30092022

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Son stabs 6 

STRIKE: 

SENATORIAL TICKET: father, Reps broker 

I won’t appeal jumps over peace 

Zaria between FG, 

9 flyover, dies ASUU 

FG targets 242% rise in export of services to N6.5trn in 4yrs 

Fresh showdown looms 

between telcos, banks over 

N80b debt 26 

YOBE NORTH 

Mbaka’s ministry reopens judgment 

after months of closure 11 —LAWAN 

8 

19 

VOL. 39: NO. 9,891 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 

2023: Furore in APC 

5 

over campaign team list 

•Confusion over Adamu’s letter to Tinubu •Letter not from Adamu, says APC NWC •Adamu out to 

hijack campaign council — TINUBU •Tinubu not ill, in London — SOURCE •May meet Wike, others 

•To make more concessions to APC NWC 

FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS... 

From left, (front row), Convener of National Peace Committee, Bishop Hassan Kukah;,Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Inspector- 

General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa'ad Abubakar,; former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, INEC 

Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu; former Catholic Achbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, party presidential candidates and their chairmen 

during the signing of peace accord by political parties in preparation for the 2023 General Elections in Abuja yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. 

PEACE ACCORD: Buhari, Abdulsalami, 

Jonathan demand issue-based campaigns 

...as candidates sign peace pact 

PDP mum as 

multi-million naira 

bribery scandal 

rocks NWC 11 

Reps raise alarm 

over Ebola threat 

in Nigeria 26 

NECO: 60.7% pass 

with credits in 

Maths, English 9 

COLUMNISTS 14 

DONU 16 OWEI 17 A ZU 20 ADEKOYA18 

13 

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 — 3


Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 — 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

2023: Furore in APC over 

campaign council 

•Confusion over Adamu’s letter to Tinubu•We didn’t 

author it, says APC NWC •Adamu out to hijack 

campaign council —TINUBU•Tinubu not ill, in 

London — SOURCE •May meet Wike, others •Tinubu 

to make more concessions to NWC 

By Dapo Akinrefon & 

Omeiza Ajayi 

LAGOS — There is 

confusion within 

the ranks of the ruling All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, following a protest 

letter purportedly written 

by its National Chairman, 

Senator Abdullahi 

Adamu, to its presidential 

candidate, Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu, regarding 

composition of its 

Presidential Campaign 

Council, PCC. 

Hours after the letter was 

leaked, spokesman of the 

party, Mr. Felix Morka, 

issued a statement, 

yesterday morning, saying 

it was not authored by 

Senator Adamu. 

The denial nonetheless, 

party officials 

knowledgeable about 

developments in the 

APC said the party’s 

current position was a 

mere recant. 

“That letter is the 

position of the NWC. 

Whatever is happening 

now is an attempt at a 

recant,” a party official 

said. 

An aide of Tinubu who 

pleaded anonymity, had 

earlier told Vanguard that 

his principal will not react 

to the letter as published 

in the media, saying: “No 

letter was sent to Asiwaju. 

So, how do we react to a 

leaked letter that was 

never sent?” 

Adamu out to 

hijack campaign 

council 

However, an ally of 

Tinubu accused Senator 

Adamu and members of 

the National Working 

Committee, NWC, of 

trying to hijack the 

campaign council. 

He said: “I think Adamu 

and members of the NWC 

are just being clever by 

half. What they want to do 

is hijack the campaign 

council. 

“For instance, officials of 

the party do not like the 

fact that Tinubu made 

James Faleke secretary of 

the campaign council. 

What most of the NWC 

wanted is to retain the 

same position in the 

campaign council as they 

are currently holding in 

the party. 

NCRIB ANNIVERSARY COLLOQUIUM-From left, Commissioner for Insurance, 

Mr. Sunday Thomas; Chairman, Heirs Insurance & Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony 

Elumelu; President, the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers 

(NCRIB), Mr. Rotimi Edu; and Executive Secretary/CEO, The Nigerian Council 

of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Tope Adaramola, at the 60th 

Anniversary Colloquium and Book Launching of NCRIB, held in Lagos , 

yesterday. 

“They wanted to take 

control of the council 

which is not possible 

because that will be to the 

detriment of the 

campaign. 

“There are a lot of people 

who are not happy with 

the NWC, especially the 

way they handled the 

conduct of the presidential 

primary. Most of the APC 

governors are on the same 

page with Tinubu because 

he is carrying them along. 

“I also know that 

governors are not happy 

with the NWC but I am 

sure the crisis will be 

resolved soon. 

“I also know that Adamu 

is only trying to blackmail 

Tinubu because there is no 

time the party chairman 

requested for Asiwaju’s 

attention that he (Tinubu) 

does not answer him. 

‘’There is more to the 

letter he wrote, otherwise, 

why should he write a 

letter and then leak it to the 

press? We all know there is 

an ulterior motive but 

what I know is that 

Adamu’s plan will fail.” 

Purported letter 

In the letter, Adamu 

accused Tinubu of 

breaching the agreement 

he had with the NWC 

with regards to 

composition of the 

campaign council. 

The composition of the 

council had been serially 

delayed as the NWC was 

said to have set up a 

three-member committee 

to interface with Tinubu’s 

team. 

NWC’s 

recommendations 

The recommendations of 

the NWC team are to have 

Senator Adamu as Deputy 

Chairman of the Council; 

the APC Deputy National 

Chairman (North), 

Senator Abubakar Kyari 

as Deputy Regional Coordinating 

Chairman 

(North) and his 

counterpart in the South, 

Mr. Emma Eneukwu, as 

Deputy Regional Coordinating 

Chairman 

(South). 

The demand also includes 

having APC National 

Secretary, Sen. Iyiola 

Omisore as Vice Chairman 

(Party Affairs); the 

National Organizing 

Secretary, Alhaji 

Sulaiman Argungu as 

Deputy Director-General 

(Organizing); the APC 

National Vice Chairman 

(South South), Hon. Victor 

Giadom as Deputy Zonal 

Campaign Coordinator, 

South-South and the APC 


(South-West) as Deputy 

Zonal Campaign 

Coordinator of the zone. 

Others are APC National 

Vice Chairman (South 

East) Deputy Zonal 

Campaign Coordinator; 

APC National Vice 

Chairman (North Central) 

as Deputy Zonal Campaign 

Co-ordinator; APC 


(North East) as Deputy 

Zonal Campaign Coordinator 

and APC 


(North West) as Deputy 

Zonal Campaign Coordinator 

of the zone. 

The NWC team was said 

to have also recommended 

creation of more 

directorates like the 

Directorate of Media 

Relations to be headed by 

the party’s National 

Publicity Secretary; 

Directorate of Compliance 

to be headed by the 

National Legal Adviser; 

Directorate of Organizing, 

Contact and Mobilization to 

be headed by the National 

Organizing Secretary. 

“The NWC also wants the 

National Women Leader to 

coordinate the Women 

Wing; the National Youth 

Leader to be in charge of 

Youth Wing and the 

National Leader, People 

with Disabilities (PWD) to 

coordinate people with 

disabilities in the 


Council PCC”, said a top 

ranking party official who 

pleaded anonymity. 

However, in the letter 

Adamu wrote to Tinubu in 

London, the party said the 

presidential candidate is 

operating solo whereas 

winning elections is 

supposed to be a 

collaborative effort. 

“This correspondence has 

become necessary in view 

of developments that took 

place over the last few days 

around the purported 

appointments into the 


Council (PCC) that was 

announced precipitately 

by officials of the Council, 

without making recourse 

to the NWC for approval. 

All along, the NWC had 

been disposed towards the 

campaign in a cooperative 

spirit that is driven by the 

overall interest of the 

Party and the singular 

desire of victory for our 

candidates, in the persons 

of your esteemed self and 

Continues on Page 26 

By Cynthia Alo and Esther Onyegbula 

President Buhari’s promise to end insecurity by December 

THE only way he can 

end insecurity by 

December is if he is the 

one that has been 

responsible for it. He has 

been on seat for over 7 

years with nothing 

tangible to show for it. The 

confidence being 

displayed here can only be 

effected if he’s their “Oga” 

—Philip Arewa, 

Entrepreneur 

IT means that all these 

years, he knew what to 

do, but rather kept quiet 

so that lives of people 

will be mortgaged for 

political cheap points. It 

is entirely impossible to 

end insecurity by 

December becuase the 

President doesn’t have 

the moral and political 

will to do sio 

—Ukachukwu 

Christian, Data Analyst 

IT is a laughable 

promise if I must say 

but anything is possible 

when it comes to 

miracles. Let us all join 

hands together and pray 

it’s possible. All of a 

sudden strategy to cub 

insecurity came out. It’s 

well. 

—Guzzoro Divine 

Artiste 

WHY didn’t he do it all 

these years when 

people are dying every day. 

People are leaving the country 

not just because of economic 

and financial upliftment but 

also for security reasons. 

Going out and coming back 

home daily is a great miracle 

in Nigeria. All our president 

does is to feel and express 

shock while his Vice goes on 

condolence. Then all of a 

sudden, in just three months 

he wants to tackle insecurity. 

—Chidimma M. Emegwa, 

Student 

WHAT he was unable 

to end for the past 7 

years, he now wants to end 

it by December? If that is 

true, it means he knows 

the bandits and only 

decided to keep quiet till 

this moment. The reality is 

that nothing can be done 

about insecurity by the 

President even beyond 

December. 

—Olumide Afeez, 

Entrepreneur 

TO tackle such a 

devastating insecurity 

issue, you need to know the 

genesis and root source of 

the ravaging situation on 

the nation. There is likely 

an atom of transparency in 

his statement which makes 

it achievable even though 

it’s coming at the end of his 

administration. 

—Prince Okechukwu 

Entrepreneur

6—Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 

Woman cries out 

over LASG’s 

refusal to 

release land 

after payment 

By Esther Onyegbula 

LAGOS—A resident of 30, Adebola 

Street, Surulere, Lagos, Mrs. Toyin 

Momodu, has cried out over the refusal 

of Lagos State Government to release 

her landed property at SunnyField Oko- 

Afo Mixed Development Scheme in the 

state. 

Momodu, who spoke to journalists, 

yesterday, at her home in Surulere, said: 

“I was given 2,200 square metres of 

commercial land after paying a lot of 

money to the purse of the state 

government in 2012. Later, I was given 

C of O of the property by Lagos State 

Government. 

"Governor's Office Land Bureau 

allocated the property to me on August 

13, 2012. However, on getting to the 

portion of land some years later, I 

discovered that the property had been 

encroached by another person. 

“Before then, I had done everything 

humanly possible to take possession of 

my land without success, as the staff of 

Lagos State just aided me while I went 

through pain without offering any 

solution. 

“All my efforts to get my property back 

from the government and the people 

occupying the property had been in vain 

since then. I have tried to see Governor 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu and many other 

top officials of the government without 

any success. 

“All my efforts to see Governor Sanwo- 

Olu has been in vain, I have contacted 

him through email, without a reply. I 

also tried to reach him on the phone 

without success. 

“I was directed to the Commissioner 

of Finance, who never responded to my 

messages, then to the legal department, 

which first told me that all issues would 

be resolved, but now, they neither 

respond to my messages nor pick up my 

calls,” she said. 

When contacted, Mr. A. Harry, the 

Public Relations Officer, Lagos State 

Land Bureau, said the state government 

has created Land Grabbing Committee 

to look into land allocated that were 

having issues. 

He said if Momodu has all the 

certificates given to her by the state, she 

should present them to the committee 

so that they would treat her matter. 

Son stabs father, 

commits suicide 

By Ibrahim Hassan- 

Wuyo 

KADUNA—Chukwudi Gideon, the 

son of a retired staff of the Ahmadu 

Bello University, Zaria, ABU, has 

allegedly stabbed his father and 

committed suicide. 

Late Chukwudi was living in Wusasa, 

Zaria, with his parents before the tragedy. 

Journalists were told that he killed 

himself after he jumped from the Dan 

Magaji flyover and broke his head. 

The village head of Wusasa, Isiyaku 

Yusuf, said: “The 40-year old Gideon 

stabbed his father with a knife and left 

him in a pool of blood before proceeding 

to commit suicide. 

“The young man was known to be a 

drug addict and hardly mingled with 

people. He was always alone and very 

reserved. It was when people took 

Gideon’s corpse to his parents’ house that 

they discovered that his father, Mr. 

Gideon Tseja, 75, was lying in a pool of 

blood. 

“Therefore, people concluded that it 

was after he finished stabbing the father 

that he went to kill himself. The injured 

father, Mr. Tseja, was a lecturer at ABU. 

He was admitted to a hospital,” the 

Village Head said. 

:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 

:Vanguard 

News 

Pay N8m ransom or we bring your son 

into kidnapping, bandits warn Abuja monarch 

By Kingsley Omonobi 

ABUJA—Marauding bandits, who 

two weeks ago abducted 17 persons 

in the remote community of Tekpeshe in 

Abaji Area Council of the Federal 

Capital Territory, have threatened the 

village head, to pay a ransom of N8 

million for his son’s release without delay 

or he would be brought into the crime 

of kidnapping. 

Sources said the bandits contacted the 

Waziri of Tekpeshe, Ibrahim Tanko, and 

issued the threat after the village head 

and his family members pleaded that 

they could not raise such huge amount 

of money asransom. 

The bandits’ leader had reportedly 

called the village head last week asking 

the family to raise another N10 million 

for the son to regain his freedom but the 

family told them that they did not know 

where and how to raise the money. 

“He later said we should raise N8 

million and after that, he switched off 

his phone. The bandits’ leader called 

again after three days, threatening that 

if the Waziri or his family members failed 

to raise the N8 million ransom, they will 

keep the boy in their captivity and train 

STUCK: A truck stuck inside a big hole on Agbado Abule-Ijoko road due to bad 

portion of the road, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi. 

Herdsmen invade, destroy farms worth 

N50m in Enugu 

By Chinedu Adonu 

ENUGU—There is tension in Agu- 

Ekwegbe, Igbo-Etiti Local Government 

Area of Enugu State, following the invasion 

and destruction of farms worth more than 

N50 million by Fulani herders while grazing 

their cattle. 

The owner of the farm, a civil servant, 

John Abonyi, lamented that Fulani herders 

have resorted to grazing their cattle on his 

farm. 

He regretted that all efforts by him and his 

workers to stop them from entering his farm 

hit the rock as the Police refused to come to 

their rescue even when one of the herders 

was arrested. 

Briefing journalists, who went round the 

over three hectares of farmlands devastated 

by herders, he said they invaded the farm 

he planted both maize and beans a few days 

after he applied fertiliser on the crop. 

Recounting the level of damage, he said: 

“The major challenge we farmers are facing 

in South-East is the issue of herdsmen 

invasion of our farms. As you can see here, 

the Fulani headers have invaded this farm 

three times and it’s affecting us. I have 

reported to the police and other security 

agencies but they didn’t come to our 

assistance. 

“After application of fertiliser last Monday, 

they came on Thursday and grazed on my 

farm. They destroyed everything on the farm 

where I planted maize and beans. I called 

Area Command, Udenu and he directed me 

to call the DPO, I called the DPO and he said 

I should come to the station. I told him that 

they should come to the farm to see the 

extent the herders destroyed my farm but 

he insisted I must come. 

“The next thing was a call and behold he 

said he is the chairman of Fulani herdsmen 

in Nsukka. So, I asked him to come and see 

what his boys did on my farm, but he said I 

should come to the police station. Painfully 

as we are talking about what happened on 

Thursday, they came back again on Tuesday 

and grazed inside my farm. There is a forest 

around here but they preferred grazing inside 

my farm. 

“I have suffered, I invested more than 

N50 million here but look at what Fulani 

herdsmen have done to me. How will I pay 

the loan I collected? I left the North because 

of the Boko Haram issue and came back 

home to do my business but look at what I 

have been subjected to by Fulani herders. 

Where will I run to now?" 

Appealing to the government at all levels 

to come to his aid, he said as a civil servant, 

he cannot buy anything with his monthly 

salary because of inflation in the country but 

tried to sustain hunger with farming. 

Also speaking, the Town Union President 

of the community, Mr. Ene Uchechukwu 

lamented the level of destruction on the 

farmland and appealed for state government 

intervention. 

He regretted that the community, which 

survives by farming cannot save themselves 

as Fulani herders continuously invade their 

farms with AK-47s, surround them and graze 

the farm with their cattle. 

Flood renders hundreds homeless 

in Asaba 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—SURGING flood 

has sacked residents of 

Abuta Lane, Kamwanya 

Konwea Street and other 

streets in Asaba, Delta State 

on the bank of River Niger. 

At press time, residents of 

the area were seen moving out 

in large numbers for fear of 

being trapped by the flood. 

Our correspondent sighted 

the surging water rushing into 

houses in the areas, while 

many homes were submerged 

at Abuta Lane. 

The flood, which has 

wreaked havoc in 65 of 73 

communities in Ndokwa East 

Delta community leader petitions 

IGP over arrest of ex-PG 

THE immediate past Vice 

Chairman of Odovie community, 

Ughelli North local government area 

of Delta State, Friday Oboba, has 

petitioned the Inspector-General of 

Police and other security agencies over 

unlawful arrest of the immediate past 

President-General of the community, 

Mr. Francis Okevwie, on allegation 

that he was fomenting trouble over 

leadership tussle. 

There had been leadership tussle in 

the Odovie community for the past few 

months after the present Odovie 

community President-General, 

Benjamin Idoghor, was elected in an 

election supervised by the ex-president 

general of the community, Mr. Francis 

Okevwie who was alleged to have 

Local Government Area of the 

state, has rendered many 

people homeless, destroyed 

crops worth millions of naira. 

Worst hit communities are 

Iselegu, Aboh, Ushie, Ashaka, 

Igbuku and Ibrede. 

Speaking during a meeting 

with members of the State 

2022 Flood Management 

Committee, Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa expressed his 

administration's readiness to 

tackle the challenges that 

maybe thrown up by the flood. 

The official, who led 

members of the committee to 

one of the camps at Ogbe-Afor 

Primary School in Asaba, said 

holding camps had been set 

up to accommodate those who 

maybe displaced by the flood 

water. 

been arrested by the Ofuoma 

Divisional Police headquarters and 

handed over to Ughelli Area 

Command. 

The former Vice Chairman, Oboba, 

who had petitioned the Inspector 

General of Police and other security 

agencies through Jurismagnate 

Attorneys, said the case of the 

leadership tussle is in the office of the 

Assistant Inspector General of Police, 

Zone 5, Benin City, Edo State and in 

Ughelli Magistrate's Court before his 

unlawful arrest. 

Contacted, the Police Public 

Relations Officer, PPRO, Zone 5, DSP 

Tijani Momoh said he has no idea of 

any arrest in Delta. 

him to be a kidnapper," a source said. 

The Waziri disclosed that the entire 

community sold the farm produce they 

had stocked, motorcycles and a car 

before they could raise N5.2 million as 

ransom, including N75,000 worth of 

drugs, foodstuffs and recharge cards 

before the ex-councillor and 16 other 

people were set free. 

Iyana-Iba riot: 

RTEAN suspends 

‘Student’ for 

instigating 

unrest 

By Ebunoluwa Sessou 

LAGOS—The Road Transport 

Employers Association of Nigeria, 

RTEAN, said, yesterday, that it had 

suspended one of its Lagos State Vice 

Chairmen, Oluwaseyi Bamgbose, popularly 

known as ‘Student’ for instigating unrest in 

the association. 

Speaking on the suspension, National 

President, Alhaji Musa Muhammed, in a 

statement in Lagos through the National 

Publicity Secretary of the union, Alhaji 

Abdulrahman Amusan, said Bamgbose's 

moves and actions recently were capable of 

igniting violence in the Lagos State Council 

of the association. 

Muhammed, who is also the Lagos State 

Chairman of RTEAN, said, Bamgbose had 

earlier in the day organised an illegal protest 

at Alausa Secretariat with some disgruntled 

elements in his efforts to create violence and 

unrest in the association. 

Muhammed alleged that the intention 

and plot of Bamgbose was to cause trouble, 

so much that the state government would 

regard the peaceful association as 

uncoordinated and subsequently place a ban 

on its activities. 

His words: “While the fight was going on 

at Iyana Iba instigated by him, he was 

organising another protest in Ikeja, so that 

government will see us as if we are fighting 

and take over our operations." 

Ummu’s murder: 

Absence of 

defence counsel 

stalls 

arraignment of 

Chinese 

national, Geng 

By Bashir Bello 

KANO —-The absence of a 

defence counsel, yesterday, 

stalled the arraignment before a Kano 

State High Court of a Chinese 

national, Geng Quangrong, who 

allegedly killed his ex-Nigerian lover, 

Ummukulsum Buhari. 

Quangrong, was charged by the 

Kano State government on one count 

charge of culpable homicide 

contrary to section 221 of the Penal 

Code. 

At the arraignment of Quarong, he 

sought an adjournment to enable him 

contact his counsel to represent him. 

The prosecution counsel and Kano 

State Attorney General, Musa Lawan 

didn’t object to the defendant’s prayer 

to adjourn the matter. 

“Obviously, this case will not go on 

today without a counsel, standing for 

the defendant. It is capital in nature. 

In the circumstances, we apply for a 

short adjournment to enable 

defendant get a lawyer,” Lawan told 

the court. 

Trial judge, Justice Sanusi Ma’aji, 

however, adjourned the case till 

October 4, 2022, for the arraignment 

of Quangrong.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 — 7 

:Vanguard 

News 

:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnewsNEWS HOTLINES: 

Social Media Conversation 

•The tanker, during the inferno. 

8 burnt to death in Kogi 

tanker explosion 

•Gov Bello condoles victims, to visit site today 

By Boluwaji 

Obahopo 

L OKOJA—ABOUT 

eight persons were 

burnt to death, when a 

tanker with full load of 

premium motor spirit, 

PMS (petrol), lost 

control, due to brake 

failure, and fell off the 

bridge of Maboro River, 

in Ankpa, headquarters 

of Ankpa Local 

Government Area of Kogi 

State. 

The incident was said 

to have occurred around 

3.30pm., on Wednesday. 

While eye witnesses 

put the casualty figures 

at 20, the Federal Road 

Safety Corps, FRSC, said 

eight persons died. 

The eye witness said 

some of the victims were 

burnt beyond 

recognition and the 

charred remains and 

debris of cars littered the 

area. 

"Many people were in 

the river doing one thing 

or the other when the 

tanker lost control, fell 

and exploded on the 

bridge. It's horrible. It 

was the most gory scene 

I have seen in my life," 

said Usman Ahmed from 

Ankpa. 

"This one is the most 

terrible and horrible 

scene. More than 20 

persons were burnt to 

death, some beyond 

recognition. 

"Many who were 

"crushed to death had 

their body parts 

scattered all over the 

place. Their parts had to 

be picked in bits and 

pieces in body bags." 

He said it was the 

second major accident in 

the area in recent times. 

However, the Kogi 

State FRSC Sector 

Commander, Stephen 

Dawulung, who 

confirmed the incident, 

said the number of 

casualties could not be 

established, but said 

eight persons died in the 

tanker mishap. 

"The accident involved 

a tanker, one bus, three 

cars and three 

motorcycles." 

Meanwhile, Governor 

Yahaya Bello of Kogi 

State, has expressed 

shock over the incident. 

Governor Bello in a 

statement by his Chief 

Press Secretary, Onogwu 

Mohammed, also 

expressed his deepest 

condolence to the family 

of those that died in the 

tragic occurrence. 

Praying to God to grant 

the departed souls 

Many people 

were in the 

river doing 

one thing or 

the other, 

when the 

tanker lost 

control, fell 

and exploded 

on the 

bridge...it's 

horrible...it 

was the most 

gory scene I 

have seen in 

my life 

eternal rest, Bello also 

offered prayers for quick 

recovery and healing for 

survivours of the 

unfortunate incident 

The governor 

described the event in 

Ankpa as a tragedy and 

commended the efforts 

taken so far by the Ankpa 

council administration 

and the State’s 

E m e r g e n c y 

Management Team in 

getting to the root of the 

unfortunate incident to 

avoid any of such incident in 

the nearest future. 

While the State’s 

Emergency Management 

and other relevant agencies 

have been at the scene to put 

the situation under control, 

the governor has also set up 

a powerful government 

representative to visit the 

area on Friday. 

Governor Bello urged 

drivers of articulated vehicles 

and other motorists to ensure 

their vehicles are in proper 

mechanical conditions before 

hitting the roads to avoid 

plunging the state and 

country into tragedies caused 

by tanker explosions. 

Why cry...you're a celebrity! 

Take pride in what you have! 

Don't give it space in your home!

8 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 

By Theodore Opara, 

Kingsley Adegboye, 

Victor Ahiuma- 

Young, 

Olasunkanmi Akoni 

& Godwin Oritse 

L AGOS—MARITIME 

Workers Union of 

Nigeria, MWUN, business 

owners, residents and 

commuters have decried the 

slow pace of work on the 

Apapa-Oshodi Expressway 

especially from Cele to 

Sunrise Bus Stop, saying it has 

not only worsened the traffic 

situation, but exposed road 

users to dangers. 

The slow pace of work by 

HITECH Construction 

Company, the sub-contractor 

handling the reconstruction of 

the ever busy Apapa-Oshodi 

Expressway coupled with the 

construction of a flyover 

bridge by Lagos State 

government at Second 

Rainbow by FESTAC link 

road, has worsened traffic 

nightmare being experienced 

daily on the dual carriageway. 

Besides the slow pace of 

work, the contractors 

handling the reconstruction of 

the expressway and the flyover 

bridge have barricaded the 

dual carriageway on both 

sides of the highway 

beginning from Sunrise up to 

Cele Bus Stop axis thereby 

diverting all road users to 

service lanes towards Apapa 

and outbound Apapa. 

Speaking, President- 

General of MWUN Adewale 

Adeyanju, faulted the slow 

pace of work by the contractor, 

lamenting that it has exposed 

road users to all sorts of 

dangers including robbery 

attacks. 

He said "We call on the 

Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, 

to do the right thing by talking 

to the contractor handling the 

Access Roads to the Ports to 

speed up the work because 

road users are going through 

difficult and torturous times 

on the roads. Because of the 

slow pace of the construction, 

users pass through terrible 

gridlock on daily basis. And 

as a result, bad elements have 

taken advantage of the 

situation to attack and harass 

road users every day. You 

cannot pass there from 9 

o'clock in the night. These bad 

elements will either attack you 

or rob you. That is what we 

experience everyday when we 

are passing from Berger to 

Second Rainbow. The 

contractor has closed the 

main road leaving only the 

service lane from Berger till 

you get close to Cele Bus stop. 

"The road situation is 

impacting negatively on the 

health of the Maritime 

workers, Port users among 

other Nigerians. The poor 

state of the roads has forced 

many importers to relocate 

their businesses to the ports in 

neigbouring countries. A 

sizable portion of the Tin-Can 

:Vanguard News 


Apapa-Oshodi Expressway: Labour, business 

owners, commuters, residents decry slow pace 

of construction work 

•Ongoing construction work on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos. (File photo) 

Island Road has been turned 

into a marketplace where 

people are buying and selling, 

creating serious security 

threats to lives and property. I 

want to use this opportunity 

to call on government to 

declare a state of emergency 

on the roads leading to ports 

because Nigeria is losing lots 

of revenue to the state of the 

road." 

Also reacting, a medical 

doctor, whose hospital is 

located at Olodi Apapa, Dr 

Anthony Ufere, said it has not 

been easy doing business 

around the axis, lamenting 

that "We have lost customers 

because of the endless 

construction. Some patients 

from Festac, Mile 2, Satellite 

Town and Okota who could 

not access the hospital have 

ceased to do business with us. 

"A regrettable situation is a 

patient, a 75 year- old chief, 

who was coming to my 

clinic but got stuck in the 

traffic. He went back and 

never came back to us again. 

There are many cases like 

this. 

"As for retainership, we 

have been pleading with 

them, and while some of 

them still come to the clinic, 

others have embraced other 

hospitals. It has been a 

pathetic situation since the 

reconstruction of the road 

started some years back but 

we have resorted to take it 

in our stride." 

Similarly, a businessman, 

Mr Andrew Oyeagwu, 

decried the plight Nigerians 

who ply the road on daily 

basis have been subjected to 

by the construction 

company, saying the 

contractor has no regard for 

Nigerians that ply the road. 

According to him, "the 

government is not 

supervising the construction 

at all. This is not the only 

place where they construct 

road. How can you close the 

main lane from Berger to 

Cele on one side, and close 

from Second Rainbow to 

Sunrise on the other side? If 

you go there now, you will 

not see any work going on 

besides those constructing 

bridge across Second 

Rainbow. 

"Take for example, if you 

are going toward the Ports, 

from Second Rainbow, the 

main lane is closed till you 

get to Sunrise. If you are 

going toward Oshodi, you 

cannot access the main lane 

from Sunrise till Cele Bus 

Stop. To worsen the 

situation, the service lane is 

in a very terrible state. 

Ordinary palliative, they 

cannot even do but they 

have closed the road since 

September without any sign 

of work. This is not fair at 

all. 

"We are calling on the 

government to call the 

contractor to order. We are 

talking about the only road 

that leads to the country's 

busiest ports, the gateway to 

the Nigerian economy". 

In the same vein, Mr 

Anthony Ekhria a 

commercial bus driver told 

Vanguard that he "believes 

the punishment is deliberate 

from the government. Why 

do you think they have 

refused to open other ports 

across the country like in the 

South East and South- 

South? The truth is that 

without decongesting the 

ports, even if you construct 

20 lanes express way, the 

problem would persist." 

According to him, "As long 

as the government feels that 

only Lagos ports would be 

the answer to their port 

needs, they would never 

develop other parts of the 

country and more problems 

like insecurity, housing 

problem, etc would continue 

to hunt us." 

Also, a truck driver, who 

refused to give his name, said 

"when I think of what I go 

through on the route, I feel 

like leaving the job but there 

is no job elsewhere and my 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—THE 

Legal 

Practitioners' Privileges 

Committee, LPPC, has 

approved the elevation of 62 

legal practitioners to the 

rank of Senior Advocates of 

Nigeria, SAN. 

