05032022

2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5 , 2022

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5 , 2022 — 3

4 — SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5 , 2022

APC CONVENTION: Buhari confirms choice of 

chairman, signs zoning formula document 

By Our Reporters 

CONCERTED efforts by 

Governor Nasir El-Rufai 

of Kaduna State, to rally 

his All Progressives Congress, 

APC, colleagues to save the 

party appear to be yielding 

fruit. Party sources say two indicators 

point to this. At the 

meeting with APC governors 

on Tuesday, President Muhammadu 

Buhari affirmed 

his choice of Senator Abdullahi 

Adamu as national chairman 

of the party and the governors 

also insisted on the 

March 26 date for the national 

convention. 

Following the meeting, a 

copy of the zoning arrangement 

for APC positions with 

the president’s signature was 

also released. Vanguard 

exclusively published the lists 

penultimate Thursday. Each 

page of the documents containing 

the zoning formula 

had President Buhari’s signature 

and date. A draft zoning 

lists were signed and dated 

February 25, 2022. After approval 

the final zoning document 

was signed and dated 

March 1, 2022 by President 

Buhari. Saturday Vanguard 

has copies of both 

documents. 

These developments question 

claims that the president 

was undecided on the national 

chairman or the zoning arrangements. 

Governor Nasir el-Rufai 

had left Kaduna State on 

Monday for Abuja after presiding 

over the weekly Executive 

Council meeting. 

“His two-fold mission was 

to ensure that the convention 

of the APC is not sabotaged 

by the Mala Buni group in 

the Caretaker/Extraordinary 

Convention Planning Committee, 

CECPC. And that they 

do not tamper with the 

zoning,as approved by the 

president,’’ a source close to 

the governor told Saturday 

Vanguard. 

The Mala Buni group consisting 

of one President Buhari’s 

trusted minister from 

the South, a North-Central 

governor and South-East 

governor are alleged to have 

been working hard to upturn 

the zoning arrangement and 

delay the convention so that 

it can be held simultaneously 

with the primaries for the 

2023 elections. 

Said the source “Mala Buni’s 

agenda within an agenda 

is to ensure that the convention 

is postponed until 

May, so that he can conduct 

the convention and presidential 

primaries. 

Many governors feel that 

Buni can longer be trusted to 

deliver,considering his personal 

ambition and determination 

to use postponements 

to achieve it. 

“Despite having been 

caught out, the Buni group 

released a list of the convention 

planning committees 

that alarmed the president 

and other stakeholders. The 

president made it abundantly 

clear that vigilance is the 

watchword,until the convention 

holds.” 

According to the zoning 

template, the National 

Chairman is zoned to the 

North-Central; National 

Secretary, South-South; Deputy 

National Chairman 

(South), South-East; and 

Deputy National Chairman 

•El-Rufai relocates to Abuja, battles CECPC over zoning 

•Abdullahi Adamu, Ken Nnamani, Akpanudoedehe emerge as consensus 

candidates 

•Don’t destroy our party, Integrity group tells El-Rufai, others 

•Insists no consensus candidates yet 

Enugu governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, first Female Deputy Governor of the state, 

Her Excellency, Hon.(Mrs) Cecilia Ezeilo with the newely elected Executive Chairman 

of Ezeagu Local Government Area, Hon. Chukwudi Ozoeluba at the inauguration 

of the new chairman after the February 23 local government elections. 

(North), North-East among 

others. 

In the meeting with APC 

governors, President Buhari 

urged the party to work towards 

consensus in filling the 

vacant slots and some leaders 

have been picked as consensus 

officers, according the 

signed documents. 

They are National Chairman, 

Senator Abdullahi Adamu; 

Deputy National Chairman 

(South), Senator Ken 

Nnamani; and Deputy National 

Chairman, North, 

Hon. Faruk Aliyu Adamu. 

President Buhari and APC 

governors, sources said, 

agreed on zoning of these offices. 

At the behest of President 

El Rufai has relocated to 

Abuja to ensure the zoning arrangements 

hold. 

Having arrived at a zoning 

formula, the source wondered 

why the CECPC raised 

a zoning committee chaired 

by Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman 

Abdulrasaq, to 

work out another zoning 

template. The committee is 

expected to turn in its on 

Monday. 

Chairmanship aspirants 

kick 

However, some of the national 

chairmanship aspirants 

such as Senator Sani 

Musa and Alhaji Saliu Mustapha, 

have picked holes in 

what they described as purported 

endorsement of Senator 

Adamu by President Buhari. 

Specifically, Mallam Saliu 

Mustapha said he is a core 

party man, so he expects that 

once a decision is taken on a 

matter as important as that 

of a consensus candidate, it 

will be passed on by the party 

leadership through official 

channels. 

Don’t destroy our party, Integrity 

group tells El-Rufai, 

others 

Piqued by the allegations of 

endorsement of the former 

Governor of Nasarawa State 

Senator Abdullahi Adamu by 

President Buhari as the consensus 

candidate for the national 

chairmanship of the 

APC in the forthcoming National 

Convention, the APC 

Integrity Group has called on 

a minister from the South- 

South, Governor El-Rufai not 

to destroy the party with their 

ambitions. 

The group made up of 

members of the legacy parties 

that formed the APC - 

Congress for Progressive 

Change, CPC, All Nigerian 

Peoples Party, ANPP, Action 

Congress of Nigeria, ACN, 

and All Peoples Grand Alliance, 

APGA - accused the Minister 

and the governor of instigating 

the stories of endorsement 

of Senator Adamu by the 

President. 

In a joint statement by its 

Coordinator, Malam Dawu 

Mohammed; and Secretary, 

Comrade Chinsom Nwakanma, 

the group said the issue of 

endorsement of a candidate 

by President Buhari is a fluke 

and should be disregarded. 

Positing that President Buhari 

is close to all the candidates 

and would not adopt 

any one of them without consulting 

others, it said the aspiration 

of securing the presidential 

and vice presidential 

tickets of the party through a 

preferred National Chairman, 

which the said Minister 

and Governor El-Rufai are 

allegedly pushing for was capable 

of destroying the party. 

The group called on the 

legacy parties to rein in and 

save the party before it goes 

into oblivion. 

It also called on national 

chairmanship candidates, 

North-Central governors and 

the National leadership of the 

party to reach a consensus 

among candidates and if this 

failed, they should prepare for 

election at the Convention. 

Members of The Integrity 

group in their position paper 

said: “We have observed with 

dismay the plan by some persons 

to destroy the APC by trying 

to foist a national chairman 

on the party. 

“This would not be the first 

time that a Minister and a 

governor would be accused of 

obtaining a false signature 

from the President through his 

Personal Assistant (PA) 

“We are calling on the governors 

and leaders of the party 

to speak out on the issue 

before such falsehood would 

destroy the party. 

“As an Integrity group we 

are not against any candidate 

but think it would be 

logical that a member of the 

legacy parties emerged as 

National Chairman, as had 

been suggested by the former 

governor of Imo State, Senator 

Rochas Okorocha. If we 

allow co-joiners of APC to hijack 

the party, it will spell 

doom of our democracy. 

“We also call on the handlers 

of Mr. President and 

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5, 2022 — 5 

Personal Assistants to be circumspect 

in what they do 

with some persons, as their 

actions can be injurious to 

the country and the party 

that the President leads. 

“We sincerely believe that 

for us to have a formidable 

government, we must have 

a formidable party, therefore 

we object to a leadership 

foisted on the party by 

few for their Presidential 

and Vice Presidential ambitions. 

“We expect this issue to be 

resolved and resolved amicably 

by the leadership of 

the party, which include the 

Tripartite Committee.” 

“Also, we expect that the 

recently signed Electoral 

Act should become operational 

by Ministers or political 

appointees with interest 

in Conventions or congresses 

to resign.” 

South-South 

(Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross 

River, Delta, Edo and Rivers 

States) 

1 National Vice Chairman (SS) 

2 National Publicity Secretary 

3 National Women Leader 

4 Deputy National Treasurer 

5 Deputy National Welfare 

Secretary 

6 Zonal Secretary 

7 Zonal Youth Leader 

8 Zonal Organizing Secretary 

9 Zonal Women Leader 

10 Zonal Special (Persons 

with Disability- PWD) Leader 

11National Ex-officio member 

South-West: 

(Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, 

Osun, and Oyo States) 

1. National Secretary 

2. National Vice Chairman 

(South-West) 

3. National Youth Leader 

4. Deputy National Auditor 

5. Zonal Secretary 

6. Zonal Youth Leader 

7. Zonal Organizing Secretary 

8. Zonal Women Leader 

9 Zonal Special (Persons with 

Disability- PWD) Leader 

10 National ex-officio member 

South-East: 

(Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, 

Enugu, Imo States) 

1. Deputy National Chairman 

Obasanjo, hero of democratic 

reforms in Nigeria, Africa —Atiku 

•He’s a true patriot — Anyim 

•He’s quintessential global leader — Sanwo-Olu 

By Dirisu Yakubu & 

Olasunkanmi Akoni 

FORMER Vice President 

of Nigeria, Atiku 

Abubakar and former Senate 

President, Pius Ayim have congratulated 

former President, 

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on 

his 85thbirthday anniversary. 

The Wazirin Adamawa, in 

a statement he personally 

signed said, “the celebration 

of Obasanjo is parallel to celebrating 

vision of good leadership 

and pan-Africanism.” 

According to Atiku, “the vision 

which Obasanjo brought 

into governance either as a 

military head of government 

or as a democratically elected 

president continues to set 

the pace for progressive ideals 

in governments across Africa. 

“In the decades of the late 

70s when almost all of Africa 

was covered in military dictatorships, 

Obasanjo set the pace 

for a transfer of power to civilian 

government in Nigeria 

and that singular effort began 

the process of democratization 

across the On his own, 

Senator Anyim Pius Anyim 

praised Obasanjo as foremost 

statesman and citizen 

of the world. 

In a birthday message to the 

former President, Anyim, a 

(S) 

2. National Vice Chairman (SE) 

3. National Treasurer 

4. National Welfare Secretary 

5. Deputy National Organizing 

Secretary 





10. Zonal Special (Persons with 


11. National Ex-officio member 

North-East: 

(Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, 

Taraba and Yobe States) 

1. Deputy National Chairman 

(N) 

2. National Auditor 

3. National Vice Chairman (NW) 

4. Deputy National Financial 

Secretary 

5. Deputy National Women 

Leader 







11 National Ex-officio member 

North-Central: 

(Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, 

Niger, and Plateau States) 

1. National Chairman 

2. National Vice Chairman (NC) 

3. Deputy National Secretary 

4. Deputy National Legal Adviser 

5. Deputy National Publicity 

Secretary 








North-West: 

(Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, 

Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara 

States) 

1. National Vice Chairman (NW) 

2. National Legal Adviser 

3. National Organizing Secretary 

4. National Financial Secretary 

5. Deputy National Youth Leader 






Disability – PWD) Leader 


frontline presidential aspirant 

for next year’s election 

said Obasanjo has demonstrated 

unwavering commitment 

to the unity, peace and 

progress of Nigeria. 

The former Senate President 

and staunch member of 

the PDP (Peoples Democratic 

Party) also recalled that 

OBJ has played key roles at 

various stages of Nigeria and 

Africa’s political history. 

The congratulatory message 

which Anyim personally 

signed on Friday reads: 

“Baba! You are a true citizen 

of the world, an outstanding 

leader in Africa and our nation’s 

pre-eminent statesman. 

You have demonstrated unwavering 

commitment to the 

unity, peace and progress of 

our dear country, Africa and 

the world at large. 

“You stand out as a true patriot. 

You have continued to 

give your all to see Nigeria 

take her place among the comity 

of nations, as a richly endowed 

country. 

“You have played key roles 

at various stages of Nigeria’s 

and Africa’s political history. 

At all those stages, you provided 

visionary and principled 

leadership guided by 

deep love for and commitment 

to the wellbeing of Nigerians 

and the black man. 

Governor Babajide Sanwo- 

Olu of Lagos also expressed his 

heartfelt congratulations to 

former President Olusegun 

Obasanjo describing him as a 

“quintessential leader” not only 

in Nigeria but globally. 

He said Obasanjo, a retired 

Military General and elder 

statesman, is worth celebrating, 

having served Nigeria in many 

capacities especially for unity, 

peaceful coexistence and socioeconomic 

growth and development 

of Nigeria. 

Obasanjo, Nigeria’s first civilian 

President in the present 

Fourth Republic, clocks 85 on 

Saturday March 5. 

Sanwo-Olu, in a statement by 

his Chief Press Secretary, 

Gboyega Akosile, on Friday, 

said, “Obasanjo at the global 

level, is a leader to be reckoned 

with due to his passionate involvement 

on African affairs 

and other global issues. 

“On behalf of my family, government 

and the people of Lagos 

State, I warmly felicitate 

with Chief Obasanjo on his 85th 

anniversary. Baba Obasanjo is 

worth celebrating for his contribution 

to the development of our 

dear country, especially his service 

to the nation as a gallant 

military officer, Head of State 

and President of the Federal Republic 

of Nigeria.

6—SATURDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 5, 2022 

The celebration of life of Mrs Christianah Bamidele Oye was held at All Souls Church, Bodija, Ibadan, yesterday. 

PHOTOS: DARE FASUBE 

•From right: Pastor Adelaja Oshati, Mrs Olubukoka Oshati, Mrs Mary Oshati, 

and Pastor Oladipo Oshati. 

•From left: Eder Jacob Ogunnusi, Emeritus Professor Oluwole Akande, 

and Prof. Mrs Modupe Akande. 

•From left:Dr Bode Olajumoke, his wife, Princess Remi Olajumoke; Mrs Bukola 

Oshati, and Mr Femi Oshati. 

•From left: Ms Bisi Ohikena, Pastor Olufemi Oshati and Deaconess Anthonia 

Oshati. 

• From left: Mr Femi Dalley, Alhaji and Alhaja Lateef Busari , and Dr Bode 

Olajumoke. 

• From left: Elder Jacob Ogunnusi, Chief (Mrs) Dayo Omisore, and Mrs 

Moronfolu Ogunnusi. 

• From left: Tunji Olayiwola, Akin Aro, Akin Aro (Canada), Dr Bode 

Olajumoke, Ayo Olatunji, Dr Ola Ajila and Lara Onifade. 

•Members of the Band of Grace Society of All Souls Church, Bodija, Ibadan, 

which Mrs. Oye belonged to before her demise.

UKRAINE: I’ll rather remain a refugee than 

return to Nigeria, says 32-yr-old Okafor 

•Thank you Nigeria, I’m happy to be home, Nigerian woman celebrates 

By Emma Ogbuehi 

THE first batch of more 

than 400 Nigerians who 

fled the ongoing war in 

Ukraine following the Russian 

invasion returned 

back to the country on Friday 

morning, grateful 

that the government 

came to their rescue. 

But it is a mixed bag as 

many others have vowed 

not to come back to the 

country, wondering what 

they would be doing after 

their return. 

The first set arrived at 

the Nnamdi Azikiwe International 

Airport Abuja 

aboard a Max Air flight. 

The returnees, most of 

whom were students, arrived 

shortly after 6.30 

am on a chartered Max Air 

flight from Romania’s capital 

Bucharest, one of the 

hubs from where African 

governments are scrambling 

to extract stranded 

citizens. 

Foreign Ministry official, 

Gabriel Aduda, tweeted 

pictures of the group 

inside an aircraft late on 

Thursday, saying “415 

Nigerians mostly students 

fleeing the Ukraine- 

Russian war from Bucharest.” 

Many looked tired but 

relieved that their journey 

was over. 

“I’m very happy to be 

back home, thank you, 

Nigeria!” one young woman 

said as she walked off 

the tarmac and into the 

terminal building in Abuja 

Ṁinister of Foreign Affairs, 

Geoffrey Onyeama, 

said there were about 

5,600 Nigerian students 

in Ukraine and an estimated 

8,000 Nigerian citizens 

in the country before the 

war. 

On Monday he said an 

estimated 1,000 citizens 

were ready for pickup from 

Romania, 200 others in 

Slovakia, and 250 both in 

Hungary and Poland. 

A million refugees have 

fled Ukraine so far, the UN 

From left: Mr Peter Nwanze, Chairman, All Purpose Committee Catholic Archdiocese 

of Lagos; Sir Albert Fadonougbo,Vice President JKA Foundation; Mrs 

Abimbola Isiyemi, Chairman Planning Committee and Rev Fr Anthony 

Godonu,Director of Communication Lagos Catholic Archdiocese at the media briefing 

on 50th years memorial anniversary of Archbishop JKA Aggy the first black Archbishop 

in the Archdiocese of Lagos held in Lagos. 

said Thursday, warning 

that unless the onslaught 

ended immediately, millions 

more were likely to 

flee. 

Ghana on Tuesday became 

the first African 

country to return its citizens, 

flying home 17 out of 

500 stranded students. 

Meanwhile, even as the 

returnees remain grateful 

that they are back home, 

many other Nigerians 

have chosen to stay back 

in Ukraine or escape to any 

of the neighbouring countries 

rather than coming 

back to Nigeria. 

One of them, Nnamdi 

Okafor, who spoke 

to TheNiche in an exclusive 

chat on phone, Thursday, 

said he would rather 

die in Ukraine than return 

to Nigeria. 

“What am I coming back 

to Nigeria to do? Has anything 

changed in our country,” 

the 32-year-old from 

Anambra State, queried. 

Okafor who said he is an 

economic migrant to 

Ukraine said in a worst case 

scenario, he would leave 

Ukraine for any other 

country, but definitely 

not Nigeria. 

Narrating his ordeal in 

Nigeria, Okafor who said he 

read engineering in a Nigerian 

polytechnic, said 

coming back to the country 

does not cross his mind 

at all. 

“For now, I am still in 

Ukraine. I used to live in 

the capital city, Kyiv, but 

I have moved to one of the 

border towns which is relatively 

safe presently. 

“But if the war reaches 

there, I will escape to another 

country by the grace 

of God. But if death becomes 

my destiny, so be it. 

I would rather remain here 

a refugee than return to 

Nigeria.” 

Asked why he will not 

take advantage of the Nigerian 

government’s free 

evacuation and return 

home, he said life in Nigeria 

was pure hell not worth 

experiencing twice in one 

lifetime. 

“My brother, the question 

you should have asked 

is why I left Nigeria in the 

first place. I came to 

Ukraine two years ago. Before 

I did, I had stayed in 

Nigeria for five years after 

my Youth Service without 

a job. My country psychologically 

abused me. I 

was frustrated and miserable. 

I almost lost hope in 

life. I was depressed. 

“But it took me only two 

months to secure a good 

job when I came to 

Ukraine in early 2020. If 

not for this senseless war, 

life was beginning to have 

meaning for me once 

again. 

“So, if I hop into the 

plane because I have seen 

a free flight, what happens 

after I come down in 

Abuja or Lagos or wherever? 

Has anything 

changed in Nigeria? Will 

I now get the job, lack of 

which forced me out? 

“I am not coming back. 

This war will end one day. 

But if it doesn’t, we will 

decide what next to do. 

But coming back to Nigeria 

is out of it for now. And 

mind you, I am not the 

only one staying put. The 

students who were sent 

here by their rich parents 

to study may go home, but 

I doubt if any economic 

migrant like me will dare 

do that,” he concluded. 

Hit and run saga: Timaya narrates his story 

By Benjamin Njoku 

POPULAR dancehall 

singer, Timaya has come 

out to narrate his own story, 

denying being arrested 

by the Police after he was 

accused of inflicting injuries 

to a lady in a hit-and-run 

accident in Ikate area of Lagos. 

The internet was awash 

during the week after a lady 

shared a video of her sister 

on hospital bed, while accusing 

the music star of being 

responsible for her ordeal. 

In an Instagram live video 

on Thursday afternoon, Timaya 

stated that he was released 

after the police investigated 

the matter and found 

that he was not guilty of the 

allegation. 

Meanwhile, in a statement, 

which he posted on his Twitter 

handle, @timayatimaya yesterday, 

“Dem Mama”crooner 

described reports on the hit and 

run incident as ‘false and misleading.’ 

Narrating his own side of the 

story, the singer said “ On my 

way driving through traffic 

along House on the Rock , a 

lady walked up to my car and 

knocked on my window and 

later held on to my side mirror 

while insisting that I had 

scratched and damaged her 

car. 

“Ï wound down the window 

to hear her out and asked her if 

we could at least leave the road 

to avoid a scene which she blatantly 

refused . She insisted 

that we couldn’t move from 

the spot as she held onto the 

side mirror. I asked her for her 

information so we could leave 

the road and resolve matters 

appropriately, but she refused 

to give her number or collect 

mine.” “As she continued to insist 

that I make a payment for 

damage immediately, the 

scene got more dangerous as 

5-5 boys started to gather 

around my car, which made 

me more concerned and worried 

as I hadn’t even seen the 

damage done. I started to doubt 

the whole scenario, so I drove 

off to avoid being mobbed and 

did not notice immediately 

that the lady had held on to 

my side mirror as I drove off.” 

“After leaving the scene, I got 

information that the lady had 

been injured as I drove , and 

had been rushed to the health 

centre. I had people rush down 

to the scene immediately, after 

searching we traced her to 

General Hospital , Lagos Island. 

My team reached out through 

various channels and were 

eventually able to reach her 

sister directly who gave us the 

actual location of the hospital 

she had been admitted into. My 

team members were there as 

quickly as possible to meet with 

her and her family, and stayed 

with them till midnight when 

she was discharged from the 

hospital. I couldn’t be there in 

person yesterday as I had an 

engagement in Ogun State 

which I had left for. 

“Just to add that after 

members of my team had 

left the hospital, I had sent 

an emissary to the family 

home to see her husband 

that same night. My emissary 

discussed at length with 

•Timaya 

her husband and conveyed 

my sincere remorse on the 

incident and I promised to 

come see him early the next 

day. My emissary pleaded 

with the husband to give 

me the chance to elaborately 

express how sorry I was 

about how things played 

out and to take care of 

things and do the needful 

in a situation like this. On 

my way from Ogun State, 

I stopped at the hospital but 

she had been discharged. I 

also tried to stop by her 

house but could not see 

anyone because it was too 

late.” 


Ugwuanyi lists achievements 

in Judiciary 

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Friday, listed 

numerous remarkable achievements his administration has 

made in the provision of modern facilities in the State Judiciary to 

facilitate the dispensation of justice both in the urban and rural areas. 

Gov. Ugwuanyi disclosed that his administration has provided 

modern courtrooms properly equipped to ensure conducive atmosphere 

for efficient dispensation of justice. 

The governor added that his government has within the last six 

years created two additional Judicial divisions and six additional Magisterial 

districts to decongest courts for timely dispensation of justice. 

He said that the landmark projects are in addition to the building 

and equipping of 24 Magistrate Courts (16 of which are brand new) as 

well as the construction of 34 brand new model Customary Courts 

(two per local government) across the 17 local government areas of 

the state. 

The 34 Customary Court buildings which were described by the 

President, Customary Court of Appeal, Enugu State, Hon. Justice 

George Chibueze Nnamani, as part of Gov. Ugwuanyi administration’s 

unprecedented infrastructural interventions in the State Judiciary 

as well as its urgent efforts at repositioning the Customary Courts 

to give them a new lease of life and relevance in line with international 

best practices for efficient and effective dispensation of justice in the 

rural areas and beyond, were inaugurated simultaneously across 

the 17 LGAs, on Friday. 

NNPC records N37.5bn trading 

surplus 

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited 

(NNPC Ltd) on Friday disclosed that it recorded N37.5 billion 

trading surplus in the month of September 2021, representing a 

352 percent increase from the N8.29 billion surplus in August 

2021. The Corporation in a statement giving details of its September 

2021 NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR), 

said the rise in trading surplus was largely due to the increased 

earnings of NNPC’s Upstream subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum 

Development Company (NPDC). 

It explained that a trading surplus or trading deficit is derived 

after deduction of the expenditure profile from the revenue in the 

period under review. 

“Thus in September 2021, NNPC Group’s operating revenue as 

compared to August 2021, reduced by 29.87 percent or N191.90 

billion to stand at N450.45 billion. Similarly, expenditure for the 

month decreased by 34.87 percent or N221.11billion to stand at 

N412.92 billion. 

27 year-old lady nabbed for killing 

75 year-old relation in Anambra 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

A 

27 year-old lady, Ozioma Orakwe has been arrest 

ed by the Anambra State police command for allegedly 

killing her 75 year-old relation, Mr. Martin Orakwe. 

Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, 

Mr Tochukwu Ikenga said in a statement that although 

the suspect claimed that the deceased committed 

suicide, preliminary investigation showed that he was 

murdered. 

The PPRO said: “Investigation reveals that the victim 

had a cut on his head with marks of violence all over his 

body. “Additional information shows that the suspect, a 

relative to the deceased, had a disagreement which resulted 

to a fight.” He said that police operatives have recovered 

the body of the deceased, adding that the suspect had 

also made useful statement that is helping in the ongoing 

investigation. He further explained that the case would be 

charged to court after a conclusive investigation. 

Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner of 

Police, Mr. Echeng Echeng advised citizens to always seek 

other means of settling their differences, rather than resorting 

to violence.

8— SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5, 2022 

•Nigerian students returning from Ukraine at Abuja airport by 7am yesterday. Photos: Gbemiga Olamikan 

RUSSIA / UKRAINE WAR: Nigerians return with tales of woes 

By Luminous Jannamike, 

Victoria Ojeme & Ezra 

Ukanwa, Abuja 

A 

total of 596 Ukraine 

based Nigerians who 

were evacuated by the Federal 

Government following invasion 

of Ukraine by Russia 

arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International 

Airport in Abuja 

yesterday with tales of woes. 

