Nigeria's economy in bad shape — CBN

•P.35•P.21 

Crude oil earnings drop by N41bn in one month — CBN 

By Michael Eboh 

THE increasing spate 

of bombings in the 

Niger Delta region has 

continued to take its toll 

on the Nigerian 

economy, as the Central 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

yesterday, disclosed that 

Nigeria’s oil revenue 

dipped by 18.01 per cent 

to N186.7 billion in April 

2016. 

The CBN, in its 

Economic Report for 

April 2016, released 

yesterday, stated that oil 

revenue accounted for 

47.71 per cent of the 

N330bn fine, forex woes trigger 

half-year loss for MTN Group 

•P.19 

gross Federallycollected 

revenue of 

N391.3 billion in the 

month under review, 

while non-oil revenue, at 

N204.7 billion, 

Continues on page 19 

...towards a better life for the people 

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com 

VOL. 25: NO. 63075 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

Nigeria's economy in 

bad shape — CBN 

** 

N200 

•As Emefiele briefs Senate on economy 

•Says NDA activities pulling down the economy 

•Senate backs CBN’s policies 

RELOCATION WAR: 

Owerri women, govt 

clash over ancestral 

market 

—See inside 

I no longer 

want her in 

my life 

•P.42 

COLUMNISTS: 

A country where 

nothing makes sense: 

When bad behaviour 

becomes good •P.17 

Dino Melaye 

is not a 

coward? 

•P.31 

TEAM 

NIGERIA: 

Some 

athletes 

modelling 

with official 

attire of 

Team 

Nigeria 

during the 

Investiture 

of President 

Buhari as 

the Grand 

Patron of 

Team 

Nigeria to 

Rio 2016 

Olympics at 

the State 

House, 

Abuja, 

yesterday. 

Photo: 

Abayomi 

Adeshida. 

Omisore 

welcomes 

re-visit of 

Bola Ige, 

Dikibo's 

murder 

•P. 11 

Corruption: 

Buhari 

absolves 

ministers, 

aides •P. 9 

By Henry Umoru & 

Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA— 

THE 

Governor of Central 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

Mr. Godwin Emefiele, 

yesterday, painted a 

gloomy picture of the 


Judicial panel 

indicts Army 

General, 

others for 

Zaria 

massacre of 

Shiites •P. 14 

Leave 

Ekweremadu 

alone 

—PDP BoT 

•P. 9 

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 — 3


Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 —5 

POCKET CARTOON 

VISIT: From left, Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship 

running mate, Philip Shuaibu; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State; 

the governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and Governor Adams 

Oshiomhole of Edo State during Ambode’s courtesy visit to Government 

House, Benin City, Edo State, yesterday. 

Nigeria's economy in bad shape 

— CBN 

Continues from page 1 

economy during a 

closed-door meeting 

with senators. 

Vanguard gathered 

that the CBN governor 

told the senators that it 

was frightening that the 

nation was experiencing 

economic stagnation and 

inflation at the same 

time, explaining that 

ordinarily, both were not 

supposed to happen 

simultaneously. 

A source said he 

expressed concern that 

the economy was gloomy, 

stagnant and worsening 

as a result. 

According to the 

source, Emefiele, who 

noted that the economy 

was biting on all, with 

almost all activities 

crippled, said indices 

that would have made 

the economy grow were 

not in place at the 

moment. 

He was also said to 

have made reference to 

the renewed bombing of 

pipelines by Niger Delta 

Avengers as one of the 

factors pulling down the 

economy. 

The CBN governor was 

said to have Iinked 

these occurrences, 

especially with respect to 

the over 70 per cent 

decline in oil prices from 

about S116 per barrel in 

June 2014 to about $30 

per barrel earlier in the 

year. 

FG may not be able 

to pay workers' 

salaries 

IT'S UP TO YOU 

BY AYO ADIO - 08104802192 

WHATEVER it is you are faced with, there will 

always be a way out. If only you can look close 

enough and keep a sound mind, sooner or later you 

would find a path through the waters. 

TAKE HEART 

BY ELLA RANDLE- O8084919482 

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin 

it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. 

Begin it now—Gothe. 

WE have control of determining how much will 

push our own limits in order to truly achieve 

our greatest potential in life. Don't sit passively by 

waiting for life events to force you to go beyond your 

limits. Take charge of your own life and discover 

exactly how far you can go beyond your current 

abilities. 

Do not allow excuses to hold you from making 

progress. Wake up each day with a desire to do more 

than you were previously. 

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE 

STEALING a drum is easy, but finding a place to 

beat it is not. 

Vanguard further 

gathered that the CBN 

governor told the 

lawmakers that if the 

present situation in the 

country continued, the 

Federal Government 

might not be able to pay 

salaries of its workers 

with effect from October 

this year. He also said 

Nigerians would be 

forced to pay general 

taxes which would not 

exclude petroleum 

products. 

Emefiele, who was with 

the senators for an hour, 

was said to have 

presented 

a 

comprehensive account 

of the economy in the 

last one year which, 

according to him, had 

been characterised by 

external shocks, 

including sharp decline 

in commodity prices, 

geo-political tensions 

along important global 

trading routes and 

tightening monetary 

policy in the United 

States. 

Senate backs 

CBN’s policies 

The Senate was, 

however, said to have 

expressed sympathy with 

the CBN governor 

because of the depth of 

the economic problems 

which, it noted, had 

global influence, and 

threw its weight behind 

new policies introduced 

by the CBN to turn the 

economy around. 

It backed the monetary 

policies of the CBN, 

noting that at the end of 

the day, such policies 

would help to increase 

local production, create 

jobs in the country, 

safeguard the nation’s 

commonwealth as well as 

expand economic 

opportunities and growth 

in Nigeria. 

The Senate in a 

statement after the 

executive session, 

however, stressed the 

need for all to put hands 

together to seek long 

term solutions to the 

nation’s underlying 

problem of nondiversification 

of foreign 

exchange earning and 

revenues, rather than 

pointing fingers or 

apportioning blames. 

The statement read: 

“After the presentation, 

many distinguished 

senators asked a host of 

pertinent questions and 

raised issues concerning 

the banking system, the 

slippage in economic 

growth for the first 

quarter of 2016, the 

gradual rise in inflation, 

fall in foreign exchange 

reserves, and policy 

coordination between the 

fiscal and monetary 

authorities. 

"Following an 

exhaustive response by 

both the governor and 

his team, the Senate 

acknowledged that these 

are, indeed, difficult 

times all over the world 

and not just in Nigeria. 

“The Senate also 

acknowledged the pains 

that many people may be 

facing at this time, 

especially in the light of 

increases in price of 

electricity and fuels. But 

having carefully 

considered the policies of 

the CBN, the Senate 

would Iike to commend 

and support these 

policies because they are 

mostly geared towards 

increasing local 

production, creating jobs 

here in Nigeria, 

safeguarding our 

commonweaith, and 

expanding economic 

opportunities and growth 

in Nigeria. 

"It is critical that we all 

put hands together to 

seek long term solutions 

to our underlying 

problem of nondiversification 

of foreign 

exchange earning and 

revenues, rather than 

pointing fingers or 

apportioning blames. 

"The Senate believes 

strongly in the resilience 

of the Nigerian economy 

and the ingenuity of the 

Nigerian people and as 

such, we are confident 

that we will all puII 

through these difficulties 

and come out as a much 

better, equitable, and 

prosperous nation.” 

Finance Minister 

to appear today 

Briefing journalists 

after the meeting, 

Deputy Chairman, 

Senate Committee on 

Media and Public 

Affairs, Senator Ben 

Murray-Bruce, said the 

Minister of Finance, 

Kemi Adeosun, would 

today appear before the 

Senate to brief it on the 

state of the economy and 

issues relating to the 

implementation of 2016 

budget. 

Asked why the meeting 

with the CBN governor 

was held behind closed 

doors, Senator Bruce 

explained that it became 

imperative to hold the 

meeting in an exclusive 

manner because some 

economic matters could 

be explosive, if held in 

the open. 

Melaye: Mrs Tinubu petitions 

Saraki, Oyegun 

•As Melaye apologises to Senate 


Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA— Senator 

Oluremi Tinubu, 

yesterday, petitioned 

Senate President, Dr 

Bukola Saraki and 

Chairman of All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, Chief John Odigie- 

Oyegun, demanding 

sanctions against 

Senator Dino Melaye 

over alleged threats to 

harass her. 

The petition came in 

the heels of a formal 

apology to the Senate by 

Senator Melaye over his 

reported verbal attack on 

Senator Tinubu. 

The apology, Vanguard 

learned, was made at a 

closed-door session of 

the Senate, yesterday, 

during which both 

senators were asked to 

make peace with one 

another with apologies. 

Senator Melaye, 

according to sources, 

however, vowed never to 

apologise to Mrs. 

Tinubu but after 

persuasion from 

colleagues, made an 

apology to the Senate as 

an institution. 

That nonetheless, 

Senator Tinubu, 

yesterday, in two 

separate petitions to 

Senator Saraki and Chief 

Odigie-Oyegun, sought 

sanctions on Senator 

Melaye, alleging that he 

had followed up his 

alleged threats against 

her in the closed door 

session of the Senate 

with public parades of 

misconduct and threats 

against her. 

She told both officials 

that unless Melaye was 

severely punished, he 

would remain a threat to 

her and all women of 

good standing in the 

society. 

Melaye had been 

alleged to have used 

violent language against 

Mrs. Tinubu, allegedly 

threatening to rape her 

during the closed door 

session of July 12. 

Addressing journalists 

yesterday after another 

closed-door session, 

Deputy Chairman, 

Senate Committee on 

Media and Public 

Affairs, Senator Ben 

Murray-Bruce, said the 

Senate President, 

Senator Bukola Saraki, 

had waded into the faceoff 

between the two 

Senators.

6—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

08023019505 

08034073107 

Spain-based 

Nigerian 

seeks 

justice over 

acid attack 

By Simon 

Ebegbulem 

BENIN—A 37-yearold 

Spain-based acid 

attack victim, Mabel 

Mark, has appealed to 

Edo State Police 

Command to arrest and 

prosecute the suspects 

involved in the incident 

in the interest of justice. 

The mother of one, who 

hails from Ohordua in 

Esan South-East Local 

Government Area of Edo 

State, was attacked by 

unknown persons at a 

salon last October at 

Upper Sakponba Road, 

Benin, Edo State. 

It was learned that her 

trouble started after she 

met a native doctor at 

Upper Sakponba Road, 

identified as Okoh- 

Oboh. 

The native doctor’s 

wife accused Mabel of 

having an affair with her 

husband, and told same 

to Mabel’s husband, 

who lives in Spain. 

The victim is alleging 

that the husband, from 

who she is now 

divorced, connived with 

the native doctor’s wife 

to harm her, when 

according to her, she 

was not having any 

affair with the native 

doctor. 

After the acid attack, 

Mabel was flown back to 

Spain for treatment. 

Mabel, who spoke on 

telephone to journalists, 

said: “I have no money 

now to take care of my 

treatment. I am 

undergoing several 

surgeries and that is why 

I want to sell my 

property in Ogun State 

so as to be able to pay 

the bills. 

“I am appealing to the 

police to arrest those 

who inflicted this injury 

on me because they 

know the suspects and I 

expect them to ensure 

they do not go 

unpunished.” 

By Egufe Yafugborhi 

WARRI—THIRTY million 

naira ransom is 

reportedly being demanded by 

the abductors of the Petroleum 

Training Institute, PTI, 

Effurun’s Chief Security Officer, 

Mr. John Odogun. 

Odogun was kidnapped 

Siblings murder 2 people to 

By Demola Akinyemi 

ILORIN—THREE suspected 

ritualists, Saidi Amadu, Idris 

Amadu and Quadri Ayodele, 

paraded by the Kwara State 

Police Command yesterday 

alongside two others, disclosed 

that they killed their victims to 

implicate their elder brother, 

Ayodele Amadu, who is now in 

By Bose Adelaja 

IT was a moving sight 

yesterday, when the mother 

of two children, aged three and 

five, who died in an early 

morning fire at 7, Ifelodun 

Close, Aralamo Bus Stop, 

Ajasa Command area of 

•Man beheads another; exposed by herbalist 

prison. 

They hatched the plot 

because their elder brother, 

Ayodele Amadu, took the 

larger portion of the property 

left behind by their late father. 

It was gathered that the 

2 children die in Lagos fire 

By Onozure Dania & 

Gladys Ezeagu 

LAGOS—A hair stylist, 

Tokunboh Olanrewaju, who 

was alleged to have assaulted 

his supervisor after he was 

sacked at a beauty spa in 

Victoria Island Lags, was 

yesterday docked before a 

Lagos Magistrate’s Court 

sitting at Igbosere. 

Lagos, was being consoled 

by friends and family 

members. 

The cause of the fire that 

consumed the bungalow of 

three rooms could not be 

ascertained. The occupants 

were reportedly fast asleep 

when the fire started. It 

Olanrewaju, 30, who 

resides at 14, Abagon Close 

off Ologun Agbaje Street, VI, 

was docked before 

Magistrate F. M. Dalley. 

The defendant is standing 

trial on a two-count charge 

bordering on breach of peace 

and unlawful assault 

preferred against him by the 

police. 

The prosecutor, Corporal 

three suspects were arrested 

in connection with the killing 

of Fasilat Azeez and Rohimat 

Kehinde last week Tuesday. 

The Kwara State Police 

Commissioner, Mr. Sam 

Okaula, who complained 

attracted sympathisers, who 

made efforts to put it out. 

It was gathered that fire 

fighters were not invited on 

time. When they eventually 

arrived, the victims were 

recovered dead, with their 

mother wailing. 

The Director of Lagos State 

Stylist assaults boss, docked 

Kidnappers want N30m for release of PTI's CSO 

along NNPC Housing 

Complex Road, Ekpan, Uvwie 

LGA, Delta State on Sunday, 

July 17. 

The abductors reportedly 

contacted a member of the 

Rainbow Christian Assembly, 

Warri, the church the CSO 

was driving to for Sunday 

worship when he was 

kidnapped. 

A source told Vanguard: 

“Relatives were appealing 

for a downward review of the 

ransom, but the captors 

vehemently refused to shift 

ground before terminating 

the call. They have not 

called back since late 

Monday.” 

Friday Mameh, said that 

Olanrewaju committed the 

alleged offences last 

Saturday, July 16. 

He alleged that the 

defendant disobeyed an 

instruction of his supervisor, 

one Kenneth Okpaise, while 

fixing a customer’s hair at a 

saloon within the beauty spa 

and was sacked by the 

Managing Director. 

Mameh also stated that 

Olanrewaju conducted 

himself in a manner likely to 

cause a breach of public 

peace by forcing himself back 

into the saloon to attack 

Okpaise. 

He said Olanrewaju bit 

Okpaise on the face and 

“used his fingers to inflict 

serious lateral cuts all over 

the complainant’s body.” 

According to Mameh, the 

offences are punishable 

about the rising cases of ritual 

killings in the state, explained 

that the victims, Fasilat Azeez 

and Rohimat Kehinde, were 

hawking drugs and other items 

around Gaa-Arasiko via Alapa 

last week when they were 

Fire Service, Razak Fadipe, 

who confirmed the 

development to Vanguard, 

said the fire was well alight 

when his men arrived the 

scene. 

He said further information 

could not be gathered due to 

hostility from residents. 

Members of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, Delta 

State chapter, were involved in an accident on their way from NANS convention in Gombe State. They are receiving 

treatment at General Hospital, Auchi, Edo State. SOURCE: Online. 

under Sections 166(d) and 171 

of the Criminal Laws of Lagos 

State, 2011. 

During a preliminary enquiry 

by Magistrate Dalley, Okpaise 

said Olanrewaju evaded a 

mobile policewoman that was 

leading him out of the 

premises and ran back into the 

salon. 

“He attacked me from behind, 

tore my clothes, bit me on the 

face and cut me all over my 

body with his fingernails,” 

Okpaise added. 

However the defendant 

pleaded not guilty to the charge. 

Magistrate Dalley granted 

him bail in the sum of N50,000, 

with two sureties in like sum, 

one of who must be his relative, 

while both must provide 

evidence of three years’ tax 

payment. 

She adjourned the case till 

August 2.

send elder brother to jail 

waylaid and gruesomely killed. 

He added that the remains of 

the victims were dumped in the 

compound of Ayodele Amadu, 

the elder brother of the suspects, 

to implicate him. It led to the 

said Ayodele Amadu’s arrest. 

Interestingly, he said, the 

suspects, Saidi Amadu, Idris 

Amadu and Quadri Ayodele, 

confessed that they conspired to 

By Daud Olatunji 

A 

B E O K U T A — 

KIDNAPPERS, 

yesterday, abducted Felicia, the 

wife of the lawmaker 

representing Ijebu East state 

constituency in the Ogun State 

House of Assembly, Olufowobi 

Oyenuga. 

The lawmaker-husband of the 

victim, who is the Chairman, 

House Committee on 

Establishment, was said to have 

been contacted by the 

kidnappers, demanding N25 

million ransom. 

commit the crime to implicate 

their eldest brother for taking a 

larger portion of the property left 

behind by their late father. 

Okaula also disclosed that the 

fifth suspect, Segun Bamidele, 

30, also waylaid one Sunday 

Owolabi in Agbebi farm, on the 

outskirts of Omu-Aran, cut off 

his head and took it to a 

herbalist. 

Vanguard reliably gathered 

that Felicia was said to have 

been kidnapped around 10a.m. 

at Odoladalepo in Ijebu Ife 

shortly after her son dropped 

her off in front of their farm. 

It was, however, learned that 

nemesis caught up with the 

driver of the gang, Ahmed 

Folorunso, who was arrested 

along Ondo Road in Ijebu Ode. 

An eyewitness told our 

correspondent that a vigilante 

group in Ijebu Ife and police 

patrol team reportedly went 

after the gang and eventually 

caught up with Folorunso, who 

He said the herbalist, who 

refused to buy the human 

head, immediately alerted the 

village head, who informed 

the police, leading to the 

suspect’s arrest. 

Meanwhile, three 

suspected armed robbers, who 

invaded Unique Students’ 

hostel of University of Ilorin 

Remedial School, Fufu, have 

Ogun lawmaker’s wife abducted, kidnappers' driver caught 

By Kingsley Omonobi 

ABUJA—THE mutilated body 

of late Olalekan Ogunranti, 

kidnapped on May 16 by 

gunmen in Osun State was 

recovered by policemen at 

Ibukun River in Ibukun Local 

Government Area of the state. 

The former Managing Director, 

Today’s Prints Ltd., was 

allegedly killed by his 

kidnappers to prevent him from 

demanding for the large sum of 

money the suspects fraudulently 

collected from him. 

Police said Asimiyu Agboola, 

Adesina Muyideen, Ramoni 

Afolabi, Akeem Akorede and 

Coker Daniel confessed that 

they kidnapped, killed and 

mutilated the body of the late 

Olalekan Ogunranti to stop him 

from disturbing them over huge 

sums of money they stripped 

from the deceased. 

A statement by the Force Public 

Relations officer, DCP Donald 

Awunah, said Coker Daniel, one 

of the suspects, led Intelligence 

Response Team, IRT, operatives 

to Ibukun River, where the 

mutilated body of late Ogunranti 

was recovered and then 

deposited at LAUTECH 

Oshogbo, and other suspects 

arrested in Lagos and Ondo. 

Awunah said the arrests were 

glaring evidence of the proactive 

nature of the Nigeria Police Force 

in the new dispensation, 

assuring Nigerians that they will 

always ensure the security of 

lives and properties. 

He said: “The Acting Inspector 

General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, 

on assumption of office ordered 

drove the gang’s operational 

vehicle with number plates 

EPE 663 AJ. 

However, other members of 

the gang reportedly fled with 

their victim. 

Confirming the incident, the 

state Police Public Relations 

Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said 

one of the suspects had been 

arrested and is already in 

police custody. 

He said: “We got a report 

that a woman was kidnapped 

this morning at Ijebu Ife. We 

learned that some members of 

the state vigilante service in 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016—7 

been arrested after a gun 

battle with policemen led by 

the female DPO in the area. 

The police boss added that 

two suspected members of a 

secret cult, Muhammed 

Zulukannin and John 

Akpebe, recently arrested, 

and other suspects, would be 

arraigned in court as soon as 

investigations are completed. 

the area gave the kidnappers 

a chase. 

“Another police patrol team 

was detailed to join them in 

the pursuit. They caught up 

with one of the members of the 

gang, Ahmed Folorunso, at 

Ijebu Ode, in their operational 

vehicle. 

“The suspect is already in 

our custody. We are optimistic; 

we will rescue the woman 

very soon. We are doing the 

needful to ensure the victim 

is rescued and other fleeing 

members of the kidnap gang 

arrested.” 

How Olalekan Ogunranti was murdered by scammers 

ARRESTED: From left—Akeem Akorede, alias Jaruf, 32; Ramoni Afolabi, 37; 

Asimiyu Agboola, alias Ijaya, 37, leader; and Adesina Muyideen, alias Shina, 27. Inset is 

Coker Daniel, the fifth suspect who led policemen to the mutilated body of the victim. 

the IRT of the IGP’s Monitoring 

Unit to take over the matter and 

ensure the arrest of the culprits 

By Emem Idio 

Y ENAGOA—THE 

paramount ruler of 

Oluasiri clan in Nembe Local 

Government Area, Bayelsa 

State, His Royal Highness, King 

Iyerite Awululu, yesterday, 

survived an attempt on his life 

by armed bandits suspected to 

be assassins, who inflicted 

several machete cuts on him. 

It was gathered that three 

bandits invaded the residence 

of the monarch along Otiotio 

Road in the state capital around 

in record time. 

“The team swung into 

action, using all the technical 

2a.m. and gained access into 

room of the monarch after 

resources of the Force 

available to them for the 

arrest of five prime suspects.” 

cutting off the burglary proof. 

Wife of the monarch, Mrs 

Remy Awululu, in a telephone 

chat with Vanguard in 

Yenagoa, said that the bandits 

who invaded the residence of 

the monarch were actually on 

a mission to assassinate the 

monarch. 

She said: “They came to kill 

him; they did not touch any 

other person. We were all 

around when they came. 

They were about three or 

more. I cannot really say how 

many, because I was too 

08023019505 

08034073107 

Bayelsa monarch survives assassination attempt 

ABUJA PREACHER: 

Family 

makes U-turn, 

announces 

burial plans 

By Caleb Ayansina 

ABUJA—THE Family 

of late Evangelist 

Eunice Olawale, 

yesterday, made a U-turn 

and announced her burial 

arrangements. 

The 42-year-old mother 

of seven was murdered in 

cold blood by assailants, 

while she was preaching 

at Gbazango West area of 

Kubwa, a satellite town, in 

the Bwari Area Council of 

the Federal Capital 

Territory. 

Last week, an Area 

Pastor of late Olawale’s 

Redeemed Christian 

Church of God, RCCG, 

Pastor Biola Egebeyemi, 

told journalists that the 

family suspended the 

burial of slain Eunice 

Olawale, previously 

scheduled for July 14, 

indefinitely to enable the 

police conclude its 

investigations. 

However, in an 

interview with Vanguard 

in Abuja, Mr. Akun 

Oluwadare, a brother to 

the deceased, said the 

family had concluded 

arrangements to properly 

bury the slain Eunice, this 

Saturday, July 23. 

Oluwadare said the 

burial day of Eunice 

Olawale will coincide 

with her birthday 

celebration. 

He said: “The Christian 

wake-keep will come up 

on Friday, July 22 by 

5pm at RCCG Provincial 

Headquarters, Phase 3, 

Kubwa. 

“The burial service is 

fixed for the next day, 

Saturday 23, which 

coincides with her 

birthday, by 12 noon at 

the same venue. 

Interment follows 

immediately at Gudu 

Cemetery, Abuja.” 

scared to look at them. They did 

not ask for money and they did 

not steal anything from the 

house. 

“Immediately they saw the 

King, they started using various 

weapons on him, including 

machetes. The cuts and injuries 

inflicted on him is such that 

they wanted him dead, but we 

thank God for sparing his life.” 

The monarch, who has been 

hospitalised in an undisclosed 

hospital in the state capital, is 

responding to treatment 

according to the wife.

8—Vanguard, WEDESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

REPS TO IGP: Fish out killers of Plateau 

monarch, 4 others 

•As Plateau caucus alleges attempt to wipe out state 

•Accuses Buhari of complacency 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—THE House of 

Representatives, yesterday, 

directed the Inspector General 

of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, to 

fish out those behind the 

gruesome murder of the head of 

council and paramount ruler of 

Bokkos Local Government Area 

of Plateau State and four others 

on Monday. 

This is just as the Plateau State 

caucus of the House of 

Representatives accused 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

of complacency in the midst of 

gruesome murder of Nigerians, 

especially indigenes of Plateau 

State. 

Alleged attempt to 

wipe out state 

The lawmakers alleged that 

there was a deliberate attempt 

to erase the people of Plateau 

State from the surface of the 

earth, while the government that 

was supposed to provide security 

for them had abdicated its 

responsibilities and advocated a 

state police to tackle these 

security challenges. 

The House in a resolution, 

directed the IGP to investigate 

the matter to bring the 

perpetrators to book. 

It also directed all security 

agencies to deploy their men to 

the area to forestall a breakdown 

of law and order. 

The directive to the IGP was 

sequel to a motion on matter of 

national urgent importance 

sponsored by Solomon Bulus 

Maren, representing Mangu/ 

Bokkos Federal Constituency of 

Plateau State, titled The 

gruesome murder of His Majesty, 

the Saf Ron Kulere, Paramount 

Ruler of Bokkos and Chairman, 

Council of Chiefs, Bokkos LGA. 

Maren in the motion, noted 

that the monarch was killed by 

unknown gunmen suspected to 

be Fulani herdsmen, alongside 

his son, daughter in-law, orderly 

(police inspector) and a relative. 

Killing, one too many 

He said the killing was one too 

many in the series of murders 

that had occurred in the area 

since the advent of the present 

administration. 

He said: “First, it was the 

Makai Forof, Dah Ali Magaji 

sometimes in January 2016, the 

second was the District Head of 

Manguna, Saf Anjong Adake 

who was the secretary to the 

council of Chiefs, Bokkos Local 

Government Area. 

“And worst of it, is the one that 

occurred just yesterday 

(Monday), the head of the 

council and the paramount ruler 

of Bokkos people who was 

brutally killed by unscrupulous 

elements.” 

No security intervention 

He alleged that in all the 

cases mentioned above, there 

had been no security 

intervention, either to "stop the 

killings or bring the culprits to 

book.’’ 

Maren stated that the wanton 

killing and unwholesome act of 

terrorism by mischievous people 

ought to have been tackled, even 

with greater intensity than Boko 

Haram, but expressed dismay 

Nigeria loses N127bn annually to 

cybercrime—ADEBAYO SHITTU 

Senate receives budget proposals for NNPC, 

CBN, 36 others 


Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA—THE 

Senate 

yesterday received the 2016 

budget proposal for the Nigerian 

National Petroleum Corporation, 

NNPC, Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, and 36 other agencies 

from President Muhammadu 

Buhari for consideration and 

subsequent passage. 

Announcing the budget 

yesterday at plenary, Senate 

President, Bukola Saraki, who 

presided over yesterday’s 

session, told the senators that 

President Buhari requested that 

the budget for those agencies be 

over the slow and consistent 

manner and pattern of operation 

and elimination of peaceful and 

law abiding citizens who had been 

working hard to achieve lasting 

peace in the state. 

Addressing journalists, the 

Plateau State House caucus 

lamented that apart from the 

paramount ruler and four others 

gruesomely murdered, two other 

persons sustained serious 

injuries. 

CONFERENCE: From left: Ambassador Olukunle Bamgboshe, representing Mr Babachir 

Lawal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, 

President, Nigerian Computer Society and Minister of Communication, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, 

at the opening of the 26th national conference and exhibition of the NCS, in Abuja, yesterday. 

Photo: Emeka Aginam. 

By Emeka Aginam & 

Emmanuel Elebeke 

ABUJA—THE Minister of 

Communication, Mr 

Adebayo Shittu , has disclosed 

that Nigeria loses about N127 

billion annually to cybercrime. 

Shittu, who stated this 

yesterday at the ongoing 

national conference of the 

Nigerian Computer Society, 

NCS, with the theme, 

Information Technology for 

national safety and security, 

told the gathering that the 

above figure represented 0.08 

per cent of the country’s Gross 

Domestic Products, GDP. 

While urging the use of 

Information and 

Communication Technology 

ICT, tools and Geographical 

Information System, GIS, to 

tackle Boko Haram, Niger 

Delta militancy and other 

security challenges with 

enhanced efficiency and 

professionalism, the minister 

expressed concern that 

Nigeria’s growing 

dependency on digital 

infrastructure posed grave 

threats to national security. 

Shittu, who warned that the 

trend had to be reversed 

immediately for national safety, 

said: “Many Nigerians now 

have access to internet facilities. 

Our citizens now use the 

enormous opportunities this 

digital infrastructure brings to 

work, transact business, 

campaign, communicate, learn, 

interact and relax. Today 

banking, commercial and other 

critical services are being 

provided online. 

“Evidence, however, abounds 

on growing electronic fraud and 

threats to digital databases both 

in private and public sector. 

Without safety and security, 

growth is impossible. 

Information Technology for 

National Safety and Security as 

the conference theme, is highly 

relevant as it aligns with the 

national safety and security 

priority of the administration of 

President Muhammadu Buhari. 

“Securing lives and properties 

is both an enabler and an 

imperative for growth and 

development. Threats emanate 

from local and global terrorism 

which strikes fear and shatters the 

much needed national peace and 

security. 

“Nobody, no organization can 

perform optimally under a cloud 

of fear. Uncertainties and raised 

anxieties strain our economy and 

society. We must, however, 

acknowledge successes recorded 

so far in the fight to keep Nigeria 

secure." 

given accelerated approval to 

allow them expend funds for 

various projects, in line with its 

statutory laws and mandate. 

The agencies include Bureau of 

Public Enterprises, BPE; National 

Agencies for Science and 

Engineering Infrastructure, 

NASEI; Nigerian Airspace 

Management Agency, NAMA; 

Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC; 

Raw Materials Research and 

Development Council, RMRDC, 

National Sugar Development 

Council, NSDC, Nigerian Postal 

Service, NPS, Nigerian Ports 

Authority, NPA, Federal Airport 

Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, 

Securities and Exchange 

Commission, SEC, Nigerian 

RESTRUCTURING: 

Atiku denies 

being 

queried by 

APC 

By Omezia Ajayi 

ABUJA—FORMER Vice 

President and a chieftain 

of All Progressives Congress, 

APC, Atiku Abubakar, has 

dismissed insinuations that 

he was queried by the 

leadership of his party over his 

recent call for the restructuring 

of the country. 

In a statement issued by his 

Media Office in Abuja, 

yesterday, Atiku Abubakar 

noted that his visit to the party 

secretariat was not a response 

to summon by the leadership 

of the party as widely 

reported. 

Atiku said: “My visit to the 

national secretariat of our great 

party was to rub minds with 

the party hierarchy, and it was 

of a routine kind as a chieftain 

of the party. 

“I was neither summoned 

nor queried by the party on 

any issue as being speculated. 

Rather, my visit was at my own 

behest. 

“As a party chieftain, I owe 

it a duty to my party to 

appraise challenges within the 

structures of the party and 

make suggestions on how to 

manage those challenges. 

‘’I urge you all to 

discountenance any malicious 

insinuations about my visit to 

the party secretariat.” 

A national paper (not 

Vanguard) had reported that 

the former vice president was 

summoned to the party 

secretariat to answer queries 

regarding his public calls for 

restructuring. 

Vanguard recalls that Atiku 

Abubakar, was on Monday 

locked in an hour-long 

closed-door meeting with the 

leadership of his party, the All 

Progressives Congress APC, 

a move party insiders said was 

connected with the challenges 

facing the country and 

political permutations for 

2019. 

Tourism Development Corporation, 

NTDC, National Communications 

Commission, NCC, National 

Agency for Food and Drugs 

Administration and Control, NAFDAC, 

Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, National 

Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Federal 

Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, among 

others. 

Buhari’s letter read: “Further to the 

provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 

2007 wish to provides that the budget of 

agencies listed in the the Act be collated 

and forwarded to the National Assembly 

for consideration. 

“May I please pray the Senate to 

expeditiously consider and approve the 

budget of this agencies and corporations 

to enable them effectively execute their 

mandate.”


EFCC detains INEC REC over N20m Deizani cash 

•Grills A'Ibom Rep over fake certificate 

•Confronts Okupe with evidence of N15m receipt from Metuh 

By Soni Daniel, 

Northern Regional Editor 

ABUJA—THE Economic and 

Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, yesterday, 

detained the Abia State Resident 

Electoral Commissioner for 

collecting N20 million bribe to 

influence the outcome of the 2015 

Presidential election in favour of 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. 

Mr. Sylvester Ezeani, who was 

deployed to Cross Rivers State 

to conduct the election, 

reportedly took the money, which 

was part of the N241 million 

released out of the $115 million 

lodged with Fidelity Bank by 

immediate past Petroleum 

Buhari absolves ministers, aides of corruption 

•Says ‘Kachikwu not under probe for crude oil swap deals 

•Anti-corruption war not one-sided —Osinbajo 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—AGAIN, President 

Mohammadu Buhari has 

come to the rescue of his 

ministers and aides, absolving 

them of any corrupt practices. 

This came on a day the Vice 

President Yemi Osinbajo, refuted 

claims in some quarters that the 

anti-corruption war of President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

government was targeted at 

members of the opposition party 

and other perceived enemies, 

saying the view was grossly 

incorrect and unfounded. 

Recall that the President had, 

during his first media chat last 

December, said none of his 

ministers was corrupt. 

“I don’t think I tolerate 

corruption, I don’t think I picked 

anybody that I know will 

embarrass my government. But 

if you have any evidence about 

any of my ministers, I accept 

responsibility for the 36 ministers 

that I have. 

‘’I don’t think I took anybody 

among the ministers who has got 

a case in court. Tell me one out 

of the 36. I don’t think I will 

deliberately make that mistake,” 

he said. 

He spoke against the backdrop 

of reports, particularly by 

online media, that the immediate 

past Group Managing Director 

of Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC,, who is also 

Minister of State for Petroleum, 

Dr Ibe Kachikwu, was being 

investigated over crude oil swap 

deals and gas lifting during his 

tenure as GMD of the petroleum 

corporation. 

In a statement by his media 

aide, Mr. Femi Adesina, 

President Buhari appealed for 

decent and civilized comments, 

particularly when it had to do 

with the integrity of those serving 

the country. 

“Terrible and unfounded 

comments about other people’s 

Minister, Diezani Alison- 

Madueke, to manipulate the 

poll. 

While he was quizzed for 

many hours in Port Harcourt, 

Ezeani told his interrogators 

what he knew about the cash 

but the operatives, who 

appeared unsatisfied with his 

answers, kept him in their 

custody, pending further 

interrogation. It was not clear 

when he would be granted 

administrative bail. 

The arrest and detention of 

the REC, coincided with the 

interrogation of the member 

representing Oron Federal 

Constituency of Akwa Ibom 

integrity are not good. We are 

not going to spare anybody who 

soils his hands, but people 

should please wait till such 

individuals are indicted,” the 

President said. 

Meanwhile, Vice President 

Yemi Osinbajo has refuted 

claims in some quarters that the 

anti-corruption war of President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

State, who was arrested and 

quizzed over what the EFCC 

called involvement in certificate 

forgery scam. 

Ekpenyong is said to have run 

into trouble when a Non- 

Governmental Organization 

petitioned the EFCC, alleging 

that he committed perjury and 

financial crimes by submitting a 

forged Ordinary National 

Diploma/ Statement of Result 

purported to have been issued by 

the Abia State Polytechnic to INEC 

in the build up to the 2015 

National Assembly election. 

The petitioner also alleged that 

Ekpenyong fraudulently 

obtained salaries, allowances and 

government was targeted at 

members of the opposition party 

and other perceived enemies, 

Osinbajo, who fielded questions 

from newsmen at the end of the 

27th Ordinary session of African 

Union in Kigali, Rwanda, 

yesterday, said the speculation 

was the handiwork of those who 

wanted to trivialize the anticorruption 

war and stop the 

other financial benefits from his 

contrived certificate. 

EFCC’s investigations, 

however, showed that Ekpenyong 

did not attend the said polytechnic 

as alleged by the petitioner and 

the Ordinary National Diploma 

did not emanate from the 

institution. 

“Ekpenyong has been released 

on bail while further 

investigations will continue,” the 

EFCC said. 

In the meantime, the former 

Senior Special Assistant to the 

President on Public Affairs, Dr. 

Doyin Okupe, was yesterday, quizzed for 

the third time in one month by the EFCC 

over cash receipts from the Office of the 

National Security Adviser, Sambo 

Dasuki. 

government from recovering 

stolen funds. 

He said: “I think it’s entirely 

absurd, I think that view is absurd 

and without foundation or basis 

whatsoever. We look at corruption 

from all possible facets. 

‘’If you look at, for example, corruption 

on the military, from military procurement, 

obviously the only individuals responsible 

for that could be persons who had held 

office within the period in question and 

that has been done and clearly the 

opposition, APC, was not in office at that 

time." 

VISIT: Former Senate President, Sen. Adolphus Wabara; Deputy President of the Senate, 

Sen. Ike Ekweremadu; BoT Chairman, PDP, Senator Jubril Walid; and former National 

Chairman of the PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, during a solidarity visit by PDP BoT to the 

PDP Senate Caucus, at the National Assembly, Abuja, yesterday. 

Leave Ekweremadu alone, PDP BoT tells 

Buhari, APC 


Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA—THE Board of 

Trustees of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP BoT, has 

condemned the ongoing trial of 

the Deputy President of the 

Senate, Senator Ike 

Ekweremadu, over alleged 

forgery of Senate Rules as a 

frame-up, saying it was a 

deliberate plot to tarnish his 

person. 

Speaking yesterday when the 

BoT paid a solidarity visit to the 

PDP Senate Caucus at the 

National Assembly Complex, 

leader of the delegation and 

Chairman of the PDP BoT, Senator 

Walid Jibril, noted that as fathers 

and conscience of the party, the 

BOT could not sit and watch the 

framing-up of the Deputy 

President of the Senate on 

trumped-up charges of forgery, 

apparently for political reasons. 

Ekweremadu, speaking on the 

occasion, said that a number of 

senators belonging to the All 

Progressives Congress, APC 

were making enquiries towards 

joining the PDP on account of 

what he claimed as the reign of 

tyranny in the ruling party. 

Also yesterday, Ekweremadu affirmed 

that the current structure of the 

country’s federalism, which he chose to 

describe as feeding bottle federalism, was 

the cause of the country’s “economic 

quandary.” 

He spoke at the 2nd Annual 

Conference of the Young 

Parliamentarians Forum, which had its 

theme as “Political /Economic Inclusion 

& Participation of Young People in 

Nigeria” organised at the National 

Assembly, Abuja. 

Senator Jibril, the chairman of the PDP 

BoT speaking during the courtesy call 

on Ekweremadu, said: “We are here to 

show solidarity and recognise the 

leadership of Senator Ekweremadu, 

especially when we hear stories of what 

is happening to him. We are here to give 

our total support to him over the recent 

framing of him in an alleged forgery case, 

because we cannot, as fathers and 

conscience of the party, sit down and just 

watch." 

FG constitutes 

White Paper 

C'ttee on 

National 

Defence Policy 

By Kingsley 

Omonobi 

A BUJA—FOLLOWING 

the submission of a draft 

copy of the National Defence 

Policy by a review committee 

in 2015, the Federal 

Government yesterday 

constituted another committee 

to facilitate the final process of 

the document to align it with 

contemporary security 

challenges facing the country. 

