ONDO GOVERNORSHIP POLL: A-Court sacks Jimoh Ibrahim, okays Jegede

•P.35 

OBJ TO BUHARI: 

Act fast, economy can't 

be saved by orders, 

wishful thinking 

9 

2017 draft 

budget 

unrealistic, 

says Senate 

8 

** 

VOL. 25: NO. 63165 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 

ONDO GOVERNORSHIP POLL: 

A-Court sacks Jimoh 

Ibrahim, okays Jegede 

•Says Justice Abang’s ruling fraudulent, controversial 

•We‘ll obey ruling, no shift in election date – INEC 

•Judiciary remains bastion of democracy – Jegede 

•Jimoh Ibrahim, PDP, Mimiko, Okowa, others speak 

COURT VICTORY—Mr Eyitayo Jegede; addressing pressmen shortly after Court of Appeal ruled in his favour as substantial 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate for Ondo State election in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. 

YABATECH shut, as inferno guts female hostel 7 

DSS Sting 

Operation: 

Reps drill 

Justice Dimgba, 

Wike, Liman, 

CCB, others 9 

COLUMNISTS 

MOHAMMED 

ADAMU 

Niger: My 

poor orphaned 

state 

17 

JOSEF 

OMOROTIONMWAN 

Recession is 

not a tea 

31 

party 

OCHEREOME 

NNANNA 

Why Tinubu 

must be 

rescued 31 

By Clifford 

Ndujihe, Dayo 

Johnson, 

Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri, Charles 

Kumolu, Ishola 

Balogun, Wahab 

Abdullah, Festus 

Ahon, Josephine 

Agbonkhese & 

Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA—THE Court 

of Appeal, 

yesterday, re-instated Mr. 

Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, as 

the rightful candidate of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, for the Ondo 

State governorship 

election billed for 

Saturday. 

In a unanimous 

judgment, the Justice 

Ibrahim Saulawa-led 

three-man Special Panel 

of the appellate court, 

vacated the June 29 

Continues on Page 5 

Mr & Mrs

C 

M 

Y 

K 

2—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

C 

M 

Y 

K 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016—3

C 

M 

Y 

K 


Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

UNVEILING—Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye, Enitan Ogunwusi and others, 

after the unveiling of MOREMI, the tallest statue in Nigeria at Ife. See story 

on Page 11. 

ONDO POLL: A-Court sacks 

Jimoh Ibrahim, okays Jegede 

Continues from page 1 

judgment of Justice Okon 

Abang of the Federal 

High Court, Abuja, which 

directed the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, to 

recognise Mr. Jimoh 

Ibrahim as the PDP 

standard bearer. 

With the verdict, which 

led to the continuation of 

jubilation for the second 

day by PDP members and 

supporters in Ondo, 

Jegede has 48 hours to 

woo the electorate as the 

INEC, which said it will 

obey the latest ruling, 

insisted that it will go 

ahead with the election on 

Saturday. 

Jegede had approached 

the appellate court to 

challenge the high court 

verdict which ordered 

INEC to only relate with 

the Ali Modu-Sheriff 

faction of the PDP. 

Justice Abang had on 

October 14, also reaffirmed 

his decision, 

even as he warned the 

electoral body against 

accepting any candidate 

nominated by the Senator 

Ahmed Markafi-led 

National Caretaker 

Committee of the PDP. 

Acting on the strength of 

the order, INEC, promptly 

removed Jegede’s name 

from the list of candidates 

for the Ondo 

governorship poll and 

replaced it with Mr. 

Ibrahim. 

However, the appeal 

court, yesterday, 

overturned the high court 

and returned Jegede as 

the PDP candidate. The 

decision drew plaudits 

from a host of eminent 

Nigerians. Among those 

who spoke on the ruling, 

yesterday, were Deputy 

Senate President, Ike 

Ekweremadu; Governors 

Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) and 

Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); 

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, 

IT'S UP TO YOU 

BY AYO ADIO - 08104802192 

MEASURING your success based on the 

yardstick and definition of other people will 

most likely lead to utter frustration. It's up to you. 

TAKE HEART 

BY ELLA RANDLE- O8084919482 

"Gratitude, the key to more abundance" 

WHEN we pay attention, life brings to us 

answers in unexpected ways. Often it's a 

reminder of Divine presence and protection, in 

everyday routine as we go about our activities. 

Maybe, it's just a quiet early morning walk or that 

moment after your prayers. Then comes a feeling of 

calm and a knowing that you are in good hands…just 

being grateful for that moment in the rising sun and 

for many small miracles that are continually affirmed 

in our paths; for the universe is conspiring to being 

us, all these blessings of awareness. We only have 

to stay open to recieve it. 

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE 

It's with a smooth tongue that the snail 

crawls on thorns. 

Mr Emeka Etiaba, SAN, 

Mr. Babatunde Fashanu, 

SAN, and Mr. Kingsley 

Kuku. 

Others included the 

Transition Monitoring 

Group, TMG and the 

Arewa Youths 

Consultative Forum, 

AYCF. 

The verdict 

In its verdict, yesterday, 

the appellate court, held 

that Justice Abang’s 

refusal to grant fair 

hearing to Jegede 

“rendered the entire 

proceedings before his 

court a nullity” because 

“indeed, it is obvious from 

the records that the 

appellant’s name had 

been duly published as 

the governorship 

candidate of the 11th 

respondent (PDP) for the 

November 26 Ondo 

governorship election.” 

It held that the lower 

court was in grievous 

error when it ordered the 

publication of Ibrahim’s 

name. 

It said the decision of 

the high court was in total 

breach of the provision of 

Section 36 of the 1999 

constitution, which it said 

forbade any court from 

denying fair hearing to a 

party likely to be affected 

by final decision of the 

court. 

Justice Saulawa said the 

action of the court violated 

the legal doctrine of audi 

altarem partem (listen to 

the other side), adding 

that “the tenets of natural 

Justice entail that a party 

ought to be heard prior to 

determination of case 

against them.” 

The appellate court also 

noted that Justice Abang 

ordered INEC to 

“immediately” recognise 

Mr. Ibrahim who was 

never a party in the suit 

that culminated to both the 

June 29 and October 14 

judgments. 

“The Court below had 

no jurisdictional 

competence to make such 

order. I have no restriction 

in the circumstance in 

resolving the second issue 

equally in favour of the 

appellant”. 

It said that Justice 

Abang “unilaterally”, 

raised issues that were not 

included by the plaintiffs, 

an action it said 

amounted to “a violent 

attitudinal disposition to 

the rule of law”. 

Besides, the court said 

the primary election that 

was conducted by the 

Ondo State chapter of the 

PDP loyal to Modu- 

Sheriff, which produced 

Mr. Ibrahim, was a nullity. 

It said the law was very 

clear on which organ of a 

party should conduct 

governorship primary 

elections. 

“It is worth reiterating at 

this point that any primary 

election by state chapter 

of a party, be it the PDP or 

any other party, is 

undoubtedly, in the eye of 

the law, an illegal 

contraption that carries 

with it no legal or 

equitable right at all. It is 

in its entirety a nullity”, 

the appellate court held. 

Prior to delivery of the 

judgment, Justice 

Saulawa, said the panel 

was at a time, “subjected 

to a very intimidating and 

brow-beating treatment 

by counsel to the 

respondents.” 

“Most regrettably, the 

respondents have 

deemed it expedient to 

shoot themselves on the 

foot. Instead of adhering 

to the wise counsel of the 

Court to file brief within 

the time limit, even the 

extra day that was granted 

to them, they refused to do 

so. The consequences of 

the respondents failing to 

file their brief by virtue of 

Order 18 of the Court of 

Appeal Rules is very 

obvious and we have 

made it clear in our 

judgment.” 

Justice Saulawa noted 

that instead of filing their 

brief of argument, the 

respondents insisted that 

the appellate court had lost 

its jurisdiction to entertain 

Jegede’s suit by virtue of 

the appeal they lodged at 

the Supreme Court. 

“I have most critically 

appraised the preliminary 

objection by Nwufor, 

SAN, and I found that it 

is most grossly lacking in 

merit and it is accordingly 

dismissed. Having 

effectively dealt with the 

preliminary objection, I 

now proceed to determine 

the appeal on its merit.” 

The Appeal on its merit 

The court noted that 

Jegede filed his appeal on 

November 11, which 

raised seven issues for 

determination. 

The issues included 

whether it was proper for 

the high court to order 

INEC to jettison Jegede’s 

name after he had already 

been nominated by the 

PDP and his name 

published. 

Olanipekun argued that 

the high court lacked 

jurisdiction to determine 

who should be the 

candidate of a political 

party. 

Relying on decided 

case-law in Lado vs CPC, 

Olanipekun, stressed that 

the issue of nomination of 

candidates for an election 

is a domestic affair of a 

political party which no 

court has the jurisdiction 

to meddle into. 

He said Justice Abang 

was wrong when he held 

that he had the requisite 

jurisdiction to determine 

the matter. 

The appellate court, in 

arriving at its decision, 

said it was necessary that 

it determined whether or 

not the appellant was 

denied fair hearing by the 

lower court. 

It consequently 

resolved all the seven 

issues in Jegede’s favour. 

“There is no gain 

saying that this appeal is 

grossly meritorious and is 

hereby allowed.” 

The appellate court held 

that Justice Abang turned 

himself into “Father 

Christmas”, by granting 

reliefs that were not 

sought by the plaintiffs. 

“It is long abiding 

principle that a court 

cannot abide by reliefs not 

sought by parties. Ruling 

of the Court below 

delivered on October 14 is 

hereby set aside.” 

The court also awarded 

N20, 000 cost in Jegede’s 

favour. 

Similarly, the appellate 

court, in a separate 

judgment delivered by 

Justice Mbaba, allowed 

the appeal lodged by 

Senators Ahmed Markarfi 

and Ben Obi on the same 

grounds that they were 

denied fair hearing by the 

lower court. 

Justice Mbaba 

described the lower 

court’s verdict as “a 

fraud”, saying “Justice is 

only meaningful when it 

is done within perimeters 

of the law.” 

“The proceeding at the 

lower court was in my 

view a fraud, intended to 

defraud the appellants. It 

seemed to have been 

arranged by the same 

parties who arranged 

themselves into both 

plaintiffs 

and 

respondents. It is most 

unfortunate that the trial 

court appeared to be a 

willing tool to the 

attainment of this ignoble 

goal.” 

It said that “common 

sense and dictates of 

Justice”, should have 

prevailed on the lower 

court to join the Markarfiled 

National Working 

Committee of the PDP, 

which is also laying claim 

to the leadership of the 

party, as parties to the 

proceeding that led to the 

June 29 verdict. 

The panel, therefore, 

set-aside what it termed 

“the most turbulent and 

controversial judgment of 

the lower court”, even as 

it awarded N100, 000 cost 

against the respondents. 

We ‘ll obey A’Court 

order, no shift in poll 

date – INEC 

The electoral umpire 

responded promptly to the 

ruling, saying that it will 

return Jegede’s name as 

the PDP candidate and 

remove that of Jimoh 

Ibrahim. 

However, INEC said it 

would not shift the date of 

the election as being 

clamoured by many 

stakeholders. 

The commission’s 

Director in charge of Voter 

Education, Publicity, Civil 

Society and Gender 

Liaison, Mr Oluwole 

Osaze-Uzi, told Vanguard 

that the decision of the 

appeal court is in line with 

INEC’s earlier stance as 

to the authentic candidate 

of the party. 

“Of course, we will 

comply. This is in 

consonance with our 

earlier stand as to the 

rightful PDP candidate. 

So, (it) did not come to 

INEC as a surprise. No 

shift in the election”, he 

said. 

The Makarfi-led faction 

of the PDP as well as a 

coalition of 16 political 

parties had called for the 

postponement of the polls 

citing the crisis in the PDP. 

Vanguard checks 

revealed that while the 

electoral act provides that 

the name of candidates 

must be displayed in their 

constituencies within 

seven days before the 

election, Section 44. (1) 

however, states that; “each 

political party may by 

notice in writing 

addressed to the Electoral 

Polling Agents Officer of 

the Local Government or 

Area Council, appoint a 

person to attend at each 

polling unit and collation 

centre in the Local 

Continues on Page 11

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 

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

Missing Abia 

man causes 

crisis between 

family, friend 

By Ugochukwu 

Alaribe 

ABA—A housewife, 

Mrs. Eucharia 

Okafor, has cried out to 

the Abia State 

Commissioner of Police, 

Leye Oyebade, over the 

disappearance of her 

husband, Sunday Okafor, 

since October 17. 

Narrating her ordeal to 

Vanguard in Aba, 

accompanied by Innocent 

Nwokocha, Coordinator 

of a human rights group, 

Initiative for 

Developmental Advocacy 

and Leadership in 

Nigeria, Eucharia said 

her husband had not 

returned since he was 

invited by his friend, one 

Ekene Ifediora, for a job 

at Ishiagu, Ebonyi State. 

Okafor’s younger 

brother, Amobi, alleged 

that Ifediora had failed to 

make efforts to trace the 

whereabouts of his 

brother and called on 

police to rescue him, 

wherever he was being 

held. 

However, Ifediora, who 

spoke at a town union 

meeting with Okafor’s 

kinsmen from Imeziuwa 

community in Ezeagu 

council of Enugu State, 

denied knowledge of the 

whereabouts of his friend. 

He claimed to have 

assigned Okafor and his 

mate to deliver chippings 

at Elele, Rivers State, and 

had not heard from him 

since. 

Abia State Police Public 

Relations Officer, ASP 

Ogbonnaya Nta, could not 

be reached at press time. 

By Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

NO fewer than 9,579 

persons, of the 616, 318 

that attended the HIV 

Counselling and Testing, HCT, 

awareness programme from 

January to June, 2016, have 

tested positive to HIV. 

Dr. Oluseyi Temowo, Chief 

Executive Officer, Lagos State 

AIDS Control Agency, LSACA, 

made this known in Lagos, 

yesterday. 

Temowo spoke at a briefing in 

Ikeja to mark the 2016 World 

AIDS Day with the theme 

Hands Up for HIV Prevention. 

The United Nations had, in 

1988, declared every December 

1 as the World AIDS Day, to 

honour AIDS victims and focus 

on issues surrounding HIV/ 

AIDS. 

Temowo said that in 2015, 

599,560 people were 

counselled, tested and received 

results out of which 15,311 

people were found to be 

positive. 

The LSACA chief said that 

52,803 people living with the 

virus were currently on 

antiretrovirals. 

He said: “These statistics 

simply means that there are 

many more people who are not 

aware that they have the virus. 

That is why knowing one’s 

status is very important. 

“It is a common knowledge 

that an HIV positive person 

can be symptom free for 10 

years and will continue to infect 

others if not checked and 

treated. Being HIV positive 

does not translate to death with 

appropriate medications.” 

Free testing, counselling 

Temowo said that the agency 

An inferno gutted the female hostel of Yaba 

College of Technology, Lagos, yesterday, 

leaving many injured and properties 

destroyed. PHOTOS: Kehinde Gbadamosi & 

Diran Oshe. 

Lagos records 9,579 

fresh HIV cases in 6 months 

•Targets 2030 for eradication of virus 

had mobilised its HCT trucks 

to all the nooks and crannies 

of the state to conduct free HIV 

conselling and testing. 

This, he said, would enable 

every Lagos resident to be 

aware of his or her health 

status. 

Temowo said that access to 

HCT would allow individuals 

to know their status and take 

appropriate steps to prevent 

the transmission to other 

people. 

He said that this would also 

By Kingsley Omonobi 

ABUJA—THE Inspector- 

General of Police, IG, Mr. 

Ibrahim Idris, yesterday, said 

no fewer than 128 policemen 

lost their lives to activities of 

criminals in various parts of 

the country in the past three 

months. 

He said they were killed in 

the line of duty by religious 

bigots, bandits, hoodlums and 

militants, warning that the 

trend must be reversed and 

halted. 

The IG cited the cases of 

Dankamoji village in Zamfara 

State, Abagana in Anambra 

State and Okirika in Rivers 

State where scores of 

policemen were killed and 

arms carted away, structures 

and equipment destroyed, 

saying such attacks would no 

longer be condoned. 

Describing the trend as 

“deeply worrisome,” the police 

boss said: “The rate at which 

stop the progression to AIDS 

through lifestyle 

modification and healthseeking 

behaviour. 

According to him, the 

move is geared toward 

achieving the eradication of 

the virus by 2030. 

He said: “Achieving an 

AIDS-free generation 

requires collective efforts. 

This is why we are calling 

on government at all levels, 

individuals and 

organisations, to join us in 

officers and men lose their 

lives in the course of 

discharging their statutory 

duties is no longer 

tolerable.” 

In a statement by Force 

Public Relations Officer, 

DCP Don Awunah, Idris 

said: “These deaths 

occasioned by unwarranted 

attacks by religious bigots, 

bandits, hoodlums and 

militants must be reversed 

and the trend halted. 

“In the past three months, 

the Force has lost 128 

personnel in various parts of 

the country due to activities 

of these undesirable 

this quest to make Lagos State 

an HIV-Free Zone. 

“We implore residents to visit 

all government hospitals within 

their areas to access free HCT, 

while HCT trucks will move 

around to reach other areas for 

this purpose. 

“We also advise people to 

ensure these various means of 

prevention— condom use, harm 

reduction, voluntary medical 

male circumcision, prevention of 

mother-to-child transmission, 

counselling and testing.” 

As 128 Police Officers Die in 3 Months: 

This must stop, IG vows 

Ibrahim Idris 

elements in our communities. 

Also disturbing is the wanton 

destruction of police 

infrastructure and public assets. 

“The recent cases in 

Dankamoji village in Maradu 

council of Zamfara State; 

Abagana in Anambra State and 

in Okrika waterways in Rivers 

State, where personnel were 

killed, arms carted away, 

structures and equipment 

destroyed, are cases in point.” 

The police boss further urged 

officers not to relent or be 

distracted in the collective will 

of the police to serve the 

country, the costly challenges 

notwithstanding. 

Ex-banker docked ov 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—AN ex-banker, who 

allegedly defrauded 26 

different persons of N435 

million, was, yesterday, charged 

before an Igbosere Magistrate’s

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 , 2016—7 


YABATECH shut, 

as inferno guts female hostel 

By Dayo Adesulu, 

Elizabeth Uwandu, 

Kelechukwu Iruoma & 

Queen Ndukwe 

LAGOS—AN early morning 

inferno, yesterday, destroyed 

20 rooms in a female hostel at 

Yaba College of Technology, 

Lagos, leaving several students 

displaced with properties that 

included certificates, phones, 

laptops, clothes and food items 

destroyed. 

Following the incident, the 

Rector, Dr. Margaret Ladipo, 

announced suspension of 

academic activities, while the 

school authorities attends to the 

emergency. 

Three students were said to 

have sustained injuries. 

According to sources, the 

injured students were rushed 

to the Federal Medical Centre, 

Yaba, and the General Hospital, 

Randle Avenue, Surulere. 

One of the students said she 

ran out naked, when the fire 

started, and watched as all her 

credentials went up in smoke. 

It was gathered that fire 

started at a wing of the top floor 

of the Bakassi Block at about 

5.20a.m., when the school 

generator was switched on after 

an electricity power cut. 

Dr. Ismail Badmus, the Head 

of Department of the school’s 

Fire Service, said no life was 

lost, but that some students 

were injured and taken to 

government hospitals for 

treatment. 

According to him, “the 

incident happened at Bakassi 

hostel, which is a two-wing 

two-storey building. The fire 

started at the top floor of one of 

the wings. We lost a lot of 

students’ items like laptops, 

phones, books and mattresses. 

Being residential hostel, many 

combustibles were there, which 

readily caught fire.” 

er N435m forex fraud 

Court, Lagos. 

The defendant, Adebayo 

Ogunusi, 41, is facing a 26-count 

charge on fraud. 

The prosecutor, Raymond 

Akhaine, told the court that the 

defendant committed the alleged 

He said that the fire was 

tackled by the college’s fire 

service department; National 

Emergency Management 

Agency, NEMA; Lagos State 

Emergency Management 

Agency; Lagos State Fire 

Service and the State Response 

Unit. 

Students count loss 

Lamenting her loss, a 

National Diploma, ND, 1 

student said she lost all her 

credentials, including her 

Nursery School reports details 

to the inferno. 

The ND 1 student, who was 

being consoled by her friends, 

added that she virtually ran out 

naked and did not take 

anything out from her room, 

when the fire started. 

Another student, identified 

as Bimpe, took Vanguard to 

the school’s medical centre 

where two of her course mates 

were rushed to. One, an 

asthma patient, gave her name 

as Dami, and the other, Ada, 

who fainted when she saw her 

offences between May and 

August in Lagos. 

He claimed that the defendant 

obtained N435 million from 26 

persons under the guise that he 

was going to give them the 

dollar equivalent of the money. 

Akhaine said the defendant 

knew that the representation he 

properties being consumed 

by the fire. 

Many other students, who 

spoke on conditions of 

anonymity, blamed the 

incident on overpopulation, 

porters who collect 

gratifications to allow gas 

cookers and other 

combustibles into the hostels 

and lack of emergency 

response equipment. 

The Sole Administrator, Yaba 

Local Council Development 

Area, LCDA, Bayo Adefuye, 

who was at the scene of the 

incident, expressed delight 

that no life was lost. 

He called on the school 

management to address the 

power and security issues in 

the school as a matter of 

urgency. 

Rector reassures 

community 

Meanwhile, the school 

authorities have urged 

parents and guardians not to 

panic over the fate of their 

wards as the school was on 

made was false, adding that 

the offences committed were 

contrary to Section 312 (1) (a) 

of the Criminal Law of Lagos 

State, 2011. 

However, the defendant 

pleaded not guilty to the 

charge. 

Counsel to the defendant, 

top of the situation. 

The Rector of the college, 

Dr. Margaret Ladipo, called 

on the college community to 

remain calm, promising that 

the management would find 

ways of soothing the pains 

caused by the accident. 

In a statement by Mr. 

Charles Oni, Head of Public 

Relations Unit, Ladipo said: 

“Sequel to the unfortunate 

fire incident at the Bakassi 

hostel early this morning 

(yesterday), the 

management has suspended 

all academic activities till 

further notice. 

“By this notice, all 

examinations and lectures, 

especially scheduled for 

today, have been put on hold 

while the college attends to 

the exigency. 

“The management regrets 

the misguided and outright 

falsehood on the social 

media and calls to certain 

radio stations that there was 

no water on campus to put 

out the fire.” 

Ex-minister, Hirse's kidnappers still silent 

By Marie-Therese 

Nanlong 

JOS—THREE days after the 

former Minister Foreign 

Affairs, Ambassador Bagudu 

Hirse, was kidnapped in 

Kaduna State, his abductors 

are leaving family members in 

suspense as they are yet to 

make contact. 

Hirse, who was also the 

Plateau State governorship 

candidate of Labour Party, LP, 

in 2015 general election, was 

on his way to Sokoto on a 

condolence visit to the family 

of the late Sultan Ibrahim 

Dasuki, but was kidnapped 

while having a stopover at the 

house of Mamman Daura in 

Bagudu Hirse 

Kaduna State. 

Speaking with Vanguard 

on phone yesterday, the 

victim’s daughter, Mrs. 

Na’anbam Pokop, said: “We 

have not heard anything 

from them. 

“We are still waiting, but 

the Lord has strengthened 

us. We trust that He will 

answer our prayers for the 

safe return of our father.” 

However, the State Police 

Public Relations Officer, ASP 

Tyopev Terna, added: “As we 

speak, there has been no 

contact. We are monitoring 

his phone and that of his 

relatives: there has been no 

suspicious calls. 

“We are working hand in 

hand with our counterparts 

in Kaduna, but have not 

heard anything.” 

Meanwhile, Plateau State 

chapter of the Christian 

Association of Nigeria, CAN, 

has called for calm and 

prayers for the safe return of 

the elder statesman. 

Mr. Ayo Durojaiye, urged the 

court to admit the defendant 

to bail on liberal terms. 

Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. 

A. O. Awogboro, admitted him 

to N10 million bail, with two 

sureties in like sum and 

adjourned the case till 

December 15 for mention. 

Girl docked 

for alleged 

theft of 

N20m 

property 

By Aniema Umoh 

LAGOS—AN 18-yearold 

defendant, Lydia 

Shamshi, was, yesterday, 

arraigned before a Lagos 

Magistrate’s Court at 

Igbosere for alleged theft 

of property worth 

N20,000,000, property of 

one Bamidele Ademola 

Olateju. 

The defendant, who 

resides at 1, Val Ifeanyi 

Close, Bakare II Estate in 

Eti-Osa Local 

Government Area of 

Lagos State, is facing a 

two-count charge of 

conspiracy and stealing, 

preferred against them 

by the police. 

The prosecutor, 

Sergeant Adeleye, told 

the court that the 

defendants committed 

the alleged offence 

between September 22 

and 28, at Lekki. 

He further told the 

court that the defendant 

and others at large stole 

30 set of wrist watches, 

assorted jewelleries, two 

Toshisba laptops, one 

iphone 6, two Nokia 

phones and charger, 

$2,000 (N960,000); all 

worth N20,000,000, the 

property of one Bamidele 

Ademola Olateye. 

However, the 

defendant pleaded not 

guilty to the charges and 

the magistrate, Mrs A. O. 

Olagbenga, granted her 

bail in the sum of one 

million Naira with two 

sureties in like sum. 

The sureties must be 

blood relations and 

gainfully employed and 

also show two years 

evidence of tax payment 

clearance to Lagos 

State. 

The case was 

adjourned to December 7 

for mention.



EFCC arrests 

Edo SUBEB 

Chairman, 

Finance 

Director over 

alleged 

N1.5bn fraud 

By Soni Daniel, 

Northern Region 

Editor 

E XECUTIVE 

Chairman of Edo 

State Universal Basic 

Education Board, 

SUBEB, Mr. Stephen 

Alao and the Director of 

Finance, Mr. Adams 

Osabuohien, are in the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC’s net over 

questionable financial 

operations at the 

education agency. 

Both men, who were 

arrested yesterday, have 

already been moved to 

the Ibadan Zonal Office 

of the EFCC for detailed 

interrogation over 

allegations they jointly 

misappropriated at least 

N1.5 billion of public 

funds at their disposal. 

They may be charged to 

court if EFCC operatives 

find sufficient evidence 

of graft against them. 

They are being 

interrogated by top 

operatives of the EFCC 

in Ibadan over the 

alleged crime. 

Buhari approves 

clearance of 

218 stranded 

containers of 

power 

equipment 

By Prince Okafor 

MINISTER 

of 

Power, Works and 

Housing, Mr. Babatunde 

Fashola, yesterday said 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari has approved the 

disbursement of funds for 

the clearing of about 218 

containers of power 

equipment stranded at 

various sea ports in 

Nigeria. 

Fashola disclosed this 

during an official visit to 

Duncan Bonded Terminal 

in Lagos. 

He said: “In Mr. 

President’s effort to give a 

stable power supply to 

every Nigerian, he has 

graciously approved the 

disbursement of funds for 

the clearing of stranded 

containers containing 

power equipment and 

materials at various 

terminals, so as to improve 

power delivery to every 

Nigerian.” 

2017 draft budget based on unrealistic 

assumptions —SENATE 

By Henry Umoru 

A 

DRAFT budget 

framework for 2017 

submitted to the National Assembly 

by President Muhammadu Buhari 

is based on unrealistic assumptions 

about oil production and the 

currency exchange rate, the Senate 

said yesterday. 

The budget plans include 

spending a record N6.866 trillion 

to pull the economy out of 

recession, assume oil production of 

2.2 million barrels a day and an 

exchange rate of N290 to the U.S. 

dollar. 

“There is no doubt that the 

assumptions are not realistic. Even 

in times of peace, we cannot achieve 

2.2 million barrels per day. 

“Our responsibility is to work on 

it and do the right thing. The 

spending plans would be referred 

to Senate committees on Finance, 

Appropriation and National 

Planning to be reworked,’’ Senate 

President, Bukola Saraki, said 

yesterday. 

The Senate’s position came as 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

prepares to present the budget 

before a Joint session of the 

National Assembly on December 1. 

Ahead of the appearance of the 

President before the National 

Assembly, the Senate, in spite of 

attacks by lawmakers who picked 

holes in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 

Medium Term Expenditure 

Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal 

Strategy Paper (FSP) submitted by 

the President in October, has begun 

discussions on the documents. 

The documents which formed the 

basis for the planning of the 2017 

budget, were referred to the Senate 

Committees on Finance, 

Reps jerk up virement by N28bn 

By Emman Ovuakporie & 

Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—THE House of 

Representatives, yesterday, 

upped President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s virement request from 

N180 billion to N208 billion. 

The House, considering its initial 

lackadaisical attitude towards 

President Buhari’s request for 

virement, listed the item as a motion 

in the name of the House 

Appropriation Committee chairman, 

Mustapha Bala Dawaki, APC, 

Kano, which was passed without a 

single debate for or against. 

It would be recalled that the 

House first received and read the 

document on October 25 and kept 

it in abeyance for weeks until after 

some interface between National 

leadership and the Presidency 

before it was presented and referred 

on November 16. 

But in a surprised move, the 

House increased the virement from 

N180 billion as requested by 

President Buhari to 

N208,821,671,494 and passed it 

without debating the proposal and 

laying the report for consideration 

Appropriations and National 

Planning for further legislative 

job and subsequent presentation 

to the Senate. 

Meanwhile, during debate on 

the documents, majority of 

senators who spoke, declared the 

documents fraudulent, 

unrealistic, insincere, and nontransparent, 

even as they said 

the documents lacked credibility 

and called for serious rejigging 

if they must meet the present 

economic realities. 

News of the President’s 

appearance before the National 

Assembly was disclosed 

yesterday by the Senate Minority 

Leader, Senator Godswill 

at the committee of the whole 

House. 

The breakdown of the passed 

version shows that recurrent for 

Public Service Wage Adjustment, 

PSWA, under Service Wide Vote 

would take the sum of 

N71,800,215,270. Contingency is 

to take N1.2 billion, Margin for 

Increase in Cost (MIC) to take 

N2 billion, Ministry of Interior 

Cadet Feeding in Police 

Academy, Wudil, Kano, to take 

FG gives in to ASUU demands, removes endowment 

funds from TSA 

By Levinus Nwabughiogu 

ABUJA—THE 

Federal 

Government has finally 

expunged endowment funds of 

universities from the Treasury 

Single Accounts, TSA, and 

returned same to authorities of 

the institutions. 

This was one of the eight 

demands pressed on 

government by Academic Staff 

Union of Universities, ASUU. 

The decision was taken on a 

day the Federal Government also 

approved N456 million for 

Akpabio (PDP Akwa Ibom 

North West), while making 

contributions to debate on 

projected assumptions made by 

the Presidency in the 2017-2019 

MTEF. 

Akpabio gave this indication 

when he was seconding the 

motion for the Senate to consider 

and approve the 2017, 2018 and 

2019 MTEF and FSP presented 

before the Senate. 

