11082022

Olu Fasan 16
‘
In his nearly eight years in 28
office, Buhari has largely been
missing in action, either
globetrotting or holed up in
Aso Rock utterly insouciant
about the deteriorating security
and welfare of Nigerians
‘
2023: Sultan, CAN
sign peace pact
MOBIL ASSETS:
Buhari withdraws consent
TRAIN ATTACK:
6 ex-military gov’s
family members,
60-yr-old released
on Gumi, senator’s
intervention 9 over $1.3bn oil deal
H1’22: More pension funds moving into FG Securities, up 6.2% to N9trn
3
34
19
VOL. 27: NO. 6,469 THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
Tension in PDP as crisis
5
worsens; elders weigh options
•Campaign council to be unveiled within 2 weeks in Abuja•Substantial progress is being made—
ATIKU’S CAMP •We’ll resolve crisis soon—PDP LEADER •Ayu should resign honourably—BODE
GEORGE •Urges Wike not to jump ship•Wike, one man balancing force —MIMIKO
BUHARI RECEIVES LALONG...
Notorious
bandit
leader, Alhaji
Shanono, 17
others killed
in Kaduna air
strikes
6
President Muhammadu Buhari here receiving the Plateau State Governor, Mr Simon Lalong in audience at the State House Abuja,
yesterday. Lalong was recently named Director-General of the Bola Tinubu Presidential Campaign. STATE HOUSE PHOTO.
Flutterwave
raises staff
size by 200,
names new
Chief
People and
Culture
Officer 35
Mr & Mrs
Obi,Tinubu in war of words
over fake news allegations 4
UTME screening:
Varsities, others
to make N3.3bn
from candidates
3
Daily fuel consumption
probe: Reps demand
details of oil coys in
DSDP contract 4
Muslim-Muslim
4
ticket: Pope hasn’t
told me to reject DG
appointment—LALONG
COLUMNIST IKECHUKWU AMAECHI 17 22
32
PAGE 1 ABUJA AUG 10

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 3
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
FORUM: From
left, Anant Rao,
Group Head,
Consumer Lending,
United Bank for
Africa (UBA);
Akeem Lawal,
Managing Director,
Interswitch Purepay
and Ogazi
Chikwendu, Group
Head of Data and
Analytics, Fidelity
Bank, at the Nigeria
Fintech Forum
powered by
Interswitch Group
and EventHive.ng,
at Civic Centre,
Victoria Island,
Lagos.
2023: Sultan, CAN sign peace pact
By Luminous
Jannamike
ABUJA—THE
Sultan
of Sokoto, Mohammed Sa’ad
Abubakar III, and Christian
Association of Nigeria, CAN, have
signed a peace pact to de-escalate
religious tensions and ensure
peaceful and secure atmosphere in
the nation, ahead of the 2023
elections.
The peace accord was signed at
the International Religious Freedom
Summit 2022, organised by the
Global Peace Foundation and 70
international human rights and
religious freedom organisations in
Washington D.C.
While the Sultan, who doubles as
President-General of the Nigeria
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs,
NSCIA, was represented by Prof.
Yusuf Usman, the apex Christian
body was represented by its immediate
past President, Rev. Samson
Ayokunle.
In a statement in Abuja, yesterday,
Ayokunle said the leadership of the
umbrella Muslim and Christian
organisations pledged to continue to
work together, avoid violence, embrace
dialogue and remain committed to
building resilient communities free
from fear.
He added that the two religious
bodies also promised to embrace a
vision of a common humanity and
speak publicly of hope for Nigeria’s
peaceful and bright future.
The statement read: “This is a
difficult time in Nigeria, with everescalating
security crises and an
overwhelming loss of trust in
government. And unfortunately, so
much of the crisis in Nigeria has had
a religious context.
“I recall the horrifying death of
Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu
murdered by a mob because of
allegations of blasphemy. Likewise, the
shocking attack on the St Francis
Xavier Catholic Church on Pentecost
Sunday that left so many dead. And
nearly every day, there seems to be
another priest kidnapped or killed.
“At the same time, I know that there
are so many across Nigeria, Muslims
and Christians alike, who abhor this
violence and only want to live in peace
with their brethren of other faiths as
we have done for so long.
“The Sultan of Sokoto is one of
those men, and I thank him for how
he swiftly condemned these kinds of
attacks.
“We will only build a stronger Nigeria
that is able to tackle these urgent
ones that are destroying our country
from lack of security, accountability,
and corruption, to conflicts between
different peoples and faiths, to hunger
and the economic situation, if we
religious leaders determine together
to truly lead our people.”
According to Ayokunle, that was
why it was important for the Sultan
and CAN to sign the declaration for a
peaceful and secure Nigeria and to
do so on the world stage.
He said: “The declaration we signed
lays out a number of principles that
•Pledge to demand free, fair democratic elections
in 2023
we believe all Nigerians can readily
affirm.
“It states that all people are endowed
by the Creator with inherent value
and fundamental rights, regardless of
nationality, ethnicity, culture, region
or the many other differences that
often divide us, and that the essential
freedom and dignity of every person
must be respected and protected.
“The declaration also calls for
collaboration amongst the various
traditions and faith communities in
Nigeria in order to advance the wellbeing
of all and to resolve conflicts
peacefully, also makes clear that we
vocally reject and condemn all use of
violence and coercion to speed of her
Many Nigerians not registered under
CRVS — NPC
By Fortune
Eromosele
ABUJA—The
National
Population Commission, NPC,
has said many Nigerians were yet to
be registered under the Civil
Registration and Vital Statistics,
CRVS, database.
Chairman, NPC, Nasir Isa-
Kwarra, disclosed this at an event to
commemorate this year’s Africa Civil
Registration and Vital Statistics day
at the commission’s headquarters
in Abuja.
CRVS as defined by the World
Health Organisation, is a system
that registers all births and deaths,
issues birth and death certificates,
and compiles and disseminates vital
statistics, including cause of death
information. It also records marriages
and divorces.
The NPC chairman said
concerted efforts were ongoing with
countries such as South Korea to
ensure Nigeria was placed at the top
for an effective CRVS system.
He said: “So many concerted
efforts are being made to ensure we
place Nigeria at the top when it
comes to CRVS system. We have
collaboration with countries like
South Korea, they are supporting
us, we have other agencies like
UNICEF.
“The thing is not just to stop at
our offices, we have to reach out to
those areas where births and deaths
are taking place, so we can register
them as the events occur.
“I solicit to Nigerians to take this
as a serious activity, because when
a child is registered, he/she is given
an identity and he grows up to be an
adult, and when he marries or
divorces, we record it, if he moves in
terms of migration, we record. And
eventually when he dies we also
record it.
“So it is an activity that is very
important and I call on all Nigerians
to please get serious with this and
political or religious views and
identities, or to demean ethnic,
regional, or tribal affiliation.”
Ayokunle added that they also
pledged to demand that free and fair
democratic elections should be
conducted in peace and for the benefit
of all Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity,
religion or geographical zone.
He said: “Especially with the
upcoming elections, we note with
grave concern that politicians and
government representatives, and
sometimes religious representatives
as well, have not taken seriously their
full duty to promote peace and
harmony among the people of Nigeria,
which has contributed to numerous
crises for our nation,” he added.
get their children and themselves
registered under CRVS.”
He further disclosed that the
commission planned to inaugurate
the CRVS Coordination Committee
in September 2022 that will include
numerous partners and CRVS
entities, especially the Ministries of
Health, Education, Justice, Women
Affairs, Identity Management
Commission, Bureau of Statistics,
National Primary Healthcare
Development Agency, NPHCDA,
and other UN agencies like
UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA and IOM,
which he noted would strengthen
and improve high level coordination
and promote the use of data
generated through the CRVS
system for national development and
planning.
On his part, NPC Federal
Commissioner for Kano State, Dr.
Ismaila Sulaiman, said many
The statement identified some of
the crises as the concerns of political
representation and the possibility of a
genuinely democratic governance;
the questions of judicial integrity and
fairness; the issues of governmental
bias, corruption, and inaction.
Others include a grievous lack of
security, owing to terrorism, militancy,
cycles of retaliation, kidnappings for
ransom, sexual violence, and
organised criminal activities; mass
hunger and starvation; poor
agricultural policies and a lack of
education for sustainable livestock
raising; mass displacement of peoples
and poor security for them and a hostile
business environment and lack of jobs
and education, among others.
Nigerians go through life without
having any record of their existence,
and called for aggressive advocacy
programs that would sensitise
Nigerians, particularly in the rural
areas, on CRVS.
His words: “We are not up to the
level we wanted. There have been
some progress but we are still not up
to the level that we should be as a
country. Many of our children
remain unregistered, many of those
who die are not registered either.
“As a country we require quite a
lot of push in order to reach better
coverage of these vital events. The
main disadvantage of not registering
is that people go through life without
any records of having ever existed."
Meanwhile, the United
Nations International Children’s
Emergency Fund, UNICEF,
pledged its continued support to
Nigeria in ensuring a productive
CRVS registration.
N109.4bn fraud: Ex-AGF, Idris
begs EFCC for plea bargain
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
A BUJA—FORMER
Accountant-General of the
Federation, AGF, Ahmed Idris, who
was accused of siphoning public
funds to the tune of about N109.4
billion, has approached the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, for a plea
bargain.
Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi
Jacobs, SAN, disclosed this at the
resumed proceedings on a 14-count
money laundering charge the antigraft
agency entered against the
erstwhile AGF and three others
before an Abuja High Court sitting
at Maitama.
The other defendants on trial
before the court are an aide to the
former AGF, Mr. Olusegun Akindele;
a director of the Federation Account,
Mohammed Usman, as well as a
company, Gezawa Commodity
Market and Exchange Limited,
which allegedly served as the
conduit pipe through which bulk of
the stolen funds was diverted.
A plea bargain in a criminal trial is
an arrangement that allows a
defendant to plead guilty to a lesser
offence in exchange for a more
lenient sentence or an agreement
for some charges to be dropped.
It enables both the prosecutor and
the defendant to avoid a lengthy
trial.
EFCC’s lawyer, Jacobs, SAN, told
the court that the former AGF and
his co-defendants had through a
third party, requested to meet him to
negotiate the plea bargain
arrangement.
Jacobs told the court: “My lord,
the defendants sent a third party to
me that they wanted a plea bargain
meeting and that they wanted to
meet me.
“But my reply to them was that I
could not meet them in the absence
of their lawyers. By the nature of our
calling, we must be open and
transparent.
“Since section 270 of the
Administration of Criminal Justice
Act encourages settlement and plea
bargaining, I told them to come with
their lawyers and that I would also
invite the investigators to come for
the meeting.”
He further said though the
meeting was to hold last Monday, a
lawyer in the chambers of Chris
Uche, SAN, who is representing the
ex-AGF, came to his office to protest
their exclusion from the
arrangement.
He said: “One of the lawyers in
the team of the 1st defendant, Mr.
Kanayo Okafor, came to my office at
the EFCC and protested that they
were not carried along and that his
client would not come for the
meeting.
“I later spoke with the senior
counsel, Uche, SAN, for more than
30 minutes over the matter and he
protested that we did not invite them.
It was at that point that I decided to
call the meeting off, even though
the senior lawyer eventually pleaded
that it should go on.
“I called it off because in the first
place, the meeting was at their
instance. So, none of the defendants
entered the EFCC premises or came
for the meeting.”
However, the counsel that
represented the ex-AGF in court
yesterday, Mr. Goddy Uche, SAN,
insisted that his client and his codefendants
were at the EFCC office
for the meeting but declined to go
further with the negotiation after
they were asked to go to the office of
the EFCC chairman.
Uche, SAN, had before the EFCC
lawyer revealed that the defendant
sought a plea bargain, alleged that
the defendants were summoned by
the anti-graft agency, a development
he said made it impossible for him to
discuss the issue of purported
confessional statements the
prosecution intended to tender in
evidence before the court, with his
client.
He said: “My lord, I could not
interview my client on Monday as
slated because he was at the EFCC
but surprisingly, his lawyers were not
carried along. We had thought that
one of the prerequisite for charging
a matter in court is that the
prosecution has concluded its
investigations.
“We find it contemptuous that a
matter already before the court could
be tried in the office of the EFCC
chairman. That is not good practice.
We were deprived of the opportunity
to meet our client to be able to
properly prepare for his defence.”
Consequently, following
applications by the defence lawyers,
led by Uche, SAN, and Ibrahim
Ishiaku, SAN, trial Justice Adeyemi
Ajayi adjourned further proceedings
in the matter till October 4.
Meanwhile, Justice Ajayi had
earlier in the proceeding yesterday,
revoked the bail she earlier granted
to the 3rd defendant, Usman,
following his failure to arrive at the
court room on time.
Usman was absent when the trial
judge entered the courtroom around
9:20am, though his lawyer, Ishiaku,
SAN, notified the court that he was
held up in a gridlock.
Dissatisfied with the excuse,
Justice Ajayi revoked the
defendant’s bail and ordered his
remand at Kuje prison.
Usman later arrived at the court,
even as his lawyer, Ishiaku, SAN,
persuaded the trial judge to vacate
the order that revoked his bail.
UTME screening: Varsities, others to make N3.3bn from
candidates
By Adesina
Wahab
LPolytechnics, AGOS—Universities,
Colleges of
Education and Innovative and
Entrepreneurship Institutions,
IEIs, in the country are set to make
N3,336,388,000 from
admission seekers through the
post-Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination,
Post-UTME, to be conducted by
the institutions for the candidates.
The money will come from the
N2,000 mandatory fee
approved by the Joint
Admissions and Matriculation
Board, JAMB, to be paid by the
admission seekers for the test or
screening.
This year, of the 1,761,262
candidates that wrote the UTME,
1,668,194 candidates scored
over 100 marks.
Recall that at the meeting of
stakeholders recently in Abuja,
the meeting pegged the
minimum cut off mark for
admission into Nigerian
universities at 140, while
polytechnics, Colleges of
Education and IEIs were
mandated not to admit any
candidate that scored less than
100 marks.
After the UTME, some schools
still conduct further tests of
candidates, while others simply
go through the credentials
submitted. However, the fee to
be charged is still the approved
N2,000.
Going by statistics from the
board, the 10 top universities that
may benefit more than others
from the exercise are the
University of Ilorin with
97,351applicants. The university
since 2019 had been the most
sought after.
The University of Lagos with
75,967 applicants is second,
Nnamdi Azikiwe University with
58,956 applicants is third.
Others are Bayero University,
Kano, with 57,150 applicants,
University of Benin with 55,455
applicants, Federal University,
Oye Ekiti 53,367 applicants,
Obafemi Awolowo University
with 51,437 applicants.
The rest are the University of
Nigeria, 51,402 applicants,
Ahmadu Bello University with
50,196 applicants and the
University of Ibadan with 44,476
applicants.
For the Polytechnics, the top
three are Kaduna Polytechnic
6,591, Kwara State Polytechnic
5,762 and the Federal
Polytechnic, Ilaro with 4,636
applicants.
The three top Colleges of
Education are the Federal
College of Education, Zaria
4,378, Federal College of
Education, Kano 2,059 and
Federal College of Education,
Technical, Gombe with 1,542
applicants.
Meanwhile, facts have
emerged why JAMB secured the
permission of the Minister of
Education, Malam Adamu
Adamu, to stop accepting the
Advanced Level results issued by
the National Business and
Technical Education Board,
NABTEB, for admission into 200
level in Nigerian universities as
from next year.
According to the document
from the board’s meeting with
stakeholders, the rate of pass falls
completely out of range, even
when many of the A/Level
candidates had no Ordinary
Level at the time of taking the A/
Level exam.

4 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
:Vanguard
News
Muslim-Muslim ticket: Pope
hasn't told me to reject DG
appointment— Lalong
•Denies lobbying for VP ticket •We can't afford
to be distracted by religion — Akeredolu
By Dayo Johnson &
Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA-THE Director-
General of All Progressives
Congress, APC, Presidential
Campaign Organization,
and governor of Plateau
State, Simon Lalong, said
yesterday that as a Catholic,
the Pope has not told him that
accepting to lead the Muslim-
Muslim presidential ticket
was wrong.
This came on a day
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
of Ondo State condemned the
incursion of religion into the
country’s political arena,
saying it portended danger for
the polity.
Recall that there have been
condemnations in some
quarters of the APC's Muslim-
Muslim ticket, with Bola
Tinubu, the presidential
candidate and Kashim
Shetima, another Muslim as
the running mate.
But Governor Lalong said
as a born, baptized and
confirmed Catholic, who had
the highest award from the
Papacy, Knight of Saint
Gregory the Great, the Pope
has not told him that it was
wrong for him to be the DG of
the Muslim-Muslim
presidential campaign team.
He, however, denied the
allegation that he lobbied to
become Tinubu’s running
mate in 2023.
The governor, who met
behind closed doors with
President Muhammadu
Buhari, told State House
correspondents that the
Christian Association of
Nigeria, CAN, in Plateau
State, came to the Yakubu
Gowon Airport, Jos, to
welcome him after his
appointment as the APC
presidential campaign DG.
His words: “As a Catholic,
everything we do, we send the
advice to the Pope. The Pope
has not told me that what I'm
doing to accept the Director-
General is bad. As a Catholic,
Daily fuel consumption probe: Reps
demand details of oil coys in DSDP
contract
By Levinus
Nwabughiogu, Abuja
THE House of
Representatives ad-hoc
committee investigating the
daily consumption of
Premium Motor Spirit, PMS,
in the country has demanded
for details of oil consortium
involved in the Direct Sale
Direct Purchase, DSDP,
arrangement with the
Nigerian National Petroleum
Company, NNPC Limited.
The committee, chaired by
Abdulkadir Abdullahi, made
the demand yesterday at its
resumed session with an oil
consortium made up of three
companies, including
Ashgroup Energy Ltd; Jack
Energy Solutions Ltd and
Vitol SA, a Swiss based
Company.
The DSDP arrangement is
a deal whereby NNPC allows
oil companies to lift crude
and return a shipment of the
same value in refined products
to the country.
The consortium,
represented by the
Commercial Manager,
Ashgroup Energy Ltd, Nazifi
Alhassan, and Murtala
we take that direction.
“I came back home and
CAN welcomed me at the
airport. The next day, I
addressed stakeholders of
Plateau State and told them
why I am accepting. And
then, there was jubilation and
all of them accepted.
“So, if you see people talking
about me rejecting it…I've
accepted already. It's not an
option. I'm a Christian. I went
through missionary schools.
I respect my being a
Christian. I have been given
the highest award by the Pope,
which is the Knight of St.
Gregory the Great.
We can't afford to be
distracted by religion -
AKEREDOLU
Meanwhile, Akeredolu, who
spoke at the 1st year
Monograph of Memorial
Lecture and Celebration of
Life of Professor Bankole
Olusiji Oke, held at the
International Conference
Centre, University of Ibadan,
Oyo State capital, insisted
that the solution to the
challenges faced in the
country would not be found
in the faiths of individuals.
The governor, in his lecture,
titled ''Nigeria: The politics of
religion in a transitional
society'', noted that a person’s
religious persuasion was
based on personal conviction.
He said: “The current
agitations for a faith-based
political representation are
anchored on certain
misapprehension of the
requirements for leadership
in a multi-ethnic state such as
Nigeria.
"The incursion of religious
agitation is driven by mischief
to set the people against
themselves to attain political
power. Any religious leader
who ignores knowledge and
competence as necessary
criteria for measuring
leadership capacity is an
apostate.
Baloni, Head, Public Affairs,
Mansel Commercial
Company, an affiliate
Company linked to Vitol SA,
had made a submission,
which did not meet the
satisfaction of the
investigative committee.
The committee members
had probed the involvement
of the consortium and the role
of Mansel in the scheme as
earlier explained by Baloni.
Baloni said the committee
needed to write to the Swiss
embassy to obtain approval
from the authorities before
certain information could be
disclosed on the Vitol SA.
He said the consortium was
ready to provide all necessary
information needed of it by the
committee, stressing that was
the case with a similar
committee in the Senate.
A member of the committee,
Nkem Abonta (PDP Abia),
had frowned on a foreign
company for withholding
details of its transaction in the
DSDP, demanding further
scrutiny.
Piqued by the response,
Abonta said the partners in
Nigeria, particularly Mansel,
should be invited to give
explanation.
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Peter Obi
Tinubu, Peter Obi in war of words
over fake news allegations
By Vincent Ujumadu
& Omeiza Ajayi
LAGOS — The
presidential
candidate of All
Progressives Congress,
APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, and his
counterpart on the
platform of Labour Party,
LP, Mr Peter Obi, were
yesterday locked in verbal
war over the former's
accusation of the latter's
supporters of mudslinging
and spreading fake news
against other candidates,
especially him, ahead of
the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu's campaign
organisation had called on
the LP candidate to rein in
his supporters, who it
accused of spreading fake
news about its candidate
but Obi's camp in a swift
reaction dismissed
insinuations of his
supporters spreading fake
news about any candidate,
saying it was in line with
Tinubu camp's plan to run
a campaign based on
issues.
Tinubu in a statement by
his
Campaign
Organization yesterday,
had urged Obi to caution
his supporters and allow
the election circle be about
issues that will advance the
growth, progress and
stability of Nigeria.
Director, Media and
Communications at the
Tinubu Campaign
Organization, TCO, Mr.
Bayo Onanuga, who signed
the statement, also
admonished the Labour
Party presidential
candidate to get his
supporters to desist from
spreading lies, malice and
denigrating other
candidates, especially
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu.
TCO further stated that
"Nigeria will be better for
it and the electoral process
will be enriched if the 2023
presidential campaign
sticks to issues of good
governance that will lift
millions of Nigerians out
of poverty rather than
being dominated by the
ravings of guttersnipes,
who do not wish the
country well," the
statement added.
•Call your supporters to order, avoid fake news, run issue-based
campaign, Tinubu tells Obi •It's wickedness to link us with fake
news, mischief to connect my campaign to IPoB, Obi fires back
Onanuga noted that the
TCO saw the need to
appeal to Obi to rein in his
supporters after
investigating the origin of
the fake report claiming
that the Ghanaian
President, Nana Akufo-
Addo, wrote a letter to the
All Progressives Congress
Presidential Candidate,
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, asking him to
support Peter Obi and take
care of his health.
According to him, the
Ghanaian president via his
official Twitter account has
vehemently debunked the
fake news as a product of
deliberate mischief, with
the intent to deceive the
public.
“I have written no such
letter to the APC leader,
and it will not occur to me
to do so. Ghana and
Nigeria boast of decades of
cordial, strong and
brotherly relations, and I
am not going to be the one
to interfere in the internal
affairs and politics of
Nigeria," the Ghanaian
President had said via
Twitter.
Continuing, Onanuga
said: "We have found that
the fake news about Akufo-
Addo’s letter was first
published on June 22 by a
rogue platform, whose url
r e a d s
as worlsnews.space (sic)
and site identity as World
of News.
"A content analysis of the
site clearly showed that it
is a Biafra news platform.
The fake news was reposted
on Facebook by Peter Obi
Support Group, same day
- a clear proof that Biafra
campaigners and Peter Obi
supporters are the same.
"Both the Facebook
account and the website
are replete with fake
stories about Bola Tinubu,
including a fake story
credited to former
Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode, alleging that
Tinubu demanded
N50billion monthly
payment from him.
''The spuriousness of the
statement is in the
Bola Tinubu
evidence that Lagos did not
begin to clock N50billion
revenue until after Ambode
left office. Tinubu could
not have demanded
N50billion monthly
payment from Ambode
when the state government
didn't make such in a
month throughout the
tenure of Mr. Ambode.
"The pirate website,
which the Facebook
account feeds on, also
parades malicious fake
news and headlines such as
'I am old, but my blood is
young, please vote for me –
Tinubu begs youth.'
"There is also the most
wicked of all headlines:
'When I become president,
I will build more prison
(sic) for Igbos and IPOB
members – Tinubu'.
"The big surprise in all of
these is that all the
headlines have no
supporting stories, and
clicking them may bring
virus to your computer.
"We have come to a point
where it becomes
imperative to tell Mr. Obi
to show leadership and
disavow his supporters who
are employing fake news
and disinformation as
deliberate tools to deceive
and poison the minds of
unsuspecting Nigerians.''
Issue-based
campaign: I
agree with
Tinubu — Obi
But reacting to the
allegations by the Tinubu
Campaign Organisation
yesterday, the presidential
candidate of Labour Party,
Mr. Peter Obi, threw his
weight behind the call by
Tinubu for the campaign,
whenever it starts, to be
based on issues and not
personality.
A statement signed by
Obi’s Media Adviser, Mr.
Valentine Obienyem, said
the statement by the APC
advising candidates to
“desist from spreading lies,
malice and denigrating
other candidates,” exactly
mirrored what Obi had
propagated over the years.
He said if supporters were
mindful of this, some
articles published in some
newspapers against Obi
would not have been
published, including those
with offensive titles.
On the alleged fake letter
from the President of
Ghana and the alleged
request of N50 billion
monthly payment,
Obienyem said that while
Obi was not bothered
about their authenticity, it
was wickedness to link
them to his supporters,
insisting that any
publication from Obi’s
group was always properly
signed and the source
clearly spelt out.
Obienyem, who also
described as the height of
mischief, the attempt to
link Obi's campaign to
IPOB, said: “We know that
things are not well in
Nigeria. We know of the
agitations in different
parts of the country, our
principal has always said
what he would do with such
organizations to stop their
agitation and bring them
back to Nigeria as one
happy family.
''Instead of others saying
what they will do, they are
here creating more
problems by trying vainly
and wickedly to link their
fellow contestants to some
of those organisations.”
He expressed happiness
that Nigerians knew the
truth and that such
gimmicks used to deceive
them would no longer fly.
Obienyem said that right
from Obi’s position as
governor of Anambra
State, he was not known for
the habit of attacking
people or building lies
against others, adding that
his disposition was
contrary to those of some
of his opponents, whom, he
said, actually originated
most of those fake news,
published them under false
names and turned round to
ascribe them to Obi or his
supporters.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 5
POCKET CARTOON
Tension mounts in PDP as crisis
worsens; elders weigh options
•Campaign council to be unveiled within 2 weeks in Abuja•Substantial
progress is being made — ATIKU’S CAMP •We’ll resolve crisis soon —
PDP LEADER •Ayu should resign honourably —BODE GEORGE •Urges
Wike not to jump ship•Wike, one man balancing force — MIMIKO
By Dapo Akinrefon,
John Alechenu &
Egufe Yafugborhi
L tensions,
AGOS—Amid
some
elders of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, yesterday,
intervened in the crisis
rocking the party by giving
approval for the constitution
of the presidential
campaign council.
Vanguard gathered that
while some PDP leaders
are pushing for the party
to wield the big stick
against those engaged in
anti-party activities, other
leaders are more favourably
disposed to ongoing
reconciliatory efforts.
Pastor E A Adeboye, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God,
RCCG, and his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye during inauguration of newlycommissioned
Officers of the Redemption Chaplaincy International as part of
activities marking the 70th Annual Convention of RCCG at the Redemption
Camp, Km 46, Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele.
It was learned in Abuja
yesterday that the party’s
presidential candidate,
Atiku Abubakar, and other
organs of the party, including
the National Working
Committee, NWC, the Caucus
and the Board of Trustees,
BoT, have agreed to
go ahead with the constitution
of the party’s presidential
campaign council.
This came on a day
former Deputy National
Chairman of the PDP, Chief
Olabode George, urged
the PDP National Chairman,
Senator Iyorchia Ayu,
to honourably resign.
George, however, urged
Governor Nyesom Wike of
Rivers State not to join the
All Progressives Congress,
APC, despite misgivings
over the choice of running
mate to the PDP presidential
candidate.
Party elders wade
in, mull options
A top ranking member of
the party, who is familiar
with the issue but elected
to speak in confidence, said:
“We held a major consultative
meeting on Tuesday
and I can assure you that
the membership of the
council will be announced
in the next two weeks.
“Campaigns start next
month; we want to be up
and running before this
happens. We have been
reaching out to our members
nationwide, including
our respected leaders in
Rivers State.
“Details of our next steps
are being worked out. You
know the PDP, being a very
large family, has a lot of tendencies
and individuals
and groups have egos that
require massaging. We are
doing that.
“There are those pushing
for us to wield the big stick
but the majority are more
favourably disposed to ongoing
reconciliatory efforts
because we are in opposition;
we need everyone
more than the ruling party.”
Another party leader, who
spoke on grounds of anonymity,
said: “The PDP has
dealt with bigger challenges;
this one too has come
and it will go. Governor
Wike, whose name is being
mentioned anytime our
current challenges are cited,
is a party man, he has
said it himself.
“He has other party leaders
who respect him and
look up to him to protect
their political interests.
Whatsoever those interests
may be, he feels an obligation
to protect those who
stuck out their necks for him
during his bid for the ticket.
“It is the pursuit of this that
has delayed us till now but
we must make progress;
we have an election to win
and there will be positions
of responsibilities to be given
out. It is the patience
component that is the issue
at the moment.”
Substantial
progress is
being made
— Atiku’s camp
When contacted, Mazi
Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to
the PDP Presidential candidate,
Atiku Abubakar,
said: “Substantial progress
is being made with regards
to resolving outstanding
issues. My principal has
assured the party and all
members that everyone
will be carried along. That
commitment has not
changed.”
We’ll resolve crisis
soon—PDP leader
Also speaking, a top PDP
leader told Vanguard that
leaders are making moves
to resolve the crisis.
The PDP leader, who
spoke in confidence, said:
“We are making efforts to
resolve the crisis. All I know
is that Wike will not leave
the party. As regards inviting
APC leaders to commission
projects in his state, he
has said it before that he
would invite leaders across
party lines to commission
projects in Rivers. I can assure
you that the crisis within
the party will be resolved
soon.”
Ayu should resign
honourably
—Bode George
Commenting on the crisis
rocking the party,
George, who addressed
newsmen in Lagos, insisted
that Ayu should honour
his words by stepping
down as national chairman
of the party.
Continues on Page 35
By Cynthia Alo
On FG's decision to purchase vehicles worth N1.15bn for Niger Republic
This act alone is an
insult to the nation
and her citizens. The
Federal Government
approving N1.15bn to
purchase exotic vehicles
for Niger Republic to
tackle insecurity in that
country, yet Nigerians
sleep with one eye open.
What a shame and
waste of our country’s
money.
#GodsaveNigeria.
—Tochi Precious,
Self-employed
Nigeria is where it is
today mainly
because of unwise
actions like these. We
are suffering based on
poorly planned
expenditures. Nigerian
leaders should better
remove the log in their
eyes before going to
remove the speck in
other people’s eyes. To
me, this is an unwise
decision.
—Sandra Onuoha,
Tailor
This is insanity! Nigeria
can no longer service
her debts and the priority
of the leaders is to purchase
vehicles for another
sovereign nation! For
goodness sake, is Niger
Republic a state or an
annex of Nigeria? Does it
mean such proposal isn’t
presented for approval? If
it’s always presented, why
do people allow such
proposal to see the light of
the day?
—Onyebuchi Ugwu,
Teacher
For me, this is one of
the worst decisions
made by this
administration. A nation
borrowing to pay salaries, now
buying vehicles worth billions
of naira for Niger Republic is
a waste of the nation’s
resources. The Nigerian
masses are passing through
hell, with the cost of living
hitting the roof. This decision
makes no sense at all.
—Lawson Buddie,
Student
So, President Buhari
indeed approved
N1.15 billion to buy
vehicles for Niger
Republic! ASUU has
been on strike since
February 14, their
demands are yet to be
met but the President
can sign out N1.15
billion for Niger
Republic. Haaaa! Who
did we offend in Nigeria
please?
—Rotimi Olajide,
Fabric retailer
This is a wrong decision
and one that is not
acceptable at all. How can
you fund such a huge project
with such amount of money
for Niger Republic to tackle
insecurity, yet, there is
ASUU strike and their
demands have not been
met? There are bandits,
Boko Haram, ISWAP and
kidnappers, on a killing
spree. I wonder if these
people think at all when
making decisions.
—Ada Emeku,
Teacher