The LPPC, which is headed 

by the Acting Chief Justice 

of Nigeria, CJN, Justice 

Olukayode Ariwoola, 

okayed the conferment of the 

rank on the lawyers, at the 

end of its 154th plenary 

session on Thursday. 

The SAN rank is awarded 

as a mark of excellence to 

members of the legal 

profession who have 

distinguished themselves as 

advocates and academics. 

A statement by the Chief 

Registrar of the Supreme 

Court, Hajo Sarji Bello, who 

doubles as Secretary of the 

LPPC, disclosed that the new 

SANs will be sworn in 

November 21. 

family must survive. We go 

through hell in the hands of 

touts, security men and even 

fellow drivers but we don't 

have an option because the 

government has decided to 

inflict permanent hardship 

on us. 

"I don't want to talk about 

the money we waste on 

diesel which has become 

very expensive these days or 

the money we pay to touts 

who would waste no time in 

damaging the truck mirror 

or inflicting injuries on the 

drivers and motor boys. We 

hope that one day, all these 

would end and we will be 

treated like human beings." 

Lagos absolves self 

Reacting, Lagos State 

Government said it is not 

responsible for the situation 

but the Federal Ministry of 

Works. 

When contacted, Special 

Adviser to the Governor on E- 

Works and Infrastructure, 

Aramide Adeyoye, simply 

said, "Please see the Federal 

Controller of Works Lagos for 

comment." 

As of press time, the General 

Manager, LASTMA, Bolaji 

Oreagba, could not respond 

to the message sent to him 

over poor traffic management 

due to absence of LASTMA 

officers. 

NPA speaks 

Recall that after the tour of 

Apapa/Tin-Can/ Mile 2 

access roads to the port, 

Managing Director of the 

NPA,Mohammed Bello- 

Koko, Wednesday, called on 

Buildwell Construction and 

HITECH Construction, 

contractors in charge of works 

on the Leventis Bridge and 


respectively, to work 24/7 

round-the-clock to see to the 

early completion of the roads. 

According to him, the 

opening of the Leventis Bridge 

is critical because shutting it 

down to traffic has started 

affecting port operations, 

saying "With the closure of the 

Leventis Bridge, everything is 

almost at a standstill. This 

road is critical to the economy 

and the nation at large. We 

understand the importance of 

closing the bridge around 

Leventis for repair to avoid a 

collapse but it is seriously 

impacting port operation." 

He explained that Western 

Avenue had been the major 

means of movement of cargo 

into both Tin-Can and Apapa 

Ports since 2021 when the 

Cele/Mile 2/ Sunrise end of the 


was closed to traffic for 

construction. 

On his part, Robert Turnor, 

a representative of HITECH 

Construction, said that the 

issue of insecurity has been a 

challenge to workers and 

property owners on site, 

thereby limiting work at night. 

He added that rains are also 

a big challenge to work on 

site. 

LPPC confers SAN rank on 62 lawyers 

Those to be sworn in as 

SANs, are; Mohammed 

Abdullahi Abubakar, 

Johnson Tarigho Omophe, 

Lawrence Sunday Oko-Jaja, 

Christopher Oshomegie, 

Sanusi Sai'd, Wahab Shittu, 

Emmanuel Idemudia, Diri 

Mohammed, Oladipo 

Tolani, Ayodeji Omotoso, 

Chijioke Erondu, Ajoku 

Obinna, Yakubu 

Maikasuwa, Henry Omu, 

Dagogo Iboroma, Joseph 

Akubo, Gozoe Obi and 

Inam Wilson. 

Others are; Abubakar 

Sulu-Gambari, Abioye 

Asanike, Sylvanus Tahir, 

Bolarinwa Aidi, Tonye 

Krukrubo, Aderemi Bashua, 

Kolapo Kolade, Samuel 

Kargbo, Ifeanyichukwu 

Obiakor, Olasoji 

Olowolafe, Mutalubi 

Adebayo, Victor Ogude, 

Sulayman Ibrahim, 

Mumini Hanafi, Tanko 

Ashang, Damian Okoro, 

Andrew Malgwi, Etukwu 

Onah, Adeboro Adamson, 

Bankole Akomolafe, 

Kelechi Obi, Andrew Odum, 

Okoro Edwin, Godson 

Ugochukwu. 

Likewise, Steven Ononye, 

Ikani Agabi, Mustapha 

Ibrahim, Muizudeen 

Abdullahi, Magaji Ibrahim, 

Sanusi Musa, Oladoyin 

Awoyale, Rotimi Oyedepo, 

Chukwudubem Anyigbo, 

Lukman Fagbemi and 

Micheal Numa. 

Meanwhile, Prof. 

Kathleen Okafor, Próf. 

Muhammed Abdulrazaq, 

Prof. Amokaye Gabriel, 

Prof. Ismail Olatunbosun, 

Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, Prof. 

Joy Ezeilo, Ass/Prof. 

Theodore Maiyaki, Prof. 

Olaide Gbadamosi and Ass/ 

Prof. Chimezie Okorie, were 

the academic appointees 

for the rank. 

"The meeting further 

approved a new Guidelines 

for the conferment of the 

rank of Senior Advocate of 

Nigeria and all matters 

pertaining to the rank to 

guide future exercises," the 

statement read.

PEACE ACCORD: 

Former Head of 

State, General 

Abdulsalami 

Abubakar, All 

Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

National 

Chairman, 

Senator Adamu 

Abdullahi and Vice 

presidential 

candidate of the 

party, Senator 

Kashim Shettima, 

at the signing of 

the Peace Accord 

for the 2023 

general elections 

at the 

International 

Conference Centre, 

Abuja, yesterday. 

:Vanguard 

News 

2023 election cases: Be honest arbiter, 

Buhari tells Judiciary 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

ABUJA—Aware that disputes 

may arise from outcomes of the 

2023 general elections, President 

Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, 

asked the Judiciary to maintain the 

position of an honest arbiter. 

President Buhari, who spoke at 

the official commissioning of the 

Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja, 

said he was not unmindful of the 

vital role the legal profession plays in 

the electioneering process. 

He said: “A society where justice 

thrives is one that can be assured of 

development. For Nigeria to 

effectively embrace sustainable 

development, institutions such as 

the legal profession must remain 

deeply committed towards promoting 

good governance. 

“As the 2023 general elections 

draw near, the significance of the legal 

profession becomes even more 

pronounced considering the vital 

roles you play in the electioneering 

process, both at the pre and postelection 

stages. I hope you maintain 

the position of an honest arbiter.” 

While commending the Body of 

Benchers, BOB, for the successful 

completion of the complex, which 

he noted will boost infrastructural 

development of the legal profession, 

President Buhari said his 

administration would continue to 

pay strict adherence to the rule of 

law. 

He said: “As I have always 

maintained, adherence to the rule 

of law is critical to the progress of any 

society and this administration has 

not reneged in its commitment to 

this ideal. 

“Efforts by a body as this, with over 

five decades of proven track record, 

to keep the wheel of justice turning 

effectively in providing a solid 

foundation for upholding the rule of 

law are commendable. 

Condition of service 

for Judicial Officers 

“I recall that on July 28, 2022 when 

I played host to the leadership of the 

Body of Benchers, its Chairman, Wole 

Olanipekun, SAN, was very 

emphatic in making a case for the 

welfare of judicial officers in the 

country. 

“I am not unaware of the passion 

and commitment of Olanipekun in 

championing the cause of the welfare 

of judicial officers in Nigeria, as well 

as the commitment of the Body on 

this matter. 

“May I restate my commitment 

towards this ideal. In similar vein, I 

have been intimated of the 

engagement of consultants by the 

body, through its Judiciary Advisory 

Committee, to among other things, 

come up with a peer review of the 

conditions of service of Judicial Officers 

in Nigeria with other countries and 

jurisdictions, within and outside 

Africa. 

“I earnestly look forward to the 

completion of this peer review and 

the submission of recommendations, 

as this will assist us to review the 

welfare packages.” 

While the Acting Chief Justice of 

Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode 

Ariwoola, noted that the BOB 

complex will ease stress involved in 



organising call to bar ceremonies for 

new lawyers, the Attorney-General 

of the Federation and Minister of 

Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, 

said the legal body must re-awake 

itself to the reality of sustaining high 

moral and ethical standard in the 

legal profession. 

In his remarks, Chairman of the 

BOB, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, said 

the occasion was an opportunity for 

the legal body to reiterate its call for a 

more virile and independent 

Judiciary. 

“The Body of Benchers has 

formally engaged the services of a 

leading consulting firm to undertake 

a peer review of the conditions of 

service of our Judicial Officers against 

what obtain in some other 

jurisdictions globally." 

He disclosed that the Benchers 

Complex that was comissioned by 

President Buhari, consists of a 3,000- 

sitting capacity auditorium, a 240- 

sitting capacity meeting room, a 

1,000-sitting capacity banquet hall, 

a 1,000-sitting capacity multipurpose 

hall, committee meeting room, offices 

for secretariat staff, library, and a 

courtroom for the Legal Practitioners 

Disciplinary Committee, amongst 

others. 

Yobe North: I won’t appeal judgement 

— Lawan •Machina hails judgement, says it’s 

By Henry Umoru 

& Ndahi Marama 

ABUJA—President of the 

Senate, Senator Ahmad 

Lawan, said yesterday he will not 

appeal the judgement delivered by 

the Federal High Court, Damaturu, 

Yobe State, which affirmed Bashir 

Machina as All Progressives 

Congress, APC, candidate for Yobe 

North senatorial district in 2023 

elections. 

In a statement he signed, Lawan 

said he had accepted the judgement 

of the court, which disqualified his 

candidature and participation in the 

election. 

Justice Fadima Aminu at a 

Damaturu Federal High Court had 

on Wednesday, sacked the Senate 

president, ordering the APC, to 

forward the name of Bashir Sheriff 

Machina to the Independent 

National Electoral Commission, 

INEC, as the authentic winner of 

the primary held on May 28, 2022. 

Lawan’s statement, entitled “Yobe 

North: I accept the court judgement, 

read: “Yesterday, Wednesday, 

victory for justice 

September 28, 2022, the Federal 

High Court in Damaturu delivered 

judgement on the rightful candidate 

for Yobe North senatorial district for 

the 2023 National Assembly 

election. 

“The said judgement disqualifies 

my candidature and, therefore, my 

participation in the elections. After 

due consultations with my political 

associates, supporters and wellwishers, 

I have decided not to appeal 

against the judgement. I accept the 

judgement. 

“At this juncture, I deem it fit to 

thank Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, for 

the leadership role in the APC 

political family in Yobe State. I also 

thank Governor Mai Mala Buni for 

the support and brotherhood. 

“To my constituents, I thank you 

all for your unflinching support, 

loyalty and unreserved commitment 

to the course of building our people 

and Yobe North senatorial district 

and, indeed, Yobe State. 

“I want to assure you that I will 

continue to serve you in my personal 

and any other capacity at all times. 

“We journeyed together for a long 

time, and this journey will remain a 

life long journey. It has been a 

wonderful relationship and it can 

only get stronger. I am indebted to 

you all. Alhamdulillah.” 

It’s victory for 

justice —Machina 

Reacting to the judgement, 

yesterday, Bashir Machina hailed it, 

describing it as a victory for justice. 

He also called on all his supporters, 

and, indeed, the people of Yobe North 

to remain peaceful, and not to react 

in the face of any provocation. 

In a statement by his spokesman, 

Hussaini Isa, in Damaturu, the state 

capital, Machina who described his 

victory as "No Victor, No Vanquished." 

said: “I welcome the decision of the 

judge of the Federal High Court, 

Damaturu. It is a victory that stands 

for justice. It is now time to set aside 

our differences and close ranks for 

the impending battle. The next war 

we must wage is the war for APC’s 

victory in the coming 2023 general 

elections." 

NECO: 60.7% pass with credit in Maths, English 

By Wole 

Mosadomi 

MINNA—THE National 

Examinations Council, 

NECO, has released this year’s 

Senior School Certificate 

Examinations (Internal) results, 

with 60.74 per cent of the 

candidates having a credit pass 

in Mathematics, English and at 

least three other subjects. 

The Registrar/Chief Executive 

of the council, Professor Danlami 

Wushishi, who announced the 

results at the council 

headquarters in Minna, 

yesterday, said the number of 

candidates, who made credit and 

above in English language was 

889,188, representing 74.89 per 

•2022 senior school cert exams results released 

cent, while those who made credit 

and above in Mathematics was 

929,140 representing 78.23 per 

cent. 

The result also showed that the 

number of candidates who made 

five credits and above, including 

English and Mathematics, was 

727,864, representing 60.74 per 

cent. 

According to him, the total 

number of candidates, who 

actually sat for the examination 

was 1,198,412, of the 1,209,703 

that actually registered for the 

examinations. 

The registrar also disclosed 

that the number of candidates 

with special needs was 1,031, out 

which 98 were those with 

albinism; 177 with autism; 574 

with hearing impairment, while 

107 were visually impaired. 

Wushishi said the number of 

candidates, who made five credits 

and above, irrespective of English 

Language and Mathematics, 

was 1,011,457, representing 

84.40 per cent. 

He added that when compared 

to 2021 SSCE internal figures of 

1,153,716 or 94.04 per cent, there 

was a decrease of 9.64 per cent. 

He said: “The number of 

candidates involved in various 

1903 invasion: Sokoto 

Caliphate seeks return of 

looted artefacts 

By Musa 

Ubandawaki 

SOKOTO—AFTER decades 

of atrocities, enslavement, 

exploitation and massacre 

committed on the people of Sokoto 

Caliphate in 1903 by colonial 

masters, the caliphate now seeks 

return of all its looted historical 

artefacts from France and United 

Kingdom. 

The looted intellectual, literary 

works, artefacts and relics of the 

caliphate are said to be deeply rooted 

in the minds of the descendants of 

those who were killed 

indiscriminately or executed for their 

resistance to the colonial invasion. 

In a letter of declaration on the 

looted relics, copied to the Minister 

of Information and National 

Orientation Lai Mohammed, signed 

by a member of the National 

Assembly, Dr Balarabe Shuni, and 

leaders of five Non-Governmental 

Organisations, NGOs, in Sokoto, a 

request for quick intervention of 

the minister on return of the looted 

artefacts was made. 

The letter read: ‘’There was 

deliberate colonial policies made to 

subvert and deny people of the 

caliphate contextual fictional 

education, healthcare, commerce 

and housing as well as scanty 

employment opportunities through 

deliberate strangulation of the 

Caliphate cottage industries." 

The concerned group, acting 

under the aegis of the project, tagged 

‘’SokotoDNA," placed on notice the 

countries responsible for the 

forms of malpractice in 2022 is 

13,593 representing 0.13 per cent 

whereas, 20,003 representing 

1.63 per cent cases were recorded 

in 2021. 

“It can be noticed that the 

malpractice incidence in 2022 

has dropped compared to the 

figure of 2021 and this is because 

of the long-standing zero 

tolerance the Council has for 

malpractice,” he remarked. 

“Consequently upon the 

foregoing, four schools were 

recommended for derecognition 

for two years due to 

their involvement in mass 

cheating/whole school cases. 

invasion and in possession of the 

caliphate’s intellectual, literary works, 

artefacts and relics. 

The letter further requested the 

unconditional return for restitution 

of all historical objects to the the 

caliphate. 

It also sought apology from the 

colonial masters for unwarranted 

and unjustifiable atrocities 

committed against people of the 

caliphate. 

The letter accused the two former 

colonial masters, Republic of France 

and United Kingdom, as mainly 

responsible for the invasion and 

illegal possession of the looted 

caliphate historical artefacts. 

The letter read further: “The 

literary works are our irrevocable, 

unchangeable and distinctive DNA, 

an important part of our past, our 

history, our heritage, our pride and 

symbols of heroism and sacrifice of 

our forefathers and allowing them to 

relinquish in the museums of other 

nations robs us of our history, our 

pride and our divinity as a people. 

“Our resolve in launching this 

campaign is powered by the good 

people of the caliphate and its 

Emirates and further strengthened 

by UNESCO and ECOWAS 

conventions." 

According to the letter, the 

historical relics were at various points 

looted or seized in place such as 

Sokoto, Gwandu, Sifawa, Argungu, 

Zazzau, Adamawa ,Kano, Katsina, 

Gombe, Katagum, Binji, Kilgori , Yabo 

and Rikina/Dabagin Ardon Shuni, 

among many other libraries of the 

caliphate. 

FG ratifies ILO Convention 

190 on violence, harassment 

in workplace 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

signed the Instrument of Ratification 

for ILO Convention No.190 on 

Violence and Harassment. 

A statement by Olajide 

Oshundun, Head, Press and Public 

Relations, stated that the document 

was set to be deposited with the 

Director-General of the 

International Labour Organisation, 

ILO, by the Federal Ministry of 

Labour and Employment. 

According to the statement, the 

Permanent Secretary, Federal 

Ministry of Labour and 

Employment, Ms Kachollom Daju, 

made the announcement at the 

opening ceremony of a two-day 

Regional Sensitization Workshop on 

ILO Convention No. 190 on 

Violence and Harassment and 

Eliminating Gender-Based Violence 

(GBV) in the Workplace for 

Professional Officers in the three 

Northern geo-political zones. 

Daju noted that Nigeria was the 

fourth country in Africa and the 

eighth in the world to ratify the 

convention. 

She added that the ministry had 

already inserted prohibitions on 

violence and harassment, including 

sexual harassment, in the just 

concluded review exercise of the 

National Labour Bills. 

She stated that the ratification 

comes with an enormous 

responsibility and reporting 

obligation for Nigeria. She called on 

labour officers in the states to put 

their best foot forward as it is their 

duty to implement, intercept and 

intervene in all cases of violence and 

harassment, and other related unfair 

labour practices in all workplaces 

after the convention is domesticated. 

She said: “The ministry’s 

headquarters will also be depending 

on you to generate and gather data 

that will be used to develop a 

comprehensive First Report of 

Nigeria’s implementation of the 

Convention to the ILO when the 

time comes.” 

The permanent secretary 

appreciated the ILO Regional Office 

in Abuja, and the International 

Labour Office, Geneva for providing 

the technical support for the 

workshop, and for its support in 

ensuring that Nigeria’s Labour 

Administration System operated in 

line with international best practice. 

Earlier in her welcome address, 

Director, Productivity Measurement 

and Labour Standards, Mrs Juliana 

Adebambo, said to facilitate 

widespread acceptance of the 

convention, the ministry, with 

technical support from the ILO, had 

convened a series of preliminary 

activities across the six geo-political 

zones in the country, adding that 

the two-day workshop was first in 

the line-up. 

The opening ceremony had in 

attendance very important 

dignitaries including the Country 

Director of the ILO office for Nigeria, 

Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, 

Mrs Vanessa Lerato Phala.

C 

M 

Y 

K 



Buhari confers nat'l honour on 

Sen Bamidele 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

approved the conferment of a 

national honour on the lawmaker 

representing Ekiti Central 

Senatorial District of Ekiti State, 

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, on 

October 11, 2022, in Abuja. 

In a statement, Senator 

Bamidele's Media Office stated 

that the Chairman, Senate 

Committee on Judiciary, Human 

Rights and Legal Matters, who 

also doubles as the Chairman, 

Southern Senators' Forum in the 

9th Assembly, is listed among the 

recipients of the 2022 National 

Honours Award of the 

Prof Sonaike chairs Littoral 

varsity board 

THE MANAGEMENT of 

Littoral University in the 

Benin Republic has announced 

the appointment of Prof. Peter 

Olayinka Sonaike as Pro- 

Chancellor and Chairman of the 

Board of Governors. 

Sonaike, a seasoned scholar 

and prolific manager of human 

and capital resources, is a firstclass 

graduate in Economics from 

the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, now 

Obafemi Awolowo University, in 

1970, and Oxford University, UK; 

where he obtained his doctorate. 

In a statement, the Founder/ 

Director of Littoral University, Prof. 

Oyebode Ayeni said: "This 

appointment is in recognition of 

your personal experience and 

attributes: a strong personal 

commitment to higher education 

and the values of Littoral 

University; relevant professional 

Nigeria@62: Maintain peace, 

unity of country, ABATCO 

tells Nigerians 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—THE Asiwaju Bola 

Ahmed Tinubu Crusade 

Organisation, ABATCO, 

yesterday, urged Nigerians to 

maintain peace, hope, unity and 

faith in building the nation as the 

country marks its 62- 

independence anniversary. 

ABATCO, a group supporting 

Commander of the Order of the 

Niger, CON. 

The letter which conveyed the 

Award of Honour to Bamidele was 

signed by the Minister of Special 

Duties and Inter-government 

Affairs, Senator George Akume. 

The letter reads: "I have the 

honour to formally inform you 

that the President of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu 

Buhari, has approved the 

conferment of the National 

Honours on you, in the rank of 

CON, Commander of the Order 

of the Niger. 

"The ceremony is scheduled to 

take place at the International 

Conference Centre, Abuja on 

Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at 9 

am." 

•Prof Sonaike 

expertise and knowledge in 

matters relevant to the successful 

operation of a large, complex and 

diverse organization." 

"In addition, you are blessed 

with an awareness of the modem 

regulatory environment within 

which publicly or privately funded 

organizations, operate; an 

empathy with the interests and 

ambitions of the staff; students 

and alumni for the success of the 

University, and sound judgement 

and judiciousness." 

the Presidential ambition of All 

Progressives Congress, APC, Bola 

Tinubu, in a statement by its 

National Convener/Director 

General in Lagos, Mr Ayeni 

Samuel, said: "Our citizens should 

stop abandoning politics and 

political choices to politicians and 

manipulative elements who 

invoke only religious, ethnic and 

geopolitical sentiments to impose 

leadership on those who are only 

supported to serve the interests 

of those who put them in office." 

We'll sue NASS over proposed 

water bill —Group 

By Henry Ojelu & 

Ogechi Uchegbu 

LAGOS—A social-cultural 

group, Indigenous People 

within Nigeria has threatened to 

sue the National Assembly if it 

proceeds to pass the proposed 

National Water Resources Bill. 

Speaking after a colloquium 

hosted by Malcolm Omirhobo 

Foundation in Lagos, the group 

stated that if the National Water 

Resources Bill is passed into law, it 

will give the Federal Government 

exclusive dominance and control 

over waterways and will further 

impoverish Nigerians in riverine 

states that depend on waterways 

to generate revenue internally. 

Speaking on behalf of the group, 

Malcolm Omirhobo said: "For 

Nigeria to progress, its government 

must without any further delay be 

courageous enough to restructure 

the country by encouraging the 

establishment of state police and 

the reversion of the country from 

a unitarism to true fiscal federalism 

as it was in 1963. Every state must 

be allowed to manage its natural 

resources and pay tax to the 

Federal Government." 

Rotary Club, Indo Eye Care 

perform free cataract 

surgeries 

By Etop Ekanem 

LAGOS—No fewer than 100 

Lagos residents benefited from 

free eye cataract surgeries 

organised by Rotary Club Lagos 

Island in partnership with Indo 

Eye Care Hospital. 

Speaking during the opening 

day of the surgery camp, Mr Anant 

Sabat, President, Rotary Club of 

Lagos Island, said: "Over 1,200 

cataract surgeries are scheduled 

to be performed in this drive 

where screening is done at Geeta 

Ashram, Lekki and Indo Eye Care, 

Airport Road since the last three 

months." 

Also speaking, Assistant 

Governor, Fatima Maiyaki, said: 

"The economic impact of this 

project on the society is that it will 

change their lives, because when 

you have a cataract, you can't do 

your work properly as it affects lives 

in a very negative way." 


INAUGURATION: From left, Mr. Ayanbanji Ojo, Deputy Director, Nigerian Communications 

Commission, NCC; Mrs Olayemi Ajayi, Director, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC; Mr. 

Adeleke Adewolu, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Mgt, NCC; Mrs Chizua Whyte, Deputy 

Director, NCC; Mr. Obi Iregbu, NLRC, during the inauguration of the NLRC/NCC Bilateral Cooperation 

Committee at NCC Headquarters, Abuja, yesterday. 

Osun: S-Court affirms Adeleke 

as PDP candidate 

•My victory is divine —Gov-elect 

•Babayemi remains expelled, says PDP 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri & Shina 

Abubakar 

ABUJA—THE 

Supreme 

Court, yesterday, affirmed the 

Governor-elect of Osun State, 

Senator Ademola Adeleke as the 

authentic candidate of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

for the governorship election 

conducted in the state on July 

16 

Ṫhe apex court, in a 

unanimous judgement by a fiveman 

panel of justices, dismissed 

an appeal that was lodged 

against Adeleke by Dotun 

Babayemi, who laid claim to the 

governorship ticket of the PDP, 

having emerged from a parallel 

primary election that was held 

by a faction of the party in the 

state. 

Counsel to the Appellant, Mr 

Adebayo Adelodun, SAN, 

withdrew the appeal after the 

panel led by Justice Amina 

Augie, drew his attention to the 

fact that the case was statute 

barred. 

The panel had maintained that 

the appeal was incompetent, 

stressing that it was filed outside 

the 14 days provided by the law. 

It noted that whereas the 

Appellant filed a first appeal that 

was within time, he later 

substituted it with the instant 

appeal. 

According to the panel, while 

computing the 14 days, the 

counting must start from the date 

that the judgement that was 

appealed against, was delivered. 

Justice Augie held that the 

panel was bereft of the 

jurisdiction to entertain an 

incompetent appeal. 

On his part, Adeleke's lawyer, 

Mr M. S. Atolagbe, said his client 

would demand N10 million from 

the Appellant, to be personally 

paid by his counsel, should he 

insist on proceeding with the 

appeal. 

Left with no option, Adelodun, 

SAN, applied and withdrew the 

appeal. 

Though Babayemi and 

Adeleke emerged from parallel 

primary elections, the National 

Working Committee, NWC, of the 

PDP, recognized the latter and 

forwarded his name to the 

Independent National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, as its 

governorship flag-bearer. 

The Court of Appeal in Akure, 

Ondo State, on July 20, also 

dismissed Babayemi's appeal 

against Adeleke for want of merit. 

However, not satisfied with the 

action, Babayemi took the matter 

to both the High Court and the 

Court of Appeal, where he lost 

the case. 

Adeleke won the July 16 

governorship election after he 

defeated Governor Gboyega 

Oyetola, who was the candidate 

of the All Progressives Congress, 

APC, in the contest. 

My victory is divine 

—Adeleke 

In his reaction to the Supreme 

Court verdict, the governor-elect, 

2023: I'll turn Nigeria from consuming to 

producing country —Obi 

By Adeola Badru 

I BADAN—PRESIDENTIAL 

candidate of Labour Party, LP, 

Peter Obi, yesterday, promised to 

turn Nigeria from being a 

consumer to producing country 

if elected in 2023. 

Obi pledged this after a closeddoor 

meeting with Governor Seyi 

Makinde in his office at Agodi, 

Secretariat in Ibadan. 

He said: "At this time in 

Nigeria, I'm going over and 

consulting with all the wellmeaning 

Nigerians about the 

future of the country. Consulting 

and discussing with them how 

we can collectively bring back 

Nigeria so that it becomes the 

country we will all be proud of. 

"In 62 years, it can be said that 

we performed poorly, but we 

survived as a nation but we are 

tired of saying we've achieved a 

lot, we celebrate because this 

next election will a one to build a 

nation that we all can be proud 

of. 

"Next year's election will not 

be based on ethnicity because 

there's no ethnic group that gets 

food at cheaper rate or there's no 

place where the poor people are 

happy, there's no place where 

there's a job for everybody or a 

place where there's 

uninterrupted electricity or any 

ethnic group that will say they 

are safe. 

"It will not be based on religion, 

the Christians don't buy bread 

cheaper neither do the Muslims. 

It is the same for everybody, 

everybody's suffering. I am not 

saying it is my turn but the turn 

Adeleke described the judgement 

as divine intervention in his 

project to liberate the state. 

Adeleke, in a statement by his 

spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, 

said: "As I noted in my statement 

yesterday, this project is divine 

and is here to stay. Our people 

voted for light and we must all 

defend and sustain that mandate 

built on our five-point agenda for 

good governance. 

"I call on Governor Gboyega 

Oyetola to start compiling his 

handing over notes. The people's 

mandate remains sacrosanct." 

Babayemi remains 

of Nigerians to take back what 

belongs to them. It will not be by 

corruption and that's why we 

going across to say let's save our 

country." 

"Next year's election would be 

based on character and trust, 

capacity and commitment to do 

the right thing. I've committed 

expelled, says PDP 

Meanwhile, the PDP in Osun 

State while commending the 

judiciary for living up to its 

expectations, disclosed that Mr 

Babayemi remained expelled. 

The party, in a statement by 

its Caretaker Chairman, Dr 

Adekunle Akindele said: "As we 

are rejoicing, we must note very 

strongly that a mole among us 

who was an active agent of the 

APC had since lost his 

membership of PDP. No organ or 

affiliates of the party should 

accommodate him or his agenda 

again within this party. 

"Any member of the party, who 

continues to romance with the 

expelled member risks being 

charged with anti-party activities 

and may face appropriate 

sanctions. We must get rid of fifth 

columnists by descending heavily 

on them. We must uproot them 

and cut down their branches." 

ICAN members sue FIRS 

over tax seal 

By Innocent Anaba 

L Accountants, AGOS—SOME 

yesterday, 

dragged the Federal Inland 

Revenue Service, FIRS, before a 

Federal High Court sitting in 

Lagos over its plan to compel tax 

practitioners to use a seal of 

Chartered Institute of Taxation of 

Nigeria, CITN, for filing annual 

returns to the Service from October 

1, 2022. 

The five plaintiffs in the suit are 

Afolabi Igbaroola, Ademola 

Ogunsesan, Deacon T. Ishola, Mr 

Gbenga Afolabi and Mr Abiodun 

Adedeji, all members of ICAN, 

while FIRS is the defendant. 

The plaintiffs through their 

counsel, Mr Olaniyi George on 

behalf of themselves and members 

of Licensed and Concerned 

Members of ICAN are challenging 

FIRS over May 31, 2021, 

Memorandum of Understanding 

published in newspapers, 

announcing the implementation 

of the CITN seal as a condition 

precedent for filing of annual 

returns to the FIRS by Tax 

to be responsible but I want to 

move and secure Nigeria, build 

Nigeria." 