He said: “Yesterday, you made 

reference to the fact that the 

President may be coming to the 

chambers to submit and read the 

2017 budget on December 1. 

“If that is the case and we send 

this (MTEF) back for reworking 

N932.4 million. 

Others under the same Service 

Wide Vote are Amnesty 

Programme, N35 billion; internal 

operations of the Armed Forces, 

N5,205,930,270 billion; 

Operation Lafiya Dole, 

N13,933,093,000 billion; NYSC, 

under Ministry of Sports and 

Youth Development, 

N19,792,018,400 billion and 

Foreign Missions, 

N16,349,647,078 billion. 

procurement of 67 cars for 

Federal Road Safety Corps, 

FRSC, for patrol and 

surveillance. 

The Federal Executive 

Council, FEC, at its meeting 

yesterday, took the decision on 

behalf of the Federal 

Government. 

Briefing State House 

correspondents at the end of the 

meeting presided over by Vice 

President Yemi Osinbajo at the 

Presidential Villa, Abuja, the 

Minister of Labour and 

Productivity, Chris Ngige, who 

was joined by his counterparts 

in Information, Lai Mohammed 

by the Presidency, it means that we 

will not be able to meet that 

deadline. But if we send it to the 

committee level, they may come up 

with something within the next 

three days that will be more realistic 

ahead of the budget presentation 

itself.” 

Akpabio had, before making the 

disclosure, pleaded with the Senate 

not to throw out the MTEF 

document based on its unrealistic 

projections as raised by majority of 

the senators, advising that it should 

be committed to relevant 

committees of the Senate, based on 

the submissions that would be 

made by the various agencies that 

may be invited by the committees. 

CONGRESS: From left: President, Business Education Examinations Council, Mike 

Okereke; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and award-winning 

Public Relations Consultant, Claudine Moore, at the Fourth Commonwealth Public Relations 

Congress in Lagos. 

The Augmentation of Meal 

Subsidy/Direct Teaching and Lab 

Cost under the Federal Ministry of 

Education will take N900 million, 

with a sub-total of N167,113, 304, 

018 billion. 

Under statutory transfer, the 

Public Complaints Commission will 

get N2.5 billion, bringing the 

Special Intervention (Recurrent) 

sub total to N169,613,304,018 

billion, while under capital 

expenditure: the Nigerian Air 

Force, under the Ministry of 

Defence, will get N12, 708,367,476 

billion. 

and Budget and National Planning, 

Udo Udoma, said FEC, however, 

did not concede to paying the 

earned allowances demanded by 

ASUU due to the present economic 

recession. 

He said: “There was a report on 

ASUU strike by the Minister of 

Education and we have made 

headway. ASUU had some 

demands; about eight of them, 

seven of them have been trashed 

out. 

‘’Government conceded to them 

the right to exclude endowment 

funds that accrued to universities 

from the Single Treasury Account, 

TSA."

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 — 9 

2017 FAMINE: 

Libya, Algeria, 

Niger, Chad rush 

Nigerian grains 

By Emman Ovuakporie 

& Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—A member of 

the House of 

Representatives Danburan 

Abubakar Nuhu yesterday 

lamented that neighbouring 

countries of Niger, Chad, 

Libya and Algeria have 

invaded markets in the 

country, buying up grains in 

anticipation of famine next 

year. 

His lamentation was sequel 

to over 500 trucks loaded with 

grains that leave every week 

from the markets to the 

neighbouring countries. 

This is as the House of 

Representatives has 

mandated its committee on 

Agricultural production and 

services to urgently investigate 

the looming food scarcity, with 

the view to ensuring that the 

Ministry of Agriculture 

synergised efforts with 

relevant Ministries, 

Departments and Agencies, 

MDAs to develop an action 

plan to avert the unhealthy 

competition of export at the 

expense of local demand and 

a possible famine in 2017. 

Nuhu, who represents Kano 

Municipal Federal 

Constituency of Kano State on 

the platform of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

was of the view that both the 

federal and state governments 

could buy the grains now at 

the local markets and store 

them in case of the impending 

food scarcity next year. 

FG, states, LGs 

share N420bn for 

October 2016 

THE 

Federation 

Account Allocation 

Committee, FAAC, has shared 

N420billion to federal, state 

and local governments as 

allocation for the month of 

October, 2016. 

While the Federal 

Government received 

N96.674 billion, states and 

local governments got 

N49.035 billion and N37.804 

billion respectively. 

According to the figures 

released by Office of the 

Accountant General of the 

Federation, the gross statutory 

revenue of N238.716 billion 

received for the month was 

lower than the N279.746 

billion received in the 

previous month by N 41.030 

billion. 

Crude Oil export volume 

decreased, while the average 

price of crude oil dropped, 

resulting in revenue loss of 

about $51 million in federation 

exports sales. 


OBJ to Buhari: Act fast, economy can’t be 

saved by orders, wishful thinking 

•Frowns on proposed $30bn external loan 

•Demands comprehensive economic policy 

By Charles Kumolu 

LATCHING on the state of 

the nation, former President 

Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday 

urged President Muhammadu 

Buhari to rise to the challenges 

posed by the current recession in 

Nigeria, noting that orders, 

wishful thinking and blame game 

would not solve the hapless state 

of affairs in the country. 

Obasanjo also examined the 

manner the issues of corruption, 

proposed external loan, and 

recession, among others were 

being responded to by the Federal 

Government, and commended 

the government on the anti-graft 

war but regretted that 

government had no 

comprehensive policy that would 

address the current state of 

despair in Nigeria. 

The former President, who 

stated these in Lagos at the first 

annual lecture of Akintola 

Williams Foundation, said it was 

uncharitable for the present 

administration to be blaming past 

governments that had served 

since 1999, noting that only a 

comprehensive framework would 

save the country. 

Obasanjo, who spoke on the 

theme: Nigeria, Yesterday, Today 

and Tomorrow: Governance and 

Accountability, observed that 

Nigeria had the right people, who 

could be brought together to help 

device the right economic policy 

that would get the country out of 

the current economic woes. 

His words: “Again, now we are 

being told the projects will pay 

themselves when we know damn 

well they will not. If we borrow 

some thirty billion dollars in less 

than three years, we would have 

mortgaged the future of Nigeria 

for well over thirty years to come. 

There may also be the problem of 

absorptive capacity which will 

surely lead to waste. A careful 

scrutiny of the projects with 

prioritisation and avoidance of 

waste and taking into account 

avoiding bunching of debt service 

in future, especially when no one 

can accurately forecast the global 

and national economy. 

''We must not be unmindful of 

internal borrowing either. It 

impacts somewhat differently on 

the economy but it must not be 

allowed to crowd out the ability 

of the private sector to borrow to 

grow the real economy, which is 

to lead us out of the recession.If 

we do not fix the economy to 

relieve the pain and anguish of 

many Nigerians, the gain in 

fighting insurgency and 

corruption will pale into 

insignificance. 

“No administration can be 

comfortable with the excruciating 

pain of debilitating and crushing 

economy. Businesses are closing, 

jobs are being lost and people are 

suffering. I know that President 

Buhari has always expressed 

concern over plight of the 

common people but that concern 

must be translated to workable 

and result-oriented socioeconomic 

policy and programme 

that will turn the economy round 

at the shortest time possible. 

''We cannot continue to do the 

same thing and expect things to 

change. That will be a miracle, 

which normally doesn’t happen 

in normal national economies. We 

have people inside and outside 

who can be brought together to 

help device the right economic 

policy and programme to get us 

out of the pit before we fall over 

the precipice into a dark cave 

“The blanket, adverse 

comments or castigation of all 

democratic administrations from 

1999 by the present 

administration is uncharitable 

and uninstructive. Politics apart, 

I strongly believe that there is a 

distinction between the three 

previous administrations that it 

would be unfair to lump them all 

together. I understand President 

Buhari’s frustration on the state 

of the economy inherited by him. 

It was the same reason and 

situation that brought about the 

cry for change, otherwise, there 

would be no need for change if it 

was all nice and rosy. 

“Now that we have had 

change, because the actors and 

the situation needed to be 

changed, let us move forward to 

have progress through a 

comprehensive economic policy 

that is intellectually, strategically 

and philosophically based. I am 

sure that such a comprehensive 

policy and programme will not 

support borrowing US$30 billion 

in less than three years. It will 

give us the short-, medium- and 

long-term picture.” 

LAUNCH: From left; Mrs Funmilayo Oladapo, Mother of the Day; Prof. Adeyemi Aderibigbe, 

Chairman; Prof Olabisi Olasehinde-Williams, Guest Lecturer; Mrs Omolara Olatubosun, 

Executive Director and Mrs Ayo Babatunde, proprietress, at the formal launch of One Voice 

Initiative for Women Empowerment in Africa with the Theme "The African Child as 

endangered specie: Emerging issues". Photo by Dare Fasube. 

DSS STING OPERATION: Reps drill Justice 

Dimgba, Wike, Liman, CCB, others 

By Emman Ovuakporie 

& Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

ABUJA—THE House of 

Representatives Ad-Hoc 

Committee investigating all cases 

of arrest of persons by the 

Department of State Services, 

(DSS), especially the 

circumstances surrounding the 

attempt to arrest a Federal High 

Court judge in Port Harcourt, 

yesterday drilled Justice 

Abdulahi Liman of Port Harcourt 

Federal Court, Governor Nyesom 

Wike, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba 

and the Chairman of the Code of 

Conduct Bureau. 

This is as the Attorney General 

and Commissioner of Justice in 

Rivers State, Emmanuel Aguma, 

SAN, who represented Governor 

Nyesom Wike at the investigative 

hearing, declared that nepotism 

and breach of federal character 

laws in appointment constituted 

worse threat to national security 

than stealing. 

The committee had also sought 

to know the junior SSS operative 

that insulted Governor Wike, an 

elected governor, during the sting 

operation. 

Meanwhile, Justice Liman told 

the House Committee that he was 

the person that advised Justice 

Uche Agomoh not to allow the 

operatives of DSS into her 

residence on October 8, 2016, 

when the sting operation was 

carried out, until the identity and 

mission of the operatives were 

made known to avoid hoodlums 

claiming to be security operatives 

raiding the place. 

In his testimony, Liman denied 

that the DSS operatives came to 

his house but stated that they went 

to Justice Agomoh’s residence. 

Why I told Justice Agomoh not 

to let the DSS in — Liman 

He also stated that he received 

a distress call from Justice 

Agomoh, who he said was his 

neighbour on October 8 when 

the incident occurred, adding that 

her (Agomoh) security staff called 

her attention to the presence of 

some people at her gate who 

claimed to be security operatives, 

demanding to see her over some 

security issues. 

He said: “I asked her if she had 

asked her security men to let them 

in, she said, no. I then advised 

her not to allow them entry while 

she made calls to other people 

who might come to her aid, in 

case they turned out to be robbers, 

assassins or even kidnappers.” 

One of the arrested Judges, 

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba declined 

to comment on the matter because 

of its pendency with the National 

Judicial Commission, NJC, 

saying any comment on the 

matter was prejudicial, but 

pleaded with the committee to 

avail him of any allegation made 

against him by the DSS, a request 

that was granted. 

Action of SSS a national 

tragedy —Wike 

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom 

Wike, described the incident as a 

national tragedy, adding that a 

good cause should not be fought 

by wrong method, even as he 

said that he was not against the 

fight against corruption. 

DSS has constitutional right 

to arrest — CCB 

In his presentation, the 

Chairman, Code of Conduct 

Bureau, Sam Saba disagrees with 

the submission of the Rivers State 

governor that the DSS lacked the 

constitutional powers to carry out 

arrest of the judges.

10 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 

Ambode 

canvasses 

community 

policing, 

inaugurates 

Safety Corps 

Agency 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni & Monsuru 

Olowoopejo 

L 

A G O S — 

GOVERNOR 

Akinwunmi Ambode of 

Lagos State yesterday said 

the fight against crime will be 

better prosecuted if efforts are 

geared towards embracing 

community policing to 

complement the police and 

other law enforcement 

agencies. 

Governor Ambode, who 

stated this at the swearingin 

ceremony of the Chairman 

and members of the Board of 

the State’s Neighbourhood 

Safety Corp Agency, said 

community policing was 

needed to assist law 

enforcement agencies which, 

according to him, are already 

over stretched judging by the 

enormous task of securing the 

country. 

Speaking at the ceremony 

held at Lagos House in Ikeja, 

Governor Ambode said right 

from the onset, the major 

thrust of his administration 

has always been the 

security of lives and 

properties of Lagosians, 

adding that the 

Neighborhood Agency, 

which was an initiative aimed 

at safe guarding the 

communities through 

community policing. 

Passage 

MRS. 

Josephine 

Philip Agbutun 

Kigbu, wife of Engr. Philip 

Agbutun Kigbu, the 

Magayaki of Akun kingdom 

in Nasarawa State (popularly 

called Olubadan) has passed 

on at the age of 51 years. She 

died on November 13, 2016 

and would be buried at Lafia 

in Nasarawa State on 

November 25, 2016. 

She is survived by her aged 

mother, husband, brother, 

sisters, children and 

grand children. 

.Late Madam Kigbu. 


Lagos cancels monthly environmental 

sanitation day 

By Olasunkanmi Akoni 

& Monsuru Olowoopejo 

THE Lagos State 

Government yesterday 

terminated the monthly 

environmental sanitation exercise 

which hitherto held for three 

hours on the last Saturday of 

every month. 

The State Government, in a 

statement by the Commissioner 

for Information and Strategy, Mr. 

Steve Ayorinde, said the decision 

to cancel the monthly exercise 

followed a resolution arrived at 

yesterday’s State Executive 

Council, SEC meeting, which 

approved the need for a robust 

review of the environmental laws 

and procedures in the state in 

order to meet the present day 

challenges and to promote a 

clean and healthy environment. 

The government noted that 

considering the present economic 

situation in the country, it was no 

longer appropriate to restrict 

movement of people for three 

hours in a mega city like Lagos 

at a time they should be pursuing 

commercial and entrepreneurial 

activities. 

According to government, ''In 

the last two decades, Lagos has 

…Redeploys Ashade as finance commissioner 

grown exponentially into a mega 

city with the attendant huge 

environmental problems 

associated with managing a 

population of over 20 million 

people. 

''But sadly, the environmental 

laws,policies and procedures of 

the state have not been able to 

match the phenomenal growth 

and the dream of a 24-hour 

economy, hence the need for the 

reform.'' 

Ayorinde said the government 

AMOSU: Court rules on witness’ competence today 


L AGOS—JUSTICE 

Mohammed Idris of a 

Federal High Court in Lagos will 

today deliver ruling on whether 

an Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC, 

prosecution witness, Owobo Tosin 

is a competent witness that can 

testify in the ongoing N22.8 

billion fraud against a former 

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal 

Adesola Amosu (retd) and 10 

others. 

Amosu and 10 others had 

yesterday asked the court to 

disqualify the witness from 

testifying in the matter. 

Glo Campus Storm: 

ABSU passes 

baton to UNIZIK 

T 

HE on-going Glo 

Campus Storm music 

concert has moved to the Nnamdi 

Azikiwe University, Awka, 

Anambra State from Abia State 

University, Uturu, where the show 

was held last Friday. 

The 2016 edition of the show, 

which was flagged off at the 

University of Port Harcourt on 

October 7 has been held on six 

campuses so far. 

The other institutions include 

the Enugu Campus of the 

University of Nigeria, The 

Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, the 

University of Uyo, the University 

of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Abia 

State University, Uturu. 

At the resumed trial yesterday 

the accused persons through their 

counsels objected to the 

competence of the witness. 

KIDNAPPING: NSCDC deploys undercover agents 

to Lagos creeks 

By Monsuru Olowoopejo 

L AGOS—FOLLOWING 

the spate of kidnap cases 

recorded in Lagos State in recent 

times, the Nigerian Security and 

Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) 

has deployed a sizeable number 

By Abdulwahab Abdulah 

LAGOS division of the 

Appeal court has fixed 

February 14, 2017 to hear an 

application filed by the Orijeru of 

Igboyeland, Epe, Oba Micheal 

Gbadebo Onakoya pleading the 

court to set aside the judgement 

of the lower court, which 

dethroned him in October, 2008. 

The new date 

was fixed 

sequel to the 

failure of the 

appellants to 

serve the 

seventh 

respondents of 

the notice of 

appeal. 

The panel of 

Justices to hear 

the case are 

Justices Tijani 

was not unaware of a recent Court 

of Appeal judgment. 

According to him, the thrust of 

the fresh initiatives, among 

others, is to promote holistic and 

modern solutions to the unique 

environmental challenges 

confronting the state, while 

encouraging citizens to 

voluntarily partner with 

government to achieve the 

desired goals. 

Meantime, Governor, 

Akinwunmi Ambode has 

Tosin, who is an investigative 

officer with the commission, was 

already being led in evidence by 

the EFCC lawyer Rotimi 

of its officials as undercover 

agents to Lagos creeks while 

others are on training to acquire 

security tactics to foil any 

attempted kidnap within the state. 

It was learned that the action 

was spurred by the recent kidnap 

of students in Lagos State 

Government College, Igbo-Nla, 

Abubakar, Biobele Abraham 

Georgewill and Jamilu Yammama 

Tukur. 

Other appellants in the matter 

are Chief 

Fatai 

Adewale 

Mustapha, 

Mr Olu 

Adebanko, 

Chief 

redeployed the Commissioner 

for Economic Planning and 

Budget, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade 

to take over as the 

Commissioner for Finance. 

In a statement signed by his 

Chief Press Secretary, Mr. 

Habib Aruna, Ambode made 

the decision after the SEC 

meeting yesterday. 

Ashade is expected to 

resume his new portfolio with 

immediate effect. 

Epe Local Government. 

Commandant NSCDC, 

Lagos State, Tajudeen 

Balogun, disclosed the 

strategies embarked upon by 

the Corps to tackle kidnapping 

during a meeting in Lagos with 

Miyetti ALLAH cattle breeders of 

Nigeria, Lagos State branch. 

Deposed Oba urges appeal court to stay execution 

SEMINAR: From 

left; Seminar Coordinator, 

Alhaji 

Likita Mashi; Guest 

Speaker & 

President, Center 

for Change, Dr. Joe 

Okei-Odumakin & 

Assistant Director 

T r a i n i n g , 

Department of State 

Services, DSS, Mrs 

Bola Olufe, during 

the Senior Level 

Man-Power 

Development 

Seminar for DSS 

Assistant Directors 

Nationwide, at the 

Institute for 

Security Studies, 

Abuja, on Tuesday. 

Oyedepo when Amosu’s lawyer, 

Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) 

when he expresses is 

dissatisfaction about the refusal of 

the anti-graft agency to attach the 

statement of the witness to the 

proof of evidence. 

Oladele Kadiri, Mr Galibu Sanni, 

Chief Oluwole Okoye, Chief 

Safiriyu Bakare, Alhaji Tamiriyu 

Bello and Ven M.O. Odunlami.


NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 

ONDO POLL: A-Court sacks 

Jimoh Ibrahim, okays Jegede 

Continues from Page 5 

Government or Area 

Council for which it has 

candidate and the notice 

shall set out the name and 

address of the polling 

agent and be given to the 

Electoral Officer at least 7 

days before the date fixed 

for the election.” 

Jubilation continues 

in Ondo 

The appeal court 

decision led to 

continuation of 

celebration, for the second 

day, in Ondo State. The 

jubilation started on 

Tuesday following the 

Supreme Court ruling that 

the appeal court should 

give its verdict on the 

Ondo PDP governorship 

ticket dispute. 

PDP leaders led crowds 

of dancing supporters 

across the state. Report 

said that the convoy of 

Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, 

wife of the state governor, 

Segun Mimiko ran into 

the crowd of dancing PDP 

supporters at the popular 

Oja Oba market and had 

no choice than to join 

them by coming down 

from the vehicle. 

Major streets in Akure, 

the state capital were 

packed with supporters of 

Jegede who trooped out 

immediately the 

judgment was delivered. 

There was traffic 

gridlock on most roads as 

motorists joined in the 

celebration. 

Judiciary remains 

bastion of democracy 

– Jegede 

Reacting to the victory, 

Eyitayo Jegede, in a 

statement he personally 

signed said: “Beloved 

people of Ondo State and 

believers in our noble 

cause, there is no doubt 

that the past few weeks 

have been very 

challenging and trying 

times for us as we 

contended with antidemocratic 

and evil 

forces, who tried to 

subvert the will of God 

and the mandate of the 

people freely given to us. 

“It was tortuous journey 

that tested our faith in God 

and our conviction in the 

refreshingly different 

days ahead of us as we 

were taunted and 

harassed by hired 

propagandist while we 

tenaciously forged ahead. 

“We submitted our 

grievances to the court 

despite the contraband 

and manipulation of 

those, who are opposed to 

democracy. We insisted 

we would explore all legal 

means in our avowed 

belief in the rule of law 

and judiciary. 

“Today our mouth is 

filled with laughter and 

heart with praise, our 

resilience paid off and our 

conviction to this 

doggedness of purpose 

has made our case 

another judicial 

precedence in the country. 

We are grateful to the 

judiciary for remaining the 

bastion of democratic 

process and refusing to be 

blackmailed, brow-beaten 

and intimidated by those 

who do not mean well for 

our state and nation.” 

I remain PDP 

candidate – Jimoh 

Ibrahim 

….Awaits Supreme 

Court ruling today 

Reacting to the verdict, 

which he described as 

‘’one day ruling’’, Jimoh 

Ibrahim, insisted, 

yesterday, that he remains 

the PDP candidate until 

the Supreme Court, which 

will sit today rules 

otherwise. 

“I have read the 

decision of the Court of 

Appeal delivered today 

(yesterday) but we have 

nothing to lose as the 

Supreme Court sits on 

same case tomorrow,” an 

unruffled Ibrahim said. 

“We shall get justice at the 

Supreme Court and if 

PDP wins Saturday’s 

election, we shall have our 

four-year mandate to rule 

Ondo State. 

“Let me advise the good 


my supporters nationwide 

not to abuse anyone or 

fight over this one day 

ruling which was paid 

for... 

“ Mimiko will not 

succeed himself with 

Jegede. This is too sure as 

we continue with our work 

and remain in our great 

party, PDP. I love the great 


I thank you all for your 

continuous support.” 

Mimiko urges INEC 

to shift poll 

To ensure equity and 

fairness to Jegede, 

Governor Mimiko has 

called on the INEC to 

postpone the poll. 

Speaking with newsmen 

at the Akure airport on 

arrival from Abuja, he said 

INEC had no logical reason 

for substituting Jegede’s 

name and thus should shift 

the election. 

His words: “If Jegede has 

to contest the election in two 

days time, there are issues 

that have to be settled 

under the Electoral Act. 

The issue of the fact that 

his name should be pasted 

within a time frame, issue 

of him submitting the 

names of his party agents, 

issue of his fundamental 

rights, his right to canvass 

for votes in well defined 

campaigns. Has he not 

been deprived of all of 

these? 

“Is there a remedy? That 

is the next question under 

the electoral act, the 

election can take place 

any time within 30 days 

before my administration 

ends. This administration 

ends February 24, 2017. 

So this election can take 

place any time on or 

before January 24. Will 

anybody in good 

conscience and all 

morality be comfortable to 

say that they have done 

justice to Eyitayo Jegede 

if he has to contest the 

election in two days time?" 

Justice has been 

served – PDP 

Reacting, the PDP in a 

statement by its National 

Publicity Secretary, Prince 

Dayo Adeyeye, said 

justice has been served 

but insisted that INEC 

should postpone the 

election to allow Jegede to 

campaign. 

The statement read in 

part: ‘’The judgment 

delivered by the Justice 

Saulawa-led Appeal 

Court Panel which 

returned the validly 

elected candidate of our 

party, to his rightful place 

was expected because we 

were sure that the travesty 

of justice carried out at the 

lower court would in any 

sane society, not stand the 

test of time... 

“We hope in all sincerity 

that the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, which was a 

major player in the illegal 

substitution of our 

candidate, a decision 

rightfully reversed today 

by the Appeal Court, will 

toe the line of dignity and 

fairness by heeding the 

call for the postponement 

of the election to enable 

our candidate tell the 

people of the state his 

programmes for them 

through campaigns. This 

is the least honourable 

thing the electoral umpire 

can do to show that it’s 

unbiased in this matter.’’ 

Okowa hails ruling, 

S/Court 

intervention 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

of Delta State, yesterday, 

hailed the court of appeal 

ruling and described it as 

a triumph of good over 

political bitterness aided 

by selfish interests. 

In a statement by his 

Chief Press Secretary, Mr 

Charles Aniagwu, the 

governor, who 

commended the Supreme 

Court for intervening and 

asking the appeal to court 

to deliver its ruling, said: 

“I commend the Court of 

Appeal in Abuja for their 

unanimous judgment, 

which restored Eyitayo 

Jegede as the candidate 

of our party. This ruling is 

very significant because 

the will of the people, 

clearly expressed, cannot 

be thwarted by a clique 

being propelled by 

political bitterness and 

selfish interests they want 

to promote." 

OLANIWUN AJAYI DAY OF TRIBUTES: 

Amosun, Ajimobi, Aregbesola, 

others call for Yoruba unity 

By Daud Olatunji 

Agovernors BEOKUTA—THE 

of Ogun, 

Oyo and Osun states – 

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, 

Senator Abiola Ajimobi and 

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola – 

respectively have renewed 

the call for unity among the 

Yoruba race. 

They stated this at the 

‘Tributes Day’ programme 

organised by the Yoruba socio-cultural 

group, Afenifere, 

in honour of its late 

chieftain, Sir Olaniwun 

Ajayi at his Isara-Remo, 

Ogun State residence. They 

all harped on the need to 

work towards unity in Yorubaland. 

Pa Olaniwun Ajayi, who 

was born in Isara Remo in 

Remo-North Local Government 

Area of Ogun State on 

April 8, 1925 died November 

4, 2016, aged 91. 

The governors, who spoke 

one after the other equally 

recalled their encounters 

with the late lawyer cum 

politician as they variously 

N250M FRAUD: FUNAAB VC arrested, 

to be arraigned with Ogunlewe, bursar 

:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews 

paid tributes to his doggedness, 

leadership qualities 

and undying love for humanity. 

Amosun said political differences 

should not bé used 

to witch-hunt or blackmail, 

noting that people of the 

tribe should unite for peace 

and progress. 

Amosun, who said the 

state has set aside Tuesday 

November 29th to honour 

the late politician, noted that 

until his death Pa Olaniwun 

worked tirelessly for the 

unity of the race. 

He said: “Yes, we have 

our differences, we should 

not paint ourselves black, 

we should not give ourselves 

bad names. Though 

we may belong to different 

political parties, we must 

all unite for the progress 

of the Yoruba race. We 

should avoid mischief, 

it’s important that we 

unite.” 

In his remarks, Governor 

Ajimobi described late Pa 

Ajayi as a great nationalist 

and patriot. 

By Soni Daniel 

AFTER 

many 

months of investigation, 

the Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, will tomorrow 

arraign a former Works 

Minister, Senator Adeseye 

Ogunlewe, the Pro-Chancellor 

of the Federal University 

of Agriculture, Abeokuta. 

Ogunlewe will be docked 

alongside the Vice Chancellor 

of the University, Professor 

Olusola Oyewole and 

the bursar, Mr. Moses Ilesanmi. 

According to a competent 

EFCC source, the trio will 

be slammed with an 18- 

count charge bordering on 

stealing, abuse of office and 

misappropriation of funds 

amounting to over N250 

million. 

The former minister was 

summoned to the Ibadan 

office of the EFCC sequel 

to a petition written to the 

EFCC by a group known as 

By Gbenga Olarinoye 

O SOGBO—THE 

Ooni of Ife, Oba 

Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 

II, has at Ile-Ife, unveiled 

Moremi Statue of Liberty, 

the first of its kind in the 

country, which he dedicated 

to the economic liberation 

of African youth. 

He also used the occasion 

to admonish the governments 

across the continent 

of Africa on the need 

for meaningful engagement 

of the youths towards 

nation building. 

The historic unveiling 

event witnessed by over 

5,000 youths from all over 

Nigeria took place at the 

new world class heritage 

site indigenously constructed 

by the youths located 

right inside the compound 

where the heroine of liberty 

lived thousands of years 

ago. 

Ooni Ogunwusi did not 

only extol the virtues of 

Moremi Ajasoro but also 

described the youths as the 

greatest accessories for the 

development of any nation 

who must be given first priority 

by the various African 

governments. 

He also lamented the redundancy 

of the youths 

caused by the over patronage 

of the foreign goods and 

services. 

Extolling the virtues of 

the greatest African heroine 

of liberty, the African 

foremost monarch described 

her as the mother 

of liberty in the world 

saying that the Ife queen 

played a pivotal role in 

the liberation of mankind 

with the legacy of what a 

man can do, a woman can 

Ajimobi, who lamented 

that the Yoruba race was not 

united, urged the leaders 

and other stakeholders in 

the Yoruba nation to work 

for its unity. 

He said: “Yoruba are not 

united. If our fathers were 

not united, we , the young 

ones should be united. 

Baba (Pa Ajayi ) had asked 

myself and my brother (referring 

to Aregbesola) 

when we visited him here 

to ensure unity of the race. 

“Pa Olaniwun preached 

Yoruba unity till he died.” 

On his part, Aregbesola 

said the nature of Yoruba 

unity must be defined. 

He said, “It is not a blanket 

unity we are looking for. 

But a qualified and quality 

unity. Baba(Pa Olaniwun 

Ajayi) laboured tirelessly 

for the unity of the 

Yoruba race.'' 

“Those of us who are of 

like minds should emulate 

him. There is nothing to do 

to honour than to work for 

unity in Yorubaland.” 

Concerned Stakeholders of 

FUNAAB in which Ogunlewe 

and the Vice-Chancellor, 

Prof. Olusola Oyewole, 

and other members 

of the university’s governing 

council were accused of 

mismanaging N250m. 

The petitioners accused 

the suspect of plunging the 

university into financial 

mess by spending the 

huge amount on allowances 

in four years. 

Ooni unveils Moremi's statue, Nigeria’s tallest 

do better. 

The Ooni’s Director of 

Media Comrade Moses 

Olafare told journalists that 

Moremi Ajasoro is truly 

worthy of the celebration 

and urged the women all 

over the world to emulate 

her. He also recognized the 

likes of Queen Aminat of 

Zaria, Fumilayo Randsome-Kuti, 

Margaret Ekpo 

and Mariam Makeba as 

the Moremi of the recent 

times. 

A British born Jamaican, 

Delighter Whitfield speaking 

at the event said the 

statue nearly brought tears 

to her eyes realizing that 

the statue of American liberty 

was a black woman 

before it was remoulded to 

represent a white woman. 

She described her experience 

at the event as unforgettable.