The first batch of 415 evacuees 

from Romania arrived at 

7: 10 am by Max Air while 

the second batch came in the 

evening from Poland and 

were received by officials of 

the Minister of Humanitarian 

Affairs, Sadiya Umar 

Faruk, officials of the National 

Emergency Management 

Agency and the Nigeria in 

Diaspora Commission, 

among others. Some of the 

evacuees recalled the hardship 

they went through and 

how the Ukrainian army 

treated them badly. 

Ukrainian army kept us 

inside the cold—Amara, 

medical student 

Recalling her experience, 

19-year-old second year student 

of International European 

University, Kyiv, Amara 

Nwosu Precious Chimerema 

said, “I am a second year student, 

reading medicine in 

Kyiv. It started on Thursday 

night when I heard my friend 

running towards my hostel 

calling my name and asking 

me if I was not hearing the 

sound of bombs. Immediately 

many of us quickly got up, 

dressed and we all headed 

downstairs as we heard the 

sound of bombs like three 

times before it stopped. When 

I noticed that it had stopped, 

I wanted to go upstairs to my 

room when our security 

guards said I shouldn’t go 

back again. At that time, all 

the students came out with 

many of their belongings and 

the next morning at about 

5:30 am we all started walking 

towards the border, a 

walk that took us thirteen 

hours to get to the border of 

Romania. 

“When we finally got to the 

border where the train station 

was, the Ukrainian army 

started separating the blacks 

from the whites. We noticed 

that when the first train arrived, 

the Ukrainian Army 

pushed the blacks aside and 

allowed only the white mothers 

and children to go in. The 

second train came, they did 

the same thing, even with the 

third train. I almost got trampled 

upon. It was on the fourth 

day that I was able to join the 

fourth train. What annoyed 

me most was the manner at 

which the Ukrainian Army 

treated us. The pushed us outside, 

kept us inside the cold 

and the army took over the 

shelter and sat inside, leaving 

us without any care. I didn’t 

really care about the separation 

but the manner at which 

it was being handled made 

everything wrong. At least, 

they would have picked three 

•I walked for 13 hours to get to Romanian border——Amara, medical student 

•I stayed underground for 24 hours, thought I’d never see my parents again—Another returnee 

•Ukrainian army treated us badly 

•We went through a lot of stress 

whites, one black or seven 

whites, three blacks, that 

would have been better. 

“So, finally we got to Romania, 

ooooh my God, do 

you know that even at the 

border, Romanians were the 

ones feeding us, the Ukrainian 

Army cared less about us. 

The Romanians took us to a 

camp that looked like a refugee 

camp, every thing was 

provided for us even down to 

toothpicks. 

“I will also appreciate the 

Federal Government for really 

taking good care of us as 

well because when they received 

us finally at Romania, 

they took very good care of 

us, kept us in a hotel and we 

became more comfortable”. 

When asked if she would go 

back after the war, she said 

yes. 

I hid underground for over 

24 hours —Ajayi 

Among the returnees from 

Poland, 21-year-old Ajayi Ireoluwa 

Adeyemi said he hid 

underground for over 24 

hours in Kharkiv, Ukraine. 

Adeyemi, in a brief interaction 

with journalists, said 

Ukraine was like a hell for 

him. The youth said that at 

some point, he was afraid he 

would never see his parents 

again. 

He said, “I’m happy being 

home. It wasn’t easy for us at 

all. We experienced racism 

and had so many violent encounters 

with people, but one 

thing I must admit is that Nigeria 

came through for us. We 

are very proud the Federal 

Government exceeded our 

expectations. However, at 

some point I was very afraid 

I may not see my parents 

again. I had to run underground 

in Kharkiv, Ukraine 

for over 24 hours. All through 

the period I was underground, 

I kept hearing gunshots. 

I thought all hope was 

lost.” 

On the sudden interruption 

of his studies in Ukraine, he 

said: “Once there’s life, there’s 

hope. I believe one day, I will 

go back to school. It is actually 

something that is very 

painful and nobody wants to 

experience that reality. I am 

more concerned about those 

that are injured in Ukraine.” 

Another is Adejare Fortune, 

who arrived Ukraine to study 

for a bachelors degree in 

Medicine and Surgery a few 

weeks before the country’s 

face-off with Russia began. 

We had very bad experience 

—Evacuees lament 

Ms Eniola Badejo, a student 

from Ukraine said, “we 

went through a lot of stress, 

many of us travelled all the 

way and we have barely slept. 

We want them to give us more 

information because we were 

not given enough information. 

I am just happy to be going 

back to my family, I feel 

happy and grateful that I am 

going back to my parents,” 

Badejo said. 

Mr Joseph Chikwado, another 

student who left Ukraine, 

said what was most important 

to him was his successful 

crossing from Ukraine into 

Poland amidst all the challenges 

as he looked forward 

to returning to Nigeria. “It was 

a very bad experience trying 

to get across the borders from 

Ukraine into Poland because 

of the weather. It was very bad 

and very cold, very long distance, 

no vehicle to convey us 

to the borders, we got there 

pretty late, we had to find a 

way to warm ourselves. We are 

happy we are safe now and 

getting back to our country, I 

feel relieved,” Chikwado said. 

Ms Kella Wengwu, a student 

of Dnipro Medical Institute, 

Ukraine, said she was lucky 

to be on the flight, explaining 

that the cancelled flight of 

March 3, gave her the opportunity 

to make the trip. 

Wengu explained that she 

would have missed the flight 

as she did not register with the 

Nigerian Embassy in Poland 

upon arrival. 

“Leaving Ukraine was very 

tough. I had left my city over 

two weeks to the capital because 

there were warnings on 

the invasion from Russia on 

social media. Coming here, I 

do not know how I got here, I 

was going to miss this flight 

because I did not go to the 

Embassy to write my name, I 

got here and was told the 

plane was filled up, I waited 

to see if any opportunity arises. 

It is mixed feelings for me, 

I am not quite happy I am leaving 

school, Ukraine is my 

home now because since I arrived 

it has been great. 

“But at the same time, I am 

safe, I a going home to my 

loved ones, thank you for the 

opportunity.” 

Nigeria’s Ambassador to 

Poland, Christian Ugwu, appreciated 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari for his swift intervention 

and release of funds 

to get all stranded Nigerians 

in Ukraine back home. 

FG gives Ukraine returnees 

$100 

The Federal Government 

had earlier scheduled the arrival 

of the first batch of evacuees 

for Thursday but the flight 

was rescheduled. Max Air 

flight VM602 from Bucharest 

landed in Abuja at about 

7.10 with a next flight from 

Hungary being expected. 

The federal government on 

Wednesday, approved $8.5 

million for the immediate 

evacuation of 5,000 Nigerians 

stranded as a result of the Russia-Ukraine 

war. Foreign Affairs 

Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, 

said there were about 

8,000 Nigerians in Ukraine, 

5,000 of whom were students. 

Also, Onyeama while 

briefing the House of Representatives 

on the evacuation 

efforts, said, “we made Romania 

the hub and over a 

thousand Nigerians have 

crossed there. Poland has 

By Victoria Ojeme 

NIGERIANS 

who 

have volunteered to 

fight on the side of Ukraine in 

the on-going war with Russia 

do not require visa to enter the 

country. 

The Second Secretary of the 

Embassy of Ukraine to Nigeria, 

Bohdan Soltys, said yesterday 

that Ukraine government 

has called on volunteers all over 

the world who want to join the 

Ukrainian Army to do so as they 

would be admitted to the territory 

of Ukraine without visas. 

about 250, Budapest in 

Hungary has a similar 

number, Slovakia is rising 

rapidly. It is also around 200. 

There are some Nigerians 

in a place called Sumy close 

to the Russian border”. 

Meanwhile, the Federal 

Government on Friday gave 

... Nigerians applying to fight for Ukraine need no 

visa —Envoy 

Soltys who spoke with Saturday 

Vanguard yesterday in 

Abuja said, “we are calling on 

volunteers from the entire world 

to join the Ukrainian army in 

its fight against Russian aggression. 

And the Ukrainian government 

ordered that those 

who want to join the army will 

be admitted to the territory of 

Ukraine without visas. 

Soltys said that, “being a volunteer 

means that the person 

arrives to the military recruitment 

office in Ukraine on his 

own and enrolls on equal 

grounds with any Ukrainian 

soldier. I want to make it clear 

that the embassy doesn’t charge 

any money from potential volunteers. 

The embassy doesn’t sell 

airline tickets, the embassy doesn’t 

sell visas to Ukraine. Those willing 

to join Ukrainian army don’t 

need visas to enter Ukraine 

“However, currently it is possible 

to enter the territory of 

Ukraine only through the bordering 

EU countries and Nigerians 

need visas to enter those countries. 

That is why we make lists of volunteers 

and transfer them to the 

Government of Ukraine so that 

they might try to find a solution 

with the Governments of those 

countries concerning the transit 

of the volunteers from the airport 

in one of the EU countries to the 

territory of Ukraine 

Why electricity supply to consumers declined — AEDC 

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja 

ABUJA Electricity Distri 

bution Company 

(AEDC) has blamed low supply 

from the national grid for 

several hours of black out being 

experienced by customers 

in its franchise area. 

The utility in a statement yesterday 

explained that power 

supply from the grid was abysmally 

low. Checks by Vanguard 

on national grid performance 

as at 1pm yesterday 

showed that 18 power plants 

were generating just 3,228 

Megawatts, a 41 percent decline 

compared 4,550MW 

generated last Sunday. 

Chief Marketing Officer, 

AEDC, Mr. Donald Etim 

who apologised to the company’s 

customers in Kogi, Niger 

and Nasarawa states, and the 

Federal Capital Territory 

(FCT) for the epileptic electricity 

supply, said the utility understood 

the pains poor supply 

was causing. 

Etim explained “that the current 

low and unstable supply 

of electricity to homes and businesses 

is as a result of low power 

generated to the national 

grid.” 

He added: “In recent weeks, 

the level of power generated 

and served to the national grid 

for onward delivery to customers 

has been abysmally low. 

However, we do our utmost, at 

all times, to ensure that we equitably 

distribute even that 

•Generation drops by 41% 

all returnees from Ukraine 

$100 (about N48,000) to ameliorate 

their sufferings. This 

was contained in a statement 

by Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, 

the Head of Media and 

Public Relations, Nigerians in 

Diaspora Commission (NiD- 

COM), Abuja. 

modest supply in such a way 

that a fair cross section of customers 

are served.” 

He continued:“At AEDC, 

knowing full well the place 

and role of electric power in 

life, living, economy, and security, 

we are deeply committed 

to ensuring that we work collaboratively 

with other stakeholders 

within the Nigerian 

Electricity Supply Industry 

(NESI) to identify and resolve 

the challenges within the sector. 

The root causes of this latest low 

generation have been identified 

and are being addressed. 

Amend Section 84(12) of Electoral 

Act, Onuesoke appeals to Buhari 

EOPLES Democratic Par 

Pty (PDP) chieftain and 

former Delta State gubernatorial 

aspirant, Chief Sunny 

Onuesoke has appealed to 

President Muhammadu to rescind 

his decision on the removal 

of Section 84 (12) of the 

newly amended Electoral Act. 

Recall that after signing the 

amended Electoral Act last Friday, 

President Buhari suggested 

to the National Assembly 

that the part which states “No 

political appointee at any level 

shall be voting delegate or be 

voted for at the Convention or 

Congress of any political party 

for the purpose of the nomination 

of candidates for any election”, 

should be deleted because 

it would disenfranchise 

some eligible Nigerians. 

According to Onuesoke, the 

President believes that section 

84(12), if signed into law, will 

subject serving political office 

holders to inhibitions and restrictions 

referred to under sections 

40 and 42 of the 1999 

Constitution (as amended). 

Onuesoke in a statement 

therefore appealed to Buhari 

to withdraw his objection to the 

clause stressing that if political 

office holders or other categories 

of appointees resign before partaking 

in electoral activities, it will 

give a level playing ground for all. 

The PDP Chieftain observed 

that resigning their appointments 

would prevent unnecessary distractions, 

side influence and help 

such appointees focus on their 

ambitions. 

“To me, an appointee should not 

remain in office and be allowed to 

use his office to influence his political 

ambitions or those of his 

benefactors. This will be undue 

advantage over other contestants. 

It’s akin to eating your cake 

while still having it. Besides, how 

can an appointee effectively carry 

out his official duties while campaigning 

for election at the same 

time? Section 84 (12) of the 

Amended Electoral Act Bill should 

be left intact for future government 

to “amend” if tested and 

found to be an infringement on 

the rights of government officials,” 

he stated. 

Onuesoke explained that the 

Bill has been passed by the Legislatures 

and accented to by the 

Executive and as such it has 

come to stay.

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5, 2022 — 9

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5 , 2022 

•Putin 

SPECIAL REPORT BY DR. 

DELE SOBOWALE 

“Let them hate me, just as long 

as they fear me.”Lucius Accius, 

170-86 BC 

Ordinary power is the ability to make other 

people behave in ways they ordinarily would 

not – whether they like it or not. Great power 

is the ability to make significant impacts on other 

peoples’ behaviour far beyond the person’s 

immediate environment. Absolute power, which 

corrupts absolutely, is the ability to alter the course 

of human history and relationships among peoples 

in far-flung areas for ever. Irrespective of what one 

might think of what he had done; or one’s judgment 

on the matter, February 22, 2022 and the invasion 

of Ukraine have immortalised Vladimir Putin, 

President of Russia, for ever. Henceforth, historians 

will mention his name in the same breath as those 

of, Alexander the Great(356-322BC), Napoleon 

Bonaparte (1769-1821), Joseph Stalin (1878- 

1953) and Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) – men who 

sought to play god after their nation acquired vast 

military power and they were eager to use it. For 

leaders like these, might is right. The powerful do 

what they like; and the weak suffer what they 

must. Such individuals invariably don’t care what 

other people think about them. They have 

ambition; and their mission in life – to become the 

most powerful person on Earth – is what matters. 

They are fanatical about that. 

PANDEMIC AND POWER 

“I am making you an offer you cannot refuse.” 

Mafia Boss to Store Owner in Brooklyn, New 

York, 1967. 

A Nigeria friend was working for a successful 

corner Supermarket, in Brooklyn, N.Y, owned by 

PANDEMIC PUTIN POWER PLAY: 

Nigeria heading 

for major economic 

distress if . . . 

a Chinese gentleman when one day, the local 

Mafia kingpin entered with six armed hoodlums. 

He had a contract to buy the supermarket at a 

particular price; which he wanted the owner to 

sign immediately. The Chinese looked at the 

amount offered; it was about half the value. He 

started to refuse it. One of the hoodlums jabbed a 

gun in his side. The kingpin hissed at the victim. “I 

am making you an offer you cannot refuse.” To 

make sure the store owner got the message; one 

of the hoodlums pumped bullets into a shelf of 

expensive wines. Very meekly, the man signed. 

The shop immediately changed 

ownership. Putin was making Ukraine an offer 

the small neighbouring country could not refuse 

without serious consequences. 

P o w e r - 

mongers, like 

Putin, affect us 

•Putin now in same breath as 

Napoleon Bonaparte, Stalin, Hitler 

like a 

pandemic 

because, once 

they strike, 

the impact is 

felt worldwide 

in 

one form 

or another. 

For instance, 

the world is 

just crawling 

out of the 

economic 

depression 

resulting from 

COVID-19 and 

its Omicron variant. Supply chains are gradually 

being re-established and factories are humming 

again with activities. 

Then the war in Ukraine started. It will reverse 

a lot of the post-COVID gains; this time with hyperinflation 

as a certainty in most countries. Prices of 

crude oil and gas are climbing faster than any 

time since 1973. Most oil producing nations will 

benefit; but, most countries in the world will suffer. 

Nigeria will be among the worst hit. Whereas, most 

Nigerians think higher crude oil prices will be 

favourable to us, economists know that we are 

heading for a major economic distress if crude 

oil price keeps rising. Here is why. 

Our production level is low and cannot be 

increased because rig count is at its 

lowest. We export crude oil and import, not 

only petrol, but finished products resulting 

from refining. They cost several times more 

per litre than crude oil. Right now, Nigeria is at the 

risk of paying more for fuel imports than we earn from 

crude exports. 

That calamity 

will constitute 

our own collateral 

damage on account of 

Putin’s War. Every 

single Nigerian 

will feel the 

impact. And 

in case you 

think this is a 

false alarm then 

read this. 

“Nigeria can’t 

celebrate $103/ 

barrel oil price 

due to low 

production – FG” 

Mr Timipre 

Sylva, the Minister 

of State for Petroleum Resources explained the 

economic paradox to Nigerians this way. 

“So for us who are the net importers it is also not 

very good for us…if you are now producing less 

The powerful do what they like; and the 

weak suffer what they must. Such 

individuals invariably don’t care what 

other people think about them 

and then you still have to make sure that the 

Nigerian market is supplied fully with petroleum 

products, then you will see that there will be a 

shortfall [in net oil revenue].” 

Let me explain that in plain language. The 

higher the price of crude climbs the more the 

Nigerian economy will suffer. Blame it all on Putin; 

but he doesn’t care. 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES 

OF POWER-MONGERS 

“Power and money, of course, drive people crazy. 

So, why shouldn’t people also gain power and 

wealth through being crazy?” 

Saul Bellow, 1918-2005, VANGUARD BOOK 

OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 195. 

If you think hard enough about the powerful 

and wealthy people you know, you might be 

Continues on page 11 

•Buhari

PANDEMIC PUTIN POWER PLAY: Nigeria 

heading for major economic distress if . . . 

Continues from page 10 

surprised to realise how many of them 

are ”abnormal”. They do and say things which other 

well-adjusted people shrink from virtually all the 

time. 

Short man Devil was a human species known 

before Christ and Mohamed trod this planet. It 

will exist as long as there is homo sapiens on 

Earth. Size apparently matters. All the four men 

mentioned above – Alexander, Napoleon, Stalin, 

Hitler — were on the average, short for their 

generation. Putin is no exception. Look at a picture 

of world leaders, with Putin among them. Compared 

to Biden, Turkey President Erdogan, Chinese Xi 

and our President Buhari, Putin is almost a midget. 

But, he is the most feared President in the world; 

because he can do (and does) what no other 

President would think of doing. And, he dares the 

victim(s) to retaliate. In fact, as Sir Tagore,1861- 

1941, had said “Power takes as ingratitude the 

writhing of its victims.” So, as far as Putin is 

concerned, the rest of us wretched human beings 

are ungrateful for not appreciating his genius and 

greatness. He will be remembered by history; his 

exploits will be studied in universities and military 

academies until the end of time. We are supposed 

to applaud this performance, to thank God to be 

alive to witness this great atrocity — instead of 

grumbling about it. It is almost certain that if Hitler 

were to re-incarnate he will perfect his act and 

create a bigger Holocaust; kill more people before 

going down again. Incidentally, the only global 

leader who recognised Putin’s “genius” was US 

Ex-President Donald Trump – another screw-ball. 

Powerful individuals like him don’t regard their 

citizen as human beings; only tools to be used to 

satisfy their, quite frequently, unhidden ambitions. 

Whether there are 100 million or 1.5 billion; they 

represent so many assets to be sacrificed for one 

man’s ambition, or place in history. That is why 

the first thing they do is to enslave their own 

people. Everything they do, every step they take 

is approved unanimously by zombies. 

“An ambassador is an honest 

man sent to lie abroad for his 

country.” 

Sir Henry Wotton, 1568-1639. 

Foreign Ministers still go round the world lying 

just as they did more than 400 years ago. But, in 

this case, it is doubtful if the Russian Foreign 

Minister was ever honest. Dictators don’t want 

honest men around them. They select people like 

Hitler’s Joseph Goebbels, 1897-1945 – for whom 

no falsehood is too much. 

Thus, once Putin made up his mind to wipe 

out Ukraine, all the lies and pretensions by his 

Foreign Affairs Minister, and Putin himself were 

designed to buy time for Russia to finish its plans 

for the invasion. The Foreign Minister went 

about assuring the world that there was no plan to 

attack. A lot of deluded people believed him – 

including Ukranians. By January this year, I was 

telling anybody and everybody that Russia would 

invade. Simple-minded individuals argued with 

me and were convinced that the issue could still 

be negotiated. My Personal Assistant, Korede, has 

a friend in Kyiv who was in touch almost daily. 

During a call, three days to the start of war, I asked 

Korede to tell her and other Nigerians to leave as 

fast as they could. She replied that Kyiv was calm 

and no war was expected. Now, they are all trapped. Yet, 

Putin does not give a damn if Nigerians, South Africans or 

Norwegians die by the thousand as a result of his war. They are 

all expendable. It is his ambition that counts. Now, 

several Nigerian families are now in distress. The 

kids they joyfully sent to Ukraine might 

return home; a lot of money lost and 

kids education suffer as a result. 

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT 

“Brute force without wisdom falls by its own 

weight.” Horace, 65-8BC, VBQ 63. 

This article started two days after Russia invaded 

Ukraine as I expected. The first part is being ended 

a week after the war started in earnest. Fighting is 

still going on. But, the drama is not going as Putin 

had scripted it. Within four days of fighting, the 

Ukranians have demonstrated more guts and grits 

than the war-monger expected. Their resistance 

must have reminded Putin of Russia’a own defiance 

of Nazi Germany’s overwhelming power during 

the Second World War, WWII. In the Battle of 

Stalingrad, August 1942-February 1943, the 

Russians faced the worst barrage of any nation in 

St Petersburg, later called Stalingrad, but, they 

eventually overcame the stronger Germans in the 

end. Between Hitler’s and Stalin’s forces, close 

to 8 million Europeans died during WWII. They 

didn’t care. 

Not surprising, the over-confident Putin seen 

•Putin 

on television screens globally has given way to a 

confused and more desperate one. He cannot lose 

this war. But, absolute victory is now appearing 

out of reach. So, he made the first attempt to reorganise. 

He suggested negotiation with the 

Ukrainian leader in Belarus. It was a crude attempt 

to achieve easy victory. The offer was refused 

because once the Ukrainian President landed in 

Belarus, he would have been arrested and forced 

to surrender, and, at best, would have been allowed 

to go into exile. Most likely, he would have been 

executed as a “war criminal” and a puppet 

government would have been installed in 

Ukraine. Prolonged war became inevitable; which 

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5, 2022—11 

is exactly what Putin does not want. 

The global response to the invasion was also 

more overwhelming than Putin expected; and the 

economic sanctions are hurting Russians than he 

anticipated. Like a kidnapper cornered, he has 

raised the risks to the entire world. 

“There are no desperate 

situations; only desperate 

men.” (Goebbels). 

Since the United States dropped two atomic 

bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, to bring 

WWII to a quick end, every country in possession 

of nuclear weapons, has deliberately avoided 

talking about using them irrespective of how tough 

the situation had been for them militarily. The US 

lost the Viet Nam war; and, lately, the one in 

Afghanistan without ever mentioning nuclear 

arsenal. But, that is because the US has never 

had a leader like Putin. His order for Russian 

nuclear defences to be placed on high alert was 

nothing less than a signal to the world that nothing 

is forbidden in this war. He would rather take millions of 

people worldwide down with him than go down in defeat alone. 

Again, that is not surprising. 

The reason for his new threat is easy to 

understand. Even an absolute dictator recognises 

that he is not God. Among his closest and trusted 

aides are people envious of his power, infuriated 

by some of his policies and who are aware of how 

much his personal security costs the country. They 

want to take him out – if they can. But, with his 

iron-grip on power, they need a divine opportunity 

such as the Ukraine adventure. Putin has taken a 

gamble which is hurting every Russian very badly; 

and, it cannot be covered up. So, he must succeed 

or be in trouble at home. He must continue 

fighting, even escalating the conflict into a global 

confrontation, as a prelude to a negotiated 

settlement which will provide him with the excuse 

to retrace his steps without much loss of face or 

clout. 

In that connection, he would need the reluctant 

help of the European and American governments. 

They should now be preparing a set of proposals 

which might be interpreted as a win-win settlement 

to help Putin save face. He is, at any rate, now a 

globally despised man. NATO and neutral nations 

in Europe, which became scared of the Russians, 

after WWII, should acknowledge, the legitimate 

concerns of Russia, despite Putin’s personal 

characteristics. The United States, in particular, 

should remember the response of late US 

President John Kennedy, 1917-1963, to the 

presence of Russian missiles stationed in Cuba in 

the 1960s. America declared it unacceptable and 

was prepared to go to war – if need be with nuclear 

weapons. President Biden should be honest enough to admit 

that America would not allow any powerful nation, acting under 

any alliance to place weapons within 40 kilometres of its territory. 

Why should they expect Russia to act differently? 

Putin’s major faults in all these include his 

impatience with diplomacy; and his bully’s instinct. 

For people like Putin, “there is no dispute which a 

punch in the nose cannot resolve.” 

To be continued…. 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

2023: 

What next for 

Ologbondiyan? 

For Kola Ologbondiyan, immediate past 

National Publicity Secretary of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; the recent 

dinner organized in his honour by friends and 

associates left an impression on him almost difficult 

to caption in words. The event was attended by 

serving and former members of the National 

Assembly, ex-governors, the clergy, chieftains of 

the Kogi state chapter of the PDP, family members 

and journalists, some of whom shared newsroom 

experience with Ologbondiyan a few years ago. 

A few weeks before the historic night, 

Ologbondiyan won deserved accolades at the PDP 

valedictory session for members of its immediate 

past National Working Committee, when his then 

deputy national publicity secretary, Diran Odeyemi 

took to the microphone to make some comments. 

Odeyemi who slammed the practice of relegating 

deputy national officers of the PDP to the 

background in the scheme of things however 

expressed gratitude to Ologbondiyan for yielding 

him ground to speak on behalf of the party in the 

four years of their stewardship. “I am particularly 

lucky,” Odeyemi began, “that my own boss, Mr. 