"I'm a Nigerian, I don't want 

anybody to vote for me because 

I'm an Igbo man, no, don't vote 

for me because I'm a Christian or 

because it is my turn, it is the 

turn of Nigerians, vote for me 

because of my commitment and 

my character and especially my 

commitment to the young ones." 

Practitioners from October 1, 2022. 

They averred that the subject 

matter of the MoU was litigated 

by the plaintiffs and the FIRS at 

the Federal High Court in Lagos 

in suit FHC/L/CS/1480/18, which 

is pending before the Court of 

Appeal, Lagos in suit CA/L/CV/ 

1210/19. 

The plaintiffs are praying the 

court to determine, among others, 

whether the FIRS being an 

interested party and a party that 

actively participated in suit FHC/ 

L/CS/1480/18, and suit CA/L/CV/ 

1210/19 can amongst "syndicate, 

facilitate, and/or mediate" on the 

subject matter of the appeal 

without their consent. 

They further asked the court for 

five reliefs, including an order that 

the FIRS "Cannot tamper, vary 

and dissipate the 'res' (subject) 

which is the subject matter of 

appeal in the Appeal Court and 

having had the knowledge of the 

appeal and injunction pending 

appeal and that the activities of 

the defendant in respect of the 

MoU amount to affront to the 

power and jurisdiction of the Court 

of Appeal."

C 

M 

Y 

K 


:Vanguard 

News 


LECTURE—From left: Clare Omatseye, Independent Director, Development Bank of Nigeria 

Plc.; Roosevelt Ogbonna, MD/CEO, Access Bank Plc.; Shehu Yahaya, Chairman, Board of 

Directors, DBN Plc., Tony Okpanachi, MD/CEO, DBN Plc., and Ijeoma Ozulumba, ED, 

Finance and Corporate Services, DBN Plc., during the bank's lecture series, with theme: 

'MSMEs: Domestic and Global Disruptions', held in Abuja, yesterday. 

IPoB accuses govt of bias against 

Ndigbo 

By Chimaobi 

Nwaiwu 

N Indigenous NEWI—THE 

People of 

Biafra, IPoB, yesterday, accused 

the Nigerian government of bias 

against Ndigbo, alleging that the 

people at the helm of affairs in 

the country only frown at, or are 

against extraordinary rendition, 

when it concerns people from 

the Fulani tribe. 

The pro-Biafra group urged the 

Nigerian Judiciary to send 

through the courts an 

unequivocal message that 

executive lawlessness and 

prosecutorial banditry cannot be 

tolerated in a constitutional 

democracy, as practiced in 

Nigeria. 

IPoB, therefore, urged the 

Nigerian Judiciary to protect its 

institution by ordering the 

unconditional release of its leader, 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on grounds 

of fundamental violations of 

international and local laws, by 

Nigerian government, over his 

abduction and rendition to 

Nigeria and, on another ground, 

that no court in Nigeria has the 

authority or jurisdiction to try him. 

A statement by IPoB's image 

maker, Emma Powerful, entitled, 

"Nigerian Judiciary through the 

Courts, must protect the sanctity 

of the institution of the judiciary 

by ordering for the unconditional 

release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu" 

accused the Nigerian 

government of taking a 

hypocritical stance on extra 

judicial rendition. 

IPoB's statement read: "We, the 

global movement and family of 

the Indigenous People of Biafra, 

IPOB, under the command and 

leadership of the great liberator 

and prophet, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, 

wish to state unequivocally that 

the rendition of the IPOB 

leadership from Kenya to Nigeria, 

since June last year till date is a 

violation of his fundamental 

rights. 

"Abinitio,, we wish to place it 

on record that the criminal 

abduction, torture, illegal 

detention and unlawful transfer 

of our great leader- Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria 

constitutes a natural barrier to 

any prosecution or his further 

detention in DSS solitary 

confinement. 

"Extraordinary rendition is a 

serious crime under international 

law. No civilized nation in the 

world, more so, those under the 

common law system of justice, 

condones kidnapping and 

extrajudicial transfer of suspects 

across international borders, 

without the authority of law 

grounded in an extradition 

process. 

"Nigerian courts must protect 

the sanctity of the institution of 

the judiciary by ordering for the 

unconditional release of Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu in the face of the 

fundamental violations of 

international and local laws by 

Nigerian Government in the 

abduction and extraordinary 

rendition of our great leader and 

prophet Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. 

"A plethora of judicial 

pronouncements from the United 

States, Canada, United Kingdom, 

New Zealand, Australia, and 

even South Africa under the 

apartheid regime, are in uniform 

and unison in their condemnation 

of extraordinary rendition. 

"Ironically, the present Attorney-General 

of Nigeria is also 

against extraordinary rendition, 

but it appears only so when it 

concerns people from his Fulani 

tribe, like the one concerning 

ACP Abba Kyari, whom the American 

intelligence demanded his 

repatriation from Nigeria to America. 

"This government's 

hypocritical stance was 

demonstrated in that case of the 

disgraced/suspended ACP Kyari, 

who was allowed to undergo 

extradition proceedings in 

Abuja to contest a US 

warrant of arrest issued 

against him.But our Leader 

being of the Igbo ethnic 

stock, was denied the same 

due process of law in 

Nairobi Kenya." 

2023: We're solidly behind PDP, Enugu 

communities tell Ugwuanyi 

ENUGU—AS campaigns 

for the 2023 general 

elections in Nigeria commenced 

on Wednesday, more 

communities and groups have 

continued to declare their 

support for Governor Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi of Enugu State to 

represent Enugu North 

Senatorial District in the 

National Assembly, on the 

platform of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP. 

They also endorsed the PDP 

and agreed to vote for all 

candidates of the party at the 

polls, including the governorship 

candidate, Peter Mbah, and his 

running mate, Ifeanyi Ossai. 

Prominent among the 

communities and groups were 

the people of Lejja and Uwani 

Lejja autonomous communities, 

Nkpunano Nsukka Ancient 

Kingdom, Obukpa Community, 

and members of The Face of 

Hope for Nsukka, and Igbo-Eze 

South LGAs, as well as Enugu 

North Senatorial Zone 

Canvassers, among others. 

Speaking when the people of 

Lejja paid a solidarity visit to 

Ugwuanyi at the Government 

House, Enugu, Prof. Damian 

Opata, told the governor that 

they are solidly behind his 

senatorial bid in 2023 and that of 

other PDP candidates in the 

state. 

Prof. Opata, who described 

Gov. Ugwuanyi as a humble and 

caring leader with a listening ear, 

said that Lejja people are 

thankful to the governor for 

paying an unscheduled visit on 

two occasions to their 

community to inspect their long 

neglected road (Lejja-Aku road), 

and immediately commenced 

Mbaka's ministry reopens after months 

of closure ....As punishment for incendiary political speech 

By Anayo Okoli 

E Adoration 

NUGU—THE 

Prayer 

Ministry, Emene, Enugu, under 

the supervision of fiery clergy, 

Rev. Ejike Mbaka, has been 

reopened by the Enugu Catholic 

Diocese, after some months of 

forceful closure. 

The ministry was closed by the 

Enugu Catholic Bishop, Rev. 

Callistus Onaga, following 

controversial political comments 

work on the road. 

Describing Gov. Ugwuanyi’s 

gesture as unprecedented, Prof. 

Opata also told the governor that 

“the road had been in a pitiable 

condition for many decades, but 

you came on your own and made 

some difference today. 

“You have transformed the 

place, you have directed 

immediate commencement of 

work on that road and the 

workers are currently working 

on the road. We are thanking 

you, Your Excellency.” The 

Mbaka made against the 

presidential candidate of the 

Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi. 

The closure attracted 

condemnation from his followers 

who opposed it. But the Church 

insisted on closing it as the clergy 

seemed to be using the ministry 

as a political forum to talk politics 

and create political tension. 

Though details of conditions 

for reopening the ministry were 

unknown, in a statement issued 

himself, Father Mbaka, 

erudite professor, on behalf of the 

people of Lejja and Uwani Lejja 

communities, equally 

appreciated the governor for the 

appointment of their sons and 

daughters into sensitive 

government positions, saying: 

“We are thanking you 

immensely for our children that 

you have employed into the 

state service, those you 

appointed into International 

Fund for Agricultural 

Development; those in the 

Enugu State Post Primary 

Schools Management Board; 

water corporation, finance 

service, and numerous others." 

confirming the reopening of the 

ministry said: “To the glory of 

God, Adoration Ministries starts 

on Sunday 2nd October 2022 

with 10 am Mass. God bless you 

miraculously as you come joyfully 

to worship God with us". 

It is believed that the 

leadership of the Catholic 

Diocese of Enugu must have 

thoroughly cautioned him 

and handed him codes of 

conduct before reopening the 

ministry. 

PDP mum as multi-million naira 

bribery scandal rocks NWC 

•6 officers return money paid into their accounts 

By John Alechenu 

A 

fresh crisis of confidence 

has hit the National 

Working Committee, NWC, of the 


over an alleged bribery scandal 

involving senior members of the 

party leadership. 

The lid on the scandal was 

blown, yesterday, following the 

decision by Southern NWC 

members to return sums ranging 

from N28 million to N36 million, 

alleged to be money given out as 

bribes to induce them to ignore 

allegations of the 

misappropriation of N10 billion 

by the National Chairman, 

Senator Iyorchia Ayu. 

No fewer than four NWC 

members, including the Deputy 

National Chairman (South), 

Taofeek Arapaja, returned 

millions of naira in cheques. 

Others who returned various 

sums include the National 

Women Leader, Prof. Stella Effah- 

Attoe, and the National Vice- 

Chairman, South-South, Dan 

Orbih. 

Ikpeazu vows to fix Ariaria 

market flood, donates N10m 

to victims 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

U MUAHIA—ABIA 

State Governor, Dr. 

Okezie Ikpeazu, has vowed to fix 

the flood problem at the Ariaria 

international market, Aba, and 

donated N10 million to traders 

who lost their goods to the flood. 

Ikpeazu, who stated this during 

a meeting with the traders at 

Government Lodge, Aba, 

explained that he would have 

failed as a governor if he 

concludes his tenure without 

putting an end to the flood 

menace at the market, which 

had defied past administrations. 

The governor stated that 

he had always been disturbed 

by the plight of the traders, which 

was what necessitated him 

Rights crusader condemns 

discrimination against women 

By Anayo Okoli 

ENUGU—A 

women 

rights crusader, Goodness 

Philips, has risen against all forms 

of discrimination against women 

in Nigeria, particularly in 

Igboland. 

Phillips also condemned all 

manners of gender-based 

violence in the country.. 

She listed such discriminations 

to include harmful cultural 

practices: denying women the 

right of family inheritance, 

shaving widows against their 

wish, forcing girl child into early 

THE Gospel Baptist 

Conference of Nigeria, 

GBCN, Youth Wing, has 

organised a conference in a 

continued effort to sensitise 

Nigerians on the need to 

participate fully and choose 

credible leaders ahead of the 

2023 general elections. 

The conference was held at the 

FESTAC parish of the church, in 

Lagos, last Saturday, as the 

youths, being members of a 

branch of the GBC in Nigeria and 

Overseas, played host to the 

Vigour Youths Network, VYN, a 

civil society organisation 

promoting democracy in 

Nigeria. 

Araphaja returned N36 million 

paid to him, while Effah-Attoe 

and Orbih each returned N28 

million. 

The trio, in separate letters 

addressed to the National 

Chairman, claimed that the 

money, which was paid into their 

accounts under the guise of 

housing allowances, was 

suspicious. 

It was also learned that the 

National Vice Chairman, South- 

East, Dr. Alli Odefa; the National 

Vice-Chairman, South-West, 

Adagunobi-Oluwatukesi, and 

Deputy National Secretary, Mr. 

Setonji Koshoedo, equally 

returned theirs. 

While letters written by 

Arapaja, Orbih and Effah-Attoe 

to the party were leaked, the 

status of others is still shrouded 

in secrecy. 

The N10 billion in question 

was said to be sums collected 

from the sale of forms and 

nomination fees from aspirants 

seeking for elective political offices 

on the party’s platform. 

The party is yet to respond to 

enquiries as at the time of filing 

this report. 

rehabilitating roads leading to 

the market. 

Stressing that there was no 

motorable road in Aba when he 

assumed office in 2015, Ikpeazu 

noted his efforts in rehabilitating 

the Ekwereazu–Akwa Ibom road 

as well as Ukaegbu, Ehere and 

Faulks roads to boost access to 

the Ariaria market. 

His words; "There's no Abia 

State without Aba and there's 

no Aba without Ariaria market. 

No Governor will succeed 

without paying attention to trade 

and commerce as far as Abia is 

concerned. We will fix the flood 

problem at the market. Ariaria 

market is at the lowest level of 

Aba, but the flood problem will 

soon be a thing of the past. I will 

fail as a governor if I conclude 

my tenure without fixing the 

flood menace at the Ariaria 

market." 

marriage, maltreatment of widows 

by the husband's family, and 

female circumcision among others. 

According to her, these harmful 

cultural practices are just aimed 

at lowering the dignity of women, 

lowering their importance, and 

confining them to the level of 

second-class citizens. 

The women rights activist 

called on the State houses of 

Assembly in Nigeria to enact 

laws prohibiting all manner of 

harmful cultural practices 

against women and any other 

social practices that discriminate 

against women. 

Baptist youths lecture on 

election participation 

"We organised this forum as 

part of our own contribution to 

enlighten our members and all 

the youths in the entire 

federation to brace up and 

exercise their civic roles, during 

the election. This conference 

also affords the audience to be 

aware of what is at stake in the 

2023 polls," says the youth leader, 

Olumuyiwa Onatoyinbo. 

Justice Ighite, President of the 

VYN, in his remarks, said that 

everyone has a role to play in 

the effort to make our democracy 

serve us better and that our 

responsibility is to participate in 

the elections and vote for credible 

candidates.

12—Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 

:Vanguard 

News 

NLC, TUC not doing enough to protect 

democracy— Bayelsa dep gov 

By Emem Idio 

Y Governor ENAGOA—Deputy 

of Bayelsa State, 

Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, 

has expressed worry over the way 

and manner organised labour has 

been tackling issues bordering on 

the welfare of the masses in Nigeria 

in recent times. 

He observed that the performance 

of labour organisations such as the 

Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, and 

Trade Union Congress,TUC, has 

not been too impressive in terms of 

protecting the interest of their 

members, democracy and the 

national economy. 

Ewhrudjakpo spoke when he 

granted audience to National 


GRADUATION: Chief Economic Adviser to Delta State Governor and Coordinator, Delta State Emerging 

Markets Model Initiative, Dr. Kingsley Emu (middle), Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mrs. 

Jennifer Efeviroro (3rd left), Mr. Abraham Akpan of Tech4Dev (2nd right) with best performing beneficiaries 

at EMMI graduation ceremony, in Asaba 

Delta Wealth 

Creation: 

Over 1,520 

youths have 

benefitted 

—Eboh 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—DELTA State Chief 

Job and Wealth Creation Officer, 

Prof Eric Eboh, yesterday, said no 

fewer than 1,520 youths have been 

trained and established under the 

state government's Youth 

Agricultural Entrepreneurs 

Programme, YAGEP, in six circles from 

2015 to 2021. 

Eboh, who disclosed this at the 

Orientation and Farm Enterprise 

Training, OFET, workshop for 2022 

Crop Production YAGEP beneficiaries 

in Asaba, explained that YAGEP 

beneficiaries were also supported in 

various agricultural enterprises 

including poultry, crop production, 

piggery, fish production, agroprocessing 

and agribusiness, from 

2015 to 2021. 

He said: “YAGEP is one of the 

flagship job and wealth creation 

programmes of Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa. YAGEP was inaugurated on 

August 26, 2015, with the aim at 

creating jobs and wealth by training, 

establishing and supporting youths 

to become agricultural entrepreneurs 

gainfully self-employed and 

employers of labour. 

“There are two categories of 

YAGEP: Green YAGEP and Brown 

YAGEP. Green YAGEP refers to 

youths who receive first-time training 

in a chosen agricultural skill followed 

with provision of facilities, materials 

and financial support to start-up and 

run an agricultural enterprise. 

Agricultural skills training under 

Green YAGEP involves full-cycle 

methods and activities encompassing 

instruction, practicals and internship. 

•Tasks labour leaders on effective labour struggle 

President of Amalgamated Union of 

Public Corporations, Civil Service 

Technical and Recreational Services 

Employees, AUPCTRE, Benjamin 

Anthony, and the South-South 

chairpersons of the union in 

Government House, Yenagoa. 

In a statement by his media aide, 

Mr Doubara Atasi, yesterday, he said 

organised labour had lost the 

fervency it was known for in the past, 

when the likes of late Michael Imodu, 

Ali Ciroma, Ovie Kokori, Wariebi 

Agamene of NUPENG and others 

held sway. 

Insisting that the labour 

movement had lost much integrity, 

Ewhrudjakpo noted that labour’s 

silence in the country when most 

public universities had been shut 

for upward of seven months was 

unacceptable. 

He maintained that in the face of 

skyrocketing cost of living in Nigeria 

occasioned by soaring food and fuel 

prices, which had made nonsense of 

the national minimum wage, labour 

cannot afford to be indifferent while 

workers were being subjected to 

economic hardship. 

He called on the labour leaders to 

wake up from what he called “selfinduced 

slumber,” reminding them 

that under their watch, the Federal 

Government had borrowed so 

massively that the national debt 

profile had hit thresholds never 

known in the history of the country. 

While assuring the AUPCTRE 

delegation of government’s support 

for their upcoming conference in 

Bayelsa, Ewhrudjakpo pledged that 

the Governor Douye Diri 

administration would continue to 

prioritize the welfare of workers in 

the state. 

Earlier, Anthony acknowledged 

the labour-friendly disposition of the 

state government, which explains 

the reason the union conferred a 

special award on Governor Diri earlier 

this year. 

According to Anthony, the team 

was in Bayelsa for the State 

Delegates Conference holding in 

Yenagoa, the state capital. 

Obaseki didn’t endorse Obi, will 

work for Atiku — Aide 

BENIN 

CITY—Governor 

Godwin Obaseki of Edo State 

has said that he has not endorsed 

Labour Party presidential candidate, 

Mr. Peter Obi, but he would work for 

the flagbearer of his party, the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku 

Abubakar. 

The governor’s aide on media, 

Crusoe Osagie, in a statement, 

Wednesday, described as “false and 

malicious” reports that Obaseki 

endorsed Obi. 

He said: “No statement to such 

effect originated from the governor. 

The story is being peddled by 

detractors with ulterior motives, 

intent on misleading and 

misinforming members of the public 

for their selfish interest. 

“Governor Obaseki has, from the 

onset of the electioneering cycle, 

been at the forefront of the campaign 

for our great party, the PDP, its 

2023: APC bombarded Nigerians with 

propaganda in 2015 —PDP Chair, Esiso 

By Chancel 

Sunday 

BOMADI—Delta 

State 

Chairman of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. 

Kingsley Esiso, yesterday, tasked 

Nigerians not to swallow the bait 

of propaganda campaigns 

orchestrated by the ruling All 

Progressives Congress, APC, over 

the 2023 elections to correct the 

mistakes of 2015. 

Esiso gave the task when the 

leadership of the party in the state 

converged on Bomadi, 

headquarters of Patani/Bomadi 

federal constituency, to address 

party faithful on preparation for 

the 2023 campaigns. 

Addressing party members, 

Esiso said: “We’re here to prepare 

ourselves for the 2023 

campaigns. I want to beg all of 

you on the need for us to work 

together because we want to win 

elections. 

“Leaders of Bomadi and 

Patani, party primaries have 

come and gone, candidates have 

emerged and it’s the 

responsibility of every party man 

and woman to ensure 

candidates of the party emerged 

victorious, and we must remain 

strong and united. 

“If anyone offended you in the 

course of the primaries, please 

forgive and forget, let bygone be 

bygone, please forgive one 

another as people in one family. 

“To our party candidates, don’t 

assume that because you’re a 

candidate, you’re a superstar. 

Don’t assume that because today 

you’ve emerged party candidate, 

you’ve won, no. It’s your 

responsibility to appeal to 

everybody in the constituency to 

vote for you because every vote 

counts. 

“In 2014 and 2015, the APC 

bombarded Nigerians with 

propaganda, they told us that in 

six months, the issue of insecurity 

would be a thing of the past. 

Today, our women can no longer 

go to the farm, people are dying 

everyday, our roads are no longer 

safe and women are being raped 

everyday. 

“The logo of insecurity is so 

candidate, Abubakar, and his 

running mate, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa. 

“The public is hereby warned to 

watch out the antics of quacks and 

unprofessional media organisations 

as well as unscrupulous individuals, 

seeking to misinform and stir 

confusion with their outright fake 

news. 

“Obaseki, as the leader of the PDP 

in Edo State, will deploy his massive 

support base to ensure the victory of 

our party and its candidates in the 

forthcoming 2023 general elections. 

much in this country today that 

even the president’s convoy has 

been attacked on the roads, that’s 

where we are today and that’s the 

issue. 

“They told us in 2014/2015 that 

when voted into power, one dollar 

will be equivalent to one naira and 

electricity supply will be increased by 

10,000 megawatts, but today, one 

dollar is about N750, they could not 

even add one megawatt and our 

economy is in shambles. 

“We’ve also been told by clear 

international statistics that Nigeria 

is headquarters of poverty in the 

world. 

“Nigeria is sick and we cannot 

afford to hand over governance of 

this country to a sick president again, 

Nigeria is suffering and we want to 

rescue this country from APC’s 

misrule.” 

However, in his response, 

lawmaker representing Patani/ 

Bomadi federal constituency, 

Nicholas Mutu, said the essence of 

the meeting was for reconciliation 

among aggrieved party members, 

stressing: “Bomadi/Patani is PDP and 

PDP is Bomadi/Patani.” 

Flood: Fear grips Bayelsa 

communities over rising 

water level 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

YENAGOA—FEARS 

that 

flood may again ravage the 

riverine communities in Bayelsa 

State have heightened, following the 

rising water level across the state. 

Though flooding is a perennial 

occurrance in the fresh water areas 

of the state, causing hardship for 

residents, this year’s volume of water 

is now a source of concern in 

communities located on the fringe of 

the River Niger and its tributaries of 

River Forcados and River Nun, as 

well as the creeks and rivulets. 

Vanguard learned that the rising 

river has already burst its bank in 

neighbouring Patani community in 

Delta State, while Elemebiri on the 

Bayelsa flank is also affected. 

Also, other communities on the 

Bayelsa stretch of the lower River 

Niger are on the throes of being 

submerged. 

Residents of Asamabiri, 

Akpabio bags CSOs Rescue 

Mission Ambassador award 

By Chioma 

Onuegbu 

Uyo —Immediate past Minister 

of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator 

Godswill Akpabio, has bagged 

“Recue Mission Ambassador’ award 

in recognition of his unparalleled 

impact in Akwa Ibom State and the 

country at large. 

A statement by his Chief Press 

Secretary, Mr. Jackson Udom, in Uyo, 

Akwa Ibom State, yesterday, said the 

FUNS flags off agric initiative, 

scholarship scheme in 

Ndokwa 

By Emma Okogba 

AS parts of efforts to empower 

students of Ndokwa Nation, the 

apex Ndokwa students body, 

Federated Union of Ndokwa 

Students, FUNS, has commenced 

its student programme entitled 

“Project Olile-Enya Echi” to carter 

and create wealth for members. 

Speaking on the theme, 

“Sensitisation on the importance of 

quality education for a wellstructured 

governance,” the Rector 

of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi 

Uku, Prof. Emmanuel Achuenu, 

Ekperiwari, Aduku, Anibeze and 

Adagbabiri among others in 

Sagbama LGA, it was further 

learned, are racing against time to 

harvest what they could from their 

farmlands, some of which are already 

flooded. 

Also affected are communities on 

the corridor of the Nun River such 

as Agbere, Odi, Kaiama and Tombia 

community in Ekpetiama Kingdom. 

A resident of Adagbabiri, who 

simply identified herself as Ebiye said: 

“As you know, we are living very 

close to the River Forcados and it 

has overflown its banks upstream 

and this is just the beginning.” 

But a government official who 

spoke under anonymity assured 

residents of safety of their lives and 

property. 

He said the government had 

commenced the clearing of 

drainages for free flow of water into 

designated canals in the state as 

well as partnering relevant agencies 

to mitigate the effects of the 

impending flooding. 

Anxiety as Edo govt 

demolishes buildings, recovers 

1,229 hectares of land 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

BENIN CITY — THERE 

was anxiety among residents 

and land owners on the Irhirhi- 

Obazagbon–Ogheghe road in Benin 

City, Edo State, as five bulldozers 

were sighted demolishing structures 

and buildings in the area, which the 

state government said it was to make 

room for the development of a new 

town project. 

To forestall any resistance from the 

area, which has been notorious for 

violent clashes over land ownership 

and sometimes resulting in deaths, 

the state government, Wednesday, 

imposed a 24-hour curfew in the area 

and when Vanguard visited the long 

stretch of the about 15 kilometre road 

across the communities, it was devoid 

of all commercial activities. 

Shops were not opened for 

businesses, including all schools, 

churches, hotels, restaurants and 

others. 

Addressing journalists at 

Government House, yesterday, 

state Commissioner for 

Communication and Orientation, 

Chris Nehikhare, said: “The land 

was acquired in 2017 for the new 

town project but had been 

encroached upon by land 

speculators. The area repossessed 

used to be the Ogba Forest Reserve 

at the time of the acquisition. 

“The repossession exercise is part 

of Governor Obaseki’s renewed 

campaign against land-grabbing in 

the state, aimed at restoring sanity 

in land administration in the state. 

“The government has taken over 

all the buildings within the Ogba 

River Forest Reserve and is removing 

all buildings, except for those it may 

use as offices. 

"We thank all security agencies, 

members of the affected 

communities, the general public and 

the Ministries Departments and 

Agencies, MDAs, involved with the 

exercise for their cooperation." 

award was bestowed on Akpabio by 

Coalition of Civil Society 

Organisations On Gender Equality, 

Child Protection Leadership and 

Good Governance, CSOGCLG, on 

Wednesday, in Abuja. 

He added that the award 

presentation was witnessed by high 

profile persons, while a letter 

conveying the award on Akpabio 

was signed by the Convener, 

Elizabeth Oziri, and Coordinator, 

Chief Celine Orji. 

said education was potent tool for 

national development, admonishing 

students to place premium on their 

educational pursuit to become 

agents of change. 

FUNS President, Anthony Uzu, 

in his remarks, said the project was 

to identify with students with 

outstanding academic performance 

and invest massively in agriculture 

based on the increased consumption 

and rise in prices of farm products. 

He appealed to well-meaning 

indigenes of Ndokwa Nation both 

at home and in diaspora to provide 

financial assistance, land mass for 

cultivation and equipment to enable 

them achieve the noble vision.

C 

M 

Y 

K 




SUMMIT: From left, Sam Egube, Commissioner of Economic, Planning and Budget, Lagos State; Gabriel Idahosa, 

Deputy President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI; Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor, Lagos 

State, and Mary Iwelumo, Co-chair, Lagos Economic Summit 2022, during the Private-Public Partnership, Pre- 

Ehingbeti Stakeholders' Engagement, in Lagos, yesterday. 

Buhari, Abdulsalami, Jonathan 

demand issue-based campaigns 

•Peace Accord I signed with Jonathan contributed to peaceful polls in 2015, 

says Buhari •As Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso, others sign peace accord; decry 

fake news, misinformation, Tinubu absent 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru & 

Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA—POLITICAL parties 

and their presidential 

candidates yesterday signed the 

first peace accord for the 2023 

general elections, with President 

Muhammadu Buhari, former 

Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami, 

and ex-President Goodluck 

Jonathan, demanding issuedbased 

campaigns. 

The peace deal was sealed with 

the General Abdusalami 

Abubakar-led National Peace 

Committee at the International 

Conference Centre, 

Abuja.Although candidate of the 

ruling All Progressives Congress, 

APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed 

Tinubu, was conspicuously 

absent at the event, his running 

mate, Senator Kassim Shettima, 

participated in the peace 

agreement. 

Among the presidential 

candidates who were at the event 

were Atiku Abubakar of Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP; Mr Peter 

Obi of Labour Party, LP; Rabiu Musa 

Kwankwaso of New Nigerian 

Peoples Party, NNPP: and 

Omoyele Sowore of African Action 

Congress, AAC. 

Speaking variously at the event, 

President Buhari, Abdusalami 

Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan 

tasked political actors to shun 

actions that could threaten the 

peace of the nation as they head 

to the field for campaigns, ahead of 

the forthcoming elections. 

President Buhari, while 

speaking through a recorded video, 

thanked members of the National 

Peace Committee, led by its 

Chairman, General Abdulsalami. 

Abubakar, for their commitment 

and dedication to supporting 

peaceful elections in Nigeria and 

for facilitating peace generally 

across the country. 

He, however, expressed concern 

over the rising level of fake news 

and misinformation in the country, 

noting that the development 

portends grave danger to the 

nation's democracy. 

"As the President, I have always 

reiterated my commitment to a 

peaceful, credible and transparent 

elections, and what the Peace 

Committee has been doing over 

the years, aligns with my belief that 

Nigeria needs peace in order to 

achieve credible elections. 

"However, the rise of fake news 

and misinformation continues to 

pose a significant threat to the 

pattern of democracy in 

Nigeria,"he said. 

According to him, democracy in 

the country has "shifted focus away 

from issue-based campaigns to 

amplifying the potential for personal 

attacks, insults, and incitement. 

"It has also significantly 

diminished the civility and decency 

in public discourse and debate. 

The initiatives undertaken by the 

National Peace Committee to 

commit all political actors to issuebased 

campaigns, devoid of 

incitement, personal insults and 

attacks, is a welcome development. 

"The 2023 general election is 

more than an election, it is an 

opportunity to serve Nigeria, to 

defend Nigeria and to uphold her 

unity and progress. 