Permanent Secretary, 

Ministry of Defence, Amb. 

Danjuma Sheni, who 

inaugurated the committee in 

Abuja, stated that the 

committee, chaired by Lt.-Gen. 

Isaac Obiakor (retd), had six 

weeks to come up with a white 

paper on the implementation 

of the revised National 

Defence Policy (2015). 

Sheni noted that the 

adoption of a new National 

Defence Policy was important, 

given the dynamic nature of 

national security and 

contemporary security threats 

occasioned by terrorism and 

militancy. 

BPE calls for 

recall of 2009 

PIB 

By Clara 

Nwachukwu & Mike 

Eboh 

ABUJA—THE Bureau of 

Public Entreprises, BPE, 

has called for the recall of the 

2009 version of the Petroleum 

Industry Bill, PIB, seeing as it 

is the least controversial 

among the various bills so far 

introduced to the National 

Assembly for passage into law. 

The BPE’s latest advocacy 

throws up a new twist to the 

legion of calls for the passage 

of the PIB, which had been 

enmeshed in controversies 

since its introduction by the 

former President Olusegun 

Obasanjo’s administration. 

The call, which was 

contained in a statement from 

the Bureau yesterday, is in 

addition to its suggestion for 

the abolition of the role of the 

Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, as both 

a regulator and an operator, 

as currently perceived. 

The Acting Director-General, 

BPE, Dr. Vincent Onome 

Akpotaire, argued that since 

the 2009 PIB approved by the 

then Federal Executive 

Council, FEC, “had no 

controversial provisions, and 

having had the benefit of 

review by stakeholders, should 

be represented with necessary 

adjustments to reflect the 

current realities in the sector 

to the National Assembly for 

enactment.”

10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY JULY 20 , 2016 

LASG revises 

prospective 

contractors’ 

forms 

By Abdulwahab Abdulah 

IN a bid to ensure an 

efficient and effective 

Public Procurement system, 

the Lagos State 

Government has revised 

the registration/renewal 

form for Contractors, 

Suppliers and Consultants 

(existing and prospective) 

wishing to do business with it. 

According to a circular 

signed by the Lagos State 

Head of Service, Mrs. 

Olabowale Ademola, 

Ministries, Departments 

and Agencies (MDAs) are 

requested to advise their 

vendors to obtain the 

revised registration/ 

renewal form when seeking 

to register or renew their 

companies’ registration with 

the Lagos State Public 

Procurement Agency. 

JP Clark tasks 

youths on 

reading habit 

By Bartholomew 

Madukwe 

FOREMOST poet and 

playwright, John Pepper 

Clark, also known as J.P. Clark, 

has called on the youths to 

cultivate reading habit. 

The poet, who spoke at a 

time-out with him, 

organized for him by 

Government College 

Ughelli Old Boys 

Association, GCUOBA, 

Lagos branch, enjoined his 

listeners to always ask 

questions in consonance 

with traditions of 

Government College 

Ughelli - ‘the society at 

large and about life itself.’ 

According to him, he read 

all the books in the school 

library in his secondary 

school days at Ughelli. 

Lagos Branch President, 

Olorogun Clement Djebah, 

in his welcome address, 

noted that other prominent 

Ancient Mariners would be 

celebrated annually, after a 

random selection. 

Popular Nigerian 

Comedian, Bovi Ugboma; 

former Miss Nigeria, Queen 

Celestine and Mr. Pesi Francis 

of GCUOBA were also present 

at the event. 

JP Clark’s poems were 

read by Victor Eromosele, 

Gordons Egbedi, Roy 

Odoko, Col. David Binitie, 

Jonathan Denedo, and 

Richard Mofe-Damijo 

popularly known as RMD. 

Lagos criminalises Omo Onile syndrome 

•Offenders risk 21-yr jail term 

By Olasunkanmi Akoni 

& Ebun Sessou 

LAGOS State House of 

Assembly, yesterday, 

passed a bill to prohibit forceful 

entry and illegal occupation of 

landed properties, violent and 

fraudulent conduct in relation to 

landed properties in Lagos State 

and for connected purposes into 

law. 

If found guilty by provisions of 

the bill, land grabbers, popularly 

known as “Omo Oniles or 

Ajagungbales’, will face a 

maximum of 21 years and a 

minimum of five years 

imprisonment respectively if 

convicted. 

There are also various fine 

impositions for individuals or 

groups convicted of the offence. 

The bill which was passed at its 

plenary, after scaling through 

third reading was subsequently, 

sent to Lagos State Governor, Mr. 

Akinwunmi Ambode for assent. 

According to the Speaker of the 

Lagos State House of Assembly, 

Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, after the 

Bill was finally passed by a voice 

PRESENTATION: From left; Director, MTN Foundation, Mr Dennis Okoro; wife of the Governor of 

Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode; Human Resources and Corporate Service Executive, MTN Nigeria, 

Mrs Amina Oyagbola and Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr 

Olufemi Onanuga at the distribution ceremony of the hearing aid support project in Lagos. 

SALARY DEFAULT: Govs fail to think outside the box — AMOSUN 

By Daud Olatunji 

A BEOKUTA— 

GOVERNOR Ibikunle 

Amosun of Ogun State, yesterday 

said the reason why some 

governors could not pay salaries 

and fund their states well was 

because they have failed to think 

outside the box. 

Amosun, who spoke during a 

meeting with Organised Private 

Sector at the Government House, 

Abeokuta, said; ‘’The era of free 

money from Abuja had gone.’’ 

He added that the development 

vote of all members of the House 

directed the acting Clerk of the 

House, Mr. Azeez Sanni, to 

forward a clean copy of the bill to 

the state Governor for his assent. 

The bill provides for prohibition 

of forceful land take over, entry 

had made governors to become 

endangered species among their 

people. 

While reacting to the allegation 

of mismanagement of bailout by 

governors, Amosun said it was 

erroneous to accuse governors of 

mismanagement of the bailout 

funds released to their respective 

states by the Federal Government. 

He declared that the 

responsibilities of state 

governments have actually 

grown beyond current 

resource allocation. 

According to him, the huge 

by force, illegal occupation of 

property, use of land agents, 

illegal use of Law enforcement 

agents, encroaching with a 

weapon, sales of property without 

authority and professional 

misconduct among others with 

their attendant punishments as 

regards the particular offence. 

depletion in the nation’s revenue 

owing to falling oil price has 

made it imperative for Nigerians 

to think out of the box. 

The governor said stakeholders 

should not remain complacent 

about the economic situation of the 

country but must work harder to 

diversify into agriculture and 

other non-oil sectors. 

He noted that oil dependence 

has made Nigerians lazy, calling 

for the need for partnership 

between the government and 

the private sector to revitalise 

the nation’s economy. 

Voluntary teachers want absorption into state civil service 

By Ebun Sessou 

VOLUNTARY teachers in 

Lagos State have appealed to the 

government to absorb them into the 

mainstream civil service as it plans to 

recruit fresh civil servants, including 

teachers. 

The teachers serving under the 

Voluntary Teachers Scheme, VTS, 

yesterday made their stance known at 

the Lagos State House of Assembly, 

where they urged lawmakers to prevail 

on the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode 

to consider their six years of service, as 

voluntary teachers, with monthly 

stipends of N15,000, as a parameter that 

qualifies them for full-time employment 

with the state government. 

One of the teachers, Sunday Dada, 

said; “We want the state government to 

look into our case and give our members 

a chance during the current recruitment. 

Addressing the group, the Majority 

Leader, Sanai Agunbiade and the 

Chairman, House Committee on 

Education, Lanre Ogunyemi, assured 

the protesters of the House’s support 

in pushing their request to the 

appropriate quarters. 

While promising to look into the 

protesters’ plight, the lawmakers said they 

can not guarantee that their requests 

would be met by the government. 

Lagos to engage technical 

graduates 

Meantime, the state government has 

said that it would engage graduates of 

its technical colleges in a ‘Maintenance 

Gang’ initiative to be unveiled in August 

this year for maintenance and renovation 

works of public schools across the State. 

The State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) 

Idiat Adebule made this known yesterday 

at the graduation ceremony of NECA-ITF 

Technical Skills Development Project for 

Students of Government Technical 

College, Ikorodu at NECA Auditorium, 

Alausa Ikeja. 

She also used the occasion to advocate 

more support from successful 

entrepreneurs and business moguls in 

bridging the large skills deficiency gap. 

Also speaking, the Commissioner for 

Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. 

Babatunde Durosinmi Etti, 

urged the graduands to 

translate the knowledge 

acquired into reality by 

harnessing opportunities 

available to them in the 

competitive world of 

business. 

The law was read a third time 

on plenary through a motion 

moved by the Majority Leader of 

the House, Sanai Agunbiade. 

The passage of this bill into law 

in Lagos State is a huge step 

towards a lasting solution to the 

activities of the land grabbers 

which have become a major 

menace in the state. 

On the spate of militant attacks 

rocking riverine communities in 

Ogun and neighbouring Lagos 

State, he said government was 

working to tackle the emerging 

security threat. 

Amosun alleged that some 

traditional chiefs and residents of 

the affected communities 

connived with the suspected 

militants to engage in oil theft, 

noting that the creeks would soon 

be cleared of criminals to secure 

government’s investments.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 — 11 

Omisore welcomes re-visit of Bola Ige, Dikibo’s 

murder 

By Gbenga Olarinoye 

O SOGBO—FORMER 

Deputy Governor of Osun 

state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has 

described the decision of the 

Federal Government to revisit the 

killing of the former Attorney 

General of the Federation and 

Minister of Justice late Chief Bola 

Ige and Chief Aminasoari Dikibo 

as good and a welcome 

development. 

Senator Omisore and some of 

his political associates, including 

the former Minister of Police 

Affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan, 

were main suspects in the case of 

the dastardly killing of Chief Ige 

in his Bodija Ibadan residence on 

December 23, 2001. 

He was arrested and 

prosecuted in Ibadan before the 

High Court which eventually 

discharged and acquitted him 

and other suspects. 

But Senator Omisore who spoke 

through his Media Director, 

Prince Diran Odeyemi in a 

statement in Osogbo yesterday 

however urged the Federal 

Government to extend its search 

towards unravelling the killers of 

late Funso Williams and Hon. 

Oduayo Olagbaju just to mention 

a few. 

Omisore also advised the 

Federal Government and the 

Inspector General of Police to 

widen the scope of their 

investigation to all areas rather 

than limiting themselves to a 

particular area or section. 

Speaking further, he said; “I am 

particularly happy that fresh 

investigation will further 

exonerate me and others who 

were wrongfully framed up, 

•Says Funso Williams' killers should also be unmasked 

suffered untold hardship before 

we were finally acquitted and 

discharged by the court” 

He however prayer to God to 

expose all the people and 

whoever is connected to all the 

Fayose spending state’s money on private court 

cases – APC •There's nothing like that —GOV'S AIDE 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

ADO-EKITI—THE All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, in Ekiti State has accused 

Governor Ayodele Fayose of 

allegedly using the state’s fund 

to finance his legal matters with 

the Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC. 

Publicity Secretary, Taiwo 

Olatunbosun, said in statement 

in Ado-Ekiti that the party was in 

possession of fact that the N22 

million spent to charter aircraft 

that conveyed his lawyer, Mike 

Ozekhome from Lagos to Akure 

airport was allegedly taken from 

the state’s treasury. 

Reacting to the allegation, 

Governor Fayose’s Chief Press 

Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi said 

“that kind of allegation can only 

come from the dirty minds of APC 

members in Ekiti. 

“There is nothing like that and 

if they have strong evidence, the 

EFCC which has become a 

department of the APC is there 

for them to do their bidding. 

“The APC should stop 

disturbing sensibility of Nigerians 

HIJAB: Hands off case, CAN tells Osun judge 

By Gbenga Olarinoye 

OSOGBO—OSUN State 

Chapter of the Christian 

Association of Nigeria, CAN, 

has instituted a stay of 

execution at the Court of 

Appeal of the June 3 

judgment, which allowed 

Muslim female students to 

wear hijab in public schools. 

CAN made this known 

yesterday at the resumed 

hearing of the case before 

Justice Jide Falola of an Osun 

State High Court. 

Consequently, Justice Jide 

Falola who had abandoned the 

on-going court recess to attend to 

the case due to its importance in 

a brief ruling stuck out the case 

based on the fact that the state 

Christian Community has 

approached the appellate court to 

sit on the matter. 

The State CAN had on June 

22 filed an application before 

the State High asking for a 

stay of execution of the 

judgment. 

Tens of adherents of the two 

AGRIC SUMMIT: From left, Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kolapo Olusola; Commissioner for 

Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Kehinde Odebunmi; Governor Ayodele Fayose; and Aare 

Afe Babalola, during the agriculture summit at the Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti, yesterday. 

religions and their lawyers 

trooped to the court premises 

at Oke-Fia area of the state for 

the resumed hearing of the 

stay of execution application 

filed by CAN but met empty 

courtroom. 

According to information, 

the state CAN had in a fresh 

affidavits deposed to by Rev. 

Jacob Asani and Rev. 

Olasunbo Ige urged Justice 

Falola to hand-off the case as 

the state Christian community 

has gone to a high court to 

adjudicate on the matter. 

The State CAN had through 

its counsel Olufemi 

Ayandokun on Monday, 

headed for the Appeal Court 

to file all necessary papers 

including a fresh application 

for a stay of execution of the 

June 3 Hijab judgment. 

Justice Falola had during 

the last court sitting on July 8 

admonished all the parties in 

the matter to refrain themselves 

from doing anything against 

constituted authority, saying his 

judgment was based on the law 

and facts before him “at that 

material time” and that the case 

was a constitutional issue that 

will still be taken to the 

Supreme Court. 

killings under investigation while 

wishing the new IGP the best of 

luck in the task. 

and face squarely the myriads of 

problems confronting the people”, 

Adelusi said. 

EFCC had frozen the 

governor’s account about a month 

ago over alleged fraudulent 

diversion of arms cash from the 

office of the former National 

Security Adviser, Col Sambo 

Dasuki, to finance Fayose’s 

election. 

About N1.21billion of the cash 

was traced to the governor’s 

accounts and those of his friends 

and family, including Abiodun 

Agbele. 

Fayose denied collecting money 

from Dasuki for his election, 

claiming that his election was 

financed by Zenith Bank, which 

has since denied the charge. 

EFCC subsequently froze 

Fayose’s accounts, forcing him to 

take the anti-graft agency to court 

for acting illegally in freezing his 

accounts. 

But APC has kicked against the 

governor for allegedly drawing 

from the state finances to hire a 

lawyer to prosecute the case in 

court. 

Olatunbosun alleged that 

Fayose’s lawyer, Mike 

Ozekhome, had flown from Lagos 

to Akure, Ondo State capital, 

twice since the beginning of 

the case, all at the expense of 

the state government. 

Oyo school principals apologize to govt over students’ protest 

IBADAN—OYO 

State 

branch of the All Nigeria 

Confederation of Principals of 

Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) 

has apologised to the state 

government on behalf of 

principals, teachers and students 

of public secondary schools 

across the state over the June 6 

violent disturbances in Ibadan. 

A statement by the ANCOPSS 

State President and Secretary, 

Pastor Ranti Obafumiso and 

Deacon Mathew Ogunkunle 

respectively, conveyed the 

apology in Ibadan, yesterday. 

The confederation also 

dissociated its members from any 

group that might have instigated 

the students to embark on what it 

called the ugly incident. 

It reads, “The ANCOPPS 

wishes to tender its unreserved 

apology to the Oyo State 

Government on behalf of all 

principals, teachers and students 

of all public secondary schools in 

the state on the violent incident 

that happened on June 6, 2016. 

“The incident threatened the 

Declare state 

of emergency 

in agric, 

Fayose 

tells FG 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

EKITI State Governor, 

Mr. Ayodele Fayose, 

has called on the Federal 

Government to declare a state 

of emergency in the 

agriculture sector to stem the 

tide of hunger and poverty 

ravaging the country. 

He stated this in Ado-Ekiti 

yesterday while declaring 

open an agriculture summit 

at the Abiodun Adetiloye 

Hall, Ado-Ekiti. 

He noted that the hunger 

ravaging the country 

demanded a swift and drastic 

response from the nation’s 

leadership. 

“The Federal Government 

must declare a state of 

emergency in the agriculture 

sector and also provide a bail 

out for the sector as people 

want to see food on their 

tables. It is then that people 

will be able to use agriculture 

to turn around their lives. 

States are already under bail 

out as far as salary is 

concerned and there is little 

most states can do. 

“FG must also do more in 

road and power sectors. Most 

farmers find it difficult to get 

their produce to the market. 

There must be more 

investments in irrigation 

across the country too. 

Storage facilities are 

important as well. I implore 

the FG to complete and make 

functional, the silos it is 

constructing in Ekiti State. We 

need assistance to also finish 

the yam storage facility we 

are putting on in Ilasa-Ekiti. 

“On our part, we have 

created farm banks to allow 

people who don’t have land 

for farming have access to 

farmlands across the state. 

They only need to contact us 

and we will make land 

available anywhere in the 16 

local governments of the 

state,” he said. 

Governor Fayose enjoined 

people to also engage in 

farming in their 

neighbourhoods, saying 

such efforts would add up 

to become something 

tangible in the long run. 

peace and security of the state and 

endangered the lives of the 

students who participated in the 

breach of peace and affront on 

constituted authority. 

“ANCOPPS condemn the act 

and reiterate that it has always 

been an ambassador and 

advocate of moral uprightness 

and good conduct.''


We’re unaware of Dalung’s visit to Oporoza 

—Community chairman 

By Emma Amaize 

W ARRI—OPOROZA 

community in 

Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri 

South-West Local Government 

Area, Delta State, yesterday, 

said it was not aware of the visit 

of the Minister of Youth and 

Sports, Solomon Dalung, to the 

town, last week, as claimed by 

him. 

Chairman of the community, 

Mr. Johnbull Demebi, in a 

statement, said that the people 

were stunned when they read 

his narrative in newspapers on 

how he visited Oporoza and 

held interactive sessions with 

members of the Niger Delta 

Avengers, NDA and villagers. 

He said: “It is pertinent to 

state that, to the best of our 

knowledge, we, the leadership 

of the community, did not 

receive the Minister of Youth 

and Sports, or any other 

government official in Oporoza 

town last week. 

“We have stated in many fora 

and on various occasions that 

we do not know anything about 

the Niger Delta Avengers. 

Oporoza town, or any other 

community in Gbaramatu 

Kingdom, has nothing to do 

with the Avengers and their 

activities. We had in time past, 

condemned the activities of 

the Avengers, and therefore, 

can not have anything to do 

with them in our community. 

“As peace loving and law - 

abiding citizens of Nigeria, 

we make bold to say that we 

are very receptive people, 

and have received several top 

government functionaries in 

our community. For the 

avoidance of doubt, the last 

government visitor to 

Oporoza was the acting 

Inspector General of Police, 

Mr Abrahim Idris, and he 

was given a rousing 

welcome by the community, 

led by the chairman, 

Dumebi. 

“And so, we doubt the 

claim of the minister that he 

visited Oporoza last week 

and had a meeting with 

members of Niger Delta 

Avengers and other 

community people.” 

Relocate to Delta, or face mass action, Itsekiri group 

tells Chevron 

By Perez Brisibe 

UGHELLI—THE National 

Association of Itsekiri 

Graduates, NAIG, yesterday, 

threatened to stage a mass 

protest to the National 

Assembly and petition the 

Chevron Home Office in the 

United States of America if the 

company fails to relocate its 

headquarters from Lagos to 

Delta State, where the 

company’s operation is 

located. 

The group, in a statement by 

its president, Collins Edema, 

also warned the company not 

to use the current leadership 

crisis in the Itsekiri Regional 

Development Committee, 

IRDC, as an excuse to deny the 

Itsekiri nation of its 80 percent 

employment slots. 

Accusing Chevron of 

recruiting personnel to work on 

the Turn-Around Maintenance, 

TAM, in the Escravos Gas to 

Liquid, EGTL, Project in 

Escravos, the group said that 

it was not convinced with 

explanations that the ongoing 

recruitment in EGTL would be 

done from the company’s data 

base on the premise that 

persons to be engaged were 

those who worked in EGTL due 

to the urgency of the job. 

BRIEFING: From left: Legal Officer, Masters Reality International Concept Limited 

(Developers of Alade Market), Mrs Omotayo Akinsola; Head, Marketing, Marcel Nweze 

and the Group Managing Director, Mr. Lai Omotola, during a briefing by the company 

on the relocation of the market from it’s old site to the New Alade Market, at Ikeja 

Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi. 

The group advised the 

management of the company 

to deal directly with the 

palace of the Olu of Warri on 

issues that concern 

employment and contracts 

pending when the IRDC 

leadership crisis would be 

resolved. 

Why Rivers will host 2016 Editors’ Conference 

—Wike 

ALL is now set for the 

12th edition of All 

Nigeria Editors’ Conference, 

ANEC, holding from August 3- 

7 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State 

with the theme, Economic 

Diversification: Agriculture as 

Option for a Prosperous Nigeria. 

No fewer than 300 Nigerian 

editors, a collection of 

mainstream farmers, 

agribusiness financiers, policymakers 

and captains of industry 

are expected to grace the event. 

Host, Governor Nyesom 

Wike, said that the conference 

would afford the state the 

opportunity to showcase its 

investment potentials. 

In a statement by the Special 

Assistant to the Governor on 

Electronic Media, Simeon 

Nwakaudu, the governor noted 

that the conference would be a 

fitting platform to partner editors 

and the media to consolidate 

development in both the state 

and the nation at large. 

Wike noted that the state was 

hosting several national and 

international events as a 

demonstration of the fact that 

Rivers State is an investors’ 

destination, adding that the 

state was peaceful and the 

people hospitable. 

“Hosting this year’s 

conference will also make the 

editors witness first-hand, the 

development projects and 

programmes of my 

administration which have 

improved the living standard of 

the people,” he said. 

The All Nigeria Editors’ 

Conference is the largest 

gathering of Nigerian editors. 

It is a watering hole of ideas 

that have shaped government 

policies and programmes over 

the years. 

The maiden edition was 

held in 2004 at Ada, in Osun 

State. Subsequent editions 

had been held in different 

parts of the country. 

Fear grips N-Deltans over Iba 

monarch’s kidnap 

By Godfrey Bivbere 

FEAR has gripped Niger 

Delta indigenes living in 

Iba and its environs of Lagos, 

over alleged planned reprisal 

attack from natives of Iba on the 

assumption that the kidnap of 

the Oniba of Ibaland, Oba Ishau 

Oseni, was carried out by 

militants from the Niger Delta 

region. 

A resident of Iba who give his 

name as Efosa, said that there 

had been speculations since 

Sunday that Iba indigenes 

were planning to attack people 

from the Niger Delta living in 

Iba. 

As a result, some of them 

are said to be relocating from 

the area. 

Efosa, therefore, called on 

the Lagos State Commissioner 

Police to ensure their safety by 

deploying officers to the area. 

Chinese firm to 

supply farmers 

80, 000 

tractors 

By Gabriel Ewepu 

A 

B U J A — 

FOLLOWING the 

move to achieve mechanised 

farming in Nigeria, a Chinese 

company, YTO China-Africa 

Machinery Corporation, 

CAMACO, has concluded 

plans to supply 80, 000 tractors 

to farmers in the country. 

This was disclosed during 

the inauguration of three 

standing committees by the 

Minister of Agriculture and 

Rural Development, Chief 

Audu Ogbeh, yesterday, for 

the implementation of the 

Agricultural Mechanisation 

System, AMS, under the 

tripartite Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, 

between the Federal 

Government, states and YTO 

CAMACO at the ministry. 

The eight states to receive 

the tractors include Sokoto, 

Zamfara, Adamawa, Kastina, 

Niger, Jigawa, Taraba, and 

Ebonyi. 

The three committees 

inaugurated were Project 

Management Committee, 

Technical Implementation 

Committee, and Expert 

Consultative Group. 

Delta Nursing 

students send 

SOS to Okowa 

By Godwin Oghre 

A 

M U K P E — 

STUDENTS at the 

Delta State School of Mid- 

Wifery, Amukpe, in Sapele 

Local Government Area, have 

sent a Save Our Souls, SOS, 

to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, 

appealing to him to resuscitate 

without delay, their individual 

N5,000 monthly stipend 

which the government 

stopped 18 months ago. 

The students who made the 

appeal through their leader, 

Miss Sandra Okome, when 

the state Commissioner for 

Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge 

and his counterpart from the 

Ministry of Special Duties, Mr. 

Chika Ossai, visited the school 

to condole with them and 

assess the extent of damage 

to their hostel which went up 

in flames in the early hours of 

Sunday, occasioned by power 

surge. 

Okome said: “We want the 

governor to come to our rescue 

as we have lost all our 

valuables, including cash and 

certificates to the fire. 

“We want him to restore our 

individual N5,000 monthly 

stipend which the government 

stopped 18 months ago, and 

to compensate those affected 

by the fire to enable us 

complete our training.”


15 Rivers communities protest planned eviction 

By Davies Iheamnachor 

PORT 

HARCOURT— 

NO fewer than 15 

communities in Port Harcourt, 

Rivers State, yesterday, stormed 

the city in protest against alleged 

forceful eviction notice by the state 

government. 

The state government had 

issued a 7-day ultimatum to 

residents of Agwu, Elechi Phase 

I, Elechi Phase II, Urualla, Ojike, 

Afikpo/Awkuzu, Nanka, Akokwa, 

Egede, Soku, Timber, Echue, 

Obiodanso and Anozie waterfronts 

in Port Harcourt City Local 

Government Area of the state to 

vacate their homes. 

The government said the areas 

had been marked for demolition, 

adding that the waterfronts had 

become hideouts for criminals in 

the state. 

It will be recalled that the 

governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, had 

of recent supervised the 

demolition of houses owned by 

suspected cultists in Rumuolumeni 

community and Eagle Island. 

During the protest, the residents 

of the affected areas, who 

explained that the waterfronts 

were not occupied by criminals, 

said that the government was 

taking advantage of their poor 

state. 

Speaking, Mr. Bello Max- 

Egba said that the residents of 

the areas were being threatened 

by the government, stressing 

that the eviction would lead to a 

more hopeless living condition 

for the affected people. 

Max-Egba called on the state 

government to reconsider its 

plan and allow the people to live 

peacefully in their communities. 

He said that the eviction 

NDDC Ag MD tasks stakeholders on N-Delta devt 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

PORT 


ACTING Managing 

Director, Niger Delta 

Development Commission, 

NDDC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, 

has called for synergy among 

stakeholders to tackle the 

challenges 

of 

underdevelopment in the 

region. 

Speaking in Port Harcourt, 

Rivers State, at the opening of a 

one-day forum of Partners for 

Sustainable Development, Mrs 

Semenitari said partnering was 

the new way for business and 

would expose them to more 

hardship, as over 60, 000 people 

losing accommodation in the city 

would send a wrong signal about 


Meanwhile, five civil society 

group, Justice and 

Empowerment Initiatives, Social 

Action, Nigerian Slum/ 

Information Settlement 

Federation, Stakeholders 

Democracy Network and 

Collaborative Media Advocacy 

Platform, have condemned the 

institutions to develop. 

Speaking on Partnership/ 

Partnering: Strategies to Deepen 

Collaboration with tiers of 

Government and Development 

Agencies, she assured that the 

NDDC would support any 

partnership among stakeholders 

that will promote development 

in the region, adding that such 

move will eliminate duplication 

of functions and responsibilities 

among stakeholders in the 

development drive. 

She said that the commission 

was already collaborating with 

several others in environment 

and social services, stressing that 

planned eviction of the people of 

the affected areas by the state 

government. 

In a statement, the five groups 

said the planned action of the state 

government was unlawful and 

callous. 

Speaking, the leader of CMAP, 

Mr. Michael Uwemedimo, called 

on the state government to 

reconsider its decision of 

demolishing the communities 

without adequate notice. 

more could still be achieved. 

Semenitari recalled that through 

partnership between Shell and 

NDDC, the construction of Ogbia- 

Nembe Road was realised. 

She appealed to international 

development agencies to 

collaborate with NDDC in the area 

of funding to redress the 

challenges in the region. 

On his part, former governor of 

old Rivers State, His Royal 

Majesty, Amayannabo of Twom 

Brass, Alfred Diete Spiff called for 

development of the region, adding 

that neglect of the region was 

largely responsible for the issue of 

militancy and related challenges. 

2019: APC’ll 

dislodge PDP in 

Delta —Egbo 

By Festus Ahon 

U 

G H E L L I — 

CHAIRMAN of All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

Steering Committee on Fund 

Raising for membership 

registration in Ughelli North 

Local Government Area, Delta 

State, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, 

has reiterated the 

determination of the party to 

dislodge the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in the 

state in the 2019 general 

election. 

Speaking during a meeting 

of the APC in Ughelli, 

yesterday, to herald the 

ongoing membership 

registration exercise, Egbo 

said that PDP has failed in the 

state. 

He said: “We are here to 

consolidate our membership 

drive in Ughelli North council. 

The attendees are made up of 

the former Labour Party, Social 

Democratic Party, SDP, Accord 

Party members and those who 

were formerly in PDP. They 

have all come together as 

members of one strong and 

virile APC in Ughelli North." 

C 

M 

YK


IAEA to train 

nuclear 

practitioners, 

security 

officers 

By Iloaze Blessed- 

Odidi 

I NTERNATIONAL 

ATOMIC Energy 

Agency, IAEA, has 

revealed plans to embark 

on a week training for 

nuclear practitioners as 

well as security officers on 

the extraction, exploitation 

and utilisation of the 

substance. 

Minister of Solid 

Minerals Development, Dr. 

Kayode Fayemi, who was 

represented by a Deputy 

Director of the ministry, Mr. 

Wuyep Karnap, during the 

opening ceremony for the 

national training course on 

nuclear security for the 

uranium extraction 

industry in Abuja, said: 

“This training is coming at 

the right time when 

capacity to explore, exploit 

and utilise uranium for 

power generation and 

other uses cannot be 

overemphasised. 

‘’Apart from the 

exploration, exploitation 

and utilisation, the security 

and health aspects of 

uranium need to be taken 

care of. That is why we 

have security delegates 

here.” 

Also speaking at the 

event, The Director- 

General/Chief Executive 

Officer of the Nigerian 

Nuclear Regulatory 

Agency, NNRA, Prof. 

Lawrence Dim, said: “The 

uranium we have in our 

soil is the natural uranium. 

Although it has radioactive 

material, the concentration 

is low, the level of radiation 

in it is not detected to be 

harmful. 

Herdsmen/farmers clashes: Solutions 

beyond Buhari —Zakari 

By Emma Ujah, Abuja 

Bureau Chief 

THE NATIONAL chairman 

of Community for Peace 

and Corrupt-free Society, 

Nigeria, CPCSN, Engr. 

Ahmad Zakari, said yesterday 

that solutions to the escalating 

deadly clashes between 

herdsmen and farmers in the 

country were beyond 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari. 

President Buhari had been 

severely criticised for what 

many see as his silence over 

the massacre of several 

thousands of Nigerian farmers 

by Fulani herdsmen in many 

states. However, Engr. 

Zakari said that those 

criticising the President 

jumped to conclusions on an 

issue they did not fully 

understand. 

Zakari, who made the 

observation at a briefing with 

newsmen in Abuja, said: “The 

herdsmen / farmers clashes are 

beyond President Buhari. 

"Many of those critics don’t 

even understand the problem. 

“These conflicts are not the 

handiwork of Nigerian Fulanis. 

"I am a Fulani and I can tell 

you that the Fulanis love peace. 

"There is no Nigerian Fulani 

who will go and attack the 

community where his cattle are 

grazing. 

“Those perpetrating the 

attacks are people from beyond 

the shores of Nigeria. It is not 

a problem that only President 

Buhari alone can solve. It 

requires a solution by all African 

Presidents. In fact, it is a 

problem that must be tackled by 

the African Union.” 

According to him, all Nigerians 

must work for peaceful co - 

existence to allow the expectations 

for socio-economic development to 

be achieved. 

On corruption, Zakari said that 

all members of the society suffered 

the effects of corruption and should, 

therefore, fight to eliminate it from 

the nation’s public life. 

“At the CPCSN, we understand 

the intrinsic link, a strong interface 

between corruption and violence. 

‘’Corruption invariably creates 

underdevelopment or total lack of 

it and ultimately, social injustice. 

Social injustice itself invariably 

breeds suspicion, distrust, 

dislike, disunity and violence 

eventually. 

“It is amazing, therefore, that 

there has not been a national 

consensus yet against the ruinous 

corruption which has bred those 

ills,” he added. 

Zakari urged good spirited 

Nigerians to stand up against 

corruption at all levels, 

commending President Buhari for 

the courage to prosecute senior 

military officers allegedly involved 

in corruption. 

He also urged members of the 

public to readily act as whistleblowers 

against corrupt practices in 

the interests of all Nigerians. 

He disclosed that his 

organisation would embark on a 

nationwide sensitisation campaign 

to mobilise members of the public 

against corruption. 

According to him, corruption has 

held down the nation for too long. 

Judicial panel indicts Army General, others for Zaria 

massacre of Shiites 

THE COMMISSION of 

inquiry set up by Kaduna 

State government to investigate 

the Massacre of Shiites in Zaria 

has indicted an Army General 

for authorising last December’s 

military operations that led to the 

killing of at least 347 members 

of the Shi’a Muslim group. 

Though the report has not 

been made public, a copy of the 

report, exclusively obtained by 

online portal, Premium Times, 

said the top Army officer 

deployed soldiers to carry out 

such a large scale operation 

without recourse to the chain of 

command. 

The panel said it established 

that the invasion of the IMN 

compound was carried out 

strictly on the order of the officer 

without any rules of 

engagement, an action the 

400 Christian leaders in Abuja to ratify Ayokunle’s election 

By Sam Eyoboka 

DESPITE 

RECENT 

shenanigans from sundry 

quarters to scuttle the 

inauguration of the recently 

elected leadership of the Christian 

Association of Nigeria, CAN, 400 

Christian leaders from across the 

nation have arrived Abuja for the 

ratification of the election of Rev. 

Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, as 

the seventh CAN president. 

The Christian leaders already in 

Abuja for the ceremony include 

50 delegates from each of the five 

federating blocs of CAN, 37 state 

chairmen, including the Federal 

Capital Authority, six zonal 

leaders and 10 national leaders. 

The five blocs that make up CAN 

include; the Christian Council of 

Nigeria, CCN, the Catholic 

Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN, the 

SIGNING: From left, Mr. Jonathan Tobin, Executive Director, Corporate and Commercial Services, 

Bank of Industry; Mr. Waheed Olagunju, Acting MD/CEO, BOI; Mr. Patrick Obah, Acting Executive 

Secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, and Mr. Bank-Anthony Okorafor, 

Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, during the launch and MOU signing 

ceremony for the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund between Bank of Industry and Nigerian 

Content Development and Monitoring Board, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele 

Christian Pentecostal 

Fellowship of Nigeria/ 

Pentecostal Fellowship of 

Nigeria, CPFN/PFN, the 

Organisation of African 

Instituted Churches, OAIC, and 

the Tarrayya Ekkleiyoyin Kristi 

a Nigeria/Evangelical Church 

Winning All, TEKAN/ECWA. 

According to the agenda of the 

meeting which began yesterday 

with a review of the CAN 

constitution, the major task before 

the General Assembly is the 

ratification of the election of 

President of the Nigerian Baptist 

Conventio, NBC, and candidate 

of CCN, Rev. Samson Olasupo 

Ayokunle who emerged winner 

of the June 14 election. 

The ceremony also includes 

the ratification of his running 

mate, Prof. Joseph Otubu of the 

Motailatu Church Cherubim 

and Seraphim Worldwide 

(MCCSW) who ran under the 

platform of OAIC, with 54 votes 

to 28. 

FCMB opens Flexx Hub, creates fun banking arena for 

youths 

FIRST CITY Monument 

Bank, FCMB, Limited, 

has announced plans to launch 

its first Flexx Hub, an exclusive 

banking arena for its youth 

customers who hold a Flexx 

account. 

The flagship Flexx Hub is 

located at Lagos University 

Teaching Hospital, popularly 

called MediLag and the bank 

has unveiled a week-long 

launch event, which commenced 

on Monday July 18, 2016, and 

will culminate in the grand 

opening of the Flexx Hub on 

Friday, July 22, 2016. 

Speaking on the Flexx Hub 

launch and what makes Flexx 

different from the generic 

offering for young people in the 

Nigerian banking space, the 

Divisional Head, Retail 

Banking, FCMB, Mr. Olu 

Akanmu said: “Flexx is not just 

an account, but a lifestyle 

platform that offers a customer 

experience centred around fun, 

future and banking." 

commission said was at variance 

with the provisions of the Armed 

Forces Act, 1994, and the 1999 

Constitution, both of which vested 

such authorities strictly in the 

President. 

“There was no evidence that 

there was the requisite delegation 

by the president to the officer who 

issued oral order for the 

deployment of the officers of the 

Nigerian Army for the cordon and 

search operation,” the report said. 

It recommends that the General 

and other yet-to-be-disclosed 

officers who participated in the 

operation “should be brought to 

trial before a court of competent 

jurisdiction”. 

The report, which contains 101 

pages of correspondences and 

exhibits, started with a recap of 

what transpired on December 12, 

2015. 

It said the Chief of Army Staff, 

Mr. Buratai, left Dutse, Jigawa 

State, at about 11:30 a.m for Zaria, 

where he was invited to be the 

reviewing officer at the passing out 

parade of the 73 Regular Recruits 

Intake of the Nigerian Army Depot. 

The report said Mr. Buratai and 

his entourage arrived at the 

Hussainiyya Baqiyyatillah shrine 

of the Shi’a group along Sokoto 

Road, Zaria, around 2:20 p.m.


I won't relinquish power to Ogah —Ikpeazu 

•Don't over-heat Abia polity, OYC warns •Senate delegation to Abia, supports 

Ikpeazu, mourns Ojo Maduekwe, Sen Okoroafo •We still believe in Abia 

charter of equity—Abia North PDP 

UMUAHIA—AS the Abia 

political crisis lingers with 

various interest groups coming to 

Umuahia Government House for 

solidarity with Governor Ikpeazu, 

the embattled governor of Abia 

State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu 

yesterday, vowed that he could 

not afford to relinquish his seat 

to Dr. Uche Ogah, saying that the 

mandate was freely given to him 

by God and Abia people. 

The Governor also claimed that 

the mandate given to him by Abia 

voters has spiritual connotation 

which he could not afford to 

abandon. 

Ikpeazu, who spoke while 

addressing the people of Abia 

North who were on a solidarity 

visit to him at the Government 

House, Umuahia, disclosed that 

he had previously visited Uche 

Ogah three times to solicit his 

support and urged him to drop 

his ambition but to no avail. 

Don't over-heat the polity, OYC 

warns 

Ohanaeze Youth Council has 

warned against over-heating the 

political situation in the state and 

allow the judiciary to resolve the 

political impasse. 

Specifically, Ohanaeze youths 

have attacked fiery Lagos lawyer, 

Festus Keyamo for his legal 

opinion on the Justice Okon 

Abang judgment, describing his 

call for the immediate swearing - 

in of Dr. Uche Ogar as Abia 

governor as “vexatious antics and 

vituperations.” 

The group dismissed Keyamo’s 

legal opinion on the matter as “a 

slap on the legal profession,” and 

“nothing but a verbal diarrhoea.” 

Faulting Keyamo’s legal 

opinion, the group in a statement 

by Mazi Okemiri Alex, the 

chairman of State chairmen of 

OYC and Chetachi Ikpe, Abia 

State deputy chairman of the 

group, asked if “Keyamo was not 

aware that the governor of Abia 

State Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is in the 

Appeal Court to challenge the 

decision of the Federal High Court 

in Abuja.” 

