ONDO DECIDES: Akeredolu leads
Vanguard Newspapers 27 November, 2016
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PAGE 2—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 3
PAGE 4—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 5<br />
Why y I’m quitting partisan politics – Anenih<br />
Urges Nigerians to support Buhari<br />
FORMER Chairman<br />
of the Board of<br />
Trustees, BoT, of<br />
the Peoples Democratic<br />
Party, PDP, Chief Tony<br />
Anenih, has retired from<br />
partisan politics, saying<br />
he has no point to prove<br />
any longer.<br />
Anenih, 83, who<br />
announced his<br />
retirement from active<br />
politics, yesterday, at the<br />
presentation of his<br />
autobiography: “My Life<br />
and Nigerian Politics,’’<br />
also stressed the need<br />
for Nigerians,<br />
irrespective of political<br />
leanings, to support<br />
President Muhammadu<br />
Buhari’s efforts to pull<br />
the country out of<br />
recession.<br />
Quit notice: Urhobo suspend ultimatum to Ijaw<br />
residents<br />
By Emma Amaize,<br />
Regional Editor, South-South<br />
URHOBO<br />
youths<br />
lifted the two-week<br />
ultimatum given to Ijaw<br />
indigenes residing in Udu, Udu<br />
Local Government Area of Delta<br />
State, to vacate the area, last<br />
night, following the intervention<br />
of the state government.<br />
Sunday Vanguard learned that<br />
the President General of Urhobo<br />
Progress Union, UPU, Youth<br />
Wing, Udu chapter, Sunday<br />
Subi, who earlier gave the<br />
ultimatum, November 17,<br />
announced the suspension at a<br />
meeting of the warring parties<br />
brokered by the state government<br />
at Government House, Warri.<br />
Sunday Vanguard reliably<br />
learned that the Secretary to the<br />
State Government, Mr. Festus<br />
Agas, Commissioner of Police,<br />
Delta State, Director of the<br />
Department of State Service,<br />
DSS, army, navy and air force<br />
chiefs in the state, chairmen of<br />
Warri South-West and Udu local<br />
government areas, security aides<br />
to the governor, among others,<br />
visited Ayama and Epame<br />
communities on Friday, to assess<br />
the situation of things.<br />
About 40 houses were<br />
destroyed and over 500 persons<br />
By Chidi Nkwopara,<br />
Owerri<br />
Igbo have been advised<br />
to remain united and<br />
face their common problems<br />
with equanimity.<br />
Major Hamza Al-<br />
Mustapha (retd) former<br />
chief security officer, CSO,<br />
to the late Head of State,<br />
General Sani Abacha, made<br />
the appeal, yesterday, in<br />
Owerri, while speaking at<br />
this year’s Dim<br />
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu<br />
Ojukwu memorial service.<br />
“In the absence of unity of<br />
purpose, Ndigbo will end up<br />
wasting their time and<br />
achieving practically<br />
nothing”, Al-Mustapha<br />
said.<br />
“We equally feel the pains<br />
of Ndigbo. There are<br />
palpable traces of poverty in<br />
every street in this land”.<br />
He lamented that while<br />
there are very few rich<br />
people in the land, who<br />
hardly pay commensurate<br />
tax, tithe or the Muslim<br />
From left: Prof. Jerry Gana; Mr. Joseph Makanju; Former President Dr Goodluck<br />
Jonathan, during the chief Anenih thanksgiving service in Abuja, yesterday. Photos<br />
by Gbemiga Olamikan.<br />
From left: Chief Tony Anenih; his wife Patricia; his daughter Mariam; and Former<br />
Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen.<br />
Al-Mustapha, at Ojukwu’s memorial, counsels Igbo unity<br />
Emma Amaize<br />
POPULAR Niger Delta<br />
activist and entrepreneur,<br />
Chief Ayirimi Emami,<br />
yesterday, slammed the Nigeria<br />
National Petroleum<br />
Corporation, NNPC, for<br />
allegedly abandoning the<br />
Seplat PEARLS Quiz: Schools win over N10m cash prize<br />
U Preparatory<br />
niversity<br />
Secondary School<br />
(UPSS), Benin City, Edo<br />
State, has emerged<br />
winners of the 2016<br />
Seplat PEARLS Quiz<br />
competition at the grand<br />
finale held at Imaguero<br />
College,Benin-City, Edo<br />
State. The school beat Lords<br />
His words: “I am<br />
persuaded that I have no<br />
more ambition or any<br />
point to prove in politics.<br />
I am, therefore, glad to<br />
declare that, from today,<br />
I shall be withdrawing<br />
from active partisan<br />
politics. I shall, however,<br />
continue to avail the<br />
country of my<br />
experience, give<br />
suggestions and offer<br />
advice, as a statesman.”<br />
The former Works<br />
Minister under President<br />
Olusegun Obasanjo said<br />
the prevailing wind of<br />
economic recession in<br />
Nigeria required all<br />
hands on deck and<br />
collaborative efforts to<br />
surmount it.<br />
“I, therefore, urge<br />
displaced in the attack on Udu<br />
by suspected Ijaw youths, thus<br />
sparking the ultimatum.<br />
Former President General of<br />
UPU, Youth Wing, Udu Chapter<br />
and current National<br />
Secretary of Urhobo Youth<br />
Leaders Association, Comrade<br />
Vincent Oyibode, confirmed the<br />
suspension of the ultimatum<br />
when Sunday Vanguard<br />
contacted him , yesterday, adding<br />
that government also directed<br />
and Kings Academy, Warri,<br />
Delta State.<br />
Earlier, Word of Faith<br />
Schools, Benin City, Edo<br />
State, had outscored their<br />
peers from NEPA (PHCN)<br />
Staff School, Sapele, Delta<br />
State, to clinch the third<br />
place prize.<br />
The winning school got<br />
N7million cash prize while<br />
Nigerians to persevere<br />
and hope for better<br />
tomorrow. We must<br />
support and pray that<br />
God will give the<br />
President the wisdom<br />
and vision to steer the<br />
country away from<br />
recession to prosperity,’’<br />
he said.<br />
However, immediate past<br />
president, Dr. Goodluck<br />
Jonathan, who was at the<br />
event, appealed to<br />
Anenih, who political<br />
associates call ‘Mr. Fix<br />
It,’ to rescind the<br />
decision because the<br />
octogenarian’s<br />
experience in security<br />
and politics would be<br />
wasted if he quit politics<br />
at this time.<br />
“You may not be in<br />
Continues on page 10<br />
that on no account should Ijaw<br />
youths attack or harass the<br />
people of Ayama and Epame<br />
anymore. Oyibode disclosed:<br />
“They (SSG and others) came<br />
to see things for themselves, no<br />
house is standing in the<br />
communites, they burnt down<br />
everything and we are saying that<br />
government should help the<br />
people to resettle and on no<br />
account should Ijaw people of<br />
Isaba attack them again.”<br />
zakat, Al-Mustapha said<br />
there was no reason the<br />
citizenry should suffer in the<br />
midst of plenty”.<br />
Igbo, he stated, have all it<br />
takes to lead the world,<br />
adding that Ojukwu was a<br />
father, a leader and a<br />
committed military<br />
commander.<br />
Speaking also at the<br />
occasion, the founder of<br />
Odua Peoples Congress,<br />
OPC, Dr. Frederick<br />
Fashaeun, said that if<br />
Ojukwu remains a celebrity<br />
long after his death, it was a<br />
clear indication that he still<br />
lives in the minds of his loved<br />
ones.<br />
To the widow of the late<br />
Ikemba, Mrs. Bianca<br />
Ojukwu, Ndigbo hardly<br />
place their priorities right.<br />
“The problem we have as<br />
a people, our priorities are<br />
most times, wrongly placed.<br />
A lot will change for the<br />
better if we get it right”, she<br />
added.<br />
Emami accuses NNPC of abandoning GRIP, , electricty projects in Delta<br />
each of the three student<br />
representatives went home<br />
with N100,000. Lords and<br />
Kings Academy got<br />
N2million prize money<br />
while its three<br />
representatives got N75,000<br />
each. Winners of the third<br />
place prize, Word of Faith<br />
Schools got N1million<br />
cash prize while each<br />
student representative<br />
was rewarded with<br />
N50,000. The schools are<br />
to use the cash prizes for<br />
projects at their respective<br />
schools.<br />
General Manager,<br />
External Affairs and<br />
Communications for<br />
SEPLAT, Dr. Chioma<br />
Nwachuku, noted at the<br />
occasion that the<br />
programme, which is in<br />
its fifth year, has had<br />
tremendous impact on the<br />
educational careers of<br />
students in Delta and Edo<br />
States, the company’s<br />
host states.<br />
multi-billion dollar Gas<br />
Revolution Industrial Park,<br />
GRIP, Ogidigbe,n and Escravos<br />
Environs Power Supply<br />
Projects, both in Warri-South-<br />
West Local Government Area,<br />
Delta State, saying it was<br />
inflaming the bombing and<br />
vandalization of crude and gas<br />
installations in the Niger Delta<br />
region by its action.<br />
The Warri chief, who<br />
claimed that the Group<br />
Managing Director, GMD,<br />
of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru,<br />
and members of his<br />
management team, have not<br />
shown any interest in the<br />
GRIP and Escravos Environs<br />
Power Supply Project, expressed<br />
displeasure that despite the<br />
huge economic and job creation<br />
potentials of both projects, the<br />
NNPC GMD was yet to visit<br />
the project sites.<br />
Chief Emami asserted: “The<br />
seeming disinterest of Dr. Baru<br />
towards the GRIP project,<br />
which will accommodate a<br />
major industrial gas hub and<br />
petrochemical, methanol as<br />
well as fertilizer plant with<br />
known capacity to create 150,<br />
000 direct and indirect jobs at<br />
the construction stage, leaves<br />
much to be desired at a time<br />
when the country is<br />
experiencing recession vis a vis<br />
job losses.”<br />
The Delta APC chieftain<br />
appealed to the National<br />
Assembly, especially the Senate,<br />
“to order the management of<br />
NNPC to take immediate steps<br />
for construction work to<br />
commence at the GRIP and<br />
Escravos Environs Power<br />
Supply Project, which is part of<br />
NGC ELPS System-a network<br />
that passes the host<br />
communities in the Escravos<br />
shore.”<br />
While stating that the NNPC<br />
management may not have<br />
briefed President<br />
Muhammadu Buhari on the<br />
true position of both projects,<br />
Chief Emami noted that a<br />
Memorandum of<br />
Understanding MoU, was<br />
signed 10th May 2012<br />
between the Federal<br />
Government, NGC/NNPC,<br />
Chevron, Delta State<br />
government as well as Itsekiri<br />
and Ijaw host communities for<br />
the Escravos Environs Power<br />
Supply Project.<br />
He lamented that for over<br />
By Luka Binniyat<br />
After six days in<br />
captivity, Kaduna<br />
State Police Command<br />
said, yesterday, its<br />
“immense” pressure on<br />
abductors of Ambassador<br />
Bagudu Hirse, a former<br />
minister, forced them to<br />
release him.<br />
Hirse was kidnapped by<br />
armed men on November<br />
20 in front of the residence<br />
of Mallam Mamman<br />
Daura, the Director<br />
General of the Department<br />
of State Security (DSS) as<br />
three weeks, the people of<br />
Ugborodo protested against<br />
lack of electricity and shutdown<br />
Shell Petroleum Development<br />
Company, SPDC operations in<br />
Ogidigben because of the<br />
company’s inability to meet its<br />
obligations to contractors, as a<br />
result of vandalism.<br />
The Itsekiri leader said that<br />
the power project would check<br />
vandalisation of gas lines if it<br />
comes on stream “because<br />
people of the benefiting<br />
communities will see<br />
themselves as stakeholders,<br />
create surveillance network to<br />
protect the project and<br />
ultimately, it will tackle illegal<br />
oil bunkering, pipeline<br />
vandalism, crude theft and sea<br />
piracy.”<br />
After six days in captivity, kidnappers<br />
release Hirse, ex-minister<br />
he visited to condole with<br />
Daura over the demise of<br />
former Sultan of Sokoto,<br />
Alh. Ibrahim Dasuki.<br />
Daura is married to the<br />
daughter of Dasuki.<br />
Kaduna State police<br />
spokesman, ASP Aliyu<br />
Usman, told Sunday<br />
Vanguard that Hirse had<br />
been rejoined with his<br />
family and that he was in<br />
good health.<br />
He declined to mention<br />
if any ransom was paid.<br />
Asked if any ransom was<br />
paid to secure the former<br />
minister’s release, he said,<br />
“I am not aware”.
