ONDO DECIDES: Akeredolu leads

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SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 5 

Why y I’m quitting partisan politics – Anenih 

Urges Nigerians to support Buhari 

FORMER Chairman 

of the Board of 

Trustees, BoT, of 

the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Chief Tony 

Anenih, has retired from 

partisan politics, saying 

he has no point to prove 

any longer. 

Anenih, 83, who 

announced his 

retirement from active 

politics, yesterday, at the 

presentation of his 

autobiography: “My Life 

and Nigerian Politics,’’ 

also stressed the need 

for Nigerians, 

irrespective of political 

leanings, to support 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s efforts to pull 

the country out of 

recession. 

Quit notice: Urhobo suspend ultimatum to Ijaw 

residents 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, South-South 

URHOBO 

youths 

lifted the two-week 

ultimatum given to Ijaw 

indigenes residing in Udu, Udu 

Local Government Area of Delta 

State, to vacate the area, last 

night, following the intervention 

of the state government. 

Sunday Vanguard learned that 

the President General of Urhobo 

Progress Union, UPU, Youth 

Wing, Udu chapter, Sunday 

Subi, who earlier gave the 

ultimatum, November 17, 

announced the suspension at a 

meeting of the warring parties 

brokered by the state government 

at Government House, Warri. 

Sunday Vanguard reliably 

learned that the Secretary to the 

State Government, Mr. Festus 

Agas, Commissioner of Police, 

Delta State, Director of the 

Department of State Service, 

DSS, army, navy and air force 

chiefs in the state, chairmen of 

Warri South-West and Udu local 

government areas, security aides 

to the governor, among others, 

visited Ayama and Epame 

communities on Friday, to assess 

the situation of things. 

About 40 houses were 

destroyed and over 500 persons 

By Chidi Nkwopara, 

Owerri 

Igbo have been advised 

to remain united and 

face their common problems 

with equanimity. 

Major Hamza Al- 

Mustapha (retd) former 

chief security officer, CSO, 

to the late Head of State, 

General Sani Abacha, made 

the appeal, yesterday, in 

Owerri, while speaking at 

this year’s Dim 

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu 

Ojukwu memorial service. 

“In the absence of unity of 

purpose, Ndigbo will end up 

wasting their time and 

achieving practically 

nothing”, Al-Mustapha 

said. 

“We equally feel the pains 

of Ndigbo. There are 

palpable traces of poverty in 

every street in this land”. 

He lamented that while 

there are very few rich 

people in the land, who 

hardly pay commensurate 

tax, tithe or the Muslim 

From left: Prof. Jerry Gana; Mr. Joseph Makanju; Former President Dr Goodluck 

Jonathan, during the chief Anenih thanksgiving service in Abuja, yesterday. Photos 

by Gbemiga Olamikan. 

From left: Chief Tony Anenih; his wife Patricia; his daughter Mariam; and Former 

Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen. 

Al-Mustapha, at Ojukwu’s memorial, counsels Igbo unity 

Emma Amaize 

POPULAR Niger Delta 

activist and entrepreneur, 

Chief Ayirimi Emami, 

yesterday, slammed the Nigeria 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, for 

allegedly abandoning the 

Seplat PEARLS Quiz: Schools win over N10m cash prize 

U Preparatory 

niversity 

Secondary School 

(UPSS), Benin City, Edo 

State, has emerged 

winners of the 2016 

Seplat PEARLS Quiz 

competition at the grand 

finale held at Imaguero 

College,Benin-City, Edo 

State. The school beat Lords 

His words: “I am 

persuaded that I have no 

more ambition or any 

point to prove in politics. 

I am, therefore, glad to 

declare that, from today, 

I shall be withdrawing 

from active partisan 

politics. I shall, however, 

continue to avail the 

country of my 

experience, give 

suggestions and offer 

advice, as a statesman.” 

The former Works 

Minister under President 

Olusegun Obasanjo said 

the prevailing wind of 

economic recession in 

Nigeria required all 

hands on deck and 

collaborative efforts to 

surmount it. 

“I, therefore, urge 

displaced in the attack on Udu 

by suspected Ijaw youths, thus 

sparking the ultimatum. 

Former President General of 

UPU, Youth Wing, Udu Chapter 

and current National 

Secretary of Urhobo Youth 

Leaders Association, Comrade 

Vincent Oyibode, confirmed the 

suspension of the ultimatum 

when Sunday Vanguard 

contacted him , yesterday, adding 

that government also directed 

and Kings Academy, Warri, 

Delta State. 

Earlier, Word of Faith 

Schools, Benin City, Edo 

State, had outscored their 

peers from NEPA (PHCN) 

Staff School, Sapele, Delta 

State, to clinch the third 

place prize. 

The winning school got 

N7million cash prize while 

Nigerians to persevere 

and hope for better 

tomorrow. We must 

support and pray that 

God will give the 

President the wisdom 

and vision to steer the 

country away from 

recession to prosperity,’’ 

he said. 

However, immediate past 

president, Dr. Goodluck 

Jonathan, who was at the 

event, appealed to 

Anenih, who political 

associates call ‘Mr. Fix 

It,’ to rescind the 

decision because the 

octogenarian’s 

experience in security 

and politics would be 

wasted if he quit politics 

at this time. 

“You may not be in 

Continues on page 10 

that on no account should Ijaw 

youths attack or harass the 

people of Ayama and Epame 

anymore. Oyibode disclosed: 

“They (SSG and others) came 

to see things for themselves, no 

house is standing in the 

communites, they burnt down 

everything and we are saying that 

government should help the 

people to resettle and on no 

account should Ijaw people of 

Isaba attack them again.” 

zakat, Al-Mustapha said 

there was no reason the 

citizenry should suffer in the 

midst of plenty”. 

Igbo, he stated, have all it 

takes to lead the world, 

adding that Ojukwu was a 

father, a leader and a 

committed military 

commander. 

Speaking also at the 

occasion, the founder of 

Odua Peoples Congress, 

OPC, Dr. Frederick 

Fashaeun, said that if 

Ojukwu remains a celebrity 

long after his death, it was a 

clear indication that he still 

lives in the minds of his loved 

ones. 

To the widow of the late 

Ikemba, Mrs. Bianca 

Ojukwu, Ndigbo hardly 

place their priorities right. 

“The problem we have as 

a people, our priorities are 

most times, wrongly placed. 

A lot will change for the 

better if we get it right”, she 

added. 

Emami accuses NNPC of abandoning GRIP, , electricty projects in Delta 

each of the three student 

representatives went home 

with N100,000. Lords and 

Kings Academy got 

N2million prize money 

while its three 

representatives got N75,000 

each. Winners of the third 

place prize, Word of Faith 

Schools got N1million 

cash prize while each 

student representative 

was rewarded with 

N50,000. The schools are 

to use the cash prizes for 

projects at their respective 

schools. 

General Manager, 

External Affairs and 

Communications for 

SEPLAT, Dr. Chioma 

Nwachuku, noted at the 

occasion that the 

programme, which is in 

its fifth year, has had 

tremendous impact on the 

educational careers of 

students in Delta and Edo 

States, the company’s 

host states. 

multi-billion dollar Gas 

Revolution Industrial Park, 

GRIP, Ogidigbe,n and Escravos 

Environs Power Supply 

Projects, both in Warri-South- 

West Local Government Area, 

Delta State, saying it was 

inflaming the bombing and 

vandalization of crude and gas 

installations in the Niger Delta 

region by its action. 

The Warri chief, who 

claimed that the Group 

Managing Director, GMD, 

of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, 

and members of his 

management team, have not 

shown any interest in the 

GRIP and Escravos Environs 

Power Supply Project, expressed 

displeasure that despite the 

huge economic and job creation 

potentials of both projects, the 

NNPC GMD was yet to visit 

the project sites. 

Chief Emami asserted: “The 

seeming disinterest of Dr. Baru 

towards the GRIP project, 

which will accommodate a 

major industrial gas hub and 

petrochemical, methanol as 

well as fertilizer plant with 

known capacity to create 150, 

000 direct and indirect jobs at 

the construction stage, leaves 

much to be desired at a time 

when the country is 

experiencing recession vis a vis 

job losses.” 

The Delta APC chieftain 

appealed to the National 

Assembly, especially the Senate, 

“to order the management of 

NNPC to take immediate steps 

for construction work to 

commence at the GRIP and 

Escravos Environs Power 

Supply Project, which is part of 

NGC ELPS System-a network 

that passes the host 

communities in the Escravos 

shore.” 

While stating that the NNPC 

management may not have 

briefed President 

Muhammadu Buhari on the 

true position of both projects, 

Chief Emami noted that a 

Memorandum of 

Understanding MoU, was 

signed 10th May 2012 

between the Federal 

Government, NGC/NNPC, 

Chevron, Delta State 

government as well as Itsekiri 

and Ijaw host communities for 

the Escravos Environs Power 

Supply Project. 

He lamented that for over 

By Luka Binniyat 

After six days in 

captivity, Kaduna 

State Police Command 

said, yesterday, its 

“immense” pressure on 

abductors of Ambassador 

Bagudu Hirse, a former 

minister, forced them to 

release him. 

Hirse was kidnapped by 

armed men on November 

20 in front of the residence 

of Mallam Mamman 

Daura, the Director 

General of the Department 

of State Security (DSS) as 

three weeks, the people of 

Ugborodo protested against 

lack of electricity and shutdown 

Shell Petroleum Development 

Company, SPDC operations in 

Ogidigben because of the 

company’s inability to meet its 

obligations to contractors, as a 

result of vandalism. 

The Itsekiri leader said that 

the power project would check 

vandalisation of gas lines if it 

comes on stream “because 

people of the benefiting 

communities will see 

themselves as stakeholders, 

create surveillance network to 

protect the project and 

ultimately, it will tackle illegal 

oil bunkering, pipeline 

vandalism, crude theft and sea 

piracy.” 

After six days in captivity, kidnappers 

release Hirse, ex-minister 

he visited to condole with 

Daura over the demise of 

former Sultan of Sokoto, 

Alh. Ibrahim Dasuki. 

Daura is married to the 

daughter of Dasuki. 

Kaduna State police 

spokesman, ASP Aliyu 

Usman, told Sunday 

Vanguard that Hirse had 

been rejoined with his 

family and that he was in 

good health. 

He declined to mention 

if any ransom was paid. 

Asked if any ransom was 

paid to secure the former 

minister’s release, he said, 

“I am not aware”.

PAGE 6— SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 

Police kill 3 suspected kidnappers dressed in 

pastors’ outfit 

By Festus Ahon, Asaba 

P broke ANDEMONIUM 

out at Agbogidi 

Motor Park, close to the Onitsha 

head bridge, along the 

Benin-Asaba-Onitsha expressway, 

following a gun 

duel between a police patrol 

team and suspected kidnappers. 

The police officers, who 

stormed the park based on 

intelligence report, on Friday, 

killed three suspected 

kidnappers who dressed in 

pastors outfit. 

Passengers and drivers at 

the motor park at the time of 

the incident, ran to avoid being 

hit by stray bullets in the 

gun battle which lasted for 

over 10 minutes. 

The suspects drove into a 

bar in the park in a Toyota 

Corolla car allegedly waiting 

for their target, said to 

be a United Kingdom-based 

native of Asaba coming 

home for Christmas. 

Sunday Vanguard gathered 

that a mole in the family 

of the UK-based Nigerian 

had given out information 

about him to the gang. 

A dependable source, who 

pleaded anonymity, said the 

hoodlums were patiently 

waiting at the bar for a signal 

from their informant on 

the appropriate time to 

strike when they ran out of 

luck. 

According to the source, 

the suspected kidnappers, on 

From left: Osayi Alile, CEO, ACTS Foundation; Mrs. Sarah Adebisi Sosan, former 

Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Bolaji Agbede, Group Head, Human Resources, 

Access Bank Plc, Erelu Adebisi Fayemi, former First Lady, Ekiti Stateo, and Iyabo 

Soji-Okusanya, Group Head, Telecomms, Access Bank Plc at the Orange Lecture 

organised by Access Women Network (AWN) and Genesis House in commemoration 

of the 16 days of activism to end violence against women which held at the 

Head Office of Access Bank in Lagos. 

sighting the police patrol 

team, opened fire with spontaneous 

response from the 

police officers. 

Showing the corpses of the 

suspects at about 8pm on Friday 

to journalists, Delta State 

Police Commissioner, Mr. 

Ibrahim Zanna, said his men 

acted on credible information, 

disclosing that his men 

were on the trail of the mole 

who reportedly fled the scene 

before he could be fished out 

by the policemen. 

Zanna said the vehicle of 

the suspects, one AK 47 rifle, 

one pump action gun, one locally 

made pistol with 19 

rounds of 7.6mm, eight live 

cartridges, one expended cartridge 

and church aprons 

were recovered. 

Noting that some brave 

persons at the motor park assisted 

the police during the 

operation, he called on the 

general public to always provide 

the police with credible 

information that could lead 

to the tracking down of hoodlums. 

LG staff audit has captured 20,000 staff 

in Taraba — Bureau Perm Sec. 

By John Mkom, Jalingo 

THE Taraba State lo 

cal government staff 

verification exercise conducted 

across the sixteen 

local government areas 

of the state would bring 

positive effect and conducive 

management of the 

workers warfare if completed. 

That was the assertion 

of the Permanent 

Secretary, Bureau for Local 

and Chieftaincy Affairs, 

Alhaji Bello 

Yero,while speaking to 

Sunday Vanguard in his 

office yesterday. 

Yero commended Governor 

Darius Ishaku for 

approving the conduct of 

the exercise describing it 

as the best thing that has 

happened to the state local 

government councils 

in recent history. 

He revealed that in past 

years, the state Joint Account 

(JAC) found it difficult 

to pay salaries to the 

number of workers that 

were on the pay roll of the 

sixteen local government 

areas in the state. 

He noted that many 

names on the local government 

pay roll were not 

in existence. 

“The staff verification 

exercise has helped in 

many ways, not just authentication 

of genuine 

local government workers, 

but it also reveals the 

grade levels of the staff. 

“We are almost done 

with the whole of the exercise”. 

He disclosed that in the 

past, unauthorised persons 

had padded the staff 

register. 

The permanent secretary 

also stated that the 

verification exercise 

would create room for 

proper promotion of staff 

who were due to be promoted. 

The verification exercise 

has captured over 

20,000, while huge number 

of ghost workers have 

been expunged. 

BRIEFS 

Attract God to your lives — Odutola 

THE Immediate Past Executive Secretary, Bible Society of 

Nigeria, Revd Dr. Fred Babatunde Odutola, has warned 

against worshiping the earthly lusts of life, and instead people 

should sacrifice all God’s divine endowments to the glory of 

His Name. 

Revd Odutola, made these remarks in his sermon as the Guest 

Preacher at the 2016 Annual Harvest Thanksgiving Service of 

the Divine Ewulomi Evangelical Church of Christ, (C&S) Arowojobe 

Estate, Maryland, Lagos, tagged “Harvest of Everlasting 

Joy”,. 

The seasoned religious, community leader and astute scholar 

assured Nigerians of God’s continued love and faithfulness 

against satanic deceit. 

He also charged Christians to religiously and heartily, embrace 

harvest as a sober reflection to dutifully and humbly 

appreciate God’s undiluted love and divine manifestations of 

His awesome promises and manifestations to mankind. 

NAFDAC uncovers fake cosmetics 

production factory in Makurdi, arrests 

distributors 

BY PETER DURU, MAKURDI 

THE National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration 

and Control, NAFDAC, task-force on counterfeit products 

has uncovered a fake and adulterated cosmetics production 

factory in Makurdi, the Benue State capital. 

The agency also arrested a major importer of some range of 

counterfeited products in Naka, Gwer West Local Government 

Area of the state. 

Leader of the team and NAFDAC’s Chief Regulatory Officer, 

Enforcement Operations, Mr. Uche Chidi, told reporters yesterday 

that the special operation was based on a tip off. 

Chidi said, “we are here because our office in Lagos received 

an information about the suspected faking activities by some 

people in Makurdi; we came and the report has been confirmed.” 

The offices of the suspects have already been sealed. 

He said the distributor of fake products arrested in Naka by 

his team would be taken to Onitsha to identify the source of the 

products to officials of the task force, while the owner of the 

factory in Makurdi who was absent at the time of the raid was 

invited to the Lagos office of the agency for questioning. 

Oghiadomhe, Jonathan’s ex-CoS, 

loses father 

By Emma Amaize 

THE death has been announced of Pa Joseph Oghiator 

Oghiadomhe, father of Chief Mike Aiyegbeni Oghiadomhe, 

former Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan. 

He was aged 85. 

Pa Oghiadomhe passed on to eternal glory on Friday 

evening in Benin City, the Edo State capital. 

Among the early callers at the Aso Drive residence of the 

Oghiadomhes, yesterday, was former President Goodluck 

Jonathan, who arrived at exactly 9:24 am. 

Also on ground to condole with the Oghiadomhes was a 

former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon 

Zakawanu Garuba. 

A statement made available to journalists in Abuja by Oghiadomhe 

said: “Papa was a devoted Christian who welcomed 

everybody equally. 

“He was a very caring father not only to his children, but to 

all the students who passed through him, including his 

community. S Pa Oghiadomhe is survived by six children, 

many grand children and great-grand children. 

Buhari congratulates Adebutu at 81 

THE President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, 

GCFR, has joined millions of Nigerians in sending a 

birthday message to one of the nation’s illustrious sons, a business 

mogul and philanthropist, Chief Kesington Adebukunola 

Adebutu, CON,KJW, on his 81st birthday. 

In a letter personally signed by the President, he wished Chief 

Adebutu well while thanking and commending him for all 

his philanthropic works, which has positively impacted on the 

lives of so many Nigerians. 

Mr. President urged him to continue to constructively contribute 

to the economic development of the country. “I share 

these sentiments and I wish you many more years of good 

health and happiness”. 

APC: Aregbesola coasts home to 

heroic landing 

A 

S Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration of Osun State 

enters its seventh year, the All Progressives Congress (APC) 

has called on all people of goodwill in the state to prepare for a 

“heroic landing”. 

The ruling party asked the people of the state to brace up for 

what it described as “the end of a glorious chapter in the revolutionary 

struggle to transform Osun from abject poverty and 

social instability to a peaceful, progressive and viable space in 

Yorubaland in particular and Nigeria in general”. 

Osun State APC Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun, told 

journalists in Oshogbo, the state capital that regardless of the 

enormous challenges the state (as well as other parts of Nigeria) 

has been through in the last couple of years, the state can 

proudly point to a level of development never before seen in the 

25-year history since Osun’s creation.

ORODJE OF OKPE’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY 

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 7 

The Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM, Orue 1, last week, celebrated the 10th anniversary of his ascension to the 

throne in Orerokpe, headquarters of Okpe L.G.A, Delta State, during which he bestowed chieftaincy titles on deserving 

sons and daughters of the area. Faces at the occasion as captured by Godwin Oghre 

A cross section of Okpe chiefs 

•HRM, Orueh 1, the Orodje of Okpe 

Okpe male traditional dancers entertaining the 

audience. 

•One of the Okpe chiefs paying homage to the 

monarch 

•Okpe women traditional dancers entertaining the 

audience. 

SERVICE IN HONOUR OF OLOROGUN MICHAEL IBRU 

A service was held in honour of the late Olorogun Michael Ibru in Lagos, yesterday. The occasion in pictures.. 

From left: Otunba Niyi Adebayo, a former Gov of Ekiti State, Pastor 

Bamidele Olurin, Pastor Alex Okoh and Pastor Idowu Iluyomade 

From left: Mr Obaro Ibru, Chief (Mrs) Cecilia Ibru, Mr Mamewo Ibru 

and Mr Oboden Ibru 

From left: Mrs Janet Ohiwerei, Elder Felix Ohiwerei and Pastor E.A. 

Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of 

God. 

From left: Chief (Mrs) Cecilia Ibru , Mrs Tobi Odunaiya, Dr (Mrs) Patricia 

Love Ogboru and Dr Kemi Ibru


0NDO DECIDES 

Photos: Dare Fasube, Akeem Salau 

People wating to be accredited at Polling Unit 001 Ward 11, Akure 

A cross section of people checking their names for accreditation at Polling Unit 

9 Ward 2, located at Sacred Heart Pry. School 11, Akure 

Eligible voters looking for their names on the voters list in Owo 

A cross section of voters casting their vote 

A cross section of voters waiting for accreditation at Polling Unit 9 Ward 

2, in Idanre. 

Some policemen monitoring compliance with restriction of movement along 

Oyemekun Road, Akure. 

Counting of votes in progress at a polling station in Akure. 

A cross section of voters displaying their cards at a polling station located 

inside Akure Town Hall. 

A voter casting her vote. 

Deserted Erekesan Market, off Palace Road, Akure 

Some old women displaying their voters cards 

ahead of accreditation.



ONDO POLL: 

The drama, the intrigues, 

the subterfuge 

By Dayo Johnson, Akure 

EYITAYO Jegede, SAN, the 

governorship candidate of the 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

in Ondo State, remained a force to 

reckon with in yesterday’s poll, not 

minding where the pendulum will 

ultimately swing in the election. 

He can be described as a cat with 

nine lives. For two months, he was 

shuttling between courts to regain his 

“stolen” mandate by factional 

candidate Jimoh Ibrahim who he 

referred to as “an impostor” while the 

candidates of other political parties 

gained speed in their campaigns across 

the state. 

The intention of the sacked Jimoh 

Ibrahim was to run Jegede out of town 

because he was the preferred 

governorship candidate of the 

incumbent governor, Dr Olusegun 

Mimiko, for the coveted seat. 

Ibrahim saw an opportunity to hit 

Mimiko and he explored it to the fullest 

by making sure that Jegede, instead of 

criss-crossing the state to seek for votes, 

was busy moving from one court to the 

other. 

He apparently succeeded in 

distracting both the candidate and the 

governor from campaigning ahead of 

the election. 

While many still believe that Ibrahim 

was remotely controlled by some 

agents in the ruling APC to frustrate 

Jegede out of the race so as to give their 

candidate Rotimi Akeredolu speed, 

others have concluded that the 

factional PDP candidate was only out 

to disgrace the governor out of office 

by not having his way on his successor. 

The courts journey of Jegede was 

seen by many as a well coordinated 

plan by those who are jittery of his 

popularity and acceptability. 

His victory in both the Court of 

Appeal and the Supreme Court at the 

nick of time, last Wednesday, was seen 

as divine. 

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, 

further validated the candidacy of Jegede 

as the PDP flag bearer, following the striking 

out of all the pending interlocutory appeals 

filed by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the 

party which produced Ibrahim. 

While Jegede’s victory announced him to 

the world, Ibrahim had his head bowed even 

with the judges harsh words for him and his 

team of lawyers. 

Despite the court decision sacking him 

and replacing him with Jegede, Ibrahim 

was undaunted as he kept fighting. 

The Court of Appeal verdict which 

sacked Ibrahim came with some tongue 

lashing by the judges; yet he kept fighting 

insisting he remained the party’s candidate 

for the election. 

Even when the Supreme Court dismissed 

a fresh appeal filed by his factional state 

Chairman, Biyi Poroye, seeking to disallow 

Jegede from flying the party’s flag, Ibrahim 

still pooh poohed the court verdict. 

Official candidate 

One of the dismissed appeals at the 

Supreme Court was challenging the leave 

by the three-man Appeal Court panel 

granted to Jegede to appeal against the 

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High 

Court ruling which ordered the substitution 

of his name with that of Ibrahim for the 

poll. 

Another appeal dismissed by the Supreme 

Court had sought the disbandment of the 

three-man appellate panel. 

The Supreme Court, presided over by the 

acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice 

Walter Onnoghen, while dismissing the 

appeals, described it as abuse of court 

process. 

The ruling by the apex court finally 

dashed the hope of Ibrahim in participating 

in yesterday’s election. 

A statement by the sacked factional 

candidate’’ Director of Publicity and 

Communication, Sola Akinuli , 

immediately following the verdict was 

baffling. 

He asked his supporters in Ondo to vote 

for his party in the election, debunking the 

rumour that he had abandoned his 

mandate. 

Akinuli said: “Ibrahim is still the 

official candidate of the PDP as the court 

of appeal did not give any consequential 

judgement as to replacing his name with 

that of Jegede. 

Ibrahim asked the people to 

discountenance any rumour that he was 

collaborating with the candidate of 

another political party. 

“I am solidly in PDP and I urge all my 

supporters to vote PDP. 

“My name as candidate was a product 

of a court pronouncement and not INEC, 

The intention of the 

sacked Jimoh Ibrahim 

was to run Jegede out of 

town because he was the 

preferred governorship 

candidate of the 

incumbent governor, Dr 

Olusegun Mimiko, for the 

coveted seat 

therefore only another pronouncement 

by a higher court can remove me 

“I therefore urge my teeming 

supporters and indeed all citizens of the 

state to vote PDP”. 

He reiterated his earlier reservations 

about some officials of the INEC, saying 

that some of their officers had 

compromised. 

In another statement, the sacked 

governorship candidate said: “We shall 

get justice at the Supreme Court and if 

PDP wins the election we shall have our 

four years mandate to rule Ondo State. 

He insisted: “Mimiko will not succeed 

himself with Jegede; this is too sure”, 

adding, “We continue with our work and 

remain in our great party, PDP”. 

How he wanted to achieve this after his 

sack by the courts remained unknown. 

But Jegede in a statement personally 

signed by him after his victory in the court 

dedicated it to God and the good people of 

the state. 

The PDP candidate said: “Beloved people 

of Ondo State and believer in out noble 

cause, there is no doubt that the past few 

weeks have been very challenging and 

trying times for us as we contended with 

anti democratic and evil forces who tried 

to subvert the will of God and the mandate 

of the people freely given to us. 

“It was a 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 

propagandists 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 

the judiciary. 

“Today our mouth is filled with laughter 

and heart with praise. Our resilience has 

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 baton of democratic process 

and refusing to be blackmailed, brow 

beaten and intimidated by those who do 

not mean well for our state and nation. 

“Now we are set to roll out the drums, not 

of war but of God’s faithfulness and sound 

it loud to our adversaries that the will of 

God and the desire of the people shall 

prevail. Our faith and conviction in this 

project has continued to grow stronger by 

the day instead of waning. 

“For us, there is no looking back. We 

remain resolute and focused in our desire 

to bring development,progress and 

prosperity to our people. This is our. article 

of faith. 

“We dedicate this victory to God and the 

generality of our people. We urge our people 

to maximally utilize the few remaining days 

before the polls to consolidate on our door 

to door campaign across the state”. 

Fifth columnists 

Reacting to the victory, the PDP in a 

statement, said “The state uses this 

opportunity to thank God for this victory 

that we attained in the Court of Appeal over 

the substitution of Mr Eyitayo Jegede’s 

name as the party’s candidate, at the orders 

of Justice Abang, a development that the 

honourable justices described as fraudulent 

and a charade”. 

The party’s Director of Publicity in Ondo 

State, Ayo Fadaka, said in Akure: “We use 

this opportunity to appreciate the President 

of the Court of Appeal and the judges who 

sat on the matter for being professional and 

dedicated to their callings. 

“We also thank the Supreme Court 

justices who also sat on this case and did 

justice in the most dispassionate manner. 

“We indeed confirm that the judiciary 

asserted itself and firmly did justice. We ask 

those our members that were led astray by 

the band of fifth columnists to return to the 

party and ask the media to abandon the 

agent provocateurs whose only goal was to 

destroy our great party”. 

Also, a former Special Adviser to 

erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan on 

Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, 

congratulated Jegede on his victory at the 

Court of Appeal and Supreme Court”. 

Kuku, in a text message to Sunday 

Vanguard, urged all PDP faithful, irrespective 

of differences, to unite forces as fast as possible, 

even at personal costs of ambition and 

comfort, to give victory to the party”.. 

Jegede’s optimism even when the cloud was 

at its darkest hour, ‘I will contest the 

governorship election and I will win’, was not 

taken seriously until the court granted him 

his prayer to contest. But will he also win? 

That will be known after yesterday’s election. 

If the PDP candidate wins the election 

despite all these battles, then he will be Godsent 

as the 7th civilian governor of the 

Sunshine State since it’s creation 40 years 

ago and, if not, he will remain for a very long 

time the man to reckon with. Luckily, for him 

age is still on his side; if he fails to get it 

now, he can still get it later.



ONDO: Akeredolu leads 

•Urges supporters to remain calm amid provocation 

•5 APC govs, minister camp in Akure 

•Card reader rejects Mimiko 

•AD’s Oke kicks 

By Dayo Johnson 

THE candidates of the 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Mr. 

Rotimi Akerdolu, SAN, and 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, 

SAN, were locked in a tight 

race, yesterday, in the Ondo 

State governorship election. 

However, according to 

unofficial results from the 

18 local councils of the state 

obtained by Sunday 

Vanguard, which are subject 

to authentication by the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, Akeredolu had a 

slight lead over Jegede in the 

election that was largely 

peaceful and witnessed 

impressive voters’ turnout. 

Electoral materials and 

officials arrived on time in 

most locations. Voting 

commenced by 8am and 

ended by 2pm while sor ting 

and counting of ballots took 

place almost immediately. 

According to the 

unconfirmed figures, 

Akeredolu won in 10 

councils while Jegede had 

the upper hand in eight. 

The official results are 

expected to be announced 

today. 

The election was said to 

have been highly monetised 

as voters were allegedly 

induced with money before 

voting. Sources said 

between N400,000 and 

N450,000 were sent to each 

of the 3,009 units in the state 

by a particular party . 

Security agents, 

according to the source, 

looked the other way as 

voters were given between 

N3,000 and N6,000 each to 

vote. 

Early results 

The unconfirmed results 

showed that Akeredolu 

cleared the results in Owo 

and some units in Akure, the 

state capital, while Jegede 

cleared the poll in Akure, 

Ondo and in some units in 

Akoko . 

Surprisingly, Jegede could 

not win in Akure, his home 

town, with a large margin as 

expected even though he 

won his polling unit with a 

wide margin. The PDP 

candidate polled 184 votes 

at St. Brendan’s Primary 

School, Akure unit where he 

voted. Akeredolu got 77 

votes while the candidate of 

the Alliance for Democracy, 

AD, Olusola Oke, scored 32 

votes. 

Oke came a distant third 

in the unit results received 

in Ondo Central and North 

senatorial districts. 

Reports had it that Oke 

was leading in the units 

result from Okitipupa 

council area of the state. 

Governor Olusegun 

Mimiko won in his Unit 020 

Ward 7 with 176 votes to 

APC’s 40 votes and AD’s 25 

votes. 

Also in Unit 021 Ward 7, 

the governor’s party PDP, 

polled 92 votes while APC 

got 23 and AD 31 votes. 

Akeredolu in Oke Ijebu 

Ward 5 won with 413 votes 

while PDP scored 13 and AD 

4 votes. 

Jegede polled 184 votes in 

his Unit 009 ward 2 Isikan/ 

gbogi to defeat APC which 

scored 77 and AD 32. 

Speaking to journalists, 

Jegede expressed worries 

over alleged open 

inducement by the 

opposition APC and hoped 

the people would not sell 

their conscience for a pot of 

porridge. 

Akeredolu, in his response, 

solicited for peace among 

the electorate amidst 

provocation. 

He noted that there might 

be provocation but said it 

must be shunned to allow 

peace and the will of the 

generality to prevail. 

“My advice to the 

electorate is that, let us be 

calm in the face of any 

provocation, especially in 

last couple of days. Some 

people may want to cause 

confusion because we are 

coasting home to victory”, 

the APC candidate said. 

However, the poll did not 

come without some logistics 

hiccups. The card reader 

rejected the finger print of 

Mimiko, who had to cast his 

ballot with an incident form 

The governor, 

accompanied by the wife to 

his polling centre in Unit 20 

Ward 7 in Ondo West 

council area of the state, 

expressed concern over the 

reports of alleged 

inducement of voters by the 

opposition APC members 

across the state, warning that 

the people would not allow 

any form of manipulation 

Akeredolu, on his own, 

also lamented the 

malfunctioning of some 

smart card readers deployed 

for the exercise. Speaking at 

his Owo residence after 

casting his vote, the APC 

candidate said INEC ought 

to have test-run the devices 

before election day. 

Nevertheless, he said his 

major concern was the 

electoral commission 

ensuring free, credible and 

fair election. 

Jegede and his AD 

counterpart, Oke, also 

complained about the 

malfunctioning 

readers. 

card 

Oke specifically 

complained of cases of preloading 

of card readers 

before accreditation. He 

listed areas such as Idi Ogba, 

Alagbon, Ude Ugbo and 

some other areas in Ugbo 

constituency 2 in Ilaje area 

of Ondo state as places 

affected. 

The AD candidate alleged 

that many of the card 

readers started at 150 . 

Speaking on the alleged 

inducement of voters, he 

alleged that the APC and 

PDP embarked on 

intimidation, heavy 

monetisation and outright 

manipulation of the ballot 

materials in the election. 

Tackled on the issue of preloaded 

and malfunctioning 

card readers, the Ondo 

Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, REC, Segun 

Agbaje, said the problem 

would be rectified, adding 

that the problem had to do 

with the punching of the 

devices, which he described 

as a minor problem and not 

fraud. 

Agbaje said the 

commission had more than 

250 spare smart card 

readers to replace those 

malfunctioning. “I have 

called the Head of 

Department of ICT to get 

smart cards for areas with 

smart card challenges and 

very soon they will them. 

Card reader is not a major 

challenge because it can be 

addressed within 10 to 20 

minutes; we have over 250 

smart card readers for 

exchange in case of 

malfunction,” he said. 

Akeredolu’s 

campaign DG 

denies arrest 

Meanwhile, the Director 

General of the Akeredolu 

Campaign Organisation, 

Hon. Victor Olabimtan, was 

allegedly arrested with 

thumb printed ballot papers 

in 15 Ghana-Must-Go bags 

at Akungba-Akoko in Akoko 

South West area of Ondo 

State 

Olabimtan was said to 

have been arrested along 

Akungba- Supare Road in 

Akungba by security 

operatives, who were acting 

on tip-off. 

But in a reaction, 

Olabimtan said he was not 

arrested, adding that the 

report posted on-line was the 

figment of the imagination 

of the writer. 

APC governors 

storm Ondo 

At least five APC governors 

and a serving minister 

stormed Ondo to rally 

Ikpeazu visits Ebonyi to understudy Umahi’s projects 

Governor 

Okezie 

Ikpeazu of Abia State 

has visited Ebonyi State to 

carry out peer review of some 

developmental projects 

embarked on by his 

counterpart, Engr. David 

Umahi. 

Ikpeazu arrived Ebonyi 

State Government House, 

Abakaliki accompanied by 

some civil engineers and was 

taken round flyover projects 

located at Abakaliki 

International Market, Akanu 

Ibiam Roundabout and 

Presco Junction on the 

Transahara Highway by 

Governor Umahi. 

The Abia governor, who was 

visibly impressed by the 

developmental projects of 

Umahi, described the three 

flyovers as huge. 

The Ebonyi governor, 

according to a statement by 

his Chief Press Secretary, 

Emma Anya, explained that 

Ikpeazu was in the state to 

look at the flyovers as he plans 

to embark on similar projects 

to de-congest Alaoji axis of 

Aba-Port Harcourt Road. 

Outgoing Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State 

support for Akeredolu in the 

election. 

Former Ekiti State 

governor but now Minister 

for Solid Minerals, Kayode 

Fayemi allegedly led the 

governors to the state. 

Reports had it that Fayemi 

arrived the state days before 

the election while the 

governors came on 

Thursday and Friday. 

The governors, according 

a source, lodged in different 

hotels where they held 

meetings with stakeholders 

on the Akeredolu project. 

Sources listed the 

governors as those of Ogun, 

Ibikunle Amosun; Imo, 

Rochas Okorocha; Plateau, 

Simon Lalong; Kogi, 

Yahaya Bello and Kaduna, 

Nasir el- Rufai. 

Before the election, 

Okorocha had visited the 

Why I’m quitting partisan politics – Anenih 

Continued from page 5 

position to attend political 

meetings but you are our 

political leader until God 

decides that you will leave 

us. The country is passing 

through political stages 

(and) your experience and 

wisdom will be required to 

direct us and stabilise the 

nation. We will excuse you 

from attending night 

meetings, BoT meetings 

but you will continue to 

mentor us, we will continue 

to consult you,” Jonathan 

pleaded. 

Thanking God for 

strength, inspiration and 

protection, Anenih said he 

wrote the book to provide 

lessons 

and 

state where he met with the 

Igbo people on the 

Akeredolu project, Bello met 

with the Igbira and Lalong 

met with the Hausa in the 

state. 

The sources said the 

governors’ visit to Ondo to 

give support to Akeredolu 

followed a meeting by the 

APC Governors Forum that 

the state should be won into 

the “APC family.” 

Strategic meetings 

reportedly took place 

among major stakeholders 

across Ondo and the visiting 

governors on how to win the 

election. 

Some promises were said 

to have been made by the 

candidate to some 

stakeholders in order to woo 

them ahead of the election. 

Efforts by Sunday 

Vanguard to speak with 

encouragement to future 

generations. 

He said: “I am hopeful that 

the lessons of fortitude, 

hard work, diligence, 

loyalty and service, which 

have been manifest in my 

life, would give 

encouragement to all those 

who are serving as well as 

those who aspire to serve 

our great fatherland. My 

cardinal focus and 

objective have always been 

to be an agent of positive 

development, unity and 

brotherhood in Nigeria. 

“In the course of my 

political career, I have 

interacted with all manner 

of people and institutions. 

I have seen people at their 

best and at their worst; I 

Ondo State Publicity 

Secretary of the APC, 

Abayomi Adesanya, proved 

abortive. However, a leader 

of the party, who spoke in 

confidence, said the 

presence of the governors 

was to support the 

“incoming governor” of the 

party. 

Impressive voter 

turnout, orderly 

conduct 

Contrary to apprehension 

that there might be voter 

apathy on account of the 

violence that broke out in 

Owo area of the state on 

Thursday, during which a 

chieftain of the APC, Afolabi 

Olaposi, was killed, voter 

turnout in many polling 

units, yesterday, was 

impressive 

Christmas: Lagos mobilises for free flow of traffic, 

safe CBD operations 

By Olasunkanmi Akoni 

Ahead of the Christmas, 

Lagos State 

government has launched 

moves to ensure free flow of 

traffic, safe, secure and 

functional businesses 

around Central Business 

Districts, CBDs, during and 

after the period. 

Towards this aim, the state 

government, through CBD, 

has harmonized 

enforcement operations to 

effectively manage situation 

during the period. 

Special Adviser to the 

Governor on CBD, Agboola 

Dabiri, disclosed this during 

a one-day retreat, at Onikan 

Stadium, Lagos Island, held 

under the theme: 

“Harmonising Enforcement 

Operations within the Lagos 

Business Districts Towards 

Attaining a safe, secure and 

functional Environment 

within this yuletide period.” 

Dabiri said steps taken 

include: the organisation of 

the retreat for all ministries, 

departments, agencies, 

MDAs, both from the federal 

and state level that operates 

enforcement activities 

within CBD axis. 

Participants included: 

personnel from the Nigerian 

Police, Lagos State Traffic 

Management Authourity, 

LASTMA, Kick Against 

Indiscipline., KAI, Lagos 

State Waste Management 

Authourity, LAWMA, Special 

Taskforce and mobile 

courts. 

“The personnel are being 

drilled on how best to handle 

activities for sanity and 

better performance in the 

line of duty for the sake of 

traders, shoppers and 

residents in general,” Dabiri 

explained. 

have worked with reliable 

people as well as fickle 

people; I have experienced 

undiluted loyalty and 

disloyalty from unexpected 

places. I have always tried 

to make the best of all 

situations. I can, therefore, 

say, with great pride, that I 

feel fulfilled in politics.” 

Notable personalities at 

the occasion were former 

head of state, General 

Abdulsalami Abubakar, 

(retd), who chaired the 

event, two former Vice 

Presidents, Dr. Alex 

Ekwueme and Arc. 

Namadi Sambo and 

Professor Jerry Gana, who 

represented the book 

presenter, General TY 

Danjuma, retd.


C 

M 

Y 

K 

•Some of the vehicles after their recovery at ICPC premises at the weekend 

How ICPC recovered 103 exotic 

vehicles looted by govt officials 

By Jide Ajani 

PERHAPS some people may 

not find this mind-blowing 

given that Nigerians have 

become accustomed to hearing 

about outrageous looting of the 

nation's treasury by public officials. 

But many would appreciate that 

even with the falling value of 

Nigeria's currency, N450 million 

could save lives in the health sector 

where government hospitals in the 

country lack many equipment. 

The quantum of money in question, 

if deployed in fixing the collapsed 

portions of the Benin/Ore 

Highway, could as well reduce the 

alarming rate of auto crashes on that 

road. 

However, the systemic nature of 

corruption in the country ensured 

that the money, instead of being expended 

on common good, was used 

to purchase exotic vehicles and then 

converted to personal properties by 

some top public officials. 

The discovery came to light in the 

course of an investigation by Sunday 

Vanguard into the activities of 

the Independent Corrupt Practices 

Commission,ICPC. 

The manner in which the misappropriation 

took place offers insight 

into how undermining some public 

officials had been to the Nigerian 

story. 

Some top officials of Ministries, 

Departments and Agencies,MDAs, 

were discovered to be chiefly involved 

in the matter. 

Specifically, those affected were of 

the Ministries of Water Resources, 

Labour, Environment,Information 

and Health, Federal Road Maintenance 

Agency, FERMA, and Subsidy 

Reinvestment Programme, SURE-P. 

Findings revealed that funds set 

aside by the SURE-P for execution of 

projects were used to procure vehicles 

by the MDAs. 

Meanwhile, the vehicles were supposed 

to have been recorded as part 

of the properties of the MDAs in line 

with the procurement rules of the civil 

service. 

It was also learnt that since the funds 

did not emanate from the budgetary 

allocation of the concerned MDAs, 

not recording the purchase of the 103 

vehicles facilitated the appropriation 

by the officials. 

The beneficiaries of the fraud were 

found to have been assisted by SURE- 

P contractors and officials of the 

agency in charge of some projects. 

A breakdown of the vehicles taken 

and later recovered indicated that 

they were mainly Sports Utility Vehicles, 

SUVs, including Toyota Land 

Cruiser, Audi A6, AudiQ8, Nissan 

Armada and Ford Edge, Toyota Hillux 

and Rav4. 

There were also various units of 

Peugeot 508, Toyota Avensis and 

Toyota Corolla, among others. 

To ensure that the vehicles were not 

documented as government properties, 

Sunday Vanguard learnt that 

they were not registered in government 

name but in the names of the 

top officials who later appropriated 

them. 

While some of the vehicles were 

taken away during the last dispensation, 

others disappeared when President 

Muhammadu Buhari said he 

was winding up the now defunct 

SURE-P. 

If the action was irritating, the manner 

it was penetrated could be 

termed outrageous and unpatriotic. 

No fewer than 13 vehicles worth 

N55.5million were allegedly made 

away with by a senior official of the 

Water Quality Control Department 

of the Federal Ministry of Water 

Resources (names withheld). 