"Therefore, I call on all Nigerians, 

political parties, politicians, security 

agencies, the election 

management body (Independent 

National Electoral Commission – 

INEC), and all stakeholders to 

ensure that Nigeria is placed first 

above regional and sectional 

claims.'' 

Chairman of the National Peace 

Committee, General Abdusalami 

Abubakar, retd, in his welcome 

remarks, regretted that campaigns 

had shifted focus from issues to 

other unwholesome acts. 

He said: "It has shifted focus 

away from issue-based campaigns 

and created the platform for political 

parties to resort to name calling, 

personal insults and character 

assassination. 

"In 2015, the National Peace 

Committee signed only one peace 

accord, committing the then 

candidates to accepting the 

outcome of the votes as long as 

they are adjudged to be free, fair 

and credible. 

''In 2019, the same peace accord 

was signed twice, both close to the 

elections, to commit the candidates 

to a peaceful electoral process. This 

feat was repeated during the offseason 

elections in different states. 

"The members of the Peace 

Committee would like to thank 

the political parties, party 

chairmen, candidates and, indeed, 

all-party members for turning up 

in both 2015 and 2019. Despite all 

the challenges, our efforts 

contributed significantly to 

mitigating violent conflict in these 

elections. 

"Now that the 2023 general 

election is around the corner, issues 

of major concern that have the 

potential to negatively impact on 

the integrity are emerging. One of 

such issues is the spread of fake 

news. Thus, fake news and 

misinformation continue to pose a 

significant threat to the 2023 

elections. 

"It has shifted focus away from 

issue-based campaigns and 

created the platform for political 

parties to resort to name calling, 

personal insults and character 

assassination. 

"It has taken away our civility 

and decency in public discourse 

and conversations and created a 

toxic atmosphere that has the 

potential to incite citizens against 

the state, against other political 

parties and candidates. 

"It is for this reason that the 

National Peace Committee has 

organised the signing of two Peace 

Accords for the 2023 general 

elections. 

"The first Peace Accord. which 

holds today, is to commit all political 

parties, presidential candidates 

and their spokespersons to 

peaceful political campaigns and 

rallies, devoid of violence, 

incitement, and personal insults, 

but defined by issues at the very 

heart of national development and 

progress. 

''The second Peace Accord will 

come up shortly before the 

elections, and it is intended to 

commit candidates to accepting the 

outcome of the votes as long as it 

is adjudged to be free, fair and 

credible. 

"It is time for us to promote issuebased 

campaigns. We are calling 

on politicians to address issues that 

are fundamental to the Nigerian 

citizens. We also want to promote 

respect and tolerance for 

differences in opinions. We want 

to ensure that there is civility and 

decency in public discourse." 

In his remarks, former President 

Goodluck Jonathan, who also 

spoke via a recorded video played 

at the event, commended the 

resilience and commitment of 

members of the National Peace 

Committee to peace in Nigeria and 

their efforts towards ensuring 

peaceful elections in the country. 

While extending his greetings 

to all the presidential candidates, 

other candidates contesting other 

levels of elections and other 

compatriots for their patriotism and 

interest in the peace of the country, 

Jonathan urged everyone to 

continue to share in the prayers 

and enthusiasm of the Peace 

Committee for a peaceful, free and 

fair elections in our nation. 

He said: " The task of ensuring 

peaceful elections in 2023 is our 

collective responsibility Although 

we are all key stakeholders, I must 

say that it behoves on the 

candidates and the leaders of the 

various parties to lead the process 

for peaceful elections in our 

country." 

"We are at a critical stage in our 

national life where we have no 

choice but to promote national 

cohesion, love and hope, in order 

to make the desired progress. 

"We cannot afford to continue to 

play politics of bitterness and 

division along ethnic and religious 

lines. This is because such kind of 

politics portends great danger to 

our unity, growth and the 

sustenance of our democracy. 

"We have to be mindful of the 

destructive impact of hate speech, 

fake news and mindless 

propaganda, especially in a clime 

where the fabric of unity and 

stability still needs to be 

strengthened. 

" I charge the candidates, their 

promoters and supporters to 

exercise restraint and seek to run 

their campaigns based on issues 

that affect our people. They should, 

by all means, avoid needless 

attacks on personalities and use 

of abusive language for those are 

the elements that cause chaos 

and crisis during elections. 

"Political stability and growth of 

democracy in any country are 

usually measured by the quality 

of elections. In this regard, we 

expect our democracy to be 

consolidated in such a way that 

our electoral processes will be seen 

to record incremental progress at 

the end of every election cycle. 

" Unfortunately, this has not 

been the case, as there are signs 

of inconsistencies with the 

progress we make in our elections. 

As citizens of this great country, 

we all have the responsibility to 

redirect our steps, strive to work 

harder and do the right thing to 

avoid the stagnation of our 

democracy. 

"Since I left office in 2015, I have 

been involved in the process of 

promoting democracy across 

Africa. My experience as an 

election observer, having led 

observation missions to many 

countries, is that many African 

countries are working hard to 

improve their elections and 

deepen the roots of democracy in 

their land. 

" Many of us will recall that 

elections held recently in Kenya, 

Ghana and The Gambia and I am 

pleased that peaceful outcomes 

were recorded in those countries. 

" In 2023, I expect our country to 

raise the bar for credible and 

transparent elections by ensuring 

that our electoral processes are 

peaceful, free and fair.'' 

Strike: Reps broker peace 

between govt, ASUU 

•Union holds meeting with Accountant-General 

•Labour Minister, HoS, Budget Office DG, 

NITDA warn against using multiple, failed 

payment systems •It's only in Nigeria that 

university lecturers 're paid through AGF's office 

—ASUU 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—THE leadership of 

House of Representatives 

yesterday brokered a meeting 

between the Academic Staff Union 

of Universities, ASUU, and the 

office of the Accountant-General 

of the Federation. 

The meeting came after three 

weeks of deliberations with the 

union and all the relevant 

government agencies to resolve the 

teething issues that necessitated 

the seven months old strike of the 

lecturers. 

Speaker of the House, Femi 

Gbajabiamila who led the principal 

officers to the meeting, had 

enquired from the Accountant- 

General and the NITDA if the 

universities payment systems 

could be reevaluated. 

While the Direct-General of 

National Information Technology 

Development Agency, NITDA, 

Kashifu Inuwa, said all three 

payment systems, including the 

University Transparency and 

Accountability Solution, UTAS; 

Integration Personnel and 

Information System, IPPIS and 

U3PS, failed integrity test and as 

such could not be relied upon, the 

Accountant general, Sylvia 

Okolieaboh, called for a meeting 

with ASUU to resolve the issues. 

Okolieaboh said: "If there are 

peculiarities in the university 

salaries system, what we need to 

do is to sit down with ASUU and 

identify and address them in IPPIS. 

''What we need to do, in my own 

opinion is to sit down with ASUU 

and know what the issues are and 

address them inside IPPS. 

"One of the risks I'm adopting 

UTAS is that every body will come 

and say give us our own salary. As 

we speak, the military is on IPPIS, 

the police is on IPPIS. They have 

their own peculiarities. What we 

need to do is sit down. IPPIS is not 

a perfect system". 

Also speaking, the NITDA DG 

said they were waiting for further 

directive from the government to 

continue with the testing of the 

solutions. 

"Our interactions with ASUU 

started in 2020. We keep 

identifying issues. We are always 

willing to continue with these 

engagements. We ended the last 

test in June 2022. We are waiting 

for directive to continue. 

By John Alechenu 

ABUJA—THE 

Vice- 

Presidential Candidate of 


in the 2023 elections, Senator 

Ifeanyi Okowa, has implored 

party members to take 

advantage of the lack of 

preparedness of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, and 

all other political parties to sell 

the PDP brand. 

Okowa made the call at the 

inaugural meeting of PDP’s 

Presidential Campaign Council, 

PCC, in Abuja yesterday. 

He cited an example with the 

confusion which trailed the 

selection of vice-presidential 

candidates by most of the other 

political parties as well as the 

delay in the setting up and 

''The last engagement was on 

the directive of the Chief of Staff to 

the President. We have three 

solutions - UTAS, U3PS and 

IPPIS. Based on professional 

advice, these solutions have failed. 

There are vulnerabilities in them 

as we identified. As far as university 

payment system is concerned, 

these three solutions have failed," 

he said. 

On his part, the Director 

General of Budget Office, Ben 

Akabueze, informed the 

lawmakers that they were opposed 

to adopting multiple solutions, 

stressing that they would be 

expensive to fund. 

Similarly, the Head of Service, 

Yemi Esan, said: "At this particular 

time, the country may not afford 

two payment platform at this time. 

Running two platforms will be 

extremely expensive at this time. 

If we are using UTAS or IPPIS, 

let's flush it and use it." 

On his part, the Minister of 

Labour, Chris Ngige, lauded the 

House leadership for the initiative, 

encouraging ASUU to stick with 

IPPIS to address their grievances. 

He, however, regretted that 

ASUU hurriedly went on strike 

when negotiations were still 

ongoing without his notice, 

stressing he would not accept the 

failed systems. 

But the president of ASUU, 

Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, 

said it was not the first time the 

government was making a promise 

of looking into the issues and failed. 

Quoting the University 

Miscellaneous Act, the union 

insisted on the autonomy of the 

university system, saying Nigeria 

was the only country where 

salaries of lecturers were paid 

through office of the accountantgeneral. 

On UTAS, he said: "We have two 

options. Use the one we have 

developed. Is there any other 

country in the world where the 

salaries of universities are paid by 

the office of accountant general. 

No country in the world will harvest 

the data of their university 

lecturers and give to a foreign 

company. 

"The Nigerian people have a law 

that says that the Universities are 

autonomous. What we want is real 

accountability. Allow the 

Universities to operate on the basis 

of the laws of the country.'' 

2023: We must take advantage 

of APC’s unpreparedness, 

Okowa tasks PDP 

inauguration of their campaign 

councils. 

While congratulating members 

of the PCC for their selection as 

members, the Delta State 

governor expressed confidence 

that the calibre of persons in the 

PDP campaign was a clear 

indication of PDP’s preparedness 

to return to power in 2023. 

He said: “Our strength and 

size of our followers, as leaders, 

will be best tested and harnessed 

in our units and wards. So, I urge 

every leader and member of the 

party to return to their homes 

because that is where the 

elections will be won.“ 

Okowa appealed to leaders and 

all other members of the party to 

return to their units and wards 

across the country to mobilise the 

people, saying the elections 

would be won at the grassroots.


Troubled by bandits, rattled by 

furious floods, North's woes deepen 

Northerners made a mistake in 

2015 — CNG 

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo 

AHEAD of the 2023 general 

elections, Northerners have 

been urged not the repeat the mistake 

of 2015 where the North, for 

the first time, closed all religious 

and ethnic gaps and voted in one 

direction with incredible expectations 

that leaders they elected will 

get them through and out of challenges 

bordering on security and the 

economy. 

Speaking at a Sensitisation rally 

organised by the Coalition of Northern 

Groups, CNG, at the Arewa 

House Kaduna on yesterday, Abdul- 

Azeez Suleiman, Spokesperson of 

the CNG, said indeed the North 

made a mistake in 2015 so that the 

deliberate commission or omission 

of the people they trusted with power 

has inadvertently isolated the region 

politically, economically and 

socially as a result of which the once 

portent and progressive region is 

today begging not only for food, but 

for a place in the nation’s future 

political arrangement. 

According to him: “The North 

has been abandoned to a critical 

security situation with its women 

widowed, children orphaned, youths 

maimed and killed and people displaced 

by the thousands. The simple 

explanation for the region’s current 

predicaments is that its self-centred 

leaders merely misused all those 

decades of power for self-serving 

purposes at the expense of the ma- 

Continues on page 15 

•Submerged houses following flood surge in Makurdi, Benue State 

By Peter Duru (Makurdi), 

Umar Yusuf (Yola), Ndahi 

Marama (Damaturu & 

Maiduguri) &Ibrahim Hassan- 

Wuyo (Kaduna) 

MANY communities in the 

Northern part of Nigeria 

have been troubled on virtually all 

fronts in recent weeks through no fault 

of theirs. They are just victims of calamities 

foisted on them by nature and 

evil men. While the unceasing attacks 

on them by bandits and terrorists persist, 

they have come under serious 

threats posed by heavy rainfall and 

the overflow of major rivers and dams 

located in the region. They are helpless 

in most situations and are at the 

mercy of the troubling elements. 

Flooding, caused in most cases heavy 

rains, has continued to wreak havoc 

on the hapless natives in a way they 

have never experienced in past years. 

Arewa Voice correspondents in Maiduguri, 

Damaturu, Makardi, Kaduna 

and Yola capture the devastation, 

pains and tears caused by overflowing 

rivers and furious rainfalls. 

23 killed, 104 communities submerged 

in Benue flood 

In Benue State, the overflow of River 

Benue has caused untold hardship 

to the communities living around the 

river banks and left them in a state of 

despair. From Makurdi to Guma 

down to Agatu Local Government 

Areas, it has been pathetic tales by 

victims of the flood that is sweeping 

through the state. No fewer than 11 of 

the state’s local government areas are 

badly affected by the flooding. 

So far 104 communities have gone 

under water in the affected LGAs with 

Agatu, a riverine LGA being the most 

hit, with people sleeping in the open 

and road shoulders to avoid being 

swept away by the high tide. 

Makurdi the state capital is next in 

line to Agatu. A large portion of the 

state capital is currently under water 

which has also left thousands of displaced 

families without accommodation 

or place of succour. 

The sudden surge has already submerged 

residential houses, hotels, 

school, churches, mosques, markets 

and business places, while the highbrow 

Judges Quarters and adjoining 

communities are already being 

threatened as the water level has kept 

increasing by the hour. 

Already under the fast rising water 

level are Kucha Utebe community, 

Gyado Villa community, parts of the 

Benue State University Teaching 

Hospital, the Wurukum Abattoir and 

Timber Market, Wurukum Tipper 

Park, Mu, the densely populated Angwan 

Jukun, Wadata and New Garage 

areas of the state capital, including 

the Marine Police office in the town 

while more communities are getting 

submerged by the hour in a disaster 

that is comparable to the 2012 experience. 

Consequently, the water sources in 

the devastating communities have 

been polluted leaving residents and the 

displaced persons exposed to waterborne 

diseases. 

The devastation has forced the 

Benue State Commissioner for Water 

Resources and Environment, Dr. Godwin 

Oyiwona, to raise the alarm that 

the surging water level of the river had 

risen to a level of 11.1 metres on the 

flood gauge just as it was in 2012 when 

the same river overshot its banks to 12 

metres on the gauge which submerged 

major portions of Makurdi town and 

several communities in the state. 

According to official figures by 

SEMA Executive Secretary, the surging 

flood had already claimed 23 lives 

in four LGAs of the state while 74 others 

sustained serious injuriesbetween 

June 16 and September 24, 2022. 

He said the flood had also sacked a 

total of 116,084 persons from their 

homes while 12,856 households were 

affected in the disaster. 

The Executive Secretary noted that 

104 communities in 11 LGAs including 

Agatu, Apa, Tarka, Gboko, Gwer 

West, Logo, Guma Vandeikya, Otukpo, 

Katsina-Ala and Makurdi have all 

gone under water while 4,411 houses 

had so far been submerged in the affected 

LGAs and 14,040 hectares of 

farmland washed away. 

Dr. Shior explained that responders 

from the agency were still profiling 

more victims, lamenting that the 

state government was already overwhelmed 

by the situation. 

Dr. Shior assured that the government 

had put measures in place to 

provide succour for the victims but lamented 

that there was no available 

space to establish a temporary camp 

for the victims. Some of the victims of 

the flooding, while narrating their 

ordeal to AV, called for urgent assistance 

to mitigate their plight. 

One of them, Samuel Anemba, disclosed 

that the flood came unexpectedly: 

"It started bit by bit and we thought 

it was due to the rain. But the level kept 

rising until my family house got submerged. 

Luckily we were all around 

to move most of our belongings out of 

the house. However several of our 

household items that we could not remove 

on time got submerged. 

"The entire thing is shocking; we are 

devastated because nobody expected 

this. The water level is rising fast and 

increasing by the minutes. This is a 

similar experience we had in 2012. We 

heard that the Cameroonian authorities 

have started releasing water from 

the Lagdo Dam just like what happened 

in 2012. Though after that year's 

disaster, the Federal Government was 

expected to dredge the river but it was 

all promises and no action. We are all 

traumatized because we have no 

where to go to as I speak with you. I 

am appealing to the Federal and State 

Government to come to our aid because 

the devastation is beyond us." 

On his part, Pastor Obi Kelechukwu 

said: "I have been living here in 

Kucha Utebe for two years now and 

this is the first time I am seeing this 

unimaginable devastation. 

"It was last week when we started 

noticing the sudden rise in the water 

levels of the river but we thought it 

would go down as the rains subside 

because during rainy season the water 

rises after which it goes down. 

"In this instance, it started coming 

little by little and people relaxed 

thinking that it will stop until it became 

serious. You can see that people 

are still packing and running away 

from their houses because up till this 

moment the water level is steadily increasing 

and no doubt more houses 

will go under water. But we are hoping 

for God's intervention because the 

situation is not good at all given the 

economic situation." 

Unfortunately, none 

of these communities 

has a primary 

school premises 

where we normally 

provide as temporary 

shelter 

Yobe, Borno ravaged by hunger, 

diseases following flooding 

The situation in Yobe State is equally 

devastating, especially for thousands 

of people living and doing business 

in Damakarwa, Awakurari and 

Kirkasama communities of Gaidam 

Local Government Area of the state, 

whose houses and farmlands have 

also been washed away and their 

means of livelihood stifled by the troubling 

floods caused by heavy rain falls. 

This has triggered hunger and diseases. 

In Borno State where the flooding 

has hit hard, there are reports of outbreak 

of cholera and other waterborne 

diseases. Many have been 

forced to sleep on open spaces while 

others have been without food and 

clean water for days due to the flooding. 

Prior to this incident, flooding had 

Kaduna govt compiling details of 

those affected by flooding 

In Kaduna State, although the situation 

cannot be compared to that of 

Jigawa, some communities especially 

those neigboring the River Kaduna, 

were affected by the flood. The Kaduravaged 

many communities of Gujba, 

Gulani, Jakusko, Buni-Yadi in 

Yobe State, and also communities in 

Damboa, Maiduguri Metropolis, 

Kala Balge, Dikwa and a host of others 

in Borno State, leading to deaths 

and destruction of houses and farmlands. 

"We are suffering with no food 

to eat and no place to put our heads as 

our houses, foodstuffs and livestock 

have been destroyed by the heavy 

flooding,”Abba Yau, one of the victims 

of the flood lamented. 

"Our children are dying of hunger, 

malaria and other illnesses associated 

with the disaster; it is very sympathetic," 

the husband of two wives and 

eight children added. 

But the Executive Chairman of 

Gaidam Council area, Mr. Ali Kolo, 

told AV that urgent steps were being 

taken to provide succour for the victims 

but lamented the absence of a 

public primary school in the local 

government which is hindering rehabilitation 

of the victims. "From the 

information at my disposal, about 70 

households were affected in each of 

the communities. Presently, officials 

of SEMA have been contacted and I 

believe they have started proper response 

for the plight of the victims. 

"Unfortunately, none of these communities 

has a primary school premises 

where we normally provide as temporary 

shelter,” Kolo said. 

But as a result of the incident, unspecified 

numbers of people have been 

reportedly killed following an outbreak 

of cholera in several communities 

of Ngalda, Kukargadu, Bumsa, 

Gulani, Buni Gari, Tarmuwa among 

others in Yobe State which suffered 

heavy flooding in the past one month. 

No fewer than 20 people have reportedly 

died in Gwoza Local Government 

Area of nearby Borno State 

following an outbreak of strange diseases 

suspected to be cholera. 

But the good news is that the Borno 

Government has ordered immediate 

provision of assistance to the flood 

victims to cushion their suffering. The 

Flood Disaster Committee led by the 

Deputy Governor, Umar Usman Kadafur, 

said the items donated to the 

victims by the Borno State Government 

and the North East Development 

Commission are meant to serve as 

emergency support pending a permanent 

solution to their plight. 

The deputy governor and his entourage 

were also at the 81 Division 

Task Force Battalion Dikwa where the 

Acting Commander Major Oyemedan 

said the Base have been taken over 

by flood, thereby making life very difficult 

for the soldiers and appealed 

for urgent solution to address the problem. 

Major Oyemedan also appealed 

•Residents wading through the flood to reach their devastated homes 

to the state government to consider 

providing the military facility with 

perimeter fencing, as the area is vulnerable 

to dangerous animals like 

snakes and other pests. 

30 dead, 325 communities sacked 

by flood in Adamawa 

In Adamawa, no fewer than 15 of 

the 21 local government areas of Adamawa 

State are affected by severe 

flooding with attendant destruction of 

lives and properties. Mostly affected 

are LGAs at the bank of the River 

Benue such as Yola North, Yola South, 

Fufore, Demsa, Numan, Lamurde 

and Guyuk. Others are Shelleng, Mubi 

North, Mubi South, Mayo Belwa and 

adjourning communities of neighboring 

Taraba and Gombe states. 

Three dams: Lagdo Dam in Cameroun, 

Dadin Kowa in Gombe and 

the Kiri Dam in Adamawa are said to 

be responsible for the flooding. 

The excess water from the Lagdo 

Dam started flowing downwards in 

early September with its attendant 

destruction of lives, property and farmlands. 

So far, no fewer than 30 persons 

have been confirmed killed and 

over 325 communities ravaged by the 

flood, while 1,750 hectares of farmlands 

submerged and 483 households 

displaced. 

The ravaging flood with has also 

cut off Adamawa with Borno and Yobe 

states as a section of the bridge linking 

the states was washed off along 

Yola – Mubi Federal highways. 

Following havoc caused by the collapse 

of dams across the country, participants 

at a workshops on climate 

change in Yola have called on the Federal 

Government to as a matter of 

urgency evolved a policy in the management 

of dams across the country 

to curtail the present level damages 

by the overflow of waters from such 

dams. The participants noted with regret 

that dams constructed to improve 

agricultural outputs and increase 

yields have now become nightmare 

for cities and villages in different parts 

of Nigeria following collapse of dams 

and its attendant destruction of lives 

and properties. 

Jigawa under siege of flood from 

dams overflow 

In Jigawa State in the North West 

part of the North, the five Emirates 

are all affected by flooding arising 

from heavy rainfall and overflowing 

dams and rivers. The situation became 

worse with the release of water from 

Tiga and Chalawa dams submerging 

the nearby communities and their 

farmlands. It has also turned into a 

catastrophe of an unprecedented dimension, 

turning hundreds of locals 

into IDPs in temporary camps begging 

for humanitarian assurance. 

A Senator from Jigawa, Danladi 

Sankara, has tabled the disaster before 

the Parliament, calling on government 

and other relevant agencies 

to come to the aid of his people, now 

living in primary school buildings 

since their ancestral homes were destroyed 

by severe flooding. 

Continues on page 15

Northerners made a mistake 

in 2015 

Continues from page 14 

jority that was and still is being 

forced through deprived 

education systems, poor 

health conditions and wage 

labour. 

“The CNG is today urging 

you to be less reliant and less 

amenable to divisive political 

party propaganda and empty 

promises that have never, and 

would never be kept. If the 

price of voting along religious, 

ethnic or sectional sentiment 

is to become the most wretched, 

the most distressed, derided 

and most deprived, the 

North must therefore sincerely 

begin to ask itself if that 

price is worth paying.” 

He told the gathering that 

another round of elections in 

2023 has a very special meaning, 

because Nigerians will not 

merely vote to transfer power 

from one administration to 

another, or from one party to 

another, “but we are going to 

vote to transfer power from a 

bankrupt elite, and give it back 

to the people.” 

‘For too long, a small group 

of condescending elite has 

reaped the rewards of government, 

while the people have 

borne the cost. These people 

and their families have flourished, 

but the people did not 

share in the nation’s wealth. 

Politicians and leaders we 

have elected have prospered, 

but the bulk of us are left jobless, 

homeless, helpless and 

hopeless. “The establishment 

protected itself, but not the citizens 

of our country. And while 

these elite celebrate with their 

families celebrated in world 

capitals, there has been nothing 

to celebrate for struggling 

families all across our land. 

“2023 would be special because 

the only thing that will 

truly matter to Citizens is not 

which party or which candidate 

controls our government 

in future, but whether our government 

is controlled by the 

people. 

“At the center of this sensitisation 

initiative by the Coalition 

of Northern Groups 

(CNG) is a crucial conviction 

that a nation must exist to serve 

its citizens. We northerners in 

particular, want good schools 

for our children, secure and 

safe environments for our families, 

and good jobs for ourselves.'' 

“These are just and reasonable 

demands of a people in a 

region from where politicians 

extract the bulk of their winning 

votes, but for too many 

of Northern citizens a different 

reality exists today: Mothers 

and children trapped in 

poverty in our inner cities and 

towns, businesses are closing, 

dead factories scattered across 

the landscape, an education 

system which leaves our 

young and industrious students 

deprived of all knowledge, 

and the crime, and the 

gangs, and the drugs that have 

stolen too many lives and 

robbed the North of so much 

unrealized potential,” he said. 

Earlier Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, 

the National Coordinator 

of CNG, among others, 

said: “We count ourselves privileged 

and pleased to be part 

of the conference. We Salute 

and congratulate the organizers, 

the Kaduna State Chapter 

of CNG. Through their efforts, 

our region and its people 

see new challenges in the 

old and lingering problems. 

Excitement as 17-yr-old 

Bauchi breadwinner goes 

to school for first time 

By Charly Agwam 

BAUCHI —Maryam Al 

hassan, a 17-year-old 

girl from Barkoti, Ningi Local 

Government Area of Bauchi 

State, is elated to be attending 

school for the first time after 

her encounter with the Schoolbased 

Management Committee, 

SBMC, of Sabu-wa-Tiffi 

Primary School Ningi. 

Until two months ago, Maryam, 

the breadwinner of her 

family would hawk kunu 

(milled corn-drink) in the 

morning and boiled groundnut 

in the afternoon in various 

schools around Ningi, to sustain 

her family, even though 

she has been nursing the 

desire to go to school like other 

children. 

"I really wish to go school 

like other children. Every time 

I see other children in their 

classes, I wish I were them. I 

am 17 years old and I live with 

my parents. I would love to help 

my parents with finances but I 

also want to be able to attend 

classes like others. 

"My parents have seven children 

but I am the only one who 

has never been to school. I wish 

I could ask my father why he 

didn't send me to school but I 

can't (because of tradition). I 

hawk different things to help 

my family. I sell kunu in the 

morning and then boiled 

groundnut in the afternoon. I 

make around N1, 500 from 

selling only kunu," Maryam 

had told AV while waiting for 

pupils to patronise her groundnut 

under a mango tree. 

Meanwhile, the school 

committee for Girls Education 

Project 3, GEP3, funded 

by the Foreign, Commonwealth 

and Development Office, 

FCDO, of the UK and 

implemented by UNICEF, intervened 

through the Chairman 

of SBMC, Sabuwa-Tiffi 

Primary School Ningi, Dahiru 

Ali who reached out to 

Alhassan's father to allow her 

attend school like other children 

in the community. 

His words: "We met Maryam's 

father few weeks ago to 

know why his daughter has 

never been to school. After our 

conversation, he agreed that 

Maryam can now go to 

school. However, we will observe 

her closely to know the 

appropriate class for her because 

she has a unique case." 

Speaking with AV, the Executive 

Secretary of Basic Education, 

Ningi Local Government 

Area, Salihu Mahmoud 

said the SBMC has helped to 

increase enrollment drive in 

the area and helped to create 

safe learning environment for 

pupils of various schools. 

"The GEP3 programme, 

which has lasted for eight 

years, has helped our education 

system in many ways. 

During this time, nine primary 

schools and nine secondary 

schools have witnessed enrollment 

drive and safe school 

learning. There is also the 

G4G training where mentors 

have also helped to drive enrollment 

of girls and provided 

psychological support. 

Continues on page 14 

na North Local Government 

Chairman, Muktar Baloni, 

said that part of the local government 

area got flooded and 

the council was compiling details 

of affected houses to assist 

the victims. The Executive Secretary 

of Kaduna State Emergency 

Management Agency, 

KADSEMA, Muhammed 

Mukaddas acknowledged the 

challenges posed by the severe 

flooding across some states and 

the attendant loss of lives and 

property. 

Speaking on what his agency 

has put in place to avert the 

unpleasant consequences, he 

explained that KADSEMA has 

been coordinating stakeholders 


Troubled by bandits, rattled by furious floods, North's woes deepen 

in the state, including the Ministry 

of Environment, in terms 

of desilting drainage channels 

in Kaduna State. 

"We are also sensitising communities 

like Unguwan Romi, 

Kigo Road, Bashama Road, 

Karatudu, Rafin Guza and 

some other areas on the need to 

relocate residences that are 

known to be around floodprone 

areas. We have visited 

four local governments prone 

to flooding following predictions 

by Nigerian Metrological 

Agency, NiMet, and the 

Nigerian Hydrological Services 

Agency, NIHSA. We visited 

these local governments and 

identified higher grounds 

where we intend to move victims 

in the event that the local 

governments face flooding," he 

said. 

“We have also conducted 

coordination meetings where 

we brought together all stakeholders 

and prepared them 

towards flooding. We worked 

closely with one of our donors, 

UNICEF, that graciously 

provided unconditional 

cash transfers to 5,000 households. 

They were assessed 

and supported with the sum 

of N35, 000 each. The funds 

were distributed to them 

through SOKU and Nigerian 

Red Cross. The fund is supposed 

to enable them move 

away from where they are, 

before the downpour gets too 

serious." 

"We have trained Local 

Emergency Management 

Committees. These comprise 

people who were selected 

from local governments as 

enshrined in the National 

Disaster Management 

Framework. Governor Nasir 

el-Rufai, ably represented by 

the Commissioner of Human 

Services and Social Development, 

inaugurated them 

in the month of March 2022. 