PAGE 6— SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
Police kill 3 suspected kidnappers dressed in<br />
pastors’ outfit<br />
By Festus Ahon, Asaba<br />
P broke ANDEMONIUM<br />
out at Agbogidi<br />
Motor Park, close to the Onitsha<br />
head bridge, along the<br />
Benin-Asaba-Onitsha expressway,<br />
following a gun<br />
duel between a police patrol<br />
team and suspected kidnappers.<br />
The police officers, who<br />
stormed the park based on<br />
intelligence report, on Friday,<br />
killed three suspected<br />
kidnappers who dressed in<br />
pastors outfit.<br />
Passengers and drivers at<br />
the motor park at the time of<br />
the incident, ran to avoid being<br />
hit by stray bullets in the<br />
gun battle which lasted for<br />
over 10 minutes.<br />
The suspects drove into a<br />
bar in the park in a Toyota<br />
Corolla car allegedly waiting<br />
for their target, said to<br />
be a United Kingdom-based<br />
native of Asaba coming<br />
home for Christmas.<br />
Sunday Vanguard gathered<br />
that a mole in the family<br />
of the UK-based Nigerian<br />
had given out information<br />
about him to the gang.<br />
A dependable source, who<br />
pleaded anonymity, said the<br />
hoodlums were patiently<br />
waiting at the bar for a signal<br />
from their informant on<br />
the appropriate time to<br />
strike when they ran out of<br />
luck.<br />
According to the source,<br />
the suspected kidnappers, on<br />
From left: Osayi Alile, CEO, ACTS Foundation; Mrs. Sarah Adebisi Sosan, former<br />
Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Bolaji Agbede, Group Head, Human Resources,<br />
Access Bank Plc, Erelu Adebisi Fayemi, former First Lady, Ekiti Stateo, and Iyabo<br />
Soji-Okusanya, Group Head, Telecomms, Access Bank Plc at the Orange Lecture<br />
organised by Access Women Network (AWN) and Genesis House in commemoration<br />
of the 16 days of activism to end violence against women which held at the<br />
Head Office of Access Bank in Lagos.<br />
sighting the police patrol<br />
team, opened fire with spontaneous<br />
response from the<br />
police officers.<br />
Showing the corpses of the<br />
suspects at about 8pm on Friday<br />
to journalists, Delta State<br />
Police Commissioner, Mr.<br />
Ibrahim Zanna, said his men<br />
acted on credible information,<br />
disclosing that his men<br />
were on the trail of the mole<br />
who reportedly fled the scene<br />
before he could be fished out<br />
by the policemen.<br />
Zanna said the vehicle of<br />
the suspects, one AK 47 rifle,<br />
one pump action gun, one locally<br />
made pistol with 19<br />
rounds of 7.6mm, eight live<br />
cartridges, one expended cartridge<br />
and church aprons<br />
were recovered.<br />
Noting that some brave<br />
persons at the motor park assisted<br />
the police during the<br />
operation, he called on the<br />
general public to always provide<br />
the police with credible<br />
information that could lead<br />
to the tracking down of hoodlums.<br />
LG staff audit has captured 20,000 staff<br />
in Taraba — Bureau Perm Sec.<br />
By John Mkom, Jalingo<br />
THE Taraba State lo<br />
cal government staff<br />
verification exercise conducted<br />
across the sixteen<br />
local government areas<br />
of the state would bring<br />
positive effect and conducive<br />
management of the<br />
workers warfare if completed.<br />
That was the assertion<br />
of the Permanent<br />
Secretary, Bureau for Local<br />
and Chieftaincy Affairs,<br />
Alhaji Bello<br />
Yero,while speaking to<br />
Sunday Vanguard in his<br />
office yesterday.<br />
Yero commended Governor<br />
Darius Ishaku for<br />
approving the conduct of<br />
the exercise describing it<br />
as the best thing that has<br />
happened to the state local<br />
government councils<br />
in recent history.<br />
He revealed that in past<br />
years, the state Joint Account<br />
(JAC) found it difficult<br />
to pay salaries to the<br />
number of workers that<br />
were on the pay roll of the<br />
sixteen local government<br />
areas in the state.<br />
He noted that many<br />
names on the local government<br />
pay roll were not<br />
in existence.<br />
“The staff verification<br />
exercise has helped in<br />
many ways, not just authentication<br />
of genuine<br />
local government workers,<br />
but it also reveals the<br />
grade levels of the staff.<br />
“We are almost done<br />
with the whole of the exercise”.<br />
He disclosed that in the<br />
past, unauthorised persons<br />
had padded the staff<br />
register.<br />
The permanent secretary<br />
also stated that the<br />
verification exercise<br />
would create room for<br />
proper promotion of staff<br />
who were due to be promoted.<br />
The verification exercise<br />
has captured over<br />
20,000, while huge number<br />
of ghost workers have<br />
been expunged.<br />
BRIEFS<br />
Attract God to your lives — Odutola<br />
THE Immediate Past Executive Secretary, Bible Society of<br />
Nigeria, Revd Dr. Fred Babatunde Odutola, has warned<br />
against worshiping the earthly lusts of life, and instead people<br />
should sacrifice all God’s divine endowments to the glory of<br />
His Name.<br />
Revd Odutola, made these remarks in his sermon as the Guest<br />
Preacher at the 2016 Annual Harvest Thanksgiving Service of<br />
the Divine Ewulomi Evangelical Church of Christ, (C&S) Arowojobe<br />
Estate, Maryland, Lagos, tagged “Harvest of Everlasting<br />
Joy”,.<br />
The seasoned religious, community leader and astute scholar<br />
assured Nigerians of God’s continued love and faithfulness<br />
against satanic deceit.<br />
He also charged Christians to religiously and heartily, embrace<br />
harvest as a sober reflection to dutifully and humbly<br />
appreciate God’s undiluted love and divine manifestations of<br />
His awesome promises and manifestations to mankind.<br />
NAFDAC uncovers fake cosmetics<br />
production factory in Makurdi, arrests<br />
distributors<br />
BY PETER DURU, MAKURDI<br />
THE National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration<br />
and Control, NAFDAC, task-force on counterfeit products<br />
has uncovered a fake and adulterated cosmetics production<br />
factory in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.<br />
The agency also arrested a major importer of some range of<br />
counterfeited products in Naka, Gwer West Local Government<br />
Area of the state.<br />
Leader of the team and NAFDAC’s Chief Regulatory Officer,<br />
Enforcement Operations, Mr. Uche Chidi, told reporters yesterday<br />
that the special operation was based on a tip off.<br />
Chidi said, “we are here because our office in Lagos received<br />
an information about the suspected faking activities by some<br />
people in Makurdi; we came and the report has been confirmed.”<br />
The offices of the suspects have already been sealed.<br />
He said the distributor of fake products arrested in Naka by<br />
his team would be taken to Onitsha to identify the source of the<br />
products to officials of the task force, while the owner of the<br />
factory in Makurdi who was absent at the time of the raid was<br />
invited to the Lagos office of the agency for questioning.<br />
Oghiadomhe, Jonathan’s ex-CoS,<br />
loses father<br />
By Emma Amaize<br />
THE death has been announced of Pa Joseph Oghiator<br />
Oghiadomhe, father of Chief Mike Aiyegbeni Oghiadomhe,<br />
former Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan.<br />
He was aged 85.<br />
Pa Oghiadomhe passed on to eternal glory on Friday<br />
evening in Benin City, the Edo State capital.<br />
Among the early callers at the Aso Drive residence of the<br />
Oghiadomhes, yesterday, was former President Goodluck<br />
Jonathan, who arrived at exactly 9:24 am.<br />
Also on ground to condole with the Oghiadomhes was a<br />
former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon<br />
Zakawanu Garuba.<br />
A statement made available to journalists in Abuja by Oghiadomhe<br />
said: “Papa was a devoted Christian who welcomed<br />
everybody equally.<br />
“He was a very caring father not only to his children, but to<br />
all the students who passed through him, including his<br />
community. S Pa Oghiadomhe is survived by six children,<br />
many grand children and great-grand children.<br />
Buhari congratulates Adebutu at 81<br />
THE President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal<br />
Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari,<br />
GCFR, has joined millions of Nigerians in sending a<br />
birthday message to one of the nation’s illustrious sons, a business<br />
mogul and philanthropist, Chief Kesington Adebukunola<br />
Adebutu, CON,KJW, on his 81st birthday.<br />
In a letter personally signed by the President, he wished Chief<br />
Adebutu well while thanking and commending him for all<br />
his philanthropic works, which has positively impacted on the<br />
lives of so many Nigerians.<br />
Mr. President urged him to continue to constructively contribute<br />
to the economic development of the country. “I share<br />
these sentiments and I wish you many more years of good<br />
health and happiness”.<br />
APC: Aregbesola coasts home to<br />
heroic landing<br />
A<br />
S Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration of Osun State<br />
enters its seventh year, the All Progressives Congress (APC)<br />
has called on all people of goodwill in the state to prepare for a<br />
“heroic landing”.<br />
The ruling party asked the people of the state to brace up for<br />
what it described as “the end of a glorious chapter in the revolutionary<br />
struggle to transform Osun from abject poverty and<br />
social instability to a peaceful, progressive and viable space in<br />
Yorubaland in particular and Nigeria in general”.<br />
Osun State APC Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun, told<br />
journalists in Oshogbo, the state capital that regardless of the<br />
enormous challenges the state (as well as other parts of Nigeria)<br />
has been through in the last couple of years, the state can<br />
proudly point to a level of development never before seen in the<br />
25-year history since Osun’s creation.
ORODJE OF OKPE’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY<br />
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 7<br />
The Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM, Orue 1, last week, celebrated the 10th anniversary of his ascension to the<br />
throne in Orerokpe, headquarters of Okpe L.G.A, Delta State, during which he bestowed chieftaincy titles on deserving<br />
sons and daughters of the area. Faces at the occasion as captured by Godwin Oghre<br />
A cross section of Okpe chiefs<br />
•HRM, Orueh 1, the Orodje of Okpe<br />
Okpe male traditional dancers entertaining the<br />
audience.<br />
•One of the Okpe chiefs paying homage to the<br />
monarch<br />
•Okpe women traditional dancers entertaining the<br />
audience.<br />
SERVICE IN HONOUR OF OLOROGUN MICHAEL IBRU<br />
A service was held in honour of the late Olorogun Michael Ibru in Lagos, yesterday. The occasion in pictures..<br />
From left: Otunba Niyi Adebayo, a former Gov of Ekiti State, Pastor<br />
Bamidele Olurin, Pastor Alex Okoh and Pastor Idowu Iluyomade<br />
From left: Mr Obaro Ibru, Chief (Mrs) Cecilia Ibru, Mr Mamewo Ibru<br />
and Mr Oboden Ibru<br />
From left: Mrs Janet Ohiwerei, Elder Felix Ohiwerei and Pastor E.A.<br />
Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of<br />
God.<br />
From left: Chief (Mrs) Cecilia Ibru , Mrs Tobi Odunaiya, Dr (Mrs) Patricia<br />
Love Ogboru and Dr Kemi Ibru
PAGE 8— SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
0NDO <strong>DECIDES</strong><br />
Photos: Dare Fasube, Akeem Salau<br />
People wating to be accredited at Polling Unit 001 Ward 11, Akure<br />
A cross section of people checking their names for accreditation at Polling Unit<br />
9 Ward 2, located at Sacred Heart Pry. School 11, Akure<br />
Eligible voters looking for their names on the voters list in Owo<br />
A cross section of voters casting their vote<br />
A cross section of voters waiting for accreditation at Polling Unit 9 Ward<br />
2, in Idanre.<br />
Some policemen monitoring compliance with restriction of movement along<br />
Oyemekun Road, Akure.<br />
Counting of votes in progress at a polling station in Akure.<br />
A cross section of voters displaying their cards at a polling station located<br />
inside Akure Town Hall.<br />
A voter casting her vote.<br />
Deserted Erekesan Market, off Palace Road, Akure<br />
Some old women displaying their voters cards<br />
ahead of accreditation.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 9<br />
0NDO <strong>DECIDES</strong><br />
<strong>ONDO</strong> POLL:<br />
The drama, the intrigues,<br />
the subterfuge<br />
By Dayo Johnson, Akure<br />
EYITAYO Jegede, SAN, the<br />
governorship candidate of the<br />
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,<br />
in Ondo State, remained a force to<br />
reckon with in yesterday’s poll, not<br />
minding where the pendulum will<br />
ultimately swing in the election.<br />
He can be described as a cat with<br />
nine lives. For two months, he was<br />
shuttling between courts to regain his<br />
“stolen” mandate by factional<br />
candidate Jimoh Ibrahim who he<br />
referred to as “an impostor” while the<br />
candidates of other political parties<br />
gained speed in their campaigns across<br />
the state.<br />
The intention of the sacked Jimoh<br />
Ibrahim was to run Jegede out of town<br />
because he was the preferred<br />
governorship candidate of the<br />
incumbent governor, Dr Olusegun<br />
Mimiko, for the coveted seat.<br />
Ibrahim saw an opportunity to hit<br />
Mimiko and he explored it to the fullest<br />
by making sure that Jegede, instead of<br />
criss-crossing the state to seek for votes,<br />
was busy moving from one court to the<br />
other.<br />
He apparently succeeded in<br />
distracting both the candidate and the<br />
governor from campaigning ahead of<br />
the election.<br />
While many still believe that Ibrahim<br />
was remotely controlled by some<br />
agents in the ruling APC to frustrate<br />
Jegede out of the race so as to give their<br />
candidate Rotimi <strong>Akeredolu</strong> speed,<br />
others have concluded that the<br />
factional PDP candidate was only out<br />
to disgrace the governor out of office<br />
by not having his way on his successor.<br />
The courts journey of Jegede was<br />
seen by many as a well coordinated<br />
plan by those who are jittery of his<br />
popularity and acceptability.<br />
His victory in both the Court of<br />
Appeal and the Supreme Court at the<br />
nick of time, last Wednesday, was seen<br />
as divine.<br />
The Supreme Court, on Thursday,<br />
further validated the candidacy of Jegede<br />
as the PDP flag bearer, following the striking<br />
out of all the pending interlocutory appeals<br />
filed by the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the<br />
party which produced Ibrahim.<br />
While Jegede’s victory announced him to<br />
the world, Ibrahim had his head bowed even<br />
with the judges harsh words for him and his<br />
team of lawyers.<br />
Despite the court decision sacking him<br />
and replacing him with Jegede, Ibrahim<br />
was undaunted as he kept fighting.<br />
The Court of Appeal verdict which<br />
sacked Ibrahim came with some tongue<br />
lashing by the judges; yet he kept fighting<br />
insisting he remained the party’s candidate<br />
for the election.<br />
Even when the Supreme Court dismissed<br />
a fresh appeal filed by his factional state<br />
Chairman, Biyi Poroye, seeking to disallow<br />
Jegede from flying the party’s flag, Ibrahim<br />
still pooh poohed the court verdict.<br />
Official candidate<br />
One of the dismissed appeals at the<br />
Supreme Court was challenging the leave<br />
by the three-man Appeal Court panel<br />
granted to Jegede to appeal against the<br />
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High<br />
Court ruling which ordered the substitution<br />
of his name with that of Ibrahim for the<br />
poll.<br />
Another appeal dismissed by the Supreme<br />
Court had sought the disbandment of the<br />
three-man appellate panel.<br />
The Supreme Court, presided over by the<br />
acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice<br />
Walter Onnoghen, while dismissing the<br />
appeals, described it as abuse of court<br />
process.<br />
The ruling by the apex court finally<br />
dashed the hope of Ibrahim in participating<br />
in yesterday’s election.<br />
A statement by the sacked factional<br />
candidate’’ Director of Publicity and<br />
Communication, Sola Akinuli ,<br />
immediately following the verdict was<br />
baffling.<br />
He asked his supporters in Ondo to vote<br />
for his party in the election, debunking the<br />
rumour that he had abandoned his<br />
mandate.<br />
Akinuli said: “Ibrahim is still the<br />
official candidate of the PDP as the court<br />
of appeal did not give any consequential<br />
judgement as to replacing his name with<br />
that of Jegede.<br />
Ibrahim asked the people to<br />
discountenance any rumour that he was<br />
collaborating with the candidate of<br />
another political party.<br />
“I am solidly in PDP and I urge all my<br />
supporters to vote PDP.<br />
“My name as candidate was a product<br />
of a court pronouncement and not INEC,<br />
The intention of the<br />
sacked Jimoh Ibrahim<br />
was to run Jegede out of<br />
town because he was the<br />
preferred governorship<br />
candidate of the<br />
incumbent governor, Dr<br />
Olusegun Mimiko, for the<br />
coveted seat<br />
therefore only another pronouncement<br />
by a higher court can remove me<br />
“I therefore urge my teeming<br />
supporters and indeed all citizens of the<br />
state to vote PDP”.<br />
He reiterated his earlier reservations<br />
about some officials of the INEC, saying<br />
that some of their officers had<br />
compromised.<br />
In another statement, the sacked<br />
governorship candidate said: “We shall<br />
get justice at the Supreme Court and if<br />
PDP wins the election we shall have our<br />
four years mandate to rule Ondo State.<br />
He insisted: “Mimiko will not succeed<br />
himself with Jegede; this is too sure”,<br />
adding, “We continue with our work and<br />
remain in our great party, PDP”.<br />
How he wanted to achieve this after his<br />
sack by the courts remained unknown.<br />
But Jegede in a statement personally<br />
signed by him after his victory in the court<br />
dedicated it to God and the good people of<br />
the state.<br />
The PDP candidate said: “Beloved people<br />
of Ondo State and believer in out noble<br />
cause, there is no doubt that the past few<br />
weeks have been very challenging and<br />
trying times for us as we contended with<br />
anti democratic and evil forces who tried<br />
to subvert the will of God and the mandate<br />
of the people freely given to us.<br />
“It was a tortuous journey that tested our<br />
faith in God and our conviction in the<br />
refreshingly different days ahead of us as<br />
we were taunted and harassed by hired<br />
propagandists while we tenaciously forged<br />
ahead.<br />
“We submitted our grievances to the court<br />
despite the contraband and manipulation<br />
of those who are opposed to democracy we<br />
insisted we would explore all legal means<br />
in our avowed belief in the rule of law and<br />
the judiciary.<br />
“Today our mouth is filled with laughter<br />
and heart with praise. Our resilience has<br />
paid off and our conviction to this<br />
doggedness of purpose has made our case<br />
another judicial precedence in the country.<br />
“We are grateful to the judiciary for<br />
remaining the baton of democratic process<br />
and refusing to be blackmailed, brow<br />
beaten and intimidated by those who do<br />
not mean well for our state and nation.<br />
“Now we are set to roll out the drums, not<br />
of war but of God’s faithfulness and sound<br />
it loud to our adversaries that the will of<br />
God and the desire of the people shall<br />
prevail. Our faith and conviction in this<br />
project has continued to grow stronger by<br />
the day instead of waning.<br />
“For us, there is no looking back. We<br />
remain resolute and focused in our desire<br />
to bring development,progress and<br />
prosperity to our people. This is our. article<br />
of faith.<br />
“We dedicate this victory to God and the<br />
generality of our people. We urge our people<br />
to maximally utilize the few remaining days<br />
before the polls to consolidate on our door<br />
to door campaign across the state”.<br />
Fifth columnists<br />
Reacting to the victory, the PDP in a<br />
statement, said “The state uses this<br />
opportunity to thank God for this victory<br />
that we attained in the Court of Appeal over<br />
the substitution of Mr Eyitayo Jegede’s<br />
name as the party’s candidate, at the orders<br />
of Justice Abang, a development that the<br />
honourable justices described as fraudulent<br />
and a charade”.<br />
The party’s Director of Publicity in Ondo<br />
State, Ayo Fadaka, said in Akure: “We use<br />
this opportunity to appreciate the President<br />
of the Court of Appeal and the judges who<br />
sat on the matter for being professional and<br />
dedicated to their callings.<br />
“We also thank the Supreme Court<br />
justices who also sat on this case and did<br />
justice in the most dispassionate manner.<br />
“We indeed confirm that the judiciary<br />
asserted itself and firmly did justice. We ask<br />
those our members that were led astray by<br />
the band of fifth columnists to return to the<br />
party and ask the media to abandon the<br />
agent provocateurs whose only goal was to<br />
destroy our great party”.<br />
Also, a former Special Adviser to<br />
erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan on<br />
Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku,<br />
congratulated Jegede on his victory at the<br />
Court of Appeal and Supreme Court”.<br />
Kuku, in a text message to Sunday<br />
Vanguard, urged all PDP faithful, irrespective<br />
of differences, to unite forces as fast as possible,<br />
even at personal costs of ambition and<br />
comfort, to give victory to the party”..<br />
Jegede’s optimism even when the cloud was<br />
at its darkest hour, ‘I will contest the<br />
governorship election and I will win’, was not<br />
taken seriously until the court granted him<br />
his prayer to contest. But will he also win?<br />
That will be known after yesterday’s election.<br />
If the PDP candidate wins the election<br />
despite all these battles, then he will be Godsent<br />
as the 7th civilian governor of the<br />
Sunshine State since it’s creation 40 years<br />
ago and, if not, he will remain for a very long<br />
time the man to reckon with. Luckily, for him<br />
age is still on his side; if he fails to get it<br />
now, he can still get it later.