He was alleged to have taken 

two Prado jeeps, three Toyota 

Avensis cars, two Rav 4 jeeps and 

three Toyota Hilux vans. 

Further investigation revealed 

that in the same ministry, a former 

Director, Irrigation and Drainage 

(now retired), allegedly, took four 

vehicles, including a Toyota Land 

Cruiser, an Audi A6, Nissan Armada 

and Ford Edge, all SUVs, 

worth N28 million. 

An Audi Q7 and a Hilux van 

were also allegedly recovered from 

a former Director of Dams in the 

department. 

Another startling recovery was 

said to have been made in March 

2016 from SURE: A former official 

took away a bullet proof Toyota 

Land Cruiser jeep worth N36 million 

which has now been recovered 

from him. 

It was further gathered that a retired 

director in the Water Quality 

and Control Department was said 

to have been taken home a Prado 

jeep, a Toyota Hilux van and 

Toyota Corolla car. 

Further breakdown showed 

that15 vehicles were allegedly recovered 

from the Ministry of 

Labour, 14 from officials of 

FERMA, 13 from officials of the 

Health Ministry, a Lincoln Navigator 

jeep from a political party, 

three vehicles from the Ministry of Information 

and an unspecified number 

from officials of SURE-P. 

More recoveries were allegedly 

made from retired officials of SURE-P, 

who went away with 40 vehicles. 

Sunday Vanguard learnt that 95 of 

the 103 recovered vehicles were 

parked at the headquarters of the 

ICPC in Abuja. 

The remaining eight were believed 

to be kept at the commission's offices 

in Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Kogi and 

Rivers states where they were variously 

recovered. 

Apart from these recoveries, it was 

understood that many vehicles belonging 

to SURE-P are still in the custody 

of some retired government officials, 

who were supposed to have recorded 

then as federal government assets at 

the time of purchase. 

The ICPC, a source confided in Sunday 

Vanguard, is currently making efforts 

to recover other assets belonging 

to the agency looted by serving and 

former government officials. 

The broad approach to its mandate 

was also said to have resulted in the 

commission's recovery of N108 million 

from an agency under the Ministry of 

Health. 

The House of Representatives Committee 

on Anti-Corruption, it was 

learnt, is aware of the recovery of the 

vehicles as it inspected the 95 vehicles 

parked at the commission’s headquarters 

during a recent visit to the ICPC. 

An impressed Chairman of the committee, 

Mr. Akinloye Babajade, hailed 

the commission, stressing that such a 

development deserved to be in the 

public domain. 

Recall that SURE-P was established 

by the administration of former President 

Goodluck Jonathan to cushion the 

effects of the partial removal of subsidy 

on petroleum products. 

From 2012-2014, the intervention 

agency successively got budgetary allocation 

of about N628 billion. In specific 

terms, N180 billion was given to 

the agency in 2012, N180 billion in 

2013 and N268 in 2014.

PAGE 12—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 

By Tony Nwankwo, with agency reports 

Former President Fidel Castro, who 

led a rebel army to improbable 

victory in Cuba, embraced Sovietstyle 

communism and defied the power of 

10 U.S. presidents during his half century 

rule, has died at age 90. 

With a shaking voice, President Raul 

Castro said on state television that his older 

brother died at 10:29 p.m. Friday. He ended 

the announcement by shouting the 

revolutionary slogan: “Toward victory, 

always!” 

Castro’s reign over the island-nation 90 

miles (145 kilometers) from Florida was 

marked by the U.S.-backed Bay of Pigs 

invasion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis 

a year later that brought the world to the brink 

of nuclear war. The bearded revolutionary, 

who survived a crippling U.S. trade embargo 

as well as dozens, possibly hundreds, of 

assassination plots, died 10 years after ill health 

forced him to hand power over to Raul. 

Castro overcame imprisonment at the 

hands of dictator Fulgencio Batista, exile in 

Mexico and a disastrous start to his rebellion 

before triumphantly riding into Havana in 

January 1959 to become, at age 32, the 

youngest leader in Latin America. For decades, 

he served as an inspiration and source of 

support to revolutionaries from Latin America 

to Africa. 

His commitment to socialism was 

unwavering, though his power finally began 

to fade in mid-2006 when a gastro-intestinal 

ailment forced him to hand over the 

presidency to Raul in 2008, provisionally at 

first and then permanently. His defiant image 

lingered long after he gave up his trademark 

Cohiba cigars for health reasons and his tall 

frame grew stooped. 

“Socialism or death” remained Castro’s 

rallying cry even as Western-style democracy 

swept the globe and other communist regimes 

in China and Vietnam embraced capitalism, 

leaving this island of 11 million people an 

economically crippled Marxist curiosity. 

He survived long enough to see Raul Castro 

negotiate an opening with U.S. President 

Barack Obama on Dec. 17, 2014, when 

Washington and Havana announced they 

would move to restore diplomatic ties for the 

first time since they were severed in 1961. He 

cautiously blessed the historic deal with his 

lifelong enemy in a letter published after a 

month-long silence. Obama made a historic 

visit to Havana in March, this year. 

Carlos Rodriguez, 15, was sitting in 

Havana’s Miramar neighborhood when he 

heard that Fidel Castro had died. 

“Fidel? Fidel?” he said, slapping his head in 

shock. “That’s not what I was expecting. One 

always thought that he would last forever. It 

doesn’t seem true.” 

“It’s a tragedy,” said 22-year-old nurse 

Dayan Montalvo. “We all grew up with him. I 

feel really hurt by the news that we just heard.” 

Fidel Castro Ruz was born August 13, 1926, 

in eastern Cuba’s sugar country, where his 

Spanish immigrant father worked first 

recruiting labour for U.S. sugar companies 

and later built up a prosperous plantation of 

his own. 

Castro attended Jesuit schools, then the 

University of Havana, where he received law 

and social science degrees. His life as a rebel 

began in 1953 with a reckless attack on the 

Moncada military barracks in the eastern city 

of Santiago. Most of his comrades were killed 

and Fidel and his brother Raul went to prison. 

Fidel turned his trial defense into a manifesto 

that he smuggled out of jail, famously 

declaring, “History will absolve me.” 

Freed under a pardon, Castro fled to 

Mexico and organized a rebel band that 

returned in 1956, sailing across the Gulf of 

Mexico to Cuba on a yacht named Granma. 

After losing most of his group in a bungled 

landing, he rallied support in Cuba’s eastern 

Sierra Maestra mountains. 

Three years later, tens of thousands spilled 

into the streets of Havana to celebrate Batista’s 

downfall and catch a glimpse of Castro as his 

rebel caravan arrived in the capital on January 

8, 1959. 

The U.S. was among the first to formally 

recognize his government, cautiously trusting 

Castro’s early assurances he merely wanted 

to restore democracy, not install socialism. 

Within months, Castro was imposing 

radical economic reforms. Members of the 

old government went before summary courts, 

and at least 582 were shot by firing squads 

over two years. Independent newspapers were 

closed and in the early years, homosexuals 

were herded into camps for “re-education.” 

In 1964, Castro acknowledged holding 

15,000 political prisoners. Hundreds of 

thousands of Cubans fled, including Castro’s 

tribute 

Cuba’s Fidel Castro, 

who defied US for 50 

years, dies at 90 

•Buhari, world leaders pay tribute 

daughter Alina Fernandez Revuelta and his 

younger sister Juana. 

Still, the revolution thrilled millions in Cuba 

and across Latin America who saw it as an 

example of how the seemingly arrogant 

Yankees could be defied. And many on the 

island were happy to see the seizure of property 

of the landed class, the expulsion of American 

gangsters and the closure of their casinos. 

Castro’s speeches, lasting up to six hours, 

became the soundtrack of Cuban life and his 

269-minute speech to the U.N. General 

Assembly in 1960 set the world body’s record 

for length that still stood more than five 

decades later. 

As Castro moved into the Soviet bloc, 

Washington began working to oust him, 

cutting U.S. purchases of sugar, the island’s 

economic mainstay. Castro, in turn, 

confiscated $1 billion in U.S. assets. 

The American government imposed a trade 

embargo, banning virtually all U.S. exports 

to the island except for food and medicine, 

and it severed diplomatic ties on January 3, 

1961. 

On April 16, 1961, Castro declared his 

revolution to be socialist, and the next day, 

about 1,400 Cuban exiles stormed the beach 

at the Bay of Pigs on Cuba’s south coast. But 

the CIA-backed invasion failed. 

The debacle forced the U.S. to give up on 

the idea of invading Cuba, but that didn’t stop 

Washington and Castro’s exiled enemies from 

trying to do him in. By Cuban count, he was 

the target of more than 630 assassination 

plots by militant Cuban exiles or the U.S. 

government. 

The biggest crisis of the Cold War between 

Washington and Moscow exploded on 

October 22, 1962, when President John F. 

Kennedy announced there were Soviet 

nuclear missiles in Cuba and imposed a naval 

blockade of the island. Humankind held its 

breath, and after a tense week of diplomacy, 

Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev removed 

them. Never had the world felt so close to 

nuclear war. 

‘Towards the model he wanted’ 

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most 

observers thought Castro would fall too. But 

it didn’t happen. Nevertheless, Cuba suffered 

an economic catastrophe in the so-called 

“special period” after the USSR’s 

breakup. This manifested itself not only 

in a massive decline in gross domestic 

product, but also in Cubans losing 

weight as a result of malnutrition. 

Economists consider Cuba’s “special 

period” to be one of the worst 

contractions of the 20th century. 

But Castro remained devoted to 

doctrinaire socialism. “They talk about 

the failure of socialism,” the Cuban 

leader once said. “But where is the 

success of capitalism in Africa, Asia and 

Latin America?” 

In the final years of his reign, Castro 

pushed Cuba to develop its tourism 

industry to make up for the financial 

troubles caused by the Soviet Union’s 

demise. 

Buhari, world leaders pay tribute 

World leaders have begun to pay 

tribute to Castro. 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

consoled President Raul Castro and the 

people of Cuba on the death. 

In a condolence message released by 

the presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi 

Adesina, President Buhari who 

expressed shock however stated that the 

deceased through his political and 

leadership pedigree had stamped his feet 

on the sands of history. 

French President Francois Hollande 

said in a statement that Mr Castro 

embodied Cuba’s revolution in both its 

“hopes” and its later “disappointments”. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin 

hailed Mr Castro as the “symbol of an 

era”. In a telegram to the Cuban 

President cited by the Kremlin, he said: 

“The name of this distinguished 

statesman is rightly considered the 

symbol of an era in modern world 

history... Fidel Castro was a sincere and 

reliable friend of Russia.” 

Enrique Pena Nieto the President of 

Mexico, where Mr Castro fled and 

organised a rebel band that returned to 

Cuba 1956, said: “Fidel Castro was a 

friend of Mexico, promoter of a bilateral 

relationship based on respect, dialogue 

and solidarity.” 

Salvador Sanchez Ceren, President of El 

Salvador, tweeted: “With deep sorrow we 

received news of the death of my dear friend and 

eternal companion, Commander Fidel Castro 

Ruz.” 

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro echoed 

Mr Castro’s victory slogan in his tribute over 

Twitter, which referenced the yacht Fidel and 

Raul Castro sailed in to Cuba to begin their 

revolution. 

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev 

praised Mr Castro for “strengthening” his island 

nation. 

“Fidel stood up and strengthened his country 

during the harshest American blockade, when 

there was colossal pressure on him and he still 

took his country out of this blockade to a path of 

independent development,” Interfax news 

agency quoted Mr Gorbachev as saying. 

Former Labour Cabinet minister and antiapartheid 

leader Lord Peter Hain said: 

“Although responsible for indefensible human 

rights and free speech abuses, Castro created 

a society of unparalleled access to free health, 

education and equal opportunity despite an 

economically throttling USA siege. 

“His troops inflicted the first defeat on South 

Africa’s troops in Angola in 1988, a vital turning 

point in the struggle against apartheid.” 

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone called 

Mr Castro an “absolute giant of the 20th 

century”, and blamed the US for the restrictions 

on civil liberties under his leadership. He told 

BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Cuba 

could reform now it was not under the threat of 

American invasion “even if Trump goes a little 

bit bonkers”. 

Castro was a friend of Africa–Fani-Kayode 

In a tribute, yesterday, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, 

a former Minister of Aviation, described the late 

Castro as a friend of Africa, saying he admired 

the deceased’s defiant spirit. 

In a statement, Fani-Kayode said: “I admired 

the defiant spirit, passion, strength, commitment 

and courage of Fidel Castro. 

“He was a blessing to the oppressed people of 

the world and a friend to Africa. 

“Under his leadership Cuba’s role in the 

struggle for black majority rule and the fight 

against apartheid in Zimbabwe and South Africa 

cannot be underestimated or downplayed. 

“He played a similar role in the bitter struggle 

against colonialism and neo-colonialism in 

Angola, Mozambique and Namibia. 

“He was a warrior to the core and a great 

leader. He was also a blessing to the Cuban people 

and they really loved him.”

SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 13

PAGE 14— SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 

NIKE ADEKUNLE, THE UNFORTUNATE COMMERCIAL SEX WORKER 

Manipulated, murdered, body 

mysteriously disappears 

*Killing strikes fear in Nigerian community in Italy 

By Tom Esslemont 

When Italian prosecutor Lina 

Trovato first came across a sex 

trafficking suspect called 

"Mummy", she sensed she was onto 

something especially sinister. 

The code name had appeared several 

times in wiretapped conversations 

between Nigerian gang members in Italy 

and their apparently female boss back 

in the West African state. 

"If one of the (trafficked sex worker) 

girls went astray, the agents in Italy 

always informed 'Mummy' - otherwise 

known as the Queen Bee of Nigerian 

trafficking - so she could keep her in line," 

Trovato told the Thomson Reuters 

Foundation. 

Several months of investigation led 

police to swoop in and arrest six people 

in the Italian cities of Rome, Genoa and 

Catania, she said. The six are awaiting 

trial. 

Nigerian crime gangs have proliferated 

in Italy, controlling an extensive network 

of prostitutes and ordering them "on 

demand" from Nigeria, Italian police and 

prosecutors say. 

But now the Nigerian gangs, who have 

been active in Italy for more than a 

decade, are taking on increasingly 

violent tactics, including knife crime and 

even forging close relations with 

notorious mafia groups, the Cosa Nostra 

and the Camorra, law enforcement 

agencies in Italy, say. 

The overlap with home-grown 

organised crime groups is troubling for 

the police because the Italian mafia 

dominate the economies in their regions, 

often with the help of corrupt or 

complacent administrators, and they 

have spread their tentacles to northern 

Italy. 

At least 16 Nigerians have been 

arrested on trafficking offences since the 

start of 2016 in the Catania jurisdiction 

in Sicily, up from around 10 the previous 

year. 

"Sometimes we are good at breaking 

the cycle (of trafficking). But it is very 

hard," Trovato, a specialist in organised 

crime and mafia, said in Catania city. 

Italy's government has not disclosed 

the number of arrests in connection with 

Nigerian trafficking gangs despite 

requests from the Thomson Reuters 

Foundation. 

Around 12,000 Nigerian women 

arrived in Italy by sea in 2015 and 2016, 

data from the International 

Organisation for Migration (IOM) 

shows - a six-fold increase on the 

previous two years. 

Almost 80 percent of the young 

women are victims of trafficking, 

according to the International 

Organisation for Migration (IOM), 

placing law enforcement agencies under 

pressure to uproot expanding Nigerian 

criminal networks, lawyers say. 

The incident happened late 

one night in January 2014 

in Palermo's Ballaro street 

market, where police later 

found the victims with 

gashed foreheads 

MAFIA CRIMES 

As the number of Nigerian trafficking 

victims rises, Italian prosecutors - 

lawyers who gather evidence before 

presenting it in court - are finding more 

and more of their time taken up with 

unpicking Nigeria's criminal networks. 

Nigerian prostitutes frequently end up 

working as recruiters or 'madams' for 

new arrivals from Africa, prosecutors 

say. 

These former sex workers also help 

with the logistics of slavery, driving 

trafficking victims to the cities where 

they become prostitutes, Trovato said. 

But trends are changing. Armed 

robberies, murders and drug-related 

crime have spread south to the Sicilian 

city of Palermo from larger 

Nigerian communities in the 

northern cities of Turin and 

Castel Volturno, justice officials 

say. 

"It is a compact community, in 

which there are lots of people 

who practice crime," said 

Leonardo Agueci, prosecutor in 

Palermo's justice department. 

Earlier in 2016, the boss of 

notorious Nigerian criminal 

organisation Black Axe was 

sentenced to 12 years in jail 

after a number of Nigerian 

men were brutally attacked in 

Palermo. 

The incident happened late 

one night in January 2014 in 

Palermo's Ballaro street market, 

where police later found the 

victims with gashed foreheads. 

"It was the first time a Palermo 

court has convicted a Nigerian 

on mafia-related crimes," said 

Gaspare Spedale, another 

prosecutor in the Sicilian city. 

Police fear the relatively 

small-time crimes committed 

by members of the Nigerian 

gangs in Palermo might 

become more serious in a city 

famous for Italy's most storied 

mafia organisation, the Cosa 


C 

M 

YK

people 


I don’t know the value of the business 

I am doing right now – Linda Ikeji 

Says s she paid one million naira a to social media users s in one week 

By Rotimi Agbana 

Foremost Nigerian blogger and 

entrepreneur, Linda Ikeji, recently 

launched a new social media website, Linda 

Ikeji Social (LIS), a social media platform 

which innovatively fuses news reporting, 

social interaction and online shopping all in 

one place. In this chat, Ikeji discusses the 

secrets behind her career, how she has been 

able to wade through the stormy waters, the 

new social media platform (Linda Ikeji 

Social), and her opinion on business 

partnership with government. 

You are known as the queen of blogging. How 

did it all start? 

It all started in 2006 after a friend told me she 

read a story about me on the internet, and out 

of curiosity I logged on to the site to read the 

story. After reading, I loved it and subsequently 

in November 2006 I decided that I wanted to 

start my own blog because journalism had 

always been something i loved to do, it’s 

something I wanted to do while growing up; so 

I thought I should live the dream. So I started 

my own blog in November 2006 and here we 

are 10-years after. 

What has been your drive? 

Passion is what has driven me all through to 

this point, because, like I said earlier, it’s not 

just about me living my dream, I wanted to be 

a journalist, a broadcast journalist. A lot of 

people I admired in those days were 

broadcasters or TV presenters, like Frank Olize; 

I admired reporting, so what kept me going on 

the blog has been passion because I’m living 

my dream doing it. 

Don’t you think you are deviating from the 

norm considering the fact that Linda Ikeji Blog 

has been very successful? 

Linda Ikeji Social (LIS) and Linda Ikeji Blog 

(LIB) are very similar; it’s the same online 

business. LIS is an extension of LIB basically 

because most of the stuff you find on LIB you 

find on LIS. We are not deviating, they are very 

similar businesses, online technology, news 

reporting, they are very similar, they work hand 

in hand. 

What is Linda Ikeji Social all about compared 

to Linda Ikeji Blog? 

LIS is a combination of social networking, 

news reporting, buying and selling. How I came 

The reason I said no is 

because, for now, I don’t 

know the value of what I’m 

doing right now or what it 

would be. I can’t put a 

price to it that I would say 

‘okay, come and pay this 

amount and take a 

particular percentage’ 

about it was this, I thought about the traffic 

that occurs when people go on the internet and 

the first one is how people keep up, that’s why 

Facebook has the most users in the world. It 

helps you connect to other people in real time, 

read what people are saying, chat with others. 

I think that’s the number one reason people go 

online. The second reason people go online is 

for them to read the news, to know what goes in 

the world around them. The third reason 

people go online is to buy and sell, to shop. So 

I thought why can’t I have a site that has a 

combination of these three so that eventually 

people don’t have to go to multiple sites to get 

all these three, they can just come on LIS and 

get them all. 

What distinguishes LIS from other social 

media platforms? 

We have monetised LIS, 

there is no other social 

network in the world 

or maybe in this part 

of the world where 

there is something 

called the wallet. 

Every user on LIS 

has a wallet either 

by the giveaway 

through 

stories or if you have many people following 

you on the page we’ll monetise it. So I just felt 

like people spend a lot of money being online, 

because they buy data and nobody gets 

anything out of it. I thought that with my blog 

I get a lot of advertisers; the ultimate goal too 

is to get a lot of advertisers on LIS but instead 

of taking all the money I actually don’t have a 

problem sharing it with my users, though it’s a 

small percentage but it goes a long way to 

impact the lives of the people. LIS buys stories 

unlike LIB that doesn’t buy stories. Once we 

publish your story, you’re automatically 

credited with #1,000, and then every other week 

we’ll be giving something away, like, last week, 

we gave away #1million. So I think it’s time 

people began to get more from using the social 

media. Basically, we share the money we make 

from companies with our users, we collect from 

the companies, keep some and give out some 

to our subscribers. 

How do you raise funds for customer rewards 

in such a time of economic recession? 

Of course the #1,000,000 we gave out was 

from our pocket, it was our own way of 

welcoming users and subscribers to our new 

platform. Next week we’re going to give out 

another sum, and of course it won’t be the same 

amount, probably half of it. And we’re going to 

give out recharge card and so many other 

products because other brands are going to get 

involved. We’re just a week old; so, for now, we 

have to fund all this with our own money before 

other brands become part of it. Right now, we’re 

funding everything by ourselves; there is no 

private investor anywhere. In fact, I got a call 

from a friend in South Africa who wanted to 

find out if I would allow for private investors, 

that somebody wanted to drop some amount 

of money to become a co-owner of Linda Ikeji 

Social (LIS), but I told him no. 

The reason I said no is because, for now, I don’t 

know the value of what I’m doing right now or 

what it would be. I can’t put a price to it that I 

would say ‘okay, come and pay this amount 

and take a particular percentage’. So, right 

now, I’m funding everything 100percent and I 

don’t know if I would allow for private investors. 

I’m just taking it a step at a time for now. 

Do you intend to partner with 

private 

investors 

anytime 

soon? 

It depends on how big it gets. If it gets bigger 

than me, then I would give room for private 

investors, but if it doesn’t, I’ll handle it all by 

myself. 

Don’t you think you might be perceived to be 

proud by saying you don’t need private 

investors to invest in LIS now? 

I’m not the proud type, in fact, I’m very humble. 

People don’t know that, to a very large extent, 

I’m a very humble person because I know where 

I’m coming from. People usually have their 

own views about other people, but those who 

know me know that I’m very humble. Why I 

don’t want investors now is because I don’t know 

how to value what I’m doing yet. If someone 

comes to me now and says ‘I want to give you 

one million dollars to have a share in LIS’, I 

don’t know how to value what the person would 

get for that amount of money he or she wants 

to invest in my business. So it’s not about pride. 

I just want to take it one step at a time, do it on 

my own; then if it gets bigger than me, investors 

can come on board. It’s not pride; it’s just me as 

a business woman taking it one step at a time. 

For now, I’m financially capable enough to 

run it, so I don’t need investors yet. 

Would you partner with the government if it 

signifies interest in your business? 

Government does not partner with anybody 

on such things now, do they? I would rather 

partner with private investors than government. 

On a second thought, I can partner with 

government, but not that they would own it, 

they would just be a partner. 

What do you give in return to companies who 

partner with you? 

Publicity, free advert and publicity. 

Don’t you think you’re taking on too much 

running LIB and LIS all by yourself? 

No, for Linda Ikeji Blog, I’ve staff working with 

me though I’m still on top of it. For Linda Ikeji 

Social, I also have staff working for me and 

I’m also on top of it. LIS and LIB are the same 

online business; one actually feeds from the 

other. I don’t feel it’s too much, it depends on 

what you feel your capabilities are; besides, I 

feel like I’m able because I’ve been blogging 

for 10-years now, so, blogging is easier for me 

now. Whenever you see me on my laptop, you’ll 

see LIB on one side and then you’ll see LIB on 

the other, just for me to monitor everything that’s 

going on; so it’s absolutely not bigger than 

something I can handle. 

If you have to liquidate either of LIS or LIB 

due to challenges beyond you, which would 

it be? 

That’s a very tough question; nobody prays for 

such, but if that happens, oh my God! To be 

honest, sitting down here right now, I would 

shut down Linda Ikeji Social because I don’t 

know what the future of LIS would be whereas 

Linda Ikeji Blog is already very successful. But 

if I look five-years down the line, that’s a bigger 

brand, more people can do a lot more on LIS 

such as traffic report and many other things, 

it’s all encompassing. But two-three years from 

now, I really hope LIS becomes a bigger brand 

than LIB. 

•Linda ...Many people don’t 

know I am very humble 

What have you put in place to prevent internet 

fraudsters from hacking into the site or 

swindling your subscribers? 

My people are working tirelessly to prevent 

any form of attack. There are so many technical 

terms that I can’t really talk about but they are 

sure on top of it. Someone actually tried to 

hack into the site three-days after we launched 

it. My tech team called me and gave me the 

guy’s details, but like I said earlier, they are 

working tirelessly round the clock to make sure 

that doesn’t happen. They are putting up security 

systems for the site and for the users so that no 

one would have any form of complain. 

C 

M 

YK


people 

Apostle Suleman: I know what it feels 

to be poor because I tasted poverty 

C 

M 

YK 

By Lekan Bilesanmi 

The General Overseer of Omega 

Fire Ministries Int’l, (OFM), 

Apostle Johnson Suleman, 

recently had the Onitsha Restoration 

Crusade in Anambra State. There was 

also the Tulsa, Oklahoma, United State 

edition, which came before the Anambra 

crusade. A charity agent, Suleman’s 

evangelistic mission, had taken the 

preacher to all the continents of the 

world. 

At the OFM, people are witnesses to 

miracles. The ministry, headquarters in 

Auchi, Edo State, has 49 other branches 

across the world. 

At a recent conference, there was the 

case of a man who was said to have had 

mental problem for eight years. He was 

alleged to have been chained to the 

crusade where the healing power of Jesus 

through Suleman allegedly healed him. 

Also, there was this woman who was said 

to have come to share a testimony, but 

the spirit of prophecy allegedly took up 

her case and revealed to the apostle the 

real issues about her. According to the 

man of God, he realized right there that 

her destiny had been diverted. “She was 

compelled to join the police instead of 

her evangelistic ministry by her parents. 

This gave the devil access to her and 

afflicted her mind. After this was 

revealed, she wept. Uncontrollably, 

agreed with the prophecy given and, 

ofcourse, hands were laid on her and she 

was whole and her mind was restored,”he 

said. 

The latest from his milk of kindness was 

a donation of $7,000 he made to the New 

Day Youth And Family Services, 

Oklahoma during the Tulsa Raw Power 

Nostra, Agueci said. 

For now, the prosecutors said 

there was no evidence mafia 

were running the Nigerian sex 

trafficking network from 

Palermo, but it could have 

connections with organised 

crime gangs on mainland Italy. 

"The people who export 

(Nigerian victims) are in other 

countries," Spedale said. "But 

there is a mastermind 

controlling it in Italy. It exists." 

NIGERIAN OMERTA 

In Palermo's vibrant Ballaro 

market, Nigerian shopkeepers 

and customers brushed 

shoulders with Sicilian fruit 

stallholders touting bright pink 

pomegranates and blood-red 

tomatoes. 

Nigerian women, loading 

their baskets with sardines and 

olives, refused to answer 

questions about the quality of 

life in Palermo when they were 

approached by the Thomson 

Reuters Foundation. 

At night, a few hundred 

metres away, West African 

women in short-cut dresses 

plied their trade in dimly lit 

streets alongside the port. 

Many work for pimps who 

remain out of sight, local 

campaigners say. 

But the killing in 2011 of one 

Nigerian trafficking victim still 

strikes fear in the community. 

"Favour" Nike Adekune was 

murdered in Palermo's historic 

centre in a crime that shocked 

the 500-strong Nigerian 

community, according to Nino 

Rocca, a local rights activist. 

Adekune - from Benin City in 

Nigeria's southern Edo State - 

had been working as a sex 

worker to pay off debts to her 

pimps, Rocca said. 

After one of Adekune's clients 

was convicted of her murder, 

something mysterious 

happened to her body, he said. 

"When the corpse was 

prepared for burial (months 

after her death), we noticed that 

only a few bones remained. We 

do not know why," Rocca told 

the Thomson Reuters 

Foundation. "We have no idea 

if the mafia or Nigerian 

(gangs) stole the body." 

But he added that some 

members of the Nigerian 

community suspected the local 

Conference. 

Making the donation, Suleman said 

at the Christ Chapel of Oral Roberts 

University, Oklihome where thousands 

from across the world gathered for the 

Raw Power Tulsa that it is on God’s 

instruction. “'God directs me to do 

these things which fire my 

compassion for men, pursuit for 

lost souls and mandate to 

wipe out tears and restore 

men and women to their 

destinies. My actions are 

of God''. 

Before the US crusade, 

the cleric charity 

activities targetted at 

different categories of 

people, from the obscure 

to celebrities. The 

preacher gave out nine 

classy cars worth each 

cash gift ranging between N100,000 

and N250,000 to more than thirty 

people, while several members of the 

church got various gift items which 

include refrigerators, Plasma TV sets, 

power generators, gas cookers and 

other household needs. A comedian, 

popularly known as Filky, also got a 

new car, while a gospel musician 

Marvel Joks, received a new SUV from 

the man called God’s Oracle. 

“I have tasted poverty. I come from a 

very humble background. My parents 

were Muslims before I was called. So, 

I know how it feel to be poor. That is 

why I believe that the less-privileged of 

today can become very important 

personalities tomorrow. My mission is 

all about preaching to souls and giving 

to the needy. What I do every year in the 

open that you may think is big is just a 

mafia were involved. 

MAPPING THE CRIME 

The macabre nature of more 

and more crimes committed 

•Apostle Johnson 

Suleman, 

fraction of what 

I do to help 

many in the 

corner”, said 

the man of God 

who noted that 

his giving in the 

public is not 

to show 

off but 

to show 

example 

to those 

w h o 

h a v e 

but not 

give to 

start 

giving. 

Suleman 

w a s 

already a successful businessman 

before he founded the ministry. He is 

the chairman of Hosanna 

Conglomerate, with vast interests in 

real estate, oil & gas, banking, 

transport, print and broadcast media 

and publishing. Speaking on the 

source of his philanthiopy, Suleman 

said: “I give to people on instructions 

from God. The cash and cars I give to 

the less privileged, they are 

purchased with my personal money. I 

don’t take from the church purse 

because the church money cannot 

even sustain me. I have 106 widows 

that are paid 20, 000 monthly for the 

past four years and are given half a 

bag of rice each every Thursday. 

Speaking of the Tulsa Raw Power 

conference, the man of God, who is 

scheduled to be Dallas, Texas, US on 

Killing strikes fear in Nigerian community in Italy 


•Prostitutes...Scouting for customers 

Favour" Nike Adekunle 

was murdered in 

Palermo's historic centre 

in a crime that shocked 

the 500-strong Nigerian 

community, according to 

Nino Rocca, a local 

rights activist 

against Nigerian women, 

including black magic or "juju" 

rituals, is one reason victims are 

reluctant to come forward, 

prosecutors say. 

Fear plays a large part in 

Nigerian juju, with pubic hair, 

fingernails and blood collected 

from trafficking victims as they 

are made to swear never to report 

their situation to authorities, 

rights groups say. 

In some cases, fearing the 

juju "spell" may be turned on 

them and they may die, 

Nigerian parents insist their 

daughters obey traffickers, 

testimony from Italian court 

documents shows. 

"One woman we spoke to was 

made to swallow an egg whole," 

Kevin Hyland, Britain's antislavery 

commissioner, said in an 

interview in London. 

"It obviously had some kind of 

drug in it: She was raped daily." 

Victims of sex trafficking often 

do not want to point the finger 

at the madams or pimps because 

they are worried about 

repercussions or juju, Cataniabased 

prosecutor Lino Trovato 

said. Even so, the number of 

trafficking-related cases in her 

file has risen. 

"This year, I handled about 40 

cases, compared with 20 the 

year before," Trovato said. 

SPANISH PROBLEM TOO 

The problem is not isolated to 

Italy. The authorities in parts of 

Spain have also been grappling 

with Nigerian sex trafficking 

November 29, said: “It was indeed 

awesome. God manifested Himself 

in many miraculous ways. It is a 

written pact that works done in God's 

way never lack positive supplies. 

God has always been wonderful. The 

conference was a two-day explosive 

deliverance episode that was filled 

with signs of His glory and power. 

Many things new did happen in the 

life of many. Of course, when Jesus 

calls, the world gathers, listens and 

profits hugely. 

“As we move around the world 

through His special grace, millions 

of people are being freed from evil 

foundation that temporarily hold 

their glories, finances, health, 

spiritual life and family success. 

Turkey is going to experience 

unforgettable moments and results 

with God. The country is going to 

experience grace. It is going to be 

miracles all over; challenges shall 

end, storms shall disappear, and the 

mighty presence of God shall 

manifest.” 

Sharing the challenges any honest 

man of God might encounter in the 

course of spreading the gospel, 

Suleman said: “The greatest 

challenge so far is wickedness in the 

hearts of men everywhere, though 

not a challenge to God. Men of God 

called to proclaim the gospel of 

Christ in truth cannot be separated 

from having challenges in their 

various assignments as challenges 

are part of the call. The general 

challenge irrespective of the call is 

the flesh and the devil. If these two 

things are removed, there won't be 

any challenge.” 

rings. In Catalonia, 99 percent 

of prostitution is controlled by 

organised crime, much of it by 

a dominant Nigerian crime 

group known as the Supreme 

Eiye Confraternity (SEC) or Air 

Lords. 

It's a criminal network 

comparable with the mafioso in 

Chicago in the 1930s, said 

Xavi Cortes, chief of the central 

unit of human trafficking at the 

Mossos d'Esquadra, the 

Catalan regional police force. 

"Every single Nigerian knows 

who they are," Cortes said in 

an interview. "If you ask a 

Nigerian boy, he will know who 

an Eiye is." 

But many women who are 

trafficked to Spain end up 

working as 'madams', who are 

essentially pimps who control 

prostitutes on the streets of 

Barcelona, he said. 

The Mossos's operations have 

led to the jailing of 25 

trafficking gang members in 

the Barcelona region, with a 

further 13 currently under a 

European arrest order because 

they are abroad”, the Catalan 

police chief said. 

"Experience tells me that, 

finally, all the traffickers will 

find new routes and new ways. 

It is impossible to stop this 

phenomenon: 

Source: Thomson Reuters 

Foundation, the charitable arm 

of Thomson Reuters, which 

covers humanitarian news, 

women's rights, corruption and 

climate change.


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COMMON SEXUAL AL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVEL 

VELTY Y BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVER 

VERTORIAL) 

Hello everybody and welcome 

to the third installment of our 

new love product discussions. 

The theme this week is 

affordable novelties for 

adults. It is in the spirit of 

Cyber Monday the 28 th of 

November, the day of huge 

online global sales and 

discounts, that we bring you 

these affordable love products. 

The country is in a recession 

and things are tough. We are 

mindful of that and that is why 

we try to have some products 

that are really cheap and 

affordable inspite of the 

enormous exchange rate of the 

dollar. 

First on the list are affordable 

sex toys for women. In this 

category, we are happy to 

introduce to you the Mini 

Massager Key Holder 

Vibrator, Double Pink 

Vibrating Bullet and the 

Lip Stick Vibrator. All three 

of these vibrators fall under 

the category of clitoral toys. 

They are not big in size but 

they pack a punch because if 

properly stimulated, the 

female clitoris is the key to 

ultimate sexual pleasure. 

The Mini Massager Key 

Holder Vibrator is 

essentially a miniature wand 

with a single but powerful 

speed. You can have it 

attached to your car keys or 

house keys or any other key 

bunch and nobody will know 

that it secretly pleasures you 

whenever you choose. It is 

very efficient and affordable. 

The Double Pink Vibrating 

Bullet on the other hand is 

more conventional in form but 

this time, you get twice the 

fun. The major limitation that 

bullets have in general is that 

because of their small nature, 

they can only be used for 

clitoral massage and not for 

penetrative fun. But thanks to 

the Double Pink Vibrating 

Bullet, one bullet can be 

placed on the clitoris, while the 

slightly longer second bullet 

penetrates any hole of your 

choosing. Smart and affordable 

toy. 

And last but not the least of 

these female toys is the Lip 

Stick Vibrator. It looks 

exactly like the female lipstick 

and comes in five different 

colours (red, pink, silver, 

purple and black). The 

vibration is strong and it is 

easy to carry along with you 

in your purse especially when 

you are traveling and you are 

worried about custom officials 

knowing your business. So it is 

a covert little tower of pleasure 

and while these toys are all 

cheap, you can get them even 

cheaper during the Cyber 

Monday the 28 th discount 

sales. 

For men we have the Max 

Man Delay Cream which 

handles premature ejaculation 

matters to perfection. Just a 

little dab of it massaged all over 

an erect penile shaft a few 

minutes before intercourse, 

will ensure that you last 

longer, pleasure your lady and 

make your ancestors proud. 

Again it is affordable and will 

be even cheaper on Cyber 

Monday. 

For men also is the Cute 

Dolphin 

Vibrating 

Cockring, a superb male 

erection enhancer and female 

orgasm enabler. It is worn by 

men for the benefit of both the 

man and the woman. For the 

man, it enables him stay erect 

for much longer, even after 

ejaculation. That way 

intercourse can go on for 

longer and you will never be 

called a one minute man. For 

women, because this 

Cockring also vibrates, the 

upper part of it that makes 

contact with the clitoris keeps 

the woman stimulated even to 

orgasm. It is yet another cheap 

toy that gets the job done for 

both sexes. 

There are many more new 

love products which you can 

always get to see on our site 

www.zeevirtualmedia.com. 

Already we have introduced 

you to very powerful 

performance and erection 

enhancers namely Black 

Panther Pills, Blue Turbo 

and Libigirl Pills for women. 

These cost more than the above 

products but thanks to Cyber 

Monday, all our products can 

be bought at a discount. 

And that is it for today. We will 

discuss more new products in 

the coming weeks. Adults in 

need of these treatments/ 

novelties can call us on 

0 8 1 7 1 9 1 2 5 5 1 , 

08027901621 or 

07086754515 for help. We 

can also be reached via 

whatsapp on 08188153279 

and instagram on 

zeevirtualmedialtd. Visit 

www.zeevirtualmedia.comto 

view our entire range of 

products or to order 

online.Zee Virtual Media 

delivers all over Nigeria. 

Email us your questions at 

custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com- 

Uche Edochie, MD, Zee 

Virtual Media.


Do you think your love life needs a boost?! 

LET’S forget the ruse of an 

occasional headache to 

get you out of the clutches 

of your loved one when sex 

seems inevitable. Instead, we 

will ask the explosive question: 

Why are you trying to avoid 

sex?! “In the last few weeks”, 

confessed Shade, 35, and a 

seemingly happily married 

mother of two, “I’ve had five 

headaches, malaria and a nonexisting 

period. I suppose I’ll 

have to grin and bear it the next 

time my husband asks for sex - 

I’ve run out of excuses!” 

Judging by a lot of interest sex 

keeps on generating, how it puts 

a kick in your step, improves 

your general well-being by 

making you walk on air, one 

would think the average person 

would be at it the slightest 

opportunity they have. That is 

not the case unfortunately. 

Shade agreed that, “We can talk 

about sex to our friends, read 

books about different sexual 

positions, watch a bit of porn 

even and tell our husbands, 

boyfriends or partners how to 

satisfy us. But all that is not 

enough. I used to enjoy making 

love with my husband but I don’t 

need it in the same way that he 

does. If we don’t have sex for a 

while, I notice him acting very 

coldly towards me and he 

becomes tetchy and irritable. 

He’s successfully made sex into 

a chore. Some controlling men 

consider it their right to demand 

sex as and when they want it. 

Over the years, a lot of old 

fashioned mothers had 

drummed it into their grown up 

children that they should never 

‘deny’ husbands their conjugal 

rights. 

It makes me shiver to subject 

myself to sex I won ‘t enjoy. As a 

result, I love him but find him 

very boring and I don’t see why 

I should spend what might be 

my last decade of good health 

virtually celibate. 

“It got to a point where having 

sex with my husband made my 

skin crawl. Some months back, 

I was in the group of some men 

in their early 50s and ended up 

accepting to have a ‘pepper 

soup’ date with one of them. The 

soup was tasty and he was even 

dishier than I thought and 

younger. We ended up in a motel 

and it was obvious he did this 

from time to time.’ The sex was 

fantastic and a way of 

expressing the feelings I’d 

suppressed over the years. We’ve 

had more outings and apart 

from the great sex, we’ve had joy, 

pleasure and laughter. Young 

women today are very lucky to 

be taught that sex can be a 

pleasure - not a chore. I believe 

that as long as you and your 

partner are open and honest 

with each other, sex should never 

become a chore, whether it’s 

every night, twice a week or once 

a month. Why should I miss out 

just because my husband isn’t 

interested in making love? 

Sexual liberation isn’t only for 

the young you know? I just feel 

sad that I wasted all my long 

lives having unfulfilling sex”. 

“Sex can be and should be 

enjoyed and it’s meant to be a 

way of showing your love. 

Unfortunately the meaning has 

gone out of the word and it has 

been brought down to a 

degrading level,” observed 

Danielle, a psychologist. Morals 

and values have gone. Women no 

longer have pride in their bodies. 

I applaud the days when it was 

frowned upon to have a child out 

of wedlock and would love to see 

those values returned. Another 

reason sex usually takes a back 

seat is when you have young 

family. It could be really 

exhausting. You hardly have the 

energy to put your nightie on, let 

alone take them off again! 

“A friend told me that after her 

third child was born, she found 

it hard to lose her baby weight. 

She felt fat, ugly and tired and 

the last thing on her mind was 

sex. Her husband couldn’t 

understand why she didn’t want 

to have sex. She explained that 

it was nothing to do with him, 

that she still enjoyed sex, but she 

didn’t have the energy for it for 

now. He took it personally and 

they ended up barely speaking. 

I had to offer to take the children 

off her for a weekend so that she 

could spend some time with her 

husband. Things improved a 

great deal after that and now 

they have a reliable house-help, 

life couldn’t be better.’ 

Alan blames the death of sex 

in the marital bed to some 

wives’ sarcastic remarks, “My 

wife’s constantly throwing past 

mistakes in my face”, 11 he said, 

“She’d suspected me of having 

affairs and had caught me with 

my hand virtually in the cooky 

jar a third time, but those affairs 

meant nothing. If I initiate sex, 

and she’s not in the mood, she’ll 

reel off names of my supposed 

exes I could have sex with. A few 

weeks ago, I felt real pain in my 

two knees and complained to 

her. Instead of her being 

sympathetic, she sneered I 

shouldn’t do so much kneeling 

to give my trollops blow jabs! I 

tell you, with that kind of 

vitriolic remarks sex will be the 

last thing on your mind. Some 

of my friends have really nasty 

wives who use sex as bargaining 

chips. We were at the club the 

other night when a friend told 

us he was feeling homy and 

rearing to go, when at the verge 

of penetration, his wife closed 

her thighs. “You’ve not given 

me that cheque you promised”, 

she accused him. He had to 

promise to cough up 

immediately the show was over. 