So, we have brought them 

together and trained them, to 

know what we expect of them, 

to encourage them to return 

to their local governments 

and cascade what they have 

learnt."

C 

M 

Y 

K 


The Pied Piper 

THE Pied Piper of 

Hamelin is the title 

character of a German legend. 

When I was a schoolchild in 

the UK, my classmates and I 

had to learn a wonderful 

dramatic rhyming poem about 

the Pied Piper off by heart; and 

I still remember most of the 

words 50 years later! 

“The legend,” says online 

encyclopedia, Wikipedia, 

“dates back to the Middle 

Ages, the earliest references 

describing a piper, dressed in 

Peter Obi’s fans 

I 

constantly hear Obi’s rivals 

accusing Obi’s fans of being 

discourteous and intolerant, especially 

on social media platforms. 

I’ve investigated this accusation 

and concluded that the rude 

ones are a minority and no ruder 

than any other gaggle of political 

praise singers, here or 

abroad. 

Tinubu and Atiku, the APC and 

PDP candidates, also have plenty 

of unpleasant and verbally abusive 

acolytes. Ditto those who are 

vociferously campaigning for 

candidates in other parts of the 

world. 

In the UK and US, foulmouthed 

political rants from adherents 

of different political 

camps are commonplace and often 

laced with dangerous racist, 

anti-Semitic, misogynistic, mendacious 

rhetoric. 

So why single out OBIdients 

who lack manners when most 

OBIdients are civil? And why 

carry on as if mannerless OBIdients 

are a uniquely obnoxious 

new phenomenon? And as if 

they are never provoked by 

equally mannerless Atiku and 

Tinubu followers? 

I think the issue here is that 

people don’t expect a political 

“nonentity” newcomer like Obi 

to inspire such passion and allegiance, 

especially since he isn’t 

paying anybody to support him. 

We are accustomed to supporters 

of the big boys verbally insulting 

and physically attacking 

their enemies. I was nearly killed 

•Obi 

multi-coloured (“pied”) 

clothing, who was a rat-catcher 

hired by the town to lure rats 

away with his magic (musical) 

pipe. 

“When the citizens refuse 

to pay for this service as 

promised, he retaliates by 

using his instrument’s magical 

power on their children, 

leading them away as he had 

the rats. This version of the 

story spread as folklore and 

has appeared in the writings 

of the Brothers Grimm, Johann 

by PDP hoodlums at an APC rally 

in Rivers State in 2015. The 

policeman who was standing 

next to me was shot dead. 

When I bitterly complained to 

PDP pals, they commiserated 

with me and then told me about 

similar incidents involving sponsored 

APC thugs. 

And, you can tell that these attacks 

by PDP/APC are sponsored 

by powerful Big Men because 

perpetrators are hardly ever punished. 

Obi’s supporters are harmless 

sheep in wolves clothing by comparison 

and have yet to embrace 

gun-toting murder and mayhem! 

And I’m pretty sure that if 

they dare try it, they will be 

locked up. 

It’s almost as if because Peter 

Obi is an “upstart”, some folks 

are shocked that some of his fans 

have the liver to be disrespectful 

and answer back when their man 

is (often unfairly) insulted! 

All this incessant whingeing 

about the alleged offensiveness 

of all OBIdients boils down to 

Igbophobia and snobbery, if you 

ask me. 

Why single out OBIdients 

who lack manners 

when most OBIdients 

are civil? And why 

carry on as if mannerless 

OBIdients are a 

uniquely obnoxious 

new phenomenon? 

Wolfgang von Goethe and 

Robert Browning, (the 19th 

century British author of the 

poem I never forgot), among 

others. 

“…Pied piper” has become 

a metaphor for a person who 

attracts a following through 

charisma or false promises.” 

And there are many theories 

about the Pied Piper. Some say 

he was a symbol of hope to the 

people of Hamelin because he 

liberated them from a rat 

plague. 

•Osinbajo 

As I watch video after video 

of Peter Obi being followed by 

crowds of ecstatically 

supportive youths, I ask myself 

whether the Labour Party’s 

presidential candidate is the 

Pied Piper of Nigeria. 

Well, he’s certainly a symbol 

of hope and is not short on the 

charisma front and is currently 

leading in opinion polls, 

including one conducted by 

Bloomberg, a serious 

international media 

organisation. 

If Osinbajo had won... 

I 

have some respect for 

Bola Tinubu. A few years 

ago, when he lost his son, my 

Governor (Nyesom Wike) 

asked me to arrange a condolence 

visit. And I did as I was 

told, via a friend who works 

for Tinubu. 

Tinubu was a very affable 

host and I was struck by his 

intelligence. 

I have also always been impressed 

by his famed willingness 

to promote talented people 

like Fashola, the former 

Governor of Lagos State, and 

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the 

current Vice President. 

Many Nigerian VIPs have 

chronic inferiority complexes 

and prefer to promote mediocre 

types. Tinubu is not that 

cheap or thin-skinned. 

•Tinubu 

Also, please note that many 

Nigerian VIPs are disgustingly 

mean to those who serve 

them. But I don’t know anyone 

who has worked for Tinubu 

and wound up struggling 

to cover basic living expenses. 

So, yes, I’m sure he has 

faults and is far from saintly. 

But he’s definitely above-average 

on quite a few levels. 

Legendary even. 

HOWEVER, we are all mere 

mortals and all reach a point 

at which our mental and 

physical strengths are obviously 

waning and it’s time to 

take a back seat. 

And I was very disappointed 

that Tinubu did not throw 

his weight behind Osinbajo 

when the APC was choosing 

He definitely has a magic 

touch. The “music” he is 

playing is attracting millions 

of youngsters. And he is 

offering to free this country 

from an infestation of human 

rats who belong to the two 

mainstream political parties 

that have run the show since 

1999! 

Some of my relatives and 

best friends are APC and PDP 

members; and I can 

confidently assure Vanguard 

readers that not all of them are 

greedy, corrupt, fake, daft, 

incompetent rats in human 

clothing! 

But it has to be said that too 

many key members of both 

parties have performed so 

horrendously that many 

voters of all ages are 

emotionally exhausted and 

now regard Peter Obi as the 

only hope. 

Does he have what it takes 

to wrest victory from more 

powerful opponents and 

become an effective ratcatcher? 

Or is he all sweet talk 

and statistics and no substance 

and peddling false promises? 

Time will tell. 

its presidential candidate. His 

failure to do so has cost APC 

many votes. 

If Tinubu had endorsed the 

highly accomplished Osinbajo, 

he would have been hailed 

for making a smart/altruistic 

choice and Peter Obi would 

still be doing well but would 

be less popular than he is 

now. 

Food for thought! 

RESPONSES 

TO 

donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or to 

0805 404 6887. (TEXT ONLY). 

PLEASE NOTE THAT UNLESS 

YOU REQUEST ANONYMITY, 

YOUR EMAIL OR TEXT MAY 

BE PUBLISHED WITH YOUR 

NAME AND CONTACT 

DETAILS ATTACHED.

Y 

K 


Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

RUTO AND FALANA: Brother for 

enslavement and brother for 

liberation 

His Excellency William Ruto, 

Kenya’s newly minted 

President, prides himself as the 

Hustler-in-Chief of the country. He 

says he is from the “Hustler Nation” 

- the informal economy where he 

used to sell chickens for survival. 

However, having a dog-eat-dog 

street ideology as he claims, does 

not preclude a sense of basic 

human decency. It is indecent and 

completely un-African for a man 

to invite a brother to a ceremony 

with the latter traveling 6,090 

kilometres to rejoice with him, only 

for the celebrant to announce to the 

world that the brother he invited, in 

his view, no longer exists! That was 

what Ruto did when President 

Brahim Ghali of of the Sahrawi 

Arab Democratic Republic ,SADR, 

better known as Western Sahara 

honoured the Tuesday September 

13, 2022 invitation to attend Ruto’s 

inauguration. 

The next day, when the Moroccan 

Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita 

visited him, Ruto tweeted: “At State 

House in Nairobi, received a 

congratulatory message from His 

Majesty King Mohammed VI. 

Kenya rescinds its recognition of the 

SADR and initiates steps to wind 

down the entity’s presence in the 

country.” 

The world was stunned because 

even a man high on substance 

would not behave that way. 

Shocked Kenyans were up in arms 

and Ruto quickly deleted his tweet. 

An embarrassed Kenyan Foreign 

Ministry two days later, issued a 

statement signed by its Principal 

Secretary, Ambassador Macharia 

Kamau, distancing Kenya from its 

new President and reiterating the 

country’s commitment to the 

African Union, AU, and the United 

Nations, UN, Security Council 

Resolution 690 of 1991 for a fair 

referendum in Western Sahara. It 

dismissed Ruto’s tweet as: “ Kenya 

does not conduct its foreign policy 

on Twitter or any other social media 

platforms, rather through official 

government documents and 

frameworks.” 

What did the Moroccan 

Monarchy offer or promise Ruto? 

Was it part of the Western Sahara 

phosphate and riches it has been 

using to entice poor African 

countries and bribe the European 

Union, EU, until the European 

Court stepped in? 

It is expected that the President of 

an African country like Kenya 

which so courageously fought for 

liberation and lost over 20,000 

liberation fighters, including its 

symbol, Dedan Kimathi, would 

value freedom. That Ruto would 

forget the contributions of Kenya 

to the decolonisation of the 

continent and back an African 

country colonising a sister African 

country, is a betrayal. 

He claims to be Kenya’s first 

evangelical Christian President; 

how come he does not seem to have 

heard the Biblical injunction: 

“Thou shall not covet your 

neigbour’s house…nor anything 

that is your neigbour’s” as Morocco 

is doing in Western Sahara? 

So, in the first two days of his 

presidency, Ruto had to swallow his 

words, but he is likely to try again 

to subvert the Kenyan and African 

peoples. 

Western Sahara was occupied by 

Spain in 1884 and converted into 

While Brother Ruto is 

working for the 

enslavement and 

colonisation of the 

African peoples in 

Western Sahara, 

Brother Falana is 

fighting for their 

liberation and the 

complete decolonisation 

of the 

African continent 

Spanish Sahara in 1934. The 21st 

Session of United Nations General 

Assembly on December 20, 1966 

declared “the inalienable right of 

the peoples of Ifni and Spanish 

Sahara to self-determination”. It 

therefore asked Spain to conduct a 

referendum that would allow the 

Saharawi exercise their right to 

self-determination. Spain on 

August 20, 1974 announced it was 

going to abide by the UN’s decision 

by holding the referendum. On 

October 16, 1975 the International 

Court of Justice, ICJ, based on the 

request by the UN, ruled that there 

is no legal link or territorial 

supremacy binding Western Sahara 

with either Morocco or 

Mauritania. Spain on November 

14, 1975 decided to abandon 

Western Sahara, including 

exhuming Spanish corpses from 

the cemeteries. 

With Spain fleeing, Western 

Sahara got its independence. 

However, on April 14, 1976, its 

neigbours, Morocco and 

Mauritania, invaded the new 

country and shared it. The 

Saharawi fought back under the 

POLISARIO Liberation Front. But 

while Mauritania later abandoned 

its own share of the loot, Morocco 

continues to hold on to it. In 1984, 

the Organisation African Unity, 

OAU, based on the recognition of 

most African countries, admitted 

Western Sahara as a full member. 

In reaction, Morocco left the OAU. 

A contrast to President Ruto is the 

international lawyer, Mr Femi 

Falana of Nigeria, who is leading 

various human rights campaigns 

on the continent, including the right 

of the African peoples to freedom. 

A torn in the Moroccan monarchy’s 

flesh, he uses advocacy and the 

courts to advance the rights of the 

Saharawi people to live in a 

country free of foreign occupation, 

rights abuses and discrimination. 

One of the most famous cases he 

was involved in was that of Western 

Sahara icon, Madame Aminatou 

Haidar, who had visited Nigeria 

and the United States in 2009 but 

was prevented from re-entering 

Morocco on her way home in 

occupied Western Sahara. 

Morocco which claims the 

Saharawi are Moroccan nationals, 

seized her passport and exiled her 

to the Canary Islands, Spain, 

effectively making her a stateless 

person. She refused to leave the 

Lanzarote Airport, insisting she 

must be returned to Morocco and 

allowed travel to her beloved 

Western Sahara. Falana mounted 

a legal defence for her and as the 

then President of the West African 

Bar Association, WABA, flew out to 

the Canary Islands to offer Haidar 

who was on hunger strike, solidarity 

and legal services. 

In a joint press conference he held 

with her, Falana warned that : 

"African lawyers cannot ignore the 

enormity of the crimes committed 

by the Moroccan authorities 

against Sahrawi civilians…”. The 

international campaigns became 

an embarrassment and the 

Moroccan Monarchy buckled and 

allowed Haidar return home. 

At that press conference, Falana 

vowed to "take all necessary steps 

at the level of the statutory bodies 

of Africa and the UN, to win respect 

for the rights of the Sahrawi people 

to self-determination and also to 

guarantee for its activists and 

lawyers the freedom of movement 

and the peaceful expression of 

opinions and political beliefs." 

In September, 2022, thirteen 

years later, Falana fulfilled part of 

that vow when he successfully sued 

six African countries: Burkina Faso, 

Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, 

Malawi and Tanzania at the 

African Court on Human and 

Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The court, ruling in Falana’s favour 

held that “the Moroccan 

occupation of Western Sahara is a 

serious violation of the right to selfdetermination 

(and) all states have 

legal obligations to assist the 

Sahrawi people in the full 

realisation of their right to selfdetermination 

and independence.” 

So African countries should not 

have admitted Morocco into the 

African Union. 

The African court also declared 

that “the presence of Moroccan 

forces in Western Sahara is a 

military occupation, which violates 

international law”. 

So, while Brother Ruto is working 

for the enslavement and 

colonisation of the African peoples 

in Western Sahara, Brother Falana 

is fighting for their liberation and 

the complete de-colonisation of the 

African continent. Time will tell. 

APC PRESIDENTIAL TICKET: When faithlessness cries over faith!(2) 

BY CHAM SHARON 

From yesterday, the piece continues 

the argument that in spite of the 

criticisms of 'detractors', the APC 

presidential team acted legitimately in 

settling for a Muslim-Muslim ticket 

which is its best strategy to win the 2023 

presidential election 

My take is, their hypocritical outrage 

over APC's Muslim-Muslim ticket 

against their silence over their party's 

subversion of zoning was due to a sudden 

realisation that the APC has refused to fall 

into their trap of fielding an unpopular ticket 

that can't win in 2023. They were quick to 

figure out that they have been checkmated 

in the chess game they initiated, hence they 

began overheating the polity with untenable 

noises about insensitivity to religious 

balancing, and began questioning whether 

the party hasn't deemed it fair to find a 

"competent and credible Northern Christian" 

as running mate to Senator Ahmed Bola 

Tinubu without interrogating themselves and 

their party whether they couldn't find a 

"competent and credible Southern Christian" 

to crown as the presidential candidate of their 

PDP for the 2023 election. 

Moreover, between having a President or 

Vice President from your faith group, which 

one is better? The comical hypocrisy is even 

more exposed when you reckon that the 

groups purportedly making "a case" for 

competent and credible Northern Christians 

have never ever bothered to look for such 

quality of Northern Christian to be President 

of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, 

which further cements the argument that they 

always only use or only talk about the 

Northern Christian for propaganda purposes 

only, but not because they genuinely care. 

Actually, if religious balancing was even a 

thing that truly matttered to them, or if 

religion at all was a parameter for their 

support for a political party, then the APC 

which they spent all their time demonising, 

from 2013 till date, should have been their 

tent because the party fielded a very erudite, 

intelligent pastor as running mate to General 

Muhammadu Buhari, and both subsequently 

ended up becoming President and Vice 

President respectively. Much more, if they 

are truly religious and have secured 

employment from God to convert Nigerians 

(and the world) unto repentance, which is 

another term for change, then the fact that 

the APC presidential ticket came with a 

strong pledge to fight corruption and 

enthrone probity and prudence in managing 

the country's resources should have further 

galvanised them into pitching their tents with 

the party, to help it achieve that objective, 

because that's what God would have wanted, 

isn't it? - for Nigeria to be rid of the very 

cancer that has stunted its growth and 

prosperity, right? 

Being the self-serving 

opportunists that they are, they 

always love projecting their 

own personal desires and 

fantasies as religious demands, 

knowing full well that all 

across the world, the quickest 

and easiest way to manipulate 

people, is to always stir their 

emotions with religion 

But having a pastor from a very prominent 

pentecostal church as Vice President did not 

sway them from mischievous attacks against 

the APC administration and neither did the 

administration's quest for all Nigerians to 

help it fight corruption sway them. Instead, 

they became the faces and voices of vitriolic 

hate and lies against the administration, 

always being cheered by the very criminal 

class that plundered the country. In fact, a 

particular prominent preacher who seems 

to have not forgiven President Buhari for 

making him lose lucrative oil and gas deals 

that he had gotten from President Goodluck 

Ebele Jonathan as basis for supporting his 

reelection bid in 2015 has been widely noted 

to have converted his pulpit into a bully pulpit 

for regular dissemination of hate and 

calumny against both President Buhari and 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He has even 

been known to have called the Vice President 

some unprintable names on that same pulpit 

in the presence of his large crowds. 

The point is: while their consistent 

unrighteous attacks laced with megawatts 

of hate against the President and Vice 

President could be carnal ways of therapy 

for them to heal themselves of the frustration 

of losing metaphorical candies and ice 

cream, which were not in short supply to them 

from the PDP pipe of plunder prior to May 

29, 2015, it should however be loudly stated 

that it has no place in the Christian religion, 

and neither should they be misconstrued as 

representing the religion in that manner. 

They are just opportunistic businessmen and 

women exploiting religion to play selfgaining 

politics, and which is why their 

lopsided outrage over APC's strategy against 

PDP's strategy should be regarded as 

insincere and hypocritical. 

Being the self-serving opportunists that they 

are, they always love projecting their own 

personal desires and fantasies as religious 

demands, knowing full well that all across 

the world, the quickest and easiest way to 

manipulate people, especially the larger 

populations that lack rigorous thinking 

capabilites, into zombies is to always stir their 

emotions with religion and make them 

believe that their faith was at stake if they 

didn't support certain [political] causes even 

if it was very clear that the cause in question 

was as dishonest as the kind of politicians 

pursuing it. Usually, they expect that you 

should just accept and swallow (without 

thinking or introspection) everything they tell 

you. For effect, they employ fear-mongering 

tactics to drive home their agenda of 

controlling your entire thoughts just so that 

you can become a robot at their beck and 

call. 

And just to be clear, it is not only traditional 

APC enemies that rose up in hypocritical 

outrage over the party's Muslim-Muslim 

presidential ticket. Some of its prominent 

members like David Babachir Lawal, Yakubu 

Dogara et al who enjoyed more privileges 

and opportunities in the government formed 

by the party than what they propably 

sacrificed for it also rose up against it. Reports 

have it that the party has consistently lost 

both the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections 

in their polling booths or wards or local 

government areas, largely due to the 

elaborate campaigns by some clerics and 

other community leaders in their areas that 

the APC was an Islamic party. 

In spite of that abysmal voting record, both 

Babachir and Dogara were made SGF and 

House Speaker by the party in 2015. In the 

case of Babachir Lawal, it is on record how 

he testified that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu 

- a Muslim and current presidential standard 

bearer of the party - was the one who 

nominated and presented his name to 

President Buhari to be appointed as 

Secretary to the Government of the 

Federation, while all those who pulled the 

strings, and nominated, and then 

overwhelmingly voted for Dogara as House 

Speaker, were Muslims, majorly from the 

North. In fact, shortly after he was made 

Speaker, Dogara testified during his 

thanksgiving service at a church in Bauchi 

that the Sultan of Sokoto made his emergence 

as Speaker possible. 

If Muslims, especially the ones in Northern 

Nigeria, were not dismayed by the hypocrisy 

of Babachir Lawal over his party's Muslim- 

Muslim presidential ticket, I can tell you for 

free that they were not only dismayed but 

also shocked by Yakubu Dogara's decision 

to tag himself to the coat tails of Babachir 

Lawal's anti-Muslim hysteria. 

Continues online:www.vanguardngr.com 

•Cham Faliya Sharon can be reached on 

Twitter @ChamSharon 

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Nigerians will do well to heed their 

former president, Dr. Goodluck 

Jonathan, who dropped a timeously 

relevant message over the weekend 

in Uyo at the ceremony marking 35 

years of the creation of Akwa Ibom 

State. 

He advised voters in next year’s 

general elections to reject “killers”. 

According to Jonathan: “In 2023, you State and Zaki Biam in Benue State. 

must not make the mistake to vote There was also the seemingly 

killers. Those who carry knives, guns, intractable violence in the Niger 

and all kinds of gadgets to go and kill Delta. 

people because of politics, are the Nigeria has witnessed during the 

enemies of society. If you kill to Muhammadu Buhari regime far more 

become a leader, you will continue blood-letting than at any other time 

to kill to remain a leader and the apart from the Civil War of 1967-1970. 

people will continue to suffer”. Besides Boko Haram, bandits and 

In the past 23 years of our renascent herdsmen terrorism, the military has 

democracy, Nigerians have had a engaged in several scorched-earth 

mixed experience. The Olusegun actions, including the killing of about 

Obasanjo regime witnessed a lot of 300 Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky’s 

political assassinations, militancy and members and incessant raids on 

military invasions/levelling of communities in the South-East due 

communities such as Odi in Bayelsa to the activities of Biafran separatists. 

Jonathan’s “reject killers” message 

Unlike what obtained during the 

administrations of some leaders, we 

saw how the late President Umaru 

Yar’Adua, through a simple 

conciliatory measure (the 

Presidential Amnesty Programme), 

quenched the Niger Delta militancy. 

It remains intact till date. We also saw 

how President Jonathan’s mantra: 

“My ambition is not worth the blood 

of any Nigerian”, which he faithfully 

implemented by personal example, 

made his regime one of the most 

peaceful ever, if not for the activities 

of jihadists. 

During Yar’Adua and Jonathan’s 

tenures, there were no issues of 

political killings, disappearances or 

harassment of the media and 

advocacy groups. There were no 

political prisoners. Indeed, Jonathan 

allowed Nigerians to vote him out of 

power. Killers would not allow that! 

They will cow and force themselves 

with violence on the people. They will 

sweep away our civil rights. 

Former President Jonathan’s call is 

a reminder for us to carefully check 

the antecedents of the people jostling 

for our votes. Let us steer clear of the 

killers and those who are adept at 

adopting extrajudicial means to 

maintain themselves in power. We 

could become their victim. 

We need leaders who will fix our 

country, not those whose violent 

proclivities will endanger our lives 

and properties. To be forewarned is to 

be forearmed. 

“Education is the passport 

to the future, for tomorrow 

belongs to those who prepare 

for it today.” —Malcolm X. 

IT is trite news that the 

nation’s public universities, 

especially those owned by 

the Federal Government, are 

currently not in the expected 

work mode, as lectures are not 

being given because lecturers are 

on strike since February. The 

strike is going into its eighth 

month as September ends. 

It is also trite news that the 

Federal Government, at its 

tethers’ ends, sued ASUU before 

the National Industrial Court, 

which thereafter issued an order 

compelling the striking dons to 

go back to work, as usual, 

“pending determination of the 

substantive suit”. 

Government, upbeat about the 

ruling, reacted through the 

National Universities 

Commission, NUC, which 

issued a circular to vicechancellors 

of the universities, 

directing them to re-open for 

academic and other activities. 

In a memo seen by journalists, 

signed by the Director, Finance 

and Accounts of the NUC, Sam 

Onazi, on behalf of the Executive 

Secretary of the commission, 

Professor Abubakar Rasheed, 

government instructed all vicechancellors, 

pro-Chancellors and 

chairmen of governing councils 

of federal universities to re-open 

schools. 

Let me quote further from the 

NUC memo: 

ASUU strike and its grim 

comedies 

“On September 21, the NICN 

granted the order restraining 

ASUU as prayed from taking 

further steps and doing any act 

or otherwise continuing with the 

indefinite strike or any strike 

action pending the hearing and 

determination of the suite/ 

referral on the matter by the 

NICN. The court judgement and 

order are attached. 

“Considering the above order 

by the NICN and as a matter of 

national interest, I am directed 

to request that National 

Universities Commission. Vice - 

Chancellors of Nigerian 

Universities and any other 

relevant officer or body be 

directed to: 

“Immediately re-open ALL the 

universities, immediately recall 

the students of the various 

universities, ensure that ASUU 

members immediately resume/ 

commence lectures; 

“Restore the daily activities and 

routines of the various university 

campuses,” the memo read. 

When the news hit the 

airwaves, I laughed, but my dear 

readers are advised to take that 

as Act 1, Scene 1. 

Hours later, same day, the 

NUC recanted, and asked the 

same Sam Onazi who authored 

The NUC memos 

directing reopening, 

and 

canceling the 

directive hours later 

were very 

embarrassing, and 

smacked of 

overzealous 

unseriousness in 

high places 

the earlier memo to write another 

one, cancelling the action directed 

in the earlier memo, which 

ordered reopening of the 

universities. 

The memo read in part: “I have 

been directed to withdraw the 

NUC Circular Ref: NUC/ES/138/ 

Vol.64/135, and dated September 

23, 2022 on the above subject. 

“Consequently, the said 

circular stands withdrawn. All 

pro-chancellors and chairmen of 

governing councils, as well as 

vice-chancellors of federal 

universities are to please note. 

Further development and 

information would be 

communicated to all relevant 

stakeholders. 

“Please accept the assurances 

of the Executive Secretary’s 

warmest regards.” 

Take that as Act 1, Scene II. 

For me, what triggered 

laughter when the first memo 

was issued is the question that 

immediately came to mind: Who 

ordered the universities shut in 

the first place? Was it the Federal 

Government? No! So, how can 

the Federal Government reopen 

schools that were not shut by its 

own proclamation? ASUU also 

didn’t shut the schools by any 

proclamation; it simply directed 

withdrawal of services by its 

members. Wasn’t it obvious to 

those managing the ASUU crisis 

on behalf of the Federal 

Government that the only way 

to get the schools resume to 

continue activities was by ASUU 

willingly, and by announcement 

from its exco, that the strike had 

been called off? How were the 

universities expected to make 

striking lecturers resume? By 

magic? By fiat? It might have 

worked if we were under a 

military government but we quit 

that road 24 years ago. The NUC 

memos directing re-opening, 

and canceling the directive hours 

later were very embarrassing, 

and smacked of overzealous 

unseriousness in high places. We 

need more information here — 

at whose prompt did the NUC 

issue the first circular to 

universities? What transpired in 

the hours thereafter which 

culminated in another memo 

canceling the earlier one? Are we 

serious here, about anything at 

all? 

If Malcolm X, quoted above is 

right: can we assess the damage 

done by seven months of 

university closure to our 

collective future, especially those 

of the affected students? 

The entire development 

convey the impression that 

comedians are in charge of one 

very important sector of our 

national life. Let me use this 

opportunity to remind those in 

government at this time, and those 

that will come after them, that the 

university system exists to 

nurture and culture the brightest 

and best of a nation’s intellect. It 

is not a business for bullies and 

comedians. It is a business for 

the most sober and serious 

among us, and given our 

prevailing situation, sobriety and 

seriousness took flight a long 

time ago. Right now, we are on 

our own. 

C 

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FG targets 242% rise in export of services to 

N6.5trn in 4yrs 

By Yinka Kolawole 

THE Federal Government 

is set to feast on the blossoming 

digital economy to improve 

Nigeria’s balance of pay- 

FORUM — From left: Matthew Gamser, CEO, SME Finance Forum; Chioma Kema Ogwo, 

Head Non Financial Services, Emerging Businesses, Access Bank; and Hourn Thy, SME Finance 

Forum, IFC at a Global SME Finance Forum held recently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia 

NPA set to renew concession agreements for 

5 terminal operators 

By Godwin Oritse 

THE Nigerian Ports Author 

ity (NPA) has indicated that 

the expired Concession Agreements 

for five terminal operators 

are about to be renewed. They expired 

since 2021. 

Managing Director, NPA, 

Mohammed Bello Koko, made 

this known in during a chat with 

journalists in Lagos, adding that 

under the new agreement, terminal 

operators will be responsible 

for the maintenance of quays, 

fenders and allied matters such 

as port illumination. 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US 

DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

RAND 

228.50 +4.15 

2,285.00 -1.00 

17.72 +0.13 

88.91 +2.64 

81.52 +3.02 

431.19 431.69 432.19 

465.4696 466.0094 466.5491 

415.7534 416.2355 416.7176 

436.9136 437.4202 437.9268 

2.9844 2.9879 2.9913 

0.6143 0.6243 0.6343 

547.378 548.0128 548.6475 

60.1246 60.1948 60.2649 

114.6477 114.7806 114.9136 

24.1024 24.1304 24.1583 

CBN Exchange rate as at 29/09/2022 

•Projects 632% increase in current account balance 

ECONOMY 

ments position with a projection 

of 242 percent rise in the 

export of value-added services 

to N6.5 trillion in 2025 from 

N1.9 trillion recorded in 2021. 

This is even as it expects the 

MARITIME 

•Introduces major amendments 

est of the country. What 

was agreed in 2006 is no 

more tenable, the demands 

of the country and 

According to him, NPA is concluding 

discussions on the terms 

of the agreement and once that is 

sorted, the report will be sent to 

the Bureau of Public Enterprise 

(BPE), Infrastructure Concession 

Regulatory Commission (ICRC), 

Federal Ministry of Transportation 

(FMOT) and the Federal 

Ministry of Justice (FMOJ). 

“The agreements were signed 

in 2006 and while some have expired, 

some are still running. But, 

the expired ones are being renewed 

and what we are looking 

at is what will be in the best interof 

the NPA are different from what 

they were in 2006. 

“The Federal Government 

through the NPA is resolved to 

hold Terminal Operators more 

accountable under the new 

agreement, on maintenance as 

well as on deployment of modern 

equipment in sufficient quantity. 

Two of the expired leases 

have agreed to invest in the development 

of the Tin-Can Port. 

The need to discuss with the other 

terminal operators whose leases 

have not expired became important, 

since development will entail 

the whole berth. 