C 

M 

Y 

K 




Ijaw indigenes flee Urhoboland as tension rises 

By Emma Amaize, 

Jimitota Onoyume & 

Egufe Yafugborhi 

WARRI—HUNDREDS 

of Ijaw natives from 

Delta, Edo, Ondo and Bayelsa 

states residing in Aladja and other 

Urhobo communities in Udu Local 

Government Area, Delta State, 

have started relocating from the 

localities, as anxiety mounts over 

the 14-day quit ultimatum given 

to them by Urhobo Progress 

Union, UPU, Youth Wing, Udu 

chapter, over alleged kidnap of 

some Urhobo people. 

Vanguard learned that despite 

the peace efforts by the Ijaw Youth 

Council, IYC, UPU, youth wing, 

and other groups, Ijaw residents 

in Udu communities have felt 

unsafe since November 17 when 

the ultimatum was issued and 

started packing their belongings 

in the last two days to avoid 

possible reprisal. 

Though the president of 

Federated Youth of Isaba 

Kingdom, Ogugu Moses, denied 

that his people were the 

aggressors, he said in a 

statement: “On November 1, 2016, 

we, the people of Isaba Kingdom, 

released one female and six males 

of Aladja alive to Nigerian Navy, 

Army and Chairman, Delta State 

Waterways and Land Security 

Committee, Chief Boro Opudu.” 

He claimed that Aladja people 

attacked and burnt Ayama and 

Pamie, two Isaba communities, on 

November 10, 11 and 12, and the 

seven persons released by Isaba 

people to government security 

agencies were strangers found in 

their territory during the 

offensive. 

However, Urhobo youth leaders 

insisted, on Tuesday, that the 

whereabouts of four natives taken 

hostage by Isaba people were 

unknown and demanded their 

release before they would attend 

any peace meeting with their Ijaw 

counterparts. 

They claimed that Ijaw youths 

were the ones that occupied 

Ayama and Epama, two Urhobo 

settlements, because some 

alleged Ijaw oil thieves were 

prevented from using Ayama as 

a bunkering route. 

IYC Chairman, Ogulagha 

Kingdom, Burutu area, Mr 

Doubra Okotete, who commented 

on the development, said: “There 

is serious tension in Udu right 

now as Ijaw people are leaving 

Udu Kingdom because of the 

inability of the state government 

to handle the dispute promptly.” 

He also wondered why the 

President-General of UPU, Chief 

Joe Omene, should support the 

ultimatum by UPU, Udu Youth 

Wing, saying: “It is like pouring 

fuel into fire instead of fighting to 

quench the fire. There is serious 

tension all over. People have 

started packing out of their homes 

and relocating to other areas. 

Some youths have been breaking 

into people’s houses and doing 

away with their property and so 

many crimes are being committed 

by Udu youths, having created 

the atmosphere for crime to take 

place. 

"Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

should sit up, as a matter of 

urgency, and prevail on Udu 

Kingdom and the Urhobo 

generally to put a stop to the 

current situation before it 

develops into an ethnic crisis.” 

Meanwhile, Izon Council of 

Elders in Delta State has 

expressed worry over the 

growing tension generated by 

the two weeks ultimatum by 

Urhobo youths of Udu Local 

Government Area, asking Ijaws 

resident in the locality to relocate 

or face reprisal attacks. 

The Ijaw elders, also known 

as Izon Okosu-Otu, in a 

statement by its Chairman, Chief 

Bare Etolor, expressed the 

concern following separate 

affirmation of the Udu youths’ 

ultimatum by Chief Joe Omene, 

President-General of Urhobo 

Progress Union, UPU, and Union 

of Udu Communities led by 

Chief Steve Sokoh. 

Chief Omene said: “The 

declaration of war on Udu 

villages by Isaba was a war 

against the entire Urhobo 

nation." On their part, Udu 

leaders, in a statement by Chief 

Sokoh, said they stood by their 

youths on the self-help quit notice 

to Ijaws which could implode into 

an ethnic war if not resolved 

before the ultimatum expires, 

end of November.. 

In a related development, 

founding National Secretary, 

INC, Pastor Power Aginighan, 

has appealed to Urhobo and 

Ijaw in Aladja, Udu Local 

Government Area and Ogbe 

Ijoh communities in Warri South 

West Local Government Area in 

Delta State, to evolve a peaceful 

approach towards resolving 

whatever differences that gave 

rise to the recent hostilities 

between the two ethnic groups. 

Aginighan, in a statement 

yesterday in Port Harcourt, 

enjoined elders of the ethnic 

groups to intervene with a view 

to finding enduring peace, 

stressing that the two ethnic 

groups had lived peacefully 

over the years. 

ANNUAL DINNER: From left: Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association, 

GCUOBA, Benin City Branch President, Mr Collins Yaya Lawani; Vice President, Engr. 

Ehigie Obaseki; President-General Worldwide, Prof. Ogbemi Omatete and Second Vice 

President General, Sir Moses Aroko, at the annual dinner of the Benin branch, held at 

Duoban Hotel Benin City. 

Rivers re-run: INEC has given original result 

sheets to Amaechi, Wike alleges 

By Jimitota Onoyume 

PORT 

HARCOURT— 

GOVERNOR Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State, yesterday, 

alleged that the Independent 

National Electoral Commission, 

INEC, had handed over original 

result sheets of the coming rerun 

elections in Rivers State to the 

former governor of the state and 

Minister of Transportation, 

Rotimi Amaechi. 

But reacting swiftly, Ameachi, 

through his Media Office, said: 

“This new wild, baseless 

allegation by Governor Wike is 

a cheap ploy by a failing 

garrulous man to intimidate and 

harass INEC into doing his 

bidding and whip up public 

sentiment against All 

Progressives Congress, APC, its 

candidates for the elections and 

the President Buhari 

•Allegation is baseless —Amaechi, INEC 

administration, ahead of the 

December 10, re-run elections in 

Rivers State. 

“We know his game. This is an 

old worn out trick that will 

certainly fail. Wike is scared, 

profoundly afraid; this is why he 

is telling these spurious lies. He 

knows he will lose at the polls, if 

the election is free and fair. 

Amaechi has no business with 

any result sheets for the coming 

elections and has nothing to do 

with Sheriff or the self-imposed 

woes and travails of PDP." 

Similarly, the electoral body has 

dismissed the allegations as 

unfounded. 

The state Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, REC, Elder 

Aniedi Ikoiwak, told Vanguard 

on phone that he was not aware 

of such development, noting 

that result sheets for the election 

had not even been printed. 

However, Governor Wike, who 

spoke while flagging- off the 

construction of Ulakwo II Afara 

Nihi road in Etche Local 

Government, claimed it was 

Amaechi that made the 

disclosure on Tuesday in 

Abuja during a meeting of 

Rivers APC leaders. 

While boasting that he was in 

possession of the proceedings 

of the alleged Abuja meeting 

of the APC, he said: “While we 

are working for the people of 

Rivers State to convince them 

to vote for us, the APC is busy 

working with INEC to rig the 

rerun elections. Amaechi told 

them at the meeting that Sheriff 

is working for them (APC ) and 

that they have finished PDP." 

Sheriff cannot finish PDP, he 

can only finish himself. 

“On December 10, follow your 

results bumper to bumper. 

Don’t allow anyone to swap 

results." 

Youths 

condemn 

military 

presence in 

N-Delta 

creeks 

By Festus Ahon 

A SABA—NIGER 

Delta Youth Council 

of Nigeria, NDYCN, has 

condemned the continued 

presence of the military in 

the creeks of Niger Delta 

region. 

President of NDYCN, 

Daniel Etaga, in a 

statement, said the 

continuous presence of the 

military was a threat and 

could jeopardize the peace 

move between the Federal 

Government and leaders of 

the region. 

He said: “The activities of 

the military in the oil-rich 

region is causing serious 

unrest, killing of innocent 

people, displacing women 

and children and 

destroying property in our 

communities across the 

region. Our innocent 

brothers and sisters are 

being harassed daily under 

the guise of searching for 

suspected militants who are 

attacking pipelines and 

other oil and gas facilities 

in the region after agreeing 

on a peace pact.” 

While urging those 

bombing oil and gas 

facilities to cease fire, 

surrender their arms and 

embrace peace in the 

interest of the country, he 

told the Chief E.K Clark 

group to stop making 

inciting statements against 

the militants. 

Noting that such 

statements were dangerous 

and unhealthy to the peace 

process, Etaga enjoined the 

“Federal Government to 

work out realistic and 

sincere measures in 

resolving the Niger Delta 

crisis rather than engaging 

the region in war.” 

He said one of the failed 

attempts during the peace 

dialogue convened by the 

Minister of State for 

Petroleum Resources, Dr. 

Ibe Kachikwu, on 

November 1, 2016, is the 

non- inclusion of the major 

stakeholders (concerned 

youths) of the region in the 

peace dialogue with the 

Federal Government. 

“I urge the Federal 

Government to come up 

with a competent 

committee to meet with the 

Niger Delta leadership 

which must include 

representatives of youths 

from various ethnic 

nationalities, HOSTCOM 

representatives and 

recognised youth 

organisations." 

C 

M 

YK


Protesting 

NAICOM 

workers down 

tools, seal off 

Commission 

By Favour 

Nnabugwu & 

Imanuel Jannah 

A 

B U J A — 

BUSINESS 

activities were yesterday 

grounded at the 

headquarters of the 

National Insurance 

Commission, NAICOM, 

as a result of a protest 

staged against the 

commission’s 

management by workers. 

The protesting workers, 

under the aegis of 

Amalgamated Union of 

Public Corporations, Civil 

Service Technical and 

Recreational Service 

Employees, AUPCTRE, 

sealed-off entrance to the 

premises of the regulator of 

the insurance sector over 

allegations bordering on 

victimization, corruption, 

incompetence, and 

nepotism, among others. 

They called on President 

Muhammadu Buhari to 

intervene and stop what 

they described as autocracy 

in the running of the 

commission. 

In an interview with 

Vanguard, the Vice- 

Chairman, AUPCTRE, 

NAICOM chapter, 

Mahmud Usman-Maulud, 

said the management of the 

commission, headed by the 

Commissioner of 

Insurance, had been 

violating provisions of an 

MoU signed by the 

Ministry of Finance, the 

Commission’s 

Management, and 

AUPCTRE which contained 

a non-victimization clause 

earlier this year. 


Dogara vows to amend SSS law, 

condemns raid on judges' homes 

Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, 

said yesterday that the invasion 

of the homes of senior judicial 

officers by the State Security 

Service was a disorganised and 

worrisome act. 


clampdown is a duplication of the 

function of other anti-corruption 

agencies, such as the Economic 

and Financial Crimes 

Commission, and promised 

sweeping reforms to prevent its 

recurrence. 

Dogara made the observations 

when he inaugurated a House 

committee to investigate the 

clampdown and its aftermath. 

He said: “It is untidy, it seems, 

to have multiple agencies 

exercising similar functions. The 

EFCC already handles issues of 

corruption and economic crimes 

in Nigeria,” Mr. Dogara said. 

“Should the State Security Service 

also be charged with the same 

functions?” 

Scores of SSS operatives 

swooped on the homes of judges 

in a coordinated raid across the 

country on October 7. The raid 

dragged until the next morning, 

on October 8, before news of the 

raid filtered to Nigerians. 

“The activities of the State 

Security Service of late have 

raised concerns in the Nigerian 

Why Buhari approved harmonisation of military pensions, by Dan-Ali 

By Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA—MINISTER of 

Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, 

has asked military retirees not to 

misunderstand recent approval of 

harmonisation of pensions by 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

as an increment. 

Rather, he explained that the 

development was a deliberate 

effort to relatively bridge the 

polity as to the propriety of the 

conduct of officials of the 

service and whether their 

actions are consistent with the 

law setting it up. 

“It is in this regard that I enjoin 

this committee to make relevant 

findings of fact that will enable 

the National Assembly initiate the 

necessary amendments to the 

National Security Agencies Act — 

and even the Constitution where 

necessary— to ensure conformity 

with the constitutional design and 

framework that envisage that 

existing gap in pensions pay 

structure between certain ranks 

among retirees of post and preconsolidated 

salary period. 

Speaking at the military 

pensions stakeholders interactive 

session in Abuja yesterday, the 

minister, who said the welfare of 

military retirees was of utmost 

concern to the present 

administration, disclosed that 

efforts were being made by the 

By Soni Daniel 

A 

B U J A — 

MANAGING 

Director of the Oil and Gas 

Free Zones Authority, 

OGFZA, Mr Umana Okon 

Umana, has said the 

nation’s oil and gas free 

zones will serve as 

Nigeria’s first ports of call 

for foreign direct 

investments, since the 

agency had mouthwatering 

incentives and 

benefits to investors who set 

up businesses there. 

Umana, who disclosed 

this during a visit to 

Malaysian High 

Commission in Abuja, said 

the benefits for investors 

include zero tax from 

federal, state and local tax 

authorities; zero levies and 

rates (that is no corporate 

tax, withholding tax, value 

added tax and capital gain 

tax); 100% foreign 

ownership and 100% 

repatriation of profit and 

dividends. 


benefits also include100% 

repatriation of foreign 

capital investments and 

streamlined documentation 

that makes for fast-tracking 

of all business transactions. 

Umana explained to High 

Commissioner, Lim Juay 

Jim, that there were 

functioning and vibrant oil 

and gas free zones at 

Onne, Rivers State; Warri 

in Delta State and Apapa 

in Lagos, adding that 

OGFZA was developing 

additional oil and gas 

free zones in Brass, Bayelsa 

federal legislative power should 

be domiciled in the National 

Assembly and not shared with the 

executive in the manner provided 

under the Act,” Dogara said. 

He said Buhari’s 

administration was exploiting a 

decree promulgated by the last 

military junta, led by Abdulsalam 

Abubakar. 

Abubakar, through an 

instrument in 1999, expanded 

the role of SSS to include other 

functions as dictated by the 

head of state. 

government to ameliorate the 

sufferings of the retirees. 

One of the efforts, according to 

him, is the exemption of the 

Armed Forces from the 

Contributory Pension 

Scheme, hinting that the Forces 

had since reverted to the Defined 

Benefit Scheme. 

But he regretted, however, that 

the Defined Benefit Scheme 

system, under the old Armed 

FG unfolds incentives for DFI in OGFZ 

State; Ikpokiri, which is 

contiguous with Onne 

:From left; 

Grand Kadi, 

Kwara State Sharia 

Court of Appeal, 

Justice Sheu 

Abdulbaqi, 

Member, Kwara 

State House of 

Assembly, Hon. 

Aishat Ibrahim, 

Kwara State 

Governor, Dr. 

Abdulfatah 

Ahmed, Group 

MD, Harmony 

Holdings Ltd, Mr. 

Tope Daramola 

and others during 

t h e 

Groundbreaking 

of Harmony HUB 

(Computer 

Village) in Ilorin. 

But Dogara questioned the 

validity of instrument since the 

NSA Act was amongst the four 

extant laws under the Transitional 

Provisions an Savings component 

of the Constitution. 

He said: “The National Security 

Agencies Act is specifically 

protected by Section 315(5) of the 

Constitution as it cannot be 

altered like ordinary Acts of the 

National Assembly. It has the 

same alteration procedure like the 

Constitution as laid down in 

Section 9 (2) thereof.’’ 

Forces Pension Decree of 1979, 

had its drawback, given that most 

of its provisions were obsolete 

and not in conformity with current 

economic realities. 

Dan-Alli said the Ministry of 

Defence, in collaboration with the 

Defence Headquarters and the 

Military Pensions Board, were 

making efforts to re-present the 

bill for an act to amend the Armed 

Forces Pension Act. 

in Rivers State and Ibaka 

in Akwa Ibom State. 

Leadership challenge not 

peculiar to Nigeria — UTOMI 

FOUNDER of Centre for Values and Leadership, 

CVL, Prof. Pat Utomi, has said leadership challenge 

was not peculiar to Nigeria, but an African problem. 

Utomi, who spoke at the reunion of Jacksonites, Alumni 

Association of Department of Mass Communication, 

University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in Lagos, noted that the 

living condition of most vulnerable Nigerians had not 

changed, despite promises made by the present 

administration. 

‘’Collapse of leadership is pan-African. Every part of 

our lives is challenged, therefore, we all have a duty to 

lend our shoulders to the next generation to stand on,’’ 

Prof. Utomi said. 

He noted that since the fall of global oil prices, life 

had been tough for the average Nigerian, adding 

that with economic hardship, Nigerians had 

continued to blame the leadership.



Thunderstorm wreaks havoc on Akanu Ibiam Airport 

By Lawani Mikairu 

ENUGU—THE Federal 

Airports Authority of 

Nigeria, FAAN, yesterday, said 

the Akanu Ibiam International 

Airport, Enugu, was affected by 

a thunderstorm, which occurred 

in the early hours of yesterday, 

By Emeka Mamah 

E NUGU—OHANAEZE 

Ndigbo, yesterday, 

dismissed the Senate's 

resolution asking the Federal 

Government to establish dry or 

inland ports in Enugu, Onitsha 

and Aba, all in the South-East 

geo-political zone, saying the 

resolution amount to nothing if 

there was no cash backing for 

its execution. 

The Senate had, acting on a 

motion sponsored by Senator 

Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra 

north), asked the Federal 

Government to urgently 

establish the ports to help 

accelerate commerce and 

industry in the country. 

The motion was entitled Need 

for the establishment of dry and 

Inland Ports at Onitsha, Enugu 

and other landlocked states. 

However, reacting to the 

development, the Secretary 

General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, 

Dr. Joe Nworgu, said the 

resolution did not in any way 

address the marginalisation of 

Igbo, adding that the time had 

come for the country to discard 

rhetorics by addressing serious 

national issues frontally. 

His words: “The Senate can 

approve the projects, but if 

money is not provided, it will 

be counting your chickens 

before they hatched. 

“What we are saying is that we 

need to see the hand of the 

Federal Government positively 

committed to projects in Igbo 

land, otherwise we remain 

sceptical.” 

destroying parts of the Airport 

Terminal Building, Pilot 

Lounge and General Aviation 

Terminal. 

It also affected electric 

power lines to the airport, 

FAAN Staff Secondary and 

Primary School buildings and 

private residential buildings. 

Nworgu further stated that 

the Federal Government 

should be seen to be 

executing projects and not 

saying “earmarked for 

execution” all the time, 

pointing out that the plethora 

of abandoned projects in the 

South-East was because 

Confirming the incident, the 

Acting General Manager, 

Corporate Affairs, Mrs 

Henrietta Yakubu, said FAAN 

had taken immediate remedial 

action, which allowed flight 

operations in and out of the 

airport and efforts are on to 

restore normalcy. 

governments had run out on 

its propaganda gimmicks. 

He, however that said 

notwithstanding his 

pessimism , the projects would 

positively impact on the 

economy of the region. 


objectives for their 

She also disclosed that there 

was no loss of life or injury 

and that flight operations were 

not affected. 

According to Yakubu, “the 

management regrets the 

inconveniences caused by this 

incident to airport users and 

the general public.” 

VISIT: From left—Chief Collins Ibeh; Prince Elijah Ukwu; Mrs Priscilla Ikeji; Mr. Ejike Metu, Chairman; and Chief 

Thompson Ohia, all members Igbo Unity Day/Cultural Festival Publicity Committee, during a visit to Vanguard. 

Forget dry ports, unless...—OHANAEZE 

By Chinonso Alozie 

O WERRI—GOVERNOR 

Rochas Okorocha of Imo 

State, yesterday, said the 

current economic recession in 

the country could not be an 

impediment to the payment of 

N3,000 development levy 

introduced by his 


Okorocha stated this 

through his Commissioner for 

Information, Tourism and 

Public Utilities, Obinna 

Nshirim, while fielding 

questions in the governmentowned 

radio station, 94.4 

FM. 

It would be recalled that the 

controversial N3,000 

development levy almost 

caused pandemonium at the 

Imo State House Assembly, 

where the lawmakers 

engaged in a heated debate 

over the implementation of the 

policy. 

In explaining the policy, the 

commissioner asserted that 

the development levy was not 

a “tax” but a counterpart fund 

for community development. 

According to him, “the 3,000 

development levy is not a tax. 

Tax is money imposed by 

government, which you pay to 

the government and the 

government uses it as it 

pleases to solve whatever your 

problem is. 

”The development levy is 

establishment might be 

defeated if the bad roads in 

the zone were not rehabilitated 

or re-built completely. 

Nworgu used the occasion 

to restate the Igbo mantra of 

“think home, invest home” 

philosophy for Igbo 

entrepreneurs. 

Okorocha explains N3,000 devt levy 

ODU’A 

Investment 

Company Limited has 

risen in support of foremost 

roofing sheet manufacturer, 

Nigerite in the allegation of 

importing contraband into the 

country. 

In a statement by its Group 

Managing Director, Mr. 

Adewale Raji, the 

conglomerate described the 

incident as unfortunate and 

an attempt to tarnish the 

reputation of the building 

solutions manufacturing 

company. 

Vouching for Nigerite as a 

company that would not 

engage in importation of any 

your own counterpart fund to 

which government brings its 

own and with the two, 

something will be done for the 

community. 

“When we all 

contribute, there will be the 

tendency for everyone to 

supervise that project.” 

ALLEGED CONTRABAND IMPORTATION: 

Odu’a absolves Nigerite of complicity 

illegal or contraband goods, 

Odu’a said it had been 

associated with the company 

for over 50 years, adding that 

importation of illegal items 

was inconsistent with the 

character of the building 

solutions manufacturing 

giant. 

Odu’a, who is a major 

shareholder in Nigerite, said 

the building solutions 

provider is respected and 

has been operating in 

Nigeria since 1959, and that 

during this period, Nigerite 

had complied strictly with 

Nigerian laws and 

regulations. 

Why Igbo are 

holding cultural 

festival in 

Lagos 

— OHANAEZE 

By Clifford Ndujihe 

TO chart a common front 

for Igbo people, 

irrespective of political, 

religious and other 

affiliations, the apex Igbo 

socio-cultural organisation, 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, will 

hold Igbo unity day and 

cultural festival in Lagos. 

Billed for the National 

Stadium, Lagos, on 

November 26, the event is 

expected to attract governors 

of the five South-East states 

and those of Delta and Rivers 

that have Igbo-speaking 

people. 

Speaking on the ceremony, 

members of the publicity 

committee, led by Mr. Ejike 

Metu, during a visit to 

Vanguard in Lagos, said it 

is to “bring Igbo together to 

show our culture, 

tradition, forge unity and 

promote speaking of the 

Igbo language to ensure it 

does not go into extinction. 

“Igbo are disunited. We 

want to be together and end 

disunity and start speaking 

with one voice.” 

Meanwhile, as the 

carnival, tagged Ndigbo 

Unity Rally holds, the 

Chairman of the Planning 

Committee, Chief 

Tobechukwu Ezeani, has 

said the rally “is propelled 

by consensus among all 

Igbo in Lagos and the 

Diaspora; that our 

spectacular cultural 

diversities must be 

harnessed as a showpiece of 

our strength in unity, and 

speed through oneness.” 

Ezeani, who emphasised 

that “our heritage as a people 

is among the world’s finest, 

said his committee is working 

in concert with top Igbo 

entrepreneurs, the 

intelligentsia, town unions, 

and market associations to 

renew and revive our best 

today for a bigger 

tomorrow.” 

A key driver of the 

initiative, Chief Nnamdi 

Nwigwe, noted that in the 

determination of the 

committee to make huge 

success of the project, 

massive sensitisation is on 

“to mend fences, restore 

handshakes and put 

ruffled feathers at ease 

because the benefits of 

selfless accommodation far 

outweighs rampant 

outdated animosities. 

He said Ndigbo are 

being mobilised for a 

productive leap to the next 

level possible through shared 

values of love, unity and 

accommodation.

C 

M 

Y 

K 


AS I was on that jaggedly 

potholed Abuja-Minna 

road last Sunday driving 

home and musing over what 

subject next to write on, I 

received a text message from 

a fellow Nigerlite and 

erstwhile Newsline colleague 

of mine, Khadijah Umar 

Mashegu. And although we 

hadn’t seen or spoken to each 

other in a long time, it 

appeared my sister was still 

her usual ‘cut-the-crap-andget-straight-to-the-point 

kind 

of communicator’ I had 

always known her to be: 

“Salam” she said, “Do you 

have any thoughts on what 

can help Niger State move 

forward?” Hhhmmm! Who 

would not heave a sigh? By 

the way, aside the media 

matters, Khadija I 

understand is now involved in 

development issues, 

especially at the grassroots. 

And for a moment my 

ordeal with potholes -some, 

the sizes of craters and mini 

gorges- almost got me into 

soliloquized road-rage as I 

said aloud to myself ‘what else 

do you need to move Niger 

State forward Khadijah than 

fix this tragedy of a road that 

is the gateway to the so called 

‘Power State’?’ Yes, I was 

virtually taking it personal. 

In truth there is more to 

moving Niger State forward 

than merely fixing her 

potholed gateway road to 

Minna. Maybe we should 

even start by fixing this 

terribly masochismic 

mentality of Nigerlites –who 

are always ready to take the 

short end of the stick from 

our selfish politicians. We 

have continued, it seems, to 

be left more abjectly poor 

with every passing 

government. 

Former Governor 

Abdulkadir Kure and his 

immediate successor 

Babangida Aliyu both had 

humongous amounts of State 

funds at their disposal, but 

they were either bereft of the 

ideas to move the State 

forward or their severely 

itchy fingers simply would 

not let them. Even when we 

thought that no government 

could ever be as bad as 

Kure’s, Babangida Aliyu still 

came to angelise Kure by 

taking governance to the 

lowliest low. And now our 

current APC government, 

like a happy-go-lucky mothbutterfly, 

borne cheaply on 

the wings of populist 

Buharism, is presently caught 

in the wax and flux either of 

paucity of funds or of ideas; 

or of both. 

One term only governor 

In fact, it is unfortunate that 

already a three-word 

sobriquet ‘One Term Only’ is 

now snidely hauled at the new 

Government by impatient 

youths who see it as the 

proverbial ‘kyanwan lami’ 

which, as the saying goes, ‘ba 

ki cizo, ba kya yaqushi’ – 

meaning ‘the ineffectual cat 

that neither paws nor catches 

any mouse at all’. This 

certainly is a cause for worry 

for our princely Governor 

Abu Lolo, pampered son of 

one-time Military Governor 

of Kano State, Col. Sani Bello 

and the doted son-in-law of 

the Abdulsalamis. 

By the way even if he desires 

to probe his immediate 

predecessor Aliyu to raise the 

Niger: My poor orphan state 

crucial funds needed to buoy 

his insolvent government, 

Abu may be constrained by 

both filial consanguinity and 

affinity not be able to do so. 

Because his mother-in-law 

Fati Abdussalam herself is a 

blood niece to Aliyu who is 

thus a grand-uncle-in-law to 

the new Governor. In the 

sixteen years that PDP had 

conquered and despoiled my 

beloved Niger State, I had 

written one too many titles 

either passionately 

importuning good 

governance, or in moments of 

personal outrage, 

reprimanding the brazen lack 

of it. And until Khadijah’s last 

Just because 

projects were 

not executed 

when there was 

money, does not 

mean that 

projects cannot 

now be executed 

because there is 

no money. 

Governor Abu 

Lolo just has to 

look inwards 

and create 

‘wealth’ 

Sunday’s text I had thought 

that I am done with the 

goings-on in Niger. But you 

just never say never! 

First, we may ask: ‘is Niger 

State viable?’ That I had 

answered in a piece I once 

wrote, titled ‘Niger: Cry the 

beloved power State’. 

Niger State is famed for 

‘Power’ on account of two 

inherently contradistinctive 

sources of ‘power’. And she is 

noted also for ‘history’ on 

account of two mutually 

opposing causes of ‘history’. 

As a ‘Power State’, Niger is 

both the metaphorical and 

the existential source of two 

high voltages, one ‘political’ 

–being the birth place of two 

former Military heads of 

State, Generals Babangida 

and Abdussalami; and the 

other ‘hydro-electrical’ - 

being home to the nation’s two 

major hydro dams, Kainji and 

Shiroro. 

And of ‘history’ Niger State 

is noted for an interesting 

dual apposite: namely being 

home to Nigeria’s first 

colonial seat of Power, 

Zungeru; -and which town 

was itself also the birth-place 

of two Eastern great 

personages: one, Nigeria’s 

foremost nationalists and her 

first President, Nnamdi 

Azikiwe and the other, the 

very agent provocateur of 

Nigeria’s Civil war himself, 

Odumegwu Ojukwu. Thus, 

Zungeru alone is quite a piece 

of tourist laboratory for any 

serious minded governor 

with the gift of fertile 

imagination. But Niger State 

is all these and even more. 

Of note also are the State’s 

enormous agricultural 

potentials in virtually all of 

the sectors of it; the ‘expanse’ 

and the ‘fecundity’ of her soil 

types; the multi variegation of 

her crop and plant varieties; 

the wide range of her irrigable 

land locations; the existence 

of largely untapped 

ecosystems; her numerous 

fish sources and diverse 

species; a plenitude of an 

immensely provident grazeable 

plains for animal 

husbandry and an 

agriculturally clement 

weather conducive for a 

variety of all-year farming 

systems, Niger State is 

preeminently nonpareil - 

except perhaps for a 

contentious Benue State that 

also lays claim to being the 

‘food basket of the nation’. 

Untapped treasures 

Nor is the State any less 

endowed in other exploitable 

but regrettably untapped 

treasures such as her huge 

deposits of gold and other 

precious metals; or yet her 

many tourist destinations like 

the Shiroro and Kainji dams, 

the waterfalls of Gurara, the 

Borgu Games Reserve; the 

first colonial Capital and Zik’s 

cum Ojukwu’s birth place 

Zungeru; the famous Ladi 

Kwali Pottery; the potentially 

exploitable Zuma Rock, - 

which is a natural landmarkmystic 

of national 

significance both in its 

touristic value and its 

symbolic uniting force. 

Neither Kure nor Aliyu could 

discern the potentials of this 

landmark. 

Once, Governor Aliyu in his 

typical, do-nothing populist 

stunts, had arranged to be 

physically launched on top of 

Zuma Rock for the titillation 

of his own ego and for the 

amusement of political 

hangers-on. In fact, typically 

for Aliyu this Zuma-climbing 

event would’ve been enough 

to form the fulcrum of 

governance discourse with 

himself as the trail-blazing 

star who had done what no 

governor had ever done. 

Ironically right beneath the 

Zuma Rock itself was a 30- 

year-old abandoned and 

uncompleted State-owned 

five-star hotel. Talba the star- 

Rock-climber took the shine 

off of this derelict five-star 

metaphor of waste and 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 —17 

misplaced priority. 

In fact, it was to the credit 

of the ‘heroics’ of another donothing 

Governor, Kure that 

the battle to get the Federal 

Government remove Zuma 

Rock from the five naira note 

was won, because Niger State 

had insisted that the 

landmark exclusively 

belonged to it and that the 

Federal Government’s use of 

it on our national currency 

was tantamount to a violation 

of landmark rights. 

