 

things dominating our minds 

(Ephesians 4:30). God is absolutely 

righteous and pastors 

must avoid saying negative 

things about the President 

so that your prayer can 

be heard by God. We have to 

be humble before God so 

that He can solve the problems 

affecting Nigeria. The 

Bible says in Chronicles 7:14: 

if my people who are called 

by my name shall humble 

themselves and pray and 

seek my face, and go away 

from their wicked ways, then 

will I hear from heaven and 

will forgive their sins and will 

heal their land. 

However, no matter what 

anyone may say, President Buhari 

came by God’s revelation 

and God will show his 

tender mercy on him this day. 

Nigeria will not break as 

many are saying. What I see 

in the realm of spirit is not the 

break-up of the country. Believe 

me, by God’s mercy, 

peace will soon return to our 

land. 

• Amah is resident in Lagos 

and can be reached on 

08174723913 

We can lift 100m out of poverty – Ojogo 

• Asks youths not to leave nation-building in govt hand alone 

By Dayo Johnson 

Believers Family Foun 

dation has told Nigerian 

youths that the act of building 

a virile nation is not the 

sole responsibility of government 

but that of all and sundry. 

The President/Visionaire, 

Mrs Florence Bulous Ojogo, 

said this during an event to 

commemorate Children's 

Day which attracted over 200 

students from 10 schools in 

Ondo State. 

Speaking with Sunday 

Vanguard on what motivated 

her to organize the event, 

held in Akure, the state capital, 

Ojogo said, "l discovered 

that many adults in the society 

have, in one way or the 

other, been misinformed and 

have been living with wrong 

information which formed 

their opinions. 

The event was entitled ‘Cultivating 

Nation Building Act 

in Teenagers’. 

"The opinions have become 

our way of life which has become 

our attitude. 

"The misinformation is that 

nation building is a primary 

assignment of the government. 

If that philosophy was 

correct, then the nation will 

not be where it is today. 

“The nation would have 

been better than this. That was 

why I came up with the theme: 

‘Cultivating Nation Building 

Act in Teenagers’. 

“In the foundation, we do 

things as instructed by God 

because it is a divine assignment 

to rebuild Nigeria. 

"We discovered that Nige- 

RIG Nation opens Lagos centre 

T 

he Tomi Arayomi-led 

ministry is opening its 

Lagos center under its RIG 

Africa division, with an 

inaugural service on 

Sunday, June 20, 2021 at 

the Grace Gardens, Lekki 

Phase 1, by 5PM. 

Arayomi will be ministering 

at the launch which is 

themed, “Revive. Ignite. 

Gather.” 

RIG which stands for 

Restoring Issachar’s 

Generation, is an apostolic 

and prophetic movement 

• Mrs Ojogo 

with established branches 

in the UK, US and Asia. 

It is birthed to bring 

authenticity and integrity 

of the prophetic message to 

the present generation, 

through a revival and 

reawakening of the true 

sons of God. 

At the core of the RIG 

Nation mission was the 

assignment to teach people 

to be prophets and prophets 

to be people. 

Prophet Tomi Arayomi 

ria is the most prayerful nation 

in the world, yet it is the 

most backward. It means it is 

beyond praying alone and not 

doing the work that will bring 

the result we desire in the nation. 

"We have been misinformed. 

So, there is the need 

for the young ones to be 

brought on board in order not 

to have the same mindset that 

we grew with that brought us 

to the same problems we are 

facing as a nation today. 

"The young ones should be 

taught in a way of contributing 

meaningfully to the 

growth and development of 

the nation. 

"Our foundation is known 

as the Believers Family Foundation. 

It is not a religious 

group, it is not an ethnic 

group and neither is it a political 

pressure group. 

“It is a conglomerate of 

like-minds that believe in the 

cause of rebuilding Nigeria. 

It is a network of people that 

believe in the new Nigeria. 

“The foundation is divinely 

mandated to steer the ship 

of this great nation to the 

promise land. 

“Our vision is clear on the 

focus of seeing Nigeria becoming 

the most peaceful 

nation in the world. 

“Our mission is driven 

through a chain of like-minds 

where the mandate of God to 

create sustainable economic 

activities in order to overhaul 

the corrupt system of the nation, 

thereby ending violence 

and bloody crimes in the land. 

“Our objective apparently 

is to lift 100million people out 

of poverty. The misinformation 

in the school and society 

is that nation-building is a 

fundamental responsibility of 

government and this information 

has led us to where 

we are today. 

“It means that the information 

is not true and genuine. 

If it’s genuine the nation will 

not be where it is today. Everybody 

left the assignment 

of nation-building to the government 

alone". 

“Every responsible individual 

that should be part of 

building the nation left it to 

the government. They don’t 

have sense of belonging 

again. 

“For Nigeria to become the 

nation we all desire, we must 

all come together to join this 

movement to the nation we 

desire. “For every great 

achievement begins with a 

desire. And for us to move to 

where we want to be, the must 

be desire and love for the nation. 

“The younger ones should 

think outside the box and not 

becoming a civil servant after 

graduating from the 

school”. 

SYNOD ADDRESS: Bishop Okeke makes case for 

‘marginalised’ Nigerians 

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

The Bishop Diocese of 

Ideato, Anglican 

Communion, Imo State, Rt. 

Rev. Henry Okeke, has 

warned that the unity of Nigeria 

will not be possible in 

a government where the 

marginalized are not allowed 

to talk. 

Bishop Okeke, gave the 

warning in his Synod Presidential 

Address themed, 

“Behold I am Doing a New 

Thing”, saying that “Nige- 

will be ministering at the 

launch which is themed, 

“Revive. Ignite. Gather” 

•Prophet Arayomi 

Kerae records unveils flagship act, MMZY new EP 

fter a successful outing last 

Ayear, Kerae Records is 

looking good to consolidate 

on its achievements in 2021, 

with the release of a new EP 

by the label’s flagship artiste, 

Mmzy. 

Having dropped “Animal” 

weeks back, a song 

highlighting Grammynominated 

artiste, Seun Kuti, 

it’s surprising to see that it 

was not featured on the 

extended play after gaining 

massive airplay. 

The EP titled “Ascent,” which 

features musical 

appearances from notable 

music stars, Teni and Terri, is 

rians are already getting 

used to government of nepotism, 

where Federal Character 

policy is thrown overboard.” 

He added: “The marginalized 

must not lift a finger 

of agitation. At gunpoint, 

they must be made to sign 

‘’Unity Papers’’, as if they 

have no option or identity. 

“A government that hardens 

its heart to the cry of deliberate 

and sustained exclusion 

of some sections of 

the polity in the appointment 

of top officers in the 

•Ukeje Elendu 

the first offering by the music 

act this year and it is meant 

to thrill his fans . 

According to the label 

founder and CEO, Ukeje 

security and civil arms, cannot 

feign ignorance of the 

deadly consequences. 

“May we remind President 

Mohammadu Buhari, 

of his statement on the day 

his government was inaugurated 

in 2015 at Eagle 

Square Abuja, he said, “I 

am for everyone. I belong 

to nobody” Our dear President, 

this was supposedly a 

bonding statement meant to 

bind your heart with Nigerians. 

“Unfortunately, your body 

language and actions have 

betrayed the statement.” 

Elendu, better known as UK 

Elendu, the EP is an exciting, 

bold project and the “Animal” 

track which ushered it was 

inspired by the endemic 

corruption in the Nigerian 

socio-political and economic 

terrain. 

“These corrupt politicians in 

agbada gave birth to the 

spotlight song and now the 

focus is on MMZY’s new EP, 

“Ascent”. They have taken 

down his Instagram page, 

threatening some stations to 

censor the song’s truth, and 

even went as far as flagging 

the video on YouTube,” he 

says.

PAGE 26 —Vanguard, SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2021 

Focus on rural majority to tackle poverty, grow economy – Amaechi 

inister of Transportation, 

MRt Hon Chibuike Rotimi 

Amaechi, has called for a change in 

the development policies of government 

to affect rural communities as 

much as it does urban areas. He said 

this shift would be effective in tackling 

poverty and inequality in the 

land. 

Amaechi made the assertion while 

delivering the Convocation Lecture 

at the 49th Graduation Ceremony 

of the University of Nigeria, 

Nsukka (UNN). 

He said, “There are areas that we 

must address if we hope to overcome 

our frightening inequality and poverty. 

We must free our policies from 

an urban based focus. The poorest 

urban Nigerian is many times better 

off than the most well off rural 

Nigerian. Therefore, we need to emulate 

the Chinese and Indian examples 

in focusing on the rural majority 

if we must end the increasing 

marginalization of our rural compatriots. 

Our current land title and 

tenure systems have continued to 

consign our rural land owners to 

peasant holders of acres of farmland 

without commercial value. We need 

to reform our land title system by 

removing encumbrances on rural 

land titles so that rural farmers can 

use such land to access credit from 

the banks and credit unions. 