“It is these fine details that are 

being worked on, but I believe 

within the month, they will be finalized 

and sent to FMOT, 

FMOJ, BPE, and ICRC accordingly,” 

Bello-Koko stated. 

High cost impedes evacuation of 

empty containers — Freight Forwarders 

By Godfrey Bivbere 

THE reluctance of 

shipping companies 

in evacuating empty containers 

has been traced to 

the high-cost implication, 

amounting to about 20 

per cent of their operational 

costs. 

Vice President of 

Freight Forwarders Consultative 

Forum, FFCF, 

and immediate past National 

President of National 

Association of Government 

Approved 

Freight Forwarders, 

NAGAFF, Mr. Uche Increase, 

disclosed this 

while speaking at a 

freight forwarders’ summit 

in Lagos. 

Increase also frowned at 

shipping companies’ delay 

in the refund of container 

deposits paid by 

importers and their 

agents as a result of the 

MARITIME 

financial benefits accruing to 

them. 

He said this might be a way of 

augmenting the cost of evacuating 

the empty containers, stressing 

further that the term, ‘container 

deposit’, is only applicable 

to Nigeria. 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 —19 

nation’s current account balance 

within the period to increase 

by 632 percent to N3.2 

trillion (2025) from N436.9 billion 

(2021). 

The projection is contained 

in the final draft of the 2023 – 

2025 Medium Term Expenditure 

Framework and Fiscal 

Strategy Paper (MTEF & FSP) 

prepared by the Budget Office 

of the federation for the National 

Assembly’s endorsement. 

The Organization for Economic 

Cooperation and Development 

(OECD) describes 

a digital economy as one 

which incorporates all economic 

activities reliant on or 

significantly enhanced using 

digital inputs. 

According to OECD, the 

digital economy is valued at 

$3 trillion globally. 

The MTEF & FSP document 

stated: “External balance is at 

the core of trade policy and foreign 

exchange management 

in the medium term. Efforts 

will be intensified to enhance 

All-commodity Terms of Trade turns 

positive, rises 0.11% in Q2’22 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

THE All commodity Terms of 

Trade (ToT) rose by 0.11 

percent in the second quarter of 

the year (Q2’22), indicating a 

positive growth against the -14 

percent decline recorded in Q1 

’22. 

TOT represents the ratio between 

a country’s export prices 

and its import prices. An increase 

in the TOT between two periods 

(or when TOT is greater than 

100%) means that the value of exports 

is increasing relative to the 

value (price) of imports, and the 

country can afford more imports 

for the same value (price) of exports. 

For example, an increase 

in the price of oil between two 

periods (with oil produc-tion remaining 

the same) is likely to 

increase or improve the terms of 

trade for Nigeria and vice versa. 

Disclosing this in its All-Commodity 

ToT reports for Q2’22, the 

National Bureau of Statistics, 

NBS, noted that the rise in ToT 

was due to increases in prices 

of wood and articles of wood, 

wood charcoal and articles, paper 

making material, paper and 

paperboard, articles and Miscellaneous 

manufactured articles. 

NBS stated: “The All-Commodity 

ToT for April, May and June, 

2022 stood at 101.03 percent, 

101.05 percent and 101.15 percent 

respectively. The All-commodity 

group terms of trade marginally 

increased by 0.02 percent 

in May and as well as by 

0.10 percent in June resulting 

non-oil exports, increase export 

complexity and reduce import 

dependency in order to improve 

the balance of payments 

position. 

“A key objective is to diversify 

the composition of exports to 

include manufactured goods 

and high value-added services 

as the digital economy expands. 

Shifts in the composition 

of imports away from items 

like food and petroleum products 

will also support the attainment 

of this objective. 

“Nigeria will take advantage 

of the opportunities offered by 

the African Continental Free 

Trade Area (AfCFTA) to explore 

new export markets. Non-oil 

export is expected to rise to 

about two percent of Gross Domestic 

Product (GDP) by 2025 

while oil export as a percentage 

of GDP is expected to decline 

from 10.6 percent in 2021 

to 9.5 percent in 2025. 

“Exports of services are expected 

to rise from N1.9 trillion 

in 2021 to N6.5 trillion in 2025, 

representing an increase from 

about one percent in 2021 to 

close at two percent of GDP by 

2025. 

“As a result, Nigeria’s current 

account balance is projected to 

rise from N436.9 billion in 2021 

to N3.2 trillion in 2025.” 

ECONOMY 

in a rise of 0.11 percent between 

April and June, 2022. 

“The average increase in prices 

in Q2’22 was as a result of increases 

in Products prices of Wood 

and articles of wood, wood charcoal 

and articles (1.35), followed 

by the price of Paper making material; 

paper and paperboard, articles 

at (0.61), and Miscellaneous 

manufactured articles at (0.54).” 

On export it stated: “The Allcommodity 

group export index 

averagely increased by 0.18 percent 

between April and June, 

2022. This is due to increases in 

the prices of Products of Wood and 

articles of wood, wood charcoal 

and articles (1.36), Paper making 

material; paper and paperboard, 

articles (0.58), and Plastic, rubber 

and articles thereof (0.37). 

“The All-Region Export Index 

increased by 0.18 percent between 

April and June, 2022. This 

was due to an increase in export 

prices to most of the regions; Africa 

(0.95), Oceania (0.65), Asia 

(0.35) and Europe (0.09), while 

prices to America stood at (-0.56).” 

On imports NBS said, “The Allcommodity 

group import index 

increased by 0.07 percent between 

April and June, 2022. This 

was driven mainly by an increase 

in the prices of products of Vehicles, 

aircraft and parts thereof; 

vessels etc. (+1.14), Products of 

the chemical and allied industries, 

(+0.37), and Live animals; animal 

products (+0.36). 

United Capital woos FG on infrastructure development bond 

By Peter Egwuatu 

THE United Capital Plc 

has emphasized the need 

for the Federal Government to 

address the infrastructure gap 

through financing from the 

Nigerian capital market. 

Group Chief Executive Officer, 

United Capital Plc, Mr. 

Peter Ashade, said the company 

is well positioned to 

solve the country’s infrastructure 

deficit with the United 

Capital Infrastructure Fund 

(UCIF). 

CAPITAL MARKET 

Speaking at a workshop 

organised by the company for 

the Capital Market Correspondents 

Association of Nigeria 

(CAMCAN) with the theme, 

“Ushering the New Era of Savings/Investments 

through 

Digital Transformation,” in 

Lagos, Ashade said that the 

company’s N150 billion 

United Naira-denominated 

fund, was established to provide 

long-term financing for 

the delivery of critical infrastructure 

in the country. 

According to him the fund 

would finance bankable infrastructure 

assets that cut across 

sectors such as power and renewable 

energy, transportation, 

agribusiness and industrial infrastructure, 

among others. 

“Despite the volatile environment, 

the organisation has continued 

to thrive. United Capital 

is a major player and is always 

ready to take advantage 

of opportunities it sees across 

all its business lines,” he said. 

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C 

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Anatomy of Wike’s 

endgame 

When the row between Rivers State 

Governor, Nyesom Wike, and his party, 

the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, spilled onto 

the streets after the party’s presidential 

primaries in May, I argued that to solve Wike, 

one had to first fix the candidate, Atiku 

Abubakar. 

In light of Wike’s no-holds-barred interview 

last Thursday, things may have fallen apart, 

irretrievably. That interview, perhaps only 

comparable in seismic scale and 

onomatopoetic resonance with Julian 

Assange’s WikiLeaks, has shaken the PDP to 

its foundations. 

The fallouts may well remain the biggest 

threat to the PDP’s electoral chances next year. 

But what was the point, really? Was it to set 

the records straight? To take his pound of flesh? 

To avenge the betrayal of his ancestor – Peter 

Odili – sold down the river under similar 

circumstances? Or just to bring the roof down 

and, if possible, escape with the rubble as a 

trophy? 

Wike is not done yet. Still, even in the midst 

of the wreckage left behind by his last interview, 

the inescapable question would be: what is his 

endgame? 

I’m not sure his interview would significantly 

damage either party Chairman Iyorchia Ayu 

or Atiku. Verbal attacks that would damage 

politicians will kill them first. And their gift 

for taking disasters in their stride gets even 

better during campaign sessions when, to use 

the title of Simon Kolawole’s imaginative new 

book, most people would simply say, “It’s all 

politics!” 

But even if Wike’s targets feel any discomfort 

at all, it still doesn’t answer the question: what 

is his endgame? 

Endgame, mind game 

My guess is that his objective is to severely 

damage both the candidate and the party that 

neither would be worth anything at next year’s 

poll. This might sound ridiculous, since the 

state PDP has 

fielded at 

least 48 

candidates, 

believed to be 

his close 

allies, for next 

y e a r ’ s 

election 

under the 

party’s flag. 

Wike is not 

a fool. If he 

thought he 

would be 

unable to 

survive and 

m a k e 

something 

for himself or 

h i s 

supporters 

from the party 

– whole or in 

ruins – it’s 

My guess is that 

the combined effect 

of Labour Party’s 

Peter Obi and Wike's 

activities would 

prove quite 

daunting, especially 

in the South-East 

and South-South 

that have been the 

mainstay of the 

party in about two 

decades 

unlikely that he would play hardball. 

Since it’s too late to switch parties at this 

time, my guess is that he would secure his base 

in Rivers State where he appears to be very 

much in control at this time. After the elections, 

he might for his spectacular labours of sitting 

in and pissing in, then use his base to negotiate 

with the party at the centre. That, of course, is 

assuming the APC wins the presidency, 

otherwise he would be dead meat. 

We saw this arrangement work before when 

Bola Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria, 

ACN, made a deal with Goodluck Jonathan 

in 2011 to turn a blind eye during the 

presidential election while securing Lagos 

during the state election. For parties not 

separated by ideology or principles, how Wike 

manages his post-election affairs, even if he 

succeeds, might yet leave him with a 

permanent label of “buyer beware”. 

The conversation has, of course, not been 

framed in the stark terms I have used here. 

Wike, who might have been an excellent 

opposition leader in a parliamentary system, 

has said that this is not about himself. 

According to him, he feels obliged to compel 

the party to honour its constitution on zoning, 

particularly since Ayu (a Northerner) accepted 

that he would step down, if a 

Northerner emerged 

presidential candidate. 

Those on the other side say 

that was not exactly how Ayu 

put it. According to them, he 

said he would step down if the 

party (meaning the NEC) 

asked him to do so. In any case, 

they argue, why is Wike 

complaining or, to use 

campaign spokesman Daniel 

Bwalya’s phrase, playing God? 

After all, not only did he bring 

former Chairman Uche 

Secondus and later also instigate his removal, 

he also brought Ayu! 

Ayu backstory 

Now, that is where the story gets interesting. 

Inside sources informed me that Wike indeed 

brought Ayu, but it was an assignment 

executed for him by his ally and Benue State 

Governor, Samuel Ortom. A source familiar 

with what happened said Ayu had assured 

Wike at the meeting in his house in Abuja that 

not on his watch as chairman “will one Fulani 

succeed another”. 

At that point, well before the primaries of 

course, Wike had obviously told himself that 

he had the party exactly where he wanted it: 

he would be the inevitable PDP presidential 

candidate. But the last politician who kept his 

word was the one who never gave it. 

When the sale of the party’s form started in 

March, it became an open sesame. To forestall 

a Northern coup, pro-Wike forces set up the 

Bala Mohammed committee which then took 

on a life of its own. It spent months looking 

for a secret in plain sight: that regardless of 

what the constitution said, it would be an “open 

contest!”. The rest, of course, is history. 

But was there a chance that Wike and Atiku 

may have patched things up, especially after 

the famous but highly secretive London 

meetings? Improbable. 

Sources familiar with the outcome of the 

meetings said even though Atiku seemed 

disposed to ditch Ayu, he was concerned about 

a) the impact, especially so close to elections, 

and b) that he might be unable to get the NEC 

to do it. 

Of course, Wike allegedly assured him it 

wouldn’t be a problem. He, Wike, had done it 

before and the head of Secondus on a platter 

was proof. In case there was any question 

about a viable replacement this time, however, 

former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Segun 

Mimiko, was on standby. 

‘Owners’ of PDP 

But there was an elephant in the room – the 

disposition of the “owners” of the party. When 

Atiku returned to Abuja from the London 

meetings and broached the matter, the 

“owners” declined. They expressed the view 

that Wike had crossed the line. He would be 

tackled at the “appropriate time”. No deal. 

Two credible sources said the “owners” in 

question were former military head of state, 

General Abdulsalami Abubakar; former 

National Security Adviser, General Aliyu 

Gusau; a former Director General of the State 

Security Services, suspected to be Lawal 

Daura; and a shadowy but immensely 

consequential figure at the Villa likely to be 

Mamman Daura (President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s relation). A media mogul in the PDP 

also lent his voice. 

Ayu is saved for another day not only by the 

vital intervention of some of the “owners” of 

the party but also by his “old boys’” network, 

reinforced by the promise that either himself 

or former Senate President Bukola Saraki 

could become the next Secretary to the 

Government of the Federation, if the PDP wins. 

Now, back to the question: what is Wike’s 

endgame? To avenge his displacement from 

within while securing the positions of his allies 

who are already carrying the PDP flag into 

the next election. His destination – if not by 

words, but by conduct – is APC. Everything inbetween 

is in translation. 

And my guess is that he might not be a total 

stranger there. Not only because the main 

parties are largely different only in name, but 

also because some members of his cabinet 

and allies are refugees from APC, a party that 

has downgraded its funder-in-chief of 

yesterday, Rotimi Amaechi, from Buhari’s 

campaign DG to Tinubu-Shettima’s “adviser 

on infrastructure”. 

Pundits may worry about the possible 

consequences of Wike’s actions on the fortunes 

of the PDP in Rivers State, and perhaps 

elsewhere that he may have clout. My guess is 

that the combined effect of Labour Party’s Peter 

Obi and Wike's activities would prove quite 

daunting, especially in the South-East and 

South-South that have been the mainstay of 

the party in about two decades. 

If we have seen anything in Nigeria’s politics 

in the last 23 years, however, we know that in 

the end, feuding parties know where their 

interests lie, whatever pundits may think. And, 

as we say in my neck of the woods, they will be 

alright!


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The bride's mother, Dr Fidelia Ighrakpata (4th left), the bride and the groom, Mrs and Mrs Oghentega 

Olayinka, Alao. First Lady of Delta State, Dame Edith, Okowa, (6th right), President Customary Court 

of Appeal, Justice Elumeze (5th right), Father of the bride, Solomon Igrhakpata, Deputy Chief Whip, 

Delta State House of Assembly (4th right), Dr & Mrs Oghene (3rd right), Speaker, Delta State House of 

Assembly, Sheriff Ovorevwori (left) and others at the wedding of Oghentega and Olayinka at Effurun, 

Delta State. 

The newly wedded couple, Mrs Oghentega and 

Olayinka Alao 

How senator 

demanded for 

money to 

push 

renewable 

energy law 

—Activist 

By Lawani Mikairu 

ENIN CITY—A foremost 

Bhuman rights activist in Edo 

State and the Executive 

Director, Foundation for Good 

Governance and Social Change, 

FGGSC, has revealed how a 

serving senator frustrated efforts 

of the civil society to push for a 

renewable energy law which 

would assuage the poor power 

situation in the country and 

therefore called for collaboration 

between the media, civil society 

groups, and lawyers to make 

freedom of access to information 

through the FOI Act effective. 

Osakue gave this revelation 

at a colloquium to mark the 

fourth anniversary of Rural 

Development, Infrastructure 

and Legal Advocacy Centre, 

RUDILAC, and the 2022 

International Day for Universal 

Access to Information, IDUAI, 

organised in conjunction with 

the Edo State Ministry of 

Communication and Orientation 

in Benin City where he also said 

only a working system rather 

than individuals could give 

Nigeria a direction. 

He said collaboration among 

stakeholders was necessary 

because government officials 

deliberately hold back 

information and at times water 

them before they are released. 

According to him, “We need 

lawyers in the prosecution of 

these cases because whether 

you like it or not, over 80 percent 

of requests for information are 

likely not to get responses 

because they won’t reply and 

there is even a new dangerous 

trend, before sending the 

information to you, they take it 

and scrutinise and remove what 

they want to remove and send 

what they feel they can give, it 

is like giving you something with 

the right hand and taking it back 

with the left hand. 

“One of the fundamental 

responsibilities for the civil society 

going forward is to push for the 

entrenchment of systems that 

will make things work and 

individuals. We were trying to 

push for a renewable energy law 

and we took it to a point where 

we needed a senator to push it 

to the next level, a senator of 

the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 

who was elected to represent the 

people was demanding over 

N10m from the civil society and 

what was his claims, you people 

have gotten money from donors 

and without a renewable energy 

plan in place we will continue to 

stay in darkness.” 

The Freedom of Information 

counsel, Aigbokhan President 

Esq, led participants to adopt the 

Benin Declaration and the 

unveiling of RUDILAC logo. 

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By Theodore Opara 

Expert thumbs down 

FRSC on road traffic 

crashes eradication 

A 

former Assistant Corps 

Marshal, ACM of the 

Federal Road Safety Corps, 

FRSC, Commander Ayobami 

Omiyale, has thumbed down the 

FRSC for its open-ended vision 

statement of eradicating Road 

Traffic Crashes, RTC on all roads. 

The Road Safety expert made 

this observation while delivering 

a paper titled: Promotion of 

Strategic partnership for 

innovative road safety 

intervention in Lagos and Ogun 

states, at the third quarter retreat 

of the FRSC RS2, in Lagos. 

Presenting statistics that showed 

an exponential increase in the 

number of RTC in the country 

between 2020 and 2021, Omiyale 

stated that “it can be gleaned from 

the foregoing tables that contrary 

to the vision statement of FRSC, 

which is to eradicate road traffic 

crashes on all roads, the crashes 

are actually escalating 

exponentially by 25% in the zone 

and 9% in the whole country 

between year 2020 and 2021. 

“Casualties also rose by the same 

percentages within the same 

period. The purport of this is that 

our 13-year-old vision is not 

working, has never worked and 

needs to be overhauled in order 

to achieve a more realistic and 

achievable vision that can be 

measured and is time-bound.” He, 

however, added that “on a positive 

THE Founder of Toyota Nige 

ria Limited, TNL, Chief 

Michael Ade Ojo, has described 

the General Manager of Mandilas 

Motors, Ms. Kemi Koyejo as a 

performer, who takes her job very 

seriously. 

Chief Ade Ojo, who spoke at the 

MUSON Centre, Lagos during the 

60th birthday ceremony of Koyejo 

as the chairman of the occasion, 

showered encomiums on the General 

Manager for her contributions 

towards driving Toyota 

brand sale and development in Nigeria. 

He said, “Olukemi is a performer, 

a wonderful lady, who takes her 

job very seriously. She is "Lady 

Toyota". She never misbehaves 

note, the zone RS2 which accounts 

for 34% of the 14 million vehicles 

registered in Nigeria as at 

December 2021, was only 

responsible for 13.5% of road traffic 

crashes, 9.1% of the injuries and 

9.3% of fatalities in the country in 

the year 2021. Similarly, while the 

fatality index for the whole country 

in 2021 stood at 4.4%, that of the 

zone RS2 was 1.2%.” 

On stakeholder collaboration, the 

former Zonal Commanding 

Officer of the corps, among other 

suggestions, advised that “the 

zone should partner with the 

Nigeria Customs Service, 

Standards Organisation of Nigeria 

and other security agencies to close 

down all used tyre shops and seize 

their wares. 

“The zone should partner with 

relevant seaport and airport 

authorities to ensure that secondhand 

tyres coming into the country 

fitted on second hand vehicles are 

replaced with new ones before the 

vehicles are allowed on Nigerian 

roads.” 

According to the seasoned road 

safety expert, “the zone should 

bond with all hospitals in the zone, 

the Federal Medical Centres and 

tertiary health institutions to reduce 

the “golden hour” between the 

time of crash and treatment of the 

victims, within which a victim either 

dies or survives as a vegetable, if 

help arrives a little too late.” 

•The celebrant, Kemi Koyejo with Chief Michael Adeojo and his wife, Taiwo Adeojo 

What SPOFEC did to Rolls Royce Ghost 

BLACK Badge: That is the 

label under which Rolls- 

Royce offers the top-of-the-line 

versions of its various model series. 

SPOFEC, a NOVITEC 

GROUP Company, specializes in 

high-end refinement of the current 

vehicle range of the British 

luxury automaker. The German 

manufacturer also offers custom 

Ade Ojo to Kemi, Mandilas GM: Toyota family is 

proud of you 

and I want to pray that God 

should continue to bless you the 

more.” 

Chief Ade Ojo, who recalled that 

Kemi’s father was his senior in 

high school, expressed no surprise 

at Kemi’s sterling performance 

and behaviour, given her family 

background. 

“The Toyota family in Nigeria 

is very proud of you and God will 

continue to be with you,” he 

prayed. 

The 84-year-old business mogul 

attended the event with his wife, 

and senior management staff of 

Toyota Nigeria Limited including 

the Managing Director, Mr. 

Kunle Ade Ojo. 

Reiterating Chief Ade Ojo’s 

commendation on the Mandilas 

General Manager, the Managing 

Director of Toyota, Mr. Kunle 

Adeojo, also said that the Mandilas 

General Manager is very 

hard-working and has brought 

many ideas that have led to the 

growth of the Toyota brand in 

Nigeria. 

He also used the occasion to announce 

that the Nigerian Institution 

of Mechanical Engineers has 

conferred on him a Fellow of the 

institute. 

A trained engineer, Mr. Kunle 

Ade Ojo, has been at the helm of 

affairs at TNL and has taken the 

company to greater heights despite 

the challenges in the Nigeria’s 

auto sector. 

personalisation for the top-of-theline 

models. 

A new addition to the range is 

a SPOFEC variant of the current 

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost, 

which improves the four-door’s 

driving dynamics and gives it 

even more thrilling looks. 

SPOFEC engine tuning pumps 

peak power of the twin-turbo V12 

in the bow to 519 kW / 706 hp 

and peak torque to 1,002 Nm. This 

engine slings the refined luxury 

liner from rest to 100 km/h in just 

4.3 seconds. The top speed remains 

electronically limited to 250 

km/h. 

The SPOFEC designers also 

took on the looks of the Black 

Badge Ghost and endowed it 

with a tailor-made carbon body 

styling kit to give it an even more 

extravagant appearance. Also 

indispensable in this regard are 

the SPOFEC 22-inch king-sized 

wheels, which were developed 

in cooperation with Vossen, the 

American manufacturer of highend 

wheels. In addition, there is 

a SPOFEC suspension module 

for a ride-height lowering by 

about 40 millimeters. 

Twelve cylinders, a displacement 

of 6.75 liters and two turbochargers: 

There are reserves 

slumbering in the engine of the 

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost, 

which the SPOFEC powerplant 

engineers use to provide owners 

of this luxury sedan and their passengers 

even more driving fun. 

Without impairing its silkiness and 

durability, of course. 

Journalists honour Mercedes-Benz 

with 2023 Truck Innovation Award 

By Willie Samson 

THE Mercedes-Benz eActros 

LongHaul has won the “2023 

Truck Innovation Award”. The 

prestigious industry award is presented 

to particularly innovative 

trucks by the “International Truck 

of the Year” (IToY) jury, which is 

made up of 25 experienced commercial 

vehicle journalists from 

important international media from 

Europe and other countries. Karin 

Rådström, CEO Mercedes-Benz 

Trucks, received the award from 

Gianenrico Griffini, Chairman of 

the IToY jury, at an event at the 

IAA Transportation 2022 in Hanover. 

Decisive for the vote was 

the innovative overall technological 

concept with LFP battery technology, 

the new e-axle, as well as 

Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ high development 

speed. 

The heavy battery-electric eActros 

LongHaul for long-distance 

transport is Mercedes-Benz 

Trucks’ trade show highlight and 

was unveiled as a concept prototype 

at a press conference in the 

run-up to the IAA. The e-truck has 

a range of around 500 kilometres 

on a single battery charge and is 

capable of high-performance 

charging. Readiness for series production 

is planned for 2024. 

In recent years, the Mercedes- 

Benz eActros for heavy-duty distribution 

transport and the hydrogen-based 

fuel cell truck Mercedes-Benz 

GenH2 Truck have 

also won the Innovation Award. 

IAA Transportation 2022: Daimler 

Truck unveils battery-electric 

eActros LongHaul truck and expands 

e-mobility portfolio 

Daimler Truck is pursuing the 

goal of complete locally CO2-neutral 

transport. The manufacturer 

demonstrates this with a broad 

portfolio of fully electric vehicles 

at IAA Transportation 2022 in Hanover. 

The Daimler Truck trade 

show highlight is the heavy-duty, 

battery-electric Mercedes-Benz 

eActros LongHaul long-distance 

truck, which the manufacturer presents 

to the public for the first time. 

C

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Rabiul Awwal 4, 1444A.H. 

World-class MUSWEN empowerment center 

underway as eminent Muslims pledge support 

•We must be united to achieve greater things —Sultan of Sokoto 

•Hamzat, Fola Adeola, Babalakin, others speak 

By Haroon-Ishola 

Balogun 

MUSLIM scholars, captains of 

industries, royal fathers and 

Muslims in private and public 

establishments on Sunday gathered in 

Lagos for the launch of the N10 billion 

Endowment Fund initiated by the 

Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria 

(MUSWEN). 

At the epoch-making event, held at 

the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, the 

umbrella body of all Muslim 

communities, institutions and 

associations in the southwest, Nigeria, 

also inaugurated a Board of Trustees 

(BoT) to manage the fund 

independently. 

Leading the BoT is Alhaji Tajudeen 

Fola Adeola, Chairman, FATE 

Foundation with Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti, 

MUSWEN Deputy President; Alhaji 

Olalekan Belo, Founder and Managing 

Director of FCSL Asset Management; 

Alhaji Abdul Rauf Wale Babalakin, SAN, 

Chairman, Bi-Courtney Group of 

Companies among others. 

The launch was meant to build a 

world-class Skill acquisition and 

Empowerment Center for the youths. 

This will ultimately reduce the level of 

poverty and foster unity among all 

classes of people in the region. 

MUSWEN’s success 

is for Nigeria Ummah 

—Sultan of Sokoto 

The Sultan of Sokoto and President- 

General of the Nigerian Supreme 

Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), 

Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, 

basking in the euphoria of successes so 

far achieved by MUSWEN since its 

establishment in 2008, said it is for the 

benefit of the Ummah, not only in 

southwest but Nigeria at large. 

The Sultan, who doubled as the chief 

host added that his presence at the 

event was invaluable. 

According to him, “My presence 

signifies a lot. This is MUSWEN. 

Whatever success MUSWEN gets, is 

for the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria. 

Wherever a Muslim is developing, I am 

happy that another Muslim somewhere 

is happy. We will continue to work 

together with MUSWEN. 

“I want to also emphasise the need 

for Muslims to be united. MUSWEN is 

promoting unity. We can be united, but 

we don’t have to be uniform. That’s 

why we have people who are Yorubas, 

Igbos, Hausas, Fulanis and so on, but 

we are all Muslims. We need to be united 

and not let anything come between us.” 

Sultan Abubakar advised MUSWEN 

to form a team to mobilise funds from 

the well-to-do in the country for the 

actualisation of these projects. 

However, the revered monarch made 

a passionate appeal to governors in the 

southwest, many of whom sent 

representatives, to support the 

MUSWEN project, irrespective of their 

religious affiliations. 

Govt will support 

MUSWEN project, 

Hamzat assures 

The Deputy Governor of Lagos state, 

Dr. Hamzat who represented the state 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu 

commended MUSWEN, for the good 

initiative, which he said will create 

opportunity for the youths to have 

access to finance, education and health 

services in the nearest future. 

“This sort of initiative which will help 

train, educate and provide opportunities 

for Muslim youths must be commended,” 

he noted. 

Hamzat expressed hope that 

MUSWEN will use the project to reduce 

the alarming rate of intolerance in the 

society. 

“It’s a good initiative that hopefully 

will create access or ability for our youths 

to have some of the things that are 

missing today like access to finance, 

education and health services. 

“Our government appreciates the 

cooperation it has always enjoyed from 

different religious organisations and 

their timely interventions in providing 

solutions to issues.” 

MUSWEN, hope of 

South West Muslims 

—President 

In his welcome speech, MUSWEN 

President, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, said 

the organisation has emerged as a 

platform for solid unity and a symbol of 

hope for the Muslims of the southwest 

Can we have 

Muslims who 

can not be 

sidelined or 

marginalized in 

their field of 

practice? 

These should be 

our goals. Let’s 

build centres 

aimed at 

attaining 

excellence in 

different areas. 

No one preaches 

religion to a man 

without food 

region. 

He noted that the establishment of 

MUSWEN in 2008 has thrown up 

challenges, some of which had been 

addressed by previous leaders of the 

organisation. 

“When I assumed office as President 

in November 2020, I made a renewed 

call for financial intervention in the day 

to day administration of MUSWEN and 

to prepare it for the huge tasks still 

ahead. A few responses were received 

in the form of regular subscriptions that 

have greatly lessened the difficulties of 

financing small projects and running 

the office. I thank you for answering 

the clarion call.” 

Oladejo appealed for financial 

interventions from the public to 

prosecute the big programmes of 

MUSWEN. 

He assured that the funds estimated 

to be N10 billion would be expended 

judiciously for the execution of 

programmes and projects which include 

education and empowerment of 

Muslim women and youths to reduce 

unemployment and poverty, 

development of an entrepreneurship 

centre for skills acquisition, 

establishment of scholarship fund for 

human capital development and 

support for healthcare needs of the 

Ummah, among others, following the 

inauguration of board of trustees for 

the endowment fund. 

“This is the amount we want to raise 

and invest and whose returns we plan 

to use to implement the projects and 

programmes. In order to account 

properly for the N10 billion to be raised, 

MUSWEN will prepare a Trust Deed 

immediately after this event for the 

management of the Endowment Fund. 

The Trustees of the Fund will be 

appointed and they will manage the 

affairs of the Fund independently. 