“Sex, especially the marital 

one, could have lost its 

spontaneity because of the 

emotional baggage couples 

bring into the bedroom. A lot of 

couples need to retrace their 

steps and bring back the 

romance into their relationship. 

If they have to work hard 

towards that, so be it. The end 

result would definitely justify 

the effort!” 

08052201867(Text Only) 

Good body management 

SOMETHING I read 

once ran this: Of all 

the creatures in the world, 

the human being has the least sense 

of body management.” 

At first I was in doubt. I thought, 

“we have come up with all sorts of 

medication to heal diseases of all 

kinds; we have created all sorts of 

dishes to make each meal a bit of a 

return to paradise; we have all types 

of clothing to help us live through 

the changes in weather. So, what 

could we be doing wrong to merit 

such a sweeping indictment. ‘As I read 

on, I gradually began to understand 

what the writer meant. 

We eat wrongly, we breathe 

wrongly and we also don’t seem to 

realise that the body has a mind of its 

own and that allowing the body’s 

own mind to be in charge could signal 

the beginning of the end to most of 

our afflictions. 

Mastering the art of deep 

breathing, for instance, can make us 

overcome respiratory problems such 

as asthma. The right type of exercise 

will see us quickly through a running 

nose or congested sinuses. Even persistent 

headaches can be overcomed 

with the right exercise and breathing 

technique. 

It may come as a surprise to many 

that learning to relax properly leads 

to a reduction in cholesterol levels, 

heart rate and blood pressure. This is 

suggestive that the body can put 

thungs right on its own. We only must 

help it along, adhering to the right 

habits and eschewing the wrong ones. 

Remember that a thousand and one 

•Head to Knee Pose 

things can go wrong with the body of 

a youngster as well as that of an adult 

if the living habits lack proper 

direction. For example, the body of a 

young person who refrains from 

exercise or the healthful games his 

peers engage in will soon find that he 

lacks the stamina and the sheer joy 

of living as expressed by his active 

friends. In the same way a grown-up 

who spends his days with a belly full 

of wine and flesh will soon find he 

can’t keep pace with his colleagues 

after just a few months of such inordinate 

indulgence. 

But then health soon radiates from 

a person as he attempts to mend his 

ways. The way to great health is selfcommitment. 

Once the resolution 

has been made and stuck to with 

tenacity of purpose it’s only a matter 

of time when the body will begin to 

show marked improvement. 

Here are some postures to improve 

lung capacity increase strength and 

flexibility. 

LEG RAISE (against the wall) 

Technique: 

Lie flat on your back and raise both 

legs up against the wall. Interlace the 

fingers and place the back of the 

head on the hands. Now breathe out 

completely and begin to inhale 

slowly but deeply. First let in the 

breath by extending the belly to the 

fullest. Then, still breathing in expand 

the sides and breathe in yet some 

more and then breathe in further 

more to fill the upper chest by drawing 

a heavy sigh. Hold the breath for 

about 5 or 10 seconds and begin to 

breathe out slowly letting out the air 

in the upper chest, the mid-section 

and finally contracting the abdomen 

expel all the breath you can. An inhalation, 

retention and exhalation 

make up one round of deep breathing. 

Benefits: This exercise aerates the 

lungs properly and helps asthma and 

other respiratory problems. 

HEAD TO KNEE 

Technique: 

Sit down with the feet stretched out 

in front of you and close together. 

Now raise both hands overhead and 

gently lowering the trunk and hands 

as far down as you can and then 

return to the upright position with the 

hands still overhead and then go back 

down again. Do this for a couple 

more times to limber the back and 

hamstrings for the full head to knee 

pose. 

In the final stage of the 

posture, you form a ring with 

the forefinger and thumb 

around the corresponding 

big toes with the forehead 

resting on the knees and the 

elbows touching the floor. 

For beginners it maybe 

impossible to assume the full 

posture so it will do to hold 

as far down the legs as you 

can and lower the trunk the 

furtherest down you can go. 

Duration: Stay in the position 

for about 10 seconds 

and gradually go up to a 

minute or two. 

Lie down on your back 

when you’re through to allow 

the circulation stabilise. 

The head to knee tones up 

the muscles of the back, the 

Yoga Classes 

STARTED 

Physical Therapy Centre 

@ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola, 

Victoria Island Lagos. 

10.00am — 11.00am 

on Saturdays 

arms and hamstrings. The ‘doubling 

up’ lends gentle massage to the digestive 

organs improving the way 

the body handles nourishment. In 

the women-folk this posture is said 

help & painful periods and eventually 

stop it completely. It’s also a 

great exercise for long distance runners 

as the hamstrings are where the 

long distance runner is most likely 

to develop muscle pulls. 

•Leg Raise Pose


saving lives 

BREAST 

CANCER: 

From deadline 

to lifeline 

By Sola Ogundipe, Health Editor 

One of the most dreaded statements 

that every woman fears is when the 

doctor says: “I’m sorry to tell you that 

you have breast cancer.” Have you 

just been diagnosed with breast 

cancer? Maybe you’ve been there, 

or maybe you’ve been next to a loved 

one when she got the news, a breast 

cancer diagnosis is usually full of 

shock, denial, fear, anger, and even 

sorrow, but it can also be full of hope. 

While breast cancer could be 

devastating, it is not necessarily a 

death sentence or the end of the 

world. Breast cancer can be controlled 

and is survivable if diagnosed and 

properly treated in the early stages. 

Why it occurs 

Breast cancer usually begins either 

in the cells of the lobules (milkproducing 

glands), or the ducts 

(passages that drain milk from the 

lobules to the nipple). A pathology 

report will explain whether or not the 

cancer has spread outside the milk 

ducts or lobules of the breast where it 

started. 

Common symptoms 

Many of the symptoms of breast 

cancer can also be symptoms of 

something else. A lump in the breast 

or armpit; thickening of breast skin 

or tissue that lasts through your 

period; a change in the size, shape, 

Many of the symptoms 

of breast cancer can 

also be symptoms of 

something else. A lump 

in the breast or armpit; 

thickening of breast 

skin or tissue that 

lasts through your 

period; a change in the 

size, shape, or contour 

of the breast 

or contour of the breast; clear or 

bloody fluid coming from the nipple 

and change in how the skin on your 

breast or nipple looks or feels are 

relevant. It may look dimpled, 

puckered, scaly, or inflamed. Other 

common symptoms include redness of 

your breast or nipple; an area on your 

breast that clearly looks different from 

any other and a hard, marble-like area 

under the skin, among others. Tests 

are necessary to confirm. Note that 

most breast lumps are not cancer, but 

if your doctor believes it is, it’s best to 

start treatment right away. 

Types of breast cancer 

Be aware that no two breast cancers 

are exactly the same. Your doctor will 

order a series of tests on the cancer 

and nearby tissues to create a “profile” 

of how the breast cancer looks and 

behaves. 

Non-invasive cancers stay within 

the milk ducts or lobules in the breast. 

They do not grow into or invade 

normal tissues within or beyond the 

breast. Non-invasive cancers are 

sometimes called carcinoma in situ 

(“in the same place”) or pre-cancers. 

DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ) is 

a non-invasive cancer that stays inside 

the milk duct, while LCIS (Lobular 

Carcinoma In Situ) is an overgrowth 

of cells that stay inside the lobule. It 

is not a true cancer; rather, it is a 

warning sign of an increased risk for 

developing an invasive cancer in the 

future in either breast. The most 

common type of breast cancer is known 

as IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma). 

It begins in the milk duct but has 

grown into the surrounding tissue 

inside the breast. 

Invasive cancers do grow into 

normal, healthy tissues. Most breast 

cancers are invasive. In some cases, 

a breast cancer may be both invasive 

and non-invasive and also may be a 

“mixed tumour. 

Who is at risk? 

Many factors that influence breast 

cancer, but the No.1 risk factor is 

being a woman. Although men also 

have breast cancer, it’s far more 

common in women. Women who have 

had breast cancer are more likely to 

get breast cancer a 2 nd time. 

Heredity (familial history): A 

woman’s risk for breast cancer is 

higher if she has a mother, sister, or 

daughter (1 st degree relative) or 

multiple family members on either her 

mother’s or father’s side of the family 

who have had breast cancer. Having 

a first-degree male relative with breast 

cancer also raises a woman’s risk. Most 

inherited cases of breast cancer are 

associated with two abnormal genes - 

BRCA1 (BReast CAncer gene 1) 

or BRCA2 (BReast CAncer gene 2). 

Women who inherit a mutation, or 

abnormal change, in either of these 

genes — from their mothers or their 

fathers — have a much higher-thanaverage 

lifetime risk (above 60 per 

cent) of developing breast cancer and 

ovarian cancer. However, only 5 to 10 

per cent of breast cancers are thought 

to be hereditary, the other 90 per cent 

are largely due lifestyle and 

environmental factors. You could 

develop breast cancer even without a 

family history of the disease, but if you 

do have a family history of breast 

cancer, ovarian cancer, or both, 

heredity could have played a role in 

the cancer’s development. 

Age & lifestyle: Most breast cancers 

are found in women 50 years old or 

older. Older women who are 

overweight or obese and women with 

dense breasts are also more likely to 

get breast cancer. Women who are not 

physically active and women that 

drink a lot of alcohol also have a 

higher risk of getting breast cancer. 

There is no real difference in risk 

between women who wear a bra and 

Continues on page 22

PAGE 20—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, 

healthyliving 

Dr Ezechi...Warning ignored after 

HIV first case 

HIV wears 

woman’s face! 

•More females, compared to males, are becoming positive 

to virus – Dr Ezechi, researcher 

By Chioma Obinna 

Will Nigerian mothers, sisters and 

daughters survive amidq 

the conspiracy of nature, man, 

culture and, of late, the increasing 

cases of Human Immune Virus 

Deficiency Syndrome (HIV)? 

According to a researcher and 

consultant obstetrician 

gynaecologist, Dr Oliver 

Chukwujekwu Ezechi, there are 

increasing cases of HIV infection in 

Nigerian female gender than men 

and, unless stakeholders take 

proactive measures, the dream of a 

free HIV generation may be a 

mirage. 

Ezechi, Deputy Research 

Director, Nigerian Institute of 

Medical Research, NIMR, who, for 

more than a decade, devoted a 

large percentage of his time 

researching and providing services 

for women and those living with 

HIV, said the deadly virus' 

infection in female population has 

continued to increase and presently 

women constitute about 60 percent 

of HIV positive population, while 

the risk of a woman contracting 

HIV is two to four times higher 

than that of a man. 

According to the researcher, 

findings were based on 12 years of 

research at the HIV Testing Service 

of the institute. 

Ezechi, who expressed 

disappointment that issues of 

women are always relegated to the 

background and do not occupy 

The Nigerian HIV 

epidemic is also 

feminized. The 

burden is higher for 

women than men 

across all age 

groups except those 

aged 35 - 44 years 

pride of place in most endeavours 

in this part of the world, said 

more disturbing is the geometrical 

increase of the infection among 

the female population. 

To him, the scourge is an issue 

beyond the women, but a 

conspiracy of nature, culture and 

man. 

In his lecture titled: 'That She 

May Survive, And Bring Forth An 

AIDS Free Generation', at the 6th 

Distinguished Lecture of the 

NIMR, he said to ensure that 

women, mothers, sisters and 

daughters survive, to bring forth 

HIV free children, governments at 

all levels, must strategically plot 

against the conspiracy of nature, 

culture and man. 

HIV, a complex and chronic 

disease, first described among men 

that have sex with men (MSM) in 

the United States of America, is 

now wearing a woman’s face. 

“The Nigerian HIV epidemic is 

also feminized. The burden is 

higher for women than men across 

all age groups except those aged 

35 - 44 years. In both urban and 

rural areas, HIV prevalence is 

consistently higher among females 

when compared to males,”the 

researcher stated. 

“A review of the over 11 years of 

meticulously collected data at the 

HIV treatment centre, NIMR, 

attests to the feminisation of the 

epidemic in Nigeria. The 

proportion of female enrolees 

among the clinic population 

increased steadily from 60.2 

percent in 2004 to 68.6 percent in 

2015. Out of as total of 23,734 

patients at the centre, 8,125 are 

men while 15,609 were all female.” 

Further, he posited that the 

reported feminisation of HIV/AIDS 

globally, nationally and at the site 

level is not because women are 

more promiscuous than men but 

due to the conspiracy of nature, 

culture and man. 

“During penile-vaginal 

intercourse, a woman’s body is 

physically more susceptible to HIV 

infection than a man. In other 

words, it is easier for a man to 

transmit HIV to a woman than it is 

for a woman to transmit HIV to a 

man. The risk of a woman 

contracting HIV is 2 to 4 times 

higher than that of a man. 

“To ensure that our mothers, 

sisters and daughters survive, to 

bring forth an AIDS free 

generation, we must strategically 

plot against the conspiracy of 

nature, culture and man. This 

should be done through conscious 

effort to educate women to not only 

delay age at coitarche but empower 

them to be self-sufficient, 

institutionalise laws that delay the 

age at marriage, abhors and 

prevent violence against women, 

as well make life-saving ARV 

drugs accessible and affordable to 

women and their families”. 

Overlooked emergency 

Ezechi, who also looked at 

demographic and clinical 

characteristics of women living 

with HIV/AIDS, recalled that two 

researchers, Drs. Abdusalami 

Nasidi and Tekena Harry, who, in 

1986, reported the first case of 

HIV/AIDS in NMIR, warned of the 

devastating consequences if 

nothing was done, regretted that 

their warning was ignored. 

“The HIV prevalence thus 

increased exponentially from 1.8 

percent in 1991 to a peak of 5.8 

percent in 2001. The HIV infection 

in female population continued to 

increase and presently women 

constitute about 60 percent of HIV 

positive population. In our study 

titled, 'Epidemiologic and clinical 

characteristics of pregnant women 

living with HIV/AIDS in Southwestern 

Nigeria', of the 23,004 

PLHIVs seen over a period of 10 

years and six months, women 

constituted the majority 

The implications of the above 

findings are far reaching. Late 

presentation will not give sufficient 

time for HIV viral suppression 

which is the most important 

determinant of Mother- to –Child- 

Transmission, MTCT”. 

Message of hope 

He, however, noted that all hope 

is not lost if the active PMTCT 

strategy of ensuring that all 

pregnant HIV positive women are 

commenced on life saving Highly 

Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy, 

HAART, the same day they are 

seen for the first time, is adopted 

nationally. With that, the 

researcher stated, Nigeria will be 

able to reduce MTCT rate to less 

than 1 percent. 

Transmission of HIV infection 

“Among our HIV cohorts, 79.4 

Continues on page 21


healthyliving 

‘More females, compared to males, are becoming HIV positive’ 


percent identified heterosexual 

intercourse as the possible route of 

acquisition of their infection; with 

64.0 percent of them being legally 

married. Only 4.5 percent and 1.4 

percent respectively reported blood 

transfusion and anal sex as their 

possible route of infection. Thus 

the majority of HIV infections in 

Nigeria are due to HIV 

transmission within the general 

population, mainly within a 

subpopulation of cohabiting or 

married couples”, he said. 

Stating that majority of HIV 

infections in Nigeria were due to 

HIV transmission within the 

general population, mainly within 

a subpopulation of cohabiting or 

married couples, Ezeechi noted 

that findings in one study 

revealed that HIV transmission in 

the South-West is from women to 

men. 

“We studied 4,435 HIV positive 

pregnant women to determine their 

spouses’ HIV status; over two 

thirds of the partners of these 

women were HIV negative. Women 

with past history of multiple sexual 

partnership and induced abortion 

were most at risk,”the researcher 

stated. 

“The lesson here is that the 

general perception that men only 

are always the index cases is not 

supported by evidence from our 

study. We recommend the tracking 

of both men and women as index 

cases if we must reduce HIV 

transmission within stable 

relationships.” 

Risk factors for HIV infection in 

women 

He noted that sexual intercourse 

at an early age (less than 15 

years), high level of fertility and 

adolescent pregnancies have been 

found to be associated with 

increased rates of HIV infection. 

Other risk factors for HIV 

transmission in women include 

commercial sex activity, multiple 

sex partners, having sexual 

intercourse under the influence of 

mind-altering substances, 

presence of sexually transmitted 

diseases and artisanal works – hair 

dressing, fashion design, street 

trading, house helps, receptionist. 

Ezechi stated that in spite of the 

knowledge of these risk 

behaviours, most women become 

aware of their HIV status only 

during pregnancy, stressing that 

this makes prevention of MTCT of 

HIV more difficult as most 

Nigerian women present late for 

antenatal care. 

He recommended that to ensure 

women survive, the country must 

institute programmes such as 

female education, family life 

education in schools, as well as 

promotion of safe sex practices that 

target to protect women early. 

HIV related deaths and causes 

According to him, the advent of 

potent anti-retroviral therapy in 

the 1990 resulted in a dramatic 

decline in the rates of HIV-related 

deaths globally. “Unfortunately, 

HIV positive women have 

experienced a lower decline in 

mortality compared to men with 

HIV,”he explained. 

“In one of our studies on the 

trends, causes and determinants of 

mortality among women who 

received HIV care, treatment and 

support services between 2005 and 

2015, findings showed the contrary 

as the death rate of 2.6 percent 

among females was lower than 7.8 

percent in males,”the researcher 

stressed. “Although deaths due to 

From left : Dr. Afoke Isiavwe, Medical Director , Rainbow Specialist Hospital, Alhaji Hammed Afinowi, Chairman, Diabetes 

Association of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Folasade Olufemi-Ajayi, Accu-chek Strategic Account Mgr and Adenike Dosunmu, 

Diabetes Care Educator, both of Roche, at the Media Roundtable to mark the 2016 World Diabetes Day organised by Nigeria 

Health Online and Rainbow Specialist Medical Center in Lekki ,Lagos . 

infectious diseases, with TB being 

the leading cause have decreased 

over the years, mortality from non- 

AIDS causes has become 

increasingly common; with the 

major causes of non-HIV related 

deaths being cardiovascular 

disease (3.5 percent), maternal 

mortality (1.4 percent) and liver 

disease (2.2 percent). 

“While the presence of 

opportunistic diseases, severe 

anaemia, severe immunodeficiency 

were found to be associated with 

AIDS deaths, only age 35 years 

and elevated cholesterol/HDL ratio 

was found to be associated with 

non-AIDS death”. 

Mother to child transmission of 

HIV infection 

Mother-to-child transmission of 

HIV (MTCT) is said to account for 

over 90 percent of new HIV 

infections among children, and, 

without treatment, the likelihood of 

HIV passing from mother-to-child 

is 15 percent to 45 percent. 

On this, Ezechi said: “In high 

income settings, the use of antiretroviral 

treatment and other 

effective PMTCT interventions have 

reduces MTCT to below 5 percent. In 

low income countries like Nigeria, as 

data shows it is almost an impossibility 

to achieve MTCT rate of below 5 

percent.” 

He added that it was possible because 

they have consistently achieved MTCT 

rate of less than 1 percent over the last 

decade at NIMR while at the state and 

national levels it is entirely a different 

story. “Nigeria accounts for over 30 

percent of the PMTCT gap burden,”he 

pointed out. 

HIV on pregnancy and pregnancy 

outcome 

According to him, analysis of data on 

the outcome of pregnancy in HIV 

positive women confirmed that the 

category of women is at an increased 

risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. 

“Adverse pregnancy outcomes were 

observed in 48.3 percent of HIV positive 

women compared 30.3 percent among 

HIV negative women. The adverse 

outcomes in HIV positive women 

include low birth weight (2.5kg at 

birth), preterm birth, perinatal death, 

and spontaneous abortion. Severely 

immune-compromised women, and 

those with opportunistic illnesses, and 

those presenting late were found to be at 

the greatest risk for adverse maternal 

and foetal outcomes,”the researcher 

said. 

Ezechi, however, noted that reducing 

these adverse outcomes requires early 

Ezeechi noted that 

findings in one study 

revealed that HIV 

transmission in the 

South-West is from 

women to men 

identification of women living with HIV 

infection and institution of HAART 

early in the pregnancy as it would 

reduce the plasma viral load, allowing 

for immune reconstitutions and 

reduction of opportunistic illness. 

Way forward 

Stating that International partners 

and developmental agencies have done 

well over the last decade in ensuring 

that comprehensive HIV care, 

treatment and support services are in 

place, the researcher declared that the 

time is ripe for the Nigerian 

government to take absolute control of 

the national HIV response. 

Researcher and innovation, he said, 

are the bedrock of development and 

government, as a matter of urgency, 

must begin to invest in them. 

“Currently Nigerian health policy and 

guidelines are developed based on data 

from outside Nigeria. Over the years we 

have seen how some of these policies 

have failed. Government should on 

regular basis commission research to 

provide data for policy and guideline 

development. National Assembly as a 

matter of urgency should pass the Bill 

on stigmatization and discrimination of 

PLHIVs,” the researcher stated. 

Ezechi advised women living with 

HIV to seek information on the specific 

challenges and equip themselves with 

the necessary skills to live a positive 

life. “Protect yourself from new 

infections and opportunistic cancers as 

this has the potential to accelerate HIV 

disease progression. If you have not 

been screened for cervical cancer in the 

last 3 years and Tuberculosis recently, 

ensure you get tested as soon as 

possible. Protect your sex partners from 

getting HIV by disclosure of your status, 

getting him tested and making use of 

effective contraceptives. Protect your 

future children from getting HIV and 

stop self-stigmatisation and 

discrimination today,”he said. 

“Women are not dying because of 

untreatable diseases. They are dying 

because societies have yet to make 

decision that their lives are worth 

saving. We have not yet valued women’s 

lives and health highly enough. What 

needs to be done to ensure that HIV 

positive women survive is known, 

strategies to prevent MTCT are also 

known and available, what is 

lacking is the will and commitment 

to make this service available to 

women and children”. 

Eshasha renovates Ughelli Central Hospital 

maternity ward 

By Festus Ahon & Perez Brisibe 

DETERMINED to contribute his 

quota to the well-being of his people, 

an indigene of Delta State and philanthropist, 

Mr. Voke Eshasha has renovated 

the matenity ward of the Ughelli 

Central Hospital. He also donated 25 

mattresses and 25 pillows to the hospital. 

Speaking during the commissioning 

and donation ceremony, Eshasha he was 

touched when he saw the dilapidated 

state of the ward when he visited a relative 

who was hospitalised at the hospital 

few months back hence he decided to give 

it a facelift by renovating it. 

He said: “Being the first place of contact 

for new born babies, the maternity 

ward is not a place to joke with, hence I 

decided to do my best in contributing to 

the growth of society at this level as government 

cannot do it all alone.” 

Speaking on behalf of the State Government, 

Zonal Medical Director of the 

hospital, Dr. Cyril Abere said: “I am very 

grateful and happy for this action. This 

should serve as a motivation to other well 

meaning Nigerians particularly Deltans 

to do more for the hospital.”

PAGE 22—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, 


women who don’t wear a bra. Some 

women will get breast cancer even 

without any other known risk factors 

that they know of. Also, having a risk 

factor does not mean you will get the 

disease, and not all risk factors have 

the same effect. Most women have 

some risk factors, but most women do 

not get breast cancer. 

Puberty & menopause: Women who 

start their periods early (before age 12) 

and women who start menopause late 

(after age 55) are exposed to the 

female hormones longer, and so are 

at the risk for breast cancer. Having 

the first pregnancy after age 30 or 

never having a full-term pregnancy 

can raise breast cancer risk. 

Screening & diagnosis 

Breast cancer screening means 

checking a woman’s breasts for cancer 

before there are signs or symptoms of 

the disease. All women need to be 

informed about the best screening 

options for them. Although breast 

cancer screening cannot prevent breast 

cancer, it can help find breast cancer 

early, when it is easier to treat. 

Mammograms 

At this time, the best way to find 

breast cancer early is with a 

mammogram, which is an X-ray of the 

breast. Having regular mammograms 

can lower the risk of dying from breast 

cancer. 

Breast Self Examination 

(BSE) 

Being familiar with how your breasts 

look and feel can help you notice 

symptoms such as lumps, pain, or 

changes in size that may be of 

concern. These could include changes 

found during a breast self-exam 

(BSE). Report any changes that you 

notice to your doctor or health care 

Bond FM 92.9 Lagos is the top 

grassroots FM radio station in the 

nation with an array of exciting 

programmes rooted in popular culture. It is 

the people’s station and the authentic Wazobia, 

as itbroadcaststo the people in the language 

of the people – Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and 

Pidgin. This accounts for its massive and 

passionate followership amongst listeners. 

With over 20 million verifiable peak period 

daily listenership, it is currently the number 

one grassroots FM radio station in Nigeria 

As part of thestrategy to functionally 

differentiate it from the pack, the 

stationrecently embarked on key community 

impact projects such as Our Heroes book fair 

which has now given birth to Children’s 

Creative Mathematics Club in collaboration 

with eclectic and innovative ‘Prof’ Moyo. 

Seeking to be socially responsive, the station 

also organized the maiden Pest Control Fair/ 

Summit in conjunction with TCB & Associates 

and the active support of Lagos State Ministry 

of the Environment. In this clime, it was a 

niche that had hitherto never been explored 

and was passionately welcomed by an excited 

and knowledge-challenged public in their 

numbers. They came seeking help to secure 

their health and environment from the menace 

of vectors and vermin alike. 

In the past few months, other new offerings 

by Bond FM including the new afternoon 

home drive ‘Adelebare’ beltdesigned as an alter 

ego and a counter poise to the run-away 

market leader and massively successful 

m o r n i n g 

driveprogramme‘KokoInuIweIrohin’, Yoruba 

aerobics fitness instruction programme on 

prime time radio is another trending hit and 

From deadline 

to lifeline 

Women 50 years are at 

average risk for breast cancer 

and should get a 

mammogram every two years. 

provider. 

Staging 

Cancer stage is based on four 

characteristics: size, whether it is 

invasive or non-invasive, whether it 

is in the lymph nodes and whether the 

cancer has spread to other parts of the 

body beyond the breast. There are 5 

stages from Stage 0 to Stage IV. The 

stage of the breast cancer can help you 

saving lives 

understand your prognosis (the most 

likely outcome of the disease) and 

make decisions about treatment, along 

with all of the other results in your 

pathology report. 

Treatment & prevention 

In recent years, there’s been an 

explosion of life-saving treatment 

advances against breast cancer, 

bringing new hope and excitement. 

The decisions - surgery, then perhaps 

radiation, hormonal (anti-estrogen) 

therapy, and/or chemotherapy - can 

feel overwhelming. 

Diet is thought to be partly 

responsible for about 30-40 per cent 

of all cancers. No food or diet can 

prevent you from getting breast 

cancer. But some foods can make your 

body the healthiest it can be and help 

keep your risk for breast cancer as low 

as possible. A variety of foods, 

especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, 

and whole grains, can make you feel 

your best and give your body the 

energy it needs. 

Women 50 years are at average risk 

for breast cancer and should get a 

mammogram every two years. Women 

who are below 50 years old should talk 

to their doctor or other health care 

professional about when to start and 

how often to get a mammogram. 

Survival rates 

Survival depends on many factors. 

The average 5-year survival rate for 

people with breast cancer is better 

today than ever before, especially if 

the cancer is located only in the breast. 

If the cancer has spread to a distant 

part of the body, the 5-year survival 

rate remains low. Even if the cancer is 

found at a more advanced stage, new 

treatments help many people with 

breast cancer maintain a good quality 

of life, at least for time. 

Bond FM Pest Control Fair: New vista in pest/vector management initiative 

By Ephraim Oseji 

it is gradually setting up the Bond FM 

premises as the premier aerobics exercise 

centre in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. Others 

like the Bond FM Volunteer Traffic 

Ambassadors that give incisive traffic reports 

on radio while also engaging in traffic control 

and removal of blockade to facilitate smooth 

unencumbered traffic flow. 

These innovations are a resultant of the 

propulsive force being exerted by the current 

Director General of Federal Radio 

Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr Mansur 

Liman, whose battle cry to his managers and 

workers is constant creativity and 

innovativeness. 

At Bond FM 92.9, this is the source of our 

excitation as we resonate with this charge and 

produce even more innovations in all things. 

Pest constitutes a most wholesome threat 

to human existence. Their attacks result in 

immense hazards on human health, food/agro 

products, offices, household valuables and the 

environment generally. Global climate 

change has thrown up hitherto unknown 

species of pests and their resultant effects into 

our environment such as Ebola virus, Lassa 

fever,mosquitoes, flies, bedbugs, rats and 

recently, pest attacked tomatoes in the 

northern part of Nigeria with devastating 

effects and loss of considerable revenue by 

stakeholders. This has exposed humanity 

and our cherished food-chain to unimaginable 

danger that could lead to human annihilation, 

and indeed unprecedented challenge to the 

environment and health. 

The major objective of the fair was to bring 

all stakeholders – pest control experts, 

researchers, manufacturers, marketers 

including end users under one roof to interact 

and proffer integrated pest control 

management methods that will reduce the 

devastating effects of pests in our 

environment.Highpoints of the fair were 

lectures, seminars and trainings which were 

conducted by experts in pest control methods. 

Earlier at the official flag-off of the fair, 

Lagos State Commissioner of The 

Environment, Dr. Samuel Adejare, enjoined 

participants to take full advantage of the fair 

to beef up their individual and collective 

consciousness of protecting themselves and 

the environment from the devastating effects 

of pests and improper pests control processes. 

He encouraged the organisers to remain 

steadfast in their commitment to the fair by 

ensuring that it remains an annual event to 

the benefit of all. 

The Director, Lagos Operations of Radio 

Nigeria, Prince AdeyinkaAmosu, was ably 

represented by the Assistant Director of 

Marketing, Radio Nigeria,Mr.Istifanus Baba 

at the event.He commended Bond FM for its 

remarkable foresight of identifying, 

developing and implementing such a needful 

summit whose impact cannot be underrated. 

It was indeed an idea hidden in plane-sight, 

but discovered by Bond FM. 

In his welcome address, General Manager 

of Bond FM Engr. Emmanuel Dada said, “we 

went into this project which forms part of our 

off-air ventures because Bond FM is the 

people’s station and we are passionate about 

what affects their lives. Pests and their vectors 

especially the common ones such as 

mosquitoes, flies, bedbugs and rats can be 

found in most homes in Nigeria and whatever 

action is taken to either eradicate or minimize 

their effects will be of benefit to every home 

in Lagos in particular and Nigeria in general. 

Aside being here to buy pest management 

materials, we intend to further educate the 

public on various methods of warding off 

some of the pests and effectively manage them 

when they invade their space.Our ultimate 

goal is to encourage the public to inculcate 

the habit of reverting to local/traditional 

control methods when other popular methods 

are not available.” 

He said further, “We also intend as part of 

our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) and 

to express Bond FM’s profound gratitude for 

the massive acceptance by Lagosians and 

other Nigerians, inspite of our obvious 

infrastructural challenges,to undertake and 

implement some of the pests or vectors 

management and control techniques taught 

at the fair such as: fogging, fumigation, rat 

harvesters, traditional techniques etc, in 5 

streets/locations; one each in the 5 

administrative divisions of Lagos 

State.This is a major fall-out of the fair 

and we hereby encourage other public 

spirited individuals and organizations to 

partner with us in facilitating this lofty 

dream”. 

To maximiseimpacton Lagosiansin its 

social responsibility efforts, the pest 

control fair will be a quarterly event by 

Bond FM 92.9 to be able to reach-out to 

as many citizens as possible in tackling 

the malaise of pests/vermin and their vectors 

with a view to checkmating any possible 

epidemic or pandemic in future in our 

environment. 

Side attractions at the fair were traditional 

dances, practical demonstrations of 

traditional pest control methods including 

green chemical applications. 

Dignitaries present at the fair included Mr. 

AbayomiOfarn, National President of 

Organic Farmers Agriculture Research 

Management Association, Mr. Olusegun 

Benson, Managing Director of Phosgard 

Fumigants Nigeria Limited who delivered 

a lecture entitled Rudiments of Pest Control 

and Management, among others. 

The 4-day fair was attended by over three 

thousand visitors.

It's the economy, 

stupid! 

Afew years ago, an 

American friend of 

mine abandoned his 

thriving career as a lawyer, 

and retrained to be a nurse. 

He is not the first I know to do 

that. A female surgeon, got 

tired of thescalpel, and left her 

work as a surgeon, and 

retrained to be a Paediatric 

nurse. Another friend of mine, 

with a Masters degree in 

Politics from Harvard, chose 

to become a carpenter, and 

build things. He later 

volunteered with the Quakers 

to rebuild schools in Burundi. 

These are choices people 

make, at a certain stage of 

consciousness, when they 

realize that what we do, how 

we do it, and why we do it is 

all for "well-being." 

When I turned forty ten years 

ago - and time has flown - I 

began to take music lessons 

to play the Saxophone. My 

wife thought it was my midlife 

crisis, and well, it could 

have been worse. Most men 

begin an affair, and cash their 

retirement and borrow atop 

to buy the Porsche. I wanted 

the saxophone, and so, for my 

fortieth birthday, she got me a 

fine tenor sax. But it was no 

midlife crisis. It was just the 

quest for a more satisfying 

life. I have, not long ago, 

started learning carpentry. I 

want to be a master carpenter. 

It is quite ironic, this turnaround. 

In form three at the 

Government College 

Umuahia, we were required 

to take a class either in Wood 

works or Metal works or 

rexmarinus@hotmail.com 

Technical Drawing. The wood 

workshop had a long history - 

equipped by the Germans for 

German Prisoners of War 

who spent the war 

quarantined in Umuahia 

during World War II. Even 

though much of the 

workshops had been looted 

during the war in Biafra, it was 

still quite something. But at 

Umuahia, we were receiving 

a very British education. We 

were being brought up as 

gentlemen. And gentlemen do 

not do handiwork. So we 

thought. And so, in spite of the 

requirement by the school that 

we must take a year of 

Metalwork or Woodwork, we 

did not take it all seriously. We 

had no use for it in the longrun. 

TD was of course taken 

more seriously because, it was 

a pathway for many of the 

boys headed towards 

Engineering and 

Architecture, and Umuahia 

had many of those. None was 

going to be a carpenter. Well, 

here I am, now learning 

carpentry, out of pure, and 

newly discovered interest in 

the shape of things. Wellbeing 

is the discovery, not only 

of desire, but of the simplest 

and most satisfying ways to 

fulfil desire. 

Central to all economic life 

is desire: that gnawing want 

that settles between price and 

choice. I have just recently, 

returned to reading Dubner 

and Leavitt's Freakonomics, 

and its exploration of the 

"hidden side of everything" 

from the price of sex to the 

price of a bowl of salad, and 

Time for God’s favour 

Gradually brethren, 

the eleventh month 

is coming to an 

end, but as the Lord liveth, 

God will give you a pleasant 

surprise in the name of Jesus. 

Many of us have 

started losing hope. We 

have started asking if God 

indeed still answers prayers. 

Our faith is no longer as solid 

as the rock because of one 

challenge or the other. 

For someone on the sick 

bed or managing a particular 

illness, doubt has set in. He 

is saying to himself, “Can I 

really make it?”. Those 

thoughts are not misplaced. 

Why? We are human and the 

capacity of any human being 

is limited. However, as 

Christians we believe in a 

God that is unlimited. 

Awesome God! The one that 

is capable of transforming 

any and every situation. 

Therefore, I advise you, 

don’t collapse under that 

challenge. 

Stand on your feet and 

claim your right in the name 

of Jesus. 

This is the time to exercise 

faith at a maximum level and 

ask for the favour of the Lord. 

What gives me that 

confidence? Let’s refer to 

the word in the Holy Bible. 

Galatians 3 vs. 11- 14 

“But no man is justified by the 

law in the sight of God, it is 

evident: for, The just shall live 

by faith. And the law is not of 

faith: but The man that 

doeth them shall live in them. 

Verses 13 & 14 “ Christ hath 

redeemed us from the curse 

of the law, being made a curse 

for us: for it is written, Cursed 

is every one that hangeth on a 

tree: That the blessing of 

Abraham might come on the 

Gentiles through Jesus Christ; 

that we might receive the 

promise of the Spirit through 

faith”. Brethren, our emphasis 

is on verses 13 and 14. We 

are told that we have been 

redeemed from sicknesses, 

barrenness, stagnation, 

failure and other 

challenges of life. The word 

of the Lord says “ cursed is 

everyone that hangeth on a 

tree” Suicide here means 

your submission to the 

challenge. No, no, no. 

you cannot submit to sickness, 

barrenness, loneliness or 

stagnation because that is not 

the promise of God for you. 

What then is his promise? 

The second part of verse 14 

is quite clear on this. It 

speaks of the “ blessing of 

Abraham” coming through 

the Holy Spirit . The 

why we want them; indeed, 

why we must want them. It is 

pretty amazing to me that 

Nigerian policy makers are 

often unaware of the very 

factors that drive us towards 

social or material 

consumption, and how these 

factors shape and determine 

national economies. Great 

economies are defined by 

well-being: that sense that the 

world is a fruit basket from 

which you can pick whatever 

is your choice. Let me put it 

this way: the meaning of 

economic depression is when 

there is that absence of wellbeing. 

When you have no 

work, you do not derive 

income; and if you have no 

income, you cannot spend 

money on your desires. You 

may desire a car, a nice, cozy 

apartment; an occasional 

bottle of good wine; Nkwobi 

now and then at that great 

shebeen owned by "Nwanyi- 

Umuahia," and darn it, some 

mounds of alabaster to hold 

every now and then. It is called 

"ihe oma." And the Oriental 

Brothers sang about it in the 

1970s, and came to the very 

wise conclusion that, "odighi 

onye oso nso!" That is, there is 

no person in this world for 

whom a good thing - a 

desirable thing - is anathema. 

We all have desires. These 

desires are the very force on 

which the economic wheel 

turns. 

Our sense of the world also 

fuels these desires. So, then, a 

melancholic nation is one in 

which there is fundamental 

repression of desire. It leads 

to depression - both mental 

and economic. So, here is 

Nigeria, where a huge 

number of people have no 

spending money because they 

have no jobs: the result is a 

landscape so repressed that 

all you can see at every corner 

is darkness, which leads to 

fear. Fear leads to superstition. 

Superstition leads to 

ignorance. Ignorance leads to 

religious fundamentalism, 

intolerance, hatred, and 

depression. Nigeria feels like 

a nation under corporal 

Spirit of Truth.I chose to call 

him, the Spirit of Promise. 

The Holy Spirit, the third 

head of the Trinity is so 

crucial to our miracles. 

This much our Lord Jesus said 

in John 14 ; indeed my 

favourite chapter in the Holy 

Bible. 

Let’s share the word. John 

chapter 14. I suggest you 

read the entire chapter and 

fully digest it but for this 

purpose, let’s consider 

verses 16 and 17 “ And I will 

pray the Father (the Lord 

Jesus is speaking here) and 

he shall give you another 

Comforter, that he may abide 

with you for ever; Even the 

Spirit of truth; whom the 

world cannot receive , because 

it seeth him not, neither 

knoweth him: but ye know 

him; for he dwelleth with you, 

and shall be in you”. 

For more emphasis, let’s 

consider verse 26 of the same 

chapter “ But the 

Comforter, which is the Holy 

Ghost, whom the Father will 

send in my name, he shall 

teach you all things, and bring 

all things to your 

remembrance , whatsoever I 

have said unto you”. 

Hear the assurance of 

the Lord Jesus in verse 27 

“Peace I leave with you, my 

peace I give unto you: not as 

the peace the world giveth, 

give I unto you. Let not your 

heart be troubled, neither let 

it be afraid”. I’m sure by now, 

something in changing in 

your Spiritual life in the name 

of Jesus. 

Stop focusing on the 

challenge, rather ask for the 

favour of God. 

punishment. So, how can the 

economy function or thrive in a 

highly repressed social order, 

where there is too much 

stratification and "ogaism"? 

Too much religion that 

preaches against desire - do not 

drink; do not have sex; do not 

eat on a Sabbath; do not go 

night-clubbing, do not wear 

fashionable clothes; do not visit 

restaurants or bars; or cinemas; 

or gambling dens, or that lovely 

street called "Ayilara"? In 

Nigeria, on every street, you 

have ten churches to one 

workshop. How would people 

get jobs? When the streets are 

unsafe, you cannot walk out of 

your house at 12 am to your 

neighborhood grocery. In other 

With a population of now 

190 million people, the 

government of Nigeria 

cannot seriously be 

talking about being 

broke. 100 million people 

with taxable income is a 

solid tax base, and can 

reflate government's 

coffers 

societies, the economy is driven 

by young people - who party, 

create city culture, keep the 

pubs open, spend money on 

food, tobacco, clothes, 

vacations, gadgets, and who 

travel up and down to make 

friends and visit friends in the 

lengths of their nation. Factories 

are kept open to carter to their 

desires. If there are no such 

desires, factories close down. 

There will be no employment. 

No money to spend. 

Governments keep streets safe 

because they encourage people 

to travel; visit places. 

Governments sell their 

countries as safe, and beautiful 

places to come. You go to great 

Link up with the Holy Spirit 

and that miracle you so much 

desire is assured. 

Testimony 

I’ll share this personal story. 

Once a Pastor came visiting 

Flora; my friend and 

colleague in Vanguard. I 

walked in. The Pastor said to 

his hostess, let’s pray and a short 

prayer was said. Of course we 

all said, Amen! 

Stop focusing on the 

challenge, rather ask for 

the favour of God. 

Link up with the Holy 

Spirit and that miracle 

you so much desire is 

assured 

As I turned to go, he asked my 

friend, “ does this lady work 

here?”. We both answered in 

the affirmative. Then he said, 

“God will do a miracle 

through you”. We both said 

Amen and I left for my 

department. The miracle that 

he spoke about did not come 

until about five years later 

when the yoke of barrenness was 

broken and Samuel was born 

after 22 years of waiting. 

In the mighty name of Jesus, 

that miracle that you so much 

desire is coming your way 

sooner than you expect . Just 

hold on to Jesus; the author and 

finisher of our faith. 

Ask repeatedly for his 

favour. Don’t get tired of 

asking. Be steadfast in prayer. 

Psalm 102 verse 13 “ Thou 


cities - Paris, New York, 

London, Rome, Berlin, etc to 

have "a great shopping 

experience" or to "enjoy the 

freedom and cuisine of our 

great city - our night life." 

That's how nations advertise 

themselves. They do not tell 

the world that their nation 

is a "zoo" or that it is 

dangerous and corrupt. 

They talk it up. They clean 

up the streets. They provide 

and maintain infrastructure 

that would aid life: 

electricity; efficient 

emergency services; clean 

hospitals; polite and 

professional services. They 

make their lands inviting to 

visitors, who come to buy, 

sell, spend money, and 

enrich government's tax 

coffers. How can Nigeria 

not be economically 

depressed when even in a 

city like Lagos, everything 

closes down by 10 pm. 

In a place like Owerri, 

everybody goes to bed by 

7pm. The stores are closed. 