PAGE 10— SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
0NDO <strong>DECIDES</strong><br />
<strong>ONDO</strong>: <strong>Akeredolu</strong> <strong>leads</strong><br />
•Urges supporters to remain calm amid provocation<br />
•5 APC govs, minister camp in Akure<br />
•Card reader rejects Mimiko<br />
•AD’s Oke kicks<br />
By Dayo Johnson<br />
THE candidates of the<br />
All Progressives<br />
Congress, APC, Mr.<br />
Rotimi Akerdolu, SAN, and<br />
Peoples Democratic Party,<br />
PDP, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede,<br />
SAN, were locked in a tight<br />
race, yesterday, in the Ondo<br />
State governorship election.<br />
However, according to<br />
unofficial results from the<br />
18 local councils of the state<br />
obtained by Sunday<br />
Vanguard, which are subject<br />
to authentication by the<br />
Independent National<br />
Electoral Commission,<br />
INEC, <strong>Akeredolu</strong> had a<br />
slight lead over Jegede in the<br />
election that was largely<br />
peaceful and witnessed<br />
impressive voters’ turnout.<br />
Electoral materials and<br />
officials arrived on time in<br />
most locations. Voting<br />
commenced by 8am and<br />
ended by 2pm while sor ting<br />
and counting of ballots took<br />
place almost immediately.<br />
According to the<br />
unconfirmed figures,<br />
<strong>Akeredolu</strong> won in 10<br />
councils while Jegede had<br />
the upper hand in eight.<br />
The official results are<br />
expected to be announced<br />
today.<br />
The election was said to<br />
have been highly monetised<br />
as voters were allegedly<br />
induced with money before<br />
voting. Sources said<br />
between N400,000 and<br />
N450,000 were sent to each<br />
of the 3,009 units in the state<br />
by a particular party .<br />
Security agents,<br />
according to the source,<br />
looked the other way as<br />
voters were given between<br />
N3,000 and N6,000 each to<br />
vote.<br />
Early results<br />
The unconfirmed results<br />
showed that <strong>Akeredolu</strong><br />
cleared the results in Owo<br />
and some units in Akure, the<br />
state capital, while Jegede<br />
cleared the poll in Akure,<br />
Ondo and in some units in<br />
Akoko .<br />
Surprisingly, Jegede could<br />
not win in Akure, his home<br />
town, with a large margin as<br />
expected even though he<br />
won his polling unit with a<br />
wide margin. The PDP<br />
candidate polled 184 votes<br />
at St. Brendan’s Primary<br />
School, Akure unit where he<br />
voted. <strong>Akeredolu</strong> got 77<br />
votes while the candidate of<br />
the Alliance for Democracy,<br />
AD, Olusola Oke, scored 32<br />
votes.<br />
Oke came a distant third<br />
in the unit results received<br />
in Ondo Central and North<br />
senatorial districts.<br />
Reports had it that Oke<br />
was leading in the units<br />
result from Okitipupa<br />
council area of the state.<br />
Governor Olusegun<br />
Mimiko won in his Unit 020<br />
Ward 7 with 176 votes to<br />
APC’s 40 votes and AD’s 25<br />
votes.<br />
Also in Unit 021 Ward 7,<br />
the governor’s party PDP,<br />
polled 92 votes while APC<br />
got 23 and AD 31 votes.<br />
<strong>Akeredolu</strong> in Oke Ijebu<br />
Ward 5 won with 413 votes<br />
while PDP scored 13 and AD<br />
4 votes.<br />
Jegede polled 184 votes in<br />
his Unit 009 ward 2 Isikan/<br />
gbogi to defeat APC which<br />
scored 77 and AD 32.<br />
Speaking to journalists,<br />
Jegede expressed worries<br />
over alleged open<br />
inducement by the<br />
opposition APC and hoped<br />
the people would not sell<br />
their conscience for a pot of<br />
porridge.<br />
<strong>Akeredolu</strong>, in his response,<br />
solicited for peace among<br />
the electorate amidst<br />
provocation.<br />
He noted that there might<br />
be provocation but said it<br />
must be shunned to allow<br />
peace and the will of the<br />
generality to prevail.<br />
“My advice to the<br />
electorate is that, let us be<br />
calm in the face of any<br />
provocation, especially in<br />
last couple of days. Some<br />
people may want to cause<br />
confusion because we are<br />
coasting home to victory”,<br />
the APC candidate said.<br />
However, the poll did not<br />
come without some logistics<br />
hiccups. The card reader<br />
rejected the finger print of<br />
Mimiko, who had to cast his<br />
ballot with an incident form<br />
The governor,<br />
accompanied by the wife to<br />
his polling centre in Unit 20<br />
Ward 7 in Ondo West<br />
council area of the state,<br />
expressed concern over the<br />
reports of alleged<br />
inducement of voters by the<br />
opposition APC members<br />
across the state, warning that<br />
the people would not allow<br />
any form of manipulation<br />
<strong>Akeredolu</strong>, on his own,<br />
also lamented the<br />
malfunctioning of some<br />
smart card readers deployed<br />
for the exercise. Speaking at<br />
his Owo residence after<br />
casting his vote, the APC<br />
candidate said INEC ought<br />
to have test-run the devices<br />
before election day.<br />
Nevertheless, he said his<br />
major concern was the<br />
electoral commission<br />
ensuring free, credible and<br />
fair election.<br />
Jegede and his AD<br />
counterpart, Oke, also<br />
complained about the<br />
malfunctioning<br />
readers.<br />
card<br />
Oke specifically<br />
complained of cases of preloading<br />
of card readers<br />
before accreditation. He<br />
listed areas such as Idi Ogba,<br />
Alagbon, Ude Ugbo and<br />
some other areas in Ugbo<br />
constituency 2 in Ilaje area<br />
of Ondo state as places<br />
affected.<br />
The AD candidate alleged<br />
that many of the card<br />
readers started at 150 .<br />
Speaking on the alleged<br />
inducement of voters, he<br />
alleged that the APC and<br />
PDP embarked on<br />
intimidation, heavy<br />
monetisation and outright<br />
manipulation of the ballot<br />
materials in the election.<br />
Tackled on the issue of preloaded<br />
and malfunctioning<br />
card readers, the Ondo<br />
Resident Electoral<br />
Commissioner, REC, Segun<br />
Agbaje, said the problem<br />
would be rectified, adding<br />
that the problem had to do<br />
with the punching of the<br />
devices, which he described<br />
as a minor problem and not<br />
fraud.<br />
Agbaje said the<br />
commission had more than<br />
250 spare smart card<br />
readers to replace those<br />
malfunctioning. “I have<br />
called the Head of<br />
Department of ICT to get<br />
smart cards for areas with<br />
smart card challenges and<br />
very soon they will them.<br />
Card reader is not a major<br />
challenge because it can be<br />
addressed within 10 to 20<br />
minutes; we have over 250<br />
smart card readers for<br />
exchange in case of<br />
malfunction,” he said.<br />
<strong>Akeredolu</strong>’s<br />
campaign DG<br />
denies arrest<br />
Meanwhile, the Director<br />
General of the <strong>Akeredolu</strong><br />
Campaign Organisation,<br />
Hon. Victor Olabimtan, was<br />
allegedly arrested with<br />
thumb printed ballot papers<br />
in 15 Ghana-Must-Go bags<br />
at Akungba-Akoko in Akoko<br />
South West area of Ondo<br />
State<br />
Olabimtan was said to<br />
have been arrested along<br />
Akungba- Supare Road in<br />
Akungba by security<br />
operatives, who were acting<br />
on tip-off.<br />
But in a reaction,<br />
Olabimtan said he was not<br />
arrested, adding that the<br />
report posted on-line was the<br />
figment of the imagination<br />
of the writer.<br />
APC governors<br />
storm Ondo<br />
At least five APC governors<br />
and a serving minister<br />
stormed Ondo to rally<br />
Ikpeazu visits Ebonyi to understudy Umahi’s projects<br />
Governor<br />
Okezie<br />
Ikpeazu of Abia State<br />
has visited Ebonyi State to<br />
carry out peer review of some<br />
developmental projects<br />
embarked on by his<br />
counterpart, Engr. David<br />
Umahi.<br />
Ikpeazu arrived Ebonyi<br />
State Government House,<br />
Abakaliki accompanied by<br />
some civil engineers and was<br />
taken round flyover projects<br />
located at Abakaliki<br />
International Market, Akanu<br />
Ibiam Roundabout and<br />
Presco Junction on the<br />
Transahara Highway by<br />
Governor Umahi.<br />
The Abia governor, who was<br />
visibly impressed by the<br />
developmental projects of<br />
Umahi, described the three<br />
flyovers as huge.<br />
The Ebonyi governor,<br />
according to a statement by<br />
his Chief Press Secretary,<br />
Emma Anya, explained that<br />
Ikpeazu was in the state to<br />
look at the flyovers as he plans<br />
to embark on similar projects<br />
to de-congest Alaoji axis of<br />
Aba-Port Harcourt Road.<br />
Outgoing Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State<br />
support for <strong>Akeredolu</strong> in the<br />
election.<br />
Former Ekiti State<br />
governor but now Minister<br />
for Solid Minerals, Kayode<br />
Fayemi allegedly led the<br />
governors to the state.<br />
Reports had it that Fayemi<br />
arrived the state days before<br />
the election while the<br />
governors came on<br />
Thursday and Friday.<br />
The governors, according<br />
a source, lodged in different<br />
hotels where they held<br />
meetings with stakeholders<br />
on the <strong>Akeredolu</strong> project.<br />
Sources listed the<br />
governors as those of Ogun,<br />
Ibikunle Amosun; Imo,<br />
Rochas Okorocha; Plateau,<br />
Simon Lalong; Kogi,<br />
Yahaya Bello and Kaduna,<br />
Nasir el- Rufai.<br />
Before the election,<br />
Okorocha had visited the<br />
Why I’m quitting partisan politics – Anenih<br />
Continued from page 5<br />
position to attend political<br />
meetings but you are our<br />
political leader until God<br />
decides that you will leave<br />
us. The country is passing<br />
through political stages<br />
(and) your experience and<br />
wisdom will be required to<br />
direct us and stabilise the<br />
nation. We will excuse you<br />
from attending night<br />
meetings, BoT meetings<br />
but you will continue to<br />
mentor us, we will continue<br />
to consult you,” Jonathan<br />
pleaded.<br />
Thanking God for<br />
strength, inspiration and<br />
protection, Anenih said he<br />
wrote the book to provide<br />
lessons<br />
and<br />
state where he met with the<br />
Igbo people on the<br />
<strong>Akeredolu</strong> project, Bello met<br />
with the Igbira and Lalong<br />
met with the Hausa in the<br />
state.<br />
The sources said the<br />
governors’ visit to Ondo to<br />
give support to <strong>Akeredolu</strong><br />
followed a meeting by the<br />
APC Governors Forum that<br />
the state should be won into<br />
the “APC family.”<br />
Strategic meetings<br />
reportedly took place<br />
among major stakeholders<br />
across Ondo and the visiting<br />
governors on how to win the<br />
election.<br />
Some promises were said<br />
to have been made by the<br />
candidate to some<br />
stakeholders in order to woo<br />
them ahead of the election.<br />
Efforts by Sunday<br />
Vanguard to speak with<br />
encouragement to future<br />
generations.<br />
He said: “I am hopeful that<br />
the lessons of fortitude,<br />
hard work, diligence,<br />
loyalty and service, which<br />
have been manifest in my<br />
life, would give<br />
encouragement to all those<br />
who are serving as well as<br />
those who aspire to serve<br />
our great fatherland. My<br />
cardinal focus and<br />
objective have always been<br />
to be an agent of positive<br />
development, unity and<br />
brotherhood in Nigeria.<br />
“In the course of my<br />
political career, I have<br />
interacted with all manner<br />
of people and institutions.<br />
I have seen people at their<br />
best and at their worst; I<br />
Ondo State Publicity<br />
Secretary of the APC,<br />
Abayomi Adesanya, proved<br />
abortive. However, a leader<br />
of the party, who spoke in<br />
confidence, said the<br />
presence of the governors<br />
was to support the<br />
“incoming governor” of the<br />
party.<br />
Impressive voter<br />
turnout, orderly<br />
conduct<br />
Contrary to apprehension<br />
that there might be voter<br />
apathy on account of the<br />
violence that broke out in<br />
Owo area of the state on<br />
Thursday, during which a<br />
chieftain of the APC, Afolabi<br />
Olaposi, was killed, voter<br />
turnout in many polling<br />
units, yesterday, was<br />
impressive<br />
Christmas: Lagos mobilises for free flow of traffic,<br />
safe CBD operations<br />
By Olasunkanmi Akoni<br />
Ahead of the Christmas,<br />
Lagos State<br />
government has launched<br />
moves to ensure free flow of<br />
traffic, safe, secure and<br />
functional businesses<br />
around Central Business<br />
Districts, CBDs, during and<br />
after the period.<br />
Towards this aim, the state<br />
government, through CBD,<br />
has harmonized<br />
enforcement operations to<br />
effectively manage situation<br />
during the period.<br />
Special Adviser to the<br />
Governor on CBD, Agboola<br />
Dabiri, disclosed this during<br />
a one-day retreat, at Onikan<br />
Stadium, Lagos Island, held<br />
under the theme:<br />
“Harmonising Enforcement<br />
Operations within the Lagos<br />
Business Districts Towards<br />
Attaining a safe, secure and<br />
functional Environment<br />
within this yuletide period.”<br />
Dabiri said steps taken<br />
include: the organisation of<br />
the retreat for all ministries,<br />
departments, agencies,<br />
MDAs, both from the federal<br />
and state level that operates<br />
enforcement activities<br />
within CBD axis.<br />
Participants included:<br />
personnel from the Nigerian<br />
Police, Lagos State Traffic<br />
Management Authourity,<br />
LASTMA, Kick Against<br />
Indiscipline., KAI, Lagos<br />
State Waste Management<br />
Authourity, LAWMA, Special<br />
Taskforce and mobile<br />
courts.<br />
“The personnel are being<br />
drilled on how best to handle<br />
activities for sanity and<br />
better performance in the<br />
line of duty for the sake of<br />
traders, shoppers and<br />
residents in general,” Dabiri<br />
explained.<br />
have worked with reliable<br />
people as well as fickle<br />
people; I have experienced<br />
undiluted loyalty and<br />
disloyalty from unexpected<br />
places. I have always tried<br />
to make the best of all<br />
situations. I can, therefore,<br />
say, with great pride, that I<br />
feel fulfilled in politics.”<br />
Notable personalities at<br />
the occasion were former<br />
head of state, General<br />
Abdulsalami Abubakar,<br />
(retd), who chaired the<br />
event, two former Vice<br />
Presidents, Dr. Alex<br />
Ekwueme and Arc.<br />
Namadi Sambo and<br />
Professor Jerry Gana, who<br />
represented the book<br />
presenter, General TY<br />
Danjuma, retd.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 11<br />
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
•Some of the vehicles after their recovery at ICPC premises at the weekend<br />
How ICPC recovered 103 exotic<br />
vehicles looted by govt officials<br />
By Jide Ajani<br />
PERHAPS some people may<br />
not find this mind-blowing<br />
given that Nigerians have<br />
become accustomed to hearing<br />
about outrageous looting of the<br />
nation's treasury by public officials.<br />
But many would appreciate that<br />
even with the falling value of<br />
Nigeria's currency, N450 million<br />
could save lives in the health sector<br />
where government hospitals in the<br />
country lack many equipment.<br />