The group condemned what it 

called “all manner of unguarded 

statements on the Abia political 

crisis by people from across the 

country just to be noticed, 

rewarded or just talk for talking 

sake.” 

OYC also condemned the call 

by a group,Ndigbo Bu Otu Union 

which gave Governor Okezie 

Ikpeazu seven days to vacate 

Umuahia Government House 

and warned that “any attempt to 

unleash violence on Abians and 

Ndigbo will be resisted.” 

According to them, the group 

is non-existent but was just 

thrown up by politicians to create 

tension in Abia State and urged 

those behind it to retrace their 

steps and give peace a chance in 

the state. 

VISIT: Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and his deputy, Sir Ude Chukwu, addressing Umuahia people of 

Umuahia South Council, at the Governemnt House, Abia State, during the visit of Umuahia people in 

solidarity with Governor Ikpeazu for his current political travails. 

Senate delegation to Abia, 

supports Ikpeazu 

Meantime, the Senate, 

Monday, dispatched some of its 

members to Abia State to 

commiserate with the people over 

deaths of two of their prominent 

sons, former Foreign Affairs 

Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe 

and Senator Onyeka Okoroafo. 

The Senate delegation led by 

Senator Biodium Olujimi, and 

included the three Senators from 

the state, also expressed support 

for Governor Okezie Ikpeazu 

over the political logjam in the 

state. 

Senator Olujimi, who 

expressed the feeling of the 

Senate President, Senator Bukola 

Saraki, to Governor Okezie 

Ikpeazu, said that the Senate was 

solidly behind him in the face of 

the crisis in the state. 

“The authentic and indomitable 

Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie 

Ikpeazu, we are here with the 

consent of the Senate President 

and Chairman of the National 

Assembly, Distinguished Senator, 

Dr Bukola Saraki, and on behalf 

of the Senate of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria, to condole 

with you and the entire people of 

Abia State in these trying times. 

“First, over the political 

situation in Abia, and over the 

death of your illustrious sons, 

Chief Ojo Maduekwe and 

Senator Onyeka Okoroafo. 

“The Senate is solidly behind 

you in these trying times. You 

have our support as the governor 

of the state, we are elected to 

make laws as lawmakers and it 

is our duty to ensure that our laws 

are not abused. We are aware of 

the political situation in Abia, rest 

assured that the Senate is with 

you,” Olujimi said. 

In his remarks, Governor 

Ikpeazu thanked the Senate for 

standing by him, the state and 

the bereaved families, even as he 

described the death of late 

Senator Onyekachi Okoroafo 

and Chief Ojo Maduekwe as 

personal losses to him. 

The governor told the visiting 

Senators that the recent ruling of 

Justice Okon Abang of the 

Federal High Court Abuja was 

an attack on democracy and 

Nigerian constitution. 

“I thank the Distinguished 

Senate for standing by me and 

Abians at the time of trials. The 

death of the Chief Ojo 

Maduekwe is a personal loss to 

me. He stood by me through the 

campaign period and he was a 

pillar in my administration. He 

died when the state needed him 

most." 

We still believe in Abia charter 

of equity —Abia North PDP 

Similarly, stakeholders and 

membership of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia 

North senatorial zone have 

restated their support for the 

power shift under the doctrine of 

Abia Charter of Equity, which 

provides for rotation of power to 

the three senatorial zones of the 

state. 

Consequently, they had 

expressed support and solidarity 

to the governor of Abia State, Dr. 

Okezie Ikpeazu, saying he 

emerged from Abia South zone 

in line with the charter. 

In their reaction to the political 

crisis in the state, Abia North PDP 

frowned at the judgment of 


Federal High Court Abuja which 

favoured Dr. Uche Ogah, who is 

from the zone. 

Rising from a stakeholders' 

meeting held in Ohafia, Abia 

North PDP said that they rejected 

the judgment. 

“The controversial and 

contentious judgment of the Hon. 


Federal High Court, Abuja 

Division came to us as a surprise 

and a calculated attempt to rock 

the boat of a smooth sailing 

government of Abia State under 

the able leadership of Okezie 

Ikpeazu, Ph.D. 

“That the said judgment, which 

is misconceived, unsearched and 

unknown to facts and law defeats 

all known principles of justice. 

“That we totally align with the 

judgment of Hon. Justice Lewis 

Allagoa of the Federal High 

Court, Owerri Division, is well 

reasoned and well researched 

both in facts and law thereby 

vindicating and absolving 

Okezie Ikpeazu, Ph.D of any 

wrong doing with respect to his 

tax documents." 

IGP orders re-investigation, arrest of killers of the Igwes 


FOLLOWING THE resolve 

of the new Police hierarchy 

to tackle unresolved murder 

cases and conclude several high 

profile killings in the country, 

Acting Inspector General of 

Police, Ibrahim Idris has directed 

a Police investigation team to 

resuscitate the gruesome murder 

case of Barrister and Barrister 

(Mrs.) Igwe. 

Barrister Igwe was the Nigerian 

Bar Association, Onitsha Branch 

Chairman when he and his 

pregnant wife were killed in front 

of their house while alighting from 

their car on Sunday, in 

September, 2002. 

Police sources told Vanguard 

that the IGP is not satisfied that 

in spite of the progress made on 

the case by the investigators 

leading to the arrest of the 

suspected killer, who later 

confessed to pulling the trigger, 

the case was muddled up and 

nobody was prosecuted. 

The source recalled that one 

Odogu Anam was arrested in 

Asaba in connection with the 

Okorocha 

reshuffles 

cabinet 

IMO GOVERNOR, 

Rochas Okorocha 

Monday, carried out minor 

cabinet reshuffle that 

occasioned some 

Commissioners being 

moved to other ministries 

from their old ones. 

A statement signed by the 

Chief Press Secretary to the 

Governor, Sam 

Onwuemeodo said that the 

Commissioner for 

Information, Strategy, 

Youths and Sports, 

Engineer Chidi Ibeh was 

moved to the Ministry of 

Commerce and Industry, 

while Hon. Ifeanyi 

Ararume Junior who was in 

that ministry was moved to 

the Ministry of Internally 

Generated Revenue (IGR) 

and Internal Resources. 

The Commissioner for IGR, 

Chief Vitalis Ajumbe was 

moved to the Ministry of 

Information, and Public 

Utility, while Hon. Rodney 

Ajaelu now takes charge in 

the Ministry of Youths, 

Sports and Public Safety. 

Gilbert 

Onwuamaegbu 

for burial July 

29 

SIR 

GILBERT 

Onwuamaegbu, the 

father in-law of Senator 

Annie Okonkwo, who 

passed on April 18, 2016, 

aged 93, will be laid to rest 

July 29, 2016 at his 

compound in Isu- 

Umuonyenora village of 

Oba Town in Idemili South 

LGA, Anambra State. 

There will be 

Commendation Service at 

St. Pauls Anglican Church, 

Oba, while Service of Songs 

and wake-keep will take 

place at his compound in 

Isu-Umuonyenora Village 

of Oba Town same day. 

Late Onwuamaegbu 

murder when he attempted to 

scale the high walls of a building 

where he was traced to and after 

his confession and conclusion of 

investigation, the case file was 

handed over to the Anambra State 

Director for Public Prosecution, 

DPP, but up till today, nothing 

was done and the suspects are 

allegedly walking the streets as 

free men.

16 — VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

How Turkey’s failed coup’ll define global affairs 

•Anti-ISIS fight, relationship with US to be affected 

By Charles Kumolu 

A 

MILITARY coup 

against an elected government 

typically unleashes a 

flood of analysis about the country’s 

future direction following 

the break in democratic rule. But 

failed coups can be just as consequential. 

The botched attempt by elements 

of the Turkish military to 

overthrow President Recep 

Tayyip Erdogan will have farranging 

implications for Turkey’s 

foreign relations and regional 

role. Turkey’s relationship with 

the United States, in particular, 

is headed for considerable turbulence. 

The coup attempt heralds a new 

and uneasy phase in the Turkey- 

US relationship, because Turkish 

authorities have linked it to 

Fethullah Gülen, an Islamic 

preacher based near Philadelphia 

since 1999 but with a core group 

of followers in Turkey. 

Gülen was previously charged 

with establishing a parallel state 

structure primarily within the police, 

the judiciary, and the military. 

More recently, the Turkish authorities 

classified the Gülen 

movement as a terrorist organization 

– a label given new meaning 

by the failed coup. But, despite 

the growing evidence concerning 

Gülen and his followers, 

the impression in Ankara is that 

the US has so far refused to constrain 

the activities of his network, 

which includes a range of schools 

and many civil-society organizations. 

Nefarious operations 

of its affiliates 

This network allows the Gülen 

movement to engage in substantial 

fundraising, which the authorities 

claim sustains the nefarious 

operations of its affiliates in 

Turkey. As a result, Gülen’s continued 

residence in Pennsylvania 

has become not only a contentious 

issue in the bilateral relationship, 

but also an important source of 

rising anti-Americanism in Turkey. 

The failed coup is set to compound 

this trend. In the postcoup 

era, the US will come under 

significant pressure to reconsider 

its laissez-faire attitude toward 

Gülen. The Turkish side already 

has signalled that it will 

initiate a formal request for 

Gülen’s extradition. 

The coup has therefore brought 

a new urgency to the need for the 

two NATO allies to settle this important 

dispute. A failure to find 

common ground under these 

changed circumstances would 

weaken prospects for cooperation 

at many levels. The effectiveness 

of the joint fight against the Islamic 

State (ISIS), which relies 

heavily on air strikes originating 

from the Incirlik airbase in southern 

Turkey, would doubtless be 

*President Erdogan 

jeopardized. More broadly, a 

breach in this key bilateral relationship 

would weaken NATO 

cohesion in its policy toward Russia, 

with Turkey seeking to move 

beyond the confrontational framework 

set out at the Alliance’s 

recent Warsaw summit. 

The consequences of the failed 

coup are also likely to affect Turkey’s 

relationship with Europe. 

In March, Turkey and the European 

Union agreed on an ambitious 

package of measures designed 

to stem the flow of refugees 

to Europe. But, while the arrangement 

has been a clear success, 

it remains politically vulnerable. 

For Turkey, the biggest prize 

was the EU’s commitment to lifting 

visa restrictions on Turkish citizens 

traveling to the Schengen 

Area, a move scheduled for June. 

Instead, visa liberalization was 

postponed until October, owing 

to Turkey’s refusal to comply with 

a few remaining conditions. 

Diplomatic 

impasse 

At the core of the diplomatic 

impasse is the EU’s demand that 

Turkey amend its anti-terror legislation 

to ensure that it reflects 

more closely the norms established 

by the European Court of 

Human Rights. The aim is to limit 

the legislation’s implementation 

to genuine terror cases and prevent 

its use as a tool to restrain 

freedom of expression. But the 

post-putsch environ-ment will 

reduce the government’s willingness 

to amend Turkey’s anti-terror 

framework. 

As a result, a diplomatic crisis 

by October is likely, with Turkey 

claiming that the EU has failed 

to honor its commitments. The entire 

refugee package, under 

which Turkey continues to host 

more than 2.8 million Syrian refugees, 

could then come under 

threat, with consequences for the 

flow of asylum-seekers. 

Finally, the botched coup will 

have repercussions on Turkey’s 

ability to contribute to regional 

security. The Turkish military will 

now undergo a painful process 

of purging its Gülenist elements, 

and morale and cohesion will inevitably 

be affected at a time when 

the armed forces play an instrumental 

role in Turkey’s efforts to 

combat Kurdish separatists and 

ISIS terrorism and in strengthening 

Turkey’s border controls, 

which has helped to impede the 

flow of foreign jihadists to ISIScontrolled 

territory in Syria. 

And weakened trust in the wake 

of the coup attempt will make 

interagency cooperation between 

the military, the police, and the 

intelligence services particularly 

problematic. 

Just like successful coups, failed 

coups can have a major impact 

on countries’ foreign and security 

policies. Turkey’s botched 

putsch has already heightened 

the likelihood that critical milestones 

soon will be reached in the 

country’s relationship with the 

US and Europe. 

US POLICE SHOOTINGS: Resurgence of black nationalism 

LATELY, the high-profile police shootings 

of African Americans have fuelled the 

proliferation of black separatist groups. 

While activist groups such as Black Lives 

Matter have taken a central role in the US 

movement on police reform and racial justice, 

black separatist groups have used a 

more racist and militant approach. 

Many black separatist "hate groups" are 

rooted in racism and anti-Semitism, according 

to the Southern Poverty Law Center's 

Miss, Heidi Beirich. 

These types of hate groups are different 

from typical white supremacy groups like 

the Klu Klux Klan, in that they are formed 

in reaction to societal white oppression. 

Many of today's groups make reference 

to the original Black Panther Party, which 

carried out armed citizens' patrols to monitor 

police behaviour in California during 

the 1960s. However, none are affiliated with 

the Black Panthers. 

Support in the 

black community 

Though the Black Panthers promoted 

armed resistance early on in the movement, 

the group placed more emphasis on police 

patrols, according to Stanford Historian 

Clayborne Carson. "They had decided that 

that kind of emphasis on the gun was counterproductive 

in terms of their ability to get 

support in the black community," he said 

"In a sense the Black Panther Party police 

patrols were doing what video cameras do 

now," Mr Carson says. "If they had iPhones 

at that time, they would have not simply 

watched police but also recorded them." 

The New Black Panther Party for Self- 

Defense (NBPP), founded in 1989 in Dallas, 

is one of the major black separatist 

groups in the US. The group has a 10- 

point platform advocating the power to practise 

self-determination for a "black nation", 

the release of all black people in prison, an 

end to police brutality against black people, 

and a call for all black people to arm 

themselves for self-defence. 

The SPLC and Anti-Defamation 

*President Obama 

League have labelled the NBPP as a hate 

group "whose leaders have encouraged 

violence against whites, Jews, and law enforcement 

officers". Black Panther cofounder 

Bobby Seale has called the NBPP's 

rhetoric "xenophobic" and "absurd". 

The Nation of Islam (NOI) was founded 

in 1930 and is considered the oldest black 

nationalist group in the US. While the 

group provides social service programmes 

to African American communities, 

the SLPC and Anti-Defamation 

League have branded it as a hate group 

founded in anti-Semitism and racism. 

The Huey P Newton Gun Club, named 

after one of the Black Panthers' founders, 

was created last year in Dallas to oppose 

"police terrorism". 

The group teaches self-defence and conducts 

patrols in areas where black men have 

died at the hands of police. "Us arming 

ourselves, we're able to create a culture of 

being independent from government institutions 

who do not have our best interest 

in mind," said Rakem Balogun, a founding 

member of the gun club. "When[white 

people] see us with guns, they see boys in 

the hood", he told the BBC's Dan Murdoch, 

"instead of thinking black deacons of defence". 

Though Johnson was a member of 

the Huey P Newtown Gun Club's Facebook 

group, member Erick Khafre told the Los 

Angeles Times that he had no affiliation to 

the club "in any way". Ms Beirich also notes 

the gun club is not counted as a SPLC hate 

group as it does not reinforce racist ideals. 

In 2015, US police shot and killed a civilian 

nearly 1,000 times, according to a yearlong 

Washington Post study. 

The deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, 

Freddie Gray and more 

recently,Philando Castile and Alton 

Sterling are also among some of the cases 

that groups have used as an "organising tool" 

to illuminate the systemic problem with police 

racism, Ms Beirich says. 

In response, the number of black separatist 

hate groups has jumped from 113 chapters 

in 2014 to 180 last year, SLPC reported. 

Each group carries different beliefs in relation 

to black power and white oppression. 

However, many black separatist groups are 

explicitly anti-white and tend to share a mistrust 

of government, according to Ms Beirich. 

Some groups are also anti-Semitic and antigay, 

which could be attributed to rhetoric by 

the long-standing NOI. The group's leader, 

Louis Farrakhan, has long espoused anti- 

Semitism and homophobic messages. 

"These false Jews promote the filth of Hollywood 

that is seeding the American people 

and the people of the world and bringing 

you down in moral strength. … It's the wicked 

Jews, the false Jews, that are promoting lesbianism, 

homosexuality", Mr Farrakhan said 

in 2006. "The group has left a stain on the 

radical black nationalist movement", Ms 

Beirich says, noting that many radicals may 

have started as NOI members and spiralled 

farther into extremism. In contrast, the Black 

Lives Matter movement extends beyond the 

African American community. 

"What's striking about the Black Lives 

Matter protest is how multi-racial they are," 

Mr Carson says. "It's probably one of the 

most multi-racial activities going on in the 

US." The Black Lives Matter movement has 

pushed itself into the national conversation 

again and again. It seems anyone can join 

them and anyone can claim to be a part of 

the movement, simply by creating a Facebook 

page or using a hashtag.

WATCHING the UK 

Conservative Party’s 

change of leadership which 

resulted in Theresa May 

succeeding David Cameron as the 

country’s Prime Minister, I was 

struck by the many parallels 

between good and bad behaviour 

in the UK and Nigeria. 

The smooth way with which the 

Conservative Party resolved its 

leadership tussle should be 

something to be studied by 

fledgling democracies such as 

ours, where to contest for 

leadership is hardly ever about 

ideas and service to one’s country 

but rather about the promise of 

corruption and economic 

recklessness. 

Theresa May’s main opponent, 

Andrea Leadsom dropped out of 

the race when she realised she 

was no longer the party favourite: 

her unfortunate comments about 

Mrs May’s childlessness aside, 

her willingness to put the party’s 

interests first is something almost 

unheard of in Nigeria (after all, 

she didn’t invade her party’s 

headquarters with thugs). 

I’m left feeling wistful every time 

politicians in other climes exhibit 

behaviour which is so far from the 

norm in Nigeria. When will we 

see our own Obamas, Camerons 

and Theresa Mays? Men and 

women who were raised with 

principles, who are not motivated 

by money alone? People with an 

agenda beyond ethnicity and 

religious manipulation? 

Religious 

manipulation 

Neither candidate threatened 

secession or civil war nor did the 

loser claim that a cabal, or a 

government within the 

government is behind her woes 

and preventing her rise to power. 

In fact, it is quite amazing (by 

Nigerian political standards) that 

neither of these two women has 

ever been accused of corruption, 

forgery, embezzlement, or sordid 

sexual proclivities or any of the 

many heinous things Nigerian 

politicians take for granted. 

Our nation’s grandees’ lack of 

propriety or principles is no longer 

news. The Nasarawa State chapter 

of the Nigeria Labour Congress 

recently announced the state 

government borrowed N28 billion 

from different banks, from 2011 to 

date, and therefore demands 

payment of workers’ salaries. 

But a bigger question remains: 

what did the state do with N28 

billion? It’s not enough to get 

angry at Cameron for calling 

Nigeria “fantastically corrupt”. 

Rather, we should be angry at 

those who’ve consistently done 

little for the common good and 

whose greed has left our states so 

poor. 

We are the butt of international 

jokes about poverty and 

tprincewill@yahoo.co.uk 

A country where nothing makes sense: 

When bad behaviour becomes good 

corruption. Rather than being 

angry at those who laugh at us, 

we should be angry at those who 

make it so easy for us to be laughed 

at. 

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth 

Council has called on Nigerians 

to ignore Festus Keyamo, a lawyer 

and popular public commentator 

who says Dr. Uche Ogah should 

be sworn in as Governor of Abia 

State as the election of the 

incumbent governor has been 

invalidated. 

I always wonder who exactly is 

behind the so-called youth groups 

in Nigeria who curiously only 

speak about political issues but 

never about the real every day 

matters which affect Nigerians. 

I’m left feeling 

wistful every time 

politicians in other 

climes exhibit 

behaviour which is 

so far from the 

norm in Nigeria 

Even more strange is the fact that 

these youth groups seem to be the 

antithesis of everything youth in 

other parts of the world stands for: 

openness, oneness in the pursuit 

of common opportunities for 

development, justice for all rather 

than sectional, ethno-religious 

interests, etc. 

Are the youth groups who attend 

UN summits, campaigning for 

reconciliation between peoples, 

from Mars? No, they are cut from 

the same cloth as the Theresa 

Mays, Camerons, etc, which I 

Nigeria 

Senator Remi Tinubu 

mentioned earlier. Their education 

and not simply their wealth, makes 

them part of a thinking elite which 

knows that service to politicians 

does not mean service to one’s 

community. We must not just yearn 

for a country where our 

contemporaries hold these beliefs 

as true but work towards it. 

I’ll end by encouraging us to 

think about a shocking incident, 

which one person concerned has 

since partly denied, that is the 

alleged altercation between 

Senators Dino Melaye and Remi 

Tinubu. But before that, let’s go 

back to Theresa May and David 

Cameron, it’s an interesting 

parallel. 

You see, following the #Brexit 

vote, then Prime Minister, David 

Cameron, promptly resigned and 

no one within his party or the 

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 —17 

Senator Dino Melaye 

society said he should receive a 

Nobel prize for doing what was 

right. When the public so blatantly 

disagrees with a leaders’ policy or 

direction, honourable men and 

women in civilised societies leave 

way for others. 

This is not Nigerian thinking, 

ours is a more “do-or-die” 

approach where militancy 

avenges only the interests of the 

powerful, an attitude whereby 

sabotage and petty jealousy 

feature heavily. 

Notice how Mrs May hasn’t 

hinted that Cameron’s people in 

Number 10 sabotaged her in any 

way, as the civil service is 

apolitical, unlike ours; so 

transitions are smooth no matter 

what persons or parties are in 

power. What a democracy! 

Cameron showed little ego in 

stepping down. He was full of 

good humour, and quips, some 

about himself, saying: “I was the 

future once” (in reference to a 

wisecrack he made about Tony 

Blair when he, Cameron, was a 

young Member of Parliament). 

The confidence and certitude that 

there is a future outside of politics 

enables men like Cameron to 

walk away serenely, their honour 

and good name intact. In our 

society, one must ask about most 

politicians: who were they, what 

was their call to fame, or simply, 

their occupation, before public 

office? 

Enter Dino Melaye. In defence 

of his “friend”, the Senate 

President, Mr Melaye’s alleged 

behaviour seems to have been the 

total opposite of what is allowed 

or encouraged in saner climes. 

I’m sure Mr Cameron also has 

friends in Parliament. 

It is intriguing that none were 

alleged to have threatened to beat 

or rape a female colleague for 

daring to suggest that the 

institution they represent 

shouldn’t be dragged into any one 

individual’s court cases. 

Dragging on his 

premiership 

One can also easily surmise that 

if Cameron were accused of 

corruption, he would resign to 

clear his name. But what would 

Theresa May have responded to 

Dino Melaye? The exchange 

would never occur because Mr 

Melaye has no equivalent in the 

UK Parliament. 

Even Trump, as careless with his 

words as he has been, hasn’t been 

accused of saying he would 

“rape” or “beat” Hillary Clinton. 

Cameron did the right thing for 

his country by refusing to drag on 

his premiership. On the opposite 

end, we in Nigeria routinely 

excuse and explain away bad 

behaviour or as we call it “mere 

allegations”. 

Take Senator Bukar Abba 

Ibrahim, a former governor of Yobe 

State who, in defence of Bukola 

Saraki reportedly said: “I can 

assure you that 99 percent of 

senators are behind Saraki for the 

simple reason that we are all 

human beings, and we do make 

mistakes. 

When you are a governor for 

eight years, there is no way you 

can account for every kobo. So, if 

anybody wants to investigate you 

thoroughly, he will find a fault 

here and there.” 

Where does one begin, without 

being choked by bile and disgust 

for the system that enables such a 

thought process? In the words of 

Thomas Jefferson: “I tremble for 

my country when I reflect that 

God is just; that is justice cannot 

sleep forever”. 

Alleged dismissal of judges 

THE Nigeria Judicial 

Council, NJC, has 

reportedly dismissed Justice 

Mohammed Yunusa for 

granting an injunction 

stopping the EFCC from 

probing Stella Oduah. It 

seems Thomas Jefferson was 

right. Let me clarify, it’s not 

about witch-hunting anyone. 

Rather, it’s about everyone 

with a case to answer having 

their day in court, as is done 

all over the world. 

Obanikoro 

THE EFCC has 

apparently been 

interrogating the former 

Minister’s daughter, in 

relation to an alleged N800 

million transaction. One must 

wonder, again, if Cameron, 

Theresa May or any one of 

their associates’ children have 

access to such sums and what 

makes these things, if proven 

true, possible in Nigeria. Mrs 

Obanikoro who was also 

interrogated, is said to suffer 

from high blood pressure. 

*Tabia Princewill is a 

strategic communications 

consultant and public policy 

analyst. She is also the cohost 

and executive producer 

of a talk show, WALK THE 

TALK which airs on 

Channels TV.

18— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

It is with great delight that we 

join millions of well-meaning 

Nigerians to applaud the reported 

decision by the Federal 

Government to reopen some of the 

most painful unsolved murders in 

our history. 

Reports have it that President 

Muhammadu Buhari has directed 

the Acting Inspector General of 

Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to dust 

the abandoned murder case-files 

of late prominent political 

leaders, Chief Bola Ige (SAN) and 

Chief Aminasoari Dikibo. Ige was 

the Attorney General and Minister 

of Justice when he was 

gruesomely murdered right under 

the noses of state security 

operatives attached to him in his 

private residence in Ibadan on 

December 23, 2001. 

Dikibo, the Deputy National 

Chairman of the then ruling 

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) 

was assassinated on his way home 

from Abuja via Asaba to Port 

Hope for justice for Ige, Dikibo 

Harcourt, also by unknown 

assailants, on October 22, 2004. 

Such was the spate of unsolved 

murders of politicians around that 

period of our renascent democracy 

that left many Nigerians 

speechless. The unwillingness of 

successive regimes to fish out the 

killers and bring them to justice 

made many Nigerians lose faith in 

the justice system. 

Some of those who also lost their 

lives to assassins around this 

period included: All Nigerian 

People’s Party (ANPP) chieftain in 

Rivers State, Chief Marshall Harry 

(March 5, 2003 ); ANPP’s hot-shot 

candidate for the Orlu Senatorial 

Zone in Imo State, Mr Uche 

Ogbonnaya, alias OGB (April 10, 

2003); the governorship candidate 

of the PDP in Lagos State in 1999 

and 2003, Engineer Funsho 

Williams, who was murdered in his 

Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi home on 

July 27, 2006 when he was warming 

up to run again, among others. 

Unfortunately, successive regimes 

did not have the political will to 

wade into these murders. Given the 

other unsolved assassinations that 

were there before this inglorious 

era, the impression has already 

gone down that Nigeria is a place 

where your enemy can eliminate 

you and get away with it. This 

perception has gone a long way in 

militarising our politics. Politicians 

brazenly arm their followers. In 

our democracy, power flows from 

the barrels of guns instead of the 

ballot boxes according to the 

people’s choice. 

We commend the Federal 

Government under President 

Muhammadu Buhari for picking up 

the courage to revisit these 

murders. We urge Ag. IGP, Idris, 

to prove his mettle with this and 

other cases, expose all those behind 

these murders and put them in the 

dock. This will definitely repair the 

broken arms of the law in Nigeria 

and return vitality to its famished 

hearth of justice. 

It gives us hope that all other cold 

cases, including the murder of ace 

journalist, Dele Giwa (October, 

1986), will one day be reopened 

and solved. 

OPINION 

Amaechi-Kachikwu: Between a 

fighter and a manager 

By Yushau A. Shuaib 

WHILE crisis management and reputation 

management are public relations functions, 

conflict management is another process 

of limiting the negative aspects of conflicts while 

increasing the positive aspects. 

An interesting feature of President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s cabinet and in fact his ruling party, 

All Progressives Congress, APC, is the amalgamation 

of good fighters and good managers. 

The fighting skills as well as managerial expertise 

of some of the members catapulted the 

party to victory in the last general elections. For 

instance, Rotimi Amaechi aided the emergence 

of the Buhari government when he successfully 

initiated a fight, as the Governor of Rivers State, 

against President Goodluck Jonathan. He tactically 

joined forces with other members of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, including Senator 

Bukola Saraki and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso 

of Kano State, among others, in fighting 

the government. This helped to bring PDP down 

to its knee after 16 years as the ruling party. 

Amaechi, even as the current Transport 

Minister has never stopped being a good fighter. 

He recently took on his counterpart, Petroleum 

Minister of State, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu on the Niger 

Delta issue. The two Ministers are the unique 

faces of good fighters and managers in the Buhari 

administration. While Amaechi, as a 

politician, believes in taking decisive actions on 

critical issues, Kachikwu is an advocate of managing 

any issue to a logical conclusion rather 

than through confrontations. 

At a recent Federal Government Town-Hall 

meeting at Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, Amaechi 

defended the decision of the Buhari 

administration to scrap the Maritime University 

project on grounds that the Jonathan 

administration had paid too much to acquire a 

land for the university. 

Describing the project as a “misplacement of 

priority”, Amaechi said: “My argument about 

Okerenkoko is that the land alone is N13 billion. 

If you give me N13 billion, I will buy half of 

Lagos. That N13 billion has built the university 

already.” 

He added that anti-corruption agencies should 

be mandated to recover the N13 billion already 

paid for the land, then he would build the university 

for the Niger Delta region. 

Like a bull in a China shop, Kachikwu rose to 

defend the university project, adding that he would 

source for the money to complete the project. 

Kachikwu said: “I disagree with the Minister 

of Transport. Any facility that is located in the 

South-South we should work closely to develop 

it. I don’t care the circumstances under which 

you are placed. It’s not in my position to determine 

whether land was valued at N3 billion or 

N10 billion. The appropriate institution, which 

is at the costing system, will determine that. That 

has nothing to do with development of infrastructure. 

And as far as I know, so much has already 

gone into the university.” 

The drama must have generated heated debates 

but the great lesson is that we can fight 

some of the time to win but we should also devise 

ways of managing victory. Skilled managers rather 

than good fighters are required for political 

stability and economic growth. 

Amaechi started his political fighting from the 

University of Port Harcourt when he fought his 

way to become the President of the National 

Union of Rivers State Students, NURSS, after 

fighting for students’ rights. After his graduation, 

he joined Pamo Clinics and Hospitals Limited 

owned by Dr. Peter Odili, his political godfather 

who became Governor of Rivers State and facilitated 

Amaechi’s election into the Rivers State 

House of Assembly where he emerged the Speaker 

in 1999. Their harmonious relationship was 

truncated when Amaechi launched a campaign 

to succeed Odili as Governor in 2007. When his 

name was substituted as winner of PDP’s primaries 

for Rivers gubernatorial election that year, 

Amaechi fought his way to the Supreme Court 

where he was pronounced the rightful candidate 

of the party and became the Governor on October 

26, 2007. He was re-elected for a second term of 

four years in April 2011 with less fight. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Kachikwu has never been a 

typical Nigerian politician who can fight his way 

to power and reckoning. He is an outstanding 

manager who has proved his worth in the media, 

academics and corporate world. Apart from bagging 

a first class degree in Law from the University 

of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Nigerian Law 

School with multiple awards, he also obtained 

outstanding Masters and Doctorate Degrees in 

Law from Harvard University. He had worked 

with the Nigerian/American Merchant Bank, 

Texaco Nigeria Limited from where he joined 

Exxon-Mobil where he rose to the position of 

Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel 

of Exxon Mobil(Africa). 

Apart from his deep involvement in the politics 

of the Niger Delta, Amaechi as Transport Minister 

has succeeded in the extension of rail lines 

across Nigeria and the completion of ongoing 

rail projects initiated by the previous administration, 

especially the Abuja-Kaduna route that is 

likely to be commissioned in July 2016 by President 

Buhari. 

Meanwhile Kachikwu as Petroleum Minister 

and GMD NNPC was able to cut operational 

losses, deregulate the downstream sector, initiate 

a creative means of meeting the Joint Venture, 

JV, contributions and ensuring prompt payments 

of revenue to the federation account among others. 

Kachikwu’s endorsement of first class engineer 

and thoroughbred bureaucrat, Dr. Maikanti 

Baru, as the new Group Managing Director of 

NNPC, is quite encouraging as the Minister now 

chair the NNPC Board of Trustees to oversee the 

complex oil sector and undertake critical consultations 

with stakeholders towards political and 

economic stability. 

While we urge the fighters and managers in the 

cabinet of President Buhari to work closely and 

collectively towards political stability, national 

security and economic advancement, they should 

limit the negative aspects of their conflict and 

increase the positive aspects of the struggle. What 

Nigerians want now is more focus in managing 

the economy and security situations rather than 

in-fighting and internal-agency rivalry. 

*Mr Shuaib, a public affairs commentator, 

wrote from Abuja


Crude oil earnings drop by N41bn in one month — CBN 

•Federation Account receipts dip by 7.08% 


accounted for 52.31 per cent of 

the gross Federally-collected 

revenue for the month. 

The CBN disclosed that 

gross oil receipts fell short of 

the preceding month’s level of 

N227.69 billion by 18 per cent, 

blaming the decline in oil revenue 

on the fall in receipts 

from crude oil and gas exports 

owing to shut-downs and shutins 

in production arising from 

repair works at some NNPC 

terminals and pipeline vandalism 

as well as the persistent 

low crude oil prices. 

Also, at N391.33 billion, the 

CBN noted that estimated 

gross federally-collected revenue 

in April 2016 fell short of 

the provisional 2015 monthly 

budget estimate of N814.87 

billion by 52.0 per cent, while 

it was also lower than the receipt 

of the preceding month 

by 7.1 per cent. 

Monthly budget 

estimate 

According to the CBN, the 

development relative to the 

provisional monthly budget 

estimate was attributed to the 

decline in oil revenue. 

Furthermore, the CBN disclosed 

that Nigeria’s crude oil 

production dipped by 4.6 per 

cent from an average of 1.76 

million barrels per day or 54.56 

million barrels in the month 

March 2016, to an average of 

1.68 million barrels per day or 

50.40 million barrels in April. 

In addition, the CBN stated 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

KRONA 

SDR 

$145.70 0.00 

$2,995.00 -90.00 

$ 19.46 0.09 

$46.77 -0.19 

$44.82 -0.42 

291 291.5 292 

386. 0406 386. 7039 387. 3672 

321. 7878 322. 3407 322.8936 

295.852 296.3606 296. 8686 

2.7523 2.757 2.7618 

0.4622 0.4722 0.4822 

393.0602 393.7355 394.4109 

43. 3995 43. 4746 43. 5496 

77. 5876 77. 7209 77. 8542 

43. 2521 43. 3264 43. 4007 

404.1408 404.8352 405. 5296 

CBN Exchange rate as at 19/07/2016 

BRIEFING: From left, Joseph Babatunde, Divisional Head, Large Ccale Enterprise; Jonathan Tobin, Executive Director, Corporate 

and Commercial Services; Mrs Toyin Adeniji, Execitove Director, Micro Enterprise and Financial Inclusion and Waheed Olagunju, 

Acting MD/CEO, all of Bank of Industry, during the 2016 Bank of Industry media parley, in Lagos. Photo: Lamidi Bamidele. 

that crude oil export stood at 

1.23 million barrels per day or 

36.90 million barrels in April, 

representing a decline of 6.1 

per cent when compared with 

crude oil export of 1.31 million 

barrels per day or 40.61 million 

barrels recorded in the 

preceding month. 

“The decline in crude oil production 

was attributed, largely, 

to the blowing up of the 

Trans-Forcardos pipeline and 

Chevron installations which 

continued to disrupt crude oil 

production in the Niger Delta 

cluding Tertiary Education 

Trust Fund, National Information 

Technology Development 

Fund and Customs Special 

Levies. 

Federation 

Account 

“From the N226.87 billion 

transferred to the Federation 

Account, the Federal Government 

received N109.11 billion, 

while the State and Local Governments 

received N55.34 bil- 

N330bn fine, forex woes trigger half-year loss at MTN 

MTN Group Ltd. 

fell in Johannesburg 

trading as Africa’s 

largest mobilephone 

company 

said it expects to 

report a first-half 

year loss after 

agreeing to pay a 

record fine in Nigeria. 

The shares 

dropped 2.5 percent 

to 138.13 rand 

after earlier slumping 

as much as 3.8 

per cent, the most in 

three weeks on a 

closing basis. 

The N330 billion 

($1.18 billion) settlement 

in Nigeria, 

announced in 

June, will reduce earnings 

per share for the six months 

The loss 

would be 

the first 

over any 

half-year 

period for 

at least 20 

years 

region as well as crude oil 

theft,” the CBN explained. 

The CBN further stated that 

of the total net federally-collected 

revenue, the sum of 

N226.87 billion was transferred 

to the Federation Account 

for distribution among 

the three tiers of government; 

N61.66 billion was transferred 

to Value Added Tax (VAT) Pool 

Account; N47.73 billion to the 

Federal Government Independent 

Revenue; and 

N13.47 billion to ‘Others’, inthrough 

June by 4.74 rand, 

while foreign-exchange losses, 

joint ventures and adjustments 

for inflation in Iran will 

further hurt results, MTN said 

in a statement yesterday. 

MTN is seeking to turn the 

page on a dispute with the 

Nigerian government, which 

initially imposed a $5.2 billion 

fine after the company missed 

a deadline to disconnect unregistered 

users. 

Convincing 

investors 

Johannesburg-based MTN is 

overhauling senior management 

and has added new directors 

as it seeks to convince 

investors the penalty won’t be 

repeated and revive a share 

price that’s 36 per cent lower 

than a year ago. 

Earnings were also damped 

by under performance in 

lion and N42.67 billion, respectively. 

The balance of 

N19.75 billion was shared 

among the oil producing States 

as 13 per cent Derivation 

Fund. 

“Similarly, the sum of N61.66 

billion was shared from the 

VAT Pool Account among the 

three tiers of governments as 

follows: Federal Government, 

N9.25 billion; State Governments, 

N30.83 billion; and Local 

Governments, N21.58 billion,” 

the CBN stated. 

MTN’s two largest markets, it 

said. Nigerian results were 

further weighed on by government-mandated 

subscriber 

disconnections and a temporary 

withdrawal of regulatory 

services, while profit margins 

in South Africa were narrowed 

by an increase in handset 

sales. 

The loss would be the first 

over any half-year period for 

at least 20 years. 

MTN, which reported earnings 

per share of 6.53 rand for 

the same period a year earlier, 

said it will issue a further 

statement once it’s ready to 

provide more detail about the 

projected loss. 

The final results will be announced 

on August 5th . 

C 

M 

Y 

K


•Manual sorting...digital practice will soon take over (inset) Communications minister, Adebayo Shittu 

FG plans massive revolution in 

NIPOST 

••Insists on establishing ICT University 

By Emmanuel Elebeke 

& Laju Iren 

IF the proposed plan by the 

Federal Government to 

revive the ailing Nigerian 

Postal Service is anything to go 

by, then Nigerians should 

expect a holistic turn-around 

in the system when the new 

ICT Master plan is finally 

implemented. 

The Minister of 

Communication, Mr. 

Adebayo Shittu, who gave this 

cheering insight at a function 

in Abuja recently, said that 

NIPOST would cease to be a 

conservative agency as it is 

presently and become a 

service 

oriented 

conglomerate, capable of 

competing with its peers 

across the globe. 

Service 

delivery 

“We have new initiatives we 

are bringing on board, so 

NIPOST will leave this 

conservative postal service 

outlook to become a very big 

conglomerate in service 

delivery. We will deploy 

services not only in the urban 

areas but also in villages,” the 

minister assured. 

He further reiterated the 

determination of the present 

administration to establish the 

first ICT University in sub 

Saharan Africa. The idea, he 

said, was driven by the desire 

to groom a new breed of 

manpower for Nigeria in view 

of the exponential growth 

being recorded in the sector. 

Shittu, who was on a facility 

tour at the galaxy Backbone, 

spoke passionately about the 

university, saying that the issue 

of establishing the institution 

was so dear to his heart and 

promised that government 

would do everything possible 

to ensure its establishment, as 

the first of its kind in Africa that 

would serve as breeding 

ground for high level research 

and training of ICT 

professionals across. 