The streets are emptied. 

There is no life worth its 

name at play. In other places 

in the world, daily, the last 

call at bars are usually by 

3:30 am, to allow the one 

hour before the next cycle of 

workers - the delivery vans 

making their rounds to 

supply the shops and offices 

begin again by 5 am, to 

begin another cycle. Young 

people work these shifts and 

make extra income which 

they spend. There is a 24- 

hour economic cycle which 

is the only way to absorb the 

human energy afloat in 

search of work and income. 

A student of mine plays at a 

Jazz club at the weekend. 

That's his weekend "gig." 

Every Tuesday, he works for 

three hours cleaning a 

butchery. He drives one 

hour away for this. That's the 

way he pays his bills and his 

tax. With a population of 

now 190 million people, the 

government of Nigeria 

cannot seriously be talking 

about being broke. 100 

million people with taxable 

shall arise and have mercy 

on Zion: (replace Zion with 

your name) for the time to 

favour her yea, the set 

time is come”. 

This season you will 

receive the favour of the Lord 

in Jesus name. God can 

heal. He can deliver. He 

can make you fruitful. 

Whatever you desire, ask in 

faith and you will receive 

in the name of Jesus. 

Twins after 16 years 

delay - It’s the testimony of 

Pastor and Assistant Pastor 

Oyebadejo of RCCG culled 

from RCCG, Redemption 

Testimonies . 

“We got married in RCCG 

in May 1999 and since then; 

we have been waiting on 

God for the fruit of the 

womb. During the 

waiting years, we went for 

some medical tests and all 

the results proved that 

we were okay as they all 

revealed that we had no 

medical or fertility issues but 

they could not explain the 

delay. We did In Vitro 

Fertilization (IVF) but 

nothing substantial came 

out of it, so we were asked to 

repeat it. Even though my 

wife is a nurse and I am a 

veterinary doctor, we 

refused and said God 

would do it for us. 

Our pastor friends began 

to pray along with us and 

there were several 

revelations, but we held on 

to God. In 2014, Pastor E.A 

Adeboye told us that God 

said He would give 1000 set 

of twins before the next 

convention and we claimed 

it. By April 2015, my wife 

income is a solid tax base, and 

can reflate government's 

coffers. So, it is either Nigeria's 

population is a demographic 

fiction, or the Nigerian 

government has yet to 

understand how to collect tax, 

and the fact that employment 

of the citizen is not simply a 

favour to the citizen. 

It is way for government to 

expand production and tax 

labour, and generate its own 

income. Without a working or 

engaged population, 

government cannot generate 

enough tax; and without tax, 

governments cannot function. 

The tax base provides the 

fiduciary architecture of all 

public spending. So, it is the 

economy, stupid! Desire is the 

economy: desire for those new 

shoes made in Aba, and 

circulating through the West 

African markets. A small 

vacation cottage in Jos, where 

you can spend your annual 

leave in the cooler months; or 

that NCR Leggera 1200 

Titanium Special Motorbike 

for your annual road trip to 

that Hunting Lodge by the foot 

of the Mandara Mountains; 

or the small beach house in 

Oguta or Bonny with a small 

boat moored nearby. 

Every hundred naira we 

spend weekly on "ngwongwo"reflates 

the economy 

and puts money in 

government coffers. The 

economy is not borrowing 

from the IMF in order to pay 

off IMF loans. The economy 

is the activation and the 

organization of the means by 

which we create desire and 

fulfil them. It is borrowing 

from the national pension 

fund to guarantee loans to 

young entrepreneurs who 

would invest in our desires and 

make the returns to our 

economy. It is not 

"concessioning" our national 

infrastructure to "foreign 

investors."It is activating a 

national workforce to build 

new infrastructure, and in 

doing that compensate them, 

and in compensating them 

derive tax that oils public 

spending. 

started feeling funny. 

Reluctantly, she went for a 

pregnancy test and scan and 

it was discovered that she was 

two months pregnant. 

The pregnancy period was 

smooth and there were no 

complications of any sort. 

We had the twins on 

November 10, 2015. God 

finally answered us after 16 

years of waiting on Him”. 

To God be the Glory. 

Now, let’s take these as 

lessons. First is that human 

efforts failed . Secondly , 

the couple as medical 

personnel, this was a 

reproach that must have 

made people to mock them. 

Third, they stuck together 

and looked upon and held 

on to God. They did not 

allow the knowledge of 

medicine to create a distance 

between them and God. 

Four. Note the twins 

were born in November. 

So, take your prayer 

point the way God leads you. 

Ask that God should give 

you a miracle that will make 

you remember the month of 

November with joy. 

What are you passing 

through? Be strong in faith. 

Yours isn’t the worst case, 

you will surely triumph. 

As Christians, we should 

bear in mind, the word of God 

in Galatians 6 vs. 9 “ And let 

us not be weary in well 

doing: for in due season we 

shall reap, if we faint not”. 

By the grace of God, this is 

your season. Before this year 

ends, you shall receive 

answers to your prayers in 

Jesus name. 

It is well with you.


Why KWAM 1 

failed to release 

latest album 

By DAPO OLAKUNLE 

EARLIER this year, the 

king of Fuji music, King 

Wasiu Ayinde Marshall 

also known as KWAM 1 

addressed a group of journalists, 

on the release of his latest studio 

album titled ‘Let The Music 

Flow’. In the course of the chat, 

K1 boasted of the album making 

a platinum category in sales. He 

added that the album would cut 

across all age groups regardless 

of the diversity in culture and 

social beliefs. 

It’s close to the end of the year, 

and many of his teeming fans 

have been wondering if the Fuji 

maestro would deliver on his 

promise. It was as a result of the 

questions of the fans that made 

Potpourri reach out to the K1 De 

Ultimate camp. 

His manager, Bayo Olasoju, 

when asked reasons for the delay 

of the album release, said, 

•KWAM 1 

“Well, the album has been recorded and mastered, ready 

for general consumption. I must say that you all will 

hear K1 in an unusual way in the album, but you know 

the current state of the country; the market is not just 

right for us to drop the album. When our survey team 

sees that the market is right the album will be released’. 

Bayo pleaded with the general public on behalf of the 

Fuji king ‘I want to appeal to the general public on the 

delay, its just in the best interest of the fans, expect the 

album to drop soon’. 

•Don Jazzy 

Fan who placed marriage curse 

on Don Jazzy explains why 

By Rotimi Agbana 

It has finally become a norm 

for die-hard fans to say or do 

crazy things to attract the 

attention of a celebrity they 

love, gain media attention, or 

attain quick fame. During the 

week, news went viral on social 

media about a lady, Olaide 

Abisola, who vowed that if 

Mavin boss, Don Jazzy doesn’t 

marry her she would not get 

married to any other man. She 

went as far as placing a 

spiritual curse on the talented 

hit-maker, saying he won’t be 

able to marry any other woman 

if he didn't marry her. 

Speaking exclusively with 

Potpourri, on why she made 

such a grave utterance, she 

•Olaide 

Abisola 

made a rather disturbing 

revelation. “My dear, it’s actually 

a joke, but look at the way it went 

viral! Yes, I’m not kidding it was 

a joke. I actually wanted the fame 

and I got it, I just want to be 

known because I’m going into 

acting soon”, she said. 

Following the quick fame she 

has now achieved, she has been 

celebrating it on her social 

media page, throwing stinkers 

at whoever cares to criticise her. 

“Thanks for the fame, just what 

I needed. To all my haters out 

there enjoy your noon with this, 

more comments please. They 

are just fooling themselves, all 

the insults no remove one hair 

for my body, jobless people”, she 

wrote. 

Michael Okon debunks 

marriage rumours 

By IMANUEL JANNAH 

Actor and model, Michael Okon, 

popularly called Nollywood 

heart-throb, dismissed reports of his alleged 

marriage. This is coming on the 

heels of a report that emanated from a 

blogging site (Bella Naija) alleging 

that the talented thespian secretly married 

a certain runway model. According 

to the story, the ceremony had a 

few models in attendance. 

In a press statement, Okon said he never 

held any wedding, let alone a secret 

one, and according to him, the rumour 

is a photo-shoot for a Nigerian UK-based 

designer, Afromodel Collections. He 

however revealed that after the photo 

session, they had a small event graced 

by a few industry friends. 

“We only did a photo shoot for a Nigerian 

UK-based designer, Afromodel 

Collections, and Bella Naija Weddings 

posted the pictures and “Boom!” 

everyone thought it was another prewedding 

shoot. The story really went 

viral because I’ve been getting congratulatory 

messages till today. We 

had only a private event meant for 

models and how that turned to a marriage 

ceremony is what I don’t know. 

I reiterate that I am not married. I am 

not going to get married just because 

people want me to, neither would I 

do it just to enter another phase of my 

life just like some of my colleagues 

have done. 

Sound Sultan, others for 

FEGOCOOSA’s re-union 

A 

ll 

roads lead to Nelo’s place, by 

Etiebet’s Place Ikeja as topnotch 

artistes and comedians hit Lagos 

for the 2016 annual re-union/ 

awards of Federal Government College 

Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Old Students 

Association, FEGOCOOSA. 

The event, which is themed, ‘Many 

Paths, One Spirit,’ is slated for December 

3 and promises a full dose of 

entertainment for old boys and other 

participants alike given the A-list artistes 

lined up. 

According to the organisers, the 

artistes expected to grace the show 

include Sound Sultan, Teju Baby-face, 

Jimmy Jatt, Lepacious Bose and Kunle 

Bamtefa, while budding star MC I- 

Rock will anchor the show. 

According to Chairperson of the 

annual re-union committee, Titi Olubiyi, 

the annual reunion and 

award night is inspired by the need 

for alumni of the school domiciled 

in Nigeria and abroad to give back, 

hence the coming together to celebrate 

with staff and students of 

their alma mater. 

Corroborating on the need for the 

awards, Global President of the association, 

Barr. Francis Orbih, 

said the event ‘’is about celebrating 

ourselves, the members, our 

achievements and key aspects of 

our alma mater.” He explained that 

people would be honoured for outstanding 

contributions in a variety 

of categories that will include Best 

Department of the year, Best Teacher 

of the year, Best Non-Teaching 

Staff, Outstanding Member and 

Best set of the Year.


SEUN EGBEGBE IPHONE THEFT CHARGE 

Conspiracy of silence in 

Lagos Computer Village? 

Onikoyi68@gmail.com 

YORUBA film-maker, Seun 

Egbegbe is a highly 

celebrated figure among 

Yoruba movie people, but he 

became a public bride when his 

romance with popular Yoruba 

actress, Toyin Aimakhu made news 

headlines in every medium. 

In fact, the lovebirds only became 

public item when they fell apart, 

with Seun threatening to ostracise 

Toyin from movie making unless she 

did his bidding. Their secrets 

became public knowledge and it 

slipped out that Seun had presented 

a Range Rover SUV to Toyin as 

gift. 

It was a romance story that went 

bust, especially, when one considers 

that this episode ensued almost 

immediately after the actress put 

paid to her marriage of less than 2 

years to another actor, Adeniyi 

Johnson. But for Seun and Toyin, 

they hugged the limelight for some 

months and fizzled out, especially 

after Seun publicly pronounced he 

had forgiven Toyin, not without 

police intervention, some voices 

whispered though. 

Then, one black Tuesday afternoon, 

Seun’s name cropped up in 

the media again with a picture of 

him, looking like a man who had 

had a few rounds in the ring with 

Mike Tyson in his hay days. Bloodied 

mouth, dropping jaw, smashed 

teeth, roughened up, Seun’s picture 

lit up every medium with a scream- 

ing headline “ M0ovie maker 

beaten to pulp for phone theft”. 

Unbelievable! How could a rich 

movie maker, with a fleet of cars, 

suddenly turned a common mobile 

phone thief even if the phones are 

nine Apple iphones 7, worth over 

N500k each. 

In the media melee, his PR 

people quickly released a 

statement, “Prior to the news 

filtering into the social media 

about Seun Egbegbe accused of 

stealing iphones on Tuesday 22nd 

November at computer village, 

Ikeja; this is to inform the general 

public to debunk all negative 

stories published about him which 

is not true. Seun Egbegbe was at 

Keelcech shop, located at no 9, 

Medical Road, Ikeja, to purchase 

some phones. After making his 

order from the shop sales rep & 

walking towards his car to pay up 

the balance of the phones, the 

sales rep claimed he’s bolting 

away with the phones which was 

never true. Before Seun Egbegbe 

could say a word to the angry mob 

around, he was attacked and 

lynched with no explanation. It 

was a known fact that; Mr Seun 

Egbegbe can afford to buy thousands 

of iphones if needed. So why 

would he go to steal iphones? He is 

a philanthropist who helps pople in 

our society today with his riches 

from God. We will authoritatively 

inform you that, the issue has been 

AFRIFF ends in glitz and glamour 

After a week of screening over 150 

movies and documentaries, including 

workshops and industry sessions, 

the sixth African International Film 

Festival (AFRIFF) came to an end with 

a star-studded Globe Award which held 

at the Eko Convention Center, Eko 

Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, 

Lagos. 

Hosted by the talented Nollywood 

actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju and TV 

presenter, Uti Nwachukwu, the event, 

which was attended by top dignitaries 

from the business and political class 

also had filmmakers from Africa and 

beyond, whose films screened at the 

week-long event. 

Tagged The Broadway Show, the 

closing ceremony thrilled guests to 

breath-taking shows, including duets 

and a mind-blowing tribute to the late 

Afro-beat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, 

led by actor Gideon Okeke. 

It was also a moment of celebrations 

for winners, as the festival’s Closing 

Night Movie, ’76, a movie about events 

that heralded and succeeded the 

military coup d’état which led to the 

AFRIFF Rita Dominic and Kate 

Henshaw hanging out with a guest 

demise of General Murtala Ramat 

Muhammed, and directed by Izu 

Ojukwu, won four awards including – 

Best Screenplay, Best Feature Film, 

Best Actor, Best Director. 

Renowned Nollywood actress, Bimbo 

Akintola, won Best Lead Actress for 

her role in the movie, 93 Days. ‘Green 

White Green’ by Abba Makama won 

the Oronto Douglas Award for Best 

Nigerian film, while Ghanaian 

filmmaker and animator, Agorkoli 

Francis Brown, won Best Animation 

with a price tag of N200,000. 

Other recipients include the beneficiaries 

of AFRIFF/Ford Foundation 

scholarship to the University of 

Montana, 

United 

States, for 

further 

training in 

different 

aspects of 

filmmaking. 

AFRIFF performers on stage 

AFRIFF 

hosts Kemi 

Lala 

Akindoju 

and TV 

presenter, 

Uti 

Nwachukwu, 

Egbegbe and Toyin, when they were dating 

settled and resolved by the two 

parties amicably,” 

Contrary to the statement of the 

PR people, Potpourri found out 

that the issue was far from being 

resolved. And this was 

corroborated by the Police Public 

Relations Officer, SP Dolapo 

Badmus, who on Wednesday told 

journalists the matter was still 

under investigation. Commenting 

on the initial online denial by 

Egbegbe’s Publicist, the PPRO 

said, “You are aware that he was 

arrested. If an online publication is 

saying he was not arrested, and 

the police said he was arrested, 

which one do you want to believe? 

The case is still under 

investigation. We will properly 

brief the press on the stand of the 

command on the case today 

(Thursday),” she concluded. 

Potpourri also found out he was in 

detention for three days. 

Following the Police 

investigation, Seun was arraigned 

on Thursday before an Ikeja 

Magistrate Court before Magistrate 

Aje Afunwa on a one-count charge 

of stealing. Seun pleaded not 

guilty to the charge but was 

ordered to be remanded in Kirikiri 

prisons, having failed to meet his 

bail conditions. 

Potpourri findings at Computer 

Village 

As a norm in a every criminal 

investigation, the first move is to 

return to the scene of the crime and 

it was exactly what Potpourri did. 

On Thursday, before Seun’s 

arraignment in court, one of our 

reporters who visited the popular 

mobile phones market was greeted 

with silence from everyone he 

sought cooperation in the 

investigation. It was as if, a wall of 

silence had been built since the 

event took place on Tuesday. 

Nobody wanted to talk any more 

on the issue. One concerned 

witness told our reporter to desist 

from asking questions around as 

he might land himself in big 

trouble. Law of Omerta? We soon 

found out there is a sort of order in 

the Computer Village. 

With further probing and some 

deep connection, we got lucky. A 

big fish in the Computer Village 

Association, CAMPAN, talked to 

Potpourri under strict order of 

anonymity. The sourced told us in 

plain words that the case against the 

movie-maker may come to nothing as 

most of the people who could come 

forward as witnesses are either 

involved in the matter or had been 

scared off. He posited that it was not 

the first time the movie-maker had 

scammed somebody in the market, 

saying it is a standard ploy employed 

by scammers to dispossess sellers of 

phones of their phones. 

“The only person that could have 

sealed this case is a guy called 

Assaulted, a phone seller, Seun 

Egbegbe scammed four years ago. 

When Assaulted visited the police 

station to complain he had 

experienced the same thing four years 

ago, claiming Seun obtained phones 

worth over N1.5 million from him, he 

was approached by some Computer 

Village ‘Ikeja Boys’ who told him to 

back off. The ‘Ikeja Boys’ told him not 

to get involved or they would fight 

him. Even the man’s wife had called 

the man to back off because she had 

been receiving threats on phone to 

warn his husband not to make any 

case against Seun. The ‘Ikeja Boys’ 

told Assaulted that they were the ones 

that helped him collected N950k from 

the N1.5 million he was duped. 

The source went on to say the socalled 

“Ikeja Boys” control the 

Computer Village underworld, and it 

is believed that they are in accord 

with Seun Egbegbe. At the court on 

Thursday, these boys openly 

threatened anyone who dared to take 

pictures of the movie-maker being 

escorted into the Prison van. 

“The real truth now is that if Seun is 

convicted, most of the ‘Ikeja Boys’ will 

also have a taste of it because they are 

the unseen hands who receive phones 

from the stolen sources and resell at 

ridiculous prices to phone sellers in 

the Village. Everyone knows this fact 

but there is nothing anyone can do. 

You will hardly find anyone that will 

talk now for fear of being marked by 

these boys. Only our Association can 

do something and I doubt if they will 

want to take up the case for the same 

fear of these boys”, said the source

PAGE 26—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 

Our Supreme Court resurrects; 

leaving behind INEC, etc 

All over the world, the 

continued survival 

of nations is 

premised on the viability of 

societal institutions as every 

such institution strives to 

meet the purpose for which 

it was established. For 

instance, the Post Office 

which is largely despised in 

Nigeria serves elsewhere as 

a tool for national 

development. In the United 

Kingdom, unending 

improvements in 

t e c h n o l o g y 

notwithstanding, service 

delivery in postal services 

has over the years remained 

superb. Citizens can post 

whatever and it is delivered 

safely and with dispatch. 

Indeed, during an election, 

those who donot wish to go 

to voting centres can post 

their ballots and they will 

count, To get Nigerian 

institutions to similarly 

achieve their objectives has 

for longer than makes sense 

been a farce. Interestingly, 

not many support the wakeup 

calls which columns like 

this make to several 

institutions forgetting that 

those which perform well 

like the late Dora Akunyili’s 

NAFDAC are always 

applauded. Hence we hailed 

the Department of State 

Services (DSS) in its arrest 

last month of some high 

ranking Nigerian judges 

accused of corruption. The 

sting operation carried out 

by the DSS has since 

sensitized us all that the war 

against corruption is real 

and that justice for sale in 

Nigeria can be stopped. 

Of course our immediate 

past Chief Justice and others 

who were sermonizing on 

who should discipline 

judges were on their own. If 

a judge joins an armed 

robbery gang and is caught, 

do we send his colleagues in 

the gang to the armed 

robbery tribunal and send 

the judge to the National 

Judicial Council (NJC)? If 

so, why do people say the rule 

of law presupposes that 

everyone is equal before the 

law? Luckily, in his first few 

weeks in office, Justice 

Walter Onnoghen, the 

acting Chief Justice has 

given a new lease of life to 

the Supreme Court. 

Onnoghen and his brothers 

in the apex court have 

stopped Ondo State from 

burning thereby disallowing 

anarchy in Nigeria. The 

court did not only refuse to 

In this new 

environment of 

national resurgence, 

will the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission (INEC) 

be left out? We dare 

say it is likely if the 

commission does not 

dispense with its 

current image which 

looks like that of a 

robot 

disband the 3-man Special 

Panel of the Court of Appeal 

on Ondo, it also dismissed 

the motions to stay 

proceedings of the appellate 

court and ordered that 

counsel to the appellants, 

Chief Beluolisa Nwufor, 

SAN should pay the cost 

awarded from his pocket. 

No one was in doubt that the 

case which was abuse of 

process was a prank to 

create controversy for the 

Ondo governorship 

election. Although some 

analysts expected strong 

reprimand for the Judge 

who foisted Modu Sheriff 

and his faction on society, 

there is no doubt that faith 

in the Judiciary would 

sooner than expected be 

restored if the present 

posture of the Supreme 

Court is maintained. We 

imagine that Onnoghen 

who was bold enough to be 

part of the dissenting 

judgment in the 2007 

convoluted Presidential 

election can sustain the 

current tempo. 

In this new environment 

of national resurgence, will 

the Independent National 

Electoral Commission 

(INEC) be left out? We dare 

say it is likely if the 

commission does not 

dispense with its current 

image which looks like that 

of a robot. It is the duty of 

political parties to 

nominate candidates for 

elections. To ensure that all 

goes well, INEC is 

empowered to monitor 

party primaries. The 

Sheriff faction of the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP) 

claimed to have held one in 

Ibadan, outside Ondo State 

to choose a candidate for 

the Ondo governorship 

elections. The process was 

not monitored by INEC as 

stipulated, yet a court asked 

her to accept a candidate 

that emerged from such a 

nebulous event and INEC 

happily obeyed the order. We 

think that INEC should have 

protested the manifestly 

ridiculous order and indeed 

should have gone on appeal 

on such a matter which is 

likely to adversely affect its 

fragile image. When the 

commission was similarly 

embarrassed in the recent 

edo election with a contrived 

voting date, its initial posture 

of disapproval was 

instructive. To obey court 

order happily is good when 

it resolves cases between 

parties; it is certainly not the 

same as when INEC is asked 

to give a pass mark to a 

candidate who did not write 

its exam. 

What about the police- is 

the new Inspector General 

willing to take the police 

away from the old order in 

which its men openly solicit 

gratification at election 

venues? One question which 

has been asked severally in 

this column that must also 

be answered is why we have 

25,000 police operatives in 

only one state during an 

election and hoodlums still 

vanish with ballot boxes? 

However, we cannot 

continue to ask police or 

other societal institutions to 

play their roles for society to 

develop, if the people who 

desire such developments are 

not be psychologically and 

mentally ready for reforms. 

The week before, the media 

revealed plans by the Edo 

State House of Assembly to 

shortchange the people by 

deploying the scarce 

resources of the state to build 

mansions for the former 

governor and his deputy. A 

few days later, two groups 

were mobilized by the elite 

to demonstrate for and 

against the plan. So, there 

was a group made up of 

many unemployed citizens 

who were on rampage to 

support the shortchange!! 

The subject throws up 2 

issues. First, civil society 

groups need to be 

enlightened about political 

matters which they often 

dabble into. Second, the 

constitutional provisions on 

how citizens should show 

disapproval of the roles 

which their representatives 

play in the legislature ought 

to better illuminated. 

Everyone knows that the 

nation is in recession and 

that many workers are not 

even sure of their salaries. It 

is therefore obvious that 

seeking to build mansions 

for former governor 

especially at this junction is 

anti-people. Legislators who 

support it cannot continue to 

represent the people. 

Section 110 of our 

constitution can be used to 

remove such legislators 

from office. What it requires 

is not just street 

demonstration but a petition 

to INEC signed by 50% of 

voters in the constituencies 

that have lost confidence in 

their legislators. 90 days 

after, there will be a 

referendum in such a 

constituency in which a 

simple majority of the voters 

can remove any affected 

legislator. If this type of 

action is taken, we shall 

achieve the change we desire 

shortly. 

Appearance, reality and 

the idols (5) 

The recent 

unprecedented 

nocturnal raid on the 

residences of Supreme Court 

justices and judges of the 

Federal High Court by the 

Department of State Services 

(DSS) based on allegations of 

corruption has been discussed 

from every angle by Nigerians. 

In my opinion, it is really a 

sad reflection of serious 

intellectual kwashiorkor in 

our universities that two wellknown 

Professors of Law, Yemi 

Osinbajo and Itse Sagay, 

actually endorsed the 

Gestapo-like tactics used by 

DSS operatives around 

midnight sometime in 

October to arrest the topranked 

judicial officers. I am 

not sure they would approve 

the action if it was carried out 

during the administrations of 

late General Sani Abacha or 

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. 

Anyway, their uncritical 

support conforms with the 

growing trend in which senior 

academics who, because they 

occupy high positions in 

government, allow the 

temporary elixir of public 

office to overshadow respect 

for decorum and healthy 

disdain towards brute force 

they ought to have internalised 

while in the university, which 

are the hallmarks of genuine 

intellectuals. Ideally, in 

democratic countries 

worldwide, it is accepted that 

no one is above the law. At the 

same time, there is a venerable 

jurisprudential maxim that an 

accused is presumed innocent 

until proved guilty. There are 

PhD,Department of 

Philosophy, 

University of Lagos 

08116759758 

opuruiche2000@yahoo.com 

laid down procedures for 

dealing with corruption and 

abuse of office by judicial 

officers. In the case we are 

discussing, there is no 

evidence to show that the DSS 

went through all of them and 

failed before storming the 

homes of Justice Sylvester 

Ngwuta and others at a time 

most law-abiding citizens 

were sleeping. Even so, strictly 

speaking, the DSS 

overstepped its legitimate 

bounds by usurping the 

powers of the police and the 

EFCC. Afe Babalola, an 

experienced lawyer and 

Senior Advocate of Nigeria 

(SAN), in a series of essays 

entitled "DSS midnight arrest 

of judges: legal issues and 

recommendations" published 

by Vanguard newspaper, 

correctly questioned the 

legality of the action by the 

DSS and insisted that despite 

the evils and alarming spread 

of corruption in Nigeria, the 

relevant agencies and 

institutions involved in 

combating it must adhere 

strictly to the rule of law and 

due process. The way I see it, 

even if the judges were 

eventually found guilty, it 

would not justify their being 

harassed like common 

criminals trying to evade 

justice. They ought to be 

treated with respect 

commensurate with their 

elevated positions in the 

judiciary, especially 

considering that they are yet 

to be pronounced guilty by a 

competent court of law. Of 

course, the law does not permit 

law enforcement agencies to 

treat accused persons 

inhumanely or infringe on 

their fundamental human 

rights. This aspect of the 

matter seems to escape the 

crowd of vociferous and 

hypocritical holier-than-thou 

supporters of the jackboot 

approach of the government: 

they forgot that arbitrary 

exercise of power opens the 

door to tyranny and the 

wickedness of dictatorship. 

Existing laws against 

corruption are imperfect, no 

doubt; yet they protect the 

citizens from arbitrary use of 

state power and discourage 

chaotic deployment of public 

resources to harass and 

intimidate those who disagree 

with or criticise a sitting 

government. The laws are 

designed to ensure that 

innocent people do not suffer 

unjustly, which implies that 

we should not allow anger 

and indignation towards 

elephantine corruption in 

governance to spill over into 

advocacy of garrison 

methods in dealing with the 

problem. 

Thus far, President Buhari's 

anti-corruption programme 

has achieved far less than he 

promised during his 

campaigns, leading to his 

lamentation that corruption 

is fighting back. But what did 

he expect - that the looters, 

including former governors 

who funded his presidential 

election campaigns, would 

just sit back and let him destroy 

the impressive financial 

empires they built while in 

office? Besides, the 

programme has lost much of 

its appeal because of 

avoidable errors of 

judgement by Buhari and his 

advisers. As I noted earlier, it 

is unduly restricted to 

Jonathan's administration. In 

addition, there is no concrete 

evidence that Buhari is 

interested in robustly probing 

allegations of corruption 

against members of his inner 

circle. Of course, there is the 

issue of lack of transparency 

and accountability in key 

aspects of the programme. 

For example, no one knows 

for sure the identities of those 

who allegedly returned 

money and public assets to 

We must insist that the 

evils of corruption 

should not make us 

support illegalities by 

government using the 

invalid Machiavellian 

argument that "the end 

justifies the means" 

the federal government and 

how much they had returned 

to date. In fact, Buhari did not 

fulfil his promise to name 

those who gave back funds 

and property, fuelling 

speculation that it was to 

protect his political 

benefactors, close friends and 

acolytes. Not surprisingly, 

many agbata ekee politicians 

from other political parties are 

decamping to the ruling 

party because they believe that 

doing so will deflect the EFCC 

from pursuing pending 

corruption cases against 

them. Should a genuine anticorruption 

programme have 

such a self-abnegating effect? 

The method President 

Buhari is using to fight 

corruption will not yield much 

positive result because he is 

attacking symptoms of the 

problem, not its root causes, 

with inefficient tools. The very 

system that makes corruption 

in high places easy and 

profitable still exists, and in 

some cases, has actually 

worsened. For example, the 

Emir of Kano and former 

Central Bank governor, 

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, 

reportedly said that 

incompetent management of 

foreign exchange by 

government encourages 

unprecedented corruption. 

For more effective and 

sustainable battle against 

corruption, there must be a 

paradigm shift in the mindset 

of our so-called leaders: there 

is an urgent need for a moral 

revolution; but Buhari does not 

have the moral and spiritual 

stature of Mahatma Gandhi 

or Nelson Mandela to trigger 

such a revolution. Second, the 

country must be restructured 

according to the provisions in 

the regional constitution of the 

First Republic or even in the 

Aburi Accord of January 1967. 

Unfortunately, the President is 

not even thinking of letting 

power devolve to the 

component parts of the 

federation: he is too wedded 

to the unitarist, commandand-obey 

architectonic retired 

General Yakubu Gowon 

imposed on the country in 

1967 to thwart the secessionist 

eastern region. Since the 

present government, like the 

ones before it that began in 

May 29, 1999, is unwilling to 

take radical steps to change 

the convoluted federal system 

and expensive presidential 

model which breed corruption, 

I am not optimistic about the 

ongoing anti-corruption 

programme. However, if 

eventually between now and 

the end of his presidency in 

May 28, 2019 a tangible 

percentage of high profile 

corruption cases are 

successfully concluded and 

there is noticeable reduction 

in the quantum of money and 

assets stolen from government, 

then one can say that the effort 

is worthwhile. But we must 

insist that the evils of 

corruption should not make us 

support illegalities by 

government using the invalid 

Machiavellian argument that 

"the end justifies the means." 

Corruption can be fought 

decently, legally and justly, 

and those found guilty must 

be severely punished. 

Now, I want to look at 

President Buhari's bias 

against the south east, which 

has reared its ugly big head 

once again in the unjust 

exclusion of the zone in 

projects earmarked for the 

29.96 billion dollars foreign 

loan sought by the federal 

government. It is well known 

that the President is 

discriminating against the 

south east in terms of federal 

projects and appointments in 

critical sectors of our national 

life, perhaps to fulfil his 

pledge to treat different parts 

of the federation according to 

the number of votes he 

received during the election. 

But does it make sense for 

Buhari to discriminate 

against any part of the country 

so blatantly, in a multiply 

plural society such as ours? 

Objectively speaking, despite 

their disastrous defeat in the 

civil war and periodic killings 

in northern Nigeria, Ndigbo 

have demonstrated practically 

more than any other ethnic 

group in Nigeria solid belief 

in the concept of "One 

Nigeria." The Igbo can be 

found in the remotest part of 

the country outside Igboland 

contributing in many ways to 

the overall development of the 

town or rural community 

where they live. Thus, any 

government that treats the 

Igbo unfairly for whatever 

reason is not only alienating 

some of the country's best and 

brightest, it is also 

discouraging the very people 

that take the idea of a united 

Nigerian nation very seriously. 

On this issue, I think the 

President is pandering to the 

Baconian idol of the theatre, 

namely, to the unreasonable 

doctrine of subjugating the 

south to the north formulated 

more than half a century ago 

by the arch feudalist and 

imperialist, late Alhaji 

Ahmadu Bello. 

To be continued.


By Mike Ebonugwo 

Lagos State governor, 

Akinwunmi Ambode, is 

certainly no stranger to 

televised interviews having featured 

in several before and since being 

elected into office. But when the 

governor appeared as a guest in the 

live recording for the maiden edition 

of Lagos Global on TV, it certainly 

elicited more than passing curiousity 

and interest. 

With an improvised studio setting 

inside the Lagos House Alausa Ikeja 

venue of the programme recording, 

Ambode was for over two hours virtually 

at the mercy of the television crew and 

the presenter as he responded to 

different questions while a studio 

audience, drawn mainly from the 

business sector, cheered or applauded 

as the interview session progresed. 

Apart from the governor, the 

recording programme also featured as 

a guest, Professor Ademola Abass, the 

Special Adviser to the Governor, Office 

of Overseas Affairs and Investment. For 

the duo it was another opportunity to 

speak and further educate Lagosians, 

and indeed Nigerians, on what the 

administration is doing to realise its 

vision of creating an investmentfriendly 

Lagos State, especially under 

the auspices of the Office of Overseas 

Affairs and Investment which the 

governor established May last year in 

fulfillment of one of his election 

promises. 

Remarkably this is not a one-off 

opportunity as viewers will have the 

opportunity to hear and learn more, 

through the Lagos Global TV, of the 

numerous investment opportunities that 

exist in Lagos and what the government 

is doing to promote investment by 

creating the enabling environment. 

The new television programme, which 

will run for 26 weeks, will, for now, air 

on Television Continental, TVC, and 

Lagos Television, LTV. 

Explaining the consideration that 

informed his decision to establish of the 

Office of Overseas Affairs and 

Investment, Governor Ambode said 

one of his priorities was to see “how to 

improve on the ease of doing business 

in Lagos and I also believe that we 

needed to carry out some kind of public 

sector reforms to drive the vision which 

we had actually set for ourselves and 

we needed to also have a kind of 

structure and institutional framework 

that would drive the vision. 

The vision is very simple: we want a 

safer, cleaner and a more prosperous 

Lagos and one of the structures 

would be if we want to tackle the 

issue of bureaucracy in the civil 

service. And without actually 

competing with the Federal 

Government, we needed to find a 

place where our foreign investors, 

foreign business men will come in 

without going from one ministry to 

the other, ... we needed to have a 

24/7 one-stop shop office where we 

can drive investment, especially 

where our businessmen can 

actually walk into and get 

everything that they need. In going 

about that, we decided to come up 

with the office of Oversees Affairs 

and Investment, otherwise known 

as Lagos Global. It is designed to 

serve as one-stop shop to facilitate 

local and international 

investments.” 

On his part, Abass informed that 

the TV programme to run every 

week is intended to help Lagosians 

know what the state government is 

doing in terms of how it is driving 

and generating investments and 

creating job opportunities. He 

added that though it will be 

showing for now on TVC and LTV, 

How Lagos emerged fif 

ifth 

larges 

gest t economy y in Africa 

•We will consolidate —Ambode 

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (middle) with Prof. Ademola Abass (right) and Presenter, Temitope Oluseyi 

Oshin (left) during the maiden edition of Lagos Global on TV at the Banquet Hall, Lagos House, Ikeja. 

We are running on a 

tripod of security, job 

creation and 

improvement of 

infrastructure. If Lagos is 

safe, more businessmen 

will do business and 

more investments will 

come to Lagos, thereby 

creating more jobs and 

growing our Gross 

Domestic Products 

“by the grace of God by next year 

we will add another one or two 

channels” and will retain the 

current format of studio audience 

participation. He explained that 

in the matter of ranking Lagos 

and Kano are critical, with Lagos 

having the edge. He buttressed 

this by informing that Lagos was 

recently pronounced the fifth 

largest economy in Africa. “So, 

it's no longer a guess work; that 

means if Lagos today were to be 

country, we're the fifth largest 

economy in Africa,'' he said, 

adding that it presently has a 

Gross Domestic Product that is 

bigger than those of Kenya and 

Ghana combined. 

With regards to Lagos Global, 

he had this to say: “Primarily our 

focus or aim is to drive 

investment. As a government we 

have no business running 

business. Our business is to 

create an enabling environment 

for the the private sector to 

partner with government. “Lagos 

Global aims to ensure that 

investors who desire to invest in 

Lagos enjoy a seamless and 

hurdle-free experience. At Lagos 

Global, we aim to provide firstclass 

service delivery to 

investors, right from the point of 

initial enquiry down to the 

setting and running of 

businesses in Lagos State. Our 

goal is to eliminate difficulties 

with multi-agency handling of 

investments”. 

Providing the background to 

this arrangement, Ambode had 

explained: “We are running on a 

tripod of security, job creation 

and improvement of 

infrastructure. If Lagos is safe, 

more businessmen will do 

business and more investments 

will come to Lagos, thereby 

creating more jobs and growing 

our Gross Domestic Products”. 

He added that the state was 

willing to partner with investors 

who would add value to the 

people. According to him: “...Our 

administration has resolved not 

to be the sole driver of the public 

enterprise, but rather be an 

enabler, facilitator and regulator, 

while the private sector drives 

the economy. Our focus therefore 

is a win-win scenario where the 

private sector makes profitable 

returns on investment and the 

government continues to focus on 

providing quality and improved 

public services to the citizenry in 

partnership with the private 

sector”. 

Waxing optimistic on account of 

the positive results already 

recorded, he said this became 

possible through the reforms 

already carried out, especially in 

the judicial and security sectors. 

“...It is gratifying that the modest 

and concerted efforts are yielding 

positive outcomes as the state 

economy has continued to 

expand rapidly with top-notch 

local and foreign investors 

making new commitments in bus 

services, retail outlets and hotels, 

amongst others. We have been 

having the rule of law properly 

upheld in the state in the last 16 

months and when you put all the 

reforms together, that is the main 

thrust of what you can now say 

confidently that we have created 

an enabling environment for 

investors and they are now 

coming into Lagos in droves. The 

FDI(foreign direct investment) 

that we have attracted into Lagos 

in the last 16 months is greater 

than what we have been having 

in the last 10 years.” 

Responding to a question from a 

member of the studio audience, the 

governor said: “Primarily, our 

business is to create enabling 

environment for business to thrive. 

We can sometimes waive some 

charges like land charges, 

depending on how impactful the 

investment is to the people of the 

state. This administration has 

deployed technology to bring about 

seamless service delivery while 

scaling up the identity card scheme 

for data, economic and financial 

planning. 

“But, we need infrastructure to make 

it happen. We are limited by resources 

and we cannot increase taxes, but with 

more funds from taxes, we can do 

better. The N25 billion Empowerment 

Trust Fund is not for big investors but 

SMEs and the youth. Our ID card 

project will be for planning and 

accessing government services. The 

contract has been awarded. However, 

we need to know the real census 

figure of the state as well as those 

going in and out of the state. 

“There is no government money 

anywhere. What we get as tax is what 

we use to create services. The more 

efficiently we collect the taxes, and 

the more willingness of the people to 

pay, the better for us. I urge 

investors to see Lagos is on the 

rise and the future of Nigeria rests 

in her commercial capital, which 

is Lagos”. 

He also stated that reforms in the 

transport sector have reduced 

travel time, thereby making 

Lagosians more productive. 

“Again, our civil service has been 

very responsible. Our judicial 

sector reform has been effective 

with the rule of law respected. 

Investors are coming in droves...,” 

he said. 

Responding to a question on the 

prevailing poor energy situation, he 

pointed out: “We need energy 

security to protect the investment. But 

we're not in position to drive our 

energy need. But we're discussing 

and collaborating with the DISCOs 

to come up with a new roadmap and 

have set up an advisory council on 

petroleum supply. I don't want to preempt 

that council; in another few 

weeks they will come out with their 

report. Energy security of our 

economy is the way to go”.


08116759757 

– Omene, Urhobo leader 

By Yinka Ajayi 

14-YR-OLD ESE ORURU 

How we foiled 

plot to scuttle 

trial of suspect 

in child-bride’s 

abduction 

•Speaks on alleged 

N1.2bn Jonathan election 

money for Urhobo 

Chief Joe Omene is the 

President General, 

Urhobo Progress Union, 

UPU, Worldwide. He is also the 

National President of Okotie-Eboh 

Grammar School Old Boys 

Association, Sapele, Delta State. 

In this interview, Omene bares his 

mind on the union’s forthcoming 

election, the N1.2b allegedly given 

to him by the former President 

Goodluck Jonathan, during UPU 

leaders visit to Aso Rock and 

endorsement of governorship 

candidate during the 2015 general 

elections. 

Can you tell us some of your 

major challenges since you 

assumed office about three years 

ago? 

I am not the kind who will give 

excuses for not being able to achieve 

my goals. But my challenges are 

numerous; when you are in such a 

sensitive position, you may have 

offended one or two persons, but my 

priority has been Urhobo interest 

which I took oath to protect. Apart 

from that, there was this challenge 

of the unity of Urhobo nation, and by 

the grace of God we are united, 

mostly the average Urhobo man. As 

a union, we are doing the much we 

can to unite Urhobos, both at home, 

across the country and those living 

outside the country, in order to see 

that we are one 

. 

What will you mention that you 

have achieved so far? 

Despite the challenges, l have done 

well by ensuring that the Urhobo 

nation is heard in all parts of the 

country. If you mention Urhobo just 

like the Afenifere, Ndigbo and the 

Arewa, people now know that the 

Urhobo nation is existing and this 

came about because of the publicity 

in the country and outside. UPU 

today is no longer UPU yesterday, 

because people in government and 

in the business world now know the 

Urhobo nation. When our daughter, 

Ese Oruru, a 14-year old girl, was 

abducted and taken away, we were 

able to do everything possible to assist 

the parents to see that she was 

brought back and during the trial of 

the suspected abductors, when our 

brothers in the country, the Hausa, 

Fulanis tried to sweep the issue under 

the carpet, trying to frustrate the 

process, we provided legal assistance 

through UPU National Secretary, 

who is a SAN to appear for the girl. 

We showed solidarity despite the fact 

that the parents are not based in 

Urhoboland. 

Again, I was able to go everywhere 

Urhobo man is around the world, 

and, before l came on board, the 

union was having less down thirty 

UPU branches within and outside 

Nigeria, but presently, we have about 

70 branches across the world and 

more branches will emerge. And this 

is being pursued in order to make 

our people feel the impact of the 

union that has been in existence for 

over 80 years ago. After establishing 

these branches, I keep in touch with 

them and in doing this l have visited 

branches in the United Kingdom, 

Asia, with headquarters in Malaysia, 

Ghana and even Burkina Faso and 

l can tell you they were all happy 

seeing me. 

There were allegations against 

the union over the support for one 

Urhobo son against the other during 

the 2015 general elections. What is 

your reaction? 

When you look at the support we 

•Omene 

gave, it was not based on political 

consideration. We ex-rayed 

everything and considered how it will 

benefit Urhobo nation. At the 

governorship level, we supported 

Labour Party; at the presidential, we 

supported PDP. Initially, we didn’t 

want to support anybody or party. 