“Inequality has produced an anarchic 

population as life has become 

a scramble and a hustle among 

many. Poverty induced criminality 

has sent crime statistics through the 

roof nationwide resulting in the culture 

of perennial insecurity that now 

haunts the nation. A resource poor 

treasury has led to considerable decay 

in the capacity of the state to 

equip the armed and security forces 

adequately to contain an upsurge 

Glo-sponsored Super Story, Enakhe running on AIT, DSTV 

Two television drama series, Su 

per Story and Enakhe, sponsored 

by national telecommunication 

company, Globacom, has continued 

to thrill viewers across the 

country. 

The sponsorship of the two programmes 

is a continuation of Globacom’s 

support for Nigerian arts 

and entertainment which dates 

back to 2003 when it rolled out services. 

Super Story, produced by the popular 

Wale Adenuga Productions, 

runs between 9 and 10 p.m. every 

Thursday on African Independent 

Television (AIT) and from 8 p.m. to 

9 p.m. on Nigerian Television Authority 

(NTA) also onThursdays. 

The drama series currently parades 

Nollywood stars including 

Kunle Coker, Kehinde Bankole, 

Funsho Adeolu, Shan George, Toyin 

Alausa, Joseph Momodu, Tersy 

Akpata and Annetta Adebusuyi in 

“Revenge”, a drama story about 

back biting, love and attempted 

murder. 

Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi 

(left), exchanging pleasantries with the Vice Chancellor, University 

of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof Charles Arizechukwu Igwe ,during the 49th 

Convocation Ceremony of the Institution. 

in crime and militant nationalism 

and regionalism. Our hospitals and 

healthcare delivery system is in desperate 

disrepair just as our public 

infrastructure has continued to de- 

he Chief Executive Officer of 

TTwitter, Jack Dorsey, yesterday 

tweeted the green and white colour 

of the Nigerian flag. 

Recall that on June 4, the Federal 

Government indefinitely suspended 

Twitter operations in Nigeria two 

days after the micro-blogging 

platform took down President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet in 

reference to the civil war, which it 

said violated its rules. 

FLAP launches AgrolandVest project 

to boost real estate sector 

...Unnveils Saka as brand ambassador 

By Peter Egwuatu 

Flexible Luxury and Asset Pay 

ment Limited (FLAP) has 

launched its Agrolandvest project 

to boost the real estate sector, just as 

it announced Afeez Oyetoro, popularly 

known as Saka, as its brand 

ambassador. 

At the weekend, the Group Managing 

Director of the multi investment 

company, Mr Oluwadurotimi 

Ojamamoye at its Magodo office, 

closed the deal with Saka, while introducing 

the AgrolandVest project. 

Agrolandvest is an initiative of 

Flap Multipurpose Cooperative 

Society Ltd (Flapcoop) that assists 

individuals own, invest and earn 

from real estate, agriculture and 

other strategic assets investments. 

Mr Ojamamoye explained that 

the initiative was born out of desire 

to make acquisition of asset easy 

and affordable, thus the concept of 

Enakhe, on the other hand, features 

top Nollywood actors including 

Alex Usifo, Ivie Okujaye, Philip 

Asaya and Eunice Omoregie. The 

drama which was shot in Edo State 

comes up from 8.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

from Monday to Fridays on DTSV 

Channel 151. A recap edition also 

n the Nigeria metro cities today, 

Ifast food businesses are slowly 

taking over the conventional home 

kitchen’s foods, giving room to the 

sprout of many eatery outlets. This 

also comes as most working class 

and discerning people alike; find it 

convenient to have their favourite 

healthy dishes while at work and onthe-go. 

However, in a bid to step up the 

quality as demand increases, a new 

eatery brand called, Temnnys Foods 

has made an entrant with a promise 

to change the business as usual 

narratives. 

Temnnys Foods established since 

cay by the years. 

His lecture titled, ‘Inequality and 

the Dignity of Man,’ evaluated the 

effect of such policies in other countries 

with once similar circumstances 

as Nigeria such as China, India 

Democracy Day: Twitter CEO tweets Nigerian flag 

As Nigeria celebrates the June 12 

Democracy Day yesterday, Dorsey 

took to his Twitter handle, which has 

over 5 million followers to tweet the 

Nigerian flag. 

This is not the first time the Twitter 

CEO will show solidarity to 

happenings in Nigeria. 

In October, during the #EndSARS 

protests, Dorsey asked his followers 

to donate bitcoin so as to support 

the movement, after the 

Don’t panic, FG warns as Airborne Geophysical Survey Starts in 19 

States 

By Dayo Johnson, Akure 

o determine the accurate depos 

Tits of mineral resources across 

the country, the Federal Government 

is set to embark on Airborne 

Geophysical Survey in 19 states. 

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, 

Hon. Olamilekan Adegbite, 

said this in Akure, Ondo State 

capital during the flag-off exercise 

of the sensitisation programme in 

the South-West. 

The Minister, who spoke through 

the Project Coordinator of Mindiver 

(World Bank) Project, Engr. Sallim 

Salaam, said the exercise will 

cover 112 local government areas 

across the country, saying it is to determine 

accurate mineral locations 

using modern day contemporary 

aeromagnetic mechanism. 

Adegbite listed the states to be covered 

by the survey to include Kwara, 

Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and 

Ebonyi. Others are Enugu, Cross 

River, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Niger, 

Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, 

Bauchi and the FCT. 

He urged member of the public in 

the states not to panic because of 

loud noise of aircraft due to the low 

flying altitude or pattern of movement. 

According to him, the information 

like this became necessary 

because of the current security situation 

in the country so that people 

do not get misinformed and entertain 

fears that may lead to tension. 

The Minister pointed out that the 

survey would be carried out through 

the World Bank assisted Mineral 

Sector Support for Economic Diversification 

(MINDIVER) Project. 

“The survey will be measuring 

minor variations in the earth’s magnetic 

fields and gamma radiations 

in the soil”, Adegbite added. 

Agriculture and real estate. 

He said AgrolandVest affords investors 

to earn on their land while 

waiting for developmental activities 

in that area, stating that, "we farm 

on this land while expecting human 

development to hit the area, which 

would impact the value of the land. 

Speaking on the choice of Afeez 

Oyetoro 'Saka' as the ambassador 

of the company, Ojamamoye stated 

that Saka resonates with the values 

of the company as a highly educated 

actor that has, over the years, built 

relationships with all ages - the 

younger generation, middle-aged, 

as well as the older generation. 

"We don't want to take people 

whose values would not connote 

with ours; even though they might 

have the market. In terms of value 

and category of people we are looking 

for, and how we want to be perceived, 

we believe 'Saka' is the best 

choice," he said. 

runs on the same station from 3.p.m. 

to 5 p.m. on Sundays. 

The Enakhe story revolves round 

a lady who had to seize power after 

she became heiress to her Fathers’ 

ill-built empire in a society where 

women are not considered for honour. 

Firm moves against housing deficit with launch 

of affordable property 

By Juliet Umeh 

Nationwide search for 2021 Indomie 

Heroes award begins 

Our snacks are non-GMO, gluten-free — Akinyemi-Okomah 

January 2, 2019 is part of the 

Temnnys Group located in North 

America and Africa. The food brand 

is headquartered in Southern 

California, United States with 

locations in Lagos and Abuja. 

The founder, Kehinde Akinyemi- 

OKomah, a passionate leader, with 

long track record of successful 

business management is educated 

to a very high level, from a finance 

background, and has been in the in 

oil & gas industry for over 18 years. 

She also doubles as the founder of 

“Change Agentz,” a non-profit 

organization and philanthropists 

group. Akinyemi-Okomah who 

recently held a media parley to 

and Brazil, stating that if it could 

work in those countries, then it can 

work in Nigeria, despite ‘our’ very 

peculiar situation. 

“The achievement of the Chinese 

in poverty reduction has been equated 

with a modern day miracle. The 

achievement corresponded with a 

period of sustained economic 

growth. It adopted the strategy of 

focusing on the poorest people in 

the rural areas. It massively moved 

them from poor homes in the countryside 

to apartment blocks in urban 

areas. This is similar to the strategy 

adopted by the late Lee Kuan 

Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore, 

in tackling poverty among the slum 

dwellers of Singapore. This led to 

rapid urban renewal and the uplifting 

of the standards of hygiene and 

Realizing that government 

alone cannot solve the problem 

of housing deficit and also include 

young Nigerians in property 

ownership, a real estate investment 

government had suspended the 

conventional method of donating 

for the protest. 

The Twitter CEO also continued 

his solidarity for the movement by 

launching a special emoji to give 

the protesters more visibility on the 

micro-blogging platform. 

His support did not go down well 

with the federal government, who 

had accused the social media 

company of supporting violence 

against the country. 

heighten the visibility of the new 

brand, said that the aim and 

objective of the drive is to create 

awareness, enlighten and acquaint 

the Nigerian audience of the 

emergence of Temnnys as foods in 

Nigeria and her products. 

Acknowledging her competitors 

in the food and beverage industry in 

Nigeria that have gained grounds, 

she added that her target audience 

is the young and middle age 

populace across all walks of life. 