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
Father, son
drown in Kano
well
By Bashir Bello
KANO — A 60-year-old man,
Malam Bala, and his son, Sunusi,
have been confirmed dead after
drowning inside a well at Sabon Garin
Bauchi in the Wudil Local Government
Area of Kano State.
Spokesperson, Kano State Fire
Service, Saminu Yusif, who confirmed
the development, said the duo were
engaged in drilling service of a well
when the incident happened.
Yusif said the son was the first to drown
inside the well while rescuing him the
father was also trapped in the well.
According to him, “We received an
emergency call at about 11:30 am at
Wudil fire station from Isma’ila Idris.
He reported an incident at Sabon
Garin Bauchi in Wudil Local
Government Area, where a father,
Malam Bala (60-year-old) and his son,
Sunusi Bala (35-year-old) were called
to drill a water well.
“They successfully drilled the well and
in the process of clearing inside the well,
the son enter inside the well, he was
suffocated and trapped.
“There and then, the father while
trying to rescue him was also trapped
due to lack of oxygen inside the well.
“Both victims were rescued
unconscious and later confirmed dead.
They were handed over to Inspector
Felix Gowok of Wudil Model police
station.”
Orji Kalu extols
legal icon, Uche
By Mistura
Abdulrafiu
ONE of Nigeria’s finest and most
cited law experts, Professor Uche
Uche, who died last week at age 87, has
been described as a source of inspiration
to his contemporaries and the younger
generation.
Uche was born on November 7, 1934,
and died in London where he had gone
for medical treatment.
Extolling the virtues of the late
professor of law in a condolence
message, yesterday, in Abuja, former
Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji
Kalu, said the deceased contributed
immensely to the legal profession
beyond the shores of Nigeria.
He urged the family of late Uche to
sustain his worthy legacies.
According to him, the late legal icon
was a source of inspiration to his
contemporaries and the younger
generation.
He described the deceased as a notable
son of Ohafia Local Government Area
of Abia, who was known globally for his
legal expertise.
He said: “I received with a heavy heart
the news of the passing of foremost legal
luminary, Prof. Uche Uche. The late legal
expert served meritoriously in various
capacities across the globe.
“He was known for his integrity, intellectual
capacity and professionalism. The late legal
icon will be remembered for his good deeds.”
Meanwhile, one of the children of the
legal icon, Dr Ijeoma Onyeator, said funeral
arrangements will be formally announced
by the family in due course.
“In the interim, the family extends their
profound gratitude to friends and well-wishers
across the globe who have called to
commiserate with them at this time.
late Professor Uche.
:Vanguard
News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
Notorious bandit leader, Alhaji Shanono, 17
others killed in Kaduna air strikes
By Kingsley Omonobi
ABUJA—The air component of
Operation Whirl Punch in the
North West has killed a notorious
bandits leader, Alhaji Shanono, and
17 of his men at Ukambo, as village
about 131km from Kaduna.
The killings came as the Chief of
Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo
Amao, who commended troops for
the feat, advised them not to let down
their guards but to sustain the tempo
in the onslaught against terrorists
and bandits terrorising the country.
The troops also rescued no fewer
than 26 kidnapped victims in the
attack that took place on August 9,
2022.
Director of NAF Public Relations,
Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet,
who disclosed this in a statement,
yesterday, said: "This is even as
intensive air operations endured in
the entire military theatres of
operation as NAF aircraft continue
to seek and decimate enemies of the
state in their attempts to make life
unbearable for innocent Nigerians.
"From the briefings received by the
CAS, it is evident that so far, the
directives given to the operational
commanders is yielding the requisite
outcome.
"Air Marshal Amao, in addressing
the commanders, reminded them of
the need to remain steadfast and
focused on the task ahead" noting:
'We can't afford to let down our
guards.
"In the North-West, specifically, the
effect of strikes undertaken by NAF
aircraft have revealed that several
terrorists' have been eliminated and
their enclaves destroyed.
"One of such strikes, which occurred
August 9, 2022 resulted in the
elimination of a well-known terrorist
leader operating in Kaduna State.
"Indeed, following receipt of
intelligence on August 9, 2022 that a
well-known terrorists' kingpin, Alhaji
Shanono, had scheduled a meeting
with his foot soldiers at Ukambo, a
village about 131km from Kaduna,
the Air Component of Operation
Whirl Punch dispatched aircraft for
interdiction mission at the location.
"Overhead the location, terrorists
were sighted under clusters of trees
at the foot of Ukambo high ground
and after ensuring the absence of
civilian settlements within the
location, the crew received the
authorisation to strike.
"Feedback from local sources
disclosed that over 30 rifles and 20
motorbikes were destroyed while
about 18 terrorists, including Alhaji
Shanono, were neutralised while
others sustained injuries.
"Sources also revealed that no fewer
than 26 kidnapped victims earlier
held by the terrorists were released
as a result of the airstrike.
"Similar strikes were also
undertaken in the North-East as well.
There, the Air Component of
Operation Hadin Kai had their tasks
well cut out for them as they have
been fully engaged in conducting air
interdiction missions on terrorists’
targets in Borno State.
"One of such operations was
conducted on August 6, 2022, at
Gazuwa, about 1.2 kilometres to
Gargash, after intelligence revealed
that infighting for relevance and
supremacy was underway between
terrorists of the Shekau faction and
terrorists aligned to Islamic State of
West Africa, ISWAP.
"The state of confusion and disorder
among the 2 terrorists’ factions thus
presented an opportunity for a
surprise strike by NAF pilots which
was carried out using 2 aircraft types.
"It should be noted that though the
map coordinates led the pilots to the
exact site of the infighting, the
location also had an ISWAP flag
hoisted on the structure and three
solar panels on the rooftop.
•As Chief of Air Staff tasks troops not to let
down guards •Reviews ongoing air operations
in Kaduna
"Intelligence received and
corroborated by local sources
revealed the strike was a success as
the terrorists did not anticipate it
with several eliminated and others
injured.
"The impact of the strikes is said to
have reverberated through the
remaining terrorists’ camps who are
beginning to realise that they are
fighting an unjust and lost cause that
will no doubt lead to their death.
The suspect being led by policemen to the court.
"Most are said to be contemplating
surrendering just like others before
them.
"Meanwhile, sources have
confirmed that the Nigerian military
are exuding so much confidence
especially with the level of successes
being recorded.
"They are also optimistic that the
counter-terrorism strategies and
efforts will in no distant time yield
the expected outcome even beyond
the North-East."
Court remands suspected cultist, Oko-ilu, over
murder, arson, cultism
By Shina Abubakar
OSOGBO—An Osun State
Chief Magistrate's Court has
remanded a suspected cultist,
Rasheed Hammed, popularly
known as Oko-ilu, in Ilesa
correctional centre over alleged
murder.
The Police arrested Rasheed, who
had been terrorising, Ede town, last
Saturday after three months of being
declared wanted for committing
various offences.
Oko-ilu, who was represented by
Taiwo Awokunle, was docked,
yesterday, on a nine-count charge
before Chief Magistrate Olusegun
Ayilara in Osogbo.
The charge includes conspiracy to
commit felony, unlawful killings,
engaging in unlawful society and
illegal possession of arms among
others.
A copy of the charge sheet, which
was obtained by Vanguard alleged
that the defendant between February
13 and August 7, 2022, killed
Hassan Adedeji Idowu, also known
as Delta, contrary to section 319(1)
of the state criminal law.
He was also said to have set on fire
the houses, cars and motorcycles
belonging to Kolade Jelili and
Olayiwola Wakeel as well as shot
police Inspector, Gbenga Eke, with
intent to kill him, contrary to Sections
443 and 320 of the state criminal law
2002.
Oko-ilu was also said to belong to a
cult group, Eiye Confraternity, and in
possession of locally made guns,
offences punishable under sections 64
of the state criminal law 2002 and
section 3(1) of the Robbery and
Firearms (Special Provisions) act, laws
of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
His pleas were not taken as the court
ordered the prosecutor, Inspector
Elisha Olusegun, to duplicate the case
to the Director of Public Prosecutions
for counsel.
Ayilara then ordered that Oko-ilu
be remanded in Ilesa correctional
service and adjourned the case till
October 7, 2022.
Road users chase away robbery suspects
along Lagos-Ibadan expressway
By Bose Adelaja
LAGOS—There
was
apprehension along Lagos/
Ibadan Expressway, yesterdayy,
when some brave road users
disrupted the activities of four
robbery suspects by pelting
pebbles at them.
The incident occurred on Long
Bridge, inward Lagos State,
opposite Mikano/Karameh city,
at about 5.55am.
Narrating their experiences to
Vanguard, the road users said
their Mazda car took off from
Mowe, Ogun State, when they
sighted the robbery suspects.
One of the road users, Mr
Sheriffdeen Owokunle, said seven
passengers were on board the
Mazda car when the suspects were
sighted in black cardigans,
carrying guns and robbing
unsuspecting road users.
He said: "The journey was very
smooth from Mowe but as we
approached the Long Bridge, the
driver was advised to be alert
because of the perennial gridlock
ahead.
"Shortly, the driver peeped
through his mirror and sighted the
suspects on the bridge stopping
and robbing road users.
"People were scared and many
drivers abandoned their vehicles
as their occupants fled to different
directions to seek refuge.
“Fortunately, one of the road
users shouted on top of his voice
advising co-road users to stop
scampering for safety but face the
suspects. This later paved the way
as the road users pelted pebbles at
the suspects while some drivers
brought out cutlasses, iron rods
and faced the suspects.
“Sensing danger, the suspects
descended the bridge and fled the
scene. "
NDLEA seizes Cannabis Sativa worth N30m in
Nasarawa
By David Odama
LAFIA—Nasarawa State
Command of National
Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA) has
confiscated 1,659 kilograms
of Cannabis Sativa worth N30
million.
The state Commander of
NDLEA, Peter Odaudu, who
made the disclosure,
yesterday, in Lafia said
officers and men of the
Akwanga Area Command on
patrol on Tuesday
intercepted a J5 Boxer
vehicle with number plates:
KTG 71 XC, at about 10.24
a.m, travelling from Ogere in
Ogun State to Bauchi.
He said that upon sighting
operatives from afar, the driver
and another occupant of the
vehicle disembarked and ran
away.
Odaudu said the operatives,
being suspicious of the vehicle
loaded with goods left
unattended, laid ambush and
arrested the driver when he
came and attempted to drive off
the vehicle.
He said that upon search,
the operatives discovered 1,556
compressed bread-like parcel
of Cannabis Sativa, which
weighed 1,659 kilograms,
concealed behind pineapple
fruits loaded in the vehicle.
The commander said the
seizure was unparalleled in
the history of the agency in the
state and recalled that it was
coming on the heels of two
similar massive drug seizures
recorded in the month of July.
He explained that on July 6,
the command seized 367.6
kilograms of Cannabis Sativa
and arrested two suspects
around the Emir’s palace in
Lafia, and on July 9, another
1,029.5 kilograms were seized
on Doma Road, concealed in
a truck conveying natural gas
from Edo State.
Odaudu said all the suspects
would be prosecuted at the
end of investigation.
He restated the commitment
of the NDLEA to tackle the
menace of illicit drugs from the
state and the country.
Meanwhile, the driver of the
J5 vehicle confessed to the
crime and said he was
conveying the consignment for
his boss who resides in Bauchi.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 7
:Vanguard
News
Lagos govt, PSPs mull review
of waste tariff by 50 per cent
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS—FOLLOWING the
rising cost of operations, the
Lagos State Government and
Private Sector Participant,
PSP, operators, may approve
an upward tariff review
projected for about 50 per cent
in waste bills, effective from
October 1, 2023.
Meanwhile, 83 persons
have been convicted and
jailed, over 1,200 penalised to
sweep and over 3,000 fined in
Lagos after being convicted
for various forms of offences
relating to indiscriminate
disposal of waste in Lagos, in
the last year.
Managing Director, Lagos
State Waste Management
Authority, LAWMA, Ibrahim
Odumboni, said this while
briefing newsmen on the state
of affairs on waste
Drug war: NDLEA seeks stronger
private sector participation
By Chioma Obinna
LAGOS—THE Chairman of
the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency,
NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba
Marwa (retd), yesterday,
called for more private sector
participation in the fight
against drug abuse in Nigeria.
Speaking during his
working visit to the Christ
Against Drug Abuse Ministry,
CADAM, at the Enoch and
Folu Adeboye Rehabilitation
Centre, Araga, Epe in Lagos,
Marwa, who specifically
urged Non Governmental
organizations and well-to-do
Why nobody died of COVID-9
in my village ---Adeboye
By Gabriel Olawale
LAGOS-THE General
Overseer of the Redeemed
Christian Church of God,
RCCG, Pastor Enoch
Adeboye, yesterday, disclosed
that during the COVID-19
period, none of his village
people in Ifewara, Osun State
died of the virus despite their
failure to wear a face mask.
Pastor Adeboye, who spoke
during the ongoing 70th
Annual Convention of the
church, said that survival
didn't depend on how careful
people are but on divine
protection from above.
He said: "I think it was
yesterday I was asking the
workers, are you alive today
because you took good care
during the pandemic? Is that
why you are still alive? I told
them and said, throughout the
Be sensitive, this season 'll determine
your future, Oyedepo tells youths
By Gabriel Olawale
OTA—FOUNDER of the
Living Faith Church
Worldwide, Bishop David
Oyedepo has urged Nigerian
youths to be sensitive in
making decisions during this
period, saying that any step
taken will have an impact on
their future.
Speaking during the
International Youth Alive
Convention 2022 tagged
'Destined for Dominion',
Oyedepo warned youths to
beware of the new generation
syndrome that has no regard
for the past.
He said: "The youths must
understand the times and
seasons of life. If you miss your
management, updates on
activities from the beginning
of 2022 till August, recent
challenges solutions and
sustainability measures put in
place by the agency in the
state.
Odumboni said: "The fuel
subsidy is in addition to
subsidies offered the PSP
operators in areas where we
have challenges.
"We are giving them
additional subsidies to share
among all operators that we
feel the impact is biting hard
on; so that they continue to
deliver the level of service we
expect them to deliver.
"Attitudinal change is one of
the biggest challenges we
have in waste management
and I know that through the
support of the State and
everyone we can make a
significant change."
individuals to join in the
campaign, commended
CADAM for their
contribution in the fight.
He said: "In this war against
drug abuse, the totality of
Nigerians has to stand up, not
leaving the work only to the
NDLEA or CADAM.
"We all have to stand up to
take back our country from
the stranglehold of drug
abuse. Well-to-do individuals,
NGOs and private
organisations can augment
our effort by setting up private
rehab centres such as what
CADAM is doing.
•Says people mocked
him when his son died
period, I never saw a single
fellow wearing a mask in my
village, Ifewara, Osun State.
I never saw one and I went
home several times and you
know what? Not a single one
of them died. Who took care?
God.
"Some of you have heard
this before: when I was in the
saddest period of my life
(during the death of his son,
Dare), with so many questions
and I know that even in my
deep sorrow, some people were
still laughing at me, I got a
text from one of my daughters.
"All she said was: 'Daddy, let
God carry you. And that put
an end to any problem; it
ended my sorrows. It renewed
my faith. If you make yourself
carriable, God will carry you.
planting season as a farmer,
you have lost out on the
harvest for the year. We serve
a God of times and seasons,
so we must be conversant with
His timings not to lose the
beauty ordained for each
season in our life.
"This is the prime time of
your life; please be sensitive.
The season you are in, now
according to scriptures, is
where your future is
determined. Therefore, don't
sell off your birthright.
"It is your season of visions
where you have a bearing for
your life. You are in your age
of visions; the age of discovery
of your bearing in life. That's
what qualifies you to be in the
prime season of every life."
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
From right: Director, Human Capital & Administration, Development Bank of Ghana (DBG), Jocelyn
Emma Ackon; MD/CEO, Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Dr. Tony Okpanachi; Deputy Chief
Executive Officer, DBG, Mr. Micheal Mensah-Baah; Executive Director, DBN, Ijeoma Ozulumba; Chief
Economist, DBG, Dr. Coby Opuni-Frimpong and Acting CFO and Head Special Funds, DBG, Nana
Dufie during a courtesy visit to the DBN Head office in Abuja.
Owo massacre: Akeredolu disagrees with
CDS over arrest of suspected killer, Idris Ojo
By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—GOVERNOR
Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo
State, yesterday, disagreed
with the Chief of Defence Staff,
CDS, General Lucky Irabor,
over the arrest of one of the
suspected killers of
worshippers at St Francis
Catholic Church in Owo,
Idris Ojo, insisting that the
suspect was one of the
escapees from Kuje Prison.
The CDS had said two of
the masterminds of the deadly
terrorist attack were 32-yearold
Idris Ojo and Jimoh
Ibrahim, 39.
He also said four other
persons were arrested at Eja
in Okehi Local Government
Area of Kogi State, in
connection with the June 5
attack on the Catholic
Church in Owo and another
attack on a Police station at
Ada in which a policeman
was killed.
But Akeredolu, in a
statement by his Chief Press
Secretary, Richard Olatunde,
said: "There was a mix up in
the announcement by the
Chief of Defence Staff,
General Lucky Irabor.
"The attention of Governor
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of
Ondo State has been drawn
to the announcement of Idris
Ojo as one of the attackers of
St Francis Catholic Church,
Owo, arrested by the security
agencies.
"Governor Akeredolu
acknowledged the confusion
the statement has created in
the public space, considering
•Says he's Kuje Prison escapee
that the ugly event of the June
5 attack in Owo preceded the
unfortunate incident on Kuje
prison.
"There was a mix-up in the
announcement by the Chief of
Defence Staff, General Lucky
Irabor.
"Idris Ojo, who is number 14
on the wanted list of Kuje
Prison escapees, was arrested
in his brother's house in Akure.
"The announcement of the
arrest of Idris Ojo as one of
the perpetrators of the June 5
attack on St Francis Catholic
Church, Owo was a mix-up
from the Chief of Defence
Staff, General Lucky Irabor.
"His brother, Jimoh
Don't tamper with electoral documents, APC
warns INEC, PDP
By Shina Abubakar
OSOGBO—THE All
Progressives Congress, APC,
in Osun State, yesterday,
warned the Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, not to
allow some of its officials
tamper with documents used
for the conduct of the July 16
governorship election.
The party, in a statement by
its Chairman, Mr Gboyega
Famodun, said it has
discovered plots by some
officials of the commission to
collaborate with leaders of the
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, to compromise some
result sheets and the Bimodal
Voter Accreditation System,
BVAS, used for the poll.
The APC and Governor
Adegboyega Oyetola had
challenged the victory of the
Senator Ademola Adeleke
and the PDP at the election
petition tribunal, questioning
outcome of 749 polling units
Nigeria not what it should be — Obasanjo
By Providence
Ayanfeoluwa
LAGOS—FORMER
President Olusegun
Obasanjo, yesterday
lamented that Nigeria is not
what it should be.
He said this at the Wilson
Badejo Foundation, WBF
15th Annual Lecture with the
theme: 'Overcoming the Twin
Challenge of Poverty and
Insecurity in Nigeria: Way
Forward'.
Obasanjo, who said that
insecurity feeds on poverty
and poverty feeds on
insecurity, pointed out that if
we do not take the right step
and make the right choice, not
only would the two continue
to fester on, they will consume
the country.
His words: "The General
Overseer of Foursquare
Gospel Church in Nigeria,
Sam Aboyeji said his father is
coming in 2023, I want to wait
and see his father come, but
seriously Nigeria is not what
it should be today. If anybody
feels anything to be contrary,
his or her head would be
examined and nobody would
do it for us, nobody needs to
be blamed.
"The choice is in our hands,
I see faith and half a dozen, I
don't know what choice you
Ibrahim, received and
accommodated him after he
escaped from Kuje Prison.
"He was, thereafter, moved
and kept in the custody of the
security operatives at the same
time the attackers of Owo
Catholic Church were
arrested and brought into
custody. Hence, the mix-up."
•Your allegations mere propaganda — PDP
for alleged over voting.
Famodun, said: "We have
received an authentic
information about the
activities of certain
individuals in the Osun State
office of the Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, and
some elements in the PDP to
compromise the contents of
the electoral results of Forms
EC8A and EC8B vis-à-vis the
Bimodal Voter Accreditation
System, BVAS, reports which
contain the records of the
actual number of persons
accredited to vote in each
polling unit.
"Everyone can recall that
the Petition we presented to
the Electoral Tribunal on
Friday, the 5th day of August,
2022, made detailed and
undeniable allegations of
non-compliance with the
Electoral Act, 2022 with
established vagaries and
inconsistencies between the
numbers of persons
want to make out of that two.
Don't let us deceive ourselves,
we have a choice; either we
are making the choice or we
are not making the right
choice and if we don't make
the right choice, we don't
blame anybody but blame
ourselves. If we make the right
choice, we would overcome
the twin challenge of poverty
and insecurity which are
symbiotic.
"I want to thank God for the
life of Wilson Badejo because
if not for the life that he lived
we would not have been here
because he died. I thank God
for the interaction I had with
him when he was alive.
accredited by BVAS and the
actual numbers of persons
that voted in each polling unit.
"By the above, we were able
to establish over-voting in 749
polling units across ten local
government areas of Ede
North, Ede South, Egbedore,
Ejigbo, Ila, Ilesha West,
Irepodun, Obokun, Olorunda
and Osogbo Local
Government Council Areas.
"We got it from a reliable and
an authoritative source that
the INEC officials in Osogbo,
working for PDP and its
candidate, Ademola Adeleke,
have embarked on an urgent
process of manipulating the
contents of the BVAS report
in order to defeat the
unassailable allegations and
evidence at our disposal.
"It is on record that the
certified true copies of most
documents are with us and
any attempt to doctor,
manipulate, tamper with or
utter such documents in the
custody of INEC shall be
resisted strongly."
Your allegations
mere propaganda—
PDP
But in its reaction,
Chairman of the PDP's Media
management team, Mr Diran
Odeyemi described the
allegation as mere
propaganda, saying "The
APC is known for always
accusing the PDP of what they
intend to do. They should stop
crying and allow their over 50
lawyers prove their case before
the tribunal."
Meanwhile, INEC's Public
Relations Officer, Oluwaseun
Osimosu promised to get
back to our correspondent but
failed to do so as at the time of
filing the report.

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
LANGUAGE OF REAL ESTATE: From left: Kehinde Kuye, CEO, Triple K Global Concepts; Tobi Durosinmi
Etti,Managing Partner, ThePush Consulting; Dr. Muibi Kehinde Hammed, CEO, MKH Group; Aderinsola
Jolaosho, Managing Partner, ThePush Consulting; Mr Ahmed Raza, General Manager, Radisson Hotel
Group and Mr Tobi Yusuff, Partner, Veritasi Homes and Properties Limited at Language of Real Estate and
Hospitality event organised by ThePush Consulting, in Lagos.
Akpabio not recognised as APC A-Ibom
North-West candidate —REC
By Dapo
Akinrefon
AKWA Ibom State Resident
Electoral Commissioner,
Mr. Mike Igini, yesterday,
restated the status of political
party primaries monitored in the
state, insisting that Senator
Godswill Akpabio has not been
recognised as the candidate of
the All Progressives Congress,
APC, for the North West
senatorial district.
Igini also insisted that Mr.
Udom Ekpoudom had the
highest votes and was declared
winner as the APC candidate for
the senatorial district.
The REC, whose five-year
tenure comes to an end soon,
said: “In the last few days, despite
the fact that many aggrieved
individuals, who participated in
political party primaries had
gone to court to seek redress, I
have been inundated with calls
and questions mainly from
members and contestants of
various elective primaries of the
APC, making enquiries and
wanting to know exactly the
position with respect to the APC
primaries in Akwa Ibom State.
“The enquiries were in respect
to senatorial, federal
constituencies, governorship and
state House of Assembly
candidacy in Akwa Ibom State
towards the 2023 general
election.
“I am, therefore, once more,
impelled to restate for the records
the status of party primaries
monitored in Akwa Ibom State
as my five-year tenure comes to
an end and do state as follows:
“Generally, in Akwa Ibom
State, all the political parties that
conducted party primaries in
compliance with the provisions
of Section 84(i) 2022 Electoral
Act were monitored by the
various teams constituted for the
exercise by the state office and
reports of the outcome endorsed
and forwarded to the
commission’s headquarters in
Abuja.
"However, not all political
parties conducted primaries for
all elective offices. The
commission fixed the conduct of
all party primaries between June
3 and 4, 2022.
“The APC did not conduct its
gubernatorial party primary in
Akwa Ibom State, which was
scheduled to hold on May 26,
2022, at the SheerGrace Arena,
8/10, Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo.
“The APC gave due notice of
its governorship primaries
across the country for May 26,
2022. Akwa Ibom State INEC
office received from INEC
headquarters the five-man list of
the APC Electoral Committee
assigned to conduct the
governorship primary. The team
was headed by one Mr. Tunde
Ajibulu, as chairman.
“At 4p.m., the INEC
monitoring team, led by the REC,
accompanied by members of the
lnter-Agency Consultative
Committee on Election Security,
ICCES, including the
Commissioner of Police, Akwa
Ibom State, moved to the
designated venue for the primary
(SheerGrace Arena, 8/10, Nsikak
Eduok Avenue, Uyo) where prior
elected wards, LGAs and state
delegates were waiting.
“At 10.30p.m., the Chairman
of the Electoral Committee, Mr.
Ajibulu, spoke again on phone
with the REC and stated that for
safety reasons and the fact that
he was traumatised they could
no longer leave the DSS office
for the venue of the primaries and
that all activities be postponed
until he gets back to the
commission. He never did.
"Consequently, the APC
governorship primary in Akwa
Ibom State could not hold on
May 26, 2022.
“There were false claims that
some unknown staff monitors
came from the commission’s
headquarters that allegedly
monitored the governorship
primary at 4am. This is not true
as no staff of the commission can
go to any state to monitor party
primaries without a letter of
deployment that must be
presented for the signature/
endorsement of the REC of the
state.
“Again, it must be stated clearly
that monitors, who come from
the commission’s headquarters
to monitor party primaries are
not secret agents, who sneaked
in unnoticed to monitor.”
On senatorial primaries, he
said: “In line with Section 82(1)
of the Electoral Act 2022, the APC
notified INEC of its intention to
conduct its senatorial primaries
across the country, including that
of Akwa Ibom State. The date
fixed for the primaries, according
to the commission’s timetable
was May 27, 2022.
"This was communicated to all
state offices of the commission
by way of a schedule calendar
sent to a dedicated whatsapps
platform and simultaneously
cited by all state offices. It should
be noted that two calendars were
sent that same day on the
platform, both indicated
senatorial primary for the same
27th (not 28th). The first calendar
was posted on the platform by
8:09p.m., and the second was
posted at 11:28p.m. All CTC of
these calendars have been issued
to interested parties.
“INEC, Akwa Ibom State
constituted a five-man
monitoring team for each of the
three senatorial districts and they
all monitored the primaries as
scheduled for the three districts
on May 27, 2022.
“The five-man INEC
monitoring team for Akwa Ibom
North West senatorial district duly
monitored the primary at the
designated venue and submitted
its report, which showed clearly
that Mr. Udom Ekpoudom had
the highest votes (of 338) and was
declared the winner as the APC
candidate for that senatorial
district.
“For Akwa Ibom North-East
senatorial district, Dr Ndem
Ndem emerged winner of the
primary, while for Akwa Ibom
South senatorial district, nobody
was elected because the primary
was not conducted by the party in
that district.
“It becomes very strange and
highly disturbing that particulars
of people completely different
from the names that emerged
from the peaceful and transparent
primaries duly monitored here in
Akwa Ibom State were not
submitted for publication. While
the name of Mr. Ekpoudom was
completely omitted, an unknown
name surfaced for Akwa Ibom
South senatorial district where no
primary took place.”
Increased minimum wage'll provide succour
to Edo workers, pensioners —Obaseki
By Gabriel
Enogholase
BENIN
—Governor
Godwin Obaseki of Edo
State has said the increment in
the state’s minimum wage from
N30,000 to N40,000 as well as
payment of the harmonised
pension to retirees were to provide
succour to workers and
pensioners, who were
overburdened by the weight of
the harsh economic realities in
the country.
Obaseki, who addressed
journalists in Benin City,
yesterday, said the state
government remains committed
to the welfare of workers and
would sustain policies and
programmes to ensure that the
workers were adequately
empowered to deliver quality
service to Edo people.
It will be recalled that Obaseki
had on 2022 Workers Day
announced the payment of
harmonised pension to retirees
in the state after 21 years, as well
as the increment in the minimum
wage in the state from N30,000
to N40,000.
He said: “I want to assure
workers in the state that, as a
government, we feel their pains.
We know that things are tough
and wish we had more resources
as a state government for our
people.
“The N40, 000 minimum
wage we introduced was because
of the pain our people are facing.
This was not when dollar was
N700, it was when the dollar was
still N400. So, you can imagine
how the hardship of workers had
progressed or is progressing.
“As a government, we will join
you to do everything possible to
make sure that we get those who
are in charge and those who are
responsible for managing this
country at the national level to
stop this pain.”
Hailing workers in the state for
their continuous support to the
government, Obaseki said: “We
have enjoyed tremendous
goodwill from Edo workers. It is
on record that no strike or protest
has been embarked upon by any
of the unions against our
administration, except it is
politically motivated. I am not
sure that there is any government
outside this state that can boast
of such records.
“This has been made possible
by all Edo workers because of
the trust they have in us and by
the grace of God, we will not
betray that trust.”
Looted Amnesty Training Centre:
Ex-militants accuse Justice
Ministry officials of sabotage
A
coalition of ex-militant
leaders from the nine states
of the Niger Delta has alleged
that officials of Federal Ministry
of Justice were working to
frustrate the Presidential
Amnesty Programme, PAP, from
filing proper defence against a
suit by 15 companies accused of
alleged involvement in the 2019
looting of the Amnesty Training
Centre in Kaiama community
of Bayelsa State.
The ex-militants, under the
aegis of Niger Delta Amnesty
Beneficiary Forum, NDABF, said
instead of the officials of the
Federal Ministry of Justice
supporting legal representation
by the Amnesty Office against the
suits filed by the accused
companies in the tune of N3.8
billion, plus 21 percent post –
judgment fee and also requesting
special damages, which can go
as high as N5 billion to N8 billion,
they were busy sabotaging the
Amnesty Office’s efforts in court
by removing legal officers from
PAP.
National Coordinator of
NDABF, James Okori, in a chat
with newsmen in Yenagoa, after
a peace march to the Nigeria
Union of Journalists secretariat,
Bayelsa State, claimed that
thousands of beneficiaries of PAP
were suspicious of the sabotage
being put in place by the Federal
Ministry of Justice to the looted
N60 billion Amnesty training
Centre in Kaiama, Bayelsa.
He said: “We are calling on
President Muhammadu Buhari,
National Security Adviser, ICPC,
EFCC, and DSS to investigate
the officials of the Federal Justice
Ministry over their alleged role
in removing the legal adviser and
other legal officers from the
Amnesty Office.
“We suspect that these officials
may have been compromised by
the accused companies. The
removal of the legal officers
attached to PAP office at the suit
by the accused companies
suggests sabotage against the
Amnesty Office from defending
itself against the N3.8 billion by
15 companies for alleged
unexecuted contracts during the
tenure of the former Amnesty
Coordinator, Prof. Charles
Dokubo, which allegedly led to
the five days looting of the N60
billion Amnesty training
complex in Boro-town, Kaiama,
in February 2019.
“Presently, the Amnesty Office
does not have a legal adviser or
competent legal representative.
We strongly support the 124
amnesty beneficiaries that have
filed cases against these 15
companies in two Federal High
Courts in Abuja."
“The public must know that
five companies out of the 15
companies that are suing the
amnesty office are allegedly not
registered with the Corporate
Affairs Commission. They are
suing for N3.8 billion, plus 21
percent post judgment, and they
are also requesting for special
damages which can go as high
as N5 billion to N8 billion.
Group commends Olu of Warri
for increased oil production,
fight against oil theft
By Emma Amaize
WARRI—THE
Anti-
Pipeline Vandalisation/
Crude Oil Theft and Illegal
Bunkery Task Force Group has
lauded the Olu of Warri
Kingdom, Delta State, and
Chairman, Ocean Marines
Solutions Limited, His Majesty,
Ogiame Atuwatse III, for
restructuring the firm to ensure
seamless increase in the nation’s
production and sustaining the
fight against crude oil theft in the
creeks of Niger Delta.
National Coordinator of the
task force, self-acclaimed Gen.
Fiawei Pathfinder, in a statement,
said the monarch had kept aglow
the original plan, dreams and
vision his in-law and Founder of
Ocean Marines, the late Chief
Captain Hosa Okunbo, and also
turned the company to a global
brand in the nation’s maritime
and oil sector.
He said: “The highly respected
first class monarch has been able
to work hard tirelessly to
reposition, transform and
restructure OMS and
contributing to ensure that
increase of oil production go on
seamlessly in the country.
“He has also with his wealth of
experience sustained the fight
New LG chairmen must reside in headquarters —Diri
By Samuel
Oyadongha
Y Douye ENAGOA—Governor
Diri of Bayelsa State has
said all incoming local government
chairmen in the state will reside in
their council headquarters to enable
them perform effectively.
The tenure of the current council
chairmen expires on August 14.
Diri gave the directive while
inaugurating the chairman’s new
office complex at Ekeremor,
headquarters of the council as part
of legacy projects executed by
council’s chairmen across the state.
His words: “Let me inform all those
that would take over the leadership
of the third tier of government that
as the policy of this administration,
all council chairmen must stay in
their respective domains.
“I appeal to the elders and all other
stakeholders to support the council
administration to enable them
perform their duties in line with the
Nigerian constitution.”
Commending the Ekeremor
council chairman, Dr. Bertola
Perekeme, for completing projects in
all 12 wards in the area, Diri
underscored the need to execute
people-oriented projects to reduce
against pipeline vandalism and
illegal bunkery activities, which
have drastically reduced in the
region.
“We, the leadership of Anti-
Pipeline Vandalisation/Oil Theft
and Illegal Bunkery Task Force
Group commend the untiring
sterling leadership qualities,
selfless services of the Olu of Warri
Kingdom, Ogiame Atuwatse III,
in the spirit of nation building
and bridging peace borne out of
patriotism of the late Captain
Hosa Okunbo life-style and
legacies.
“Through His Majesty, Ocean
Marine Solutions Logistics
Company, currently handling
pipeline surveillance job in the creeks
of Delta State has put in place proper
measures to tackle the menace of
pipeline vandalism and demolition
of illegal refining camps set up by
dare- devil syndicates with
collaborators in some high profile
persons in the society.
“Looking back after one year of
the sudden demise of the Founder/
CEO of Ocean Marine Solutions
Company, Chief Okunbo, it is
imperative for us as stakeholders in
the oil sector who are in the fight
against pipeline vandalization and
crude oil theft in the creeks of the
Niger Delta region, to emphatically
appraise and applaud the excellent
untiring selfless sacrifices.
rural-urban migration.
Responding to requests by the
chairman, Diri directed Works and
Infrastructure Commissioner, Moses
Teibowei, to include the Ekeremor
Secondary School in the next State
Universal Education Board,
SUBEB, contract award towards
addressing its renovation and the
twin problems of flooding and
erosion threatening the
institution.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 9
:Vanguard
News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES:
Train attack: 6 ex-military
gov’s family members,
60-yr-old woman released
Social Media Conversation
•The released captives
By Ibrahim Hassan-
Wuyo
SIX family members of
a former military
governor, alongside a 60-
year-old woman, who
were among the
kidnapped Kadunabound
train passengers,
have regained their
freedom, with the
intervention of Sheikh
Ahmad Gumi.
A senator, who did not
want his name
mentioned, was said to
have assisted in the
release of the seven
victims, yesterday.
Disclosing this to
journalists in Kaduna,
Mallam Tukur Mamu,
Media Consultant to
Gumi, said they were
disturbed by the gory
videos and images of the
four teenage children of
It was
learned
that the
health
condition of
two of the
teenage
children
has
deteriorated
since the
flogging
incidence
that
affected
their
helpless
father
the same family seen in
the last video released by
the attackers of the AK9
Train.
According to Mamu:
“Sheikh Ahmad Gumi,
for the first time since the
abduction of the
innocent passengers
over four months ago,
has reached out to the
abductors through his
media consultant, sent
Allah’s messages to
them and consistently
pleaded with them to
consider the release of
the poor children and
their innocent parents.
“It was learned that the
health condition of two of
the teenage children has
deteriorated since the
flogging incidence that
affected their helpless
father. A total of
additional seven
hostages were, therefore,
released on Wednesday.
“The father of the four
kids is a staff of the
National Assembly
Commission. There was
no intervention from the
commission or NASS on
his behalf, since the
travails began.
“This is to confirm to
the world that due to
Sheikh Gumi’s efforts
and with the support of
a serving senator from
the North, who chose to
remain anonymous, that
the family of six regained
their freedom on
Wednesday morning.”
Aside from the family,
60-year-old Aisha
Hassan was also freed,
due to “life-threatening
health challenges.”
The other freed
passengers were
identified as Abubakar
Idris Garba, his wife,
Maryama; their four
children—Ibrahim, 10;
Fatima, seven; Imran,
five, and the youngest,
Zainab, aged one.
Mamu said Abubakar is
the son of Idris Garba, a
retired Major General of
the Nigerian Army and
an indigene of Niger
State, who served as
military administrator of
Kano and Benue states
during the regime of
Ibrahim Babangida.
According to him,
Gumi prayed for the
release of the remaining
victims and urged the
government to intensify
efforts toward securing
their freedom.
Walking corpse!
Generational handover!
When the ‘stone' ceases to ‘roll'!