Kola Ologbondiyan gave me enough room to 

speak on issues concerning the party and that 

gave me a sense of belonging. I will forever remain 

grateful for this.” 

Perhaps, the biggest takeaway for those capable 

of seeing beyond the bridge of their noses was the 

presence and endorsement of Kabba-born 

Ologbondiyan for a higher national calling by no 

less three personalities in Senators 

David Mark, Tunde Ogbeha and exdeputy 

governor of Kogi state, Yomi 

Awoniyi. One after the other, the trio 

saluted the courage of a man who spoke truth to 

power at a time others kept sealed lips. 

For Mark particularly, Ologbondiyan’s 

deployment of his divinely-endowed gift in putting 

the President Muhammadu Buhari-led 

government on its toes would forever be 

remembered as the hallmark of statesmanship, 

service and patriotism to one’s fatherland. Having 

worked as media adviser to Mark while the latter 

was President of the Nigerian Senate; it is not 

surprising that Mark sees in Ologbondiyan, talent 

that must be unleashed on the nation to enable 

her stay alert in the journey to greatness. 

According to him, “We are here to celebrate a 

worthy Nigerian; a man who has distinguished 

himself among his colleagues, a courageous 

gentleman. Kola is a perfect gentleman in every 

sense. There was a time in this country when we 

needed a detribalized Nigeria and that was when 

Kola came on the scene. 

“You can see that people here cut across states, 

regions, religion and party lines and even people 

without party are here with us. That is what Kola 

truly is- a man who is truly patriotic and a man 

whose comments at the time he was telling them 

made people afraid.” 

Sen. Mark recalled that in the course of Kola’s 

assignment as opposition spokesman, he had cause 

to be afraid for the ex- PDP image maker, saying, “I 

used to call him to say, I fear for some of these 

•Ologbondiyan 

things you are saying oh. But we need a man to say 

what he was saying. Those of us who are close to 

him are very proud. At a point in time, he was not 

just the voice of PDP or the opposition; he became 

the face of opposition and that is what Kola is most 

known for,” he added. 

With the general elections slated for 2023, the 

gathering mirrored a platform on which an 

agreement was hatched that the ex-PDP 

spokesman be pushed for yet another office to serve 

his people; the people of Nigeria. 

Hear David Mark: “He (Ologbondiyan) has left 

the National Working Committee of the PDP but 

we believe that the good works he has done will 

follow him all the days of his life. Nigerians would 

remember him and they will praise you for saying 

what you were saying at the right time.” 

Kola, he noted, sure has a date with destiny, 

noting that “the voice of the people is the voice of 

God. If the people are calling for a higher 

responsibility for him in the future, it means he 

deserves it.” 

The apolitical nature of the gathering perhaps 

was what brought the revered John Cardinal 

Onaiyekan and the man famed for his relentless 

pursuit of peace in the land, had a word or two for 

anyone desirous of seeing a great Nigeria emerge 

in the years ahead. 

“We have not recognized how important peace 

is. All human beings all over this world are all 

brothers and sisters. How much more in this little 

corner of the globe called Nigeria, not to talk of my 

Kogi state. All you need to do is look at the face of 

the person next to you. He could well be a blood 

brother or cousin. When you meet children talking 

together, they don’t just don’t care where you 

come from. That is the basis of a peaceful society 

and I believe it is possible, if only, we take peace 

seriously,” he said. 

On his part, former military administrator of 

defunct Bendel state and later Akwa Ibom state, 

Brig. Gen. Tunde Ogbeha said Ologbondiyan as 

PDP mouthpiece “never disappointed Nigerians 

because he was responding to all situations and 

responding appropriately and very well. So it is a 

good thing. He has served, completed his job as 

national publicity secretary on a very high note 

and we do congratulate, commend him and ask 

him to apply his energy and wisdom to his local 

chapter, Kogi state.” 

Like Mark, Ogbeha predicted a higher calling 

for the veteran journalist cum politician, saying, 

“I think the journey to his political eminence 

is just beginning. For the rest of us, I hope he 

has set a standard that we need to emulate,” 

he said. Crediting Ologbondiyan for not 

playing the ostrich in moments of national crises, 

media mogul, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi said 

the ex-PDP spokesman spoke truth to power and 

damned the consequences. 

“We are here to congratulate Kola for facing the 

very unfortunate challenges he had to go through, 

the challenges of offices, the collapse of the Nigerian 

economy, the lowering of Nigeria as the poverty 

capital of the world, with unemployment rate 

hovering over 33 per cent. 

“Indeed, as opposition spokesman, he had the 

courage, strength of knowledge to preach a better 

Nigeria. It is not an easy task. It is not an easy task 

to actually run as spokesman when you have no 

budget at all. You have to depend on goodwill. He 

left office at a time when his services were still 

more desired, when his experience was required 

by the PDP. But Nigerians, I believe still owe him 

and he has a lot to contribute to Nigeria.” 

An obviously elated Kola who couldn’t hide his 

joy, thanked the organizers for honour done him 

even as he pledged to do more in the future. Not 

one to forget how the journey to stardom begun, 

Ologbondiyan took a trip down memory lane, much 

to the delight of his audience. 

“Not many know how this whole thing started 

but the man who pushed the idea is my big brother 

and former deputy governor of Kogi state, Yomi 

Awoniyi. 

Continues on www.vanguardngr.com

12—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5, 2022 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS: 

What, who failed 

Nigerian women? 

•Onyejiocha 

By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja 

t had all the appurtenances of a proposed piece of 

Ilegislation, awaiting validation and legitimacy. 

Everything conventional went into it: lobbying, 

strategy, advocacy, money and then, politics. From 

the time of its conceptualization to the time of voting 

to give it life, the optimism about its passage was 

high. Its proponents were cocksure in the light of 

assurances received from colleagues to give their 

support. But boom, the shock came. And then, the 

hysteria. 

This is the ominous dark cloud that had gathered 

around the bill that sought the creation of 111 

special seats for Nigerian women in both the federal 

and sub-national parliaments. 

To say the least, the rejection was loud and 

irritating. The frustration was regrettable. And the 

backlashes, nationwide, now billow like a thick, 

black smoke. 

Yet, it wasn’t the only gender bill that got a kick 

by both the Senate and the House of 

Representatives in the just concluded 1999 

constitutional review exercise. A couple of others 

abound. 

There was the bill to make some offices in the 

political hierarchy an exclusive of the women. There 

was also the one to confer automatic citizenship on 

the foreign spouse of any Nigerian woman. There 

was the Indigenship Bill that was meant to make 

women eligible to contest election in their husbands’ 

states after about five years into marriage. Then, 

the last one seeking some percentage for women 

in the ministerial slots and the Commissionership 

at the State level. Those were the gender and 

equality bills that sought a legal backing to the 35 

percent affirmative action which is of international 

significance. Unfortunately, no vent was given to 

them. 

The backgrounds 

The special seats bill debuted on Thursday, April 

22, 2021 on the floor of the House of Representatives 

and showed predilection to more participation of 

women in politics. Seeking to alter the provisions 

of the 1999 Constitution and create 37 additional 

seats in the Senate and 74 in the House of 

Representatives for women, the bill was sponsored 

by the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Nkiruka 

Onyejiocha, representing Isikwuato/Umunneochi 

federal constituency of Abia State. 

The bill also craved for one additional seat from 

each of the three senatorial districts in the state 

Religion? Culture? 

Northern lawmakers? 

*Lead sponsor of bill, Nkiruka 

Onyejiocha, House Spokesman, Ben 

Kalu, disagree 

The politically conscious women in Nigeria are 

currently hurting over the rejection of the bills that 

sought to increase their participation in 

politics. One of such bills had sought to 

create 111 special seats for them. But 

it failed. Does that have 

some cultural and 

religious connotations or just 

not yet time for women to play 

big role in Nigeria politics? 

Saturday Vanguard reports! 

exclusively for women in each State 

House of Assembly. 

To get the bill passed, knowing the legislative 

trajectories that usually lead to the demise or 

otherwise of bills, Onyejiocha enthroned an 

unusual strategy. She got a handful of male 

lawmakers to own and co-sponsor it. The 

Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila was a 

prominent name amongst the lot. 

And so, the bill received both a boost 

and a bite. At the zonal public hearings, 

it also received unprecedented support. 

Also, at the special joint Senate and the House 

committee of the constitutional review, the bill got 

wings and made the final list among the 68 ones to 

be voted on by the entire House. 

But on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, it failed to fly 

during voting. A two-third majority of 240 votes 

out of the 360 members was the requirement but 

only 88 members voted in favor of the bill eventually. 

This was also the case with the other bills except 

the one for ministerial/commissioner nominees. 

How did this happen? A vote was called. The 

members lashed at it and roundly voted against it 

the first time. This felt bad. The women lawmakers, 

13 of them, kicked instantly. The Speaker, Femi 

Gbajabiamila felt for them and swiftly activated his 

6th sense. He immediately adopted a strategy, 

explaining the import of the bill yet again to the 

members. 

Then, a second vote came. Still, the same fate 

befell the bill. But the 

Speaker tactically 

withheld his gavel. 

There and then, he 

announced that the 

machines had 

suddenly developed 

some technical 

hitches and 

therefore, the 

House would revert 

to the voice voting 

f o r m u l a . 

Incidentally, the bill 

was the last of the 

68 bills on the list. 

The members had 

been seated all day 

Believe it or not, Nigeria is a piece of Africa 

where conventions and creed live supreme. 

And so, religious and cultural issues are 

sacredly revered and tenaciously held onto 

by their adherents. 

and certainly, boredom had set it. And so, no protest 

or point of order on the malfunctioning of the 

machines. Gbajabiamila then put the question. A 

thunderous chorus of “nay” took the air, deafening 

the “yea” sayers voices. But the Speaker hit the 

gavel in the favour of the yea sayers. And that was 

it. The bill passed by the whiskers. Technically. 

Tactical Lobbying 

Never has it ever been heard that in the political 

and legislative history of Nigeria, the first and 

second ladies of the nation would visit the both 

chambers of the national assembly to observe the 

proceedings. But this occurred last week when Mrs. 

Aisha Buhari and Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, wives of 

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President 

Yemi Osinbajo respectively visited. While the First 

Lady visited on Wednesday, February 23, the second 

lady chose to go on the voting day. Their mission 

was simple. Lobbying. But sadly, their presence did 

not sway any minds. Any cultural and religious 

connotations? Not yet known! 

Issues of Culture/ Religion? 

Believe it or not, Nigeria is a piece of Africa where 

conventions and creed live supreme. And so, 

religious and cultural issues are sacredly revered 

and tenaciously held onto by their adherents. It 

may not be the lot of a 21st century man but most 

Nigerians including women would heed the Biblical 

call of being submissive to their husbands rather 

than matching shoulder to shoulder with them. 

This may be the belief of some people. But that’s 

neither here nor there, especially in politics outside 

the home. The import of the seats, as canvassed by 

Onyejiocha was to harness the potentials of women 

in all spheres of life for the rapid development of the 

country. Gone are those 

days when the 

women’s education 

ended in the kitchen. 

They may not be asking 

for equality but a 

chance to contribute 

their quota to the 

pool of intellectual 

acumen and the 

technical know-how for 

a greater and greener 

tomorrow as demanded 

by the democratic 

principle that is blind to 

sexism. That’s the 

thinking. And talking 

about the cultural and religious connotations in 

the voting, if any, again, Onyejiocha shut down 

such thoughts. 

“It has nothing to do with north. They say it is 

northerners. It’s not true. The northerners that 

sat with me voted yes to women representation, 

and I can call the names; all the northerners that 

sat with me voted yes. So, nobody should deceive 

us that it is north. It’s not about north. It’s about 

individuals who do not want women to be included 

for reasons best known to them. And I don’t want 

anybody to come and say it’s a northern issue, it’s 

a northern issue, please. It is about us, Nigerians. 

It is Nigerian men. But these men are using their 

knee on our neck and I think it’s got to stop but we 

are waiting. Nigerian women are waiting for them 

to tell us their reasons because I have researched 

and I can’t find any justifiable reason”, she said in 

an interview with Journalists. 

A tirade of protests/Occupy 

National Assembly 

On the heels of the rejection of the bills came a 

tirade and flurry of protests that had rocked the 

national assembly. A plethora of women’s groups 

besieged the main gate of the parliament on 

Wednesday and Thursday last week, vowing to 

occupy the place with their cooking utensils until 

the bills are reconsidered. Would that happen? This 

is in the womb of time. 

A special quota not needed by women / 

It has religious, cultural dispositions- 

Kalu, Reps Spokesman. 

While the cravings by the women deepen, one 

would however be surprised to know that many 

women were opposed to having a special quota 

allotted to them. According to the spokesman of 

the House, Hon. Ben Kalu who briefed on the 

issue of the bills’ rejection, some consultations made 

by the House indicated that some women 

questioned why they must be given a percentage 

instead of allowing them occupy offices by merits. 

This thus brought division among the women, a 

development that may have played a role during 

the voting. Kalu insisted that culture and religion 

had a role to play 

“I want to thank all the women who played one 

role or the other in regards to sensitization, to 

bringing this to the fore, that the participation 

of women in Governance is lower than 

expected, especially when a comparative 

analysis is done between this nation and 

other nations. I want to thank the 

Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Hon. 

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha for pushing and 

lobbying hard for these Bills to pass. I 

also want to thank the wife of the Vice 

President, Dolapo Osinbajo for showing 

interest and standing by the side of 

women. Same goes for President 

Buhari’s wife for being there for 

the women. 

“Great course I 

must say, but a 

journey of a 

thousand miles 

starts with a step. 

The step has 

been taken. It 

was the right 

step. The 

lobbying that was 

done was not 

done in vain. 

That is the 

beauty of 

democracy. 

Because if it was 

not, the wives of 

the President 

and the Vice 

President would 

have no business 

coming here. 

They knew that 

it was only 

through lobby, 

not as you have 

described us as 

rubber stamp, where they will just give us 

instructions—maybe the husband will give us 

instructions and we will get it done. It will be through 

lobbying and they participated in that lobby with 

all humility. Let us not forget the minister of women 

affairs, who was also very dogged, and all the CSOs. 

But I must say this lobby was done a bit late. 

“Yes, I want to say that, but this lobby and 

advocacy ought to have started longer than now. I 

say that without mincing words. You don’t lobby 

two days to the voting on a very important issue 

like this. It goes beyond lobbying at the last minute. 

It takes a lot of orientations. It takes a lot of advocacy. 

It takes a lot of sensitization to enable people buy 

into these all important agenda. You know why? 

Because you cannot play down on our current 

issues with regards to emerging democracies, one 

of which is our religious disposition, our cultural 

dispositions. These things play a role. We are part 

of the society. Our religion and culture are part of 

the society. It needs a lot of advocacy by civil society 

organizations, women groups”, he said. 

•Kalu 

It will increase cost of governance-Rep.. 

Igbakpa 

Similarly, the lawmaker representing Ethiope 

federal constituency of Delta State, Hon. Ben 

Igbakpa told Saturday Vanguard that outside being 

inconsistent with section 42 of the 1999 

Constitution, the feeling is that adopting the bills 

will further increase the cost of governance. 

“Some members voted along the line the of 

section 42 of the Constitution that has to do with 

discrimination. They argued that If special seats 

are given to women, what will happen to men 

because they have not been given any special 

seats too? The women also contest the existing 

seats with men even with their special seats. Again, 

the issue of cost of governance. It’s every where 

that the cost of governance is high and you are 

bringing another financial burden? Many people 

have actually suggested unicameral and part-time 

legislature in the past. So, bringing in another 100 

plus members will further increase the cost of 

governance especially when nothing is stopping 

the women from contesting with the men on the 

existing seats”, he said. 

Lastline 

For sure, there are palpitations. The protests and 

uproars are real. The women are not smiling right 

now. They are hurting. Would they be placated? 

Any respite in sight? Again, the answers to these 

questions lie in the passage of time.

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5, 2022—13


By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja 

The rate of unemployment in 

Nigeria is arguably on the 

rise; hence more youths 

are conscious of the fact that 

they have to be selfemployed 

with or 

without formal 

education. 

The steady 

increase of 

trading 

activities 

across 

markets in 

t h e 

Federal 

Capital City 

due to the 

influx of people 

from other parts 

of the country, has made it easier for many 

Nigerians, particularly youths, to seek ancillary 

services they could offer to both buyers and sellers 

in exchange for money. 

It is not uncommon in a developing world 

context like Nigeria to find many stories of 

extreme resilience of a people motivated to find a 

means to survive. 

Using a small cart with a single wheel at the 

front and two supporting stands and two handles 

at the rear, these youths are able to sustain some 

living, carrying goods in marketplaces for a fee. 

Findings by Saturday Vanguard indicate that 

nowadays a typical wheelbarrow pusher in any 

of the markets in Abuja smiles home with cash 

gains to the tune of N3,000 - N6,000 daily. 

Unsurprisingly, many wheelbarrow pushers told 

stories of beginning work in this field as children, 

either because it was what the family did or because 

they had to find the means to live. Sadly, child 

labour laws are rarely enforced in the country. 

For those who began pushing wheelbarrows as 

boys, it was either they figured it out alone or 

found a friend or mentor who helped. 

In both instances, these were, in a sense, stories 

about struggle, but they framed them in a way to 

highlight their successes and how they came from 

nothing or very little and made something out of 

it. 

For instance, Abdulmalik Idris came to Abuja in 

2005 as a teenager in search of Islamic knowledge. 

But despite his extremely poor conditions, the 

youth surmounted the obstacles that could have 

threatened his success in life. 

Sometimes when people narrate their success 

stories, the credits go to people they helped or 

how they were helped by others in critical 

situations. But for Abdulmalik, his success story 

can be attributed to his courage and strength of 

character. 

After completing his Quranic education, the 

young man could not get a job, but with the help 

of a wheelbarrow, he was able to start and grow a 

viable business, transporting goods from one shop 

to another or from the point of purchase to the 

buyer’s car. 

“I have always wanted a business I could do to 

eke a living and make good cash as a result of my 

limited formal education, so I can say that the 

wheelbarrow saved me,” he told our correspondent 

in Hausa language. 

He continued, “I started my business in 2012 

after graduating from the Madarasatul (Quranic 

school). It didn’t take long for me to realise that 

with my qualification, getting a white-collar job 

would throw a lot of challenges on my path and 

make my life more difficult. 

“I also considered that there are hardly job 

openings in our society for people with only Islamic 

knowledge. I started pushing the wheelbarrow so 

that I could be my own boss. Initially, I spent several 

days begging for alms to eat. Then one day, I 

stumbled on an old friend who showed me where 

I could hire a wheelbarrow to operate in the market 

•Yahuza Ibrahim, who 

completed his secondary 

education and got married 

plying his trade as 

wheelbarrow pusher in 

Wuse Market Abuja, 

dressed in green jacket 

and head-warmer. 

WEALTH-ON-WHEEL: 

Amazing 

stories of Abuja 

wheelbarrow 

boys 

with small capital. 

“So, with my small money I had saved, I followed 

his advice and successfully hired the first 

wheelbarrow I pushed as an entrepreneur. 

I paid N500 for the wheelbarrow and made 

N1,200 by sunset on my first day. 

“After several months of hiring other people’s 

carts, I raised N10,000 and bought my first 

wheelbarrow. And soon, I was making cool cash 

on a regular basis. I used to sleep in a street 

mosque along Parakou Crescent in Wuse II district, 

but now I have moved to my own apartment ready 

to get married soon.” 

Although this kind of story is easy to embellish 

by the storyteller to place himself or herself in a 

better light, it is nonetheless notable that such 

personal accounts seem to have currency amongst 

those who have moved from a place of grass to 

grace. 

That was no different with Yahuza Ibrahim, 

another wheelbarrow pusher in his mid 30’s who 

plies his trade in Wuse market, telling a story about 

himself overcoming hardships and finding a way 

to get his acts together while pressing forward. 

According to Yahuza, his wheelbarrow pushing 

business has helped him marry the love of his life, 

enroll his children in school, and achieve other 

goals. 

“It (wheelbarrow pushing) is a profitable 

business. We are happy with it, because it was 

with this business I completed my (secondary) 

education, got married, and empowered some of 

my friends and relatives to start their own 

businesses,” he said. 

Also, a Kebbi state born soft-spoken man, Bala 

Sule, 44, also described his journey into the 

business of cow head retailing as a beautiful process 

that began with wheelbarrow pushing. 

As a young man, Sule started as a wheelbarrow 

pusher, transporting cow meat from the abattoir to 

the market each morning. In time, he secured a 

job as a butcher and was able to move on from 

pushing wheelbarrows. 

No doubts, there is more business potential in 

processing freshly killed cows for consumption than 

pushing wheelbarrows as Sule’s profit earnings 

have increased 10-fold, from an average of N3,000 

as a wheelbarrow pusher to N30,000 handling a 

few cows daily. 

Relieving his life experiences as a wheelbarrow 

pusher, Sule said the business opened many doors 

for him. 

“I started pushing wheelbarrows when I was a 

little over 13 years of age, but I was motivated by 

the desire to serve as many people as I could and 

I stayed motivated daily by the tons of feedbacks 

and comments I received from people who have 

been impacted by what I did. 

“The journey is a very interesting one; it accorded 

me so many opportunities to put my people on 

skills they found useful and turned amazing people. 

“Because I always began my daily wheelbarrow 

pushing operation from the abattoir, I quickly 

gained so much knowledge required for butchering 

animals by observing how they were being 

slaughtered. So, one day I decided to put 

my knowledge to practice with the rest of 

the youths there who were already 

butchers. That’s how I came to this point,” 

he told Saturday Vanguard. 

Powerful motivators such as pride and 

success which precede the sense of 

dignity in one’s labour are evident in 

how these young people talked about 

the successes, which have enabled 

them to financially support their families, 

rent houses for themselves, take on 

wives and bear children, and also send 

their children to school. 

Nonetheless, the stories show that 

religious norms and values also played 

a key role in the life of many of these 

young people from the North, which 

is not at all unexpected. They often 

cited traveling for Hajj as one of their 

most important goals in life. Some 

also cited Allah as the reason for 

both their safety and success in the 

marketplaces. 

Some State governments had, in 

the past, empowered their people with 

wheelbarrows. For instance, in 2017, 

Governor Samuel Ortom of 

Benue, distributed wheelbarrows 

which had “Gov. Ortom for you” 

written on them to youths in the 

State. 

However, when the State 

government’s empowerment 

gesture was greeted with sharp 

criticism, the Governor, through his 

former Chief Press Secretary, Tever 

Akase, said the 

wheelbarrows were donated by 

the National Commission for 

Refugees, Migrants and 

Internally Displaced Persons, 

NCFRMI, for victims of armed 

herdsmen attacks in the state. 

Unemployment situation 

Chronological data show that the 

unemployment rate in Nigeria has been on a 

steady rise in the past seven years. 

In 2022, the unemployment rate in Nigeria is 

estimated to reach 33 percent. This figure, 

according to statista.com, was projected to be at 

32.5 percent in 2021. 

Pundits speak 

Meanwhile, some experts say that at a time 

insecurity is ravaging Nigeria, all critical 

stakeholders must continue to do everything 

possible to address youth unemployment, one 

of the factors aggravating the country’s security 

challenges. 

Realising the role of the government in youth 

empowerment and also stating some of viable 

employment opportunities can also be found 

in menial jobs like wheelbarrow pushing, a 

professor of African History at Vanderbilt 

University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, Moses 

Achonu, said: “I have to admit that when I 

mocked Ortom, I did not recognise that his 

idea would have this much purchase and prove 

this revolutionary. I did not recognise that he 

saw ahead of all us that the dreams and 

ambitions of our youths are quite modest. 

“Some of us, in our misguided elitism, 

thought that Nigerian youths deserved quality, 

challenging jobs and opportunities that would 

create a pathway for upward socio-economic 

mobility. 

“We were wrong, and Governor Ortom’s 

empowerment vision has proven to be right, as its 

popularity across the North demonstrates. For this, 

I apologise to His Excellency for my earlier 

mockery.” 

Also, worried by Nigeria’s unemployment figures, 

the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

Young Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Forum 

said that in spite of the economic challenges, the 

country is blessed with a crop of young people, 

who have chosen not to be a part of the problem, 

but striving daily to create value and turnaround 

their fortunes. 

The chairman of ACCI Young CEOs Forum, Mr. 

Fife Banks, said: “Nigeria is replete with challenges 

but we are not one of the challenges. In fact, we 

are the solution. 

“Apart from the fact that Nigeria is indeed a 

nation of young people, majority of the non-oil 

income we have as a nation can be traced to the 

efforts of some young people somewhere. 

“We are not just here to help the country make 

money or to make money for ourselves, or create 

jobs for other young people; we need to collaborate 

with policymakers and public office holders. This is 

with a view to help to make meaning of the 

unprecedented changes the world is 

experiencing.”

ASABA AIRPORT CONCESSION: 

Did we get 

it right? 

By Chris Aligbe 

On February 23, 2021, the Delta State 

Government took one of the boldest steps 

ever by a State Government when the 

Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa presided over 

the signing of the Agreement to concession the 

State-owned Asaba International Airport. 

The Concession of the Brownfield Airport, the 

first ever of its kind in Nigeria and indeed, Africa 

came after almost five years of painstaking due 

diligence and standard processes that would stand 

any global test in transparency and professional 

evaluation. 

Although many a critic aired various opinions 

many of which centred on financial value of the 

concession and accruable benefits, majority of the 

opinions were based on ignorance of the facts and 

others on mischief. Some others expressed the 

view that the consortium 

of Finance Investment 

Development 

Company – FIDC, an 

indigenous company 

and a Belgium 

establishment Menzes 

Aviation, that won 

the Concession had 

no competence in 

airport management 

and development. 