All we wanted to do was to preach 

peace so that the election could come 

and go peacefully, without rancor. 

But the people who say crucify him 

today, are the same people who came 

and pushed UPU to support a 

particular person or party. We were 

on our own, when leaders and elders 

forum of UPU came and said 

Urhobo man must be governor and 

UPU must do something. So, we 

worked out the modalities to ensure 

that all the political parties present 

Urhobo as their candidates. 

We went to Abuja to meet Dr. 

Goodluck Jonathan, Chief E.K. 

Clark, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to 

appeal to them and they agreed that 

the governor should come from 

Urhobo, but it was same Urhobo 

politicians that, at the last minutes, 

sabotaged the effort because of 

personal interest. After we have 

missed that, we came and resolved 

to support a governorship candidate 

between Labour Party, Chief Great 

Ogboru and APC, Chief O’tega 

Emerhor. And we asked them to go 

and do their campaign, but one day, 

the same UPU elders came again to 

say UPU should not allow two of her 

sons to contest, that one should step 

down for the other. 

They said we should endorse 

Ogboru because he was more 

popular than Emerhor; what about 

presidential. They said Jonathan was 

it because the Afenifere, Ndigbo, Ijaw 

and everybody in the South-south 

were supporting him. We told them 

that we should consult further. We 

now invited the President-Generals 

of the various 24 kingdoms led by 

Dr. Obakponovwe, the elders and 

leaders led by Justice Dugbo, the 

Ewheya (women) of UPU, the youths 

wing and they all said we should 

support Ogboru for governor and 

Jonathan for president apart from 

the clergy forum which said UPU 

could support any one between them. 

After due consultations, the UPU 

executive met and voted and four of 

the members of the exco went in 

favour of Chief O’tega Emerhor and 

APC, the other ten members 

Save our businesses from collapse, hoteliers beg Ambode 

Hoteliers in Lagos State have 

appealed to Governor 

Akinwumi Ambode to grant 

them tax relief in order to save their 

businesses from imminent collapse 

as a result of the present economic 

challenges and multiple taxation. 

Making the appeal, President, 

Lagos Hoteliers Association, Aare 

Tola Odunuga, lamented that 

multiple taxes by different agencies 

of government including local 

governments are having crippling 

effects on his members’ operations. 

“We are calling on his excellency, 

Governor Akinwumi Ambode, to use 

his good office to intervene in our 

case. We want the governor, as a 

matter of urgency, to help save our 

businesses from the present 

economic challenges and imminent 

collapse by ensuring that all taxes 

we are paying should be 

harmonized into one. The present 

arrangement where we pay taxes on 

some items to state and local 

government, and even at times 

Federal Government is untidy. We 

want these taxes to be harmonized 

into one. We also want to make 

special appeal to him to reduce 

Consumption Tax from 5 percent 

to 2.5 percent,” Odunuga declared. 

While saluting Ambode’s 

management acumen and his 

realistic approach to governance, 

•Aare Tola Odunuga, 

President, Hoteliers 

Association of Nigeria, 

Lagos State chapter 

the association boss noted that his 

members pay about 24 different 

taxes some of which are 

overlapping. 

“We believe that our members 

Officers of FRSC with Pastor Danjuma Tafawa Balewa and wife, 

(middle) during a service in commemoration of 2016 Africa/ World 

Safety Day of Rememberance for road traffic crash victims at the 

Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Cornerstone Parish, 

Okota. 

are partners with the government in 

creating job opportunities but in a 

situation where we are paying 24 

different taxes, this is not only too 

much but are also capable of 

sending us out of business. Some of 

these taxes which are overlapping 

and which are being collected from 

our members by the Federal, State, 

and Local governments include 

Company Tax, Value Added Tax, 

Hotel License, Personal Income 

Tax, Environment Impact 

Assessment, Parking Permits, Waste 

Water Killing Request, Land Use 

Charge, Radio and TV Permit 

among a host of others. We also 

appeal to the governor to exempt 

us from payment of Consumption 

Tax on Drinks and Foods”, he 

added. 

Expressing the determination of 

members of the association to 

cooperate with the governor in his 

vision to take Lagos to the next 

level, Odunuga said: 

“We are ready to partner with him 

supported Ogboru and PDP, which 

now divided the UPU, since it was 

four against ten. Out of those four, 

one now declared himself as acting 

President-General. 

What would you say about the 

N1.2b alleged to have given to you 

by President Goodluck Jonathan? 

Before we went to visit Goodluck 

Jonathan, I had done some research 

work and noticed that there was 

about 16 political appointments 

given to Delta State out of which 14 

went to Delta North, two to Ijaw 

nation, but none to Urhobo, Isoko 

and Itsekiri and I was able to get the 

names of these 16 beneficiaries. I 

immediately went to the press to cry 

out. So, Jonathan decided to invite 

us for consultations and assured us 

that he will give a position to Urhobo. 

Orubebe resigned, we now got a 

ministerial appointment; if we had 

not complained, Dr. Steve Oru would 

have been minister. 

While Jonathan was speaking to 

us, I told him that I will love to have 

about 10 minutes audience and he 

granted it, because you cannot talk 

bad of somebody in his presence. But 

before we finished talking, it was 

more than 10mins. I told the President 

like we published in the papers, why 

all the appointment he gave to Delta, 

there was non-Urhobo and we gave 

you the highest votes? He opened up 

that it wasn’t deliberate, that until I 

cried out, he did not know such 

numbers of appointment had gone 

to Delta North through the ministry 

of finance and economic 

development and the minister in 

charge happened to be from Delta 

North. 

in his quest to transform Lagos State 

into Dubai of Africa.” 

The hoteliers’ Chairman enjoined 

the state government to call to order 

some of the consultants hired to 

collect taxes from hoteliers and 

other business operators in the state 

over their alleged high-handedness 

and extortion. 

He said: 

“Some of the consultants have 

become a bone in the throat of 

hoteliers. They extort our members 

at will and, if you refuse to dance to 

their tune, they will threaten our 

members with closure of their 

business premises. At times in order 

to make money from us, they will 

tell a member that he is due to pay 

N800,000 as annual tax to the state 

government, but that they will 

reduce it by half, and that he will 

pay N200,000 to the government 

coffers, and the other N200,000 

goes into their private pockets. 

Many of the consultants are 

extortionists, we are tired of them.” 

Yuletide: FRSC tasks road users 

on safety 

BY LUCKY OJI 

The Federal Road Safety 

Corps, FRSC, has admonished 

road users to be safety conscious 

in order to have an accident-free 

yuletide season 

The unit commander, RS2.111, 

Isolo, Assistant Corps Commander, 

ACC, Hauwa Olowookere 

made this known during a 

thanksgiving service in commemoration 

of 2016 Africa/ World 

Safety Day of Rememberance for 

road traffic crash victims at the 

Redeemed Christian Church of 

God, RCCG, Cornerstone Parish, 

Okota, Lagos by Ikotun and Isolo 

units of the corps. 

According to the unit commander: 

“On 26 October 2005, 

the United Nations endorsed a 

global day, every third Sunday 

in November each year as a major 

advocacy day for road traffic 

injury prevention with WHO encouraging 

governments around 

the world to commemorate this 

day. Africa adopted the day and 

Nigeria, through the FRSC has 

maintained this tradition since 

then”. 

According to her, the FRSC as 

the lead agency in road traffic and 

safety management in Nigeria 

has the statutory responsibilities 

of making the roads safe for all 

users, thereby safe guarding lives 

and property of citizens as well 

as ensuring co-ordination between 

federal, states and local 

governments in achieving road 

safety targets.


By PRISCA SAM-DURU 

EXHIBITION 

Women numbering close to 

50, exhibited one form of 

art and craft or the other at the 

maiden edition of the annual 

Association for the Advancement 

of Women in Culture, AA-WIC’S 

Public Lecture and exhibition 

held penultimate Wednesday. 

The level of professionalism 

displayed in the works exhibited 

is an indication that women's 

place can never be limited to the 

kitchen and bedroom alone. 

There stunning works showcased 

their relevance in the country’s 

bid to diversify her economy as 

well as assisting in the up-keep of 

the home especially during this 

period of recession. 

The objects exhibited during the 

AA-WIC event held at the Cinema 

Hall 1 of the National Theatre, 

Lagos, ranged from visual art, 

fashion, beautifully crafted beads, 

locally made adire, Aso oke 

and much more. They decorated 

the outside walls of the Hall in 

such a way that it added glamour 

to the ambience of the event. The 

decors however, caused heavy 

traffic as women and guests 

admired and patronised the 

exhibitors. 

AA-WIC, initiated by Mrs 

Bidgette Yerima, is designed to 

By JAPHET ALAKAM 

REVIEW 

The absence of peace the 

world over has led to many 

terrific acts that had affected 

human beings. Peace is very 

important because if there is 

violence people can die...and no 

one would like to loose their lives 

and loose their loved ones!if there 

is peace the world will be a much 

better place to live and there will 

be development in all areas. But, 

a critical look around the world 

shows the opposite and that is why 

people are crying for peace and 

harmony. Many writers have 

come up with books that preach 

peace, and as part of his 

contribution to that, Pastor 

Aderemi Folasayo, a preacher and 

ordained minister of God, who is 

in the business of propagating the 

gospel of God came up with a 

book titled Harmony of Human 

Nature. 

The 253 page book published 

by Soloj Resources Ventures Ltd 

addresses the need for peace in 

our world; peace among people 

and particularly, peace within the 

heart. It emphasizes peace within 

and with oneself. That whether in 

individuals or among people; 

whether within the heart or across 

boundaries, peace is beautiful. 

And that its beauty becomes more 

striking when achieved across 

relationships; through joint effort. 

Segmented into 10 chapters, the 

seasoned man of God who was led 

by revelation tries to look at ways 

by which the world can achieve 

peace and live in harmony. 

According to him, peace won’t just 

come; there must be deliberate 

actions towards achieving it. 

Using the peaceful outcome of 

human nature working in a 

harmonious state as a basis for 

discussion on the subject matter, 

the author points out that every 

joint effort for peace speaks of 

healthy togetherness. The kind of 

togetherness that brings out the 

very beauty of Nature. For clarity, 

it draws extensively from efforts 

Remodelling women's socio-political, cultural 

impact for devt 

bring together, women in the art 

and culture and other related 

bodies, hence, it serves as a 

platform that enables women to 

deliberate on issues affecting the 

various industries under its 

purview. The platform also helps 

create employment by training 

talented women and girls so as 

to boost their works. Members 

of the group are also afforded 

The level of 

professionalism 

displayed in the 

works showcased is 

an indication that 

women's place can 

never be limited to 

the kitchen 

the opportunity to contribute 

positively to national 

development. 

Themed, “Nigerian Women in 

Development: A Rethink of the 

Socio-Political and Cultural 

•Guests going through the works 

Imperatives”, the acassion served 

largely as an opportunity to 

showcase the beauty of women’s 

traditional attires made from the 

popular ankara fabrics, as guests 

and organisers appeared radiant 

in their different styles. 

The cultural performance by the 

Lagos State Council for Arts and 

culture was one display that blew 

the minds of everyone present. It 

was energetic, well coordinated 

and well thought-out, forcing 

applause and cheers from the 

audience. 

Nigeria’s wave making 

comedian, Helen Paul took the 

centre stage and what happened 

is best experienced than heard. 

Of course she advised against 

relegating the women to the 

kitchen and bedroom. 

Speaking on the topic, 

“Nigerian Women in 

Development: A Rethink of the 

Socio-Political and Cultural 

Peace: Folasayo’s wake up call to all 

generations 

that have been expended on the 

subject of peace by people of all 

ages. 

From chapter 1 tagged 

Together for peace-The beauty 

of harmony in nature to the end, 

the author highlights the 

importance of peace. Peace is 

so vital in existence that people 

search for it in many ways, to 

the extent that they even do 

abominable things to get it, but 

the more they search for it, the 

more they realise that they are 

far from the peace of God. 

In the subsequent chapters, the 

author examines the various 

ways to achieve peace and 

advises that no organism or 

machine can have optimal 

production without being at 

peace with itself and by 

By ELIZABETH UWANDU 

MUSIC 

As part of moves to 

immortalize the Nigerian 

legend and Lady of Songs, 

Christy Essien Igbokwe, a 

special event tagged 2016 

Christy Essien Igbokwe 

Memorial Evening, the first of 

such an event, five years after her 

demise was held at the 

Metropolitan Club, Victoria 

Island. 

The event which was also used 

to celebrate the 56th 

posthumous birthday of the 

celebrated music icon, who died 

at the prime age of 50 was 

attended by many dignitaries, 

musicians, music lovers, 

especially fans of the late music 

icon. 

Speaking at the event, Mr 

Edwin Igbokwe, husband of the 

late music icon said that his wife 

is still alive. “My wife Christy is 

not dead but lives in our house. 

She is with us and very happy at 

what we are doing.” 

Harmony of Human Nature, 

Aderemi Folasayo, Soloj 

Resources Ventures Ltd, 

Onipanu, Lagos, 2016, PP.253. 

extension with others. He then 

suggest that people should learn 

to live and run their lives 

according to the fear of God as 

if they continue to do it their own 

way, chaos will continue. He also 

cautions those who use religion 

to advance their ungodly and 

nefarious actions to desist as they 

will not get genuine peace 

through that. 

The book also focuses on the 

need for the components of the 

human nature to relate to one 

another through the authority of 

the scriptures. Here, all the 

multidimensional law of 

relationship must be at work, the 

man himself, the environment he 

lives and others, as the desired 

peace could not be found unless 

nature’s elements are working 

harmoniously. 

The author also talks about 

Imperatives”, Guest Speaker, 

Professor Mabel Evwierhoma 

harped on the need for the country 

to centralise women’s concerns 

through various women-centred 

groups so as to better the lives of 

its citizenry. 

Prof Evwierhoma lamented that 

social inequalities exist between the 

sexes in the public service where 

women were restricted to certain job 

spheres or ‘arena’ in the service 

while men are given the freedom to 

explore all the cadres available...” 

She advised women to set up 

organisational structures to 

engender development, facilitate 

democratic imperatives and 

replicate such associations or their 

branches across Nigeria. 

She emphasised on skill 

acquisition and proper mentoring 

of women to make their relevance 

felt more in the society, stressing 

that, “Women should push for 

African sophistication and divert 

the thinking of the younger 

generation of women to the 

reliability of culture as a means of 

retooling our social systems. 

Women are germane to culture 

administration, they help to create 

and add value to the Nigerian 

culture architecture.” 

peace and rest. Here he points out 

that to achieve such state in life, 

man must cease to look from 

negative influences of external 

forces. Human beings must 

interact as it is not good to live in 

isolation, but they must be careful 

of the type of union they join. 

Finally, the author enjoins his 

readers to look into the word of 

God and follow the footsteps of 

those who have done everything 

possible to see that peace reign on 

earth. Though there will be 

challenges, but if they stand till 

the end, God will reward them and 

give them perfect peace. 

According to the author, “the 

book is a wake up call to all lovers 

of peace in my generation, to 

individuals and groups of men 

who love the lifestyle of peace and 

in particular to fellow Christians 

who will not want to wake up one 

day and be forced to embrace a 

religion against their wish.” I 

recommend to all. 

Lady of Songs, Christy Essien lives on 

According to him, the memorial 

event, set the tune towards 

immortalising her awesome 

legacy as a true African 

songstress, actress, Lady of Songs, 

an adorable mother and wife, and 

a philanthropist with a large 

heart for children and the less 

privileged (whom she assisted 

through her foundation in many 

ways, including directly paying 

school fees for most of them at 

secondary and tertiary 

institutions). 

He added, “To sum her essence, 

Christy Essien Igbokwe was an 

Amazon with a spiritual heart 

for God, where she draws 

inspiration from. She is very 

dedicated and strives towards 

attaining excellence, using her 

special skills to generate joy to 

mankind. 

Born on November 11, 1960 in 

Okat, Onna LGA of Akwa Ibom 

State, Christy Essien, as popularly 

known by her musical fans or 

•Late Christy Essien Igbokwe 

as Apena by lovers of Nigerian 

soap operas in the 70s and 80s 

was an icon, a superstar, a legend 

and Nigeria’s beloved lady of 

songs. 

On her part, Honorable Abike 

Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special 

Adviser to the President on 

Diaspora Affairs described 

Christy Essien as a lady with a 

transforming power, saying, 

“Everything she touched turned 

gold; things worked when she 

stepped in.” 

“She was a legend who had set 

standard in the entertainment 

world. She was a multi-talented 

super-super. She is never going to 

die; with all her achievements. She 

is a legend. She led a good life and 

her legacy lives on forever. We 

must all join hands to support the 

foundation,” she added. 

At the event were foremost 

celebrities including Onyeka 

Onwenu, Dr. Tee-Mac Omatsola 

Iseli; Laolu Akins, Lorraine 

Okotie and Rev. Cynthia Okobi 

(both of whom represented Pastor 

Chris Okotie) and TV personnel, 

Mr. Bisi Olatilo. 

Other dignitaries at the event 

included Mr. Ted Iwere,Dr. and 

Mrs. Austin Izagbo, who put the 

guests through her awesome 

legacies and Dr. Gladys Makoju 

who delivered a very befitting 

citation, among others. Also a 

sensational artiste, Faith Okoh, 

livened up the event with her 

electrifying rendition of Christy 

Essien songs. 

•Continues on page 30


By JAPHET ALAKAM 

REVIEW 

Music is the greatest 

creation of man, which 

touches the soul and also helps 

man to sympathetically manifest 

unspoken desire and humanity in 

him. In fact, music can best be 

described as wonderful force that 

is capable of bonding people 

together and instituting 

international brotherhood, love 

as well as peace. But, one issue 

that has been bordering the 

minds of many, especially music 

teachers/lovers is the scarcity of 

literature on popular music 

studies. 

And it was the need to provide 

a fresh perspective on its 

importance that Ikenna 

Emmanuel Onwuegbuna, a 

musician and music lecturer at 

Department of Music, University 

of Nigeria, Nsukka came up with 

a new book entitled , “Trends in 

African Popular Music: Socio- 

Cultural Interactions and the 

Reggae Genre in Nigeria”. 

The 132 page book published 

by Xlibris was inspired by the 

author’s decades of involvement 

with the performance and 

teaching of music and his desire 

to produce a dependable piece of 

literature in popular music 

pedagogy. 

The six chapter well researched 

book traces and chronicles the 

trends in African popular music 

By SIMON IBE 

REVIEW 

It is not always that we find a 

work of literary art being 

used to dispassionately dissect 

contemporary economic and 

social issues the way Dr. Abraham 

Nwankwo has done, using his 

book, Through The Storm . 

An accomplished Economist, 

Nwankwo found a way to use this 

well crafted drama, that was first 

published in 2011 (well before the 

phenomenon called recession 

became pronounced in Nigeria in 

its present excruciating form) to 

discuss the current crisis in the 

country’s economy as well as 

other nagging social issues. 

The compact and gripping story 

that is told in Seven Acts, in 94 

pages of excellent dialogue, 

opens with an apt explanation of 

recession, which is causing 

consternation across the country: 

“… So if the economy is in 

recession, it could lead to distress 

in the banking sector, because 

companies that have borrowed 

are more likely to default. Inflow 

of new deposits will slow down 

and the banks will find it more 

difficult to meet up with cash 

withdrawals …” and ends with 

the sorry story of what can 

happen in a country where there 

is no functional health insurance 

scheme - a woman in the hospital 

that cannot go home after 

delivering her baby because her 

husband is in Police detention, 

waiting for money to be paid to 

secure his bail so that he can come 

out of detention to look for money 

to pay so that the hospital can 

discharge his wife. 

The main character in the play 

is Jacob Ako, a poorly paid 

lecturer who needs a better 

paying job to be able to take care 

of his family. He contacts his old 

school mate, Chief Marinzo Uko, 

the owner of a group of 

companies that is into foreign 

exchange business and 

importation of spare parts. The 

Onwuegbuna provides fresh perspective on 

the importance of music 

– an acculturative product of 

African folk music. It inspects 

along the lines of musical and 

social processes as an 

inseparable pair to see the 

development of various genres 

stemmed from such an eclectic 

musical form. 

According to him, “It is popular 

music that most people turn to as 

a representation of self-identity; 

the book therefore helps us 

understand the role African 

popular musical culture— 

including its origins, 

developments and future 

trends—plays in the human 

society.” 

The author focuses on popular 

music, since he believes that this 

represents the voice of the people, 

In all, the book 

reveals the 

connection between 

currently popular 

African music and 

the strings that wrap 

culture,economy and 

society 

combining a musician’s 

understanding of music with a 

musicologist’s perspective on 

how music impacts society and 

vice versa. 

In chapter 1, tagged Prelude, the 

author as a professional pop 

musician who has operated from 

both sides of non-literate and 

literate musical performance 

over three decades explains the 

rationale and justified it by the 

fact the musical and social 

processes have received only a 

cursory attention in the hands of 

scholars. 

Chapter two looks at the sociocultural 

interactions. Here, he 

takes comprehensive and 

insightful look at the origin and 

development of different music 

genres. He traces the dramatic 

transformations, especially 

through urbanization and 

industrialization that brought 

about changes that disrupted 

traditional attitudes, lifestyles 

and forms of artistic expression 

and patronage, while creating 

new urban social class with 

musical taste. 

In chapter three, the author 

defines popular music as the 

totality of those musics with 

diverse styles that have developed 

Trends in African Popular 

Music; Ikenna Emmanuel 

Onwuegbuna; Xlibris, 

Bloomington, USA: 2015; PP. 

132 

from artistic manipulations and 

fusions of musical activities of 

distant cultures, times and 

practices. He also provides the 

stylistic, sociological, processbased 

and theory based 

definitions and what African 

Popular music is. 

The Reggae genre, its history 

and etymology, the growth and 

spread of the genre, the 

development of the various genre 

like Roots Reggae, Dub, Rockers 

Deploying drama to discussion of recession and other 

critical issues 

business is in distress and in debts 

of N100million and needs Jacob’s 

management know-how to turn it 

around. 

When Jacob arrives Lagos to 

resume, he finds out the hard way, 

that restructuring an ailing 

organization has its risks and that 

corruption always fights back. 

Sama, the face of corruption in 

Chief Marinzo’s company plans 

to kill him, by bombing his hotel 

room, for using the restructuring 

exercise he embarks upon to block 

the avenues through which he, 

Sama, had been defrauding the 

company. 

Though innocent, Jacob is 

detained, for the bomb blast in the 

hotel and later for a debt the 

company owes. He is detained 

under horrible conditions and 

recounts in graphic details what 

happens in Police cells and 

detention facilities and confesses 

that: “These people… are 

heartless, soulless.” 

Dr. Nwankwo, the Director 

General of Debt Management 

Office, DMO, has written other 

celebrated books and highly 

acclaimed articles on the 

management of the nation’s 

economy, especially on how to 

tackle the consequences of over 

dependence on crude oil export 

The incredibly 

engaging book 

has a lot of 

lessons for both 

leaders and the 

led in Nigeria, 

Africa and 

beyond 

Through The Storm (Drama) 

; Abraham Nwankwo; Evans 

Publishers; 2011; PP.94 

revenue, which is the cause of the 

present recession being faced by 

the country. 

That he highlighted the issue of 

recession in the opening lines of 

Through The Storm can be 

considered visionary, given that 

the book was first published long 

before the wind of recession 

started buffeting the country‘s 

economy. That he used Chief 

Marinzo, whose company is into 

foreign exchange business and 

importation as a major actor in 

the play is also a way of 

communicating the fact that the 

country must de-emphasis 

importation and focus on 

production, especially agrobased 

production and export of 

goods manufactured in the 

country so as to earn foreign 

exchange. 

Also very crucial is the point 

made through the engagement of 

Jacob by Marinzo to restructure 

his company using a 

‘sophisticated management’ 

system. It is a message that 

when a company or country‘s 

economy has grown to become 

big or ‘complex’ or when there is 

economic crisis, there must be 

resort to economic experts who 

can apply what Marinzo called 

“modern management system 

that can neatly tie up and exploit 

our potentials,” and who can plug 

loopholes created by fraudsters 

and corrupt officials as Jacob did 

in Marinzo’s company. 

The reaction of Jacob’s wife, 

Adarly, when told by her husband 

that he had accepted Marinzo’s 

job and was going to restructure 

the company is also instructive:. 

She expresses fear that such jobs 

are dangerous or risky because 

workers almost always see it as 

avenue to retrench them and 

therefore often fight back. 

The current process of 

restructuring Nigeria’s economy 

away from consumption and 

import dependence to production 

and export, and the attempts 

being made to plug the holes 

drilled by corruption cannot be 

without stiff resistance. 

That is one of the major 

messages being passed on by this 

loaded book. The managers of the 

economy must not be intimidated 

but must, courageously forge 

ahead with the restructuring and 

diversification agenda as well as 

•Continued from page 29 

Commenting on the future 

events, the Chief Executive 

Officer of Best of the World, Mrs. 

Joy Chinwokwu, whose 

organisation initiated the effort 

to immortalise the legend, 

explained that the 2016 event is 

a prelude to the planned Annual 

Christy Essien Igbokwe Evening 

of Songs and Dance and will hold 

on every November 11, to mark 

the songstress’ posthumous 

birthday. 

She noted that arrangements 

Reggae etc. The modern trends in 

Reggae music, nature and 

features of Reggae and others are 

well documented in chapter four. 

Chapter five takes a critical 

look at the Nigerian Reggae scene 

from the various periods, between 

1960 and 1980, between 1980 

and 2000 and the Nigerian 

Reggae in the present millennium 

and various artistes that 

dominated the scenes like EC 

Arinze, Orlando Owoh, Joe Nez 

down to Sonny Okosuns, Keni-St- 

George Ozoloke, Harry Mosco, 

Bongos Ikwue, Cloud 7, The 

Doves, Sir Victor Uwaifo, Semi 

Colon, Tony Grey and others. 

Finally, the author presents a 

reflections of the gains of the 

investigations into the trends in 

the creation, development and 

modifications in African popular 

music, covering the ethnic, 

interethnic, and styles as well as 

making a closer survey of the 

Nigerian reggae musical 

practices. 

In all, Trends in African Popular 

Music reveals the connection 

between currently popular 

African music and the strings that 

wrap culture, economy and 

society. Through opening the eyes 

of readers to the socio-cultural 

issues inherent in new tunes, it 

makes them aware of the present 

situation they are facing. 

the fight against corruption. 

A critical issue that is not 

expressly canvassed in the book 

is question of securing long term 

loans at concessionary rates to 

fund infrastructural development 

which would catalyse the 

diversification agenda and lead 

to prosperity. The book ought to 

have highlighted this necessity 

and warned against its 

politicization. 

Through the Storm, which is 

well spiced with rich proverbs 

and other riveting techniques of 

play writing, also communicates 

the fact that alongside the 

restructuring of the economy, 

there must be the reformation of 

the education sector, the health 

care system and the justice system 

among others, as well as an 

intensification of the fight 

against crime. 

The incredibly engaging 

book has a lot of lessons for both 

leaders and the led in Nigeria, 

Africa and beyond and must be 

made a must read for students 

and policy formulators, so that 

its deep insights can benefit a 

wider spectrum of the people for 

whom it is written. 

Lady of Songs, Christy Essien lives 

on 

for the 2017 event have already 

commenced, with the booking of 

the Civic Centre Victoria Island 

venue and that the yearly 

November event will be preceded 

by an Annual Christy Essien 

Igbokwe Memorial Lecture, 

which will highlight the plight of 

the less-privileged, a passion the 

late maestro held very dear. The 

annual event, she said, will attract 

music legends from all over the 

world, alongside Nigerian 

celebrities, corporate interests, 

other dignitaries and couples with 

love for music.

KALEIDOSCOPE 


By Demola Akinyemi 

Penultimate Thursday, 

what could best be 

described as mutiny 

happened at Mandala Prison 

Yard and Federal Prison, 

Okekura, both in Ilorin, Kwara 

State capital. 

Sunday Vanguard reliably 

gathered that about 76 

condemned inmates from 

the facilities had been holding 

nocturnal meetings until 

penultimate Tuesday when 

their leader summoned the 

prison officials to unfold 

thirteen demands which must 

be met within twenty four 

hours. 

Sources said agitation by 

prison inmates,particularly the 

condemned ones, was not 

strange in the last months of the 

year to draw the attention of the 

governor who has the sole power 

to grant them clemency in the 

new year. 

It was gathered that 

condemned prison inmates also 

need the governors’ assent for 

them to be executed; so the end 

of the year period is strategic to 

them. 

The demands of the 

condemned prison inmates in 

the two Ilorin prison yards 

included that they wanted to be 

eating four pieces of meat per 

meal. They also demanded to be 

allowed to use phones, MP3 

player and that they will like to 

be going out five hours daily, 

among others. 

The prison officials were said 

to have explained to the inmates 

that they had no such powers to 

grant those requests, and so will 

send the requests to the prison 

headquarters in Abuja which 

will look into them and reply, 

hence the need for them to be 

•Left: Some of the injured prisoners; right: smashed door of the prison 

ILORIN PRISON RIOT 

Six condemned prisoners 

die fighting for meat 

patient. 

The leader of the inmates 

reportedly immediately 

disagreed with the prison 

officials, saying they had no such 

patience,and, therefore, 

threatened to revolt against the 

authorities. 

Consequently, the authorities 

beefed up security around the 

two prison yards,but were caught 

napping as the later events 

turned out to be fatal. 

Ahead of the fateful Thursday, 

the condemned inmates, 

according to sources, had 

packed their faeces and urine 

together and, as the day broke, 

they started throwing the faeces 

and pouring out urine at every 

prison official in sight and 

pandemonium erupted. 

The condemned inmates were 

said to have broken loose, 

headed for the main gate and 

broke it down, thereby forcing 

themselves into the main 

compound of the prison yards. 

The incident were said to have 

occurred simultaneously in the 

two prison yards at a time senior 

officials were having their usual 

brief at their administrative 

office in the GRA, Ilorin. 

Immediately they were alerted 

of the development, the confused 

officials called for 

The demands of 

the condemned 

prison inmates in 

the two Ilorin 

prison yards 

included that 

they wanted to 

be eating four 

pieces of meat 

per meal 

reinforcement from sister 

security agencies in Kwara 

which bombarded the prison 

yards and overwhelmed the 

rampaging inmates. In the 

process, six of inmates 

reportedly died while seven 

others are still lying critically ill 

in hospital. 

Confirming 

the 

development,the Public 

Relations Officer of Nigeria 

Prison Service, Kwara State,Mr 

Philips Adegbulugbe, said: “It is 

unfortunate that we lost six of the 

condemned inmates.” 

He narrated how the incident 

happened: “It happened like 

this: On Tuesday, November 

15,2016,the officer in charge of 

Oke-kura Prison, Ilorin, ASP 

Usman Aliu Baba, ran to the 

State Comptroller of Prisons 

and told him that inmates were 

trying to take over the prison 

from him, that they wanted to 

see the Comptroller who then 

ordered top officers of the prison 

command to lead him down 

there. 

“When he got there, the 

Comptroller met them, talked to 

them and appealed that he would 

find alternative means of 

addressing their demands. 

“The following day,the 

Comptroller went there again 

and discovered that the inmates 

had listed 14-point demand,and 

that if the Comptroller was 

unable to meet the demands 

within 24 hours, they will take 

over the prison .” 

The prison spokesman listed 

the condemned inmates 

demands as follows: That the 

Comptroller should be opening 

them everyday between 8am and 

2pm, and 4pm to 6pm whereas 

the Prison Act Cap P2P stipulates 

that condemned inmates can 

only be allowed to look around 

an hour per day and then return 

to the cell. 

“So, on that day, on getting to 

the office,we learnt that the 

nmates had taken over the 

yard,that they had started to 

throw faeces at the staff,to the 

extent that they wanted to force 

themselves out of the yard. Two 

of our men were injured. 

“In an attempt to curb the 

situation,our armed men were 

ordered to tear gas them,and we 

were able to put the situation 

under control. It was the 

following day that we discovered 

that some of them were not 

alright and we rushed them to 

hospital. It was in that process 

that six inmates lost their lives.” 

As of the time of talking, he 

said the place was peaceful and 

calm. 

Following the disturbance, the 

Minister of Interor, Lieutenant 

General Abdulrahman Bello 

Dambazzau, visited Ilorin, and 

ordered investigation into the 

inmates riot. 

The Minister directed an intra 

ministerial committee to work 

with Nigeria Prisons 

management team towards 

unravelling the remote 

circumstances surrounding the 

incident,in order to avoid the 

repeat of such in any of the 

nations’ prison yards and 

sanction any official found 

culpable. 

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed 

of Kwara State, who also visited 

the scene of the incident, 

canvassed urgent reforms of 

the prison systems in the 

country for the facilities to 

achieve the role of reforming 

prisoners before their re-entry 

into the society. 

Nigeria will come back str 

trong— 

ong—Olatunji 

By Olayinka Latona 

THE Redeemed Christian Church 

of God, RCCG, Heaven’s Glory 

Parish, Ogun Province 8, last 

Sunday, rolled out drums and other 

instruments of praise to appreciate 

God’s glory and mercy upon her in 

the past 10 years of its existence. 

Appreciating God’s faithfulness in 

his welcome address, Parish Pastor, 

Olarotimi Olatunji, said the church 

as well as its members have quite a 

lot to appreciate God for, saying: 

“We do this to remember God’s 

power that gives wisdom and the 

ability to accomplish great tasks. 

Not only has God preserved us, He 

had lifted us up in every ramification 

to an area and zonal headquaters 

in such a short period.” 

Speaking on the state of the nation, 

the cleric expressed optimism that 

Nigeria will still be great, 

irrespective of its present economic 

challenges, adding that Nigerians 

should not lose hope in the country 

as everything would turn around for 

•Some of the past and current ministers of RCCG, 

Heaven’s Glory Parish, Ogun Province 8 cutting 

the church 10 th year anniversary cake. 

better. “God will never fail Nigerians, it is going 

to be well for Nigeria, its time of overflowing will 

come and the challenges the country is facing 

now will be a thing of the past.God has good 

plans for Nigeria and will restore and rebuild 

Nigeria” he said. 

Speaking on the importance 

of thanksgiving, the wife of 

Provincial Pastor of Ogun 

Province 18, Pastor Tolani 

Adeyemo urged members to 

shun evil and always give 

thanks to God, adding that any 

nation that fears God is 

qualified for God’s favour and 

mercy. 

The six days anniversary 

celebration was attended by old 

ministers who were honoured 

for meritorious and excellent 

service during their tenure in 

the parish. 

Olorogun urges Okowa to 

fulfill promises to Okwagbe 

By Simon Adewale 

The Esama of Ukepedi 

Kingdom, Delta 

State, Olorogun Okiemute 

Okwagbe, has urged 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

to fulfill his electioneering 

campaign promises to the 

people of Okwagbe as the 

people are worried that 

there is no government 

presence in the community. 

Okwagbe, who is also a 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, leader, said in Ughelli 

that the people of the 

community are accusing 

him of misleading them to 

cast their votes for the PDP 

during the 2015 

governorship election in 

Delta. 

He appealed to Okowa to 

come to the community aid 

especially in the area of 

constructing water channels 

to check flood, saying the 

people felt he deceived them 

to cast their votes for PDP, 

because there is not 

government presence yet in 

the community. 

The Esama added that the 

people had asked to fulfill 

his promises to the 

community or be prepared 

for a political battle in the 

upcoming local government 

elections in the first quarter 

of 2017 and on the 2019 

general elections.


bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 

08056180152, SMS only 

How a violent lover got more than he 

bargained for! 

Arit was having a 

r e l a x e d 

conversation with 

her boy friend, Jide in her 

bedroom when she heard 

some disturbing 

movements in her living 

room. 

Alarmed it could be 

armed robbers, she 

shushed Jide and hurried 

to bolt the bedroom door. 

Before she could, however, 

the door flew open. 

revealing an angry man 

looking fit to murder! 

“My heart sank and I 

became afraid for my life 

and .Jide’s”, confessed 

Arit. For the man who just 

stormed her bedroom was 

Moses. her married lover 

of 10 years with whom she 

had a son. Yet. when she 

first met Moses. her older 

friends were a bit 

skeptical about the 

relationship. Arit was 

already in her late 20s. 

and feared she would be 

left on the shelf. so she 

opted for second best. 

Over the years. she’d had 

her chances at love. had 

even been engaged to a 

man she later jilted 

because he wasn’t as 

educated as she was. 

Moses was all she wanted 

in a man - only he was 

married with children. 

But. he spoilt her rotten. 

moved her into a bigger 

flat and helped her get a 

more secured job in a 

consulting firm. 

Her fate was sealed 

when she got pregnant a 

couple of years after they 

met. By which time Moses’ 

darker side was 

unfolding. “Suddenly. it 

seemed anything I did was 

wrong.” Arit had 

complained. “He was 

always criticising my 

food, the way I ran the 

house and the revealing 

clothes I wore. It was 

during this period that I 

got pregnant and tried to 

compromise - I wanted a 

child very badly. 

Foolishly. I thought the 

child would change him. 

My lovely clothes were 

replaced with the frumpy 

ones he favoured. After I 

had our son. he became 

more controlling. If he 

could do this to me when 

we were not really 

married, only God knew 

what his wife was going 

through. He must have 

cowed her to the extent 

that she dared not 

complain about his 

relationship with me. I 

was always on my guard 

when I went out with him 

in case any man gave me 

unnecessary attention. 

Some months back, at one 

of my family’s dos, I ran 

into a childhood friend 

and he joked about how 

much crush he had on me 

in the past. We’d both been 

at school together, but he 

now joked it was a pity I 

was already taken or he 

would have rekindled our 

relationship. We all knew 

it was all talk but I was 

fearful of how Moses 

would react. 

“Suddenly, Moses said it 

was about time we went 

and I rushed to the car 

with him, desperate to 

stop his smouldering 

temper before it erupted. 

When I got into the 

passenger seat, he roared 

off as if possessed by the 

devil. He’d sent the driver 

home and I became 

terrified, begging him to 

slow down. At my place, he 

shoved me into the flat 

then, Wham! He punched 

me so hard in the face that 

I fell on the nearest chair. 

‘Cheap woman,’ he 

bellowed, hitting me 

again and again until I 

made a dash for the 

bedroom, intending to 

lock myself in. If the 

house-help heard 

anything, she didn’t let on. 

Thank goodness my son 

was fast asleep. Moses 

grabbed hold of my hair 

and the lovely expensive 

extensions I just put in it 

and yanked me back, 

punching me some more. 

Out of desperation, I 

made for the front door 

praying he hadn’t locked 

it. 

“It was a relief when the 

door flew open and I 

dashed into the street. A 

few of the neighbours were 

around having drinks in 

front of the house, so I ran 

towards them. It wasn’t 

the first time they’d 

noticed Moses’ violence 

towards me, but it was the 

first time they saw blood 

oozing out of a gash in my 

cheek. The terrible truth 

about what they thought 

was my perfect ‘marriage’ 

was finally out for all of 

them to see. It wasn’t a 

pleasant sight. It was ugly 

and rotten. 

“That was when I 

decided I should hang on 

to whatever shred of pride 

I had left. A few days later, 

I told him I didn’t want 

anything to do with him. 

To punish me, he refused 

to send our monthly 

allowance and to pay the 

rent when it was due. But I 

have a good job and called 

his bluff. Anything was 

worth this peace of mind 

that I currently enjoyed. 

With time, I met Jide, a 

widower and we started 

going out. 

“This was some six 

months after breaking off 

with Moses. Jide was 

everything my ex wasn’t. 

He visited with presents 

and took me to nice 

restaurants. It was at 

dinner in a small 

restaurant that I sort of 

sensed eyes boring into 

my back. I turned round 

and it was Moses. His 

face was like thunder but 

I ignored him. He 

couldn’t hurt me now, or 

so I thought. 

“Only, a few weeks after, 

he’d let himself into my 

flat with his spare key. It 

never occurred to me to 

change the lock. Jide 

sprang up at the 

intrusion. He was in his 

V-front and vest. Moses 

sneered at him. ‘Sit 

down,’ he barked. Jide 

did as he was told. 

Sitting down on the bed, 

he spoke to Jide as if to a 

child: ‘Now, when you 

came into this bedroom, 

and saw that family 

photograph of me and my 

wife and son, did you 

think it was for show?’ 

Jide kept mum, his face 

dead-pan. Moses went 

on: ‘You sit down now, 

drinking beer from a 

mug. Did Arit tell you she 

was a beer drinker? And 

if she were, would she be 

drinking it out of a mug?’ 

On and on he went until 

Jide had had enough. 

‘Now look here,’ he 

cautioned. But before he 

got any further, Moses 

gave him a wack. Jide was 

furious. He flew at him 

and gave him the beating 

of his life. Again, 1 ran 

into the street and, this 

time, two of the men in the 

front house came with me 

and broke up the fight. 

“Moses now looked the 

worse for wear and was 

actually subdued. Jide had 

almost frog marched him 

to the street, punching 

him all the time until 1 

showed up with the men. 

Moses hurried to his car, 

muttering he didn’t want 

a scandal. The coward that 

he was, he couldn’t handle 

being confronted. But he 

was back a few days after, 

wanting to see his son. 1 

told him it was impossible. 

Looking at him, I hated 

him as passionately as I’d 

one loved him and he must 

have seen that in my eyes. 

“I told him 1 wanted 

nothing to do with him 

ever again. As for his son, 

he would see the lad when 

he’d grown up. No man 

would use a child to abuse 

me ever again! Jide and I 

are an item now but I’m 

not rushing into anything. 

He understands and says 

there’s no pressure, that 

he’d wait as long as 1 

needed. We’ve talked 

about marriage and 

having children as he has 

only two from his first 

marriage. I have no 

problem with that. Only, 

this time around, I intend 

to look really well before 

I leap ... “ 

It’s Not What You Think! 

(Humour) 

In the park one morning, 

a jogger finds a brand new 

tennis ball and slips it into 

the pocket of his shorts. 

Later, a woman running 

next to him spots the large 

bulge. 

“What’s that?” she asks. 

Pointing down at it, his 

eyes wide. “Tennis ball,” 

the man replies. “Oh, poor 

you,” the woman says 

sympathetically. “That 

must be painful. I had 

tennis elbow once.” 

YOUR column to express your loving thoughts in 

words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it 

flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel. 

Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, 

Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: 

sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: 

“LOVE NOTES" 

My Darling Dove 

I thought that true love is non existence until 

I was caught in the web designed by your 

heart. Your beauty captivated me,your smile 

charmed me and my heart beats resonance 

with your laughter. My dear Evelyn, your love 

indeed has cast an indelible spell of 

happiness on my life. 

Akachukwu Ferdinand. 

akachukwuferdinandc@yahoo.com 

08063819314 

Men are astrologers 

Men are ladys' astrologers, for all the planets 

work in favour of the ladies in their horoscopes. 