10 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
:Vanguard
News
Resign as APC vice presidential
candidate, M-Belt tells Shettima
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
DONATION—From left: Funmiade Bank-Anthony, Christian Amariwu; Director of Special
Duties; Dr. Enyinna Erengba, representing the Lead Trustee, Dr. Adio-Moses; Emi Ajagun,
Jane Onyeneri, Sister-in-Charge of Pacelli School for the Blind; Queen Irene Cole, Trustee,
and Temitope Bank-Anthony, Director, External Projects, during a donation by the Trustees
of Bank-Anthony Estate, to Pacelli School for the blind.
By Luminous
Jannamike
ABUJA—THE Middle-Belt
Congress, MBC, has asked
the vice presidential candidate of
the All Progressives Congress,
APC, Senator Kashim Shettima,
to resign as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu's
running mate in next year's
Presidential election, to save the
party from perceived impending
electoral misfortune in 2023.
At a news briefing in Abuja,
yesterday, MBC’s leader, Mr. Bilal
Abdullahi, among others, said:
"The Muslim-Muslim ticket of the
APC, comes with its attendant
political baggage. If the APC, as a
party, is desirous of making any
meaningful impact in the 2023
presidential elections, it behooves
on the party to retrace its steps in
the composition of its presidential
ticket.
"We are constrained to believe
that the self-confession of
Senator Kashim Shettima
towards the Christian
community might be a ruse, as
his actions of late do not indicate
that of a religious tolerant
individual.
"It remains a statement that
since the nomination of Senator
Kashim Shettima, the APC
evolved into a riotous
organization with various
stakeholders in abhorrence for
the choice of a Northern Muslim
at the detriment of credible and
capable Northern Christians.
"It remains morally
unjustifiable for Senator Kashim
Shettima to hold onto the vice
presidential slot of the APC
because such action has heated
the polity in ways too numerous
to mention.
"The incomprehensible fact
remains that the leadership of
the APC is aware of the threats
posed to its electoral success with
the Muslim-Muslim Ticket, yet,
it has remained adamant about
the uproar its choice of Muslim-
Muslim ticket has elicited in the
polity.
"We appeal to Shettima to act
with honour by resigning his
nomination as the vice
presidential candidate of the APC
in the interest of peace and
tranquillity and to salvage
whatever is left of the APC in the
buildup to the 2023 presidential
elections.
"Senator Kashim Shettima
must, in good conscience, admit
that his nomination has indeed
brought about ethnic and
religious tension in the country,
which remains unacceptable in
this critical period of our existence
where there are concerted efforts
at unifying the country along
ethnic and religious lines.
"The fact that a Muslim-
2023 poll: We're prepared for
security challenges —IGP
By Bashir Bello
KANO—AHEAD of the
2023 general elections, the
Inspector General of Police,
Usman Baba, has assured
Nigerians of the Police
preparedness to tackle security
challenges before, during and after
the polls.
The IGP spoke, yesterday, in
Kano, at the opening of a
workshop on "Election Security
Management for Police Officers"
in the North-West zone', organised
by the Nigeria Police Force, NPC,
in collaboration with Solar
Security and Consult Company
Limited.
Represented by the Assistant
Inspector General in charge of
Zone 1, Sadiq Bello, Baba tasked
police officers on best practices to
mitigate election security
management.
"We are preparing the minds of
the police officers to be ready in
confronting security challenges
that might come up, to ensure a
successful election. There are a
lot of expectations on the police
and other security agencies as the
election is by the corner.
"Performance of the police has
improved, you will believe me
that, based on the recent election
conducted in Ekiti State, there
is hope for the country," IGP,
Baba added.
Also speaking, former
Inspector General of Police, Mr.
Solomon Arase, said that they
were confident that election
would hold in spite the current
security challenges in the
country, saying "That is why the
IGP initiatives should be
commended. One aspect we are
very concerned about is the new
....Orders Adamawa CP to return
vehicles to Gombe
G OMBE—INSPECTOR
General of Police, IGP,
Usman Baba, has ordered the
Adamawa Police Commissioner
to return about seven
operational vehicles deployed to
the state from Gombe State, in
2018.
Baba gave the order,
yesterday, at the Gombe State
Command, during a meeting
with officers, as part of his twoday
working visit to the state.
The IGP, who promised the
state a new Armoured Personnel
Carrier, APC, asked the state
Commissioner of Police, Ishola
Babaita, to reach out to his
counterpart in Adamawa over
electoral law, 2022. We believe
that our officers should be
conversant with the provisions
of these laws.”
A representative of the Kano
state government, Alhaji Habibu
Abdullahi, assured of the
government's continuous
support to the police and other
security agencies, noting that it
would assist them to continue
protecting the lives and property
in the state.
the vehicles.
A mild drama ensued when
Babaita immediately called his
Adamawa counterpart, Sikiru
Akande.
Akande had said he was not
the commissioner at the time the
vehicles were said to have been
deployed, but the IGP urged him
to investigate and return
appropriately.
However, IGP Baba said:
“Return all those vehicles. Even
if they are dead, return the
carcass.”
Earlier, Babaita appealed to the
IGP to mediate in support of the
command’s drive to deliver
optimally by recovering its
Muslim ticket cannot unite the
country is enough for Senator
Kashim Shettima to reconsider
his vice presidential candidature.
As a former governor who
witnessed one of the bloodiest
conflicts in Nigeria, he should
know better about the cost of
conflict in the society.
"The Middle Belt Congress
strongly advises Senator Kashim
Shettima to look at the
presidential ticket of other political
parties to understand that he
stands to go in history as that
individual whose blind pursuit of
power undermined the Christian
community in Nigeria.
"It remains inexcusable, and
the Middle Belt Congress is
tempted to believe that Senator
Kashim Shettima might have
forced himself on the APC
Presidential candidate without
recourse to the far-reaching
implication such a move would
have on the polity."
property deployed to other states.
“Sir, permit me to state that, in
the years 2017 and 2018, seven
patrol vehicles from this
Command were deployed to
Adamawa State Police
Command, and two patrol
vehicles to Gwoza Training Camp
Borno State for tactical
operations. And the only
Armoured Personnel Carrier
(APC) attached to 59 PMF Bajoga
was moved to Nasarawa State
Command for snappy and
emergency operation since May,
2019. These vehicles are yet to
be returned to the command."
Bank-Anthony Estate
donates to Pacelli School
By Abdulrafiu
Mistura
LAGOS—TRUSTEES and
staff of the late Sir Mobalaji
Bank-Anthony, have donated
handsomely to the Pacelli School
for the Blind, Surulere, Lagos, 30
years after the great
philanthropist left the legacy in
his will.
Presenting the donation, the
grand-daughter of the late
philanthropist, Funmiade Bank-
Anthony, said they would
"continue this great philanthropic
way of my grandfather as per his
instructions, and we are here to
continue to show Pacelli School
the love he had for them and will
continue to support them.
"The visit, today (yesterday),
was put together by our Lead
Trustee, Dr. Adio Moses, and we
FG partners World Bank to
address environmental
degradation
THE Federal Government of
Nigeria, in collaboration with
the World Bank, has expressed
determination to address
environmental degradation in 19
states of the country, including
the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Minister of Environment,
Mohammed Abdullahi, disclosed
that this will be done through the
Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-
are grateful for her leadership
and hardwork.
“I know that Sir Bank-
Anthony, my grandfather, is
happy that his legacy lives on.
He was a kind and compassionate
man that followed the teachings
of Christ.”
She was accompanied by the
Executive Trustee of the Estate,
Quene Irene Cole; the Director
of External Development, Ms.
Tope Bank-Anthony; the Director
of Special Duties, Christian
Amariwu; Dr. Enyinna Erengba,
representing the Lead Trustee,
Dr. Adio Moses, and heir legal/
security team.
Responding, the Principal of the
school, Jane Onyeneri, thanked
the trustees for remembering to
honour the will of the great
philanthropist, assuring that
whatever donations extended to
them will effectively be utilised
for the upkeep of the inmates.
Decongestion: Legal Aid
Council visits Nasarawa prisons
N
A
S A R A W A —
DIRECTOR General of
Legal Aid Council, LAC, Mr. Aliyu
Abubakar, has visited Nasarawa
prisons, in his determination to
see that LAC lives up to
expectation, as he gave approval
for the decongestion of the
prison, despite the recent attack
on Kuje Prison, Abuja.
According to a statement by
Amaka Agbaih, the team, led by
Mr. Mozea Keneth, Director-in-
Charge of Decongestion
Department, was received on
arrival at the prison by Mr. Aminu
Abubakar, Asst. Controller of the
prison, who was represented by
Mr. Habu Dogara.
The statement added that he
appreciated the council for the
2023 Polls: See LP as way to
better Nigeria, DSHA hopeful
ASABA—AS 2023 general
elections draw near, the
Delta State House of Assembly,
DSHA, candidate for Bomadi
Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL,
Project, which was launched
recently.
He revealed this during
ACReSAL Technical Work Plan
Workshop, which took place in
Victoria Island, Lagos State, that
the project would be handled by
the Federal Ministries of
Environment, Agriculture and
Water Resources.
Among others, the minister said
the project would also provide food
security through motivated
agricultural activities. "What we
intend to do is to try, as much as
we can, to get the various
committee, participants and the
beneficiaries motivated in
agricultural activities."
Also speaking, Dr Iganya Joy,
Senior Environmental Specialist
of the World Bank, said the most
important part of the project, to
be funded by the bank, “is about
building institutions, sustaining
issues around land degradation,
livelihood and others.”
Among the objectives of
ACReSAL is to increase the
implementation of sustainable
landscape management practices
in targeted watersheds in
Northern Nigeria and strengthen
Nigeria’s long-term enabling
environment for an integrated
climate-resilient landscape.
important role it was playing in the
lives of the indigent in the society.
LAC, he said was a major
stakeholder in the decongestion
of the prisons and the entire
justice sector.
Thereafter, the prison
assembled 14 awaiting trials
inmates for interview and
representation in various courts
within Nasarawa State and FCT.
The cases downloaded for
representation were in areas of
rape, criminal conspiracy, armed
robbery and possession of fire
arms, criminal breach of trust and
cheating, theft and criminal
intimidation, homicide, and
culpable homicide.
Constituency, under the platform
of Labour Party, LP, Poweide
Foburuku, has assured
Nigerians, especially the youths,
that LP is the only way to a better
Nigeria, urging them to vote the
party's candidates in all the
elections.
Foburuku, who spoke in
Asaba, Delta State, said: "From
the first to the last, we are being
motivated by our Presidential
flag bearer, Mr. Peter Obi, who is
determined to make a real change
in Nigeria.”
He described Obi as the only
Presidential candidate that would
improve the economy, education
and security of lives and property
of Nigerians.
While expressing happiness
over the successful primaries,
verification and listing of his name
as candidate by INEC in the
state, the Assembly hopeful said
if elected, he would not disappoint
his constituents.
On the low participation of
youths in governance, he
pledged to inspire the younger
generation, saying "The youths
should be engaged fully in
different political positions in the
country to make a visible change
in the nation's politics. You
cannot make a change if you are
outside but if within, you would
be able to make a change that
will enable people to come out of
this political quagmire.
"We need to dwell more on
education of our people because
we want them to be more
educated and focused. If given a
chance to represent my
constituents at the State
Assembly, I will sponsor bills that
will be beneficial to our people."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 11
:Vanguard
News
Lawyer demands action on UN
working group's opinion on Kanu
2023: Nnamani, Chime to lead
campaign for Tinubu in Enugu
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
MEETING—From left: Wife of Enugu State governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi; Chairperson,
Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Mrs. Ebere Nnadozie, and wife of the speaker of the
state House of Assembly, Mrs. Akunna Ubosi, during the flag-off of this year’s August
meeting, in Enugu, yesterday.
•Writes British envoy to Nigeria, Catriona Laing •As church confers
award on Nnamdi Kanu, urges Buhari to free him as requested by UN
By Steve Oko
AMERICAN
legal
luminary, Bruce Fein,
Special Counsel to the detained
Leader of the Indigenous People
of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu, has written a strongworded
letter to the British High
Commissioner to Nigeria,
Catriona Laing, demanding
enforcement of the United
Nations, UN, Human Rights
Council Working Group on
Arbitrary Commission Opinion
on the IPoB leader.
The UN Working Group had,
in its Opinion, requested Nigeria
to ensure Kanu's "immediate
and unconditional release."
The document indicted both
Nigeria and Kenya for Kanu's
abduction, rendition, torture, and
continued detention, and
recommended payment of
adequate compensation to him.
The UN Working Group
decided, on April 8, but made its
By Chinedu Adonu
ENUGU—AHEAD of 2023
general elections, the
Tinubu/Shettima Independent
Campaign Group, Enugu
chapter, has vowed to unite the
warring members of All
Progressives Congress, APC,
Enugu Chapter, for its
presidential candidate, Ahmed
Bola Tinubu, and other
candidates.
The group also disclosed that
the party stakeholders and past
candidates of the party would be
contacted to come back to Enugu
and campaign for Tinubu/
Shettima victory.
The Coordinator of the
campaign group in Enugu State,
Dr. Ben Nwoye, disclosed this to
newsmen, after the group's
inaugural meeting, in
Enugu,yesterday.
recommendations public on July
20, in an unedited advanced copy
sighted by Vanguard in Abia.
According to the document,
Nigeria has six months to comply
with the UN Opinion or the world
body would be forced to take
action.
Ever since the document was
made public, Nigeria is yet to
formally comment on the matter
despite the growing clamour for
the country to comply.
Piqued by Nigeria's noncompliance
and Britain's inaction
as Kanu holds British citizenship,
Fein decided to write the UK
envoy to Nigeria.
A copy of Fein's letter made
available to Vanguard in Abia by
Kanu's other Special Counsel,
Mr. Aloy Ejimakor, queried the
continued silence of Britain over
the ordeals of her citizen when
there is a document she could
leverage on to effect his freedom.
The letter wondered why
Britain which in the past, fiercely
According to Nwoye, "a former
president of the Senate, Senator
Ken Nnamani, and former
governor of Enugu State,
Sullivan Chime; Mr. Osita
Okechumwu, Senator Ayogu
Eze, among other stakeholders,
would lead the campaigns for
Senator Bola Tinubu and other
candidates of the party in Enugu
State.
Hear him: "The campaign
group had resolved to contact the
leaders, including the Director
General of Voice of Nigeria, VON,
Osita Okechukwu; the 2019
governorship candidate of the
APC, Senator Ayogu Eze, and all
the leaders who were pushed
away by the party leadership in
the state.
"We have resolved to unite the
party in Enugu State and also
contact our leaders and enjoin
them to join hands in getting
defended its citizens against
lawlessness by foreign nations,
is complacent over Kanu's matter.
Part of the letter read:
"On July 20, 2022, the United
Nations Human Rights Council
Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention issued a unanimous
opinion addressing United
Kingdom citizen Nnamdi Kanu’s
kidnap, torture, extraordinary
rendition, and protracted
detention without trial by Nigeria
acting in collusion with Kenya.
"Among other things, the
Working Group Opinion called
upon Nigeria “to take urgent
action to ensure the immediate
unconditional release of Mr.
Kanu.” (Paragraph 107).
"The Opinion cataloged the
serial human rights violations of
Nigeria and Kenya regarding Mr.
Kanu: “The deprivation of
liberty…in contravention of
articles 2, 3, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, and 19
of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and articles 2, 9,
votes for the presidential
candidate, Bola Tinubu and his
deputy, Shettima and other APC
candidates.
"We have set up a committee
that will contact our top leaders,
Senator Ken Nnamani; former
governor, Sullivan Chime;
Senator Ayogu Eze, Mr Osita
Okechukwu, Onyemuche
Nnamani, Juliet Ibekaku and
others to come back to Enugu
and join hands to seek votes for
the success of Tinubu in the next
2023 election
"Our focus is to win elections
in 2023. We are not concerned
with the issue of who is the
authentic or who hijacked the
party.
"We must vote and ensure the
success of all APC candidates in
Enugu State especially our
presidential candidate, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu".
13, 14, 16, 19, and 26 of the International
Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights….” (Paragraph
105).
"The villainous maltreatment
of Nnamdi Kanu by Nigeria and
Kenya prompted the Working
Group to refer his case to Special
Rapporteur on torture and other
cruel, inhuman, or degrading
treatment or punishment.
(Paragraph 109).
"Nnamdi Kanu is a British
citizen. He has suffered far more
than Captain Jenkins at the
hands of Nigeria and Kenya as
corroborated and held by the
U.N. Working Group. Yet, you
have done nothing to secure Mr.
Kanu’s immediate and
unconditional release as
mandated by international law.
Indeed, you have idled like Nero
fiddling while Rome burned. You
cannot claim ignorance. A copy
of the crystal-clear Working
Group Opinion is before you."
Church confers
award on
Nnamdi Kanu
Meantime, Mazi Nnamdi
Kanu has been conferred with
the "Battle Axe of God" Award by
a church based in Umuahia, Abia
State.
Presenting the award to him,
the President, 'Women of Favour
2022', Gracious International
Ministry Church, Umuahia, Rev.
Amarachi Joseph, said the
women decided to honour Kanu
because "he is a fighter and
believer in peace, justice, and
liberation of humanity".
The Women Leader who said
that Kanu did not commit any
crime to warrant his persecution,
pleaded with President
Muhammad Buhari to release
him without further delay.
She argued that his immediate
and unconditional release just
as the United Nations Human
Rights Council had requested,
would help douse tension in the
South East.
Court orders arrest of Abia
traffic agency boss over
contempt
By Ugochukwu
Alaribe
U Magistrate MUAHIA—A
Court, sitting
in Aba North district, has ordered
the arrest of the General
Manager of the Traffic and
Indiscipline Management
Agency of Abia State, TIMASS,
Mr. Chinedu Ikeokwu, over a
contempt of court charge.
In suit No. MAN/MISC/
TIMAAS/07/2022, Ginikanwa
Kingsley (Plaintiff/Applicant)
versus TIMASS and Mr.
Chinedu Ikeokwu (Defendants/
Respondents), Chief Magistrate
Nnenna Nwankwo ordered that
the traffic agency boss be
arrested and produced before the
court on the next adjourned date.
Ikeokwu was said to have
violated court orders over the suit.
Vanguard gathered that the
suit was filed against Ikeokwu on
March 21, 2022, by the counsel
to the plaintiff, Dennis Anokwu.
The matter had been concluded
by Chief Magistrate Kelechi Ume
2023: Abia APC strongly
behind Emenike —Onyejeocha
By Ugochukwu
Alaribe
UChief MUAHIA—DEPUTY
Whip of the House of
Representatives, Nkeiruka
Onyejeocha, has said that
leaders of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, in Abia State, are
solidly behind the governorship
candidate of the party in the 2023
election, Ikechi Emenike.
Speaking at a stakeholders
meeting of the party at Ntalakwu
Iboro, in Ikwuano council area,
Onyejeocha explained that
leaders of the APC in the state
are happy that the party got it
right, for the first time, in its choice
of the governorship candidate,
stressing that Emenike fought
very hard to sustain APC in
Abia.
The Deputy Chief Whip added
that Emenike's candidacy was
more acceptable given the fact
that the party made its choice of
governorship through a flawless
internal democratic process of
By Anayo Okoli
A
team of power experts from
the United States has
arrived in Abia State to start work
as the technical partner of Aba
Power Limited, a subsidiary of
Geometric Power Limited.
Geometric Power was founded
by Professor Bart Nnaji, a former
minister of Power and an engineer
respected worldwide.
The team, led by Dr. Dan
Waddle, is from the international
arm of the National Rural
Electrification Cooperative
Association, NRECA, based in
Arlington, Virginia, which was
formed in 1942. Its international
arm, founded in 1962, has
provided electricity to 43
countries around the globe.
“The arrival of this high-quality
technical team in Nigeria, which
will work at Aba Power Limited
for five years, is a huge boost to
the country’s electric power
sector,” explained Patrick Umeh,
Managing Director, Aba Power.
According to Umeh: “We are
unwavering in our commitment
who, on March 29, 2022, ordered
TIMAAS to release the vehicle
to Ikechukwu.
TIMASS allegedly disobeyed
the court order by not releasing
the vehicle as ordered by the
court. The lawyer explained that
TIMAAS officials still refused to
release the car to him and his
client after they had presented a
court order, proof of ownership,
and a photocopy of a booking
sheet given to his client as he
had lost the original copy.
However, Vanguard gathered
that Chief Magistrate Umeh was
transferred to another
magisterial division.
Anokwu disclosed that he
reported to the court that the
traffic agency refused to comply
with the order to release the car.
A court order and warrant of
arrest sighted by Vanguard, dated
August 3, 2022, signed by Chief
Magistrate Nnenna I.Nwankwo,
mandated the Abia State
Commissioner of Police, Mrs.
Janet Agbede, to arrest and
produce Mr. Ikeokwu before the
court on August 11, 2022.
primary poll devoid of any imposition.
Her words: "The crux of the
matter is for us to become the
ruling party in Abia come 2023.
Abians have tried the ruling
Peoples Democratic Party for over
20 years and have got their hands
burnt. Now, they are looking up
to APC for salvation. Dividends
of democracy have been hanging
somewhere; they would be
brought down to Abia State by
Ikechi Emenike when he
becomes governor in 2023."
Other leaders of the party who
spoke at the meeting described
Emenike as a highly marketable
and electable product and
expressed confidence in his
capacity to lead APC to victory in
the 2023 polls.
For the spokesman of the
House of Representatives,
Benjamin Kalu, who represents
the Bende federal constituency,
Emenike has what is lacking in
Abia politics.
American experts arrive Aba
for Geometric Power take-off
to make Aba Power a truly worldclass
company in service delivery
to nine out of the 17 local
government areas in Abia State.”
Umeh explained that the team
of experts “will devote
themselves to operations and
maintenance at our firm.
“They will also be involved in
the training and development of
our technical workforce, most of
whom came from the defunct
Power Holding Company of
Nigeria (PHCN) and the Enugu
Electricity Distribution Company
(EEDC).
“They need to update their
technical knowledge and skills,
just as they need to have new
values and a new orientation in
terms of service delivery in the
21st century”.
Umeh disclosed that though
“the contract with NRECA
International is by no means
cheap, no sacrifice can be
considered too much for the
people of Aba and the environs”.
The Aba power project is
expected to be commissioned
later in the year.

12 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

By Ise-Oluwa Ige
THE Economic and Fi
nancial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, is set to
examine the financial
records of the Supreme
Court of Nigeria from 2009
till June 27, 2022, covering
the administrations of six
past Chief Justices of Nigeria,
CJNs.
The chief justices who
were at the helm of affairs
for the period were Justice
Aloysius Katsina-Alu
(2010-2011); Justice Dahiru
Musdapher (2011-
2012); Justice Aloma
Muhktar (2012-2014); Justice
Mahmud Mohammed
(2014-2016); Justice Walter
Onnoghen (2017-2019) and
Justice Ibrahim Muhammad
(2019-2022).
The wide task was informed
by a petition dated May 30,
2022, authored by one Aliyu
Mohammed purportedly on
behalf of the concerned staff of
the Supreme Court of Nigeria
and addressed to the Chairman
of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed
Bawa.
Vanguard Law and Human
Rights sighted a copy of the
petition and reports that the
original petition was indeed
submitted and received on June
1, 2022.
In the petition, the anti-graft
agency was invited to unravel
the jigsaw puzzle relating to the
true ownership of a bank account
domiciled at the United
Bank for Africa with Account
Number 2027642863 from
which a cumulative sum of N2.2
billion allegedly belonging to
the Supreme Court of Nigeria,
was purportedly diverted into.
The probe is also to establish
the source of monies that entered
the said account during
the period.
Besides, men of the EFCC are
also expected to investigate the
veracity of the allegation that
the incumbent Executive Secretary
of the National Judicial
Council, NJC, Mr. Gambo
Saleh, purportedly colluded
with one Surajo, who is a staff
of NJC and son of the immediate
past Chief Justice Nigeria,
Justice Tanko Muhammad, to
sell a property occupied by a
Justice of the Supreme Court
without the knowledge of the
immediate past Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Justice Tanko.
The move by the EFCC to investigate
the petition appears
to coincide with the on-going
efforts by the Senate Committee
on Judiciary, Human Rights
and Legal Matters to visit the
Supreme Court of Nigeria, SCN
on a fact-finding mission regarding
an unprecedented
memo written by 14 justices of
the Supreme Court which detailed
allegations of
maladministration against the
immediate past Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko.
The committee has promised
to announce a date for the assignment
soon even as it prom-
EDITORIAL TEAM
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Send Ikechukwu your mails Nnochiri and
enquiries Henry to: Ojelu
lawandhumanrights
Onozure Dania
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S’Court under probe over
alleged N2.2bn fraud
*Supreme Court of Nigeria
ised to carry the media along
in its assignment.
It is now history that the said
memo led to the resignation of
Justice Tanko from office on June
27, 2022.
The Petition by Aliyu
Mohammed against
Justice Tanko-led
S’Court and Ahmed
Gambo
In the petition, Aliyu Mohammed
called on the EFCC to
carry out a forensic audit on the
activities of both the Supreme
Court of Nigeria, SCN and the
National Judicial Council, NJC
under the watch of Justice Tanko
Muhammad.
The petition reads in part:
“Presently, there is disquiet in
the court. Fingered as arrowhead
in the on-going
destabilisation and fraudulent
activities are Mr. Surajo
Muhammad who is the son of
the Chief Justice of Nigeria,
Justice Muhammad and Secretary
of the NJC, Ahmed
Gambo Saleh.
“A few fraudulent activities in
recent times are carefully highlighted
hereunder. A thorough
investigation is paramount.
“It will interest you to know
that a residence of a Justice of
the Supreme Court located at
the Villa, Abuja was sold by
Gambo and Surajo recently. It
was sold to a federal agency.
This was unknown to the CJN.
The CJN expressed disaffection
over the shady transaction
when the shady deals got to
him. The underhand dealings
between Gambo, Surajo and the
agency so pissed the CJN that
he ordered the reversal of the
transaction. Before any remedy,
the house in question had been
demolished; today, the JSC
who ought to have been assigned
the said residence is
homeless.
“Some justices were sworn in
on November 6, 2020. As tradition
demands, they were supposed
to be given three assorted
brand new cars each: A
Mercedes Benz, Land Cruiser
and one utility vehicle. Under
Gambo and Surajo’s shenanigans,
they (the JSC) were given
only a Land Cruiser, albeit refurbished.
A Hilux was added
after one year and till date, the
Mercedes Benz is still being
awaited by the Justices.
“This is notwithstanding the
fact that these projects were captured
in the Capital Budget as
the projects were for 2020 fiscal
year.
“Today, Surajo could be said
to be a defacto Head of the SCN
as his father seems to have relinquished
the administration of
It will interest
you to know
that a residence
of a Justice of
the Supreme
Court located
at the Villa,
Abuja was sold
by Gambo and
Surajo recently
the court to him even when he
is not a staff. The Chief Registrar
who is supposed to be in
charge of administration has
been relegated and pushed to
the back seat as fraudulent activities
fester.
“Let us be mindful of the fact
that the abracadabra with
which Gambo, who was elevated
to the position of Chief
Registrar of the Supreme Court
in 2014, was appointed the Secretary
of the NJC in 2017 when
his case file oozes of corruption
allegations remains a mystery.
His elevation tallied with the
time he was supposed to be
answering pertinent questions
of fraud. Indeed, his elevation
is still a mystery to many of us
in the anti-corruption community.
“The cases of economic and
financial crimes which still hang
on Gambo’s head like the sword
of damocles are legion. Gambo
was alleged to have diverted the
sum of cumulatively N2.2 billion
belonging to the Supreme
Court of Nigeria. He allegedly
diverted the sum into his personal
bank account domiciled at
the United Bank for Africa PLC
Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 13
Account Number 2027642863.
“Following diligent preliminary
investigation, same Gambo
was alleged to have confessed
that the money in question was
his as the bulk constitute gift
from friends. But further investigation
revealed that he, indeed,
outside of outright pilfering
from the vault of the apex
court, collected bribes from various
contractors who ended up
either executing shoddy jobs or
outright abandonment of such
contract which would have been
paid 100 per cent.
“Further investigation revealed
that he obtained N19 million
gratification from Ababia Ventures
Limited, a private contractor
who provides services to the
Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“Other of his fraudulent activities
as investigation would further
reveal include:
*Obtaining N21 million gratification
from MBA Computers
Limited, a private contractor who
provides services to the Supreme
Court of Nigeria.
*Obtaining N2.4 million gratification
from Welcon Nigeria Limited,
a private contractor to the
Supreme Court of Nigeria.
*Obtaining N6 million gratification
from Welcon Nigeria Limited,
a private contractor to the
Supreme Court of Nigeria.
*Receiving N10m gratification
from Willysdave Limited, a private
contractor to the Supreme
Court of Nigeria.
*Obtaining N16 million gratification
from Dean Musa Nigeria
Limited, a private contractor who
provided services to the Supreme
Court of Nigeria.
“Even when investigation was
successfully concluded, it remains
a serious concern that the
candidature of such a high profile
suspect would be pushed for
elevation as Secretary of the
highest body of the judiciary, the
NJC. Does that mean crime in
which ever form, especially economic
and financial crimes, are
now being rewarded? This is a
question begging for an answer.
“It is high time both the EFCC
and the NJC took a second look
at the activities of the SCN and
NJC under Gambo’s watch.
“ There are enough reasons
why this petition should not be
swept under the carpet. He is
believed to be worth over N10b.
As a public officer, how did he
08179614306/08152060944
come about this questionable
wealth? He needs to offer
some explanations to the antigraft
agency.
“I hope he is not one of the
untouchables. His antecedents
are enough suggestion on why
this petition should not be ignored.
A stich in time saves
nine.
“Many thanks for your quick
intervention,” Aliyu Mohammed
signed off, leaving behind
his GSM contact:
0702335070233.
The Issues in Aliyu Mohammed’s
Petition
A critical study of the petition
would reveal that it raised
seven (7) major issues including
alleged sale of a property
occupied by a Justice of the
Supreme Court in Aso Villa by
the duo of NJC Executive Secretary,
Gambo Saleh and
Surajo; the son of Justice Tanko
Muhammad; short-changing
Supreme Court justices appointed
in 2020 in terms of the
official vehicles they are entitled
to; that Surajo hijacked the
administration of the Supreme
Court from his father and the
Chief Registrar of the court;
that Gambo Saleh became the
Executive Secretary of NJC in
2017 under hazy circumstances;
that Gambo Saleh allegedly
diverted the sum of
N2.2 billion belonging to the
Supreme Court into his personal
bank account with Account
Number 2027642863;
that the Federal Government
withdrew a N2.2b fraud charge
against Gambo after he entered
into a plea bargain; that
Gambo Saleh purportedly collected
N74.4 million gratification
from five contractors of the
Supreme Court; and that
Gambo Saleh is worth N10 billion.
However, some of the allegations
in the petition were not
clear as sufficient information
were not provided by the author.
Upon getting the petition,
Vanguard Law and Human
Rights consequently made
several efforts to reach Aliyu
Mohammed for further information
on some of the allegations
in the petition but the
calls never went through.
Efforts to trace him too at the
Supreme Court proved abortive
as the management said
they checked the staff list of
the apex bench but that no one
answers such name.
It was also reliably learnt that
the EFCC had tried several
times to reach the author of the
petition to no avail, a development
that halted the antigraft
agency from swinging
into action immediately.
Vanguard Law and Human
Rights, however, spoke with
the management of both the
Supreme Court of Nigeria and
the National Judicial Council
on the issues as raised in the
petition.
The Director of Information
of the National Judicial Council,
Mr Soji Oye spoke for the
Secretary of the Council, Mr.
Gambo Saleh, while Mr.
Ahuraka Isah, the media aide
to the former Chief Justice of
Nigeria spoke for his boss,
Justice Tanko Muhammad and
his son, Surajo.
Ahuraka spoke with Vanguard
Law and Human Rights
before his boss resigned from
office while Soji Oye spoke
during the week.
Specifically, both the Supreme
Court of Nigeria and
Continues on Page 14
C
M
Y
K