“The issue that is very dear 

to my heart is the 

establishment of an ICT 

university, which will be the 

first of its kind in Africa. ICT is 

beyond class room teaching of 

computers today. 

“The aim of this university is 

to establish an institution 

dedicated to the training of 

high level experience man 

power for the industry, in view 

of the exponential growth of 

ICT in Nigeria. 

“With the six campuses of 

Digital Bridge Institute 

currently being hosted by the 

NCC, we hope that we will 

take ICT training and research 

to very high level. 

We are 

working on an 

ICT 

University 

which will be 

the first in 

Africa. It will 

train high 

calibre 

personnel that 

will service 

the ICT 

industry 

“We know that in very many 

advanced countries, there are 

dedicated universities for the 

training of man power on ICT. 

We want to replicate this in 

Nigeria. Once we get the nod 

of the FEC, we would 

commence the establishment of 

an implementation committee 

to guide the process of 

transforming DBI into Nigeria 

or West Africa ICT University,” 

he explained. 

Earlier in his address, the 

Managing Director and Chief 

Executive Officer of Galaxy 

Backbone, Mallam Yusuf 

Kazaure, told the minister that 

the agency is currently 

working hard to ensure the 

national data centre is 

adequately protected. In doing 

that, he said that the agency is 

providing a pervasive 

infrastructure that would 

accommodate all government 

institutions and agencies. 

In a related development, 

Shittu again restated the need 

for the establishment of an ICT 

University in Nigeria, while 

receiving the members of the 

Editorial Board of Kakaaki 

Magazine who presented him 

with the Democracy Man of the 

Year 2016 recently. 

Establishment of an 

ICT University 

“We are working on an ICT 

University which will be the 

first in Africa. It will train high 

calibre personnel that will 

service the ICT industry,” said 

the Minister who disclosed that 

the recently compiled ICT 

Roadmap 2016 will soon 

become operational. 

Shittu who received the 

Editorial Board of Kakaaki 

Magazine, a flagship 

personality profiling 

publication in his office on 

Wednesday added that as part 

of the implementation of the 

ICT Roadmap, some activities, 

seminars and sensitization 

programmes will be rolled out 

in the next few weeks. 

Telecoms 

industry 

He said,” by the time the 

Roadmap must have been in 

operation before the end of 

next month, most of what we 

are doing here will be known 

to Nigerians. Every Nigerian 

is affected by what the telecoms 

industry is doing.” 

Working 

relationship 

The Minister who 

acknowledged that the ICT 

industry is a new terrain for 

him, said he was able to 

achieve certain feats since 

assumption of office because of 

the amiable working 

relationship he has with the 

Permanent Secretary, Arc. 

Sonny Echono, the directors 

and other management team 

in the ministry. 

Presenting the award and 

magazine to the minister, the 

Group Chairman/ Publisher 

and Editor-in-Chief, Chief Tai 

Olusoccer said the selection 

committee of the magazine 

found Shittu worthy of this 

year’s award because of his 

unprecedented achievements 

in the sector within a short 

period of time even though he 

is not an ICT expert. 

•

Mobility has evolved beyond smartphones, 

says BlackBerry 

•Denies backing off BB10 

By Prince Osuagwu (Hi-Tech Editor) 

& Emeka Aginam 

MOBILITY is the future. That 

has become an acceptable 

cliché in the technology eco-system 

today. However, a lot of people see 

the evolution of the smart phone and 

tablets as the beginning and end of 

mobility. 

Much as the rapidly growing mobile 

environment gives huge essence to 

what mobility is all about, the Internet 

of Things, IoT platform, which requires 

both strong security and connectivity 

is gradually encompassing the totality 

of mobility. So, players in the mobile 

eco-system need not bottle 

themselves in the usual industry 

standard mold but should always 

innovate to keep up with the pace of 

development. 

That was exactly the point Chief 

Operating Officer, COO, of the 

Canadian smart phone maker, 

BlackBerry, Mr. Marty Beard was 

trying to make when he expressed 

frustrations at misinterpretations of 

his speech on how the company was 

building the quintessential BlackBerry 

experience, penultimate week. 

Beard said, “Last week we shared 

the latest plan to keep advancing our 

smartphone portfolio. Unfortunately, 

the news was misinterpreted by many 

from the media, tech observers, to our 

fans and customers." 

“I made the rounds this week with 

the press to set the record straight, and 

CNN to establish multi-platform bureau in Nigeria 

THE Cable News Network 

CNN , has disclosed plans 

to launch a new, multiplatform 

operation in Lagos, 

Nigeria designed to give the 

network a nimble, broadbased, 

digital-first presence in 

Africa’s most populous country. 

According to CNN, Ms. 

Stephanie Busari, who takes on 

the role of Supervising 

Producer, Africa will work 

across CNN’s news gathering 

and digital operations, and 

will be the network’s first 

responder for all platforms. 

International 

coverage 

Speaking on the new 

development, Ms. Deborah 

Rayner, Senior Vice President, 

News gathering at CNN 

International, said that : “This 

is a truly integrated role, and 

one that underlines CNN’s 

commitment to both Nigeria 

and Africa as a whole. 

Stephanie will work across our 

platforms on both news and 

feature content. In particular, 

she will head CNN’s Africa 

content across digital – 

responding to breaking news 

and managing our Africa 

features projects. She will also 

the message was this – BlackBerry is 

not backing away from BB10. Our 

customers depend on the BB10 platform 

and they are the ones that drive our 

roadmap.That is why we are committed 

to not just maintaining BB10 software, 

but advancing it to be even more secure 

and provide greater productivity”. 

Beard said that the next 10.3.3 update 

coming within the next months, will 

be focused on enhancing alreadystellar 

privacy and security features 

while future BB10 software updates for 

2017 are already in the works. 

“Our customers also help us decide 

what type of keyboard we make for 

them. And what they ask for is choice 

in both a virtual and physical 

keyboard. 

“This means we’ll continue to make 

By Emeka Aginam be central to CNN 

International’s coverage of the 

continent on television.” 

Speaking on her new role, 

Busari observed that , 

“To return to Nigeria at 

such an important time 

in the country’s history 

is a proud and exciting 

moment for me. This is 

such a vibrant country, 

full of possibilities, and 

as well as my broader 

remit looking at Africa 

as a whole this role will 

be about putting the 

many sides of Nigeria 

itself into sharper relief 

for the world.” 

Since joining CNN in 

2008, Busari has 

worked across some of 

the network’s most 

important African 

stories. 

In particular she was 

central to CNN’s 

coverage of the 

Missing Chibok girls, 

working alongside 

Senior International 

Correspondent Nima 

Elbagir. 

A multi-award 

winning journalist, 

Busari began her 

career at the nowdefunct 

London-based 

newspaper New 

Nation, which was 

our iconic BlackBerry keyboard. We 

have four physical keyboard options 

that we currently offer: Passport, 

Passport Silver Edition, Classic and 

PRIV. There is solid demand for 

physical keyboards – and as long 

as that’s the case, we’ll continue to 

make them. For virtual keyboard 

fans, you have Leap and PRIV . 

“Now that you know we’re 

committed with BB10, let me 

explain why BlackBerry’s device 

strategy is truly unique. It’s 

differentiated because it goes 

beyond just smartphones. 

“Our view is the rapidly growing 

mobile environment is quickly being 

encompassed by an IoT world that 

requires both strong security and 

connectivity.'' 

aimed at the UK’s black and 

ethnic minority communities. 

She then moved to the UK’s 

Daily Mirror, where among 

By Emeka Aginam 

ONE of the global leaders in 

providing telecom and social 

media solutions, Kirusa, has 

unveiled myGenie, a 

revolutionary free airtime App for 

prepaid Android users in Nigeria. 

The app, according to the 

promoters, allows Android users 

explore and download new and 

popular Android apps. With the 

app, users are rewarded with free 

airtime credits for downloading, 

installing, and using these 

Android apps. The users can use 

the free credits to recharge their 

mobile numbers, or gift the airtime 

credits to their friends and family. 

The myGenie app is an intuitive 

offering with a natural, seamless 

user Interface that imparts a 

smooth experience to Android 

users. 

The app is available to 

download from Google Play store. 

It is currently available to Android 

mobile users in Nigeria and will 

be extended to other African 

countries soon. 

The app provides free airtime 


Glo thrills new prepaid 

customers with 8 times 

recharge bonus 

By Prince Osuagwu 

NATIONAL operator, Globacom, has 

introduced a recharge bonus tagged Glo 

Jollific8, to specially thrill its new prepaid 

customers. 

The bonus has eight times more value on every 

recharge made on its platform. 

“Glo Jollific8” gives the subscriber eight times 

more value on every recharge from N100 and 

above, with additional benefits which include 

access to call all local networks, browse, upload, 

download and stream content freely and get free 

data that can be gifted to other subscribers. 

In a statement issued by the network in Lagos 

recently, it explained that the prepaid plan is the 

best offer designed to exceed the expectations and 

communication experience of Nigerians. According 

to the company,”Glo Jollific8" has increased the 

capacity to call and send sms to their loved ones 

as well as browse the internet to keep abreast of 

latest information on the communication super 

highway . 

With “Glo Jollific8,” every recharge gives free data 

and voice benefits. For example, N100 recharge 

gives N800 value for voice and 50MB in addition 

to free 10MB which is worth N50. This will bring 

the total package accruable to N100 recharge to 

N850; while N200 recharge gives value worth 

N1,600 with embedded 100MB data and additional 

free 25MB of super fast data to bring the overall 

value offered to N1,700. 

Similarly, N500 recharge attracts N4,000 which 

comes with 250MB of data and another 50MB data 

worth N200 for gifting, bringing the value to 

N4,200; while N1,000 recharge attracts N8,000 

octuple bonus that has 500MB and additional 

100MB of data worth N400 which can be gifted to 

bring the total bonus to N8,400. 

Customers who recharge with N5,000 will get 

benefits worth N40,000 as 8 times bonus which 

comes with 2,500MB and an added 500MB data 

worth N2,000 for gifting to push the overall value 

to a staggering N42,000 . 

other beats she covered 

Northern Ireland, reporting on 

some of the worst affected 

areas of “The Troubles”. 

myGenie app offers free airtime for prepaid android 

users 

credits when a user 

invites their friends to 

the app, and when 

their friends start 

downloading apps via 

myGenie. 

Apps that could be 

downloaded through 

myGenie range, the 

promoters said range from games 

to dating to local utility apps. 

Some of the apps available on 

myGenie at the time of launch 

include InstaVoice, 474Recharge, 

Zamba Caller, APUS Launcher, 

Super B Clearer, BBM, UC Browser, 

and more. Speaking in Lagos at the 

unveiling of the app recently, Robert 

Masumbuko, Head Financial 

Inclusion of African Development 

Bank said, “We are excited about 

myGenie App being launched in 

Nigeria. African mobile app 

developers will now have the 

opportunity to reach out to a wider 

audience and get assured usage of 

their apps. It will also influence app 

usage market, thereby opening doors 

for fresh investments in this sector.” 

For Anyanwu Jonnas Obinna, 

While in Belfast she also 

launched and edited an awardwinning 

lifestyle column for 

the paper. 

Head of Content Partnership in 

TwinPine, “myGenie is a 

disruptive innovation in the 

mobile advertising space. We 

hope that it will carve out a new 

market for the App developers 

and support them in reaching 

their customers in more efficient 

ways than before.” 

Similarly, David Kruyt, App 

Owner, 474Recharge App, said, 

“myGenie is an altogether new 

way of promoting the app 

developer community. It is a simple 

way to reach out and get the app 

campaigns organized. 

“The most exciting part is that 

myGenie helps in usage and 

retention of the apps by 

incentivizing customers in Nigeria, 

making it a win-win for both app 

C 

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22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

Samsung Engineering Academy bridges skill 

gaps in electronic tech in Nigeria 

Local Nigerians engineers...doing their thing 

By Emeka Aginam 

THERE appears to be total 

dearth of electronic and 

technical engineering skills 

among youths in Nigeria and the 

rest of the African continent. 

Currently in Nigeria, there is a 

huge gap in the availability of 

skilled manpower, which cuts 

across almost every facet of 

economic endeavour in the 

country. Hitherto, technical 

colleges were highly 

recommended for technical skills 

acquisition, but unfortunately, 

today, most technical colleges 

have become relics. 

Due to inadequate funding and 

improper management, most of 

the facilities in these colleges 

have become derelict. 

According to findings, 

Nigerian youths no longer attend 

technical colleges as a result the 

way society sees certificate 

holders of technical education. 

But the introduction of 

Samsung Engineering 

Academy, a flagship initiative 

focused on developing young 

skilled technicians across Africa, 

the game has changed as it has 

bridged skill gap in both 

Electronic and Technical 

Engineering in Nigeria and 

across Africa. 

With the initiative, the electronic 

giant in the past few years has 

helped to develop skills among 

young people in Nigeria, a 

strategy designed to bring out the 

best in people by providing 

necessary tools to aid growth and 

development. 

The beginning 

Established in Nigeria in 2012, 

at the Government Technical 

College, Ikeja in Lagos State, the 

capacity building programme is 

an integral part of Samsung’s 

vision to reduce unemployment 

within Nigeria to its barest 

minimum by investing its 

resources in training and 

empowering young 

Nigerians. 

Accordingly, the academy 

has helped to trim down the 

huge dearth of skilled 

manpower in the technical 

and engineering fields in 

Nigeria, furthermore creating 

clear cut pathways to job 

opportunities. 

The Academy, an initiative 

under the Samsung Hope for 

Children portfolio, was borne 

out of the need to positively 

impact the society by helping 

to provide students in the 

scheme with free hands-on, 

vocational training. 

The initiative is expected to 

rapidly close the huge gap in 

technical skills available on 

the continent. 

Students undergo a oneyear 

programme comprising 

basic, intermediate and 

advanced engineering skills 

and are subsequently 

introduced to industryappropriate 

practices, tools 

and equipment. 

Engineering 

academy 

In addition to ensuring that 

Africa develops an adequate 

pool of engineering skills, the 

academy also provides 

learners with well-paying job 

opportunities, a commitment 

that supports the Nigerian 

government’s drive to 

address youth unemployment. 

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

GLOBAL Trends 

○ 

UK 

SoftBank to buy ARM for £24B 

Japanese internet and telecommunications conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. 

caught the global chip industry by surprise Monday with a £24.3 billion ($32 billion) 

deal to acquire ARM Holdings PLC, the U.K.-based designer of the microprocessors 

that power more than 95% of the world’s smartphones. 

Softbank says the deal which is about its largest investment ever will enable it to 

capture the “IoT opportunity”. 

RUSSIA 

Operators challenge Putin’s anti-terror law 

Three operators in Russia have come together in opposition to a bill which was 

signed into law by Russian president Vladimir Putin last week, compelling them to 

store all their users’ voice, text and internet activity for six months. They must also 

keep the traffic’s metadata, which describes when and where users communicated, 

for a period of three years. The new law which gives the government wide-ranging 

surveillance powers becomes effective from today 

UAE 

UAE residents spend 5 hours daily on social media 

UAE residents spend approximately five hours a day using social media on average 

and 29 percent have six to ten applications installed on their smartphones. This is the 

result of research by YouGov among 5,000 respondents, Gulf News reported. 

Users aged 18-35 spend from two to six hours per day on social networks while 

those aged 36-55 spend from 30 minutes to two hours per day. 

Facebook was the most popular network at 82 percent, with YouTube second, preferred 

by 58 percent, followed by LinkedIn at 26 percent 

Beoplay H5 wires sound 

to the ears wirelessly 

By Prince Osuagwu 

WHEN the ear hears a 

rhythm effortlessly, the 

music connects to the brain 

smoothly. Could this be why 

consumer electronic device 

makers Band and Olufsen 

designed this ear phone which 

laps to the ear and sends music 

to the brain wirelessly? 

It is the company’s first 

wireless earphones, Beoplay 

H5, strictly designed for music 

lovers with an active lifestyle by 

one of Scandinavia’s foremost 

designers, Jakob Wagner, and 

combines the highly acclaimed 

Bang & Olufsen Signature 

Sound with sleek aesthetics and 

an effortless tech experience. 

For seamless integration into 

an active everyday life, Beoplay 

H5 comes tuned with a variety 

of sound profiles to deliver bestin-class 

sound experience in all 

situations. Users 

simply choose 

one of the 

preset sound 

profiles in 

Beoplay 

App on 

their 

•Beoplay 

H5, 

Spectranet 4G LTE perks up 

coverage in Ibadan 

By Laju Iren 

4G LTE internet services 

provider, Spectranet, has 

improved the quality of its 

services in the city of Ibadan, Oyo 

state, to provide residents with 

reliable internet access that could 

lift them above current challenges 

caused by infrastructure deficits. 

Giving this assurance during 

the re-launch of its services at 

Kankanfo inn, Ibadan, CEO 

Spectranet Ltd, Mr. David Venn 

said that the move is in line with 

its goal to improve internet 

penetration in the country. 

Ubiquitous internet 

connections 

This singular goal, according to 

the company, is seeing to the 

review of its services with the 

intention of tremendously 

improving same to the level the 

teeming customers would have 

easy, seamless and ubiquitous 

internet connections no matter 

where they are. 

According to Venn:”Today 

marks another milestone in our 

service delivery, as we reinstate 

our commitment to Ibadan 

customers through our reliable 

and affordable internet service for 

a seamless browsing experience. 

At Spectranet, we don’t just 

smartphone or Apple Watch, 

such as working out, 

commuting, listening to 

podcasts or relaxing, or they 

can adjust the tonality and 

staging with the playful and 

intuitive ToneTouch interface. 

To make sure that users do 

not leave their earphones 

behind, Beoplay H5 comes 

with a magnet built into each 

earpiece, so users can click 

them around their neck for 

effortless wear and easy access 

to their music and podcasts. 

Music and 

podcasts 

Clicking the earpieces 

together, Beoplay H5 

automatically powers down 

saving battery life. 

“Beoplay H5 is the most 

versatile product we have ever 

made. It is designed to be worn 

and used effortlessly, and with 

the integrated app to change 

the tonality to what you are 

doing, it will be a device 

that enriches the 

everyday lives of people 

worldwide. Combined 

with an active, 

fashionable and 

dynamic design that 

complements your 

active wear as well as 

your best outfit, we are 

very proud to broaden 

our range of wireless 

headphones with Beoplay 

H5”, says Senior Vice 

President of B&O PLAY Henrik 

Taudorf Lorensen. 

expand for the sake of 

expansion, but with the sole 

purpose of delighting our 

customers with unique internet 

experiences that is second-tonone.” 

“Our principle is to connect our 

subscribers to what matters most 

to them by providing a faster and 

more reliable broadband 

experience at unparalleled value 

for money. As market leader, 

Spectranet is committed to 

providing its teeming customers 

with a world class internet 

experience that is provided 

using a network of 4G LTE base 

stations (towers) and coverage, 

which currently include Lagos, 

Abuja, Ibadan and Port 

Harcourt,” he said. 

In terms of affordability, Venn 

said Spectranet has designed 

plans and offerings that suit 

individual pockets irrespective of 

their income and status-whether 

they are students, professionals, 

family, or business enterprise 

owners. Also speaking, 

Marketing Head, Spectranet 

Ltd, Mr Mike Ogor said 

“Internet has become part of our 

lifestyle in Nigeria and we can 

see its impact felt in almost every 

facet of our lives. 

The individual is now a major 

player in the happenings around 

him, powered by Information 

Communication Technology. 

C 

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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY JULY 20, 2016—23 

Sterling Bank dumps Keystone Bank, plans bond issue 

STERLING Bank has ended 

talks to buy Keystone 

Bank after finding it an unsuitable 

and is now focused on raising 

funds as it considers other 

acquisitions, its chief finance 

officer said yesterday. 

“We reviewed Keystone Bank 

and concluded the strategic fit 

was not strong enough. We will 

continue to evaluate all the 

options. As new candidates 

come into the market, we will 

also review them,” CFO Abubakar 

Suleiman, told Reuters by 

phone. Sterling Bank said in 

February it was aiming to buy 

one or two mid-sized lenders 

as sharp falls in the value of 

the naira and increased regulatory 

pressure forced banks to 

recapitalise. 

Keystone Bank is the last of 

Nigeria’s nationalised lenders, 

which state-backed “bad bank” 

AMCON is seeking to sell. 

Suleiman said Sterling’s strategic 

plan was still to acquire a 

rival in Nigeria but that any 

move was likely to come after 

studying the impact of last 

month’s 30 percent fall in the 

value of the naira. The central 

bank ditched its 16-month old 

From L-R, Branch Manager Adetokunbo Ademola, Vera Nyire Odu, Founder 

of Beibei Haven Foundation and Convener of Fertility Walk, Mrs. Omotade 

Alalade, Director, Unity Bank Plc, Dr. Oluwafunso Obasanjo, Branch Manager, 

Justina Uzo-Hez and at the Fertility walk of the Foundation co-sponsored 

by Unity Bank Plc. 

peg of 197 naira to the dollar in 

June to allow the currency to 

trade freely, in an effort to resolve 

a chronic dollar shortage 

that has stifled economic 

growth. 

However, dollar shortages 

remain as Nigeria suffers from 

a plunge in oil prices which has 

battered its currency and stoked 

inflation to an almost 11-year 

high. 

Analysts see the slowdown as 

catalyst for mergers. 

IMF predicts Nigeria’s economy will contract by 1.8 pct in 2016 

•As naira depreciates to N294.57/$ in interbank 

By Gabriel Omoh, Business 

Editor and Babajide Komolafe 

NIGERIA’s 

economy 

is likely to contract by 1.8 

per cent this year, the International 

Monetary Fund (IMF) restated 

yesterday in its global economic 

outlook released in Washington. 

Meanwhile the nation’s currency, 

naira, continued its downward 

trend against the United States 

dollars yesterday as the interbank 

spot exchange rate rose by N2.42 

to N294.57 per dollar. Last week 

the naira depreciated by N10.23 

as the interbank spot exchange 

rate rose sharply from N282.02 the 

previous week to N292.25 per dollar 

at the close of business on Friday. 

Hence that naira had depreciated 

by N12.65 against the dollar 

since Friday July 8th, 2016. The 

depreciation is driven by scarcity 

of dollars in the interbank market 

as well as the decision of the Central 

Bank of Nigeria to allow market 

forces determine the exchange 

rate of the naira. 

The sharp fall in global prices 

since 2014 has led to a prolonged 

economic crisis since the crude 

sales make up around 70 percent 

of government revenue. 

The IMF’s projection for Nigeria this 

year, contained in its World Economic 

Outlook update, is down from the 2.3 

percent growth it foresaw in its April 

forecast. It now forecasts 1.1 percent 

growth for 2017, down from 3.5 percent 

in the April forecast. 

Gross domestic product contracted 

by 0.36 percent in the first quarter of 

the year and the central bank’s governor 

has said a recession appears to be 

imminent. 

“In Nigeria, economic activity is now 

projected to contract in 2016, as the 

economy adjusts to foreign currency 

shortages as a result of lower oil receipts, 

low power generation, and 

weak investor confidence,” the IMF 

said. 

Militant attacks on oil and gas facilities 

in the southern Niger Delta energy 

hub have cut oil production, pushing 

what was Africa’s largest oil producer 

behind Angola and threatening 

the country’s main revenue 

source. Last week the budget minister 

told lawmakers that the country’s 

first quarter revenues reached only 55 

percent of what the government had 

targeted. He said the attacks on oil 

facilities were largely to blame. 

The IMF also cut its forecasts for 

global economic growth this year and 

next as the unexpected U.K. vote to 

leave the European Union creates a 

wave of uncertainty amid already-fragile 

business and consumer confidence. 

“The Brexit vote implies a 

substantial increase in economic, political, 

and institutional uncertainty, 

which is projected to have negative 

macroeconomic consequences, especially 

in advanced European economies,” 

according to the IMF’s World 

Economic Outlook Update released 

yesterday. 

“Brexit has thrown a spanner in the 

works,” said Maurice Obstfeld, IMF 

Chief Economist and Economic Counsellor. 

And with the event still unfolding, 

the report says that it is still very 

difficult to quantify potential repercussions. 

Unity Bank set to raise fund for 

fertility challenges 

UNITY Bank Plc has 

concluded arrangement 

to raise funds to assist people 

with fertility challenges in the 

country. 

To this development, the bank 

as part of its strategic interventions 

and collaborative initiatives to demonstrate 

its Corporate Social Responsibility, 

CSR is partnering 

Beibei Haven Foundation, a nongovernmental 

organization to organize 

a ‘Fertility Walk’ in order 

to raise awareness and funds to 

assist families with fertility issues. 

The target of this campaign is to 

assist no less than 20 couples gain 

access to effective and efficient 

treatments that could remedy their 

conditions. 

The Executive Director, Secretariat 

& Service, Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. 

Aisha Azumi Abraham declared 

that the bank is pulling its resources 

to join forces with the Beibei Haven 

Foundation as well as other 

advocacy groups to alleviate fertility 

challenges in the society. 

Sterling has 

completed book 

building for a 35 

billion naira 

bond sale, its 

first tranche of a 

debt programme, 

Suleiman 

said, but 

added that the 

bank will raise 

only 20 percent 

of that amount to 

gauge appetite 

once it receives 

regulatory approval. 

Bond 

yields in Nigeria 

are currently 

below inflation at 

16.5 percent in 

June. The most 

liquid 5-year 

government 

bond traded at a 

yield of 15.17 

percent on Tues- 

day. “Once we see that the 

structure is acceptable and 

yields are moderate, we will 

complete series one this year. 

If the market remains turbulent, 

we will do it next year,” Suleiman 

said. 

The economies of the United Kingdom 

(U.K.) and Europe will be hit the 

hardest by fallout from the June 23 

referendum, which prompted a 

change of government in Britain. Global 

growth, already sluggish, will suffer 

as a result, putting the onus on 

policy makers to strengthen banking 

systems and deliver on plans to carry 

out much-needed structural reforms. 

In particular, policymakers 

in the U.K. and the European 

Union (EU) will play a 

key role in tempering uncertainty 

that could further damage 

growth in Europe and elsewhere, 

the IMF saidon them to 

engineer a “smooth and predictable 

transition to a new set 

of post-Brexit trading and financial 

relationships that as 

much as possible preserves 

gains from trade between the 

U.K. and the EU.” 

She stated that “undergoing fertility 

treatments such as IVF can 

provide solution to a lot of couples’ 

fertility challenges but these treatments 

are expensive for many. But, 

at Unity Bank Plc, we strongly believe 

that there is hope for couples 

whose primary barrier to fertility is 

cost”. 

The founder of the Beibei Haven 

Foundation, Mrs. Omotade Alalade, 

thanked Unity Bank Plc for 

supporting the Fertility Walk and 

also identifying with the cause 

of the Foundation whose primary 

aim is to bring succor to the 

couples grappling with issues 

of infertility in the society. 

Consistent with Unity Bank’s 

disposition to supporting gestures 

that would improve the 

emotional well being of members 

of the society in which it 

operates, the staff of the Bank 

participated in the ‘Fertility 

walk’ to boost the needed awareness 

and galvanize action. 

98.4% 

shareholders’ 

shares now 

electronically 

captured— CSSS 

By Peter Egwuatu 

THE Central Securities 

Clearing System 

(CSCS) Plc has disclosed that 

98.4% of shares quoted on the 

Nigerian Stock Exchange, 

NSE are now available in an 

electronic format in CSCS 

depository leaving only 1.6% 

of share certificates still in 

physical certificate form. 

Mr. Joe Mekiliuwa, General 

Manager, Operations at 

CSCS disclosed this during 

an interactive session with the 

capital market stakeholders 

in Lagos. 

Mr. Mekiliuwa said that 

CSCS is working assiduously 

with Registrars to ensure 

that full dematerialisation 

(Electronic Capturing ) is 

achieved before the end of 

quarter three. 

According to him “efforts 

are geared towards assisting 

the relevant Registrars to 

ensure that the remaining 

1.6%, although seemingly 

infinitesimal, is firmly 

attended to so as toachieve 

100% success rate before the 

end of quarter three (Q3)”. 

In order to address various 

problems associated with 

share certificates such as 

delay inissuance, verification, 

loss, theft, forgeries amongst 

others, the Securities and 

Exchange 

Commission (SEC), in partnership 

with other stakeholders, 

resolved to eliminate 

these problems by opting for 

the full dematerialization of 

share certificates. 

Full dematerialisation is the 

complete elimination of 

existing physical share 

certificates in the Nigerian 

capital market and putting to 

an end the issuance of new 

sharecertificates.The 

Registrars of companies, who 

are involved in the 

implementation process, are 

required by Securities and 

Exchange Commission 

(SEC) to turn in the registers 

of all companies they manage 

to CSCS Depository within a 

given period of time. In 

compliance with SEC’s 

directive, Registrars have 

turned in 98.4% of the 

registers they manage and 

the shares are therefore held 

in the shareholders’ accounts 

in CSCS Depository in the 

custody of the respective 

Registrars. 

For the shares to be accessed 

by the shareholders in 

their accounts under a stockbroking 

firms, shareholders 

are required to instruct their 

registrars, through their 

brokers, to migrate such 

shares to their accounts with 

the stockbroking firms. 

C 

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FG breaching Pension 

Act —-PenCom 

Stories by Victor Ahiuma- 

Young 

NATIONAL 

Pension 

Commission, PenCom, has 

raised alarm that the Federal 

Government and employers in 

the public sector of the Nigerian 

economy have not been obeying 

the Pension Reform Act, PRA, as 

amended since 2014, especially 

on the issue of deductions and 

remittances. 

According to the commission, 

the revised statutory minimum 

has been obeyed more in breach 

by the public sector employers 

who are yet to revert to the current 

applicable ratio. 

Speaking on the challenges in 

the implementation of compliance 

strategies with PRA 2014, during 

a presentation to the House 

Committee on Pensions on the 

level of compliance on the 

Contributory Pension Scheme, 

CPS, noted that the major 

challenge of implementation of 

strategies for ensuring 

compliance with the PRA 2014 

were ensuring that eligible 

employers joined the CPS, the 

Retirement Saving Accounts, 

RSAs were not funded as and 

when due and lack of data on 

eligible private sector 

organisations. 

Reasonable pension 

deductions 

The commission listed other 

challenges as poor wages to 

accommodate reasonable 

pension deductions, general 

poor compliance culture, weak 

economy which saw the pension 

contributions as a huge 

additional cost of doing business 

in Nigeria and difficulty in 

securing compliance by the small 

sized companies in the private 

sector largely made up of portfolio 

companies. 

According to the commission 

Director-General, DG, Mrs. 

Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, the 

efforts of the Commission at 

ensuring compliance were not 

without its unpleasant 

experiences. There abound 

situations where officers of the 

Commission and the Recovery 

Agents are accosted with 

hostility in the conduct of their 

assignments. Oftentimes, some 

were not assisted with relevant 

information. 

Attempts by the Commission to 

directly intervene often elicit no 

responses until litigation is 

commenced. Some 

organisations often insinuate 

grand collusion to defraud them 

of the determined sums meant 

for their employees. Some lay 

claim to alleged witch-hunt 

when prosecuted for noncompliance. 

“A significant number often 

indicate intention to resolve the 

cases outside the court only after 

the court process has begun. 

Engagement of legal services 

comes with its attendant costs 

being borne by the Commission. 

The proof of the cases also 

entail stretching the basis of the 

contractual relationships with the 

Recovery Agents as they are often 

requested to appear and testify 

in court, oftentimes after the 

lapse of their recovery and audit 

tasks. 

The PRA 2014 made an 

upward review of the rate of 

contribution and the proportion of 

the rate payable by the employer 

and the employee. 

The minimum rate is now 18% 

of the monthly emolument: 10% 

by the employer and 8% by the 

employee. This revised statutory 

minimum has been obeyed more 

in breach by the public sector 

employers who are yet to revert 

PENSIONERS in the new 

Contributory Pension 

Scheme, CPS, have pleaded with 

the National Pension 

Commission, PenCom, to find a 

way of periodically reviewing 

their monthly pensions upward 

to cope with the inflationary trend 

in the country. 

They also appealed to the 

commission to provide identity 

cards for them as pensioners as 

a means of identification. 

These were the views of some 

pensioners who spoke to 

Vanguard at the recent 

enlightenment forum organised 

by Trustfund Pensions Plc, for its 

customers in South West and 

other stakeholders, to keep them 

abreast of the development in 

the sector. 

Prompt payment 

of pensions 

Speaking, Mr. F. Y Ajala, who 

retired from the Federal Ministry 

of Transportation, now Federal 

Ministry of Works, on August 15, 

2007, praised Trustfund for 

prompt payment of pensions 

and quick response to enquiries, 

saying “I am happy to be one of 

their customers. I have not 

regretted joining the fund for a 

day because what pensioners 

need, is regular payment of 

pension no matter how little. It 

should be prompt because a 

pensioner in a civilised country 

is called senior citizen and 

anybody who is called senior 

citizen must be respected in all 

ramifications. So, the pension 

may be huge, but the 

promptness. In Trustfund, we 

get our pensions one week or 

more, before the month ends. In 

A cross section of pensioners protesting unpaid benefits. 

to the current applicable rate. 

This poses another challenge 

on enforcement as the affected 

public service employer is the 

various tiers of government 

which is a critical stakeholder in 

the implementation process of 

the established Contributory 

Pension Scheme.” 

The DG explained that from the 

inception of the pension reform 

in 2004, the Federal 

CPS pensioners seek increment in monthly pensions 

most cases, I receive my pension 

between 23rd and 25th day of 

every month, which is fantastic. 

If you are receiving N10, 000 

and it is regular, you will know 

how to plan with it. I may not 

know much about other pension 

fund administrators and their 

pensioners but for me I have 

never regretted having business 

with Trustfund Pensions. The 

staff have listening ears, nothing 

can be perfect, you may have a 

little delay, but when you call for 

enquiry they have listening ears 

and take urgent action to make 

sure you are okay.” 

On areas of improvement, he 

said: “In a forum like this, staff or 

member of National Pension 

Commission, PenCom, should 

attend because there could be 

SIMILARLY, Mrs Florence 

Aderonke, who retired from 

Lagos State House of Assembly, 

on September 9, 2011, said: “I 

got my bond in 2012 and since 

then have been collecting my 

pension from Trustfund 

Pensions. 

I received 50% up front then 

and the remaining has been 

with the fund. I have been 

collecting my pension on 20th 

or before and it has been 

regular. Although I have only 

attended twice, the one held at 

Maryland and this. The first one 

done at Maryland, my 

daughter gave birth and I was 

away , so I was not able to 

attend. But the two that I have 

attended were very good and 

enlightening. 

The one at Maryland, they 

questions that only they can give 

immediate answers. You know 

Pension Fund Administrators, 

PFAs, are under PenCom. We are 

the third set of this new scheme, 

the old scheme is being run by 

head of service. I must tell you 

those that retired before this 

scheme came on , have got 

increment of their pension by 

33%. 

Though, our own is different 

because we are being paid by 

bond but if they now invite the 

staff of PenCom, they may 

enlighten us better. We see it as 

cheating when you will be 

stagnant on your pension, but 

your colleagues who retired 

before you have already have 

increment on their pensions. So, 

they can now enlighten us and 

...ask PenCom for identity card 

Mrs Aderonke 

did body screening for us to 

determine the state of our health 

and I so much cherished it. It 

was very fine they invited 

somebody that did the body 

screening for us and they did 

it very well. It made my mind 

Government had been 

religiously implementing the CPS 

by payment of monthly 

contributions of its employees in 

a dedicated account in the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, the 

Contributory Pension Account. 

Mr. Ajala 

explain everything to us for us to 

know the difference between old 

pension and new pension 

to rest because at least, I know 

that I do not have health 

challenge. 

“At the Maryland forum, 

someone raised this question of 

this identity card and it has 

been raised again today in this 

forum. Because most of us 

after retiring our ID card is no 

more useful to us, it has 

expired and those that retired 

under the old scheme will 

have their pensioner ID card 

which we do not have. 

So, we are asking the same 

question and the same answer 

they gave at St Agnes in 

Maryland is what they gave 

today that they cannot do it 

alone. 

Watchout for “Pension 

crisis in Akwa Ibom” in the 

next edition.

Govt must invest in infrastructure to 

drive innovation in technology— Oseni 

Abiola Oseni is the CEO of Trisat communications limited, a software development 

company. Trisat recently launched an online platform, Nortify.com.ng, 

to provide digital tools to simplify school management through an IT driven 

comprehensive school management solution. In this interview, he shared 

insights on Nortify and argued that integrating technology into school administration 

is critical to the growth and quality of education in Nigeria. Excerpts 

By Jonah Nwokpoku 

TRISAT recently introduced 

Nortify.com.ng for 

schools, tell us about this solution? 

Nortify is a smart school solution. 

Nortify offers you what you 

normally do within the shortest 

period of time and with some degree 

of intelligence. We developed 

the smart school solution 

mainly for primary and secondary 

schools to help them to 

streamline all their administrative 

challenges. 

Our solution is able to allow 

schools to run about 60 per cent 

of their administration using technology. 

By adopting this technology, 

schools are able to save time 

and cost while providing convenience 

to parents, school owners 

and also to the teachers. 

•Abiola Oseni 

Most of the students at the primary 

and secondary school levels 

are not computer literate, 

how do you deal with that 

challenge? 

I beg to disagree that there is 

high level of computer illiteracy 

at the primary and secondary 

school levels. In this current generation 

that we call the ‘Generation 

X’, they are more or less like 

computer-based generation. Today, 

you see a child of three to 

four years old fiddling with a 

phone and you are surprised how 

he is able to navigate his way and 

start playing games. 

So, this generation are naturally 

wired for technology. So when 

this kind of innovation is coming 

in, you find out that they are able 

to blend in on time. For instance, 

we partnered with some secondary 

schools sometime ago to take 

over their entrance exams and 

make it computer based. 

On the exam day, the students 

were not even informed that the 

exams will be computer based. 

There were about ten candidates 

that day. And there was this particular 

girl that said, she has seen 

a computer before that day but 

mostly a laptop. 

She has not 

held a mouse 

before using a 

desk top computer. 

So she was 

confused. At 

that time, what 

we did was 

show her how 

to hold the 

mouse and 

how to point 

the cursor and 

click. Do you 

know that by 

the end of that 

exam, she 

overcame the 

phobia, went 

through for the 

exam and had 

the highest 

score? 

That is to tell 

you that the 

children themselves 

are naturally 

wired for 

technology. 

And you will 

find this both in 

government 

owned and private 

schools. 

You see, as 

they say, necessity 

is the 

mother of all 

inventions. If 

we want to advance 

the education 

sector, 

we need to 

start looking at 

these innovations. 

And 

when they become 

necessi- 


ties, you will find that naturally, 

innovations start coming in. What 

we need is for the government 

and the private sector to put in 

place the necessary infrastructure 

and policies that will compel the 

students to adopt technology. 

From your experience, what 

have you observed to be the 

greatest impediment to the 

adoption of technological solutions 

like Nortify by schools? 

It is infrastructure. And talking 

about infrastructure, I mean computers. 

We have been trying to 

partner with some State governments 

to adopt Nortify for Junior 

WAEC, which has actually become 

like the School Leaving 

Certificate that we used to get in 

those days. 

That is the first major exam that 

a child will ever write once he 

starts going through school. And 

one of the major challenges that 

we met along the way is lack of 

infrastructure. The schools said 

they did not have computers. 

Computer 

based test 

Those that were equipped with 

computers were grossly inadequate. 

And this actually hampers 

innovation. But we kept telling 

them that for a State like Rivers 

State, we have done our research 

and we found out that secondary 

schools were not 

equipped with computers but the 

primary schools were all 

equipped with computers. And in 

this State, there are over 8, 000 

computers lying fallow in about 

173 schools. 