“It is necessary to state that the 

Trustees of the Fund will be different 

from the Trustees of MUSWEN to 

ensure the former’s independence and 

objectivity. I must also mention that 

one of the international accounting 

firms will be appointed to audit the 

finances of the Fund on a regular basis. 

This information will be published and 

every contributor will also be duly 

informed. Distinguished brothers and 

sisters, It is now my honour to appeal 

to you to donate generously to the 

MUSWEN Endowment Fund in the 

name of Allah, the Beneficent, the 

Merciful.” 

We’ll bequeath 

enduring legacy for 

future generations 

—Chairman 

The chairman of the occasion, Dr. 

Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, 

represented by Dr. Lateef Temitayo 

Lawal, noted that the presence of many 

eminent personalities demonstrated a 

show of eagerness towards creating lofty 

impressions for Islam and Muslims in 

the region, urging key players to donate 

generously to the cause. 

“This is a great day in the history of 

MUSWEN. Our collective presence 

here today is a great indication of our 

readiness to project Islam loftily in our 

region and to serve as competent agents 

of change for Yoruba Muslim Ummah 

from the quagmire of abject poverty that 

has been threatening their lives for a 

long time. 

“This, therefore, informed my 

excitement at seeing you, great 

stakeholders of our great organisation, 

MUSWEN at this new beginning of a 

new commitment. 

“I believe that with our support, 

MUSWEN could strengthen Muslims 

of the southwest and bequeath an 

enduring legacy to the future 

generation such that our children can 

compete favourably with their peers 

anywhere in the world. 

‘We must expand 

MUSWEN’ 

—Babalakin 

The Chairman, Bi-Courtney Group 

of Companies, AbdurRauf Wale 

Babalakin, SAN, stressed the need to 

expand MUSWEN to be able to battle 

problems that are peculiar to the 

southwest. 

He noted that some conscious efforts 

made by well-meaning Muslims in the 

past were hijacked by some overzealous 

extremists, urging MUSWEN to come 

up with ways to absorb passionate 

Muslims who want and need to learn 

about pristine Islam into their fold. 

“We’re coming from an angle where 

most of us grew up in a very secular - 

not Christian - environment. People 

who profess Islam and want to be 

Muslims, but lack the basic 

understanding of pristine Islam, 

MUSWEN should look into ways of 

absorbing such people. 

MUSWEN must come across to 

every potential investor as above board. 

There is so much money in the country, 

but the money that is the premise on 

hard work will only work for sane and 

purposeful areas. We have to create that 

impression that we have what it takes.” 

Without education, 

poverty'll continue 

to rise among Muslims 

—Sheikh Ahmad 

Keynote speaker, National Missioner 

of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, 

Sheikh AbdurRahman Ahmad stressed 

the need for Muslims to acquire 

From left: Prof Dawud Noibi, former President of MUSWEN; Dr. Lateef Temitayo Lawal 

representative of the chairman of the occasion, Dr. Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa; Dr Kadiri 

Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, NSCIA, 

Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III; Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, President MUSWEN; Fola 

Tajudeen Adeola, BoT member MUSWEN and Shiekh Abdurrahman Ahmad, National Chief 

Missioner, Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria and others during the launching of N10b 

Empowerment Center by MUSWEN held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos Sunday. 

education, saying without it, poverty 

will continue to rise, especially among 

the Muslim community. 

He said, “Today in Nigeria, our 

challenge is poverty. So many Nigerians 

live below the poverty line. You can see 

what’s happening to our educational 

infrastructure, including our industry. 

When you want to build a house now, 

the majority of people to be employed 

are non-Nigerians. This isn’t good for 

us as a country. That’s why we have so 

much poverty. There is so much hunger, 

anger and violence. No amount of 

investment in arms and ammunition 

can reverse the trend. 

“The only potent weapon against 

this is to educate the people to enable 

them to provide for themselves, only 

then are we going to have a 

turnaround,” he said. 

No one preaches 

religion to a man 

without food 

—Adeola 

Chairman, FATE Foundation and 

MUSWEN BoT member, Mr. Fola 

Tajudeen Adeola, canvassed for proper 

education of the youths and equip 

them with skills that will make them 

self-reliant and relevant in the 

emerging society. 

He said, “If you go around Lagos, 

you’ll see how deep poverty is. There 

are areas densely populated with poor 

people and it reflects in the 

environment. 

“What needs to be done is to find the 

poverty-stricken fellows, educate them, 

school them and equip them with skills 

that are required for survival in a society 

like ours. By doing so, we liberate them 

from their weakness and vulnerability. 

Let’s equip them intellectually. 

Excellence shuts the doors of 

discrimination and opens doors of 

opportunities. Let’s have Muslim 

painters, electricians and artisans who 

are good at what they do. Can we have 

Muslim scholars and academics with 

exceptional performance? Can we have 

Muslims who can not be sidelined or 

marginalized in their field of practice? 

“These should be our goals. Let’s 

build centres aimed at attaining 

excellence in different areas. No one 

preaches religion to a man without 

food”. 

Roll call at the launch 

Among eminent Muslim leaders 

and high networth individual that 

graced the occasion include the 

Deputy governor of Lagos State, Dr 

Obafemi Kadidri Hamzat, the Sultan 

of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad 

Abubakar III; Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, 

Alhaji Mohammad Bambado; the 

Registrar of the Joint Admissions and 

Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. 

Ishaq Oloyede; Chairman, National 

Hajj Commission of Nigeria 

(NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah 

Hassan and pioneer President, 

MUSWEN, Prof. Dawood Noibi; the 

first female Executive Director of GT 

Bank, Mrs Mosun Belo-Olusoga. 

Others include former deputy 

governors of Lagos, Alhaja Lateefah 

Okunnu and Dr. Idiat Adebule; the 

Awujal¹ of the Ij¹bu Kingdom, Ìba 

Sikiru KayÍde AdetÍna, represented 

by HRM. Oba AbdulYakeen 

Fakowajo; Vice Chairman, Lagos 

Central Mosque, Alhaji Bashorun 

Alabi-Macfoy, who represented 

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the 

APC Presidential candidate. 

Others included representatives of 

Ogun, Oyo, Osun State 

governments; legal luminary, Muiz 

Adeyemi Banire SAN; Chief of Staff 

to the Ogun State Government, 

Alhaji Shuaib Afolabi Salis; President 

(Ameerah) of The Criterion, Hajia 

Fatimah Oyefeso; Prof. Tajudeen 

Gbadamosi and Alhaji Kunle Sanni, 

Chairman Lagos and Oyo Muslim 

Communities respectively. 

The event was also attended by a 

former Inspector General of Police, 

Mr. Musiliu Smith; Founder, Sistersin 

Deen (SID) Foundation, Nurat 

Akinlabi-Babalola; MUSWEN Vice 

President II, Alhaji Thabit Wale 

Sonaike; former LASIEC 

Commissioner, Barr. Musibau 

Oyefeso; Founder, Yusuf Olaolu Ali 

Foundation, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu 

Ali, SAN; Prof. Wole Abbas, 

University of Ibadan, amongst others.

Rabiul Awwal 4, 1444A.H. 

Chief Missioner,World-wide, Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih Society, NASFAT, Sheikh AbdulAzeez 

Onike, (midddle) with youths and Imams after completing a six-week training in digital 

marketing sponsored by NASFAT in Lagos recently. 


Hajj 2022: Pilgrims enjoyed $410 

accommodation rebate, others 

— NAHCON 

THE National Hajj Commission of 

Nigeria (NAHCON) has said pilgrims 

enjoyed $410 reduction in 

accommodation fare in this year’s Hajj 

operation, among other services. 

The Chairman of the commission, Alhaji 

Zikrullah Hassan, gave the score card 

during an interactive session with 

newsmen on Sunday in Lagos. 

“We were able to reduce the cost of 

accommodation in Makkah from $930 to 

$520 per pilgrim during this year’s Hajj 

operation. 

“We were also able to reduce the 

number of days pilgrims spent in Saudi 

Arabia,” Hassan said in the first 

interaction he ever held with top media 

gatekeepers in the Lagos axis since his 

assumption of office in 2020. 

Other achievements recorded by the 

commission, according to him, included 

pegging Hajj fare to barest minimum, 

recording low mortality rate and 

achieving 95 per cent travel despite 

challenges associated with the post- 

COVID operation. 

According to him, the commission was 

able to arrange the return journey of all 

pilgrims “earlier than scheduled” in spite 

of the fact that it had less than one month 

to prepare for the entire exercise. 

NASFAT trains 50 digital marketers to reduce unemployment rate 

PACE-SETTING 

Islamic 

organisation, Nasrul-Lahi-l- 

Fatih Society, NASFAT has trained 

youths and Imams in digital 

marketing, as part of empowerment 

initiatives of the organisation 

towards reducing the 

unemployment rate of Nigerian 

youths. 

According to the Chief Missioner 

of the Society, Imam Abdul-Azeez 

Onike, the six-week training which 

was coordinated by one of Africa’s 

leading Integrated Marketing 

Communications Agency, Wild 

Fusion Digital Center ended on 

Tuesday, 27 September, 2022 with 

project presentation by the 

graduands and award of 

certificates. 

Fifty participants comprising of 

Muslims and Christians took part 

in the training held in Lagos were 

exposed to various branches of 

digital marketing such as Content 

Marketing, E-Mail marketing, 

Social Media Marketing, SMS 

Marketing, Search Engine 

Optimisation and Web 

Development. The participants 

were also exposed to nine 

certifications in all the areas of focus. 

Onike said NASFAT was poised 

to complementing the efforts of the 

government in reducing youth 

unemployment as well as youth 

restiveness by providing the teeming 

Nigerian youths and Imams with 

various skills that are relevant to the 

nation’s development. He further 

added that this training fits perfectly 

with the livelihood component of the 

HELD (Health, Education, Livelihood 

and Da’wah) agenda of NASFAT. 

He confirmed that the 50 trained 

digital marketers will now undertake 

internship in companies to further 

strengthen their skills. 

He implored employers of labour 

to seize the opportunity of engaging 

this ready-for-market and adequately 

certified group of digital marketers 

to help them improve the market 

presence, visibility and positioning of 

their companies and brand for 

improved sales. 

“Normally, preparation for Hajj 

operations should take a minimum of 

six months, but we had less than one 

month to prepare for this year’s Hajj, 

which came with many challenges,” said 

the chairman. 

He however identified lack of a 

national carrier for transporting pilgrims 

to and from Saudi Arabia as a major 

challenge the commission is grappling 

with, among others. 

Hassan assured that the commission 

has started preparation for the 2023 Hajj 

in earnest in order to overcome some of 

the challenges faced this year. “We met 

with all officials of Hajj operators during 

Hajj 2022 for discussion on areas of 

service delivery to pilgrims. 

“We agreed to work collectively and to 

improve service delivery to pilgrims by 

setting standards for operation. 

“Preparation has already started on 

due diligence for the appointment of Air 

Carriers for the Hajj 2023 operation.” 

The chairman also unfolded a plan to 

fine-tune the operations of the Hajj 

Saving Scheme (HSS) in order to assist 

intending pilgrims to save enough 

money to fulfil their desire for the 

spiritual journey. 

He said that countries like Malaysia 

and Indonesia have operated similar 

schemes for many years and have 

enough returns on investment to 

significantly subsidise Hajj fare. 

The scheme has afforded those 

countries to “have enough funds in their 

kitty to quickly arrange for any emergent 

situation like Hajj 2022”. 

Hassan noted that with the HSS, 

NAHCON too would be in an 

advantageous position to negotiate 

services like airlift, accommodation and 

feeding, among others, to be provided 

to pilgrims. 

He also hinted that the commission 

“is making consultations on the 

amendment of some sections of the 

NAHCON Act” to enhance its 

operations and smoothen the HSS.

26–Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 

2023: Furore in APC 

over campaign council 

Continues from Page 5 

your running mate. 

“It is against this 

background that the NWC 

received 

with 

astonishment and regret, 

the press release by the 

PCC on 23rd September, 

2022, in which a 

purported list of (422) 

appointees was announced, 

which effectively served as 

the approved roster of 

participants in the Party’s 


Council. 

“The purported list not 

only came as a complete 

surprise to the NWC and 

the party’s leadership, but 

also contravened the 

principles and purposes of 

the arrangements that 

you and I had led towards 

the adoption of the 

organogram of the PCC, 

and its principal officials. 

“Without further 

admonishment or 

complaints, I wish hereby 

to call upon Your 

Excellency to restrain the 

PCC from undertaking solo 

projects of this nature, and 

agree to work with all 

stakeholders towards 

taking our Party to 

victory. I shall not find it 

necessary to reiterate the 

importance of the party in 

the overall scheme of 

things in these campaigns, 

and the singular position 

of the NWC in driving the 

process towards our 

securing of victory in the 

polls. 

“It suffices for me to 

convey the general and 

overwhelming sentiment 

of the NWC with regards 

to the ill-timed and 

unfortunate release of the 

PCC list, which 

confounded rather than 

pleased the members and 

whose withdrawal will 

assure the NWC of Your 

Excellency’s respect and 

disposition towards the 

party, as well as the 

magnanimous spirit of 

cooperation towards 

achieving victory together 

with the NWC,” Adamu’s 

purported letter read in 

part. 

Letter didn’t 

come from 

Adamu 

Describing the letter as 

a “draft”, Morka said it 

did not emanate from the 

chairman. 

His words: “Our 

attention has been drawn 

to a ‘draft’ letter in 

circulation purportedly 

written by His Excellency, 

Senator Abdullahi 

Adamu, the National 

Chairman of our great 

party, addressed to His 

Excellency, Asiwaju Bola 

Ahmed Tinubu, the 

Presidential Candidate of 

our great Party, 

expressing dissatisfaction 

over the recently released 

list of the Presidential 

Campaign Council 

(PCC). 

“To be clear, the ‘draft’ 

letter did not emanate 

from the party. An 

unsigned letter that marks 

itself as a ‘draft’ cannot 

and should not be 

attributed to its purported 

author. 

“The National 

Chairman of our party and 

our Presidential 

Candidate maintain 

cordial and effective 

communication channels, 

and enjoy full liberty of 

open and frank 

conversations on matters 

of interest to the party and 

our Presidential 

Campaign. As such, an 

unsigned ‘draft’ letter of 

the kind in circulation is 

patently unnecessary and 

of no qualitative value to 

engagement between the 

Party and the PCC. 

“We will not be 

distracted by the wishes 

and actions of detractors 

that wait gleefully but in 

vain for some kind of crisis 

to erupt between the party 

and the PCC. 

“We stand united, as a 

Party, in our resolve and 

commitment to execute a 

focused and issue-driven 

campaign to persuade 

Nigerians to renew our 

mandate in next year’s 

general election”. 

Tinubu not ill, 

Naira appreciates to N436.03 /$ in 

I&E window 

By Elizabeth Adegbesan 

The naira yesterday appreciated to N436.03 per 

dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window. 

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative 

exchange rate for the naira fell to N436.03 per dollar 

from N436.37 per dollar on Wednesday, indicating 

34 kobo appreciation for the naira. 

However, the naira depreciated by N10 in the 

parallel market yesterday. 

Vanguard findings from black market traders 

showed that the parallel market exchange rate rose 

to N735 per dollar from N725 per dollar on 

Wednesday. 

in London 

— SOURCE 

Meanwhile, an APC leader 

has dismissed as false, 

claims that Tinubu is sick 

and recuperating in a 

London hospital. 

The source, who was privy 

to the former Lagos 

governor’s trip, said: 

“Tinubu is not sick. I saw him 

before he travelled on 

Saturday night to London.” 

Asked whether the APC 

presidential candidate had 

met with Governor Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State and his 

allies in London, the source 

said: “I am sure if the 

opportunity presents itself, 

they will meet.” 

Tinubu to make 

more concessions 

to NWC 

However, indications 

emerged last night that 

Tinubu will grant more 

concessions to the Senator 

Adamu-led NWC. 

By Prince Osuagwu, 

Hi-Tech Editor 

LAGOS — Fresh 

trouble looms 

between telecom operators 

and their banking sector 

counterparts over the 

lingering N80 billion 

Unstructured 

Supplementary Service 

Data, USSD debt banks 

owed the telcos. The telcos 

have accused the banks of 

not complying with the 

repayment plan, stressing 

that the debt has increased 

to $80 billion. 

The Chairman, 

Association of Licensed 

Telecommunications 

Operators of Nigeria 

(ALTON), Gbenga 

Adebayo, who revealed 

this, yesterday, 

It was gathered that the 

council would be expanded 

by creating more 

directorates but that the 

campaigns would still be 

run by the Tinubu team. 

“Tinubu is the candidate. 

It is his election. He must 

be allowed to run his 

campaign. If we did not 

have a sitting president, 

Tinubu would have been the 

chairman of the campaign 

council. Whenever you have 

a campaign council, what is 

the job of the NWC? The 

NWC takes the back seat. 

That is tradition. That is 

the way it has always been. 

Fresh showdown looms between telcos, 

banks over N80b debt 

threatened that if the banks 

failed to honour the 

agreement, his members 

would have no other 

choice but to withdraw the 

services. 

USSD is commonly 

known as bank transfers 

done through short codes 

on mobile phones. When 

the matter brewed heavily 

last year, the National 

Assembly, Central Bank of 

Nigeria and the Nigerian 

Communications 

Commission, NCC waded 

in and generated a 

gentleman’s agreement 

which gave the banks 

leverage to defray the debts 

gradually. 

But Adebayo has just 

revealed the banks reneged 

and allowed the debt to rise. 

The USSD saga between 

the banks and telcos has 

lingered since 2020, rising 

from below N40 billion in 

2020 to N57 billion by the 

end of 2021 and now has 

risen over N80 billion. 

According to ALTON, the 

only way to recover the debt 

would be to withdraw the 

support that gives the 

USSD platform life. 

What this means is that 

all short code services will 

be suspended and users 

will not be able to carry out 

some online banking 

services from the comfort of 

their homes. 

The Nigeria Inter-Bank 

Settlement System, NIBSS 

recently revealed on its 

website that USSD is 

responsible for 35 per cent 

of transactions that pushed 

value of mobile 

Reps raise alarm over Ebola threat in Nigeria 

•Ask health ministries, NCDC to activate monitoring mechanisms 

By Levinus Nwabughiogu mandated the Federal on the on September 20, 

A 

Ministry of Health to 2022, Uganda health 

BUJA — The House immediately activate authorities declared an 

of Representatives, 

outbreak of Ebola disease, 

yesterday raised alarm over 

caused by Sudan virus, 

Ebola threat in Nigeria, 

following laboratory 

urging relevant health 

confirmation of a patient 

authorities to activate all 

from a village in Madudu 

monitoring mechanisms. 

sub-county, Mubende 

Specifically, the House 

district, centre Uganda. 

strategies for monitoring 

adherence to Ebola 

guidelines and ensure that 

residents continued to 

comply with all advisories 

aimed at curtailing the 

likely development of the 

virus in Nigeria. 

It also mandated the 

Nigeria Centre for Disease 

Control, NCDC, to ensure 

intensive observation and 

check on travel protocols for 

inbound passengers from 

red flag countries. 

The resolution came on 

the heels of a motion, titled 

“Need for Federal 

Government to Activate 

Response Against the 

Possible Detection of Ebola 

in Nigeria” moved under 

matter of urgent public 

importance by Musa Bagos 

from Plateau State at 

plenary. 

Presenting the motion 

earlier, Bagos recalled that 

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde (second left); his Benue State counterpart, 

Samuel Ortom (second right); former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi 

Ladoja (right) and Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Debo 

Ogundoyin during the flag-off of Senator Rashidi Ladoja GRA and naming 

of Ladoja circular road project along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ibadan. 

He said the World Health 

Organization raised 

concerns that in the absence 

of licensed vaccines and 

therapeutics for prevention 

and treatment of Sudan 

virus disease, the risk of 

potential serious public 

health impact was high. 

“Investigations are on 

oing to determine the 

scope of the outbreak and 

the possibility of spread 

with Importation of cases to 

neighboring countries 

cannot be ruled out at this 

stage; 

“According to the 

information currently 

available, the overall risk 

has been assessed as high 

at national level 

considering: the confirmed 

Sudan virus and the lack 

of an authorized vaccine, 

the possibility that the event 

started three weeks before 

the identification of the 

index case and several 

transmission chains have 

not been tracked; “The 

Ebola virus is giving a lot 

of people concern around 

the world as it was the 

variant that gave a lot of 

infections and fatalities in 

some countries. 

“Nigeria has reason to be 

warier at the moment as the 

deadly Ebola virus can get 

into Nigeria through our 

borders or travelers coming 

into Nigeria for business or 

any reason and could 

become dominant if 

unchecked,’’ Bagos said. 

Adopting the motion, the 

House mandated NCDC to 

set up a national response 

to control the likely 

emergence and spread of 

the virus in order to spare 

Nigeria the brunt of the 

pandemic. 

“However, our presidential 

candidate is always ready to 

accommodate all interests. 

Do not be surprised if 

membership of the council 

rises to between 1,800 and 

2,000. He is ready to 

accommodate everybody,” 

said one of his close 

associates. 

transactions to N11.10trn 

in the first eight months of 

2022. 

Speaking at Nigerian ICT 

Reporters Association, 

NITRA ICT Growth 

Conference 2.0 themed: 

Creating A Digital 

ecosystem in Nigeria: The 

hurdles, The gains, 

Adebayo said while some 

banks have responded and 

are making payments, 

others have remained 

unconcerned and so, the 

only option is to disconnect 

their services. 

He 

said 

telecommunications 

operators may decentralise 

the USSD services on 

historical USSD debt. 

When the matter first came 

to the fore about a year and 

half ago, the debt was below 

N40 billion, “but because 

they refused to comply and 

pay as and when due, the 

debt continued to rise. 

Today, it is about N80 

billion. 

He also lamented the 

spate of multiple taxes 

levied on operators by 

some states, adding that 

the challenge has become 

a major headache to the 

industry. Adebayo said the 

taxes and levies were over 

40, multiplied and 

duplicated among states 

and the federal 

government. 

Adebayo noted that the 

regime of national tariff 

should be over by the way 

things are going, and 

operators may soon 

introduce discriminatory 

charges on subscribers, 

particularly in those areas 

that are not telecomfriendly. 

He said: “I don’t see why 

hostile states should not be 

treated same way they are 

treating operators. States 

that are friendly will be 

treated same. Plans are on 

to introduce discriminatory 

prices, especially those 

states which see telcos as 

cash cows.”


KOMA 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as MISS KOMA 

EJIRO AMORIGHOYE, now 

wish to be known and addressed 

as MRS. UMUKORO EJIRO 

AMORIGHOYE, henceforth 

all former documents remain 

valid. General public take note. 

AUSTIN 

IKWOGO 


addressed as AUSTIN D. 

TUBOTU. Now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

ADORE TUBOTU. All 

former documents remain 

valid, general public please 

take note. 

ODUONE OB 

DURU IKELIE 


addressed as MISS IKWOGO 

GIFT OKE. Now want to be 

known and addressed as MRS. 

GODDAY GIFT OKE. All 


valid, general public please take 

note. 

FRIDAY 

That in my BVN bear FRIDAY 

OHIOWERE, while in my NIN 

I bear OHIOWERE FRIDAY 

OMOKHOJIE. I now wish to 

be known and addressed as 

OHIOWERE FRIDAY 

OMOKHOJIE. All former 

documents remain valid, 

general public please take note. 

OBRUCHE 

I, formerly known as 

OBRUCHE MERCY, now wish 

to be known and addressed as 

AKPONANA OBRUCHE 

MERCY. All former documents 

remain valid, any authority it 

may concern and general 

public to take note. 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known as MS. IKELIE 

addressed as MISS ODUONE addressed as Duru Chinemerem 

Deborah Chinonso, now wish SOLUMTOCHUKWU THERESE, 

VICTORY EYETEMI. Now 

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

wish to be known and addressed Chinemerem Deborah 

addressed as IKELIE SOLUM 

as MISS DIAMOND Chinonso Duru Aiyedogbon. 

VICTORY. All former All documents dearing my THERESE. All former documents 

former name remain valid. 


remain valid. General public, please 

Any authority concerned and 

general public please take note. general public please take note. 

take note. 

IHENACHO 

EVRO 

SANUSI 

OCHUKO OD 


I, formerly known as MISS I, formerly known as MISS My name was incompletely captured 

BLESSING OREVAOGHENE 

addressed as Ihenacho 

SANUSI DUPE OLUBUNMI, on my BVN as OMETTA DIBO 

EVRO, now wish to be known 

now wish to be known and OCHUKO, instead of OMETTA 

Chibuike Heinrich, now wish and addressed as MRS 

addressed as MRS OLAGUNJU OGHENEOCHUKO DIBO. I wish 

to be known and addressed as BLESSING OREVAOGHENE 

Onyeji Chibuike Heinrich. All 

OVIE-OZUEM. All former MODUPE OLUBUNMI to be referred to as OMETTA 

documents remain valid. RHODA. All former documents OGHENEOCHUKO DIBO. All 

former documents remain General public please take remain valid. General public former documents remain valid. 

valid, general public take note. note. 

please take note. 

General public please take note. 

MUSTAFA TEJIRI THOMSON 

ANWUBUARIRI 

STEPHEN 

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

MUSTAFA RABI’U which is addressed as JOHN TEJIRI addressed as Thomson Victory, addressed as WILLIKI 

on my BVN. Now wish to be FAVOUR, now wish to be now wish to be known and STEPHEN, now wish to be 

known as KABIRU known and addressed as JOHN addressed as Imoniavwodo known and addressed as 

MUSTAPHA FINGILLAH as 

OGHENETEJIRI FAVOUR. Victory Oghenekparobo. All WILLIKI OSAS. All 

it is in my NIN. All documents 

bearing my former name 

All former documents remain documents bearing former documents bearing former 

remain valid. General public valid. General public please names remain valid. General names remain valid. General 

take note. 

take note. 

public, please take note. public, please take note. 

ANYALI 

EFEZONI 

EBINE 

IGBIAYE 

I, formerly known and This is to confirm that This is to confirm that EBINE I, formerly known and addressed as 

addressed as ANYALI PAUL VICTOR EFEZONI & AMEACHI & EBINUM IGBIAYE OLLEY TEMISANREN, 

OKECHUKWU, now wish to ENEKARUFE EFEZONI is AMEACHI is same and one 

now wish to be known and 

be known and addressed as same and one person, but now person, but now wish to be 

addressed as IGBIAYE TEMISAN 

OKAFOR 

PAUL wish to be addressed as addressed as EBINUM 

OKECHUKWU. All ENEKARUFE EFEZONI, all AMEACHI, all former GREAT. All former documents 

documents bearing former former documents remains documents remain valid, remain valid. General public, banks 

names remain valid. General valid, general public whom it general public whom it may and all concerned institutions 

public, please take note. may concern take note. concern take note. 

should please take note 

AJIDAGBA 

IYANDA EYOZIE ROBERTS 

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

as EYOZIE Miss Roberts Oluwayemisi Anike 

I, formerly known and addressed as 

addressed as AJIDAGBA addressed as IYANDA 

OLUWATOSIN RACHAEL, 

DAMILOLA, now wish to be LAURETTA EZIOMA but Oluwafisyomi, now wish to be 


known and addressed as ODU now wish to be known and addressed 

as EZUGWU Oluwayemisi Anike Esther 

known and addressed as Mrs. Noren 

addressed as OKIMIJI 

OLUWATOSIN RACHAEL. 

DAMILOLA. All former 

All former documents remain documents remain valid. LAURETTA EZIOMA all Oluwafisayomi. All former 

valid. General public please General public please take former documents remain documents remain valid. General 

take note. 

note. 

valid, general public take note. public please take note. 

MATTHEW 

CHIABUA 

ONYENEHELI 

UZUEGBU 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and addressed as 

addressed as Joseph addressed as CHIABUA addressed as ONYENEHELI MISS UZUEGBU AMARACHI 

Matthew, now wish to be BLESSING UCHECHUKWU, OGECHI MERCY, now wish to ESTHER, now wish to be known 

known and addressed as now wish to be known and 

and addressed as MRS 

be known and addressed as 

addressed as UNUIGBOJE 

CHUKWUJIKE AMARACHI 

Joseph Friday. All former 

IWUJI OGECHI MERCY. All 

BLESSING UCHECHUKWU. 

ESTHER. All former documents remain 

valid. General public and to 

documents remain valid. All former documents remain 


General public please take valid. General public please valid. General public please whom it may concern please take 

note. 

take note. 

take note. 

note. 

ALADE 

ERNEST 

ISIBOR 

KAYODE 

I, formerly known and I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS I, formerly known as MISS I, popularly known as 

addressed as Maria Tosin ERNEST UFUOMA, NOW WISH 

SERAH ISIBOR, now wish to Kayode Ladeinde is also one 

TO BE KNOWN, CALLED AND 

Alade, now wish to be known 

ADDRESSED AS ABEFE be known and addressed as and same person as 

and addressed as Maria Tosin UFUOMA. 

ALL MRS. ASEMOTA SERAH. All Olukayode Ladeinde. All 

Pedro. All former documents FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN former documents remain former documents remain 

remain valid. General public VALID, BANK AND THE 

GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD valid. The general public please valid. The general public 


TAKE NOTE. 

take note. 


AGEGE 

ODEZELE 

FLOURISH 

OKOREFE 

I, formerly known as MISS My new name is Mrs. My new name is Nikatsekpe I, formerly known and 

Omayemi Flourish, formerly known 

RITA ENEKPEN AGEGE, Ehihobolo Odezele Blessing, 

addressed as Okorefe Erica 

as Nikatsekpe Sarah and Nikatsekpe 

but formerly known as Miss 


Omayemi Flourish as they remain Igbunu. Now wish to be known 

Peter Blessing, that in her one person, and in my BVN my Name and addressed as known as Mrs 

addressed as Mrs RITA 

BVN her middle name was written as Nikatsekpe Sarah, Erica Premoboere Ogor. All 

ENEKPEN YAMAH. All (Ogheneruese) was Omitted. 

instead of my current name in my 


National ID card. All former 

former documents remain All former documents remain documents remain valid. Public valid, general public please 

valid. Public please take note. valid. Public please take note. please take note. 

take note. 