14 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
S’Court under probe over
alleged N2.2bn fraud
Continues from Page 13
the National Judicial Council
said that they were not averse to
any form of probe.
According to Mr. Soji Oye: “Let
me start by saying that the author
of the petition is not a staff
of the Supreme Court as he
claimed. No one on the staff list
of the Supreme Court answers
that name. We have also made
several efforts to call the GSM
number he left, it never rang.
Having said that, let us take the
issues raised as they affect the
Executive Secretary of NJC, one
after the other.
“Let me start by reacting to the
preamble to the petition where
the author was quoting a retired
Justice of the Supreme Court,
Justice Eko who suggested that
the Auditor-General of the Federation
should once in a while
open the books of the NJC. You
will be surprised to learn that the
Auditor-General of the Federation
has an office in the NJC with
11 staff opening our books on
daily basis. The Office of the AGF
is permanently with us here. We
run an open administration,” he
said.
The allegation that
Gambo colluded with
Surajo to sell residence of
a Supreme Court Justice
in the Villa, ridiculous
The NJC image-maker said the
allegation that the duo of Surajo,
the son of the Chief Justice of
Nigeria and the Executive Secretary
of the National Judicial
Council, Gambo Saleh, sold a
residence of a sitting Supreme
Court Justice sounds ridiculous.
According to Soji Oye, it appears
the author deliberately concealed
some information about
the property in question simply
to tar the image of the NJC’s
Secretary, Saleh Gambo.
He explained that the said
property (House 10, Ibrahim
Taiwo Street) belonged to the
Presidency and that it was
merely allocated to the Supreme
Court which the apex bench
used as accommodation for a
Justice of the Supreme Court.
“It may interest the public to
know that the said House No 10,
Ibrahim Taiwo Street on the way
to the Villa was once occupied
by the immediate past CJN, Justice
Tanko, before he relocated to
his official residence. The property
was next to House No 11 occupied
by the Nigerian Financial
Intelligence Unit, NFIU.
“What happened was that
NFIU had a property close to the
said residence of the Supreme
Court Justice but it needed to
enlarge the office. It applied to
the Presidency to annex the residence
of the Supreme Court Justice,
a request that was granted.
The NFIU later approached the
CJN who said he was not averse
to the decision but that the Presidency
should give them a replacement.
The building is on No
10, Ibrahim Taiwo Street on your
way to the Villa if you step out of
the Supreme Court here.
“The Presidency gave the Supreme
Court another building
located at No 11, Queen Elizabeth
Crescent in replacement
while NFIU moved in to demolish
the building on Ibrahim
Taiwo in order to rebuild their
office the way they want. Currently,
Julius Berger is rebuilding
the office for them.
“Come to think of it, does it
make any sense for any one to
say two persons connived to sell
a house belonging to the Presidency
to the NFIU?”
In fact, Soji Oye showed Vanguard
Law and Human Rights
documentary evidence to buttress
his claim.
Allegation of diversion of
N2.2b S’Court fund
against me malicious,
misleading
On the allegation that Gambo
allegedly diverted the sum of
N2.2 billion belonging to the
Supreme Court into his personal
account maintained with the
UBA with Account Number
2027642863, Soji Oye said that
could only be a lie from the pit of
hell.
“The purported UBA account
they claimed belonged to Mr.
Gambo is the operational account
of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The account was opened in 2009
during the tenure of Justice
Kutigi by the Supreme Court. You
can do your personal investigation.
The account number is not
hidden.
“Mr Gambo became the Chief
Registrar of the Supreme Court
in 2014. The said N2.2 billion
was the amount that passed
through that account since it was
opened in 2009 till 2016.
“The account takes care of the
welfare of the Supreme Court
justices. Justice Gambo was not
a signatory to the account. How
can the account of the Supreme
Court be said to belong to an individual?”
Indeed, Vanguard Law and
Human Rights reports that Justice
Usman Alhaji Musale was
the Chief Registrar of the Supreme
Court between 2007 and
2010 when the account was
opened. He left NJC to become
a high court judge.
Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi
took over from Musale in 2010
and remained on the seat till 2014
when he also became a high
court judge while Mr Ahmed
Gambo Saleh took over from
Olorundahunsi in 2014 till 2017
when he became the Executive
Secretary of the National Judicial
Council. Records also
showed that Mrs Hadizatu
Uwani Mustapha took over from
Saleh in 2017 and was there till
August 2021 when she retired after
clocking the mandatory retirement
age of 60 years while Mrs
Hajo Sarki Bello is the current
Chief Registrar of the apex bench
from August 2021 till date.
Soji Oye said from all indications,
the petitioner attributed
the said account number belonging
to the Supreme Court where
the said N2.2 billion passed
through between 2009 and 2016
to Mr Saleh to deliberately and
maliciously mislead members of
the public and tarnish the image
of the NJC scribe.
On allegation of collecting
N74.4m gratification
from S’Court contractors
Also reacting to the portion of
the petition that Gambo collected
several sums of monies from Supreme
Court contractors, Soji
Oye said the allegation was also
a figment of the author’s imagination.
“The petitioner also listed some
figures which he claimed were
the bribes collected by Mr
Gambo. I ask: where were the
purported bribes paid into? All
the monies which they claimed
were bribes totalling N74.4 million
were in the same UBA Account
belonging to the Supreme
Court and operated by the cashier.
These spurious allegations
were once investigated and
Gambo was given a clean bill of
health. I don’t know what their
mission is,” he added.
How I emerged the
Executive Secretary
of NJC—Gambo
Another issue raised in the petition
was that Gambo emerged
the Executive Secretary of the
National Judicial Council, NJC
under circumstances that was
less than transparent.
Soji Oye said that contrary to
the claim, Gambo’s emergence
as NJC ‘s Secretary was not only
transparent but also an outcome
of his glowing performance at the
interview organised for the job.
Vanguard Law and Human
Rights indeed sighted a copy of
It is on record
that these forces
in a bid to stop
his emergence
as the NJC
Secretary after
the interview to
consider his
appointment,
came up with
false allegations
in the media
alleging that he
had diverted
N2.2 billion
from the
Supreme Court
the score sheet used to grade
candidates for the top job which
revealed that Gambo jostled for
the job alongside two others including
Mr Aliyu Ibrahim who
was the former Chief Registrar
of the Court of Appeal and Mr
Williams Rotimi Daudu who is the
Chief Registrar of the National
Industrial Court. The score sheet
showed that he beat the two others
and clinched the job based
on his glowing performance at
the interview.
*Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa
That Gambo Saleh is
worth N10b, most ridiculous
Soji Oye said that the most ridiculous
allegation by the petitioner
was that Gambo was worth
N10 billion. He said apart from
the fact that he merely dropped
the figure, there was no scintilla
of evidence to back up the claim.
On the shortchanging of
new Justices of the Supreme
Court over the
official cars given to them
The petitioner also linked Mr
Saleh to another allegation having
to do with shortchanging the
newly appointed justices of the
Supreme Court with respect to
the official cars they were entitled
to.
According to Soji Oye: “It does
appear to me that the petitioner
does not realise that the Supreme
Court and the National Judicial
Council are two different entities
with separate managements.
“Besides, the Supreme Court
justices were appointed in 2020,
Gambo ceased to be the Chief
Registrar of the Supreme Court
since 2017. Maybe, the petitioner
did not know. But the truth is that
Mr. Ahmed Gambo Saleh as the
NJC Secretary does not superintend
the affairs of the Supreme
Court because they are two distinct
entities,” he added.
On withdrawal of N2.2b
fraud charge against
Gambo
“On the issue of the Attorney-
General of the Federation’s withdrawal
of a N2.2 billion fraud
charges against Mr Saleh after
he purportedly entered a plea
bargain, the truth is that when
the office of the AGF discovered
that the charges could not be substantiated,
the charges were
dropped without any plea bargaining.
“It is imperative for the members
of the public to be aware that
before his emergence as the Secretary
of the NJC, some forces
who tried to scuttle his appointment
as the Secretary of the
Council have re-emerged with
antics aimed at tarnishing his
image and bringing his good
name to disrepute.
“It is on record that these forces
in a bid to stop his emergence as
the NJC Secretary after the interview
to consider his appointment,
came up with false allegations
in the media alleging that
he had diverted N2.2 billion from
the Supreme Court from 2009 to
2016 on the day the Council
meeting was to hold.
“It should be noted that there
has never been a time when Mr
Saleh admitted committing any
crime before anybody or law
court.The sponsors of this malicious
allegations believe they
own the Judiciary and nobody
can become anything within the
Judiciary without their approval.
“It is important to reiterate that
there is no iota of credibility in
the petition as they are not after
the truth but are out to smear the
good image of Ahmed Gambo
Saleh at all cost,” Soji Oye said.
It is ridiculous to say a non-staff
took over the administration of
the apex court—S’Court
Also speaking for the Supreme
Court, the media aide to the
former Chief Justice of Nigeria,
Mr Ahuraka Isah said: “I have
read the petition from A to Z. The
entire allegations therein are not
only baseless but also
rridiculous.
“Let me react to the first allegation
by the petitioner on the
issue of the son of the Chief Justice
of Nigeria hijacking the administration
of the court. In the
first place, it is very clear that the
author of that petition is not a staff
member of the Supreme Court
of Nigeria as claimed. I say so
because it is very ridiculous to
allege that an external person
who is not a staff of the Supreme
Court would hijack the administration
of an organised institution
like the Supreme Court from both
the Chief Justice of Nigeria and
the Chief Registrar of the Court.
This is totally impossible and ridiculous.
"In any event, the petition was
unclear as to how the son of the
CJN hijacked the administration
of the court from the Chief Registrar.”
Ahuraka who also repeated the
defence by Soji Oye on the purported
sale of a property occupied
by a Justice of the Supreme
Court by said: “The agency of
government that is presently in
possession of the property is the
Nigerian Financial Intelligence
Unit, NFIU.
“Tell me, who is that individual
that will sell Federal Government
building to NFIU? How was the
transaction done? Was it in naira
or dollar? How is that possible?
How can an individual wake up
and write this kind of petition and
the EFCC has not arrested such
persons for misinformation,” he
fumed.
Going through the various
weighty allegations made
against key managers of important
public institutions in the judiciary
in the four-page petition
and the defence so far offered, it
is worrisome that the petitioner,
Aliyu Mohammed, appears to
have signed off with a fictitious
name and a non-existing phone
number, thereby denying Nigerians,
and in fact, the whole
world, to get to the root of the
purported allegations. The petitioner
would do Nigeriansa great
service if he could make himself
available to the EFCC,at least
privately,to assist the investiga-

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 15
Who will guard the guardians?
By Awa Kalu, SAN
WITHIN the last two
months or so, the Nigerian
judiciary and its legal practitioners
under the aegis of the
Nigerian Bar Association,
NBA, welcomed new leaders in
differing circumstances. Justice
Olukayode Ariwoola was sworn
in as the 16 th indigenous Chief
Justice of Nigeria, CJN, by the
President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, Muhammadu
Buhari. Justice Ariwoola
serves in an acting capacity
until his appointment is confirmed
by the Senate, owing to
the fact that his predecessor,
Justice Tanko Muhammad resigned
from the position on
grounds of ill health. On the
other hand, Y.C. Maikyau,
SAN, was elected by members
of the Nigerian Bar Association
as their 36 th President, succeeding
Olu Akpata, Maikyau
will take office following a formal
handover ceremony at the
expiry of Akpata’s tenure next
month.
These milestones are significant
when one considers the
quite momentous role lawyers
and judges have to play in a
democratic society, especially
in the light of recent events.
Here, as elsewhere, justice
seems to be foremost in the
minds of the people and certain
events which have conspired
to put the justice system
and the keepers of its flame in
the public consciousness, have
given this writer pause. They
have served as reminders of
the crucial role that practitioners
in the legal sector must play
in interpreting and advocating
for law and justice in modern
society. Several considerations
loom before the new CJN and
NBA President alike, but in the
present circumstances, social
engineering must be in the
forefront of their thoughts.
Take the situation in the United
States of America, also within
the last two months. A landmark
decision in the Supreme
Court of that country led to the
overturning of the principle
decided in Roe v Wade, nearly
50 years ago. When the Supreme
Court of the United
States had, in 1973, struck
down a law in the state of Texas
banning abortion by a wide
majority of 7-2 among the 9 justices,
the decision effectively
legalised abortion across America.
The legitimacy of that decision,
at the time it was taken,
was not challenged by any
member of the commentariat
worth her salt, particularly
since the decision was affirmed
by both right wing and left
wing justices. The matter of
abortion then became a hot button
topic in America and one
of the many stakes with which
political partisans drew a dividing
line across the country over
the course of the following halfcentury.
Supporters of the Democratic
Party which has leaned
towards the left, and been a
bastion of liberal ideals, have
identified with the protection of
a woman’s right to choose an
abortion (pro-choice). Meanwhile,
supporters of the Republican
Party who traditionally
tend towards the right of the
political continuum, identify
with the protection of the life
of the foetus or baby and are
*Awa Kalu, SAN
The judiciary is
the guardian of
the people in
the face of
maladministration,
political
malfeasance or
any other form
of injustice
anti-abortion (pro-life).
Therefore, when the opportunity
to engage in significant
social re-engineering presented
itself to the Supreme Court
of the United States (SCOTUS)
in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s
Health Organisation, the entire
world was watching. What
would SCOTUS do and how
would it handle a matter of
such epoch-making consequence?
The answer was a lot
messier than many of us observers
would have hoped. By
a majority of 6-3, which was narrower
than the previous majority,
the decision in Roe v Wade
was overturned. The legitimacy
of the court has been called
into question by Democratic
Party-affiliates who argue that
the six Republican Party-appointed
justices who voted to
overturn legalised abortion
were conspicuous by their ideological
bias. Their argument
is that whenever the majority
of SCOTUS appointees hews
to a particular ideology, the
American people can never
trust that the decisions made
are reflective of a balanced, fair
and conclusive model of justice.
That is, if the court will swing
to and fro depending on the
composition of its membership,
then it may be said that SCO-
TUS has become corrupted by
ideological biases.
In Nigeria, several scandals
have buffeted the judiciary
in the past, but never before
in our history, as now, has
a Chief Justice of Nigeria seen
fit to resign his position. Tanko
Muhammed (CJN, as he then
was) determined a few weeks
ago that he was in no fit condition
to continue to discharge
the burden of responsibility associated
with that office on account
of his health. That, in itself,
ought to make the news
and I do wish him comfort and
courage as he steers himself
back to wellness. However, the
circumstances surrounding his
resignation are what caused
the rumour mill to turn. Fourteen
justices of the Supreme
Court, his peers at the highest
level of the judiciary, wrote him
a letter as head of court, raising
issues about their working
situation.
The contents of that letter
have since become public
knowledge and I have variously
referred to them in engagements
with members of the
press before now. That too,
was unprecedented. While I
have opined that the Supreme
Court justices were well within
their rights to raise the issues
that they did, I also have
no truck with the manner in
which they approached their
concerns. Having an axe to
grind about the administrative
regime under which they perform
their duties, their natural
recourse was to bring those
questions to the CJN.
These matters have come to
light at a time when Nigeria is
on the verge of general elections
to all levels of government
and the United States of
America on the verge of midterm
elections to Congress.
The role that the judiciary and
the Ministers in the temple of
justice ought to play cannot be
overstated. And while the
phrase which underpins this
article may be familiar to legal
practitioners and jurists and to
scholars of jurisprudence in
general, I would be surprised
to hear that it is commonplace
to the everyman: ‘quiscustodietipsoscustodes?’
It translates
as ‘Who will watch the watchers?’
or ‘Who will guard the
guardians?’ Both questions
posit quite the conundrum,
particularly when considered
in the Nigerian context.
The entire problem with
democratic government at its
most fundamental is that, having
placed representatives in
positions of authority to make
decisions for the good of the
governed, there remains the
possibility that those representatives
will misconstrue the accoutrements
of power and keep
them for purposes of their own
self-aggrandisement. For this
reason, a decisive but delicate
apparatus of checks and balances
is constructed, like the
rigging under a ball gown, to
keep the system from falling
apart. That system of checks
and balances works together
with the theory of separation of
powers that allows the three
arms of government - executive,
legislature and judiciary
- to perform independent roles
in interdependent government.
The executive implements
legislation. The legislature
makes the law and the judiciary
interprets it. That is separation
of powers. But in order
to keep each branch honest,
the executive exercises appointing
powers over the judiciary,
the legislature makes regulations
for the offices of elected
executives and the judiciary
is invested with power to
interpret the actions of the two
arms. The judiciary’s role is as
the final arbiter of matters pertaining
to the law, the common
man’s last refuge against tyranny
and to safeguard his
rights. The judiciary is the
guardian of the people in the
face of maladministration, political
malfeasance or any other
form of injustice.
In that connection, there is
something to be said about the
storm of agitation which seems
to be brewing about the judiciary
and, indeed, the legal profession
in Nigeria as a whole.
It is taken for granted that the
standards of conduct in the personal
and public life of a jurist
of any colouring or standing
must be far above what is expected
of the layman. In fact,
there is the time worn maxim
that 'justice must not only be
done but must be seen to be
done,' introduced to our jurisprudence
via Lord Hewart, the
then Lord Chief Justice of England
in the matter of R v Sussex
Justices. It was in deciding
on this appeal that Lord
Hewart made famous his dictum.
The Lord Chief Justice (as
he then was) intoned in a statement
that has lasted a century,
as follows: “It is not merely of
some importance but is of fundamental
importance that justice
should not only be done,
but should manifestly and undoubtedly
be seen to be done.”
It is important that his concern
did not lie with what was
actually done, but with what
might appear to have been
done. This landmark has been
the fulcrum of many a decision
in jurisdictions across the world
which, like ours, borrow heavily
from received English law,
and it has become the axiomatic
standard for adjudication on
matters which touch on impropriety
of judicial or quasi-judicial
conduct. Even the appearance
of something improper
has been a ground to set aside
an order of a court, tribunal or
quasi-judicial authority.
Which brings me back to the
title of this article, “Who Will
Guard The Guardians?”. Appointees
to the Supreme Court
in any democracy, with Nigeria
as our primary example today,
are expected to be without
taint or turmoil, without
crime or conflict as pertaining
to the discharge of their duties.
They are expected to be
equipped with the capacity for
reasoning to dispose of arguments
put before them and arrive
at the most logical decision
in the circumstances of any
case before them. They are
equally expected to be out of
the way of any headwinds of
scandal and above any issue
that might bring with it the
stench of corruption. It is for
that reason that they are appointed
to the mighty position
of justices of the apex court,
where their decisions are final
even if not infallible. When, as
in the case of R v Sussex Justices,
there is a hint of bias
which might suggest corruption,
or, as in Dobbs v Jackson,
there is a question of legitimacy
of decision-making, what
option is the society left with?
When the Guardians in the vanguard
of justice, are subject of
questions as to injustice, who
will guard the people against
them?
The Latin phrase mentioned
earlier ‘quiscustodietipsoscustodes?’
is taken from the satires
of Juvenal, a 1 st to 2 nd Century
Roman satirist in his writings
about the impossibility of
enforcing moral behaviour on
women if the enforcers are
themselves corruptible and corrupt.
One translation of Satire
6 (346-348) goes thus: I hear
always the admonishment of
my friends: “Bolt her in, constrain
her!” But who will
guard the guardians?
There is a bit of mischief in
Juvenal’s prose here, because
he is curious as to who will prevent
the misbehaviour of those
who want to act as judge in the
matter of keeping the subject
women from misbehaving. It is
akin to that oft quoted passage
from the Bible where Jesus asks
those who have no sin to cast
the first stone. And it brings us,
sadly to the point where we
must consider the chance that,
in a world such as ours, there
are none so incorruptible as to
be asked to perform the duties
of Guardians or to sit in the Supreme
Court completely scandal-free.
In organised society, this cannot
hold. For a representative
democracy to function effectually,
the only way to ensure
justice is to ensure that the
principle of separation of powers
works in conjunction with
checks and balances. It is in this
guise legitimate to posit the
view that, apart from the official
organs of the government,
the different actors in civil society
must double down in order
to offer additional checks
to perceived excesses of each
branch of government. Organised
civil society must be relentless
just as the Fourth Estate
must be dogged in the pursuit
of fairness and impartiality, but
just as always, the question will
always loom large.
Yet, it is also important that
while surveying his in-tray in
his new regalia of Chief Justice
of Nigeria, Justice Ariwoola
survey the lay of the land
and take steps to quiet the
storm of questions that have
created a cloud of uncertainty
around the judiciary and the
legal profession. The Chief
Justice, by all accounts, is capable
and worthy of the role he
has been rewarded with for a
lifetime of service to the judiciary,
and must answer the question:
“Who Will Guard The
Guardians?”

16 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
Send Opinions & Letters to:
opinions1234@yahoo.com
TWO weeks ago, some
senators gave President
Muhammadu Buhari six weeks to
tackle the worsening insecurity in the
country or face impeachment.
Speaking after a closed-door session, the
Senate minority leader, Phillip Aduda,
said: “So, we agreed that we will give
the President an ultimatum failing for
which we will move to give an
impeachment notice.”
Of course, the threat to impeach
President Buhari is not a credible one,
and the presidency wasted no time in
poopooing it. In a statement, the
presidency dismissed the threat as
“performative and babyish antics”.
Femi Adesina, President Buhari’s senior
media adviser, later described those
behind the impeachment threat as “the
minority of minorities” and accused
them of giving “flippant ultimatums”,
saying “it’s bravado”!
In his characteristic condescension,
Adesina was making the point that,
with both Houses of the National
Assembly controlled by the ruling All
Progressives Congress, APC, the
dissident legislators lacked the
numbers, two-thirds majority of all
members of each House, to impeach
the President. True. But that would
change if APC members in the National
Assembly put country before party, as
British Conservative Members of
Parliament did recently when they
removed their own errant leader and
prime minister, Boris Johnson,from
power.
Truth be told, President Buhari, who
faced up to four previous impeachment
threats, should have long been
impeached. He has long met the
threshold for impeaching the president,
which is “gross misconduct in the
performance of the functions of his
office”, under section 143(2)(b) of the
Impeaching Buhari? History will
deliver a harsher verdict
1999 Constitution.
Think about it. The Constitution
explicitly states, in section 14(2)(b),
that “the security and welfare of the
people shall be the primary purpose of
government”. So, what misconduct
can be more gross than a president
“sleeping on duty” or twiddling his
thumbs while acute insecurity and
extreme poverty ravage his country
and its people? Yet, that’s what
President Buhari stands accused of. In
his nearly eight years in office, Buhari
has largely been missing in action,
either globetrotting or holed up in Aso
Rock utterly insouciant about the
deteriorating security and welfare of
Nigerians.
Sadly, it's déjà vu all over again. In
August 1985, when General Buhari
was overthrown as military head of
state, Lt. Gen Joshua Dogonyaro said
in his coup speech that “government
has distanced itself from the people and
the yearnings and aspirations of the
people have been ignored”. In 2019,
the famous Chatham House in London
said something similar in a damning
report, describing Buhari as “an aloof
and disengaged leader, ‘walled’ off from
his own government and from
Nigerians themselves”. What could
constitute a greater ground for
impeachment?
Well, here’s the point. Buhari may
not be impeached for gross misconduct
In his nearly eight
years in office, Buhari
has largely been missing
in action, either
globetrotting or holed up
in Aso Rock utterly
insouciant about the
deteriorating security
and welfare of
Nigerians
in the performance of the functions of
his office or for failure to make the
security and welfare of Nigerians the
primary purpose of his government.
But he cannot escape the verdict of
history for running the most
incompetent civilian administration
in Nigeria, for presiding over
debilitating insecurity, a collapsing
economy, monumental debt, massive
unemployment and the steepest
decline in living standards on record.
But history’s verdict will be harsher
because Buhari himself and Bola
Tinubu, who enabled him, knew that
he was not up to the job. Yet, Buhari
doggedly sought power seemingly for
its sake, while Tinubu, who now
unashamedly dissociates himself from
Buhari’s abysmal performance, foisted
him on Nigeria to advance his lifelong
presidential ambition. Yet, it was clear
that Buhari would fail as president even
from his own words.
In 2015, shortly after assuming
office, Buhari said he wished he was
younger, saying: “Now at 72, there’s a
limit to what I can do”. But why did he
seek the presidency knowing the
limitations of his age? Of course, coupled
Tribute to my father-in-law
Dear readers, in the spirit of service
to country, please allow me to pay
tribute to my father-in-law, Sir John
Oluwole Ogundipe, who died last week,
aged 93. He belonged to a generation
that served Nigeria with total dedication,
loyalty and patriotism. After obtaining
his BSc in Mechanical Engineering
from Glasgow University in 1963, he
joined the then Electricity Corporation
of Nigeria, ECN, as an Engineer, retiring
several years later, in 1985,as Director
of Generation Services in the then NEPA.
He also belonged to a distinguished
familylinked with epochal moments in
the history of this country. He was a junior
brother of Brigadier-General Babafemi
Olatunde Ogundipe, the first Chief of
Staff, Supreme Headquarters, and
former High Commissioner to the UK.
So proud of his brother, he named his
with his age was his mysterious illness,
which, as the Financial Times put it,
“sapped his presidency of strength and
direction”. Was an old, sick person right
to seek the presidency? Then, there’s
Buhari’s work ethic. In 2016, at an
event in Abeokuta, he thanked former
President Obasanjo for “tolerating”
him as petroleum minister in his
military regime, saying: “God knows
that I’m not used to working as hard as
he used to.” But why would a lazy
person who can’t work hard seek to be
president?
Let’s be clear. General Buhari served
Nigeria gallantly and meritoriously as
an army officer. But he was utterly
unfit to govern Nigeria. Yet, aided by a
self-serving Svengali, he became
president. Nigeria has been the loser.
Well, Buhari may have survived
many impeachment threats, but
history’s verdict will be less kind!
last child, Oladeinde Olatunde,
currently chief lecturer atYabatech, after
him. My condolences go to his wife, my
remarkable mother-in-law, Lady
Oluremi Ogundipe, a retired head
teacher and school proprietress. Of
course, also to my wife – their eldest child
– Adedoyin, a UK-based educationist
and teacher, and her other siblings: Dr
Oluwole Ogundipe, an IT specialist, and
Dr FolakeAbikoye, a plastic and
reconstructive surgeon. My father-inlaw
was one of my biggest cheerleaders.
He believed I was contributing to the
development of Nigeria through my
newspaper columns. He lived a
purposeful and fulfilling life. May his
soul rest in peace.
Imperatives before September 2023 UN Summit
of the future
By PONLE AKANDE
UNITED Nations member states are pro
foundly concerned about the huge problems
now confronting the whole world and are
committed to using the next 16 months ending
in September 2023, the month of the UN Summit
of the Future(upcoming), for definitive innovating
of ideas constituting a dramatically new
global governance system (a new UN charter or
constitution, new UN institutions, and new policies).
The huge problems to be urgently tackled by
the global community include, mainly, the probably
irreversible climate change, emerging new
COVID-19 variants and subvariants, and the
ominous “Third C”, conflict between Russia and
Ukraine, beside civil wars in Africa and the Middle
East occasioning human suffering and environmental
damage.
The Global Challenges Foundation, which
was founded in the year 2012, organised a prize
competition, Global Challenges Prize 2017: A
New Shape. The Global Challenges Foundation’s
objective is to contribute to minimising,
preferably eliminating, and the major global
threats to humanity.
There are many civil society organisations,
like the Global Challenges Foundation, which
have this same objective of the Global Challenges
Foundation, though this researcher has particularly
followed the Global Challenges Foundation,
and is with some reservations impressed
by the conduct of the Foundation so far. However,
I entertain a great fear that the next 16 months
may not be used in a way that would guarantee a
breakthrough. And as such, I make the following
proposal to the United Nations, through pass
blue and the Global Challenges Foundation:
I propose a two-prong approach to tackling
the global catastrophic challenges; one: the pragmatic,
and two: the idealistic.
On the pragmatic prong: it is proposed that
institutional and policy reforms or creations,
a new, be innovated and implemented by the
United Nations, starting from Year 2024,
however with pilot schemes starting in year
2022 and year 2023. The intended pilot
schemes would serve as practical experiments,
prototypes or simulations, which would make
the final innovations to be realistic, circumspective,
therefore fit for purpose, and adopted
at the September 2023 United Nations Summit
of the Future.
And, the Global public information media and
channels are not being exploited optionally by
the United Nations and the concerned coalition
of civil society organisations working on the designing
of new governance paradigms, mechanisms
or tools, necessary for successfully tackling
the global catastrophic challenges. It remains
to be seen that the United Nations has
found the best or optimal formula, or procedure,
scheme or programme to galvanise the whole of
the global human resources into keen involvement
in the preparations during the next 16
months before the September 2023 UN Summit
of the Future. This optimal formula is intended,
among other tasks, to be proposed to the
United Nation through the Global Challenges
Foundation and Pass Blue.
Granted that it is difficult even improbable at
least in the short term to amend the charter of the
UN and obviate or vitiate, thereby, individual
sovereignty of the member nations, we can and
must find tools and policies that already intravires
teach of the United Nations, per its extant
charter; which tools shall almost equate some
hypothetical powers of the UN to directly or actually
perform good governance of each and
every member nation of the United Nations. This
requires ingenious innovative ability, which requires
the attributes of veracity and erudition in
the innovator.
Good governance, now, is nothing more than
the achievence of the sustainable development
goals. It is only when we have competent and
faithful government officials that we can
achieve the necessary reforms of governance
systems and policies at the global and national
levels. To ensure this, is the task before the
United Nations. Otherwise, the innovate
means of lawfully determining and imposing
or compelling the required reforms of governance
systems and policies in each and every
member nation of the United Nations; with
sovereignty of each of the member nations
sustained in law, at least. This is what I promise
to do for the United Nation if I am well facilitated.
What innovations!
My great fear is that the United Nations and
the civil society organisations may only use
the 16 months before September 2023, to
make sub-optimal preparations, and ultimately
use the September 2023 UN summit of the
future to obtain sub-optimal results; which
It is only when we have competent
and faithful government
officials that we can achieve the
necessary reforms of governance
systems and policies at the global
and national levels; to ensure this,
is the task before the United
Nations
performance would in effect amount to waste
of precious time and opportunity to tackle the
aggravating global catastrophic challenges;
and, it is to allay this fear that I make this
proposal to the United Nations.
I am already aware of the Secretary General’s
new High Level Advisory Board on Effective
Multilarilism, recommended or proposed
new head of state-level UN-G20-World Bank-
IMF Platform for global economic governance;
recommendations of exponential increase of
financing for development efforts; suggested
special envoy for the future; suggested global
digital compact e.t.c. Nevertheless, I propose
that the United Nations commissions me to do
a highly ramified research work on a multiple
number of topics, issues or matters, pertinent
to successfully tackling the global catastrophic
risk. These works shall be documented
comprehensive in books.
The suggestion by Marca Espinosa and Danilo
Turk, on April 20, 2022, is apt, making
the most of the 2023 U.N Summit of the Future:
“…Building on the active participation
of experts from all regions in the thematic consultation
maximum transparency and full
engagement of diverse voice will be critical to
a successful summit. This entails ensuring that
the inter- governmental negotiations welcome
and deliberate substantive inputs provided
by nongovernmental organisation opening
formal negotiations to public observations,
supporting national, regional and global forums
in the run-up to the summit; and encouraging
the involvement of civil society in
the national delegations preparing for the
summit.
On three of the UN Secretary General’s
most significant concepts in our common
agenda – a new social contract, the Second
World Social Summit and a new global deal. I
warn that apt innovations, in these respects,
are critical and urgent; else the momentum
of the dynamics of the catastrophic risks would
reach proportions unmanageable for humanity.
I most humbly make bold to say that I
have solutions, in these respects, which can
only be presented in the form of many well
written books. This is why I am urgently requesting
for facility from the United Nations.
My projection of the efforts of the United Nations
is that the next five years, up till 2027, would
not produce concrete results, because of inadequate
prevision of the innovators. The reform
of economic governance cannot be positive, if
completely insulated from reform of political
governance. This is central to the innovations
I have promised the United Nations if commissioned
and facilitated. Many books have to
be written.
•Akande, a foreign affairs expert and
researcher, wrote via:
akandeponle01@gmail.com

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 17
Niger Republic as Nigeria’s 37th state
Constitutionally, Nigeria has 36 states
and a Federal Capital Territory, FCT,
Abuja. But under President Muhammadu
Buhari’s watch, the country seems to have
added one more state – Niger Republic –
making it 37. The 37th state, ironically
enjoys more federal attention than some of
the country’s bona-fide states. Nigeriens
enjoy more rights than most Nigerians.
It may sound absurd that the president of
a country has greater affinity for another
country than his own. But that is one of the
incongruities that the Buhari government
has thrown up in the last seven and half
years.
It didn’t start today, though. As military
head of state in the 1980s, Major-General
Buhari allegedly supported a Nigerien, Ide
Oumarou, rather than a Nigerian, Peter
Onu, for the post of the Secretary-General
of the then Organisation of African Unity,
OAU, which is now African Union, AU.
An editorial comment in the Vanguard
Newspaper of February 3, 2015 put it thus:
“Between 1983 and 1985, Peter Onu of
Nigeria was Acting Secretary-General of
the OAU. At the 1985 Summit in Addis
Ababa, statesmen like Julius Nyerere,
President of Tanzania, lobbied for his
election as substantive Secretary-General.
However, there was a major stumbling
block to Peter Onu’s candidature: his Head
of State, Muhammadu Buhari, was
campaigning against him.
“… In the election of the OAU Secretary-
General in 1985, Buhari voted against
Nigeria and for Niger instead. He secured
the election of Ide Oumarou, a Fulani man
from Niger; as opposed to an Igbo man from
Nigeria. By so doing, Buhari became the
first and only Head of State in the history of
modern international relations to vote
against his country in favour of his tribe.”
Granted, Buhari’s media aide, Garba
Shehu, explained in 2017 that Buhari’s
refusal to support Onu was in deference to
an agreement reached by the five big
African countries – Algeria, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa – not to
contest the
OAU’s top job,
that clarification
has not
attenuated the
perception that
Buhari leans
more to his kith
and kin in Niger
Republic than
fellow Nigerian
compatriots.
As a
democratically
e l e c t e d
president, that
Most Nigerians are
aghast that a country
with debilitating
economic problems
could indulge in the
treasonous pastime of
morbid
extravagance of
such magnitude
perception has deepened, and in fact, become
a reality because Buhari has continued on
the same trajectory, channelling Nigeria’s
resources to Niger Republic even as Nigeria
is enmeshed in its worst socio-economic crisis
since independence.
In his interview with TheNiche in July
2019, Prof Anya O. Anya, a 1992 Nigerian
National Medal of Merit awardee, former
Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Economic
Summit Group and former President of the
Nigerian Academy of Science, answered the
question of whether Buhari has been fair to
Nigerians thus:
“Go back to 2015 when he was sworn in
as the President of Nigeria. There were three
things he did in that year that I will want
you to now tell me what you think it
signifies. His first trip out of Nigeria after
being installed President of Nigeria was to
Niger Republic and in Niger, he was
presented with the gift of a white horse and
a sword. My Fulani friend tells me that is
the symbol of welcome for a returning
successful and victorious warrior. So, as far
as the people of Niger Republic were
concerned, this was a great son who had
now returned after conquering. So who did
he conquer?
“Secondly, he plans to have Nigerian
railways going through Katsina to Zinda in
northern Niger. It is taken for granted that
Nigeria will pay for it. Is Niger Republic part
of Nigeria? If it has become part of Nigeria,
then a proper negotiation should have taken
place, it should have been
constitutionalised.
“Thirdly, people forget that he also plans
to build a refinery in Katsina but the crude
will be supplied not from the Niger Delta
but from Niger. In other words, some of the
fundamental major changes in the
economy of that area he is planning is not
for Nigeria.”
The Buhari-led administration borrowed
$1.9 billion from the Chinese government
to finance the Nigeria-Niger Republic
railway project that Professor Anya spoke
about, yet most parts of Nigeria were not
factored into the project.
Nigeriens play significant roles in
Nigeria’s politics in favour of their Nigerian
cousin, Buhari. While campaigning for his
reelection in 2019, governors of Zinder and
Maradi from Niger Republic were among
the dignitaries that graced his mega rally
in Kano.
Zinder is the second largest city in Niger,
situated 861 km east of the capital Niamey
and 240 km north of the Nigerian city of
Kano. Maradi is the third largest city in
Niger and the administrative centre of
Maradi Region.
Not a few political analysts believe that
Nigeriens constitute a significant number
of Buhari’s fabled 12 million Northern
political disciples.
Defending his decision to construct
railways and roads extending into Niger
Republic in the interview he granted Arise
Television on Thursday, June 10, 2021,
Buhari said: “I spoke to one French man
and I had to tell him this. He spoke nonsense
and I told him look, in 1885, you sat down
and drew lines (boundaries). I said I have
first cousins in Niger. There are Kanuris,
there are Hausas, and there are Fulanis in
Niger Republic just as there are Yorubas in
Benin. You can’t absolutely cut them off.”
The fact he refused to acknowledge is that
though Yorubas may have first cousins in
Benin Republic as he claimed, Obasanjo did
not and could not have even contemplated
channelling Nigeria’s resources into
developing Benin Republic as he is brazenly
doing.
Last week, the Federal Government
admitted disbursing N1.15 billion for the
purchase of 10 Toyota Land Cruiser V8
vehicles for Niger Republic. Fielding
questions from State House correspondents
after the Federal Executive Council meeting
chaired by Buhari penultimate
Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, Budget
and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed,
said the move was to enable Niger Republic
to safeguard its territory in the best interest
of Nigeria’s security.
Ahmed’s explanation flies in the face of
reason. How will luxury Toyota Land
Cruiser SUVs worth N145 million apiece be
used for security? To what extent will the
jeeps help in securing Niger Republic with
landmass almost half the size of Nigeria?
Besides, most Nigerians are aghast that a
country with debilitating economic
problems could indulge in the treasonous
pastime of morbid extravagance of such
magnitude.
And while Nigerians were still digesting
that, news filtered in that Niger Republic
President, Mohammed Bazoum, had
honoured six Nigerians – Jigawa State
Governor, Mohammad Badaru; his
Zamfara State counterpart, Bello
Matawalle; Chairman of Dangote Group,
Aliko Dangote; Chairman of BUA Group,
Abdulsamad Rabiu; State Chief of Protocol,
Lawan Kazaure; and the Senior Special
Assistant to the President on Domestic
Matters, Saiki Abba – as the country
marked its 62nd Independence
anniversary, all of them his first cousins
like Buhari. For the president, nepotism
trumps everything even hard-nosed
diplomacy.
No matter how hard this government
tries to rationalise Buhari’s unforced
leadership gaffes, the president’s illicit
dalliance with Niger Republic at the
expense of Nigerians is the stuff quislings
are made of. It would have made more sense
if Niger Republic is officially pronounced
Nigeria’s 37th state or seventh geo-political
zone.
Words we commonly mispronounce (3)
PHONE Etiquette:
Phone use when
with your spouse and
children
PHONE use should
be discouraged
when you are with your
loved one. Try having
moments for interactions
with your spouse without
your phones, and see how
that helps you both to
forge the bonds of love
and make them stronger.
It is likely you are better
able to have heartfelt
conversations devoid of
distractions.
Can your mate access
your phone? That’s a
sensitive matter to some
people, but it does help a
relationship when spouses
can freely access each
other’s devices and know
that there is nothing to
hide.
When with your children
Much the same applies to the use of phones
when with your children. They deserve your
attention, and you do have to set the pattern
for them to follow. For one thing, children
learn from example, so if they notice that even
when you are on your phone and they come
to you, you readily put your phone aside, you
communicate to them the importance of your
relationship with them over the device.
For another thing, that teaches them to do
the same. When you need their attention,
they know to put their devices away. This
also helps them build better relationships with
others and not let the use of their device
interfere.
In summary, be nice and friendly when
you take or make a call. Smile! It helps you
relieve stress, and it passes a message across
to your
listener.
Also, be
quick about
introducing
yourself
when you
make a call
or take one
(albeit the
onus is more
on the caller
to do this).
When with
When at
work or at
meetings, set
your phone in
a way that
won’t disturb
others and
show you off
as disengaged
or distracted
friends or
family, remember to as much as possible keep
the phone away – enjoy your time with
them.
When at work or at meetings, set your phone
in a way that won’t disturb others and show
you off as disengaged or distracted. You may
put your phone on the flight mode if you do
not want messages or calls coming in during
the meeting, or you may simply set the phone
on a silent mode. By doing these, you reflect a
knowledge of proper phone etiquette
applicable to various settings, and you become
more endeared to the people you love and
those you work with.
Stop saying ‘I’m sorry’
There are also other expressions we can use
when we do need to sincerely apologise for
something we did wrong. Rather than simply
saying ‘sorry’, consider in this episode other
expressions that will serve the purpose.
What can you say when you need to
apologise in an elegant, posh, and sophisticated
manner? I’ve got you covered. Feel free to use
the following tips (adapt them to suit your
peculiar circumstances) and see how it turns
out!
I really hope you can find it within you/your
heart to forgive me for this.
This expression is powerful because it can
pierce through (in a positive way) to the heart
of the offended person. They’re not bad
persons, so they must try to forgive!
It won’t happen again. I promise.
Use this when you have tendered your
apology. It serves to wrap up your apology in
a calm and soothing way that should touch
the heart of your listener.
I messed up when I did that. I shouldn’t have.
This is a double stroke apology that when
used together has a lasting effect on your
listener. You show your vulnerability and
sincerity in saying you are sorry. Be sure to
mean it!
If you wanted to sound so posh while
delivering your apology, then go ahead and
say this:
I’m ever so sorry to have done a thing like
this (name the thing).
This gets your listener relating to the depth
of your apology. Be sure to accompany this
with the right disposition otherwise it might
not matter.
Yet another way to convey your deepest
apologies without necessarily sounding
boring and old-fashioned is to say this:
I owe you an apology for interfering in this
matter.
We like to be owed something like an
apology; it makes us feel good when we sense
that people who offend us are really sorry
about what they have done, and we tend to
forgive them once the apology is issued. What
do you think?
The last one I’d like to share here is a special
one because it reveals a great deal of
vulnerability on your part:
It was wrong/so wrong of me to have
assumed this position and gone ahead to make
the decision without seeking your input. It was
not my intention to be presumptuous. I hope I
can be forgiven.
This expression, coupled with sincerity of
purpose and intention, certainly paves the
way for forgiveness to be issued!
With this, you can be sure to hear: ‘Go and
sin no more!’
*Dr. Oji is a Senior Lecturer of English
at the Institute of Humanities, Pan-
Atlantic University, Lagos