AKEGH Ushahemba Jacob, 

jakegh15@gmail.com 

08186915871


royalty 

Inside Zango-Kataf chiefdom, 24 

years after killings in natives' 

battle with Hausa-Fulani settlers 

*New monarch: I am ascending throne at a time of many challenges 

By Luka Binniyat 

For the second time in seven 

months, Zangon Kataf, the 

headquarters of the Atyap 

people, in Zangon Kataf Local 

Government Area, LGA, of Kaduna State, 

was besieged by a crowd of natives and 

visitors. 

But, unlike in May, when thousands 

gathered in a solemn ceremony for the burial 

of the former traditional ruler of Atyap 

land, Agwatyap II, Dr. Harison Bungwon, 

last week’s crowd gathered amidst fanfare, 

songs, laugher and dance. 

The occasion was to mark the installation 

ceremony and presentation of staff of office 

to the new Agwatyap - Mr. Dominic 

Gambo Yahaya. 

At the massive palace of the Agwatyap, 

traditional dancers, flutters, trumpeters, 

drummers, praise singers, masquerades, 

among others, tried to outdo one another to 

the admiration of the audience. 

The Atyap people, who, despite their 

small population, have managed to produce 

high profile Nigerians in virtually every 

areas of human endeavours. 

Atayp chiefdom is in southern part of 

Kaduna State, in the wide open 

Guinea Savannah of lush meadows, 

parklands and forests where its perennial 

streams and rivers are refilled every rainy 

season. The Atyap people are originally 

acephalous, with no clear central authority. 

This may have formed their fierce resistance 

to Islamisation in the 19th century, though 

colonialism was to later force them under 

the indirect rule of Zaria Muslim feudal 

system. 

Even as the celebration went on that 

afternoon, the Atyap people could have as 

well recall that their autonomy, from the 

grip of Zaria Emirate, was loosen at a great 

cost, as history has it. Just a few hundred 

metres from the centre of merriment, behind 

the walls of the Agwatyap palace, was the 

Zangon Kataf new market – a fenced open 

space of straw canopies where village folks 

go about their weekly transaction, with the 

young oblivious of the grim history behind 

its creation. 

It was over that market that the Hausa- 

Muslim settlers of Zangon Kataf and the 

natives took on one another in killings 

I am very concerned 

about poverty in our 

land, decline in 

discipline and 

productivity among our 

youths, revival of the 

Tyap language and 

security of our land 

that later spilled to Zaria, Kaduna and 

Katsina 24 years ago, specifically, in May 

1992. The Hausa opposed the relocation 

of the market to the new spacious area, 

preferring it remained in the cramped 

town of Zango Kataf. 

Gen. Zamani Lekwot (retd), a former 

By Akpokona Omafuaire 

THERE was outpouring of 

encomium as the Okere- 

Urhobo indigenes in a glamorous 

way celebrated the fourth year 

departure of HRM Benjamin 

Okumagba, the Orosuen of Okere- 

Urhobo Kingdom 

They advised Warri Urhobos to 

emulate core attributes, 

commitment and bravery of the late 

monarch. 

The indigens made the call during 

the first remembrance in honour of 

the late monarch four years after his 

demise in Warri. The Okere-Urhobo 

indigenes described the late 

monarch as a “hero” who fought for 

the unity and emancipation of the 

Urhobo at his own expense and 

detriment. They chanted traditional 

songs and danced from Udumu- 

Military Governor of old Rivers State and 

five other Atyap leaders were arrested and 

put in a controversial trial that not only 

divided the state along ethno-religious 

line, but also the entire country. Two 

years after, Lekwot and 16 others were 

sentenced to death under the Gen. Ibrahim 

Badamosi Babangida administration, the 

regime of Gen. Sani Abacha granted them 

state pardon in 1995. 

In the gathering penultimate Saturday, 

Letwot was seen looking cheerful and 

enjoying banters with the VIPs that had 

gathered to witness Yahaya become the 

third Gwatyap of Atyapland. 

A retired Permanent Secretary from the 

Kaduna State Civil Service, the new 

monarch was born in Magamiya village, 

about four kilometres from Zangon Kataf 

in 1950. 

He was Interim Chairman, Zangon Kataf 

LGA in 2011, before settling into business 

and farming. 

Married with four children, the new 

Gwatyap is a devout Catholic, a Knight of 

Saint Mulumba. 

In a ceremony that was brief, Governor 

Urhobo quarters in Okere-Urhobo 

through the ever busy Okumagba 

Avenue to the residence of the late 

monarch where they paid respect to 

him at Ighogbadu Street. 

Speaking at the ceremony, the 

Onowu of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, 

Hon.Jude Onovughe Igherebuo, 

christened the celebration in honour 

of the late Orosuen as the reawakening 

of heroic legacies he left 

for the Okere-Urhobo and Urhobo. 

“We are celebrating a hero, a king, 

His Royal Majesty, Benjamin 

Okumagba JP, OON, the Orosuen of 

Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, a former 

President General of Urhobo 

Progress Union, UPU, a leader in 

Urhobo, Delta State and Nigeria in 

general,”he said. 

“We are celebrating the reawakening 

of his heroic legacies that 

he has left before us. This we will 

Nasir El-Rufai handed Yahaya his staff of 

office around 1pm. The governor 

congratulated the new traditional ruler and 

told him to build on the peace foundation 

that his predecessor had set, saying he was 

confident that the education and exposure 

of the new Agwatyap would come to bear 

positively on the Atyap chiefdom. 

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, the 

Agwatyap said he would do his best to 

improve on the welfare of his subjects. 

He said: “I want to use this opportunity 

to thank God for availing me the privilege 

and opportunity to lead Atyapland. The love 

and support I have seen is unbelievable and 

I cannot thank everyone who made my 

installation a success. 

“I am coming at a time of many 

challenges, but I know that God would 

help. 

“I am very concerned about poverty in our 

land, decline in discipline and productivity 

among our youths, revival of the Tyap 

language and security of our land. 

“I will encourage the formation of 

cooperatives and guide our rural people on 

how to access economic empowerment 

programmes 

“The problems of some of our youths 

give me a lot of concern, but what is 

happening to them is not only in Atyap land 

but it cuts across other chiefdoms. I shall 

start a campaign against drug addiction. 

This is affecting productivity and the health 

of our youths and it drives them 

into crime. 

“If the ones that are organised and 

hardworking farm, the lazy unproductive 

ones would go and take from them. That is 

also discouraging the law-abiding ones 

from farming. 

“In our days, you don’t see young people 

going to drink traditional brew especially 

in the morning. It was made for elderly 

people who could not farm and were 

looking for ways to relax. Besides they 

already have young men taking their 

places on the farms. This has to stop. 

“God willing, I will work on the 

preservation of the Tyap language. We must 

make our children speak our language, 

understand our tradition and history. 

“Well I welcome and appreciate the 

civilisation that was brought to us, 

especially Christianity, I don’t think that 

everything in our traditional beliefs and 

practices were evil. There were traditions 

that led to the preservation of law and order 

in our society. So, we shall revive the 

positive side of these traditional practices 

and throw away the fetish. 

“On security, I think we in the Atyap 

chiefdom have so far not had any problem. 

I sympathise with other chiefdoms which 

have come under attacks of herdsmen and 

we the Atyap people are together with 

them in solidarity and prayers. We have 

good communication with the Fulani 

in our lands and we hope that it would 

sustain the peace. 

Urhobo pay tribute to Okumagba: Late monarch fought for us at his expense 

continue to do in memory of him. We 

ask God to give us the strength for 

continuity” . 

Another indigene of Okere- 

Urhobo Kingdom, Mr. Oghenewovke 

Aminagha, described the late 

Orosuen as a brave man who dared 

the military brass during his time at 

a stakeholders meeting where former 

President Olusegun Obasanjo held 

a meeting to address oil theft in the 

Niger Delta. 

Hon. Kingsley Edafiadjebre said, 

“There is no day better than this to 

celebrate our monarch, HRM. 

Benjamin Okumagba, a man who has 

done so much for the Urhobo. 

“A man who has brought Unity 

among the Urhobo people. Today as 

a bonafide citizen of Urhobo stock, I 

make bold here to say there is no 

better day than this for us to honour 

this great man.”

PAGE 34—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016,

Sun kiddies 24-11-2016 

SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 35


BRUTISH LIFE IN ABUJA GHETTOS 

Women of easy virtue, 

drug addicts, petty 

criminals fight for space 

By Ben Agande and Immanuel Jannah 

Any first time visitor to the Federal Capital 

Territory (FCT), Abuja, especially from 

other parts of Nigeria or other African 

countries, will be captivated by the spectacle of 

this only planned city in the country. It is a city 

that, like bees to nectar, attracts all manner of 

people. While some leave different parts of the 

country to find the proverbial green grasses in 

Abuja, others, especially those who are tired 

with the chaos and bustle of Lagos, for instance, 

come to Abuja to find peace. Its fantastically 

well laid roads and other infrastructure give a 

feeling that what many Nigerians see on 

television and foreign movies as what a planned 

city should look like can actually be found in 

Nigeria. 

What the first time visitor to the city may not 

see and the authorities of the FCT try hard to 

hide, are the ghettos that dot the capital city 

landscape. From Garki to Jabi; from Durumi 

to Maitama, these ghettos survived the El Rufai 

demolition that took out illegal structures 

that then threatened to turn the beautiful city 

into a jungle. But while the demolition done by 

the former minister concentrated on structures 

built illegally or without approved building 

plans, the new ghettos in the city centre are 

settlements that pre-date Abuja as we all 

presently know them. 

It would be recalled that when the Federal 

Government took the decision to move the 

capital city from Lagos to Abuja in the 70s, the 

aboriginal settlers in what is now the city centre 

were compensated and moved to new 

settlements which were named after their old 

settlements in neighbouring states of 

Nassarawa and Niger. However, for reasons 

that no administration has not been able to 

satisfactorily explain, some of these aboriginal 

Gbagi settlements in Garki (which is now 

pejoratively referred to as Garki Village), 

Durumi and Utako lost out as they were neither 

compensated nor moved out of the places that 

their ancestors had lived in for centuries. 

Successive governments were not able to 

relocate them, so the result is the existence of 

unplanned, disorganized, cramped, overpopulated 

and under-developed communities 

living in substandard buildings and structures 

that have no potable water, unkempt and prone 

to diseases, surrounded by elegant and modern 

buildings with all social infrastructure right in 

the city centre. 

One of the most popular (or notorious) of the 

Abuja ghettos is Garki village, located in the 

city centre. Despite the urban nature of Garki, 

which is one of the most developed districts in 

the FCT, Garki village sticks out like a sore 

thumb. Hemmed in by the Garki Police Station 

to the left, the prestigious Regina Pacis College 

to the North and CBN quarters to the east, the 

village represents the failure of government 

relocation programme for the Abuja aboriginal 

settlers. It has no clearly defined streets; no toilet 

facilities, no pipe borne water and is constantly 

under the threat of heavy refuse generated by 

large number of inhabitants. Although the 

Abuja Environmental Protection Board claim 

its officials collect refuse from this urban jungle 

daily, the reality on ground belie the claim. 

Despite the presence of a police station, a 

police barrack, several banks and corporate 

organizations around Garki village, crime rate 

and other social malaise here are at their 

zenith. During the day, young boys, obviously 

high on narcotics, loiter around, while, at night, 

all the available space in this huge jungle is 

turned into a vast business area with women of 

easy virtue and petty criminals fighting for 

space. It is only in Garki village that every 

corner is turned into a watering hole in the 

night. It is a place that nobody sleeps at night. 

Surprisingly, majority of the patrons of the 

various joints and nightly businesses around 

the area do not live in the ghetto. Obviously, 

they find something there that their upscale 

neighbourhoods may not be able to provide. 

A sex worker on Lagos Street beside Garki 

summed it up thus: “Lagos Street is very 

populated. It has a lot of customer traffic and 

Despite the presence of 

a police station, a police 

barrack, several banks 

and corporate 

organizations around 

Garki village, crime rate 

and other social malaise 

here are at their zenith 

the street does not sleep like the real Lagos 

State that you know.” 

Like Garki village, Durumi is also an 

old settlement of Gbagis who were not 

lucky to benefit from government’s 

compensation and relocation. While the 

former is located right inside Garki 

District Centre, Durumi is located off 

Nnamdi Azikiwe Express way, about four 

kilometres south of Garki District. The only 

tarred road leading to Durumi was 

constructed by Living Faith Church which 

has a huge premises just outside the village. 

Like the tarred road that terminates just 

by Living Faith Church, it appears 

civilisation also stopped there as life inside 

Durumi is reminiscent of living in another 

era. Though it was initially populated 

mainly by the aborigines, the influx of 

people especially from the northern part 

of the country, has changed the 

population’s demography as minorities 

from other northern states have taken 

a firm foothold in the area. 

In this slum, defecation in open places 

is the norm, women of easy virtue are 

rife, the only source of water is those 

sold in jerry cans by Mairuwas; a 

Hausa word for water hawkers. Unlike 

Garki village where there are 

semblance of brick structures, most of 

the building in Durumi are shanties 

made of mud, wood, zinc, and leather. 

This is where some people in the FCT 

call home. 

The already bad situation in Durumi 

is further compounded by the huge 

influx of internally displaced persons 

(IDPs) from the war-torn North-East. 

For these people, comfort is not what 

they can dream of. 

Jabi village is another ghetto located 

right in the midst of highbrow Jabi 

District which is one of the districts that 

was opened in Abuja during the tenure 

of El-Rufai. Though this village shares 

boundary with construction giants, 

Julius Berger PLc and Arab 

Contractors, it has no paved road for 

its residents. Its story is the same with 

the other two ghettos in this narrative. 

Congested residential buildings, lack 

of basic amenities, narrow roads, 

population density due to poverty and 

proximity to Utako modern market, 

Utako motor park, and a large 

construction company, result in a 

‘ghetto lifestyle’ and these factors 

predispose the residents to social vices 

such as prostitution and drug peddling. 

Ghettos within the nation’s capital 

can only become history when 

government realizes that Abuja has a 

large number of low and mid- income 

families providing services that support 

the rich and pay attention to the living 

conditions of these people. 

According to a resident of one of the 

ghettos, Yemiafo Adunni, though the 

inhabitants live right in the city centres, 

“we are hidden behind the fancy 

buildings and well paved roads that 

beautify Abuja municipality”. With the 

over N500 billion that the Federal 

Capital Territory Administration says 

it requires to relocate the residents of 

this urban jungles and pay 

compensation to the original owners 

of the land, they will remain hidden 

behind the fancy buildings and well 

paved roads that beautify Abuja while 

also spreading diseases that their dirty 

and unkempt neighbourhood breed. 

Meanwhile, one would think it is 

incumbent on government to 

reappraise these settlements and 

provide low-cost housing and 

infrastructure to make life more 

meaningful to them as well as reduce 

the crime which poverty and 

deprivation causes.


By Grace Udofia 

For every administration 

at all levels, new ideas, 

policies and projects are 

always thrown up to usher a 

new era. This appears to be 

the case with the new 

government just inaugurated 

for the Abuja Municipal Area 

Council, AMAC. 

AMAC under the leadership 

of Abdullahi Candido has 

brought in some new ideas, 

resuscitating old and 

moribund policies and 

projects in order to place the 

council on a better ground. 

Succinctly put, the new 

administration, having gone 

through the handover notes, 

perhaps to better the lot of 

AMAC residents, has decided 

to expand and improve its 

revenue generation 

machinery. The new drive for 

revenue by the council looks 

tough and ambitious just as it 

is broad based and 

controversy-laden. 

While AMAC is 

synonymous with harassing 

residents for revenue, the 

expansion of the revenue 

areas to areas never 

contemplated by previous 

administrations in the council 

is likely to threw up new 

issues and possible challenge 

from the taxpayers, who are 

potentially low income 

earners struggling daily to 

eke a living. 

Already, the areas being 

considered by the local 

government for taxation 

include: 

tenement rate, verification 

and recertification of all the 

shops within its jurisdiction 

and radio, television levy on 

all homes and businesses 

around AMAC. 

The tenement rate will make 

it possible for the council to 

charge every resident that 

owns a house within the 

jurisdiction of the council a 

certain amount of money 

annually. 

AMAC is emboldened to 

push ahead with the new 

formula based on a 

Memorandum 

of 

Understanding it entered into 

with the Federal Capital 

Territory Inland Revenue 

Service (FCTIRS) that 

appears to have the power to 

collect tenement rate. 

While that remains the case, 

the matter has already run 

into a stormy water in the 

House of Representatives, 

which described the attempt 

by AMAC to collect tenement 

rate from residents of the FCT 

as illegal and questionable. 

The National Assembly has, 

therefore, asked AMAC to 

suspend the planned revenue 

drive until further notice. 

House of Representatives 

member, Herman Hembe, 

who chaired the committee, 

noted that under the 

provisions of the law, AMAC 

could not directly go out to 

collect such taxes in the FCT 

but may be able to do so 

through the FCTIRS based on 

the MoU signed by the two 

parties. Hembe said that to do 

otherwise would amount to 

AMAC embarking on double 

taxation. 

“Anybody collecting any form 

of tax in the FCT is doing so 

Right move, 

wrong time! 

•Residents tackle AMAC over aggressive 

revenue drive 

illegally. The body that is supposed to 

do that is the FCTIRS,” Hembe said 

during the public hearing. 

Reacting to the stance of the House 

of Representatives, AMAC Chairman, 

Candido, maintained that council has 

the power to collect, demand and 

enforce compliance in respect to the 

payment of tenement rate. 

He said: “The levy is in accordance 

with the Section Seven and the fourth 

schedule of the Constitution of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as 

amended, the local government act, 

laws of FCT 2006, as well as the AMAC 

Tenement Rate Collection Bye-law 

2012. 

“The council perfectly understands 

its constitutional, statutory and legal 

powers by virtue of the constitution of 

Nigeria, various Acts of the National 

Assembly including the local 

government law adopted by the NASS 

via section 13 of the FCT Act Cap 128, 

LFN 2009 and Court of Appeal decision, 

therefore will not involve itself in any 

activity that is not backed by law”. 

However there have been different 

reactions from residents in AMAC 

council area with most of them 

criticising the decision, especially at a 

critical time when the average citizen 

is rare able to survive. 

To them, the move by the council to 

move ahead with such a decision at this 

time amounted a insensitivity on the 

part of the leadership. They argued that 

it was unfortunate for the man they had 

just elected to serve them to turn round 

and heap more pressure on them. 

One AMAC resident, Mr. Ruben 

Robo, noted that it was wrong for the 

council to take such a step at this time 

of the year when most Nigerians were 

yet to be able to come out of the impact 

of the recent fuel price increase across 

the country. 

“If these people were sensitive to the 

plight of those who voted them to 

power, nobody would tell them to 

postpone these new taxes and think of 

how best to mitigate the suffering of 

The levy is in accordance 

with the Section Seven and 

the fourth schedule of the 

Constitution of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as 

amended, the local 

government act, laws of 

FCT 2006, as well as the 

AMAC Tenement Rate 

Collection Bye-law 2012 

the citizenry,” Robo said. 

For Mrs. Raliat Abdul, the decision of the 

council is inhuman and should not be 

allowed to scale through. She called on the 

Legislature of AMAC to reject such 

proposal in its entirely in the interest of 

the people, who have already suffered 

enough under a biting economy. 

Rather than add hardship and suffering 

to the downtrodden, AMAC should think 

of creative ways of adding value to the 

lives of the citizens,” Abdul said. 

“So it is now that AMAC leadership has 

decided to implement this kind of policy? 

I doubt if they go to the market to see what 

is happening; this is not fair to us at this 

time” 

Another respondent said he was not 

against the idea, but asked what the 

people should expect from the area council 

in terms of infrastructure. 

He said, “Let them first go ahead and fix 

the trunk C roads in all the 

satellite towns in the council 

then it would be easy to 

introduce this kind of policy 

to a people who already have 

to pay federal taxes” 

But one of the officials of 

AMAC, who preferred 

anonymity, maintained that 

the introduction of this system 

of taxation would not be 

sustainable in the long run as 

it would be compromised by 

the elites in the council. 

“I plead with our Chairman 

not to let down the people of 

AMAC who gave him the 

mandate to serve through 

their votes; he should not 

introduce such levy on them 

at this time when most of 

them cannot feed their 

families. 

“If there is any MoU entered 

into in the past between the 

Area Councils and any party 

as claimed, where the power 

to collect taxes was delegated 

to the FCTIRS, such 

agreement may have been 

made under outright 

intimidation by the past 

government that was not 

ready to adhere to provisions 

of the constitution”. 

But apparently damning the 

cries and concerns of the 

residents, AMAC has ordered 

all allottees of market shops, 

warehouse, stalls, public 

conveniences and other 

similar titles including the 

ones under Public Private 

Partnership, PPP, within the 

council to come forward with 

necessary documents for 

verification and recertification 

exercise which is expected to 

close on 15th of December 

2016.. 

The allottees are expected to 

pay from N7,000 to N20000 

depending on the category of 

their shops and level of 

development of the markets. 

It has warned that failure to 

comply with the order would 

result in immediate forfeiture 

of the allocations. 

But the shop owners are not 

moved by the AMAC threat as 

they are not making the 

expected cash from such 

facilities, according to some of 

those who spoke to Vanguard. 

For instance, Mr. Emeka 

Orama, a stall owner at AMAC 

Relocation Market, Lugbe, 

said the verification and 

recertification exercise is 

untimely and unnecessary. 

Orama wondered how AMAC 

would dare to talk about 

paying high fees on shops 

that were secured through a 

public-private partnership 

and a threat to subject such 

facilities for its verification 

when the owners are yet to 

pay up for them. 

Thus, there seems to be a 

snack over AMAC’s 

ambitious revenue drive. 

Though sound in logic and 

plan, it smacks of betrayal and 

insensitivity on the part of the 

council, as most of the areas 

under the council have been 

left to rot away despite the 

huge sums collected by 

agents of the council from 

traders and businessmen in 

the area. 

Indeed, it is a good idea 

conceived at a wrong time 

and it is bound to flop like a 

bad omen.

PAGE 38 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 

Trump trumped Nigeria's 

best and brightest 

“When all think alike; none 

thinks very much.” Walter 

Lippmann, 1889-1974. 

(VANGUARD BOOK OF 

QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 245). 

An acquaintance of 

mine, resident in the 

US had been in 

Nigeria for over six months 

for undisclosed reasons. He 

was here during the primaries 

and with the emergence of 

Hillary Clinton, as the 

Democratic Party candidate, 

and Donald Trump, as the 

Republican Party candidate, 

he announced that “Clinton 

will win by a land slide”. 

Before making that 

statement, he had asked me 

what I thought would be the 

outcome of the Presidential 

election. My answer to him 

was: “Trump might win 

because he is saying what 

white Americans would like 

to be done”. My friend 

followed with almost two 

hours of “analysis” aimed at 

proving to me that Trump 

could not win. He ended up 

by asking me to “take a bet 

one dollar from me to one 

naira from you” that Trump 

can never win. I don’t bet – 

out of personal principle. But, 

I told him we will talk after 

the November elections. 

As it turned out, we met at a 

watering hole in the Campos 

area of Lagos Island ten days 

before the election. Clinton 

had what appeared like an 

insurmountable lead. With 

more than fifty patrons 

drinking and having fun, my 

Being violent is a sign of 

weakness! 

“Educating the mind without 

educating the heart is no 

education 

N 

at all.”—Aristotle 

o child should be left 

" 

behind" is often a 

charge decried by many 

progressives. Mostly, it is often 

merely words unless it is 

backed with actions. The 

United Nations has issued a 

desperate warning that 

75,000 children in Northern 

Nigeria are at risk dying in “a 

few months” due to hunger as 

a direct result of the Boko 

Haram insurgency. Millions 

have left their land, livelihood 

and lost their businesses as 

insurgents have left tens of 

thousands dead in its wake. 

The UN have declared that 

the crisis is "unfolding at high 

speed”. Currently, it is 

estimated that 14 million 

people are urgently in need of 

humanitarian assistance and 

400,000 children are in 

critical need of assistance, 

while 75,000 mentioned 

could die “in (the) few months 

ahead of us”, according to the 

UN spokesperson in Abuja. 

Right now, the Nigerian 

government and affluent 

citizens could and should help 

to reduce the catastrophe. The 

UN does not have enough 

friend was there. And right 

there and then he announced 

to all those present that “One 

of your great journalists in 

Nigeria has arrived; the man 

had the guts to tell me Trump 

might win. You can see what 

is wrong with journalism in 

Nigeria.” My reply was short. 

“My friend, wait until the day 

after the election, then come 

here and talk.” Since the 

results were announced, the 

fellow had not shown his face 

in Lagos Island; he no longer 

picks his phones. This fellow 

serves as metaphor for 

millions of Nigerians who 

were misled by Nigeria’s 

brightest and best – in 

academia and in media. 

For some reason, 170 

million Nigerians thought 

that the American election was 

organized to elect a President 

Nigerians would want in the 

White House. I read with 

amusement all the insults cast 

on Trump by our media 

practitioners and opinion 

leaders; knowing fully well 

that they were deluding 

themselves and fellow 

Nigerians. It was incredible 

to me that none of our local 

champions realized that their, 

invariably, biased opinions, 

were for local consumption. 

No Americans read all the 

puerile opinions published by 

our most erudite individuals. 

Three examples will be 

sufficient to illustrate how 

sometimes the “gods” we 

worship in public discussions 

of important matters can lead 

money to avert this disaster 

without the help of 

international partners, the 

private sector and they are 

appealing to Nigerian 

philanthropists to “join 

hands” to enable the UN to 

tackle the problem. 

Every second counts, in a 

matter such as this, and it is 

about time that those that have 

the means to help are morally 

motivated to help and that 

they do so, most urgently. This 

is a national disaster, a 

humanitarian tragedy so it is 

not beyond the help of many 

well-heeled Nigerians to help 

their fellow Nigerians. So why 

are they not coming forward 

and offering truckloads of 

food, camp materials and 

medical equipment for the 

displaced? I would like to 

think that there are many 

decent affluent Nigerians 

across the religious and tribal 

divide who are capable of 

charity and common decency. 

Their reluctance does not 

help and people outside 

Nigeria would find it difficult 

to comprehend why in a 

country full of billionaires and 

millionaires that they are not 

coming forward nor is its 

government actively 

committed to stemming the 

us astray. 

First, Professor Wole 

Soyinka announced a few 

days before the election that 

he would “tear my green card 

if Trump is elected”, as if 

Americans are bound to vote 

the candidate of his choice. It 

is their country after all, and a 

foreigner was threatening to 

revoke a privilege they 

extended to him if his wishes 

were not accepted. It was not 

only unnecessary, it must have 

demonstrated to Americans, 

even Clinton supporters, that 

even the best of Africans don’t 

know what democracy is all 

about. Now our great 

Professor had placed himself 

in a dilemma. He will either 

tear the card and place himself 

at the mercy of the American 

Embassy, or, he fails to tear it 

and be forever damned as a 

dishonourable man. Now the 

entire world is waiting to see 

what one of our brightest and 

best will do. But, I am not 

waiting. I strongly believe that 

a wise man should always 

consider the consequences of 

what he says or does. That 

Soyinka is now waffling 

regarding when to shred the 

card is an indication that he 

spoke first and thought later. 

Second and less 

spectacular was Professor, 

columnist for the PUNCH, 

who wrote a “send off” 

column saying he was going 

to America “to be a part of 

history.” He returned with his 

tail tucked behind his legs; like 

a beaten dog. He was going 

to vote for Clinton, who, 

certainly, was going to win. 

Well, even that erudite 

Professor is learning anew 

that “Men make history, but 

not just as they please.” (Karl 

Marx, 1818-1883, VBQ p 93). 

And that should be an 

everlasting warning to fellow 

Nigerians that when our 

opinion leaders all think 

alike, then is the time to worry 

because it means that nobody 

is thinking very much. 

Third and very amusing 

was a syndicated columnist 

for DAILY TRUST and THE 

NATION. Her column was 

pending disaster. Why are 

there no national drive to help 

the hungry and the displaced? 

This reflects badly on 

Nigerians and the protracted 

non-action speak volumes; 

that Nigerians cannot help 

their own without whipping 

out the obligatory cap and go 

begging for money that is 

often misappropriated by the 

greedy not spent on this 

desperately in need. 

UN went on: We will ask 

international partners to step 

in because we can only solve 

this situation if we actually 

join hands.” Can the NIMBYs 

(not in my backyard) , This is 

your backyard! Nobody ever 

becomes poor by giving and 

life has a way of a rewarding 

random act of kindness. 

The UK wants to reduce 

Maternity Tourism 

The UK is clamping down 

on health tourism and they are 

more determined than ever to 

plug the loop hole for those 

whose sole purpose is to visit 

the UK, to use its free health 

services. The lawmakers are 

proposing that prior to non- 

UK or non-European Union 

citizens presenting for 

treatment in any UK health 

organisation, potential 

patients have to show two 

forms of identification 

including a passport to prove 

they are eligible for free 

treatment. 

This proposal is not new but 

it is quite controversial in a 

country that prides itself on its 

health systems that it is free at 

the point of delivery. This free 

treatment now comes with a 

condition, if you are not British 

or from the EU nations, it will 

titled “59,017,382 Stupid 

Americans”. I deliberately 

underlined the word stupid to 

illustrate how emotional 

Nigerians, including opinion 

leaders, can get. An election 

result is only fair if our 

candidate wins. More 

Americans went to the polls 

than Nigerians; yet nobody 

heard of thugs snatching ballot 

boxes; the result was not 

contested in the courts. Our 

own President had contested 

every election he lost until he 

won. Every one of our “clever” 

More Americans went 

to the polls than 

Nigerians; yet nobody 

heard of thugs 

snatching ballot 

boxes; the result was 

not contested in the 

courts 

Nigerians’ elections had been 

attended by violence and 

scandal involving electoral 

officers; followed by cases in 

court which last years. Yet, we 

condemn a nation because the 

majority did not vote as we 

instructed them to do. “Stupid” 

Americans have invented 

virtually everything we use 

including Facebook, 

computer, Twitter, aircrafts, 

and they are on their way to the 

planets. Yet a descendant of 

people who have not invented 

anything calls them stupid. 

Even with Trump as President, 

a thousand times more 

Nigerians will still want to 

enter America, legally or 

illegally, than Americans 

wanting to gate-crash into 

Nigeria. 

She went further with scaremongering 

by pointing to the 

fact that America’s nuclear 

weapons can be released at the 

touch of a button by Trump. It 

was sheer ignorance. Since the 

two atomic bombs were 

dropped on Hiroshima and 

cost you. As you know, many 

Nigerians do come to the UK 

to have their children so that 

the child automatically 

becomes a British Citizen. 

Childbirth in the UK hospital 

Why are there no 

national drive to help 

the hungry and the 

displaced? This reflects 

badly on Nigerians and 

the protracted nonaction 

speak volumes 

does not come cheap, it costs 

over £6,000 for every noncomplicated 

birth and with the 

UK in recession and it has 

financial implications on the 

high costs of the National 

Health Service. Therefore the 

government is seeking to tackle 

those abusing the system. This 

method is quite familiar in 

many other countries, except in 

those places, money is 

presented first before 

treatment. The issue here is that 

the move is mainly directed in 

areas where there are a high 

number of immigrants, so one 

wonders if there is more to meet 

the eye but I do think there will 

be a lot of stereotypes and 

racial profiling to ascertain 

who is entitled to free treatment 

and who is not. 

Chris Wormald, the 

Department of Health's 

permanent secretary, told the 

lawmakers that “On the 

general question of are we 

looking at whether the Trusts 

should proactively ask people 

to prove their identity to come 

with two forms of identity, 

Nagasaki, to end the Second 

World War, by the Americans, 

at least six nations are now 

known to have the capability. 

None had used it since then. 

Meanwhile, the US, a nation 

where institutions work, 

unlike our Banana Republics 

in Africa, had evolved an 

elaborate procedure for the 

release of such weapons. No 

President can unilaterally 

order their release for any 

reason. Is that intelligence? 

So, what went wrong? 

How did our “gods” fail us? 

They failed us because they 

were not sufficiently 

detached. They accuse the 

Americans who voted for 

Trump of bigotry, but they 

were just as guilty of the 

charge themselves. They 

started with Nigerian’s 

interest as the most 

important consideration in 

the election. What the 

Americans felt was 

secondary. Clinton was the 

candidate they knew will 

help us. Individually and 

collectively, they gave little 

thought to what Americans 

considered was in their best 

interest. While our thinkalike 

commentators were 

reading the NEW YORK 

TIMES, WASHINGTON 

POST, etc – all the papers 

which supported their 

prejudices, they neglected 

papers and media in the 

Midwest and Southern 

America which were more 

accurately reflecting the 

views of grassroots America. 

Trump was the only 

candidate from the start 

saying what main stream 

Americans wanted to hear 

and done. That was why all 

the “mistakes” he made 

which would have doomed 

another candidate to 

ignominious defeat only 

strengthened him. His 

Unique Selling Proposition, 

USP, as Sales and Marketing 

professionals say, was solid. 

Was it emotional, 

impractical and dangerous? 

Perhaps. But, Americans and 

the world will find that out 

later. The most important 

passport and address, and 

they use that to check 

whether people are eligible. 

It is quite a controversial 

thing to do, to say to the entire 

population you’ve got to 

prove your identity.” It is 

quite controversial and may 

prove divisive. 

There are also ethical 

issues where health 

professionals in the UK have 

registered their concerns and 

they do not see themselves 

as passport officers when 

people are seeking medical 

intervention. It will be 

difficult to see how this will 

be implemented. They 

argue, that the move 

contradicts their 

Hippocratic oath that 

compels them to do no harm. 

A spokesperson for the 

British Medical Association 

said: "Ensuring eligibility for 

NHS services is always 

important, but these 

proposals go much too far 

and it is unlikely they could 

ever be turned into a serious 

policy that would be 

accepted by patients and the 

public, that is, showing your 

passport before undergoing 

treatment.” 

However, there are some 

hospitals already piloting 

the scheme in areas where it 

is deemed that "maternity 

tourism" is prevalent. In a 

South London hospital, 

expectant mothers are told 

to provide papers or 

documents that indicate 

their eligibility for free 

treatment on arrival for 

scans and those who are 

unable to provide adequate 

papers are reported to 

thing is for our “gods”, the 

great opinion leaders, to 

admit that they have failed us. 

We now must find a way to 

live with Trump. The first 

thing we do is to stop insulting 

him. From January 2017, he 

will be the most powerful man 

in the world. 

ADVICE TO BUHARI ON 

TRUMP 

God grant me the courage 

to change the things I can 

change, the serenity to accept 

the things I cannot change 

and the wisdom to know the 

difference.” Irish Prayer. 

Meanwhile, President 

Buhari will be best advised to 

ignore the temper tantrums of 

the defeated Nigerian elite – 

even if, like them, he wanted 

Clinton to win. He must 

accept graciously what he 

cannot change. Trump is the 

man to do business with from 

now on and as long as he 

remains US President. Buhari 

owes it a duty to Nigeria and 

Nigerians, including those at 

risk in the US, to get the best 

deal out of Trump. He will not 

get it by approaching 

Americans with the attitude 

that they are stupid red necks. 

They voted for what they 

believe is best for their country. 

One might ask: what are the 

illegal Nigerians doing there 

anyway? Is it their country? 

Nigeria, in 1984, under 

General Buhari, bundled out 

all the Ghanaians we could 

find resulting in the term 

“Ghana Must Go” till today. 

Was Buhari a lunatic or was 

he stupid for doing it? We 

point accusing fingers 

forgetting that history had 

already pointed one at us. 

Nigeria needs the US more 

than the Americans need us. 

Famine we have been told is 

imminent next year. Those 

“stupid” Americans have the 

largest stock of grains that 

might stand between millions 

of our people and the 

graveyard. We cannot afford 

to alienate them just because 

they expressed their preference 

for a leader. In the end, if wellmanaged, 

Trump might even 

do more for us than Clinton. 

relevant authorities and they 

could face deportation. And 

for those Nigerians who are 

considering a British birth, be 

warned that changes are 

afoot. 

International Day for the 

Elimination of Violence 

against Women 

"For every woman and girl 

violently attacked, we reduce 

our humanity" - Nelson 

Mandela 

The 25th of November is the 

International Day for the 

Elimination of violence 

against women. Nigeria has 

got an uphill battle to help 

reduce the high rates of 

violence against women. 

Nigeria is not the only country 

that should clean up its act, 

but the statistics on domestic 

violence in Nigeria is 

indicative that Nigeria is far 

worse than many countries 

and according to National 

Population Commission 

(NPC) [Nigeria] and ICF 

Macro. 2009, Nigeria has one 

of the highest rates of 

domestic violence in Africa. 

This is not the case but we 

will have to shine a light on 

what we can do better to 

improve the lots of women 

and girls in Nigeria. 

Two-thirds of Nigerian 

women are believed to 

experience physical, sexual 

and psychological abuse at 

the hands of their husbands. 

A small scale study 

conducted in Oyo and Lagos 

states indicated that 65% of 

educated women are abused 

about 56% blue collar or 

market women experience 

similar attacks.

On the cross, Jesus cried out, 

saying: “My God, my 

God, why have you forsaken 

me?” (Matthew 27:46). What 

kind of a statement is this? It is easily 

understood when it was David 

who made this plaintive cry. But 

here Jesus, the Son of God, makes 

the same complaint. 

Does God forsake his children? 

Does God forsake man? Should 

Jesus, of all people, not know any 

better? Put another way, does the 

son of God not know that God does 

not forsake his sons? Surely Jesus 

knows that God does not forsake his 

people. Surely Jesus knows that 

God does not refuse to help the helpless. 

So why does he make such a 

false accusation against God? 

The “at-one-ment” 

When Jesus himself was asleep in 

a boat during a storm, his disciples 

hurriedly woke him up asking: 

“Don’t you even care that we are going 

to perish?” Jesus rebuked them 

and asked why they were so fearful. 

He told them that they were of little 

faith, and then promptly rebuked the 

storm and there was calm. But on 

the cross, Jesus himself seems to be 

guilty of the same faithlessness. He 

asks the Father the same impertinent 

question: “Don’t you even care 

that I am suffering here?” 

Jesus’ cry on the cross is the greatest 

identification of God with man 

in the history of humanity. By this 

cry, God entered into the mainstream 

of the human experience. 

God himself cried out on man’s behalf 

for salvation and redemption. 

Man in Christ cried out to God in 

desperation, in confusion, and in disappointment. 

Why, if you are God; 

why, since you are God, are you allowing 

all this calamity to happen 

to us? 

On the cross, God entered so completely 

into the human experience 

and validated human suffering. 

God’s zeal for man was so great, he 

decided to enter into the fellowship 

of human sufferings. God in Christ 

became our brother in adversity. 

God himself became our advocate. 

Jesus became our lawyer, and he 

presented our case eloquently 

against God. 

“Why God? Why do you say you 

love us and yet allow us to go through 

so much suffering? Why do you sit 

back and watch us get raped, tortured, 

robbed, killed, and destroyed 

all day long? Why? Why are you the 

Almighty and yet you allow wars to 

happen, earthquakes to destroy, diseases 

and plagues to ravage? Why 

have you forsaken your people? 

Don’t you even care that we are perishing 

every day?” 

Illogical faith 

These nagging questions have led 

many to atheism. Some are convinced 

God does not exist because 

of the havoc they see in the world. 

Others insist that although he exists, 

he only took part in creation 

and thereafter went on sabbatical. 

Yet others are simply angry with him. 

They were once believers but not 

anymore. 

Why, they reason, should we serve 

a God that allows our children to 

die of sickle cell anemia? Why 

should we bother with a God who 

just watches while we are gangraped 

and violated? What is the 

NOSCEF gets new executives 

—Proposes ‘purpose-built’ secretariat 

THE Northern States 

Christian Elders Forum 

(NOSCEF) has elected new 

executives to run its affairs for 

the next three years. The 

induction took place last 

week in Kaduna. 

The newly elected 

executives include Elder 

Olaiya Phillips as chairman, 

Dr. Luka Lobadungze, vice 

chairman, Elder Patrick 

Ambut as secretary and Mika 

Haruna as assistant 

secretary. 

Others are Yabuku Dauda 

as auditor, Prof. Nuhu 

Gworgwor, treasurer, Mr. 

James Sakaba as financial 

secretary and Barrister 

Morris Odeh, legal adviser. 

Also in the new executives 

are Sunday Oibe as PRO, 

Pastor Sunday Akpan, 

Trending Gospel Lyrics 

It all belongs to you 

By Prospa Ochimana 

AFTER the huge success 

of his last single The 

Great I Am, Prospa 

Ochimana marks his 

birthday on November 6, 

2016 with another mind 

blowing single It All Belongs 

To You. Produced by award 

winning Producer, Ebenezer 

Iriemi, It All Belongs To You 

is a song of devotion, rededication, 

submission and 

surrender. We are nothing 

without Jesus. We truly 

belong to God, whatever we 

are, whatever well ever be it 

all belong to Him (God) Isaiah 43:21. 

Verse 1 

The cattle on a thousand Hills belongs to you 

My head,shoulder, knees and toes 

belongs to you 

Everything that am made of belongs to you my mind,body 

and my soul belongs to you 

Chorus 

It all belongs to you, it all belongs to you, it all belongs to 

you 

Verse 2 

You’re the potter am the clay; break me and mould me as u 

please; am urs ooo Lord…ayaya…. the oceans and the seas 

belongs to you 

Send us the lyrics of your new song. 

(ebunsessou@gmail.com) 

THE GOOD SAMARITAN 

A man suffering from 

tuberculosis went to see a 

doctor. The doctor decided 

to catch the disease first, 

the better to understand the 

ailment 

point of a merciful heavenly Father 

who stands by as our husbands betray 

us with other women, or as our 

sons contract AIDS at the dentist, or 

as our siblings die prematurely 

through the error of doctors? 

But oh, how God cares! He cares 

so much he shouts himself hoarse 

warning us about the wrong choices 

we persist in making. God begs 

man, he cajoles, he pleads and he 

threatens. “Please choose life, so that 

you and your seed may live.” But 

persistently we choose death and 

then rant and rage against God on 

our death-bed. 

The nature of this world, a place 

of sin, death and destruction, is not 

the making of God. Man is the architect. 

We disobeyed; we transgressed, 

we refused to follow the 

commandments of our loving Father. 

Therefore we got exactly what 

we deserve. “Behold, the LORD's 

hand is not shortened, that it cannot 

save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot 

hear. But our iniquities have 

separated us from our God; and our 

sins have hidden his face from us, so 

that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1- 

2). 

welfare and Engineer Sule 

Kilang as security officer. 

In his acceptance speech 

titled the road ahead, Phillips 

said the group has been 

remorseless in advocacy for 


ebunsessou@gmail.com 

With Ebun Sessou 

08111813025 

Great physician 

fairness, justice and equality 

for all Nigerians, irrespective 

of tribe, religion or political 

affiliations. 

According to him: “We 

have sought broad 

consultations across and 

among Northern Christians 

and elders. 