The quantum of money in question,<br />
if deployed in fixing the collapsed<br />
portions of the Benin/Ore<br />
Highway, could as well reduce the<br />
alarming rate of auto crashes on that<br />
road.<br />
However, the systemic nature of<br />
corruption in the country ensured<br />
that the money, instead of being expended<br />
on common good, was used<br />
to purchase exotic vehicles and then<br />
converted to personal properties by<br />
some top public officials.<br />
The discovery came to light in the<br />
course of an investigation by Sunday<br />
Vanguard into the activities of<br />
the Independent Corrupt Practices<br />
Commission,ICPC.<br />
The manner in which the misappropriation<br />
took place offers insight<br />
into how undermining some public<br />
officials had been to the Nigerian<br />
story.<br />
Some top officials of Ministries,<br />
Departments and Agencies,MDAs,<br />
were discovered to be chiefly involved<br />
in the matter.<br />
Specifically, those affected were of<br />
the Ministries of Water Resources,<br />
Labour, Environment,Information<br />
and Health, Federal Road Maintenance<br />
Agency, FERMA, and Subsidy<br />
Reinvestment Programme, SURE-P.<br />
Findings revealed that funds set<br />
aside by the SURE-P for execution of<br />
projects were used to procure vehicles<br />
by the MDAs.<br />
Meanwhile, the vehicles were supposed<br />
to have been recorded as part<br />
of the properties of the MDAs in line<br />
with the procurement rules of the civil<br />
service.<br />
It was also learnt that since the funds<br />
did not emanate from the budgetary<br />
allocation of the concerned MDAs,<br />
not recording the purchase of the 103<br />
vehicles facilitated the appropriation<br />
by the officials.<br />
The beneficiaries of the fraud were<br />
found to have been assisted by SURE-<br />
P contractors and officials of the<br />
agency in charge of some projects.<br />
A breakdown of the vehicles taken<br />
and later recovered indicated that<br />
they were mainly Sports Utility Vehicles,<br />
SUVs, including Toyota Land<br />
Cruiser, Audi A6, AudiQ8, Nissan<br />
Armada and Ford Edge, Toyota Hillux<br />
and Rav4.<br />
There were also various units of<br />
Peugeot 508, Toyota Avensis and<br />
Toyota Corolla, among others.<br />
To ensure that the vehicles were not<br />
documented as government properties,<br />
Sunday Vanguard learnt that<br />
they were not registered in government<br />
name but in the names of the<br />
top officials who later appropriated<br />
them.<br />
While some of the vehicles were<br />
taken away during the last dispensation,<br />
others disappeared when President<br />
Muhammadu Buhari said he<br />
was winding up the now defunct<br />
SURE-P.<br />
If the action was irritating, the manner<br />
it was penetrated could be<br />
termed outrageous and unpatriotic.<br />
No fewer than 13 vehicles worth<br />
N55.5million were allegedly made<br />
away with by a senior official of the<br />
Water Quality Control Department<br />
of the Federal Ministry of Water<br />
Resources (names withheld).<br />
He was alleged to have taken<br />
two Prado jeeps, three Toyota<br />
Avensis cars, two Rav 4 jeeps and<br />
three Toyota Hilux vans.<br />
Further investigation revealed<br />
that in the same ministry, a former<br />
Director, Irrigation and Drainage<br />
(now retired), allegedly, took four<br />
vehicles, including a Toyota Land<br />
Cruiser, an Audi A6, Nissan Armada<br />
and Ford Edge, all SUVs,<br />
worth N28 million.<br />
An Audi Q7 and a Hilux van<br />
were also allegedly recovered from<br />
a former Director of Dams in the<br />
department.<br />
Another startling recovery was<br />
said to have been made in March<br />
2016 from SURE: A former official<br />
took away a bullet proof Toyota<br />
Land Cruiser jeep worth N36 million<br />
which has now been recovered<br />
from him.<br />
It was further gathered that a retired<br />
director in the Water Quality<br />
and Control Department was said<br />
to have been taken home a Prado<br />
jeep, a Toyota Hilux van and<br />
Toyota Corolla car.<br />
Further breakdown showed<br />
that15 vehicles were allegedly recovered<br />
from the Ministry of<br />
Labour, 14 from officials of<br />
FERMA, 13 from officials of the<br />
Health Ministry, a Lincoln Navigator<br />
jeep from a political party,<br />
three vehicles from the Ministry of Information<br />
and an unspecified number<br />
from officials of SURE-P.<br />
More recoveries were allegedly<br />
made from retired officials of SURE-P,<br />
who went away with 40 vehicles.<br />
Sunday Vanguard learnt that 95 of<br />
the 103 recovered vehicles were<br />
parked at the headquarters of the<br />
ICPC in Abuja.<br />
The remaining eight were believed<br />
to be kept at the commission's offices<br />
in Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Kogi and<br />
Rivers states where they were variously<br />
recovered.<br />
Apart from these recoveries, it was<br />
understood that many vehicles belonging<br />
to SURE-P are still in the custody<br />
of some retired government officials,<br />
who were supposed to have recorded<br />
then as federal government assets at<br />
the time of purchase.<br />
The ICPC, a source confided in Sunday<br />
Vanguard, is currently making efforts<br />
to recover other assets belonging<br />
to the agency looted by serving and<br />
former government officials.<br />
The broad approach to its mandate<br />
was also said to have resulted in the<br />
commission's recovery of N108 million<br />
from an agency under the Ministry of<br />
Health.<br />
The House of Representatives Committee<br />
on Anti-Corruption, it was<br />
learnt, is aware of the recovery of the<br />
vehicles as it inspected the 95 vehicles<br />
parked at the commission’s headquarters<br />
during a recent visit to the ICPC.<br />
An impressed Chairman of the committee,<br />
Mr. Akinloye Babajade, hailed<br />
the commission, stressing that such a<br />
development deserved to be in the<br />
public domain.<br />
Recall that SURE-P was established<br />
by the administration of former President<br />
Goodluck Jonathan to cushion the<br />
effects of the partial removal of subsidy<br />
on petroleum products.<br />
From 2012-2014, the intervention<br />
agency successively got budgetary allocation<br />
of about N628 billion. In specific<br />
terms, N180 billion was given to<br />
the agency in 2012, N180 billion in<br />
2013 and N268 in 2014.
PAGE 12—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
By Tony Nwankwo, with agency reports<br />
Former President Fidel Castro, who<br />
led a rebel army to improbable<br />
victory in Cuba, embraced Sovietstyle<br />
communism and defied the power of<br />
10 U.S. presidents during his half century<br />
rule, has died at age 90.<br />
With a shaking voice, President Raul<br />
Castro said on state television that his older<br />
brother died at 10:29 p.m. Friday. He ended<br />
the announcement by shouting the<br />
revolutionary slogan: “Toward victory,<br />
always!”<br />
Castro’s reign over the island-nation 90<br />
miles (145 kilometers) from Florida was<br />
marked by the U.S.-backed Bay of Pigs<br />
invasion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis<br />
a year later that brought the world to the brink<br />
of nuclear war. The bearded revolutionary,<br />
who survived a crippling U.S. trade embargo<br />
as well as dozens, possibly hundreds, of<br />
assassination plots, died 10 years after ill health<br />
forced him to hand power over to Raul.<br />
Castro overcame imprisonment at the<br />
hands of dictator Fulgencio Batista, exile in<br />
Mexico and a disastrous start to his rebellion<br />
before triumphantly riding into Havana in<br />
January 1959 to become, at age 32, the<br />
youngest leader in Latin America. For decades,<br />
he served as an inspiration and source of<br />
support to revolutionaries from Latin America<br />
to Africa.<br />
His commitment to socialism was<br />
unwavering, though his power finally began<br />
to fade in mid-2006 when a gastro-intestinal<br />
ailment forced him to hand over the<br />
presidency to Raul in 2008, provisionally at<br />
first and then permanently. His defiant image<br />
lingered long after he gave up his trademark<br />
Cohiba cigars for health reasons and his tall<br />
frame grew stooped.<br />
“Socialism or death” remained Castro’s<br />
rallying cry even as Western-style democracy<br />
swept the globe and other communist regimes<br />
in China and Vietnam embraced capitalism,<br />
leaving this island of 11 million people an<br />
economically crippled Marxist curiosity.<br />
He survived long enough to see Raul Castro<br />
negotiate an opening with U.S. President<br />
Barack Obama on Dec. 17, 2014, when<br />
Washington and Havana announced they<br />
would move to restore diplomatic ties for the<br />
first time since they were severed in 1961. He<br />
cautiously blessed the historic deal with his<br />
lifelong enemy in a letter published after a<br />
month-long silence. Obama made a historic<br />
visit to Havana in March, this year.<br />
Carlos Rodriguez, 15, was sitting in<br />
Havana’s Miramar neighborhood when he<br />
heard that Fidel Castro had died.<br />
“Fidel? Fidel?” he said, slapping his head in<br />
shock. “That’s not what I was expecting. One<br />
always thought that he would last forever. It<br />
doesn’t seem true.”<br />
“It’s a tragedy,” said 22-year-old nurse<br />
Dayan Montalvo. “We all grew up with him. I<br />
feel really hurt by the news that we just heard.”<br />
Fidel Castro Ruz was born August 13, 1926,<br />
in eastern Cuba’s sugar country, where his<br />
Spanish immigrant father worked first<br />
recruiting labour for U.S. sugar companies<br />
and later built up a prosperous plantation of<br />
his own.<br />
Castro attended Jesuit schools, then the<br />
University of Havana, where he received law<br />
and social science degrees. His life as a rebel<br />
began in 1953 with a reckless attack on the<br />
Moncada military barracks in the eastern city<br />
of Santiago. Most of his comrades were killed<br />
and Fidel and his brother Raul went to prison.<br />
Fidel turned his trial defense into a manifesto<br />
that he smuggled out of jail, famously<br />
declaring, “History will absolve me.”<br />
Freed under a pardon, Castro fled to<br />
Mexico and organized a rebel band that<br />
returned in 1956, sailing across the Gulf of<br />
Mexico to Cuba on a yacht named Granma.<br />
After losing most of his group in a bungled<br />
landing, he rallied support in Cuba’s eastern<br />
Sierra Maestra mountains.<br />
Three years later, tens of thousands spilled<br />
into the streets of Havana to celebrate Batista’s<br />
downfall and catch a glimpse of Castro as his<br />
rebel caravan arrived in the capital on January<br />
8, 1959.<br />
The U.S. was among the first to formally<br />
recognize his government, cautiously trusting<br />
Castro’s early assurances he merely wanted<br />
to restore democracy, not install socialism.<br />
Within months, Castro was imposing<br />
radical economic reforms. Members of the<br />
old government went before summary courts,<br />
and at least 582 were shot by firing squads<br />
over two years. Independent newspapers were<br />
closed and in the early years, homosexuals<br />
were herded into camps for “re-education.”<br />
In 1964, Castro acknowledged holding<br />
15,000 political prisoners. Hundreds of<br />
thousands of Cubans fled, including Castro’s<br />
tribute<br />
Cuba’s Fidel Castro,<br />
who defied US for 50<br />
years, dies at 90<br />
•Buhari, world leaders pay tribute<br />
daughter Alina Fernandez Revuelta and his<br />
younger sister Juana.<br />
Still, the revolution thrilled millions in Cuba<br />
and across Latin America who saw it as an<br />
example of how the seemingly arrogant<br />
Yankees could be defied. And many on the<br />
island were happy to see the seizure of property<br />
of the landed class, the expulsion of American<br />
gangsters and the closure of their casinos.<br />
Castro’s speeches, lasting up to six hours,<br />
became the soundtrack of Cuban life and his<br />
269-minute speech to the U.N. General<br />
Assembly in 1960 set the world body’s record<br />
for length that still stood more than five<br />
decades later.<br />
As Castro moved into the Soviet bloc,<br />
Washington began working to oust him,<br />
cutting U.S. purchases of sugar, the island’s<br />
economic mainstay. Castro, in turn,<br />
confiscated $1 billion in U.S. assets.<br />
The American government imposed a trade<br />
embargo, banning virtually all U.S. exports<br />
to the island except for food and medicine,<br />
and it severed diplomatic ties on January 3,<br />
1961.<br />
On April 16, 1961, Castro declared his<br />
revolution to be socialist, and the next day,<br />
about 1,400 Cuban exiles stormed the beach<br />
at the Bay of Pigs on Cuba’s south coast. But<br />
the CIA-backed invasion failed.<br />
The debacle forced the U.S. to give up on<br />
the idea of invading Cuba, but that didn’t stop<br />
Washington and Castro’s exiled enemies from<br />
trying to do him in. By Cuban count, he was<br />
the target of more than 630 assassination<br />
plots by militant Cuban exiles or the U.S.<br />
government.<br />
The biggest crisis of the Cold War between<br />
Washington and Moscow exploded on<br />
October 22, 1962, when President John F.<br />
Kennedy announced there were Soviet<br />
nuclear missiles in Cuba and imposed a naval<br />
blockade of the island. Humankind held its<br />
breath, and after a tense week of diplomacy,<br />
Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev removed<br />
them. Never had the world felt so close to<br />
nuclear war.<br />
‘Towards the model he wanted’<br />
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most<br />
observers thought Castro would fall too. But<br />
it didn’t happen. Nevertheless, Cuba suffered<br />
an economic catastrophe in the so-called<br />
“special period” after the USSR’s<br />
breakup. This manifested itself not only<br />
in a massive decline in gross domestic<br />
product, but also in Cubans losing<br />
weight as a result of malnutrition.<br />
Economists consider Cuba’s “special<br />
period” to be one of the worst<br />
contractions of the 20th century.<br />
But Castro remained devoted to<br />
doctrinaire socialism. “They talk about<br />
the failure of socialism,” the Cuban<br />
leader once said. “But where is the<br />
success of capitalism in Africa, Asia and<br />
Latin America?”<br />
In the final years of his reign, Castro<br />
pushed Cuba to develop its tourism<br />
industry to make up for the financial<br />
troubles caused by the Soviet Union’s<br />
demise.<br />
Buhari, world leaders pay tribute<br />
World leaders have begun to pay<br />
tribute to Castro.<br />
President Muhammadu Buhari<br />
consoled President Raul Castro and the<br />
people of Cuba on the death.<br />
In a condolence message released by<br />
the presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi<br />
Adesina, President Buhari who<br />
expressed shock however stated that the<br />
deceased through his political and<br />
leadership pedigree had stamped his feet<br />
on the sands of history.<br />
French President Francois Hollande<br />
said in a statement that Mr Castro<br />
embodied Cuba’s revolution in both its<br />
“hopes” and its later “disappointments”.<br />