There were those who 

raised issues regarding 

the 30 years duration 

of the Concession. Very 

few people considered 

that FIDC is a formidable company with impeccable 

financial profile and integrity while Menzes Aviation 

is an Aviation Company of global standing involved 

in airport business in Europe, Middle East, Central 

and Southern America. 

Again, those who thumbed down the financial 

side of the Project based their cost-benefit analysis 

on very narrow and limited financial indices. 

It is hard to accept that a Concession that will 

save the State Government N15billion budgetary 

provisions in 30 years and generate a total receipt 

of over 91billion is a dash out. Before the 

Concession, Asaba Airport was returning a monthly 

income of N10million while the State 

Government was spending close to five times the 

sum monthly. 

Before the Concession, the Airport, apart from 

not being professionally run, was a drain on the 

government’s coffers as it ran on 400% deficit. A 

better understanding of what has been the 

development with the airport since the concession 

can be grasped from the information below. 

The Asaba Airport Company, the umbrella 

company of FIDC/Menzes Consortium, took over 

the management of the Airport in August 2021, 

The Governor must 

not just beat his chest 

today and leave 

tomorrow to the “dogs” 

just a little over six months as at date. 

Since then, the Asaba International Airport 

profile has begun to show a remarkable rise. 

Elements in this rising profile include, but not 

limited to the following: 

The hitherto dinginess and little low lighting at 

the airport, has given way to a well-lit environment 

both within the terminal, tarmac, car park and 

approaches, thus creating an ambience of an 

airport. 

Currently, the airport dwell lounges – Departure, 

Arrival and check-in areas are being redesigned to 

offer best passenger travel experience which 

includes access, easy facilitation, space, ambience 

and comfort. The Airport Company’s plan is to turn 

sitting/Dwell lounges to what is similar to Japan’s 

Narita International Airport. In its determination 

to make Asaba International Airport the choicest 

airport destination, the Airport Company is carrying 

out a massive redesign of the airport structure from 

the floor to the roof. 

Since the take-over, 

the Airport has shown 

remarkable increase in 

passenger volume. 

Prior to the Concession, 

Asaba Airport was 

recording a 

passenger 

throughput of 8,000 

monthly but is now 

oscillating between 

20,000 and 25,000 just 

in six months of the 

concession. 

In the area of revenue, 

the Airport, before the concession was generating 

a monthly income of N10million. 

Today, the airport is reported to be generating 

between N65million and N75million on the 

average monthly. 

In the area of manpower development and 

employment, the Concession Agreement requires 

the Concessionaire to ensure that 25% of its staff 

are Deltans. But records show that, currently 65% 

of the staff are Deltans with remuneration far higher 

than the airport staff were earning before the 

Concession. All the staff have undergone various 

training both locally and international in conformity 

with the vision of the Concessionaire. 

Beyond the above, the greatest area of excellence 

by the Asaba Airport Company is in Corporate 

Social Responsibility (CSR). Within six months of 

the Concession, the Company is investing a 

whooping N1billion to put modern street light 

from the point of the entry of the airport vicinity – 

Issele-Azagba to the Niger River Head-bridge, a 

distance of about 10 kilometres. 

As at today, the developments are beginning to 

lead to trickle down effects with signs of businesses 

arising from push and pull factor effects of the Airport 

•Okowa 

rising profile. 

Today, the elated State 

Government has voted a huge sum for the 

construction of the perimeter road to tighten and 

heighten security. 

So far, quite some critical points have been proved 

and these are: 

•It is more beneficial to concession Airports owned 

by State Governments. 

•A Nigerian Company with enough financial 

muscle with a well-tested technical Partner can be 

a successful Concessionaire and deliver dividends. 

•The citizens as well as air travel passengers will 

be the better for it as is seen today with Asaba 

International Airport. 

No doubt, the Asaba International Airport 

Concession is most likely to be the greatest legacy 

of Okowa’s administration. 

That is why this legacy must be protected and 

the Concessionaire shielded from frustrating and 

expensive shenanigans of tomorrow’s political 

actors. 

To do this, Okowa should consider the 

establishment of an insular statutory body that 

will oversee and manage the Concession to achieve 

given objectives and ends. Such a body will be 

accountable to the Government, raise Council 

Memos, respond to the Legislature, attend Bilateral 

and International Conferences to ensure that the 

Airport does not lose its international status given 

the emerging and fluxy dynamics of Nigeria’s aeropolitics. 

Such a Statutory Body will mediate in 

conflict resolutions between the main 

Concessionaire and Sub-Concessionaires as well 

as between the Airport Management and other 

operators. The Body will carry out security oversight 

as well as discuss future development of the Airport. 

This Statutory Body should be staffed initially by 

the key personnel that midwifed the Concession 

with tenured terms approved by State Assembly. 

The Governor must not just beat his chest today 

and leave tomorrow to the “dogs”. Even if the 

Governor is too sure of his beloved successor, he 

should remember the tragedy of TINAPA, Donald 

Duke’s Legacy Project that had very high palpable 

potential to turn Calabar into a global village and 

destination. When his political friend and brother 

Liel Imoke took over, the Project became a ghost. 

Who lost? Cross Riverians, Nigerians and Donal 

Duke. 

Mr. Governor, you did well and have set a 

benchmark for your peers. Safeguard this Legacy. 

It will not cost the State 25% of the annual spend 

on the Airport before the Concession. A Body of 

not more than 15 to 20 personnel is what is 

required. Otherwise, not to protect it today could 

leave you with regrets and pain engendering 

nostalgia tomorrow. 

Chris Aligbe 

Aviation Consultant. 

SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 5, 2022—15 

Edo begins ‘operation 

show your building plan’ 

in Benin as Obaseki 

partners FG to revitalize 

Okomu National Park 

T 

he Edo State Government has 

concluded plans to commence a 

recertification campaign for buildings 

in the Ugbor, Ogheghe, Amagba 

communities and environs in the Benin 

metropolis to guard against building 

collapse and other hazards. 

Commissioner for Physical Planning, 

Urban and Regional Development, 

Isoken Omo, in a statement, urged 

members of the public to cooperate with 

officials of the ministry during the 

clearance and recertification exercise. 

According to her, “The general public is 

hereby informed that Edo State Ministry 

of Physical Planning, Urban and 

Regional Development will be 

commencing the “Operation Show Your 

Building Plan” exercise in Ugbor, 

Ogheghe, Amagba Communities and 

their environs from Friday March 11, 

2022.” 

She urged property owners and 

developers within the said areas to 

provide their building plans upon 

demand at their property/site for 

clearance and recertification. 

In another development, the Edo State 

Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, said his 

administration will partner the federal 

government on the management of the 

Okomu National Park, to revitalize the 

park and strengthen security in the area. 

Obaseki disclosed this on Thursday while 

addressing the Conservator of the 

Okomu National Park, Mr. Augustine 

Obekpa, when he visited the park in Udo 

Community, Ovia South-West Local 

Government Area of the state. 

The governor also stated plans to send 

a forestry bill to the Edo State House of 

Assembly for consideration to bolster 

efforts at protecting the state’s forest 

reserves. 

He noted, “We are going to be sending 

a forestry bill to the Edo State House 

of Assembly for consideration next 

week. We will make sure that we 

expand the law beyond forestry assets 

to also cover the natural assets found 

around the forest. 

“We want to collaborate with the 

National Park Service. I will visit the 

Minister of Environment to offer her a 

certain proposal to allow the Edo State 

Government to jointly manage the park 

with the federal government because this 

is our resource.” 

Obaseki continued: “With that 

collaboration, it means that we would 

put in more resources. We would like to 

increase the number of rangers and park 

officers to protect not only this park but 

some other reserves that are around us 

here, particularly the Okumo Reserve 

and the Gelegele Reserve. 

“We will pay for the new hires under such 

an arrangement. We will upgrade your 

training, as well as provide more 

facilities and amenities for the park. 

“Nobody will come here if they don’t feel 

secure and safe. This does not apply only 

to the park and the resources around this 

area, but it is important for people to 

know that they are secured when they 

come in to enjoy nature.” 

“We will make sure that we improve the 

security of this park and expose the 

beauty and ecotourism opportunities of 

the park,” he added. 

Obaseki further stated, “We have been 

hearing of nefarious activities of 

criminal elements, both in the park and 

the forest reserve, and also the Okomu 

Oil Palm Company. Today, we are on a 

fact finding visit to examine what exactly 

is going on in the park. 

“We have to find out the number of 

attacks, where the attacks are coming 

from and see how the state government 

can come in and collaborate effectively 

with the park using the full security 

system in the state to deal with the 

security challenges that we have here. 

“Government will not just sit back and 

allow the kind of criminality that we are 

seeing in this area. Our worry is that if 

we don’t confront them now, it will get 

out of hand. 

“We are hoping to get the full report from 

you and to understand clearly how the 

criminals are operating. We saw a truck 

outside the premises which I believe was 

recently seized with high quality wood.” 

“You know how expensive these items are. 

Our concern is that these criminals come 

in, log illegally and take the logs out, sell 

them and procure more arms and come in 

to occupy the territory,” Obaseki noted. 

In his remarks, the Conservator of the 

Okomu National Park said the park is 

home to white-throated monkeys, Buffalo 

and Elephants, noting that farming, 

hunting and illegal logging was affecting 

the natural habitats of the animals. 

Obekpa appealed to the governor for 

logistics support to enable them to 

effectively protect the forest assets.


Terry in trouble 

over Twitter 

message to 

Abramovic 

John Terry’s appreciation tweet 

towards Russian billionaire 

Roman Abramovic was met by 

strong opposition from Labour MP 

Chris Bryant. Terry, who enjoyed a 

very successful spell at Chelsea under 

the ownership of Abramovic, took to 

Twitter on Thursday, March to hail 

the Russian billionaire for the 

contribution he brought to the club 

since the takeover in 2003. 

The post has since received more 

than 10,000 retweets, and thousands 

of comments, including one from 

Bryant, who was not impressed with 

the Chelsea legend. 

“This is appalling,” Bryant tweeted. 

“I think John Terry you should take 

this down ASAP. The people of 

Ukraine are being bombed, shelled 

and murdered while you celebrate 

Abramovich.” 

Despite having ties with Russia 

President Vladimir Vladimirovich 

Putin, Abramovic is a household 

name among Chelsea fans, who 

consider him an important part of 

the club’s history. Since taking 

ownership of the club in 2003, 

Abramovic has overseen 

tremendous success with Chelsea, 

winning a total of 21 trophies. 

Notably, Chelsea has now won every 

trophy imaginable in club level after 

the recent success at the Club World 

Cup. 

Bryant’s take on Abramovic As 

reported by Daily Mail, the Labor 

MP has openly expressed his 

discontent on matters regarding 

Roman Abramovic since Russia 

began the invasion of Ukraine last 

week. Earlier in the week, Bryant 

alleged that Abramovic was selling 

his home and apartment because he 

was afraid of being sanctioned. 

Abramovich was 

never my friend 

—Mourinho 

J 

ose Mourinho says he has a 

cordial and respectful 

relationship with Chelsea 

owner, Roman Abramovich 

after the Russian revealed he 

is putting up the Stamford 

Bridge club for sale. 

Mourinho had two spells as 

Chelsea coach and is 

considered the most successful 

manager in the Blues history 

after winning three Premier 

League titles with the London 

club. 

According to a report via 

Football London, the 59-yearold 

manager back in 2016 

was quoted as saying he and 

Abramovich were never 

friends while he was in charge 

at Chelsea. 

“He [Abramovich] was 

never my friend. “We always 

had the relationship of ownermanager; 

a very respectful 

relationship. We were 

never friends. We 

were never 

close to each 

other. So, no, 

he is just a 

person that I 

keep very 

respected.” 

R o m a n 

Abramovich 

h a s 

confirmed 

in a 

statement 

that he is 

ending his 

almost 20 

y e a r s 

association with 

the Blues as he 

has put the 

Stamford 

Bridge club up 

for sale. 

•Terry 

•Mourinho 

•Mutiu 

Does it matter to you that this all-important 

match is being taken to Abuja and not Lagos? 

I don’t see anything negative about it. 

Naturally, some people would have expected it to 

hold in Lagos because of massive support from fans. 

But I believe Abuja too can generate such support 

where the field is big and the big stadium will be 

filled to capacity. But I don’t think it matters, 

wherever the match will be played. I believe the 

NFF fixed the match for Abuja because of logistics 

and administrative reasons. The only thing is for 

our boys to go in there and win, wherever the 

match is played. 

Head to head, Ghana has an edge over Nigeria. 

Don’t you think Ghana’s superior record would 

hunt this present Eagles? 

I don’t think so. Records are there to be broken. 

If there is a record, you always find people trying to 

break the record and that is how it should be. I 

believe we have the players, we have the capacity 

that can handle the situation. Ghana want to go to 

the World Cup and Nigeria too want to go the World 

Cup. That makes the situation more difficult but I 

believe we have the players who can beat them. 

How do you see the combination of Austin 

Eguavoen and Emmanuel Amuneke as Super 

Eagles coaches? 

It’s good. I don’t foresee any problem as long as 

everybody is working in the same direction for a 

common purpose, I don’t see any conflict of interest. 

Between them they know if we don’t win, we will 

not go to the World Cup. 

Do you see this as a test for Nigerian 

coaches? 

I don’t see it as a test but I believe they are 

going to give their best to ensure we qualify 

for the World Cup. What we want is to qualify, 

either with Nigerian coaches or foreign. 

Some players coming into the squad to 

face Ghana were not part of the AFCON. Do 

you see this as a problem for the coach? 

When the technical team have many good 

players to choose from, it is a pleasant problem. 

You have the luxury to select the best. It’s the 

coaches who will have to take that decision on 

who should play. Some of the players you are 

Qatar 2022 W/Cup pla 

Mutiu Ade 

tasks 

Eguavo 

Amune 

• Says the two must work w 

• Insists only the best playe 

talking about will be a plus because they are going 

to strengthen the team. Osimhen, for instance, 

was not in AFCON, his coming will add more depth 

and fire power to the attacking line. It is however, 

left for the coaches to select the right players who 

can execute their plans and achieve success. That 

is key. 

Should a player like Demola Lookman who 

recently effected a nationality switch be thrown 

into the fray against Ghana? 

Demola is a very good and experienced 

professional. The only thing is that he has not had 

the experience of playing for Nigeria before. But 

the coaches will decide whether he would be ready 

to feature in the match or not. They will observe 

him in training and assess him before the match. If 

he meets their expectations; that is if he can fit into 

their plan and give them what they need they will 

decide. 

Lookman is a very good player the only thing is 

that he has not played for Nigeria before but like I 

said earlier, he is a core professional. But the coaches 

will decide. 

Nigerian d 

recovering fro 

been having 

injured, Ola A 

enough playin 

that has been p 

of worry to Ni 

It might be 

because, like 

injured. Unlik 

first time, he 

with the tea 

experienced. 

that should be 

What about 

is not having 

be affected. Aw 

Well that d 

they should b 

should know 

ALEX IWOBI 

His net worth, salar 

cars and houses 

•Alex Iwobi 

Background: 

Alex Iwobi born Alexander 

Chuka Iwobi is a 

Nigerian professional 

footballer who currently 

plays as a Winger and a Forward for 

Everton Football Club and the Super 

Eagles. He was born on the 3rd of May 

1996 to Nigerian parents. His father 

Chuba Iwobi is a Lawyer, and his 

mother is the sister of popular former 

Nigeria international, Jay Jay Okocha. 

In 1998, when Alex Iwobi was two 

years old, his family moved out of 

Nigeria to Turkey, and when he was four 

years old, his family again moved to 

England to be with his uncle, JayJay 

Okocha. Alex grew up in Newham, 

London, and there he learnt how to play 

football in the neighbourhood with his 

friend, Tyrell. At the age of eight, Alex Iwobi 

was already a member of the Arsenal club, 

while still in Primary school. 

Iwobi made his international debut for 

Nigeria in October 2015 and was part of the 

national team at the 2018 FIFA world cup 

and the 2019 AFCON. Some achievements 

he has under his belt are a Young player of 

the year award by Confederation of African 

Football (CAF) IN 2016; a Member of the 

CAF team in 2016, etc. 

Alex Iwobi has JayJay Okocha his uncle as 

a mentor for many years since he was a child 

as JayJay was also a professional footballer. 

He was once romantically involved with a 

model, Clarisse Juliette for four years but 

they split up in 2017. 

In July 2019, Alex Iwobi was included in 

the Forbes 30 under 30 lists, joining other 

young Nigerians like Ijeoma Balogun and 

others on the list. 

Salary 

Alex Iwobi became a member of the Everton 

club in August 2019 and his salary at the 

club is currently 4 million Euros per year 

(N1, 777,448,820). On a weekly basis, he 

earns 81,301 Euros (N36, 126, 72 P/W).




over Twitter 

message to 

Abramovic 




































Cup. 













—Mourinho 

J 














club. 







at Chelsea. 







were never 

close to each 


he is just a 

person that I 

keep very 

respected.” 

R o m a n 

Abramovich 

h a s 

confirmed 

in a 

statement 

that he is 

ending his 

almost 20 

y e a r s 



has put the 

Stamford 


for sale. 

•Terry 

•Mourinho 

•Alex Iwobi 

•Mutiu 


































coaches? 













ALEX IWOBI: 

His net worth, salary, 


Background: 























Qatar 2022 W/Cup playoffs: 







is key. 












decide. 




will decide. 



















Salary 





earns 81,301 Euros (N36, 126, 72 P/W). 

•Eguavoen 

Mutiu Adepoju 

tasks 

Eguavoen, 

Amuneke 

• Says the two must work with a common purpose 

• Insists only the best players should feature 

Nigerian defenders, Leon Balogun is just 

recovering from injury, Troost-Ekong has not 

been having game time at Watford, Ebuehi is 

injured, Ola Aina too has not been enjoying 

enough playing time in Torino. It’s only Omeruo 

that has been playing. Shouldn’t this be a source 

of worry to Nigeria? 

It might be. But I believe it shouldn’t be 

because, like Troost Ekong, it’s not that he is 

injured. Unlike Lookman who is coming for the 

first time, he is not a new man. He has been 

with the team for a long time, and he is 

experienced. Omeruo is playing. I don’t think 

that should be a big problem. 

What about their form, because when a player 

is not having game time, his form is bound to 

be affected. Awaziem too has not been playing. 

Well that depends on the coaches because 

they should be able to follow the players and 

should know what to do. 

•Amuneke 

Senegal won the AFCON 

with a local coach after giving 

him time to build the team. 

Should Nigeria stick with 

Eguavoen and give him time 

to build a formidable team? 

During Westerhof’s time, we 

took that step. He was given 

enough time and we saw the 

results coming after four years. 

We must decide on what we 

want as a nation, set targets 

and time frame. For instance, 

in four years, this is our target. 

That is where we should start 

from. We must also learn to be 

patient. Senegal lost in the final 

of AFCON 2019 and won it this 

year. They have been taking one 

step at a time. With vision, good 

planning and patience, we can 

achieve a lot. But here in Nigeria, 

we don’t have that patience. 

While at Arsenal, the player earned 159,389 

pounds after tax. 

Net worth 

At the moment, Alex Iwobi has an estimated 

net worth of ¦ 5 billion. He signed a 5-year 

contract with his present club-Everton F.C, on 

an annual average salary of 2.6 million 

pounds, this increasing his net worth from his 

stay at Arsenal. His market value currently 

sits at 40 million Euros. 

Cars 

Being young and rich, it is abnormal to have 

taste for the fine things of life, especially when 

you earn millions of naira per week. He has 

•Alex with 

family 

taste for luxury and exquisite products as 

shown in the different cars he has been seen 

riding in over the years. 

While still with his ex-girlfriend, Clarisse 

Juliette, he bought matching cars for him and 

his girlfriend, yes he did that! He has also been 

seen riding around in a Mercedes Convertible. 

He is also the owner of a BMW Convertible. 

House 

Alex Iwobi has made his plans of coming 

back to Nigeria to settle down, little wonder 

why he acquired a property in Lagos, Nigeria. 

The exact location of the property is unknown 

but from pictures, it is a big house. 

Out of Nigeria, Alex lives with his parents in 

England, which helps him to cut the costs of 

spending so much money on accommodation. 

ROMAN 

NUMERALS 

Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea 

era in numbers, including 21 trophies 

and 13 managers during golden 

19-year spell as owner. 

BILLIONAIRE Russian 

oligarch Roman 

Abramovich has 

confirmed he is 

selling Chelsea after 

19 years of 

ownership. Buying the club for 

£140million in 2003 

Abramovich used his riches to 

turn Chelsea into a winning 

machine, with no other English 

club lifting more major 

trophies than the Blues in the 

time since he took over. 

In an official statement on 

Wednesday night Abramovich 

put Chelsea up for sale, citing 

it was ‘in the best interest’ of 

all those involved at the club. 

He’s hoping 

to find a 

buyer by 

FRIDAY after 

wiping his 

staggering 

£1.5billion 

Chelsea debt 

and agreeing 

to walk away 

from the club. 

It’s the end 

of an era at 

Stamford 

Bridge, which 

has been a 

revolving 

door for both 

players and 

managers for 

the last two 

decades. 

But it’s also 

a place where 

on average 

more than 

one trophy 

has been won 

in every year 

of the 

Abramovich reign. 

During Abramovich’s 19-year 

ownership a total of 21 trophies have 

been lifted by various Chelsea 

captain’s across the years. 

The majority of those were by Blues 

legend John Terry, who hailed 

Abramovich as ‘the best owner in the 

world’ after news of his planned sale 

was made public. 

Manchester United have won the 

second-most amount of silverware in 

the time since Abramovich took over, 

but it’s still five less trophies than the 

Blues won in the last 19 years - 

excluding the Community Shield. 

Manchester City are a further one 

behind on 13, while Liverpool have 

won nine and Arsenal six. 

In total five league titles were lifted 

under Abramovich, as well as five FA 

Cups, three League Cups, the 

Champions League, Europa League 

and Community Shield twice, and the 

Club World Cup and Super Cup once. 

The much sought-after Champions 

League trophy was first won in 2012 

and then again just last year, with 

Abramovich present at both finals in 

Munich and Porto. 

He was also in Abu Dhabi last month 

to watch the Blues lift the Club World 

Cup, the final trophy to be won in his 

era. 

Roman’s Empire oversaw over 

£2billion splashed out on players, with 

the £97.5m paid for Romelu Lukaku 

last summer being his most expensive 

acquisition. 

Kai Havertz’s £89m fee is Chelsea’s 

second-most expensive signing of all 

time, while the £72m record fee for a 

goalkeeper spent on Kepa 

Arrizabalaga rounds off the top three. 

The likes of Alvaro Morata (£70m), 

Christian Pulisic (£58m), Jorginho 

(£57m) and Fernando Torres (£50m) 

didn’t come cheap either. 

Meanwhile the £47.5m spent on 

Timo Werner, £45m on Ben Chilwell 

and £40m on Mateo Kovacic make up 

the top-10 most expensive Abramovich 

signings. 

And he certainly wasn’t scared to 

give manager’s the boot if results 

failed to live up to his hefty 

expectations. 

A whopping 15 appointments in just 

19 years is some record, in a list which 

includes some of the greatest bosses to 

ever coach the game. 

Overall 13 managers were instilled 

to the dugout as Jose Mourinho and 

Guus Hiddink were both given a second 

crack of the whip by Abramovich. 

But the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, 

Antonio Conte and Rafa Benitez all 

came and went under Abramovich’s 

orders. 

In total Chelsea played 1087 games 

with Abramovich as owner, winning a 

whopping 660 of those, and drawing a 

further 237. 

Just 190 games ended in defeat over 

19-years at the helm, which averages 

out at only 10 losses a year in all 

competitions. 

Those 1087 games saw a hefty 2049 

goals scored and 957 conceded, with 

an overall win percentage of 60.7 

percent. 

But now Abramovich will hand over 

the reigns, with SunSport exclusively 

revealing Brit billionaire Jim Ratcliffe 

as one of three parties interested in 

becoming new owners of the club.




over Twitter 

message to 

Abramovic 




































Cup. 













—Mourinho 

J 














club. 







at Chelsea. 







were never 

close to each 


he is just a 

person that I 

keep very 

respected.” 

R o m a n 

Abramovich 

h a s 

confirmed 

in a 

statement 

that he is 

ending his 

almost 20 

y e a r s 



has put the 

Stamford 


for sale. 

•Terry 

•Mourinho 

•Alex Iwobi 

•Mutiu 


































coaches? 













ALEX IWOBI: 

His net worth, salary, 


Background: 























Qatar 2022 W/Cup playoffs: 







is key. 












decide. 




will decide. 



















Salary 





earns 81,301 Euros (N36, 126, 72 P/W). 

•Eguavoen 

Mutiu Adepoju 

tasks 

Eguavoen, 

Amuneke 

• Says the two must work with a common purpose 

• Insists only the best players should feature 

Nigerian defenders, Leon Balogun is just 

recovering from injury, Troost-Ekong has not 

been having game time at Watford, Ebuehi is 

injured, Ola Aina too has not been enjoying 

enough playing time in Torino. It’s only Omeruo 

that has been playing. Shouldn’t this be a source 

of worry to Nigeria? 

It might be. But I believe it shouldn’t be 

because, like Troost Ekong, it’s not that he is 

injured. Unlike Lookman who is coming for the 

first time, he is not a new man. He has been 

with the team for a long time, and he is 

experienced. Omeruo is playing. I don’t think 

that should be a big problem. 

What about their form, because when a player 

is not having game time, his form is bound to 

be affected. Awaziem too has not been playing. 

Well that depends on the coaches because 

they should be able to follow the players and 

should know what to do. 