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
With less than two months to the
September 28 date for the
commencement of the open soapbox
campaigns towards the 2023 general
elections, it is time to caution
politicians, their supporters, jobbers
and hacks to walk away from hatred.
Stop the hate!
This clarion call is timely and
auspicious. Nigerian politics is bitter
and hate-filled. This sad culture has
out because Nigeria has been bleeding
been there long before independence.
from all pores due to terrorism and
It has been transferred from one
insecurity. An adage says: “Be careful
generation to another.
of what you wish for; it might come
It came to a head in the build-up to
true”.
the 2015 presidential election. While
We are at it again. The same hateful
one candidate told Nigerians that his
words we deployed against one
ambition was not worth the blood of
another in 2013 to 2015 are rearing
any Nigerian, his opponent swore that
their ugly heads in the public space.
if he was “rigged out” again, the
Words and epithets that are beneath
blood of dogs and baboons would
the dignity of this newspaper are being
flow. If not for the civilised handling
used to describe candidates, especially
of the outcome of that election, an
in the social media. Ethnic, religious
outbreak of open conflict might have
and regional sentiments are being
been the result.
bandied to hurt the feelings of
A self-fulfilling prophecy is playing
opposing camps and create divisions.
We must call ourselves to order
because this is the first time since our
return to democracy in 1999 that our
frontline ethnic groups – Yoruba, Igbo,
Hausa and Fulani – have produced
strong presidential candidates. These
are: Bola Tinubu, All Progressives
Congress, APC; Peter Obi, Labour
Party, LP; Rabiu Kwankwaso, New
Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP; and
Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP.
If we keep charging up the political
atmosphere with bile and venom, we
may unwittingly draw ethnic battle
lines that could haunt us before,
during and after the elections. Indeed,
hatred could abort the elections
altogether. We saw what happened in
Rwanda. Let that, and our previous
experience that led to the civil war
over 50 years ago, teach us useful
lessons.
Let us be reminded that at the end
of the elections, we will still come back
together to rebuild our country from
the ruins of incompetent and nepotistic
rule that have engulfed it. We will look
forward to our new leaders working
hard to rally and unite us to achieve
the Nigeria of our collective dreams.
We call on politicians, opinion
writers and the youth to face the issues
that confront us as a nation. We want
to hear solutions to our problems, not
noisy sabre-rattling. Those who dwell
on name-calling, lies, propaganda
and insults have nothing to offer.
Shun them! Stop the hate!
OPINION
Battling with terrorism under Buhari
By SEGUN IGE
NO doubt terrorism has taken
different shades and sizes under
the Buhari administration, ranging from
political, economic and even
administrative. The difficulty arising
from nipping in the bud these
manifestations of terrorism derives from
the overshadowing insecurity challenge
immersing the polity, which is a fatal
distraction to nation-building and
national development after over 60 years
of independence.
The threat of terror – particularly
targeted towards the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Muhammadu Buhari, together with
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai,
is most arguably the hallmark of danger
and recklessness of any nominal
democratic entity.
A pathetically torturous video of Abuja-
Kaduna train abductees, which poses a
psychological pressure on Buhari, has
precipitated a certain Peoples
Democratic Party’s minority caucus in
the Senate – championed by Senator
Philip Aduda – to cast impeachment
threat on Mr President – “All we are
saying: #BuhariMustGo.”
Giving the President six weeks to fix
the existential political character isn’t
realistic and also doesn’t reveal, really,
how urgent the caucus wants the
change, simply because of the
systematically rigorous constitutional
procedure of impeachment – or
“removal” as some would say – of Mr
President. Some sort of Sri Lanka’s
Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s lot could actually
speak louder and clearer.
It does beggar belief, doesn’t it, to
think that the #BuhariMustGo chanters
have suddenly become daring,
audacious and emboldened to confront
Buhari, having long suffered from what
I call “Buharophobia”, namely: cowardly
silence and stinking hypocrisy?
Frankly speaking, if we aren’t facing
the problems in the frontally, and
according them the necessary growing
changes, we’d continually be facing what
George Orwell terms “catastrophic
gradualism”, which has gained a
stunningly spiralling momentum in
Buhari’s Groundhog Days.
On the political plane, the
“bureaucratic collectivism” of ethnoreligio
liners is unambiguously divisive
and incisive. The doctrine of Muslim-
Muslim ticket doesn’t and won’t favour
a political firmament like ours where
religion is inseparably and intricately
woven in our political architecture.
Micro-zoning power is a sure way to
quell the qualms of inequality, instability
and insecurity. Competence and
performance, devoid of geopolitical
sentiments and temperaments, is
another way towards a sure-footed
Nigeria.
Now, inflation rate has hit 18.6%
domestically, affecting the qualitative
and quantitative outputs of staple foods,
while also dramatically impairing the
Naira-to-Dollar exchange rate (N710-
$1). Internationally, the Russia-
Ukraine war has impacted, extremely,
on the dwindling gross domestic
product (first quarter 2022: 3.11%) of
the manufacturing and industrial
markets. For economic reformation,
diversification into the informal sectors
is crucial to cut down on the budget
deficit and burgeoning borrowings
resulting from importation surplus and
political inflation.
At the administrative level, checks and
balances, unhindered by separation of
powers, should be of paramount
importance. But to achieve that, there
has to be a system or standard that puts
to test the true integrity and character
If there was ever a time our
“thinking” and “talking” are
taking shape, it’s now; which
would make much sense if
taken to yet another dimension;
that is, to declare war on terror
quality of pervasively ambitious
politicians.
At the local level, there must be a
political fumigation of imposition of
leadership ultimately resulting in
destruction of ballot boxes and papers;
at the state level, a purgatory
intervention into vote-buying or voterigging
is needed; and at the federal
level, manufacturing consent with the
sole aim of creating “necessary illusions”
and “emotionally potent
Send Opinions & Letters to:
opinions1234@yahoo.com
simplifications”, further imperils a
potentially progressive participatory
democracy.
Since “democracy founded more than
two centuries ago,” writes Barbara F.
Walter in How Civil Wars Start“, has
entered very dangerous territory”, what
do we make of the culminated effect of
political extremism which has put
innocent lives on dangerous territorial
unrest and disorderliness?
To me, I think Buhari’s Nigeria is
practically at the final phase of “open
insurgency”, which is characterised by
“sustained violence as increasingly
active extremists launch attacks that
involve terrorism and guerilla warfare,
including assassinations and
ambushes”, says Walter.
In particular, from the April 14, 2014,
raiding of hundreds of Borno Chibok
girls by Boko Haram terrorists to the
February 2021 Niger State Kagara
abduction of tens of people, including
teachers and students, terroristic attacks
have increasingly exacerbated and in
fact put the country under a wholesome
siege. What a “backsliding democracy”
spawned by what Walter calls
“anocracy” on the slippery slope simply
because of disreputable disrupterreptiles!
If there was ever a time our “thinking”
and “talking” are taking shape, it’s now
– which would make much sense if taken
to yet another dimension – that is, to
declare war on terror.
• IGE, a Lagos-based journalist, wrote via:
igesegunadebayo5@gmail.com

H1’22: More pension funds moving into FG Securities,
up 6.2% to N9trn •Trend to continue in H2’22 — Analysts
By Peter Egwuatu
Pension funds managers are
ramping up their investments
in government securities as their
portfolio went up 6.2 per cent to
N9.008 trillion in the first half of
2022, H1’22, from N8.475 trillion
CAPITAL MARKET
in the corresponding period of
2021, HI’21.
The Federal Government securities
targeted include: FG Bonds,
Treasury Bills, Agency Bonds, and
Green Bonds.
It is expected that more funds will
go into this class of investment from
the Pension Funds Administrators,
PFAs, in the second half of the year,
H2’22, as the Central Bank of Nigeria,
CBN’s Monetary Policy Rate,
MPR, trends up. The MPR has
moved from 11.5 per cent to 14 per
cent between May and July this
CLOSING GONG — From left: Senior Representative, Commerzbank AG, Mr. Stefan Goehmann;
Chief Country Representative, Deutsche Bank, Mr. Andrew Voss; Executive Director, Axa
Mansand, Mrs. Rashidat Adebisi; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX),
Mr. Temi Popoola; President, European Business Chamber Nigeria, Mrs. Mary Ojulari; Executive
Director, Assessco Nigeria, Mr. Obi Mojekwu and Chief Executive Officer, Engie Energy,
Mr. Bankole Cardoso during the Closing Gong Ceremony in honour of the European Business
Chamber (Eurocham), at the Exchange in Lagos.
W/Africa power pool plans Fund to boost
liquidity in electricity market
By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja
The West African Power Pool,
WAPP, has disclosed plans to
set up a Liquidity Enhancement
Revolving Fund, LERF, for the
ECOWAS Regional Electricity
Market.
The Chairman, Executive Board
of WAPP, Engr. Sule Ahmed
Abdulaziz, who disclosed this
yesterday at the 54th meeting of
the Executive Board in Cotonou,
Benin Republic, stated, “The
creation of this fund will provide the
ENERGY
ECOWAS Regional Electricity
Market with a very important tool
for electricity trading by reducing
the level of outstanding bills,
thereby providing stakeholders in
the trade with a high degree of
robustness and sustainability”.
Speaking on the group’s financial
statement, Abdulaziz who is also the
the Managing Director of
Transmission Company of Nigeria,
TCN, stated: “when I look at the
financial statement, I get the feeling
that the WAPP is working hard and
Neimeth plans private placement to boost N5bn capital
raising
By Peter Egwuatu
CAPITAL MARKET
CURRENCY BUYING SELLING
US
DOLLAR
POUNDS
EURO
FRANC
YEN
CFA
WAUA
RENMINBI
RIYAL
RAND
2,443.00 +39.00
18.20 +0.22
96.19 -0.12
90.55 +0.05
418.19 418.69 419.19
506.3863 506.9917 507.5972
428.0593 428.5711 429.0829
438.2624 438.7864 439.3104
3.0961 3.0998 3.1035
0.632 0.642 0.652
551.53 552.1895 552.8489
61.9247 61.9992 62.0737
111.2207 111.3537 111.4867
CBN Exchange rate as at 10/08/2022
is quite transparent as shown by
the independent audit, this attests
that the financial statements are
regular, sincere, and in accordance
with international standards”.
Also speaking at the meeting, the
Secretary General of WAPP
Executive Board, Siengui Ki
Apollinaire, said: “The 2021
budget was executed transparently
and rigorously, and it is with
pleasure that I announce that the
2021 consolidated financial
statements of our organization have
been declared regular, sincere, and
compliant with international
standards by a well known
independent auditor”.
Neimeth Pharmaceu
tical Plc has concluded
plans to float private
placement offer to
boost its total capital raising
to N5 billion in order to
enhance its operations and
stakeholders’ value.
The Managing Director/
CEO, Neimeth Pharmaceutical
Plc, Pharm. Matthew
O. Azoji, disclosed this
to newsmen in Lagos stressing,
“We are seeking a total
of N5 billion of investors’
funds through a hybrid
offer of Rights Issue and Private
Placement. We want to raise
N3.7 billion and N1.3 billion respectively
from both offers. The
offers were approved by the shareholders
in March 2022 at the 63rd
Annual General Meeting Meeting
(AGM) of the Company.
“The private placement will
commence immediately after the
Rights Issue has closed. We are offering
628,753,036 ordinary
shares to would-be investors at the
price of N2.10. This is expected to
generate N1, 320,381.375.60
through this channel.”
Sona Group commits to job creation
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Plastic pallets manufac
turing company,
Shongai Packaging, a
member of SONA Group of
Industries, has expressed
commitment towards creating
thousands of employment
opportunities for Nigerian
youths in the sector.
Chairman, SONA Group
of Industries, Kamal
Tripathi, made the remarks
while giving the
scorecard of the company
since inception in Nigeria.
Tripathi, stressed that
the group and the stakeholders
in the plastic pallets
sector are devolving ways
of building the economy of
Nigeria to generate a stable
system in the government by creating
various business strategies and
economic methods to reduce joblessness
and deteriorating economy.
According to him, “Plastic pallets
manufactures production demands
has increased immensely in the past
four decades as we, Shongai Packaging,
are exporting in the ECOWAS
countries and Europe using the foreign
exchange in building the
economy of Nigeria. Shongai Plastic
Packaging is produced for Nigeria
and the purpose economy development.
“As a result, a number of plastic
pallets production in the country are
creating thousands of jobs in the
sector’s value chain, ranging from
grinding, washing, drying to make
in small chips (I0mm size) in German
machines herbolt(2tonnes/
hr/per machine).”
Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 —19
year.
Data in the National Pension
Commission, PenCom, shows that
the Green Bonds recorded the
highest growth, rising 428 per cent
to N68.095 billion in H1’22 from
N12.882 billion in H1’21.
This was followed by Sukuk
Bonds which surged by 58.6 per
cent to N136.606 billion from
N86.096 billion. FGN Bonds came
third recording 6.4 per cent
growth to N8.313 trillion in H1’22
from N7.814 trillion in H1’21.
Agency Bonds went up by 1.7
per cent to N13.825 billion from
N13.6 billion.
However, Treasury Bills investments
declined 13.2 per cent to
N475.636 billion in H1’22 from
N548.132 billion in H1’21.
Reacting to this development,
Analyst and Head of Investment
and Research at Fidelity Securities
Limited, FSL, Mr Victor Chiazor,
said: “The rise in PFAs’ investments
in Government Securities is triggered
by the investment friendly
rate environment during this period.
More of this investment is expected
to be increased in the second
half of the year as we get closer
to the 2023 general election.”
In his own part, analyst and Managing
Director/CEO of APT Securities
and Funds Limited, Mallam
Garba Kurfi, said: “The Investment
in FGN Bonds by PFAs is necessary
because of its low risk, higher yield
and availability when compared
with the other investments; more
than N9.0 trillion in the Nigerian financial
market were invested into
Bonds. There is a need for more financial
products that is less risky
and can give alternative higher
yield to Bonds in the financial markets
in order to attract Pensions
Funds Investments.”
Old Mutual Nigeria launches digital
portal for insurance brokers
INSURANCE
By Cynthia Alo & Joseph Oso
As part of its commitment
to deepen insurance penetration
in Nigeria, Old Mutual
Nigeria has launched an
online platform for insurance
brokers that will aid the onboarding
of insurance customers.
According to the underwriting
firm, the innovative digital
platform will ensure online
service delivery to insurance
brokers is seamless and convenient,
thereby engendering
a rich engagement experience
for their customers.
Speaking at the launching in
Lagos, the Managing Director,
Old Mutual Nigeria General
Insurance Company, Olalekan
Oyinlade, said the platform is
targeted at increasing the accessibility
of its insurance solutions
to help Nigerians
achieve a better and more fulfilling
future.
According to him, the platform
is expected to serve the
end-to-end purpose of allowing
brokers to request and review
quotes, achieve transactions
for the received quotes, and
generate the policy certificate
as well as initiate claims and
monitor claims payments in a
few clicks.
In his remarks, Managing Director,
Old Mutual Nigeria Life
Assurance Company, Olusegun
Omosehin stated: “We believe
this platform is timely for Nigeria
today as there is a need to
deepen insurance penetration
further to allow more Nigerians
access to insurance policies
across every facet of their lives.
It also re-enforces our promise
as Old Mutual of being a certain
friend in certain times.”
BridgeGap introduces 56 Bridge to ease
recruitment Processes
In line with its vision of
streamlining human r
esource functions and processes
in the workplace,
BridgeGap has launched 56
Bridge, a recruitment app
which will revolutionise job
applications, improve efficiency
and reduce bottlenecks
in the recruitment process
for organizations.
The 56 Bridge app is also built
to assist organisations attract
and hire top talents from any
part of the world. In the same
vein, job seekers can apply
for jobs, write tests and attend
interviews from the comfort
of their homes.
Speaking during the launch
ceremony, Mosunmola
Obembe, Director of Operations
for BridgeGap Consults
Limited, the parent company
of 56 Bridge, said the app is
an end-to-end recruitment
platform that is cost and time
effective, where candidates’
shortlisting and interview
processes is re-defined for a
better talent addition to
organisations.
ECONOMY
“With 56 Bridge, employers
of labour can easily shortlist
candidates, schedule interviews,
review and rate
candidate’s interview responses
as well as conduct
employment tests while generating
a comprehensive recruitment
report. On the
other hand, candidates can
also create profiles, download
resumes and take interviews,”
says Obembe.
The Director, Marketing &
Business Development at
BridgeGap Consults Limited,
Chiedozie J. Egbe, rolled out
the unique features of 56
Bridge to organisations and
job seekers which include
Job postings that allows
organisations post jobs for
potential applicants; employment
tests where recruiters
set tests for job
seekers and Video Interviews,
where interview
questions are set and candidates
can take such interviews
from any location.

20 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 21

22 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
Tobi
Amusan
CWG Gold: Why female athletes
are breaking glass ceilings despite
country’s challenges
By Ebunoluwa Sessou
AS Team Nigeria finished
at the top of the African
medals standings at the 2022
Commonwealth Games in
Birmingham, the winning of 12
gold medals by the female
athletes was an eye opener for
Nigerians even as the country
is undergoing economic,
security and political
challenges.
As Tobi Amusan surged to the
finish line in 12.30 seconds in
the final of the women’s 100-
meter hurdles to set a new
Commonwealth Games record
while beating her own World
Record recently set at the
World Athletic Championships
in Oregon, USA, Ese Brume
also registered a record-setting
seven-metre leap in the long
jump.
In the women’s 4×100 meters,
the quartet of Amusan, Favour
Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and
Grace Nwokocha, cruised to
gold while setting a new African
Record with a time of 42.10
seconds.
Lifters like Adijat Olarinoye,
Rafiatu Lawal and Alice
Oluwafemilayo also set new
Commonwealth Games
records in their respective
categories.
These athletes are breaking
the glass ceiling and incredibly,
all the gold medals were won
by female athletes who took the
tracks and gymnasiums in
Birmingham by storm and
wrote their names in the annals
of the competition.
Doing things
differently
Speaking on the feat by the
female athletes, Tayo Balogun,
celebrated veteran Sports
Reporter who reacted to the
development said there is
Favour Ofili
something positive about this
result in the sense that our
country is moving up despite the
country’s challenges.
“This is as a result of doing
something differently. As much
as I do not want to give credit to
the Sports Minister, he has done
quite a number of things to get
to this level.
“He started a programme that
opened up opportunities for
these athletes to be trained and
to earn some money in the
process. Before now, it used to
be a frustrating time with the
athletes. They do well before
competition but get
discouraged during
competition. But, this situation
is different. Their programme
was adequately packaged.
Females in the game
for longer—Balogun
“For them, it was not about
personal glory but they saw the
advantages that could be
attracted to the nation and that
are very important and with
more athletes like these, we will
get more glory.
“The confidence these female
athletes have gotten is second
to none and the coach should
be applauded too. If we continue
this template, definitely, Nigeria
will be set on lofty height. We
have started it and we can
continue on the template.
On whether the male
counterparts are relenting, he
said: “There is no new face
among the female athletes that
won. These are athletes that
have been involved but the male
athletes are people that were
discovered not too long ago.
“I want to look at the situation
where in future, these male
athletes would also do
excellently well. Tobi Amusan
has not been doing well; she has
narrowly missed the limelight but
her consistency with the support
Beautiful Botswanan endometriosis
survivors storm Lagos conference
•Can cause depression, suicide, they say
•Why endometriosis should be given priority in Africa—Stakeholders
By Ebunoluwa Sessou
THOUGH
dressed gor
geously in full Nigerian regalia,
they stood out at the recently
concluded International
Conference on Endometriosis
organised by the African Endometriosis
Awareness and Support
Group, a coalition of endometriosis
groups in Nigeria
and Botswana with the theme:
Endometriosis: An Unrecognised
Burden in African Women.
Speakers at the conference
were Linda Griffith, Dr. John
Dulemba, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, Dr.
Francisco Carmona, Dr. Robert
Rosemary
Chukwuma
Ese Brume
Zurawin, Dr. Keith Isaacson, and
Dr. Harald Krentel among others.
The three ladies had come all
the way from Botswana for a
cause which means so much to
them.
Endometriosis affects 1 in 10
women, who might not be able
to have children if care is not taken.
200 million women all over
the world have endometriosis,
many of whom do not know the
health condition.
What are the possible symptoms
any woman who is yet to be
diagnosed could have and how
can they be addressed?
This and other questions were
brought to the front burner.
One of the outstanding
ladies, a survivor from Botswana,
Gaona Dintwe said she was
diagnosed 10 years ago.
“We joined forces with the Endometriosis
Foundation in Nigeria
and the Endometriosis Foundation,
Botswana to create awareness
and reach out to those affected,
and perhaps a cure can
be found.
“What we are hoping for is that
young women across the continent
would know that there is a
condition called endometriosis."
Gaona was always in pain as a
teenager, always missing school
and was made to know that the
pains were normal.
“At 14 years old, I was already
having my menstrual period. I
was always missing school; I was
having severe pains and couldn’t
function. I was always visiting
hospitals with heavy menstrual
flow and pains and it took 14
years for me to know how to
come out of the pain; 14 years of
my life being disrupted and this
is why I am passionate about endometriosis
awareness.
“When I was diagnosed, I decided
to help other young people."
In her case, endometriosis has
affected her fertility. “You can imagine
as an African woman, infertility
is a stigma. I am a married
woman, yet I am struggling
with endometriosis. Creating
endometriosis awareness as an
individual and as a foundation
for the last seven years, is a huge
success.
“It has been an evolutionary
journey. The most painful stigma
was that people said I cannot
get married because I cannot
give birth and this stigmatization
was from everywhere, including
family members.
“Overtime, I grew stronger and
realised that I am just one out of
millions of African women across
the world who are dealing with
the condition."
She said due to lack of resources
and funds, awareness has been
a challenge but the foundation
is poised to ensure that people
get diagnosed.
she has gotten, paid off.
Nigeria’s case not
hopeless—Ironsi
Also reacting, Bose Ironsi, a
Women’s Rights activist said
beyond resilience, it is the fact
that they were determined.
They really wanted to win. They
want to make a statement. If you
look at what is happening in
Nigeria, you do not expect that
any athlete would go out and do
great things. But, these women
have taken it upon themselves
to succeed.
“Women are breaking the glass
ceiling and this is telling the
world that Nigeria’s case is not
hopeless. Our problem is
governance. Although the men
are not doing too well, our
women are doing great.
“I will urge parents, guardians
or anyone, not to limit their girlchild.
Let the girl-child be who
she wants to be. And that is what
they are showcasing to us. There
should be no limitation. They
can be anywhere and be
anything they want to be.
“The future is girls, women.
We are the only ones who can
hold ourselves back. We have
decided to release ourselves and
so there is nothing anyone can
do about it. No matter the culture,
they can no longer stop this
wind.
“Anyone who would not see
their girl-children as assets
needs to be delivered. They are
also limiting themselves. How
can you limit half of a population?
“.
*Gaona Dintwe
Government
intervention
Meanwhile, Founder, Botswana
Endometriosis Foundation
and co-Founder, African Endometriosis
Awareness and Support,
Kgomotso Mpho Gagosi,
said endometriosis is a chronic
condition and it has to be recognised
as such, adding that it is
worrisome that it causes infertil-
*Kgomotso Mpho Gagosi Continues on page 23

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 23
Beautiful Botswanan
endometriosis survivors
storm Lagos conference
Continued from page 20
ity
Ṡpeaking about the conference,
Gagosi said it
would help Africans to understand
the condition
called endometriosis.
She, however, called on
stakeholders to be proactive
in addressing the issue
of endometriosis saying
it takes time for medical
experts to diagnose it.
“This is the time for us to
address our girl- children
and teach them that there
is nothing normal about
enduring pains. The moment
you are in pain when
you are on your menstrual
period, you need to go for
a medical checkup.
“In my position, I am
making so much noise and
countries including Zimbabwe
and South Africa, are
already recording improvement
in the publicity
and I believe this would
make an impact.
“Endometriosis is an international
issue and governments
all over Africa
should be involved 100 per
cent. When the government
is involved, you will
see tremendous improvement.
As NGOs, we do not
have funds.
“Government would
help in purchasing machinery
to diagnose train
doctors.
In my country, we are
struggling because we have
two doctors. Getting the
government involved is all
we want,” she said.
They said I had been
used for ritual
—Survivor
Another survivor, a Nigerian,
Aniefiok Jimmy, said
she was unable to diagnose
what was wrong with
her for four years.
”Doctors kept saying it
was fibroids. I underwent
more than 20 CT scans,
and then I was referred to
a hospital where I could do
fibroids surgery.
“I queried the recommendation
of the doctor because
the scan I did showed that
I did not have fibroids.
“I was told I did not have
fibroids after four gynecologists
examined me. They
asked me about the symptoms
and advised me to do
a test.
“The psychological effects
of endometriosis are unbearable.
In Africa, if you
are sick and not able to live
a normal life at a particular
time, they would say the
person has been used for
rituals.
“At a time, I thought I was
actually used for rituals. It
was a trans-vaginal scan
that was able to diagnose
that I have adenomyosis. I
was frustrated,” she lamented.
Meanwhile, CEO, Nordica
Group, Dr. Abayomi
Ajayi, said the future of everything
belongs to the
younger generation, including
health care.
“The African Endometriosis
Awareness and Support
Group are having a
meeting and this is the second
international conference.
It is the coalition of
people who are interested
in discussing endometriosis.
Early Medical
intervention
“People who undergo
pain due to endometriosis
are perceived to be mentally
challenged. Their parents,
employers, spouses,
friends and relations, do
not understand. Some of
them have been pushed
into depression. Some have
committed suicide. The first
thing to know is that you
are not the only one faced
with endometriosis. The
commonest thing that happens
in endometriosis is the
painful menstrual period
and most of the time, affected
women and girls are not
able to function properly.
Students might not be able
to go to school; female workers
might not be able to go
to work.”
Eboumbou named new
CEO ALL ON
By Ebunoluwa Sessou
ALL ON Board of Di
rectors have appointed
Ms. Caroline
Eboumbou as its new
Chief Executive Officer.
She is expected to resume
work on September 1,
2022.
The Board after a thorough
search and rigorous
interview process made
the pan-Africanist,
Caroline Eboumbou who
according to All On
Board Chairman, Mr.
Osagie Okunbor, is passionate
about private sector
and economic development,
to which she has
dedicated her career.
According to him:
“Eboumbou is coming
from The Rockefeller
Foundation as an Investment
Director and has
worked with the
Rockefeller Foundationfunded
All On Hub.
Caroline joined The
Rockefeller Foundation
in 2018 as a Director
based in Nairobi, Kenya.
In that capacity, her role
focused on driving largescale
impact through the
Foundation’s Power investments
in Africa, as
well as on mobilising significant
financing for extending
electricity access
globally.
“With over 600 million
Africans unserved by traditional
grid infrastructure,
she oversaw an innovative
portfolio of
grants and investments
aimed at realising the full
potential of mini grids,
while advancing more effective
integrated electrification
planning and investment
across key markets.
More recently,
Caroline was deeply involved
in the strategic
design and ongoing implementation
of the recently
launched Global
Energy Alliance for People
and Planet.
“Prior to joining the
Rockefeller Foundation,
Caroline worked for the
African Development
Bank in Tunis and Nairobi,
and in private equity
focusing on construction
and long-term equity financing
for solar.
photovoltaic projects in
emerging markets. In
these roles, she gained
substantial project finance
experience and
worked on transformative
projects to bring electricity
to people across Africa.
“Her project experience
spans Francophone and
Anglophone countries,
and ranges in scope from
power generation to
transmission projects in
both private sector-led
and public-private part-
Eboumbou
nerships.
“We are thrilled to continue
working even more
closely with Caroline and
confident that her wealth
of experience and skills
will be an asset to All On”,
he said.
Reacting, Caroline
Eboumbou said, “I am
honoured to join All On,
a company that has demonstrated
its commitment
and efficiency as a true
agent of change by supporting
those delivering
services in under-served
and un-served off-grid
energy markets in Nigeria.
I look forward to
working with the All On
team, Board, investees
and the wider off-grid
energy sector to support
and develop a dynamic
and robust eco-system in
Nigeria and beyond for
the years to come.
Caroline will relocate to
Lagos and is expected to
resume work on September
1, 2022.