Speaking, Akinyemi-Okomah 

noted that Temnnys food brand 

values are timeless, with a guide to 

decision making and behavior. 

living among the former slum 

dwellers with a corresponding economic 

empowerment”. 

Amaechi however, acknowledged 

the efforts by the current President 

Buhari-led administration to reduce 

poverty by carrying out social welfare 

and empowerment schemes as 

well as efforts by previous administrations, 

but insisted that more has 

to be done and done right by this 

administration and successive administrations 

to come. 

In his remark, the UNN Vice 

Chancellor, Prof Charles Arizechukwu 

Igwe thanked the Minister for 

the lecture and presented him with 

a plaque in commemoration of his 

lecture at the 49th Convocation 

Ceremony of the institution. 

company, Bolope Investment Ltd, 

weekend, launched two estates in 

Epe, Lagos. The company said that 

the estates, Lighthouse and Overview 

Courts, will democratize property 

acquisition while affording 

young people the opportunity to 

become landlords. 

Speaking during the launch and 

commencement of site work, MD/ 

CEO of the firm, Mr. Opeyemi Aladetola, 

said they designed the estates 

with young people without plenty of 

cash in mind. Aladetola who is a 

real estate developer and a lawyer 

said: "From our research, we have 

been realized that it looks like property 

acquisition is a prestige only for 

a class of persons and we are saying 

that the narrative needs to change." 

"In ensuring that the narrative 

changes, we have decided to get affordable 

lands that young people 

can plug into. 

Youth council distances self from 

issuance of illegal plate numbers 

he West African (ECOW 

TAS) Youth Council, has noted 

with deep concern, the use of 

fake plate numbers from some non 

existing organization in the region. 

EYC in a statement by its President, 

Emmanuel William, said, 

“We frown at this development 

because it is a strong force against 

achieving a secured society as 

criminals and dangerous individuals 

perpetrate evil using these 

plate numbers. 

“The West Africa region has suffered 

economic drawback with insecurity 

rocking every part of the 

region and the EYC will not be a 

party to criminality and terrorism. 

“We value and cherish the integrity 

the body has been able to establish 

for itself over the past few 

years and we won’t allow criminals 

to stain our clean records. 

“Our ambassadors will not be 

found in places that compromise 

our standards or be found breaching 

the laws of the land. 

“As we work with governments 

across the countries in the region 

to provide an enabling environment 

for our people to do their 

businesses, we urge the public to 

be aware of this latest development. 

“Therefore, the security operatives 

in all West African countries 

are expected to scrutinize individuals 

suspected to be in possession 

of these fake plate numbers not 

issued by EYC and prosecute 

them”, the statement read. 

In line with its corporate social 

responsibility initiative to honour 

heroic Nigerian children, Dufil 

Prima Foods Plc., makers of Indomie 

instant noodles, has announced 

a nationwide search for the 

13th edition of the Indomie Independence 

Day Awards (IIDA). 

IIDA is a national award event that 

identifies, celebrates, and rewards 

the exemplary accomplishments of 

children who have shown uncommon 

courage and determination in 

precarious situations. The award encourages 

excellence and diligence 

in children. 

The search for the heroic children, 

who will become the 2021 Indomie 

Heroes, will cut across eight states 

spread across the geo-political zones 

of Nigeria. The states include Lagos, 

Osun, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, 

Enugu, Kwara, and Abuja, and will 

last for seven weeks. 

Speaking at a press conference to 

flag off the 2021 search exercise, 

Sukhman Kaur, Head , Marketing, 

Indomie, said the initiative is significant 

as it is rooted in the recognition 

of children whose best efforts 

are often overlooked in society. 

“This award initiative is a reflection 

of the importance and belief of 

our company in the extraordinary 

qualities of the Nigerian child 

which must never be ignored, but 

rather, celebrated. This is also in 

consonance with our core values and 

conviction that in every child lies the 

seed of greatness.” 

“Daily, our beloved Nigerian children 

make notable sacrifices at 

great risk to themselves, some struggle 

to survive despite the unfavourable 

conditions they found themselves 

in, and the reality is that such 

acts of bravery often go unsung because 

the players involved are minors.” 

Fidau prayer for Raheem 

8 th day Fidau 

prayer for the late 

Najeem Raheem, 

The Guardian 

photojournalist, 

will be held 

tomorrow at his 

house, No. 21, Road 

B, Ilupeju Street, 

Yidi, Goshenland, 

Apete, Ibadan, Oyo 

State.

After Ayade, many PDP govs in 

defection talks with APC leadership 

—Mustapha, ruling party chairmanship aspirant 

By Demola Akinyemi 

Alhaji Saliu Mustapha, 49, has his eyes 

fixed on the National Chairman of the 

All Progressives Congress (APC). With 

over two decades of experience in party 

administration and developmental politics, 

the accomplished international businessman 

with interest in real estate and construction 

believes he is the man for the APC top job. 

After attending St. Bartholomew Primary 

School, Wusasa, Zaria, he proceeded to 

Command Secondary School, Kaduna for 

his post-primary education. For his higher 

education, Mustapha studied mineral 

resources engineering at the Kaduna 

Polytechnic, Kaduna. Through Saliu 

Mustapha Foundation, he has rolled out 

charity projects in his Ilorin hometown and 

beyond. On the average, he spends over 

N100million in hard-earned funds annually 

to execute projects under the Foundation, 

including an annual financial empowerment 

programme, annual scholarship and 

educational support services, among others. 

Politically, he is a force to reckon with 

Kwara State. For years, he has nurtured and 

maintained his SMS political movement that 

cuts across the 16 Local Government Areas of 

the state. 

In 2019, the group joined forces with other 

progressives in Kwara under the Otoge 

political mantra that installed the current 

state administration. Specifically, between 

2001 and 2002, Mustapha was the National 

Publicity Secretary of the Progressive 

Liberation Party (PLP) under the leadership of 

ACF opens up on state police, derivation 

…says all 36 states should benefit from offshore oil, not only N-Delta region 

By Henry Umoru 

THE Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, 

has told the Committee on the 

Review of the 1999 Constitution that 

it has never been against the principle of 

derivation provided it was designed to 

compensate for the environmental 

degradation resulting from oil exploration 

or to reward efforts that are defined. 

In a proposal submitted to the Committee 

on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, the 

ACF called for the review of the current 

situation to allow for the proceeds from 

offshore activities to become available to 

all states. 

In a 16-page document signed by the 

Chairman of the ACF, Chief Audu Ogbeh, 

and presented during the hearing by the 

Sardauna of Katsina, Senator Ibrahim Ida, 

the body said that if there must be 

establishment of state police, there must be 

a strong regulatory agency outside the 

Police Service Commission, PSC, to be put 

in place to regulate the activities. 

The ACF, while advocating that the 

immunity for the president, governors and 

their deputies should be limited to civil 

matters only, said, “The aim of the immunity 

clause in the Constitution has been to reduce 

Rotation 

F 

rumpus escalates as B 

riends and associates of Prince Huxley 

Adiniebo Unumadu, the poster boy of 

culture and tourism in Delta State, threw 

a surprise birthday party to celebrate his 52 nd 

birthday. 

The event took place at Kayden’s Lounge in 

the heart of Obiaruku town, headquarters of 

Ukwuani Local Government Area. 

Unumadu is the Izomo of Umuebu Kingdom. 

His Izomo Cultural Foundation (ICF) is in the 

forefront of promoting the Ukwuani historical 

and cultural life. ICF organizes the annual 

Izomo Festival every year. 

The maiden edition of his magazine focusing 

on tourism and culture will be published in 

December. In this interview, Unumadu speaks 

on his activities. Excerpts: 

•Saliu Mustapha 

Dr. Ezekiel Ezeogwu. In 2003, he and other 

like minds came together to form the 

Progressive Action Congress (PAC) where he 

was returned again as a National Publicity 

Secretary. At about the time President 

Muhammadu Buhari conceived the idea of 

coming back into public service as a civilian 

President, Mustapha keyed into the vision. 

Thus, he became a member of The Buhari 

Organisation (TBO) and the Buhari 

Campaign Organisation (BCO) respectively. 

He was a key member of the Buhari 

Presidential Campaign in 2003 when the latter 

ran under the platform of All Nigeria Peoples 

frivolous litigations against presidents and 

governors as well as their deputies in order 

not to distract them from the important task 

of governance. “However, there is the 

clamour that immunity clause be expunged 

from the Constitution precisely because its 

protective role has aided corrupt practices 

among those it had sought to protect. 

“ACF recommends that immunity for the 

president, governors and their 

deputies should be limited to civil matters 

only”. 

On derivation, ACF said, “ACF is not 

aware of any federal system that could 

reasonably be described as a universal. That 

may explain why no two federal systems 

are identical as federal systems have more 

to do with the circumstance of their 

emergence. 

“For example, while the 13 American 

colonies came together to form U.S.A, in 

the case of Nigeria, it was the national 

government that created the states as the 

federating units? 