•Amuneke 

By Jacob Ajom 


























Net worth 








Cars 




•Alex with 

family 









House 









ROMAN 

NUMERALS 










19 years of 














He’s hoping 

to find a 

buyer by 

FRIDAY after 

wiping his 

staggering 

£1.5billion 

Chelsea debt 

and agreeing 

to walk away 



of an era at 

Stamford 

Bridge, which 

has been a 

revolving 

door for both 

players and 

managers for 

the last two 

decades. 


a place where 

on average 

more than 

one trophy 

has been won 

in every year 

of the 


































era. 





acquisition. 














signings. 




expectations. 












orders. 




further 237. 




competitions. 




percent. 








over Twitter 

message to 

Abramovic 




































Cup. 













—Mourinho 

J 














club. 







at Chelsea. 







were never 

close to each 


he is just a 

person that I 

keep very 

respected.” 

R o m a n 

Abramovich 

h a s 

confirmed 

in a 

statement 

that he is 

ending his 

almost 20 

y e a r s 



has put the 

Stamford 


for sale. 

•Terry 

•Mourinho 

•Mutiu 


































coaches? 













Qatar 2022 W/Cup pla 

Mutiu Ade 

tasks 

Eguavo 

Amune 

• Says the two must work w 

• Insists only the best playe 







is key. 












decide. 




will decide. 

Nigerian d 

recovering fro 

been having 

injured, Ola A 

enough playin 

that has been p 

of worry to Ni 

It might be 

because, like 

injured. Unlik 

first time, he 

with the tea 

experienced. 

that should be 

What about 

is not having 

be affected. Aw 

Well that d 

they should b 

should know 

ALEX IWOBI 

His net worth, salar 


•Alex Iwobi 

Background: 









































Salary 





earns 81,301 Euros (N36, 126, 72 P/W).


yoffs: 

•Eguavoen 

poju 

en, 

ke 

ith a common purpose 

rs should feature 

efenders, Leon Balogun is just 

m injury, Troost-Ekong has not 

ame time at Watford, Ebuehi is 

ina too has not been enjoying 

g time in Torino. It’s only Omeruo 

laying. Shouldn’t this be a source 

geria? 

. But I believe it shouldn’t be 

Troost Ekong, it’s not that he is 

e Lookman who is coming for the 

is not a new man. He has been 

m for a long time, and he is 

Omeruo is playing. I don’t think 

a big problem. 

their form, because when a player 

game time, his form is bound to 

aziem too has not been playing. 

epends on the coaches because 

e able to follow the players and 

what to do. 

: 

y, 

•Amuneke 

By Jacob Ajom 


























Net worth 








Cars 




•Alex with 

family 









House 









ROMAN 

NUMERALS 










19 years of 














He’s hoping 

to find a 

buyer by 

FRIDAY after 

wiping his 

staggering 

£1.5billion 

Chelsea debt 

and agreeing 

to walk away 



of an era at 

Stamford 

Bridge, which 

has been a 

revolving 

door for both 

players and 

managers for 

the last two 

decades. 


a place where 

on average 

more than 

one trophy 

has been won 

in every year 

of the 


































era. 





acquisition. 














signings. 




expectations. 












orders. 




further 237. 




competitions. 




percent. 







yoffs: 

•Eguavoen 

poju 

en, 

ke 

ith a common purpose 

rs should feature 

efenders, Leon Balogun is just 

m injury, Troost-Ekong has not 

ame time at Watford, Ebuehi is 

ina too has not been enjoying 

g time in Torino. It’s only Omeruo 

laying. Shouldn’t this be a source 

geria? 

. But I believe it shouldn’t be 

Troost Ekong, it’s not that he is 

e Lookman who is coming for the 

is not a new man. He has been 

m for a long time, and he is 

Omeruo is playing. I don’t think 

a big problem. 

their form, because when a player 

game time, his form is bound to 

aziem too has not been playing. 

epends on the coaches because 

e able to follow the players and 

what to do. 

: 

y, 

•Amuneke 


























Net worth 








Cars 




•Alex with 

family 









House 









ROMAN 

NUMERALS 










19 years of 














He’s hoping 

to find a 

buyer by 

FRIDAY after 

wiping his 

staggering 

£1.5billion 

Chelsea debt 

and agreeing 

to walk away 



of an era at 

Stamford 

Bridge, which 

has been a 

revolving 

door for both 

players and 

managers for 

the last two 

decades. 


a place where 

on average 

more than 

one trophy 

has been won 

in every year 

of the 


































era. 





acquisition. 














signings. 




expectations. 












orders. 




further 237. 




competitions. 




percent. 






18—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5 , 2022

There are many things people 

fantasize about while flying on 

an airplane. But the ultimate 

fantasy I suppose must be to make love 

on a plane. It is a very tempting prospect 

especially when the plane is flying 

trans-Atlantic and its about 2 am in 

the dead of the night. The cabin crew 

has finished serving dinner and retired 

to rest their aching feet. The lights have 

been turned off. Many seats have been 

reclined. Soft snores are heard from 

passengers who have made a sort of 

‘astral travel to another world’. You and 

your babe are awake talking and 

probably touching. Only the fear of 

being caught has been the sobering 

restraint for many. But even that fear 

has not deterred some people who are 

either too adventurous or too far gone 

to care about the consequences of being 

caught. Furtive and extremely risky 

attempts have been made including 

clumsy trips to the toilets when these 

love birds think everybody has ‘retired 

for the night’. These days, First Class 

and Business Class passengers have 

cubicles, beds and therefore some 

privacy which could be used as 

incentives by those seized by lust and 

adventure. The Nigeria Airways of the 

70s and 80s didn’t have these cubicles 

even for its First Class passengers. In 

fact, I don’t think any airline had 

introduced beds and cubicles in the 70s. 

There was this very rich Nigerian 

who was known as much for his 

philanthropy as his promiscuity. 

Flights had routinely waited for him, 

airline operatives had routinely waited 

on him, not only in Nigeria, but in 

several African countries. He had done 

about everything he could with a 

commercial airline except making love 

in one. He wanted that experience. He 

in fact craved it. He mentioned it to a 

top Nigerian Airways official in 

operations who said it was possible but 

at a cost. The rest as they say, is history. 

This is a true story, told to me by one of 

the officials who made it happen. So 

when we talk about why Nigerian 

Airways failed, it was not because 

Nigeria used a flying elephant as its 

logo. After all, as Shakespeare said ‘a 

rose by any other name will still smell 

as sweet’. It was not because of 

Thought we had learnt how not 

to fly an airline by now 

professional incompetence. Nigeria 

went the extra mile to train the staff 

of the Nigeria Airways. Our Pilots 

were among the best 

trained in the world. 

Our air hostesses were 

pretty, glamorous and 

professional. The inflight 

services were 

comparable to most 

other international 

airlines. Most 

importantly, Nigeria 

Airways was one of the 

safest airlines in the 

world. So why did it 

fail? 

To start with, the 

airline business is one 

of those few businesses 

that are both labour 

and capital intensive. 

In addition, it needs 

both volume and 

quality. The avenues 

for leakages are 

therefore legion. You’d 

have to run a tight ship 

to break even let alone 

make a profit. Many grow their own 

food; many run their own catering 

services; many own hotels; some 

have stakes at facilities where the 

mandatory periodic checks are done. 

All in the effort to bring costs down. 

In spite of these, many survive only 

because their governments keep 

them afloat. In the case of Nigerian 

Airways, government subventions 

were increasing every year while debts 

were rising. The 

leakages became a 

sieve. It was no 

surprise that the 

airline soon 

The Nigeria 

Airways of the 70s 

and 80s didn’t have 

these cubicles 

even for its First 

Class passengers. 

In fact, I don’t think 

any airline had 

introduced beds 

and cubicles in the 

70s 


became an 

elephant which 

could not walk let 

alone fly.Why did 

Nigeria Airways 

which was once the 

pride of Nigeria if 

not Africa go into 

extinction? Why 

did an airline with 

over 45 planes 

dwindle to zero? 

Enough technical 

and professional 

reports have been 

made on why the 

airline collapsed. I 

am no expert; just 

an ordinary 

journalist who 

chronicles and sometimes participates 

in events. In my opinion, the Nigeria 

Airways failed due to the ever 

pervading Nigerian factor. Factors like 

complimentary tickets – I confess to 

being a beneficiary on a couple of 

occasions.Factors like undue 

interferences from governments of the 

day.Factors like loaded invoices and 

payments for jobs not done while genuine 

contractors were left unpaid. Perhaps the 

most debilitating factor was the hijacking 

of planes for political and other noneconomic 

reasons. A plane could be 

diverted at a moment’s notice without 

recourse to the route it was meant for or 

regard for the people scheduled for the 

route. An international flight could be 

delayed for a couple of hours because a big 

man who had to be in London for a meeting 

that night was just about to enter his 

bathroom.No airline run the way the 

Nigerian Airways was run could survive. 

In fact, no business run like that could 

survive. 

The recent unfortunate incident 

between the Emir of Kano and the 

management of Air Peace Airline is a sad 

reminder of the days of the Nigerian 

Airways. According to reports, the Emir’s 

flight from Banjul to Lagos was delayed. 

This in turn affected his connecting flight 

to Kano. This could be exasperating and 

frustrating as anyone who has had that 

experience would tell you – I have on 

many occasions. The normal thing is to 

ask for redress and compensation 

especially if the two flights are operated 

by the same airline as it was in this case. 

Instead, the Emir’s Chief of Staff wanted 

the Kano flight delayed so His highness 

could get on it. This was a request he would 

not contemplate in Europe or even in 

Gambia where he was coming from 

because it would not be granted. It would 

be an abuse of position and power. It was 

however, a request that reflects the mindset 

of the Nigerian big man. To treat the 

denial of the request as an insult not only 

to His Royal Highness but to the entire 

people of Kano is unfortunate but hardly 

surprising. Every Nigerian elite speaks for 

his people when he wants something for 

himself. This attitude of entitlement; of 

self-indulgence at the expense of the 

country, is one of the reasons we are where 

we are today as a nation. 

Nigeria is thinking of having a national 

carrier again. Is that carrier going to be 

allowed to operate along the lines of the 

global best practices in the industry or 

would it be subject again to the whims and 

indulgencies of the Nigerian elite?One 

would have thought we had learnt our 

lessons. 

The imminent emergence of 

Senator Abdullahi Adamu as 

the next chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC has 

waxed belief that President 

Muhammadu Buhari was not 

detached from the politics that played 

out in the days leading to the 

enactment of the new Electoral Act. 

The new Electoral Act has to the 

consternation of those outside Buhari’s 

political ambit emboldened him to 

forge his imprimatur on the 2023 

General Election, and particularly, on 

the emergence of his successor. 

Of course, it is the desire of every 

retiring president everywhere to have 

a say on who succeeds him. 

In the case of President Buhari, this 

tradition has been particularly tricky 

given the leading role played by 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in his 2015 

nomination and election. 

Tinubu in the opinion of several 

persons deserves to be more than 

compensated by Buhari in attaining 

his life ambition of being president of 

Nigeria. 

However, indications 

are that this will not be. 

The ominous signs for 

Team Tinubu are 

everywhere and the 

former Lagos State 

governor, the former 

kingmaker has taken 

his fate in his hands. 

Indeed, to the distress 

of some political 

commentators Tinubu 

has reduced himself, 

running around in a 

way not fitting for a 

kingmaker of his 

status. 

Now, the pliable 

weapon being used 

against Tinubu 

appears to be the 

newly signed Electoral 

Act which the Buhari 

camp seems to have 

quickly taken as a tool 

to forge a consensus against his former 

political benefactor. 

It is now obvious that 

the planned 

emergence of Adamu 

as the national 

chairman of the APC is 

only the first stage in 

forging the 

consensus against 

Tinubu in the 

presidential race 

The consensus against Tinubu 

The Tinubu camp was obviously 

aware of the plot and hence the 

moves it took to uproot the use of 

consensus in the adoption of party 

officials and candidates by political 

parties in the Electoral Bill. 

You would recall that Speaker 

Femi Gbajabiamila, a protégée of 

Tinubu’s, was the one who caused 

the deletion of the clause as an 

option in the election of candidates 

and party officials. 

That was done in 

the last stage of 

the passage of the 

bill last November. 

The adoption of 

only direct 

primary, it was 

widely reported, 

would have 

favoured Tinubu 

who had the 

advantage in high 

voting states like 

Kano, Borno, 

Katsina and Lagos 

States. 

The president’s 

minders rejected 

the move and 

returned the bill to 

the National 

A s s e m b l y . 

Remember, the 

president insisted 

on the adoption of 

consensus as an option. 

Indeed, when it was returned last 

January, we also saw the dithering 

procrastination of the Speaker 

Gbajabiamila led House of 

Representatives in amending it. 

Now, following the president’s 

assent to the reworked bill 

penultimate Friday, we have seen 

the ease with which the Consensus 

option has been used in adopting 

Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the next 

national chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC. 

The president according to news 

reports was reported to have told 

governors who were all grumbling 

about the choice of Adamu to go home 

that he had made his choice. 

It is now obvious that the planned 

emergence of Adamu as the national 

chairman of the APC is only the first 

stage in forging the consensus 

against Tinubu in the presidential 

race. 

It was not as if the governors who 

objected to Adamu were in anyway 

sympathetic to Tinubu. Many of them 

had their agenda. 

Of course, there are many reasons 

that the governors were opposed to 

Adamu, the first being the fact that 

he is not a man that many of them 

can push around. When Adamu was 

governor many of the governors were 

in the infantile stage of politics. 

For Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his 

backers, the emergence of Adamu as 

national chairman is also ominous for 

many reasons. 

The first is that Adamu was a 

principal associate of President 

Olusegun Obasanjo when they were 

governors together between 1999 and 

2007. Whereas Adamu was a strong 

backer of the Third Term plot, Tinubu 

was on the other side. Both men as 

governors hardly associated and it is 

said that it is late for them to be changing 

positions. 

Adamu has also been quoted in an 

interview that has lately turned viral to 

have said that it was not compulsory for 

the next president to come from the 

South. In effect, Tinubu is not within his 

perspective, and the idea of power shift 

within the APC is not one that would be 

necessarily driven by the party 

leadership under Senator Adamu. 

Buhari may have fetched Adamu to 

accomplish his political purpose in a 

way no president in the Fourth Republic 

has done. 

The last president to have wielded 

strong influence on the polity in the way 

Buhari is doing was President Obasanjo. 

But Obasanjo didn’t go half as far as 

Buhari has done. 

Indeed, under Obasanjo there were 

alternative power centres within the 

ruling party where dissidents could run 

to 

İn 2003 when Chris Uba made his 

move to remove Governor Chris Ngige 

from office, Hon. Chidi Duru, a former 

member of the House of Representatives 

from Anambra State put a call to Vice 

President Atiku Abubakar who was then 

at the Lagos Polo Club. With Obasanjo 

out of the country at that time, Ngige 

was released from detention and 

resumed as governor. 

But under President Buhari, there are 

no alternative power centres within the 

APC. Everyone must wait for and take a 

cue from the body language of the 

president. 

So, it is now clear that with the Electoral 

Law stipulating the use of consensus as 

an acceptable option in nominating party 

candidates that President Buhari would 

wield the option in pushing forward his 

favoured nominee. And that person from 

every handwriting on the wall and from 

Buhari’s body language is certainly not 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.


Vanguard, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2022—21 

08111813022 

Olu Jacobs 

excited as Vanguard 

honours him with Lifetime 

Achievement award 

•Joke 

Silva 

Legendary actor, Olu Jacobs surely deserves 

all the accolades coming his way in recent 

times, having paid his dues as one of the 

pioneers of the Nigerian movie industry. 

Just last year, he was conferred with a Lifetime 

Achievement Award by the organizers of the 

prestigious Africa International Film Festival, 

AFRIFF. It came five years after a similar award 

was given to him by African Movie Academy 

Awards, AMAA, in 2016. 

The patriarch of Nigeria’s movie industry is again 

being honoured with another award. This time, 

he will be a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement 

Award at the forthcoming Vanguard’s Personality 

of the Year Awards 2021. 

In a letter notifying the actor, which was signed 

by the Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, Eze Anaba, 

the organization said the award is being given to 

the movie icon in recognition of his exceptional 

contributions to human development and capacity 

building in the entertainment sector. 

“The honour is also in further attestation to 

your selfless and outstanding roles which have 

helped spur the growth and development of the 

country’s entertainment industry, especially 

theatre, cinema and home videos.” 

“We have followed your career spanning over 

40 years and are impressed with the priceless 

roles you have played as a bridge between the 

old and new breed of Nigerian actors.” 

“We are also aware that as one of the pioneer 

actors in the Nigerian movie industry, you also 

helped set the trajectory for posterity in the 

entertainment industry through your profound 

contributions, both on and off camera,”the letter 

reads. 

It further stated that the philosophy of this 

award is to recognize and celebrate ‘Excellence, 

National Pride and Service to Humanity. “ It’s 

with great honour we confer on you this welldeserved 

award”, the letter stated. 

Meanwhile, receiving the letter on 

behalf of her husband on Thursday, on 

Lagos island, Joke Silva, who’s also a 

thorough-bred actress, said the movie 

icon was excited to be honoured by 

Vanguard. 

According to her, Vanguard is her 

husband’s favourite newspaper, 

adding “he doesn’t joke with the 

paper.” 

On what the yearly 

Vanguard’s 

Personality of the Year 

Awards means to him, 

Joke Silva said “It means 

a lot to us. It’s almost 

like an appreciation of 

all that you have done. 

And that you have 

worked with His joy 

and go with His joy.” 

She, however, 

assured that her ailing 

husband will be 

physically present to 

receive the coveted 

award. 

alented comedian, MC OJB has said 

T that one of his most memorable 

moments as a comedian was when Alibaba, the king 

of comedy stormed his show held last month in Kent, 

England. 

According to him, “ It really blew my mind. I felt 

honoured. I felt like I must be doing something right for 

the king of comedy to surprise me at my show and also 

to take the stage.” 

While at the show, OJB said Alibaba took him by 

surprise as he shared his thoughts on society’s 

perspective of the humour-making business. 

“The perspective has changed compared to what 

it was before. We are now seen as business men, 

putting smiles on people’s faces and making good 

living out of it,” the king of comedy said. 

Alibaba, however advised prospective 

comedians to understand the business properly 

before venturing into it. “Understand that you 

can’t be funny forever, so invest when you are 

How I planned 

to hit stardom 

— Osayande Osazuwa 

-Luxe Records act, Osayande Osazuwa has said he would stop 

A at nothing to earn a permanent spot in the country’s music 

scene. 

The rising singer, who’s professionally known as Perry Lanky made 

the assertion, in a chat with NollyNow. 

The Edo State-born Afro-beats singer also expressed his 

readiness to use his fame to nurture other young talents if he 

eventually hit stardom someday. Having started singing back 

in 2011, the rising singer added that he was inspired by his 

elder brother, who advised him to learn to keep the energy 

•Osasuwa positive even as he was articulating his brand of music. 

“I intend to keep making waves with my music. I don’t 

even mind making music my full time job. I have a desire 

to support young talents and if I make it big they will be 

my first priority,” Perry Lanky said. 

An undergraduate of Business Administration from 

Edo State University, Ekpoma, Perry Lanky described 

music as ‘ a pill’ adding “I’m always full of that energy 

and happiness while composing all my songs.” 

On projects he’s currently working on, Perry, 

who was recently signed in the ancient city 

of Benin, said “I’m currently working on 

my EP; it’s a big project to me because it 

does not include just me but the entire 

people in my circle.” 

With four collaborations with 

Kaehip, Kofo, Razaq, Kizzy, and 

Believe DBadboy in the works, Perry 

Lanky believes his musical arsenal 

is enough to get him the desired fame 

he so craves for. 

My most memorable 

moment as a comedian 

— MC OJB 

shining,” he added. 

MC OJB said he was still thankful to the humour 

merchant for gracing his show. 

Meanwhile, the ace-comedian is planning to produce 

his comedy franchise, ‘My Experience’ both in Lagos and 

Ibadan. 

Recalling how he ventured into the laughter business, 

MC OJB said he started his career as a master of ceremony 

before he later delved into stand-up comedy. 

“I started as a master of ceremony at events, and as an 

MC, part of your job is to entertain the audience. Comedy 

business helped me as an introvert. I know many people 

wouldn’t believe it when I say I’m an introvert. I love to 

make people happy, so comedy for me is not just a business 

but, it’s a lifestyle. The best thing about my job is seeing 

people laugh and enjoy my performance. The ability to 

take stress off people’s mind is my priority as a comedian,” 

he said. 

Speaking further, MC OJB said he was influenced by 

the likes of Seyilaw, AY, Basketmouth, Alibaba and Kevin 

Hart.

22—Vanguard, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2022 

By Juliet Ebirim 

0813 789 7935 

Frank Edoho, still King of 

suspense? 

introduced. 

Recall that Frank served as host of the popular game 

show for thirteen years. In his prime, he was the most 

popular television host in the country. 

With his on-camera charm and gentleman demeanor, 

Frank could heat the game up and take it back down 

I 

with just the raise of an eyebrow. His use of wit, 

t is no longer news that popular media personality, Frank Edoho suspense, sarcasm plus his poker face always had 

is returning as host for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Series 2 viewers glued to the edge of their seats. Frank mastered 

after a four-year hiatus. 

how to make the audience as tense as the contestants. 

Edoho was recently unveiled at a special event, where it was revealed Not many TV hosts in Nigeria can brag about keeping 

that the new series of the show will run for 52 weeks with a N20m that level of suspense up for thirteen years. Will Frank 

cash prize. The announcement sparked joyful reactions from be able to maintain that charm as the second series of 

Nigerians. 

the show tagged ‘The Rebirth’ hit the screens this 

Sponsored by UP and produced by 

March? Time will tell. 

BLK Hut Media under the 

license of Sony 

Pictures, a new 

lifeline tagged 

“Ask the host’ 

was also 

Mofolusade Sonaike breaks new 

grounds with Laura’s Bubble 

ofolusade Sonaike Productions is set 

Mto premiere a film titled ‘Laura’s 

Bubble’. The movie which features 

Nollywood heavyweights including 

Funsho Adeolu, Blessing Onwukwe, 

Scarlet Gomez, Tessy Brown, Otunba 

Okunuga, Israel Eziedo, amongst others 

Edem Seshie, Alexander 

Twumasi expand 

frontiers 

n international consulting and partner added “We are 

inspired to deliver 

A 

•Frank 

Edoho 

•Mofolusade 

Sonaike 

advisory firm, Firmus Advisory has 

proudly announced its presence in 

Nigeria. 

Headquartered in Accra, Ghana and 

established a little over a decade ago, 

Firmus Advisory Limited, provides a onestop-shop 

for Business Regulatory 

Compliance, Market Research and Trade 

Development services. 

“For a market we have always been 

bullish about, we are excited to set up a 

home in Nigeria as we aim at partnering 

with multitude of entrepreneurs and 

professionals, with the knowledge that 

customer satisfaction is at the heart of 

everything we do!” Firmus Advisory 

Partner, Edem Seshie said. 

On his part, Alexander Twumasi, co- 

was directed by Remi Ibinola and coproduced 

with Modupe Fakorede and 

Olabode Emmanuel 

“The movie is multidimensional, but in 

summary it shows us that with the right 

support system, women who have lost 

themselves in marriage or even after the 

loss of a spouse can rediscover 

themselves and start to live again. I 

want women to be inspired to keep 

discovering and rediscovering 

themselves. To follow their true 

paths and live life to the fullest”. 

producer Mofolusade Sonaike 

said. 

On why she ventured into 

filmmaking, Mofolusade, a 

brand strategist said: “I 

have always wanted to tell 

stories. I believe one of the 

fastest ways to change 

people’s mindset about 

something is to tell a 

compelling story either 

through a book or 

in motion 

pictures.” 

Laura’s 

Bubble will 

be officially 

premiered 

in Lagos 

on the 12th 

and 13th of 

March 2022. 

The Island 

premiere will take place at 

Ebony Life Cinemas, while the 

mainland premiere will hold at 

Viva Cinemas, Ikeja. 

Value. 

Our 

comprehensive range of 

Market Research 

services including 

market and sector insights 

as well as customer 

satisfaction studies are 

also provided by the firm. 

The firm provides Business 

Regulatory Compliance 

services. The Trade 

Development services of 

Firmus Advisory offers a 

platform for companies to 

locate potential business 

partners in the same line of 

business. 

•Edem 

Seshie and 

Alexander 

Twumasi 

I am the 

Reigning 

Queen 

•Regina 

Daniels 

— Regina Daniels declares 

Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels, 

the youngest wife of billionaire 

businessman Ned Nwoko, has declared 

that she is the “Reigning Queen’. 

She made this known in an 

Instagram post she shared on her 

Instagram page during the week. 

According to the mother of one, her 

name means “Reigning Queen”, 

noting that she is now living up to 

her name. 

“Hi, I am the reigning queen…I 

live up to my name”, she wrote. 

Recall that beautiful screen 

goddess recently revealed that her 

billionaire husband, Prince Ned 

Nwoko, always ensures that she’s 

stress-free. 

Pomp, music, as 

Afrobeats Hall of 

Fame berths 

o honour the achievements of 

TNigerians in music, the legends of Afrobeats were 

last Saturday, publicly enshrined in the Afrobeats 

Hall of Fame (ABHF). 

The brainchild of Estilo da Vida, a Nigerian 

lifestyle and tourism consultancy firm, the 

inaugural induction ceremony, which held at the 

Amore Gardens, Lagos, recognized fourteen 

individuals including Ebenezar Obey, Fela 

Anikulapo Kuti, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister 

and Tony Odili. Others are Femi Kuti, 

Osita Osadebe, Daddy Showkey, DJ 

Jimmy Jatt, Obi Asika, Eddie Lawani, 

Sunday Are, Dayo Adeneye and Kenny 

Ogungbe 

The first of its kind in Nigeria, the 

maiden inductees were carefully 

selected by members of the Blue 

Ribbon panel, who are leading 

figures in the music industry in 

Africa. 