Interestingly since then apart 

from the historic landing of 

Governor Aliyu on it, the 

State has done nothing to 

exploit the tourist potentials 

of Zuma Rock other than lend 

the use of ‘Zuma’ ironically to 

a federal agency, the Nigeria 

Police on its State crime 

patrol vehicles. ‘ba cinyar ba’ 

the Hausas would say, ‘kafar 

baya!’ –‘not the hind but the 

foreleg’. 

Again to Niger State belongs 

a strategically positioned 

Suleja (originally Abuja) town 

that is a virtual entrepot to 

the Federal Capital and an 

ancient city readily exploitable 

in its Real-estate 

potentials both on account of 

its Gateway location to the 

nation’s capital and its 

enviable history as the 

baptismal precursor to the 

present day ‘Abuja’. By the 

way, Suleja as the veritable 

historical surrogate mother 

to Abuja, is a national 

monument of some sort 

deserving of special funding 

by the federal government. 

No governor had ever put 

forth this legitimate claim; the 

same way neither has fought 

for HYPERDEC to cushion the 

effect of perennial flooding of 

the major dams suffered by 

various communities. 

To any discerning 

Governor, Suleja by now 

should’ve been a veritable 

alter-ego of Abuja with 

choice property and 

especially star-studded 

hotels that operate low-flying 

helicopters offering 

customised shuttle services 

daily to and from Abuja’s 

Central Business District for 

those who may want to stay 

on the outskirts as they deal 

with the bureaucracy in 

Abuja. Or maybe even a little 

less ‘crazier’, an FCT-Niger 

State owned light-rail by now 

could daily be ferrying 

passengers who work in Abuja 

but live in Suleja or any of the 

numerous connected 

settlements through which 

the rail would traverse. In 

Suleja alone a veritable 

potpourri of investables 

abide and from which a world 

of infinite commercial 

possibilities lie. But where is 

the Governor? 

By the way Niger State is 

home to some of the best 

species of yam anywhere in 

the country; and in fact our 

hard-working, agrarian 

Gbagyi population cultivates 

about the largest share – 

admittedly in contention with 

Benue’s Tiv farmers- of the 

nation’s annual yam 

production. Yet no Governor 

of Niger State has ever 

deemed it desirable to 

transform this raw yam 

resource by the addition of 

value which will compensate 

our poor local farmers for 

their investment of capital 

and for the drudgery put in 

annual to bring that produce 

to us at a street value that 

sometimes amounts literally 

to robbing the farmer. 

Truckloads after truckloads 

of yam exit the State, 

purchased at abysmally low 

glut-rate prices and 

transported down to the 

industrial suburbs of Lagos 

and Ogun states to be 

processed into ‘poundo-yam 

flour’ which now sells in 

supermarkets at about a 

thousand naira per singlemeal 

sachet. Ironically, at the 

peak of yam glut in my State a 

thousand naira sometimes 

can give you a boot-full of 

yams bought off a streethawking, 

often-child-nestling 

gbagyi mother who would sell 

not because the price is right, 

but because she needs to free 

her neck from the weight of 

the commodity. 

Processed local rice 

As with the Niger State yam, 

so it is with the Niger State 

‘stoned fadama rice’ that 

neither Governor Kure nor 

Aliyu ever deemed it 

necessary to work to unstone 

–by gradually setting a 

milling process in motion 

either through the 

empowerment of our 

predominantly Nupe local 

rice farmers or even the direct 

involvement of Government 

in improving and adding 

value to this commodity so 

that farmers get equitable 

value for their drudgery and 

the nation is gradually 

weaned from its 

overdependence on foreign 

rice. None of our governors 

cared. 

One can go on and on from 

the uniquely palatable 

diverse fish species either 

from Shiroro, Kainji or in fact 

the exceptionally salt-sweet 

fadama fishes of the ricefarming 

communities of Nupe 

land who are left too at the 

mercy of the vagaries of a 

cruel informal market; and 

then even to the numerous 

varieties of fruits especially 

mangoes sold at glut-street 

price sometimes of onepenny-to-the-dozens, 

while 

street-smart juice-making 

factories from Sango-Otta 

sneak in annually to cart 

truckload after truckload 

literally at no cost from local 

Gbagyi communities who 

may only be too happy to be 

rid of it 

EPILOGUE 

Yet, critics would say 

‘Mohammed, this is 

preposterous. The current 

Governor is battling to pay 

salaries, and you are talking 

about big time projects. Even 

previous governors who had 

brimming treasuries at their 

disposal couldn’t execute 

such projects’. No! It was not 

that previous governors 

COULDN’T . In truth they 

simply WOULDN’T. 

Yet, just because projects 

were not executed when there 

was money, does not mean 

that projects cannot now be 

executed because there is no 

money. Governor Abu Lolo 

just has to look inwards and 

create ‘wealth’. The Einstein 

peach of genuine exertion in 

the art of governance is all 

about creating ‘something’, - 

sometimes even from 

‘nothing’! 

C 

M 

Y 

K

C 

M 

YK 


MINISTER of Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung, 

has once again, proved his critics right in 

seeing him as an unfit person to head our 

Sports Ministry at this stage of our 

development. 

From poor handling of the supremacy contest 

in the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) 

between its President, Amaju Pinnick and his 

challenger, Chris Giwa, to the utter neglect of 

our Olympic team in Rio 2016, Dalung has 

reportedly courted another controversy by 

advising President Muhammadu Buhari not 

to approve Nigeria’s participation in the 

football World Cup competition coming up in 

Russia in 2018. According reports, Dalung 

justified his advice on the premise that Nigeria 

was “too hungry” to participate in the games 

which it might not win. 

This latest blunder from a man given the 

mantle to take our sports to a higher level 

leaves many astonished Nigerians wondering 

whether this man has come to build or destroy 

our sports. Does he really understand why we 

have a Sports Ministry? Does he know what 

sports, especially football, means to 

Nigerians? Is he the only Nigerian that does 

not know that it is only during major 

international football championships (of 

Dalung has become 

anti-Sports Minister 

which the World Cup is the ultimate) that 

Nigerians forget their infamous ethnoreligious, 

political and sectional divisions and 

act as one? 

Granted, Nigeria is in a crippling recession. 

But the situation in Buhari’s first time as a 

military leader in 1985 was even worse, as 

there was severe shortage of essential 

commodities in our markets, stores and 

supermarkets, yet we successfully sponsored 

the first batch of Golden Eaglets to win 

Nigerian’s first universal soccer trophy in 

China. 

Besides the psychological boost football 

offers to the vast generality of Nigerians, it is 

also a great international image booster; a 

leveller in that smaller nations that are big in 

sports (such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Jamaica 

in athletics) rub shoulders with giants like the 

USA, Russia and China. This takes them out 

of obscurity to international reckoning. 

Beyond these is the fact that sport (football 

in particular) has become great business, not 

only for the talented youth who earn 

stupendously along with their worldwide 

fame, but also for the nations that have 

developed their sports infrastructure. That is 

Nigeria’s aspiration, which is why we have a 

Sports Ministry. 

We are convinced that President Buhari, who 

is a lover of football, will not succumb to this 

misguided and unpatriotic advice from a 

Minister who, clearly, has no business holding 

the Sports portfolio. With Nigeria already 

established in a pole position to qualify from 

our Africa group, any attempt to pull us out of 

the Russia World Cup could trigger a major 

citizen revolt. 

We reject Dalung’s opinion and urge the 

Federal Government to give the Super Eagles 

its unalloyed support to qualify and 

participate in the World Cup competition in 

Russia in 2018. 

NEWS 

Kaduna killings: You are not doing enough, CAN tells Buhari 

....102 killed, 215 injured, 50,000 houses burnt in Kaduna attacks 

By Caleb Ayansina 

ABUJA – Following the 

Fulani herdsmen/farmers 

clash in the southern part of 

Kaduna State, the Christian 

Association of Nigeria, CAN, 

yesterday, called on the Federal 

Government to redouble its efforts 

towards stopping incessant attacks 

on farmers by Fulani herdsmen. 

According to the Christian group, 

the government is not doing 

enough to stem the tide of 

herdsmen’s killings. 

The President of CAN, Rev 

Samson Ayokunle, who stated this 

while receiving representatives of 

villages displaced by the current 

crisis rocking southern Kaduna, in 

Abuja, cried out that there was 

religious cleansing going on in 

Kaduna State. 

Narrating their ordeal, the 

victims, who spoke through the 

Secretary of CAN, Godogodo 

Zone, Rev. Chawangon Nathan, 

said the problem, which started in 

May 26, 2016, had degenerated to 

uncontrollable crisis due to nonchallant 

attitude of those in authority. 

He noted that not less than 25 

villages in southern Kaduna had been 

brought down by the Fulani herdsmen. 

Nathan disclosed that “102 people 

had so far been killed while about 215 

sustained various degree of injuries. 

50, 000 houses burnt in 25 villages, 

over 10,000 displaced and over 30,000 

hectares of land destroyed deliberately 

by Fulani. 

“The governor visited only one 

village once and the impact of that visit 

is not felt up till today. There is 

religious sentiment among the 

security operatives.” 

Speaking further, CAN President 

said: “This is the situation in our own 

country. The question is these 

rampaging Fulani people, are they 

above the law? Why are they 

appearing as the untouchable? Why 

were they not arrested? Why should 

the victims be the people to be 

arrested? 

“When we are talking of the peaceful 

coexistence, there must be mutual 

respect. We are appealing to the 

government of the day, it is becoming 

unbearable, shall we keep quiet when 

our people are being destroyed daily? 

“They are human beings, they are 

not cow, they have the right to exist. 

Every Nigeria has the right to be 

protected, we are appealing to the 

government of the day, we are 

appealing to the Inspector General of 

Police, we are appealing to all the 

security agents. 

“We are appealing to the Governor 

of Kaduna State, please and please, 

do your work and let us see crystal 

clear, it is not okay to just say all is 

well, while all is not well. We are not 

infants, we are adults, and the killing 

continues up till now. You remember 

that southern Kaduna is 

predominantly Christians, why is it 

that this is the area targeted, is this 

not Boko Haram in another form? 

“I was reading a newspaper recently 

and somebody in government said the 

rampaging herdsmen are from Niger 

and Mali. Is it not ridiculous to say 

that? When you are with all that is 

needed to protect the country, am 

I the one with the power to police 

the country? 

“When those in the government 

are aware that dangerous people 

are entering the country and they 

are allowing them, what efforts 

have the immigration, security 

agents taken to prevent unwanted 

foreigners from entering this 

country illegally? That kind of 

explanation should not come up 

again, it is totally upsetting. 

“This is a moment of truth, it is 

not about the politics or ethnicity, 

not even about religion, it is about 

the value attached to the life of 

every Nigerian. Are you saying that 

everybody should take up arms, for 

self defence? If these Fulani people 

can be going about in the day 

killing and they will always be 

unknown, when are they going to 

be known? 

“To keep Nigeria one, first of all, 

it must start from the government, 

before every one of us. The 

government must give us the 

leadership, otherwise, this kind of 

systematic killing and ethnic 

cleansing should stop henceforth, 

and we are praying for this nation.”


Recession: ICAN recommends 13 point 

agenda to salvage economy 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

$155.00 -2.25 

$2,452.00 14.00 

$19.66 -0.09 

$49.13 0.01 

$48.10 0.07 

304 304.5 305 

376.9296 377.5496 378.1695 

322.8784 323.4095 323.9405 

300.7519 301.2465 301.741 

2.7437 2.7482 2.7527 

0.4735 0.4835 0.4935 

411.2933 411.9697 412.6462 

44.1428 44.2159 44.2889 

81.0472 81.1805 81.3138 

411.9808 412.6584 413.336 

CBN Exchange rate as at 23/11/2016 

From Left: Pharm. Gbolagade Iyiola, National Secretary, Pharmaceutical Society 

of Nigeria; Pharm. Chukuka Chukutem, Executive Director, Pharma Sales & 

Marketing, May & Baker Nigeria Plc; and Professor Olukemi Odukoya of the 

Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, at the presentation of the 2016 May & 

Baker Professional Service Award in Pharmacy to Odukoya in Minna, Niger State 

By Providence Obuh 

THE Institute of Chartered Ac 

countants of Nigeria, ICAN, 

said it has submitted a 13 point 

agenda to relevant government 

agencies to salvage the economy. 

Presenting the communique 

reached at the end of the 46th Annual 

Accountants’ Conference of 

ICAN in Lagos, the president, Deacon 

Titus Soetan, said that it is part 

of the institute’s role as a responsible 

professional body to review 

and discuss some policies of government 

to assist implementation 

and ensure that their benefits are 

maximised. 

The recommendations in the communique 

said that in view of the 

volatility in the global oil and commodity 

markets, the government 

should resuscitate the culture of 

saving for the rainy day, a 0.5 percent 

of the gross income from oil 

operations to help insulate the local 

economy from the dynamics of 

globalisation. 

Soetan, who reeled out the recommendations, 

added that there is 

need for government to set the pace 

for accountability by periodically and 

regularly publishing the level of 

achievement of the goals it set for 

itself as it is done in the private sector. 

He added that public sector leaders 

must engage the citizenry from 

time to time, imbibe the culture of 

stewardship reporting and be prepared 

to be held accountable. 

He said that the efforts being 

made to diversify the nation’s 

economy and the recent discovery 

of huge quantity of high quality 

Nickel in Kaduna are commendable 

and encouraging, adding 

that while basking in the euphoria 

associated with the Nickel 

discovery, the government should 

ensure that this and other minerals 

are processed with value added 

before they are exported. “This is 

to ensure that the nation derives 

maximum benefits from its natural 

endowments,” he said. 

The institute in the communique 

further stated that in order to 

strengthen the government’s resolve 

to embrace the ideals of accountability, 

transparency and best 

practices in public sector financial 

reporting, government at all levels 

should partner with relevant professional 

and technical Institutes 

to build institutional capacity that 

By Babajide Komolafe 

THE National Cashew As 

sociation of Nigeria, 

NCAN, has raised alarm over 

the encroachment of foreigners 

into cashew farms across the 

country. 

Nigeria produces about 

150,000 metric tonnes of cashew 

annually and is rated fourth largest 

producer of cashew nuts in 

Africa and seventh in the world 

Speaking at the 2016 National 

Cashew Trade Administration 

croachment into cashew farms 

by foreigners is inimical to the 

value chain system and cuts off 

our locals from participating in the 

trade. Expatriates are positioned 

in the bushes to buy directly from 

the farmers thereby taking away 

the much needed jobs from our 

people. If our people cannot buy 

produce what else do you want 

them to do?’ 

Fasheru noted that the international 

market expects 8.0 percent 

moisture in the cashew for 

the best quality and when cashew 

is not well-dried, it is difficult to 

achieve this quality and such low 

would ensure the success of the initiative 

and that as part of the initiatives 

to promote accountability in the 

public sector and hold its functionaries 

to account, the government 

should create a Whistleblowers Protection 

Fund that will encourage 

and protect whistleblowers. 

Soetan said, “Except people feel 

safe and protected, they would be 

unwilling to raise alarm over improprieties 

that may come to their 

attention. Although there is great 

concern about the growing trend towards 

public sector borrowing and 

the desire by the government to discard 

the cash call model of financing 

oil exploration, it is hoped that 

such borrowing by the Joint Venture 

partners would be optimally 

done and committed to the purpose 

for which the loans were taken. The 

government should ensure that 

other borrowings are judiciously 

committed to finance infrastructural 

projects.” 

He maintained that all tiers of 

government should strengthen 

their institutions, implement sound 

internal controls to prevent fraud, 

waste and abuse. 

NCAN raises alarm over encroachment 

of foreigners into cashew farms 

meeting of the association in 

Ogbomosho, Oyo, NCAN 

President, Mr. Tola Fasheru, 

said: “The encroachment of foreigners 

has been causing distractions 

for local farmers, and 

the consequence of this is low 

quality of products, reduced 

value at the international market 

and most importantly lower 

purchasing power for the Nigerian 

farmers.. 

He averred that, “The en- 

The encroachment of 

foreigners has been 

causing distractions for 

local farmers, and the 

consequence of this is 

low quality of products 

quality of product will spoil the image 

of this country. 

According to him: “We want our 

farmers to dry their cashew to eight 

percent at the farm gate and at the 

earliest time so that it will meet the 

international standard and if all 

these are done well, farmers will 

earn more, the country will earn 

more and most importantly the interest 

for Nigerian cashew in the 

international market will continue 

to increase” 

Also speaking at the meeting, 

former governor of Oyo State, Chief 

Adebayo Alao Akala, frowned at 

the practice of foreigners bombarding 

the farm gates to buy cashew 

and said this should stop now. 

He said this poses big risk to the 

nation especially in this age of security 

concerns. He appealed to 

the association to do its best in ensuring 

that cash crops return as the 

major foreign exchange earner for 

Nigeria now that the country is 

moving away from a monolithic 

economy 

BoI N310bn 

financing will 

expand SMEs, 

says BoI 

THE Bank of Industry, BoI, 

says its N310 billion five-year 

financing programme for Small 

and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, 

will fast track expansion of the sector. 

Mr Waheed Olagunju, Acting 

Managing Director, BoI, said this 

while delivering a lecture entitled: 

“SMEs as a Catalyst for Sustained 

Economic Growth in Nigeria” in 

Lagos. The lecture was organised 

by the Chartered Institute of Personnel 

Management of Nigeria 

(CIPMN). 

According to him, the N310 billion 

is targeted at improving disbursement 

of medium and long 

term lending between 2015 and 

2019 to SMEs. He said that 60,000 

jobs were created with the N15 billion 

disbursed in 2015 with a projected 

target of N26.2 billion, N45.9 

billion, N80.3 billion and N140.6 

billion in subsequent years. The 

acting managing director said that 

SMEs could operate in all sectors 

of the economy, adding that opportunities 

and risk of SMEs depended 

on the operating environment 

of the country. 

According to him, the bank manages 

more than 32 national development 

schemes and intervention 

funds on behalf of private, public 

and foreign agencies that SMEs 

can leverage upon. Olagunju 

urged operators to plug into the 

supply chain of large firms to fill 

the existing gaps in various sectors. 

Also speaking, Dr Abiodun 

Adedipe, an economist, said that 

the country was in dire need of an 

energised SMEs sector, adding 

that the past GDP growth of the 

economy was not an inclusive 

growth. He said that the GDP 

growth experienced in the last 16 

years did not create jobs, thereby 

leading to high unemployment 

rate. 

According to him, creating and 

empowering SMEs will improve 

job creation as well as bring solution 

to socio-economic challenges 

in the country. Mr Kyari Bukar, the 

Chairman, Nigerian Economic 

Summit Group, NESG, said that 

SMEs growth in the country depended 

on events in the global community. 

Bukar represented by Dr 

Segun Omisakin, said that the need 

to understand political, economic 

and regulatory terrain of the international 

community would boost 

SMEs development. 

In his remarks, Mr Anthony 

Arabome, President, CIPM urged 

government to eliminate obstacles 

that constituted impediments to 

SMEs’ development in the country. 

He said eliminating hindrances 

would attract more people into the 

sector that was widely acknowledged 

as the driver of the economy. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

Y 


, 

The biggest competitive 

advantage a startup has 

against big 

corporations is speed 

and adaptability 

, 

BUSINESS 

Common mistakes young 

entrepreneurs make 

Of all the companies founded each 

year, only a fraction survive. Even 

a smaller percentage of those 

make it five years. Clearly, building a 

company is no easy task. 

As young entrepreneurs, perhaps the 

biggest advantage we have is an irrational 

sense of naivety that prompts us to rush 

into the “startup battlefield” and try to 

disrupt all forms of order. We compensate 

for experience with drive, hustle, and spirit. 

If only reality were that romantic. 

While there are tangible advantages to 

being a first-time founder, the 

disadvantages that appear are quite 

daunting. Like most things in life, 

experience plays a large role in dictating 

the success of your company. In a study 

on luck versus skill, Harvard researchers 

revealed that serial entrepreneurs of either 

a successful (or even unsuccessful) 

previous startup are more likely to succeed 

than first-time founders. 

Though I have built a company and 

made my fair share of naive mistakes, I 

am still 19 years old and have lots to 

improve upon. I have spent hours and 

hours digesting and learning from some 

of the best founders, venture capitalists, 

and operators in the space. 

While there is no prescriptive recipe that 

anyone can follow to build a successful 

company, it can still be incredibly valuable 

to learn from those have “been there and 

done that,” which will help you avoid 

mistakes often made by young 

entrepreneurs. Here are four common 

mistakes young entrepreneurs are guilty 

of making: 

Waiting too long 

The biggest competitive advantage a 

startup has against big corporations is 

speed and adaptability. What that really 

means is small companies can iterate 

faster and make pivotal changes to their 

product without needing to worry about 

externalities that a big company would 

face. Though this is a seemingly huge 

benefit to starting small, many founders 

often take their time to perfect their 

product. Paul Graham, investor and 

YCombinator co-founder, shares his notes 

on this, saying that “the thing I probably 

repeat most is this recipe for a startup: 

get a version 1 out fast, then improve it 

based on users’ reactions. By ‘release 

early’ I don’t mean you should release 

something full of bugs, but that you should 

release something minimal.” It is best to 

get your product out into the wild as soon 

as you can so that you can begin testing 

assumptions before investing time and 

resources into a flawed product that no 

one wants. 

Staying in control 

Every founder wants to play a part in all 

aspects of his or her beloved company, but 

this often leads to micromanaging. It stems 

from an irrational fear of relinquishing 

control. These bosses neglect hiring until 

they absolutely are forced to, and in doing 

so, sacrifice any odds of matching the right 

hire for the company. 

Serial entrepreneurs recognize the 

importance and necessity of hiring the right 

team. They prioritize hiring from day one 

and engrain it in their company’s culture. 

How to increase productivity in 

the workplace 

As a business 

owner, you’ll 

understand that 

the most crucial part of 

your company is your 

staff. Every business 

has goals, and without 

a productive workforce, 

you can’t expect to 

achieve them. 

Research shows that 

61 percent of global 

employers and 

employees agree that 

an improved level of 

productivity helps to 

increase company 

profits. But how can the 

employer make sure 

that his staff are as 

productive as possible? 

How do you improve 

the current level of 

productivity in your 

business? 

Efficient working 

Someone once said 

that the most 

dangerous phrase in business is 

‘that’s how we’ve always done it’. If 

you want to make sure that your staff 

is working in the best way possible, 

you should audit your current 

working operations. Are your 

employees using their time in the 

most efficient way? When they are 

working, are your staff fully focused 

on task? You should analyse the way 

your employees are working, how 

they’re prioritising tasks and how 

they are planning their day. 

Consider providing a workshop on 

how to plan and order 

responsibilities to ensure the most 

important things are completed first, 

and give tips on list making, which 

As soon as you realize that you can scale 

by hiring employees to do the work you 

are either not good at or do not like, your 

company begins to grow faster and your 

life gets easier. 

Raising too much money 

Money is always on the mind of a 

founder, especially a young one who can 

be easily overwhelmed by the sheer 

quantity of important financial decisions 

that founders begin making early on. A 

lot of those nerves come to fruition when 

startup founders begin raising money 

from investors and venture capital firms. 

There are so many questions - When is 

the best time to begin raising money? 

How much money should be raised for 

my seed round? A big mistake that 

founders do not consider early on is the 

potential to raise too much to early. 

Keeping your idea 

The last thing you would want to do as 

a founder is build something that no one 

actually wants to use. The best thing you 

FROM LEFT: Ag. Executive Secretary of National Sugar Development Council, 

Mr. Sam Kwabe, House Committee Chairman on Industry, Hon. Abubakar Moriki 

, Ag. Group Managing Director Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Engr. Abdullahi Sule 

and a member of the House Committee on Industry Hon. Ibrahim Babangida, 

during the committee members visit to Dangote Sugar Refinery in Lagos. 

is a useful way to stay organised. 

Daily habits 

If working for extended periods 

of time, your employees can 

have trouble concentrating and 

become easily distracted, which 

can result in a failure to meet 

deadlines or targets. It’s 

important that during working 

hours, staff are fully dedicated to 

their job role, however some 

people work their best outside of 

traditional business hours. To 

combat this, you could consider 

offering flexitime to employees 

who would benefit from it. This 

would help to ensure your 

employees are working at their 

can do to avoid this calamity is to 

go out and talk to users from day 

one and get their raw opinion on 

your product. 

Many first-time founders do the 

exact opposite and keep their ideas 

secret. “Stealth startups,” while 

viable in some competitive spaces, 

are often doing themselves a 

disservice by not talking to 

customers and getting feedback 

early on. 

Justin Kan, the founder of 

Justin.tv, Twitch, Exec, Socialcam, 

and a YCombinator partner, is all 

about testing assumptions quickly. 

When reflecting on one of his first 

companies, Kan said, “We thought 

that instead of talking to 

[customers] and finding out what 

they liked and didn’t like about our 

existing service, we would continue 

to invent new features that we 

thought would be used even more 

There is a thin 

line between 

keeping your 

staff moral up 

and turning 

work into a 

social event. 

most efficient times of the day. 

You could also encourage your 

staff to take breaks when it suits 

them, as regular short periods 

than our existing features.” 

Kan’s process to building 

companies is simple and cuts out 

distractions: 

Step one: Gather data on 

customer problems. Step two: 

Form a hypothesis about how to 

fix that problem and build 

something that you think 

addresses it. Step three: Test 

your hypothesis by giving what 

you’ve built to your potential 

customers and getting feedback. 

This simple framework is a 

great way to find real validation 

and build something that people 

actually want. 

*Culled from an article by 

Jordan Gonen, a 19-year-old 

that specialises in product 

growth, in Forbes Entrepreneur 

C


& YOU 

, 

You and your 

spouse set goals, 

then you 

communicate them 

to all involved 

, 

away from a desk can have a 

positive effect on the levels of 

productivity in your office. 

Delegation 

We understand that as a 

business owner, you’ll want 

complete control over your 

company. If an important 

opportunity arises, you may 

want to handle it yourself to 

ensure you get the result that 

you want. However, this way 

of working can be very 

detrimental not just to your 

business, but to your 

employees’ wellbeing, so you 

should empower your 

employees to make these 

decisions. 

Delegate responsibilities to 

qualified employees you trust 

to get the job done, and feel 

confident that the task will be 

completed to your 

satisfaction. You should also 

provide the chance for more 

junior employees to 

undertake courses or shadow 

senior members of the team 

to improve their knowledge 

and experience. Gaining a 

new skill will make a junior 

member of the team a bigger 

asset to your company. 

Eliminate distractions 

There is a thin line between 

keeping your staff moral up 

and turning work into a social 

event. While it wouldn’t be 

practical to issue a company 

wide mobile phone ban, you 

should encourage your staff to 

turn off their devices during 

working hours, but let them 

access the internet and their 

phones while on their breaks. 

This will allow for total 

concentration on their work, 

while still giving them the 

freedom to socialise and 

create friendships – 

something that’s equally as 

important to productivity. 

You should also think about 

non-work related websites. 

Again, you shouldn’t feel the 

need to install software to 

block non-work related 

internet sites, but rather build 

up trust with your employees 

so you feel confident that 

things like Facebook and 

Twitter will be reserved for 

lunch times. 

Proper tools and equipment 

Imagine if you booked a 

plumber for your house, yet 

when he arrives he had no 

tools, making it extremely 

difficult for him to carry out 

his job. This is what it’s like if 

your staff don’t have the 

equipment to complete their 

tasks. Although top of the 

range software or computers 

can seem like a big 

investment initially, the 

rewards will be seen through 

the standard of the work 

completed. Make sure that 

things such as phones, 

computers and printers are all 

in good working order to help 

your business meet its goals. If 

you’re looking to save time and 

money in the long run, you 

could consider an all-in-one 

type of product, such as the 

multifunction laser printer, 

which doubles up as a printer, 

scanner, copier and fax 

machine, can increase your 

efficiency levels and free up 

some precious space in your 

office. 

Workplace conditions 

Another important factor in 

keeping your employees happy 

is the condition of your 

workplace. You should ensure 

that there is plenty of natural 

light in the room, and consider 

introducing plants as this has 

been proven to improve mood. 

You should also make sure the 

temperature is correct in the 

office. If it becomes too hot or 

too cold, employees can get 

easily distracted. The best 

temperature is between 20 and 

21 degrees, and it’s best to 

ensure your office has good 

ventilation in the summer, and 

appropriate heating during the 

winter. 

Support your staff 

A crucial element to staff 

retention is support. If your 

employees feel like they’re 

supported in their role, they’ll 

be more inclined to remain at 

your company. Setting realistic 

goals can help your staff to feel 

more personally productive, 

and give them an incentive to 

work towards a target. If each 

member of your workforce feels 

like they’re a valued member of 

your team, there’s a good 

chance they’ll enjoy being a part 

of your company. 

Positivity is crucial 

This might seem like an 

obvious tip, but with everything 

you have to deal with as an 

employer, rewarding your staff 

can sometimes slip the mind. 

Make sure that you encourage, 

motivate and reward your 

employees and provide 

constructive criticism to ensure 

everyone is always improving. 

You could even consider 

incentive schemes, such as a 

bonus scheme, for above and 

beyond job completion. Or if 

you are looking for nonfinancial 

incentives, an 

‘employee of the month’ 

scheme is a great choice. 

*Courtesy: 

Entrepreneurship.com 

Transf 

ransferring your business to family 

SUCCESSFULLY transferring 

a business to family is more 

difficult than any other exit 

path for one major reason: family 

. Yet owners interested in 

transferring their businesses to 

children do so for one major 

reason: family. 

Reduce stress and family 

disputes by designing a business 

transfer plan based on these five 

critical elements. A written road 

map (for you, your business and 

your family) founded on your 

financial independence and 

security and communicated 

clearly to all involved; A business 

that is transferable; Merit-based 

performance standards for 

ownership; A careful consideration 

of the issue of fairness and; A 

backup plan if transferring the 

business to children 

becomes unworkable 

This article will focus 

on the first element. 

Written roadmap 

You will exit your 

business. It can just 

happen one day or you 

can plan for it. A 

successful business exit 

- one that achieves all 

of your personal, family 

and business goals 

requires planning. The 

centerpiece of the Exit 

Planning Process is the written 

Exit Plan: the document that maps 

your route from where you are 

today to the post-business life you 

desire. It describes what actions are 

to be executed, by whom and by 

when. 

If transferring your business to 

your children is one of your goals, 

once you and your spouse 

understand what you need and 

want from the transfer, you must 

communicate your intention to all 

of your children, and perhaps other 

stakeholders (sons- and daughtersin-law 

for example). Notice the 

order here: you and your spouse set 

goals, then you communicate them 

to all involved. On this point, 

Andrew Karlen, an attorney 

experienced in family business 

planning, observes, “Parents may 

want/need their children’s input in 

their deliberation and decisionmaking 

process, but parents must 

be crystal clear that they will make 

their own decisions about their 

future, and that their financial 

independence is an essential factor 

in the choices they make.” 