Russian President Vladimir Putin<br />
hailed Mr Castro as the “symbol of an<br />
era”. In a telegram to the Cuban<br />
President cited by the Kremlin, he said:<br />
“The name of this distinguished<br />
statesman is rightly considered the<br />
symbol of an era in modern world<br />
history... Fidel Castro was a sincere and<br />
reliable friend of Russia.”<br />
Enrique Pena Nieto the President of<br />
Mexico, where Mr Castro fled and<br />
organised a rebel band that returned to<br />
Cuba 1956, said: “Fidel Castro was a<br />
friend of Mexico, promoter of a bilateral<br />
relationship based on respect, dialogue<br />
and solidarity.”<br />
Salvador Sanchez Ceren, President of El<br />
Salvador, tweeted: “With deep sorrow we<br />
received news of the death of my dear friend and<br />
eternal companion, Commander Fidel Castro<br />
Ruz.”<br />
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro echoed<br />
Mr Castro’s victory slogan in his tribute over<br />
Twitter, which referenced the yacht Fidel and<br />
Raul Castro sailed in to Cuba to begin their<br />
revolution.<br />
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev<br />
praised Mr Castro for “strengthening” his island<br />
nation.<br />
“Fidel stood up and strengthened his country<br />
during the harshest American blockade, when<br />
there was colossal pressure on him and he still<br />
took his country out of this blockade to a path of<br />
independent development,” Interfax news<br />
agency quoted Mr Gorbachev as saying.<br />
Former Labour Cabinet minister and antiapartheid<br />
leader Lord Peter Hain said:<br />
“Although responsible for indefensible human<br />
rights and free speech abuses, Castro created<br />
a society of unparalleled access to free health,<br />
education and equal opportunity despite an<br />
economically throttling USA siege.<br />
“His troops inflicted the first defeat on South<br />
Africa’s troops in Angola in 1988, a vital turning<br />
point in the struggle against apartheid.”<br />
Former London mayor Ken Livingstone called<br />
Mr Castro an “absolute giant of the 20th<br />
century”, and blamed the US for the restrictions<br />
on civil liberties under his leadership. He told<br />
BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Cuba<br />
could reform now it was not under the threat of<br />
American invasion “even if Trump goes a little<br />
bit bonkers”.<br />
Castro was a friend of Africa–Fani-Kayode<br />
In a tribute, yesterday, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode,<br />
a former Minister of Aviation, described the late<br />
Castro as a friend of Africa, saying he admired<br />
the deceased’s defiant spirit.<br />
In a statement, Fani-Kayode said: “I admired<br />
the defiant spirit, passion, strength, commitment<br />
and courage of Fidel Castro.<br />
“He was a blessing to the oppressed people of<br />
the world and a friend to Africa.<br />
“Under his leadership Cuba’s role in the<br />
struggle for black majority rule and the fight<br />
against apartheid in Zimbabwe and South Africa<br />
cannot be underestimated or downplayed.<br />
“He played a similar role in the bitter struggle<br />
against colonialism and neo-colonialism in<br />
Angola, Mozambique and Namibia.<br />
“He was a warrior to the core and a great<br />
leader. He was also a blessing to the Cuban people<br />
and they really loved him.”
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 13
PAGE 14— SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
NIKE ADEKUNLE, THE UNFORTUNATE COMMERCIAL SEX WORKER<br />
Manipulated, murdered, body<br />
mysteriously disappears<br />
*Killing strikes fear in Nigerian community in Italy<br />
By Tom Esslemont<br />
When Italian prosecutor Lina<br />
Trovato first came across a sex<br />
trafficking suspect called<br />
"Mummy", she sensed she was onto<br />
something especially sinister.<br />
The code name had appeared several<br />
times in wiretapped conversations<br />
between Nigerian gang members in Italy<br />
and their apparently female boss back<br />
in the West African state.<br />
"If one of the (trafficked sex worker)<br />
girls went astray, the agents in Italy<br />
always informed 'Mummy' - otherwise<br />
known as the Queen Bee of Nigerian<br />
trafficking - so she could keep her in line,"<br />
Trovato told the Thomson Reuters<br />
Foundation.<br />
Several months of investigation led<br />
police to swoop in and arrest six people<br />
in the Italian cities of Rome, Genoa and<br />
Catania, she said. The six are awaiting<br />
trial.<br />
Nigerian crime gangs have proliferated<br />
in Italy, controlling an extensive network<br />
of prostitutes and ordering them "on<br />
demand" from Nigeria, Italian police and<br />
prosecutors say.<br />
But now the Nigerian gangs, who have<br />
been active in Italy for more than a<br />
decade, are taking on increasingly<br />
violent tactics, including knife crime and<br />
even forging close relations with<br />
notorious mafia groups, the Cosa Nostra<br />
and the Camorra, law enforcement<br />
agencies in Italy, say.<br />
The overlap with home-grown<br />
organised crime groups is troubling for<br />
the police because the Italian mafia<br />
dominate the economies in their regions,<br />
often with the help of corrupt or<br />
complacent administrators, and they<br />
have spread their tentacles to northern<br />
Italy.<br />
At least 16 Nigerians have been<br />
arrested on trafficking offences since the<br />
start of 2016 in the Catania jurisdiction<br />
in Sicily, up from around 10 the previous<br />
year.<br />
"Sometimes we are good at breaking<br />
the cycle (of trafficking). But it is very<br />
hard," Trovato, a specialist in organised<br />
crime and mafia, said in Catania city.<br />
Italy's government has not disclosed<br />
the number of arrests in connection with<br />
Nigerian trafficking gangs despite<br />
requests from the Thomson Reuters<br />
Foundation.<br />
Around 12,000 Nigerian women<br />
arrived in Italy by sea in 2015 and 2016,<br />
data from the International<br />
Organisation for Migration (IOM)<br />
shows - a six-fold increase on the<br />
previous two years.<br />
Almost 80 percent of the young<br />
women are victims of trafficking,<br />
according to the International<br />
Organisation for Migration (IOM),<br />
placing law enforcement agencies under<br />
pressure to uproot expanding Nigerian<br />
criminal networks, lawyers say.<br />
The incident happened late<br />
one night in January 2014<br />
in Palermo's Ballaro street<br />
market, where police later<br />
found the victims with<br />
gashed foreheads<br />
MAFIA CRIMES<br />
As the number of Nigerian trafficking<br />
victims rises, Italian prosecutors -<br />
lawyers who gather evidence before<br />
presenting it in court - are finding more<br />
and more of their time taken up with<br />
unpicking Nigeria's criminal networks.<br />
Nigerian prostitutes frequently end up<br />
working as recruiters or 'madams' for<br />
new arrivals from Africa, prosecutors<br />
say.<br />
These former sex workers also help<br />
with the logistics of slavery, driving<br />
trafficking victims to the cities where<br />
they become prostitutes, Trovato said.<br />
But trends are changing. Armed<br />
robberies, murders and drug-related<br />
crime have spread south to the Sicilian<br />
city of Palermo from larger<br />
Nigerian communities in the<br />
northern cities of Turin and<br />
Castel Volturno, justice officials<br />
say.<br />
"It is a compact community, in<br />
which there are lots of people<br />
who practice crime," said<br />
Leonardo Agueci, prosecutor in<br />
Palermo's justice department.<br />
Earlier in 2016, the boss of<br />
notorious Nigerian criminal<br />
organisation Black Axe was<br />
sentenced to 12 years in jail<br />
after a number of Nigerian<br />
men were brutally attacked in<br />
Palermo.<br />
The incident happened late<br />
one night in January 2014 in<br />
Palermo's Ballaro street market,<br />
where police later found the<br />
victims with gashed foreheads.<br />
"It was the first time a Palermo<br />
court has convicted a Nigerian<br />
on mafia-related crimes," said<br />
Gaspare Spedale, another<br />
prosecutor in the Sicilian city.<br />
Police fear the relatively<br />
small-time crimes committed<br />
by members of the Nigerian<br />
gangs in Palermo might<br />
become more serious in a city<br />
famous for Italy's most storied<br />
mafia organisation, the Cosa<br />
Continues on page 16<br />
C<br />
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people<br />
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 15<br />
I don’t know the value of the business<br />
I am doing right now – Linda Ikeji<br />
Says s she paid one million naira a to social media users s in one week<br />
By Rotimi Agbana<br />
Foremost Nigerian blogger and<br />
entrepreneur, Linda Ikeji, recently<br />
launched a new social media website, Linda<br />
Ikeji Social (LIS), a social media platform<br />
which innovatively fuses news reporting,<br />
social interaction and online shopping all in<br />
one place. In this chat, Ikeji discusses the<br />
secrets behind her career, how she has been<br />
able to wade through the stormy waters, the<br />
new social media platform (Linda Ikeji<br />
Social), and her opinion on business<br />
partnership with government.<br />
You are known as the queen of blogging. How<br />
did it all start?<br />
It all started in 2006 after a friend told me she<br />
read a story about me on the internet, and out<br />
of curiosity I logged on to the site to read the<br />
story. After reading, I loved it and subsequently<br />
in November 2006 I decided that I wanted to<br />
start my own blog because journalism had<br />
always been something i loved to do, it’s<br />
something I wanted to do while growing up; so<br />
I thought I should live the dream. So I started<br />
my own blog in November 2006 and here we<br />
are 10-years after.<br />
What has been your drive?<br />
Passion is what has driven me all through to<br />
this point, because, like I said earlier, it’s not<br />
just about me living my dream, I wanted to be<br />
a journalist, a broadcast journalist. A lot of<br />
people I admired in those days were<br />
broadcasters or TV presenters, like Frank Olize;<br />
I admired reporting, so what kept me going on<br />
the blog has been passion because I’m living<br />
my dream doing it.<br />
Don’t you think you are deviating from the<br />
norm considering the fact that Linda Ikeji Blog<br />
has been very successful?<br />
Linda Ikeji Social (LIS) and Linda Ikeji Blog<br />
(LIB) are very similar; it’s the same online<br />
business. LIS is an extension of LIB basically<br />
because most of the stuff you find on LIB you<br />
find on LIS. We are not deviating, they are very<br />
similar businesses, online technology, news<br />
reporting, they are very similar, they work hand<br />
in hand.<br />
What is Linda Ikeji Social all about compared<br />
to Linda Ikeji Blog?<br />
LIS is a combination of social networking,<br />
news reporting, buying and selling. How I came<br />
The reason I said no is<br />
because, for now, I don’t<br />
know the value of what I’m<br />
doing right now or what it<br />
would be. I can’t put a<br />
price to it that I would say<br />
‘okay, come and pay this<br />
amount and take a<br />
particular percentage’<br />
about it was this, I thought about the traffic<br />
that occurs when people go on the internet and<br />
the first one is how people keep up, that’s why<br />
Facebook has the most users in the world. It<br />
helps you connect to other people in real time,<br />
read what people are saying, chat with others.<br />
I think that’s the number one reason people go<br />
online. The second reason people go online is<br />
for them to read the news, to know what goes in<br />
the world around them. The third reason<br />
people go online is to buy and sell, to shop. So<br />
I thought why can’t I have a site that has a<br />
combination of these three so that eventually<br />
people don’t have to go to multiple sites to get<br />
all these three, they can just come on LIS and<br />
get them all.<br />
What distinguishes LIS from other social<br />
media platforms?<br />
We have monetised LIS,<br />
there is no other social<br />
network in the world<br />
or maybe in this part<br />
of the world where<br />
there is something<br />
called the wallet.<br />
Every user on LIS<br />
has a wallet either<br />
by the giveaway<br />
through<br />
stories or if you have many people following<br />
you on the page we’ll monetise it. So I just felt<br />
like people spend a lot of money being online,<br />
because they buy data and nobody gets<br />
anything out of it. I thought that with my blog<br />
I get a lot of advertisers; the ultimate goal too<br />
is to get a lot of advertisers on LIS but instead<br />
of taking all the money I actually don’t have a<br />
problem sharing it with my users, though it’s a<br />
small percentage but it goes a long way to<br />
impact the lives of the people. LIS buys stories<br />
unlike LIB that doesn’t buy stories. Once we<br />
publish your story, you’re automatically<br />
credited with #1,000, and then every other week<br />
we’ll be giving something away, like, last week,<br />
we gave away #1million. So I think it’s time<br />
people began to get more from using the social<br />
media. Basically, we share the money we make<br />
from companies with our users, we collect from<br />
the companies, keep some and give out some<br />
to our subscribers.<br />
How do you raise funds for customer rewards<br />
in such a time of economic recession?<br />
Of course the #1,000,000 we gave out was<br />
from our pocket, it was our own way of<br />
welcoming users and subscribers to our new<br />
platform. Next week we’re going to give out<br />
another sum, and of course it won’t be the same<br />
amount, probably half of it. And we’re going to<br />
give out recharge card and so many other<br />
products because other brands are going to get<br />
involved. We’re just a week old; so, for now, we<br />
have to fund all this with our own money before<br />
other brands become part of it. Right now, we’re<br />
funding everything by ourselves; there is no<br />
private investor anywhere. In fact, I got a call<br />
from a friend in South Africa who wanted to<br />
find out if I would allow for private investors,<br />
that somebody wanted to drop some amount<br />
of money to become a co-owner of Linda Ikeji<br />
Social (LIS), but I told him no.<br />
The reason I said no is because, for now, I don’t<br />
know the value of what I’m doing right now or<br />
what it would be. I can’t put a price to it that I<br />
would say ‘okay, come and pay this amount<br />
and take a particular percentage’. So, right<br />
now, I’m funding everything 100percent and I<br />
don’t know if I would allow for private investors.<br />
I’m just taking it a step at a time for now.<br />
Do you intend to partner with<br />
private<br />
investors<br />
anytime<br />
soon?<br />
It depends on how big it gets. If it gets bigger<br />
than me, then I would give room for private<br />
investors, but if it doesn’t, I’ll handle it all by<br />
myself.<br />
Don’t you think you might be perceived to be<br />
proud by saying you don’t need private<br />
investors to invest in LIS now?<br />
I’m not the proud type, in fact, I’m very humble.<br />
People don’t know that, to a very large extent,<br />