“But the common mantra in all federal 

systems is the need to balance the powers of 

the national government with the 

appropriate state levels in the overriding 

need to make the center strong enough for 

In your little way, how have you been able to 

give the culture and tourism industry in Delta 

State a boost? 

In so many ways, I’ve made remarkable 

impact in my mission to promote culture and 

tourism in Nigeria, especially in Delta State. 

First and foremost, I’ve been largely proculture 

in my physical appearance, 

in public events and official circles. 

I’ve been promoting African attires 

and costumes. And in my capacity 

as a cultural brand, I have been 

creating and expanding the Mr. 

Tourism identity and cultural 

awareness and consciousness. 

Equally, people and organizations 

invite me to add cultural content and 

value to their events, especially public 

events that require the inputs of our 

various cultural heritages and 

identities. When I attend traditional 

events like coronation of new 

kings or rulership 

anniversaries or even different 

festivals across the country, I 

bring along my Izomo cultural 

regalia comprising my official 

customs, dancers and 

trumpeters to add colour and 

cultural values to the events. By so doing, 

I’m promoting social integration and unity 

of our various ethnic groups. I’m also the 


Party (ANPP). In 2007, he held the forth for the 

ANPP in Kwara where he contested as a 

member of the House of Representatives for 

Ilorin East and South Federal Constituency 

but lost. 

In 2011, Mustapha became a NEC member 

of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) 

first, as an Ex-Officio, and subsequently as 

National Deputy Chairman under the 

leadership of Prince Tony Momoh (of blessed 

memory). 

The CPC later merged with other legacy 

parties to form All Progressives Congress 

(APC). In fact, he was signatory to the merger 

agreement on behalf of the CPC in the 

coalition. Since then, he has remained true to 

the progressive ideology as a stakeholder of 

the APC both at his home state and at the 

national level. Mustapha, in this interview, 

speaks on why he is qualified more than 

anyone else to be APC Chairman as the race 

to fill leadership positions in the ruling party 

at the federal level intensifies. Excerpts: 

It is no more news that the Kwara APC 

has been in crisis since the commencement 

of the AbdulRazaq administration. What is 

your take on this? 

It is quite unfortunate that Kwara APC had 

to find itself in this kind of situation; it is 

uncalled for; it is unnecessary because it 

started way too early. But it is understandable 

that in politics, there would always be a 

divergence of opinions, views and interests. It 

is now a task for people like me now to see 

that we reconcile everybody and find a solution 

to the crisis that has been rocking the party for 

the past two years. This is my state, and I will 

take this as a challenge to communicate with 

a united one country, but not so strong that 

the country becomes a unitary system. 

“Towards this end, devolution of powers 

in Nigeria could be affected by appropriate 

tinkering with the Exclusive and 

Concurrent Lists in the Constitution. 

“Arewa Consultative Forum is never 

opposed to the principle of derivation 

provided that the aim is to compensate for 

the environmental degradation resulting 

from any exploration or to reward efforts, 

however defined. 

“The disagreement has arisen from the 

abolition of the onshore/offshore oil 

dichotomy in defiance of international law 

and the ruling of Nigeria’s Supreme Court. 

“As a result, proceeds from offshore 

activities that are not due to efforts of the 

states or any host communities, nor cause 

any degradation of environment, are 

factored into calculation for derivation with 

dire consequence to the economic 

wellbeing of non-oil producing states. 

“ACF, therefore, calls for the review of the 

current situation to allow for the proceeds 

from offshore activities to become available 

to all states.” 

The ACF also warned that it appeared 

that Nigeria has reached a level where state 

creation should stop or else the states shall 

Govt does not appreciate use of culture, tourism to 

promote peace in Edo, Delta — Prince Unumadu 

Unumadu 

founder and head of the Izomo Cultural 

Title Holders of Edo and Delta States 

and our meetings and events bring 

about cultural integration of the 

various Izomo chieftaincies in our 

two states. To a very large extent, 

therefore, I’ve taken the spotlight 

in culture and tourism promotion 

and, apart from events like 

marriages and annual 

anniversaries, festivals have 

taken me to a number of countries 

in Africa and Europe and all 

the nooks and crannies of 

southern Nigeria. But that 

notwithstanding, I’m 

pained and deeply 

disappointed by the 

failure of successive 

governments in Edo and 

Delta to give me support 

capable of opening the 

window of opportunities 

to impact fully in the culture and tourism 

industry of the two states. You can see that 

in Delta for example, we still have a lot to do 

all stakeholders and bring back everyone on 

board in oneness. The crisis in Kwara is going 

to be a litmus test for my capacity and ability 

to manage the crisis. I believe that in the 

shortest time possible, I would be able to 

achieve this by sitting with the governor and 

other party stakeholders as one family to 

resolve the issues. The problems are not 

beyond us to resolve. I believe we can sit down 

together again to laugh, play, strategise and, 

most importantly, deliver on our party 

promises, so that we are able to win the next 

election in the state as overwhelmingly as we 

did in 2019. 

Don’t you think the crisis can affect your 

ambition as the saying goes, a house divided 

against self cannot stand? 

Let me tell you for a fact, for any progressive 

organisation to succeed, there must be conflict. 

It helps us reflect on the ideology upon which 

the party was formed and chart a way forward. 

And it’s a phase any serious group would go 

through. But what is of importance is that we 

are not beclouded by these hassles when 

making sacrosanct decisions. Beyond party 

lines, we also see ourselves as partners in 

progress. And it is on this premise that many 

of our brothers in the Kwara APC, irrespective 

of the crisis, have been contributing towards 

my emergence. 

What is the position of the Kwara governor 

on your aspiration to be the National 

Chairman of APC? 

To be honest, I am not supposed to be 

discussing that on the pages of 

newspapers. But for the avoidance of 

doubt, I have always enjoyed a good 

relationship with Governor 

AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. He is aware 

of my ambition and he is very much 

supportive of it. With all sense of humility, 

this aspiration has taken a life of its own 

in Kwara. It has obviously become a pan- 

Kwara agenda, and everyone that matters 

in Kwara today from the governor to the 

party stakeholders and ordinary person 

on the street is on queue behind this 

aspiration. Nothing gives me bigger joy 

than the fact that my state has found me 

worthy of their support. I am enjoying 

every bit of it, and I am immensely grateful 

for it. 

Continues on www.vanguardngr.com 

become mere efforts or cost centres which 

will consume the needed resources for 

other developments, just as it called for 

the scrapping of State Independent 

Electoral Commission and the transfer of 

elections to Local Government Councils 

to the Independent National Electoral 

Commission, INEC. 

On state Police, ACF said, “In the light 

of current realities, ACF accepts the 

argument that giving power to state 

governments to create state police and 

exercise greater control over security 

issues will be helpful in achieving better 

security or the whole country. 

“This is on condition that the states have 

the financial capacity to equip and fund 

these”. 

“However, permitting states and 

perhaps local governments to establish 

police formations must be accompanied 

by stringent checks and balances. 

“In that aspect, the Police Service 

Commission will not be enough. There will 

be a need to set up a strong regulatory 

agency that will monitor and control the 

establishment, management and 

operations of all such police formations, 

so they do not become instruments of 

political oppression by state 

governments”. 

in pushing the frontiers of culture and 

tourism to enable the sub-sector play its 

role in uniting our people and clans. We 

still experience a case of brothers fighting 

each other in the name of communal 

clashes as they make claims to land and 

so on. The modern state of tourism and 

cultural values has grown beyond that 

barbaric level.That is a simple assignment 

for those of us in culture and tourism 

practice to handle. My Izomo Foundation 

and of course our Izomo Culture Title 

Holders Association could handle this 

intervention effectively. It’s part of our 

traditional mandate to promote peace and 

harmony in the polity. 

What inspired your love for culture and 

tourism? 

My love for culture and tourism 

emanated mostly from my search for 

something that would constantly reflect 

my identity as a black man. The whiteman 

wears suit. That his cultural identity. We 

too must identify ourselves anywhere with 

our dress. I got captured by the mysteries 

surrounding our traditional heritage, the 

history of wars of our fore-fathers, the 

stories of our ancient discoveries. 

Continues on www.vanguardngr.com

PAGE 28, SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021 

Viewpoint 

JUNE 12: The pains, gains of democracy 

BY KAYODE ADARAMODU 

WHEN the Greeks thought of a system 

of governance that was all-inclusive, 

never would they have imagined that it 

would one day be the most preferred system 

of administering governance all over the 

world. From the great city of Athens to the 

famed halls of the American Capitol building, 

democracy has garnered strength all 

over. 

Even the great President Abraham Lincoln 

attests to the inclusiveness of the democratic 

process and describes it as “the government 

of the people, by the people and for the 

people”. A quote that has reverberated the 

world over and Nigeria is not left out. 

The beauty of the democratic process must 

have motivated the hearts and minds of Nigeria’s 

founding fathers to bond across ethnic 

and religious differences. This bond 

forged by the zeal to attain a common goal 

led to the attainment of independence in 

1960. 