24 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 25

26 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 27
2023: Lagosians must vote for people
oriented candidates — Ajayi, YPP gov
candidate
By Olayinka Ajayi
ADEBAYO Ajayi is the
governorship candidate of
the Young Progressives Party,
YPP, in Lagos. In this interview,
the trade union expert speaks
among others, on the need for
Lagosians to vote in peopleoriented
candidates in the 2023
general polls, and his plans for
Lagos.
What actually compelled you
to contest?
The exact problem that troubles
me is how Lagosians are living. I
have been in Lagos for about
three decades. I saw life those
days compared to what we are
seeing now. I feel things should
have been better now but walking
through the streets of Lagos
today, you will notice people are
not happy, looking as if life has
ended. And coming from a humble
background, I know where the shoe
pinches, and it ought not to be like
that.
Since these people have been
managing Lagos for the past two
decades, nothing has changed.
People like us are somewhere and
we believe we can do it better. We
believe this is not the way they
ought to do it. We can inject some
brilliance into the system. So why
are we staying aloof irrespective of
our background? That is why I am
coming in.
Considering the population of
Lagos and with your
background, do you think you
have the capacity to govern
Lagos?
I have the capacity. Where there
is no will, there’s no way. I have
a strong will and I have people;
we should let people begin to see
the difference between the
bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
In what capacity have you
managed human or capital
resources that qualifies you for
the governorship post?
You don’t need to look at the
number of people I have
managed because Lagos is over
17 million people. Whosoever can
manage a small crowd
successfully should be able to
manage a large crowd depending
on his policies and beliefs. For
instance, I am a trade union
expert and trade union experts
manage people; we manage
workers, we manage aggression
and conflicts.
I was the chairman of a trade
union congress for about eight
years in a very big state like Oyo.
There was no crisis, there were
no conflicts, and the relationship
between workers and
government was so cordial to the
extent that I was given an award.
Who owns the state, are they not
workers? Workers are the people
that propel the mechanism of
governance. So, if you can
manage workers for two
consecutive terms without a
problem, you shouldn’t have a
problem running a state. All you
need is to bring like minds to run
the government with you.
As a trade unionist, what is
your view about the strike by
Nigeria Labour Congress in
solidarity with the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU?
•Ajayi: YPP governorship candidate in Lagos
They are just trying to show
solidarity with ASUU, but this
ought to have come before now.
This is the fifth month that
ASUU has been on strike, and
NLC is just waking up on this. It
is good to show solidarity but how
long will it go? What effect will
solidarity bring at the end of the
day? With my experience on the
field, what they should have done
was to make sure that the Central
Working Committee, CWC, of the
NLC met with the leadership of
ASUU because strike action is not
the ultimate means of achieving
goals for workers. There are other
approaches to drive home
whatever grudges you have with
your employers. One of the
approaches is that you can be at
work and still remain aloof and
be getting your salary!
What about the 'no work, no
pay' rule set by the government?
Then the workers will engage
no pay, no work! That means the
problem is still subsisting. But for
them to solve the problem, the
CWC ought to have met with
ASUU, sat them down, and met
with the government. ASUU has
been fighting the government
alone. ASUU is more or less an
independent body despite the fact
that they are affiliated to NLC. Let
me be sincere with you, there’s
no other union that can dare what
ASUU is doing. Not even NULGE
with their numerical strength or
NASU, or the Association of
Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria,
ASCSN. No other union can do
what ASUU is doing because they
are more or less independent
because they are affiliated to
NLC doesn’t mean they cannot
fight a battle on their own. But
this issue would not have been
prolonged to this extent if NLC
had done what it’s supposed to
do early enough. NLC can still
guide them on the way forward.
They have left them unguided for
too long, that is why we are where
we are today. But with this
current situation, NLC has shown
a sign to the government that
ASUU is part of NLC.
But the essence of the strike is
for better tertiary institutions for
youths. What is YPP going to do
about this?
I am hopeful that in 2023, YPP
will wrestle the governance of
Nigeria with APC. If we get hold
of the power, a lot of differences
will begin to emanate. We are
putting up structures and
mechanisms. In a few weeks from
now, you will start seeing the
presence of YPP everywhere.
Most of the candidates of YPP
across Nigeria are young people
and they have queues of young
people behind them. We are
spreading across the country and
across all states. We have started
awareness, telling people that
they are on the wrong path,
fielding old sets of people all the
time.
We are ready to bend because
we feel the pain of people. We
are bending to bring the poor out
of their sufferings.
How do you intend to address
the infrastructural deficit of
Lagos, if elected?
You are only concerned with the
infrastructural deficit, what about
malnutrition everywhere? That is
our major concern- the
unemployment rate,
underemployment, and excessive
taxation everywhere. If YPP gets
to power, in Lagos, the
downtrodden will start to rise
again.
THE candidate of the All
Progressives Congress, APC,
Delta State House of Assembly,
Patani Constituency, Mr Raymos
Guanah, has vowed to show
commitment and capacity to meet
the needs and yearnings of the Patani
people when elected.
Guanah spoke when he unveiled
the composition of his campaign
organisation to members of the LGA
chapter of the party.
The House of Assembly candidate
said the Local Government Area has
been bedeviled by lots of
underdevelopment, which was as a
result of lack of willpower, zeal and
courage on the part of its
representatives over the years, to
develop the council.
Guanah described Patanians as
peace and loving people that have
continued to pour in their massive
support for the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, over the years with
nothing to show for it rather than
underdevelopment of the LGA and
massive looting of her
commonwealth that is supposed to
be utilised for the development of
the area.
He said: “If we mean well for our
Forgery: APC denies
allegation against A-Ibom
chairman, Ntukepo
•Writes IGP over attempt to arrest, arraign party boss
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA—THE national
headquarters of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, has exonerated the
Chairman of Akwa Ibom State
Chapter of the party, Stephen
Ntukepo over allegation of forgery
and alteration of the result of the state
congress.
Already, the APC has written the
Inspector-General of Police over the
alleged plot to arrest and arraign
Ntukepo over what it described as a
purported charge of forgery in
respect of the party’s state congress
held on October 16, 2021.
In the letter dated July 25, 2022,
the party expressed its readiness to
follow up on any forensic audit of
the result of the said party congress.
The letter to the IGP by the party’s
National Secretary, Senator Iyiola
Omisore, said: “Our attention has
been drawn to myriad news reports
on both the print and online media
on the attempt by the Nigeria Police
to arrest and arraign the State
Chairman of APC, Akwa Ibom State,
Stephen Ntukekpo on a purported
charge of forgery in respect of our
party’s state congress held on
October 16, 2021.
“Further information has it that the
said contemplated charge is
predicated on the complaint by one
Sheriff Banki, who served as the Adhoc
Committee Chairman of the
APC State Congress Committee and
alleged that his signature on the final
sheet was forged.
“As the party that authorised and
conducted the state congress, we
wish to state that the said Sheriff
Banki did not act alone in the said
Congress Panel but acted in concert
with five other persons, inclusive of
the Secretary, Sule Yakubu.
“We have verified Mr. Banki’s
allegation vis a vis the contention of
the other members of the committee,
including the documents submitted
and we have no doubt whatsoever
that no signature was forged or
document altered.
“We have in our custody 36
congress result sheets clearly signed
by the said Sheriff Banki as
Chairman and Sule Yakubu as
Secretary which result sheets were
duly authenticated by the other
members of the Congress
Committee and therefore, have no
doubt as to their veracity as it relates
to the true and final outcome of the
state congress as submitted to the
national secretariat of our party, the
APC.
“We consider any claims to forgery
as an afterthought and intended to
serve interest of the erstwhile
Secretary of the Extra-ordinary
Convention Committee Planning of
the Party, Senator John
AkpanUdoedehe, who had since left
our party to become the
governorship candidate of NNPP for
the 2023 governorship election in
Akwa Ibom State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it may
be necessary that you direct the 36
result sheets which are hereby
attached with the relevant signatures
thereon, for further forensic analysis
towards authenticating the
signatures thereon.
“In that respect, we sincerely
believe that the NPF Forensic Lab,
Alagbon Close, Lagos, will be helpful.
“Permit us to bring to your notice
that the Secretary of that Congress
Committee for Akwa Ibom State,
Sule Yakubu, had long dissociated
himself from any allegation of
alteration on the sheets and sworn to
an affidavit to that effect on the issue
of Stephen Ntukekpo’s alleged
signature forgery.
“Finally, we state that the congress
in issue was authorised and
conducted by the National
Secretariat of the APC and the results
arising therefrom, after due processes
in line with the provisions of our
guidelines, were submitted to the
Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, as the authentic
result of the Akwa Ibom State
congress.
“We stand firmly by that result
including the score sheets per
positions as submitted.”
2023: I’ll provide efficient representation
for Patani people — Guanah
dear Local Government Area and our
people, let us all join hands to pull
out of this injurious arrangement
where the benefits of the entire Local
Government Area is being sacrificed
for the benefit of a few. I have offered
myself and committed to do all legal
biddings of my constituents to build
a Greater Patani.
“It was time to crave for a new
Patani where road networks across
the LGA won’t be negotiated.
“A new Patani where our decaying
educational facilities will be visited
and given a facelift. A new Patani
where our health centers will have
enough manpower and sufficient
medication for our people in the
semi-urban and rural areas.
“A new Patani where schemes to
carter for the welfare and wellbeing
of all age grades will be guaranteed.
A new Patani where our farmers,
traders and artisan will be given the
needed support at all time.”
Those present at the unveiling
ceremony were Rev. Israel
Unutame; Chief Helpme Enisouh;
Engr. Otuisi Erube; Engr. John
Agori; Mr. Vincent Oborikpo,
among others.
They, however, commended the
leadership abilities of Mr. Guanah,
stating that he brought
development to every part of the
council area when he was council
chairman as his projects are still
verifiable across the length and
breadth of Patani LGA.
•Raymos Guanah

28 — Vanguard, THURSDAY , AUGUST 11, 2022
By Juliet Umeh
WORKERS of Lambert Elec
tromec Nigeria Limited, a Lebanese
company with head office at
Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, have
every reason to be happy as their long
battle to join the union; the Steel and
Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria,
SEWUN, has come to fruition.
This follows the decision of the
management to respect the award
by the Industrial Arbitration Panel,
IAP, given in 2020, after officials
of the Nigeria Labour Congress,
NLC, and SEWUN picketed
and disrupted the operations of the
company August 9, over perceived
refusal to honour the IAP
award.
However, the management was
forced to enter into agreement with
organized labour after aggrieved
unionists and workers shut all the
offices of the company in Lagos.
Speaking, during the picketing,
General Secretary of SEWUN, Mr
Paul Okonma, said: “We have met
vicahiyoung@yahoo.com
(08052202308)
UNPAID BENEFITS: Labour declares
trade dispute with Transport Ministry
By Victor Ahiuma-Young
ORGANISED Labour in the
M a r i t i m e
industry, under the aegis of the
Maritime Workers Union of
Nigeria, MWUN, has announced
a former declaration of a trade
dispute with the Ministry of
Transportation over the unpaid
benefits to workers of the defunct
Nigerian National Shipping Line,
NNSL, 27 years after the liquidation
of the national carrier.
MWUN made the
announcement in Lagos, after the
aggrieved ex-NNSL workers and
relatives stormed its Osho Drive
national secretariat to protest the
refusal of the ministry of
transportation to pay their
benefits after liquidation.
The issue of unpaid benefits to
the ex-workers has been lingering
between the Ministry and MWUN
for years.
Addressing the aged 2,000
former NNSL workers and their
relatives, President- General of
MWUN, Prince Adewale
Adeyanju, informed that MWUN
has declared a trade with the
Transportation ministry and
vowed that the Union would
ensure that the rights of the
workers are paid.
Recall that NNSL, established in
1959, was liquidated despite fresh
investments by the government
over mismanagement. This led
to selling off the 21 vessels in the
fleet after incurring debt.
Prince Adeyanju noted that the
matter was taken the courts and
the ruled in favour of the former
workers for the government to
pay their benefits.
“I directed the Branch to invite
the retirees of the defunct NNSL.
If our country has respect for
retirees, I don’t think we would still
• A cross section of workers of the defunct NNSL and their relatives at MWUN secretariat (Inset)
Prince Adewale Adeyanju, President General MWUN.
be seating here and talking about it, but now, we are would use all Transportation Ministry,
your gratuities and pensions. resources available to us to see to its reconciliators would be set up to see
“It is because our past leaders logical conclusion.
how the money would be paid to
have no regard for people that used “It is your right and nobody can you.
their productive lives to serve this take it away from you. You have
country. Your matter would now contributed to the success of this Court ruling
be one that the whole world would country, the government is
be involved. I met this case on my supposed to have paid youe “I urge you to exercise patience
table when I resumed office, we benefits. But as it is now, we have as we work to get your rights for
have been looking for ways to resolve declared a trade dispute with the you. You took the government to
FG, HuCaPAN partner on decent labour
migration
By Marie-Therese
Nanlong
THE Federal Ministry of Labour
and Employment and Human
Capital Providers Association of Nigeria,
HuCaPAN, are exploring
ways of ensuring that Nigerians
seeking jobs overseas do so in a decent
way without any threat to
themselves and Nigeria.
This came as the Ministry informed
that the government is concerned
about the welfare Nigerians
at home and outside , hence the
need to ensure a safe, orderly, and
regular labour migration in Nigeria.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry
of Labour and Employment, Kachollom
Daju , stated thses when
the leadership of the HuCaPAN
paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry
in Abuja.
The team led by HuCaPAN President,
Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo, was
received by Daju and other top officials
of the Ministry.
The Permanent Secretary appreciated
the work being done by the
Association towards promoting decent
jobs for Nigerians saying,
“This is the reason the Ministry
with other relevant agencies and
stakeholders have come up with
the Standard Operating Procedure
so that Private Employment
Agencies will operate within the
confines of the policies and internationally
acceptable standards.”
Earlier, Ogunlowo expressed optimism
that the current efforts by
the Association and the Ministry
would yield positive results as the
Standard Operating Procedure,
SOP which was drafted by the government
with critical stakeholders’
input when deployed would
help in no small measures help in
containing activities of human
traffickers and unlicensed agencies.
Ogunlowo, represented by the
Executive Secretary, Jide Afolabi
said, “As you are aware, the Federal
government has suspended international
recruitment; issuance
and renewal of international recruitment
licenses since 2018.
“After a series of meetings and
follow-ups with the Ministry, Standard
Operating Procedures, SOP,
for Private Employment Agencies
in Nigeria was drafted and
launched recently. Following the
launch, our Association organized
a Webinar for Private Employment
Agencies in Nigeria on the
Standard
Operating
Procedures,SOP. “It was thereafter
that the Ministry requested international
recruiters to renew their
license. We are confident that the
speedy process of renewal applications
by our members would help
to promote regular labour migration
in Nigeria.
Humbled Lebanese firm to allow its workers
join SEWUN
severally with the company in an attempt
to ensure the implementation
but the company bluntly refused.
They continued twisting us and twisting
the matter. Even with the compromises
we made to ensure the implementation,
it all ended in vain
hence the recourse to self-help
through the instrumentality of the
NLC. The issue is recorgnition of the
Union as a legitimate organisation
to represent the interest of the workers
as enshrined in the law.”
But after reaching a pact with the
management, Assistant General
Secretary of SEWUN, Mr Prince Igbokwe
said: “As from today, there is
a union in this company, and the
workers in this place are now members
of SEWUN.
“From today, they are going to
be able to negotiate their condition
and terms of employment. And as
from today, they are no longer
slaves but people working in a dignified
environment.
“From today, the workers in this
place are now members of the NLC.
When workers stand together, the
court and you have won the case
against the government, the court
judgment asked the government to
pay your gratuities and your
pensions. Those concern should tell
us why they have not done that."
According to Prince Adeyanju,
while some of the retirees were paid
a token, others had not been paid,
saying “We are doing a follow up
on this matter by sending people to
Abuja. The matter is under two
ministries. That of labour and of
Transportation. It was gathered
that the ex-workers still alive are
now old, incapacitated and live on
begging to feed, even as others have
died from malnourishment,
diseases and depression among
others.
Lamentation
One of the affected ex-workers,
Oluwashina Otutu, who worked
with the defunct NNSL for 15
years, lamented that he was yet to
be paid his entitlements by the
Federal Government.
He narrated the harrowing
experience of the ex-workers who
have been abandoned, lamenting
that feeding has become an a major
problem to them, let alone be able
to care of themselves and their
families.
oppressors will be defeated.”
Speaking on behalf of the company,
the Solicitor of Lambert Electromec
Nigeria Limited, Mr.
Jonathan Ikiebe, among others,
said : “ We have decided to take the
part of peace to ensure that it is a
win- win for all parties. You can
see that the issue has been resolved
and they (officials of NLC and
SEWUN) are leaving.”
On the picketing, he said: “This
matter had been on for about two
years. We have gone to IAP where
it gave an award which we challenged
in the National Industrial
Court, NIC. Unfortunately, while
that matter is pending in the industrial
court, labour decided to
picket this morning (August 9).
“Be that as it may, in order not to
allow this matter to linger, we have
entered into terms of settlement
with them which we have signed
now pending when we meet again
next for us to have a more comprehensive
agreement.”

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 29
:Vanguard
News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
HANDOVER
CEREMONY:
Outgoing
General Officer
Commanding,
GOC, 81
Division,
Nigerian Army,
Maj. Gen.
Umar Musa,
handing the
command's flag
to the incoming
GOC, Maj.
Gen. Obinna
Ajunwa, as part
of event to
mark the
official
handover
ceremony, at
the 81 Div
headquarters,
Kofo Abayomi,
Victoria Island,
Lagos, yesterday.
Photo: Evelyn
Usman.
AWARD: From left, Sohcahtoa Foundation Programmes' coordinator,
Mr Enoch Leramoh; Founder, Sohcahtoa Foundation, Solape Fayemi;
Chairman, Kosofe Local Government, Moyosore Ogunlewe (holding his
award); Chief Executive Officer, Sohcahtoa Foundation, Oluwaseyi
Fayemi; Solomon Daramola, Volunteer, Sohcahtoa Foundation and
Favour Chidindu,Volunteer, at the presentation of award of Outstanding
Performance in Education and Infrastructure Development to the
Chairman, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos, at the council
secretariat, Ogudu, Lagos, yesterday.
Isoko South
councillors
resolve to work
with Akasa
By Festus Ahon&
Ochuko Akuopha
OLEH—THE legislative arm of
Isoko South local government
council, Delta State, has resolved
to work with the Council
Chairman, Victor Asasa towards
ensuring accelerated growth and
development in the locality.
The Councillors in a resolution
during Tuesday’s plenary,
presided over by the Leader of
the House, Othuke Arovah, said
relationship between the
Executive and the Legislative
arm is cordial, and will continue
to work as a team for the general
good of the people of Isoko South
local government area.
The resolution followed
adoption of the report of a four
man adhoc committee set up by
the Leader to investigate alleged
financial improprieties and
administrative incompetence
against the Council Boss by some
constituents in a peaceful protest
to the council.
Presenting the report of the
committee, its Chairman and
Councillor representing Igbide
ward 7A, Silver Onuje Ewhese,
said a public hearing was
conducted on the matter where
those involved were invited for
interrogation.
Ewhese who is the Chairman,
House Committee on
Information disclosed that while
the Council Boss honored the
invitation, the protesters failed
to turn up to present their case
throughout the period the adhoc
committee sat.
He said upon investigation,
the Committee found that the
allegations were false and
malicious, stressing that the
legislative arm of Isoko South will
continue to avoid detractors and
sponsored mudslingers.
The Councillors said they are
proud of the modest
achievements so far by the
Council despite the paucity of
funds to the local government,
affirming their irrevocable
commitment to peace and
development of Isoko South local
government area.
The lawmakers commended
the Leader of the House, Othuke
Arovah for his prompt action over
the ugly development, saying
that the investigation has laid to
rest the false and malicious
allegations against the Council
Boss.
The motion for the adoption of
the report was moved by the
Majority Leader, Blessing
Emiakumor and unanimously
adopted.

30 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
MILLIONAIRE
I Formerly known and addressed
as MISS AIWERE BLESSING
now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS.
MILLIONAIRE BLESSING
henceforth all former documents
remain valid. General public take
note.
ADESINA OB
AKOZOR EMMA
I, formerly known and addressed
as RUKAYAT ABIODUN
ADESINA, now wish to be known
and addressed as OLUWATOYIN
ABIODUN EGBEDAYO. All
former documents remain valid.
The general public should please
take note.
PRIYE
I,formerly known call and
addressed as. OWEI PRIYE. but
now wish to be known call and
address as. OWEI PEREFOI all
documents bearing former names
remain valid,general public please
take note.
BABALOLA
NWABUEZE
UNOMAH
ONOS
I formerly known as Ubogu
Onos, now wish to be known
as Emojeghware Onoriode
Ubogu. Former documents
remain valid. General public
take note.
IZEKOR
I formerly known as
IZEKOR SANDRA, now wish
to be known as IZEKOR
SUCCESS ISOKEN. Former
documents remain valid.
General public take note.
JOHN
That I was formerly known,
called and addressed as GIFT
JOHN that I now want to be
known called and addressed as
VICTOR OMONIGHO GIFT.
Former documents remain
valid. General public take
note.
FESTUS
I Formerly known and addressed
as OKPEWHO GINA ONOME
now wish to be known and
addressed as GINA ONOME
FESTUS henceforth all former
documents remain valid. General
public take note.
I, formerly known as MISS AKOZOR
EVELYN OGHENEWORO, now
wish to be known and addressed as
MRS SANCO OGHENEWORO
EVELYN. All former documents
remain valid. General Public and
Authorities concerned, please take
note.
FREGENE
I,formerly known call and
addressed as. DANIEL.
FREGENE.but now wish to be
known call and address as.
FREGENE DANIEL APUMA
all documents bearing former
names remain valid,general public
please take note
JONATHAN
This is to confirm that I,
VERANDAH JONATHAN am one
and same person bearing
VERANDAH JONATHAN
PEREMONBOWEI and
VERANDAH JONATHAN. All
documents remain valid. DELSU
Abraka, JAMB, NYSC, Nigerian
Law School and the general public
should please take note.
NIFEMI
EBERUWA
I formerly known as Eberuwa
ONOJA
I formerly known as GRACE
OJONUGWA ONOJA, now
wish to be known as MRS.
EFERETIN OJONUGWA
GRACE. Former documents
remain valid. General public
take note.
EMMANUEL
I FORMERLY KNOWN AS
EMMANUEL EFFIONG
UDOFIA NOW WISH TO
BE KNOWN AS EMEM
EFFIONG AKPAN. ALL
FORMER DOCUMENTS
REMAIN VALID. GENERAL
PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.
TEGA
I Formerly known and addressed
as MRS. ANTHONY
MAUREEN now wish to be
known and addressed as
IZUEGBU MAUREEN TEGA
henceforth all former documents
remain valid. General public take
note.
I, formerly known, called and
addressed as JUDE EMMA,
now wish to be known and
addressed as INALU JUDE.
All former documents remain
valid, general public banks and
all relevant authorities should
please take note.
NKEMCHOR
I, formerly known and addressed
as EBERECHUKWU
QUEENIETH AMUZIE, now
wish to be known and addressed
as
NKEMCHOR
E B E R E C H U K W U
QUEENIETH. All former
documents remain valid. General
public take note.
GODSPOWER ISAIAH EDIRIN
This is to inform the general public
that in my BVN details, my name was
wrongly arranged and spelt as
JEREMIAH GODSPOWER
OGHENEKOVWODO instead of
J E R E M I A H
OGHENEKOVWODO
GOD’SPOWER. All former
documents remain valid. General
public please take note.
I, formerly known as Babalola,
Modupe Ayodeji (Miss), now
wish to be known and addressed
as Ukochukwu Modupe Ayodele
(Mrs). All former documents
remain valid. General public please
take note.
I, formerly known as Miss
Nwabueze Lilian Chinyerem,
now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS. EZEONYEKA
LILIAN CHINYEREM. All
former documents remain valid.
General public please take note.
I formerly known as MISS
UNOMAH CATHERINE
NWAKEGO, now wish to be
known as MRS. DIMOWO
CATHERINE NWAKEGO.
Former documents remain valid.
General public take note.
I, formerly known and addressed
as Miss JANET ISAIAH now wish
to be known and addressed as Mrs.
MICHAEL JANET. All former
documents remain valid. General
public please take note.
I, formerly known and addressed
as EDIRIN ETU, now wish to be
known and addressed as ANDY
ETU. All former documents remain
valid. General public please take
note.
EAZI
CHRIS
I formerly known as CHRIS
CHIBU ERNEST, now wish
to be known as
ENWEREUZOR ERNEST
CHIBU CHRIS. Former
documents remain valid.
General public take note.
KELECHI
I formerly known as Ambrose
Kelechi Emma now wish to
be known as Ambrose
Precious. Former documents
remain valid. General public
take note.
OJO
I, Ajiboye Mutiu Ojo my name
was wrongly captured as
Ajibade Mutiu Ojo.
Henceforth, I wish to be
known and addressed as
AJIBOYE MUTIU OJO. All
former documents remain
valid. General public take
note.
EDOHO
I Formerly known and addressed
as MISS OJI CYNTHIA and also
known as MISS OJI CYNTHIA
TINA now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS. EDOHO
CYNTHIA . henceforth all former
documents remain valid. General
public take note.
OKOGUN
I, formerly known, called and
addressed as OGBEWELE
OSEGHALE MICHAEL, now
wish to be addressed as
OKOGUN OSEGHALE
MICHAEL. All former
documents remain valid,
Bank and the general public
should please take note.
ONUOHA OD
ABIGHE OD
PEACE
NANA IYETOR OBIJIAKU
I, formerly known as MISS
UFUOMA NANA, now wish to
be known and addressed as MRS
UFUOMA MOYIBI . All former
documents remain valid. General
public please take note.
This is to confirm that ABOTINDE
IYANUOLUWA JUDAH and
ABOTINDE NIFEMI JUDAH
are one and the same person, all
former documents remain valid,
general public take note.
Larry, now wish to be known
as Ukueberuwa Larry. Former
documents remain valid.
General public take note.
During Opening Account And Bvn
With Zenith Bank, I Used The Name
Israel Eazi Ehihamen Now Wish To
Be Address As Israel Osawonyi
Ehihamen. The Name Israel Eazi
Ehihamen And Israel Osawonyi
Ehihamen Is One And Same Person
All Former Documents Remain
Valid. Concern Authorities And
General Public Take Note.
I, formerly known as IYETOR
PRISCILIA, now wish to be
known and addressed as
IKECHUKWU PRISCILLA. All
former documents remain valid.
General public please take note.
OGBU
I, formerly known as Miss
Onyinyechi Peter Ogbu, now wish
to be known and addressed as Mrs
Onyinyechi Ernest Asogwa. All
former documents remain valid.
The general public should take
note.
I, formerly known and addressed
as ONUOHA STELLAMARIS
CHIOMA, now wish to be known
and addressed as DEMIAN
STELLAMARIS CHIOMA. All
former documents remain valid.
General public take note.
I, formerly known and addressed
as Miss ABIGHE GIFT
ENIFOME now wish to be known
and addressed as Mrs. EKOLOR
GIFT ENIFOME. All former
documents remain valid. General
public please take note.
I, formerly known and addressed
as Miss. Princess Peace
Uchegbulam, Now wish to be
known and addressed as Mrs.
Princess Uchegbulam Okoroafor.
All former documents remain
Valid. The general public should
please take note.
I formerly known as Nnenna
Ogochukwu Obijiaku now wishes
to be known as Mrs. Nnenna
Ogochukwu Echetabu. All
documents remain valid. General
public please take note.
UMOH
I, formerly known and addressed
as ARTHUR UMOH UMOH now
wish to be known and addressed
as UMOH ARTHUR UMOH . All
documents bearing the former
name remain valid. General public
and authorities concerned, please
take note.
SIMEON
I, formerly known and addressed
as TONY SIMEON, now wish to
be known and addressed as
DOUGLAS TONY. All former
documents remain valid. General
public please take note.
AYENOR
I formerly known as MISS
OMAMUMI-EYINLA AYENOR
F., now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS ETIKERENTSE
AYENOR FRANCISCA. All former
documents remain valid. Delta State
Local Government Service
Commission, Asaba and the general
public please take note.
KOLARU
I, formerly known as Folashade
Charlotte Kolaru, now wish to be
known and addressed as Mrs.
Folashade Charlotte Folorunsho.
All former documents remain
valid. General public please take
note.
ONIKE
I Formerly known and addressed
as Miss Onike Chisomkwe Ifeoma
now wish to be known and
addressed as Mrs Duru
Chisomkwe Ifeoma . henceforth
all former documents remain valid.
General public take note.
OKORO NWOSU EG
That OKORO BAWO
OMAMULI SOLOMON and
OKORO SOLOMON, belong
to one and same person and
documents bearing the said
names are mine and remain
valid general public please take
note.
IBRIGHADEMOR
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss
IBRIGHADEMOR ODIRI
now wish to be known and
addressed as Mrs. APIAMU
ODIRI. All former documents
remain valid. General public
please take note.
OSE
I, formerly known and
addressed as Miss Edia Ose
Shulammite, now wish to be
known and addressed as Mrs.
Momoh Ose Shulammite. All
former documents remain
valid. General public take
note.
JONATHAN
I, formerly known and addressed
as ULO-ONYENDI GLADYS
IHUOMA, Now wish to be known
and addressed as JONATHAN
GLADYS IHUOMA. All former
documents remain Valid. The
general public should please take
note.
MARVIS
This is to confirm that my name
was wrongly entered on my Bank
Account as MARVIS instead of
my correct name as
MARVELOUS. My correct name
is FRANCIS MARVELOUS. All
former documents remain valid
General public and authority
concerned please take note.
OSSAI
I, formerly known and addressed as
OSSAI MARTHA TOCHUKWU
(MISS), now wish to be known and
addressed as AMRASAVWORE
OSSAI MARTHA TOCHUKWU
(MRS). All documents bearing the
former name remain valid. General
public and authorities concerned,
please take note.
EGOLE
I, formerly known and addressed
as Miss CATHERINE UKPERI
EGOLE, now wish to be known
and addressed as Mrs.
CATHERINE UKPERI
ERUENAH. All former documents
remain valid. General public please
take note.
MELISA
My name captured on my BVN as
MELISA FAVOUR instead of
AVWEFEYAN FAVOUR. I now
wish to be known as
AVWEFEYAN FAVOUR. All
former documents remain valid.
Zenith Bank and the general public
please take note.
INNOCENT
I FORMERLY KNOWN AND
ADDRESSED AS INNOCENT
KEZIAH NOW WISH TO BE
KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS
RIMPYEN KEZIAH. ALL
FORMER DOCUMENTS
REMAIN VALID. GENERAL
PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE
AKPAN
I FORMERLY KNOWN AS
EMMANUEL EFFIONG
UDOFIA NOW WISH TO BE
KNOWN AS EMEM EFFIONG
AKPAN. ALL FORMER
DOCUMENTS REMAIN
VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC
TAKE NOTE.
ORHORO
I formerly known and addressed
as: ORHORO OGHENETEJIRI
PRISCA, MISS OGHENETEJIRI
ODOKO, Now wish to be known
and addressed as: MRS
M O P H O P H O V W E
OGHENETEJIRI PRISCA. All
former document remain valid
general public please take note
AGBALAGBA
I, formerly known and addressed
as AGBALAGBA ONOME and
AKPOCHIMORA JOSEPH
respectively, now wish to be
known and addressed as
AKPOCHIMORA ONOME
JOSEPH. All former documents
remain valid. General public please
take note.
EDERI
I formerly known and addressed
as UYOYOU PEACE EDERI,
now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS UYOYOU
PEACE ONOFURHO. All former
documents remain valid, general
public,bank and all authorities
concerned should take.
OPARA
I, formerly known and addressed
as Miss. OSUAGWU ANN
CHINYERE, Now wish to be
known and addressed as Mrs.
OPARA ANN CHINYERE. All
former documents remain Valid.
The general public should please
take note.
AGWANIRU
I formerly known and addressed as
Miss Agwaniru Obianuju Amara,
Now wish to be known and
addressed as Mrs. Nzeruo
Obianuju Amara. All documents
remains valid. General public
please take note.
BABALOLA
I, formerly known and addressed as
BABALOLA HAFSAT
AFOLASHADE, now wish to be
known and addressed as TEJIDINI
HAFSAT AFOLASHADE. All
documents bearing the former name
remain valid. General public and
authorities concerned, please take
note.
IYAMU
I, formerly known and addressed
as MISS IYAMU REBECCA,
now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS REBECCA
OSARENMWINDA. All former
documents remain valid. General
public please take note.
MAFOSI
I, formerly known as MAFOSI
JULIET, now wish to be known
and addressed as
ORIGHOMISAN JULIET
EJEYETA. All former documents
remain valid. General public please
take note.
EZEDOM OKADIKE
I, formerly known and addressed
as MISS. OKADIKE AGATHA,
now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS. EKI
AGATHA henceforth.
Former documents remain valid.
General Public, to whom it may
concern please take note.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 31
CHANGE OF NAME
MAJI
OTUNGI
AWAJI
UDOEKPO
BLESSING
This is to notified the general public I, formerly known as MISS. I, formerly known and I, formerly known and MY NAME WAS WRONGLY
that. MRS FLORENCE ONOSETA OTUNGI DEBORAH. Now addressed as Gabriel addressed as Miss Emeye WRITTEN AS BLESSING
PETER MAJI and MRS PETER wish to be known, called and Ubokineme Luke, now wish to
FLORENCE ONOSETA. Refer to
Simeon Udoekpo, now wish to KELECHI AGLOLENCHA
addressed as MRS. be known and addressed as
me and same person. Now wish to
be known and addressed as Mrs INSTEAD OF AGWUNCHA
OYAREME DEBORAH. All Gabriel Ubokineme Awaji
be known and addressed as. MRS
former documents remain
Emeye Ibanga Peter. All
BLESSING KELECHI. NOW
PETER FLORENCE ONOSETA.
Luke. All former documents
AGWUNCHA BLESSING
All former documents remain valid. valid. Concerned Authorities, remain valid. FCMB and the
former documents remain KELECHI. All former documents
Authority concerned and public to Banks, NIN and General general public should please valid. The general public remain valid. The general public
take note.
public should please take note take note.
should please take note. should please take note.
CHINEDU FESTUS
NWACHUKWU
EJIKEME
OLUNUGA
MAMAH
I, formerly known and I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS I, formerly known and I formerly known and addressed
addressed as ONYIYECHI NWACHUKWU LOVETH EJIKEME CHIDINMA addressed as Olunuga Deborah
CHINEDU, now wish to be
as MAMAH PETER
CHEKWUBE, NOW WISH TO BE PERPETUA, NOW WISH TO BE Olamide, now wish to be
known and addressed as
ODINAKA but now wish to be
KNOWN AS MRS CHUKWU KNOWN AS CHIDUME known and addressed as
BEAUTY ONYIYECHI
known and addressed as
EJIKEME. All former
LOVETH CHEKWUBE. ALL CHIDINMA PERPETUA. ALL Akintunde Deborah Olamide.
GABRIEL PETER ODINAKA
documents remain valid. The FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN All former documents remain
All former documents remain
general public should please VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC valid. The general public
valid, Bank, general public take
take note.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE.
should please take note.
note.
OKIKE
ITOBORE
JOHN
OCHEZE
NWAOGU
I, formerly known and I, formerly known and My name was wrongly written My name was wrongly entered on my
I formerly known and addressed
addressed as Okike Chioma addressed as Miss. Itobore on my O’LEVEL RESULTS as Bank Verification Number as
Shanel, now wish to be known
Deborah Efemena, now wish JOHN ANTHONY and on NIN IHEAGWANU RUTH OCHEZE,
as MISS NWAOGU JUDITH
to be known and addressed as
instead of IHEAGWAM RUTH CHINENYE now wish to be
and addressed as Okike
as JOHN ANTHONY. My new
Mrs. Deborah Efemena
OCHEZE. Now I wish to maintain known and addressed as MRS
Chioma Tara. All former
name is JOHN ANTHONY
Precious-Akhere. All former
my correct name as IHEAGWAM ADIEGWU JUDITH
documents remain valid. The documents remain valid. The
OLAWUYI. All former RUTH OCHEZE. All former CHINENYE. Former documents
general public should please general public should please documents remain valid. documents remain valid. General remain valid. General public take
take note.
take note.
General public please take note. public please take note.
note.
OSAGIE
ISESELE
OGBEZUODE
ASINI
ADEMOLA
This is to confirm that OSAGIE I, formerly known as MISS. I, formerly known and I, formerly known and
GOODNEWS EFE and ISESELE ESTHER addressed as MISS. addressed as MISS ASINI I, formally known and addressed
OSAGIE EFOSA GOODNEWS OSEDEBAMEN, now wish to OMOBAMESO JOYCE MEVAYEGBERO, now wish to as MRS ADEMOLA MARIA
refer to me. I now wish to be
be known as MRS. OGBEZUODE, now wish to be be known and addressed as ABIDEMI now wish to be known
EVWERHAMRE GODWIN known and addressed as MRS. MRS.
ANJOU
known and addressed as
and addressed as MRS
ESTHER OSEDEBAMEN. All OMOBAMESO JOYCE MEVAYEGBERO SONIA. All
OSAGIE GOODNEWS EFE.
former documents remain OSIOBE. All former documents
OLADIPUPO MARIA ABIDEMI.
former documents remain
All former documents remain valid. The general public should remain valid. The general public valid. The general public should All former document remain valid.
valid. General public take note. please take note.
should please take note. please take note.
General public please take note.
OKEH
OSIOBE
UMARU
OKWUOKENYE
I, formerly known and I, formerly known and This is to confirm that the I, formerly known as
OKORO
addressed as MISS. OKEH addressed as MISS. OSIOBE
names; Umaru Amarus Hamza, OKWUOKENYE GLADYS. That OKORO AZUKA
OMENASA DONO, now wish
Umaru Hamza Amarus and
ESTHER, now wish to be
Now wish to be known and CHEALCY & OKORO AZUKA
to be known and addressed as
Umaru Hamza Eyituerime refer addressed as EMEGHAI
known and addressed as MRS. to me. I now wish to be known
ANN are same and one person but
MRS. AKPORUGO
BEATRICE. All former
OMENASA DONO. All former
ODIAI ESTHER OSIOBE. All and addressed as Umaru Hamza
now wish to be addressed as
documents remain valid.
documents remain valid. The former documents remain Eyituerime. All former
OKORO AZUKA ANN all formal
documents remain valid. The Concerned Authorities, Banks,
general public should please valid. The general public should
documents remains valid general
general public should please NIN and general public should
take note.
please take note.
take note.
please take note.
public whom it may concern take
note
EDO
FOLORUNSHO
OSARETIN
IM HANELE
TACHERE
I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and addressed I, formerly known and addressed
I formerly known as MISS
addressed as EDO KENVIN addressed as FAITH as OSARETIN HENRY, now as MRS. PATRICIA
TACHERE OGHOGHO
EVELYN, now wish to be FOLORUNSHO, now wish to
IMHANELE, now wish to be
wish to be known and addressed
BRIDGET now wish to be known
known and addressed as KATE be known and addressed as
known and addressed as MRS.
OMOREFE EDO. All former FAITH AGUEBOR. All former
as OSARETIN NEHIZENA
and addressed as MRS ASHAKA
PATRICIA IMHANLELE. All
documents remain valid. The documents remain valid. The HENRY. All former documents
OGHOGHO BRIDGET. All
former documents remain
general public should please general public should please remain valid. The general public
former documents remain valid
valid. The general public should
any authority it may concern and
take note.
take note.
should please take note. please take note.
general public to take note.
AUGUSTINE
TUNDE
OGBEMUDIA
UZU
AJUFO
I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and
addressed as AUGUSTINE addressed as SHEGUN addressed as MISS addressed as MISS ISIOMA I, formerly known as MISS.
OMOYOKAN VERA, now TUNDE, now wish to be OGBEMUDIA TINA, now ROSEMARY UZU, now wish AJUFO IJEOMA. Now wish to
wish to be known and addressed known and addressed as wish to be known and addressed to be known and addressed as
be known and addressed as
as VERA OMOYOKAN
SHEGUN BABATUNDE OJO.
as MRS. OKOHUE TINA MRS ISIOMA ROSEMARY
AUGUSTINE. All former
OSARETIN. All former UKUSARE. All former
MRS. OKAFOR IJEOMA. All
documents remain valid. The
All former documents remain
documents remain valid. The documents remain valid. The documents bearing my former
general public should please valid. The general public should general public should please general public should please name remain valid. General
take note.
please take note.
take note.
take note.
public take note.
OSAZEE
ODUWA
EGBULE
CHIJIOKE
ESEYEKA
I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and
addressed as OSAZEE ESTHER addressed as OKUNGBOWA L. addressed as EGBULE JOY addressed as CHIGOZIE I, formerly known as MISS.
ERHOMWANDOLOR, now ODUWA, now wish to be JOHNSON, now wish to be
ONYEKWERE CHIJIOKE, NKWUBUIKE GLORIA.
wish to be known and addressed known and addressed as
now wish to be known and Now wish to be known and
known and addressed as
as ESTHER EGHAREVBA OKUNGBOWA LAWSON
addressed as ONYEKWERE addressed as MRS. ESEYEKA
EKHOMWANDOLOR. All OSAGIODUWA. All former
EGBULE JOY ANWINLI. All CHIJIOKE CHIGOZIE. All GLORIA. All documents
former documents remain documents remain valid. The former documents remain former documents remain
bearing my former name
valid. The general public should general public should please valid. The general public should valid. The general public should
please take note.
take note.
please take note.
please take note.
remain valid. General public
take note.
PETER
OT IMADE
AKOMAYE
AONDOSOO
OKOYE
I, formerly known and I, formerly known and
I, formerly known and addressed
I, formerly known and
addressed as PETER ELLIS addressed as IMADE FAITH
as ROSE BANKU AKOMAYE,
I formally known and addressed
addressed as FRANCIS
PEPPLE, now wish to be IMUETINYAN, now wish to
now wish to be known and
as Miss IFEOMA CECILIA
AONDOSOO, now wish to be
OKOYE now wish to be known
known and addressed as be known and addressed as
addressed asnow wish to be
known and addressed as MDE
and addressed as Mrs IFEOMA
PEPPLE ELLIS PETER. All PEDRO
FAITH
known and addressed as ROSE CECILIA UGOCHUKWU all
FRANCIS AONDOSOO. All ASU BISONG. All former
former documents remain IMUETINYAN. All former
formal documents still remains
valid. The general public should documents remain valid. The
former documents remain documents remain valid. The valid banks and general public
please take note.
general public should please
valid. The general public should general public should please take note.
take note.
please take note.
take note.
OGBAVBEVA
AIGBOKHAN
IZUAGIE
NWAOBASI
ANUYA
I, formerly known and I, formerly known as MISS I, formerly known and addressed I, formerly known and addressed as I, formerly known and addressed
addressed as OMOYEMWEN AIGBOKHAN JUDITH as MISS IZUAGIE SONIA MISS NWAOBASI FLORANCE as ANUYA ELOHOR KATE now
JOY OGBAVBEVA, now wish UYINON, now wish to be IREGBENOSI, now wish to be CHINYERE, now wish to be known wish to be known and addressed
to be known and addressed as known and addressed as MRS. known and addressed as MRS. and addressed as MRS. OMIJIE as ODATUWA ELOHOR
OSAMEDE OMOYEMWEN. OSEGBE JUDITH UYINOR. EDJOR SONIA IREGBENOSI. FLORANCE CHINYERE. All former BLESSING. All former documents
All former documents remain All former documents remain All former documents remain documents remain valid. The general remain valid. General public please
valid. The general public should valid. The general public should valid. The general public should public should please take note. take note.
please take note.
please take note.
please take note.
OTABOR IMUWAHEN
KELLY
MENOMO PATRICK
I, formerly known as MISS OTABOR I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and addressed as I, formerly known and
ESTHER OMOSEDE and MISS addressed as IMUWAHEN addressed as KELLY MISS MENOMO OMOWUMI
AGBONTAEN ESTHER
addressed as MISS PATRICK
BLESSING, now wish to be UWADIALE, now wish to be ADELEYE, now wish to be known
OMOSEDE is one and same person,
known and addressed as known and addressed as
SUSAN, now wish to be known
and addressed as MRS. MENOMO
now wish to be known as MRS.
BLESSING THOMAS. All UWADIALE KENNEDY. All OMOWUMI ADELEYE- and addressed as MRS. OSUJI
OMORUYI ESTHER OMOSEDE.
former documents remain former documents remain
All former documents remain valid.
AGBOOLA. All former documents SUSAN. All former documents
The general public should please take valid. The general public should valid. The general public should remain valid. The general public remain valid. The general
note.
please take note.
please take note.
should please take note.
public should please take note.
OVRI
THAT OVRI EJENIKE
OGAGOROJO, OVRI JAMES
EJENIKE AND OVRI JAMES
EJENIKE OGAGOROJO
BELONGS TO ONE AND THE
SAME PERSON, NOW OVRI
JAMES EJENIKE OGAGOROJO.
All former documents remain valid.
The general public should please
take note.
MIKERE
This is to certify that my correct name
is MIKERE CHIJIOKE
CHRISTIAN instead of MEKERE
CHIJIOKE CHRISTIAN as wrongly
written in some of my documents now
wish to be known and addressed as
MIKERE CHIJIOKE CHRISTIAN.
Former documents remain valid.
General public take note.
OSEYI
I hereby wish to correct and change
my name which was formerly known
as OSEYI OMONTUEMHEN
JULIET ESEKENGBE. Now wish
to be Correctly known and addressed
henceforth as OSEYI JULIET
ESEKENGBE. All former
documents remain valid. Banks,
Concerned Authorities and General
Public take note
DUMEBI
That JOHN EMMANUEL & ANI
EMMANUEL DUMEBI are same
and one person but now wish to
be addressed as ANI EMMANUEL
DUMEBI all formal documents
remains valid general public whom
it may concern take note
LUCKY
I formally known as MISS LUCKY
CLEMENTINA UYOYO but now
wish to be addressed as MRS.
OTUNYO TINA UYOUYOU all
formal documents remains valid
general public whom it may
concern take note.
OLADAPO
I, Formerly known as Miss
Oladapo Abiodun Elizabeth now
wishes to be known and addressed
as Mrs Adegoke Abiodun
Elizabeth. Former documents
remain valid and general public
should take note
EKE
I, formerly known, called and
addressed as MISS. OKAFOR
ANGELA IFEOMA. Now wish
to be known, called and
addressed as MRS. EKE
ANGELA IFEOMA. All
documents bearing my former
name remains valid. General
public please take note.
NSITEM
I, formerly known as MISS.
NSITEM NKESI PRECIOUS.
Now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS. NKESI
PRECIOUS OJU. All
documents bearing my former
name remain valid. General
public take note.
CLARE OT
I formally known and addressed
as UGAH SOMTOCHUKWU
BLESSING CLARE now wish
to be known and addressed as
JOHNNY SOMTOCHUKWU
BLESSING . All formal
documents still remains valid
banks and general public take
note.
IGHOVOJAH
I, formerly known and addressed
as MISS IGHOVOJAH
ROSEMARY EMUOBOR, now
wish to be known and addressed
as ESOMBI ROSEMARY
EMUOBOR. All former
documents remain valid. General
public please take note.
OFEGA
I, formerly known and
addressed as MISS
ONOMUIYORIEFE OFEGA,
now wish to be known and
addressed as MRS. ENEANYA
OFEGA. All former documents
remain valid. The general
public should please take note.