You can actually turn these 

schools to mini innovation centres 

or computer based test, CBT 

centres where students come to 

write these exams. And Rivers 

State actually spends about N150 

million annually printing question 

papers for Junior WAEC. If 

these were to go through the CBT, 

government would spend 60 per 

cent less and achieve the same 

result. 

Uber hits 

2bn rides 

UBER has completed 

more than 2 billion trips 

on its app, the company's chief 

executive has said, a milestone 

that arrives just weeks after the 

ride service added another 

$4.7 billion to its war chest. 

Uber hit 2 billion rides on 

June 18, CEO Travis Kalanick 

said in a Facebook post, six 

months after marking its first 

billion rides. The company, 

then, completed the same 

number of rides in six months 

as it did in the prior six years - 

due in part to its heavy spending 

to recruit drivers and passengers, 

which is made possible 

by more than $13 billion in 

funding from investors. 

Kalanick said that 147 Uber 

rides started at the exact same 

second in 16 countries to tie for 

the two billionth trip. The largest 

portion of those rides - 54 - 

happened in China, an indication 

of the company's growth 

in that country, where 

Kalanick has also said Uber is 

losing more than $1 billion a 

year as it competes for riders. 

Website to drive 

access to Nigerian 

legislators 

launches 

A 

WEBSITE, www. 

repcommend.com, to 

help people locate members 

of Nigerian lower chamber of 

parliament, the House of Representatives, 

has been 

launched. Launched by one 

Izundu Howard, the website 

is making information like 

constituency office location, 

email address, contact phone 

numbers etc easily available 

for anyone who needs it. Izundu 

said he built the site after 

he worked directly with a 

legislator 

and 

discovered they are not as 

inaccessible as is widely 

believed. The site supports 

only Lagos at the moment and 

is available in both English 

and Arabic languages. 

Access Bank 

donates to UNICEF 

A 

CCESS Bank Group has 

donated N10 million to 

UNICEF towards reaching out 

to and highlighting the plight 

of vulnerable children, 

orphans and internationally 

displaced persons. 

This is part of the bank’s 

continued support of UNICEF 

along with 5th Chukker as it 

hosted the ‘Access Bank Polo 

Day’ at the Guards Polo Club, 

Windsor, United Kingdom over 

the weekend. The annual polo 

event is the climax to the highprofile 

Access Bank/UNICEF 

Charity Shield Polo 

tournament, which is in its 

ninth year and was chaired by 

the Emir of Kano, Alhaji 

Muhammadu Sanusi II. 

Emir Sanusi II thanked the 

bank for its supports for the 

UNICEF campaign, children, 

orphans, displaced people and 

its drive for socio-economic 

development of the nation.


VOL. 1 NO 75 Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

RELOCATION WAR: 

Owerri women, govt clash over ancestral market 

•Say Gov Okorocha hates Owerri people 

•He should be ready to crush us—YOUTH LEADER 

•They’re misguided— GOVT 

Policeman 

stoned to 

death for 

killing 

okadaman 

—Page 29 

Main and inset: Owerri women laying siege to Imo State Government House, last Saturday. 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

OWERRI—THE capital city of Imo 

State, saw activities grind to a halt 

Thursday, July 14, as over 2,000 women 

trooped out to protest the planned relocation 

of their ancestral market, Eke 

Ukwu Owerri, to Egbeada in Mbaitoli 

Local Government Area of the state. 

Some aged men in Owerri, described 

the protest march as a replica of the famous 

Aba Women Riot of 1929. 

Like what happened in the Aba incident, 

several security personnel were 

on hand to ensure that the protest was 

not hijacked by hoodlums. However, 

unlike the Aba Riot, no Owerri woman 

was arrested. No tear gas canister was 

fired. No water canon was used and no 

live bullet was fired at the angry women. 

The protest was engineered by the 

ongoing demolition of business 

structures, residential buildings, 

ancestral homes and desecration of 

graves by the agents of the state government, 

in the guise of expanding the 

roads in the state capital. 

At press time, several buildings and 

business outfits in and around Owerri, 

had been subjected to varying degrees 

of demolition, while some were 

completely pulled down. 

By Francis Igata 

ENUGU—RESIDENTS are still in 

shock, following the death of two 

siblings, Onyinyechi, 5, and Ebubechi 

Izumba, 8, from Anambra State, at 

Oakland Amusement Centre, when the 

Roller Coffee Cup malfunctioned, July 

11. Seven kids and the Roller Coffee Cup 

operator equally sustained severe injuries. 

The popular recreation centre, which is 

situated on Ebeano Tunnel, off Ogui Road, 

Enugu State, boasts of amusement 

facilities. 

Consequently, the Enugu State 

Government has set up a high-powered 

committee comprising Commissioner for 

FG’s structures, too 

Apart from residential and commercial 

buildings, some of the affected Federal 

Government establishments included 

Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, 

Owerri; Federal Medical Centre, 

Owerri; French Language Centre, 

Allianz Francois; some commercial 

banks; Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 

Akwakuma, and some ancestral homes. 

Commercial activities were thus shut 

down in Owerri during the protest 

march, which was started the previous 

day by scores of artisans from the Orji 

Mechanic Village in Owerri North LGA. 

At the Eke Ukwu Owerri Market, 

scores of angry women were seen sporting 

black blouses and uniformed wrappers, 

as they protested the planned 

demolition of the ancestral market. 

Some of the women lamented that 

Governor Rochas Okorocha was 

stretching his anger against Owerri 

people too far. 

“There is no doubt that the Governor 

is dragging his hatred for Owerri people 

too far. It was under his regime that our 

late royal father, Eze Emmanuel 

Njemanze, was suspended for no just 

cause. Government never withdrew that 


How 2 siblings died in Enugu amusement park 

Enugu Capital Territory Development 

Authority, ECTDA, Chidi Aro; 

Commissioner for Gender Affairs, Peace 

Nnaji; Commissioner for Science 

Technology, Greg Nnaji; Trauma 

Surgeon, Dr. Iyikwu, and personnel from 

the Department of State Services, DSS, 


C 

M 

Y 

K


When Aisha Buhari 

visited Abia with 

charity 

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State distributing the 

goods to beneficiaries. 

By Anayo Okoli 

UMUAHIA—WIFE of the 

President, Mrs. Aisha 

Buhari, last week donated 

food items to 1000 indigent 

rural people in Abia State to 

cushion the effects of the 

harsh economic condition. 

Donated under the umbrella 

of her foundation, Aisha 

Buhari Foundation and 

Future Assured, Mrs. Buhari 

gave them 1000 bags of rice, 

1000 cans of cooking oil, 

tomato paste, and other food 

supplements to 1000 

indigenous Abians. 

The beneficiaries were 

drawn from the 17 LGAs of 

the state, and they included 

indigent men and women, 

widows and the disabled. 

The items were presented to 

the beneficiaries by the wife 

of the state’s Governor, Mrs. 

Nkechi Ikpeazu. Speaking 

shortly before distributing the 

items, Mrs. Buhari said that 

she chose Abia State because 

THE TEAM 

Supervising Editor: 

Chioma Gabriel, Lagos 

(08052201257) 

Editor: 

Emeka Mamah, Enugu 

email: 

emekemamah@yahoo.com) 

Anayo Okoli, Umuahia 

Vincent Ujumadu, Awka 

Austin Ogwuda, Awka 

Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri 

Peter Okutu, Abakaliki 

Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Nnewi 

Francis Igata, Enugu 

Nwabueze Okonkwo, Onitsha 

Ugochukwu Alaribe, Aba 

Enyim Enyim, Onitsha 

Chinoso Alozie, Owerri 

Chinenye Ozor, Nsukka 

Eric Ugbor, Aba 

of the special love she has for 

the people. 

She also expressed the 

desire to bring more goodies 

to Abia through her office and 

her Foundation, even as she 

called on well-to-do people to 

get involved and seek ways 

of helping the less-privileged 

members of their 

communities. 

According to her, those who 

are blessed by God should see 

it as a duty to help others who 

are not so fortunate, saying 

that “it is the only way we can 

make our world a better place 

for ourselves and, especially, 

for our children and assure 

them of a brighter future.” 

In his remarks, Governor 

Okezie Ikpeazu thanked 

Mrs. Buhari for her 

generosity and kindness to 

Abians and promised to 

always support her 

programmes. 

How 2 siblings died in Enugu amusement park 


to unravel the immediate and 

remote causes of the incident. 

The committee has sealed up 

Oakland Amusement Park. The 

incident, which occurred at about 

5.40p.m., triggered insinuations 

from a member of the committee 

that Oakland may have 

compromised on Standard 

Operating Procedure, SOP, on 

safety which accounts for the 

number of casualties recorded in 

the incident. 

Findings showed that the 

incident was occasioned by a cut 

chain, which rotates in the roller 

coffee cup. The operator, who was 

on board, was said to have been 

flung into the nearby Artisan 

Market River. 

MD laments 

Odega Jideonwo, Managing 

Director, Oakland Amusement 

Park, said: “We do not know the 

cause of the accident. It will be 

pre-emptive to pinpoint the cause 

of the accident now because it is 

still under investigation. This is 

the first amusement park we 

have operated and has been in 

business for four years. 

“We underwent a lot of 

trainings and certification before 

we opened the park. The day the 

accident happened, our first aider 

was there but the injuries were 

so fatal that we had to evacuate 

the children immediately to 

hospitals. The technicalities that 

led to the accident will be 

unravelled in the cause of 

investigations. 

“As a father, I am disturbed that 

a family has lost their children. 

This is not something you may 

wish your greatest enemy. I am 

deeply devastated that this 

family has lost two children.” 

Govt condoles with 

family, seals up Oakland 

Commissioner for Enugu 

Capital Territory Development 

Authority, ECTDA, Chidi Aro, 

who is the Chairman of the 

government committee to 

investigate the remote and 

immediate causes of the accident, 

said: “We are aware that the 

Odega Jidonwo, MD, Oakland, addressing the press and 

members of the government committee. 

press in due course. 

“We do not want to prejudge 

this incident. We have invited a 

team of experts from Abuja with 

the support of the governor, who 

knows the workings of the roller 

coffee cup. The team will be 

looking at the technical issues 

surrounding the accident. We 

assure Enugu people that once 

we have preliminary reports next 

week, we will hold a full press 

conference and let the people 

know. 

Rev Canon Emeka, 

“The governor mourns with the 

bereaved guardian 

family of the deceased children. 

He feels there pain. He stands 

with them in this trying moment.” 

centre has a large volume of 

patrons. But the incident has 

forced them to lock down the 

place. 

“The government committee 

has visited the facility, all the 

people who are injured and 

commiserated with the family 

that lost the children. We have 

asked a few relevant questions 

on the incident. 

“Given the nature of the 

incident and determination of 

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of 

Enugu State to bring this 

investigation to a thorough 

conclusion, the committee will 

work every day until we 

determine the remote and 

immediate causes of the incident. 

“The preliminary finding 

shows that two children died in 

the incident and about seven 

were injured. We would not 

want to say anything further 

because at this point, it will be 

presumptive. We would brief the 

Bereaved guardian 

expresses appreciation 

Reverend Canon Emeka 

Onyema, the guardian to the 

deceased children, while 

expressing gratitude to the 

Enugu State Government for its 

show of support and solidarity, 

said: “I wish to express my 

deepest appreciation to Governor 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the entire 

people of Enugu State and 

indeed the Oakland 

management. 

“It is sad to lose two people in 

a family. But as Christians, we 

still believe in God for who he is. 

Our faith in God will not be 

shaken. I am thrilled by the 

actions of government. The wife 

of the governor, Monica 

Ugwuanyi, was here to 

commiserate with us and the 

management of Oakland has 

been cooperating with us.” 

RELOCATION WAR: Owerri women, govt clash over ancestral market 


suspension until he died,” an 

angry woman said. 

The woman said Owerri 

indigenes had lost their 

farmlands to government. 

“How can the governor 

summarily sentence us and 

our families to perpetual 

hunger and want, by moving 

the market to Egbeada, a 

different local government 

area? This is not fair at all,” 

the woman said. 

At the Government House 

gate, President General of 

Udo Diri Ndom Owerri, Mrs. 

Ifeoma Anokwu, said: “Any 

move to demolish or relocate 

the market, which is our 

ancestral identity and heritage, 

amounts to a big slap on 

the custom, tradition and entire 

people of Owerri, both 

dead and alive. 

“We are here to tell the 

Governor that we do not want 

our ancestral Eke Ukwu 

market to be relocated, 

remodelled or reconstructed. 

He should leave it the way it 

is. We reject the proposed 

relocation and will resist any 

attempt to do so.” 

Owerri youths react 

According to the Youth 

Chairman of Amawom, Mr. 

Chukwuma Igbozuruike, 

Owerri youths will resist the 

planned destruction and 

relocation of Eke Ukwu Owerri 

market. 

“The governor should be 

ready to crush the youths, men 

and women, including the 

aged in Owerri, when he is 

ready to come into the market,” 

Igbozuruike said. 

Speaking also, the Youth 

Chairman of Umuoyima, Mr. 

Azomaukwu Anukam, 

wondered why the governor 

was bent on removing the 

ancestral Owerri market. 

It was his considered opinion 

that despite the development 

going on in Benin City, no 

government has ever dreamt of 

relocating the Oba Market, 

stressing that the story was the 

same with similar markets in 

Asaba and Lagos. 

They're being 

deceived—GOVT 

The Chief Press Secretary, 

CPS, to the Governor, Sam 

Onwuemeodo, said: “It is 

highly regrettable that a group 

of women could be deceived 

into carrying out a protest that 

is uncalled for. 

“It is equally on record that 

successive governments in the 

state had also tried to move the 

market out of its current 

location to a more convenient 

place, but such previous efforts 

had also been frustrated by this 

kind of protest. 

“It, therefore, requires 

political will on the part of any 

government to ensure the 

relocation of the market to a 

more ideal place. It is this 

political will that Governor 

Rochas Okorocha is exercising 

at the moment with regard to 

the relocation of Eke Ukwu 

market. 

“Putting everythying into 

consideration, the relocation of 

the Ekeukwu market is long 

overdue, all things being 

equal.”

Nsukka residents stone policeman 

to death for killing okadaman 

BY CHINENYEH OZOR 

NSUKKA—IT was tit for tat 

at Nsukka in Enugu State 

last week, when a policeman, 

Corporal Robert Ugwanyi, was 

stoned to death for killing a 

commercial motorcyclist, Mr 

Festus Onah, shortly after he had 

come out from a restaurant, where 

he had gone to eat. 

Onah, whose skull was blown 

open by the policemen’s bullet, 

had his brains splashed all over 

the area, prompting a 

spontaneous attack on the 

policemen by passers-by and 

other onlookers. 

Before the incident, residents 

of Nsukka had been grumbling 

over the activities of policemen 

and thugs attached to the state 

Ministry of Transport, who stop 

motorists for their “MOT 

particulars” only to end up 

extorting between N10,000 and 

N30,000 from them. 

The police killing occurred 

when some policemen attached 

to a task force set up by the 

Nsukka Local Government 

Council, were trying to compel 

or force traders to relocate to the 

newly completed Building 

Materials Market on the outskirts 

of the Nsukka metropolis. 

South East Voice gathered that 

when the task force members 

were sealing building materials 

shops at the Beach Area, some 

members resisted, insisting that 

they had no reason to move to 

the new site as they were not 

affected by the local government 

by-law. 

One of the traders was 

reportedly said to have told the 

task force members that he dealt 

on animal feeds, hence he was 

not affected by the directive. 

However, as argument raged, 

other traders from a near-by small 

food materials market and other 

passers-by gathered to watch the 

development. 

It was further said that as the 

argument was degenerating, 

Ugwuanyi, who was said to have 

recently come to Nsukka on 

transfer, reportedly fired a shot 

from his assault rifle. The bullet 

hit the late commercial 

motorcycle (okada) rider, Onah, 

who was oblivious of what was 

going on and he died instantly. 

Late Onah, who was married 

and had six children, hailed from 

Ibagwa-Aka community in 

Igboeze South Local 

Government Area, and was 

alleged to have relocated from 

the North-East in the heat of the 

Boko Haram menace, to his home 

town, from where he travelled to 

Nsukka daily for his okada 

business. 

However, as soon as the crowd 

noticed that the okada man was 

stone dead, they descended on 

the armed policeman and began 

to stone him until he became 

unconscious. 

His colleagues were said to 

have managed to collect his gun 

as he was being stoned before 

running back to the Nsukka 

Divisional Police Headquarters 

for reinforcement, before 

•3 hospitals refused to treat officer 

Late Onah and his wife 

returning to the scene to rescue 

him. 

However, it was already too late 

as doctors at the near-by Bishop 

Shanahan Hospital could not 

revive him and promptly referred 

the patient to the University of 

NNEWI—THE 

current 

epileptic power supply in 

the South-East geopolitical zone 

of the country has led to the 

closure of no fewer than 3000 

small scale industries in Nnewi 

and Onitsha in Anambra State 

alone. 

Investigations by the South 

East Voice showed that 

thousands of artisans and other 

small scale industrialists in the 

two commercial and industrial 

nerve centres of the state have 

closed shop in the last six months, 

following their inability to source 

electricity from the national grid. 

It was learned that most of the 

operators spent an average of 

between N93,000 and N300,000 

on either petrol or diesel to 

operate their generators, apart 

from other operational costs 

which in the end affected their 

businesses negatively. 

An artisan, Mr. Okwuchukwu 

Okoye, who is into the fabrication 

of iron, said he had not done any 

business in the past one month 

because of his inability to afford 

about N5,000 worth of fuel to 

power his electric generators. 

Okoye said that his “family now 

lives from hand to mouth because 

I can no longer live up to my 

responsibilities,” even as feeding 

has become extremely difficult. 

Also, a manager in a business 

centre in Onitsha, Miss Chinelo 

Nigeria Teaching Hospital, 

UNTH, Ituku-Ozalla on the 

outskirts of Enugu metropolis, 

but doctors could not attend to 

him there. 

Ugwuanyi was again rushed 

to the Park Lane Hospital, 


Enugu, where the policemen 

carrying him were told that there 

was no bed space before he finally 

gave up the ghost. 

The Police Public Relations 

Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, 

confirmed the deaths, saying 

that the Police were 

investigating the matter. 

Epileptic power supply kills 3,000 small 

scale industries in Nnewi, Onitsha 

BY Chimaobi Nwaiwu 

Some businessmen and artisans protesting poor electricity 

Ogalue, said that poor electricity 

company in Onitsha, said: “I run 

supply had grounded their 

my generator with diesel worth 

operations at the centre, as they 

of N4,800 on daily basis. 

spent N3,000 on petrol to run 

“Multiply the amount by six 

their generator from 8a.m. to 

working days and you get 

6p.m. six days in a week, 

N28,800 per week. If you 

bringing the amount to an 

multiply the amount by 26 (a 

average of N93,000 per month 

month), you find out that we 

on fuel alone. 

spend about N748,800 on diesel 

She said: “We engage in 

alone to run our outfit. 

computer designs, typesetting, 

“There are several consequences 

of running a company on 

photocopying and lamination of 

documents among other 

generator. One of such effects is 

businesses. We used to realise 

that the generator is overlaboured 

and in the process 

about N30,000 monthly income 

but these days, we cannot get up 

becoming noisy and hazardous 

to N5,000 monthly, hence we 

to the health of the people 

cannot even pay salaries of our 

around.” 

staff and also pay taxes. 

Ukoro said that he had lost a lot 

“We pay over five different 

of money running his business 

levies and taxes but we cannot 

without electricity, pointing out 

generate money for them if we 

that sometimes “we disappoint 

must operate on generators for 

our customers when there is no 

power supply.” 

power supply and the generator 

Chief Amechi Ukoro, who is 

is faulty.” 

the Managing Director of Bojuk 

He said Federal Government 

Nigeria Limited, a popular 

raised the hope of Nigerians with 

publishing and general printing 

a promise of better days, but that 

they have not met expectations. 

ANAMBRA: 

EU-SIGN 

renovates 

Nkpologwu 

Health Centre 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

AWKA— THE European 

Union Support 

Immunisation Governance in 

Nigeria, EU-SIGN, has 

completed the reconstruction 

of multi-million naira 

Nkpologwu Health Centre in 

Aguata LGA of Anambra 

State as part of efforts to boost 

immunisation in the rural 

community. 

The Nkpologwu Primary 

Health Care Centre is one of 

the 24 similar projects being 

executed by EU-SIGN in 23 

states of the country and the 

Federal Capital Territory 

under the four-year 

implementation programme 

that would terminate in 2018. 

At the commissioning of the 

project, the state technical 

assistant of EU-SIGN, Dr. 

Romanus Nriagu said the 

Nkpologwu project was the 

first works contract to be 

completed in the country 

since the take off of the 

programme due to the 

support received from the 

stakeholders, including the 

state government and urged 

the people to justify the 

selection of their community 

for the execution of the 

project among the 177 

communities in the state. 

According to him, 

increased patronage of the 

centre would be an indication 

that the community really 

appreciated the efforts of EU- 

SIGN to provide them with 

quality health care and 

appealed to the chairman of 

the local government to pay 

special attention to Primary 

Health Care, PHC, by 

allocating adequate 

resources to the centre. 

Nriagu also commended 

the contractor that handled 

the project for speedy 

completion of the work and 

meeting the required 

standard, reminding him, 

however, that he has a six 

month defective period to 

rectify any default on the 

project. 

The executive secretary of 

the State Primary Health 

Care Development Agency, 

Dr. Chioma Ezzenyimulu 

observed that with the 

completion of the project, the 

hardship faced by the people 

in their quest to obtain 

quality health care would be 

reduced and commended 

EU-SIGN for including 

Anambra as one of the 23 

benefiting states for the 

project. 

She also expressed delight 

that the Nkpologwu project 

was the first to be completed 

in the country, adding that it 

was an indication of the 

seriousness the state 

government attached to 

primary health care.


Victor Umeh: A dogged fighter at 54 

TRIBUTE 

By Michael Jegede 

FORMER national chairman of 

All Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, 

clocked 54 years on Tuesday, July 

19, 2016. Umeh, an estate surveyor 

by profession is an astute politician 

that can be said to have made 

significant impacts in the 

sustenance of Nigeria’s democracy. 

Widely known for his 

philanthropic initiatives, the 

benevolent politician with sundry 

traditional titles for his enormous 

contributions towards the 

advancement of the course of 

humanity, started his voyage in 

politics in 1998 as a founding 

member of the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, before joining forces with 

other progressive minds to form 

APGA in 2002. 

As APGA national chairman for 

over a decade, Umeh, an 

unwavering fighter and warrior, 

recorded great landmark 

achievements, winning several 

political and legal battles for his 

party. For three years between 2003 

and 2006, Umeh, a consistent, loyal 

and dependable politician, stood 

solidly behind former Governor of 

Anambra State, Peter Obi to regain 

the stolen mandate of APGA from 

the then Governor Chris Ngige of 

PDP. His role in the case instituted 

for the reversal of the purported 

impeachment 

of Obi soon 

after he 

assumed 

office by the 

then PDPcontrolled 

Anambra 

House of 

Assembly on 

November 2, 

2006 and the 

celebrated 

tenure 

interpretation 

suit in 2007 

was quite 

momentous, 

such that he 

was hailed by 

Obi himself. 

Umeh’s 

indefatigable 

spirit 

was 

His 

elephantine 

memory 

and capacity 

for details 

singled him 

out during 

the trying 

moments 

likewise seen 

in the 

protracted leadership crisis of APGA. 

He doggedly fought and won 

Chekwas Okorie, the ousted 

founding national chairman in 

various suits up to Supreme Court 

to remain the authentic national 

chairman of APGA. Okorie was left 

with no choice than to go and form 

a new party after Umeh knocked 

him out at the apex court on March 

25, 2011. While Umeh was still 

basking in the euphoria of his 

triumph from the over six-year legal 

wrangle with Okorie, Obi, for 

reasons only known to him, decided 

to open another round of leadership 

tussle by pitching tent with a clique 

in APGA to send him packing. That 

led to the emergence of Barrister 

Maxi Okwu as a factional national 

chairman of the party. 

Victor Umeh 

Nonetheless, the Ohamadike 

Ndigbo recently conferred with an 

honorary doctorate degree by 

Tansian University, Umunya, 

Anambra State, in his usual 

approach, rose up to the challenge 

and wrestled Obi even as the seating 

governor. The Court of Appeal on 

July 15, 2013 ruled in Umeh’s favour 

in one of the different cases instituted 

to kick him out by the Maxi Okwuled 

faction with the full backing of 

Obi. All other such cases equally 

went in favour of Umeh up to the 

Supreme Court. After the Appellate 

Court ruling in 2013, Obi mended 

fences with the Dike Anagbaluizu 

of Abagana and the Ikenga of Oba. 

Despite Okwu’s refusal to be part of 

the reconciliation and his insistence 

to continue with the court cases as 

factional national chairman, the 

timely reunion Obi had with Umeh 

saw APGA emerging victorious in 

the 2013 Anambra guber election 

that produced the incumbent 

Governor Willie Obiano. The 

outcome of that election was 

obviously a further indication that 

the erstwhile APGA helmsman is 

undoubtedly a strong force to reckon 

with in the political firmament of 

Anambra State. 

Speaking on the stupendous feats 

of Umeh as APGA boss, the man 

who took over from him last year, 

Dr. Victor Oye, had confessed that 

the shoes of his predecessor were 

seen as too large for whoever would 

succeed him. 

Capacity 

for details 

Ifeanyi Afuba in a piece quoted 

Oye as saying in an interview with 

a newspaper, “Three things could 

account for the success of the party 

in the 43 court cases. First was the 

uncommon love of God for the party. 

The second was the flimsiness of the 

reasons…for the cases. And the 

third was the indomitable fighting 

spirit of Chief Victor Umeh. He was 

everywhere galvanizing support for 

the legal team. His elephantine 

memory and capacity for details 

singled him out during the trying 

moments.” 

When Umeh succumbed to 

pressure from his people to contest 

the Anambra Central senatorial 

election in 2015, most political 

watchers predicted his victory 

because his records speak volume. 

He was the most formidable 

candidate. 

His campaign was the most robust 

and elaborate in style with a strong 

support base from within and 

o u t s i d e 

Anambra State. 

Various groups, 

communities 

and individuals 

across the 

Southeast were 

lining up to 

endorse him as 

the candidate to 

beat. They 

believed he was 

fully equipped 

to represent not 

just the 

Anambra 

Central people 

but also serve as a powerful voice 

for Ndigbo in the Senate. 

However, the 2015 general 

election came and the PDP 

candidate, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife 

was announced winner of the 

Anambra Central poll by the 

Independent National Electoral 

Commission, INEC. When the 

tribunal dismissed his case, he did 

not give up. Instead, he graciously 

and quietly moved to the Court of 

Appeal which is the last stage for 

National Assembly election 

matters. The 1984 graduate from 

the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 

UNN, and Principal Consultant of 

V. C. Umeh & Co, a firm of estate 

surveyors and valuers, succeeded 

in getting the Appeal Court to 

nullify Ekwunife’s election in 

December, 2015. The appellate 

court consequently ordered a rerun 

and barred Ekwunife and the PDP 

from taking part. 

Conduct 

of the rerun 

While INEC was about to conduct 

the rerun on March 5, 2016 and 

Umeh set to clinch victory and take 

his seat in the Red Chamber, an 

Abuja High Court ruling came, 

compelling the electoral body to 

include PDP in the exercise. 

Confident that its decision to 

exclude PDP was guided by law, 

based on previous Supreme Court 

verdicts, INEC postponed the 

rerun indefinitely and appealed 

the said High Court ruling. Umeh 

who strongly believe the electoral 

umpire was right, asked to be 

joined in the appeal as an 

interested party. The scenario has 

caused another battle line to be 

drawn between Umeh and Obi. 

Supporters of Umeh, a native of 

Aguluzuigbo, believed to have 

lived a greatly fulfilled life at 54 

are quite optimistic that he would 

be in the Senate, no matter the 

tactics and gimmicks employed by 

his political opponents to frustrate 

the conduct of the rerun. 

According to them, no man can 

change whatever God has 

destined! At 54, his people find in 

him the doggedness, ebullience, 

dynamism and fitness required to 

represent them well. 

I wish him more years of good 

health and fruitful contributions to 

the growth and development of our 

dear country, as he continues with 

his political pursuit at 54. 

Michael Jegede, a media 

professional writes from Abuja 

Political or economic 

malpractice: Which is worse? 

By Magnus Onyibe 

This is the concluding 

part of this discourse. The 

second part was 

published in Vanguard 

yesterday. 

AS a retired army 

general, president 

Buhari and a host of other 

retired military officers in 

his cabinet, including 

Abdulraman Danbazau, 

minister of defense; 

Hameed Ali, Comptroller 

General of immigration; 

B a b a g a n a 

Mongonu,national security 

adviser, amongst others, 

must have also been 

earning their pension 

remunerations before their 

current appointments . 

Now that they have been 

given a second chance in 

public service, equity 

demands that they forgo 

their pensions, so l hope 

they have done so. 

That’s not all. 

Although president 

Buhari would have his 

justifications, it appears to 

me that it is also political 

malpractice and another 

form of corruption when mr 

president goes below 

twenty one,21 senior police 

officers to appoint an 

Inspector General of Police, 

IGP compelling the 

premature retirement of the 

highly trained officers who 

are senior to the acting 

IGP.The loss of 21 highly 

trained senior police 

officers owing to non 

adherence to seniority rules 

and procedures,constitute 

indirect drain on Nigeria’s 

lean resources as the funds 

applied in training the 

sacked officers who were 

expected to contribute their 

knowledge and skill 

towards effective and 

efficient policing, is lost as 

they are being forced to 

leave service before 

attaining retirement age. 

Political 

convenience 

As Thisday newspaper in 

its Sunday Comment on 

July 10, 2016 pointed out, 

“Whichever way one looks 

at it, this particular police 

retirement was untidy. And 

so were some of the 

promotions. The 

newspaper then concluded 

that “The canvassed criteria 

were a mixture of political 

convenience and poor 

attention to service 

records”. 

By the same token, not 

adhering to the provisions 

of Federal Character 

Comission, FCC in the 

appointment of Nigerians 

into public offices which is 

creating unnecessary 

tension in the polity and 

failing to apply same 

procedure in the 

distribution of infrastructure 

are also political 

malpractices of some sort. 

Thankfully,what could 

have amounted to a breach 

in 2016 budget was 

prevented when president 

Buhari ordered the return 

of the lagos-Calabar rail 

line project into the 

appropriation bill to serve 

as a balance to the lagos- 

Kano rail line already 

provided for in the 2016 

budget. The initial removal 

of the project which was an 

apparent contravention of 

the letter and spirit of FCC 

rule,could have been 

deemed also as a form of 

political malpractice, had it 

not been rectified . 

Before any of the public 

officers identified in the list 

of beneficiaries of political 

malpractices catalogued 

above take it personally and 

in the typical Nigerian 

fashion, start planning 

vendetta, they should first 

ponder Wole Soyinka’s 

remarkable statement in his 

famous book ‘The Man 

Died’ 

The seminal work 

‘Principles of Political 

Economy’ by John Stuart 

Mills, the last of the 

c l a s s i c a l 

economists,probably 

provided the bulwark for 

Soyinka’s postulation. John 

Stuart Mills, the renown 

leader of thought in the 

caliber of Adam smith and 

John Maynard Keynes , is 

also regarded as the father 

of the economic theory of 

utilitarianism. He had 

observed, over one 

hundred years ago, that “A 

man who has nothing to 

which he is willing to fight 

for,nothing which he cares 

more about than he does 

about his personal safety is 

a miserable creation who 

has no chance of being free 

unless made and kept so by 

the exertions of better men 

than himself” 

So as a social and 

economic rights advocate, l 

make bold to point out flaws 

or breaches in leadership 

with a view to pricking the 

conscience of our leaders. 

As l have often shared 

with friends and 

colleagues, public 

intellectuals like me are 

leading from the streets 

while federal govt officials 

lead from Aso Rock mansion 

and National Assembly, 

NASS, just as governors 

and state legislators lead 

from from the various govt 

houses and state houses of 

assembly in their respective 

states across the country. 

Ultimately,the objective of 

those of us leading from the 

streets and those in govt 

houses would align when 

voters feel that they are 

living in a relatively fair, just 

and equitable society. That 

in my view is what the 

practice of democracy 

should be about and a 

pathway to liberal 

democracy to which all 

Nigerians aspire .


Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

Dino Melaye is not a coward? 

WHEN last week I was 

writing on the recent 

preoccupation of the Senate 

under Bukola Saraki and Ike 

Ekweremadu, namely the determination 

of the so-called ‘Like 

Minds’ senators, all supporters 

of the troubled duo, to hobble the 

Muhammadu Buhari presidency 

for what they consider its hostile 

attitude to the legislative arm of 

government. As I was writing on 

this latest act of perfidy against 

the Nigerian people, I had no 

idea of what was already brewing 

within a closed-door meeting 

at the Senate. 

There was no way I could have 

known that less than 24 hours 

later one of the most outrageous 

confirmations of my position on 

our inept Senate would occur and 

become public a day after. I speak 

here of the unseemly verbal 

attack and threat of physical violence 

by Dino Melaye against his 

female colleague, Mrs. Remi 

Tinubu. In the said commentary 

in this space, I had questioned 

the wisdom in the threat of the 

senators to shut down the Senate 

and all legislative activities as a 

prelude to their rumoured plan 

to commence impeachment 

The cowardly 

nature of the 

proxy battles is 

too obvious to be 

denied even 

when senators in 

the ‘Like Minds’ 

group choose to 

believe the 

contrary 

draw their support. He was 

taken on by Mrs. Tinubu and 

the result of that encounter is 

the outrageous threat of 

sexual violence, to wit: instant 

rape and physical walloping 

of his female colleague if she 

didn’t know her limits. This 

was after calling her ‘stupid’ 

and wanting to know from her 

proceedings against President 

Buhari. Their grievance is the ongoing 

trial for forgery of Senate 

standing rules of Saraki and 

Ekweremadu. 

The threat was the latest in the 

series of proxy skirmishes being 

prosecuted by members of the 

Senate against President Buhari 

and other leaders of the All 

Progressives Congress party that 

the aggrieved senators hold responsible 

for the trial of their leaders. 

They choose to see their trial 

as an attempt to subvert the activities 

of the Senate and compromise 

its independence. The 

cowardly nature of the proxy 

battles is too obvious to be denied 

even when senators in the ‘Like 

Minds’ group choose to believe 

the contrary. They keep on speaking 

from both sides of their mouths 

making subtle and not-so-subtle 

attacks on the Presidency and the 

leadership of the APC while at 

the same time saying they would 

accept no change in Senate 

leadership. In all this, the senators 

speaking always ensure their 

names are not put in print. Yet 

their boasts of an imminent 

showdown and their readiness to 

take on the imagined adversaries 

in their shadow boxing never 

wanes. You can see them 

launching attacks, docking and 

throwing jabs all around. But all 

the while they hide, in their press 

wars, behind the anonymity of 

being sources who didn’t want 

their names mentioned. 

You can then imagine one’s surprise 

when after one such behind-the-scenes 

skirmish it 

emerged that Dino Melaye who 

is renowned more for his childish 

display of unearned wealth 

has advocated for the ostracism 

of any member of the Senate supporting 

the ongoing trial of the 

Senate leaders if they don’t withif 

she took him, Melaye, for one 

of the party sidekicks that grovel 

before Senator Remi Tinubu’s 

husband. All of this happened 

during a session chaired by 

Bukola Saraki himself even if 

there is no consensus on whether 

he gave approving nods or not to 

the antics of Melaye. Melaye has 

hinged his attack on Mrs. Tinubu 

on the fact that he is not a coward 

and had to react to her unflattering 

comments about him. Of 

course Melaye cannot be and is 

not a coward or he wouldn’t 

threaten to beat up and rape his 

older female colleague. But if 

Melaye is not a coward, then what 

is he? 

I need not worry too much as 

to what Melaye claims to have 

said in his encounter with Senator 

Tinubu. What he said and did 

thereafter says more than he has 

admitted transpired inside that 

Senate session. He has denied 

threatening to impregnate (read 

rape) Senator Tinubu, wondering 

how he could have threatened to 

beat as well as rape her at the 

same time, as if both activity are 

mutually exclusive. In Melaye’s 

brave thinking one of the actions 

doesn’t imply the other obviously. 

But then he goes on to say that 

he couldn’t even have 

impregnated Senator Tinubu as 

she was past menopause. How 

Melaye knows this fact of Senator 

Tinubu’s life remains to be 

explained. 

But this little bit more than anything 

else he has said on the matter 

at hand can tell anyone that 

Melaye lacks discretion and must 

have said more than he is prepared 

to admit to. Which gives 

the lie to his claim of not being a 

coward. Melaye is indeed a coward, 

a bully and a braggart in 

equal measure. His blustering 

outburst is just what it is: a waste 

of breath from an agbero touting 

passengers for his bolekaja. He 

is a squirrel who pretends to be a 

street toughie. His language both 

during and after his fight with 

Mrs. Tinubu betrays him. Even 

his promptness to deny any plan 

by him or others to fight President 

Buhari proves my point last 

week that the Senate is full of 

cowards fighting proxy battles. 

This is not to say that Melaye 

would be doing anything brave 

by admitting that he expressed a 

desire to rape his colleague. Not 

at all. But in this man’s warped 

mind the one is the same as the 

other. Admitting to saying that he 

threatened to ‘impregnate’ Senator 

Tinubu is for him the same as 

being brave. Which would explain 

why he would travel to 

Lagos days after he was reportedly 

‘banned’ from the South West 

by some APC stalwarts in the 

zone following his attack on Mrs. 

Tinubu and deciding to post pictures 

of himself on Lagos streets, 

including one allegedly on 

Bourdillon Street where Chief 

Bola Tinubu lives. What can anybody 

make of this childish act 

from a Nigerian senator? An act 

of bravery? What really is 

Melaye’s legacy as a legislator? 

His fighting bouts memorialised 

by that image of his torn, raggedy 

clothes after a pummelling in his 

time at the House of Representatives? 

This National Assembly 

where a female member was once 

slapped by her male colleague is 

infamous for its disdain of 

women. It needs rehabilitation 

and psychiatric test ought to be 

mandatory for members. 

Abia and the metaphor of the fast lane 

By Godwin Adindu 

YOU know the fast lane: the 

extreme corner of the road where 

drivers throw caution to the wind and 

challenge the speedometer of their 

automobiles. The fast lane, beyond the 

expressway, is also a metaphor of 

action and behaviour. It has 

transformed into a social construct, with 

meanings that signify a man and a 

woman in a hurry and in desperation. 

Uche Ogah, the President of the 

Masters Energy Group and the 

protagonist in the failed Abia civilian 

coup, has suddenly thrown himself 

into the fast lane. I doubt if he will come 

out without regrets. 

The fast lane, precisely, is a 

stereotype that conjures negative 

imageries. Therefore, it is hardly a 

compliment for one to be described 

to be on the fast lane. An unassuming 

gentleman, Ogah was never known 

for the fast lane. Save for some 

charges in Lagos law courts which have 

dented an immaculate reputation of the 

soft-spoken gentleman of the oil wealth 

fame, Ogah has never been identified 

or associated with the fast lane of life. 

Until two weeks ago, his reputation 

spoke of a man who carried himself 

with so much respectability. 