Sadly, shortly after the attainment of independence, 

our young country soon found 

itself navigating the murky waters of religious 

and ethnic differences which culminated 

in incessant military interventions in 

governance. The end result of this series of 

interventions was the annulment of the June 

12, 1993 election, which signalled the birth 

of a new struggle in our dear nation. 

*Kayode Adaramodu 

Needless to say that on May 29th, 1999, 

the country returned to a democratic dispensation 

and the struggle for the actualisation 

of the June 12 dream was put to bed. 

But has the country really enjoyed the dividends 

of the June 12 struggle? 

In his 1999 speech delivered in Nigeria, 

former United States president Bill Clinton, 

posed a series of questions in which he asked, 

“can a great country that is home to one in 

six Africans succeed in building a democracy 

amidst so much trouble? 

Can a developing country, blessed with 

enormous human and natural resources, 

thrive in a global economy and lift its entire 

people? 

Can a nation so blessed by the verge and 

vigour of countless traditions and many 

faiths be enriched by it? I believe the answer 

to all those questions can and must be, Yes”. 

While Bill Clinton saw a way for the nation 

to progress, the country’s reality has 

been far from that. The successive Nigerian 

government in this democratic dispensation 

has continued to make light of the supreme 

sacrifice paid by those who fought for the 

return of the country to democratic rule. 

From 1999 till date, our nation has experienced 

woes of bad governance, corruption 

of epic magnitude, series of human rights 

abuses as well as economic downturns. In 

the last few years, security has taken a turn 

for the worse also, and most recently, the 

country appears to be seemingly retrogressing 

from democratic principles. Sadly, my 

dear state, Ekiti, has not been entirely immune 

to these multitudes of woes. 

The journey so far has not been all bleak 

for my country Nigeria as well as my State 

Ekiti. Far and few in between, some government 

policies have been geared towards the 

right direction. We must agree that Democracy 

is far better than military dictatorship. 

Since 1999, we the people, have through 

our democratic institutions, made laws and 

policies that directly advanced the course of 

the people. 

In fact, without democracy, people like us 

will not have any chance whatsoever to aspire 

to lead our people, as we are doing 

now. Whatever plans I have for our people 

is a direct reflection of our interactions due 

to the liberty of association, guaranteed by 

democracy. 

We can take pride in the fact that as a 

nation and `state, we have lived together 

surmounting various challenges, and I believe 

that as the Fountain of knowledge, the 

poor delivery of the dividends of democracy 

only stands to improve more with the 

right calibre of servant-leaders at the helms 

of State affairs. 

I will continue to put in my bit for a better 

Ekiti knowing full well that someday on the 

near horizon, we shall once more reap the 

beauty of our democratic process. 

We must change the narrative. 

We will revive Agriculture; we are an agrarian 

State. We must bring back our textile 

industry, creatively employ our youths and 

empower our women. We will invest more 

in Education. Our processes will benefit 

from the emerging opportunities in digital 

technologies. 

My sleeves are already rolled up, my strategy 

is ready. 

It is up to you and me. We won’t let the 

pain outweigh the gain. It is time for us to 

start to see our desired change. God bless 

the people of Ekiti State. And God bless 


*Adaramodu is a policy consultant and 

2022 governorship aspirant in Ekiti 

2023: Why Delta Central should produce next governor 

Delta 2023: Fred Okiemute Majemite — The Man Who the Cap Fits 

BY AMOS IGHORODJE 

THERE are discordant arguments in some 

quarters in Delta State that the next gubernatorial 

candidate for our great party, PDP, 

should not come from Delta Central Senatorial 

District. 

There is no way anyone can honestly defend 

or substantiate the reasons for this crooked 

thought whatsoever and by any stretch of the 

imagination. 

Now, let us start the discussion from the beginning. 

During the series of events that led to 

the gubernatorial primaries of our Party in 

2007 at the expiration of the maximum two 

terms of Chief James Ibori, the first elected 

governor under this dispensation, the leaders 

and major stakeholders of the Party from all 

the Ethnic groups and the senatorial districts 

of the state held a meeting, and in unison, they 

all agreed that the governorship ticket of the 

party in the state will henceforth be rotated 

turn by turn amongst the three senatorial districts 

that make up Delta state in a well documented, 

sincere and gentlemanly agreement. 

And the incumbent governor being an Urhobo 

from Delta central , the governorship ticket 

was rotated and given to Delta south, even 

though there were massive protestations from 

Urhobo political stalwarts of the party for the 

governor to remain in Delta Central as compensation 

for sociopolitical equilibrium, having 

been shortchanged by the federal government 

for siting the state capital in Delta North 

senatorial district, despite the glaring demographic 

and economic reasons and realities 

for the capital of the new state to be sited in 

Delta central. 

This singular act of cooperation from the 

Urhobos brought absolute peace to the party 

that was highly heated up hitherto, because of 

arguments as to where the governorship ticket 

should go to. Thereafter, and as a result of the 

magnanimity of the Urhobo political leaders 

of Delta central in keying into the senatorial 

districts rotation of the governorship with sincere 

sense of purpose, the PDP in Delta state 

delivered a landslide victory at the governorship 

elections in 2007 because, every Deltan 

then felt a sense of belonging and commitment 

to the growth of the party. 

Then came 2015. At the expiration of Dr. 

Emmanuel Uduaghan’s two terms tenure as 

governor from Delta South senatorial district, 

the major stakeholders and leaders of our party 

again affirmed that the rotational principle 

or formula must be strictly adhered to for equity 

and fairness. Moreover, it was believed it 

will definitely foster a sense of belonging and 

unity in the party. At our party primary in Asaba 

before the 2015 general elections, PDP delegates 

from the three senatorial districts were 

prevailed upon to vote in a candidate from 

Delta North in compliance with the rotational 

*Fred Majemite 

lise the trophy and make it shine so that every 

Urhobo from Jesse to Obiaruku and from Abbi 

to Sagbama round to Bomadi and Forcados 

unto Gelegele will be made proud. But first, the 

election must be won. The only way this prodigious 

feat can be clinched is for all PDP Central 

Urhobo party stalwarts to sheathe their personal 

interests and project only the collective interest 

of all Delta Central Urhobo people. I am wholeheartedly 

convinced that Urhobo Delta Central 

formula. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa emerged 

as our torch bearer for the governorship election 

of 2015, which he won overwhelmingly. 

Consequently, now that we are approaching 

the maximum tenure of Governor Okowa in 

2023 from Delta north, and the three Senatorial 

Districts having taken their turns accordingly, 

the office of the governor should and ought 

It should start from Delta Central 

for so many reasons and I will just 

cite a few potent ones 

to be rotated back to Delta central to kick start 

another circle for the governorship position 

because the rotation started with Delta central. 

This should be, because the rotation of the 

position was based on senatorial districts as 

agreed upon and it has been adhered to tenaciously 

for the last two changes of the governorship. 

Now that this rotational formula having 

worked smoothly and seamlessly without much 

rancour in our party, why would anyone contemplate 

jettisoning it for whatever reason? 

Such reason or reasons if they exist at all are 

By Ovie Edomi 

THOSE conversant with Delta State poli 

tics would no doubt remember that after 

the gubernatorial primaries of PDP in 2007 which 

followed the expiration of the two-term tenure of 

Chief James Ibori’s governorship, key stakeholders 

of PDP from all the major ethnic groups from 

the three senatorial districts of Delta State held a 

stakeholders meeting where they all unanimously 

agreed that the governorship ticket of the party 

in the state will be ROTATED amongst the 

three senatorial districts in Delta state. 

How time flies, the governorship ticket has 

gone round the three Senatorial zones with Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration, and at 

the end of his tenure, it will be the place of the 

Urhobo to take the first place in the second era 

and produce the next governor of Delta State 

come 2023. This is the central goal behind a 

consolidation pressure group appointed by Urhobo 

nationalist elites and stakeholders to pursue 

and implement the 2023 gubernatorial mandate 

cordially vested on the Urhobo pursuant to 

the early agreement. 

Consequently, as of now, about 10 prominent 

Urhobo sons are believed to have keen interest 

in running for the 2023 Delta State governorship 

elections. It is my conviction that nothing 

would be difficult for the Delta Central Senatorial 

zone to accomplish in Delta State considering 

our ubiquitous number, spread and characteristics. 

The unity of purpose and command of the 

Delta Central leaders on this unique occasion is 

the authority and magic wand that can make 

or mar the choosing of the right candidate which 

is the sine qua non to coveting the winning prize. 

In fact, there is a strong need to optimally utination 

shall not only smile at the polls in 2023; 

but will install a government that will take the 

region to the next level of positive developmental 

accomplishments. 

The major reason for this timely caution is for 

everything to be done with utmost foresight and 

vision right from the very beginnings. Everything 

possible should be done to avoid promoting a 

wrong candidate that could end up destroying 

the chances of the ruling party come the 2023 

Governorship race. The Bible talks of special 

articles that are separated and dedicated for noble 

use. First impressions cannot be made twice. 