I’m a very humble person because I know where<br />
I’m coming from. People usually have their<br />
own views about other people, but those who<br />
know me know that I’m very humble. Why I<br />
don’t want investors now is because I don’t know<br />
how to value what I’m doing yet. If someone<br />
comes to me now and says ‘I want to give you<br />
one million dollars to have a share in LIS’, I<br />
don’t know how to value what the person would<br />
get for that amount of money he or she wants<br />
to invest in my business. So it’s not about pride.<br />
I just want to take it one step at a time, do it on<br />
my own; then if it gets bigger than me, investors<br />
can come on board. It’s not pride; it’s just me as<br />
a business woman taking it one step at a time.<br />
For now, I’m financially capable enough to<br />
run it, so I don’t need investors yet.<br />
Would you partner with the government if it<br />
signifies interest in your business?<br />
Government does not partner with anybody<br />
on such things now, do they? I would rather<br />
partner with private investors than government.<br />
On a second thought, I can partner with<br />
government, but not that they would own it,<br />
they would just be a partner.<br />
What do you give in return to companies who<br />
partner with you?<br />
Publicity, free advert and publicity.<br />
Don’t you think you’re taking on too much<br />
running LIB and LIS all by yourself?<br />
No, for Linda Ikeji Blog, I’ve staff working with<br />
me though I’m still on top of it. For Linda Ikeji<br />
Social, I also have staff working for me and<br />
I’m also on top of it. LIS and LIB are the same<br />
online business; one actually feeds from the<br />
other. I don’t feel it’s too much, it depends on<br />
what you feel your capabilities are; besides, I<br />
feel like I’m able because I’ve been blogging<br />
for 10-years now, so, blogging is easier for me<br />
now. Whenever you see me on my laptop, you’ll<br />
see LIB on one side and then you’ll see LIB on<br />
the other, just for me to monitor everything that’s<br />
going on; so it’s absolutely not bigger than<br />
something I can handle.<br />
If you have to liquidate either of LIS or LIB<br />
due to challenges beyond you, which would<br />
it be?<br />
That’s a very tough question; nobody prays for<br />
such, but if that happens, oh my God! To be<br />
honest, sitting down here right now, I would<br />
shut down Linda Ikeji Social because I don’t<br />
know what the future of LIS would be whereas<br />
Linda Ikeji Blog is already very successful. But<br />
if I look five-years down the line, that’s a bigger<br />
brand, more people can do a lot more on LIS<br />
such as traffic report and many other things,<br />
it’s all encompassing. But two-three years from<br />
now, I really hope LIS becomes a bigger brand<br />
than LIB.<br />
•Linda ...Many people don’t<br />
know I am very humble<br />
What have you put in place to prevent internet<br />
fraudsters from hacking into the site or<br />
swindling your subscribers?<br />
My people are working tirelessly to prevent<br />
any form of attack. There are so many technical<br />
terms that I can’t really talk about but they are<br />
sure on top of it. Someone actually tried to<br />
hack into the site three-days after we launched<br />
it. My tech team called me and gave me the<br />
guy’s details, but like I said earlier, they are<br />
working tirelessly round the clock to make sure<br />
that doesn’t happen. They are putting up security<br />
systems for the site and for the users so that no<br />
one would have any form of complain.<br />
C<br />
M<br />
YK
PAGE 16— SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
people<br />
Apostle Suleman: I know what it feels<br />
to be poor because I tasted poverty<br />
C<br />
M<br />
YK<br />
By Lekan Bilesanmi<br />
The General Overseer of Omega<br />
Fire Ministries Int’l, (OFM),<br />
Apostle Johnson Suleman,<br />
recently had the Onitsha Restoration<br />
Crusade in Anambra State. There was<br />
also the Tulsa, Oklahoma, United State<br />
edition, which came before the Anambra<br />
crusade. A charity agent, Suleman’s<br />
evangelistic mission, had taken the<br />
preacher to all the continents of the<br />
world.<br />
At the OFM, people are witnesses to<br />
miracles. The ministry, headquarters in<br />
Auchi, Edo State, has 49 other branches<br />
across the world.<br />
At a recent conference, there was the<br />
case of a man who was said to have had<br />
mental problem for eight years. He was<br />
alleged to have been chained to the<br />
crusade where the healing power of Jesus<br />
through Suleman allegedly healed him.<br />
Also, there was this woman who was said<br />
to have come to share a testimony, but<br />
the spirit of prophecy allegedly took up<br />
her case and revealed to the apostle the<br />
real issues about her. According to the<br />
man of God, he realized right there that<br />
her destiny had been diverted. “She was<br />
compelled to join the police instead of<br />
her evangelistic ministry by her parents.<br />
This gave the devil access to her and<br />
afflicted her mind. After this was<br />
revealed, she wept. Uncontrollably,<br />
agreed with the prophecy given and,<br />
ofcourse, hands were laid on her and she<br />
was whole and her mind was restored,”he<br />
said.<br />
The latest from his milk of kindness was<br />
a donation of $7,000 he made to the New<br />
Day Youth And Family Services,<br />
Oklahoma during the Tulsa Raw Power<br />
Nostra, Agueci said.<br />
For now, the prosecutors said<br />
there was no evidence mafia<br />
were running the Nigerian sex<br />
trafficking network from<br />
Palermo, but it could have<br />
connections with organised<br />
crime gangs on mainland Italy.<br />
"The people who export<br />
(Nigerian victims) are in other<br />
countries," Spedale said. "But<br />
there is a mastermind<br />
controlling it in Italy. It exists."<br />
NIGERIAN OMERTA<br />
In Palermo's vibrant Ballaro<br />
market, Nigerian shopkeepers<br />
and customers brushed<br />
shoulders with Sicilian fruit<br />
stallholders touting bright pink<br />
pomegranates and blood-red<br />
tomatoes.<br />
Nigerian women, loading<br />
their baskets with sardines and<br />
olives, refused to answer<br />
questions about the quality of<br />
life in Palermo when they were<br />
approached by the Thomson<br />
Reuters Foundation.<br />
At night, a few hundred<br />
metres away, West African<br />
women in short-cut dresses<br />
plied their trade in dimly lit<br />
streets alongside the port.<br />
Many work for pimps who<br />
remain out of sight, local<br />
campaigners say.<br />
But the killing in 2011 of one<br />
Nigerian trafficking victim still<br />
strikes fear in the community.<br />
"Favour" Nike Adekune was<br />
murdered in Palermo's historic<br />
centre in a crime that shocked<br />
the 500-strong Nigerian<br />
community, according to Nino<br />
Rocca, a local rights activist.<br />
Adekune - from Benin City in<br />
Nigeria's southern Edo State -<br />
had been working as a sex<br />
worker to pay off debts to her<br />
pimps, Rocca said.<br />
After one of Adekune's clients<br />
was convicted of her murder,<br />
something mysterious<br />
happened to her body, he said.<br />
"When the corpse was<br />
prepared for burial (months<br />
after her death), we noticed that<br />
only a few bones remained. We<br />
do not know why," Rocca told<br />
the Thomson Reuters<br />
Foundation. "We have no idea<br />
if the mafia or Nigerian<br />
(gangs) stole the body."<br />
But he added that some<br />
members of the Nigerian<br />
community suspected the local<br />
Conference.<br />
Making the donation, Suleman said<br />
at the Christ Chapel of Oral Roberts<br />
University, Oklihome where thousands<br />
from across the world gathered for the<br />
Raw Power Tulsa that it is on God’s<br />
instruction. “'God directs me to do<br />
these things which fire my<br />
compassion for men, pursuit for<br />
lost souls and mandate to<br />
wipe out tears and restore<br />
men and women to their<br />
destinies. My actions are<br />
of God''.<br />
Before the US crusade,<br />
the cleric charity<br />
activities targetted at<br />
different categories of<br />
people, from the obscure<br />
to celebrities. The<br />
preacher gave out nine<br />
classy cars worth each<br />
cash gift ranging between N100,000<br />
and N250,000 to more than thirty<br />
people, while several members of the<br />
church got various gift items which<br />
include refrigerators, Plasma TV sets,<br />
power generators, gas cookers and<br />
other household needs. A comedian,<br />
popularly known as Filky, also got a<br />
new car, while a gospel musician<br />
Marvel Joks, received a new SUV from<br />
the man called God’s Oracle.<br />
“I have tasted poverty. I come from a<br />
very humble background. My parents<br />
were Muslims before I was called. So,<br />
I know how it feel to be poor. That is<br />
why I believe that the less-privileged of<br />
today can become very important<br />
personalities tomorrow. My mission is<br />
all about preaching to souls and giving<br />
to the needy. What I do every year in the<br />
open that you may think is big is just a<br />
mafia were involved.<br />
MAPPING THE CRIME<br />
The macabre nature of more<br />
and more crimes committed<br />
•Apostle Johnson<br />
Suleman,<br />
fraction of what<br />
I do to help<br />
many in the<br />
corner”, said<br />
the man of God<br />
who noted that<br />
his giving in the<br />
public is not<br />
to show<br />
off but<br />
to show<br />
example<br />
to those<br />
w h o<br />
h a v e<br />
but not<br />
give to<br />
start<br />
giving.<br />
Suleman<br />
w a s<br />
already a successful businessman<br />
before he founded the ministry. He is<br />
the chairman of Hosanna<br />
Conglomerate, with vast interests in<br />
real estate, oil & gas, banking,<br />
transport, print and broadcast media<br />
and publishing. Speaking on the<br />
source of his philanthiopy, Suleman<br />
said: “I give to people on instructions<br />
from God. The cash and cars I give to<br />
the less privileged, they are<br />
purchased with my personal money. I<br />
don’t take from the church purse<br />
because the church money cannot<br />
even sustain me. I have 106 widows<br />
that are paid 20, 000 monthly for the<br />
past four years and are given half a<br />
bag of rice each every Thursday.<br />
Speaking of the Tulsa Raw Power<br />
conference, the man of God, who is<br />
scheduled to be Dallas, Texas, US on<br />
Killing strikes fear in Nigerian community in Italy<br />
Continued from page 14<br />
•Prostitutes...Scouting for customers<br />
Favour" Nike Adekunle<br />
was murdered in<br />
Palermo's historic centre<br />
in a crime that shocked<br />
the 500-strong Nigerian<br />
community, according to<br />
Nino Rocca, a local<br />
rights activist<br />
against Nigerian women,<br />
including black magic or "juju"<br />
rituals, is one reason victims are<br />
reluctant to come forward,<br />
prosecutors say.<br />
Fear plays a large part in<br />
Nigerian juju, with pubic hair,<br />
fingernails and blood collected<br />
from trafficking victims as they<br />
are made to swear never to report<br />
their situation to authorities,<br />
rights groups say.<br />
In some cases, fearing the<br />
juju "spell" may be turned on<br />
them and they may die,<br />
Nigerian parents insist their<br />
daughters obey traffickers,<br />
testimony from Italian court<br />
documents shows.<br />
"One woman we spoke to was<br />
made to swallow an egg whole,"<br />
Kevin Hyland, Britain's antislavery<br />
commissioner, said in an<br />
interview in London.<br />
"It obviously had some kind of<br />
drug in it: She was raped daily."<br />
Victims of sex trafficking often<br />
do not want to point the finger<br />
at the madams or pimps because<br />
they are worried about<br />
repercussions or juju, Cataniabased<br />
prosecutor Lino Trovato<br />
said. Even so, the number of<br />
trafficking-related cases in her<br />
file has risen.<br />
"This year, I handled about 40<br />
cases, compared with 20 the<br />
year before," Trovato said.<br />
SPANISH PROBLEM TOO<br />
The problem is not isolated to<br />
Italy. The authorities in parts of<br />
Spain have also been grappling<br />
with Nigerian sex trafficking<br />
November 29, said: “It was indeed<br />
awesome. God manifested Himself<br />
in many miraculous ways. It is a<br />
written pact that works done in God's<br />
way never lack positive supplies.<br />
God has always been wonderful. The<br />
conference was a two-day explosive<br />
deliverance episode that was filled<br />
with signs of His glory and power.<br />
Many things new did happen in the<br />
life of many. Of course, when Jesus<br />
calls, the world gathers, listens and<br />
profits hugely.<br />
“As we move around the world<br />
through His special grace, millions<br />
of people are being freed from evil<br />
foundation that temporarily hold<br />
their glories, finances, health,<br />
spiritual life and family success.<br />
Turkey is going to experience<br />
unforgettable moments and results<br />
with God. The country is going to<br />
experience grace. It is going to be<br />
miracles all over; challenges shall<br />
end, storms shall disappear, and the<br />
mighty presence of God shall<br />
manifest.”<br />
Sharing the challenges any honest<br />
man of God might encounter in the<br />
course of spreading the gospel,<br />
Suleman said: “The greatest<br />
challenge so far is wickedness in the<br />
hearts of men everywhere, though<br />
not a challenge to God. Men of God<br />
called to proclaim the gospel of<br />
Christ in truth cannot be separated<br />
from having challenges in their<br />
various assignments as challenges<br />
are part of the call. The general<br />
challenge irrespective of the call is<br />
the flesh and the devil. If these two<br />
things are removed, there won't be<br />
any challenge.”<br />
rings. In Catalonia, 99 percent<br />
of prostitution is controlled by<br />
organised crime, much of it by<br />
a dominant Nigerian crime<br />
group known as the Supreme<br />
Eiye Confraternity (SEC) or Air<br />
Lords.<br />
It's a criminal network<br />
comparable with the mafioso in<br />
Chicago in the 1930s, said<br />
Xavi Cortes, chief of the central<br />
unit of human trafficking at the<br />
Mossos d'Esquadra, the<br />
Catalan regional police force.<br />
"Every single Nigerian knows<br />
who they are," Cortes said in<br />
an interview. "If you ask a<br />
Nigerian boy, he will know who<br />
an Eiye is."<br />
But many women who are<br />
trafficked to Spain end up<br />
working as 'madams', who are<br />
essentially pimps who control<br />
prostitutes on the streets of<br />
Barcelona, he said.<br />
The Mossos's operations have<br />
led to the jailing of 25<br />
trafficking gang members in<br />
the Barcelona region, with a<br />
further 13 currently under a<br />
European arrest order because<br />
they are abroad”, the Catalan<br />
police chief said.<br />
"Experience tells me that,<br />
finally, all the traffickers will<br />
find new routes and new ways.<br />
It is impossible to stop this<br />
phenomenon:<br />
Source: Thomson Reuters<br />
Foundation, the charitable arm<br />
of Thomson Reuters, which<br />
covers humanitarian news,<br />
women's rights, corruption and<br />
climate change.