With exceptional musical 

performances from Wizkid, Shina 

Peters, Omawunmi, Flavour, KCee 

and many others, the event which 

was anchored by ace comedian Bovi 

and award-winning singer, Dbanj, 

had on-air personalities, Samantha 

Walsh and Uti Nwachukwu as black 

carpet hosts. 

Similar to the Hollywood walk of 

fame, each of the awardees will have 

their ‘stars’ featured on a walkway in the 

environs of Amore Gardens with a 

musical fountain beside it.


08116759759 

Farmers capture and 

set fire to £12,000,000 

Farmers capture and set fire 

to £12,000,000 Russian 

missile system in field 

Russian missile 

system in field 

his is the moment a £12mil 

Tlion Russian missile system 

burns in a field after Ukrainian 

villagers reportedly seized it and 

set it ablaze. 

The villagers who captured the 

vehicle said enemy soldiers were 

forced to flee ‘like rats’. 

They filmed the video near the 

city of Bashtanka in the southern 

Ukrainian region of 

Mykolaiv Oblast on March 1. 

Vladimir Putin’s forces have 

been met with fiercer resistance 

from civilians than they expected 

and are thought to be way 

behind schedule. 

Russian troops are reportedly 

running out of essential supplies 

such as food and fuel as their 

leader’s hopes of a quick victory 

evaporate. 

Boris Filatov, 49, mayor of the 

city of Dnipro, shared images of 

the burning Pantsir-C missile 

system on social media, claiming 

that farmers seized and destroyed 

the vehicle. 

He added: ‘I usually cannot 

stand victorious scene, sabrerattling 

and hat throwing. War 

is terrible grief, but these people 

(farmers) cannot be defeated. 

‘Today, collective farmers from 

Bashtanka, without realising it, 

took and burned the latest Pantsir-C 

system worth USD 15 million. 

Topless protesters march on Russian embassy against 

Putin’s brutal Ukraine invasion 

opless activists from Ukraini 

Tan-founded feminist group Femen 

have marched on the Russian 

embassy in Spain to protest 

Vladimir Putin and Russian forces 

invading Ukraine 

Topless protestors from feminist 

group Femen have marched on 

the Russian embassy in 

Madrid, Spain in protest of 

the Ukrainian invasion 

Russian forces’ invasion 

of Ukraine on February 24 led to 

a huge international outcry from political 

leaders and citizens around 

the world. 

Femen performed 

their 

own form of 

scantily-clad 

protest. The 

feminist 

group is renowned 

for 

carrying out 

topless 

demonstrations 

on a 

range of issues including 

fighting against sex tourism. 

One protester wrote ‘peace for 

Ukraine’ on her chest while another 

was photographed being 

dragged away by the authorities. 

The women also held up banners 

with a message of support, 

translating from Spanish into 

Russian, reading: “They will not 

pass.” 

The France-based activist 

group was founded in Ukraine 

in 2008, and they often protest 

against Russian President 

Vladimir Putin’s troops and Russian 

bullying of Ukraine. 

Femen have been protesting 

against Russia’s pressure on 

Ukraine for some time, with a statement 

issued in 2012 detailing their 

aims. The group said their goals 

were “to develop leadership, intellectual 

and moral qualities of young 

women in Ukraine” and “to build 

up the image of Ukraine, [a] 

country with great opportunities 

for 

women”. 

They 

had also 

stated they 

wanted “to 

s h a k e 

women in 

Ukraine, 

making them 

socially active,” 

and had 

hoped for 2017 

to be a “women’s 

revolution.” 

F e - men’s latest protest 

comes after an activist from 

the group caused a stir outside of 

the Russian embassy in Spain. 

Several agents were said to have 

removed the woman from outside 

the embassy, with several Russian 

embassies around the country hit 

with frequent protests. 

One protest saw Oscar-winning 

actor Javier Bardem voice his support 

for Ukraine, taking part in a 

protest outside of the Russian embassy 

in Madrid. 

The proud mayor added: 

‘The “winning people” (Russians) 

ran across the Ukrainian 

fields like rats. Good night my 

country.’ 

The Pantsir missile system is a 

group of medium-range missile 

and anti-aircraft systems produced 

by KBP Instrument 

Design 

Bureau in Tula, 

Russia. 

The surface-to-air 

missile system was 

designed to offer defence 

against fighter 

planes, helicopters, 

UAVs, and precision missiles as 

well as provide protection to 

units under air attack. 

One Facebook follower commented: 

‘Guys, all of Ukraine is 

proud of you.’ 

It comes after video footage 

showed an abandoned Russian 

tank being towed away by a 

Ukrainian farmer using a tractor. 

Unconfirmed reports suggest 

the tank, which looks like a ML- 

TB, a Soviet-era multipurpose 

fully amphibious auxiliary armoured 

tracked vehicle, had run 

out of fuel. 

Sharing the clip, which has 

been viewed more than 5million 

times across the world, Tory MP 

Johhny Mercer wrote: ‘No expert, 

but the invasion doesn’t seem to 

be going particularly well.’ 

Girl, 8, accidentally hangs herself while 

practising gymnastics in her bedroom 

ayla Eluney 

LCabrera was 

reportedly 

practising with 

aerial ribbons 

when she 

accidentally 

tangled the fabric 

around her neck 

Horrified 

parents came 

into their young 

daughter’s bedroom to find her 

hanging by her neck after she was 

playing with ribbons. 

The eight-year-old girl died after 

accidentally hanging herself while 

practising acrobatics in her 

bedroom with the fabric ribbons. 

Layla Eluney Cabrera was 

reportedly practising acrobatics 

with aerial ribbons when she 

accidentally tangled the fabric 

around her neck on 25 February. 

She tragically died at her home 

in the neighbourhood of 245 

Viviendas located in the city of 

Ushuaia in the 

southernmost Argentine 

province of Tierra del Fuego. 

Her parents reportedly found her 

in her bedroom hanging by her 

neck from the fabric and tried to 

revive the young girl. 

According to local reports, the 

emergency services arrived on the 

scene and found little Layla’s 

desperate parents performing CPR 

on her lifeless body. 

Police officers and firefighters on 

the scene also tried to resuscitate 

the girl, but to no avail. 

The local authorities 

currently consider the 

case an accidental death. 

Her heartbroken family 

posted on social media, 

saying: “It is not goodbye, 

it is see you soon Laylita. 

We are going to miss you 

a lot, Princess.” 

Ushuaia is a small, 

close-knit city on the 

southern tip of the South 

American continent, 

although popular with 

tourists in the summer 

s e a s o n ; 

harsh weather can see 

the local 

population 

isolated in the 

winter months. 

Tierra del 

Fuego (‘Land 

of Fire ’) is the 

smallest and 

least populous 

province in 

Argentina. It is 

also the most 

recent national 

territory to be 

given provincial status, 

which took place in 1990. 

The province includes Argentina’s 

claims to the British Overseas 

Territories of the Falkland Islands 

and South Georgia and the South 

Sandwich Islands as well as a 

segment of Antarctica that partly 

covers UK and Chilean claims on 

that continent.


C 

ertain commonly consumed foods 

are more likely to cause food 

poisoning than others, especially if 

they are improperly stored, badly prepared 

or cooked, or not hygienically stored. Read 

on: 

Poultry 

Nigerians love to eat chicken and turkey, but raw 

and undercooked poultry such as chicken and 

turkey has a high risk of causing food poisoning 

due to Campylobacter and Salmonella bacteria 

that are commonly found in the guts and feathers 

of the birds. Contamination usually occurs during 

the slaughtering process. The safest way to 

eliminate these harmful bacteria is to cook the 

meat thoroughly. Do not wash raw meat and 

ensure that raw meat does not come in contact 

with utensils, kitchen surfaces, chopping boards, 

and other foods to avoid cross-contamination. 

Vegetables and leafy greens 

Vegetables and leafy greens can often carry 

harmful bacteria such as E. 

coli, Salmonella and Listeria. They are a common 

source of food poisoning, especially when eaten 

raw such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, and 

tomatoes. To minimise risk, always wash vegetable 

leaves thoroughly before eating. Do not purchase 

pre-sliced salad items, avoid pre-prepared salads 

that have been left to sit at room temperature. 

Smoked fish 

Smoked fish is a delicacy in many Nigerian 

homes, but it could be dangerous to human health 

if not done properly. The potential danger associated 

with the smoking of fish over wood or charcoal 

is Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). This is a 

class of carcinogens formed when wood or charcoal 

is burned and is deposited on the food being 

roasted. They are carcinogenic. 

Fresh fish 

Fish that has not been stored at the correct 

temperature has a high risk of being 

contaminated with histamine, a toxin 

produced by bacteria in fish. Histamine is not 

destroyed by normal cooking temperatures 

and results in a type of food poisoning known 

as scombroid poisoning. To reduce risk, 

purchase only fresh and well-refrigerated 

seafood and ensure you keep it chilled and 

refrigerated before cooking. Cook thoroughly. 

Suya (savoury meat) 

Grilled and barbecued beef and chicken 

popularly called suya, is another delicacy that 

Nigerians cherish. Research has shown that 

there is a link between consumption of suya 

and increased risk of cancer in the country. 

Cooking beef over an open fire with the oil from 

the meat undergoes complex chemical reactions 

that produce carcinogenic toxins known 

as Heterocyclic Amines, HCAs. To reduce this effect 

is to eat suya in moderation and always together 

with slices of onions, cabbages, and tomatoes 

that act as an antidote to the effect of the oil from 

Nigerians dismiss concerns 

over ‘ponmo’ 

By Sola Ogundipe 

ecently, the National Agency for Food 

Rand Drug Administration and Control, 

NAFDAC, issued a public alert about its 

interception of large quantities of 

poisonous animal hides and skins 

popularly known as “ponmo” that 

was being sold to unsuspecting members 

of the public. 

The Director-General of the Agency, 

Prof Margaret Adeyeye, had issued a 

statement warning that the products were 

confiscated because of contamination 

with dangerous industrial chemicals 

making them unfit for human 

consumption. 

From hindsight, the concerns about the 

sale of toxic ponmo in the open market is 

not a new occurrence in Nigeria, as a 

series of similar public health alerts have 

been issued over the years. 

Although nutritionists say ponmo 

contains zero nutrients hence there is 

virtually no health advantage in its 

consumption, findings by Saturday 

Vanguard reveals that ponmo remains a 

delicacy that is relished by millions of 

Nigerians, male or female, rich or poor, 

young or old-young alike. 

Days after the NAFDAC alert, Saturday 

Vanguard went to town to sample public 

opinion regarding the development. At 

some popular markets on Lagos 

Potentially poisonous 

foods Nigerians 

Mainland, it was discovered that the 

warning made little or no difference to 

the demand for ponmo. A number of 

Nigerians dismissed the NAFDAC 

warning. 

At the Ojuwoye market in Mushin, the 

sale of ponmo was going on briskly. At 

Oyingbo market in Ebute Metta, the 

situation was similar. Similar scenarios 

played out at the Tejuosho and Balogun 

open markets in Yaba and Ikeja 

respectively.A trader who identified herself 

as Bosede told Saturday Vanguard in 

Yoruba that she was not aware of any alert 

about poisonous ponmo. 

“I am not aware of any warning and I’m 

not bothered by any warning because 

people have been buying their ponmo and 

no one has complained,” she remarked. 

In the views of Adedayo Adepegba, a 

customer who bought several pieces of 

ponmo at N2,000, the alert is of no 

consequence.”Alert, what alert is that?’, he 

snapped. “Look, I don’t have time for any 

alert. If we cannot eat ponmo, what then 

should we eat? Ponmo is the poor man’s 

saviour, so they should leave us please. 

This is what poor man can afford.” 

Iya Shade, another trader, stated that 

the ponmo market is thriving. 

“I make up to N25,000 in sales on a good 

day. Our people love eating ponmo, so 

anyone that is saying people should stop 

eating it needs to go and think again 

love to eat 

the suya. 

‘Agege’ bread 

Loaves of bread that are of the 

Agege bread variety are a popular 

staple in the Southwest part of 

Nigeria, they are 

however undesirable to health. The 

bread is made from highly processed 

white flour and contains potassium 

bromate, a flour enhancer and, 

because Nigerians love it. I sell ponmo 

and cook it for my own family and we 

have not died or fallen sick,” she asserted. 

In her own view, Nneka John, a 

housewife, dismissed the concerns over 

ponmo. “I’m not interested in any alert. 

Don’t mind those government people, they 

are not serious. Even though I buy beef 

and chicken, I usually buy ponmo because 

I enjoy it and my husband likes it too,” she 

noted. 

Findings by Saturday Vanguard 

revealed that food poisoning is a 

common occurrence in Nigeria because 

Nigerians have an insatiable craving for 

potentially poisonous food and fall victim 

to the health hazards. 

Available records show that more than 

200,000 deaths are recorded each year 

from food poisoning and food 

contamination in Nigeria. Worse still, the 

cost implication of illnesses associated 

with food poisoning and other food borne 

diseases is estimated at over $3.6 billion. 

Food poisoning typically occurs when 

people consume food that is contaminated 

with harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses 

or toxins. Hundreds of different kinds of 

food poisoning are documented, but the 

most common ones are E. coli, listeria, 

salmonella, and norovirus, botulism, 

campylobacter, vibrio, and shigella 

among others. 

Several food poisons can be transferred 

from food or food handlingFoodborne 

illnesses can cause a range of symptoms, 

most commonly stomach cramps, 

diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and loss of 

appetite. 

unfortunately, a known carcinogen that damages 

the nervous system. Avoid consumption by all 

means. 

Rice 

Rice is a common staple for more than half the 

world’s population, but it could be a high-risk food. 

Uncooked rice can be contaminated with spores 

of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that produces toxins 

that cause food poisoning. These spores can survive 

in uncooked rice also survive the cooking 

processes. If cooked rice is left standing at room 

temperature, the spores grow into bacteria that 

thrive and multiply. The longer rice is left standing 

at room temperature, the more likely it will be unsafe 

to eat. To reduce your risk, serve rice as soon as it 

has been cooked and refrigerate leftovers as quickly 

as possible after cooking. When reheating cooked 

rice, make sure it is steaming hot. 

Eggs 

While eggs are incredibly nutritious and versatile, 

they can also be a source of food poisoning when 

t h e y ’ r e 

consumed raw or 

undercooked. Eggs 

c a n 

carry Salmonella bacteria, 

which can 

contaminate both 

the eggshell and the 

inside of the egg. Do 

not consume eggs 

with a cracked or 

dirty shell. Where 

possible, choose 

pasteurized eggs in 

recipes that call for 

raw or lightly 

cooked eggs. 

Boli (roasted 

plantain) 

The argument 

against boli, roasted 

corn, and other street foods 

roasted over open wood fires is that the smoke from 

charcoal contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 

(PAH) such as bexopyrenes that are carcinogenic 

and can cling to the surface of the food. These 

compounds contribute to the development of 

colorectal cancer, liver cancer, helicobacter pyloris and 

other infections of the gastrointestinal tract. 

Minimise the consumption or avoid it completely. 

Snail 

In addition to containing protein and low amounts 

of fat, snails are good sources of iron, calcium, 

Vitamin A, and a number of other minerals. Snail 

dishes are commonly served as snacks in bars and 

restaurants; however, a number of the giant, wild 

snails and some freshwater snails are known to 

contain toxins and habour dangerous parasites 

particularly in the slime. Consumption of snail that 

is not well cleaned and thoroughly cooked is 

potentially unhealthy. 

Bush meat (grasscutter) 

Bush meat is an important delicacy and source of 

protein for many Nigerians, however, it’s known to 

be a host of deadly zoonotic diseases such as the 

Ebola virus which can be transmitted to humans 

during the preparation and consumption of the 

infected bushmeat. 

Groundnuts 

Groundnuts are a popular snack in Nigeria. 

Roasted groundnuts that are not properly dried or 

preserved can habour a group of fungi or moulds 

that produce a poisonous substance known 

as aflatoxins that can contaminate food crops and 

pose a serious health threat. Consumption of large 

doses of aflatoxins leads to acute poisoning 

(aflatoxicosis) that can cause liver damage and liver 

failure.

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5 , 2022 — 25


hatever happened to all the 

Wclaims that President 

Mohammadu Buhari is a listening 

President? 

Well, as the May 29, handover day 

when a new president would be 

inaugurated is fast approaching, Mr. 

President has begun to award himself 

pass marks in the style of the ablest, 

brightest, handsomest and in fact the 

‘mostest’ President the United States 

of America has ever had, Donald 

Trump. Ironically, Trump is seriously 

mentioned these days only as the 

‘mostest’ in two things; self-delusion 

and as a threat to democracy. 

The most recent claim from President 

Buhari is that were it not for his 

administration, Nigerians would by 

now be walking from Lagos to Abuja 

for the absence of a good road. Why 

this desperate claim? To put things in 

their proper perspectives, we have to 

survey the wholesomeness of that vital 

road. If by the Lagos-Abuja bragging, 

the president means that he has 

completed the Lagos-Ibadan 

expressway; his Minister of Works 

must have misled him. That road, yes, 

that famous Lagos–Ibadan expressway 

is 127.6-kilometre-long (79.3 mile). 

Now wait for this; repair work has been 

going on there, yes on that same 

particular stretch of road since 2013, 

that is for nine long years. So far, 

Buhari has been in power for seven 

and half years of those nine years. Last 

year, the Works Minister, Babatunde 

Fashola promised that the 

reconstruction work on the expressway 

would end in 2022. But without 

waiting for the expressway to be fully 

repaired, Buhari has awarded himself 

full marks. 

Now, that is surprising. The Lagos- 

Ibadan expressway is a small fraction 

of the length of the Lagos–Abuja road. 

So, what is the state of the fractions of 

the entire road that leads to Abuja from 

Lagos? Choose whichever direction in 

which you would decide to travel to 

Abuja from Lagos, and it is pot holefilled; 

whether you travel through 

Ibadan and from there to Ilorin and 

Bida and from there to 

Abuja, or if you go from Ibadan 

through Akure and then connect to 

Lokoja or you head towards Shagamu 

to Benin and Auchi, Okene before 

connecting to Okene and then on to 

Peace moves work better when all 

feuding parties are given 

opportunity to table their grievances. 

It does not matter from which angle 

such steps are brokered. Osun State 

governor Adegboyega Oyetola is 

accessible. 

Oyetola’s predecessor, Alhaji Raufu 

Aregbesola who is also Minister of 

Interior, suffered a major political 

setback in the state and indications are 

that Lagos, his real turf may have 

become enemy’s territory. 

The minister who blew hot just before 

the Osun All Progressives Party ( APC) 

primaries, suddenly found himself in 

the cold. In what appeared strange to 

even some of his supporters, 

Aregbesola descended on his mentor, 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. 

Oyetola is Tinubu’s nephew, but as 

governor has warmed himself into the 

hearts of the people. At least, workers 

are getting their salaries in full, and 

schools have gone back to the old days 

of distinct uniforms. Some say life is 

getting better in what was known as 

the State of Osun. 

I have noticed peace moves around 

the political headquarters of the South- 

West. Aregbe is visible. Tinubu is 

mentioned and was even expected to 

grace one of the meetings in Ibadan. 

No mention has been made of Oyetola. 

It may be too early to chip in this 

advice but it cannot be late. There will 

be no headway without Oyetola. He is 

governor of the state and should not 

be seen as a former Chief of Staff to 

Aregbesola. Honour should be given 

to those who deserve it. 

Oyetola, may be Asiwaju’s nephew, 

at 68, he is also a senior citizen who 

distinguished himself in the private 

sector as a key player in the Insurance 

industry. And no one should ignore the 

fact that he is also not a learner after 

almost four years as governor. 

President Buhari, listen to Nigerians 

and their cries 

Abuja, it is the same nightmare that 

would be experienced. Yes, the 

Shagamu-Benin stretch would 

provide you with some succour and 

I thank Buhari for that, but you can’t 

actually speed on that 

road non-stop as we used 

to do when the road was 

less than 10 years old. 

Another important 

segment of that Abuja- 

Lagos road is the Abuja- 

Lokoja section. The 

contract to dualise it was 

awarded 16 years ago. An 

April 1st 2021 report in 

the Vanguard, had the 

Director of Highway, 

Construction and 

Rehabilitation, Ministry 

of Works and Housing, 

Engr. Funso Adebiyi, who 

while inspecting section 

one of the project (Zuba- 

Gwagwalada-Sheda axis) 

assured the road projects 

would be completed in 

2021 December. 

No, it was no April Fool 

prank for I know the 

Reporter who filed that 

story, and he is as serious as they 

come. Yet, Wednesday, February 

23rd, the Federal Executive Council 

(FEC) re-awarded the contract on a 

49 kilometres section of Abaji to 

Kotokarfi, a part of the Abuja-Lokoja 

highway, in favour of Messers Galt 

for N56.175 billion. 

That contract for that same 

segment was first awarded in 2006, 

but was terminated and represented 

for execution by the Ministry of 

Works and Housing. This is a part 

of that same Abuja-Lagos Road! 

Now, a very long section of that 

Lagos-Abuja Road 

is the 209- 

kilometre stretch 

Buhari and his aides 

should boast less and 

listen more to the 

people who wear the 

shoe of inadequacy in 

the country, and so 

know where it pinches. 

Only ingrates will not 

praise a good 

president...and 

Nigerians are not 

ingrates 


which carries 

traffic from Benin 

City by-pass to 

Okene By-Pass. It 

has largely been 

abandoned. 

So, which Abuja- 

Lagos road was 

Mr. President 

talking about? 

Well, Mr. 

President 

explained that he 

focused on the 

n a t i o n a l 

infrastructure to 

help Nigeria 

develop. That is all 

well and good, but 

he must be told 

that his efforts so 

far have been 

much, much (and much again) less 

than Nigeria deserves. It is not just 

that the Lagos-Abuja road is terrible, 

almost every road is terrible. The 

Onitsha-Enugu and then on to Port 

Harcourt expressway has remained 

dilapidated for years. The East-West 

road was never completed by 

President Goodluck Jonathan. But 

Aregbe needs Oyetola’s nod 

Aregbesola will be making a 

terrible mistake should he think that 

Tinubu will welcome him back with 

open arms in the absence of Oyetola. 

The Asiwaju I know does not 

disrespect authority when simple 

courtesy would douse tension. 

Tinubu is not vindictive. That 

attribute is not available in just any 

market. In the past, 

he was pilloried the 

way some of his 

trusted friends are 

doing today. It is even 

more painful that the 

most recent outbursts 

sounded more like 

cursing an elder 

which is not common 

among the Yoruba. 

In seeking peace, 

the minister should 

also look at himself. 

Tinubu made 

Aregbesola 

commissioner for 

Works and 

Infrastructure in 

Lagos and did not 

change him until he 

resigned to contest 

gubernatorial 

For the same 

Aregbesola who 

dominated the 

political space of 

Osun for eight years 

to think of truncating 

Oyetola’s tenure 

after four years, I 

think wisdom was 

given a dirty slap in 

Ilesha 

elections in 

Osun. 

Asiwaju helped Aregbesola to 

government house which the latter 

occupied for eight years. After 

serving as governor of Osun, the 

minister has been in the Interior 

ministry since 2019. It is Tinubu’s 

doing. For the whole of the fourth 

republic, Aregbesola has emerged 

from the rustic corners of Lagos to 

the red carpet of Abuja. 

For the same Aregbesola who 

dominated the political space of 

Osun for eight years to 

think of truncating 

Oyetola’s tenure after 

four years, I think 

wisdom was given a 

dirty slap in Ilesha. The 

Owa Obokun of Ijesha 

land has thrown his 

weight behind Oyetola. 

This is significant. 

The Interior minister 

needs to face his job in 

Abuja where all 

paramilitary agencies 

under his care are 

headed by people from 

one divide of the 

country. This has 

caused a lot of 

disaffection right under 

his nose. People are 

watching. 

It has become the new normal 

under Aregbesola for officers from 

the South to be appointed in acting 

capacity only for their colleagues 

from the North to be confirmed as 

then, he has been out of Aso Rock since 

2015, seven plus years ago. 

One major bragging right Buhari may 

earn, should come from the completion 

of the Second Niger Bridge in “quarter 

one in 2022” (according to the Works 

Minister). The quarter ends this month! 

Beyond that, this administration ends 

May 29, 2023—so, if care is not taken, 

another administration may take the 

glory for completing that consequential 

bridge, which surprisingly, has no 

section for rail 

lines. 

So, Buhari has nothing to boast about 

on the Abuja-Lagos expressway project. 

And it will become worse if he begins 

to make claims that he rejigged 

Nigeria’s infrastructure. This is because 

the basic physical and organisational 

structures and facilities such as 

buildings, roads, power supplies 

needed for the operation of a society or 

enterprise are all subsumed in that allencompassing 

term: infrastructure. The 

social and economic infrastructure of a 

country includes highways, streets, and 

roads, bridges, Mass Transit systems, 

Airports, and Airways, water supply and 

other aspects of water resources, waste 

management and waste water 

management, power generation and 

transmission, telecommunications, 

hazardous waste removal and storage. 

Even petrol refineries are part of the 

national infrastructure. 

On Infrastructure alone, all past 

administrations failed woefully. 

Unfortunately, the Buhari 

administration has just until May next 

year to join them in that dismal record. 

So, it has just a few months left to pull 

off some magic and pull itself out of the 

gutter in which it dwells as regards its 

infrastructural development record. 

Think electricity provision for instance. 