It’s very important that the right candidate should 

be chosen, fortified, embellished, endorsed and 

supported ab initio. 

While there can be no doubt that one or two of 

the present aspirants have worked for the common 

good of Urhobo Central people in general 

or particular in time past and are therefore eligible 

for consideration for the race come the primaries, 

there is a near astronomic or celestial 

need to choose the very best and most prospectfull 

amongst the aspirants that are presently expressing 

interest in the gubernatorial race and I 

believe the reason is obvious. There are candidates 

and there are candidates; but there are candidates 

with which to win and candidates that 

will lead to losing. This is the reality and not a 

wishful fact. 

However, knowledge is tantamount to power 

they say. The Bible alludes that people perish for 

purely for selfish purposes that will not augur 

well for the smooth democratic management 

of the electoral gains and peace the party has 

been enjoying since 1999 till date. 

One wonders why any patriotic party faithful 

should be contemplating such a destabilising 

political calculation of abandoning such 

a peaceful and workable arrangement all of a 

sudden. It will neither work nor augur well for 

party. 

But let us even contemplate for a second, for 

the purposes of dialectic ventilation that the 

rotational formula from one senatorial district 

to the other be jettisoned for now, having 

successfully completed its first full circle because 

no condition is permanent, then what 

gave anyone the impression that any new 

adopted formula would not start with Delta 

Central? What? Tell me? 

It should start from Delta Central for so 

many reasons and I will just cite a few potent 

ones. 

Firstly, the rotational principle started with 

Delta central and if there were going to be any 

changes as may be agreed to by all the stakeholders 

of ethnic groups in the state, then by 

natural and sane sequencing of things, it 

should be Delta central that will and should 

start any new formula that may be agreed on. 

I don’t see why anyone should bother to argue 

on this point at all. It should and ought to start 

with Delta central as the first district to commence 

the new formula being the first to have 

started the completed full circle. 

*Ighorodje, a medical doctor, writes from 

Warri 

lack of knowledge. This is why it is obligatory 

to give expository knowledge to present relevant 

insights upon one of the aspirants presently 

contending for the 2023 Gubernatorial race, 

so that the people may know him and understand 

his worth and know why we like and want 

him; believing that you also will as well like 

and want him, when you know what we know 

about him. His middle name is Okiemute. It 

means very simply but subtly, though not imperceptibly, 

that there is a time for everything, 

and by intentional extension, for everyone. Quite 

mesmerisingly, there are some notable appurtenances 

about the man, Hon. Fred Okiemute 

Majemite that mark him out to be preferred for 

this August role at this present time in the annals 

of our state and senatorial history. 

Hon Fred Majemite is a prolific son of Urhobo 

land who practices politics without bitterness. 

He is most unassuming but highly reassuring, 

industrious, highly articulate, highly personable, 

increasingly humble, a good mixer 

and a team player. Besides, he is admirable, very 

charitable and knowledgeable in politics and 

governance having served as Special adviser on 

Environment, honourable Commissioner for 

Special Duties and later honourable Commissioner 

for Land. 


*Edomi is the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, 

South South International, and former Publicity 

Secretary of Association of Communication 

Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria.

Viewpoint 

General JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi: Nigeria's most unsung hero of 

national unity 

BY APOLLOS O NWAUWA 

INCE his gruesome murder by muti 

Snous segment of the Nigerian army, 

mostly northerners led by Major T.Y. Danjuma, 

Nigeria and Nigerians have been quite 

remiss and unfair to General J.T.U. Aguiyi 

Ironsi, despite his selfless and noteworthy 

contributions to nation-building. For a man 

who gave his life to save Nigeria from anarchy, 

this utter disregard and ingratitude 

remains unfathomable. Love him or hate 

him, Gen Ironsi was an unwavering patriot 

and nationalist who loved Nigeria more 

than himself. His Army ADC, Sanni Bello (a 

Northerner), attested to the fact that at the 

time the coup, Ironsi could have escaped but 

refused to ensure that there was no anarchy 

and bloodshed thereby endangering his own 

life. Ironsi was reported to have said, “if he 

sacrificed his life and prevented bloodshed 

in Nigeria, it was better for him.” His Chaplain 

urged him to escape when mutineers 

were surrounding his building, he blatantly 

refused. It is noteworthy that Ironsi neither 

planned nor executed any coup against 

the Nigerian government The January 15 

coupists did not implicate him. Rather, as 

the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 

Nigerian army, a disorderly country was 

Financial Integrity in government: Who 

else is standing after Buhari? 

BYSUFUYAN OJEIFO 

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo 

on January 30, 2019, at the annual business 

lecture of theLagos Island Club delivered 

by a former Vice-president, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar, whowas at that intersection the 

presidential candidate of the Peoples DemocraticParty 

(PDP), called out the president of Nigeria, 

Muhammadu Buhari, on theissue of integrity. 

Obasanjo had cynically dismissed what 

he described as Buhari’s”sanctimonious veneer 

of bogus integrity.” 

Such a remark, comingfrom Obasanjo, carried 

some approbatory weight simply because 

of his pedigreeas former military head of state 

and former President. Recall that Muhammadu 

Buhari worked as FederalCommissioner 

of Petroleum and Natural Resources in the 

late 1970s underObasanjo as Head of State. 

Obasanjo’sself-imposed role of a moral compass 

continues to be questioned because of thenuances 

of his doubtful ethical conducts while in 

office both as military Headof State and as civilian 

President. 

To be sure, Obasanjo’s administrationfrom 

1999 to 2007 recorded a number of blights 

that have made it impossible forhim to occupy 

a moral high ground from which to speak magisterially 

about theperceived shortcomings of 

his successors in office. But trust Obasanjo! Hisclaim 

to self-righteousness - the holier-than-thou 

attitude - is legendary. 

While I was ruminatingon Obasanjo’s off-thecuff 

remarks about his referenced Buhari’s 

“sanctimoniousveneer of bogus integrity”, it 

became very clear to me that his remarks weresimply 

self-deprecatory. What headmitted 

willy-nilly was that since as Head of State and 

President, he couldnot be beyond reproach like 

Caesar’s wife, nobody else could. But Obasanjo 

missed the point. He should havebeen specific 

or better still, he should have particularized the 

variant of “bogusintegrity” he was referring 

to. Covering the field as he had done in thecircumstance 

of his malicious declaration was demonstrably 

unfair to Buhari. 

But then, to be sure,Buhari is not a saint. Far 

from it! Besides, sainthood is not a parameter 

forelection into the office of the president of the 


thrust upon him. With little to no preparation 

for this enormous political challenge, 

Ironsi rose to the occasion, despite the apparent 

danger to his life. 

Yet, Nigerian elites and intelligentsia are 

fixated on Ironsi’s Decree No.34 of May 24th, 

1966 promulgated to unify the country in a 

time of grave national uncertainties. His 

detractors have bought into the lop-sided 

narrative that this decree was the main reason 

for Ironsi’s overthrow and assassination. 

But we know better. Of course, given the 

prevailing ethnic tensions in the country at 

the time, not even a saint would have been 

acceptable to the vengeful North as long as 

the person was Igbo. Despite that it was the 

Supreme Military Council (SMC) that foisted 

Decree 34 and unitary government upon 

Nigeria, it made no difference to those who 

were determined to tie the idea exclusively 

to Gen Ironsi as evidence of his alleged agenda 

for Igbo domination. Indeed, a section of 

the country and its army officers believed 

that Gen Ironsi was part of the January 15 

coup regardless that it was Ironsi who foiled 

the coup and forced the coupists led by Major 

Chukwuma Nzeogwu to surrender. 

Trumped up accusations and eventual murder 

of Ironsi were hardly surprising within 

the context of the political climate in Nigeria 

in 1966, when almost all anti-Igbo charges 

were ‘believable,’ even if ludicrous and 

laughable. In a sense, therefore, Gen Ironsi 

was doomed no matter what simply because 

of who he was. 

For a Head of State accused of promoting 

Igbo agenda and hegemony, the composition 

of his Supreme Military Council (SMC) 

is quite revealing. Apart from Ironsi, the only 

other Igbo out of the nine members of the 

SMC was Colonel Ojukwu who was there by 

virtue of being the Governor of Eastern Region. 

The rest were drawn from other parts 

of the country including Brig. Ogundipe 

(West); Lt Col Gowon (North), Lt Col Fajuyi 

(West); Lt Col Katsina (North); Lt Col Ejoor 

(Mid-West); and Lt Col Kurubo (Mid-West; 

Mr. Joseph Wey (North). Apparently, Ironsi 

was so detribalized that he entrusted his 

own safety to an Aid-de-Camp (ADC), Major 

Sani Bello, of northern extraction. Had Ironsi 

been truly a tribalist, he would have acted 

otherwise by assigning to an Igbo officer his 

personal security details. Furthermore, he 

would have assigned mostly senior Igbo officers 

to key military positions. He did neither 

because he was a nationalist who was 

consumed by his unwavering belief in ONE 

NIGERIA. Yet, he was accused of promoting 

Igbo agenda and domination. Commentators 

and scholars are yet to pay much attention 

to this patriot and national leader who 

still remains so misunderstood and maligned 

even in death. 