For instance, after he lost out in the 

December 2014 PDP primary election, 

he walked away gently and later made 

a donation of N5 million to the Okezuo 

Abia Campaign team. He enjoys a 

soaring reputation in Abia as a 

philanthropist. And in his Uturu 

community, he transformed an otherwise 

rural clan into a modern estate with 

boulevards and landscaping. On one 

or two occasions when I met Ogah, I 

fell in love with his calm demeanour 

and humility and saw a future leader 

in him. Given the compatibility of 

his humane nature and his wealth, 

I was convinced he will be able to 

display the rare attribute of combining 

remorse with power- the hallmark of 

leadership. 

But, all these propositions were shattered 

last two weeks when Ogah suddenly 

jumped on to the fast lane. Why 

has he suddenly developed a maddening 

desperation to become governor ? 

Why has he chosen the path of infamy 

It is painful to 

contemplate the 

enormity of the 

aruruala meted out to 

the fine gentleman 

in his pursuit of power? It is very unfortunate 

to imagine the harm that has 

been inflicted on Ogah by those who 

led him on this dangerous path. Those 

who urged him on this mission have 

deliberately ruined a very promising 

political career and damaged a very 

great future that was ahead of this kind 

gentleman. 

There is what the Igbos call aruruala. 

I do not know how to translate it in 

English and capture the disguised 

treachery in a seeming goodness. This 

is the harm that has been inflicted on 

Ogah by those who led him on this 

desperate course. It will take only a few 

insightful people to understand and appreciate 

my drift. Only a precious few 

with a discerning spirit will look beyond 

the veil to see the enormity of the harm 

inflicted on Ogah. In few months to 

come, when the spell of inordinate 

ambition would have cleared, Ogah 

would look back to understand he had 

been deceived and sabotaged by the 

people who pretended to mean well for 

him. In a deep moment of introspection 

when the wool had left his eyes and the 

aphrodisiac evaporates, he will be able 

to see clearly the harm that has been 

done to his future political prospects. 

Why do I argue thus? I say so because 

among the top political gladiators in 

Abia North today none can match Ogah 

in terms of goodwill across the state. 

None can match his general 

acceptability across board. None can 

match his wealth, both in cash and in 

emotional investment. He has not 

stepped on toes and has no liabilities of 

political traducers. He is coming to the 

stage clean and unbridled. And, 

above all, he has age going for him and 

belongs to the new dispensation. Thus, 

by the appointed time when power 

returns to Abia North, Ogah would 

have, indisputably, been the best and 

most popular choice. 

Ogah would have had friends and 

followers across the length and breadth 

of the state. But, today, he has hurt a 

large segment of the state, a strong 

homogeneous bloc, the Ukwa Ngwas 

who are having their first shot in power 

since the creation of earth. He has also 

disappointed many good men of 

conscience from the other parts of the 

state who believe in equity and social 

justice. By attempting to distort the 

Abia Charter of Equity upon which 

framework, the PDP zoned the 

governorship slot to Abia South, Ogah 

has also transgressed against the party. 

And because justice is of God, he has 

also transgressed against God and 

contravened the cosmic laws of cause 

and effect. He has broken a very 

formidable reputation and a broken 

skull heels faster than a broken 

reputation. 

Indeed, this is the tragedy of the fast 

lane. It is an underground lifestyle that 

keeps you perpetually in anxiety and 

under the prying eyes of the law and 

makes you an unwanted guest to the 

men of the Intelligence Bureau. Those 

who succeed flaunt their wealth publicly 

to the envy and admiration of us 

all. The unlucky ones remain 

slammed behind bars and languish 

for years in jail. They live the later part 

of their lives in pain and regret. The 

fast lane, therefore, is not the best of 

options. 

Indeed, it is painful to contemplate the 

enormity of the aruruala meted out to 

the fine gentleman. He did not think 

twice and prayerfully. He did not weigh 

the options against his future prospects 

and realise that all he needed was 

patience. He was so much driven that 

his ambition became worthier than the 

blood of Abians that would have been 

shed on that fateful Thursday and in 

the following days. Any action of man 

that is capable of distorting the order of 

peace can never be ordained. 

Today, I feel for Ogah. I am touched 

that he is a victim of aruruala. I think 

about how a great reputation can easily 

be destroyed. 

*Mr Adindu, President-General of 

the Abia Renaissance Movement, wrote 

from Umuahia, Abia State.

32 —Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

CANCER: STABILITY will become so important to you 

especially on financial related issues. Although it’s good to be 

financially ambitious, domestic related affairs must not be 

neglected. 

LEO: CAREFULLY watch what is happening within your 

base of operation and say no to bad advise. You’ll have more 

to gain if you take the initiative. The more friendly you are the 

better. 

VIRGO: MANY Virgoans will operate under pressure due 

to refusal of others to give you the needed co-operation. The 

more willing you are to keep your secrets the better for you. 

LIBRA: YOUR matured friends will show more than passing 

interest in your well-being. And if you take their advice 

seriously you will have more to gain. This is the wrong time to 

consciously or otherwise encourage misunderstanding within 

your working arena. 

SCORPIO: UNNECESSARY aggressive approach will not 

get you anywhere today but exhibition of maturity on your 

part along your career/business line will see you through. 

Avoid gambling with love. 

By Richard Eromosele 

L E I S U R E 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

Want to live in peace with 

your enemy? 

THE holy writ 

says if our 

ways please the 

Lord, he will make 

our enemies to live in 

peace with us. I want 

to ask you a 

question:Are you living 

in peace and harmony 

with your 

neighbour?If you 

are not,then it is time 

for you to examine 

your relationship 

with your creator.If 

your relationship 

with your creator is 

smooth,there is no 

way your relationship 

with your 

neighbour won’t 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

benefit from it.You 

cannot be antagonistic 

towards your 

neighbour and expect 

your creator to 

be happy with 

you.Relate well with 

your creator and 

your enemies will be 

at peace with you. 

Think about it! 

By Kola Fayemi 

SAGITTARIUS: IT’S important you don’t directly or 

indirectly insult the veterans within your base of 

operation. The more co-operative you are the better for you. 

Learn to keep your family (and/or personal) secrets. 

CAPRICORN: WHATEVER anybody thinks or says will not 

affect your chance to record success today. This is the wrong 

time to engage in fruitless argument at work. Respect your 

good friends. 

AQUARIUS: TEMPTATION to gamble with money must 

be resisted by you or else the loss will be much. And it is 

wrong to ignore your love life and/or run away from your 

responsibilities. Make sure your image is well protected by 

you. 

PISCES: MIXED trends bire indicated for you. Those of 

you who are more hard working will have positive results to 

show for your efforts but if you give in to unnecessary 

aggression, you’ll be resented. 

ARIES: BETTER than yesterday. Yet you will need to do 

away with whatever can not be placed above board and take 

your personal ideas more seriously. It’s important you take 

love seriously. 

TAURUS: NATURALLY Taureans are patient and if you can 

live up to expectation things’ll go your way. Your being family 

minded will greatly help your cause. Wrong and/or bad advice 

from friends should be turned down diplomatically. 

KAPTAIN AFRIKA in “Pretty Lunatic’ By Andy Akman 

GEMINI: THE moon in your star sign favours your being 

self assertive. However protection of your imag should top 

your priority list today. Respect your senior partners and 

colleagues. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, Apapa, Lagos 

Which day was it? 

Dear Joshua, 

I don’t want you to publish my full date of birth and other 

identity but I want to know if I was born on a 

Monday or Tuesday. I will appreciate it if you tell me how the 

planets lined up when I was born an what they mean to my 

life. 

Anonymous, Osun, 

Dear Anonymous, 

You were born on a Tuesday. What you will find here-under 

will be useful if taken seriously. 

YOUR HOROSCOPE DATA 

DAY OF BIRTH = TUESDAY 

SUN SIGN = PISCES; SUN IN 7TH DEGREE OF PISCES 

MOON SIGN = LIBRA; MOON IN 7TH DEGREE OF LIBRA 

MERCURY IN 4TH DEGREE OF ARIES 

VENUS IN 5TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS 

MARS IN 29TH DEGREE OF PISCES 

JUPITER IN 21ST DEGREE OF GEMINI 

SATURN IN 19TH DEGREE OF PISCES 

URANUS IN 17TH DEGREE OF VIRGO 

NEPTUNE IN 22ND DEGREE OF SCORPIO 

PLUTO IN 17TH DEGREE OF VIRGO 

NORTH NODE IN 29TH DEGREE OF TAURUS 

SOUTH NODE IN 29TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO 

FIRE STAR SIGN HOSTED ONE PLANET, CARDINAL, 

FIXED AND 

EARTH HOSTED TWO PLANES EACH, THREE IN AIR, 

FOUR IN 

WATER AND MAJORITY OF SIX PLANETS WERE PLACED 

IN 

MUTABLE. 

PUSHFUL INFLUENCE = 40% 

NON - PUSHFUL INFLUENCE = 60% 

PLANET AT HOME = NONE. 

ANALYSIS OF THE HOROSCOPE DATA 

No planet at home situation when you were born pointed to a 

busy mind with too many ideas struggling for prominent 

position. As a result of that you always find it relatively difficult 

to take important decision. 

Luckily for you however of planets in air star signs endowed 

you with powerful brans you can rely on while taking 

important decision. Although, you have embraced disciplined 

life style, you remain emotional person who can not help 

changing his mind more often times. Yours is a gentile spirit 

and soul with the ultimate desire for love and peace but some 

other times other people can force pressure and frustrations 

on you the way you must re-act. 

Both leadership quality and Artistic talents are parts of your 

special gifts. Major problem is that thing snot away come as 

easily as you expect. Your natal sun and moon in Pisces and 

Libra respectively are indications of you being mainly a Piscean 

and partly Libra born person. In other words, basic 

characteristics of Pisces and Libra are highly pronounced in 

your inner-self. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa


APC protests Rivers Assembly's refusal to 

swear in members-elect 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

PORT 


ABOUT 2,000 members 

of All Progressives Congress, 

APC, in Rivers State, 

yesterday, staged a peaceful 

protest to the Rivers State 

House of Assembly complex on 

Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, 

demanding the swearing-in of 

Victoria Nyeche and Andrew 

Miller as members of the 

Assembly. 

Nyeche represents Port 

Harcourt Constituency 1 while 

Miller represents Opobo/ 

Nkoro constituency. They were 

elected on the platform of APC. 

Meanwhile, the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

chairman in the state, Mr Felix 

Obuah, has accused the APC 

of embarking on the protest 

ostensibly to scuttle the re-run 

elections in the state. 

Obuah, in a statement in Port 

Harcourt, said: “It is now very 

clear that the APC has devised 

a new strategy to put the 

rescheduled re-run elections in 

the state perpetually on hold 

to make up for its 

unpreparedness. 

“The ploy include cooking up 

fallacies and spurious 

allegations, and using such as 

basis for state-wide protests 

against the July 30, 2016 

concluding re-run elections in 

the remaining eight local areas 

of the state.” 

Obuah said that the ploy 

centred mainly on giving 

names and blackmailing 

some officials of the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, 

who they have not been able 

to buy over, desiring only 

compromised INEC officials 

who will do their bidding 

during the elections besides 

making unguarded and 

provocative statements 

against the PDP and its 

candidates for the elections. 

It will be recalled that while 

Miller was absent on April 21 

this year when other members 

took their oaths of office on 

the floor of the House for the 

8th Assembly, Nyeche could 

not be sworn in because of an 

interim injunction granted by 

Justice Adolphus Enebeli of 

a Rivers State High Court 

sitting in Port Harcourt, 

restraining the Speaker from 

administering the oath of 

office on her. 

Justice Enebeli had ordered 

that status quo be maintained 

until the issue before the 

court was determined 

A political activist in the 

state, Mr Livingstone 

Wechie, had approached the 

court praying it to restrain the 

assembly from administering 

the oath of office on Nyeche 

as member of the Assembly. 

A chieftain of the APC, Mr 

Charles Aholu, told 

Vanguard that the protest 

was about demanding for 

fairness and equity in the 

state judiciary. 

He wondered why the duo 

of Nyeche and Miller had not 

been administered the oath 

of office as members even 

after they had been issued 

certificate of Return by INEC. 

Ijaw groups demand release of 10 arrested Oporoza youths 

By Emma Amaize & 

Akpokona Omafuaire 

WARRI—FOUR 

Ijaw 

groups have asked 


to prevail on the Nigerian Army 

to release the 10 youths arrested 

and detained for close to two 

months without trial over 

alleged membership of Niger 

Delta Avengers, NDA, or charge 

them to court. 

Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, 

National Association of 

Gbaramatu Students, NAGS, 

Ijaw People Development 

Initiative, IPDI and Foundation 

of Human Rights and Anti- 

Corruption Crusade, FHRACC, 

made the call in separate 

statements in Warri, Delta State. 

IYC, in a statement by its 

spokesperson, Mr. Eric Omare, 

said: “If the military has 

evidence of criminal offence 

against the Oporoza 10 and exmilitant 

leader, Mr. Francis 

Muturu, arrested by soldiers in 

Bomadi, we demand that they 

charge them to court and let the 

court determine their guilt or 

innocence. Otherwise, we 

demand that they should release 

the suspects without further 

delay. The fight against 

NDDC FORUM: From left: Mrs Ibim Semenitari, Ag MD/CEO Niger Delta Development 

Commission, NDDC; HRM Ralph Ikegwuruka, Chairman,Traditional Rulers of Oil Minerals 

Producing Communities of Nigerian, TROMPCON and Didi Walson-Jack, Director, 

Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, representing the Minister 

of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Usani Uguru, during the NDDC's Partners for Sustainable 

Development Forum, in Port Harcourt, yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke. 

insurgency in the Niger Delta 

should not be a subterfuge to 

punish innocent people." 

NAGS in a statement by their 

national president, Seiyefa 

Ekpemupolo and others, said: 

“We call on the Federal 

Government to immediately 

release our students arrested 

by the military under the guise 

of searching for militants. If the 

government has any issue 

against the children, they 

Delta community alleges forceful acquisition 

of farmland 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—THE people of 

Ajaji community in Illah, 

Oshimili North Local 

Government Area, Delta State, 

have raised alarm over what 

they described as forceful 

acquisition of their farmland 

measuring 202.83 hectares by 


The state government had 

reportedly acquired the land for 

development of a business 

park. 

Alleging that government did 

not follow due process in the 

acquisition of the land, they 

should charge them to court. 

We have a premonition that 

they have killed them.” 

Also, National President of 

FHRACC, Alaowei Cleric, 

said: “Their arrest without trial 

and denying them access to 

legal representation and 

family members is the height 

of human rights abuse against 

the citizens of this country, who 

ought to enjoy the rights 

provided every Nigerian in the 

accused the government of not 

having any regard for them. 

The people, in a protest letter 

made available to newsmen in 

Asaba, alleged that some 

unknown persons 

masqueraded 

as 

representatives of the 

community to dupe the 

government. 

In the letter by the Diokpa of 

the community, Ogbuenyi 

Emmanuel Emelifeonwu, the 

people alleged that the state 

government flouted the 

necessary processes involved 

in land acquisition. 

Claiming that there was no 

Constitution.” 

In his comment, national 

president of IPDI, Austin 

Ozobo, said: “The arrested 

suspects are mainly students 

and artisans in Oporoza. We 

made the point very clear 

when they were arrested, but 

you can see the injustice in this 

country where blameless 

youths are held for about two 

months without trial.” 

official notification of 

government intention to 

acquire their land, they 

alleged that the true 

representatives of the 

community never met with 

government officials on the 

demarcation of the land and 

subsequent payment of 

compensation. 

They disclosed that the six 

deities of the community were 

located on the said land, 

adding that government 

forcefully acquired it and 

thereby deprived the people 

who use the land for farming, 

of their means of livelihood. 

Okowa’ll 

spread devt to 

all Deltans 

—Otuaro 

By Etop Ekanem 

ACTING governor of 

Delta State, Mr. 

Kingsley Otuaro, has said that 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa will 

not deprive any part of the state 

developmental projects, 

adding that the present 

economic recession will not 

derail the “Prosperity for All” 

agenda of the government. 

Otuaro spoke in Oleh, Isoko 

South Local Government Area 

of the state, during a 

stakeholders meeting of 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

of Delta South senatorial 

district, where a vote of 

confidence was passed on 

Governor Okowa and his 

deputy, Otuaro. 

According to the Chairman 

of Delta South senatorial 

district of PDP, Prince 

Emmanuel Amgbaduba, the 

meeting was convened to unite 

aggrieved members over the 

last congresses to enable the 

party move on in strength and 

deliver on its promises to the 

people. 

The acting governor, who 

sued for patience, told 

newsmen that based on 

Okowa’s commitment of the 

administration to God's 

guidance he had confidence 

that prosperity will spread to 

all parts of the state. 

Ex-militants 

laud FG, Boroh 

over Amnesty 

Liaison Office 

By Innocent Onoja 

B OMADI—NIGER 

Delta ex-militants 

under the amnesty 

programme have 

commended the Federal 

Government for the opening 

of a liaison office in 

Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, for 

the purpose of being closer 

to youths of the region. 

Ex-militant leaders 

Godspower Mabiko, 

Solomon Audu, Collins 

Arigo and Mienbi Perede, 

speaking on behalf of Phase 

2 ex-militants in Delta State, 

praised the Coordinator and 

Special Adviser to the 

President on Niger Delta 

Affairs, Brig Gen. Paul Boroh 

(retd), for his effort in 

executing what had been 

pending for too long, noting 

that it would go a long way 

in empowering many Niger 

Delta youths. 

They urged Boroh to 

extend the good work to 

other Niger Delta states, 

saying that such would 

create doors of 

opportunities for youths in 

the region. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


Enugu Assembly orders demolition of illegal 

structures in Parks 

By Emeka Mamah & 

Chinedu Adonu 

E NUGU—FORMER 

Commissioner of Police in 

Enugu State, Nwodibo 

Ekechukwu, yesterday, admitted 

that the police got intelligence 

reports indicating that Fulani 

herdsmen would attack the 

Nimbo Community in Uzo 

Uwani Local Government Area 

of Enugu State before the 

Monday, April 25 attack that left 

no fewer than 40 residents dead. 

Ekechukwu, also said that 

although he “made deployments 

in various sectors” of the 

community, the suspected 

herdsmen operated at the 

fringes, adding that the presence 

of policemen prevented them 

from advancing further in the 

area. 

The Enugu State Governor, 

Ifeanyi Ugwanyi, had lamented 

soon after the attack on Nimbo 

that the state government 

provided logistic support to 

security agencies to enable them 

stop the massacre of residents of 

Nimbo following security reports 

about the imminent attack on the 

area and wondered why both the 

Army and the police could not 

rise up to the occasion by 

stopping the attack. 

However, Ekechukwu said that 

By Francis Igata 

ENUGU—THE Enugu State 

House of Assembly, 

yesterday, directed the Enugu 

Capital Territory Development 

Authority, ECTDA, to commence 

demolition of illegal structures in 

some parks within Enugu 

metropolis for non compliance to 

agreements. 

The House said the parks had 

a due process test failure, noncompliance 

to agreements and 

abandonment/encroachment 

issues which have hurt 

Internally Generated Revenue, 

IGR, of the State. 

Some of the affected parks 

include John Nwodo Close 

Park, Murtala Muhammed 

Park, Chief Edward Nnaji Park, 

Ejindu Park and Onwudiwe 

Park among others. 

In a resolution which followed 

Former Enugu CP exonerates Police over herdsmen's 

killing in Nimbo •Says ‘we received report on the planned attack' 

the police did their best to 

prevent the killings, pointing 

out that they did not abdicate 

their responsibilities. 

Ekechukwu who was 

testifying yesterday before the 

panel set up by the Enugu 

State government on the 

activities of herdsmen in the 

state also said that the 

policemen were not biased in 

the handling of clashes 

between herdsmen and their 

host communities in the state, 

as available records indicated 

that about five herdsmen that 

engaged in unlawful activities 

in the state had previously 

been arrested. 

“We arrested some 

herdsmen in the past. Charges 

were preferred against them 

but we ran into jurisdictional 

cobweb. We are not laying 

claims to perfection, but there 

was no bias in the handling of 

the attack that led to the death 

of residents of the community. 

“The information we got 

suggested various areas of 

attack and all the officers did 

what they were supposed to do 

under operational guidelines. 

“We made deployments in 

various sectors of that 

community, but the suspected 

herdsmen operated at the 

fringes and our presence 

a motion by Ezenta Ezeani 

representing Igbo-Etiti East 

constituency and co-sponsored 

by twenty-two others out of the 

twenty four member House, they 

urged, ”Governor Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi of Enugu State to 

immediately revoke all the 

contractual agreements of 

Tourism Board on Parks, open 

spaces, recreation centers and 

other related facilities and ensure 

prevented them from 

advancing. 

“There is no 100 per cent 

security of lives anywhere, but 

nobody jokes with human life. 

That the mischief makers 

succeeded in derogating 

(belittling) human life does not 

diminish the commitment of the 

police. 

“We have not had information 

of herdsmen in possession of 

rifles and other deadly weapons 

and failed to disarm them. 

“If I had not done what I was 

supposed to do to prevent the 

killing, I would have resigned 

on my own,” he said. 

Ekechukwu had told an 

interviewer during a television 

programme, while the crises 

raged that the killing was 

reportedly being carried out by 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

OWERRI—IMO State Police 

Command has successfully 

nipped in the bud, what could 

have been the worst protest in 

the history of Owerri. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. 

Taiwo Lakanu, who was on a 

routine patrol, stumbled on the 

well attended meeting of the 

PEOPLE SPEAK 

their total and immediate 

repossession. 

“That the General Manager of 

Tourism Board should ensure that 

the subsequent awards of all 

contracts meet due process, strict 

contractual compliance and with 

the purpose as provided in their 

enabling laws. 

“The House hereby directs the 

ECTDA to demolish all illegal 

structures in the said Parks.” 

hoodlums (and not herdsmen) 

whom he said had been dealt 

with, during the crises, thus 

provoking wild criticisms. 

The commissioner who was 

immediately redeployed following 

his alleged poor handling of the 

crises, stressed that the Nigeria 

Police as presently constituted was 

a total rebranded one and alive to 

its responsibilities. 

According to him, it was wrong 

to have suggested that police 

officers deployed to protect the 

community prior to the Nimbo 

attack abdicated their duties. 

Ekechukwu, who is now the 

Commissioner of Police at the 

Nigerian Ports Authority, Port 

Harcourt admitted that they got 

intelligence information leading to 

the attack. 

....As Imo Police tackle Owerri protest 

leadership of Owerri elders, 

youths and women, at Oha 

Owerri Hall. 

It was also gathered that the 

participants were putting final 

touch to their planned protest 

against the demolition and 

relocation of their ancestral 

market, Eke Ukwu Owerri. 

Addressing the crowd, the CP 

pleaded with the leadership of 

Anambra 

gets order 

to supply 

N300m 

worth of rice 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

AWKA—ANAMBRA State 

has received order from 

some businessmen to supply 

them N300 million worth of 

rice, the state commissioner for 

Agriculture, Mechanization 

and Export, Mr. Afam 

Mbanefo has said. 

Mbanefo, who announced 

the development yesterday 

during the flag off of 

disbursement of inputs to 

FADAMA rice farmers in 

Awka said that with the 

development, rice farmers 

must endeavour to increase 

their yield, adding that the 

state government was 

prepared to give them the 

necessary support to achieve 

the desired objective. 

The input vouchers received 

by the farmers would cover 

fertilizer, chemicals, seeds, 

among other needs. 

About 2,270 farmers from 

over 100 clusters in various 

parts of the state received the 

disbursement, which was 50 

percent of the required input 

for the farming season. The 

affected farmers are expected 

to provide the balance of 50 

percent. 

Owerri community to sheathe their 

sword, promising that he would 

arrange a dialogue between the 

state government and Owerri 

people. 

Mr. Lakanu also told the 

aggrieved Owerri community that 

the planned protest, if allowed to 

go on, could be infiltrated by 

hoodlums. 

By Bartholomew Madukwe 

(08051019450) 

nwamad@yahoo.com 

Ithink I will be in support 

of any move to impeach 

Buhari because ever since 

he assumed office nothing 

have changed rather our 

suffering increased. After 

one year in office nothing 

achieved, all campaign 

promises failed. Mr Okafor 

Christian, Cameraman 

Should Buhari be impeached or not? 

If Buhari is impeached, 

you will be astonished by 

the unprecedented jubilation 

that will take place in 

the Northern region. The 

western region, through 

their party, will tell the entire 

world that they made a 

mistake in the 2015 election. 

Mr Chibuzor Ogbonna, 

Worker 

Those of us who voted 

Buhari are clamouring 

for his removal more than 

those who did not vote for 

him. If Buhari is impeached, 

I can bet that 

nothing will happen. His 

impeachment would be 

highly welcome. Mrs Ifeoma 

Ayambuba, Businesswoman 

The reason President 

Buhari cannot be impeached 

is simply because 

the north is overrepresented 

in the National 

Assembly, owing to 

the undue large number 

of states created by Arewa 

soldiers in northern 

Nigeria. Mr Femi Fos, 

Deejay 

In my view, I think the 

question is whether the 

President has done anything 

to warrant his impeachment? 

Cleaning up 

the big mess some politicians 

have brought this 

country to should not in 

any way call for his impeachment. 

Miss Rose 

Okonta, Student 

Who are those law 

makers calling for 

President Buhari’s impeachment, 

let such person 

come out openly and move 

the motion. Any lawmaker 

that says his or her hands 

are clean from corruption, 

Nigerians will know with 

time. Mrs Morayo Simeon, 

Housewife


Gov Bello condemns use of children as Almajiris 

By Wole Mosadomi 

M INNA—GOVERNOR 

Abubakar Sani Bello of 

Niger State has condemned 

increasing abandonment of 

children as beggars (Almajiris) 

by parents especially in the 

North under the guise of 

searching for Islamic 

knowledge and declared that 

his administration will no longer 

tolerate the act. 

The governor blamed the 

menace on parents who jettison 

their responsibilities of bringing 

up their children by sending 

them far away from home to seek 

Islamic knowledge without 

anything to support them. 

The governor spoke yesterday 

when the new State Comptroller 

of Nigerian Immigration Service, 

NIS, Mrs. Tamuno Virginia 

Oyedeji, visited him, in his office, 

noting that gone were the days 

when people went very far to seek 

Islamic knowledge. 

According to him, there were 

enough Muslim clerics across 

the region and it was callous 

and inhuman to send a child 

from remote areas to uban 

centers like Minna to acquire 

Islamic education. 

BOKO HARAM: 12 insurgents killed, 4 soldiers wounded in Borno 


ABUJA—THE Nigerian 

Army yesterday said its 

troops on Monday killed 12 

Boko Haram terrorists and 

rescued 22 hostages including 

women and children. 

Benue lawmakers pass vote of no 

confidence on Speaker 

By Peter Duru 

M 

A K U R D I — 

MEMBERS of the 

Benue State House of Assembly, 

yesterday, passed a vote of no 

confidence on the Speaker, Mr. 

Terkimbi Ikyange who they also 

asked to resign over the alleged 

N750million car purchase scam 

rocking House. 

Members, on the aegis of ‘the 

Consensus for Change’ took the 

decision on the heels of a rowdy 

session of the House which 

saw members engaged in a 

shouting match which forced 

the Speaker to personally 

moved for the adjournment of 

the day’s sitting. 

Trouble started when during 

the day’s sitting, Dr. Kester 

kyenge representing Logo State 

Constituency, raised a point of 

order, which was severally 

overruled by the Speaker. 

Dr. Kester insisted that Order 

8(4)(a) of the House Standing 

Rule, gave him the power to 

speak, but was equally dismissed 

leading to heated arguments 

among members and sudden 

adjournment of sitting. 

Governor Sani Bello, who 

described the development as 

unacceptable, lamented that 

these children were left uncatered 

for and insisted that the 

state government would do 

everything possible to protect 

such vulnerable children to 

ensure that they did not end up 

becoming a menace to the society. 

It said however, four of its 

soldiers sustained injuries, while 

many of the terrorists escaped 

with gunshot injuries in several 

clearance operations in Borno 

State. 

A statement from Army 

Headquarters detailing the 

Speaking on the matter, Dr. 

Kyenge said, “we have been 

compelled to passed a vote of no 

confidence on the Speaker 

because as legislators we feel 

culpable and guilty before our 

constituents over the approval we 

granted the Governor to excess 

the bailout funds for payment of 

salaries but many are yet to 

receive their pay. Secondly, the 

House has been enmeshed in a 

N750million car scandal and most 

of us were detained by the 

Economic and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, over 

something we knew nothing 

about and the Speaker has 

refused to clear the air. 

“There is also the issue of over 

N500 million allegedly found in 

the Speaker’s bank account which 

he has not made effort to clear till 

date. The same goes for the issue 

of N86 million meant for the 

procurement of biometric 

machines by the House, which 

has not been supplied. It is for 

these issues that we have 

unanimously passed a vote of no 

confidence on the Speaker and 

equally ask him to honourably 

resign his position.” 

He said: “We are also finetuning 

some laws in this regard 

with the hope that it would bring 

enduring solution to the problem. 

But in the main time, we have 

decided to send these child 

beggars on the street back to their 

parents.” 

The Governor said his 

administration would sustain the 

operations, said, “Troops of 7 

Division Strike Group Team B (7 

DSGB), attached to 21 Brigade, 

along with 4 Civilian JTF, carried 

out clearance operation of 

suspected remnants of Boko 

Haram terrorists in Warpaya, 

Zenteleye, Mubarka, Jadawa and 

Yerwa villages. During the 

operations, they encountered and 

engaged elements of Boko 

Haram terrorists in Jadawa and 

Yerwa in which they killed 7 

terrorists. Unfortunately 4 soldiers 

were wounded in action. The 

troops also recovered one 

Fabrique Nationale (FN) rifle with 

registration number ANT 015 (B/ 

B No 0058), 2 motorcycles and 2 

mobile phones. 

“As the operations continued, 

joint patrol with the NIS in the 

state and across its borders with 

Niger and Benin Republics to 

check illegal migrants. 

He called on officers of NIS to 

be vigilant and pay attention to 

entry points in the country, 

especially those returning 

pilgrims, to apprehend those who 

might sneak in illegally. 

FOR MANDELA: 

President, 

National Union of 

Textile, Garment & 

Tailoring Workers 

of Nigeria 

(NUTGTWN) 

Comrade john 

Adaji; Chairman 

of the occasion 

andformer 

governor of 

Kaduna State 

Alhaji Balarabe 

Musa and General 

Secretary, 

NUTGTWN 

Comrade Issa 

Aremu at the 2016 

Nelson Mandela 

Day lecture 

organised by the 

NUTGTWN in 

Kaduna. Photo by 

Olu Ajayi. 

the team also intercepted some of 

the Boko Haram terrorists with 75 

rustled cows and 25 stolen 

sheep. While returning to base, 

the team was ambushed by 

suspected elements of Boko 

Haram terrorists. But the troops 

rose to the occasion and 

successfully cleared the ambush. 

They also encountered serious 

hardship because of bugging 

down of vehicles occasioned by 

marshy terrain. 

“In a related development, 

troops of 114 Task Force Battalion 

of 28 Task Force Brigade, with 

some members of vigilante group, 

also carried out similar exercise 

at suspected Boko Haram 

terrorists hideouts at Mbale and 

Madube on Monday. 

Benue seals 400 schools over tax 

evasion 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI—BENUE 

State Board Internal 

Revenue Service, BIRS, has 

commenced a clampdown on 

and sealing of over 400 schools 

in the state for tax evasion. 

Chairman of the board, Mrs. 

Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, who 

yesterday led the exercise in 

Makurdi, Gboko and Konshisha 

local government areas, said the 

enforcement would be 

extended to banks, hospitals, 

pharmacies and other business 

outlets in the state. 

She explained that the board 

had earlier served three notices 

to the affected schools 

demanding the remittance of 

their taxes and levies but they 

failed to comply, compelling the 

board to obtain a court order to 

seal the premises of the schools 

involved. 

Mrs. Orubibi said the exercise 

was not a witch-hunt but a 

statutory responsibility of the 

board intended to serve as 

deterrent to those who willingly 

evade payment of taxes and levies 

in the state. 

Lamenting low responses to 

tax payment in the state, the 

BIRS Chairman said the 

clampdown was in accordance 

with the provisions of Section 104 

of the Personal Income Tax Act, 

2011 (as amended) and 

section 41(1),(3)&(4) of the 

Benue State Revenue 

Administration Law, 2015. 

Bauchi vows 

not to pay for 

poor jobs 

By Suzan Edeh 

B AUCHI—BAUCHI 

State Government, 

yesterday said it would not pay 

for poorly executed projects 

executed with public funds. 

Executive Chairman, Bauchi 

State Universal Basic 

Education Board, SUBEB, 

Professor Yahaya Yero, made 

the government’s position 

known, at the opening 

ceremony of bids for 2014 and 

2015 projects. 

“While we believe that the 

process of governance is a 

continuous one, we believe that 

every kobo spent from public 

purse must be accounted for. 

We shall not, therefore, pay for 

services and projects not 

rendered or poorly executed 

and it is our duty to put a stop 

to the trend of using 

government money for self 

enrichment. For every contract 

entered into in the name of 

SUBEB, we intend to strictly 

inspect and monitor execution 

to specifications,” He said. 

‘How FG can 

make millions 

from snail 

farming' 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

AN expert in snail 

breeding and Chief 

Executive Officer, CEO, 

Wolegate Global Resources 

Ltd, WGRL, Prince 

Adewole Adeyanju, has 

said the Federal 

Government stands the 

chance of making millions 

of foreign exchange as 

revenue if it explores 

available opportunities from 

snail farming. 

According to Adeyanju 

who spoke in Lagos, 

“Unfortunately, snail 

breeding is still at its lowest 

ebb in Nigeria because of 

the long period of rearing. 

The local snail takes an 

average of three years to be 

ready for harvest. This has 

discouraged a lot of 

farmers, many of who have 

abandoned it while a lot of 

prospective investors see it 

as a non-profitable venture. 

''In line with the Federal 

Government emphasis on 

using agriculture as the 

vehicle to drive the country 

out of its current economic 

downturn, WGRL has 

discovered a unique 

method that will wake up 

snail farming and make it 

lucrative and sustainable 

as a business venture in 

the country.''

36— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Enyimba must 

beat Zamalek 

in Egypt, says 

Ocheje 

ENYIMBA have earned no 

point in the group stage of 

the 2016 CAF Champions League 

after playing two games but 

goalkeeper, Moses Ocheje has 

insisted that the Elephants can 

still make it out of the group stage. 

Paul Aigbogun’s men sit at the 

base of group B with no point after 

a 1-0 home loss to Zamalek SC 

and a 2-1 loss to Mamelodi 

Sundowns in South Africa. 

“ It’s game on and I don’t think 

we are out yet. We didn’t start well 

but that doesn’t mean that we can’t 

make it out of the group. Did 

anyone gave us a chance against 

Etoile du Sahel?,” Ocheje said. 

“But because we believed in 

ourselves and trust God to see us 

through, we came back victorious. 

•Ocheje 

Hull City grab 

Odemwingie 

on trial 

Hull City full-back Moses 

Odubajo has been ruled 

out for up to six months with a 

knee ligament injury. 

The 22-year-old made 42 

Championship appearances last 

season as the Tigers won 

promotion back to the Premier 

League via the play-offs. 

The ex-Leyton Orient and 

Brentford defender suffered the 

injury in a pre-season friendly 

against Grimsby Town. 

Meanwhile, the club have 

confirmed they have taken former 

Stoke City forward Peter 

Odemwingie, 35, on trial. 

The Nigeria international is a 

free agent after being released by 

the Potters at the end of last 

season. He ended the campaign 

on loan at Championship side 

Bristol City after recovering from 

a long-term knee injury. 

•Odemwingie 

D’Tigers 

battle 

Argentina 

again 

After a revenge 96-92 victory over their 

Argentinian opponents in Monday’s first of 

two friendlies lined up as warm-up for the Rio 

Olympics next month, the senior national male 

basketball team, D’Tigers will today (Wednesday) 

in the same Las Vegas battle the South Americans 

in the second game. 

The high point of Monday’s victory was the 

return of D’Tigers big man, Ike Diogu, the team’s 

co-captain, who was denied action at last year’s 

Afrobasket in Tunisia due to injury, as he hit 18 

points with seven rebounds to his sterling 

performance. 

After trailing by three points in the first quarter 

at 24-27, the Diogu inspired team parading a 

rejuvenated Josh Akognon, who last appeared 

for the side in the 2009 Afrobasket, out-dunked 

the Argentines in the second quarter by five 

points, 50-45. 

D’Tigers took 35 shots from beyond the arc 

against their opponents and hit 15 of them, with 

seven of the 11 players that played knocking 

down three-pointers. 

Former UNLV guard, Michael Umeh, had a 

successful homecoming, playing for the D’Tigers 

as he scored nine points and he hopes to make 

the final shortlist when Nigeria face Team USA 

on Aug. 1 at the Toyota Center. 

“It’s another homecoming,” Umeh said after 

the game. “I feel like I’ve been playing well and 

this is a really good team. 

“We’ve got a lot of size and talent and I’m 

looking forward to going to Rio (de Janeiro) 

and experiencing the Olympics.” 

Man Utd drop Ibrahimovic 

from China tour 

Manchester United have left Zlatan 

Ibrahimovic, Anthony Martial, 

Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian 

Schweinsteiger and Marouane Fellaini out 

of their squad for a pre-season tour to 

China. 

The quintet have yet to join up with their 

team-mates following their Euro 2016 

exploits and will consequently miss the 

friendlies versus Borussia Dortmund on 

Friday and Manchester City on Monday. 

New arrivals Eric Bailly and Henrikh 

Mikhitaryan are both named in the 25-man 

squad, while Wayne Rooney, Marcus 

Rashford, Chris Smalling, Paddy McNair 

and David De Gea - all eliminated from 

Euro 2016 in the round of 16 - are 

travelling, too. 

Fit-again Luke Shaw has also been 

included, while promising defender Axel 

Tuanzebe makes the pre-season trip after 

impressing in the friendly win over Wigan. 

United take on Galatasaray on July 30 in 

Gothenburg after they return from China, 

while Rooney’s testimonial against 

Everton on August 3 and the Community 

Shield on August 7 will give Jose Mourinho 

more chances to assess his squad ahead of 

their Premier League opener against AFC 

Bournemouth on August 14. 

•D’Tigers’ Ben Uzoh (l) lifts high to block a shot from an Argentine in 

Monday’s 96-92 victory in Las Vegas 

•Ibrahimovic 

Stoke City bid £20m 

for Berahino 

Stoke City have made a 

£20million bid for West 

Bromwich Albion striker Saido 

Berahino. 

The offer is an increase on the £16m 

offered last month, and the 22-yearold 

is also a target for Crystal Palace 

after turning down the chance to sign 

a new four-year contract at the 

Hawthorns. 

Stoke boss Mark Hughes had his 

say on the move, revealing to Sky 

Sports News HQ that ‘he’s a player 

at another club so I don’t really want 

to comment too much but it’s fair to 

say we’ve put bids in that, as we stand, 

haven’t been accepted yet but we’re 

still hopeful on that one.’ 

Berahino only has one year left on 

contract but West Brom, who are 

continuing talks over a takeover, value 

him at £22million. 

Sportsmail revealed earlier in July 

however that Berahino is happy to 

stay at West Brom next season if his 

future isn’t finalised by the end of the 

July. The striker does not want to be 

involved in another saga and if he is 

not sold by the end of the month he 

will be fully focused on the season 

ahead. 

•Berahino


Guardiola 

shocks Iheanacho, drops 

him from China tour 

Kelechi Iheanacho has been 

left out of Manchester 

City’s provisional pre-season tour 

squad. 

City manager, Pep Guardiola, 

has named a 32-man travelling 

party for the tour to Germany and 

China and Iheanacho is 

conspicuously missing. 

But the squad list is subject to 

change due to visa applications. 