And note that I have not brought in 

the national insecurity issue. No, I’m 

not that wicked; that would sink the 

Buhari record deep, deep beyond even 

the gutter. Buhari and his aides should 

boast less and 

listen more to the people who wear 

the shoe of inadequacy in the country, 

and so know where it pinches. Only 

ingrates will not praise a good 

president...and Nigerians are not 

ingrates. They are craving for good 

leadership. 

substantive Controllers General or 

Commandant General. 

It happened in the Nigeria Correctional 

Service where Haliru Nababa succeeded 

the acting boss, an Urhobo. In the 

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence 

Corps, Ahmed Audi stepped in after an 

Igbo officer had acted. In the Federal Fire 

Service, Dr. Liman Ibrahim has retired 

from service. 

An Izon, Karebo Samson is acting 

Controller General. As usual, he will be 

shoved aside when time for confirmation 

comes. Muhammed Babandede is also 

out of the Nigeria Immigration Service. 

Idris Isa Jere is acting Controller 

General. Let us see what Aregbe will do. 

Aregbesola should be concerned about 

unprecedented jail breaks under his 

tenure. We have more criminals carving 

out territories for themselves as a result. 

I am convinced that some free jailbirds 

are the ones killing and maiming people 

in Imo State. 

That brings me to Alhaji Moshood 

Adeoti, the man Aregbesola wanted to 

give Oyetola’s seat. The Igbo will say: 

“You don buy bad market.” Adeoti did 

not act like a leader when he disparaged 

the Igbo in the 2018 Osun Gubernatorial 

Debate powered by Channels Television. 

Aregbe, as Ilesha man should know the 

deep ties between Igbo and Ijesha. Imo 

is a state in the South-East. It is also a 

town in Ijesha axis. The Ijesha bear Obi. 

That is also an Igbo name. Wale 

Bolodeoku is a proud Ijesha man who 

named his son, Chiagoziem. The ljesha 

leader in Canada is Okey Okeke, from 

Enugu. 

Politics is all about give and take. 

Aregbesola should see Oyetola as the 

man who calls the shots in Osun. Asiwaju 

will forgive, it is his second nature. This 

is the time for Aregbe to drop agbada and 

go down low before Tinubu in the 

presence of Oyetola. Without this, the 

minister will remain frozen politically.


bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 

Men are not programmed to cope with a more 

successful wife! 

Some years back, Brannon 

Brockbank did the BBC’s 

Test the Nation quiz with 

his wife Shirley. When it came 

to General Knowledge Shirley 

scored higher than her husband. 

In public glare, Brannon threw 

his notebook and pen across the 

room and said that he was thick. 

His wife tried to convince him 

that people were clever in 

different ways. They later went 

to bed. Next morning, Shirley 

found her husband dead on the 

living room floor after downing 

a bottle of Vodka and 40 

painkillers! The coroner 

recorded an open verdict and 

commented; “He was a man who 

clearly had difficulty in coping 

with certain situations.” 

A while back, at a pre-dinner 

party cocktail, Cecil, an 

executive director of a bank 

was in the midst of her male 

colleagues, enjoying an 

interesting conversation, a 

glass of bubbly in hand when 

she noticed her husband’s 

scowl of disapproval where he 

stood across the hall. “In 

seconds, he found his way to 

where I was,” said Cecil, “and 

pointedly ignored my 

colleagues even as I tried to 

introduced them. ‘I’m leaving 

in a few minutes,’ he said 

rudely ‘will any food be waiting 

for me at home?’ 

“I was really mad, but I kept 

my cool. He’d grudgingly 

agreed to join me at the dinner 

party and now he preferred to 

go home to eat instead of 

waiting for the lavish spread 

that was bound to follow. I 

wanted to ask him to go ahead 

and leave, the cook would give 

him dinner. But he’d create a 

scene and people were 

watching. It is tough being 

successful in a male-dominated 

profession without your 

husband making you look like 

a heartless dyke. Even if I 

decided to stay, I knew the type 

of flak he would give me when 

I eventually showed up in the 

house. 

“He has a real chip on his 

shoulder, that one. He was a 

successful insurance top 

executive before he decided to 

go it alone as an Insurance 

broker. He was fine at first but 

brokerages monetary licence 

renewal requirements forced 

him to change the status of his 

outfit to a consultancy only to 

discover 

insurance 

consultancy was a glorified 

name for insurance agency 

and these were two a penny. 

Business has almost ground to 

a halt as the public is not as 

insurance-compliant as beforeno 

thanks to the galloping 

inflation we currently have in 

the country.” 

It is difficult to imagine a 

woman behaving in quite the 

same way as these insecure 

men, which begs the question: 

what is it with men and 

competition? “Men are 

genetically programmed to be 

competitive, whether we like 

it or not,” says business 

psychiatrist Nick Kambitisis. 

“They cannot handle it when 

the power differential changes 

and women are cleverer or 

better paid. They usually end 

the relationships quite 

quickly, which can be a 

problem for successful women 

who find it difficult to find 

partners.” 

He argues further that men 

are no longer sure what their 

role is. According to him: “In 

earlier years, there were wars 

to fight, and tough ‘men only’ 

manufacturing jobs were 

available to help establish 

their social identities – their 

sense of who they were in 

society. But men are not sure 

of their social identify and 

more. 

They haven’t had long 

enough to adjust to the 

changes of the last 20 or 30 

years. The only way 

relationships with a higherearning 

female partner can 

work is if the couple doesn’t 

value money highly, and the 

If you find yourself getting more 

and more irritated with your 

beloved, then common sense 

would suggest that it’s best to hold 

your tongue. But in this case, at 

least, it appears common sense 

might be wrong. Because 

according to researchers, it’s much 

better for your marriage to speak 

up rather than let your problems 

fester. Dr. Harnnah Fry, a 

mathematician at University 

College, London, reviewed 

scientific studies about 

relationships for her books; The 

Mathematics of Love. She claims 

that maths can help find answers 

to common love-life dilemmas. 

For example, according to her 

research, women who tend to 

approach men are more likely to 

get a husband or boyfriend who 

they get on with – compared to 

those who simply sit and wait to 

get asked out. 

And crucially, she found that 

couples who have a low negativity 

threshold – or in other words 

complain about things that annoy 

them readily, are less likely to 

trouble the divorce courts. 

According to Dr. Fry, “I thought 

that a high threshold of negativity, 

where you let things go on and let 

your partner be themselves would 

be more successful. But the exact 

opposite is true. The couples who 

end up doing best have a really 

low negativity threshold. When 

things bother them they speak up 

immediately and don’t let small 

things spill out of control.’ 

She based her view on research 

led by Dr. John Gottman in 

Seattle, USA. His team measured 

man doesn’t construct his social 

identity around his earning 

power. He states further that: 

“21 st Century is a very tough 

time to be a man: we ignore the 

differences between the sexes at 

our peril. Males have 10 to 20 

times as much of the hormone 

testosterone as women, which 

drive them to want to be 

powerful. But for the first time 

in human evolution, they are 

discovering they aren’t in 

control. Men measure their self 

worth by what they can 

achieve, while women measure 

theirs by the quality of their 

relationships Men know the 

rules if they are competing 

against a man – you play hard 

ball and play rough, but they 

don’t know what to do when they 

find themselves competing 

against a woman. 

“To compound things, the 

education system no longer 

responds to the natural male 

instinct to compete. Boys lack 

male role models, particularly 

in primary and secondary 

schools, where nearly all the 

teachers are female. 

Competition has been replaced 

by cooperation, learning facts 

replaced with empathizing 

with world suffering and it’s all 

become very caring and 

sharing. Boys are left in a void 

with no role models for 

maleness. The feminizing of 

education has divided boys 

into two groups – the soft, 

gentle types and the 

undisciplined bullies and 

school drop-outs.” 

Jenny is a highly successful 

woman who’d single-handedly 

raised her four children. “All 

of them studied abroad, thanks 

to the company I worked for, 

for nearly 25 years and which 

had a parent company based 

overseas,” she said. 

“Apart from the points made 

by Kambitisis, we shouldn’t 

ignore the fact that changes in 

education can, in the long run, 

benefit men and women alike. 

The widening of girls’ choices 

and a commitment to true 

equality can, when correctly 

handled, 

broaden 

opportunities for boys as well. 

Male or female, our ambitions, 

talents, sensitivities and 

abilities are far more likely to 

be the product of social pressure 

and the atmosphere in which 

we are raised. 

“When my husband left all 

those years ago when only two 

of the children were in secondary 

schools, his grouse was that I 

didn’t have time for the family. 

Well, what time would he have 

for his children by jumping ship? 

He remarried – to a school 

teacher who also had four 

children! 

As to be expected, because I 

now earned more than he did, 

he stopped paying my 

children’s fees. We were barely 

civil to each other, and now 

three of the children live 

abroad and I run a thriving 

company with my only 

daughter. 

“Late last year, my first son 

who just got married, called 

that his dad was with him. I 

couldn’t believe it. He had 

prostate cancer and was being 

treated under the NHS since he 

still had his card. Was the wife 

with him? According to my 

son, his crafty father told him 

I was still his legal wife as we 

never divorced. The second 

wife obviously abandoned him 

when he was retired early and 

what was left of the severance 

pay went on medication. Like 

the black sheep that he is, he’s 

now found his way back to the 

flock! But try telling him to 

see beyond his immediate 

resentment when he left me all 

those years ago and he 

wouldn’t have listened. Does 

it matter who of the sexes kill a 

snake as long as the snake is 

dead? Once in a while, I 

wonder which was more 

humiliating for him, leaving 

his second wife with their four 

children or crawling back to a 

son he never cared for with a 

begging bowl?” 

Why row about little things that don’t prolong your marriage? 

everything from facial expressions 

to heart rate and blood pressure – 

and then rated comments made 

by each spouse for joy, humour, 

affection and interest. The 

experiment was carried and lasted 

for several years. The team found 

that a key point was the 

‘negativity threshold’ – or the 

point when the other partner feels 

compelled to speak up. The 

scientists found that when a 

partner reacted to a negative 

comment without a great deal of 

provocation, the relationship 

tended to be very successful. And 

looking at the negativity threshold 

helped the researchers predict 

which couples would get divorced 

with an impressive 90 per cent 

accuracy. The researchers 

compared ‘repairing’ problems in 

a marriage to treating a small 

scratch early, which is better for 

your health than dealing with it 

when it has become badly 

infected. 

The team said it was less 

damaging to have a minor 

argument rather than give each 

other days of the silent treatment 

– which only made the problem 

worse. Dr. Fry said that couples 

who had a lower risk of divorce 

also had a ‘deep-seated positive 

view’ of their partner and would 

view any annoying behaviour as 

temporary rather than 

permanent. She went on to say: 

“But high-risk couples were 

exactly the opposite, they have a 

deep-seated negative view of their 

partner and any bad behaviour 

reinforces that idea.’ However, 

she also warned couples that they 

should do their best to resist the 

temptation to let rip. She said it 

was extremely important that 

when you bring up something that 

you find irritating about your 

partner, you make the comments 

gently and supportively rather 

than aggressively. 

ASPN inducts new members, tasks govt on climate change policy 

The Association of 

Sustainability 

Professionals of Nigeria (ASPN) 

has announced the induction 

of new members into its 

association, even as it urged 

the federal government to 

come up with policies, aimed 

at addressing climate change, 

and protecting the country’s 

environments. 

Speaking at the induction 

ceremony held recently in 

Lagos, the Vice- President of 

the association, Ini Abimbola 

explained that one of the 

cardinal objectives of the 

association is to continually 

promote conversations , with 

both public and private 

sectors, that would enhance 

environmental sustainability 

in the country. 

According to her, one of the 

ways the association intends to 

achieve that is by ensuring 

that policies, regarding 

sustainability, do not 

negatively affect the interests 

of corporate organizations, but, 

rather, give such organizations 

the opportunity to outline 

their CSR programmes, that 

are focused on environment. 

“We can see that COP26 just 

ended and Nigeria made a 

strong commitment in terms of 

carbon emission and fossil 

fuels. 

“At ASPN, what we are 

trying to do is to make sure 

that we mainstream the 

conversations that are 

happening at any given point 

in time. 

“We also don’t want to be 

talking to the private sector 

only but also to engage with 

government and to make sure 

that policies that are coming 

up are also policies that are not 

endangering corporate 

organizations, and to ensure 

they can outline their CSR 

programmes, focused on the 

environment. 

“So, for us, this programme 

is a bridge between the public 

and private in terms of issues 

around the environment. 

Apart from that, there are 

quite a number of issues that 

are happening in Nigeria. 

“For instance, we are looking 

at a lot of oil and gas companies 

leaving Nigeria and we know 

what that means when we talk 

about fossil fuel issues,” she 

added.

Osibanjo, Sanwo-Olu, inaugurate Kimberly- 

Clark $100m new factory in Ikorodu 

Stories by Moses Nosike 

Vice President of Nigeria, 

Prof Yemi Osibanjo and 

Lagos State Governor, Mr. 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu had 

inaugurated the Kimberly Clark 

Nigeria’s state-of-the-art 

premium diaper brand, Huggies 

and leading sanitary pad brand- 

Kotex’s new factory facilities 

estimated to worth over $100 

million at Odugunyan in Ikorodu 

area of Lagos State. 

The new plant inaugurated was 

in furtherance of Kimberly-Clark 

vision to provide “better care for 

a better world”. The new state of 

the art manufacturing facility is 

equipped with enhanced 

technology and capabilities to 

better serve its consumers. 

Operations at the facility 

commenced in the final quarter 

of the 2021, but the official 

inauguration date was scheduled 

for later in compliance with the 

company’s COVID regulations 

and guidelines for hosting 

gatherings. 

The exceptional event was 

attended by note-worthy 

dignitaries, including the Vice 

President of the Federal Republic 

of Nigeria, H.E. Prof Yemi 

Osibnajo, SAN, GCON; 

Executive Governor, Lagos 

State, H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; 

First Lady Lagos State,Dr 

Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu 

represented by Ms. Zamba ; 

Honourable Minister of 

Industry, Trade & Investment, 

Otunba Richard Adeniyi 

Adebayo; Honourable Minister 

of State for Finance, Budget and 

National Planning, Prince Clem 

Agba; Honourable Minister of 

Women Affairs, Dame Pauline 

Tallen; Federal House of 

Representative member 

(Ikorodu constituency), 

Honourable Babajimi Benson; 

U.S. Consul General, Claire 

Pierangelo; President, 

Manufacturers Association of 

Nigeria, Engineer Mansur 

Ahmed; CEO, American Business 

Council, Margaret Olele; amidst 

In March of 2011, media 

mogul Tajuddeen Adepetu, 

took to his Facebook page 

to announce the Soundcity TV 

Presenter auditions, which were to 

take place at his company’s offices 

in Lekki, Lagos. For many 

aspiring media personalities, 

auditions such as this one by 

Soundcity provided the 

opportunity for their talents to be 

discovered and leveraged by a 

media platform. If all went 

according to plan, they would go 

on to become uber-famous and 

perhaps rich as well. But all-inall, 

their lives would go on to 

change forever. 

This has been the case for Moet 

Abebe, who found the launchpad 

to becoming the big media 

personality she is today, at an 

audition for Soundcity TV. This 

was three months after Abebe 

returned to Nigeria from the UK 

to pursue a career as a TV 

Presenter. 

She passed the auditions and 

thus began her long relationship 

with Soundcity, a career that has 

traversed the small screen and 

radio. Since she has been with 

Soundcity, Moet has also made a 

foray into the movie industry, with 

productions such as Red Card, 

Oasis and Living Arrangement. 

For Adepetu, his presenters have 

been more than work colleagues. 

This is probably why he has been 

one of the most successful at 

refining raw talent and 

positioning them for enviable 

success and remarkable 

L-R: General Manager, KC SSA West, Ms. Vani Malik, Minister of 

Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, Vice President of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, Lagos State Governor, Mr. 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Vice President, KC SSA & Asia, Mr. 

Fernando Baticon at the commissioning of Kimberly-Clark Nigeria 

new plant at Odogunyan Ikorodu Lagos. 

other special dignitaries. 

Professor Osibanjo, who lauded 

the multi million-dollar 

investment as being 

strategically aligned with the 

present administration’s drive 

for domestic production and 

human capital development. 

“Kimberly-Clark West Africa 

has grown from just being an 

investor in Nigeria to a 

formidable partner in the 

actualization of Nigeria’s 

economic objectives, by adding 

value through diversification. 

The company has led, 

commendably, important social 

investments, including, 

sponsoring the education of the 

Dream catchers who danced 

here, just a few moments ago. 

This factory, I trust, will only 

signal the beginning of greater 

investment in this and other 

sectors.” 

In addition to enhancing the 

company’s manufacturing 

capacity to meet the increasing 

demand for quality and safe baby 

care and essential feminine 

products, Kimberly-Clark 

Nigeria’s new state of-the-art 

facility will contribute to already 

established efforts to improve 

livelihood and create job 

opportunities, especially for the 

Ikorodu community. 

Recognising members of the 

female-led management team, 

whom he called “Amazons”, the 

Governor of Lagos State, His 

Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, 

acknowledged the importance 

for the Ikorodu community. We 

are excited and happy with the 

value to Ikorodu and its 

environs. We are taking up the 

challenge to ensure an enabling 

environment for investors to 

thrive, and bring succour to the 

people of Ikorodu. And so, I want 

to join everyone to thank and 

congratulate Kimberly-Clark for 

this great feat. As a government, 

we will continue to open up and 

continue to give opportunities to 

everyone.” 

read more on 

www.vanguardngr.com 


read more on www.vanguardngr.com 

How Tajuddeen Adepetu quietly mentors Nigeria’s media superstars from his media empire 

•Tajuddeen Adepetu 

professional journeys. Several 

media celebrities across TV, Radio 

and live fan 

experiences have enjoyed 

mentorship and tutelage that 

Adepetu continues to freely 

extend. 

Take Denrele Edun, for 

example. Despite getting 

introduced to TV early on as a 

lead character on Kiddie Vision 

101, an NTA Kids Show back in 

early 90s, he would eventually 

caught his big break while 

working as on air personality at 

Soundcity in 2005. Denrele 

would go on, under Adepetu’s 

mentorship, to become at one 

point the “most popular TV 

presenter in Nigeria”, according 

to City People Awards. As 

Denrele recalled in a 2017 

interview with Guardian Life 

magazine, Soundcity “defined 

everything I wanted to do.” 

Building on the success and 

exposure earned on Soundcity 

programmes, Denrele would go 

on to host the biggest red-carpet 

events in Nigeria and beyond. 

He would also go on to interview 

international superstars, 

including Beyonce, Snoop Dogg, 

Akon and many more. Denrele 

skyrocketed from his days as a 

model and dancer to become one 

of the most recognisable faces in 

Nigerian entertainment. 

Even though his ride with 

Soundcity came to an end in 

2011, Denrele expresses 

appreciation for the 

phenomenal journey he had 

while working with Adepetu. 

Cadana partners Flutterwave to 

expand operation in Nigeria 

Cadana, a salary on-demand startup has expanded operations into 

Nigeria following a strategic partnership with Flutterwave, Africa’s 

leading payments Technology Company. Cadana helps businesses delight 

their employees by providing modern payroll platforms that allow 

employees access to their earned salary on-demand, anytime, anywhere. 

Following this partnership, Flutterwave processes payments for employers 

and employees on Cadana. 

Unexpected bills can leave employees in Africa in distress, distracting 

them from their day-to-day activities. The alternatives would be short 

term loans which could go up to 300% in interest rates with unsuitable 

loan-repayment systems. Over 400m workers in Africa will benefit 

from a platform that offers them real-time access to their earned wages, 

following employer approvals. Companies that use Cadana are able to 

allow their employees access their earned wages digitally on-demand, 

instead of having to wait at the end of the month. 

Cadana helps People Managers in Africa digitize Payroll, statutory 

compliance, onboarding, off boarding, reports, time-tracking etc. From 

logging to payday, Cadana’s time tracking solution automatically syncs 

with payroll to make disbursement easier, making life easier for people 

management and small businesses. 

“The banking, startups, telecoms, education, governmental and nongovernmental 

institutions etc. and indeed all businesses in Nigeria 

have a large employee-base that we can serve with our modern salaryon-demand 

payroll management platform. CEO and Co-Founder of 

Cadana Albert Owusu-Asare, said. “Our work in Ghana helped us take 

feedback from businesses and employees and improve our solution. 

People Managers and business owners wanted a solution that could 

make their employees more comfortable, reduce money troubles monthon-month 

and empower them to do more with their wages. We currently 

partner with businesses like Float, Tendo, KEK Group; one of the largest 

insurance brokers in Ghana etc. We’re happy that we can easily launch 

into any other African country with Flutterwave’s help.” 

Simba unveils TVS King Deluxe Plus iTouch 

3Wheeler in Enugu, Asaba 

Simba TVS, the leading tricycle (keke) distributor in Nigeria, has unveiled 

TVS King Deluxe Plus iTouch, the latest version of its innovative threewheeler 

vehicles at two impressive launch ceremonies in Enugu and Asaba. 

These latest launches come on the heels of a very successful national launch 

held in Lagos in December last year and is in furtherance of the organisation’s 

efforts to enhance last-mile commute for Nigerians and boost earnings of 

keke operators. 

Speaking at the ceremony in Enugu, Rana Sandeep, Regional Business 

Manager, South-East at Simba Group, revealed that “Plus” means more 

convenience, more comfort, more earnings and more security, stressing 

that the TVS King Deluxe Plus iTouch will ensure operators maximize 

their earning with more than 10 additional features added to the keke 

such as the iTouch start for smooth silent staring of the keke, strengthened 

chassis, longer and more convenient driver seats, triple filter and so 

much more. 

According to him, “The TVS Deluxe Plus iTouch comes with the 

patented Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) Technology, the very first 

time in the 3 wheeler segment. The ISG or iTouch has several benefits 

such as: the feather-touch start and stop which is noiseless and smooth, 

fewer parts to worry about with the removal of the starter motor which 

reduces cost of maintenance, next gen technology for fuel savings 

especially when starting and stopping multiple times in traffic.” 

On how ISG improves battery life, he explained that unlike the 

conventional starter motor system, the ISG gives power directly to the 

magneto which then rotates the crankshaft making the start 

instantaneous and requiring much less battery power, which, according 

to him, results in about 30 percent increase in the battery life. 

“Soundcity was no doubt an 

amazing mileage for me,” he said 

to Encomium magazine in 2016. 

From on-air personalities to 

musicians and actors, Adepetu 

has played an influential role to 

many individuals in the 

industry. Nigerian actress, 

Judith Audu’s first role on the 

small screen was on a Tajuddeen 

Adepetu TV Series titled One 

Love. This was after she had been 

invited by no other than Denrele 

Edun to audition for the role. 

That same year, Audu 

registered as an Actor with the 

Actors Guild of Nigeria, and has 

progressed to a productive career 

from there. 

Nurturing talent, says 

Adepetu, is a path to personal 

fulfilment. “It is not enough that 

you succeed at a thing. When 

your success is such that people 

can associate their own success 

with yours,” he says, “then you 

know that you have built 

something truly outstanding,” 

he says. 

It appears his strategy of 

building stars is also evident in 

the massive growth of his own 

business. 

His companies, Consolidated 

Media Associates and 

Alphavision Productions, which 

have now collectively 

metamorphosed into Group8 

Limited, considered to be the 

largest independent media 

organisation in West Africa. 

Consolidated Media Associates 

once reported that its contents 

reached an audience of about 100 

million in 70 countries. Today, 

Group8 does cover the entire 

continent with its pan-African 

approach to entertainment, either 

through its free to air TV and 

radio channels in Nigeria, its 

countrywide radio network in 

Kenya, or the direct to home 

transmission via DSTV, the 

Africawide 

satellite 

broadcasting provider. 

The vast reach and impact of 

Adepetu’s current endeavours 

could make a star out of almost 

anyone. But it goes beyond the 

platform, really. A lot of the 

magic happens in the 

interactions and interpersonal 

relationship he shares with these 

young talents. 

As a Group8 production staff 

member describes it, “Adepetu 

works closely with every one of 

his people, including those 

behind the cameras and I think 

the honest collaboration is what 

has allowed them to shine, and 

made the business successful.” 

Adepetu aligns with the 

philosophy that says “Stars are 

made, not born,” and while his 

command of TV and radio has 

earned him a distinguished place 

in the industry, it does appear 

that his knack for nurturing 

distinguished talents is a 

brilliant approach to business 

that is helping to establish his 

legacy.

30 — SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5 , 2022 

ISAAC 

EBOH 

OLUNIRAN 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and 

addressed as Miss EBOH addressed as OLUNIRAN 

AKPOMEJEVWE LOVETH, OLUMIDE DAMILOLA, now 

now wish to be known and 

wish to be known and addressed 

addressed as Mrs KINGSLEY 

AKPOMEJEVWE LOVETH. 

as AYOADE OLUMIDE 

All former documents remain DAMILOLA. All former 

valid. General public take documents remain valid. 

note. 

General public take note. 

PHILIPS OB 

NNAJI AHIAKWO 

My name was wrongly written I, formerly known as MISS 

as NNAJI NONSO VINCENT, ROSELINE AHIAKWO, now 

instead of my correct name as wish to be known as MRS 

ROSELINE EWOH. All 

NNAJI CHINONSO 

former documents remain 

STEPHEN. All former 

valid. General Public and 

documents remain valid. Authorities concerned, please 

General public take note. take note. 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as Miss ISAAC 

GRACE, now wish to be known 

and addressed as Mrs GRACE 

AMARACHI UDEKWELLE. 

All former documents remain 

valid. NYSC and general public 

take note. 

OLUCHI 


addressed as MICHAEL 

PRECIOUS OLUCHI, now 


a s O N A H 

LINDA OLUCHUKWU. All 


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take note. 