32 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
Terrorists in Osun, Ogun forests:
Intelligence reports
shouldn’t be taken lightly
— Amotekun, Yoruba leaders
•Govt must deploy drones
•It’s time for state/community police
By Shina Abubakar & James
Ogunnaike
SOME northerners, number
ing 100, were sighted last
week in Osu, headquarters
of the Atakumosa-West local government
area of the state raising
fears among the populace in the
community.
This, however, led the Aare Ona
Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba
Gani Adams, to raise the alarm
on the worrisome spate of insecurity
in the country, saying Nigeria
is already sleepwalking
into a collapse.
Gani Adams, in a statement by
his Special Assistant on Media,
Kehinde Aderemi, had expressed
worry over the influx of terrorists
into forests in Osun and Ogun
states noting that a series of
serious security breaches in the
country in the last few months
means that all is not well with
the security architecture of Nigeria.
Intel shows terrorists are in
Osun, Ogun forests
The Yoruba leader had said:
“For instance, the information
reaching me today is that the terrorists
are in-between Osu forest
and Ile Ife in Osun state, fully
armed with various ammunition
and they are in the forest between
Abeokuta and Ibadan planning
to attack us in the southwest. This
is one piece of information that
we need to act on to avoid a possible
calamity."
North bound travellers not
bandits — Osun Amotekun
Commander
But the Security Network
Agency, codenamed Amotekun,
in Osun State, on Tuesday, disclosed
that the north-bound travellers
sighted in Osu, along Ife-
Ilesa Expressway were not bandits.
Reacting to the alarm, the
Amotekun Corp Commandant in
Osun, Brigadier-General Bashir
Adewinmbi (retd), said: “It is true
some persons of northern extraction,
numbering about 100, were
sighted on motorcycles, travelling
from Lagos state to the northern
part of the country.
“However, we were told that
they were bandits. We moved to
the area, arrested all of them for
questioning and after hours of
interrogation, we discovered that
they were travelling towards the
north without intention to settle
in any forest in the state, so, we
have to release them.
“Although the people have the
right to be vigilant, we should not
raise the unnecessary alarm to
create panic among the teeming
populace. We remain vigilant
and we would not allow our people
to fall to the destructive tendency
of bandits.”
We’re not taking intelligent
reports lightly—Ogun Amotekun
Commander
When contacted, the Ogun State
Commander of Amotekun Security
Corps, David Akinremi, said though,
he cannot authenticate the claim by
Gani Adams, his agency is not taking
the said intelligent reports lightly at
all.
Akinremi said: “Though, I cannot
confirm the movement of terrorists
into our forests. We are, however, not
taking the said intelligence report
lightly, because we have further increased
the number of our operatives
in our forests to ascertain the same
and deal decisively with any threat
in conjunction with other security
services.
“The Ogun State command of
Amotekun is in liaison with Corps
Commanders in Oyo and Osun
States on the intelligent gathering,
bush combing around our common
boundaries and other activities
which we cannot discuss in the public
domain.
Govt must deploy drones
“On the part of the governments,
there is need to deploy drones to
assist in complimenting our human
intelligence mechanism, mobilize
the citizens resident around our forests
to be more security conscious
and harp on the need for timely information
to security agencies.”
Security agents must rise to the
occasion—ODUPA leader
On his part, the founder of
Oduduwa United People Association,
ODUPA, Chief Taofeek Jimoh,
called on all security agencies in the
region to rise to the occasion adding
that they should not handle the said
intelligent report with levity.
Jimoh said: “All governors in the
zone, especially the three concerned
states should call an emergency
meeting, to review the security
situation in the region and as well find
means of strengthening all the security
apparatus.
“The truth must be told, this country
called Nigeria will not be able to
end the security threats unless the
current imposed constitution is abolished
and replaced with an ‘all-inclusive
people’s oriented constitution’
that fits each federating unit based
on their natural ways of life, cultural
beliefs and full control of the natural
resources in their respective
environments.
Intel should be treated seriously
—Elebuibon
Also reacting to the alarm, a High
Priest in Osogbo, Araba Ifayemi
Elebuibon stressed the need for
officials to, within the ambit of the
law, protect the lives and property of
the people.
Elebuibon, a culture enthusiast,
said: “The killings across the country
are already outrageous, including the
Southwest. It will be a great disservice
to ignore any Intel on the alleged
movement of bandits or any
suspected criminals.
“Before the creation of the police
or military, our forefathers
had means of securing their
boundaries and very effective
means for that matter; hence we
should revert to that method
without necessarily dumping the
conventional security apparatus.
“No government or even traditional
authority should sit back
and watch people killed. So, we
must all rise to the occasion and
ensure that, if indeed bandits surrounded
our forest, they must be
dispersed.”
Tasks before Adeleke,
Osun governor-elect
•How we plan to tackle the
challenges — Spokesman
By Shina Abubakar
OSOGBO—AS the governorelect
of Osun State, Senator
Ademola Adeleke waits to take
over the mantle of leadership
from Governor Adegboyega
Oyetola on November 27, 2022, the
tasks ahead of him is daunting.
During the electioneering campaign,
the governor-elect pledged to
make workers’ welfare a priority, as
well as offset the backlog of pensions
and gratuity owed both active and
passive workers by the Ogbeni Rauf
Aregbesola-led administration.
But a major issue that has confronted
past administrations in the
state is internally generated revenue
which is dwindling.
This development has made
payment of salaries a herculean task
for previous administrations in the
state.
Monthly salaries, pensions,
gratuity and promotion issues
The governor-elect will have to
contend with the issue of monthly
salaries, as well as annual promotion
exercise for civil servants in the
state.
A major area that previous administrations
wronged the workforce is
placing an embargo on the
promotion of workers and the effort
by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola
to right the wrongs proved abortive.
Similarly, the governor-elect will
also have to contend with a backlog
of gratuities and pensions
amounting to about N50 billion
which the Aregbesola administration
allegedly owed before leaving
office.
However, the spokesperson to
Adeleke, Mr Olawale Rasheed said
the governor-elect has a wellthought-out
plan to overcome the
challenge.
Rasheed said: “Part of the plan is
to ensure blockage of leakages. We
intend to look through what is on
the ground and then come up with
innovation to offset the backlog, but
the Senator will not joke with
workers’ welfare. It is on the first line
of action.”
Mining
Another area that might be a
challenge to the incoming Governor
is the mining sector.
The gold-rich communities of
Ilesa and Ife have all become major
security threats due to the influx of
foreigners engaged in illegal mining.
But Senator Adeleke, in one of his
presentations, said the major
agenda for the mining sector is to
ensure transparency in the sector.
He said with adequate transparency
in the sector, shady deals will
reduce drastically and the state
income will increase.
Cultism, thuggery and insecurity
The menace of cultism and thuggery
has, in recent times, been on the
rise in the state and it is becoming
worrisome for the teeming populace.
Towns like Ilesa, Osogbo, the state
•Adeleke: Governorelect
of Osun State
capital, Ikirun, Iree, Ife, and Ikire
have featured in the growing list of
towns with an increased number of
cultism and thuggery activities.
For Senator Adeleke to stem the
tide, he must ensure deliberate
investment in security both
conventional and otherwise.
In his response, Adeleke’s aide,
said: “The governor-elect’s approach
is to ensure training and retraining
of Amotekun Corps to meet the
growing demands of security
challenges. Besides, the
administration will ensure the introduction
of a neighbourhood watch.
Every community will be a
stakeholder in its security.
“Besides, other groups, such as
Hunters, OPC will be incorporated
to ensure proper and adequate
availability of Intel which will be
acted on effectively.”
Provision of infrastructure
The APC administration in the
state has raised the bar of infrastructure
provision, especially roads and
other structural developments,
hence, the incoming administration
will have to hit the ground running
without giving room for a blame
game.
According to Adeleke, he intends
to develop a public-private
partnership to ensure equal distribution
of infrastructure across the
senatorial districts in the state.
Youth unemployment
Another major challenge the
governor-elect will face upon assumption
of office is youth unemployment.
Though the issue is a national
challenge, the masses will hold the
incoming administration accountable
as it did with Governor Oyetola.
With a dwindling fortune in
agricultural and sports
development, Senator Adeleke will
have to revamp the two critical
sectors to provide job opportunities
for the teeming youth population in
the state.
His spokesperson noted that the
Sports sector will be used as a critical
weapon to engage the youth
population and reduce social vices
in the state.
Rasheed said: “We intend to take
the focus out of football, but
concentrate on 15 major sporting
events across the grassroots to raise
young talents, nurtured them for
international competitions to
encourage the section of the
population. Each local
government will be encouraged
to participate in the 15 sporting
events which will engage a large
number of young people and take
them away from crimes.
“Agriculture will also be used
to provide job opportunities. We
are working to produce
agropreneurs. And our focus is to
produce 100,000 young entrepreneurs
in agriculture not like
OYES, but real investment that
will in return create more jobs.”
C
M
Y
K

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 33
MAPUTO PROTOCOL: Prioritise well-being of
women, girls, Ipas tasks FG, other African govts
By Sola Ogundipe
THE Nigerian government
and governments of other
African countries have been
charged to prioritise the lives
and wellbeing of women and
girls by domesticating the
Maputo protocol.
The Maputo protocol (Protocol
to the African Charter
on the Rights of Women in Africa),
is one of the world's most
comprehensive and progressive
women's human rights
instruments.
It was adopted by Heads of
State and Government in
Maputo, Mozambique, in
2003, to guarantee extensive
rights to African women and
girls, with progressive provisions
on harmful traditional
practices, reproductive health
& rights, roles in political processes,
economic empowerment
and ending violence
against women.
Making the call in commemoration
of the 2022 African
Women's Day in honour
of all women and girls in the
continent, Lucky Palmer, the
Country Director, Ipas Nigeria
Health Foundation, said
domesticating the Maputo
protocol will ensure that all
barriers inhibiting women
and girls in Nigeria from exercising
their rights to bodily
autonomy are removed.
Breastfeeding remains best source of nutrition for
babies — Toyin Saraki
By Chioma Obinna
TO improve health out
comes for women, infants
and children, the
Founder of Wellbeing
Foundation Africa, WBFA,
Mrs Toyin Ojora-Saraki
has said that breastfeeding
is the best food security for
infants as it is the perfect,
safer and cheaper source
of nutrition for babies.
Making the call during
the 2022 Breastfeeding
Week themed, 'Set Up for
Breastfeeding and Educating
Support"
Speaking on the importance
of breastfeeding,
Ojora-Saraki, said:
"Breastfeeding is food security
for infants from the
very beginning of life.
Placing the mother-baby
dyad at the core of our programming
at Wellbeing
Foundation Africa tackles
early initiation and nutrition
supplementation, to
end cycles of poor health."
WBFA in 2018-2021,
implemented the WBFA-
UNFPA-Nutrition International
Mamacare +
NutritionLift
(Mamacare+N)
programme and it recorded
a remarkable impact
in 30 selected facilities
and 32 communities
in the Federal Capital Territory
Abuja, Kwara and
Lagos states.
Through the impactful
programme, midwives
used the Laerdal breast
models to demonstrate
best breastfeeding practices
to pregnant women
and nursing mothers.
She said the programme
L-R: Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha, winning
quartet of the 4x100 women’s relay at the just concluded Commonwealth Games
held in Birmingham.
Palmer, who spoke amid the
euphoria that emerged on the
heels of the outstanding performances
of Nigerian
women in the World Athletic
Championships and the recently
concluded Commonwealth
Games, noted: “Nigeria
is a signatory to the Protocol
to the African Charter on
Human and Peoples Rights on
the Rights of Women in Africa
(Maputo Protocol), a framework
which is indigenous to
the African People and specifically
provides for the
bodily autonomy of women
and girls across Africa.
Women with wellspaced children
can support family livelihood,
which enhances
household food security.
“Nigeria is confronted with
high incidences of Sexual and
Gender-Based Violence
(SGBV), which sometimes results
in unwanted pregnancies,
leading to unsafe abortions,
thereby contributing to
the already high maternal
mortality rate in the country.
“Ipas Nigeria Health Founresulted
in a consistent top
performance in the aforementioned
states in reducing
maternal neonatal,
child mortality and morbidity
rates thus improving
survival indices, with
Kwara State having the
lowest mortality and morbidity
in Nigeria.
"In the first quarter of
2020, together with Alive
and Thrive, WBFA
launched the Alive and
Thrive project, an initia-
By Chioma Obinna &
Toheeb Idris
THE Lagos University
Teaching Hospital,
LUTH yesterday announced
its readiness to perform the
first bone marrow transplant
for the cure of sickle cell
anaemia as part of activities
to mark the 60th anniversary
of the health institution.
Making the announcement
during a press conference on
the unveiling of the 3-month
long anniversary, the Chief
Medical Director of the hospital,
Prof. Chris Bode said
other landmark projects will
also be commissioned in the
hospital.
Bode also added that a new
30-bedded Intensive Care
Unit, ICU is also being completed
while a new outpatient
complex is under construction.
He said the complex comprises
five buildings, each
having 4 floors built to house
256 consultation rooms, 16
waiting areas, 16 nursing sta-
tive to save lives, prevent
illness, and ensure
healthy growth and development
through improved
breastfeeding and
complementary feeding
practices and purchased
and donated 370 newly
purchased breast models,
breast jackets and infant
models to 670 health facilities
in Lagos and
Kaduna State for ongoing
support," the statement
reads.
dation is committed to ending
unsafe abortions, SGBV
and providing unhindered
access to contraceptives, putting
us at the forefront as advocates
for reproductive justice.
Through our work at the
National and State levels, we
advocate for policies and law
reforms that promote
women's rights and challenge
harmful social norms in the
communities that act as barriers
to women and girls' access
to comprehensive sexual
reproductive health services.
So far, over 547
healthcare workers have
been trained by WBFA
using the Laerdal Global
Health simulation training
models products as the
foundation continues to
commit to contributing towards
enhancing the
quality of the educational
experience for mothers at
antenatal classes and
building their confidence
in preparation for childbirth
and breastfeeding.
At 60, LUTH plans first bone marrow
transplant
tions, eight meeting rooms,
eight patients’ lifts and many
other facilities including a car
park, cafeterias, shops,
amongst others.
Reeling out the achievement
of the hospital over the years,
Bode stated that LUTH has
remained one of the best
teaching and specialist hospitals
in the country.
He said: “In medical practice,
the hospital has been designated
a centre of excellence
in dentistry alongside a major
breakthrough of the successful
conception and delivery
of the first authentic test
tube (In-Vitro-Fertilization)
baby performed by the duo of
Professors Osato Frank
Giwa-Osagie and Oladapo
Ashiru at the hospital.
"The hospital also renders services
in specialized areas of
Medicine like Neuro-Surgery,
Haemo-dialysis, Radiation
Oncology, Ophthalmology,
Obstetrics and
Gynaecology, Cardiothoracic
Surgery, Urology, Paediatric
Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery,
Ear Nose and Throat
Surgery, Haematology, Medical
Microbiology, Community
Health, Child Dental
Health, Restorative Dentistry,
Maternal Health, Psychiatry,
Orthopaedic Surgery etc," the
CMD said.
In terms of skilled personnel,
LUTH has the highest concentration
of skilled medical and
paramedical staff in different
areas of medicine which explains
why LUTH is always
the focus when foreign countries,
oil companies and highbrow
private hospitals in Nigeria
are recruiting medical
manpower.
Bode stated that LUTH pioneered
Small Incision Cataract
Excision Surgery in Nigeria
and has trained over 40
doctors from all over the country
in the procedure in the past
years.
"The hospital has also commenced
laparoscopic general
and gynaecologic surgery
which has dramatically reduced
the duration of hospitalization
after surgery," the
CMD said.
R-Jolad Hospital opens new
facility in Agege
By Sola Ogundipe
TO offer accessible and
quality medicare and accelerate
healthcare delivery to
residents of Lagos State, R-
Jolad Hospital, a private
multi-specialty healthcare
enterprise, has opened a new,
modern facility in Agege area
of the State.
The facility combines high
standard of care with the latest
treatments and technology
in comfortable surroundings
designed to improve
healthcare delivery to our devoted
and loyal patients in
Lagos State.
The institution’s Chief Operating
Officer, Kola Oni,
stated the hospital is working
with all stakeholders including
government and HMOs
to reverse the poor global
ranking of Nigeria (163 out
of 191 countries) in healthcare
by bringing quality, affordable
health services to communities.
The new outlet offers a host
of specialist services alongside
modern diagnostic and
laboratory services, amid a
mix of mother and childcare,
as well as specialist services.
It is also equipped with theatres,
modern laboratory and
x-Ray facilities for investigations
and diagnosis.
Oni noted that the task of
providing quality healthcare
for a growing population like
Lagos cannot be left to the
government alone as the resources
of the state is needed
in other areas such as education,
infrastructural development
and security.
Also speaking, the Chief
Medical Officer, R-Jolad, Dr.
Abiola Fasina explain that the
new facility was built to address
the widening gap in accessing
quality and affordable
healthcare delivery in
Lagos State.
"At R-Jolad, we are focused
on delivering care across different
specialities, and
partnering with other hospitals
for referrals as the task of
healthcare delivery is a joint
one", he remarked.
R-Jolad Hospital was
founded in 1982 by Dr Funsho
Oladipo, to provide quality
and affordable healthcare
services.
Expert seeks policy to
enhance nursing profession
*As 79 graduate from Nigerian
Army College of Nursing
By Evelyn Usman
THE
Federal
Government and
stakeholders in the health
sector have been urged to
enhance the nursing
profession by creating
policies that would benefit
nurses as well as address the
migration of registered
nurses.
This call was made by Dr
Nnenna Eugene-Okorie, of
the Lagos State University
Teaching Hospital,
LASUTH, during the
convocation of set 44
General Nursing
granduands, at the Nigerian
College of Nursing, Yaba,
Lagos.
Describing the rate of
migration of Nigerian
nurses as alarming, she
lamented that, "After training
these nurses, you will see them
migrating to other countries
where they are usefully
engaged and adequately
absorbed. This is a
worrisome situation in
Nigeria.
"We ask ourselves, what is the
essence of giving the best out
of the best and instead of
internalizing the usage here,
they are serving others. Yet the
same Nigerian men and
women will go out there to
spend money on medicare.
"Astonishingly, it is the same
students of ours who
migrated, that render these
services to them. So, that
raises a question that has not
received any answer.
Mr. Kola Oni
" It is against this backdrop
that I urge all our
stakeholders to come back
and look at the policies that
will be put in place to benefit
mankind and the nursing
profession in Nigeria,
especially this period where
nurses are advancing higher
in a higher institution".
On his part, Acting
Commandant of the Nigerian
Army Medical Corps, Col.
Idris Solebo, informed that
half of the students admitted
into the College were
civilians. He attributed the
acceptance of civilians as part
of the Corporate Social
Responsibility of the Nigerian
Army over the years.
He explained that at the
completion of the three years
course, the Military nurses
would be sent to the Nigerian
Army hospitals for an
orientation programme that
would last for some weeks and
thereafter, deployed to
institutions.

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
:Vanguard
News
Mobil Asset: Buhari withdraws consent
over $1.3bn oil deal
By Udeme Akpan
AMuhammadu
BUJA—PRESIDENT
Buhari,
yesterday, reversed his earlier
consent, authorising the
acquisition of ExxonMobil
Corporation assets by Seplat
Energy Plc.
Seplat Energy had earlier
agreed to acquire the entire
share capital of MPNU at the
cost of $1.3 billion plus up to
$300 million contingent
consideration.
But the Nigerian National
Petroleum Company Limited had
disagreed, arguing that as a
partner, it should have been
granted the right of first refusal
in purchasing the assets.
However, taking side with the
NNPC Limited and the regulator,
the Nigerian Upstream
Petroleum Regulatory
Commission, NUPRC, yesterday,
Garba Shehu, presidential
spokesperson, said the president
has decided to support the
position of the NUPRC in the
deal.
Earlier, the NUPRC had
objected to offering the assets to
Seplat Energy Plc.
In a statement obtained by
Vanguard, the Commission had
stated: “Responding to media
enquiries on latest development
about the transaction, the Chief
Executive of the NUPRC
Gbenga Komolafe clarified that
the Commission in line with the
provisions of the Petroleum
Industry Act 2021 is the sole
regulator in dealing with such
matters in the Nigerian upstream
sector.
“As it were, the issue at stake
is purely a regulatory matter and
the Commission had earlier
communicated the decline of
Ministerial assent to
ExxonMobil in this regard. As
such the Commission further
affirms that the status quo
remains. The Commission is
committed to ensuring
predictable and conducive
regulatory environment at all
times in the Nigerian upstream
sector.”
Also, in another statement,
Seplat Energy Plc, a leading
Nigerian energy company listed
on the Nigerian Exchange and
the London Stock Exchange,
had stated: “We are pleased to
announce that it has received a
letter from the Honourable
Minister of State for Petroleum
Resources (HMSPR) notifying
Seplat Energy that President
Muhammadu Buhari has
graciously approved that
Ministerial Consent be granted
to Seplat Energy Offshore
Limited’s (a Seplat Energy
subsidiary) cash acquisition of
the entire share capital of Mobil
Producing Nigeria Unlimited
(MPNU) from its shareholders,
Mobil Development Nigeria Inc
(MDNI) and Mobil Exploration
Nigeria Inc (MENI), being
entities of Exxon Mobil
Corporation registered in
Delaware, USA (ExxonMobil).
“As announced on 25
February 2022, Seplat Energy
had agreed to acquire the entire
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BUDX Lagos FIFA Kick-off Concert, Chukwunonso Ejiofor; Marketing Director, International
Breweries Plc., Tolulope Adedeji, and Brand Manager, Budweiser, Miriam Odabe, during the
Budweiser 2022 BUDX Lagos FIFA Kickoff Concert, in Lagos. Photo: Akeem Salau
share capital of MPNU for a
purchase price of $1.283 billion
plus up to $300 million
contingent consideration. The
transformational transaction will
create one of the largest
independent energy companies
on both the Nigerian and London
Stock Exchanges, and bolster
Seplat Energy’s ability to drive
increased growth, profitability
and overall stakeholder
prosperity.
“The approval is given by
President Muhammadu Buhari
in his capacity as the
Honourable Minister of
Petroleum Resources (HMPR),
with the granting of Ministerial
Consent pursuant to the powers
of the Minister under Paragraphs
14-16 of the First Schedule of the
Petroleum Act, 1969. A separate
announcement from the State
House was released earlier.
COVID-19: D-CARES to support over
25,000 venerable Deltans
By Festus Ahon
AIfeanyi SABA—GOVERNOR
Okowa of Delta
State, has said the state’s
COVID-19 Action Recovery and
Economic Stimulus (D-CARES)
Programme would directly
support 25,269 poor and
vulnerable households with
social transfers, basic services,
and livelihood grants, 13,976
farmers to increase food
production and facilitate smooth
functioning of the food supply
chain, while 2,529 MSEs would
be given grants to support post-
COVID-19 loans, operational
costs and to enhance their IT
capabilities.
Speaking at the official flag-off
of the implementation of
activities under Result Areas 1
and 2 of the Delta COVID-19
Action Recovery and Economic
Stimulus (D-CARES)
Programme in Asaba, Okowa
said the programme was to
mitigate the adverse economic
impact of the pandemic,
particularly on the poor and
vulnerable.
He said that the D-CARES
programme was a World Bank
supported intervention with the
main objective of expanding
access to livelihood support and
food security services as well as
grants for poor and vulnerable
households and firms.
Okowa who is the 2023 vice
presidential candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
pledged his administration’s
commitment to the
implementation of all aspects of
the D-CARES programme in the
state for the overall benefit of the
people.
He advised the programme
managers to continue to display
high performance and
accountability levels required for
seamless execution.
Assuring that the state
government would continue to
provide the necessary support
and funding to ensure that the
programme achieves its stated
objectives, he said: “It is indeed
my hope that beneficiaries will
make good use of the
opportunity to grow their
businesses, increase their
income, and generally improve
their living standard.”
Court nullifies Malami’s unilatetal
amendment of lawyers’ professional
conduct rules
A
Federal High Court in
Abuja, yesterday,
nullified the unilateral
amendment of the Rules of
Professional Conduct, RPC,
for legal practitioners in
Nigeria by the Attorney-
General of the Federation,
AGF, Abubakar Malami,
SAN.
A former vice-president of
the Nigerian Bar
Association, NBA, Monday
Ubani, filed the suit
challenging the amendment
of the rules of professional
conduct for lawyers by
Malami.
Malami had in 2020 single
handedly amended the
provisions of the Rules of
Professional Conduct, RPC,
expunging the mandatory
use of NBA stamp and seal
for lawyers. He also
removed the provisions
requiring lawyers acting for
the government, ministries
or corporations to pay
Annual Bar Practising fees.
The stamp and seal, by the
rules, is required to be
affixed to any document
signed by lawyers for such
document to be accorded a
recognition with lawyer’s
imprimatur.
Apart from helping to
check quackery, the stamp
and seal is also a major
source of revenue for the
NBA, besides the practising
fees paid by lawyers.
Lawyers had criticised the
AGF’s action expunging the
relevant provisions from the
rules, saying it is an attempt
to weaken the NBA.
Strike: There's no way FG
can borrow N1.1trn to meet
ASUU's demands —Umahi
By Peter Okutu
A
B A K A L I K I —
GOVERNOR David
Umahi of Ebonyi State,
yesterday stressed that there’s
was no way the country can
borrow N1.1 trillion, in order to
meet the demand of Academic
Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU.
ASUU, which has been on
strike for over five months, is
demanding among other things,
the full implementation of the
2009 agreement it signed with
the Federal Government.
Umahi stated this when he
received the Board of Trustees of
Nigeria Police Trust Fund at the
new Government House,
Abakaliki.
According to Umahi, “I cannot
see how we cannot sit down with
our ASUU leaders and iron out
this problem about the ASUU
strike.”
He advised the Federal
Government to begin by
releasing fraction by fraction of
the funds demanded by ASUU
as a way of finding lasting
solutions to the present
educational challenge facing the
country.
“I have read in social media
and newspapers, how students
got into trouble just by sitting at
home or engaging in means of
keeping themselves busy instead
of being in schools. There is no
way the country, Nigeria will go
and borrow 1.1trillion to meet
ASUU’s demand. It’s quite
unreasonable. Are their demands
genuine? Yes, but we can start
little by little.
“There must be commitment
on the side of both parties ,
ASUU is not asking this to take
to their houses so to say, they
are asking it for our children to
better the infrastructure, to better
the lecturers and the students.
Yes, but we can start with a
fraction of that and then have a
programme that will run on the
platform of sincerity to address
all the lots.
“But let me also say that most
of the time, our people have low
appetite for maintenance of public
works. No matter how much you
deploy to these universities,
unless the users, the industry,
the regulators begin to treat
public infrastructure as their own
in the various universities, it will
continue to go bad no matter how
much the federal government
deploys to it.”
August meeting: Enugu gov's
wife preaches peace, love
ENUGU—THE wife of
Enugu State Governor,
Mrs. Monica Ugochi
Ugwuanyi, has thanked
women of the state especially
the Enugu Women Prayer
Network for their unceasing
prayers and support for
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s
administration since 2015.
Mrs. Ugwuanyi, who spoke
while flagging off this year’s
August meeting in Enugu,
stressed that women of the
state have been outstanding
in their support through
prayers and effective
participation in the
programmes and policies of
the governments at the state
and local government levels.
Disclosing that the theme of
the August meeting was
“Women, The Home, Peace
and Bridge Builders”, the
Enugu Governor’s wife stated
that the annual event “in
Igboland represents the socioeconomic
and cultural
development initiative of
women to deliberate and
proffer solutions to
developmental issues
concerning their homes,
communities and the state.”
Mrs. Ugwuanyi urged the
women to take home all they
have learnt from the event and
focus on providing capacity
building, skill acquisition,
income generating
engagements and
participating in financial
contributions such as ‘isusu’
that would boost their
businesses and other sources
of livelihood.
2023: Cleric lauds composition
of Tinubu's campaign council
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN
CITY—THE
Network of Clergymen in
Nigeria (NCMN), South -
South Zone has backed the
Clear herdsmen from Ohoror-Bomadi
communities, Warri NBA urges Okowa
WARRI—WARRI branch of
the Nigerian Bar
Association, NBA has urged the
Delta State Government to
engage and synergize with the
security forces to clear herdsmen
who have taken over farm lands
and homes of Deltans in the
communities along the Ohoror-
Bomadi Road.
While decrying the security
situation along the Eku-Abraka
Road, the lawyers also told the
state government to ensure that
the ravaging herdsmen were also
cleared from that route. They
held that the road was no longer
safe for travellers.
NBA in a statement by its
branch chairman and Secretary,
Oghenero Okoro and S.G.
Ediagbonuvie, respectively,
lamented over "the bad and
deplorable state of the Effurun
Roundabout, Effurun, is not
only worrisome but
embarrassing. It has continued
to cause great pain, suffering and
loss of revenue to the residents
of Warri, Effurun and environs
due to the grid lock it occasions
daily.
"It is also a bad testament to
and an advertisement of the
twin cities of Warri and Effurun,
considering the fact that the
Effurun roundabout is the
gateway into the cities of
Effurun and Warri for visitors and
investors transiting through
Warri, Effurun and environs to
other parts of the country.
"That the Warri- Benin Road,
a Federal high way, particularly
the Effurun to Oghara portion of
it, has been totally taken over by
miscreants and other non-state
actors who in the guise of one
taskforce or the other have
mounted road blocks on every
metre of the road.
"Some Government agencies
like the NSCDC (National Civil
Security and Defence Corps) and
Delta State revenue task forces,
rather than check these
miscreants, have also joined
them in inflicting grueling pain
on commuters on this road.
Between the Effurun
Roundabout in Effurun and
Oghara Junction in Ethiope-
West Local Government Area,
about 32 (Thirty Two) of these
illegal road blocks are mounted
by these non-state actors.
composition of the campaign
council recently announced
for the presidential candidate
of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) which is to be
headed by the governor of
Plateau State, Gov Simon
Lalong.
A Statement released to
journalists in Benin City by
Coordinator of the group in
the region Joseph Francis and
his deputy, Odion Ebodaghe
also queried those opposed to
the choice of Sen. Kashim
Shettima as the running mate
to APC presidential
candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The group insisted that the
choice of Shettima was purely
a political decision that has
nothing to do with religious
inclination but how the party
can win the 2023 presidential
election.
Part of the statement reads
"Now that the composition of
the campaign council has
been announced, those who
have been querying the choice
of Shettima because he is a
Muslim, why are they not now
raising eye brows over the