It is not yet clear of this latest 

development will open up an 

opportunity for Iheanacho to 

represent Nigeria at the 2016 

Olympics in Brazil. 

City blocked Nigeria’s attempts 

to include Iheanacho in their 

Olympic squad, with Guardiola 

insisting on the striker joining 

him for pre-season, rather than 

taking part in the Rio Games. 

training on 

Wednesday 

(today),’ said a 

source close to 

the player. 

“He is mightily 

relieved that he 

has finally moved 

overseas after all 

the controversies.” 

The Abia Warriors striker has 

signed a three-year contract after 

a long-drawn controversy 

surrounding the transfer. 

The 19-year-old will be given 

the chance to establish himself as 

Sergio Aguero’s understudy next 

season and the tour was going to 

be his chance to make an 

impression on City’s new 

manager. 

He could yet be added to the 

squad for the games against 

Manchester United and 

Borussia Dortmund in 

Beijing and Shenzhen. 

Aguero, David Silva, 

Joe Hart and Raheem 

Sterling are among 

those who will meet up 

with the squad in 

China. 

Iheanacho scored 

14 goals in all 

competitions for 

City last season. 

Chikatara starts training 

with Wydad today 

C hisom 

Chikatara 

has settled down 

quickly at Wydad 

Casablanca and 

will start training 

with the 

Moroccan club 

today. 

“Chikatara said 

he will start 

•Chikatara 

Chikatara arrived Morocco 

Sunday morning. 

The striker scored four goals at 

the CHAN in Rwanda earlier this 

year. 

R/Madrid confident 

of signing Gomes 

Real Madrid believe they will beat Manchester City 

and Inter Milan to the signature of Valencia and 

midfielder Andre Gomes. 

The Spanish giants are willing to pay •60million (£50m) 

for the 22-year-old, who was part of Portugal’s European 

Championship winning side in France, according to 

Marca. 

The Madrid paper’s headline read on Tuesday: ‘Andre 

Gomes, Madrid closer,’ above the sub-heading, ‘Madrid 

are confident of reducing the fee to •50m (£42m) fixed and 

•10m (£8.4m) more for objectives. Zidane wants him to 

relieve (Luka) Modric.’ 

Gomes would be Zidane’s first signing of the summer, 

excluding the recapture of Alvaro Morata from Juventus, 

and would boost a central midfield area already containing 

Toni Kroos, Modric and Casemiro. 

The honing in on Gomes comes with Zidane’s comments 

that his squad will be difficult to improve, cooling rumours 

that Real could rival Manchester United for Paul Pogba’s 

signature. Gomes played 30 times for Valencia last season, 

scoring three goals and also creating three as his side 

limped to a disappointing 12th-placed finish. 

•Iheanacho 

•Gomes 

•Costa 

Sissoko 

reiterates 

desire for EPL 

Newcastle United midfielder Moussa Sissoko 

has reiterated his desire to join a Premier 

League side after rating his performances for 

France at Euro 2016 as “10 out of 10”. 

The Magpies were relegated to the 

Championship last season and Sissoko has made 

no secret of his desire to leave St James’ Park, 

preferably to a top-flight team. 

Sissoko saw his stock rise with a series of 

impressive performances as hosts France reached 

the final of the Euros, where they were beaten 1- 

0 after extra time by Portugal. 

The likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham 

are all reportedly interested, while there is also 

speculation that Juventus, Borussia Dortmund 

and Napoli are keen to prise him away from 

England. 

Newcastle are reluctant to sell one of their prized 

assets and are said to be holding out for a fee of 

£35million, but Sissoko remains keen on an exit. 

“My priority is to stay in England even if I’m 

not against going to search for a new challenge 

elsewhere,” Sissoko told France Football 

magazine. 

THE unstable nature of 

Nigerian sports has 

reduced the nation’s global 

ranking to an all time low among 

the comity of sporting nations. 

This was the view of foremost 

sports philanthropist and 

business entrepreneur, Chief 

Michael Orobosa Ubogu, in a 

chat with the press. 

“Let’s begin with what is 

happening in our local sports, 

particularly football. There is 

commendable hype and 

publicity for our league today. 

But does it mean the standard has 

improved? 

“If you say Nigerian football 

league is improving, l would ask, 

how many players who went for 

trials abroad last year actually 

signed for clubs? And if a top 

scorer in the league goes out for 

Hands-off 

Costa, Chelsea 

warn Atletico 

Chelsea will issue a handsoff 

warning to Atletico 

Madrid over their links to Diego 

Costa, as new coach Antonio 

Conte is intent on keeping the 

forward at Stamford Bridge. 

The 27-year-old striker has been 

linked with a move back to the 

Spanish capital this summer and 

the Blues will speak with 

Atletico over their reported 

interest in their former star 

forward. 

Chelsea are understood to 

be angered by reports linking 

Costa to Spain and will again seek 

clarification over the transfer 

rumours. 

“Diego Costa is our player, he 

is a Chelsea player,” Conte said 

on Tuesday. “I spoke with him; 

he is a very important player. 

For me he is one of the best 

in the world. He can score a 

lot of goals for us. 

•Moussa 

Sissoko 

Nigeria sports need private 

partnership – Ubogu 

trials and couldn’t get signed to 

play even in Africa, it means 

something is fundamentally 

wrong, “Ubogu posited. 

Continuing, he commended the 

LMC for what he described as “its 

several innovative ideas” 

including the games on Friday. 

He went ahead to admonish the 

government and its agencies to 

lure and encourage private 

organisations to support and 

participate in sports in the 

country. 

“I remember in the days of yore, 

our sports and particularly, 

football, enjoyed immense 

support and contributions from 

companies such as Liver Brothers, 

Leventis, Nigerdock, Phillips, 

Nigerian Breweries and several 

others. " 

C 

M 

Y 

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*The 1989 earthquake at Loma Prieta in San Francisco, California, measured 6.9 on the Richter scale. Photo: Courtesy of NASA 

Marshall Space Flight Centre 

Nigeria: Looming danger 

of an earthquake 

All earthquakes and 

disasters are 

warnings; there’s 

too much corruption 

in the world – 

Aristotle, Greek 

philosopher/scientist 

movement creates an 

earthquake. It starts at a point 

inside Earth called the focus 

where the moving plates are in 

contact, then travels through the 

ground as very low-frequency 

sounds called shock waves 

or seismic waves. The greatest 

damage happens at a place 

called the epicenter, which is the 

point on Earth’s surface above the 

focus. Earthquakes continue until 

all the energy released at the 

focus has been safely dissipated. 

Even then, there’s still a chance 

that further earthquakes, known 

as aftershocks, will happen for 

some hours or even days 

afterward.” 

Determining intensity: 

“Earthquakes represent the most 

deadly natural hazard in the 

sense that not only do they cause 

extreme damage, but fatalities 

and injuries too. Over two 

million people have been killed 

this century alone by earthquakes 

and associated phenomena. A 

recent deadly earthquake of 7.8 

magnitude that struck Nepal on 

April 25, 2015 killed more than 

8,000 people and rendered 

hundreds of thousands homeless 

as poorly constructed buildings 

were levelled to the ground. 

Intensity and 

magnitude 

By Ebele Orakpo 

EARTHQUAKES: Prof. 

A l e x a n d e r 

Lar, PTDF Chair Professor in the 

Department of Geology, 

University of Jos defined an 

earthquake as the shaking or 

trembling of the earth caused by 

sudden release of energy usually 

along fault zones (i.e. where 

there are displacement of rocks 

along fractures). The more the 

energy released, the stronger the 

earthquake. 

An earthquake can generate a 

series of smaller shocks often 

referred to as aftershocks in 

response to the continuing 

readjustment of rock materials 

along the fault. Aftershocks cause 

immeasurable damage to 

structures that have already been 

weakened by the main shock (the 

earthquake). 

The focus of the earthquake is 

the point on the fault where 

motion/displacement begins (the 

earthquake source). The 

epicenter is the point on the 

earth’s surface directly above the 

focus. 

Causes of earthquake: 

“Several explanations are held 

by many cultures in the past as 

to what causes earthquakes. 

Some believe that earthquakes 

are as a result of divine retribution 

or the devil ripped open the crust 

(like in Mexico); some attribute 

it to movements of some kind of 

animal upon which the earth 

rested (e.g in Japan, Mongolia, 

China, India and South 

America). However, modern 

A Nigerian who witnessed the devastation caused by Hurricane 

Katrina in the US in 2005, readily agrees with Aristotle. He said 

while his American friends were lamenting, he thanked God that 

they could not find a way to blame the African continent for this 

natural disaster as they did with some diseases. He told them the 

hurricane passed through Africa peacefully but became violent 

once it entered the US because ’their sins were too many.’ 

Despite earthquakes in various parts of the world, Nigeria, nay 

Africa, has been so blessed as not to have experienced the 

trauma and devastation of earthquakes. With the level of 

insecurity, poverty and hunger, it would have been what Fela 

Anikulapo Kuti, the Afrobeat legend, called “double wahala for 

dead body” for Africa if earthquake is added to its plethora of 

woes. 

But, according to seismologists, Nigeria may well be on her way 

to experiencing an earthquake. May be, her sins have reached 

up to heaven? 

Following reports of persistent earth vibrations/tremors in Saki- 

West Local Government Area of Oyo State and recently in parts 

of Bayelsa and Rivers states as well as fears that drilling activities 

in the Niger-Delta, mining in parts of the country and borehole 

drilling in almost every home in Nigeria, may bring about 

earthquakes, Vanguard Features sought the opinions of experts 

in the field: 

science has provided answers to 

these beliefs now. Volcanic 

activity could cause earthquakes 

although not responsible for most 

large earthquakes,” said Lar. 

Explaining why earthquakes 

occur, Chris Woodford, a British 

science writer noted in Explain 

that stuff, that people often think 

the earth is a giant lump of rock, 

“but it’s more like a freshly boiled 

egg: there’s a hot, molten core 

bubbling away inside a thin outer 

crust. 

The countries we live in feel like 

they’re safely anchored on solid 

rocky foundations, but really 

they’re fixed to enormous rocky 

slabs called tectonic plates that 

can slide around on the molten 

rock beneath. Imagine living your 

life on an eggshell! 

“Earthquakes happen where 

the jagged edges of two tectonic 

plates grind against one another. 

Most earthquake activity 

happens in the middle of the 

oceans where plates are pushing 

apart on the floor of the sea. Some 

of the most violent earthquakes 

happen around the edges of a 

huge tectonic plate in the Pacific 

Ocean, forming an intense area 

of activity known as the Ring of 

Fire (because there are many 

active volcanoes there too).” 

In his contribution, Mr. 

Adegbite Olaseni, Relief Party 

Chief, United Geophysical 

Nigeria Ltd, said: “When molten 

magma moves, it shakes the 

ground so that fresh rocks can 

form. So you can see earth 

tremors in rocky areas. You 

experience earth tremors when 

molten magma wants to form 

rocks and we call it an outcrop (a 

rock formation that is visible on 

That Nigeria has 

experienced 

quite a number 

of earth tremors 

in ...recent times 

predisposes it to 

a major 

earthquake at 

any given time 

the surface.) When an outcrop 

wants to form, you see molten 

magma coming to the surface 

and that movement makes the 

ground to shake.” 

How earthquakes happen 

Woodford said: “Tectonic plates 

are constantly moving in 

incredibly slow motion and we 

don’t even notice most of the 

time. But once in a while, two 

grinding plates will suddenly jolt 

into a new position. The 

energy released by this 

“Geologists have come up with 

a means of determining the 

intensity (Qualitative 

assessment) and magnitude 

(qualitative measure) of the 

amount of energy released 

during the earthquake. The 

intensity is measured using a 

Modified Mercalli Intensity 

Scale (values from I to XII). And 

the magnitude is measured using 

the Richter Scale (values from 1 

– 10). The higher the value of 

these measurements, the higher 

the intensity/magnitude,” said 

Lar. 

Areas prone to earthquakes: 

Said Lar: “About 80% of 

earthquakes originate in the 

Circum-Pacific belt (a belt along 

the mountain chains in the 

western Americas from Cape 

Horn – Alaska). The next is the 

Mediterranean-Himalayan belt 

(from Gibraltar to Southeast Asia) 

where 15% of earthquakes 

originate. The remaining 5% are 

widely distributed along the Mid- 

Oceanic Ridges and elsewhere 

in the world. 

“Geologically, Nigeria is 

located in a so-called stable Pre- 

Cambrain–Paleozoic age 

Basement terrain believed to be 

seismically safe. However, 

records have shown that earth 

tremors (minor earthquakes) 

have occurred in Nigeria from 

1933-2016. Just recently, on 

Wednesday, June 28, 2016, an 

earth tremor was reported 

affecting parts of Medina, 

Balako, Salam-Salam, Dauru- 

Salam and Oke-Sire settlements 


C 

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Nigeria: Looming danger 

of an earthquake 


in Oyo State. An overview of 

these events would leave us with 

no other explanation than to 

question the previous assertion 

that Nigeria is seismically safe.” 

Nigeria’s Fault zones: “That 

Nigeria has experienced quite a 

number of earth tremors 

predisposes it to a major 

earthquake at any given time. 

What must have given rise to 

these earth tremors in Nigeria? 

We have mentioned previously 

that earthquakes result from the 

release of energy along faults 

(i.e. boundaries where plates 

converge, diverge and slide past 

each other). Thus, are there 

important fault systems (zones) 

in Nigeria? Yes,” noted Lar. 

He listed the fault zones in 

Nigeria to include “the NNE- 

SSW trending fault systems in 

Nigeria, a mega-lineament of 

about 250km long cutting across 

Ifewara, Zungeru, Anka and 

Kalangai linking up to the 

Atlantic Ocean fracture systems. 

It is a zone of concern. Thus, 

areas at the proximities of these 

fault systems (Pix 1) are at risk of 

earthquake/tremors. 

“The Lagos-Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode 

fault system is another belt where 

an earth tremor was witnessed 

in July and August 1984. These 

fault systems could serve as a 

zone of weakness for the 

propagation of shocks from far 

away plate boundaries. 

Volcanic 

eruptions 

“The Cretaceous Benue 

Sedimentary Basin and the 

adjacent Jos-Biu-Longuda 

plateaux. Volcanic eruptions and 

magmatic intrusions in these 

areas, some of which are known 

to have occurred along NNE- 

SSW Basement lineaments, 

could cause regional stress 

creating a zone of weakness 

where minor earth movements 

could be experienced resulting 

in earth tremors. 

Earth tremors have been 

associated with volcanic 

eruptions at Lake Nyos, 

Northern Cameroon repeatedly 

in the 1980’s and their impacts 

were felt several kilometers away 

in Nigeria (especially in areas 

around Yola- Numan and 

Katsina-Ala axis). 

“The coastline areas (Lagos- 

Port-Harcourt-Calabar axis) are 

zones of seismic risk because they 

lie along the African and South 

American plate boundaries. From 

records, these areas have 

recorded quite a number of earth 

tremors in the past. “From the 

Niger-Delta region cutting across 

the Benue trough are potential 

areas of seismic risks too and 

therefore need to be monitored.” 

Corroborating Lar’s assertions, 

Umar Afegbua, a seismologist at 

the Centre for Geodesy and 

Geodynamics, Toro, Bauchi State 

noted: “The prominent fault 

zones are the Ifewera-Zungure 

mega shear structure. Despite the 

fact that earthquake occurrence 

had been confirmed in Nigeria, 

their frequency of occurrence has 

not reached a disturbing 

proportion. Most tremors 

recorded or observed in Nigeria 

had their epicenters located on 

the basement complex in the 

country, especially, the South- 

West Nigeria. Prominent of the 

towns where tremors were felt or 

located, are Shagamu, 

Okitipupa, Ijebu-Ode, Ibadan, 

Lagos, Abeokuta, and recently in 

Shaki, in 2016. 

Nigeria not aseismic: “Thus, 

Nigeria may not be aseismic as 

previously thought, since these 

recorded cases of earth tremors 

have the potential to trigger major 

earthquakes in the future. Pix 2 

is a map of Nigeria showing 

areas where earth tremors have 

been recorded. Thus, more 

researches need to be carried out 

to understand what’s going on. 

Seismograph stations (where 

seismic waves are recorded) 

should be put in earthquake risk 

areas for monitoring purposes so 

as to reduce impact of an 

unsuspected major earthquake.” 

Afegbua also noted that 

earthquakes with small 

magnitudes (less 5.0), have been 

observed in Nigeria in the past 

70 years. “Most of the tremors 

are historical, that means, not 

instrumentally recorded. 

However, the 1984, 2000 and 

2009 earthquakes in Nigeria 

were recorded by seismographic 

stations. The 1984 and 2000 

tremors were recorded by 

international agencies, whose 

Despite the fact 

that earthquake 

occurrence had 

been confirmed 

in Nigeria, their 

frequency of 

occurrence has 

not reached a 

disturbing 

proportion 

seismic equipment are sited in 

some neighbouring West African 

countries. This was so because 

there were no operational 

seismographic stations in 

Nigeria. However, with the 

deployment of seismic stations (in 

Ile-Ife, Kaduna, Toro, Minna, 

Abakaliki, Awka and Nsukka), 

the 2009 tremor was recorded by 

three of the seismic stations (Ife, 

Kaduna and Nsukka), under the 

Nigerian National Network of 

*The Ifewara-Zungeru Fault system in Nigeria 

Seismographic Stations. 

“With these records of earth 

tremors or earthquakes, Nigeria 

cannot be said to be free from 

earthquakes as earlier believed 

by many, as Nigeria is very far 

from the nearest active tectonic 

plate boundary, the African 

tectonic plate,” he said. 

False alarm: Olaseni 

disagrees, saying that Nigeria is 

very safe. “Our area is a stable 

tectonic plate. It is a plate 

underneath the earth crust which 

causes earthquakes. Our own 

plate in Africa is stable. People 

are expressing fears probably 

because of what they perceive 

may bring about earthquake in 

Nigeria – oil exploration. When 

you take something out of the 

ground and you are not 

replacing it, thereby creating a 

void. It is not possible. It is false 

alarm. 

Density 

of water 

Once oil is removed from a 

place, oil companies do 

something to restore the land. 

They sometimes use water which 

takes the place of the oil removed. 

The density of water is higher 

than that of oil so oil will float on 

top and water will be below. So 

generally, Africa is a stable place; 

Nigeria is even safer despite 

exploration activities in the 

Niger-Delta. We are not in 

danger of earthquake,” he said. 

Shake vs quake: Reminded of 

the earth tremors Nigeria has 

experienced in recent times, 

Olaseni said: “It is a shake, not a 

quake. There is a difference 

between earthquake and earth 

tremor. 

The earth tremor experienced 

in Ibadan (it’s key to note that 

Ibadan is not even a place we 

explore for oil), so the tremor is 

as a result of movement of molten 

magma that forms rocks. When 

molten magma moves, it shakes 

the ground so that fresh rocks can 

form. 

It happens in Jos too so those 

are the areas you can see earth 

tremors because they are rocky 

areas. Earth tremor occurs where 

molten magma wants to form 

rocks and we call it an outcrop (a 

rock formation that is visible on 

the surface.) When an outcrop 

wants to form, you see molten 

magma coming to the surface 

and that movement makes the 

ground to shake. That is earth 

tremor not earthquake. It can’t 

get to quake level because if you 

have earthquake, the place is 

submerged; it goes down totally, 

15-20 feet and you see buildings 

collapsing and things falling 

inside.” 

Reducing 

impact 

Seismic hazard studies “Since 

it is not possible to prevent 

earthquakes as they are natural 

phenomena, the best approach 

is to adopt feasible measures to 

mitigate their impacts in case a 

damaging event occurs. Such 

measures include undertaking a 

robust seismic hazard studies in 

the regions where occurrence of 

earth tremors has assumed an 

alarming fraction, that is, the 

entire South-West Nigeria. 

The investigation could later be 

extended to other parts of the 

country. The studies would go a 

long way to assist in ascertaining 

areas and structures that are 

susceptible to damaging impacts 

from big earthquakes in Nigeria,” 

said Lar. 

Seismic building codes 

“Another point would be the 

immediate establishment, 

adoption and enforcement of 

seismic building codes for 

Nigeria, for the purpose of 

construction or engineering 

works.” 

Prediction of earthquakes Lar 

believes that a successful 

prediction of earthquakes will 

come to reality in future. “This is 

because despite the volume of 

information gathered by the 

Geologists about the causes of 

earthquakes, they have not been 

able to predict when exactly one 

will occur. 

Earthquake before it strikes, 

gives little or no warning and 

once it begins, little or nothing 

can be done to reduce the 

damage. The following disaster 

preparedness and prevention 

strategies need to be put in place 

preceding the earthquake: 

*Seismic hazard assessment 

maps can be produced from 

available information on previous 

tremors and the distribution of 

faults in the country. Such maps 

would indicate the likelihood and 

potential severity of future 

earthquakes based on the 

intensity/magnitude of previous 

recorded earth tremors in 

Nigeria. Thus, would be useful 

in anticipating future 

earthquakes and helping people 

plan for the event. 

*Those living in earthquakeprone 

areas must be sensitized 

on the geologic hazards of the 

areas where they live and work 

or are visiting. 

*Houses should be built in 

adherence to the conventional 

building code that can withstand 

shocks and prevent their falling 

apart and or breakages. 

*In a poorly built house, it may 

be better to leave before the 

earthquake with the 

understanding that earthquakes 

don’t kill, but it is the collapsing 

buildings due to the ground 

shaking that kill. 

*Avoid tall buildings, high 

tension power lines, bridges and 

falling debris if possible. 

*Provide for several days of 

food, water supply, batteries for 

radio/torch light, fire extinguisher 

etc. 

*Have a basic first aid kit and a 

working knowledge of first aid 

procedures,” advised Lar. 

Said Afegbua: “There have 

been no records of damages to 

property, or loss of lives in areas 

earthquakes had been felt in 

Nigeria. It is almost impossible 

to predict when, where and how 

earthquakes could occur in 

future, because they occur 

randomly in nature. So, if one 

takes the pattern, frequency and 

magnitudes of already recorded 

earthquakes into account, one 

could comfortably draw an 

inference. Nigeria won’t witness 

a damaging earthquake in the 

nearest future. Although, small 

magnitude earthquakes will 

continue to occur in the country, 

this is certain.” 

Conclusion: “There is no 

warning. One minute you’re 

happily walking down the street. 

The next minute the street seems 

to be walking all by itself! There’s 

a deafening, rumbling, roaring 

noise. 

Occurrences of 

earth tremors 

The buildings start to shake. 

Brick and glass rains down 

around you. A huge crack 

appears in the pavement. Fire 

hydrants burst open. Cars are 

crushed by falling masonry. 

People are screaming. It feels like 

the end of the world,” wrote 

Woodford. 

“Available records show that 

although Nigeria is not situated 

in a belt known to be active 

seismically, it may not be aseismic 

as reported hitherto. The 

occurrences of earth tremors over 

time are enough evidence that 

Nigeria is seismically unsafe. 

Earth tremors are pointers to the 

possibility of major earthquakes 

in the future and since little or 

no warning precedes 

earthquakes, more researches 

need to be done in Nigeria to 

gather enough relevant 

information on earthquake-prone 

areas in our bid to reducing the 

impact when it happens,” said 

Lar, adding: “Even if we do not 

live in areas prone to 

earthquakes, it is important that 

we know it is destructive and you 

might be a victim. The world is a 

global village and one would 

probably someday travel where 

there is a threat of earthquakes. 

It is therefore important that one 

knows about earthquakes so as 

to know what to do if caught in 

the event.” 

To be concluded

40—VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

•Mimiko 

By Dayo Johnson 

THOSE who had laid low 

waiting to read Governor 

Mimiko’s direction before 

proceeding with their 

governorship plans have now 

begun to show up irrespective 

of the recent speculation of an 

anointed candidate. 

The development has not 

surprisingly led to tension 

within the ruling Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP as those 

not supposedly positively 

positioned in the outgoing 

governor’s succession plans 

are now taking to bashing the 

party. 

The internal critics are 

especially miffed by the 

governor’s determination to 

pick his successor from the 

Central Senatorial District, the 

same district where he is from. 

Anointed 

candidate 

While the governor’s aides 

deny that there is an anointed 

candidate, the party in the state 

through its spokesman, Banji 

Okunomo also rose to douse 

the tension by denying the 

speculations about an anointed 

candidate. 

The expectation of many has 

been that the successor to the 

governor should be from either 

the North or the South, given 

that the outgoing is from 

Central. However, some affirm 

that given that all the three 

zones have taken a bite, the 

next governor could come from 

any of the three zones 

especially given that zoning 

has never applied in the 

allocation of the office. 

An aide to the incumbent had 

this to say “The picking of 

candidates by any party is 

always a deliberate attempt for 

victory. There is nothing to 

share in zero.” 

The registered number of 

voters and the percentage 

released by INEC showed that 

the central has 615;157 voters 

representing 39:78%, the North 

418,926 representing 27.10% 

while the South has 511998 

representing 33.12%. 

However, a quick perusal of 

the chances of some of the front 

runners would put paid to the 

issue of zoning/ rotation in the 

coming election. 

From all indications five of the 

aspirants in the ruling party are 

serious about their ambitions 

while others are just 

passengers seeking for 

relevance. The major 

contenders include include 

three commissioners, one 

former Director General 

National Sports Commission 

NSC, Gbenga Elegbeleye who 

is from the northern senatorial 

ONDO: 

Minding 

Mimiko’s 

body 

language 

AT last the body language of the Governor 

Olusegun Mimiko as to who would succeed him 

as governor of Ondo State is becoming 

discernible. And this is said to be generating some 

heat in the ruling party in the state barely five 

months to the governorship election 

district and a former 

commissioner for sport Alhaji 

Yekini Olanipekun also from 

the North. 

Three of the serving 

commissioners are alleged to be 

in the race and they include 

Sola Ebiseni from the South, 

who just resigned as 

Environment and Mineral 

Resources Commissioner to 

pursue his ambition, Eyitayo 

Jegede SAN presently the 

Attorney General and Justice 

Commissioner from the 

Central and the commissioner 

for Chieftaincy and Local 

government Affairs Bamiduro 

Dada from the North. 

The duo of Jegede and Dada 

are set to also resign ahead of 

the party’s primaries slated for 

early September this year. 

It is, however, clear that the 

battle for the ticket is between 

Ebiseni and Jegede who are 

about the most trusted and 

loyal lieutenants of the 

governor and Elegbeleye who 

seems to have a joker up his 

sleeves. 

Ebiseni has being in the 

saddle as commissioners with 

Mimiko for six years while 

Jegede has been there for 

nearly eight years 

Mimiko, it is claimed, is said 

to have found himself in a 

political dilemma of choosing 

between his two “boys”. But the 

pendulum is said to be 

swinging towards the Senior 

Advocate of Nigeria going by 

feelers from the party. 

Elegbeleye’s chances may 

have been challenged by the 

aspiration of Bamiduro and 

another former commissioner 

for Sports Alhaji Yekini 

Olanipekun who is equally 

very popular and a grassroot 

mobilize in the zone. If the 

party decides to pick a deputy 

from the north either 

Olanipekun or Elegbeleye 

would be a good choice. 

Others aspirants from the 

north include Senator Remi 

Okunrinboye, Dayo Fadahunsi 

and Prince Nekan Olateru 

Olagbegi amongst others. 

From all indications , the 

ruling party is not looking 

towards the north senatorial 

district because it’s 

performances in past elections 

in the zone were not 

impressive. 

Flag bearer 

and deputy 

The incumbent Deputy 

governor Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo 

hails from the area. The 

position of either the Speaker 

of the House of Assembly or 

Secretary to government may 

be ceded to the zone. 

Although the opposition APC 

in the state has denied zoning 

the governorship seat to the 

North where it is more popular, 

feelers from its leaders 

indicated that the zone will 

produce the party’s flag bearer. 

As it stands if the PDP picks 

it’s candidate from central and 

deputy from the south and the 

opposition goes to the North for 

its flag bearer and deputy from 

central, then the battle will be 

fierce. 

GRAZING RESERVES GAZETTE: 

Jang owes Plateau people apology — LONGYEN 

MR Mark Longyen is the Senior Special Assistant on Media 

and Publicity to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State. In 

this interview with Vanguard in Jos, he bares his mind on the 

recent altercations between Lalong and his predecessor, 

Senator Jonah Jang, stressing that Jang should apologise to 

the people of the state for approving a gazette in 2009 for the 

creation of grazing reserves and grazing routes in the state, 

among myriad issues. 

By Marie-Therese 

Nanlong 

RECENTLY, some groups in 

Plateau State protested the 

state government’s alleged 

adoption of the Grazing 

Reserves/Ranching Policy of the 

Federal Government. What is 

the true position of your 

government on the issues at 

stake? 

There is nothing like a grazing 

reserve policy either at the level 

of contemplation or 

implementation by the state 

government. What the state 

government keyed into was the 

Ranching Policy of the Federal 

Government, which was initiated 

by the Goodluck Jonathan 

administration. A Committee of 

former state governors earlier 

chaired by ex- Benue State 

Governor, Gabriel Suswam, had 

proposed Grazing Reserves or 

Ranches, but many opted for the 

latter. Incidentally, the time for 

its implementation fell under the 

Buhari administration. States 

were given the option of keying 

into either Grazing or Ranching 

•Longyen 

policy and Plateau State opted 

for Ranching. 

I think two things were 

responsible for the protests. One 

was pure ignorance about the 

content of the two distinct 

policies, while the other was 

sheer political mischief 

orchestrated by the Governor’s 

political opponents, who saw in 

the controversy the opportunity 

to score cheap political points by 

rubbishing the Lalong 

government and its decision to 

key into the policy. 

Socio-economic 

benefits 

They did not even take the pain 

to acquaint themselves with the 

content of the Policy and its attendant 

socio-economic benefits 

to the people. 

The Governor had only set up 

a 14-man committee chaired by 

a renowned professor of 

Agriculture and former Vice- 

Chancellor of the University of 

Continues on page 41

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016—41 

By Perez Brisibe 

WHEN Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa of Delta State blew 

the whistle that the state was 

challenged in the payment of the 

salaries of her civil servants, it 

came as a shocking to some. The 

statement was a further 

confirmation of claims by 


that 27 out of 36 states in the 

federation were having 

challenges paying salaries. 

Speaking during a 

stakeholders’ meeting at the 

Government Office Annex, 

Warri, the governor had said: 

“The larger Nigerian 

government has been in 

financial crisis over dwindling oil 

prices. Increased production 

would have helped cushion the 

impact, but instead, we are faced 

with the destruction of oil assets.” 

According to the governor, 

“Before now we received up to 

N20 billion monthly, but what we 

have now is so low. Last time we 

got N3.4 billion. Last month, 

what we received dropped to N3 

billion. We now get 1/7th of what 

we used to have.” 

The governor also disclosed 

that though he met a wage bill of 

N7.4 billion when he resumed 

office, with biometrics and 

rationalization, the wage bill has 

been trimmed to about 

N6.8billion. 

IGR to the 

rescue 

Given the situation, it was not 

surprising that the state had to 

resort to Internally Generated 

Revenue, IGR to make up for the 

excess.Pegging the IGR at about 

N3 billion, a member of the State 

Board of Internal Revenue, Barry 

Gbe said: “Right now we are 

getting N3 billion from IGR but 

that too, is being threatened as a 

result of the renewed activities 

of militants in parts of the state 

•Okowa 

on our major tax paying 

companies like Chevron and its 

sister companies. 

“If the IGR goes down the 

state would be in crisis. Right 

now we are doing N3 billion but 

it is threatened. Those on site are 

now the essential workers, so we 

still have the PAYE tax of those 

individuals but the moment it 

gets worse, they would also be 

withdrawn by their employers, 

and no location would pay tax to 

us”. 

Buhari describes situation as 

disgraceful 

President Buhari while 

speaking with State House 

workers who gathered at the 

forecourt of the Presidential Villa 

to welcome him back from his 

vacation last month, had 

lamented the situation. 

Delta State in September last 

year was among states that got 

bail-out funds from the 

government to enable it to pay 

workers salary amidst the 

financial crunch in the country. 

How Delta 

is adjusting 

to financial 

squeeze 

THE shortfall in oil receipts and 

threats to internally generated 

revenue from forced closures by 

oil producing companies is 

forcing the administration in 

Asaba towards cut saving 

measures. 

Already biometric profiling of 

civil servants has cut the state’s 

monthly wage bill by N600 

million 

How Delta spent 2015 bail-out 

funds 

Though the state had a total 

debt value accrued from Staff 

salaries and emoluments of 

N36,417,217,601.53 as at 

September 2015; 

N10,936,799,299.36 was granted 

as bailout fund for the state with 

a balance of N2,806,911,019.50. 

Giving details of how the fund 

was spent while debunking 

reports that the state government 

squandered the money, the state 

commissioner for information, 

Patrick Ukah said: “The sum of 

N806, 911,019.50 was used for 

the payment of primary school 

teachers’ salaries while N2 billion 

from the balance of N2, 

806,911,019.50 as at December 

31, 2015, was used to reduce the 

state’s liability to pensioners of 

the State Pension Bureau.” 

Govt resorts to staggered 

payment as an alternative 

Meanwhile, the state 

government has said it is opting 

for “staggered payment” of public 

officers in the light of the 

persisting economic challenges 

as an alternative to meet up with 

the upheavals of salary payment. 

Confirming the development to 

newsmen, the Senior Special 

Assistant to the state governor on 

Labour and International 

Relations, Mike Okeme 

explained that in the face of 

significant shortfalls in the state 

government’s receipt from the 

federation account, the 

government had to streamline its 

expenditure to tally with its 

income. 

Painful 

decision 

The payment of public officers, 

he said, falls under the activities 

of the government that had to be 

affected by the new development. 

Speaking on how the labour 

unions in the state would swallow 

the bitter pill, Okeme stated that 

the painful decision of the 

government had already been 

brought to the attention of the 

leadership of organised labour 

movement in the public sector, 

which had shown great 

understanding at the decision of 

the administration he held as 

workers’ friendly. 

Speaking further, he stressed 

that the strategy of staggered 

payment would be a transient 

resort that would be jettisoned as 

soon as the state’s earnings from 

the federation account and 

internal sources were sufficient 

to simultaneously meet all of the 

government’s monthly 

obligations to its employees. 

Jang owes Plateau people apology — LONGYEN 


Jos, Prof. Ochapa Onazi; and 

other experts like Professor 

Sharubutu, an expert in animal 

husbandry; Prof John Wade, an 

expert in fishery; Prof. CJ Dakas, 

SAN, among others with the 

mandate to meet with the 

Minister of Agriculture to get 

further details about the 

Ranching Policy prior to its implementation. 

Suddenly, like a bolt out of the 

blues, some people were instigated 

to protest against what they 

described as “Grazing Reserves 

Policy.” They did not and some 

still do not want to understand 

its component and the difference 

between Ranching and Grazing 

reserve. 

The second part was the handiwork 

of political mischief makers, 

who campaigned vigorously to 

rubbish the government through 

lies and falsehood in order to 

make political capital of the situation. 

When People hear of Grazing 

reserves what comes to their mind 

is Fulani herdsmen because Fulani 

herdsmen are known for 

grazing and so when they are 

deceived that the policy is for 

Grazing reserves they assume it 

is a policy that will lead to the 

government forcefully taking 

their lands away from them and 

giving them to the Fulani who 

would now graze on them. 

Now, following the committee’s 

report and wide consultations 

with traditional rulers, religious 

leaders, youth leaders, lawmakers 

at state level and National 

Assembly, etc, government is 

studying the report with a view 

to implementing the Ranching 

Policy, not Grazing Reserves. 

Funding 

support 

Ranching is completely different 

from Grazing reserves, as 

ranching entails getting a piece 

of land with funding support 

from both the Federal and state 

governments for those who are 

interested in caging their livestock. 

It does not necessary have to 

be cows, it can be goats, sheep, 

pigs, poultry and, perhaps, dogs 

in future and they will be taken 

care of through the provision of 

excellent facilities like veterinary 

services, security, dams for water, 

etc, with lots of attendant benefits. 

And this, you know, is part 

of the empowerment programmes 

found in the Five-Point 

Policy Thrust of the APC Government 

in the state, which the opposition 

do not want to hear. 

On the recent altercation between 

Governor Lalong and 

Senator Jang over the grazing 

policy and grazing reserves 

gazette allegedly approved by 

the Jang administration 

Whatever the Governor said, 

was based on the security report 

before him. An Executive 

Governor is not like an ordinary 

citizen on the street, he has a lot 

of security information at his 

disposal and for him to have 

pointedly accused his 

predecessor of being behind the 

protests, he must have gotten 

some credible security 

information for which he cannot 

be faulted. But even the timing 

of the protests, which commenced 

barely 24 hours after 

Jang released a statement which 

smacked of one who was not 

speaking from a well informed 

position, wantonly condemning 

the Policy, was very suspicious. 

A keen observer of what happened 

at that time will definitely 

point an accusing finger at the 

Senator, devoid of any security 

information. 

So, the Senator was a suspect 

based on the timing of the press 

release and the political leaning 

of those who championed the 

protests. He issued a statement, 

then the next day there were protests 

all over the state and they 

were clearly led by his political 

allies.

42—VANGU 

ANGUARD, ARD, WEDNESDAY, , JULY 20, 2016 

I no longer want her in my life 

Dear Bunmi. 

MY wife had been 

a c t i n g 

suspiciously 

when a tenant let me know 

that she was always in 

another neighbour’s flat 

whenever I was at work. I 

arranged for this man to 

phone me when next she 

visited this neighbour. When 

he did, I rushed back to the 

house since my office was 

near-by and went to the 

neighbour’s flat. They must 

have been really desperate for 

it as his door wasn’t locked 

and there they were, having 

sex on the couch! I was so 

angry I ended up having a 

punch up with him. I’ve since 

sent my adulterous wife 

packing. I was told she’d been 

cheating on me with lots of 

other men. I feel gutted. I 

know the two boys of the 

marriage are mine because 

they’re my spitting image. 

But I want a divorce. Do I 

need to trace these men so I 

could use their evidence in 

my divorce case? 

Babu,by e-mail 

Dear Babu, 

Save yourself the 

unnecessary hassle of tracing 

anybody. Anything you didn’t 

know about isn’t going to help 

explain what your wife did 

and why you ended up being 

violent with this other man. As 

your lawyer would have told 

you, the court takes a lenient 

Could he use Viagra at 75? 

Dear Bunmi, 

Iused to enjoy sex with 

my husband of almost 

50 years until recently 

when he has trouble 

getting an erection. Sex 

before then used to be 

maybe once a month and it 

brought us enough 

satisfaction. 

Do you think Viagra 

Why is sex painful all of a sudden? 

Dear Bunmi, 

FOR a couple of years, 

my boyfriend and I 

have always had a great 

sex life. Recently, though 

it’s become really painful 

for me. Now I’m seldom in 

the mood for sex as I know 

could give our sex life a 

boost? He’s now 75 years 

old. 

Mariam, by e-mail. 

Dear Mariam, 

It’s certainly cheering 

news that you have an 

active sex life at your age, 

enough to help your 

husband find a helping 

that when he enters me it 

will hurt. I’ve been very 

stressed lately because of 

some emotional issues I 

have to deal with. Could 

this be causing my 

problem? 

Adaora,by e-mail 

If intercourse suddenly starts to 

hurt, it’s likely to be from physical 

causes though psychology can also 

play an important part. You need to 

see your doctor for a check-up to rule 

out any physical problems. It’s quite 

possible you have a vaginal infection. 

If your doctor discovers this then 

your partner might also have to get 

checked out by his doctor. Dryness 

can also cause painful sex, so 

concentrate on plenty of fore-play 

view on crimes of passion. 

They’ll understand that you 

were in a stressful position. 