Ironsi was the first Nigerian Military Head 

Federal Republic of Nigeria.To that extent, he 

has his foibles just as all of us have ours. You 

couldaccuse him of nepotism; you could slam 

the charge of religious bigotry on him;you could 

even accuse him of being an ethnic jingoist; 

these are all moot gravamina.One thing, however, 

that you cannot accuse Buhari of is financial 

corruption. As it was in the beginning of 

his public officeengagements-as governor of 

Northeastern State (August 1, 1975 to February 

3,1976); Governor of Borno State (February 

3, 1976 to March 15, 1976), Federal Commissioner 

of Petroleumand Natural Resources 

(March 1976 to June 1978); military Head of 

State (December31, 1983 to August 27, 1985), 

and Chairman of the defunct Petroleum Trust 

Fund (PTF)under the Abacha regime, all 

through the trajectory, free from the snares of 

filthylucre and far away from the cookie jars of 

financial crimes; so he is in thesaddle as President 

with coterminous supervision of the Ministry 

of PetroleumResources. In all these “juicy” 

offices,who is ready to take up the gauntlet of 

calling out Buhari on how he outrightstole 

money and directly or indirectly mismanaged 

or diverted or instructed thediversion of public 

funds? I doubt if there is any, not even his worst 

critic(s),is ready to cast the first stone. 

In the 2003presidential poll, I made sure I 

cast my vote for Buhari. Reason? My lategodfa- 

Nath Ikyur gives daughter's hand in marriage 

of State to be assassinated in a coup. The second 

was Maj.Gen Murtala Mohammed. Just 

look around the country – there are several 

national monuments, national buildings, and 

federal highways named after Murtala 

Mohamed in commemoration of his sacrifice 

to Nigeria. Murtala’s rule was as short as 

Ironsi’s but each came at a different phase in 

Nigerian history. While Ironsi emerged at a 

time of national crisis and anarchy, 

Mohammed came at time when the country 

was fairly stable under Gowon. Yet, each 

played their parts within the prevailing circumstances. 

Ironically, there are hardly any 

national memorial for Ironsi, no major national 

monument named after him, and Nigerian 

scholars have even ignored him despite his 

leadership and legacy. Maj-Gen Ironsi was 

first in everything in Nigerian army. He was 

the first Nigerian Army Major; first to enroll 

in army Staff College; first to append “M.V.O, 

Psc” to his name; first Lieutenant Colonel, (and 

therefore first to command a battalion); first 

Brigadier, first Major-General; first 

indigenous GOC of the Nigerian Army and 

its Supreme Commander; first military Head 

of State and Supreme Leader of Nigeria; and 

the first Force Commander of the United 

Nations Peace-keeping Mission in the Congo 

(the first African or Black Commander of any 

United Nations Peace-keeping mission). What 

a remarkable stature of a general; he was an 

enigma! 


•Nwauwa, PhD, is of Bowling Green State University, 

Ohio, USA 

ther, Chief Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyi, the Aro 

of Mopa, was Buhari’s friend. They worked 

together in the Petroleum andNatural Resources 

Ministry-Buhari as Federal Commissioner and 

Awoniyi asPermanent Secretary. We always had 

discussions on the politics of Nigeria. It was 

in the course of discussions ondiverse subject 

matters that he told me a story of how Buhari and 

himselfnegotiated some contracts for building of 

tankages (I cannot quite remember vividlythe 

description of the contracts) with some foreigners 

and were able to save humongoussums for the 

country despite the shenanigans of the foreign 

contractors whowanted to compromise them by 

asking them to furnish the company with theirforeign 

account details where a percentage of the 

contract sum could be paid. Awoniyi said both of 

them pushed the back of the foreigners to the 

wall, tellingthem point blank that they were not 

interested in kickbacks and had had goneahead 

to capitalize on that opportunity to further 

negotiate the contract sumdownwards in the 

national interest. 


·Sufuyan Ojeifo contributed this piecefrom 

Abuja via 

ojwonderngr@yahoo.co, 

Despite the fault lines threatening to tear the nation apart, the family of Pa Atoh Ayaku Ikyur of Mbaajirka Council Ward, Tarka Local Government Area of Benue 

State, handed over their precious daughter, Nora Nguavese Tyomo, in marriage to Francis Mona Ejika. Francis is from the family of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Alilu 

Okpanachi of Atiya-Agojeju Ejule in Ofu Local Government of Kogi State. Francis was joined by family and friends to travel all the way to the Ikyur Atoh compound 

on June 3 to perfect the traditional marriage rites. Two days later, well wishers joined both families for the solemnization of the holy matrimony at the Christ Embassy 

Church, Government Model School, Makurdi. After the event, guests were treated to a reception at the Lush Events Centre, Kwarafa Quarters, Makurdi where 

Abayomi Adeshida of the Abuja Bureau of Vanguard presents us with images captured during the event. 

•Mona Francis joined by his spouse, Nora, to perform their first family function: 

The cutting of wedding cake. 

•From left: Father of the groom, Mr. Joseph Alilu Okpanachi; his spouse, Mrs. 

Aladi Omanene Okpanachi; the bride, Nora; Special Guest of Honour, Governor 

Samuel Ortom of Benue State; the groom, Mona Francis; mother of the bride, Mrs. 

Regina Ikyur, and father of the bride, Hon. Nathaniel Ikyur. 

•The new couple flanked by the bridal delegation. 

•From left: Father of the groom, Mr. Joseph Alilu Okpanachi; mother of the bride, 

Mrs. Regina Ikyur; bridegroom, Mona Francis; his spouse, Nora; wife of Benue 

State Governor, Dr. Eunice Ortom; mother of the groom, Mrs. Aladi Omanene 

Okpanachi and the father of the bride, Hon. Nathaniel Ikyur.

PAGE 30 — SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 13, 2021 

Euro 2020 cracker: Sterling set to start England’s 

opener against Croatia 

Gareth Southgate is 

set to unleash an array 

of attacking talent 

against Croatia today with 

Raheem Sterling winning 

his race to start the European 

Championship opener. 

Sterling was awarded an 

MBE on Friday night in the 

Queen’s Birthday honours 

for services to racial equality. 

“It’s a proud moment - 

not just for myself but for 

my family,”he said. England 

team-mate Jordan 

Henderson won an MBE 

too, for services to charity. 

And Sterling is expected to 

start at Wembley, with Southgate 

throwing caution to the 

wind in his bid to get off to a 

winning start. Doubt had surrounded 

whether he would 

be in the XI. 

Moore rescues Wales against Switzerland 

Wales fought back to 

draw with Switzerland 

in their opening game 

of Euro 2020, as Kieffer 

Moore marked his return 

to the starting line-up with 

what could prove to be a 

vital equaliser. 

In only his third start in 

nine matches under interim 

manager Robert Page, 

the Cardiff City striker was 

close to giving Wales an 

early lead when his header 

was superbly tipped over by 

Yann Sommer. 

Switzerland took control 

of the match from that 

point and, after squandering 

several chances, they 

eventually scored as the impressive 

Breel Embolo 

headed in from Xherdan 

Shaqiri’s corner. 

Wales were slow to improve 

from their sluggish 

start but, with 15 minutes 

left, Joe Morrell’s delicately 

clipped cross found 

Moore, whose flicked 

header into the bottom corner 

sent the small but loud 

pocket of Wales fans in 

Baku wild. 

Those supporters then 

thought their hearts had 

been broken 10 minutes 

later as Swiss substitute 

Mario Gravanovic scored 

moments after coming on 

- but a VAR check disallowed 

his goal for offside. 

Switzerland kept pressing 

for a winner deep into 

added time but were denied 

by a series of brilliant saves 

from Danny Ward. 

Such was the intensity of 

the late Swiss pressure, a 

draw will have felt like a 

great relief for Wales, 

whose next game is against 

Turkey in Baku on Wednesday. 

After Turkey were crushed 

3-0 by Italy in Friday’s 

tournament opener, Wales’ 

second match in Baku 

could have a significant 

bearing on their hopes of 

reaching the knockout 

stages. 

Ajunwa laments dearth of 

schools sports in Nigeria 

Former African and 

Olympics long jump 

Champion, Chioma Ajunwa-Opara 

has called on Nigerian 

sports authorities to 

urgently revival school 

sports competitions. 

Ajunwa, who was speaking 

during the Edo State edition 

of the Chioma Ajunwa Foundation 

Olympic talent hunt, 

said it was disheartening that 

there is no platform for talented 

sports men and women 

to be discovered in the 

country. 

“This is why the Chioma 

Ajunwa Foundation has taken 

it upon itself to offer the 

youngsters an avenue to 

showcase their talents. 

“We’ve done this in Lagos, 

Abia and Edo so far and I 

can tell you that the enthusiasm 

of students for Sports is 

overwhelming. 