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JAUGUST 11, 2022 — 35
Flutterwave raises staff size by 200, names new Chief People and Culture Officer
ate about.
‘’My work starts with the
Flutterwave Graduate
Trainee Program which has
been a passion project of
ours for a long time and we
are delighted that it is now
a reality. The program aims
to teach our graduate trainees
highly transferable
skills via an on the job training
methodology, skills that
will set them up for success
for the entirety of their careers.
‘’Flutterwave is what it is
because of the talent, passion
and innovation of a
driven squad. We believe
supporting the next generation
of young talent to realize
their potential is the
Naira depreciates to N429/$
in I&E window
By Elizabeth Adegbesan
THE Naira yesterday depreciated to N429 per dollar
in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative
exchange rate for the window rose to N429 per dollar
from N428.75 per dollar on Tuesday, indicating 25
kobo depreciation for the naira.
However, the naira appreciated by N10 in the parallel
market yesterday.
Vanguard findings from black market traders showed
that the indicative exchange rate for the market fell to
N670 per dollar from N680 per dollar on Tuesday.
Graduate Trainee Program: Cross section of some of the 200 new trainees hired by Flutterwave for its inaugural Graduate Trainee
Programme. It is a paid programme aimed to nurture young Nigerians by up-skilling them with technical and soft skills, exposing
them to the company’s solutions and products, and giving them experience working at a global organization.
Continues from Page 5
He, however, urged Governor
Wike not to join APC,
despite misgivings over
the choice of Atiku’s running
mate, saying “you
don’t win all the time.”
Heis words: “In democracy,
we must talk and exchange
ideas. We must
agree and disagree without
actually being disagreeable.
Any organisation with
human beings will always
have issues but the ability
to manage that crisis will be
the determining factor.
“I want to appeal to all
sides to sheathe their
swords. Nigerians are
waiting for us and we must
convince them that we can
manage the resources of the
country in an equitable
manner.
“They should all cease
fire. Statements of arrogance
and innuendos that
most important way that we
can give back to the community.
‘’This program is critically
important to supporting
our strategic growth needs,
as we continue to expand
across markets and geographies.
As a global company,
we’re looking forward
to how this program
can grow across other countries.”
Olugbenga GB Agboola,
Founder and CEO, Flutterwave,
said: “The graduate
trainee program is a key
part of our continued efforts
to support young talent and
help them kick start their
career. Over the years,
we’ve been thinking about
developing a program that
serves as a pipeline for talent
from the University to
the workforce.
‘’We’re happy that Mansi
and the entire People
and Culture team at Flutterwave
have made this a
reality. Because of this
project, 200 people will
have an opportunity to
break into their careers and
get started on the path towards
achieving their
dreams. We’re elated that
Mansi is back and pushing
impactful projects in her
first month with us”
Flutterwave is a payments
technology company that
enables businesses across
the world to expand their
Peter Obi cautions FG
against further borrowings
By John Alechenu
ABUJA — The presidential
candidate
of the Labour Party, Mr.
Peter Obi, has cautioned
the President Muhammadu
Buhari-led Federal
Government against
further borrowing for
consumption.
Obi handed down the
words of caution in a series
of tweets on his verified
twitter handle @PeterObi,
yesterday.
He said: “As a matter
of urgency, Nigeria must
stop borrowing for consumption,
but only borrow
to invest in regenerative
development
projects and other productive
ventures.
“It’s ironical that states
•Mansi Babyloni
operations in Africa and other
emerging markets
through a platform that enables
cross-border transactions
via one API. Flutterwave
has processed over
200M transactions worth
over USD $16billion to date
and serves more than
1,000,000 businesses, including
Uber, Flywire,
Booking.com, etc.
The company’s key advantage
is international
payment processing in 150
currencies and multiple
payment modes including
local and international
cards, mobile wallets, bank
transfers, Barter by Flutterwave,
etc.
Flutterwave has an infrastructure
reach in over 34
African countries, including
Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya,
and South Africa. For more
information on Flutterwave’s
journey, please visit
www.flutterwave.com
Tension mounts in PDP as crisis worsens, elders weigh options
can destroy the party
should stop forthwith.
“Zoning has sustained
our democracy for this long
because it’s the concept
that established our party.
“My plea is that all should
cool temper because if we
don’t get it right this time
around, this nation will
never forgive us. Nigerians
are waiting for the PDP.”
On 2023 general election,
George said it was not
yet uhuru.
While expressing worry
over the security situation
in the country, he said: “My
fear is that if the insecurity
continues, who will be bold
enough to campaign or cast
votes during election?
“These are serious issues
we must consider. Are we
thinking about it? It’s scary.
How will people go out to
vote on the day of election?”
Wike, one man
balancing force —
MIMIKO
Meanwhile, former
Ondo State governor, Dr
Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday,
commended Governor
Wike’s boldness to lawfully
speak truth to power, saying
he has averted bids by
desperate politicians to
force Nigeria into a oneparty
state.
Mimiko said this while
performing the flag-off of
Rivers State project for dualisation
of Azikiwe-Iloabuchi
Road in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State.
Noting that through bold
legal challenges, Wike has
deepened national consciousness
by combating
the defective federal system
towards actualising true
federalism.
Mimiko said: “Beyond
the self-evident physical
transformation, you (Wike)
have stood as a bulwark
against those sworn to
emasculating the main opposition
party, all in their
bid to force a one-party state
down the throats of Nigerians.
“You were at one point
virtually a one man countervailing
force, defending
and protecting our dear
PDP. You have also, through
bold legal challenges,
deepened the national consciousness
on the defects in
the running of our defective
federal system.”
Hoping Wike remains
committed to the struggle
to entrench true federalism
for just development across
ethnic divides and religious
persuasions in Nigeria, the
former governor said: “Our
party, the PDP, a party for
which you have laboured
so much, seems saddled
with the historical duty of
forging this unity, a unity
premised on truth, equity
and justice, a unity upon
which rescuing Nigeria
from unsatisfactory performance
of the past seven
years will be built.
“It is a mission that must
be accomplished, a mission
for which you are specially
positioned and favoured to
play a major role, a mission
that must be subscribed to
by all lovers of our country.”
Speaking on the project,
Wike said: “As a man who
respects leaders, I have to
honour them by making
sure this road is awarded
and completed within six
months.
“This is the last project
here in Port Harcourt I’m
going to embark upon before
I leave office. All promises
I have made in Port
Harcourt, I have fulfilled.
Let somebody come and
tell me which one I have
not fulfilled. “Because you
voted for us, we too will
work for you by providing
basic infrastructure. That is
what politics is all about. It
is about talking and doing,
not giving of excuses.
“No right-thinking person
in this state would want to
mingle or identify with such
people that would make
promises without fulfilling
them.
“Our campaign has always
been operation show
your report card. We are
showing our report card.
Tell anybody who comes to
you to show his report
card.”
SAN FRANCISCO
— Flutterwave, Africa’s
leading payments
technology company, has
completed the recruitment
process for its inaugural
Graduate Trainee Program,
hiring 200 trainees, and
growing its employee base
by 38 per cent.
The paid program aims to
nurture young Nigerians
by up-skilling them with
technical and soft skills,
exposing them to the company’s
solutions and products,
and giving them experience
working at a global
organization. The Program
is the New Chief of
People and Culture’s first
project upon rejoining
Flutterwave.
Mansi Babyloni, the New
Chief People and Culture
Officer, was previously
Flutterwave’s Global Head
of People Strategy and Special
Projects in 2020, before
she left for an opportunity
at PwC’s People and Org.
practice in London, UK.
She rejoined Flutterwave
as the CPO and will be focusing
on investing in people,
culture and processes
to drive growth for the organization.
Flutterwave opened the
application portal on July
1st 2022 to enable young
graduates across Nigeria to
apply for various positions
at the company. The portal
closed on July 15th with
11,000 applications and 200
candidates making it into
the program after a thorough
recruitment process.
‘’The candidates received
their offers August 5th, with
their 2-weeks onboarding to
commence immediately.
The program aims to support
young talent in Nigeria
who will in turn support
Flutterwave’s growing
need for talent, as it works
to meet its growth and expansion
objectives. Flutterwave
currently supports
over 1,000,000 businesses
and requires a steady
stream of fresh new talent
in order to sustain its continued
growth.
Babyloni said: “I’m
thrilled to be back at Flutterwave
as the Chief People
Officer. This role offers
me the opportunity to invest
in the talent, develop
our people and make us the
best employer out there -
things I am deeply passionthat
received fiscal bailouts
did not repay the
loans and are still borrowing
beyond their revenue
earnings.
“Also, it has become
imperative to restrict federal
borrowings to the
statutory 5 per cent of the
previous year’s revenue.”
It would be recalled
that the Minister of Finance,
Zainab , had recently
announced that
Nigeria’s debt service,
which has hit N1.94 trillion,
has overshot the
nation’s earnings by
N310 billion.
This is even as the projected
expenditure on
fuel subsidies is expected
to hit N6.72 trillion by
2023.

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36 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
Despite CAPS, JAMB still battles
illegal admissions
•920,159 cases recorded in four years
By Adesina Wahab
The Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board,
JAMB, in 2017 introduced
the Central Admission
Processing System, CAPS,
to curb illegal admissions
and also streamline the
process, but the process is
still being subverted,
according to documents
obtained by Vanguard
Learning after this year’s
Policy Meeting of the board
held in Abuja.
From the document, a total
of 920, 159 admissions were
processed by tertiary
institutions without
recourse to CAPS from 2017
to 2020.
Polytechnics were the
biggest culprits with
615,788 cases recorded.
Colleges of Education had
189,292 infractions,
universities 106,279 and
Innovation and
Entrepreneurship
Institutions having 9,193
cases.
Speaking on the matter,
the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq
Oloyede, said relevant
advisories have been issued
to guide the process of
registering and condoning
the admissions and that the
students have been
scrutinized and the
qualified ones approved.
The students are at
present visiting JAMB state
offices to process and
regularize their admissions.
The Minister of
Education, Malam Adamu
Adamu, also speaking at the
meeting, decried the
attitude of institutions
engaging in such
unwholesome practices.
The implications of the
development on the
students include not being
able to partake in the
compulsory one-year
National Youth Service
Scheme, as they cannot be
mobilized for the exercise
without admission letters
issued by JAMB.
Any student not offered
By Elizabeth Osayande
Chipper Cash, an African
cross-border payments
company has partnered
with a non-profit
organisation, NGO, to host
a beach football
tournament in which over
150 primary and secondary
school children in Tarkwa
Bay community in Lagos
won Back to School essentials
and scholarships.
The Tarkwa Bay, one-day
community impact
development project tagged:
Chipping away illiteracy
through football, according
to the organisers, was hosted
to cushion the effects of the
2020 eviction that took
place in the community
which saw community
•Prof. Oloyede
admission by JAMB through
the CAPS cannot get
admission letter from the
Board.
Also, such students
admitted constitute the
excess workload lecturers
claim Earned Academic
Allowance on among others.
Payment of the allowance
is part of the issues causing
By Adesina Wahab
EDO
State
Commissioner for
Education, Dr Joan Osa
Oviawe, has said the
implementation of the Edo
Basic Education Sector
Transformation, EdoBEST,
has revolutionized
education in the state and
has become a reference
point when issues relating to
education are discussed.
She added that having
seen the great strides the
programme recorded at the
basic education level, the
administration of Governor
Godwin Obaseki has
friction between university
workers and the
government that has
resulted in a prolonged
strike action.
It was gathered that
school management usually
use such illegal admissions
to generate funds for their
schools, as students
involved are most of the
time categorized as day
part-time students or
weekend part-time students
and are made to pay higher
school fees than regular
ones.
The students are also
made to spend more
semesters in school, with
the hope that their
admissions would be
regularized before they
complete their courses.
Commenting on the
development, the National
President of the Academic
Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel
Osodeke, said the blame
should still be put at the
doorstep of JAMB.
“They are the ones
conducting the admissions
and so should accept the
blame. That is why we said
universities should be
allowed to conduct their
admissions themselves.
Centralizing everything is
not ideal,” he said.
On the Earned Academic
Allowance, he exonerated
university management,
saying those claiming that
the allowance is being used
to cover up for illegally
admitted students were only
trying to portray university
management in bad light.
Rector tasks tech institutions on
contributions to national economy
By Mary Obaebor
THE Rector, Yaba
College of
Technology, Yabatech,
Engr. Obafemi
Omokungbe, has
charged technological
institutions in the
country to live up to their
mandate by inventing
products and services
that will enhance the
economic growth of the
country.
According to him, this
has become necessary
because the global
economic meltdown
requires solutions that
such Institutions should
help provide by
churning out such
products and services.
He stated this during
the closing ceremony of
the maiden edition of the
Inter-School Research
Fair, Exhibition and
Awards organized in the
College.
“This is to showcase
some of the things we
have been doing in the
College. I am happy that
a lot of products were
made by different
schools in the college
and we have seen where
we also need to improve.
We attached monetary
rewards because we just
want to show
appreciation for the
efforts put up by the
various groups.
“Right now, we are
going to make the
products go through
assessment by the
National Agency for
Food,
Drug
Administration and
Control, NAFDAC and
get patents for them.
Afterwards, we will go
into partnership with
private sector concerns
and commercialize the
products. I am assuring
you that the royalties will
go to the people behind
the products,” he said.
He gave the assurance
that the event would be
sustained even when he
leaves office.
The School of
Technology came first
and was rewarded with
N200,000, a certificate
and plaque, while the
School of Science came
second and got
N150,000, certificate and
plaque and the School of
Arts, Design and
Printing got N100,000,
certificate and plaque for
coming third.
At the departmental
level, the Department of
Polymer and Textile
Technology came first
and got N150,000,
Department of Science
Laboratory Technology
was second and got
N100,000 and the
Department of Biological
Sciences came third and
got N75,000.
The Chairman of the
Organizing Committee,
Dr Ibraheem Abdul, said
out of the 46 departments
in the College, 30 took
part and more than 100
products were presented
for assessment.
He added that external
assessors were invited
and that they rated the
products presented
high.
We are using EdoBEST to revolutionize education — Commissioner
members displaced and
denied basic amenities.
Speaking further on the
football tournament,
Chipper’s Country Director,
Abi Animashaun, stated
that the drive to combat
illiteracy in the country and
to build upon Nigeria’s
future workforce
demonstrated Chipper’s
commitment to foster
collaborative partnerships
which aid in advancing
social development and
lifelong skills in indigent
children across the continent.
On her part, the Marketing
Campaign Manager,
Chipper Cash, Goldie
Iyamu, noted that FinTech
ecosystem must see the need
to invest in good education
and create room for the
extended its implementation
to the secondary school
level through the EdoBEST
2.0 Approach.
She stated this in a media
chat on the activities of her
ministry.
"Through EdoBEST 2.0
Approach,the state
government," she explained,
"is embarking on a
comprehensive reform of
secondary school
education, which would be
implemented in the 307
public secondary schools in
the state.
“In order to build on the
achievements already seen
in the Basic Education
Chipper Cash, NGO use football to
draw students back to school
recruitment of young talents
in Nigeria.
Iyamu added that:
“Education is important to
create a world where
irrespective of your station or
status, any child with a dream
and the requisite
determination can be a future
leader of industry or
government.”
Also speaking, the Founder,
Executives Initiative, Dare
Asobele, who spoke on the
partnership with Chipper
Cash said: "We’re excited to
partner with Chipper Cash to
put a smile on the faces of these
young ones and we hope to
create a chain reaction of love
that will promote
collaboration and
philanthropy.
Sector Transformation
(EdoBEST) Programme, the
state government, through
the Ministry of Education,
has been compelled to take
decisive action under the
EdoBEST 2.0 Reform
Agenda in order to address
concerns with secondary
education.
“The EdoBEST 2.0
secondary school reform is
intended to have an impact
on students’ learning and
school administration in
three key areas: Academic
Improvement - by ensuring
that students are prepared to
meet performance
expectations in a constantly
changing workplace and
remain relevant. We have reimagined
academic
activities to reflect the
following:
“This ensures that 60% of
the activities are for
teaching, learning, and
instructional time; 24% are
for co-curricular activities;
and 16% are for brain
stimulating activities for
students, effectively covering
all three domains of
learning (Psycho motor,
Affective and Cognitive)
“A well-designed school
calendar that ensures
students learn for at least
400 hours/450 class periods
each term. A uniform
timetable that guarantees
lectures are delivered just
about anywhere, reduces the
possibility of instructors’
classes conflicting, and
maximizes the use of the
limited teaching staff and
resources.
Implement a uniform
scheme of work and scripted
lessons to direct teachers in
universally dispensing
lectures throughout the state
and uphold a high standard
of teaching and learning.
“Make it easier to set up
in-class libraries in all of the
state’s classrooms with the
goal of enticing students to
use the libraries more and
learn how to manage books
in 18,052 Basic Classrooms,
46 Special Education, 3,835
Secondary Classrooms and
61 TVET classrooms across
the state,” she stated.
To bridge the gap in
teachers’ shortage, no fewer
than 1,000 new teachers
carefully selected from a
pool of eggheads have been
recruited and would start
work in the coming session.
Oviawe also said School
Management Boards have
•Dr. Oviawe
been set up for each school
and that the schools have
been classified into six
areas.
“The six areas are
Engineering & Technology,
Health & Medical Sciences,
Art (Performing & Creative),
Entrepreneurship, Sports,
Social Sciences and Applied
Humanities; this will
promote resource sharing
and allocation, encourage
strategic investment into
schools that are aligned with
a particular organisation
and industry interest, and
increase socio-economic
activity and appreciation of
resources,” she explained.
The Commissioner
commended Governor
Obaseki for his support and
untiring resolve to take
education to greater
heights.

Creportedly HELSEA
won the have
race
to sign Frenkie de Jong with
the club close to agreeing a
£67.6million deal with Barcelona.
The news will come as a huge
blow to Manchester United who had
made the midfielder their No1 target
this summer.
Despite the 25-year-old claimed to
be unwilling to depart the Nou Camp,
Barca are pushing for him to leave.
According to Sport, Chelsea and
Barca are in advanced
negotiations over a £67.6m
transfer.
They state that the Blues only
opened talks a few days ago to
sign the Dutch midfielder, but they
have acted quickly in trying to secure
his services.
The Red Devils are understood to
have already agreed a deal with the
LaLiga outfit for De Jong, but he is
refusing to make the move to Old
Trafford.
OMELU LUKAKU is ready to
Ruse “anger” as motivation to
return to top form.
The Belgian ditched Chelsea to
return to Inter Milan on loan
earlier this summer after
flopping at Stamford Bridge
following his £97.5m switch.
Lukaku, 29, grew
determined to return to
San Siro as last season
wore on, and is now ready
to remind people what
he can do after being
granted his wish.
He said: “The season at Chelsea gave
me extra motivation to do even better
than before.
“I think in one year everyone has
forgotten about the things I am capable
of doing on the pitch.
“That is a kind of anger that I have
Premier League
to permit water
breaks at all top
flight matches
P
remier League matches this
weekend will feature water breaks,
with Britain in the grip of a heatwave.
Clubs raised concerns with the
competition on Wednesday, with
temperatures set to reach a scorching
33 Celsius (91F) in the capital on
Saturday and Sunday.
Mandatory one-minute drink breaks
in each half were introduced by the top
flight after a three-month absence to
try to reduce injury risk during the
hectic fixture schedule and scramble
to get the 2019-20 season – interrupted
by the initial Covid outbreak – finished.
Africa to back
Infantino’s bid
for re-election
A
Difficult season at Chelsea has left me angry
W
Chelsea set
to complete
£67.6m De
Jong
transfer
ORLD CUP 2022 will start a day
EARLY after Fifa agreed to let
hosts Qatar kick off the tournament this
winter.
The World Cup hosts have played the
opening game since 2006.
Before that, it tended to be the
defending champion who set the wheel
in motion.
But this year the competition was
going to be started by Senegal vs
Holland on Monday November 21.
The second game belonged to
frican football will support Fifa
president Gianni Infantino in his
re-election bid next year, the
Confederation of African Football
president Patrice Motsepe has said.
Caf officially endorsed the candidacy
of Infantino at its general assembly in
Tanzania on Wednesday, with Motsepe
reiterating support from the
confederation itself and also on behalf
of member associations to “our brother
based in Europe”.
Re-elected unopposed as president
of football’s world governing body in
2019, Infantino is set to stand for a third
term at the 73rd Fifa congress next year.
inside me. That now the team has
it too, which didn’t win last year,
all together we hope to do better
and bring something home.”
In Lukaku’s last campaign at
Inter he scored 24 Serie A
goals on the way to winning
the title.
While he slumped to just
eight Prem goals last term,
Inter missed out on
defending their crown to rivals
AC Milan.
On what went wrong for
him at Stamford Bridge,
Lukaku told DAZN: “So many things. I
think before, when I left, I wanted to
take revenge at Chelsea because when
I was young it was my team for 11 years.
“I had the opportunity to go back
there and thought I would be a hero,
but that wasn’t the case.
World Cup to start a day earlier
England vs Iran.
And hosts Qatar were then going
to play later that day as the third
game against Ecuador.
But Qatar chiefs wanted to be the
first team in action.
And the match against
Ecuador will now be brought
forward by a day to Sunday
November 20.
The game will kick off at
7pm UK time, and there will
also be a formal opening
ceremony beforehand.
England vs Iran will
continue to be in the second
slot the next day at 1pm, with
Senegal vs Holland becoming
the third match in the
evening. There will be no
morning game.
Samba Style! Brazil
launch their 2022
World Cup kits
e’re just over 100 days away from
Wthe 2022 FIFA World Cup and one
of the favorites to win the tournament
is showing us how they’ll look.
Nike has launched Brazil’s home and
away kit looks for the tournament,
starting this November in Qatar.
The home kit is in the nation’s
traditional yellow and green, while the
away kit sports the classic blue that has
been their change shirt for every World
Cup since 1954.
Additionally, both kits feature a
jaguar-inspired pattern, with the design
taking a more prominent role on the
away kit.
2022 CWG:
Team Nigeria gets
heroic welcome
from Birmingham
I
Bitnob signs Iheanacho as brand
ambassador
n a bid to strengthen her commitment
to the development of football in the
country, Bitnob, a leading Bitcoin
company, has signed Super Eagles and
Leicester City striker, Kelechi
Iheanacho as its brand ambassador.
With this move, the company has
further deepened her commitment to
the marriage of football and bitcoin in its
effort to see to the adoption of Bitcoin
on the continent. Like football, Bitcoin
brings the world together regardless of
race, gender, religion or sex.
In May 2022, Bitnob signed a multiyear
partnership with the League
Management Company as an Elite
sponsor of the Nigerian Professional
Football League.
Bernard Parah, CEO of Bitnob said;
“To us, Bitcoin is about Freedom.
Freedom from rules and limitations that
seek to keep us down, and limit how we
access and spend our own money.
“Rising from humble beginnings,
Kelechi has grown to become a force
T
Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 37
eam Nigeria athletes yesterday
received a heroic welcome in Abuja
on their arrival from the 2022
Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The first batch of the contingent was
received on arrival by the Minister of
Youth and Sports Development, Sunday
Dare.
Nigeria finished in the seventh position
at the Games with a harvest of 35 medals.
It was Team Nigeria’s best performance
in the history of the Commonwealth
Games.
“The character and discipline exhibited
by the Team in Birmingham, as well as
the hard work and resources committed
by the present administration to sports,
added up to make the Team excel at the
World level, “Dare said
“We are proud of you. We are also ready
to give you all the support needed to make
you soar higher and higher.”
Speaking on behalf of the athletes, the
two-time Commonwealth gold medallist
and Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, Blessing
Oborodudu, thanked President
Muhammadu Buhari for all his support to
the Team, describing him as the father of
sports in contemporary Nigeria.
SHAME! Clubs shun AITEO CUP
Q-finals
igeria clubs that qualified
Nfor the quarterfinal of the
2022 Aiteo Cup, have shunned
their respective games after
some of them failed to leave
their base for the matches
scheduled for various centres
yesterday.
The clubs had threatened to
stay away from the game after
realizing that they are playing for
nothing after the Nigeria Football
Federation submitted Kwara United,
the club that finished fourth in the
Nigeria Professional Football League,
as the country’s final representative in
the CAF Cup competition.
In the past, the second slot in the
CAF Confederation Cup is always
reserved for the Federation Cup
winners which was not the case this
time around.
The Confederation of Africa Football
on Sunday confirmed Kwara United as
Nigeria’s second representatives in the
competition, ahead of the draw held on
Tuesday in Egypt.
Remo Stars are the other team
representing Nigeria in the
Confederation Cup, while Rivers United
and Plateau United file out in the CAF
C
AF president Patrice Motsepe has
launched Africa’s Super League
with prize money of $100 million.
During the 44th CAF Ordinary
General Assembly on August 10 in
Arusha, Tanzania, Motsepe said each
member association is set to benefit from
the money accrued from the inaugural
competition set to begin in 2023.
“We announced on July 3, 2022,
that the total prize money of the
CAF Africa Super League will be
$100 million, with the winner
receiving $11.5 million,” CAF said
in a statement.
“We intend to pay each member
association $1 million per annum
from the CAF Africa Super League
funds.
“We also intend to allocate $50
Champions League.
On Tuesday CAF conducted
the draws for all the teams
participating in the Champions
League and Confederation
Cup with Kwara United
getting to play against AS
Douanes of Niger in the first
preliminary round.
The chairman of the NPFL
Club Owners Association, Isaac
Danladi, whose club is still in
the competition, said
according to reports that the NPFL
clubs in the competition will have no
other option than to withdraw from the
Aiteo Cup if they failed to get a
favourable response from the NFF as
they had contacted them following the
shocking decision to give the slot to
Kwara United.
Five clubs failed to travel to their
centres for the quarterfinal game, while
only three traveled but unable to play.
Katsina United and Heartland
scheduled to play in Ilorin both traveled
to the Kwara State capital but didn’t
play their game while Kogi United paired
against Kano Pillars had to return from
Markurdi as Kano Pillars failed to travel
from Kano.
Niger Tornadoes, Lobi Stars, Wikki
Tourists and Nasarawa United didn’t
leave their various bases for the game.
Motsepe launches $100-m CAF Super
League .Winners to earn $11.5 m
million to CAF from these funds for
youth and women’s football
development and for all its other
competitions to ensure that they are
globally competitive.”
While addressing the assembly,
Mostepe said the inception of the Super
League is meant to make African
tournaments competitive.
“We also want to use $50
million from the African Super
League to make some of our
competitions competitive,”
the South African added.
“The prize money of
competitions must be very
high to make them exciting
and to use some of that
money to pay the players, the
staff, and administrators.”
not just here in Nigeria, but across the
world. That’s the promise of Bitnob. You
have the power to live without limits; to
start in your little corner and shake the
world. That’s freedom”, says Bernard.
Today, Nigeria suffers from a series of
financial limitations, such as limits on
online payments, slow and costly
remittance services, inflation and more.
Leveraging Bitcoin, Bitnob is delivering
freedom to its users from these
limitations.
Man Utd stars
want Ronaldo
to go
ED-UP Manchester United players
Fare becoming increasingly annoyed
by Cristiano Ronaldo’s antics.
A number would prefer it if he just
left rather than the current impasse
between player and club go on.
There is growing anger amongst
squad members at Ronaldo’s stance and
attitude around the club.
A United source said: “It is really
starting to annoy a lot of players now.
“He does have his allies in the camp
but a lot are fed up with how he is going
about things.”
Ronaldo wants out of Old Trafford just
12 months after his return but the club
are refusing to sell.
The player believes he had a
gentleman’s agreement that if United
did not make it into the Champions
League places he would be allowed to
leave.
His agent Jorge Mendes has pleaded
with Chief Executive Richard Arnold to
just name his price as he has a deal on
the table for Ronaldo to move to an
unnamed club.
But the club owners the Glazers insist
he is not for sale.
That has led to resentment on
Ronaldo’s part.
Costa Rica 2022:
Falconets seek three
precious points
against France
wo-time runners-up and one-time
Tsemi finalists Nigeria are upbeat
about scooping the three points when
they go up against one of Europe’s top
teams, France in the opening match of
Group C of this year’s FIFA U20
Women’s World Cup finals in San Jose
on Thursday night.
Head Coach Christopher Danjuma
minces no words about his faith in the
high-scoring Falconets delivering today
and afterwards: “The World Cup stage
is about players’ mentality; we have
prepared the team very well in that area.
You have to go out there, aim to be the
best and work hard to be the best. It is
not picnic. I believe that these girls will
do Nigeria proud.
“Playing seven matches in the
African qualifying series toughened the
team very well, and we have also worked
on their psyche. Nigeria has never been
also-ran at this level. Having reached
the Final twice and made the semi finals
once, the Falconets have pedigree in
this championship. We cannot afford to
falter. We will take it one match at a
time, beginning with the game against
France.”
Danjuma, who also led the team to
the last tournament in France four
years ago, where they lost narrowly to
Spain (1-2) in the quarter finals, is
banking on the experience of captain
and central defender Oluwatosin
Demehin, the lively midfield orchestra
of Esther Onyenezide, Deborah
Abiodun and Adoo Yina, and the everpotent
forwardline of Flourish
Sabastine, Mercy Idoko and Joy Jerry.
First choice Monle Oyono is expected
to be in goal against the French side,
with wingbacks Omowunmi
Oshobukola and Jumoke Alani also
favoured to retain their places.
Today, Danjuma will be goading his
girls to summon every sinew of strength,
skill and savvy in them to overpower
France and collect three points that will
stabilize their campaign and empower
their quest to go all the way.
“It will not be easy but we have what
is known as the special ‘Nigeria spirit’
and we will go in there with confidence
and belief in what we can do. We will
play to our strengths – firm at the back
and clinical at the fore.”

38 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 — 39

Vanguard, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
QUICK CROSSWORD
TODAY’S CROSSWORD
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION
Sudoku
TODAY’S PUZZLE YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
How to Play Sudoku
C
M
Y
Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two
of the same number).
Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine
lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block
(nine blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means
that no number can appear twice in any block, column or row.
No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or
multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination.
ACROSS
1 Unwary (anag) (6)
4 Queen Victoria's husband (6)
8 Call upon (5)
9 Concert performance (7)
10 Pakistan's largest city (7)
11 Fatuous (5)
12 Colourful beetles (9)
17 Divine messenger (5)
19 Recuperate (7)
21 Pop the question (7)
22 Greek holiday island (5)
23 A score (6)
24 Lanced (anag) (6)
DOWN
1 Retract (6)
2 Nasal aperture (7)
3 Garret (5)
5 More fortunate (7)
6 Minor actor in crowd scenes (5)
7 Bank employee (6)
9 Pay back (9)
13 Apportion (4,3)
14 Cut off (7)
15 Floor covering (6)
16 Game bird (6)
18 Terrestrial sphere (5)
20 Bedtime drink (5)
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