Fundamental goal 

Financial security is a 

fundamental goal. Therefore, 

BY ‘UJU ONWUZULIKE 

transfers of ownership and control to 

children should occur only after you 

have achieved it. In family business 

transfers, ownership is gifted, not sold, 

to children. But gifting means you get 

nothing in return for the ownership you 

transfer. To protect your 

If transferring your financial security while 

business to your giving children the 

children is one of assurance that they will 

your goals, once you one day own the business, 

and your spouse I suggest that you create a 

understand what you 

written exit plan describing 

the steps in which the child 

need and want from 

receives ownership. This 

the transfer, you 

plan design should be based 

must communicate on the business attaining 

your intention to all annual financial (usually 

of your children, and cash-flow) benchmarks 

perhaps other (an approach I discuss in 

stakeholders 

the third post in this series). 

As your business achieves 

these benchmarks, you receive 

additional cash from the business. 

This cash: Can increase your nonbusiness 

investment capital; Helps 

ensure your financial security; Is taxed 

once, not twice, thus reducing the cash 

flow needed to acquire your ownership 

by 20 percent to 35 percent. Ensuring 

your financial security also requires you 

to maintain control of the business until 

you have everything you need. At that 

point you can transfer control to the 

younger generation 

Security first 

If you are thinking of transferring 

control before achieving financial 

security, I caution you to reconsider. 

You may be thinking, “Don’t worry 

John. I trust my daughter!” That’s great. 

But realize that events beyond your 

child’s control can cause the child to 

lose control of your business or affect 

its cash flow , e.g. the child’s 

premature death or (far, far more likely) 

divorce. Also, children - even yours - 

can make poor business and personal 

decisions that destroy business value 

and cash flow. Using performance 

benchmarks to govern transfers of 

ownership works well if the child (or 

children) receiving ownership is (or can 

be) capable of succeeding as the 

business’s new owner. 

C 

M 

YK

C 

M 

Y 

K 


Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMEBR 24, 2016 — 23 

Utilize govt health facilites 

—Bolanle Ambode 

Wife of the 

governor of 

Lagos State, 

Mrs. Bolanle 

Ambode, has urged expectant 

mothers in the state, to utilize 

the various health initiatives 

of the government to ensure 

safe delivery. 

She gave the advice at Ikorodu, 

during a town hall meeting on 

maternal and child mortality 

reduction, organized by the 

Ministry of Health. 

Mrs. Ambode noted that the 

Lagos State Government was 

a proactive one, which had 

introduced many 

interventions to reduce 

maternal and child mortality. 

Continues on page 25 

By Chris Onuoha 

Recently, Nigerian female footballers have 

stepped up their game if the current 

formbook is anything to go by. 

Despite the Falconets being edged out of the 

ongoing FIFA U-20 Female World Cup by Spain, their 

performance showed a high level of commitment, fervor 

and of course skill. Moreover, the senior Falcons started 

the African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) 

tournament on a good note, thrashing their Malian 

counterparts 6 – 0. All these and other feats have shown 

the level of passion and commitment Nigerian female 

footballers have exhibited on national assignments, 

winning and bringing honour to the nation. But the 

question remains, are Nigerian female footballers 

accorded their due honour compared to their male 

counterparts? 

Chioma Ajunwa, Nigeria’s first Olympic Gold Medalist, 

former Falcon’s player and a force to reckon with in sports 

Continues on page 24

24—Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMEBR 24, 2016 

CHIOMA AJUNWA: 

Female athletes 


development in the country 

spoke to Woman’s Own about 

the challenges facing Nigerian 

women in sports. 

Are Nigerian women in sports 

not recognized in this country? 

Women are not being accorded 

the respect or honour due to them. 

Perhaps, this is more visible in the 

area of football. When you come 

to athletes, I can tell you as I beat 

my chest that most of the medals 

gotten for this country come from 

women. I got the first gold medal, 

Mary Onyali won a bronze, 

Falilat Ogunkoya got bronze 

while the 4x4 relay team won 

silver in the 1996 Summer 

Olympics in Atlanta, USA. I can 

tell you more on what women are 

doing, but it is quite a pity that 

sometimes it’s like we are not 

being taken serious. In football, 

from the time I was playing with 

the Falcons, we are the best, even 

till today. It was, maybe two years 

back, when some African 

countries defeated our girls, but 

nonetheless, 

the girls are doing fantastically 

well. 

Would you say there’s bias in 

female to male football rating in 

the country? 

Certainly yes, because when 

you check the African football table 

ranking, you will discover that 

women have done better than 

men but due to a heavier focus 

on men, people don’t realise that 

it matters. It’s only in Nigeria 

that the female footballers are not 

regarded despite immeasurable 

honour and glory they have 

brought to the country. The 

Falcons have played so well in 

several world cup tournaments 

even up to the quarter final level. 

When it comes to the issue of 

welfare packages, billions of naira 

will be spent on men but when it 

comes to females, its peanuts and 

that generates noise. Personally 

to me, I don’t like that idea 

because football is football no 

matter who plays it. If it is one 

global sports body (FIFA) that 

handles both female and male 

football tournaments, why give 

are treated 

unfairly 

preference to men. 

Also, if you have problem or 

injury, you are on your own. There 

is an example of a female 

footballer I saw on crutches some 

time ago who narrated to me how 

a stranger paid her hospital bills 

for an injury incurred while 

playing football for this nation. 

She has been bedridden for two 

years now. Our girls are doing 

well, they are talented and 

dedicated but some club 

owners as well are not helping 

matters, it is not by force to 

own a football club, a club 

owner must be ready to cater 

for the players under his care. 

Majority of the girls squat 

anywhere they see yet 

they play for their 

clubs. Most of them 

are not paid 

according to 

contracts 

agreements 

or as when 

due. These 

are girls who 

need some 

money to 

manage their 

life. 

Many of the 

Summer Para- 

Olympic team 

to Rio have decried 

neglect by government 

Well it is a pity we cannot help 

the less privileged among us even 

those in sports who have 

dedicated their spirit and 

strength to bring us glory. I 

thought that if government 

cannot give them scholarship, 

they should be able to see to their 

immediate needs and care. 

Though, certain state governors 

decided to honour them with 

stipends but federal government 

should do more. 8 Gold medals 

in a world tournament like the 

Olympics is not easy to overlook. 

Remember they did what the able 

sports men and women could not 

achieve, yet government spent 

roughly 1.2 million naira on able 

bodied athletes who did not 

perform at nearly the same level. 

If government should give this 

Para-Olympic team 1 million 

naira each, I don’t think it is too 

much. Government can even 

engage them on entrepreneurial 

skills that can benefit them for life 

instead of just thanking and 

dismissing them. Some 

Sometimes I am 

not happy because 

they put these girls 

in a demoralizing 

situation, making 

them not give their 

best. If men go to 

world cup and you 

pay them ten 

thousand dollars 

for each match 

they win, why not 

replicate same to 

female 

counterparts 

physically challenged persons are 

dedicated and committed when 

it comes to crafts; all they need is 

government or corporate support 

to start up business. This is the 

only way they can be encouraged 

to have sense of belonging in a 

nation like Nigeria. 

In your own opinion, what do 

you think has gone wrong? 

The people at the helm of affairs 

in this country, I mean football 

administrators will be able to tell 

why things are like that. 

Sometimes I am not happy 

because they put these girls in a 

demoralizing situation, making 

them not to give their best. If men 

go to world cup and you pay them 

ten thousand dollars for each 

match they win, why not replicate 

same to female counterparts, 

since both take the same risk. 

How can men get a certain 

allowance per night and females 

don’t get anything. I think the 

disparity is obvious here. 

However, with the new 

government we have now that 

believes in ‘Change’ hopefully, 

things might turn around for 

good, but the problem is that 

wrong advisers influence 

decisions. 

How do you mean? 

Every new government comes 

with its own regime and 

administrators. If any appointed 

Minister receives good counsel, 

he will act well judging that the 

advisers are meant to be experts 

in that field. Government knows 

what to do to put smiles on the 

faces of sports men and women 

to be motivated and perform 

excellently well. The problem 

comes on when you put in 

someone that does not know 

anything about sports to occupy 

such position. Perhaps, they 

usually deceive by presenting 

volumes of CVs 

with Oxford and Harvard 

certificates to confuse instead of 

convincing on what they can do 

when the job is offered to them. 

Some even present awesome 

sports certificates you may not 

know that exist just to assume that 

post but in their mind, they are 

political jobbers. Another thing is 

implementation of policies. Any 

previous quality policy can be 

discarded by the new 

administration which may not 

help matters. 

Can a minister be exonerated 

for poor performance in sports? 

Looking at the outcome of the 

2016 Summer Olympics 

in Rio, Brazil, everyone blamed 

the Minister of Sports for the 

abysmal performance of the team. 

Personally to me, it is not right to 

blame the minister, knowing full 

well that when the minister took 

over, anything pertaining to 

training had ended. The only 

thing left was to register the 

athletes that will feature in the 

Olympics. The issue of blaming 

him is not called for. If the former 

Minister of Sports was allowed 

to finish what he started, perhaps, 

the DG will take the blame for any 

poor result, but with this kind of 

disengagement, the blame game 

is baseless. However, if the new 

Minister, after seeing all that has 

happened could not absorb 

proper hands to put things right, 

then he can be blamed for any 

failure in sports ministry. Often 

times we usually ignore things 

that will cause us to make 

mistakes. Minister should parley 

with relevant stakeholders in 

sports to ascertain the reality on 

ground because it’s only the 

spectators that can be more vocal 

and tell the truth, hence, they are 

not at the minister’s behest. 

What is the way forward for 

Nigerian women in sports? 

There must be a platform for this. 

Government can engage 

corporate organisations to invest 

wisely in sports development in 

the country. This can be done by 

tax waiver and other synergic 

understandings. One corporate 

company in this Nigeria can 

invest over 100 million naira in 

sports equipment that can help 

the youth and still make money 

out of it.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 —25 

Utilize govt health facilites —Ambode 


She listed such interventions to 

include: construction of 

maternal and child health 

centers; rehabilitation and 

equipping of primary health 

facilities; procurement of lifesaving 

commodities and many 

others. 

According to her, “No woman 

deserves to die during 

pregnancy or child birth. 

Government has made 

adequate provisions for 

complete well-being of mothers 

during pregnancy and after 

child birth. These services are 

available at the maternal and 

child health centers and free of 

charge at the primary health 

care centers too.” 

She observed that Ikorodu had 

been a major beneficiary of 

those interventions, citing the 

infrastructural development of 

their primary and secondary 

health facilities and the 

midwives service scheme to 

increase the number of skilled 

birth attendants, among others. 

She appealed that cases 

requiring life-saving House Committee on Health, 

interventions be referred Hon. Segun Olulade, member 

promptly to the appropriate representing Ikorodu Federal 

health facilities, stressing that constituency in the House of 

it was a collective responsibility Representatives, Hon. Babajide 

for community leaders in 

different capacities, to save 

mothers and the infants. 

Speaking earlier, the 

Honorable Commissioner 

for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, 

urged pregnant 

women to attend antenatal 

clinics, and 

deliver their babies at 

registered health 

facilities with skilled 

birth attendants. He 

said that such health 

facilities were 

registered with the 

State Government 

through HEFAMAA with 

their registration plaques 

displayed at the 

entrances of their 

facilities. 

Goodwill 

messages were 

given by the 

Chairman, 

•Bolanle Ambode 

Benson, the senior special 

assistant to the president on 

Foreign Affairs and the 

Disapora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri- 

Erewa, former secretary to the 

• Registered 

health facility 

state government, Princess 

Aderenle Adeniran- 

Ogunsanya, HRM, the 

Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba 

Kabiru Shotobi. 

CSO advocates legislation to cater for 

women’s health 

By Gabriel Ewepu 

FOLLOWING high num 

ber of women dying 

due to various illnesses 

as a result ignorance, poverty, 

neglect and other societal 

challenges in the country, particularly 

among the poor, a 

civil society organisation, 

Voice of the Less Privileged 

Organisation, VOLPO, has 

advocated the legislation that 

would cater for women’s 

health. 

This was stated by the 

Founder, VOLPO, Bar. Ego- 

Queen Ezuma, who said 

women’s health, should be 

paramount to all tiers of government 

as they remain the 

engine-room of growth, development 

and peace in the 

country. 

Ezuma who has been in the 

vanguard of the fight for better 

health for women said 

VOLPO has ensured that the 

rights of women are protected 

and exercised at any given 

time as it concerns their 

health. 

She said: “The Voice for the 

Less 

Privileged 

Organisation, VOLPO, has 

been doing well in accordance 

with its mission, motive 

and mandate, and it is a 

self-sponsored organisation, 

and I founded it in 2006 with 

passion to add value to lives 

of the neglected and frustrated 

we have been doing 

what we can to turn around 

lives. 

“We have been on 

sensitisation, teaching 

women about their health 

because health is wealth to 

every human being particularly 

the women. That has 

been a continued exercise 

and as long as a woman is 

alive the nation is alive. 

“Many women in the country 

are ignorant about what 

transpires in their health because 

they thought that eating 

alone is important in life 

but it is more than that. We 

emphasise on physical exercise 

for different ages. 

“Now, the rate of diabetes 

related death is higher than 

HIV/AIDS in this country and 

it is more among the women. 

For instance a disease like 

cancer is high among women 

but it can be detected early 

to tackle it and that makes 

her safe. 

“It is unfortunate that virtually 

everything in the country 

is politicised including the 

health of the people. We have 

seen several wives of state 

governors who have initiated 

various pet projects and 

programmes for 

women’s health 

but at the end of 

the day it be- 

comes a white elephant 

project, while others who succeed 

them jettison those 

programmes. 

“I will like our women who 

are in the National Assembly 

as elected lawmakers to look 

Mobil partners Inner Wheel on 

empowerment of female 

artisans in Lagos 

By Josephine Agbonkhese 

The livelihoods of over 50 female 

artisans were boosted recently in 

Lagos as Inner Wheel District 911 

Nigeria in conjunction with Mobil Nigeria 

Limited trained and empowered them with 

work tools. 

The beneficiaries who were trained in 

various skills including bead-making, interior 

decoration, fashion designing, make-up 

artistry, catering, to mention but few, all 

received some of the latest equipment 

required for professional practice. 

Speaking at the graduation ceremony which 

held at the Inner Wheel Vocational Centre 

where the six-week intensive training took 

place, Chairperson, IW District 911 Nigeria, 

Mrs Wemimo Olasanya, explained that the 

gesture was the organisations’ modest 

response to the economic situation in the 

country. 

into the health of women and 

enact laws that will protect 

the lives of women. Politicians 

should be concerned and considerate 

about women’s 

health so they can live longer 

to continue to vote for them 

and not just the peanut they 

give them in form of rice, 

sugar, seasoning, wrappers 

and others. 

“Government should take the 

health of women seriously 

and it is very simple to make 

women understand how to 

live and many lives will be 

saved. It should start in their 

dieting and meal preparation 

recipes.” 

She also urged government 

to collaborate with civil society 

organisations that are relevant 

and reliable to sensitise 

and create awareness among 

women about their health. 

In her opening remark, Olasanya praised 

the participants for their unique passion 

towards knowledge acquisition and also 

urged that they remained dedicated to their 

jobs. 

Above all, she emphasized the need to 

make good use of the work tools supplied 

to them for start-ups and warned against 

the sale or misuse of the equipment. 

Also speaking in gratitude, one of the 

beneficiaries simply identified as Mrs 

Opara, who received a sewing machine, 

said: “I thank God I participant in this 

programme. Despite the short period the 

programme was conducted, I learned so 

many things I couldn’t have learned as an 

apprentice elsewhere. I was taught both 

practical and theory from the resource 

persons.” 

Another participant, a young man from 

Cross-River State and only male in the 

group, Igri Christopher, who trained as a 

caterer, was equally elated as he got an 

oven for baking. To him, “It is a dream made 

possible as I have been empowered in 

training and equipped with tools to work.”

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Why Tinubu must be rescued 

IT is obvious now that, for 

the first time in his 

illustrious political career, 

Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, 

the much touted National 

Leader of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, has fallen into a 

political ditch. He needs a 

helping hand to get out fast. 

If the APC manipulates itself 

to victory in Ondo State (by 

using the Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, 

and the Judiciary to ensure 

that a fake candidate, Mr. 

Jimoh Ibrahim, stands for the 

ruling Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, it might signal the end of the 

Tinubu political saga in the 

South West. 

Buhari’s Congress for 

Progressive Change,CPC, 

masquerading as the APC that 

won the general elections last 

year will have two states in the 

zone (Ondo and Ogun) in its 

kitty. Being the party in power, 

and with the Tinubu loyalist 

governors in Oyo and Osun not 

eligible to run again, Buhari 

can use the same INEC, 

Judiciary, Directorate of State 

Services, DSS, and the “maymy-loyalty-never-be-tested” 

former Tinubu boys like 

Babatunde Fashola to make a 

Recession is not a tea party 

WE have had to challenge a few 

prayer points, particularly 

those that run contrary to conventional 

wisdom. It is common among the 

Pentecostals, to be asking God to make 

them lenders and not borrowers. 

Evidently, such short-change 

themselves because in today’s world, 

most viable projects are financed on 

borrowed money. Personal savings may 

succeed in taking you barely above the 

subsistence level. 

On our side, we have always relied on 

God to bring the good project; point to 

the source of borrowing for the 

execution; and provide us the 

wherewithal to repay the loan. 

Come to think of it, the debtor may 

have the potential to live longer than 

his creditor. Until the loan is fully 

amortized, the creditor cannot sleep 

well. It is like having your containers 

on the high sea. Until the ship berths 

and the last container is successfully 

discharged, the consignee knows no 

sleep. Essentially, while the debtor has 

only himself to pray for, the creditor 

must continuously pray for himself and 

the debtor to stay alive. This is where 

the creditor bears a bigger burden. 

We proclaim in the abstract that our 

economy is in a recession. But how many 

are aware of the full import of a 

recession? Recession is not a tea party. 

Rather, it is an ill-wind that blows no 

one any good. Our current approach to 

the cure of this recession is apparently 

one of trying to make omelette without 

breaking eggs. 

First, serious-mindedness should teach 

us by now to begin to de-emphasize the 

issue of who caused our recession. Only 

then can we attack the monster 

frontally. 

In fact, recession comes in the form of 

a long distance race, not by sprint; and 

it is difficult to place a finger on who 

caused it. Everyone is guilty as charged. 

Those bogus contracts we awarded to the 

grab for the rest of the South West 

come 2019. 

If that happens, the pro- 

Caliphate, Kaduna Mafia Arewa 

North led by Buhari would 

start calling the shots in the 

politics of the South West on 

their terms, and no longer in 

alliance with a “homegrown” 

political leader of the zone. 

That will bode very ill, not only 

for our democracy that thrives 

better on inter-regional 

alliances (which was what 

brought Buhari into power) but 

will entrench Buharist 

Northern domination; a recipe 

for national instability and 

eventual disintegration. 

Buharist Arewaism (coded 

into his 97%/%% parasitic 

formula for the distribution of 

the Nigerian commonwealth) 

has been on open display since 

he assumed power on May 29 th 

2015. It has shown itself in the 

manner in which the Federal 

Government was formed, the 

deployment of the security 

agencies, the repositioning of 

the top echelon of the Federal 

Bureaucracy, the denial of the 

South the right to produce the 

substantive Head of the Federal 

Judiciary (the Chief Justice of 

Nigeria) and in the way the 

portfolio-carrying contractors, who 

collected the contract sum but didn’t do 

the work; when we suddenly became a 

nation of lazy people, permanently on 

holidays, declared and undeclared; time 

was when we produced an average of 2.1 

million barrels of oil daily; and oil sold 

for an average of well over $100 per 

By now, we should 

hear that President 

Buhari is seeking 

additional funding for 

2016; that the 

bulldozers and 

caterpillars are 

already roaring all 

over the country 

barrel; yet we squandered all the 

money, without saving or investing on 

infrastructure – all these have now 

come home to roost; and we are 

surprised? 

The stark reality of our current 

situation is that while oil still remains 

the mainstay of our economy, we are 

now only able to produce less than 1 

million barrels per day, half of which 

gets vandalised or stolen enroute the oil 

market. And the price of oil has 

plummeted to $30 per barrel. 

Whichever way we look, tragedy stares 

us in the face. 

The truth about our present 

predicament is that it is not he who 

causes it that cures it. After all, the 

problems we are facing today were 

already looming during the 2015 

general elections. We had a right to 

avoid the problems by not contesting the 

elections. Now that we have contested 

INEC has been robbed of its 

Jonathan-era independence. 

It is also manifesting in the 

Islamisation of Non-Muslim 

communities in the Middle Belt 

and South by armed Muslim 

militias masquerading as 

herdsmen, the frequent 

abductions of under-aged 

Christian girls by emirs and 

When Tinubu 

was deeply 

involved in the 

Ondo elections 

in 2012, his 

party still lost. 

So, if APC wins 

now that he 

has withdrawn 

his support, his 

days as a factor 

in the party are 

gone 

Islamic clerics who promptly 

marry them off to themselves 

or other Muslims without the 

consent of their parents, the 

manner in which “blasphemy” 

murder suspects are being set 

free when the law enforcement 

agencies bother to get them 

arrested and tried; and the way 

the Federal Character principle 

in the constitution is 

contemptuously ignored while 

a brash reign of nepotism is 

plunked down the throats of 

Nigerians. Who knows in what 

other forms we will be seeing it 

in the years to come? 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, , 2016 —31 

How do you describe the 

possible outcome of these 

burgeoning anomalies that 

have reared their ugly heads in 

just 18 months? Is it normal for 

human beings subjected to 

these arrogant violations not to 

do something about it 

(eventually)? 

I am not sure this is the type 

of APC Federal Government 

that Tinubu and his kinsmen 

from the South West who put 

Buhari in the Presidency had 

envisioned. I saw it coming, and 

I warned and warned. But I was 

called dirty names here on this 

forum by the horde of hired e- 

rats whose ranks have rapidly 

shrunk of late like our famished 

economy. Tinubu had dreamed 

of an APC Federal Government 

in which the North and the 

West would partner in calling 

the shots for the rest of the 

country, with his Lagos whizkids 

showing Nigeria how they 

did it in Lagos. 

I warned here that Buhari, 

from his track records as a 

former military ruler, 

Executive Chairman of the 

defunct Petroleum Trust Fund, 

PTF, and his utterances as a 

politician (“I will always 

propagate Sharia to all parts of 

Nigeria”; “the dogs and 

baboons will be covered in 

blood”, and so on) was not the 

kind of person who would share 

power with a Westerner, 

Easterner or Minorities of the 

North or South. 

Tinubu had a golden 

opportunity to put his support 

in favour of Atiku Abubakar. 

He and Atiku had met and 

shared power in the defunct 

Social Democratic Party, SDP. 

Atiku has many faults, but he 

is much more cosmopolitan, has 

friends all over the country and 

and won, the 

solution of 

t h o s e 

problems 

becomes our 

u t m o s t 

priority. 

That’s the 

natural order 

– 

governments 

inherit the 

assets and liabilities of predecessors. 

Everyone must realise that 

extraordinary situations, such as we are 

in now, definitely call for extraordinary 

actions. A recession is usually fought 

with spending and more spending; and 

in most cases, it means that you must 

reflate the economy through deliberate 

borrowing. 

Meanwhile, everyone appears not to 

realise the enormity of the problem 

before us. From both sides of the divide, 

no seriousness is being demonstrated. 

From the scanty noise we hear from a 

distance, the National Assembly seems 

to be giving the impression that 

President Muhammadu Buhari is 

looking for money for the next breakfast. 

It has not yet dawned on them that 

everyone has a stake, and they, more 

than the President, have a higher stake 

in pulling Nigeria out of this mess. 

We hear that, for a start, the President 

seeks a $40 billion loan and the Senate 

thinks that the approval of such loan is 

a favour to the President. Who is really 

favouring whom? And how weird it 

sounds that the Senate President might 

use the loan approval as a trade-off for 

his travails at the Code of Conduct 

Tribunal? 

The Federal Government is not yet 

serious either. How can the 

administration be sending a loan request 

to the National Assembly without 

accompanying same with a framework 

of how they intend to apply the loan? 

The impression is simply created that, 

as usual with past regimes, you are 

borrowing to finance fraud! 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

is reputed for his sound sense of 

organised procedure. These are 

totally absent in this chaotic 

Buhari’s government. 

Tinubu chose Buhari because 

the masses of the Muslim North 

were fanatically behind him. 

They saw him as their messiah 

with a magic wand to drag them 

out of Boko Haram insurgency 

and extreme poverty. I hope he 

has met their aspirations. He 

obviously hasn’t met Tinubu’s. 

So, if Buhari’s APC wins the 

Ondo governorship without 

Tinubu, the Party will begin to 

feel they can do without him. 

The pronouncements of 

Governor Simon Lalong of 

Plateau that Tinubu’s absence 

in the electioneering process 

would not affect the party is 

instructive. When Tinubu was 

deeply involved in the Ondo 

elections in 2012, his party still 

lost. So, if APC wins now that 

he has withdrawn his support, 

his days as a factor in the party 

are gone. It won’t matter that 

the PDP candidate, Barrister 

Eyitayo Jegede, was shackled to 

give APC’s Rotimi Akeredolu a 

free ride. 

The South West must not 

allow its political fortunes to be 

dictated by Northerners. This 

region has, historically, fought 

to maintain its independence 

and core agenda in Nigerian 

politics. 

Tinubu’s 

misadventure in handing the 

zone over to Buhari is 

threatening to take away the 

region’s power to decide its own 

future. It will not be in the 

interest of the nation for this to 

happen. Not at this juncture, 

when the South East and the 

South-South zones have found 

their own independent footings 

and are able to determine their 

respective political directions. 

The West must not fall. 

Again, when the Federal Government 

says it wants to sell some of its assets as a 

way of pulling us out of the current 

recession, it simply behoves the 

Administration to make public, the list 

of such assets. We insist that 

Government should not under any guise, 

begin to dispose of its blue-chip assets. 

We must now begin to ask the 

supplementary questions: what 

percentage of the 2016 appropriations 

has been executed now? The Tortoise is 

relevant here. He says when he hears 

that his wife is in the market fighting 

over salt and pepper; he is assured that 

there will be dinner tonight. By now, 

we should hear that President Buhari is 

seeking additional funding for 2016; 

that the bulldozers and caterpillars are 

already roaring all over the country; 

that public housing schemes are being 

reinvigorated across the land; and so on. 

We want to hear that the President has 

properly presented a Bill for budgetary 

authorisation and approval to reflate the 

economy. Such expenditure must be 

directed at massive infrastructural 

development, obviously powered by 

deliberate borrowing. That’s the way to 

create jobs and put disposable income in 

the hands of our teaming youth 

population. 

The experiences of other countries like 

the USA, Turkey, Brazil and lately, 

Greece, all point in the same direction – 

the only cure for a recession or 

depression is massive borrowing for 

massive development. Let no one shy 

away from the truth. 

C 

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32 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

CAPRICORN; The Moon highlights your Solar second 

house of money which is good but, if you try to buy 

true love with money, you’ll be disappointed. 

AQUARIUS; The. Moon in your Star sign’ll gives you 

new confidence and with new supports from the powersthat-be, 

it’s like you are now un-stop-able. But be cautious, 

especially with the veterans within your base of 

operation. Yet you will be lucky today. 

PISCES; Better days are ahead of you but, you will 

today need to do away with non-productive argument 

and/or agreement. Try to be more diplomatic now. 

ARIES; If what you’re doing today’ll depend on 

tomorrow’s event it’s better you’re more careful now. Even 

things may not go according to your personal plans today. 

Yet it’s important you plan both your immediate 

and far future carefully now. 

TAURUS; If you take to aggression, your ego would 

be deflated by your superior colleagues, but your being 

co-operative in a civilised way’ll prevent trouble. 

By Richard Eromosele 

L E I S U R E 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

The workman and his tool 

THERE is an ad 

age which says 

it is the lazy workman 

that quarrels 

with his tools.And if 

he is a farmer that 

complains that his 

cutlass is not sharp, 

you begin to wonder 

whose duty it is 

to sharpen the 

cutlass?Many humans 

are like the 

complaining workman 

and farmer. 

Whoever fails to 

prepare for success 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

is preparing to fail. 

Many things in life 

are earned. Whatever 

you want to be 

in life, take time to 

prepare yourself 

well in advance for 

it. There is no short 

cut to success. You 

can’t give what you 

do not have. If you 

bamboozle your 

way to a position 

you do not 

merit,your poor output 

will one day expose 

you. The problem 

is not the tool 

but the workman. 

Think about it. 

By Kola Fayemi 

GEMINI; Those willing to put you to shame one way 

or the other’ll be disappointed with the turn of things 

today. It’s good to secure support of your spouse. 

CANCER; You’ve had enough of fun in the recent times 

and it’s now time you settle down for hard work in order 

to prevent avoidable trouble. Be patient please. 

LEO; Your concentration level and determination are 

the pillars of your success today. Yet you’ll need to respect 

your senior colleagues and protect your image 

VIRGO; It’s true you’re willing to work harder but you 

just have to drop both aggression and mental arrogance 

to allow things to roll accordingly. Then, you’re accident 

prone within your working arena. Respect the law and 

its agents today. 

LIBRA; Serious thought may be giving to matters of 

the heart but it’s better you tarry a while. Joint ventures 

of short duration today may be an invitation to avoidable 

trouble. 

KAPTAIN AFRIKA in “Pretty Lunatic’ By Andy Akman 

SCORPIO; If you back your financial plans with concrete 

and positive actions things’ll go according to your 

desire. If you fail to realise importance of your spouse 

you would work your way into avoidable trouble; aren’t 

you tired of crisis? 

SAGITTARIUS; Your intelligence, competence and 

level of concentration may today bring you envy, which 

you don’t deserve within your working arena in a negative 

form but. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date e and place of birth th to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

What’s my career ? 

Dear Joshua, 

I am interested in your Astrological counselling. Kindly 

tell me everything about myself, especially my finance 

and career; would I be rich eventually, if yes what should 

I do to make it happen quickly. 

Suleiman, Abuja. 

Dear Suleiman, 

There are indications of financial success for you but 

you can not change what Almighty God Has designed for 

you talking about the timing (the quickness you talked in 

your letter) Certainly however no failure for you. 

Mercury Bthe planet of education and Accountancy, together 

with mighty Sun at positive angle to planets in 

Virgo (another Accounting Star sign) attracted you to both 

Accountancy profession and the academic world. Truly 

you did not make wrong choice of career. 

Money will eventually come along this line but it’ll not 

be as faster as if you take to OIL RELATED BUSINESS. 

Because Neptune (the planet of OIL) was very comfortable 

when you were born. It will not be out of place if you 

have filling stations as time goes by, because you are basically 

a GAS PERSON. Another money spinning vocation 

for you include writing either along your line or for 

film making industry; it is important you exhibit the higher 

quotient of creativity in your inner-self. Yes your dream of 

becoming A Professor will come to reality. Politics is 

another area you are not looking at now but will surely 

come. Do you say why? Because Aquarius is equally political 

Venus that was powerfully placed when you were born is 

all about MONEY. Thus you have special ability to make 

money. And as it was at positive angle to disciplined Saturn, 

you are not giving to serious frivolity. One major 

challenge here is envy by others but you will eventually 

overcome. Another source of challenges is your love life 

which looks not totally balanced. 