UDEAGWU 

OKOROEGBU 

EMUKPERUO 

OBOH 

I, formerly known and addressed as I, formerly known as MISS I, formerly known, addressed I, formerly known, called and 

UDEAGWU NNENNA LYNDA. CHIDINMA JUDITH and called Emukperuo Frank, addressed OBOH BLESSING 

Now wish to be known and OKOROEGBU, now wish to be now wish to be known, OSALUMHENSE, OBOH 

known and addressed as MRS addressed and called BLESSING, now wish to be known, 

addressed as EZENWUDE 

CHIDINMA JUDITH Emukperuo 

Frank called and addressed MRS. 

NNENNA LYNDA. All Former 

OFOEGBULIWE (NEE Oghenekevwe. All former CONFERENCE BLESSING 

documents remain valid. General OKOROEGBU). All former documents to remain valid. OSALUMHENSE. All former 

Public, Banks and Authorities documents remain valid. The General Public to please documents remain valid. General 

Concerned to please take note. Public please take note. take note. 

public please take note. 

OYEDELE 

EDAFE 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and 

addressed as Oyedele addressed as EDAFE 

O G H E N E M A R O 

Omoboyenle Janet. Now wish 

EMMANUEL, now wish to be 

to be known and addressed as known and addressed as OGIDI 

Iyalekhue Omoboyenle Janet. O G H E N E M A R O 

All former documents remain EMMANUEL. All former 

valid, general public please documents remain valid, 


take note. 

EGBO 

OBOH 

This is to confirm that the names; I, formerly known and 

EGBO ROSELINE, EGBO addressed as OBOH ELO JOY. 

ORUAROGHENE ROSELINE, and 

Now wish to be known and 

AKPO ORUAROGHENE 

addressed as OBOH ELOZINO 

ROSELINE. refer to one and the same 

JOY. All former documents 

person. All documents bearing the 

above names remain valid, general remain valid, general public 



EDIRI NWOSU EG EMMANUEL 

I, formerly known as MISS I, formerly known and 

EDIRI ELOHO, now wish to addressed as Emmanuel 

be known and addressed as Charles Prissy and 

MRS ORODIVWAME 

Ihwiwhuromarayen Charles 

Prissy respectively, now wish 

ELOHO EDIRI. All former 


documents remain valid, any Ovuekerayen Charles Mudiaga. 

authority it may concern and All former documents remain 

general public to take note. valid. General public take note. 

EBOH 

IGWE 

I, formerly known as MISS. I, formerly known as IGWE 

EBOH HELEN ELOHOR. FORTUNE KING which is on 

Now wish to be known and my BVN. Now wish to be 

addressed as MRS. OLAOTI known and addressed as 

HELEN ELOHOR. All 

ALUGHA EZEODINAKA 

IGWE as it is in my NIN. All 

documents bearing my former 

documents bearing my former 

name remain valid. General 

name remain valid. General 

public take note. 


ENOSEJE 

IKPESA 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and 

addressed as Miss. Enoseje addressed as IKPESA 

Oghenero, now wish to be BENJAMIN MULLER, now 

known and addressed as Mrs. 


as MORRISON BENJAMIN 

Okaruefe Ufuoma Oghenero. 

IKPESA. All documents 

All documents bearing former bearing former names remain 

names remain valid. General valid. General public, please 

public, please take note. take note. 

ONOCHIE 

We, formerly known and addressed as Onochie David 

Chidubem, Onochie Daniel Chinonso, and Onochie Nancy 

Ifeoma, now wish to be known and addressed as 

IGBOAMAKA David Chidubem, IGBOAMAKA Daniel 

Chinonso and IGBOAMAKA Nancy Ifeoma. All former 

documents remain valid. General public should please take note. 

KOGHUVWU 


MISS 

KOGHUVWU 

OGHENEKEVWE JENNIFER, now 

wish to be known and addressed as 

MRS 

BIOKORO 

OGHENEKEVWE JENNIFER. All 

former documents remain valid. 

General public please take note. 

JOHNSON 


addressed as BLESSING 

JOHNSON, now wish to be 


MEMUNAT ABOKI 

ABUBAKAR. All former 

documents remain valid. 

General public please take 

note. 

ADEBOGA 

I, formerly Miss Taiwo 

Oluwaseun Adeboga, now wish 

to be called, known and 

addressed as Mrs TAIWO 

OLUWASEUN ENAMAYE. 

All former documents remain 

valid. Concerned authorities 

and the general public to please 

take note. 

TOYO 


addressed as MISS TOYO 

EMANOR UDOKPO now 

wish to be known and 

addressed as MRS TOIYO- 

ABASI KOKO AKPAKAN. 


valid.General public take note. 

IKEZU 

This is to confirm that Ikezu Jennifer 

Chinenye, Obiefuna Jennifer 

Chinenye and Ekechi Chinenyenwa 

Rahamat refer to one and same person, 


addressed as Ekechi Chinenyenwa 

Rahamat. All former documents 

remain valid. General public please 

take note. 

OKECHUKWU 


addressed as OKECHUKWU 

IFEOMA LOVETH but now 


as IGBONEKWU IFEOMA 

LOVETH. All former 


Bank, general public take note. 

JOSEPH 

I, JOSEPH VANDU JOHN wish to 

notify the general public that my 

name was wrongly arranged and 

spelt on my BVN as VAND JOHN, 

instead of JOSEPH VANDU JOHN 

which is my correct name. I now wish 

to be known as JOSEPH VANDU 

JOHN. All former documents remain 

valid. General public take note. 

OBIYO 

I, formerly known as MISS 

OBIYO GRACE UGOEZE, 


addressed as MRS ABBA 

GRACE UGOEZE. All former 


General public please take 

note. 

EFFEDUA 

My name was wrongly written 

on My NIN as Effedua 

Kehinde Prisca, instead of 

Effedua Rose Prisca. My 

correct name is Effedua Rose 

Prisca. All former documents 

remains valid. General public 

and Concerned authorities 

should take note. 

EZEDOM KALU 


addressed as MISS KALU 

CHINYERE CASSANDRA, 


addressed as MRS. NWAJIOBI 

CHINYERE CASSANDRA. All 


valid. General public please 

take note.

28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 

CHANGE OF NAME 

NZERIBE 

I, formerly known as NZERIBE 

MIRACLE. Now wish to be 

Known, called and addressed as 

NZERIBE CHIDUBEM 

MIRACLE. All former documents 

remain valid. Concerned 

Authorities, Banks, NIN and 

General public should please take 

note. 

EKWOSIOBI 

I, formerly known and addressed 

as EKWOSIOBI GABRIEL 

CHUKWUKA, now wish to be 


EKWOSIOBI RAPHAEL 

CHUKWUKA. All former 

documents remain valid. General 


IFEANYI 


as IFEANYI JOHN-PAUL, now 


as IFEANYI JOHNPAUL 

IFEANYI. All former documents 

remain valid. General public please 

take note. 

NNAJI 

I, Formerly Known And 

Addressed As MISS NNAJI 

MIRACLE ONYINYECHI, Now 

Wish To Be Known And 

Addressed As MRS NWAFOR 

MIRACLE ONYINYECHI. All 

Former Documents Remain Valid. 

General Public Please Take Note. 

OKECHUKWU 


as Mrs. Chioma Jennifer 

Okechukwu. Now wish to be 

known and addressed as Mrs 

Chioma Jennifer Mmadu. All 


The general public should please 

take note. 

EKPEEKPE 


addressed as MISS 

E K P E E K P E 

ORITSEWEYINMI Now 


addressed as MRS ABUDU 

ORITSEWEYINMI. All 


valid, general public please 

take note 

EROMOSELE 


as Miss 

Eromosele 

Ruth Ejemen, now wish to be 

known and addressed as Mrs 

Paul Ruth Ejemen, all former 

documents remain valid, general 


JACKSON 

I, JACKSON IYOHA am the same 

person as JACKSON IYOHA 

IDEHEN. I now wish to be called 

JACKSON IYOHA All former 


Concerned Authorities and the 

general public should please take 

note. 

OBAGA 

I, formerly called Miss Obaga 

Sandra, now wish to be called 

Mrs Festus Sandra. All former 


Çonerned Authorities and the 

general public should please 

take note. 

UKUMOBE 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Ukumobe Aghogho, now wish 

to be known and called Mrs. 

Elvis Agbedia Aghogho. All 


valid. The general public and 

to whom it may concern 

should please take note. 

DAVID 

This is to confirm that the name 

DAVID IGHO MARY and IKAMI 

IGHO belong to one and the same 

person, now wish to be known 

and addressed as IKAMI IGHO. 


valid, general public please take 

note. 

OFORBUIKE 

I, formerly known as MISS. 

OFORBUIKE ESTHER 

OLUCHI. Now wish to be known, 

called and addressed as MRS. 

ARINZE ESTHER OLUCHI. All 


Concerned Authorities, Banks, 

NIN and General public should 


NNOBA 


addressed as NNOBA 

CHIDIMMA ESTHER, 


addressed as EJIMOFOR 

CHIDIMMA ESTHER. All 


valid. General public please 

take note. 

OKAFOR 

I, Formerly Known And Addressed 

As OKAFOR EUCHERIA 

NKIRUKA, Now Wish To Be 

Known And Addressed As 

IDAHOSA EUCHERIA 

NKIRUKA. All Former Documents 

Remain Valid. General Public Please 

Take Note. 

ISAIAH 


as Ayomiposi Isaiah 

Ayangbesan. Now wish to be 


Ayomiposi Oluwagbemiga 

Ayangbesan. All former 

documents remain valid. The 


take note. 

ADEBAYO 


addressed as ADEBAYO 

RASHIDAT OLAIDE. Now 


addressed as OGUNYEMI 

RASHIDAT OLAIDE. All 


valid. The general public should 


OGBAJI 


Maryann Adaobi Ogbaji, now 

wish to be addressed as Mrs 

Maryann Adaobi Uzoma. All 


valid, general public note. 

SAJERE 


addressed as MISS SAJERE 

HAPPY, now wish to be known 

and addressed as MRS. JIMO 

HAPPY CHINANI. All 

former documents remain valid, 


ALAGOA 

I, ALAGOA OYINKEPREYE 

GIFT, am the same person as 

ALAGOA DAVID GIFT I now 

wish to be called ALAGOA 

OYINKEPREYE GIFT. All former 


Concerned Authorities and the 

general public should please take 

note. 

CHINWENDU OT 

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS 

CHINATU 

FAITHFUL 

CHINWENDU, NOW WISH TO 

BE KNOWN AS MRS IYIEGBU 

FAITHFUL CHINWENDU. ALL 

FORMER DOCUMENTS 

REMAIN VALID. GENERAL 

PUBLIC AND AUTHORITY 

CONCERNED PLEASE TAKE 

NOTE. IGBOKE 


as IGBOKE CHINASA MARY. 

Now wish to be known and 

addressed as CHUKWU 

CHINASA MARY. All former 

documents remain valid. The 


take note. 

IKE 


MISS IKE OGECHUKWU 

PATIENCE, now wish to be known 

and addressed as MRS 

C H U K W U N O N S O 

OGECHUKWU PATIENCE. All 



PRESENTATION: Front row from 

left Committee member FOMWAN, 

Alhaja Yussuf Aisat, Chairperson, 

FOMWAN, Alhaja Asiata Idowu 

and Alhaja Surura Oyero receiving 

gifts from Convener, Progressive 

Change for Tinbu and Shettima, Mr 

Muyideen Aliu; Acting Woman 

Leader, Omolola Uthman when 

members of Progressive Change 

for Tinubu and Shettima presented 

some gift to Federation of Muslim 

Women Association of Nigeria, 

FOMWAN, ophanage home in 

Ibadan. Photo Dare Fasube 

OFOGBA-ONYEAZOR 


addressed as Mrs Edna Najite 

Ofogba-Onyeazor, now wish 


Mrs Edna Ubukowho Najite 

Eziashi. All former documents 

remain valid. General public 


OKEKE 


as OKEKE EVANGELINE 

OLUEBUBE, now wish to be 


NNAKIFE EVANGELINE 

OLUEBUBE. All former 

documents remain valid. General 


OKECHUKWU 


addressed as Chikaima Favour 

Okechukwu. Now wish to be 


Chikaima Favour Mmadu. All 


valid. The general public 

should please take note. 

CHIBUZO 

I, formerly known as 

CHIBUZO IFEANYI 

AKUEWULU, now wish to be 


CHIBUZOR TONIA EZU- 

LIKE. All former documents 

remain valid. The general 

public should take note. 

MORDECAI 


as ANTHONY CHINEDU 

MORDECAI, now wish to be 


NTAMMERE, CHINEDU 

PAUL.All former documents 

remain valid. Bank and general 

public should take note. 

CHIKE 


as CHIKE JULIET IHUNNA, now 


as IHEANACHO JULIET 

IHUNNA. All former documents 

remain valid, general public please 

take note. 

EBOHON 

I, formerly called Miss Ebohon 

Izegbuwa Janet, now wish to be 

called Mrs Otabor Janet Eyotor. 


valid. Concerned Authorities and 

the general public should please 

take note. 

LABINJO 


Labinjo Oluwakemi Adebimpe, 


addressed as Mrs Oyebola 

Oluwakemi Adebimpe. All former 


Authorities concerned and 

general public take note 

OVBIAGELE 

This is to confirm that the name 

OVBIAGELE BLESSING 

EKUNSOKHAI and JONATHAN 

BLESSING belong to one and the 

same person, now wish to be known 

and addressed as OVBIAGELE 

BLESSING EKUNSOKHAI. All 



:Vanguard :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 

Oba of Benin lauds Nigeria Postal Service 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

ENIN CITY—THE Oba of 

BBenin, His Majesty Omo 

N'Oba Ewuare II has expressed 

confidence on the services of 

Nigeria Postal Service, NIPOST, 

saying its viability cannot be over 

emphasized. 

The Oba stated this when he 

received the first female director 

of the Nigeria Postal Institute, 

Egor, Mrs Salome Irowa at his 

palace in Benin City, Edo state 

capital. 

He said his confidence in 

NIPOST was recently revived 

when his daughter received her 

certificate after graduation from 

school abroad through the 

Nigerian postal service contrary 

to his fears that their activities 

and efficiency may have been 

eroded by other private courier 

services and urged the federal 

government to encourage the 

agency for optimum service 

delivery to the country. 

Oba Ewuare II pledged the 

support of the palace for the 

director to succeed in office. 

Earlier, Mrs Irowa, told the 

monarch that having assumed 

duties as first female director of 

the institute, since July this year, 

it was imperative to seek royal 

blessings and prayers as well as 

support in order to excel in her 

duties. 

She said the long peace the 

institute enjoyed in Benin was 

as a result of the Monarch's 

excellent leadership qualities. 

Irowa said as home of culture 

and tradition in Africa, there was 

need for the monarch to 

partner with NIPOST for the 

Glovo marks one year 

anniversary in Nigeria 

By Etop Ekanem 

ABUJA—Glovo, one of the 

world’s leading multi-category 

delivery players, commemorated its 

one year of operations in Nigeria 

with a high-level stakeholder event. 

The event, held in Abuja had 

the General Manager of the 

Courier and Logistics Regulatory 

Department of NIPOST and the 

representatives of the Nigerian 

Investment Promotion Commission 

and the Drivers Training Institute 

of the Vehicle Inspection Office 

Abuja, as well as a host of key 

stakeholders within the Glovo 

ecosystem across Nigeria in 

attendance. 

Speaking at the event, Lorenzo 

Mayol, General Manager for Glovo 

Nigeria, said: “We are excited and 

issuance of commemorative 

stamp that would help promote 

the rich cultural heritage of Benin 

kingdom. 

Highlight of the event was a 

presentation of stamp 

compendium from 1914 to 2014 

to the monarch by the director. 

honoured to celebrate the first year 

of Glovo in Nigeria. We owe our 

success stories to our partners for their 

unwavering hard work and 

contributions, our users for their 

consistent loyalty, trust and support, 

and the couriers who collaborate with 

our platform.” 

Also, Tokunbo Ibrahim, Public 

Affairs Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa 

for Glovo, said: “At Glovo, we are 

committed to our entire ecosystem of 

partners, couriers and users. Our 

success driver so far is our culture of 

accountability as a company and how 

we leverage the strengths and 

capabilities of our workforce and 

partners to ensure quality and timely 

service delivery.” 

In his remarks, General Manager 

for Courier and Logistics Regulatory 

Department of NIPOST, Mr Gideon 

Shonde commended Glovo for its 

efforts in upskilling couriers, stating 

that among the over 500 licensed 

operators in Nigeria, what Glovo has 

achieved in its one year of operations 

is laudable particularly as it relates to 

investment in the training of couriers. 

DTHA aspirant 

empowers 50 

mothers in 

Delta 

A 

DEJE OKPE—A member 

seeking election into the 

Delta State House of Assembly, 

under the flag of the All 

Progressives Grand Alliance, 

APGA, Mr. Otis Ogbaminor, has 

enpowered over 50 mothers of 

new-born babies in Ward 8, Adeje 

Okpe Local Government Area of 

Delta State, with N5,000 each, 

at an event which took place in 

the party’s secretariat, at Adeje 

Okpe. 

In a chart with newsmen, 

Agbaminor, who has been on this 

project since April,2022, said 

children are inheritance from God 

and, as such, should be properly 

cared for, “for they are future 

leaders of tomorrow. 

Agbaminor, who said gone were 

the days of use-and-dump, said 

he was sure of victory in the 

forthcoming election. He said he 

already knew the issues of his 

people and is a must for him to 

deliver the dividend of democracy, 

if elected. 

“Let’s see ourselves as one 

family with one goal, irrespective 

of the political affiliations. A vote 

from every woman counts for me 

and, with the present template 

put in place by the Independent 

National Electoral Commission, 

INEC, I’m sure of victory at the 

forthcoming election.”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

NFF Election: Who replaces 

Pinnick as President? 

•As AGM, elective Congress holds in Benin 

•Appeals Court gives green light 

•FIFA, CAF observers on ground 

The 78th Annual General 

Assembly of the Nigeria 

Football Federation will 

hold on Friday in Benin City, capital 

of Edo State alongside elections of 

a new Executive Committee to steer 

the affairs of the nation’s supreme 

football –ruling body for the next 

four years. 

A ruling by the Court of Appeal on 

Thursday morning ordered a stayof-execution 

of an ex parte injunction 

secured by some fellows a fortnight 

ago to stop the elections, meaning 

that the coast is now clear for an 

interesting contest for the NFF 

presidency by 10 prominent 

individuals and dozen other 

notable persons jostling for seats on 

the Executive Committee. 

More representatives of the world 

football-governing body, FIFA 

arrived in Benin City just before 

noon on Thursday. Solomon 

Mudege, FIFA’s Head of 

Development Programmes for 

Africa and Gelson Fernandes, a 

former Swiss international player 

who is FIFA’s Director for Africa 

were in an excited mood. 

Mudege said: “We are happy to be 

here and to witness another 

milestone in the history of Nigeria 

Football. We believe it is going to 

be an interesting Congress with the 

elections.” 

Among the 10 persons jostling to 

succeed Amaju Melvin Pinnick as 

Nigeria football’s supremo are 

current vice presidents, Seyi 

Akinwunmi (1st VP) and Shehu 

Dikko (2nd VP), as well as current 

Executive Committee Member and 

Chairman of Chairmen, Ibrahim 

Musa Gusau and another current 

Executive Committee Member, 

Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande. 

There is also an immediate past 

General Secretary, Musa Amadu, 

and Head of Safety and Security of 

the Confederation of African 

Football, Christian Emeruwa. 

Also in the hunt for the exalted post 

are Chairman of the FCT Football 

Association, Adam Mouktar 

Mohammed; former Nigeria international 

goalkeeper, Peterside Idah; 

former Chairman of Kano Pillars 

FC and respected technocrat, Abba 

Abdullahi Yola and; UK-based 

David-Buhari Doherty. 

A former NFF 1st Vice President, 

Amanze Uchegbulam, pulled out 

of the race during the week. 

Fury gives Joshua Thursday deadline to sign contract 

Tyson Fury has urged Anthony Joshua to “give British 

fans what they want” and sign a contract for a 

heavyweight world-title fight in December. 

WBC champion Fury, 34, had given fellow Briton 

Joshua, 32, an ultimatum to sign by Monday, but said on 

social media he has extended the deadline to Thursday. 

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn says he is “baffled” by 

Fury’s latest demands. “The ball is in your court, 

everything is done,” said Fury. 

“We have [broadcasters] BT, DAZN and ESPN all on 

the same page, they’re happy with everything. 

“If you have any dignity and pride about you, you’ll get 

this contract signed today. 

“I’m chucking you a massive bone but I know I can 

punch your face in so I’m willing to give you an 

opportunity. Let the British fans have what they want.” 

Aquatic Federation President outlines mission 

Bent on improving swimming 

and other aquatic sports in the 

country, the Nigerian Aquatic 

Federation has embarked on a 

train the trainers course for 

swimming coaches and lifeguard 

professionals in the country. 

As a precursor to the coaching 

clinic, the federation held a weeklong 

swimming coaches 

conference and aquatic lifeguard 

professional course at the Teslim 

Balogun Stadium in Lagos. The 

twin event was declared open by 

the President of the Federation, 

Mrs Chinoye Aliyu. 

The federation boss said the 

course underscores the 

determination of the board to 

make Nigeria a swimming nation 

as it would not only enhance the 

capabilities of the coaches but will 

also make the country’s 

waterways safer. 

Explaining further the President 

said, “Swimming is health and 

water is life. And we want to give 

that life to Nigerians. The 

beginning of every good journey 

starts with safety. One has to be 

alive to be able to benefit from 

A 

fresh excitement has 

pervaded the scrabble 

community and the world as the 

newly birthed MGI Grand Slam 

has been backed by American 

gaming firm Scopely. 

The MGI Grand Slam is the 

latest variant introduced to 

expand and keep engagements 

around the sports of scrabble 

sustained with new innovations. 

The tournament is a high-end 

competition where top players go 

swimming. That is why we want 

Nigerians to know about the 

proper coaching practices and 

methods and the safety measures 

associated with the sport. So it is 

for coaching, it is for lifeguard 

and life saving.” 

She was impressed with the 

turnout as the course is divided into 

two parts: coaching and lifesaving, 

then safety and security. 

She said the course would churn 

out competent professional 

coaches and lifeguards who will 

curb frequent accidents in the 

country’s waterways and beaches. 

Nigeria opens U-19 Cricket WCQ account with Rwanda tie 

T 

he International Cricket Council 

U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 

Africa Division 2 Qualifiers will kick 

off at the Nigeria Cricket Federation’s 

twin-ovals form today at the MKO 

Abiola National Stadium in Abuja 

from Friday September 30th, 2020 

with Nigeria opening their chances 

with Rwanda. 

The Championship will be an ODI 

(One Day International) with Kenya, 

Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, 

Ghana and Sierra Leone also laying 

their claim to the top-three spot 

required to move to the next level. 

Ghana and majority of Bostwana’s 

team landed late last night and may 

cause slight change in the 

tournament fixtures. 

Ogbonnaya Okogeri, The 

Chairman of the Local Organising 

Committee, said that the big win for 

Nigeria, is being able to put up the 

standard required for hosting of this 

international event. 

“This is the second ICC event that 

•Dare 

Nigeria, but this is the is unique in 

that it is on a higher level because of 

the quality of facility and personnels 

required to pull it off. So far, we have 

been able to meet up on so many 

fronts and as the events gets off the 

ground formally, our joy will be to 

coast home smoothly with a successful 

•Pinnick 

hosting.” 

William Glenwright, ICC Global 

developmental manager, who was 

around earlier in the week had said 

the country’s feat in Cricket 

developmental index has been 

impressive and has earned a look in 

from the global body for more support. 

Fury 


Ronaldo deserves ban for Everton 

incident, says Agbonlahor 

Agbonlahor 

Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor 

has said that Cristiana Ronaldo deserves a 

suspension ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday, 

saying that a fine was not enough of a punishment for 

him. 

The Portugal striker was charged with improper 

conduct by the FA after he slapped a mobile phone 

out of the hand of a fan as his side suffered a 1-0 defeat 

away to Everton in April. Ronaldo was charged with 

a breach of FA Rule E3 relating to improper and/or violent 

conduct following the incident. 

“It (the fine ) was a bit ridiculous,” Agbonlahor 

told Football Insider. 

“Ronaldo, you can’t take a fan’s phone like 

that, it’s not on. I feel he should get a ban. 

I feel like a fine doesn’t matter to 

someone like Ronaldo, it’s not an issue. 

He’ll learn from that and know that he 

won’t be able to do it again.” 

Ronaldo accepted a police caution 

for assault and criminal damage in 

August, but 14-year-old Jacob Kelly 

has not yet had his phone returned 

according to his mother Sarah, 37. 

“He should have been dealt with 

six months ago,” Sarah told The 

Mirror as she claimed that 

Merseyside Police were the ones who 

paid to get the phone repaired instead of Ronaldo. 

“My son talks about what happened to him every day. He still hasn’t had 

his phone back. 

Pinnick-led NFF board failed 

us – Oladipo 

President -General of the 

Nigeria Football Supporters 

Club (NFSC), Dr Rafiu Oladipo 

has taken a swipe at the outgoing 

board of the Nigeria Football 

Federation, NFF led by Amaju 

Pinnick, describing it as a huge 

failure. 

Joshua 

By Solomon Nwoke 

Rita Izoje, against all odds, 

emerged ladies gross winner at 

the just ended Ladies Golf 

Association of Nigeria (LGAN) 

Southern Zonal Ladies 

Championship held at the UBTH 

Golf Club in Benin City, Edo State. 

Izoje from Ibori Golf and Country 

Club, Asaba, Delta State performed 

a great comeback to golf activities 

after many months out of golf course 

by beating all other contestants with 

a gross score of 91 while the duo of 

Ehis Igbinadolor (97 gross) and 

Suwadetu Mahmud (98 gross) 

placed second and third respectively. 

The championship organised by 

LGAN National Vice-President, 

Southern Zone, Sandra Monye- 

Emina featured Edo State Deputy 

Governor’s wife, Maryam Shaibu at 

the ceremonial tee-off and also 

played 18 holes, while LGAN 

Secretary, Mrs Ruth Iro-Awa 

New MGI scrabble Grand Slam receives Scopely support 

through a qualifying process be 

among the 28 that will face one 

another in Lagos over a total of 

24 games and a best of five finals 

from October 14-16. 

Players from United Kingdom, 

United States of America, Ghana, 

Gambia and Liberia have already 

conveyed their readiness to join 

their Nigerian rivals to be part of 

the historic moment. 

Disclosing the partnership with 

Scopely which owns the popular 

Dr. OLadipo, who spoke 

Wednesday in Lagos ahead of the 

NFF election slated to hold today 

in Benin City, Edo State, noted 

that the outgoing board lacked 

vision, hence succeeded in 

causing a whole lot of confusion 

among football stakeholders in 

the country. 

He emphasised that since the 

outgoing board of the NFF has 

disappointed Nigerians, those 

from the outgoing board seeking 

reelection must convince 

Nigerians why they should be 

given another chance to return. 

“Our football has failed. The 

present administration failed 

Nigerians. In the last eight years, 

what did we win under the 

administration of Amaju Pinnick? 

We did not win anything, not even 

a spoon. This present NFF has 

nothing to show for their eight 

years in office. 

“Teams come here boasting to 

beat us and it happens because of 

bad administration. The NFSC 

members are not happy that we 

find ourselves in this problem. 

Izoje emerges LGAN golf champion 

ScrabbleGo mobile app was MGI 

Chief, Lukeman Owolabi who 

highlighted the impact the 

relationship would have on the 

Grand Slam by live-streaming the 

games live on its platform. 

“SCOPELY, the makers of 

Scrabble GO mobile app will be 

supporting the live broadcast of 

the tournament on their Scrabble 

Twitch Channel as our official 

streaming partner.” 

represented LGAN President, 

Princess Juliet Monyei-Inyere at the 

event. 

In the net players category, Igho 

Ugbegu with a net score of 78 won 

the event after beating Ogeili Gracili 

on count-back just as Deborah 

Emifoniye (80 net) and Ochuko 

Orogun (83 net) placed third and 

fourth simultaneously. 

Foluso Oboro with 75 net beat Joy 

Omorogiuwa (79 net) to win special 

category (hcp 29-36). Monica 

Obaedo won veteran ladies with 83 

net just as super veteran award went 

to Ivie Iyoha with 67 net over 9 holes 

while Patience Ikwere played 88 net 

to win the guests award. 

Other winners included Osaze Iyare 

who emerged as regular best gross 

winner with 76 gross. Orobosa 

Moses beat O. Aisien on count-back 

having both played 70 net to win 

the regular men’s event. AVM Aliyu 

with 81 net won the veteran men 

award, as super veteran winner was 

Sunday Isemede with 80 net. 

In the individual awards, the 

longest drive hole 5 men and lady 

winners were former BCGS Captain, 

Ignatius Aigbokhaode and Ochuko 

Orogun. Nearest the pin hole 4 

winners were Ogeili Gracili and 

Samuel Isuku. 

The highlight of the championship 

was presentation of trophies, 

awards and various prizes to winners 

while encomiums were showered on 

the zonal national vice-president, 

Emina for good hosting.



Vanguard, FRIDAY , SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK 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 Anaesthetic (10) 

7 Country formerly part of Yugoslavia (7) 

8 Neat (4) 

10 Second-hand (4) 

11 Turncoat (8) 

13 Make a journey (6) 

15 Foreigners (6) 

17 Outside (8) 

18 Meat from a calf (4) 

21 Continent (4) 

22 Boring (7) 

23 Below (10) 

DOWN 

1 Not far off (5) 

2 Overdue (4) 

3 Brought up (6) 

4 Paternal (8) 

5 Bureaucracy (3,4) 

6 Exonerated (9) 

9 Non-stop (9) 

12 Become less (8) 

14 Skilled worker (7) 

16 Putrid (6) 

19 Historical era (5) 

20 Notion (4) 

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