You’ve obviously had enough 

to your wife’s philandering 

and the fact that she cheated 

more than once could be 

useful. As things are, you’ve 

probably got enough evidence 

already - you did catch her 

in the act! 

...the court takes a lenient view on 

crimes of passion. They’ll understand 

that you were in a stressful position. 

You’ve obviously had enough to your 

wife’s philandering and the fact that 

she cheated more than once could be 

useful. As things are, you’ve probably 

got enough evidence already - you did 

catch her in the act! 

hand! There’s no reason 

why he shouldn’t take 

Viagra, provided he 

doesn’t suffer problems like 

severe heart disease, and 

isn’t taking some types of 

heart tablets. Your husband 

should ask his doctor and 

with any luck, he’ll soon 

have that gleam back in his 

eyes! 

Dear Adaora, 

If intercourse suddenly 

starts to hurt, it’s likely to 

be from physical causes 

though psychology can 

also play an important 

part. You need to see your 

doctor for a check-up to 

rule out any physical 

problems. It’s quite 

possible you have a 

vaginal infection. If your 

doctor discovers this then 

your partner might also 

have to get checked out by 

his doctor. Dryness can also 

cause painful sex, so 

concentrate on plenty of 

fore-play and use a 

lubricant, such as KY. As 

you rightly suspected, sex 

may be making you tense. 

If so, take time to relax 

before sex. Lastly, you need 

to sort out any relationship 

issues that could be 

causing you to resist lovemaking, 

so sort any 

problems now. 

My 15- yr-old could be having 

sex 

Dear Bunmi, 

I 

have a 15-year-old 

daughter who I strongly 

suspect of having sex. She 

has a few friends she goes out 

with and some of them are 

boys. But she’s particularly 

fond of a 20-year-old guy who 

she visits from time to time. I 

know I would worsen the 

situation if I asked her to stop 

seeing this boy. But how can 

I know for sure if she’s having 

sex? 

Juan, by e-mail. 

Dear Juan, 

I suppose you’ve asked her 

and she’s naturally denied it. 

Your best bet is to check her 

room. Impressionable teens 

always doodle on bits of paper 

and at her age she won’t be 

able to stop herself noting 

down significant events with 

him in her diary. But what 

happens if what your 

suspicion turns out to be true? 

I would tread softly if I were 

you. At 15, your daughter is 

at a rebellious stage and what 

you could do is give her as 

much counselling as you 

could. Also let her know 

you’re on her side and will 

always be there if anything 

goes wrong. 

I can take better care of her 

Dear Bunmi, 

I 

am currently in love 

with a woman who is 

unhappily married. All she 

talks about is how bad and 

disrespectful her husband 

is towards her, but 

although she keeps on 

assuring me she would 

leave him she’s too 

concerned about what her 

parents and friends would 

think of her if she did. 

Lately though, she’s 

started to feel guilty about 

seeing me even though she 

tells me she still loves me. 

I believe we could be 

happy together, so why 

won’t she think of her own 

happiness for a change? 

She has only one child for 

this brute. Help! 

Dokun, by e-mail 

Dear Dokun 

Ending even a bad 

marriage requires a lot of 

strength and I have a feeling 

your lover lacks the 

confidence to turn her back on 

her family. Now she’s having 

doubts about the relationship, 

you need to give her time to 

really make up her mind on 

what she really wants. If 

possible, encourage her to 

seek counselling and maybe 

sound off her parents on what 

they feel about her marriage. 

If they resent the abuse, they 

might not be that aversed to 

her making a new life for 

herself. Only, you need to give 

her time alone to think. If she 

hasn’t made up her mind to 

leave her husband in say a 

month’s time, chances are 

she never will. It’ll then be 

best to end it and move on. 

He can’t stand my male friend 

Dear Bunmi, 

WHEN I met my current 

husband, he knew I 

was close friends with a male 

colleague and he wasn’t 

worried about this. He’d even 

met him a few times. Now 

we’re married, however, he 

accused me of having an affair 

with him. I’m not, but now 

he’s pushing me to meet my 

friend in secret and I don’t 

want to. 

Eunice, by e-mail. 

Dear Eunice, 

Marriage changes things for 

a lot of people. For your 

husband, it means he doesn’t 

expect you to spend time with 

male friends. The fact that 

you are doing just that makes 

him think there’s more to this 

than meets the eye. Could he 

be right? This friend must be 

very important to you if you’re 

lying to your husband to keep 

seeing him. 

Marriage changes things for a lot of 

people. For your husband, it means he 

doesn’t expect you to spend time with male 

friends. The fact that you are doing just that 

makes him think there’s more to this than 

meets the eye. 

Share your problems and release 

your burden. Write now to 

Dear Bunmi, 

Vanguard Newspapers, 

P.M.B 1007, Apapa, Lagos, or 

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk

VANGUARD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016—43 

Why we patronise commercial 

sex workers — Robbery suspect 

FOR some time now, traders at the popular Mushin market in 

Lagos state have suffered untold pains ät the hands of 

burglars who broke into their shops at ungodly hours, 

carted away cash in the shops and goods worth several 

millions of naira. 

Crime Alert gathered that these burglars usually visited with 

trucks used in loading the stolen goods which were sold at give 

away prices to ready buyers. The goods which ranged from 

household appliances, clothings, foot wears and baby range of 

products are usually taken as far as Onitsha market, Anambra 

state and the popular Aba market in Abia State. 

By Evelyn Usman 

TRADERS complain 

Worried by the spate of 

these attacks, the traders lodged 

complaints to the Police at 

Mushin, consequent upon which 

strategic measures were put in 

place to curb the alarming 

menace. The strategy paid off 

following the arrest of three 

suspected members of one of the 

robbery gangs that specialized in 

the act. They were arrested while 

trying to break into one of the 

shops last week. 

No regrets: When approached, 

one of the suspects who identified 

himself as Ifeanyi Okolie, showed 

no sign of remorse. He blamed 

his indulgence on what he 

described as ‘the harsh economic 

situation in Nigeria’. 

Okolie, was paraded at the 

Lagos State Police headquarters 

alongside other 45 robbery 

•The suspect... Akachukwu 

suspects that have been terrorizing 

the state. 

According to him, members of 

his gang usually retired to hotels 

at the end of any successful 

operation where the loot is 

squandered on commercial sex 

workers and expensive clothes. 

He told Crime Alert that robbers 

usually settled for commercial sex 

workers in order to avoid selling 

out their true identities. 

How I was lured into robbery 

His words: “My friend, 

•Recovered house breaking 

implements 

By Ugochukwu Alaribe, 

Aba 

A 

MAN identified as 

Akachukwu Mba, who 

has been deceiving 

unsuspecting members of the 

public claiming to be a 

lawyer has revealed how he 

visits Police stations to release 

suspects in Aba, Abia State. 

Akachukwu who was 

paraded by the Abia State 

Commissioner of Police, Besan 

Gwana, in Aba, was nabbed by 

the Police while pretending 

to be a lawyer to effect the 

release of a suspect. Crime 

Alert gathered that 

Akachukwu, who uses the 

name, ’Barrister Mbaka’ was 

arrested at Ohuru Isimiri 

Police Division when he posed 

as a lawyer to release a 

suspect in a matter 

undergoing investigation. 

Interrogation: On 

Chukwuemeka lured me into 

robbery. I saw him dolling out 

money to some friends at a beer 

parlour last year. 

We all call him big boy because 

he could pay as much as N30, 000 

to N50, 000 for drinks at a sitting. 

When I went to him to show me 

the way, he told me what he was 

into but said he had never killed 

anybody. I decided to join him 

because of hardship. 

Harsh 

condition 

If not for the harsh condition, I 

would not be standing here today. 

I want the Federal Government to 

come to the aid of idle youths by 

providing us work to do to earn a 

living just as it is being done 

elsewhere in the world. 

We go for cash only: “If I can 

get something to keep me busy, I 

won’t go into robbery. The first 

Fake lawyer in police net 

interrogation, two identity 

cards where he claimed to be 

a chief litigation officer and 

another bearing member of 

I charge between 

N5, 000 to N10, 

000 to bail a 

suspect depending 

on the weight of the 

offence on which 

the person was 

detained. I collect 

my share and settle 

the Police 

Taskforce of Aba North Council 

were found on him while 

counterfeit currency papers in 

N1, 000 and N500 

time I went with them, we 

burgled a tile’s shop. 

We do not steal 

goods because 

one will 

easily 

b e 

arrested. 

What 

we do 

is to go 

for the 

cash. 

Traders 

usually 

keep 

cash in 

their 

shops. 

They 

have an 

inbuilt 

safe in 

their 

s h o p 

where 

they keep 

money. At 

the end of 

the first 

operation, three 

of us got N550, 000 

each. The gang 

leader got the 

largest share. 

Out of my 

share, I bought 

a fairly used car 

for N200, 000. I 

bought some 

new clothes and 

kept the rest at 

Motilado hotel 

in Isolo,” he 

stated. 

denominations, deeds of 

agreements and letter- headed 

paper of Aba North Council, 

were recovered when police 

conducted a search on his 

home. 

He is believed to have used 

the letter- headed papers and 

deeds of agreement to defraud 

people who engaged his 

services without knowing that 

he is a fake lawyer. 

Suspect 

opens up 

In an interview with Crime 

Alert, Akachukwu, said; “I’m 

not a lawyer, but I work in a 

lawyer’s office. For a long 

time, I have been going from 

one Police Station to the other 

in Aba to bail suspects. 

"I charge between N5, 000 

and N10, 000 to bail a suspect 

depending on the weight of 

•The suspect...Okolie 

the offence on which the 

person was detained. I collect 

my share and settle the Police.” 

On the counterfeit currency 

notes recovered from his 

house, the suspect confessed 

to have procured it to print 

money in N1, 000 and N500 

denominations. 

Why I pose as lawyer: “The 

lawyer I work for at Howell 

Crescent, Aba, doesn’t pay me. 

This is why I am engaged in 

these acts to help myself. I 

bought the counterfeit 

currency notes from a man who 

imports them, but he is late 

now. 

I bought it with the money I 

made from the ‘lawyer’ work. 

Out of the N10, 000, I was paid 

for bailing a suspect, N3, 000 

was counterfeit. So, I was yet 

to work on the papers to 

produce money before I was 

arrested,” he said.


Trump's wife accused of plagiarising 

Michelle Obama’s speech 

DONALD 

Trump’s 

wife, Melania, took 

centre stage on the first day 

of the Republican National 

Convention but faced 

accusations that a portion 

of her speech plagiarised 

Michelle Obama. 

Her speech, which 

brought the convention to 

its feet, had themes of 

inclusivity, honesty and 

hard work. 

Commentators noticed 

similarities with Mrs 

Obama’s 2008 convention 

speech. 

But Mr Trump’s team 

said Mrs Trump used 

“common words” and 

blamed Hillary Clinton 

for the row. “There’s no 

cribbing of Michelle 

Obama’s speech,” said 

Paul Manafort, Mr 

Trump’s campaign 

manager. 

“I mean, this is, once 

again, an example of 

when a woman threatens 

Hillary Clinton, how she 

seeks out to demean her 

and take her down,’’ he 

added. 

It was Mrs Trump’s first 

speech of the campaign 

and she had the help of a 

speechwriting team. 

Republican National 

Committee Chairman said he 

did not blame Mrs Trump, but 

added he would “probably” 

fire the speechwriter over the 

controversy. 

Earlier, Mr Trump’s 

communications adviser Jason 

Miller issued a statement 

saying a “team of writers” used 

her life’s “inspirations” as 

source material. 

Meanwhile Mr Trump 

himself described her 

speech as “absolutely 

incredible”. 

The Slovenian-born former 

model had used the speech to 

portray her husband as a 

tough but compassionate 

unifying force. 

•Melania Trump kisses her husband, Donald after she spoke yesterday, the 

first day of Republican National Convention. 

FAILED COUP: We’ve provided US evidence 

of cleric’s involvement—Turkey 

TURKISH 

Prime 

Minister Binali Yildirim 

warned that further 

“criminal activity will be 

forcefully dealt with”, and 

announced that the United 

States has been given 

evidence of the involvement 

of exiled opposition leader 

Fethullah Gulen in the 

failed coup. 

In an address on Tuesday 

before members of his party 

in parliament, Yildirim 

Court to hear Brexit challenge 

in October 

A 

legal challenge over 

the UK leaving the EU 

will be heard by the High 

Court in October, two 

judges have decided. 

A number of actions have 

been launched attempting 

to prevent the government 

from formally triggering 

Brexit without Parliament’s 

authorisation. 

During the opening 

hearing, government 

lawyers told the High 

Court Prime Minister 

Theresa May did not 

intend to trigger Article 50 

of the Lisbon Treaty before 

the end of 2016. 

A hearing in October will 

allow time for a possible 

appeal to be completed 

before the government 

seeks to leave the EU in line 

with the 23 June 

referendum result, the 

court heard. 

The hearing will take 

place over two to three 

days. 

Government lawyers are 

expected to argue that the 

prime minister can use 

historic Royal Prerogative 

powers to start the process 

of withdrawing from the 

EU, a course the 

challengers say is 

unlawful.. 

The judges heard that one 

of the law firms involved, 

Mishcon de Reya, had 

received letters of abuse 

which led to potential 

clients who had wanted to 

join the action withdrawing 

their names. 

denounced the “despicable” 

and “cowardly” coup 

plotters, whom he said 

were being “directed by a 

cleric” from abroad, 

referring to Gulen. 

“The power of the tank 

has not been able to 

overcome the power of the 

people,” he said, adding 

that all those involved in the 

coup will be “severely 

punished”. 

Yildirim did not say 

whether the evidence 

provided by the Turkish 

government to the US 

constitutes a formal 

extradition request. 

Ankara had earlier 

demanded Washington 

hand Gulen over to Turkish 

authorities, though US 

officials said that no official 

request for extradition had 

been submitted. 

Brazilian judge blocks 

WhatsApp again 

FOR the third time, a 

Brazilian judge has 

blocked nationwide access 

to the messaging service 

WhatsApp, say Brazilian 

media. 

The move comes after the 

application failed to hand 

over information requested 

in a criminal investigation. 

WhatsApp also faces fines 

of 50,000 reais (£11,700; 

$15,300) per day until it 

complies with the judicial 

order. Facebook, which 

owns the application - 

enormously popular in 

Brazil - says it does not store 

conversation archives. 

The most recent blockage 

happened in May, and 

forced 100 million people to 

turn to alternative services 

- a huge proportion of the 

internet-using population 

in a country with some of 

the world’s highest mobile 

phone charges. 

AU approves regional force for South 

Sudan 

AFRICAN leaders have 

backed plans to deploy 

regional troops to South 

Sudan after recent fighting 

between rival forces left 

hundreds of people dead. 

Soldiers for the African 

Union (AU) force are to 

come from Ethiopia, Kenya, 

Rwanda, Sudan and 

Uganda. 

A 12,000-strong UN 

peacekeeping force is 

already in the country, but 

the AU force would have a 

stronger mandate, officials 

say. South Sudan’s government 

says it is opposed the 

deployment of the force. 

“We are not ready for a 

deployment of even a single 

additional soldier,” South 

Sudan’s Information 

Minister, Michael Makuei 

Lueth, told the BBC’s Focus 

on Africa radio programme. 

“That does not solve the 

problem.” 

President Salva Kiir and 

his rival, Vice-President 

Riek Machar, announced a 

ceasefire last week. 

Clashes over several 

days between troops loyal 

to the two men had 

threatened a recent peace 

deal. “The UN doesn’t 

have the mandate to impose 

peace,” the AFP news 

agency quoted AU Peace 

and Security Commissioner 

Smail Chergui as saying at 

the AU summit in Rwanda’s 

capital, Kigali. 

“They are there where 

there is peace to keep. 

African troops are ready to 

engage in very difficult 

situations.” 

…editor detained for criticising leaders 

A 

South Sudanese 

newsp-aper editor has 

been arrested for writing 

articles that criticised the 

country’s leaders over a 

flare-up in violence earlier 

this month, a colleague said 

on Tuesday after meeting 

security officials. 

Alfred Taban, founder and 

editor of the privately run 

Juba Monitor, was detained 

on Saturday, drawing calls 

from journalists’ and rights 

groups for his release. 

“They arrested Alfred 

because of the two articles 

of 15th and 16th July in his 

column,” Oliver Modi, 

South Sudan Chairperson 

of the Union of Journalists, 

told Reuters. 

He quoted security 

officials as saying that 

“Alfred will be taken to the 

court, and let the court at 

the end of the day tell us 

who is guilty or who is not 

guilty”. He said it was not 

clear when the court 

hearing would take place. 

In the articles, Taban said 

President Salva Kiir and his 

deputy Riek Machar had 

been unable or unwilling 

to control their troops in the 

latest spasm of violence, in 

which at least 272 people 

were killed. 

The fighting erupted on 

July 7 in the capital Juba 

between followers of Kiir 

and Machar, a former rebel 

leader who became vice 

president under a deal to 

end a two-year civil war. 

Journalist rights groups 

Reporters Without Borders 

(RSF) and the Committee 

to Protect Journalists, as 

well as Amnesty 

International, have called 

for Taban’s release. 

Nigerian journalist wins BBC World News 

Komla Dumor award 

A 

Nigerian journalist 

has won the 

second BBC World News 

Komla Dumor Award. 

Didi Akinyelure is a 

prime-time news anchor in 

Nigeria and presents 

business news for CNBC, 

which broadcasts across the 

continent. 

She will start a threemonth 

placement at the 

BBC in London in 

September. 

The award was established 

to honour Komla 

Dumor, a presenter for BBC 

World News, who died 

suddenly aged 41 in 2014. 

Ms Akinyelure said Mr 

Dumor was someone she 

admired. 

“He told the African story 

with so much passion for 

the continent, giving a 

balanced view and 

inspiring so many.” 

One of the judges who 

selected Ms Akinyelure, 

BBC Africa’s Josephine 

Hazeley, said Ms 

Akinyelure particularly 

excelled in telling business 

stories, “which was an area 

Komla was also passionate 

about”. The first Komla 

Dumor Award was won by 

Ugandan news anchor 

Nancy Kacungira. 

UK–based Africa Secretariat mobilises 

against unemployment in Nigeria 

TO address the alarming 

unemployment rate in 

Nigeria, two leading 

organisations, the African 

Secretariat and African 

Natural Rulers, have put 

together a competition 

aimed at taking 60 million 

Nigerians out of the labour 

market. 

Tagged:N1 million Raw 

Materials Development 

Competition, the 

programme seeks to identify 

20 raw materials development 

ideas capable of 

generating the highest 

level of employment and 

development for host 

communities. 

Though this may sound 

novel, the organizers are 

confident that the project 

would largely cushion the 

effects of high cost of goods 

and services in the country’s 

as well as other social 

•Oguntala, 

dislocations currently 

obtainable in Nigeria. 

Providing an insight, Mr. 

Ben Oguntala, who is the 

African-in-Chief of the African 

Secretariat, said anyone 

interested in the event needs 

to identify some raw materials 

in his community as well as 

well international markets for 

the materials. 

•Akinyelure 

He said: “Each project has 

to start with self-generating 

capital through the sale of raw 

materials to the international 

suppliers and have a plan for 

using the capital generated 

from the sale to create the end 

product locally in Africa. 

“Another step to be taken is 

that anyone entering the 

competition needs to identify 

five raw materials in his rural 

community and identify an 

international supplier or 

market that will be interested 

in the five raw materials and 

how the raw materials can 

benefit them. “He also has to 

define how many of the raw 

materials can be supplied to 

the supplier, state how many 

employment opportunities will 

be created from his plan and 

how he should also state how 

many community 

development initiatives will be 

started by the plan.''

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY JULY 20, 2016—45 

45 

Top 10 patient safety issues in 2016, 

Nigerians beware 

HERE'S 

Becker's 

(Becker's Hospital 

Review) Infection Control 

& Clinical Quality 

editorial team 10 patient 

safety issues for providers 

to consider in 2016. 

Medication errors 

These are one of the 

most common types of 

inpatient errors, as nearly 

5 percent of hospitalized 

patients are affected by 

adverse drug events 

annually, both inpatients 

and during surgeries. 

Mistakes in labeling, 

incorrect dosage, 

neglecting to treat a 

problem indicated by a 

Hospital facility safety 

Building or maintenance 

problems can seriously 

compromise safety in 

health facilities. 

Environmental hazards 

abound in many hospitals 

in Nigeria putting patients 

and staff at risk of injury or 

disease. Healthcare 

doctor@lagospainclinic.com 

facilities in Nigeria are very 

insecure; compared with 

banks! Cases of thieves and 

armed robbers abound. 

Government should unite 

several organizations from 

the healthcare, construction 

and engineering industries 

to create uniform 

guidelines for the heating, 

patient could be YOU. 

The resulting risk of 

infection remains at the 

top of 2016s Top 10 Health 

Technology Hazards list. 

Infection 

One million cases of 

sepsis occur each year, 

and up to half of people 

who get sepsis will die, 

making it the ninth 

leading cause of diseaserelated 

deaths. 

"Super" superbugs 

Superbugs — are 

bacteria that cannot be 

treated using two or more 

antibiotics. They continue 

to pose a threat to 

patients, and they appear 

to be getting stronger. 

Researchers in China 

have published data on a 

bacteria found in pigs, 

broiler chickens and 

humans that contains a 

gene that makes it 

resistant to all forms of 

antibiotics, including "last 

resort" drugs used to beat 

the toughest antimicrobial 

resistant bugs. 

Guidelines and 

protocols for antibiotic use 

is urgently needed in 

Nigeria. 

Natural Fertility 

Natural Fertility 

with BRIDGET OSHO 

Holistic Fertility Therapist 

babies@cheriemama.org 

Four reasons your 

job could be 

1 

preventing you from 

conceiving 

YOU have worked hard to build yourself a good 

career, now it is time to start a family but however 

hard you try and no matter how many medical options 

you try, you are still struggling to conceive. There is 

a possibility that your job might be making conception 

more difficult. Here are four possible reasons why: 

1. You are under enormous stress: Some stress is ok 

even beneficial because it keeps you on your toes 

and helps you achieve your goals. But when you are 

constantly trying to make deadlines, studying for 

professional exams, trying to get that promotion, you 

might be under constant stress which has been shown 

to reduce the chances of conception. 

2. You are not eating fertility rich foods: Because 

you are rushing off to work in the morning, you might 

skip breakfast or pick something in a hurry. You could 

also be doing that for lunch or eating the lunch 

provided by your company. Even when you are eating 

healthy foods, they might not be suitable for a woman 

trying to conceive. There is such thing as a 

patient's vital signs, and 

documentation errors 

were the medication 

errors that occurred most 

frequently. 

Diagnostic errors 

Last year, diagnostic 

errors accounted for 6 to 17 

percent of hospital adverse 

events and roughly 10 

percent of patient deaths, 

indicating definite room for 

improvement in this space. 

Among the solutions 

proffered was : "fostering 

teamwork between and 

among healthcare 

providers" - a major issue 

in Nigeria! 

Discharge practices 

Hospital discharge can 

be a critical moment in a 

patient's care. A study from 

the early 2000s found 

nearly 20 percent of 

patients experience an 

adverse event within three 

weeks of discharge, and 

many of those events could 

be prevented. 

Workplace safety 

It is hospitals' duties to 

keep patients, and staff, 

safe. 

While many 

offices in the 

hospital are ice 

cold with air 

conditioning, I 

have seen 

surgeons 

sweating 

profusely in a 

hot theatre with 

no open 

windows for 

ventilation 

Safety starts from 

needlestick injuries to 

injuries from lifting patients 

to fear of being assaulted 

by a patient. 

Federal and State 

governments in Nigeria 

can start by providing 

information and strategies 

for improving safety in the 

healthcare workplace, 

including workplace injury, 

violence awareness and 

prevention. 

ventilation and air 

condition of operating 

rooms, sterile processing 

departments and 

endoscope procedure 

rooms to ensure patient 

safety.“ 

While many offices in the 

hospital are ice cold with air 

conditioning, I have seen 

surgeons sweating 

profusely in a hot theatre 

with no open windows for 

ventilation. 

Nigerian hospitals must 

re-evaluate their 

maintenance protocols to 

ensure patient safety. 

Reprocessing and 

Sterilization issues 

The cleaning and 

repreparation of medical 

devices and equipment in 

many health facilities in 

Nigeria falls below 

standards, and requires 

serious attention. Non 

reusable means...do not re 

use. Particular sterilizing 

instructions accompanied a 

medical device must be 

followed, and with no 

short cuts. 

A surgical area must be 

prepared thoroughly for 

the next patient. That next 

The cyber-insecurity of 

medical devices 

In the UK and USA, 

hackers have shown how 

easy it is to remotely access 

medical devices and alter 

dosages. 

As Nigerias IT 

fundamentals develop, 

and this is happening 

quickly, healthcare systems 

must be aware and 

prepared for vulnerabilities 

in new, chip based, digital 

or web based technologies. 

Cybersecurity must be a 

priority. 

Going transparent with 

quality data 

Most health systems 

query patients about their 

experiences and 

satisfaction with 

physicians during their 

hospital stays. 

But few opt to put those 

ratings online for all to 

see, although there's 

reason to believe the 

practice can improve 

patient safety. 

There was uproar and 

complaints when this idea 

of "performance figures" 

was first mooted in the UK 

about 15 years ago. It is 

now standard and 

routine. 

We are a very long way 

from that kind of public 

feedback in Nigeria. 

preconception friendly diet. 

3. You are not catching enough sleep: Between the 

long ride home and the late nights studying and 

trying to meet up with deadlines, you get less than 7 

hours of sleep every day. Sleep not only helps us to 

relieve stress but inadequate sleep throws our 

hormones out of sync and cause hormonal imbalance. 

Hormonal imbalances make it difficult for women to 

ovulate and for the newly fertilised egg to implant in 

the womb. 

4. You are worried about your career: You've worked 

very hard to get to where you are at your career and 

deep down (maybe even subconsciously) you are 

worried that getting pregnant and having to take time 

off might jeopardise your progress. While you might 

not lose your job, you might be side-tracked for 

promotions and other forms of career progression. Our 

minds have incredible power over our bodies and 

even if you are not very aware of this fear, it can still 

influence your actions on a subconscious level. For 

instance, you might not full heartedly do certain things 

to help you conceive or procrastinate on those things. 

Because the mind is also very connected to the body, 

it can also influence your normal fertility functions. 

It is possible to still conceive even when you are 

trying to be the best at your career all using natural 

strategies to help you to balance your mind, emotions 

and your body. It requires making simple but powerful 

changes to your daily routine. 

Visit www.cheriemamma.org to learn more.



IAAF U-20 Championships: Nigerian juniors miss opening day 

By Ben Efe 

NIGERIAN athletes 

failed to meet up 

with the opening day events 

of the IAAF World Under-20 

Abba Yola 

Continues from BP 

Super Eagles has been 

described as a huge 

embarrassment to the 

entire country which 

calls for the resignation 

of the members of the 

committee. 

A former director with 

the defunct National 

Sports Commission and 

Ciroman Yola, Mallam 

Abba Yola, who was 

furious yesterday over 

the handling of the 

coaching issue, 

wondered why the NFF 

would go ahead to 

announce the 

appointment of Le Guen 

as technical adviser 

when they had not 


Pinnick 

Development Committee 

to the Executive 

Board for ratification, 

subject to an agreement 

on personal terms. 

“The NFF had never 

offered him the job. Le 

Guen was only a 

recommendation of the 

Technical and 

Development Committee. 

The recommendation 

was subject to 

agreement of the NFF 

Executive Committee,” 

he said. 

He also disclosed the 

grey areas in the NFF 

conditions that may have 

caused the Frenchman to 

do a rethink on the job 

he once showed interest 

in. Pinnick said, “Le 

Guen wanted to stay in 

France to be coming from 

time to time to take up 

the team on specific 

Championships, which 

began yesterday in 

Bydgoszcz, Poland. 

The team only left Lagos 

on Monday night after the 

Athletics Federation of 

concluded on terms with 

him. 

“If Barrister (Chris) 

Green doesn’t know the 

implications of going 

public on a half done 

job, how could Paul 

Bassey come short of 

short-changing 

Nigerians on an issue 

which the entire Nation 

is interested in. Why the 

hurry in making the 

announcement,” he 

queried. 

Not finished yet, 

Mallam Yola who also 

wondered why the 

hiring of a Technical 

Adviser should be done 

via a ‘Social Media 

assignments. We are 

insisting on a Super 

Eagles coach that would 

reside in Nigeria. We 

want a coach that will 

be more embracing in 

terms of football 

development in 

Nigeria.” 

He also disclosed that 

the Frenchman was not 

happy with NFF’s 

targets for him. “He 

didn’t like targets. In 

the past we set targets 

for Siasia, for late Keshi 

and even Oliseh, why 

not him,” the NFF boss 

asked. He added that he 

believes targets 

motivate a coach to work 

hard. 

“We do not want to 

repeat the mistakes of 

the past where people 

were employed with so 

much expectations and 

ended up disastrously.” 

Nigeria toiled throughout 

last weekend to raise funds 

for the upkeep of the 

athletes for the five-day 

meet. 

Emmanuel Arowolo and 

Raymond Ekevwo who 

From L-R, Funmi Victor-Okigbo CEO of No Surprises, Natshe Jemide of 

Youth Experience Days Africa (YEDA), Chee Okebalama Project Co-ordinator 

Winihin Jemide Series (WJS), Prince Aderoju Ademoroti CEO of AstroTurf 

and Femi Odewunmi CEO of INK Business Design at the recent press 

conference for WJS/YEDA Legend Edition with Pele. 

Application’, added that 

“The Technical 

Committee as a clearing 

house should have 

made arrangements to 

invite all the applicants 

to Nigeria or arrange to 

meet them at a central 

location in Europe.” 

The former Chairman 

of Kano Pillars Football 

Club of Kano said that 

“Agreed that he (Le 

Guen) gave conditions, 

the Technical Committee 

should have first tabled 

those conditions before 

the NFF Board for 

consideration or 


The President who 

spoke at the Banquet 

Hall of the Presidential 

Villa during the official 

handing over of Team 

Nigeria to the Nigeria 

Olympic Committee 

said, “I am asking you 

to go for gold. But it is 

better to come back home 

clean without medals 

than return with a bagful 

of medals tainted with 

drugs.” 

The president also reemphasised 

that 

anybody who has no 

business going to Brazil 

should stay back. “If you 

don’t have any role to 

play at the Olympics 

please, you better stay 

home and watch the 

Games on television. But 

if you are going on your 

own, I wish you good 

luck,” the President 

said. This was received 

with suppressed 

Rio Olympics 

were to run the men’s 100m 

heats Tuesday morning 

were conspicuously absent 

from the blocks. While 

Praise Idamadudu and 

Yinka Ajayi missed out in 

the women 400m heats. 

Pencilled down to 

compete today are Eucheria 

Ogbokwu in the women 

shot put throw, the men 

110m hurdles have Bashiru 

Abdulahi and Omon 

Preciuos Ojiekere on the list. 

Nathaniel Oghenevwegba 

and Ojo Fatoyinbo ae in the 

men 400m, while Mercy 

Ntia-Obong and Aniekeme 

Alphonsus will run in the 

women 100m heats and 

semi-finals. 

A total of 1,518 athletes 

have been entered to 

compete. The turnout, made 

up of 832 men and 686 

women, is the secondbiggest 

for the age group to 

date with the 2012 edition 

in Barcelona the only one 

to attract more, 1,566. 

otherwise before 

addressing the press. In 

trying to claim hiring of 

a world class coach the 

Technical Committee has 

brought out its lack of 

understanding.” 

Stressing that he was 

“at a loss” on the whole 

situation, he averred 

that “I think the Board 

should be excused on 

that (volte face) while 

the entire Technical 

Committee should be 

asked to resign 

honourably or be 

disbanded without 

further delay.” 

murmurings from some 

of the officials in the 

hall. 

President Buhari 

ordered the immediate 

release of funds for the 

team, a development 

which drew a lot of 

applause from the 

packed hall. 

President of the 

Nigeria Olympic 

Committee Engineer 

Habu Gumel carried out 

an investiture on 

President Buhari as the 

Grand Patron of the 

Nigeria Olympic 

Committee. 

Earlier, the Minister of 

Sports, Barrister 

Solomon Dalung said 

the President had 

severally demonstrated 

his love for sports as 

exemplified by his 

release of N2.9 billion 

that was meant for the 

All Africa Games and for 

the Olympic 


Chairman of the NFF 

Technical and 

Development Com-mittee, 

Barrister Chris Green said 

the NFF would “look at the 

next door” if Le Guen 

refuses to accept their offer. 

On Monday night, the 

official website of the NFF 

reported that Le Guen had 

been named as the new 

Super Eagles helmsman 

by the technical and 

development committee of 

the football federa-tion. 

The deal was however 

subject to Le Guen 

agreeing contract terms 

with the NFF’s Executive 

Committee. 

“The announcement 

made on Monday (by the 

NFF’s technical 

committee) was quite clear. 

Le Guen was offered the 

job subject to contract terms 

being agreed,” Green 

stated. 

“We had to look at the 

best interest of the country 

before offering anyone the 

job (to manage the Super 

Eagles) and one of such 

conditions was that the 

new technical adviser 


not meet his 

contractual terms, 

according to media 

reports from French 

sports newspaper 

L’Equipe. 

The newspaper 

reported that he declined 

the position after several 

conditions he tabled 

preparations. He 

promised that Team 

Nigeria will do well at 

the Games. 

However, controversy 

has continued to trail the 

fund as the sports 

minister said the N2.9 

billion has not been 

accounted for while the 

former DG of the 

defeunct National Sports 

Commission, Alhassan 

Yakmut claims he left a 

balance of over N640 

million for Team 

Nigeria’s Olympics 

preparation. 

The NOC President on 

his part, said the 

committee has through 

the International 

Olympic Committee 

Solidarity Fund and 

Association of National 

Olympic Committees of 

Africa made funds 

available for the training 

of elite athletes, all of 

who are preparing for 

the Rio Games. 

Eagles job 

Green 

would reside in Nigeria. 

“A situation where 

Nigeria will be the loser 

will never be 

accommodated by the 

NFF. 

“We want a coach who 

will not just take the Super 

Eagles to the next level but 

will develop Nigerian 

football as a whole and if 

he does not reside in 

Nigeria, it may not be 

feasible,” Green said. 

“We will look at the next 

door if Le Guen decides 

not to accept the terms we 

offered him. 

“A lot of top coaches 

applied to coach Nigeria 

and even more (who did 

not officially apply) are 

desirous of coaching 

Nigeria. 

“The options are open 

and we want to assure 

Nigerians that we will 

contract a coach that will 

befit the status of one of the 

best national teams on the 

African continent. 

“We are working 

assiduously to make 

Nigerians happy and will 

not relent till we achieve 

set objectives,” he said. 

were not met. 

It was revealed that 

the former Cameroon 

and Lyon coach was 

adamant as he would 

not shift from his 

position on several of 

the contending issues on 

his contract. 

It was understood 

that, among his 

conditions, was that he 

coming down with a 

support staff that 

included an assistant 

and a goalkeeper 

trainer. 

However, Chairman of 

the NFF Media and 

Publicity Committee, 

Hon. Suleiman Yahaya- 

Kwande in reacting that 

the Frenchman was just 

recommended to the 

Board, said, “during 

final negotiations, he, 

Le Guen, objected to 

being given a target and 

also did not wish to live 

in Nigeria, which was a 

sore point with the 

Board. 

Nigeria have been 

without a permanent 

coach since February, 

when Sunday Oliseh 

walked out on the Super 

Eagles after claiming 

his contract had been 

severally breached. 

The three-time African 

champions are drawn in 

a tough 2018 World Cup 

qualifying group that 

has Algeria, Cameroon 

and Zambia.

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 

Le Guen rejects Eagles job 

FRENCHMAN Paul 

Le Guen has 

rejected his appointment 

as Super Eagles coach 

after he claimed they did 

Continues on Page 47 

Why NFF/Le Guen 

talks failed – Pinnick 

PRESIDENT of the 

Nigeria Football 

Federation, NFF Amaju 

Pinnick has denied that 

Frenchman, Paul Le 

Guen was ever offered 

the technical adviser of 

Super Eagles job as 

widely reported by the 

local media Tuesday. 

Speaking in the 

aftermath of the reported 

rejection of the supposed 

Super Eagles 

appointment by the 

former Indomitable Lions 

Coach yesterday, a livid 

Pinnick said the coach 

was only recommended 

for the job by the NFF 

Technical and 


•Pinnick 

TOD 

ODAY'S PUZZLE 

How to Play Sudoku 

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. 

INVESTITURE: President Muhammadu Buhari being decorated by the 

President Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Gumel while the Sports 

Minister, Mr. Solomon Dalong (r) looks on during the Investiture of President 

Buhari as the Grand Patron of the NOC at the State House Conference Centre, 

Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 

Rio Olympics: I don’t want medals tainted 

with drugs – Buhari tells Team Nigeria 

BY TONY UBANI 

P RESIDENT 

Muhammadu 

Buhari yesterday 

charged the Rio 

Olympics-bound Team 

Nigeria •Osimhen to go and make 

YESTERDAY'S 

ANSWERS 

Nigeria proud by 

winning medals for the 

country but warned, “I 

ACROSS 

1 Haunt (6) 

5 Gap (4) 

8 Drain (5) 

9 Equality (3) 

10 Dregs (4) 

11 Hobble (4) 

12 Map-book (5) 

13 Oppose (6) 

16 Tramp (4) 

18 Flat (4) 

20 Cot (3) 

22 Ballad (3) 

23 Lair (3) 

24 Discourteous (4) 

25 Paradise (4) 

28 Percolate (6) 

30 Tooth (5) 

32 Plan (4) 

33 Thump (4) 

34 Beam (3) 

35 Traded (5) 

36 Regretted (4) 

37 Offer (6) 

•Green 

DOWN 

1 Account (6) 

2 Emphasised (8) 

3 Savour (6) 

4 Demolished (9) 

5 Eased (7) 

6 Flag (4) 

7 Sort (4) 

8 Ocean (3) 

14 Acceptable (9) 

15 Longing (3) 

17 Wicked (3) 

19 Dared (8) 

20 Except (3) 

21 Relegated (7) 

26 Fuss (6) 

27 Actor (6) 

29 Box (4) 

30 Method (4) 

31 Rodent (3) 

•••We have other 

options – Green 

THE 

Nigeria 

Football Federation 

has opened up on the 

purported rejection by 

Frenchman, Paul Le 

Guen of the technical 

ACROSS: 3, Erect 9, Entire 10, Ailing 11, 

Atone 12, Iced 15, Mien 17, Deposit 20, Cat 

21, Naive 23, Stem 25, Evil 26, Naked 28, Art 

30, Daunted 33, Mean 35, Tire 36, Canal 38, 

Sailor 39, Garret 40, Sewed. 

Resign now, Abba 

Yola tells NFF 

technical committee 

By Patrick Omorodion 

THE volte face by the 

T e c h n i c a l 

Committee of the 

Nigeria Football 

Federation over the 

don’t want medals 

tainted with drugs.” 


QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS 

•Le Guen 

adviser’s job offered him 

by the football house on 

Monday. 

In a chat with an online 

publication Tuesday, 


hiring of Frenchman, 

Paul Le Guen as 

Technical Adviser of the 


IAAF-U20 

Championships: 

Nigerian 

juniors miss 

opening day 

Page 47 

DOWN: 1, Fetid 2, Steep 3, Era 4, Retain 5, 

Cant 6, Tie 7, Civic 8, Agent 13, Censure 14, 

Dozen 16, Earlier 18, Tamed 19, Ave 22, Even 

24, Mad 27, Damage 28, Amass 29, Tacit 31, 

Tiara 32, Death 34, Fare 36, Cos 37, Lad. 

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

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

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

Nigeria's economy in bad shape — CBN

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