Basically you are a family minded person. You are 

equally loving and caring. But sometimes your love of 

freedom get better off you to the resentment of your closer 

partner(s).Then some other times it is other party’s fault 

making love-business very interesting. And unless you are 

more careful and determined you may marry more than 

once. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa

C 

M 

Y 

K 



No crack among N-Delta leaders, Clark remains 

head —Loyibo 

By Emma Amaize 

W ARRI—COOR- 

DINATOR of the 

Niger Delta People Congress, 

NDPC, Chief Mike Loyibo, has 

said there is no division among 

Niger Delta leaders as the boss 

of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, 

PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, 

remains the leader of the region. 

Chief Loyibo, who spoke to 

Vanguard in Warri, Delta State, 

said the fact that NDPC submitted 

fresh demands to the Vice 

President, Professor Yemi 

Osinbajo, two weeks after 

PANDEF submitted a 16-point 

demand to President 

Muhammadu Buhari, on 

November 1, did not mean that 

there was a leadership problem. 

According to him: “We do not 

believe that there is a leadership 

problem in the region. Chief E.K. 

Clark remains the leader of the 

region and is a man of no mean 

repute.” 

He claimed the group confided 

in PANDEF leader, Chief Clark, 

on the core issues before the visit 

to the Vice President, saying: 

“Some persons who were also 

members of PANDEF were 

frustrated with issues such as 

derivation, which were not 

properly addressed as requested 

by the agitators. 

“There is no division of any sort 

among the Niger Delta leaders as 

presumed. The purpose of the 

NDPC visit is clearly defined in 

I'll build on Ogbemudia, Oshiomhole's legacies —Obaseki 

By Simon Ebegbulem 

B ENIN—GOVERNOR 

Godwin Obaseki of Edo 

State has pledged to build on the 

legacies of the two-time former 

governor of defunct Bendel State, 

Dr Samuel Ogbemudia and his 

immediate predecessor, Comrade 

Adams Oshiomhole. 

He noted that the legacies both 

leaders left in the area of 

infrastructure would be sustained 

just as he reiterated his earlier 

promise to make the state 

investor-friendly to attract 

investors and consequently create 

employment in the state. 

Obaseki spoke when he paid a 

visit to Dr Ogbemudia at his 

residence in Benin City, to inform 

the elder statesman that he had 

commenced work in earnest. 

Disclosing that the state 

government was going to 

refurbish the Benin Technical 

College which was built during 

Ogbemudia's administration, the 

governor said, “Our first visit was 

to the Benin Technical College, 

the technical school. It is 

remarkable what you put in place 

there 40 years ago. The structures 

are still solid in spite of the total 

abandonment of that school. You 

could still see the relics of the solid 

foundation you built in that 

the address which was 

presented to the Vice President, 

which is to reaffirm, re-prioritize 

and place in perspectives all 

submissions made earlier by 

various groups. There are many 

militant groups in the Niger 

Delta region outside the Niger 

Delta Avengers, NDA. All these 

groups, including the NDA 

expressed dissatisfaction with 

the presentation of PANDEF 

taking into cognizance the fact 

that their core demands were not 

given the priority they 

deserved.” 

Militants ready for talks 

He dismissed the claim that 

Niger Delta militants were not 

ready for dialogue with the 

government, saying: “The 

militants/agitators are ready for 

dialogue and that was why they 

mandated PANDEF to have a 

discussion with the Federal 

Government on their behalf. 

This also explains why there is 

cessation in the bombardment of 

oil installations in the region 

before the November 1 meeting 

between PANDEF and the 

Federal Government. In the 

submission of NDPC, several 

immediate, medium and longterm 

measures were 

recommended. These are 

categorized under political 

reconstruction and fiscal 

federalism; de-militarization of 

the Niger Delta region/peace 

and confidence building; 

adequate funding of 

interventionist agencies; proper 

management of the post 

amnesty programme; 

promotion of environmental 

and human right policies; 

infrastructural and human 

capital development.” 

PRESENTATION: From left: Mr. German Victor, General Manager, Government and 

Community Affairs, Premium Steel and Mines Limited; Chief Kpomah Solomon, Chairman, 

Udu Local Government Council, Delta State; Mr. Prasanta Kumar Mishra, CEO, Premium 

Steel and Mines Limited; his wife Mrs Bidyut Prava Mishra and Mrs. Omene Esther, Vice 

Chairman, Udu Local Government Council, Delta State, at the presentation of an ultramodern 

ambulance and 3-bedroom bungalow to Udu LGA by Premium Steel and Mines 

Limited, in Warri, Delta State. 

institution. We want to assure 

you that our goal is to build on 

the legacy you left. 

"The next day, we went to the 

secretariat complex to see the 

state of infrastructure and the 

condition under which civil 

servants work. Since you left 

about 40 years ago, successive 

administrations have not been 

able to add one block on it. I want 

to assure you that we will, as a 

matter of priority, build on that 

solid foundation which you 

laid.” 

He further commended the 

administration of Comrade 

Adams Oshiomhole, disclosing 

that his administration was going 

to focus on those areas which 

didn’t get enough attention in 

the last administration. 

Responding, the elder 

statesman expressed joy for the 

visit, admonishing the governor 

to work with people who could 

always draw his attention to 

issues that could have negative 

consequences on the state 

rather than working with people 

who accepted everything he 

said, no matter the implication. 

Dr Ogbemudia drew the 

attention of the governor to the 

road that connects Sobe to other 

parts of Owan West Local 

Council, the rice farm at 

Agenebode, Etsako East Local 

Government Area and the gold 

deposits at Owan East and 

Owan West Local Government 

Areas of the state. 

C-River, China firm sign contract to make 

Calabar Nigeria’s first smart city 

CROSS River State 

Government and 

Huawei Technology of China, 

yesterday, signed a contract to 

make Calabar Nigeria’s first 

smart city. 

Governor Ayade, who was 

excited at the development, said 

the execution of the contract 

would herald the full 

digitalization of Calabar and the 

entire state. 

The governor, while 

commending the Chinese firm 

for being favourably disposed to 

doing business with the state, 

expressed gratitude to the 

company for offering to sponsor 

some aspects of the 2016 

Carnival Calabar. 

Ayade disclosed that the smart 

city project would ensure 

availability of cheap wifi services 

everywhere in Calabar. 

“This will be the first time that 

data would be provided from the 

cloud. With this digital cloud, it 

will offer opportunity to get 

information with ease and 

comfort, including boosting 

research and academic works. 

The project which is in 

partnership with Huawei of 

China, the equipment 

manufacturer, with Sino 

Infrastructure Development 

company Limited as the 

technical partner in Nigeria for 

the project. 

“This partnership will provide 

cheap access to connectivity. 

Cross Riverians will know that 

Huawei is bringing the best 

technology to us. They are a 

known name in the world and 

a pace setter in the industry. 

Cross River deserves only the 

best which they have to offer. 

The whole state is going digital 

as the Cross River super 

highway will have superconnectivity 

where all the best 

internet and technology 

services will be offered to users 

of the super highway," he said. 

Sapele LG 

names 

streets after 

Apolo, Esiso 

S APELE—SAPELE 

Local Government 

Council, Delta State, has 

renamed some major 

streets in Sapele, 

headquarters of the local 

government area, after 

some prominent sons and 

residents of the area for 

their contributions to 

development of the local 

government area. 

Chairman of the council, 

Chief Ejaife Odebala, in a 

statement, said Shell Road 

had been renamed Chief 

Kingsley Esiso Road, 

former Palm Avenue Road 

is to be known as Apolo 

Avenue. 

He also said Ugbeyiyi 

Road had been renamed 

Chief Charles Obule Road, 

adding that MTN Road 

had been renamed Chief 

Joseph Odebala Road. A 

road was also named after 

former Managing Director, 

Delta State Oil Producing 

Areas Development 

C o m m i s s i o n , 

DESOPADEC, Mr. 

Kpogho 

The council boss said 

efforts were on by the local 

government to identify 

more persons that had 

contributed immeasurably 

to development of the local 

government and Urhobo 

nation in general resident 

in the town. 

Okpella 

demands new 

LG out of 

Etsako East 

By Tare Youdeowei 

THE People of 

Okpella in Etsako 

East Local Government 

Area, Edo State, are 

demanding the creation of 

a new LGA from the council 

with headquarters in 

Okpella. 

Speaking through 

Okpella Progressive 

Union, OPU, Northern 

Congress, they contended 

that creation of the local 

government was long overdue 

considering that 

“Okpella is the second most 

populous town in Edo 

North senatorial district, as 

well as to put an end to 

difficulties Okpella people 

face in accessing services 

in headquarters of the 

present Etsako East LGA.” 

President of OPU, 

Northern Congress, Mr. 

Abednego Imiagbedion, 

said: “A local government 

for Okpella will accelerate 

development in the locality."



Army, Amnesty International, trade words over 

alleged killing of 150 pro-Biafra activists 

By Chioma Gabriel & 

Emma Nnadozie, 

AMNESTY International, 

yesterday, came out with 

a report stating that the 

Nigerian security forces led by 

the military, embarked on a 

chilling campaign of 

extrajudicial executions and 

violence resulting in the deaths 

of at least 150 peaceful pro- 

Biafra protesters in the South 

Eastern part of the country. 

Attributing their findings to an 

indepth investigation it carried 

out, the international body stated 

that analysis of 87 videos, 122 

photographs and 146 eyewitness 

testimonies relating to 

demonstrations and other 

gatherings between August 2015 

and August 2016, consistently 

showed that the military fired live 

ammunition with little or no 

warning to disperse crowds. It 

also finds evidence of mass 

extrajudicial executions by 

security forces, including at least 

60 people shot dead in the space 

of two days in connection with 

events to mark Biafra 

Remembrance Day. 

“This deadly repression of pro- 

Biafra activists is further stoking 

tensions in the South East of 

Nigeria. This reckless and triggerhappy 

approach to crowd control 

has caused at least 150 deaths and 

we fear the actual total might be 

far higher. The Nigerian 

government’s decision to send in 

the military to respond to pro- 

Biafra events seems to be in large 

part to blame for this excessive 

bloodshed. The authorities must 

immediately launch an 

impartial investigation and 

bring the perpetrators to book,” 

said Makmid Kamara, Interim 

Director of Amnesty 

International Nigeria. 

Extrajudicial executions 

Amnesty International further 

stated in their report that: “By 

far, the largest number of pro- 

Biafra activists were killed on 

Biafra Remembrance Day on 30 

May 2016 when an estimated 

1,000 IPOB members and 

supporters gathered for a rally 

in Onitsha, Anambra State. The 

night before the rally, the 

security forces raided homes 

and a church where IPOB 

members were sleeping. On 

Remembrance Day itself, the 

security forces shot people in 

several locations. Amnesty 

International has not been able 

to verify the exact number of 

extrajudicial executions, but 

estimates that at least 60 people 

were killed and 70 injured in 

these two days. The real 

number is likely to be higher.” 

Stating that they have 

reviewed videos of a peaceful 

This deadly repression of 

pro-Biafra activists is further 

stoking tensions in the South 

East of Nigeria. This reckless 

and trigger-happy approach to 

crowd control has caused at 

least 150 deaths and we fear the 

actual total might be far higher 

gathering of IPOB members 

and supporters at Aba National 

High School on 9 February 

2016, the body also said that the 

Nigerian military surrounded 

the group and then fired live 

ammunition at them without any 

prior warning. Eyewitnesses 

and local human rights activists 

said that many of the protesters 

at Aba were rounded up and 

taken away by the military. On 

13 February, 13 corpses, 

including those of men known 

to have been taken by the 

military were discovered in a pit 

near the Aba highway. It is 

chilling to see how these 

soldiers gunned down peaceful 

IPOB members. The video 

evidence shows that this was a 

military operation with intent to 

kill and injure,” Makmid 

Kamara alleged. 

No action by authorities 

to ensure accountability 

The organisation regretted 

that despite overwhelming 

evidence that the Nigerian 

security forces committed gross 

human rights violations 

including extrajudicial 

executions and torture, no 

investigations have been 

carried out by the authorities. 

“Amnesty International has 

repeatedly called on the 

government of Nigeria to 

initiate independent 

investigations into evidence of 

crimes under international law, 

and President Buhari has 

repeatedly promised that 

Amnesty International’s reports 

would be looked into. However, 

no concrete steps have been 

taken,” said Makmid Kamara. 

Army debunks Amnesty 

Report 

But the Nigerian Army 

yesterday debunked the 

allegation made by Amnesty 

International, describing the 

claims of mass killing of 

MASSOB/IPOB protesters by the 

military between August 2015 and 

August 2016 as unfounded. 

A statement signed by Colonel 

PEOPLE SPEAK 

On ASUU Strike 

Sani Kukasheka Usman, Acting 

Director, Army Public Relations, 

a copy of which was emailed to 

Vanguard said the insinuation 

that troops perpetrated the 

killing of defenceless agitators 

is untrue. 

The statement read: 

“This is an outright attempt to 

tarnish the reputation of the 

security forces in general and 

the Nigerian Army in particular, 

for whatever inexplicable 

parochial reasons. For 

umpteenth times, the Nigerian 

Army has informed the public 

about the heinous intent of this 

Non-Governmental 

Organisation which is never 

relenting in dabbling into our 

national security in manners 

that obliterate objectivity, 

fairness and simple logic. 

“The evidence of MASSOB/ 

IPOB violent secessionist 

agitations is widely known 

across the national and 

international domains. Their 

modus operandi has continued 

to relish violence that threatens 

national security. Indeed, 

between August 2015 and 

August 2016, the groups’ 

violent protests have 

manifested unimaginable 

atrocities to unhinge the reign 

of peace, security and stability 

in several parts of the South 

East Nigeria. 

“A number of persons from the 

settler communities that hailed 

from other parts of the country 

were selected for attack, killed 

and burnt. Such reign of hate, 

terror and ethno-religious 

controversies that portend grave 

consequences for national 

security have been averted 

severally through the 

responsiveness of the Nigerian 

Army and members of the 

security agencies. 

“These security agencies are 

always targeted for attack by the 

MASSOB/IPOB instruments of 

barbarism and cruelty. For 

instance, in the protests of 30 – 

31 May 2016, more than 5 

personnel of the Nigeria Police 

were killed, while several soldiers 

were wounded, Nigeria Police 

vehicles were burnt down same 

as several others of the Nigerian 

Army that were vandalized.” 

Niger-Bridge under 

threat 

The release from the military 

also claimed the strategic Niger 

Bridge at Onitsha came under 

threat which led to disruption 

of socio-economic activities. 

“In the aftermath of the 

encounter that ensued between 

security agencies and 

MASSOB/IPOB militants, 

many of our troops sustained 

varying degrees of injury. In 

addition, the MASSOB/IPOB 

recurrent use of firearms, crude 

weapons as well as other 

cocktails such as acid and 

dynamites to cause mayhem 

remain a huge security threat 

across the Region. 

“In these circumstances, the 

Nigerian Army under its 

constitutional mandates for 

Military Aid to Civil Authority 

(MACA) and Military Aid to 

Civil Powers (MACP) has 

continued to act responsively in 

synergy with other security 

agencies to de-escalate the 

series of MASSOB/IPOB 

violent protests. 

“Instructively, the military and 

other security agencies 

exercised maximum restraints 

despite the flurry of provocative 

and unjustifiable violence, 

which MASSOB/IPOB 

perpetrated. The adherence 

to Rules of Engagement by the 

military has been sacrosanct in 

all of these incidents. 

“Therefore, it is rather 

unfortunate for the Amnesty 

International to allow itself to be 

lured into this cheap and 

unpopular venture that aims to 

discredit the undeniable 

professionalism as well as 

responsiveness of the Nigerian 

Army in the discharge of its 

constitutional roles.” 

By Bartholomew Madukwe 

(08051019450) 

nwamad@yahoo.com 

C 

M 

YK 

ASUU has been unable 

to come out with any 

solutions to resolve most 

of their issues, except signing 

MOU with the FGN and 

demanding for improved 

allowances and condition 

of service which will never 

be implemented. Mr 

Samuel Maduka, Self 

Employed 

We need to put in place 

new management 

structures for parents and 

lecturers to deliberate on 

issues relating to school 

management and appropriate 

tuition to remove 

the nuisance value of students 

going on rampage 

over fees increase. Miss 

Chika Dike, Graduate 

It is pathetic that ASUU 

has to resort to an industrial 

action to drive home 

its demands, even when 

some of such demands 

borders on funding of our 

Universities for revitalization, 

outside better conditions 

for University lecturers. 

Comrade Jackson 

Timiyan, Student 

The Academic Staff 

Union of Universities, 

ASUU, should insist on full 

implementation of all 

agreements. I wonder why 

the issue of the agreed 

pension arrears of the retired 

academic staff was 

not brought up. Miss 

Benedicta Osondu- 

Fred, Teacher 

It is not an issue of ASUU 

being selfish but government 

and citizens being 

insensitive. Are the students 

not going to become 

lecturers in future? For 

how long are we going to 

continue to produce ill 

baked graduates? Mr Sola 

Akinwande, Entrepreneur 

The disruption in our ed 

ucational is one too 

many and must be stopped 

by all means. Some Universities 

are just writing their 

first semester exams, while 

million of students who 

wrote and passed NECO 

and WASSCE have been at 

home since June. Mrs Florence 

Jaiyeola, Teacher 

.

Y 

K 



Campaign for 

mother tongues, 

Wa Thiong’O 

tells Africans 

By Prisca 

Sam-Duru 

KENYAN literary icon, 

Professor Ngugi Wa 

Thiong’O, has advised 

Africans to resist every 

effort by their 

governments to 

criminalise Africa native 

languages. 

According to him, 

preventing people from 

speaking or writing in 

their mother tongues is 

the easiest way for them 

to lose their identities. 

Professor Wa Thiong’O 

gave the advice while 

sharing his prison 

experience at the 2016 

Ake Arts and Books 

Festival at the June 12 

Cultural Centre, Kuto, 

Abeokuta, Ogun State. 

Speaking on the topic, 

Prison Stories and 

Literature of Resistance, 

the famous writer, who 

disclosed that he 

discovered his ability to 

write in his mother 

tongue, Gikuyu, during 

his incarceration by the 

then Kenyan President, 

Jomo Kenyetta, 

condemned the idea of 

preventing children from 

using native languages 

in school. 

He said: “The time has 

come for Africans to 

campaign against 

criminalisation of our 

native languages. This 

was a strategy used by the 

colonial masters to control 

their subjects. 

“They started by 

imposing their names and 

languages on their 

subjects to destroy their 

naming system, disconnect 

them from their 

names and languages: 

this is a practical means 

of mental subjugation.” 

Akeredolu camp faults Oke groups' 

‘retrogressive politics’ 

THE Rotimi Akeredolu 

Media Team has described 

as “faceless” some 

organisations, tagged Coalition 

of Odua Self-determination 

Groups working for the 

emergence of Olusola Oke of 

the Alliance for Democracy, AD, 

as governor of Ondo State. 

According to the team, the 

groups only exist in the minds 

of their sponsors for the 

promotion of ethnic politics and 

that their brand of politics 

represented a retrogressive step 

for the Yoruba people, who need 

to play their pre-eminent roles 

in the political engineering of 

the country for national 

development. 

VISIT: From left— Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, 

Olusegun Awolowo; Technical Advisor to Awolowo, Maureen Ideozu; German Ambassador 

to Nigeria, Dr. Bernhard Schlagheck, and Director, Policy & Strategy, Mr. Sidi-Aliyu, during 

the ambassador's visit to NEPC in Abuja. 

Education gets lion share, as Ganduje 

presents N209.8bn budgets 

By AbdulSalam 

Muhammad 

K ANO—GOVERNOR 

Abdullahi Ganduje of 

Kano State, yesterday, 

presented a N209.8 billion 

proposed appropriation bill 

for 2017 fiscal year to the state 

House of Assembly. 

The proposed budget, 

tagged Sustainable Self- 

Reliance Budget, has N130.4 

billion as capital expenditure 

and N79.3 billion as recurrent 

expenditure. 

Ganduje revealed that the 

recurrent revenue projection 

stands at N143.7 billion, with 

N46.10 billion as internally 

generated revenue, IGR, and 

N96.9 billion expected from 

federal allocation. 

Ganduje disclosed that 

“recurrent expenditure is 

higher than the 2016 fiscal 

year with N774.3 million, 

which stands at 0.079 per 

cent, while IGR is lower than 

that of the 2016 fiscal year with 

8.4 per cent.” 

The governor explained that 

the drop in the IGR was not 

unrelated to the current 

The coalition, made up of 

Oodua Peoples Congress, 

OPC, Oodua Development 

Alternative, ODA, Coalition 

of Oodua Nationalists, 

CONA, Agbekoya and 10 

others, had accused the APC 

candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, 

of being an agent of “certain 

interests” opposed to the 

aspirations of Ondo people. 

Reacting to the accusation in 

a statement, Akeredolu’s team 

said the groups must be 

impersonating the authentic 

pro-Yoruba organisations that 

had been consistent in their 

defence of the Yoruba cause. 

According to the media 

team, the groups that boasted 

economic hardship being faced 

in the country, while the 

capital expenditure is less 

than that of last year by N59.8 

billion. 

He added that N26.2 billion 

is expected from internal loans 

and N32.5 billion from grants, 

amongst others. 

Education was one of the 

sectors that take the lead in the 

budget document, with N17.5 

billion set aside for the sector. 

Ganduje said: “We want to 

remain steadfast and 

committed towards improving 

the quality of our education. 

That is why we are giving high 

priority to the sector.” 

He noted that N500 million 

would be used for the 

By Peter Duru 

MAKURDI—NO fewer 

than 376 contractors are 

to be dragged to anti-graft 

agencies by Benue State 

Universal Basic Education 

Board, SUBEB, for allegedly 

that the battle to ensure victory 

for Oke will be waged with 

“vigour, determination and 

unrelenting spirit” are the 

same groups that tried to 

sabotage the South-West’s 

efforts to climb to national 

political limelight during the 

former President, Dr. Goodluck 

Jonathan’s administration. 

It said: “These same people 

led in the destruction of 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari and Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu's posters across Lagos 

State for Dr. Goodluck 

Jonathan to win the 2015 

presidential poll; these same 

groups that are now claiming 

to fight for the Yoruba people.” 

reconstruction and 

rehabilitation of classrooms, 

N640 million for the 

construction of staff 

residences, toilets and others. 

According to him, N8 billion 

is set for capital projects in the 

education sector, stressing 

that “N1 billion will be for the 

completion of abandoned 

technical colleges in the state, 

while N2.4 billion will go for 

the completion of some 

projects in the North-West 

University, Kano.” 

Health sector gets N10.7 

billion; N800 million for 

Hisbah Academy and 

Manpower Development 

Centre; water sector, N13.6 

billion, among others. 

376 SUBEB contractors abscond 

with mobilisation fees in Benue 

failing to move to sites after 

collecting mobilisation fees 

for the rehabilitation of 

schools in the state. 

The affected contractors 

were among the 710, who, 

about four months ago, won 

the SUBEB contract bids for 

the rehabilitation of schools 

across the 23 local 

government areas of the 

state. 

Executive Chairman of the 

Board, Dr. Philip Tachin, 

who made this known 

yesterday in Makurdi, 

expressed disappointment 

that the affected contractors 

had failed to abide by the 

contractual agreement they 

entered into with the board. 

Dr. Tachin said it was an 

anomaly for any contractor to 

abandon government 

projects after collecting 

mobilisation fees. 

The board Chairman added 

that he would be compelled 

to take the matter to antigraft 

agencies, given the 

anti-corruption stance of 

Governor Samuel Ortom’s 


Almakura calls 

for state of 

emergency in 

water sector 

By David Odama 

L AFIA—GOVERNOR 

Tanko Al-Makura of 

Nasarawa State has accused 

successive administrations 

in the country of 

abandoning projects that 

would have impacted 

positively on the lives of 

Nigerians. 

The governor, who spoke 

at the flag off of graduate 

farmers’ scheme irrigation 

project by the Minister of 

Water Resources, Engr. 

Suleiman Adamu, in Doma 

Local Government Area of 

the state, recalled that the 

construction of the Doma 

dam started during the 

administration of former 

President, Alhaji Shehu 

Shagari, to enhance 

irrigation farming. 

He called on the Federal 

Government to expand Uke 

River in Karu Local 

Government Area of the 

state, where majority of civil 

servants in Abuja reside, to 

address the problem of 

water scarcity. 

The governor, who 

commended the Federal 

Government for giving 

approval for 330KVA 

electricity sub-station to the 

state, gave an assurance 

that the project, when 

completed, would address 

the problem of electricity. 

Don't go the 

PDP way, party 

chieftain 

cautions APC 

By David Odama 

LAFIA—A chieftain of 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Bala Bawa 

Kaoje, has advised the 

party not to derail in its 

policy direction, saying it 

was already going the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, way. 

Speaking to reporters, 

Kaoje, who was former 

Sports Minister, stressed 

that a lot was required to put 

APC in its perspective as it 

had not assumed its 

leadership role in the 

administration of the 

country. 

He said his party had 

imbibed the culture of 

inconsistency in its policies 

and programmes, adding 

that similar tendencies led 

to the collapse of PDP. 

He said: “The worrisome 

situation is that our party 

has not seen itself as a party 

in government, rather it is 

allowing wrangling to 

dictate its policy direction.” 

C


UNION BANK: From left— Transformation Director, Union Bank, Mr. 

Joe Mbulu; General Manager, Finance and Accounts, The Sun Publishing Limited, 

Mr. Obioma Ogukwe; Head, Retail Banking, Union Bank, Mr. Carlos Wanderley, 

and Medical Director/CEO, Amuwo Medical Centre, Dr. Lawrence Akinsanya, 

at the unveiling of the bank's Old Ojo Road, Amuwo-Odofin, branch. 

THEATRE: From left— Olori Peju Sonuga; Oba Gbenga Sonuga, 

Fadesewa of Simawa Ogbodo I, Simawa, Ogun State; Oloye Funmi Odusolu, 

and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, at the 

presentation of Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman by the National 

Troupe of Nigeria at the National Theatre, Lagos. PHOTO: Shola Oyelese. 

NCC/GIC: From left— An official of Government of Singapore 

Investment Corporation, GIC, Europe, Mr. David Kobson; Director, Policy 

Competition and Economic Analysis, Nigerian Communications Commission, 

NCC, Ms. Josephine Amuwa; President, GIC, Mr. Ang Eng Seng, and Director, 

Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, Alhaji Abdullahi Maikano, when a delegation 

of GIC visited NCC in Abuja. 

GRADUATION: From left: Former VC, University of Ibadan, Emeritus Prof. 

Ayo Banjo; Ph.D. graduand, Monday Philips Ekpe, and former VC, University 

of Benin, Prof. Grace Alele Williams, at the 68th convocation of UI in Ibadan. 

CONSULTANT: From left— Head, Mining Africa, Mr. Trevor 

Samson; Country Manager, Nigeria, Mr. Temitope Awojole; Head, 

Commercial Construction, Africa, Mr. Pieter Van Den Berg; and Regional 

Sales Manager, West Africa, Mr. Charles Iyo, all of Eaton, at the consultant 

engagement session by Eaton in Lagos. PHOTO: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor. 

AGM: From left— Fellow, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbon; newly-elected President, 

Mr. Tony Agenonmen; outgoing President, Aare Ganiyu Koledoye, all of National 

Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, NIMN, and Koledoye's wife, Chika, during 

the 7th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the institute in Ibadan, Oyo State. 

THANKSGIVING: From left— Vicar, Canon Taiwo Olupitan; Ven. 

(Dr) Kelvin Tope-Tapere; and Rev. Tunde Adejuyigbe, all of St. Jude's Anglican 

Church, Omole Phase 1, Ikeja, Lagos, during the church's thanksgiving. 

PHOTO: Diran Oshe. 

LASPARK: From left— Mr. Shakiru Shobaloju; Mr. Yusuff Tajudeen; 

General Manager, Mrs Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun, all of Lagos State Parks and 

Gardens Agency, LASPARK; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of 

Environment, Engr. Adeyemi Abidemi, at the graduation of newly-trained 

Green Hands, by Lagos State government. PHOTO: Kehinde Gbadamosi.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 — 37 

By Dayo Adesulu 

Industrial action in the 

academia has never been 

favourable to undergraduates, 

admission seekers and even 

the people who survive 

through the economy on 

campus. 

Infact, whenever there is a 

disagreement between ASUU 

and the Federal Government, 

the students are always at the 

receiving end. 

The prolonged strikes in most 

cases often snowball into the 

undergraduates spending extra 

semesters or additional 

years on campus, depending 

on the duration of the industrial 

actions. 

Admission seekers 

This is even as the admission 

seekers would have to 

wait until final students on 

campus graduate before gaining 

admission, as there would 

be apparently no space for 

them. It means that if the undergraduates 

spend additional 

two years, those seeking 

University education will 

have to wait for the same two 

years to gain admission. 

Moreover, those who bear 

the consequences of ASUU 

strikes are not limited to undergraduates 

and admission 

seekers, but the people who 

earn their living by doing 

business on campus would 

also be affected, as the students 

who would have patronized 

them will be at home. 

This category of people include 

shuttle drivers, food 

sellers, business centre operators, 

banks, photographers 

and a host of others. 

What about the effects of prolonged 

strikes on the reading 

culture of students, as many 

students study better when 

they are in academic environment? 

The thought of examination 

triggers many students 

to read, as some students will 

not read if exams are not approaching. 

Age limitation of job 

seekers 

Also, the chances of some 

overage students getting jobs 

after graduation may be slim, 

as additional one or two years 

to their age could be an obstacle 

to their chances of paid jobs 

after graduation. Come to 

think of this, somebody who 

would have graduated at 

twenty-seven, but now graduating 

at twenty-nine, with one 

year compulsory NYSC, may 

not find funny. 

Apparently, looking at the issue, 

even the labour market 

will be missing some good 

hands who, due to prolonged 

strikes have exceeded the required 

working years for a be- 

ginner. 

Reacting to the effects of a 

prolonged strike on students, 

Miss Irene Aleogho, a 200 

level Mass Communication 

student from University of 

Benin, urged ASUU and the 

Federal Government to put the 

students into consideration in 

all their decisions, adding, 

‘’We also have our lives to live 

as students. A prolonged 

strike kills our passions for 

study, and extra year or years 

to our stay in school will further 

compound issues for student 

on campus". 

FG, ASUU compromise 

On her part, Miss Godsbest 

Folorunso, studying 

Agriculture Economic and 

Extension from UNIBEN 

lauded ASUU passion to 

make the university environment 

conducive for learning. 

She however, pleaded with 

both the Federal Government 

and ASUU not to compromise, 

adding that when ASUU commences 

indefinite strike, they 

dont know when it would be 

called-off. 