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 17<br />
Networking/ Sponsorship<br />
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07037177183<br />
•Francis, 37, tall, fair in<br />
complexion, employed and<br />
resides in Port Harcourt, needs<br />
a lady, aged 25-36,<br />
for marriage.<br />
07030601489<br />
•Paul from Delta state needs a<br />
lady who is a pharmacist from<br />
Bayelsa and Delta state and<br />
who is a single<br />
that<br />
mother of two children for<br />
marriage.<br />
08061115369<br />
•Peter, 32, slim, fair in<br />
complexion, average height<br />
and resides in Abuja, needs a<br />
fat lady, aged 24-36, for<br />
relationship.08188722294<br />
•Azu, a secondary school<br />
teacher, single and a father of<br />
three from Rivers state, needs<br />
DISCLAIMER!<br />
a lady, aged 25-30, from any<br />
tribe,<br />
for<br />
marriage.08064102366<br />
•Rex,40, dark in complexion<br />
average height and a business<br />
man, needs a clean and sexy<br />
lady, who can take care of her<br />
bill, for a relationship, aged<br />
30-60. 08039119111,<br />
07039967489<br />
•Ohis, 39 needs a decent<br />
good looking sexy and<br />
employed lady, aged 30 and<br />
above, for a serious<br />
relationship that can lead to<br />
marriage. 08117879309,<br />
08189956756<br />
•Tolu, 38, employed and<br />
resides in Edo state, needs a<br />
lady, aged 25-34, from any<br />
tribe, for a serious<br />
relationship. 08175713196<br />
•Emmanuel, 40, a graduate<br />
and employed, needs a God<br />
fearing lady, for a serious<br />
relationship, that will lead to<br />
Pmarriage.<br />
08149916166<br />
•Angel, needs a lady for a<br />
relationship.09053133296<br />
•Moses, 38, from Warri Delta<br />
state, needs a lady, who has<br />
big back and also busty, for<br />
relationship. 08062719541<br />
•Joe, 27, employed and<br />
resides in both Ibadan and<br />
Benin city, needs an<br />
employed lady, aged 25-30,<br />
for a relationship.<br />
09050682191,08135667865<br />
Dear readers, please note that we neither operate, nor are we an affiliate of any match–making agency in<br />
or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with any one claiming to be our agent does<br />
so at his/her own risk. Our mission is only to provide a platform for social networking.<br />
Also note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of<br />
requests which may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public. We therefore<br />
request that text must be sent through at least one of the numbers for contact. This notice is necessary to<br />
enable us serve you better in our refreshingly different style. You can send your requests to 33055. For<br />
enquiries, text or call 08026651636<br />
•Adonis from delta, need a slim<br />
sexy lady from 20 upwards for<br />
a<br />
relationship<br />
08157437399,08036780884<br />
•Barry, 30, a motor mechanic,<br />
needs a matured and caring<br />
lady, who can assist him<br />
financially, for a<br />
relationship.09098408132,<br />
08050448671<br />
•Justice, 25, light in<br />
complexion, an undergraduate,<br />
from Edo State, needs a decent<br />
lady, aged 20-24, either from<br />
Edo, Delta, Kogi or Ondo State,<br />
for a serious relationship.<br />
08104622061<br />
•Paul,31,175m tall, from Enugu<br />
State, needs a lady for a<br />
relationship that can lead to<br />
marriage.09095533999<br />
•Derick, 35, needs a lady, aged<br />
22-30, for marriage.<br />
08027536080,09096512767<br />
•Ikechukwu,34, unemployed,<br />
needs an employed lady, for<br />
marriage.07030920161<br />
•Collins, from Imo state but<br />
resides in Lagos, needs a lady,<br />
aged18-30, who is employed,<br />
for a serious relationship, that<br />
will lead to marriage.<br />
07037842149<br />
•Tony, 42, single never been<br />
married, no kids financially<br />
stable, tall good looking, a<br />
graduate, employed<br />
and resides in Lagos, needs a<br />
matured lady, for a serious<br />
relationship.08039127632<br />
•Alex, a graduate, from Delta<br />
state, needs a lady, for a serious<br />
relationship.<br />
09034764795<br />
•Biodun, average height and<br />
fair in complexion, needs a<br />
lady, who is truthful, and God<br />
fearing, aged 40-50.<br />
08165451653<br />
Sugar Cares<br />
Searching Male<br />
•Jude, 27, needs a sugar<br />
mummy in Edo or Delta aged<br />
33-49.08162966927<br />
•Edra, 30, dark in<br />
complexion, from Delta State<br />
but resides in PH, needs a<br />
sugar mummy.<br />
08039499262<br />
•Desmond, 25, a civil<br />
engineer, needs a rich sugar<br />
mummy in Delta State, to spoil<br />
him. 08110733595,<br />
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•Jolomi, needs a sugar<br />
mummy who will take care of<br />
him financially and in return<br />
he will satisfy her sexually.<br />
09038602074<br />
•Tunde, 31, tall and dark in<br />
complexion needs a sugar<br />
mummy, for a confidential<br />
relationship in Warri, Delta.<br />
08071663412,07039488151<br />
•Prince, form Delta state,<br />
needs a sugar mummy, for a<br />
relationship.07062678787<br />
•Eddy, 26, resides in Lagos,<br />
needs a sexy sugar mummy.<br />
08065679784<br />
•Kingsley, 39 from Edo state<br />
needs a sugar mummy<br />
irrespective of her financial<br />
status for hot fun.<br />
08055686812,09030182779<br />
•Kastro, a graduate, from Imo<br />
state, needs a wealthy, caring<br />
and beautiful sugar<br />
mummy.08024337859,0<br />
8039384007<br />
•Kevin 39, educated and good<br />
looking, needs an<br />
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09071809997<br />
COMMON SEXUAL AL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVEL<br />
VELTY Y BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVER<br />
VERTORIAL)<br />
Hello everybody and welcome<br />
to the third installment of our<br />
new love product discussions.<br />
The theme this week is<br />
affordable novelties for<br />
adults. It is in the spirit of<br />
Cyber Monday the 28 th of<br />
November, the day of huge<br />
online global sales and<br />
discounts, that we bring you<br />
these affordable love products.<br />
The country is in a recession<br />
and things are tough. We are<br />
mindful of that and that is why<br />
we try to have some products<br />
that are really cheap and<br />
affordable inspite of the<br />
enormous exchange rate of the<br />
dollar.<br />
First on the list are affordable<br />
sex toys for women. In this<br />
category, we are happy to<br />
introduce to you the Mini<br />
Massager Key Holder<br />
Vibrator, Double Pink<br />
Vibrating Bullet and the<br />
Lip Stick Vibrator. All three<br />
of these vibrators fall under<br />
the category of clitoral toys.<br />
They are not big in size but<br />
they pack a punch because if<br />
properly stimulated, the<br />
female clitoris is the key to<br />
ultimate sexual pleasure.<br />
The Mini Massager Key<br />
Holder Vibrator is<br />
essentially a miniature wand<br />
with a single but powerful<br />
speed. You can have it<br />
attached to your car keys or<br />
house keys or any other key<br />
bunch and nobody will know<br />
that it secretly pleasures you<br />
whenever you choose. It is<br />
very efficient and affordable.<br />
The Double Pink Vibrating<br />
Bullet on the other hand is<br />
more conventional in form but<br />
this time, you get twice the<br />
fun. The major limitation that<br />
bullets have in general is that<br />
because of their small nature,<br />
they can only be used for<br />
clitoral massage and not for<br />
penetrative fun. But thanks to<br />
the Double Pink Vibrating<br />
Bullet, one bullet can be<br />
placed on the clitoris, while the<br />
slightly longer second bullet<br />
penetrates any hole of your<br />
choosing. Smart and affordable<br />
toy.<br />
And last but not the least of<br />
these female toys is the Lip<br />
Stick Vibrator. It looks<br />
exactly like the female lipstick<br />
and comes in five different<br />
colours (red, pink, silver,<br />
purple and black). The<br />
vibration is strong and it is<br />
easy to carry along with you<br />
in your purse especially when<br />
you are traveling and you are<br />
worried about custom officials<br />
knowing your business. So it is<br />
a covert little tower of pleasure<br />
and while these toys are all<br />
cheap, you can get them even<br />
cheaper during the Cyber<br />
Monday the 28 th discount<br />
sales.<br />
For men we have the Max<br />
Man Delay Cream which<br />
handles premature ejaculation<br />
matters to perfection. Just a<br />
little dab of it massaged all over<br />
an erect penile shaft a few<br />
minutes before intercourse,<br />
will ensure that you last<br />
longer, pleasure your lady and<br />
make your ancestors proud.<br />
Again it is affordable and will<br />
be even cheaper on Cyber<br />
Monday.<br />
For men also is the Cute<br />
Dolphin<br />
Vibrating<br />
Cockring, a superb male<br />
erection enhancer and female<br />
orgasm enabler. It is worn by<br />
men for the benefit of both the<br />
man and the woman. For the<br />
man, it enables him stay erect<br />
for much longer, even after<br />
ejaculation. That way<br />
intercourse can go on for<br />
longer and you will never be<br />
called a one minute man. For<br />
women, because this<br />
Cockring also vibrates, the<br />
upper part of it that makes<br />
contact with the clitoris keeps<br />
the woman stimulated even to<br />
orgasm. It is yet another cheap<br />
toy that gets the job done for<br />
both sexes.<br />
There are many more new<br />
love products which you can<br />
always get to see on our site<br />
www.zeevirtualmedia.com.<br />
Already we have introduced<br />
you to very powerful<br />
performance and erection<br />
enhancers namely Black<br />
Panther Pills, Blue Turbo<br />
and Libigirl Pills for women.<br />
These cost more than the above<br />
products but thanks to Cyber<br />
Monday, all our products can<br />
be bought at a discount.<br />
And that is it for today. We will<br />
discuss more new products in<br />
the coming weeks. Adults in<br />
need of these treatments/<br />
novelties can call us on<br />
0 8 1 7 1 9 1 2 5 5 1 ,<br />
08027901621 or<br />
07086754515 for help. We<br />
can also be reached via<br />
whatsapp on 08188153279<br />
and instagram on<br />
zeevirtualmedialtd. Visit<br />
www.zeevirtualmedia.comto<br />
view our entire range of<br />
products or to order<br />
online.Zee Virtual Media<br />
delivers all over Nigeria.<br />
Email us your questions at<br />
custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com-<br />
Uche Edochie, MD, Zee<br />
Virtual Media.
PAGE 18— SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
Do you think your love life needs a boost?!<br />
LET’S forget the ruse of an<br />
occasional headache to<br />
get you out of the clutches<br />
of your loved one when sex<br />
seems inevitable. Instead, we<br />
will ask the explosive question:<br />
Why are you trying to avoid<br />
sex?! “In the last few weeks”,<br />
confessed Shade, 35, and a<br />
seemingly happily married<br />
mother of two, “I’ve had five<br />
headaches, malaria and a nonexisting<br />
period. I suppose I’ll<br />
have to grin and bear it the next<br />
time my husband asks for sex -<br />
I’ve run out of excuses!”<br />
Judging by a lot of interest sex<br />
keeps on generating, how it puts<br />
a kick in your step, improves<br />
your general well-being by<br />
making you walk on air, one<br />
would think the average person<br />
would be at it the slightest<br />
opportunity they have. That is<br />
not the case unfortunately.<br />
Shade agreed that, “We can talk<br />
about sex to our friends, read<br />
books about different sexual<br />
positions, watch a bit of porn<br />
even and tell our husbands,<br />
boyfriends or partners how to<br />
satisfy us. But all that is not<br />
enough. I used to enjoy making<br />
love with my husband but I don’t<br />
need it in the same way that he<br />
does. If we don’t have sex for a<br />
while, I notice him acting very<br />
coldly towards me and he<br />
becomes tetchy and irritable.<br />
He’s successfully made sex into<br />
a chore. Some controlling men<br />
consider it their right to demand<br />
sex as and when they want it.<br />
Over the years, a lot of old<br />
fashioned mothers had<br />
drummed it into their grown up<br />
children that they should never<br />
‘deny’ husbands their conjugal<br />
rights.<br />
It makes me shiver to subject<br />
myself to sex I won ‘t enjoy. As a<br />
result, I love him but find him<br />
very boring and I don’t see why<br />
I should spend what might be<br />
my last decade of good health<br />
virtually celibate.<br />
“It got to a point where having<br />
sex with my husband made my<br />
skin crawl. Some months back,<br />
I was in the group of some men<br />
in their early 50s and ended up<br />
accepting to have a ‘pepper<br />
soup’ date with one of them. The<br />
soup was tasty and he was even<br />
dishier than I thought and<br />
younger. We ended up in a motel<br />
and it was obvious he did this<br />
from time to time.’ The sex was<br />
fantastic and a way of<br />
expressing the feelings I’d<br />
suppressed over the years. We’ve<br />
had more outings and apart<br />
from the great sex, we’ve had joy,<br />
pleasure and laughter. Young<br />
women today are very lucky to<br />
be taught that sex can be a<br />
pleasure - not a chore. I believe<br />
that as long as you and your<br />
partner are open and honest<br />
with each other, sex should never<br />
become a chore, whether it’s<br />
every night, twice a week or once<br />
a month. Why should I miss out<br />
just because my husband isn’t<br />
interested in making love?<br />
Sexual liberation isn’t only for<br />
the young you know? I just feel<br />
sad that I wasted all my long<br />
lives having unfulfilling sex”.<br />
“Sex can be and should be<br />
enjoyed and it’s meant to be a<br />
way of showing your love.<br />
Unfortunately the meaning has<br />
gone out of the word and it has<br />
been brought down to a<br />
degrading level,” observed<br />
Danielle, a psychologist. Morals<br />
and values have gone. Women no<br />
longer have pride in their bodies.<br />
I applaud the days when it was<br />
frowned upon to have a child out<br />
of wedlock and would love to see<br />
those values returned. Another<br />
reason sex usually takes a back<br />
seat is when you have young<br />
family. It could be really<br />
exhausting. You hardly have the<br />
energy to put your nightie on, let<br />
alone take them off again!<br />
“A friend told me that after her<br />
third child was born, she found<br />
it hard to lose her baby weight.<br />
She felt fat, ugly and tired and<br />
the last thing on her mind was<br />
sex. Her husband couldn’t<br />
understand why she didn’t want<br />
to have sex. She explained that<br />
it was nothing to do with him,<br />
that she still enjoyed sex, but she<br />
didn’t have the energy for it for<br />
now. He took it personally and<br />
they ended up barely speaking.<br />
I had to offer to take the children<br />
off her for a weekend so that she<br />
could spend some time with her<br />
husband. Things improved a<br />
great deal after that and now<br />
they have a reliable house-help,<br />
life couldn’t be better.’<br />
Alan blames the death of sex<br />
in the marital bed to some<br />
wives’ sarcastic remarks, “My<br />
wife’s constantly throwing past<br />
mistakes in my face”, 11 he said,<br />
“She’d suspected me of having<br />
affairs and had caught me with<br />
my hand virtually in the cooky<br />
jar a third time, but those affairs<br />
meant nothing. If I initiate sex,<br />
and she’s not in the mood, she’ll<br />
reel off names of my supposed<br />
exes I could have sex with. A few<br />
weeks ago, I felt real pain in my<br />
two knees and complained to<br />
her. Instead of her being<br />
sympathetic, she sneered I<br />
shouldn’t do so much kneeling<br />
to give my trollops blow jabs! I<br />
tell you, with that kind of<br />
vitriolic remarks sex will be the<br />
last thing on your mind. Some<br />
of my friends have really nasty<br />
wives who use sex as bargaining<br />
chips. We were at the club the<br />
other night when a friend told<br />
us he was feeling homy and<br />
rearing to go, when at the verge<br />
of penetration, his wife closed<br />
her thighs. “You’ve not given<br />
me that cheque you promised”,<br />
she accused him. He had to<br />
promise to cough up<br />
immediately the show was over.<br />
“Sex, especially the marital<br />
one, could have lost its<br />
spontaneity because of the<br />
emotional baggage couples<br />
bring into the bedroom. A lot of<br />
couples need to retrace their<br />
steps and bring back the<br />
romance into their relationship.<br />
If they have to work hard<br />