AGUKWE 


addressed as AGUKWE 

IJEOMA ANN, now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

CHUKWUEZI IJEOMA 

ANN. All former documents 

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take note. 

ONYEMORDI 

I, formerly known as MISS 

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PRISCILLIA, now wish to be 

known and addressed as MRS 

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General public please take 

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OLENYE 

ONUH 


a d d r e s s e d 

as ONUH RITA NGOZIKA, 


a d d r e s s e d 

as ATTAH RITA NGOZIKA. 


valid. NYSC, general public 

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OBANLA 


addressed as Miss. Rukayat 

Kofoworola OBANLA. Now 


as Mrs. Rukayat Kofoworola 

OBANLA-OKUBOTE. All 


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should please take note. 

OBI 

OGUNSOLA 

I, formerly known as 

OGUNSOLA KEHINDE, now 


as OGUNSOLA KEHINDE 

OLAWALE. All former 



note. 

OFOTOKUN 

BAYE 


addressed as MISS BAYE 

UFUOMA, now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

MRS ODJEGBA 

UFUOMA. All former 



OTALOR 


addressed as Miss Otalor Betty 

Obiageri, now wish to be 

known and addressed as Mrs 

Omorogbe Betty Obiageri. All 


valid. For the knowledge of the 

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OHAETOKA 


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JOY, now wish to be known 

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JOY. All former documents 


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MICHAEL 


addressed as Miss GLORIA 

MICHAEL, now wish to be 

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EBOSELE. All former 



AKPOROTU 



addressed as BELOVED- 

AKPOROTU ENOR, now 

JOHN PHILIPS, now wish to 

wish to be known as MRS 

be known and addressed as 

OKORO MARIAN ENOR. All 

AKPAN BELOVED-JOHN 


PHILIPS. All former 

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DANJUMA 

EBI 

UGWUEZE 

ANYAEHIE OD 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and 

addressed as Miss DANJUMA addressed as Miss GALIWEI addressed as UGWUEZE addressed as MISS ANYAEHIE 

MARY, now wish to be known ESTHER EBI, now wish to be ODILICHUKWU, now wish ANDREA NKEMJIKA, now 

and addressed as Mrs. known and addressed as Mrs. to be known and addressed as wish to be known and addressed 

OKOSIKEME AYIBAKURO ANORD ESTHER. All former UGWUEZE VALENTINE as MRS OHANUBA 

MARY. All former documents documents remain valid. ODILICHUKWU. Former ANDREA NKEMJIKA. 

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INIABASI CHUKWU MICHAEL 

UKUDIE OD 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known as MISS I, formerly known as 

addressed 

as addressed as Miss Chukwu, MICHAEL ONOME UKUDIE ONOVUGHE 

Ijeoma Gloria, now wish to be THERESA, now wish to be DORIS, now wish to be known 

INIABASI IME UMOH, now 

known and addressed as Mrs known and addressed as MRS 

and addressed as IDIRIMA 


ONOVUGHE DORIS. All 

Ukeh, Ijeoma Gloria. All DAMIAN ONOME. All former 

as EMMANUEL IME UMOH. 


former documents remain documents remain valid, any valid, any authority it may 

Former documents remain valid. General public please authority it may concern and concern and general public to 

valid. General public take note. take note. 

general public to take note. take note. 

ALAITA 

ADELEYE 

ARONOKHALE 

NWALA 

I, formerly known as MISS I, formerly known as MRS I, formerly known and This is to inform the general public 

ALAITA DOREEN, now wish ADELEYE OLUEWAFUNSO, addressed as MISS BLESSING that in my BVN details, my name was 

to be known and addressed as now wish to be known and UMAKHE ARONOKHALE, 

wrongly written as NWALA JOY 

MRS ODOBA DOREEN. All 

addressed as MRS ADELEYE now wish to be known and 

AKPOVWENE, instead 

OLUEWAFUNSO ESTHER. addressed as MRS BLESSING 


All former documents remain UMAKHE AKALONU. All of NWALA JOY CHIOMA which is 

valid, any authority it may 

valid, any authority it may former documents remain my correct name. All former 

concern and general public to concern and general public to valid, general public please documents remain valid. General 

take note. 

take note. 

take note. 

public please take note. 

EJIKE OKAFOR EDJABARE POPOOLA 

My correct name is EJIKE OSITA 

EMMANUEL as it is in my 

International Passport. My name 

appear in my BVN as EJIKE SAMRT 

EMMANUEL. Now wish to correct 

the name. All documents bearing any 

of the names remain valid. Bank, 


I, formerly known and addressed as 

MISS EUNICE EBETIONG 

OLENYE, now wish to be known 

and addressed as MRS. EUNICE 

EBETIONG TODONUKUN. All 

former documents remain valid, bank 

and general public please take note. 


addressed as Miss Barthlomew 

Angela Chioma Okafor, now 


as Mrs. Ozioko Angela 

Chioma. All former documents 



I hereby wish to add the name 

KHALIDEEN to my name to now reflects 

as OBI OKECHUKWU KHALIDEEN, 

the name OBI OKECHUKWU and OBI 

OKECHUKWU KHALIDEEN belongs to 

one and same person, any documents 

bearing either names remain valid; while 

my correct date of birth is 16th day of 

November, 1993. General public please 

take note. 

I, formerly known as and 

addressed Felix Ogheneruemu 

Edjabare, now wish to be 

known and addressed as Pius 

Felix Ogheneruemu. All 


valid, any authority it may 

concern and the general public 

to take note. 

This is to confirm that the names 

Rueben Agness Ofotokun, Agness 

Ofotokun, Rueben Ofotokun belong 

to one and the same person, now wish 

to be known as Agnes Rueben. That 

Agnes Rueben Ofotokun and Agnes 

Rueben refer to the same person, all 

former documents remain valid, the 

general public take note. 

OBRIKI 


addressed as MISS OBRIKI 

BLESSING, now wish to be 

known and addressed as MRS 

EGBUSON OBRIKI 

BLESSING. All former 

documents remain valid, 

general public please take 

note. 

My name was wrongly captured as 

POPOOLA FELIX ABIODUN 

instead of POPOOLA ABIODUN 

FELIX, now I wish to be known and 

addressed as POPOOLA 

ABIODUN FELIX.All former 

documents remain valid.Concerned 

authorities and general public 

should take note. 

ANDREW 

This is to confirm that the 

names; Andrew Humphrey, 

Abuede Humphery Oriarewo 

Abubede Humphrey and 

Humphry Oriarewo Abuede 

refer to me. I now wish to be 

known as Andrew Humphrey. 


valid. General public take note. 

OSAMOR 


OSAMOR SAMUEL JUNIOR 

CHIKWAFUE, now wish to 


OSAMOR SAMUEL-JUNIOR 

CHIKWAFUE. All former 



note. 

FALADE 


TOMISIN ADEBAYO FALADE, 


addressed as FALADE 

A D E T O B A Y O N L E 

OLUWATOMISIN. All former 

documents remain valid. General 


AKPORE 


AKPORE 

TEJIRI 

ANNASTASIA, now wish to 


AKPORE OGHENETEJIRI 

ANNASTASIA. All former 



note. 

Police Sergeant goes berserk, shoots 

4 colleagues in reaction to wife’s 

abandonment 

UNTIL Wednesday, March 2, neighbours of Sergeant Bello 

said he never showed the trait of an unstable man. But 

when his wife left him on that fateful day, he went berserk, 

shooting four of his colleagues, including his father-in-law, 

Inspector John Kande. 

The father-in-law, from Benue State, is also a policeman 

serving in the same barracks as his son-in-law. 

His daughter got pregnant for the Borno-born Sergeant Bello 

two years ago, and the two became a couple having two children 

and living together. 

Then, Sergeant Bello went after him. He escaped the shooting 

with a bullet on his leg, but two others were not so lucky. 

They died on the spot. One of them was shot in his stomach by 

the rampaging police sergeant who was protesting the abandonment 

of his wife with gunshots. 

A neighbour of the police sergeant told newsmen that trouble 

started on the morning of March 2 when the wife of the police 

sergeant bolted away for reasons undisclosed. 

The police sergeant stormed his in-law’s home to demand 

that his wife returns. The in-law, also a police officer resident in 

the same barracks, pleaded with the angry sergeant to wait for 

the mother of his wife to return home for a proper resolution of 

the misunderstanding. 

But the police sergeant, it was learnt, accused his in-laws of 

planning to marry off their daughter to another man. He left 

furious and reported to work like every other policeman that 

morning. He signed for his rifle and went to his duty post. 

Hours later, the unpleasant happened. The police sergeant, 

with his gun, stormed the Commandant’s Market in the barracks 

and opened fire randomly at people wining and dining 

there. Two of his colleagues died instantly while one person 

was brutally injured with bullet wounds. 

The police sergeant then marched with his gun to his inlaw’s 

duty post where he also shot at him. The in-law managed 

to escape with bullets lodged inside his leg. 

Sergeant Bello was not done. Having run out of bullets, he 

went to his in-law’s apartment and set it on fire. The fire affected 

three other apartments. 

The police sergeant has now been apprehended and detained 

at the State Criminal Investigation Departmentt. 

‘Please, don’t let my husband die’ 

By Benjamin Njoku 

This is not the best of times for a middle-aged woman, Mildred 

Onyemaechi, as her beloved husband Mr Uchenna Onyemaechi 

who is jobless is currently battling for his life, having been 

down with chronic heart and kidney ailment for years. 

Mrs Onyemaechi said her husband may not survive the ailment 

if nothing was done urgently to save his life. She has therefore appealed 

to well-meaning Nigerians to help the family raise N20m 

for his kidney transplant. Donations can be made to: Uche Onyemaechi, 

GTB- 0110630811. 

According to her, “my husband, a father of three has had several 

sessions of Haemodialysis at Lagos University Teaching 

THOMAS 


addressed as THOMAS 

LUCIANA EFEMENA, now 


as KEMMER BARALATE 

LUCIANA. All former 



OWOLABI 


addressed as Owolabi 

favour Oluwaseun, now wish 

to be known and addressed 

as Owolabi Favour. All 


valid. General public take 

note. 

JATTO 


JATTO EVELYN CHINYE, 


addressed as MRS YOUNG 

ONWUBUYA EVELYN 

CHINYE. All former 



note. 

CHAMBER 

I, formerly known as Miss 

CHAMBER OVUAKPOR 

HELEN, now wish to be 

known and addressed as MRS. 

OVUAKPOR HELEN 

UPAKA henceforth. All 


valid. Banks and General 


OLAJIDE 


OLAJIDE ABDUL-JABBAR 

OLAMIDE. Now wish to be known 

and addressed as BADA ABDUL- 

JABBAR OLAMIDE. All former 

documents remain valid. General 

public and authority concerned 


Hospital,LUTH, where he was 

initially being managed before 

moving to Naval Dockyard 

medical centre, Lagos. Recovery 

has not been impressive. My husband 

is jobless, my world is crumbling, 

I am pleading to Nigerians 

not to let my husband die for 

the sake of our little children who 

need him. I am in a miserable 

condition right now, not knowing 

who I will run to for financial assistance. 

Your kindness to me and 

my family at this critical time will 

forever be appreciated.” 

Buhari returns, 

leaves for 

London Sunday 

P 

RESIDENT Muham 

madu Buhari on Friday 

returned to Abuja after 

attending the United Nations 

Environmental Programme 

(UNEP) at 50 in 

Nairobi, Kenya. 

President Buhari was 

scheduled to proceed from 

Kenya to London for medical 

check-up expected to last 

a maximum of two weeks. 

But he surprisingly returned 

to Abuja about 1 pm yesterday. 

Presidency sources confirmed 

last night that the 

President returned to Abuja 

to ‘sort out few things and 

will leave for London on 

Sunday’. 

Recall that the Special 

Adviser to the President on 

Media and Publicity, Chief 

Femi Adesina had in a 

statement on Tuesday said 

that President Buhari would 

proceed to London from 

Kenya for a routine medical 

check-up.

Icould not write my column in 

the newspapers last weekend 

because the week was ‘crazy’. 

The first in the series of ‘The Conversations’ 

at the Nigerian Institute of 

International Affairs, NIIA, was held. 

It was a resounding success that took 

a great toll on my slowly but steadily 

ageing body. 

3 of the 4 specially invited international 

speakers from Tanzania and 

the United States of America, made it 

to the event on Thursday, February 

2022 – Professor Ikaweba Bunting, 

Idorenyin Uyoe and Ron Davis. The 

fourth, Ron Freeman, the legendary 

African American athlete, Olympic 

Gold and Bronze medallist, social activist 

and humanitarian, could not come 

as a result of complicated Covid-19 

requirements. 

Otherwise, the spirit of pan-Africanism 

was raised from the dead, the 

fire rekindled, and the combination of 

Sports with Diplomacy doing what 

the Arts and Culture ‘failed’ to achieve 

with FESTAC ’77 has become a real 

possibility. 

The second in the series of strategic 

colloquiums shall take place on 

Thursday, June 24, 2022, in continuation 

of the Black and African renaissance 

through the instrumentality of 

Sports. Mark the date, as Africa embarks 

on in this new journey to awareness 

and liberation, through the NIIA. 

Two days after that event, on Saturday, 

February 26, the international 

visitors were in Abeokuta for breakfast 

with former Nigerian President, 

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who, as 

Head of State between 1976 and 1979, 

played historic roles in shaping the 

foundations of Sports Diplomacy in 

the world, and has been credited since 

then with responsibility for accelerating 

the end of Apartheid in South 

Africa, installing late Nelson Mandela 

as the country’s First Black President, 

massively supporting the liberation 

movements in the Central and 

Southern parts of Africa, conflict resolutions 

and promotion of peace in 

several parts of the continent, hosting 

the FIFA World Cup in South 

Africa in 2010, and taking several other 

giant steps in Africa during his double 

reign as leader of Nigeria. 

Without question, he is, internationally, 

one of the most respected 

African leaders of the past Century. 

Sharing a two-hour breakfast with 

him in an unbridled conversation on 

the state of the African continent was 

an awesome and unforgettable experience. 

Chief Obasanjo must be the busiest 

and most hardworking former- 

President of a country in the world, 

responding to Nigerians’ and Africans’ 

regular calls for interventions in their 

affairs. 

I use this medium to say Happy 

85th Birthday to the Ebora of the 

world – Chief Aremu Okikiola 

Obasanjo, GCFR, PhD. 

Lee Edward Evans – posthumous 

Birthday. 

On the same day last weekend, 

the international delegation also visited 

the students of the Segun Odegbami 

International College and Sports 

Academy, SOCA, in Wasimi, Ogun 

State, who were marking the posthumous 

75th birthday of their late 

former teacher and coach, Lee Edward 

Evans. 

It was the first such visit to the 

graveside of the legendary African 

American Olympic, Double Olympic 

Gold medallist and World record 

holder, since he died last year. 

Lee Evans was the first such highprofile 

African American legend in 

history to be buried on homeland in 

Africa. His mausoleum, when completed 

will be a historical monument. 

The students of the school put up 

an event that was a memorable and 

unforgettable experience for the few 

persons that attended. 

By Sunday morning, as we returned 

to Lagos, I was knackered. 

SATURDAY Vanguard, MATCH 5, 2022 — 31 

Conversations, Olusegun Obasanjo, Lee 

Evans, Sunny Ojeagbase, Fabio Lanipekun 

— all in one ‘crazy’ week! 

On Monday morning, the last of 

my guests left the country. Thereafter, 

involuntarily, I passed out. 

So, I missed Mumuni Alao’s early 

morning calls. 

When I eventually got back to him, 

he gave me the shocking news. My 

friend, brother and business partner 

of 38 years, Dr. Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase, 

had passed on in the United 

States of America. 

It was numbing and humbling, a 

frustrating reminder of our fragile 

mortality. 

Why do good people die? 

S.O was a good man, if ever any 

human deserves to be so described. 

In all the 38 years of our relationship 

he was a spotlessly ‘clean’ family 

man, introverted, conservative, hardworking, 

creative, and focused, a ‘reclusive 

genius’ who did not care much 

for the limelight, or unearned credits 

Qatar 2022 W/Cup play-off: 

Lookman set for Nigeria debut 

. As Eguavoen lists striker in Nigeria’s 32-man provisional squad 

to face Ghana 

Technical Adviser Augustine 

Eguavoen has called up Captain 

Ahmed Musa, deputy captain 

William Ekong, midfielder Wifred 

Ndidi and forwards Moses Simon 

and Kelechi Iheanacho in a Super 

Eagles’ provisional list of 32 for the 

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 playoff 

round against the Black Stars of 

Ghana. 

Leicester City FC of England 

forward Ademola Lookman, recently 

cleared by FIFA to switch international 

allegiance and former U17 

World Cup star Akinkunmi Amoo 

are officially called for the first time, 

while defender Calvin Bassey and 

forward Emmanuel Dennis return 

to the fold of the three –time African 

champions. 

Also called up are goalkeepers 

Maduka Okoye and Daniel Akpeyi, 

defenders Kenneth Omeruo, 

Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Abdullahi 

Shehu, midfielders Oghenekaro 

Etebo and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, 

and forwards Victor Osimhen, 

Odion Ighalo and Samuel Chukwueze. 

2021 AFCON forwards Taiwo 

Awoniyi and Peter Olayinka, defender 

Chidozie Awaziem and longtime 

absentee Ogenyi Onazi are in 

a seven-man standby list. 

The camp opens in Abuja on 

21st March, with a 24 –man final 

list for the two big games to be released 

at a later date. 

Nigeria take on Ghana in the 

20,000 –capacity Cape Coast 

Sports Stadium as from 7.30pm 

on Friday 25th March, with the 

reverse leg set for the Moshood 

Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on 

Tuesday, 29th March as from 6pm. 

The winner over two legs will earn 

Football crazy Nigerians can look 

forward to a classic Premier 

League rivalry, as Manchester City 

host Manchester United at the Etihad 

Stadium tomorrow in a late afternoon 

fixture that would be aired 

live on SuperSport Premier League 

Channel. 

While the Citizens look to be 

marching to another title, the Red 

Devils are fighting just to claim a place 

in next season’s UEFA Champions 

League and can ill afford a defeat at 

the hands of their rivals. 

City manager Pep Guardiola has 

been very happy with his team’s 

overall performance through the 

course of this Premier League season, 

though he says that the level 

needed to achieve success in the elite 

divisions is far beyond what he experienced 

early in his coaching career. 

•From right, Ron Davis, Segun Odegbami, Ikawenba Bunting and Idorenyin Uyoe, at the gravesite 

of late Lee Edward Evans in SOCA Wasimi, Ogun State. 

one of Africa’s five tickets to the 

22nd FIFA World Cup finals, 

scheduled for 14th November – 

18th December this year in Qatar. 

for his accomplishments. 

He gave me my first opportunity 

to venture into private life after unceremoniously 

leaving service in government 

in 1986 when my 12 years 

Shooting Star relationship with the 

Government of Oyo State went sour. 

S.O offered me a lifeline and a new 

life, an opportunity to join him in 

Lagos to establish and nurse the first 

private sports publishing company 

in Nigeria. It was too tempting to 

refuse and I grabbed it. So began my 

odyssey into the world of the media. 

When Mumuni called and gave me 

the sad news, the first thing that went 

through my mind was an agonising 

feeling of hopelessness, the hollow 

thought of the irreversibility of death. 

Between living and dying is a very 

thin line, a blink in the dark, a dot in 

space time, a moment that makes 

nonsense of all life’s struggles. 

Former Nigeria goalkeeper Em 

manuel Okala has tipped the 

Super Eagles to qualify for the 2022 

World Cup when they face Ghana’s 

Black Stars in the playoff. 

Okala, who won the 1980 AF- 

CON with the Super Eagles believes 

the team has a formidable squad 

capable of beating the Black Stars 

both home and away to qualify. 

“To be sincere, the Super Eagles I 

watched during the last AFCON 

tournament in Cameroun should be 

able to beat Ghana home and away,” 

Okala said. 

“I am not trying to underrate the 

strength of Ghana in football, but 

the old rivalry should favour Nigeria 

now”. 

“Our boys showed that determination 

in Cameroun that the Eagles 

have what it takes to pick the World 

You mean that is the end of our lala 

koko fefe (the friutless struggles)? You 

mean I shall not share again those 

small but special moments with S.O, 

when he would call from his base in 

the US and ask about my work and 

family, always ending our conversations 

with his gentle, kind and reassuring 

words that encourage and lift 

the spirit. 

S.O never discussed about himself 

even though he had more than enough 

of his own burdens to chew. It was 

always about the other person, always 

expressing concern, offering 

support, encouragement and prayers. 

Even when he confronted his own 

health challenges, through it all, he 

never passed on his pains to others. 

Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase and I 

were hardly ever socially involvedbecause 

he never liked the public social 

gatherings and parties, or the kleglight 

even as a media mogul himself. 

We lived completely different 

lives. I, the outdoor, free-spirited 

social animal, and Sunny, the quiet, 

reserved, religious and stay-at-home 

family man and creative genius. 

I join all Nigerians to mourn his 

departure back to the Creator of the 

Universe. At the same time, I am 

eternally grateful to God for the gift 

of his life and the opportunity to 

know him, and to be a part of the 

roles he played in making a difference 

to the world through sports, 

entrepreneurship and spirituality. 

Sleep well, S.O. 

Uncle Fabio turns 80. 

This past week, Uncle Fabio Lanipekun, 

the doyen of Sportscasting 

on Nigerian Television, and journalist 

per excellence, clocked and 

marked his 80th step up the ladder 

of life. 

It was, indeed, a good time to celebrate 

the great man who touched 

my life-after-active-sports in many 

ways. 

He gave me my break into the 

world of television when, in 1989, I 

spent an unforgettable week with 

him, Tolu Fatoyinbo and Earnest 

Okonkwo in a hotel in Glasgow, 

Scotland, during my baptism as a 

reporter covering the Under-17 FIFA 

Championship, my first major international 

assignment for Sports 

Souvenir. 

He guided me into that world by 

taking me through the details of what 

it took to be an Independent TV 

producer, a field that had only Chuka 

Momah’s Sports Spectacular on 

the NTA network. 

When we returned to Lagos, Uncle 

Fabio, teaming up with Chris 

Ebie, offered me a three-minutes 

sports segment in the very popular 

Livi Ajuonuma’s The Sunday Show, 

to present. 

That was my elixir. I still drink 

from that fountain in my work and 

life till now. 

Thank You Uncle Fabio, the 

Grandmaster of sports journalism. 

Congratulations on your 80th. 

Okala tips Super Eagles to beat Ghana 

in W/Cup playoff 

Cup ticket. All we need do now is 

to believe in coach Augustine Eguavoen 

and the team. I am supporting 

them in whatever capacity I can 

offer,” Okala stated. 

The Super Eagles have released 

their squad for the crucial encounter 

on March 25 with the first leg to 

be played at the Cape Coast Sports 

Stadium. 

Ghana travel to Abuja for the second 

leg on March 29, 2022. 

Iwobi misses W/Cup 

play-offs 

England-based star Alex Iwobi 

has been dropped from the Nigeria 

squad to play Ghana in their 

decisive 2022 World Cup playoff 

Super Sunday: Citizens, United tango at the Etihad 

“Compared to when I started at 

Barcelona, it has gone much, much 

further. The level has improved a lot. 

The quality, the methodology, the 

training sessions, the analysis of what 

exactly the opponent is going to do 

and what your team can do to punish 

them,” said Guardiola. 

“You cannot imagine the hard 

South West Cricket Tournment: Team Lagos 

annihilate Ekiti, with 258-run victory 

Team Lagos thrashed Team Ekiti 

with 258 runs in the ongoing 

South West Cricket Tournament 

also known as Professor Jide Bademosi 

Cup holding at the Obafemi 

Awolowo Stadium Cricket pitch, 

Ibadan. 

History making Team Lagos won 

the toss and elected to bat first. They 

scored 284 runs for the loss of 5 

wickets in 20 overs. 

Rilwane AbdulKareem scored 86 

runs off 45 balls ,Alabi Eriola scored 

61 runs off 33 balls while Ayinde Olademeji 

scored 25 runs off 18 balls for 

Team Lagos. 

work that goes in behind the scenes. 

That is why it is so much more difficult 

to win games now than when I 

started 13 or 14 years ago.” 

United boss Ralf Rangnick, meanwhile, 

is still working to give his 

team identity and consistency: “It’s 

not only about Cristiano Ronaldo. 

He should score more goals, it’s obvious, 

but this is not only an issue 

with Cristiano. It’s an issue with 

the other players, especially the offensive 

players. We don’t score 

enough goals, if you bear in mind 

how many chances we create, and 

this is also something that needs to 

get better in the next couple of 

weeks.” 

Okolie Chidera, Tobi Esan, Samuel 

Omotara and Fakayode Blessing 

for Ekiti all took 1 wicket each in the 

first innings. 

On resumption for the second innings, 

Team Ekiti had 26 runs all out 

in 17.5 overs which was not enough 

to cancel Team Lagos’ 284 runs. 

•Okala 

later this month because he is suspended. 

The talented Everton forward 

was not included in the list of 32 

players invited by coach Augustine 

Eguavoen on Friday for the two 

matches to be played in three 

weeks’ time. 

His exclusion does not come as 

as a major shock for fans of the 

Super Eagles since the youngster is 

suspended for the match against 

the Black Stars of Ghana. 

Iwobi was in the Nigeria team at 

the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in 

Cameroon where they were kicked 

out in the second round. 

The Super Eagles coach excluded 

the player because he had a red 

card in their match against Tunisia 

in Cameroon which means he is 

suspended for the game. 

•Iwobi

C 

M 

Y 

K 

SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 5, 2022 

CROSS WORD PUZZLE 

SOLUTION ON PAGE 30 

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

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

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

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