At Delta State University, 

Abraka, Mr Success Wari, a 

final year student of Social 

Science Education, did not 

observe the one week warning 

strike because they have been 

suspended by ASUU. 

Success,who was elated that 

academic activities are 

ongoing in the institution, 

lamented the effects of a prolonged 

strike to undergraduates 

and admission seekers. 

He said: ‘’As a final year student, 

I am not happy about the 

strike. Supposing our institution 

is participating in the 

It is a fact that 

cannot be 

controverted that 

the little and 

relative stability 

enjoyed by the 

university and 

students are at the 

instance of ASUU. 

In effect, students 

would not loose 

anything, what 

might look like a 

loss is insignificant 

given the expected 

gains of the strike 

BOOK LAUNCH:From left, Professor Tolu Odugbemi, former Vice-Chancellor of 

UNILAG and Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) and 

Professor Rahamon Bello, Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG , duringa book launch and public 

presentation of Odugbemi's book on ‘Experience on Starting a New University in a 

Development Country Setting, Nigeria - OSUSTECH’ held at UNILAG. Photo by 

Queen Ndukwe. 

ASUU Indefinite Strike: 

What students stand to lose 

strike, the second semester 

exams we are supposed to 

have next year February will 

be postponed. ‘’Also, the just 

admitted 100 level students, 

would have gone back home 

because they will not be able 

to process and start their lectures 

due to the strike. 

Hurried academic 

sessions 

‘’There are things like seminars, 

project that we are supposed 

to do would be shelved 

due to the strike. When students 

finally come back from 

the strike, lecturers will start 

rushing to cover their syllabus 

with the students. There was 

a strike that happened some 

years ago, undergraduates 

that were supposed to have 

graduated, did not as at the 

year they should have graduated. 

They spent extra time in 

school before they graduated.’’ 

Eze Chukwudera, final year 

student of Mass 

Communication, University of 

Nigeria, Nsukka said, 

Threatened graduation 

‘’ASUU strike has affected us 

because it has slowed down 

the academic activities, 

thereby threatening our 

graduation in July.’’ He urged 

the government to do something 

immediately so that the 

lecturers can get back to class. 

Rose Oyidiya, a second year 

Mass Communication student, 

University of Nigeria, Nsukka 

said: 

‘’ You know that when 

institutions go on strike, it 

affects activities on campus 

and students are meant to 

suffer it. Even with this 

warning strike, it will be 

difficult to cover every lecture 

that we have missed. We have 

first semester examinations in 

January. If we do not cover 

everything before 

examination, how can we 

cope? How can we be leaders 

of tomorrow if our institutions 

keep going on strike? 

Also, Egbo Gideon, a final 

year student of Biochemistry, 

UNN said that the strike has 

really made the semester 

longer. ‘’We, the finalists will 

suffer it. Because UNN has not 

joined the strike, lecturers do 

come to class. 

Blessing in disguise 

Meanwhile, the Deputy 

Director (Academic), Distance 

Learning Centre, University of 

Ibadan, Professor Oyesoji 

Aremu, in his reaction 

maintained that the one-week 

ASUU strike would eventually 

be a blessing generally to the 

education industry especially 

the University education. He 

said: ‘’It is a fact that cannot 

be controverted that the little 

and relative stability been enjoyed 

by the university and 

students were at the instance 

of ASUU. 

‘’In effect, students would 

not loose anything. What 

might look like a loss is 

insignificant given the 

expected gains of the strike.'' 

2009 agreement 

You would recall that last 

week Wednesday, ASUU 

announced a week warning 

strike to protest the failure of 

government to implement the 

2009 agreement with the 

union. 

The area of disagreement 

waiting for redress between 

the union and government 

include payment of fraction of 

staff entitlement and the 

denial of staff entitlement in 

respect of earned academic 

allowance amounting to about 

N128 billion, funding of 

universities for revitalization 

and the refusal to register the 

Nigerian Universities Pension 

Management Company by the 

National Compensation 

Commission. 

Others include the 

introduction of the Treasury 

Single Account (TSA) which 

according to the Union affects 

the university autonomy, 

decrease in budgetary 

allocation to education and the 

refusal by government to 

renegotiate the 2009 

agreement which was due for 

renegotiation since 2012.


UNILAG to mentor Anchor, 

Saint Augustine, Christopher 

Varsities, 2 others 

Cross section of Corona Secondary School , Agbara Choir during its 2016 Speech and Prize 

Giving Day held at the school premises, Agbara, Ogun State. 

Nigerian students need new 

knowledge to excel - Educationist 

By Kelechukwu Iruoma 

An educational consultant 

and Chief Executive 

Officer of Life Imprint, Mr. 

Kelechi Anyalechi has said that 

Nigerian students need new 

information and knowledge in 

order to excel in today’s 

dynamic world. 

Anyalechi said this while 

delivering a speech tagged 

‘Consolidating Excellence’ at 

Corona Secondary School, 

Agbara, to reward outstanding 

teachers and students whose 

rigorous efforts helped to ensure 

successes recorded in the past. 

He said, “Students must be 

ready to excel in all that they 

do. Right information is needed 

for students to channel their 

energy appropriately. New 

By Queen Ndukwe 

Indomie Instant noodles has 

once again proven its 

credibility as the first batch of 

winners in its ongoing Indomie 

“You Like No Other” promo 

have been duly celebrated and 

rewarded with millions of naira 

in cash prizes. 

information and knowledge 

become important to be able to 

move to new heights. New 

approach is also important to 

effectively channel such 

available information to 

desirable ends.” 

Speaking also at the ceremony 

in support of Anyalechi’s claim, 

the Vice Principal of CSS, 

Agbara, Mrs. Adeyoyin 

Adesina said that the school is 

acquiring the new knowledge 

by adopting New England 

Association of Schools and 

Colleges accreditation process, 

adding that the accreditation 

validates school and 

instructional improvement. 

She said, “The process is an 

ongoing exercise towards 

which we are reviewing and 

redefining our policies and 

processes. We remain 

committed to the overall wellbeing 

of each and every child, 

hence our resolve to create the 

best possible environment in 

which they can thrive.” 

Mr. Anyalechi further added 

that for Nigerian students and 

schools to be relevant in the 

society, their knowledge must 

always be updated regularly, 

adding that new knowledge 

acquired enabled students excel 

at the highest level. 

Mrs. Adesina stated that the 

ceremony was aimed at 

rewarding dedicated teachers 

and students whose role in the 

total development of the child 

remains invaluable, 

indispensable and the sacrifice 

they made in assuring for a 

better tomorrow. 

YLNO: Indomie splashes N9.2m cash prize 

The promo which commenced 

barely a month ago is borne out 

of the need to celebrate the 

uniqueness in everyone, reward 

the numerous consumers of the 

brand, and also give back to the 

society. 

Speaking at the winners 

presentation ceremony, the 

General Manager, Dufil Prima 

Foods Plc, Mr. Girish Sharma 

said, “the promo was conceived 

to celebrate, recognize and 

reward consumers of the brand 

in a superlative way, as there are 

prizes worth over six hundred 

million naira to be won, and so 

far about five thousand winners 

have emerged since the promo 

began barely a month ago.” 

By Dayo Adesulu 

Vice Chancellor, University 

of Lagos, UNILAG, 

Professor Rahamon Bello has 

stated that the National 

Universities Commission, NUC 

has mandated the institution to 

mentor Anchor University, Saint 

Augustine University and 

Christopher University.Other 

universities that are being 

mentor ed by UNILAG as stated 

by Bello include Ondo State 

University of Science and 

Technology (OSUSTECH) and 

the Mountain Top University. 

Speaking yesterday at a book 

launch and public presentation 

of ‘Experience on Starting a 

New University in a 

Development Country 

Setting, Nigeria - OSUSTECH’ 

held at UNILAG Bello said: “As 

directed by NUC, UNILAG is 

to mentor Saint Augustine 

University, Christopher 

University and Anchor 

University.” 

He said, We are willing as 

UNILAG to assist OSUSTECH, 

just as we are doing the same 

to Mountain Top University by 

sending our academics to 

assist. 

According to him, seven Vice 

Chancellors from UNILAG are 

presently on loan in seven 

universities across the nation. 

The Vice Chancellor, while 

lamenting the global poor rating 

of Nigerian Universities, noted 

that as UNILAG was doing its 

best to improve her global 

ranking, it will also assist in 

mentoring less privileged 

universities. 

Pointing out reasons anyone 

who wishes to establish a 

university must get a copy of the 

book authored by Professor Tolu 

Olugbemi, he said the book 

outlined the challenges faced by 

new universities and tried to 

proffer solutions to them. 

Professor Tolu Odugbemi was 

the former Vice Chancellor of 

UNILAG and the pioneer Vice 

Chancellor of OSUSTECH. He 

said: “Running a state or private 

universities is not easy, talk less 

of running a new one like 

Professor Odugbemi. 

“ I always run away from the 

offers of running a private or 

state universities because the 

challenges of running it from 

scratch is enormous.” 

‘USOSA AGM on Saturday will 

address state of public education’ 

UNITY Schools Old 

S t u d e n t s 

Association(USOSA) has 

announced its 31st Plenary/ 

Annual General Meeting slated 

for Saturday, 26 November, 2016 

at Kings College, Lagos. 

With the theme, “Education, 

National Unity & National 

Security” It said, the focus will 

reflect the challenges that 

currently confront our country, 

adding, ‘’the sessions will 

address the state of our schools 

as well as the state of public 

education in the insurgencyaffected 

parts of north-east 

Nigeria.’’ 

According to USOSA 

president, Professor Chidi 

Odinkalu, ‘’alumni from 61 Unity 

Schools/Federal Unity Colleges 

have registered to advance these 

goals- seek to mobilise skills, 

resources, and goodwill to 

channel investments into the 

schools, provide mentoring to 

younger alumni, grow their 

confidence, help young people 

into constructive existence and 

use our experience to foster 

meaningful co-existence among 

the diverse peoples of Nigeria.’’ 

He explained that USOSA is 

the network of Old Students 

Associations of the 104 Unity 

Schools in Nigeria. 

Reiterating some of the 

objectives, he said: ‘’The Unity 

Schools, also known as Federal 

Government Colleges (FGCs) 

and Federal Government Girls 

Colleges (FGGCs), were 

established and are maintained 

by the Federal Government as a 

contribution to foster both skilled 

human development and 

national co-existence in Nigeria.’’ 

Going down memory lane, he 

disclosed that the oldest of these 

schools, Kings College, Lagos, 

was established in 1909, followed 

by Queens College, Lagos in 

1927. 

He added: ‘’In 1966, the 

Federal Government established 

the first three Unity Schools of the 

post-colonial era in Okposi (now 

Ebonyi State); Sokoto (Sokoto 

State) and Warri (Delta State).. 

‘’Today, there are 104 Unity 

Schools all over Nigeria. These 

schools have become Nigeria’s 

most successful investment in 

human capital.

The Blessing of Natural Resource Endowment and the 

Curse of Corrupt Leadership: Critical Perspectives on 

Nigeria’s State of Underdevelopment 

By Femi Falana 

I 

am thankful to the 

management, staff and 

students of the Oduduwa 

University for the invitation 

extended to me to deliver the 2016 

Convocation Lecture. Permit me to 

congratulate the new graduates, 

their parents and other well 

wishers on this historic occasion. 

In view of the recession to which 

the economy has been subjected, 

the new graduates are going to 

be confronted with 

unemployment upon the 

completion of the national youth 

service. However, since this 

university has placed premium 

on vocational education I am 

convinced that its alumni and 

alumnae are sufficiently equipped 

to face the challenges and 

vicissitudes of life with courage 

and equanimity. 

Gross mismanagement 

Up till 1980, final year students 

in the tertiary institutions 

attended job interviews on 

campuses and in their places of 

engagement during the national 

youth service year. Thus, upon 

the completion of the service 

every graduate would have been 

gainfully employed and armed 

with conditions of service which 

included the provision of car and 

housing loans. But due to the 

gross mismanagement of the 

economy and lack of vision on the 

part of the ruling class youth 

unemployment has assumed a 

dangerous dimension .The 

situation is getting worse as 

thousands of employees are losing 

their jobs due to economic 

recession. Having lost the 

opportunity to channel the 

enormous revenue realised from 

the sale of oil the ruling class has 

turned the natural resource into a 

curse. Apart from wasting about 

$500 billion realised from the sale 

of crude oil the ruling class has 

engaged in borrowing billions of 

dollars for development but which 

were largely diverted to enrich a 

few public officers with the 

connivance of the lenders. 

Paradox of Plenty 

In the framing of the topic of this 

lecture, the organisers put natural 

resource as the blessing and 

corruption as the curse. However, 

not a few would disagree with the 

characterisation of oil as a blessing, 

definitely not the millions of the 

victims of environmental 

degradation, underdevelopment 

and gross injustice in the Niger 

Delta. And surely oil cannot be 

said to be a blessing to the millions 

of illiterate and malnourished 

children who are condemned to a 

future of poverty because of the 

failure of the Nigerian state to plan 

for development amidst huge 

revenues from the sale of crude 

oil. 

The debate on resource curse is 

certainly an old one. Some 

development experts also refer to 

Femi Falana 

the phenomenon as “paradox of 

plenty.” Elsewhere, the debate had 

begun before the discovery of oil 

in Oloibiri in Bayelsa State in 

1956. The literature on it is indeed 

a huge one including the 

influential studies by the American 

economist, Jeffery Sacchs and 

others. And talking about how 

public officers misuse the oil 

money, recently, about a dozen 

governors went to the United 

States to take some lessons on 

governance in some institution. 

Just imagine that this is 

happening in this information 

age. For our purpose in 

introducing the topic, we do not 

need to fly to America or anywhere 

like our governors for ideas. We 

simply visit one of the leading 

American websites for financial 

information and investments 

called Investopedia. Investopedia 

defines resource curse as follows: 

“A paradoxical situation in which 

countries with an abundance of 

non-renewable resources 

experience stagnant growth or 

even economic contraction. The 

resource curse occurs as a country 

begins to focus all of its energies 

on a single industry, such as 

mining, and neglects other major 

sectors. 

“As a result, the nation becomes 

overly dependent on the price of 

commodities and the overall Gross 

Domestic Product becomes 

extremely volatile. Additionally, 

government corruption often 

results when proper resource 

rights and an income distribution 

framework is not established in the 

The role of foreign 

banks and other 

institutions in 

facilitating the 

looting of the oil 

money and 

providing safe 

havens for the loot 

ought to be 

factored into a 

comprehensive 

definition of the 

resource curse 

society, resulting in unfair 

regulation of the industry. The 

resource curse is most often 

witnessed in emerging markets 

following a major natural resource 

discovery.” 

In a way, that sums up the 

position of those who actually see 

the natural resource as a curse. 

This school of thought does not 

share the optimism of the blessing 

otherwise embodied in the natural 

resource. 

Our focus in this lecture is a 

critical examination of the role of 

the forces that conspired against 

our people to turn the exploitation 

of natural resource into a curse. 

The forces include politicians, 

bureaucrats and the oil 

multinationals. By the way, it 

should be noted that the American 

Investopedia doesn’t include the 

role of the oil multinationals in 

turning the blessing of natural 

resource into a curse. If you ask 

the Ogoni people of Rivers State 

how oil became a curse to their 

land, they would tell you the sad 

story of their interaction with Shell, 

the giant oil multinational. The 

role of foreign banks and other 

institutions in facilitating the 

looting of the oil money and 

providing safe havens for the loot 

ought to be factored into a 

comprehensive definition of the 

resource curse. The curse has 

internal and external dimensions. 

This is by no means an attempt to 

shift the blame abroad. Nigerians 

in the public and private sectors 

have looted oil revenues and in 

the process they got willing 

helping hands from corrupt 

individuals and organisations in 

the metropolis. 

Crises of underdevelopment 

Even though agriculture was the 

mainstay of the economy in the first 

republic the post independence 

development model was 

influenced by the former colonial 

regime. As industrialization was 

deliberately not promoted 

Nigeria remained a producer of 

raw materials to feed the industries 

in Europe and the United States. 

Indeed, the crisis of 

underdevelopment was 

compounded by successive 

military regimes which 

squandered the oil wealth. Thus, 

in spite of the abundant wealth 

from crude oil and other raw 

materials the military rulers could 

not manage the economy in the 

national interest. In fact, one of 

them actually confessed that the 

problem was not how to make 

money but how to spend it. No 

doubt, lack of planning and over 

reliance on pro imperialist 

economic prescriptions paved 

way for the pauperization of the 

people. With large scale looting 

of the treasury the ruling class 

had to resort to borrowing from 

western multilateral institutions. 

A convocation lecture 

delivered by Femi Falana (SAN) 

at the Oduduwa University. 

To be continued 


Quadlife 

Summit University VC tasks 

FG on TETFUND projects 

By Demola Akinyemi 

ILORIN-The 

Vice 

Chancellor of Summit 

University,Offa in Kwara 

state,Professor Hussein 

Oloyede has urged the 

federal government to allow 

private universities in 

Nigeria to also benefit from 

TETFUND projects,as a way 

to help and encourage them 

to survive because of the 

strategic roles they are 

playing in providing 

education to many Nigerians 

who would have become 

nuisance and security risk to 

the country. . 

The Vice chancellor posited 

that private universities 

should be assisted by the 

federal government to allow 

them enjoy from the tax 

payers money,in which they 

are also part of,noting that by 

not doing so,the federal 

government is not being fair 

to them. 

He however said that all is 

set at Summit University, 

Offa to commence 

operations next month with 

500 students,with three 

colleges, namely College of 

Natural &Applied 

Science,College of 

Aviation Mgt course berths in 

Emirates Aviation University 

By Tare Youdeowei 

Poised to aid students 

who plan to pursue a 

career in aviation 

management or want transition 

from an operational role into a 

general management role, 

Emirates Aviation University 

has announced the introduction 

of a new Executive MBA 

Programme in Aviation 

Management in collaboration 

with Coventry University in 

the UK. 

The specialised programme 

which will begin January 2017, 

with applications being 

accepted now on EAU’s website, 

promises to consist of six 

Humanities and College of 

Management and Social 

Studies. 

According to him.”we are set 

to produce graduates who are 

not only knowledgeable, 

highly skilled,of excellent 

moral characters but 

graduates who are 

exemplary distinctive in all 

ramifications. With our 

unique mode of teaching,we 

are set to make a difference 

by emphasizing the 

entrepreneurial skill inherent 

in all the disciplines,so as 

to make our graduates 

employers of labour and not 

job seekers” 

As a foremost faith-based 

institution, the vice 

chancellor added,”this 

university is set out to 

inculcate moral values into 

all spheres of our 

lives,including the discharge 

of our mandates in teaching, 

research and service to the 

community.”,stressing 

that,”we are by so doing, 

entrenching the fear of Allah 

in the acquisition of 

knowledge and service to 

humanity so that our 

graduates shall not only be 

successful on this earth but 

also hereafter”. 

Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule (middle), 

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr 

Adeshina Odeyemi (right) while receiving Award of excellence 

in education from the President, ANCOPSS, Lagos State 

Branch, Mrs. Omotunde Lawson .during the 30th Annual State 

Congress of the body in Lagos. 

modules set over the course 

of 12 months. Teaching will be 

delivered in an intensive four 

day block, followed by 

individual study and 

submission of coursework. 

Some of the programmes 

offered by EAU include 

postgraduate and 

undergraduate programmes 

in aviation management, 

logistics and supply chain 

management, aeronautical 

engineering, aerospace 

technology, pilot training and 

a wide range of aviation 

related programmes.

Y 


Ayelowo's pastel recreates rich 

African tradition 

By Japhet Alakam 

The relegation of the 

study of History as 

a subject to the 

background portends 

great danger for the 

country especially, the 

younger ones. How will 

they get to know their 

past in order to plan for 

the future? According to 

curator Ziggi 

Golding,”Documenting 

and archiving culture is 

the key to 

understanding origins 

and thus developing a 

sense of identity”. In 

line with that, a lawyer 

and artist, Tayo Ayelowo 

is set to contribute her 

quota to the knowledge 

of the past with her first 

solo exhibition tagged 

Standing Before Kings, 

a pastel portrait 

paintings of prominent 

Traditional Rulers in 

Nigeria. 

In the exhibition 

which is scheduled to 

open on 26th November 

and run to 12th 

December 2016 at 

Mercedes Center, 3rd 

Roundabout, Lekki 

Lagos, the self trained 

artist who is always 

fascinated by the regalia 

of kings all over the 

world uses faces of 

powerful Nigerian 

monarchs to reflect the 

The artist uses 

faces of powerful 

Nigerian 

monarchs to 

reflect the dignity 

that comes with 

the office of a 

king 

dignity that comes with 

the office of a king, the 

attires, beads, crowns 

etc. 

The exhibition which 

is courtesy of a series of 

research that took the 

artist to many places 

will afford 

Nigerians 

especially school 

children the 

opportunity to 

know most of the 

traditional rulers 

and their impact 

in the society. 

Featuring about 

22 large pastel 

and very impressive 

portrait paintings that 

capture easily the 

likeness of the royal 

personages. She 

strongly presents, as 

they emerge from dark 

vacuums, their skilfully 

moulded facial features 

matched only by their 

rich apparel all 

described in minute 

detail. 

A closer view of the 

works shows the 

fantastic and fascinating 

images taken from 

different ethnicregions 

in Nigeria that brings 

people closer with the 

traditional rulers. Some 

of them include, Oba 

Rilwan Akiolu 1, Oba of 

•Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan 

Lagos, Alaafin of Oyo, 

Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, 

Ooni of Ife, Oba 

Adeyeye Enitan, 

Ogunwusi Ojaja11, 

Awujale of Ijebu, Oba 

Sikiru Adetona, Alake of 

Egbaland, Oba 

Adedotun Aremu, Oba of 

Benin, Oba Eheneden 

Erediauwa, Emir of 

Kano, HRM Sanusi 

Lamidi Sanusi, Sultan of 

Sokoto, HRM Sa’adu 

Abubakar, Obong of 

Calabar, HRM Bassey 

Ekpo Bassey 11, Olu of 

Warri HRM Ogiame 

Ikemwoli 1, Obi of 

Onitsha, Obi Alfred 

Nnaemeka Achebe, 

Agbogodi and many 

others. 

•Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe 

Speaking about the 

exhibition, Oliver 

Enwonwu, SNA president 

said, “Ayelowo’s work 

c o n n o t e s 

authoritarianism, as well 

as her choice of pastels, 

which demands not only 

closeness to but also a 

tactile relationship with 

her medium.” 

In her statement, 

Ayelowo who charged 

Nigerians to be proud of 

their traditional rulers as 

done in other climes said, 

“my work explores the 

relationship between 

visual arts and on how it 

stimulates the senses. My 

paintings are as a result of 

passion for pictorial 

gravity and accumulated 

expression of inspirations. 

Each and every piece of my 

paintings is laced with 

undercurrents of emotion, 

change and movements. 

Therefore, most of my work 

may conform to reality. I 

worked hard to paint the 

Traditional Rulers in such 

a way that it should 

communicate both to me 

and to others about the 

splendor buried deep in 

tradition and culture.” 

In all, Ayelowo’s portraits 

together form an 

important part of Nigeria’s 

history, vestiges of a former 

age, a rich cultural past 

that all must imitate, away 

from the present decadent 

society, governed by a 

political class that line 

their pockets with illgotten 

wealth while the 

populace remains 

impoverished. 

C

—41 


LASG urged to commit 10% oil derivation 

to health insurance 

By Gabriel Olawale 

AS Lagos State officially joins the 

league of oil producing states, 

health insurance experts have tasked the 

State government, to earmark 10 per 

cent out of its 13 percent oil derivation 

to fund health insurance coverage in the 

state. 

The experts said such decision would 

not only provide access to quality 

essential healthcare services, but would 

also guarantee financial risk protection, 

and access to safe, effective, quality and 

affordable essential medicines and 

vaccines for all. 

Making the recommendation at the 

annual general meeting of Healthcare 

Providers’ Association of Nigeria, 

HCPAN, Lagos Chapter, the Managing 

Director of Institute for Healthcare 

Finance and Management Limited, Dr. 

Richard Kalada, said 10 per cent 

allocation would go a long way in the 

actualisation of Universal Healthcare 

Coverage, UHC, for the poor and 

vulnerable groups as well as close the 

subsidy gaps for those with partial 

ability to pay. 

Kalada said that the Community-based 

Health Insurance Scheme in the raw 

form has limited impact towards 

achieving UHC except they are 

coalesced into big pools, and 

participation made mandatory. 

“The LASG should provide safety net 

for the poor and vulnerable groups in 

making premium payments for them. To 

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42 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 

Amendment of Code of Conduct Act foretells NASS 

witch hunt — Fashanu, SAN 

Mr Babatunde Fashanu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria is 

always ready to respond to controversial legal issues. In 

this interview, he does not shrink from scoring the 

National Assembly low on how it handles the amendments 

of the Code of Conduct Act. Besides, he says the directives 

from the National Judicial Council, NJC, barring 

publication of petition against judicial officers by the press 

can be counterproductive. He also calls on NBA to work on 

rules of professional ethics for lawyers regarding their 

relationship and duty to a judge. 

Excerpts: 

By Abdulwahab Abdulah 

THE 

National 

Assembly recently 

amended some sections of 

the Code of Conduct 

Tribunal/ Code of Conduct 

Bureau Acts, ceding the 

control of the bodies to the 

National Assembly. What 

would you say about this? 

The Code of Conduct Bureau 

(CCB) is a creation of the 

1999 Constitution under 

section 153(1)(a) while the 

composition and powers of 

the CCB are contained in 

Part 1 of Schedule 3 of the 

Constitution. However, the 

power to appoint its members 

is given to the President of 

the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria subject to 

confirmation by the Senate. 

The Code of Conduct 

Tribunal (CCT) is also a 

creation of the Constitution 

under the Fifth Schedule. 

The Code of Conduct Bureau 

and Tribunal Act (CCBT Act) 

spells out the powers and 

composition of the CCB and 

the CCT, its membership, 

their tenure of office, it’s 

jurisdiction, etc. My humble 

opinion is that since the CCB 

and CCT are creations of the 

Constitution, the provisions 

of the CCBT Act which is just 

like any other statute, must 

conform with the provisions 

of the Constitution or will be 

void to the extent of its 

inconsistency with the 

Constitution being the 

supreme law of the land. 

Therefore, without first 

amending the relevant 

provisions of the 

Constitution, wherever the 

purported amendments of 

the CCBT Act which conflict 

with the relevant provisions 

of the Constitution will be 

void. The power to appoint 

the chairman and members 

of the CCB and CCT is 

clearly given to the President 

in the Constitution. The 

National Assembly cannot 

tinker with that in any way 

without first amending the 

constitution after meeting the 

conditions for such 

amendments. Furthermore, 

the National Assembly under 

section 4 of the constitution, 

is to make laws for the peace, 

order and good government 

of the Federation and is to 

confer on the CCT additional 

powers to effectively 

discharge its functions under 

section 15(4) of the Fifth 

schedule of the constitution. 

All in all, what the National 

Assembly is doing with the 

proposed amendments is to 

whittle down the 

effectiveness of the CCB and 

CCT contrary to the 

constitution and is absolutely 

selfish, self centered and 

corrupt contrary to what they 

were elected to do to 

represent the best interests of 

their constituents. 

Also, the Senate has vowed 

to probe the finance and 

projects by the Code of 

Conduct Bureau. Don’t you 

think the steps would be 

interpreted to mean a 

vendetta based on the trial of 

the Senate President, Bukola 

Saraki? 

While the Senate has 

oversight functions over 

Federal Government 

institutions and handling of 

their finances under the 

constitution which is a good 

check and balance, the timing 

of both the amendments to 

the CCBT Act and probe of 

the CCB’s finances portend 

a backlash by the Legislature 

and witch hunt due to the 

prosecution of the Senate 

President. That is very 

unfortunate. In more decent 

democracies, the Senate 

President would have 

stepped aside to face his 

prosecution or would have 

been removed by his peers, 

but here, our leaders have no 

shame but cling to positions 

of power as if they are their 

fathers’ hereditary titles. 

Since the Supreme Court 

held that the Code of 

Conduct Tribunal is a court 

of record established by law, 

don’t you think its control 

and activities should not be 

placed under any other body 

or arm of government than 

Fashanu, SAN 

the National Judicial Council 

(NJC)? 

That’s a no brainer. The 

Chairman and members of 

the CCT are to be appointed 

by the President upon the 

recommendation of the 

National Judicial Council 

(NJC) just like that of Federal 

Judges. However, it’s control 

and activities are not really 

with the NJC when you look 

closely at the provisions of 

the constitution and the 

CCBT Act. This is an 

anomaly. The CCT along 

with the CCB is a very vital 

tool in the fight against 

corruption but the 

independence both of the 

executive and legislative 

arms of government will be 

more enhanced if the NJC 

It is a good 

thing to 

expose 

corrupt 

Judges 

because the 

corruption 

in the 

Judiciary 

has become 

endemic 

were to be in control of its 

activities. 

What is your take on the 

committee recently set up by 

the National Judicial Council 

to review the code of conduct 

of judicial officers in the 

country? 

A good move, however, it is 

counterproductive to say that 

if the press publishes a 

petition by a complainant, 

that will be the end of that 

petition with the NJC. 

Suppose it is the affected 

Judicial officer who leaks the 

petition to the press in order 

to stultify its investigation? 

Besides, what will now 

happen to the constitutional 

right of freedom of expression 

and the role of the press to 

inform the public on matters 

of public interest? 

Some judicial officers have 

belatedly revealed that 

indeed they were 

approached by some 

individuals who are public 

officials to sway the course 

of justice. How would you 

react to their claims? 

If it is true that Judges made 

such statements of being 

lured, I find that to be the most 

ludicrous thing to say coming 

from a Judge. 

Why were these attempts not 

reported formally to the 

appropriate authorities at the 

time they were made? 

Why are Judges entertaining 

politicians in their houses 

who were discussing cases 

before them or cases about to 

be heard without an alarm 

being blown? Your guess is as 

good as mine but it 

underscores the necessity for 

the NJC to spell out in the 

Code of Ethics what Judges 

are not supposed to do in 

their relationships with 

others. 

Would their claims shield 

them from probe or trial 

before the law court or 

necessary panel established 

for that purpose? 

It is a good thing to expose 

corrupt Judges because the 

corruption in the Judiciary 

has become endemic. 

Personally, I believe there are 

enough Laws enabling 

security agencies to search 

citizens’ houses with 

probable cause and due 

process. However, the 

Judiciary is the third estate 

of the realm with functions 

which amount to checks and 

balances on the other arms of 

government, therefore, while 

trying to expose corrupt 

Judges, care should be taken 

not to ridicule the Judiciary. 