Be sensitive to Nigerians’need: 

Anglican Communion tells Buhari 

•Says the church, country not stable 

By Jumoke Kolawole 

THE Bishop of the 

Archbishop Vining 

Memorial Church 

Cathedral, AVMCC, Diocese 

of Lagos West Anglican 

Communion, Church of 

Nigeria, Rt.Rev. James 

Odedeji has called on 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari to be sensitive to the 

needs of Nigerians saying, the 

society is not friendly. 

He made the call at the 17th 

anniversary of the 

inauguration of the church 

where he disclosed that the 

current recession has subjected 

the country to untold hardship 

adding that, there is hunger on 

the land which has also made 

the environment to be tensed. 

According to him, people 

are now criminally minded 

looking for every means to 

survive and when they cannot 

survive honestly, they would 

survive dishonestly. 

“When a leader is not 

concern about his followers, 

he is not a leader, when your 

followers complains 

continuously, you need to look 

inward because they voted you 

because they have confidence 

in you as their president. 

“The church is facing 

problems because the country 

is unstable, the security is 

porous, the economy situation 

of the country is unfriendly and 

therefore the rich should 

understand that, if the poor do 

not eat, they (the rich) cannot 

sleep. “An hungry man is an 

angry man. 

“I represent the church and 

I can tell you that all is not 

well. It is when people are 

happy that they come to the 

church, the church is the last 

hope of every body, they come 

to pray, they come to thank 

God, so there is no way you 

can separate the society from 

the church, whatever affect the 

society, affect the church and 

whatever affect the church, 

affect the society, society and 

religion are together, they coexist”, 

he said. 

The Bishop urged Nigerians 

to be more prayerful for 

the leaders, adding that, “we 

should be more patient and 

honest so that the country will 

be a better place. 

“Despite the recession and 

the difficulties in the country, 

we still need prayer and we 

have discovered that our 

prayers for this country and the 

Diocese would go along way. 

On the event, he said, “It is an 

annual event where all 

members of the Diocese 

gathered to appreciate God 

goodness and mercies, he 

further said the anniversary 

was organized to commit the 

fresh year unto the Lord." 

“We have made our voices 

heard through regular public 

assessments of the state of the 

nation. 

“In all we have done, we 

have sought to be a strong 

voice for the Northern 

Christian community; 

Nevertheless, the Lord would still not forsake 

his people. God has a plan and this 

plan was set in motion from the foundation 

of the world. God is not simply interested in 

healing man. That would have been too 

impersonal. God is not only interested in 

comforting man. Yes, he is the God of all 

comforts. But in Christ, God is in the first 

place interested in sharing in man’s ordeal, 

even though it is of our own making. 

A man suffering from tuberculosis went to 

see a doctor. The doctor was the Good Samaritan 

therefore he did not just prescribe a 

cure. The doctor decided to catch the disease 

first, the better to understand the ailment. 

A thief accused of stealing employed a 

lawyer to plead his case. The lawyer was the 

Good Samaritan so he said: “In order for 

me to defend you properly, I need to have a 

complete understanding of your predicament.” 

So he conspired to have himself also 

accused of stealing. When the time came 

for the trial, the lawyer would not just be 

defending a client; he would be defending 

himself. 

This was the case of God with regard to 

man through Christ Jesus. We were the poor 

and defenceless traveller on the way from 

Jerusalem to Jericho. Our adversary, the 

devil, robbed us, stripped us and wounded 

us. We were by nature dead in trespasses 

and sins, completely without strength; unable 

to defend ourselves. Then Jesus, the 

Good Samaritan, came and had compassion 

on us. He bound up all our wounds. He 

took us to the hospital and put all the expenses 

for our treatment on 

his own account. 

The cross 

So doing, the armed robbers 

were able to pounce on 

him as well: “He was wounded 

for our transgressions, he 

was bruised for our iniquities: 

the chastisement of our 

peace was upon him; and 

with his stripes we are 

healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). In all 

our afflictions, he became afflicted, 

and the angel of his 

presence saved us. In his love 

and in his pity he redeemed 

us, and he picked us up from 

the miry clay. (Isaiah 63:9). 

Therefore, we cannot say 

anymore that God does not 

care. No more can we say 

God is indifferent to human 

suffering and adversity. In 

Christ, God answered that 

human question conclusively. 

God not only cares, he does 

not separate himself from 

human suffering. “For we 

have not an high priest which 

cannot be touched with the 

feeling of our infirmities; but 

was in all points tempted like 

as we are, yet without sin.” 

(Hebrews 4:15). 

Indeed, man does not even 

know what suffering is. No 

mere mortal has ever experienced 

the kind of agony 

Christ went through on the 

cross. Suffering, great suffering, 

comes from the anguish 

of the soul. This comes when 

God turns his back on man. 

This was Jesus’ predicament 

on the cross. For the first time 

in eternity, the Father turned 

his back on his beloved Son 

and the agony was too much 

for Jesus to bear. 

Primate calls for passage of anti-jungle 

justice bill 

By Olayinka Latona 

PRIMATE of The First 

African Church 

Mission, Most Rev. Sunday 

Matilukuro has called on 

Nigerian lawmakers to pass 

the “Prohibition and 

protection of persons from 

lynching, mob action and 

extra-judicial executions” 

which has passed its second 

reading in the upper 

chamber to stem the 

growing trend of jungle 

justice and extra-judicial 

killings in the country. 

Reacting to the news of a 

7-year-old boy who was 

beaten and burnt to death 

for stealing garri in Lagos, 

Primate Matilukuro 

described the act as 

‘barbaric and inhuman’, 

praying that the nation’s 

law enforcement agents 

would wake up to their 

responsibilities and bring 

the perpetrators to book. 

In his words: “Lynching 

and burning of fellow 

human beings is total 

wickedness, a dastardly act 

which portrays the level of 

moral decadence in our 

country. The person 

involved in this particular 

incidence is a minor. Even 

in the law, a minor cannot 

be punished in such manner, 

rather he should be 

corrected. 

“Those involved did not 

guided by the values of 

fairness, justice and equality.” 

He however stated there is 

much more to be done in the 

next three years. NOSCEF, 

according to him, needs a 

befitting secretariat to better 

coordinate its activities. 

only offend the law but have 

also offended God because 

such behaviour is inhuman. 

It is never part of our culture 

and should not be part of us. 

The government should 

ensure that the perpetrators 

of the evil act should be 

fished out and dealt with in 

accordance with prevailing 

laws of the land to serve as 

deterrent against future 

occurrence,” he said. 

The Primate also called 

on governments at all levels 

to make life much more 

comfortable for the nation’s 

citizens by providing 

adequate security . 

Lamenting that most of 

the leaders are indifferent 

about security and welfare 

of the masses, the primate 

said: “We can also blame 

our leaders because they 

have failed the masses. Once 

the leader is good, followers 

will fall in line, if the leaders 

are corrupt, indifference 

about security and general 

welfare of the masses, then 

caution will be thrown to the 

wind, and it’ll be survival of 

the fittest which is typical of 

jungle life.” 

Matilukuro, however, 

advised parents, especially 

mothers to spend quality 

time with their children 

while asking the media to 

discourage scenes, pictures 

and publications that are 

capable of promoting moral 

decadence in the society.


Joe-Ezigbo: Without energy 

gy, , agriculture, 

diversif 

sification ication not possible 

BY MORENIKE TAIRE 

“The gas lady” is the nickname 

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, co-founder and 

executive director, Falcon 

Corporation Ltd., is hailed by 

many of her friends and associates. 

Yet, it would surprise many to 

discover her entry into the oil and 

gas sector was by accident. 

Confronted by the reality of gas 

flares while executing a project in 

South-Eastern Nigeria, almost two 

decades back, she stumbled on the 

resource that would come to define 

the organization she leads and 

represents. 

Nevertheless, it is an industry to 

which she is not only committed 

but one upon which she firmly 

believes the solution to our 

electricity woes is hinged. 

A chat with Joe-Ezigbo has 

the tendency to soon turn from a 

lifestyle inquiry into an 

unprecedented insight into the 

subject about which she is most 

passionate. And this is exactly the 

case just barely weeks after the 

Nigerian Gas Association 2016 

annual conference, which rose 

from Abuja recently. 

The winner of the ‘Ernst & Young 

Entrepreneur of the Year West 

Africa 2014’ award who holds four 

academic degrees. 

oming from outside of the 

C 

oil and gas industry, what 

drove your choice of the 

industry to invest in? Moreso, the 

oil and gas industry has been 

dominated by multi-nationals. 

We were a bit naive but it was 

also something that has worked 

for us over the years because as 

we began to understand the 

industry more in those early days, 

one thing that stood out for us was 

that, in a lot of strategic 

management positions, you will 

see the expatriates handling 

things but the real work was 

actually being done by our people 

and that sort of spoke to us in 

terms of what we can do and we 

made our own commitment back 

then that whatever we will achieve 

in the industry, we will achieve it 

with Nigerians through Nigerians. 

It was a position that cost us many 

opportunities back then so, it was 

a bit slow in the beginning because 

we just maintained that Falcon 

was going to be completely 

indigenous and that was 1994, 

1995. It has been validated and 

now having legislation 

mandating for that to happen. 

Falcon participated in the 

recent Nigeria Gas Association 

conference in Abuja. What was 

the takeaway for Falcon? And 

how are you harnessing the 

opportunities that emerged from 

the meetings? 

I have been sitting on the NGA 

Exco for the last 8 years and so 

our engagement has been both in 

terms of inner workings of the 

council and as a player in the 

industry. We have come to a point, 

where the industry is almost at a 

standstill. All our aspirations as a 

nation in terms of diversification 

are hinged on one key thing and 

that is the power sector. Whether 

we have all sorts of innovative 

technologies, they are not going 

to take away from the fact that gas 

to power is the critical link in the 

chain. 

As the minister announced the 

draft for the National Gas Policy 

was also released and speaks 

particularly to a restructuring of 

the entire industry, creating room 

for a segregation of the upstream, 

midstream and the downstream 

and allowing for private sector 

investment to come into all those 

•Audrey Joe-Ezigbo 

various spaces with government 

regulations but not the way it is 

now. Therefore, the conference 

opened our eyes to how we can 

progress some of the strategic 

opportunities that we had already 

identified. 

Falcon has made its marks in 

the industry but not without 

attendant challenges. 

There are some kind of 

businesses that we refused to do 

but we hold ourselves as a 

company that is very strict on the 

ethics of the business and 

unfortunately the landscape has 

been riddled with all sorts of 

corrupt practices, sharp practices. 

(Cut in) What would you 

attribute those to? 

It is not isolated from what is 

going on in the country. In places 

where you see that people are well 

remunerated and they wouldn’t 

need to do certain things but you 

will still find out that there are 

people who have what they call 

“my day job and my night job”. 

The day job is a job with an IOC, 

the night job is the private 

business they do to compete for 

the same projects that you the 

independents are competing for. 

On the technical side of things, 

it is the constraint of not 

manufacturing what we need 

locally, so with your best local 

content aspiration, there are still 

some things we need to rely on in 

the international market. A lot of 

training, development has to go 

into that space. We have some 

banks, which are doing what they 

consider long-term funding, 

which is a joke - for instance, a 

bank is telling you 3 – 5 years. 3 – 

5 years in oil and gas is shortterm. 

Talking about the foreign 

exchange aspect of it from the 

aspect of our business where we 

are acting as a government agent, 

it is a bit untidy but I see 

streamlining of that as the 

industry is trying to move itself 

forward. 

Falcon Corporation was 

appointed into a Lagos State 

Government Special Committee 

on Power called Light up 

Lagos Committee under the 

leadership of Governor 

Akinwunmi Ambode. Could you 

let us into how your firm made 

the committee membership? 

What Governor Ambode tried to 

do was to look at who are the 

strategic players in the space. 

Government has a huge 

aspiration in terms of powering 

up Lagos and this is an offshoot of 

what former Governor Fashola 

started and I’m happy to see that 

consistency and continuity. 

Falcon is the LDC that is in charge 

of the Ikorodu gas franchise and 

that has been identified as one of 

the key points to enable gas supply 

that will back all the plants 

around power. It makes sense that 

we be on the committee. A lot of 

work has gone on and I can’t 

speak beyond that, except you see 

that there is a robust roadmap that 

has been developed, a lot of 

technical validation is going on 

currently. But certainly, we 

understand our role as enablers 

in that process to make sure that 

the gas requirement is met. 

Do you see more of that 

happening in other states of the 

federation? 

I believe so. For instance, if I am 

an investor that has identified a 

niche that I feel that I can deliver 

power to, I should be able to do 

that and make it attractive for 

others to want to buy. It increases 

competitiveness which will 

ultimately bring down prices and 

then the objective is for us to have 

a vast power technical base so that 

every other thing can flow. 

Government should be an enabler 

but ultimately it is not achievable 

without the private sector. 

What is the nature of the 

reforms in the oil and gas sector 

by the current administration? 

Have we really moved forward? 

If you look at the tangibles, are 

they well worthy of the large 

pronouncements that have been 

made? Or is it too early to tell? 

A lot of strategic think tanks 

that were set up to look into the 

reformation of the oil industry, 

look into the gas industry, the 

segregation of those industries, 

the clear segregation of the 

upstream, mainstream, 

downstream, to see how to 

streamline it, take away this undue 

government interference in that 

industry and create a very private 

sector-driven landscape that is 

competitive. We are not just seeing 

policies being pushed at you. 

The bigger challenge now 

becomes the implementation and 

that is where time will tell. 

Currently in the power sector, one 

of the biggest challenges we are 

facing is that of illiquidity and 

everybody is blaming the Discos, 

Government should be 

an enabler but ultimately 

it is not achievable 

without the private sector 

but when you begin to roll back 

along the value chain, you will see 

that the issues that will make it 

possible for the Discos to default, 

if that is the case, actually stem 

from way back. From the 

MYTO framework, what are the 

benchmarks? Even the dollar 

rate that is used there is 196/197. 

The current administration 

under Kachikwu has separated 

gas from oil. Now they are 

saying, we are going to have gas 

sector and there is $51billion 

worth of investments that is 

available. 

We had taken position before we 

got to this point and I am sure with 

a lot of seasoned investors, that 

has been the situation. Therefore, 

the things we tried to do have been 

ahead of the policies and the 

policy is only validating that this 

is the direction we should go. In 

the LPG space, it was very clear to 

us that this is the direction. 

Ultimately, that kerosene subsidy 

must go because it is not 

sustainable, it does not make 

economic sense, environmental 

sense and so on. The question then 

is, who are those investors who are 

savvy enough to take position 

ahead of what will certainly be a 

transformation? Hopefully those 

who know what they are doing 

come into the space because we 

don’t want a situation where 

money is just chasing 

opportunities without technical 

know-how to back it up. 

How do you think that could be 

prevented? 

It is looking at the framework 

that has been set. Who is coming 

to the table? What are they brining 

apart from the dollar? How does 

the nation benefit? We are signing 

billion dollar deals with the Chinese 

government but nobody is looking 

at training more people to speak 

Mandarin. They bring in their 

people, they don’t understand us, we 

don’t understand them and when 

they are going they are taking 

everything back 

If you want to do any exploration, 

you have your gas development 

plan already. There is a clause that 

if you have not actualised those gas 

development plans, by the time you 

need to do a renewal round, you will 

lose your licence. We want to hang 

on to those local content demands 

that we are placing so that no matter 

what happens, we are assured that 

that institutional knowledge is not 

lost. 

Several global reforms are 

pushing for clean energy. How 

does that portend for growth in 

natural gas demand and revenue 

opportunity from that sub-sector? 

Natural gas plays that key role 

because we know the environmental 

benefits. I also believe as a nation, 

we need to start paying more than 

lip service to the issue of carbon 

credit. Once you can translate it 

directly to their own business 

bottom line, then you will see we 

will begin to aspire. 

There seems to always be a 

controversy on natural gas 

pricing in Nigeria. Is there a thing 

like appropriate price for natural 

gas for the country? 

What I think is the appropriate 

is that it has to be market-driven. 

I should be able to negotiate 

directly with you as a gas seller 

for what works from the project 

point of view. Now people argue 

about the end cost to the end user 

and I agree it is not easy. Already, 

the power pricing is an issue; 

mind you, the dollar rate in the 

pricing framework, is not 

realistic. Let us wear the shoes of 

the investor; where are they 

supposed to get their returns 

from? Yes, if they bring it up to the 

realistic pricing at the current rate, 

will the man on the street be able 

to pay? That is the conversation 

you hear at the other end. We have 

spent decades destroying value 

and unfortunately, every time you 

want to recreate a system that has 

been grossly eroded, what happens 

is that some people will suffer and 

it is not just the man on the street. 

The deregulation of the 

downstream petroleum sector, for 

instance, is a case in point. Now, 

it is a case of the players removing 

N1 to make a sale. But now, we 

are dealing with our current 

prices, everybody has made the 

adjustment and that sector is 

moving forward. We need to just 

undertake that same mind-set as 

far as every other sector is 

concerned. 

You seem very much in gas 

administration in the country. 

What has been the advantage? 

We are coming from an era 

where even our regulators, many 

of them don’t understand the 

industry. You are not able to just 

step back and say I’m just running 

my company and many things are 

going on and you are not able to 

advocate for what should make 

sense. At the Nigerian Gas 

Association advocacy is the 

number 1 out of the 4 value pillars 

that we are standing on. I’m not 

building a business that will die 

with me. I want a business that lasts 

well after I am gone and is still 

ready to survive and thrive and 

add value. When you look at the 

National gas master plan, the 

ideals were lofty but were actually 

achievable with concerted effort - 

how do we optimize our gas 

resources on the domestic front; 

how do we make Nigeria the most 

attractive gas market for export? 

How do we build up 

infrastructure network? They 

actually made provisions that 

supported the local content. Very 

robust. The country is currently 

littered with power plants that 

have no gas. interconnectivity only 

happens on the backbone of the 

master plan so if I go to wherever 

and I want to start a power plant I 

can visualize my nearest connect for 

gas supplies. 

There has been some 

controversy regarding the PIB bill. 

The National Assembly while 

waiting for the executive to present 

the bill, they just started their own 

version and now the Petroleum 

reform bill. What is your take on 

all this? 

I’m glad the conversation is on. 

This comes to the point we have been 

raising about putting the national 

interest first. It is looking at the 

content of the bill versus the reality 

of the day and the landscape we want 

to have tomorrow. Collaboration 

should be the order of the day. Yes 

they can have their arguments but I 

am hoping they can still come 

back to the table and harmonize a 

version that comes out and makes 

sense for the future . Perhaps there 

will be people who are being - for 

want of a better word - partisan but 

I know that things are coming to a 

head .There are gas producers who 

have said maximum 6 months I am 

shutting down because liquidity is 

so volatile it’s unbelievable 

Investments have been suspended .


The Nigerian 

Association of Small 

and Medium 

Enterprises (NASME), 

umbrella body of micro, 

small and medium 

enterprises, MSMEs, in 

Nigeria, may have won a 

major battle releasing small 

businesses from tax 

burdens as the Federal 

Inland Revenue Service 

(FIRS) has waved all 

outstanding tax liabilities 

against them up till 2016. 

NASME had, earlier in 

this year, packaged a tax 

amnesty proposal with the 

technical support of a 

leading accounting firm, 

Akintola Williams Deloitte, 

and lobbied the Federal 

Ministry of Finance to, 

among other things, wave 

all outstanding penalties, 

charges and interests on all 

unpaid taxes standing 

against every MSME up to 

2016. 

Last September, FIRS 

announced a waiver for all 

outstanding penalties, 

interests and charges for tax 

defaults against MSMEs for 

a period from 2013 to 2015. 

Speaking to Vanguard 

SME, the National Vice 

Chairman of NASME in 

South West zone, Mr Jemi 

Alade, while commending 

the initiative disagreed with 

the period covered, arguing 

that it should cover all 

previous years. 

He stated: ‘‘We want it 

across board. Instead, 

deadlines or cut-off dates 

should be eliminated totally 

up to end 2016’’. 

At a workshop for tax and 

regulatory policy framework 

for MSMEs held in Lagos 

last week, Chairman of FIRS, 

Dr. Tunde Fowler, indicated 

that the waivers would be 

extended to all years prior to 

2016. Previously, the waiver 

was from 2013 to 2015. 

With Emeka Anaeto (08104056415) 

emekaanaeto16@gmail.com 

SMEs win major tax war 

…FIRS and Lagos move to review tax burden 

•SME operator at work 

By Emeka Anaeto 

Committed to training young 

Nigerians in advanced 

manufacturing and 

business development, leading 

multinational, General Electric 

We want it 

across board. 

Instead, 

deadlines or cutoff 

dates should 

be eliminated 

totally up to end 

2016 

Moreover, Fowler said the 

extension, applies to members 

of NASME only. Moreover, He 

also stated that management 

accounts, instead of audited 

accounts, will be accepted. 

Additionally, the FIRS boss 

directed that companies should 

refer controversial taxes by 

states to the Joint Tax Board 

(JTB). 

Vanguard learnt that Ministry 

of Finance is working for the 

revised tax policy to be sent to 

the National Assembly before 

year end. The review will also 

be a continuous exercise. 

Government is also working on 

reducing company tax rates 

which will be effective when 

the law is passed. 

There were also indications 

that Lagos State Internal 

Revenue Service (LIRS) would 

be creating a similar tax waiver 

scheme for NASME members 

in the state. 

A representative of the Lagos 

state ministry of commerce and 

industry said that the 

government is reviewing the 

local government law of 2010 

to itemize the taxes with 

community business 

assemblies inaugurated at the 

local government level, for 

businesses to channel 

complaints regarding levies 

and fees payable to local 

governments. 

GE invests $4 billion in skill acquisition in Africa 

*Unveils second Lagos Garage 

By Yinka Ajayi 

(GE), has invested $4 billion for skill 

acquisition in Africa. 

Speaking in Lagos, GE President 

and Chief Executive Officer, Jay 

Ireland, stated at the unveiling of 

the 2nd Lagos Garage, that the 

growth of Africa would come from 

skill acquisition in manufacturing 

and technology base knowledge. 

According to Ireland, “Our goal is 

to help fund entrepreneurial skills by 

training about 200 people annually. 

We intend to drive Nigeria’s economy 

by generating the next growth of 

Africa through Lagos Garage. If we 


YOUR BUSINESS & YOUR BANK 

Preparing Security/ 

Collateral for Bank 

Loan (5) 

Last week on this series we discussed two 

other security/ collateral items for bank 

loans: Pledge of goods or property and 

stocks/ shares. 

In case of pledge of goods or property we 

had noted that the goods if imported has to be 

consigned to the bank or warehoused by the 

bank from where it is sold and proceeds going 

straight to the bank. 

In the case of property we had noted that 

such property with appropriate value would 

be kept in the custody of the bank in lieu of 

loan security. All the key requirements of a 

good security would apply in all cases of pledge 

of any form of property or goods as security 

for loan. 

We also noted in case of shares/ stocks that 

banks select only those with good track record 

of stock market performance and in particular 

shares of companies known for strong financial 

position. 

Related to this is that the discounting or 

mark-down would be more adverse for shares 

of less reputable companies. We advised that 

the prospective borrower should invest in blue 

chip companies for the purpose of bank loans. 

We noted, however, that banks can make-up 

for the inadequacies of shares as security for 

loans by requesting for additional security in 

forms other than shares. 

In today and the concluding part of this 

series next week we shall discuss some other 

forms of security 

LIFE ASSURANCE POLICIES 

A life assurance policy is as a contract 

whereby the insurer in consideration of a 

certain premium payable monthly or annually 

undertakes to pay to the beneficiary of the 

policy or the holder a lump sum at the terminal 

date predetermined or annually upon the 

death of the life assured. The policy can be 

pledged for loan under conditions and terms 

that do not undermine the existing assurance 

policy contract. 

Specifically the borrower who should be the 

policy holder can assign the benefits thereof 

subject to fulfilled premium obligations. In 

other words the outstanding premium 

obligations do not count for the purpose of 

determining the loan amount and repayment 

obligations. 

GUARANTEES 

This is a typical collateral form of security in 

bank lending. A guarantee is a collateral 

security involving three parties, in which the 

third party, the guarantor, agrees to be liable 

for the debts of a second party, the borrower, if 

he does not pay the first party, the bank. It is 

a promise in writing made by the guarantor to 

the creditor to be liable for the debt of the debtor. 

In most cases the bank would require the 

third party, the guarantor to back-up the 

guarantee with tangible security, assets or cash 

as a form of additional securities like land and 

building, stocks and shares, life policy etc. If 

this is not done the security or collateral 

remains intangible and clearly it is an 

unsecured lending to the third party, 

guarantor. 

CASH SECURITY/A LETTER OF SET-OFF 

Most banks treat cash as the best type of 

security for loans probably because there are 

no obvious problems of valuation, 

depreciation and realization in case of 

default. There are two ways by which cash 

could be held as security. 

(a) Where the customer uses the credit 

balances in an account as security 

for a credit facility. 

(b) When cash is deposited by a third 

party e.g. guarantor expressly to 

secure the debt of the customer, 

e.g. the principal debtor. 

We shall be discussing more on this in 

our concluding part next week.


By Prince Okafor 

Federal Government has 

committed N1.4 billion to 

the pre-development phase 

and N50 billion to stage one 

development in 2017, for the 

establishment of six Special 

Economic Zones (SEZs) and 

Industrial Clusters in the 

country, 

Minister of Industry, Trade 

and Investment, Okechukwu 

Enelamah, who made this 

known at the 5th edition of the 

EU-Nigeria business forum, 

said the Pre-development 

studies on the six pilot SEZs 

in Nigeria which would be 

built to world class standards 

will commence next month, 

adding that, “Afreximbank 

and China Exim Bank have 

committed $1billion into the 

project.” 

Commenting on the creation 

of an enabling environment to 

improve the Ease of Doing 

Business, EODB, based on a 

Presidential initiative, he 

said: “Work has commenced 

on setting up the structure to 

support the initiative on the 

EODB, the supporting 

secretariat has been set up 

and is functioning in the 

Nigeria Investment Promotion 

Commission (NIPC). 

Knowledge experts and 

technical consultants to 

support the team have been 

constituted. 

“The Nigerian Industrial 

Revolution Plan, NIRP, 

priorities are agribusiness 

and the agro-allied sector, 

auto-assembly and 

component manufacturing, 

sugar, food processing 

(tomato and fruit juice), 

textiles and garments, palm 

oil processing and leather and 

leather products. 

“These are the sectors where 

SMEs are operative. Specific 

programmes are being 

implemented at various 

stages,” he noted. 

He also said that the 

Nigerian trade policy practice 

on trade negotiations and 

agreements has been 

revamped and will be used as 

an engine for growth in the 

country. 

He stated: “Nigeria shall 

With Emeka Anaeto (08104056415) 

FG commits N51.4m to industrial 

clusters, SEZs development 

They can compete with 

competitors in any 

economy in the world. 

But we have to work to 

give them a context, by 

improving the domestic 

business environment, 

updating and 

modernizing the platform 

of the Nigerian economy 

and eliminating the trade 

distortions Nigerian 

products and services 

face in foreign markets 

henceforth use trade 

negotiations aggressively and 

ambitiously. Nigeria shall 

initiate and negotiate 

strategic free trade 

agreements (FTAs) with 

precise objectives, including 

explicit linkage of access to 

Nigerian market, for locating 

industrial investments in 

Nigeria connected to regional 

and global value chains”. 

He said that he is confident 

in the innovative capacity of 

the country as well as the 

entrepreneurial 

resourcefulness, adding that, 

“they can compete with 

competitors in any economy in 

the world. But we have to 

work to give them a context, 

by improving the domestic 

business environment, 

updating and modernizing 

the platform of the Nigerian 

economy and eliminating the 

trade distortions Nigerian 

products and services face in 

foreign markets.” 

He maintained that, a digital 

led strategy for growth is 

central to Nigeria’s plan for 

•Factory workers at one of the Lagos industrial clusters 

diversification and growth. 

In his words, “the digital 

economy provides a platform 

for the integration of Nigerian 

SMEs into the Global value 

chains, with a catapult effect. 

“The digital economy in 

Nigeria is one of the fastest 

growing in the world. It 

currently accounts for 

approximately 10 percent of 

the GDP. Lagos is the largest 

commercial city in Africa. The 

city accommodates some of 

Africa’s best known tech 

businesses such as IrokoTV, 

Hotels.ng, Jobberman, 

Andela, Balogun market and 

Truppr.com. Co-Creation Hub 

(CC Hub) is Nigeria’s leading 

innovation hub. In the SME 

ecosystem, entrepreneurial 

Hubs and business incubation 

Centers are the future. 

“Nigeria technology startups 

and SMEs are being 

facilitated through internet 

connectivity, although we 

require partnerships and 

assistance to achieve 100 

percent broadband coverage 

of Nigeria rapidly,” he stated. 

GE invests $4 billion in skill acquisition in Africa 


observe growth of business 

ideas, it would motivate us to 

continue the Garage initiative 

as is in line with Nigerian 

government diversification 

moves. People come up with 

ideas and create businesses for 

themselves in technology or 

manufacturing would be great 

for the nation’s economic 

diversification agenda”. 

He stressed that Garage sets 

to offer series of skills training 

programs focusing on building 

the next generation of Nigerian 

entrepreneurs while 

participants would be trained to 

use the latest in advanced 

manufacturing technologies; 3D 

printers, CNC mills, and laser 

cutters in the first-ever 

fabrication lab in Nigeria, 

driving innovation in the 

country. They would learn how 

to apply the core principles of 

design thinking, product 

development, finance, 

marketing, sales, and customer 

acquisition in real-time to their 

ventures. 

Meanwhile, President & 

CEO, GE Nigeria, Dr. Lazarus 

Angbazo, said, “For Africa to 

better compete in a global 

frame work, there is need to 

encourage innovation in 

Nigeria and support small and 

medium entrepreneural (SME) 

development through skillsbuilding 

initiatives. The Lagos 

Garage will provide 

participants access to a robust 

mentorship network, 

supporting entrepreneurship 

with the aim of driving growth 

across all sectors of the 

Nigerian economy. 

“We created the Garages 

experience in March 2012 to 

reinvigorate interest in 

invention, innovation, and 

manufacturing in America. 

Programs include custom 

projects, curated speaker 

Consistency in high quality 

has earned Chi Limited 

two awards at the just 

ended 2016 ‘Global Quality 

Excellence’ Awards which held in 

Lagos. 

Chivita 100%, the company’s 

flagship brand in the fruit juice 

category, was named as winner 

of the ‘Best Quality Fruit Juice 

Excellence Award 2016’ for the 

Juice category while Hollandia 

Yoghurt won the ‘Best Quality 

Yoghurt Excellence Award 2016’ 

for the drinking yoghurt 

category. 

The award organized by the 

African Quality Institute as part 

of this year’s World Quality Day 

celebration and in line with the 

resolution of the United Nations, 

sessions and workshops amid 

a fully equipped advanced 

manufacturing space. This 

CHI wins trophies at ‘Global Quality Excellence’ awards 

the Global Quality Excellence 

Awards 2016 has the objective of 

ensuring that quality remains an 

important tool for national 

growth and prosperity. 

According to Desmond 

Esorougwe, a member of the 

Organizing Committee for the 

Awards, “in a global economy 

where success depends on 

quality, innovativeness and 

sustainability, the award is our 

chance to reinforce these virtues 

as the foundation of 

organizations and brand’s 

requirement for achieving 

improved business performance. 

After a painstaking review of 

brands in the fruit juice and 

yoghurt categories, Chivita 

100% fruit juice and Hollandia 

CLB gets 

Accreditation 

The Chartered Institute of 

Personnel Management 

(CIPM) has granted the Centre 

for Law and Business, (CLB) 

Lagos, Accredited Study Centre 

Status to organized tutorial 

classes and training for CIPM 

students and HR practitioners. 

According to the Managing 

Director of CLB, Mr. Dapo 

Oyewumi, “the accreditation 

will afford CIPM students 

opportunity to receive quality 

tutorial classes and obtain their 

qualifications with excellent 

results.” He continued: “The 

CIPM tutorial classes at CLB are 

designed in furtherance of the 

objective of the Institute to 

deliver excellent HR 

practitioners.” 

It could be recalled, earlier in 

the year that the Chartered 

Institute of Bankers of Nigeria 

(CIBN) had also accredited CLB 

to organise tutorial classes for 

bankers sitting for the 

Associateship of the Chartered 

Institute of Bankers (ACIB) 

exam. 

The professionally run study 

center was established in 2003 

to provide intellectual products, 

learning and tutorial support for 

world class academic and 

professional programmes 

anchored on the University of 

London and other UK 

Universities, and for 

professional bodies like 

ACCA,CIPM, CIBN, ICAN, as 

well as private tutoring for 

students in various foreign 

universities and institutions. 

program went global with two 

workshops in Lagos in 2014 

and has since grown to include 

several countries in Europe 

and the Middle-East.” 

Yoghurt came tops in recognition 

of their capacity to deliver 

authentic consumer 

experiences” 

Speaking on the awards, 

Managing Director of Chi 

Limited, Mr. Roy Deepanjan, 

“we are delighted with this 

honour from the organizers of 

the Global Quality Excellence 

Awards 2016.The award 

underscores our dedication to 

giving 100% to every stage in the 

production process of our brands 

from sourcing of raw materials 

to packaging and delivery. We 

constantly review our processes 

to ensure that only the best 

quality of our products in the 

Fruit juice and dairy category 

finds its way to shelf”

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, Page 43 

VIEWPOINT 

By Femi Fani-Kayode 

VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT 

IN BRIEF 

A 21-day experience in 

Abuja prison at the instance 

of the EFCC 

MY Boko Haram friends 

accompanied me to that 

meeting, drew a ten man security 

cordon around me when we 

entered the general population of 

the prison and waited outside as 

Nnamdi and I spoke for almost 

three hours. 

They even accompanied me to 

Church on Sunday and waited 

outside until we finished. 

Given what I have written about 

Boko Haram in the past and given 

my total aversion to any form of 

violence, terrorism and radical 

Islam, this was a classic case of 

God granting me favour before my 

PRISON NOTES: Life in Boko Haram section of jail 

enemies. 

Everyone dreaded them in that 

prison but I am proud to say that 

they were my friends and I will 

never forget their courage, 

kindness and fellowship for the 

rest of my life. 

The enemy had placed me in the 

lions den but the lions and their 

prey became the best of friends. 

Not only were my Boko Haram 

section mates very good to me but 

so were the other inmates in the 

general prison population. 

Not only that, the head of the 

prison, DCP Akilu Abdullah, his 

Chief Warden and his entire staff 

and team of prison wardens were 

firm, courteous and professional, 

not just to me but to all the other 

inmates. 

This was the doing of the Lord 

and it was marvellous in my sight. 

Throughout my travails, I have 

never questioned God and I have 

been inspired and comforted by His 

word which says that in all things 

we must give thanks to Him. 

I am innocent of all the charges 

and allegations and as I have said 

elsewhere, the whole thing is an 

attempt by the Federal 

Government and an increasingly 

desperate EFCC that is obsessed 

with my name and putting me 

away to discredit, break and 

silence me. 

Yet in all this I am not moved 

and neither can I ever be broken 

or silenced because, like the 

Biblical Job, “I know that my 

Redeemer liveth”. 

Like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, 

“my head is bloodied but not 

bowed” and “I shall fight until the 

flesh is hacked from my bones”. 

And as that fight and struggle 

unfolds and unwinds I take solace 

in the powerful and beautiful 

words of the Victorian poet, 

William Ernest Henley, in my 

favourite poem titled ‘Invictus’ 

which was written in 1875. He 

wrote, 

“Out of the night that covers me, 

Black as the pit from pole to 

pole, 

I thank whatever gods may be 

For my unconquerable soul. 

In the fell clutch of circumstance 

I have not winced nor cried 

aloud. 

Under the bludgeonings of 

chance 

My head is bloody, but unbowed. 

Beyond this place of wrath and 

tears 

Looms but the Horror of the 

shade, 

And yet the menace of the years 

Finds and shall find me 

unafraid. 

It matters not how strait the gate, 

How charged with punishments 

the scroll, 

I am the master of my fate, 

I am the captain of my soul”. 

Like Nelson Mandela did at 

Robben Island prison every day for 

26 years, I recited that poem three 

times a day on each and every day 

of my total of 90 days detention 

this year. And if I am arrested and 

detained again by the EFCC or any 

of President Buhari’s other 

numerous security or intelligence 

agencies, I will continue to recite 

it. I have no fear of what men or 

Satan can do to me and I trust and 

have faith in the God that I serve. 

Having explained my absence 

for the last few weeks with this 

appetiser permit me to get to the 

meat of it and now serve the main 

dish of this contribution. 

*To be continued 

*Fani-Kayode served as Minister 

of Aviation in the Obasanjo 

administration and was spokesman 

for Jonathan Campaign. 

VIEWPOINT 

By Denja Yaqub 


IN BRIEF 

We have enough human 

resources to develop our own 

polices 

THE current economic crisis, 

an exposé on the predicted 

disabilities and inhuman 

dispositions of neo liberal policies, 

especially its role in developing 

economies just as it is in all sectors, 

seem to be one that will ignite, if it 

has not already ignited a revolt that 

will sure upturn global fortunes for 

the better. 

Not sure if Nigeria will be a 

beneficiary, given the nature of our 

intellectual, organisational, state 

and structural ineptitude as well as 

absence of national cohesiveness in 

a situation where nearly every 

analysis is garbed in ethnicity and 

clear allegiance to anything but 

national interests. 

Most critics, these days, see issues 

in the context of who was there and 

who is now there and from where; 

nothing much about what was there 

and what is there. Indeed, somehow 

contemporary Nigeria has 

VIEWPOINT 

By Danlami Adamu Nasir 


IN BRIEF 

Putting the records on NIPP 

straight 

One of the problems of 

mercenary writers or 

hatchet men is that they 

don’t pay attention to facts check. 

Abraham Lincoln said “no man has 

good enough memory to be a 

successful liar.” I cannot agree more. 

Therefore, if you are hired to attack 

someone else’s reputation, you 

should be sure of your facts first or 

else, you may ultimately look foolish 

for your ignorance. 

A case in point is a recent article 

entitled: “Where are the Various 

Power Probe Reports?” written by 

Philip Agbese. The writer 

deliberately distorted record and 

intentionally mistook assumptions 

for factuality. 

Fighting corruption and economic recession 

degenerated so fast, perhaps faster 

than any human abode at all levels. 

It may seem that because we never 

had situations when the opposition 

becomes government, no one, 

including the present government 

planned for the crisis we are now 

collectively burdened with. That just 

one citizen keeps millions of dollars 

at home, amounting to sums that 

could have either rejuvenated or built 

sectors that would have shot the 

citizens and country to better life and 

greater heights in human endeavour, 

doesn’t seem to be as worrisome to 

many as it would be if it were not 

perceived or analysed in regional or 

ethnic garbs with party biases; 

nauseating debates over legalities 

and constitutionality even as our 

legislators brazenly display 

superiority in self-interests above our 

collective future and fortunes as if 

there were no laws and constitution 

before now. 

When any of the three arms of 

government treats the fourth arm, the 

real arm of government- the citizenswith 

so much impunity, the country 

goes down. The worst is when the “last 

hope of the common man”, as the 

judiciary is commonly referred to, 

becomes a convenient abode of the 

devil sullying the common man. 

While Nigerians have been 

compelled to contend with growing 

debts, debts imposed on the citizens 

by selfish and inept leaders who swam 

and possibly still swim with our 

collective wealth; monumental debts 

that have mostly been brazenly 

embezzled beyond anyone’s 

imagination before the advent of the 

present government, some people still 

argue that it was wrong to pick 

judicial officers, Judges of the highest 

court, the Supreme Court, who kept 

monies in different currenciesproceeds 

of compromise; monies 

handed them by those spending our 

collective treasure- in their homes. 

Judges; those who should be revered, 

feared professionals that should have 

been leading examples in decency and 

professional discipline; those who 

should be presiding over cases of 

corruption; those who should have 

been ordering prisons opened for all 

the characters slowing us down, are 

the ones keeping proceeds of 

corruption in their homes. 

This is the highest of all scandals 

emerging from the rots of several 

years of maladministration of a 

country with so much resources in 

human and material quantum 

enough to rule the world. 

When the judiciary becomes as 

compromised as it has so far been 

exposed by alleged discoveries by 

those who carried out midnight sting 

operations in the homes of Judges 

suspected to have compromised their 

professional ethics, any such country 

is already doomed. 

But, somehow, the battle against 

corruption must be trap free. It must 

have good legal and constitutional 

unbreakable grounds strong enough 

to make judges or anyone unable to 

circumvent. 

There are questionable methods 

and the regime is obviously serious 

enough in the ordinary about the 

battle against what has slowed the 

country down than to allow legal or 

constitutional pits as obstacles. There 

are questionable actions that point 

to obvious pitfalls in the investigation, 

arraignment and trial of the accused 

persons/judges. 

For instance, is the State Security 

Service responsible for any form of 

operation in corruption related 

cases? When did the SSS become 

Department of State Services? Which 

law changed their name? Why wasn’t 

the Economic and Financial Crimes 

Commission or the Independent 

Corrupt Practices Commission or the 

anti-fraud unit of the Nigeria Police 

involved? Any of the accused judges 

can throw these questions as 

obstacles to proper prosecution. 

Haven’t they used these to free 

previously prosecuted individuals? 

Yes, the judiciary stinks, and we must 

say this very loud, but the den of crime 

must not be invaded in manners 

anyway seen much more helpful to 

criminality. Agreed, the element of 

surprise is necessary in situations 

where accomplices of suspects sits 

within the agencies with direct 

responsibilities to deal with 

corruption related cases or any crime, 

but there should be some fine officers 

in the appropriate agencies that can 

carry out flawless operations without 

compromise. 

To be continued 

Yaqub is an Assistant 

Secretary at the headquarters 

of Nigeria Labour Congress, 

Abuja. 

LIMITS OF PROPAGANDA: Lies can’t prevail against facts 

The writer, who was reacting to the 

recent speech at the American 

University, Yola by the CEO of 

Electricity Distribution Company, 

Mrs. Olufunke Osibodu, in which she 

said Nigeria, might face power 

challenges for another five years, 

deviated from the issue to pursue his 

own agenda. 

Instead of focusing on the 

arguments of Mrs. Osibodu, the 

writer used her speech to pour 

unwarranted vitriol on former Vice 

President Atiku Abubakar. He 

argued that the former Vice President 

“happens to have been the one that 

oversaw the privatization 

exercise…” and that “what 

happened under Atiku Abubakar’s 

watch set the tone for whatever 

brigandage that was to follow under 

subsequent administrations.” He 

also accused Atiku of “other shady 

dealings” without providing any 

proofs to help the judgment of his 

readers. We are in a democracy and, 

therefore, the writer is entitled to his 

opinion. He is not, however, entitled 

to distort facts and verifiable public 

records with the purpose of 

misleading and misinforming 

gullible and undiscerning Nigerians. 

It is on record and this record is open 

to scrutiny that Atiku was not 

involved in the execution of Nigeria 

Independent Power Projects (NIPP). 

When the House of Representatives 

Committee on Power and Steel, led 

by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, 

investigated that power contract 

awards, it said $16billion was spent 

on the projects without results. 