“Government at all levels 

and corporate concerns must 

pay attention to school sports 

if we are seriously interested 

in sports development.” 

There was a large turnout 

of schools for the Edo State 

leg of the talent hunt concluded 

at the University of Benin 

Sports complex. 

The students, mostly female, 

participated in athletics 

and football and organisers 

have drawn a long list of 

track and field and football 

talents. 

“We are glad having this 

kind of forum for the kids to 

show what they can do in 

sports. 

Krejcikova wins first French Open 

singles title 

*Krejcikova 

Unseeded Czech Bar 

bora Krejcikova 

sealed her rapid rise in the 

singles game by claiming 

a first major title in a 

hard-fought French Open 

final. Krejcikova, 25, won 

6-1 2-6 6-4 against Russian 

31st seed Anastasia 

Pavlyuchenkova at Roland 

Garros. 

The former doubles 

world number one has 

won the title on her fifth 

appearance in a Grand 

Slam singles draw. On 

Sunday, Krejcikova has 

the chance to win the doubles 

when she plays in the 

final alongside Katerina 

Siniakova. No player has 

won both the women’s 

singles and doubles titles 

at Roland Garros since 

France’s Mary Pierce in 

2000. 

Krejcikova sealed the 

first half of what could be 

a rare double when she 

served out victory with her 

fourth match point. When 

Pavlyuchenkova hit a return 

long, the Czech 

clenched her fist in celebration 

and looked up to 

the sky as she remembered 

her mentor Jana 

Novotna. 

“I’m super happy I was 

able to enjoy it. I’m just 

really happy,” said Krejcikova, 

who has also won 

two Grand Slams doubles 

titles. 

“It is hard to put into 

words because I cannot 

believe what just happened. 

I cannot believe I 

actually won a Grand 

Slam.” 

*Moore 

AFN election: Chaos, confusion 

reign in professional bodies’ polls 

*As Ebewele cries foul 

*Gusau threatens to drag WA, CAC to CAS 

By Ben Efe 

Athletics Federation of 

Nigeria has dived deeper 

into crisis as its board 

membership election fixed 

for June 14, has been thrown 

into confusion. 

Procedural issues from 

some the of zonal and professional 

bodies election for 

the AFN board membership 

held last week indicate that 

all is not well. If a compromise 

is not reached in the 

general congress billed for 

today in Abuja, there will be 

elective congress on Monday, 

which is a public holiday. 

Some of the contestants 

alleged that the zonal and 

professional bodies election 

did not follow the 2017 

adopted AFN constitution 

and therefore every election 

conducted so far is null and 

void. They accused the Sports 

Ministry of interfering in the 

process. 

One of the most contentious 

elections was that of the 

Athletics Coaches Association 

of Nigeria and Association 

of Athletics Technical Officials. 

It failed to hold in Ilorin 

last Thursday as tempers 

boiled over. 

Former Edo State Commissioner 

for Sports, Brown 

Ebewele and his supporters 

condemned the election after 

he was disqualified from further 

participation and also suspended 

by the coaches’ association. 

“The whole process in Ilorin 

was a fraud. It was NAATO executive 

headed by Lucas Ogunjimi 

that caused the confusion. 

He had a list of delegates, 

which was fraudulent. Besides 

he was the one that constituted 

the electoral Committee, which 

was made up of mostly NAA- 

TO members and they had 

their minds made up to favor a 

particular candidate,” said 

Ebewele who denied disrupting 

the election. He added his 

suspension was a way of removing 

him from the equation. 

Meanwhile factional AFN 

president, Ibrahim Gusau has 

threatened to drag the World 

Athletics and Confederal of African 

Athletics to the Court of 

Arbitration for Sports, CAS. 

Gusau who is also conducting 

elections for the AFN faction 

he heads, accused the WA 

and CAA of contravening their 

own statues by adopting the 

2017 AFN constitution for the 

government recognised AFN 

election. 

French Open Final: Djokovic aims to 

make history against Tsitsipas 

Novak 

Djokovic 

backed himself to 

recover from his epic 

French Open semi-final 

victory over Rafael Nadal 

as he turned his focus today’s 

clash with Stefanos 

Tsitsipas 

While handing the king of 

clay just his third loss in 16 

years at Roland Garros will 

have given Djokovic immense 

satisfaction, the bigger 

prize is still at stake. 

Should the 34-year-old 

lift the Coupe des 

Mousquetaires again, he 

would become the first 

man in the Open era, and 

only the third ever, to win 

each grand slam title at 

least twice. 

It would also take his 

overall tally to 19 slams, 

only one short of the record 

jointly held by Nadal and 

Roger Federer, giving him 

the chance to potentially 

overtake both this season. 

“It’s not the first time that 

I’ve played an epic semi-final 

in a grand slam and then 

I have to come back in less 

than 48 hours and play finals,” 

said Djokovic, who 

admitted he was “not the 

freshest guy” after battling 

past Nadal on Friday 

evening in four sets of spellbinding 

drama and quality. 

“My recovery abilities are 

pretty good, I must say, 

throughout my career. Obviously 

my physiotherapist 

will try to do everything possible 

so I can be fresh. Because 

I’ve played enough tennis, 

I don’t need to train too 

much. It’s really now just 

about taking things slowly 

until the day of the finals.” 

Transfer: Galatasaray fail to 

buy Onyekuru 

Turkish giants Gal 

atasaray have failed 

to take up the buy-up option 

on Henry Onyekuru, 

whose deadline was Friday, 

June 11. 

Onyekuru played on 

loan at Galatasaray this 

past season from Ligue 1 

club AS Monaco with an 

option for the Turkish club 

*Onyekuru 

to buy him for 4.3 Million Euros thereafter. 

Top officials of Galatasaray are reported by the Turkish 

media to have said they have requested for 15 more 

days as regards this transaction as they cannot take a 

decision until a new club administration is in place. 

Onyekuru scored five goals in 14 Super Lig appearances 

after he joined the Istanbul club halfway through 

the season in January. 

He has most recently been linked with a transfer to 

perennial Greek champions Olympiacos, who will like 

Gala play in the UEFA Champions League in the new 

season. 

Benfica reluctant to loan out 

Ebuehi 

Portuguese Primeira Liga side Benfica are re 

luctant to loan out Super Eagles fullback Tyronne 

Ebuehi for a second successive season. 

The right-back spent the whole of last season on 

loan at Twente, where he emerged as a key player 

for the Enschede side, starting all but one of their 

matches in all competitions. 

Twente want to continue their collaboration with 

the Super Eagle but the stumbling block to a deal 

has to be removed. 

The Dutch club have to trigger the option to buy 

in Ebuehi’s loan deal from Benfica if they wish to 

sign the player for next season. 

The option to buy was set at two million euros 

but Twente want it reduced for a deal to take place. 

Benfica wanting to part company with Ebuehi is 

justified as he has yet to make his competitive debut 

three years after joining the club due to his 

well-documented injury problems. 

His contract with The Eagles expires on June 30, 

2023. 

WCGC: Danzinger wins, to 

represent Nigeria in Portugal 

Team Danzinger, represented by the duo of Bola 

Afolabi and O.R.M Oladapo have emerged winner 

of the 2021 World Corporate Golf Challenge. The 

event organised in Nigeria by Falcon Golf Development 

Company (FGDC) was decided at Ibom Icon Hotel 

and Golf Resort in Uyo over the weekend. 

To come top in the competition, Team Danzinger 

grossed total of 81-stableford points to beat the field of 

over 100-teams. 

Danzinger started the game with an opening 42-stableford 

point and closed with 39-stableford points to 

top the field. Their victory earned them an all expense 

paid trip to Portugal in November where the world final 

of WCGC has been scheduled to hold. 

Speaking shortly after being declared the winner, 

Team Danzinger promised to be a worthy representatives 

in Cascais, Portugal. They said apart from representing 

their company, Danzinger in the world corporate 

event, they will do all they can to launder the nations 

image as well. 

With a combined score of 79-stableford points, the 

pair of Paul Erokoro and A. Ajibade came in the second 

position. The team signed for an opening 37 and a closing 

42 to duck in the second position. 

In the third place were the team of Jide Aknyemi and 

James Woo. The pair carded and opening 37 and a closing 

37 for 74 total over two days. 

Emma Owoicho and Ugo Nkwocha score of 38-36 for 

74-stableford points placed them in the 4th position 

losing on countback to the third placed Akinyemi and 

Woo. 

Godwin Ekpo and Onofiok Onofiok, completed the 

top five winners in the competition. 

World Corporate Golf Challenge 2021 winner; 

ORM Oladapo (middle) and Bola Afolabi receiving 

their trophies in Uyo over the weekend

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 13, 2021 — PAGE 31

SUNDAY Vanguard, JUNE 13, 2021 

SEE SOLUTION PAGE 5 

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(ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: WALE AKINOLA 08023145556. All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

13062021 - Amid protest , Buhari vows:: i can die for Nigeria

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