Yes, searches can be made at 

any time, but, why search a 

Judge’s house in the wee 

hours of the night like a drug 

lord or notorious armed 

robber? I believe that 

decorum should be applied, 

especially in this age of 

hitech and infotech. There 

are definitely more civilized 

ways of investigating a Judge 

than raiding his house at 

night. Secondly, the NJC is 

primarily in charge of 

discipline of Judges under 

the constitution, hence, even 

though the executive arm, 

through its security agencies, 

can investigate Judges for 

offences and get them. 

continues on page 43

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 — 43 

Prof. Ben Ayade, a lawyer and Governor of Cross River State 

is a Professor of Environmental Sciences. He had led a 

delegation of some governors from Africa to participate in a 

Climate Change Summit in Paris, France. He was privileged 

to be the only African governor that spoke at the summit. 

He discussed how to combat climate change through 

environmental laws and legislations as well as the global effects 

of climate change in this interview. 

Excerpts: 

By Onozore Dania 

What is your view on the state of 

our Environmental laws? 

OUR environmental laws 

governing and regulating 

the impact of human activities on 

the environment are still 

developing, like other human 

activities, there is always a room 

for improvement. 

Mind you environmental law 

covers a broad spectrum of 

activities which include air, water, 

land, flora or fauna. It includes 

laws that relate to the 

protection of animals,the 

conservation and preservation of 

forests and plants. 

How can the campaign for 

environmental protection work 

through appropriate legal frame 

works? 

We can do this through our town 

planning laws. For example, in 

Cross River today, we are 

ensuring that for every single 

The Acting Chief Justice 

of Nigeria, Justice 

Walter Onnoghen, has 

threatened to wield the big stick 

against corrupt judicial officers 

across the federation. 

“Let me seize this opportunity to 

remind us that as Ministers in the 

Temple of Justice, we must shun 

all corrupt practices in order to align 

ourselves with the anti-corruption 

strides of the current 

administration”, Justice Onnoghen 

stated at his first official function. 

The event was the opening 

ceremony of 2016 conference of all 

Nigerian Judges of the lower 

courts. 

The theme of the biennial 

conference which took place at the 

National Judicial Institute, NJI, 

was, ‘The Lower Courts as 

Veritable Instruments for Justice 

and Peace in a Democratic 

Society’.The Acting CJN decried 

that corrupt practices by judicial 

officers have greatly exposed the 

the Nigerian Judiciary to lots of 

criticism. 

Judges at the conference were 

drawn from 36 states of the 

federation and the Federal Capital 

Territory. 

Speaking to the participants, 

Justice Onnoghen said: “Your 

primary role as judges of the 

Lower Courts is to settle disputes 

that come before you in accordance 

with the provisions of the law. 

“The performance of this onerous 

task depends on several factors 

such as strict adherence to the rule 

of law, the Code of Conduct for 

Climate change can be managed through Town 

Planning Laws — Ayade 

house, you must have a 

minimum of four trees on each 

side of the house to ensure that 

there is a full interaction between 

the plants and the residents in 

the house. Therefore, public 

campaign by way of advocacy, 

by way of doing it physically, by 

way of laws, by way of 

legislations, by way of radios, 

adverts, physical door to door 

campaigns are all the things you 

do to sharpen the consciousness 

of the ordinary man to the 

realities of climate Change. 

And of course, they also must 

have some posters that must 

show them the risks and 

incidental implications of climate 

change. I do know that where I 

grew up, most of the streams that 

we used to play in as little 

children have all dried up. Those 

are the effects of climate change 

because all the water sheds have 

all gone. These are the things we 

must distill down to the 

Governor Ayade 

grassroots for them to appreciate 

that this climate change is real, it 

is not a theory, it is not academic, 

it is real. 

I also understand that 

global problems are 

like environmental 

issues, even though 

global in nature, the 

solutions are local 

Acting CJN talks tough, warns Judges to shun corruption 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

Judicial Officers, access to justice, 

integrity and independence of the 

Judiciary. While acknowledging 

your competence in discharging 

your duties, we are not unmindful 

of the challenges you face, which 

hinders the smooth administration 

of justice and exposes the 

Judiciary to a lot of criticisms. 

“These challenges are in the 

areas of inadequate funding/ 

infrastructure/facilities, caseload 

volume,corrupt practices and most 

significantly delays in relation to 

criminal trials, which has 

contributed to the congestion of our 

prisons. “Distinguished 

participants, as guardians of the 

rule of law, let me remind you that 

administering justice is crucial to 

the effective running and stability 

of a democratic society as well as 

the peaceful coexistence of its 

Amendment of Code of Conduct Act foretells NASS 

witch hunt — Fashanu, SAN 

Continued from page 42 

prosecuted, this should be done 

with the collaboration of the NJC 

to maintain the independence of 

the Judiciary. All obstacles in this 

area ought to be scaled with 

cooperation of all involved in the 

overall interest of ridding the 

Judiciary of corruption. 

Some Judges have been blamed 

for compromising their judicial 

oaths by collecting gratification. 

Can this be possible without the 

roles played by members of the 

Bar? 

Maybe in those days but 

corruption has become so 

pervasive now that some have 

thrown caution to the wind. My 

As a lawyer, what makes you 

engage in the campaign for the 

environment,environ-mental 

protection and climate change? 

citizens, without which the society 

will degenerate into anarchy.” 

In her welcome address, 

Administrator of the NJI, Justice 

R. P. I. Bozimo, said the 

conference provides an avenue 

for lower court Judges to not only 

update their skills and 

knowledge, but also refreshes 

them on contemporary legal 

issues. 

“It is important to state that for 

the Lower Courts to serve as 

veritable instruments for justice 

and peace in a democratic 

society, they must continually 

demonstrate deep foresight for 

productivity, exceptional 

capacity and remarkable courage 

in the defence of constitutionally 

guaranteed individual and 

institutional rights, upheld for 

a better tomorrow”, Justice 

Bozimo added. 

belief is that we have more 

Judges that are not corrupt than 

those that are corrupt. Many are 

honest and diligent and keep to 

their oath of office, but the few 

corrupt ones make it look like all 

are corrupt. Some lawyers could 

aid corruption of Judges because 

of their access to them but 

nowadays, corrupt judges take 

the bull by the horns and have 

become reckless like, for instance, 

taking direct transfer of bribes 

into their accounts from litigants 

or their agents or keeping large 

amounts of foreign currencies or 

living openly ostentatiously 

beyond their earnings and perks 

of office. 

I actually feel that I am living 

out my dream, I am giving back 

to humanity. First of all, I am 

a Professor of Environmental 

Science and I do realize that the 

issue of climate change is real and 

Nigeria is affected seriously. I also 

understand that global problems 

are like environmental issues, 

even though global in nature, the 

solutions are local. And so, in 

my own little way as governor 

of Cross River State that has 58 

percent of the entire forest cover 

of Nigeria, I owe Nigeria and 

indeed all Africa the responsibility 

of demonstrating that indeed, 

we can actually reverse the 

cataclysmic effects of climate 

change and instead of 

speaking, I am doing the working, 

talking. So, I talk it and I do it. 

How can the common man on 

the street contribute to protecting 

the environment and ozone layer 

against climate change? 

The immediate one is afforestation 

and of course training them to be 

able to prohibit or reduce or 

Stakeholders call for proper training 

of judges on arbitral matters 


PROPER training for 

judges in understanding 

the intricacies of arbitral 

matters to avoid errors in 

conflict resolution has been 

emphasised. 

The call became necessary at 

a time people are complaining 

about court congestions and 

they are yearning to embrace 

arbitration as an alternative 

means of resolving conflicts. 

Already several of the cases in 

court could be easily resolved 

using arbitration method. At a 

program organised by the 

Lagos Court of Arbitration- 

Young Arbitrators Network 

(LCA-YAN) symposium, ex- 

Lagos 

Attorney 

General,Olasupo Shasore, 

Partners, Ajumogobia & Okeke 

said that in order to abide by 

the principles guiding 

arbitration, judges need a lot 

more training. 

“I believe that arbitration is 

something that is 

commonsensical. 

It is not technical, it is just an 

area that needs to be 

understood, trained in and 

learnt properly. “When 

arbitration matters come before 

judges who are trained 

lawyers and they are not 

trained in arbitration, we find 

that it is easy for judges to 

make errors that have far 

reaching 

effects. 

Lot is happening already by 

way of judicial interaction in 

the area of training. This is to 

be carried on and go all the 

way on to the other courts,” 

Shasore 

added. 

He explained that arbitration 

has become a very important 

attenuate deforestation. When 

you are deforesting, because 

most communities are 

dependent on their forest 

resources for their means of 

livelihood and the issue of 

absolute conservation means 

that you are dislocating the 

communities from their 

dependence on the forests. The 

critical thing to do now, is forest 

management as opposed to 

conservation. So when it comes 

to forest management, it allows 

the community to harvest from 

the forest in a sustainable 

manner. So you take such trees 

that are old, tired and are of no 

value while replacing them 

with the young ones. It is 

completely different from 

conservation where it is 

absolute ban of some sort. And 

for the rural poor and for the 

general public to add value to 

the climate change, they must 

start from keeping their small 

nurseries, planting their own 

trees and ensuring that they live 

in green economy. 

part of dispute settlement system, 

adding that the court system 

is challenging that is why 

people are embracing the arbitration 

system. 

Mark Clarke, Partner, White & 

Case, insists that in order to 

make 

arbitration 

internationally accepted, 

Nigeria needs to have a court 

system, which upholds the 

principles of arbitration, 

respects the arbitration 

process and allows the process 

run its course. “We need to 

have a judiciary which 

respects the autonomy of the 

process. The judiciary needs 

to understand the purpose of 

arbitration and the autonomy 

of the parties to choose 

arbitration as a dispute 

resolution procedure,” 

Clarke 

added. 

Isaiah Bozimo, chairman, 

advisory Board, LCA Young 

Arbitrators Network said the 

idea behind the young 

arbitrators network is to 

sensitise young members 

below 40 years of the arbitrary 

process and the intricacies of 

the process. 

EDITORIAL 

Innocent Anaba 

( Head) 

Wahab Abdulah 

Dayo Benson 

08056180119

44 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 

President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 

singer Diana Ross during a ceremony in the White House East Room in 

Washington. Photo: REUTERS 

Clinton urged to challenge election result 

•As Trump names ex-critique UN Ambassador 

P RESIDENT-elect 

Donald Trump has 

named South Carolina 

Governor Nikki Haley as 

US ambassador to the UN, 

praising his former critic as 

“a proven dealmaker”. 

She is the first non-white 

female cabinet-level official 

appointed to the incoming 

Trump administration. 

This came as Hillary 

Clinton’s campaign was 

urged by a number of top 

computer scientists to call 

for a recount of vote totals 

in Wisconsin, Michigan 

and Pennsylvania, 

according to a source with 

knowledge of the request. 

The computer scientists 

believe they have found 

evidence that vote totals in 

the three states could have 

been manipulated or 

hacked and presented their 

findings to top Clinton 

aides on a call last 

Thursday. 

Mrs Haley is the 

daughter of Indian 

immigrants and was a vocal 

critic of Mr Trump on the 

campaign trail. 

A rising star in the 

Republican party, the 44- 

year-old is the youngest 

governor in the US. 

Mr Trump said in a press 

release: “Governor Haley 

has a proven track record 

of bringing people together 

regardless of background or 

party affiliation to move 

critical policies forward for 

the betterment of her state 

and our country. 

Iraqi militias cut off ISIS access to Mosul 

AN Iraqi paramilitary 

force says it has 

seized a key road west of 

Mosul, effectively encircling 

the city controlled by socalled 

Islamic State. 

The Popular Mobilisation 

(Hashd al-Shaabi) declared 

it had taken control of the 

road between Tal Afar and 

Sinjar after linking up with 

Kurdish forces. 

IS militants still control 

the section of the road 

between Tal Afar and 

Mosul. 

Meanwhile, an air strike 

reportedly hit another 

bridge in Mosul, as troops 

advanced further into 

eastern areas. 

There is now only one 

functioning bridge left 

spanning the River Tigris, 

which flows through the 

city. 

About 50,000 Iraqi 

security forces personnel, 

Kurdish fighters, Sunni 

Arab tribesmen and Shia 

militiamen are involved in 

the five-week-old offensive 

to drive IS militants out of 

their last major urban 

stronghold in the country. 

The Popular Mobilisation, 

which is dominated by 

Iranian-backed Shia 

militias, said it had cut the 

road between the IS-held 

town of Tal Afar, 50km (31 

miles) from Mosul, and 

Kurdish-controlled town of 

Sinjar, 45km (28 miles) 

further west, on Wednesday 

afternoon. 

Israel proposes 500 new settlement homes 

near Jerusalem 

J ERUSALEM’s 

municipality has 

proposed building 500 

more housing units in an 

area of the city annexed 

by Israel after the 1967 

Middle East war, a 

settlement monitoring 

group said on 

Wednesday. 

There was no 

immediate confirmation 

of the move by the Israeli 

government, but France 

condemned it. 

The proposal is the first 

since the election of 

Donald Trump, whom 

Israeli right-wingers 

expect to be more 

supportive of settlement 

building than Barack 

Obama’s administration. 

Washington has been 

highly critical of Israeli 

settlement construction 

in the occupied West 

Bank and East 

Jerusalem. Most 

countries view all Israeli 

settlements on occupied 

land that the Palestinians 

seek for their own state 

as illegal. 

British pilot goes missing in Africa 

A72-year-old British 

pilot attempting to 

fly a 1940s plane the 

length of Africa has gone 

missing somewhere 

between Sudan and 

Ethiopia. 

Maurice Kirk, who 

lives in Bristol, was part 

of a vintage air rally 

flying from Crete to 

Cape Town. 

He had continued to 

fly despite being asked 

to withdraw from the 

event after two engine 

failures and a lack of 

navigational equipment. 

Vintage Air Rally said 

a search and rescue 

operation was due to 

begin. 

Mr Kirk, who also has 

links to Taunton in 

Somerset and the Vale of 

Glamorgan in South 

Wales, went missing on 

a three-hour leg of the 

cross-African flight from 

southern Sudan into 

western Ethiopia. 

Tunisian lawyers strike as tension over 

austerity budget mounts 

TUNISIAN lawyers 

went on their second 

strike in a month on 

Wednesday to protest 

against new taxes and 

tighter fiscal controls in the 

government’s proposed 

budget for next year. 

Their walkout put 

pressure on a government 

already under fire over 

planned austerity 

measures including a public 

sector wage freeze, higher 

company taxes and new 

taxes for the liberal 

professions such as law, 

medicine and engineering. 

It came ahead of an 

important international 

investment conference in 

Tunis next week, during 

which the teachers union 

said it was also planning a 

major protest. 

Several hundred lawyers 

in court gowns protested 

outside parliament in Tunis 

as lawmakers debated the 

budget inside. “Lawyers are 

free ... down, down with this 

law,” they chanted. 

The parliament chairman 

received a delegation of the 

CAMEROON: 100 arrested over protest 

against use of French language 

AT least 100 people 

have been arrested 

following days of 

protests against the use 

of French in courts and 

schools in Englishspeaking 

parts of 

Cameroon. 

Several others are 

being treated with bullet 

wounds in hospital in the 

region’s main city, 

Bamenda. 

Lawyers are opposed 

to the employment of 

court workers who do not 

understand the 

application of British 

common law. 

Areas controlled by 

Benin authorities seize 54 kg of 

cocaine from Brazil 

BENIN security forces 

seized 54 

kilogrammes of cocaine 

from a container that had 

arrived at its main port of 

Cotonou from Brazil, the 

public prosecutor said on 

Tuesday. 

“There was a sack 

containing 48 pellets of a 

suspect product,” which 

was seized on Monday, 

Lawani Badirou told a news 

conference. “Tests revealed 

that this was cocaine.” 

West Africa has for over a 

decade been a transit point 

for Latin American cocaine 

en route to Europe, 

although improved 

maritime policing in recent 

years has helped reduce the 

volume passing through 

the region. 

lawyers to discuss their 

demands. Lawyers said 

their colleagues in other 

cities around the country 

also went out on strike. 

Under the government 

proposal, all lawyers will 

pay a tax ranging from 

about $8 to $25 on each file 

they present to court. 

Tension over the budget 

comes as Tunisia prepares 

to hold an international 

conference in which it will 

offer $50 billion worth of 

projects to foreign leaders 

It was the second drug 

bust in Benin in under a 

month. 

Maritime police 

discovered a haul of 18 kg 

of cocaine, also at Cotonou, 

at the end of October. 

That shipment was found 

in a container belonging to 

one of the companies of 

wealthy businessman and 

prominent politician 

Sebastien Ajavon. 

Dengue fever kills 20 in Burkina Faso 

DENGUE fever has 

killed at least 20 

people in the West 

African state of Burkina 

Faso, where about 2,000 

cases of the disease have 

been recorded. 

Dengue is a mosquitoborne 

disease which is 

prevalent in sub-tropical 

and tropical regions. 

It is a major cause of 

illness worldwide, 

causing about 100 million 

episodes of feverish 

illness a year. 

Its outbreak in Burkina 

Faso is causing alarm and 

officials are trying to avoid 

any widespread panic. 

Dengue fever 

particularly affects young 

children and adults, but 

is not normally fatal, 

specialists say. 

Most people who get it 

Britain and France 

will suffer from headaches 

and fever. Some get 

rashes, aches and pains 

joined to form Cameroon 

after the colonial powers 

withdrew in the 1960s. 

Cameroonians protesting against the use of French 

in courts and schools in English-speaking parts 

of Cameroon yesterday in Bamenda 

and their symptoms 

usually last for two or 

three days. 

African Petroleum pulls out of 

Liberia 

WEST Africa-focused 

oil and gas 

company African Petroleum 

is pulling out of its two 

Liberian offshore 

prospecting licences after it 

failed to attract new partners, 

it said in a statement on 

Wednesday. 

Production-sharing 

contracts for the LB-08 and 

LB-09 blocks formally 

expired in June, and African 

Petroleum had been in 

negotiations with the 

Liberian authorities for an 

extension to allow it time to 

seek out new investors. 

It blamed challenging 

market conditions for 

exploration and a lack of 

commercial discoveries in 

Liberia for a lack of industry 

interest in the blocks. 

“It is therefore 

disappointing to be exiting 

the country; however, our 

near-term focus and 

resources must go towards 

the other more exciting assets 

within our portfolio,” Chief 

Executive Jens Pace said in 

the statement.

C 

M 

Y 

K 


C 

M 

Y 

K 



U-20 WWC: We played without 

underwear, Falconets confess 

JUST back from the 

FIFA U-20 

Women’s World Cup , 

where they crashed out 

in the first round, some 

players of the national 

FIFA 

president 

G i a n n i 

Infantino is considering 

backing a proposal to 

expand the World Cup to 

48 teams. 

Infantino, who was 

elected as Sepp 

Blatter’s successor in 

February, originally 

promised to expand the 

tournament to 40 teams 

during his campaign for 

the FIFA presidency. 

However, that eightteam 

expansion would 

produce a complicated 

draw and some have now 

Guardiola 

Continues from BP 

under Guardiola. With 

£27m Brazilian 

international Gabriel 

Jesus set to arrive in 

January, his 

opportunities will be 

limited further. 

Leading scorer Sergio 

Aguero is at the top of 

the pecking order, with 

Guardiola preferring to 

play with a lone striker. 

When asked what 

would have to happen to 

get the 20-year-old more 

first team opportunities, 

Guardiola said: “Change 

the coach maybe! 

“Of course he deserves 

to play, but there are 

many, many others who 

deserve to play too. 

“Our job is so 

uncomfortable for these 

kind of decisions. 

U-20 team, the Falconets 

have revealed that their 

luggage did not arrive 

on time causing them 

to play their first game 

against Japan without 

FIFA president favours 

48 nations World Cup 

•Messi in action 

called for a 

mathematically simpler 

48-team tournament. 

In the new proposed 

48-team format, 32 

unseeded teams would 

be paired off to contest 

a single play-off match 

with the winners then 

advancing to face 16 

seeded nations in the 

tournament proper. 

However, this format 

has also been slated as 

16 nations would be 

eliminated from the 

World Cup having 

played just one match at 

“Normally when these 

guys don’t train good, 

when they are not nice 

guys with his teammates, 

it doesn’t matter, 

but that is not the case 

with Kele. 

“My advice is keep 

going, keep fighting, 

sooner or later 

everything is coming 

back, and of course he’s 

going to have his 

minutes,” he said. 

“Until now he played 

good, but in the big 

teams sometimes that 

happens. You can play 

just 11 players and 

that’s all.” 

Barcelona scouts are 

on the look out for 

Iheanacho. There is also 

an interest from 

Tottenham Hotspur. 

underwear. 

The team led to the 

competition by Peter 

Dedevbo, finished 

runner-up at the last 

edition of the 

tournament in Canada, 

fell well short of their 

objective this time 

around. 

The team lost heavily, 

6-0 to Japan, in what was 

the sides fourth meeting 

at the U-20 Women’s 

World Cup. Though 

the Falconets went on 

to win the next set of 

group games, Canada 

3-1 and Spain 2-1 and 

tied both Japan and 

Spain on 6 points, they 

failed to advance 

because of an inferior 

goals difference. 

Players and officials of 

the team arrived the 

Murtala Muhammed 

International Airport, 

Lagos on Tuesday. 

Mourinho: Messi's 

Barca's for life 

M ANCHESTER 

United manager 

Jose Mourinho feels 

there is little chance 

Lionel Messi will 

become available in the 

transfer market and 

hopes the Argentina 

international will remain 

at Barcelona until the 

end of his career. 

Recent reports from 

Spain suggested Messi 

is hesitant to renew his 

contract at Camp Nou - 

with his current deal due 

to expire in 2018 - 

fuelling speculation he 

could leave Barca. 

Manchester City are 

believed to be keeping a 

close eye on the 29- 

year-old’s situation, 

Ghana 


minute, after 

Francesca Ordega was 

wrestled to the ground. 

Faith Ikidi’s floater into 

the box was helped into 

the Ghanaian net by 

Portia Boakye. 

That goal was like a 

wake up call for the 

Black Queens and just 

before the break they got 

the equaliser after a 

needless kick inside the 

Nigerian box by Halimat 

Ayinde on Elizabeth 

Addo. Addo, from the 

penalty spot tucked in 

the ball pass the 

outstretched hands of 

Alaba Jonathan. 

Falconets players at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja Lagos waiting 

for transportation back to their homes. 

Leicester table £16m for Ndidi 

ENGLISH Premier 

L e a g u e 

champions, Leicester City 

have tabled a £16 million 

bid for Nigerian midfielder 

Wilfred Ndidi. 

Ndidi is currently on the 

books of Belgian club KRC 

Genk. 

The Belgian club want 

£20 million for the Nigeria 

international but the Foxes 

while United could also 

join the race for his 

signature, but Mourinho 

thinks it is unlikely 

Messi will ever play in 

the Premier League. 

“It is the same story 

with Messi every season. 

The papers always claim 

he is leaving, but it 

never happens in the 

end,” Mourinho said at 

a news conference on 

Wednesday. 

“Honestly, I hope he 

never leaves because he 

belongs to Barcelona 

and Barcelona belong to 

him. 

“The natural thing and 

beautiful thing would be 

for him to stay and finish 

his career at Barcelona.'' 

The Super Falcons 

dominated the second 

half but the goals were 

hard in coming, even as 

the Black Queens sought 

to take the game by the 

horns. 

Nigeria and Ghana 

are tied on points, but 

the Falcons lead on 

superior goals 

difference. The final 

games of the group will 

be decided on Saturday 

with Nigeria taking on 

Kenya and Ghana 

square up against Mali. 

Both games will be 

played simultaneously. 

fully expect to complete a 

deal early in the January 

transfer window and are 

holding out for a little bit 

less money. 

The 19-year-old Ndidi is 

viewed as one of the 

brightest prospects in 

Belgian football and Genk 

know they are facing a 

losing battle to keep him. 

Ndidi, who is also an 

integral member of Gernot 

Rohr’s new-look Super 

Eagles, is according to the 

Reps member 


Barrister Solomon Dalung 

to develop confidence in the 

new crop of Super Eagles, 

saying they need to be given 

more time to blend properly. 

The lawmaker who 

lamented that the problem 

bedevilling the Nigeria 

Football Federation, NFF, 

emanates from policy makers, 

advised the federal 

government to develop 

football from the grassroots in 

order to strengthen the system. 

He disclosed this at the 

maiden edition of the Oghene 

Unity competition in Amuwo 

Odofin organized at the 

Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos 

recently. 

While encouraging the 

youths to implore the spirit of 

sportsmanship during the 

competition, Egoh noted that 

the competition would provide 

avenue for the participants to 

play in the local and 

international leagues. 

Daily Mail believed to be 

the replacement for 

N’Golo Kante at Leicester. 

Following Kante’s 

departure to Chelsea, the 

Leicester City manager, 

Claudio Raniero, brought 

in midfielder Nampalys 

Mendy in a £13 million 

deal last summer, but he 

has been restricted to just 

one Premier League 

appearance so far due to 

a troublesome ankle 

injury. 

Korea Ambassador's Cup: Organisers 

promise hitch-free tourney 

THE 

Main 

Organising 

Committee of the Korean 

Ambassador Cup has 

reiterated its 

commitment towards 

organising a hitchfree 

2016 edition of the 

Korean Ambassador’s 

T a e k w o n d o 

championship holding 

at the Teslim Balogun 

stadium, Lagos from 

December 8-10, 2016.. 

According to the 

Chairman of the MOC 

and President of the 

Nigeria Taekwondo 

F e d e r a t i o n , 

Grandmaster George 

Ashiru, the event which 

he described as more of 

a National Open 

Tournament will have 

over 300 competitors 

across the Federation 

and some West African 

countries. 

He said the youths should 

spend better time achieving 

beneficial goals rather than 

pursuing a destructive 

lifestyle of drug, crime and 

illicit sex. 

“We are optimistic that this 

competition would produce 

footballers like Finidi George, 

Sunday Oliseh, Victor Agali 

among others”, he added, 

noting that Amuwo Odofin 

has produced great 

footballers who have played 

for both the national and 

international leagues. 

His words: “Lots of youths 

have talents, therefore it is 

important to develop them so 

that they could be useful to 

the country. Most of the great 

footballers Nigeria has 

produced come from the local 

governments and there is 

need to catch them young. 

We need to have 

replacements for the likes of 

Rasheed Yekini, Henry 

Nwosu, among others.”

Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016 

Today’s matches 

Europa League 

Fenerbace v Zorya 5pm 

Celta Vigo v Standard Liege 7pm 

Gent v Braga 7pm 

Schalke 04 v Nice 7pm 

Man Utd v Feyenoord 9.05pm 

Saint-Etienne v Mainz 05 9.05pm 

Roma 

Athletico Bilboa 

v 

v 

Viktoria Plzen 

Sassuolo 

905pm 

9.05pm 

FIFA U-20 WC 

Japan v Brazil 10.30am 

Result 

Nigeria 1 Ghana 1 

Mali 2 Kenya 0 

Iheanacho’s 

chances at City 

slim, says Guardiola 

M ANCHESTER 

City manager 

Pep Guardiola has stated 

that young striker 

Kelechi Iheancho must 

have to make 

improvements to get a 

slot in his team. 

This is just as 

Barcelona and Tottenham 

are said to be monitoring 

the situation with a view 

Mourinho: 

Messi’s 

Barca’s for 

life 

— Page 47 

TODAY'S PUZZLE 

Tanzania 

name 

squad 

for 

Eagles 

of making a move for the 

Super Eagles striker. He 

has started only three 

Premier League games 


•Iheanacho 

Sudoku 

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. 

AWCON: Ghana grind out draw with Nigeria 

IT was always going 

to be a hard fought 

match between Ghana 

and Nigeria. And 

Ghana’s Black Queens 

forced high riding Super 

Falcons to a draw in the 

group B match at the 

Africa Women Nations 

Cup in Limbe, 

Cameroon. 

Few chances were 

created and both teams 

got their goals from 

errors on a day the Super 

Falcons were put to test. 

It was more of a battle of 

wits, most especially in 

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS 

U-20 WWC: We played 

without underwear, 

Falconets confess 

— Page 47 

the midfield where the 

Falcons tried to stamp 

their dominance, but the 

Black Queens made it 

ACROSS 

1 Moist (4) 

4 Mire (3) 

6 Shortage (4) 

8 Swell (6) 

9 Bear (6) 

10 Gratuity (3) 

12 Surpass (5) 

14 Decoration (5) 

15 Silly (5) 

18 Improve (6) 

20 Ally (6) 

24 Giant (5) 

26 Backbone (5) 

28 Coin (5) 

30 Artful (3) 

32 Lustre (6) 

33 Lure (6) 

34 Remain (4) 

35 Fish (3) 

36 Declare (4) 

DOWN 

2 Goodbye (5) 

3 Applause (7) 

4 Encounter (4) 

5 Intense (4) 

6 Deposit (5) 

7 Sure (7) 

11 Tavern (3) 

12 Sphere (3) 

13 Individual (3) 

16 Skill (3) 

17 Newt (3) 

19 Feat (7) 

21 Knock (3) 

22 Indolence (7) 

23 Parched (3) 

25 Sick (3) 

27 Loud (5) 

29 Recess (5) 

30 Footwear item (4) 

31 Shout (4) 

ACROSS: 3, Saved. 9, Erased. 10, Dulcet. 11, 

Adage. 12, Edit. 15, Dawn. 17, Relayed. 20, 

Pot. 21, Dread. 23, Over. 25, Bear. 26, Divan. 

28, Leg. 30, Matured. 33, Eden. 35, Tide. 36, 

Augur. 38, Permit. 39, Rather. 40, Duvet. 

hard for the Nigerian 

women to complete their 

passes. It was more of a 

physical battle and it was 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS 

one of such contacts that 

earned a free kick for the 

Super Falcons in the 19 th 


Reps member urges Dalung 

to have confidence in Eagles 

•Tasks govt on grass-root football devt 

BY EBUN SESSOU 

HOUSE 

of 

Represen-tatives 

member representing 

FIFA 

president 

favours 48 

nations World 

Cup — Pg.47 

Caged... Super Falcons players Osinachi Ohale (3) Ngozi Njoku (15) and Rita Chikwelu (10) surround 

Ghana’s Elizabeth Addo in their group B match of the Africa Women Nations Cup in Limbe, Cameroon. 

The two teams settled for a 1-1 draw. Photo: cafonline.com 

•Mikel Eagles captain 

Amuwo Odofin federal 

constituency, Mr. 

Oghene Egoh has urged 

the Minister of Sport, 


DOWN: 1, Sever. 2, Cavil. 3, Sea. 4, Addled. 

5, Edge. 6, Due. 7, scrap. 8, Stunt. 13, 

Decoded. 14, Tamed. 16, Worried. 18, Dream. 

19, Cab. 22, Début. 24, Rid. 27, Nature. 28, 

Leapt. 29, Genre. 31, Right. 32, Decry. 34, 

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: EZE ANABA. Phone: 01—4548355, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

ONDO GOVERNORSHIP POLL: A-Court sacks Jimoh Ibrahim, okays Jegede

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