It may interest Mr. Philip Agbese 

that Atiku was never invited by either 

the House or the Senate to testify in 

respect of the power projects. In fact, 

at no point did any of the actors in 

the projects, including the former 

Power Minister, Mr. Liyel Imoke, link 

the former Vice President with the 

award of contracts or supervision of 

the projects. 

Where did the writer get his “facts” 

that Atiku is responsible for the 

present collapse of the power sector 

in Nigeria? Unknown to the writer, 

Atiku declined to serve as Chairman 

of the implementation of the power 

projects, because he disagreed on 

principle with then President 

Olusegun Obasanjo over the 

methods of achieving the objectives 

of NIPP. Imoke served as Chairman 

until the end of their tenure because 

Atiku declined the job. 

Then, how can any fair-minded 

writer blame Atiku for the power 

problems in the country when he was 

not involved in the execution of 

NIPP? How can you validly and 

objectively blame a man for projects 

he knew nothing about? To 

deliberately discard facts and deploy 

falsehoods to make a point is a great 

disservice to innocent readers. An 

informed writer seeks to add value 

to our knowledge by basing his 

arguments on valid and 

incontestable facts. 

It is, therefore, amazing why Mr. 

Agbese should insult our intelligence 

with his fabrications. Where was he 

in 2008? Was he in the moon? He 

should have done himself a favour 

by doing research instead of 

churning out trash and look foolish 

for his falsehoods. Attacking 

people’s reputation is not part of free 

speech. One trace of falsehood 

destroys a writer’s entire credibility. 

*Nasir is resident in Abuja. 

Financial business newspaper honours Customs 

By Udeme Clement 

The Financial Business and 

Maritime Newspaper has 

honoured Nigeria Customs Service 

(NCS) with awards of excellent 

performance for living up to its core 

mandate of revenue generation 

despite economic recession. 

Speaking while presenting the 

awards, at the launch of the 

newspaper, in honour of the Service, 

held in Nigerian Institute of 

Journalism (NIJ), Lagos, the 

publisher, Mr. Silas Onuoha, said the 

awards were given in recognition of 

their enormous contributions to 

Nigeria’s economy and the society 

at large. 

The awards were given to both 

serving and retired officers. Compt. 

Allanah, whose Command got the 

highest number of votes in revenue 

generation category received award 

of excellent performance. The Public 

Relations Officer of PTML 

Command, Steve Okonmah was 

honoured as the most outstanding 

PRO, at the Command level in the 

whole country and the PRO of Oyo/ 

Osun Command, Ijeoma Nwala, 

who represented Compt. Tope 

Ogunkua was recognised for 

outstanding performance of Oyo 

Command in anti-smuggling 

operations. Others who received the 

awards include, Compt. Waindu 

Multafu, retired Compt. Oteri 

Richard and retired Compt. 

Mohammed Magaji. 

In his remarks, the deputy provost, 

NIJ, Mr. Jide Johnson, commended 

the organisers for honouring the 

service, pointing out the important 

role the Institute is playing in 

training competent journalists every 

year.

PAGE 44—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 

DRAFT BUDGET AND MTEF REJECTED 

Where do we go from here? 

By Dele Sobowale 

“Like all God’s creatures, enemies have 

a purpose in the world. They offer criticism 

of one’s conduct, albeit unsought, that is 

not always provided by friends.” 

Rosenbladt. (VANGUARD BOOK OF 

QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 48). 

“Senate condemns 2017 draft budget, 

says assumptions unrealistic” - report 

in a national daily on November 24, 

2016. 

One of Buhari’s undeclared 

enemies just did him a favour. 

Former President Obasanjo, 

speaking at the Nigerian Institute of 

International Affairs, on November 23, 

2016, had this to say about the Nigerian 

economy and the man at the helm of 

affairs of our nation. OBJ has never been 

known for diplomacy and he probably 

never read the book: How To Win Friends 

And Influence People. He has declared 

war against his junior retired General. 

Yet, Buhari will be best advised to read 

what his predecessor, twice, in office, had 

to say. It might save him more 

embarrassments and insults from 

Senator Melaye and company. 

According to Obasanjo: “It is easier to 

win an election than to right the wrongs 

of a badly fouled up situation. When you 

are outside, what you see and know are 

nothing compared with the reality. And, 

yet when you are on seat, you have to 

clear the mess and put the nation on the 

path of rectitude, development and 

progress…The longer it takes the more 

intractable the problems may become.” 

It was on the same day that the 

Senators were condemning the 2017 

draft budget as well as the Medium Term 

Expenditure Framework, MTEF, 2017- 

2019, in words laced with anger and 

contempt for the Executive branch 

headed by Buhari. From all indications, 

it is going to take longer before Buhari 

can get the National Assembly, NASS, 

to approve of his plans to lead us into 

paths of development and progress. That 

also means the problems might become 

more intractable by the time he is free to 

act. First, we read what the Senators said 

about the documents sent to them. Then 

readers can go down a short memory 

lane to discover that SUNDAY 

VANGUARD had warned the Federal 

Government about many of these 

monumental errors earning the 

presidency insults now. 

First, Senate President Saraki 

said: “There is no doubt about the 

fact that these projections are not 

realistic. There is no doubt that the 

exchange rate is not realistic. The 

Central Bank of Nigeria has said it 

is using N305 to a dollar. There is 

no doubt as well that throughout this 

year we did not achieve 2.2 million 

barrels per day even in peace 

time…”. That was mild criticism of 

the documents. Others were not so 

generous. 

Senator Dino Melaye led the more 

brutal assault on the government’s 

position when he declared: “I want 

to say this document that I have 

before me, this MTEF proposals and 

projections for 2017-2019, is a lie. 

This document is not truthful, it is 

not honest, it is not 

transparent….The average of N290 

exchange rate per dollar, is it 

realistic….The Gross Domestic 

Product is going down and this 

document is telling me, it is going 

up. So how do you corroborate this 

fraud?” 

Senator Olujimi added: “This 

•President Buhari •Olusegun Obasanjo •Kemi Adeosun 

•Udo Udoma 

document is not what we expected, it 

shows the incompetence of those who 

prepared the document. We are talking 

of an MTEF/FSP that has failed to 

review the budgetary performance of 

2016, how can we make the right 

projections for 2017.” 

Finally, Senator Olamilekan Adeola 

wrapped up everything by saying that: 

“The economic team of Mr President is 

in disarray. ” 

Never in the history of NASS 

deliberations over an annual budget or 

MTEF had such hostile rejection of the 

documents taken place. Despite the fact 

that the ruling party is supposed to have 

a majority in the Senate, it is significant 

to note that not a single voice was raised 

in support of government. At this point, 

there is a need to summarise what the 

Senators have said – and as much as 

possible leaving out the insults even if 

deserved. 

Six or seven major variables 

constitute the basis of any national 

annual budget until we sufficiently 

diversify our economy to render crude 

oil irrelevant. They are: 

•crude oil volumes to be exported 

•average crude oil prices to adopt as 

benchmark 

•average exchange rate 

•interest rates 

•non-oil revenue projections 

•expected GDP growth rate 

•deficit or surplus expected and when 

Granted, forecasting for the future in 

a dynamic global environment is 

hazardous business, but, it still must be 

done. There are individuals, even here 

in Nigeria who can and have been 

making fairly accurate projections of 

crude volumes and prices which have 

proved more accurate than those 

adopted by the Economic Management 

Team, EMT. At the risk of being accused 

of immodesty, as far back as October 

2014, VANGUARD had already 

projected that crude oil prices for 2015 

The cardinal problem with wildly 

exaggerated crude oil revenue 

estimates, just to claim a political 

victory of proposing the largest 

budget in history, is that it invites 

correspondingly exaggerated 

expenditure demands by Ministries, 

Departments and Agencies 

and 2016 will average less than $50 per 

barrel and the daily volume will be less 

than 2 million barrels a day. As 2016 is 

winding to a close, it is obvious that our 

forecasts have been more accurate than 

those of the EMT. The cardinal problem 

with wildly exaggerated crude oil revenue 

estimates, just to claim a political victory 

of proposing the largest budget in history, 

is that it invites correspondingly 

exaggerated expenditure demands by 

Ministries, Departments and Agencies. 

Consequently, when the revenue shortfall 

starts and accumulates, it generates 

deficits far in excess of what is in the budget 

and requests for loans inevitably follow 

and become desperate as the year 

progresses. 

That is the situation in which we find 

ourselves today. The 2016 budget was 

defective even before it was submitted to 

the NASS. The lawmakers, on their part, 

were less than diligent and patriotic when 

they passed the budget largely as presented 

– after padding for their own benefit. The 

truth starring everybody in the face now is 

that the 2016 budget should not have been 

passed without substantial alterations, 

mainly, drastic reduction of the crude oil 

revenue estimates – which were selfdeceptive. 

In fact, most of our problems 

with the current year’s budget can be traced 

to the negative variance in crude oil 

revenue account. Oil is not letting us down; 

our EMT is refusing to recognize the 

difference between election promises and 

the realities of governance. Because they 

want to export 2.2 million crude oil per 

day they ignore the market realities 

pointing to the folly of that assumption 

as the basis for the nation’s budget. 

The best budgets are based on solid 

facts not wishful thinking. All they 

needed to do was to call for the actual 

results for 2014, and 2015 - up to 

September 2015 - and it would have 

been clear to them what Saraki was 

saying. We have not in the last three 

years exported 2.2 million barrels a day 

of crude. So, why adopt it for 2016? We are 

now in November of 2016, and the records of 

export for up to September are available 

showing that we have averaged 1.6 to 1.9 

million barrels per day at best. What sense 

does it then make to assume 2.2 million 

for 2017 to 2019? This is not even a 

question of economics; it is a matter of 

common sense. 

Furthermore, next year’s budget, as 

Senator Olujimi correctly pointed out, is 

based on a thorough review of this year’s 

performance against budget plus 

projections for year-end results. This 

document must be included in the 

proposals for next year. EMT and the 

entire country must know how well they 

performed in the current year and where 

they have failed and why? Answering the 

question why we failed to achieve budget 

estimates in 2014, 2015, 2016 would have 

pointed to the mistakes to avoid in 

preparing the 2017 to 2019 estimates. 

Instead of following this time-tested 

approach to budgeting, EMT lazily 

plugged the same 2.2 million barrels per 

day into the projections for three years. Is 

anybody in that team thinking? 

That said, it must be recognized by the 

President and the NASS that we have a 

huge problem on our hands. While the 

Senators were right to have condemned 

the proposals, and the House of 

Representatives might do the same, the 

two arms of government must be aware 

that the nation must have an 

Appropriation Bill for 2017 and MTEF 

for 2017 to 2019. Irrespective of whether 

the EMT is incompetent or fraudulent, 

the nation must move on. For this reason 

here are a few suggestions that should 

short-cut the process of amending the 

proposals received. 

First, annual budget is becoming too 

important to be left to EMT alone – 

competent or otherwise. Someone 

suggested a public hearing. We can’t 

agree more; and the sooner the better. 

Nothing gets done in Nigeria from 

December 20 until the first week of 

January. Second, everybody should agree 

to expunge 2.2 million barrels a day crude 

oil exports from the proposals. A figure 

like 1.8 million might be better. 

The average price is fairly accurate and 

needs not be touched. Third, the CBN 

should be told in plain terms that N305 

or N290 per dollar is unrealistic when 

today the rate is trending towards N450/ 

$1. Fourth, EMT should revise the GDP 

growth rate down. No economy goes from 

sub-basement of -2.4% to +3% in one 

leap. Even the defective budget presented 

does not include enough investments to 

propel the nation to a +5.4% growth 

next year. That is realism; the EMT 

should stop day-dreaming. 

Fifth, and this must stand by itself. 

Budgeting, even for fairly large multinationals, 

is a complex business and 

only the best trained and competent 

are assigned the task. It is also a 24/7 

assignment. Tracking daily results, 

following reports about factors which 

could upset the budget estimates and 

trying to figure how they will impact 

the estimates is a cold-blooded task; 

no sentiments allowed. 

Millions of peoples’ lives depend on 

how accurate the projections are. It 

is almost impossible for a fellow 

working in the financial analysis 

section of a global company and 

assigned the task of forecasting crude 

oil global production for each year 

to be so wrong for two years in a row 

and still keep his job. Here in Nigeria 

those who control our lives have been 

persistently wrong about one economic 

variable – crude export volume – and we 

still keep them on the job. Buhari needs 

to bring about a change. 

Perhaps, that is what Obasanjo is trying 

to say – in his own self-serving way.

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016– 45 

Iwobi begs Gunners fans over 

UCL own goal 

ARSENAL midfielder 

Alex Iwobi has 

apologised for his own 

goal which cost them a 

vital win over Paris Saint 

Germain last 

Wednesday. 

After taking a 2-1 lead 

in the second half thanks 

to an own goal by Marco 

Verratti, the Gunners 

looked on course to seal 

top spot in their 

Champions League 

group. 

But Brazilian winger 

Jonathan 

condoles 

Kanu over 

mother’s 

death 

FORMER President, 

Dr Goodluck Ebele 

Jonathan has become 

the latest eminent 

Nigerian to condole with 

Nwankwo Kanu 

following the death of 

his mother, late Madam 

Sussan Nwannediya 

Kanu Iheme, (Udonachi 

Ora). 

In a condolence 

message he personally 

signed and delivered to 

the former Super Eagles 

captain and Nigeria 

Football legend, 

Jonathan recalled the 

sterling qualities of 

Papilo’s mother but 

urged the UNICEF 

Ambassador to take 

solace in the fact that 

late madam Sussan 

Nwannediya Kanu 

Iheme lived an 

exemplary life worthy 

of emulation. 

Continued from B/P 

Local Governemnt Area 

of Rives State by soldiers 

in Akinima. 

Ikechukwu Obuzor 

who spoke on behalf of 

the relations of Izu, said 

the appeal is necessary 

as the Nigerian 

government is not doing 

enough to apprehend 

the culprits and secure 

justice for the late 

footballer. 

Obuzor, a former 

Chairman of Ahoada 

West LGA, is worried 

that the murder of the 

footballer has been 

swept under the carpet, 

adding that a notable 

citizen cannot be 

executed unlawfully. 

Obuzor said, “I humbly 

Izu murder 

Lucas was left unmarked 

and his header from a 

header was flicked into 

his own net by Iwobi. 

It means Arsenal face 

the likelihood of 

finishing second and 

playing the likes of 

Barcelona, Juventus and 

Atletico Madrid in the 

next round. 

And while Iwobi 

admits he reacted too 

late, he has vowed to 

make up for his error. 

“I heard a shout from 

wish to draw the 

attention of Federation 

Internationale de 

Football Association, 

FIFA, and its President, 

Gianni Infantino to the 

Extra Judicial Killing of 

Joseph Izu, a renowned 

footballer with the 

Shooting Stars Sports 

Club of Ibadan on 

Sunday, 16th of October, 

2016.” 

“Joseph Izu played for 

3SC in the just 

concluded 2015 - 2016 

season and was on 

vacation like most other 

footballers in Nigeria for 

the off season. He was in 

his hometown, Okarki to 

enjoy his vacation and 

could not have been a 

target of the Joint Task 

Force (JTF) as he was 

never a cultist,”he said. 

David Ospina, but I 

reacted a bit late,” Iwobi 

told Sky Sports. 

“I wanted to clear it 

but was in two minds 

and ended up doing the 

worst thing possible. 

“It’s my mistake and I 

apologise. I hold my 

hands up. But I have to 

move on and be better 

next game. 

“I always say I give 

100 per cent - and what 

happens, happens. If 

you play well you play 

well, if you play badly 

you play badly. 

NFF Bayana 


Nations on Tuesday. 

There has been quiet 

agitations in the camp of 

the African champions 

over a long list of unpaid 

entitlements and the 

players had threatened 

to boycott yesterday’s 

last group B match 

against Kenya. 

However, NFF 

technical committee 

chairman, Chris Green 

said that money has been 

approved to cater for the 

women’s needs. 

“The NFF has 

approved your money 

[bonuses and 

AS Watford striker 

Odion Ighalo seeks 

to end his goal drought, 

team keeper Heurelho 

Gomes has revealed why 

the last season goal 

wonder is yet to find his 

feet. 

Gomes argued that it 

was because Etienne 

Capoue is in rich form 

and has eased the 

burden on Watford 

striking duo Ighalo and 

Troy Deeney. 

Deeney and Ighalo 

scored 28 of Watford’s 40 

Premier League goals 

last season as the newlypromoted 

side achieved 

a 13th-placed finish back 

in the top flight. 

•BONDING...Super Falcons players celebrate their win over Kenya. Photo: 

CAFonline.com 

allowances],” Green told 

the players and officials 

via telephone during 

their breakfast on 

Saturday. 

“When you see me 

[Chris Green] in 

Cameroon next week 

[before the semi-final], I 

will come with your 

money.” 

The NFF delegation is 

expected to be in 

Cameroon before the 

semi-final game. 

The players are each 

expected to earn $4,000 

as winning bonus and 

$2,000 as a bonus for a 

draw aside preparatory 

and tournament camping 

allowances in Cameroon. 

Ighalo’s loss of form 

down to Capoue, says 

Watford keeper 

Capoue has taken up a 

more advanced midfield 

role this season though 

and is currently the 

club’s top goalscorer, 

having netted five times 

in the current campaign, 

with the Hornets sat 

eighth under Walter 

Mazzarri - who replaced 

Quique Sanchez Flores 

at the end of last season. 

“This season he 

FIFA Confederations Cup: Germany to face 

AFCON winners in Russia 

WORLD champions 

Germany will face 

Chile, Australia and the 

champions of Africa in 

the group stage of next 

year’s 

FIFA 

Confederations Cup in 

Russia. 

The draw for the eightteam 

tournament took 

place in Kazan on 

Saturday, with Joachim 

Low’s side placed in 

Group B alongside the 

Copa America 

champions, Asian Cup 

holders and the winners 

of the 2017 African 

Nations Cup, which is 

due to be held in Gabon 

in January and February. 

In Group A, Euro 2016 

winners Portugal will 

play hosts Russia, Gold 

Cup winners Mexico and 

OFC Nations Cup 

holders New Zealand. 

Russia and New 

Zealand will contest the 

tournament’s opening 

match on June 17 at the 

Krestovsky Stadium in St 

Petersburg, with the final 

due to be staged at the 

same venue on July 2. 

Matches will also be 

Moses 


goal since the end of 

September. 

Chelsea were struggling 

to create any danger of their 

own and soon had another 

reason to worry as Eriksen 

latched on to a pass but 

could not replicate his first 

attempt, firing well wide. 

But, out of nothing, 

Antonio Conte’s side 

levelled a minute before the 

break with another goal of 

outstanding quality. Pedro 

turned into space just 

outside the area after a 

flowing move involving 

Nemanja Matic and curled 

a dipping effort beyond 

Lloris to leave the sides all 

played in Moscow, Sochi 

and Kazan. 

Brazil have triumphed 

at the last three 

tournaments, held in 

2005, 2009 and 2013, 

while Mexico – 

Confederations Cup 

champions in 1999 – are 

the only country taking 

part to have previously 

won the competition. 


monitored in Lagos, 

Mikel, who is the second 

longest serving player 

having been a key 

member of the squad for 

the past 10 seasons, said 

even if he leaves 

Chelsea now, he would 

be leaving with joy 

because he has written 

his name in gold having 

won the Champions 

League title and FA Cup 

double in 2012, a 

moment that remains the 

best in the club’s history. 

“I have no regret 

playing at the Olympics. 

I have been a part of the 

best years of this club. 

Chelsea never won the 

Champions League 

before I was there, and I 

was the man of the match 

[Capoue] has more 

freedom to go to the box 

and he’s a type of player 

that wants to be there,” 

Gomes told Soccer 

Saturday. 

“He prefers to attack 

than defend sometimes 

and that’s his game. Last 

season was just about 

Troy and Ighalo to score 

goals and the other 

teams, they knew that.’’ 

square going into the 

break. 

And they did not have to 

wait long to take the lead 

as Moses was left all alone 

in the area to steer the ball 

home via Lloris and Jan 

Vertonghen on the line 

after Costa’s fine run and 

low cross had completely 

unhinged the visiting 

defence with 51 minutes 

gone. Moses was man of 

the match. His third for the 

season. 

Bayana 


inside the box in the early 

part of the game, while 

Faith Ikidi doubled the 

scores just before the 

break. 

The Super Falcons 

pressed the Kenyans for 

more goals, but they 

defender well. However, a 

through pass from Halimat 

Ayinde set Asisat Oshoala 

free in the box, she sold a 

dummy and picked her 

spot and slotted home her 

fifth goals of the 

tournament. Desire 

Oparanozie came from the 

bench to kill off any desire 

by the Kenyans to fight 

back. 

Chelsea 

in the final. I have 

written my name in the 

history of this football 

club, and I have won 

loads of trophies. I have 

played close to 400 

games and have no 

single regret. I have 

done it all,” stressing 

however, that he 

wouldn’t want to leave 

the club under 

a c r i m o n i o u s 

circumstances after 11 

years and hopes for an 

amicable end to his 

contract with the EPL 

club. 

Meanwhile Chelsea 

coach Antonio Conte has 

said he was unsure of 

Mikel’s future at the 

club, adding that he 

would only speak after

PAGE 46–SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 

City’s victory runs 

pleases Guardiola 

PEP Guardiola praised the 

‘huge character’ shown by 

his Manchester City players in 

the battling victory over 

Burnley. 

City came from behind to beat 

the Clarets 2-1 at Turf Moor on 

Saturday lunchtime, with 

Sergio Aguero scoring both the 

visitors’ goals. 

It capped a good week for the 

club, which included a win over 

Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park 

and a draw with Borussia 

Monchengladbach in midweek 

which secured qualification for 

the Champions League 

knockout stage. 

And Guardiola was pleased to 

see his side come through 

another tough test at Burnley, 

which kept his side unbeaten 

in seven games away from 

home this season. 

“It’s good news,” the Spaniard 

said. “Away - except at White 

Hart Lane - we have won. They 

were all quite similarcomplicated 

and difficult. You 

want to control that and it’s 

almost impossible. “It’s also 

difficult to defend against long 

balls. Burnley are taller than us 

and second balls are good. They 

are so dangerous. All Premier 

League teams do well in this area 

and we have to improve a little 

bit the way we deal with those 

kind of actions – in Spain and 

Germany, it doesn’t happen. 

“You cannot press because 

there are long balls and they are 

taller than us. They put the ball 

in the channels, looking for 

corners and free-kicks. I have to 

learn what we have to do. 

“Some faults are our own fault. 

I also need time to understand 

the referees. We are so satisfied 

for the points and the 

performance, especially three 

days after the Champions 

League. 

“All of the players showed huge 

character and a lot of personality 

– and after going 1-0 down at a 

stadium where only Chelsea are 

better at home. We are so happy. 

We have a long week to rest a 

little and prepare for Chelsea.” 

La Liga more important to 

Atletico— Simeone 

ATLETICO Madrid boss, 

Diego Simeone says 

LaLiga will always be his 

side’s top priority. 

Simeone’s men sealed first 

place – ahead of Bayern 

Munich – in their Champions 

League group with a 2-0 home 

victory over PSV last 

Wednesday. 

That result gave Atletico a 

welcome boost after a 

damaging 3-0 loss to Real 

Madrid at Vicente Calderon – 

a second straight league 

defeat which left them nine 

points behind their city rivals 

at the top of the table in sixth 

place. 

But speaking ahead of ‘s 

away match against Osasuna 

in LaLiga, Simeone stressed 

domestic duties will always be 

Atletico’s top priority – even if 

they are faring better in other 

tournaments. 

“Since arriving here we have 

always approached every 

competition with the same 

enthusiasm,” Simeone said. 

“The Copa del Rey has 

traditionally been an important 

competition in the history of 

our club. The Champions 

League is stimulating and up 

until now we had not qualified 

for the last 16 so regularly. 

“I’ve always said, though, 

that the league means 

everything to me. At all the 

clubs I have been at the 

league is the most important 

thing for both the fans and the 

club. 

“The league table is 

published on Sunday and 

every other day of the week 

in newspapers and fans can 

see if their team are fifth, 

fourth, tenth or second in the 

table. It means a lot to the 

fans. 

“There is the Copa del Rey 

and the Champions League 

and also the league, which 

has games week in, week out.” 

•City Delight... Manchester City’s striker Sergio Aguero (R) vies with Burnley’s defender 

Matthew Lowton during their English Premier League football match. Photo AFP. 

Ronaldo keeps making and breaking 

records 

CRISTIANO Ronaldo has 

broken yet another record, 

becoming the first player to 

score 30 or more goals in seven 

La Liga seasons. 

The Real Madrid forward’s 

penalty against Sporting Gijon 

made it 30 league goals for 

2016 to mean he’s now 

managed the feat in every year 

since 2010 – the year after he 

signed from Manchester 

United. 

As if to highlight his 

ridiculous talent and 

consistency the 31-year-old 

then added a second goal in 

just the 18th minute to make it 

10 La Liga goals in as many 

appearances this season. 

The records continuing to 

tumble. 

Ronaldo has also reached 

Mourinho sees Man United lifting EPL title 

MOURINHO still believes 

Manchester United can 

win the Premier League despite 

their difficult start to the season. 

United, who are in sixth 

position in the table and nine 

points behind leaders Chelsea, 

have only won five of their 

opening 12 fixtures and have 

only one victory in their last six 

outings. West Ham are the next 

•Mourinho 

•Ronaldo 

visitors to Old Trafford with Jose 

Mourinho hoping to claim three 

domestic points for the first time 

in nearly two months. Despite 

heavy criticism since he 

replaced Louis van Gaal at the 

helm of Manchester United, the 

Portuguese manager is still in 

confident mood. 

‘When I won the last title 18 

months ago — I had a 10 points 

advantage and then, in one 

month, I had the same points 

as Man City,’ Mourinho said. 

‘We lost 10 points in one 

month. I think it was the end of 

December or the beginning of 

January and we’d lost 10 

points. 

‘Then we recovered and won 

that title 18 months ago. You can 

recover points. Others can lose 

50 goals in a calendar year 

for the 6th year in succession 

– a statistic that includes both 

goals for Real and Portugal. 

His remarkable goal scoring 

prowess is shown by the fact 

he now has 500 goals across 

his club career for Sporting 

Lisbon, United and Real. 

For a man that is driven by 

success of all kinds, these 

kinds of personal landmarks 

bare great significance, 

especially as Ballon d’Or 

once again comes around. 

“My goal is to win the 

Ballon d’Or every year and I 

didn’t last time,” he said 

recently, as reported by 

Eurosport. 

points,’ he added. 

‘During the season, there are 

moments when everything goes 

against you and moments 

where everything goes in your 

favour,’ he added. ‘We know 

that the game is not over, but 

the reality is there is a distance. 

‘And there are many quality 

teams, but let’s go match by 

match and see what happens.’’ 

Enrique dismisses Pep, Mourinho’s 

opinion on Messi 

LUIS Enrique has offered a 

typically gruff response to 

Pep Guardiola’s opinion that 

Lionel Messi should end his 

career at Barcelona, saying he 

does not care what his 

Manchester City counterpart 

says. 

Speculation continues to link 

the five-time Ballon d’Or winner 

with Manchester City, even 

though former Barca boss 

Guardiola spoke on Friday of his 

desire to see Messi remain at 

Camp Nou for the rest of his 

playing days. 

Manchester United manager 

Jose Mourinho also said this 

week that Barcelona is the club 

for Messi. 

But Luis Enrique claimed he 

was unaware his Premier 

League counterparts had even 

spoken about the Argentina 

superstar. 

“I haven’t listened to what 

they have to say, I am not 

interested,” he told a press 

conference ahead of the club’s 

trip to face Real Sociedad today.


Civil Defence back in the DStv 

League 

*Nigeria Football Supporters Club 

•BACK TO BASE... Players of the Nigeria Security Civil 

Defence Corps, NSDC defenders during a time out of their 

game. PHOTO: Oluwafemi Adefeso 

THE Nigeria Security and 

Civil Defence Corps 

Defenders finally cemented their 

qualification to the DStv Premier 

Basketball league with a 67-47 

points victory over Zamfara 

Shooter after three failed 

attempts to gain promotion from 

the National Division One 

championship. 

The Defenders who were 

relegated in controversial 

circumstances in 2012 led from 

start to finish courtesy Joel Ijigba 

18 points and a combined 17 

points from Martins Ozege and 

EfeJonathan to ensure the team 

made it 7 wins out of seven. 

The Defenders will now face off 

against Hoop and Read in the 

fight for the champion of the 

National Division 1 basketball 

championship on Sunday at the 

indoor sports all of the National 

stadium(Package B), Abuja. 

Assistant coach of the team 

Monday Puzo acknowledged the 

team’s readiness to play in the 

Premier League. 

“We were really hurt by our 

relegation in 2012 which wasn’t 

our fault because we didn’t 

directly forfeit two games that got 

us relegated”. 

“I am delighted we finally got 

back to the league and this time, 

we are well equipped to fight 

with the big boys in the 

Conference and make the playoffs 

with the aid of 

NSCDC management,” he 

added. 

The NSCDC team will 

replace another 

LMC, NPFL have done well under Dikko 

—Jones-Ere 

FORMER 

sports 

commissioner in Bayelsa 

State, Hon. Opukiri Jones-Ere 

has congratulated Chairman 

of the League Management 

Committee, LMC, Shehu 

Dikko over the recent award 

of Sports Personality of the 

Year conferred on him by The 

Sun newspapers. 

Jones-Ere who spoke from 

Abuja said Dikko “has 

demonstrated sterling 

leadership qualities and has 

proven that the Nigerian 

Football League has 

something in the offing,” 

stressing that, “Hopefully, if 

given the opportunity to 

continue and also nurture 

others to lead after him, the 

NPFL, in now distant time, 

will compete with other major 

leagues in the world.” 

Adding that,”I’m glad for 

Shehu Dikko, the award is a 

reward for hard-work, 

dedication, passion and 

•Jones-Ere 

commitment,” the former 

Special Assistant to the 

immediate past sports 

minister and a sports 

consultant said that under 

Dikko, “the LMC/NPFL has 

had a steady growth from 

inception, remember he 

worked with Elder Nduka 

Irabor and I believe he must 

have learned a lot from Elder 

Irabor and today LMC /NPFL 

has been built into a great 

brand that sooner or later will 

Paramilitary side Nigeria 

Immigration basketball club 

in the Savannah who finished 

bottom in the Savannah 

conference last season. 

surpass NOLLYHOOD in 

terms of earnings.” 

Advising the LMC, Jones- 

Ere said “Transparency, hardwork 

and commitment will 

attract private sector 

participation, a bit of it had 

been shown during the year 

under review,” adding that 

“a legislative frame work on 

sports policy ( tax relief) for 

corporate and private 

investors in sports must be 

put in place. 

Supreme court ruling: NFF 

panicky, says sports lawyer 

AN Abuja -based Sports 

lawyer, Dr Ben Kingsley is 

wondering why the Amaju 

Pinnick-led Board of the 

Nigeria Football Federation, 

NFF is panicking over move 

by embittered proprietor of 

Giwa Football Club of Jos, 

Chris Giwa to drag it to the 

Supreme Court. 

It was gathered that Giwa 

who has been in court with the 

Pinnick-led Board over NFF 

leadership tussle has taken 

his case to the Supreme Court 

which is set to rule on the 

matter any moment from now. 

Speaking with journalists in 

Abuja, Dr Kingsley said he was 

not surprised with the false 

alarm that the Pinnick-led 

Board is already putting out to 

misinform Nigerians because 

of the anticipated Supreme 

Court . 

“Nigerians cannot be fooled 

again by the Pinnick Board to 

start threatening us with FIFA 

ban. Let me remind Nigerians 

that it is the same Board that 

has been going around telling 

people that Giwa has already 

lost at the Supreme Court, just 

to misinform sports loving 

Nigerians on the true state of 

the case at the apex court. 

Why are they now panicking 

if truly Giwa has lost at the 

Supreme Court. It must also 

be stated here that the issue 

of always using the name of 

FIFA to scare Nigerians when 

people unlawfully occupy 

Nigeria Football cannot hold 

waters any longer. 

We were all in this country 

when the apex court in Egypt 

sacked the Egyptian FA board 

and FIFA did not ban Egypt, 

we were all also in this 

country when the Argentinian 

FA was dragged to court and 

FIFA did not ban Argentina 

from participating at the Copa 

America tournament, we can’t 

be fooled again,”he stressed. 

Amiesimaka @ 60 

T 

O 

many football administrators, the name Adokie 

Amiesimaka is one they love to hate. Not for anything but 

the fact that he never fails to tell them the truth about 

football which they don’t want to hear. To them, he is unpatriotic 

because he will never see black and call it white. 

Amiesimaka’s ‘notoriety’ in the eyes of Nigeria’s football 

administrators grew worse during the FIFA U-17 World Cup 

which Nigeria hosted in 2009. As usual, the administrators 

drafted over-aged players, one of whom was Amiesimaka’s 

former player, Fortune Chukwudi, who had played under him 

as Chairman of the Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt, 

now relegated and defunct. 

Ordinarily as most Nigerians would do, cover up their own 

brother and country, Amiesimaka, to the chagrin of the football 

administrators, cried foul, affirming that Chukwudi was 

beyond the age required by FIFA for the competition. 

He was called names but rather than acquiesce, he supported 

his claims with documented evidence which forced the 

administrators who wanted to win by hook or crook to drop 

the player. The country’s team never really found their 

bearing as they lost to Switzerland in the final of the 

competition. A proof that the foundation was never really 

solid. 

Surprisingly too, the player, Chukwudi, who knew that 

Amiesimaka knew him very well and was not lying, didn’t 

protest but withdrew quietly into his shell. He never really 

came out of it. Nobody heard about his exploits again. 

Amiesimaka was a few months to his 24 th birthday when he 

helped the Green Eagles, as they were known in those days, 

to lift the elusive Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 1980 

for the first time. From thence, he never looked back, 

progressing both in football locally with Rangers of Enugu or 

professionally as a trained lawyer where he rose to become 

Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in his home 

state, Rivers. 

This was many years after he earned the moniker, ‘Chief 

Justice’ from ace football commentator, late Ernest Okonkwo 

for his football prowess as a young university law 

undergraduate of the University of Lagos. 

So when administrators, who want to cut corners to earn 

accolades label him “unpatriotic”, one begins to wonder who 

is more patriotic, the one who wants Nigeria to build on solid 

foundation to make bigger impact in the future or those who 

want to build on sand for pecuniary gains and immediate 

undeserved rewards? 

Amiesimaka is also in the vanguard for the clamour of support 

for home grown coaches instead of importing half baked 

technical men all in the name of foreign coaches. He however, 

believes that not all local coaches should be given the 

responsibility to handle our teams except of course such an 

individual has done enough to equip himself with the knowhow 

of the job. 

Because he is one who will never bend the rules no matter 

whose ox is gored, he was called upon to be the chairman of 

the Court of Arbitration in Sports, CAS which the Nigeria 

Olympic Committee set up recently. He didn’t refuse to accept 

the responsibility, otherwise he would be accused of only 

criticising, but inside him, he knew the project may not see the 

light of the day. Why? Because Nigerians are not ready for the 

truth, as it concerns sports politics, yet. As I write this, I don’t 

know what has become of the Nigerian CAS which the erudite 

lawyer was supposed to head. 

When somebody is good, truthful, upright and transparent, 

no matter how hard his traducers want to bring him down, 

those who know him will always speak well of him in glowing 

terms like the friends and followers of the great ‘Chief Justice’ 

of the Green Eagles of old, Amiesimaka did a few days ago 

when he clocked the Diamond Jubilee this past week. 

Amiesimaka’s 60 th birthday was brought to the knowledge of 

all by no less a person than another vanguard of the truth in 

Nigerian sports, Afolabi Gambari, a renowned sports journalist 

with National Mirror newspapers. His tribute on Amiesimaka 

sparked off many more accolades from far and near, proving 

that Amiesimaka is a patriot who has contributed and is still 

contributing to make Nigeria’s sports and other sectors of our 

country great. 

Gambari wrote this about Amiesimaka: “As a young lawyer 

back in the 1980s, he did great justice with the ball on the 

football pitch. He was appropriately nicknamed “Chief Justice”, 

and the nickname has stuck to this day and will outlive him. 

But he is indeed a consummate lawyer, in addition to being 

Nigeria ex-international with an AFCON gold medal in the 

shelf, longest-serving commissioner for Justice in Rivers State, 

football administrator, sublime radio broadcaster, outstanding 

newspaper columnist, philanthropist, humanist, polyglot, 

community leader and much more. Everything he has done, 

he has done with uncommon distinction.” 

The accolades on Amiesimaka would not have been complete 

without the contribution from another gadfly in the sports sector, 

Jide Fashikun who wrote this “Adokiye remains one symbol I 

use in my teachings that athletes can be exceptional even in 

academics and professional practise. Afo, God bless and 

increase you for me to have the room to celebrate him 

(Amiesimaka) in a little space here. God, please flourish 

Adokiye with his heart desires as we keep gaining inspiration 

that we, coming after him, are yet to achieve.” 

So many people said so many nice things about this patriotic 

Nigeria but space wouldn’t allow me use them here. On behalf 

of them all and other Nigerians who enjoyed your prowess on 

the field and others still enjoying your analysis of our sports 

and football in particular, I say Happy birthday Chief Justice 

Adokie Amiesimaka.

SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016 

Izu’s murder: 

Kinsmen urge 

FIFA to Intervene 

•HOT CHASE... Chelsea’s midfielder Victor Moses (L) is chased by 

Tottenham Hotspur’s midfielder Mousa Dembele (2L) and striker Son Heung- 

Min (R) during their EPL at Stamford Bridge in London. Photo: AFP 

Moses fires Chelsea back to 

top of EPL 

VICTOR 

Moses 

continued with his 

rich reign of form as he 

fired home the winning 

goal of the 2-1 win 

Chelsea handed visiting 

Tottenham Hotspurs 

yesterday at Stamford 

Bridge. 

It was Chelsea’s 

FIFA 

Confederations 

Cup: 

Germany to 

face AFCON 

winners in 

Russia 

45 

See solution on page 5 

seventh win a row and 

they regain the leading 

position on the table 

temporary occupied by 

Manchester City, who 

posted a 2-1 over 

Burnley. 

Spurs who had their 

unbeaten run ended, 

began the game brightly 

putting Chelsea under 

pressure. Midfielder 

Christian Eriksen 

smashed home a superb 

finish from outside the 

area, leaving home 

goalkeeper Thibaut 

Courtois helpless as 

Chelsea conceded their 

first Premier League 


ACROSS 

1. Governor of Sokoto DOWN 

State (8) 

1. Sample (5) 

5. Assistant (4) 2. Niger state town (4) 

7. Praise (5) 

3. Observe (5) 

8. Upright (4) 4. Lecture (6) 

9. Lantern (4) 5. Everyone (3) 

11. Tradition (6) 6. Use (6) 

13. Lagos masquerade 10. Inquires (4) 

(3) 

12. Carpet (3) 

15. Exclamation (2) 14. Colour (6) 

16. Pig’s nose (5) 15. Resistance unit (3) 

18. Agent (3) 

17. Coax (4) 

20. Glitters (6) 19. Rollicked (6) 

24. Forward (5) 21. Hatchet (3) 

25. Nigerian state (6) 22. Satisfied (4) 

27. Boring tool (3) 23. Nigerian state (3) 

29. Ghanaian fabric (5) 26. Cry of derision (3) 

31. Perform (2) 27 . African country (6) 

32. Oshiomhole’s state 28. Endure (4) 

(3) 

29. Child (3) 

34. U.S. currency (6) 30. Spoke (6) 

36. Vow (4) 

31. Adorn (5) 

38. Musical quality (4) 33. Baking chambers (5) 

39. Inclination (5) 35. Asterisk (4) 

40. Eager (4) 

37. Possessed (3) 

41. Damages (8) 

By Davies Iheamnachor 

KINSMEN of the murdered 

player of Shooting Stars Sports 

Club of Ibadan, Mr. Joseph 

Izu, have called on the world’s football 

governing body, FIFA, to intervene in 

the gruesome killing of the central 

defender. 

They urged FIFA to bar Nigeria from 

all competitions until the government 

orders the military to produce the killer 

of Izu. 

Izu was allegedly murdered in his 

home country, Okarki in Ahoada West 


Iwobi begs 

Gunners 

fans over 

UCL own 

goal 

45 

I’ve had my best moments at 

Chelsea—Mikel 

•Say he has no regret playing at the Olympics 

•Conte unsure of his future 

AS hope of him 

winning back his 

first team shirt in 

Chelsea fades, Super 

Eagles captain, John Obi 

Mikel, who has hinted 

he may leave the club in 

January, has said he has 

no regret representing 

Nigeria at the 2016 

RESULTS 

Burnley 1 Man City 2 

Hull City 1 West Brom 1 

Leicester City 2 M’brough 2 

Liverpool 2 Sunderland 0 

Swanse City 5 Crystal Palace 4 

Chelsea 2 Tottenham 1 

TODAY'S MATCHES 

Olympic Games in Rio, 

Brazil. 

Speaking on a Brila 

FM sports programme 


AWCON: Super Falcons to face Bayana 

Harambee Starlets 

Bayana in s/final 

NIGERIA’S Super 

Falcons will play 

South Africa’s Bayana 

Bayana, in the semifinal 

of the Africa Women 

Cup of Nations after 

beating Kenya 4-0 in 

their last group B game. 

Ghana posted a 3-1 win 

over Mali and will now 

face hosts Cameroon in 

the other semi-final 

game billed for Tuesday. 


finished the group 

levelled on seven points 

with Ghana, but had the 

edge with a plus 10 

goals difference. 


didn’t have to sweat 

much against the 

...NFF ready 

to pay 

allowances 

NIGERIA Football 

Federation, NFF 

has said it will pay the 

Super Falcons their 

outstanding allowances 

before they play their 

semi-final game of the 

Africa Women Cup of 


yesterday at the Limbe 

Stadium. Ngozi Akobi 

opened scoring with a 

well taken shot from 


EPL 

Watford v Stoke City 1pm 

Arsenal v Bournemouth 3.15pm 

Man Utd v West Ham 5.30pm 

Southampton v Everton 5.30pm 

Serie A 

Palermo v Lazio 12.30pm 

Bologna v Atalanta 3pm 

Cagliari v Udinese 3pm 

Crotone v Sampdoria 3pm 

Genoa v Juventus 3pm 

Roma v Pescara 8.45pm 

La liga 

Villarreal v Alaves 12pm 

Osasuna v Atletico Madrid 4.15pm 

Celta Vigo v Granada 6.30pm 

Real Sociedad v Barcelona 8.45pm 

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Advert Dept: :01- 7924470; Hotline: 01-4544821; Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024. 

E-mail website: sundayvanguard@yahoo.com, editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com. Advert:advert@vanguardngr.com. Internet: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 

0794-652X) Editor: JIDE AJANI. 08111813023 All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos. 

•Izu

ONDO DECIDES: Akeredolu leads

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