towards that, so be it. The end<br />
result would definitely justify<br />
the effort!”<br />
08052201867(Text Only)<br />
Good body management<br />
SOMETHING I read<br />
once ran this: Of all<br />
the creatures in the world,<br />
the human being has the least sense<br />
of body management.”<br />
At first I was in doubt. I thought,<br />
“we have come up with all sorts of<br />
medication to heal diseases of all<br />
kinds; we have created all sorts of<br />
dishes to make each meal a bit of a<br />
return to paradise; we have all types<br />
of clothing to help us live through<br />
the changes in weather. So, what<br />
could we be doing wrong to merit<br />
such a sweeping indictment. ‘As I read<br />
on, I gradually began to understand<br />
what the writer meant.<br />
We eat wrongly, we breathe<br />
wrongly and we also don’t seem to<br />
realise that the body has a mind of its<br />
own and that allowing the body’s<br />
own mind to be in charge could signal<br />
the beginning of the end to most of<br />
our afflictions.<br />
Mastering the art of deep<br />
breathing, for instance, can make us<br />
overcome respiratory problems such<br />
as asthma. The right type of exercise<br />
will see us quickly through a running<br />
nose or congested sinuses. Even persistent<br />
headaches can be overcomed<br />
with the right exercise and breathing<br />
technique.<br />
It may come as a surprise to many<br />
that learning to relax properly <strong>leads</strong><br />
to a reduction in cholesterol levels,<br />
heart rate and blood pressure. This is<br />
suggestive that the body can put<br />
thungs right on its own. We only must<br />
help it along, adhering to the right<br />
habits and eschewing the wrong ones.<br />
Remember that a thousand and one<br />
•Head to Knee Pose<br />
things can go wrong with the body of<br />
a youngster as well as that of an adult<br />
if the living habits lack proper<br />
direction. For example, the body of a<br />
young person who refrains from<br />
exercise or the healthful games his<br />
peers engage in will soon find that he<br />
lacks the stamina and the sheer joy<br />
of living as expressed by his active<br />
friends. In the same way a grown-up<br />
who spends his days with a belly full<br />
of wine and flesh will soon find he<br />
can’t keep pace with his colleagues<br />
after just a few months of such inordinate<br />
indulgence.<br />
But then health soon radiates from<br />
a person as he attempts to mend his<br />
ways. The way to great health is selfcommitment.<br />
Once the resolution<br />
has been made and stuck to with<br />
tenacity of purpose it’s only a matter<br />
of time when the body will begin to<br />
show marked improvement.<br />
Here are some postures to improve<br />
lung capacity increase strength and<br />
flexibility.<br />
LEG RAISE (against the wall)<br />
Technique:<br />
Lie flat on your back and raise both<br />
legs up against the wall. Interlace the<br />
fingers and place the back of the<br />
head on the hands. Now breathe out<br />
completely and begin to inhale<br />
slowly but deeply. First let in the<br />
breath by extending the belly to the<br />
fullest. Then, still breathing in expand<br />
the sides and breathe in yet some<br />
more and then breathe in further<br />
more to fill the upper chest by drawing<br />
a heavy sigh. Hold the breath for<br />
about 5 or 10 seconds and begin to<br />
breathe out slowly letting out the air<br />
in the upper chest, the mid-section<br />
and finally contracting the abdomen<br />
expel all the breath you can. An inhalation,<br />
retention and exhalation<br />
make up one round of deep breathing.<br />
Benefits: This exercise aerates the<br />
lungs properly and helps asthma and<br />
other respiratory problems.<br />
HEAD TO KNEE<br />
Technique:<br />
Sit down with the feet stretched out<br />
in front of you and close together.<br />
Now raise both hands overhead and<br />
gently lowering the trunk and hands<br />
as far down as you can and then<br />
return to the upright position with the<br />
hands still overhead and then go back<br />
down again. Do this for a couple<br />
more times to limber the back and<br />
hamstrings for the full head to knee<br />
pose.<br />
In the final stage of the<br />
posture, you form a ring with<br />
the forefinger and thumb<br />
around the corresponding<br />
big toes with the forehead<br />
resting on the knees and the<br />
elbows touching the floor.<br />
For beginners it maybe<br />
impossible to assume the full<br />
posture so it will do to hold<br />
as far down the legs as you<br />
can and lower the trunk the<br />
furtherest down you can go.<br />
Duration: Stay in the position<br />
for about 10 seconds<br />
and gradually go up to a<br />
minute or two.<br />
Lie down on your back<br />
when you’re through to allow<br />
the circulation stabilise.<br />
The head to knee tones up<br />
the muscles of the back, the<br />
Yoga Classes<br />
STARTED<br />
Physical Therapy Centre<br />
@ 32 Adetokumbo Ademola,<br />
Victoria Island Lagos.<br />
10.00am — 11.00am<br />
on Saturdays<br />
arms and hamstrings. The ‘doubling<br />
up’ lends gentle massage to the digestive<br />
organs improving the way<br />
the body handles nourishment. In<br />
the women-folk this posture is said<br />
help & painful periods and eventually<br />
stop it completely. It’s also a<br />
great exercise for long distance runners<br />
as the hamstrings are where the<br />
long distance runner is most likely<br />
to develop muscle pulls.<br />
•Leg Raise Pose
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 19<br />
saving lives<br />
BREAST<br />
CANCER:<br />
From deadline<br />
to lifeline<br />
By Sola Ogundipe, Health Editor<br />
One of the most dreaded statements<br />
that every woman fears is when the<br />
doctor says: “I’m sorry to tell you that<br />
you have breast cancer.” Have you<br />
just been diagnosed with breast<br />
cancer? Maybe you’ve been there,<br />
or maybe you’ve been next to a loved<br />
one when she got the news, a breast<br />
cancer diagnosis is usually full of<br />
shock, denial, fear, anger, and even<br />
sorrow, but it can also be full of hope.<br />
While breast cancer could be<br />
devastating, it is not necessarily a<br />
death sentence or the end of the<br />
world. Breast cancer can be controlled<br />
and is survivable if diagnosed and<br />
properly treated in the early stages.<br />
Why it occurs<br />
Breast cancer usually begins either<br />
in the cells of the lobules (milkproducing<br />
glands), or the ducts<br />
(passages that drain milk from the<br />
lobules to the nipple). A pathology<br />
report will explain whether or not the<br />
cancer has spread outside the milk<br />
ducts or lobules of the breast where it<br />
started.<br />
Common symptoms<br />
Many of the symptoms of breast<br />
cancer can also be symptoms of<br />
something else. A lump in the breast<br />
or armpit; thickening of breast skin<br />
or tissue that lasts through your<br />
period; a change in the size, shape,<br />
Many of the symptoms<br />
of breast cancer can<br />
also be symptoms of<br />
something else. A lump<br />
in the breast or armpit;<br />
thickening of breast<br />
skin or tissue that<br />
lasts through your<br />
period; a change in the<br />
size, shape, or contour<br />
of the breast<br />
or contour of the breast; clear or<br />
bloody fluid coming from the nipple<br />
and change in how the skin on your<br />
breast or nipple looks or feels are<br />
relevant. It may look dimpled,<br />
puckered, scaly, or inflamed. Other<br />
common symptoms include redness of<br />
your breast or nipple; an area on your<br />
breast that clearly looks different from<br />
any other and a hard, marble-like area<br />
under the skin, among others. Tests<br />
are necessary to confirm. Note that<br />
most breast lumps are not cancer, but<br />
if your doctor believes it is, it’s best to<br />
start treatment right away.<br />
Types of breast cancer<br />
Be aware that no two breast cancers<br />
are exactly the same. Your doctor will<br />
order a series of tests on the cancer<br />
and nearby tissues to create a “profile”<br />
of how the breast cancer looks and<br />
behaves.<br />
Non-invasive cancers stay within<br />
the milk ducts or lobules in the breast.<br />
They do not grow into or invade<br />
normal tissues within or beyond the<br />
breast. Non-invasive cancers are<br />
sometimes called carcinoma in situ<br />
(“in the same place”) or pre-cancers.<br />
DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ) is<br />
a non-invasive cancer that stays inside<br />
the milk duct, while LCIS (Lobular<br />
Carcinoma In Situ) is an overgrowth<br />
of cells that stay inside the lobule. It<br />
is not a true cancer; rather, it is a<br />
warning sign of an increased risk for<br />
developing an invasive cancer in the<br />
future in either breast. The most<br />
common type of breast cancer is known<br />
as IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma).<br />
It begins in the milk duct but has<br />
grown into the surrounding tissue<br />
inside the breast.<br />
Invasive cancers do grow into<br />
normal, healthy tissues. Most breast<br />
cancers are invasive. In some cases,<br />
a breast cancer may be both invasive<br />
and non-invasive and also may be a<br />
“mixed tumour.<br />
Who is at risk?<br />
Many factors that influence breast<br />
cancer, but the No.1 risk factor is<br />
being a woman. Although men also<br />
have breast cancer, it’s far more<br />
common in women. Women who have<br />
had breast cancer are more likely to<br />
get breast cancer a 2 nd time.<br />
Heredity (familial history): A<br />
woman’s risk for breast cancer is<br />
higher if she has a mother, sister, or<br />
daughter (1 st degree relative) or<br />
multiple family members on either her<br />
mother’s or father’s side of the family<br />
who have had breast cancer. Having<br />
a first-degree male relative with breast<br />
cancer also raises a woman’s risk. Most<br />
inherited cases of breast cancer are<br />
associated with two abnormal genes -<br />
BRCA1 (BReast CAncer gene 1)<br />
or BRCA2 (BReast CAncer gene 2).<br />
Women who inherit a mutation, or<br />
abnormal change, in either of these<br />
genes — from their mothers or their<br />
fathers — have a much higher-thanaverage<br />
lifetime risk (above 60 per<br />
cent) of developing breast cancer and<br />
ovarian cancer. However, only 5 to 10<br />
per cent of breast cancers are thought<br />
to be hereditary, the other 90 per cent<br />
are largely due lifestyle and<br />
environmental factors. You could<br />
develop breast cancer even without a<br />
family history of the disease, but if you<br />
do have a family history of breast<br />
cancer, ovarian cancer, or both,<br />
heredity could have played a role in<br />
the cancer’s development.<br />
Age & lifestyle: Most breast cancers<br />
are found in women 50 years old or<br />
older. Older women who are<br />
overweight or obese and women with<br />
dense breasts are also more likely to<br />
get breast cancer. Women who are not<br />
physically active and women that<br />
drink a lot of alcohol also have a<br />
higher risk of getting breast cancer.<br />
There is no real difference in risk<br />
between women who wear a bra and<br />
Continues on page 22
PAGE 20—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016,<br />
healthyliving<br />
Dr Ezechi...Warning ignored after<br />
HIV first case<br />
HIV wears<br />
woman’s face!<br />
•More females, compared to males, are becoming positive<br />
to virus – Dr Ezechi, researcher<br />
By Chioma Obinna<br />
Will Nigerian mothers, sisters and<br />
daughters survive amidq<br />
the conspiracy of nature, man,<br />
culture and, of late, the increasing<br />
cases of Human Immune Virus<br />
Deficiency Syndrome (HIV)?<br />
According to a researcher and<br />
consultant obstetrician<br />
gynaecologist, Dr Oliver<br />
Chukwujekwu Ezechi, there are<br />
increasing cases of HIV infection in<br />
Nigerian female gender than men<br />
and, unless stakeholders take<br />
proactive measures, the dream of a<br />
free HIV generation may be a<br />
mirage.<br />
Ezechi, Deputy Research<br />
Director, Nigerian Institute of<br />
Medical Research, NIMR, who, for<br />
more than a decade, devoted a<br />
large percentage of his time<br />
researching and providing services<br />
for women and those living with<br />
HIV, said the deadly virus'<br />
infection in female population has<br />
continued to increase and presently<br />
women constitute about 60 percent<br />
of HIV positive population, while<br />
the risk of a woman contracting<br />
HIV is two to four times higher<br />
than that of a man.<br />
According to the researcher,<br />
findings were based on 12 years of<br />
research at the HIV Testing Service<br />
of the institute.<br />
Ezechi, who expressed<br />
disappointment that issues of<br />
women are always relegated to the<br />
background and do not occupy<br />
The Nigerian HIV<br />
epidemic is also<br />
feminized. The<br />
burden is higher for<br />
women than men<br />
across all age<br />
groups except those<br />
aged 35 - 44 years<br />
pride of place in most endeavours<br />
in this part of the world, said<br />
more disturbing is the geometrical<br />
increase of the infection among<br />
the female population.<br />
To him, the scourge is an issue<br />
beyond the women, but a<br />
conspiracy of nature, culture and<br />
man.<br />
In his lecture titled: 'That She<br />
May Survive, And Bring Forth An<br />
AIDS Free Generation', at the 6th<br />
Distinguished Lecture of the<br />
NIMR, he said to ensure that<br />
women, mothers, sisters and<br />
daughters survive, to bring forth<br />
HIV free children, governments at<br />
all levels, must strategically plot<br />
against the conspiracy of nature,<br />
culture and man.<br />
HIV, a complex and chronic<br />
disease, first described among men<br />
that have sex with men (MSM) in<br />
the United States of America, is<br />
now wearing a woman’s face.<br />
“The Nigerian HIV epidemic is<br />
also feminized. The burden is<br />
higher for women than men across<br />
all age groups except those aged<br />
35 - 44 years. In both urban and<br />
rural areas, HIV prevalence is<br />
consistently higher among females<br />
when compared to males,”the<br />
researcher stated.<br />
“A review of the over 11 years of<br />
meticulously collected data at the<br />
HIV treatment centre, NIMR,<br />
attests to the feminisation of the<br />
epidemic in Nigeria. The<br />
proportion of female enrolees<br />
among the clinic population<br />
increased steadily from 60.2<br />
percent in 2004 to 68.6 percent in<br />
2015. Out of as total of 23,734<br />
patients at the centre, 8,125 are<br />
men while 15,609 were all female.”<br />
Further, he posited that the<br />
reported feminisation of HIV/AIDS<br />
globally, nationally and at the site<br />
level is not because women are<br />
more promiscuous than men but<br />
due to the conspiracy of nature,<br />
culture and man.<br />
“During penile-vaginal<br />
intercourse, a woman’s body is<br />
physically more susceptible to HIV<br />
infection than a man. In other<br />
words, it is easier for a man to<br />
transmit HIV to a woman than it is<br />
for a woman to transmit HIV to a<br />
man. The risk of a woman<br />
contracting HIV is 2 to 4 times<br />
higher than that of a man.<br />
“To ensure that our mothers,<br />
sisters and daughters survive, to<br />
bring forth an AIDS free<br />
generation, we must strategically<br />
plot against the conspiracy of<br />
nature, culture and man. This<br />
should be done through conscious<br />
effort to educate women to not only<br />
delay age at coitarche but empower<br />
them to be self-sufficient,<br />
institutionalise laws that delay the<br />
age at marriage, abhors and<br />
prevent violence against women,<br />
as well make life-saving ARV<br />
drugs accessible and affordable to<br />
women and their families”.<br />
Overlooked emergency<br />
Ezechi, who also looked at<br />
demographic and clinical<br />
characteristics of women living<br />
with HIV/AIDS, recalled that two<br />
researchers, Drs. Abdusalami<br />
Nasidi and Tekena Harry, who, in<br />
1986, reported the first case of<br />
HIV/AIDS in NMIR, warned of the<br />
devastating consequences if<br />
nothing was done, regretted that<br />
their warning was ignored.<br />
“The HIV prevalence thus<br />
increased exponentially from 1.8<br />
percent in 1991 to a peak of 5.8<br />
percent in 2001. The HIV infection<br />
in female population continued to<br />
increase and presently women<br />
constitute about 60 percent of HIV<br />
positive population. In our study<br />
titled, 'Epidemiologic and clinical<br />
characteristics of pregnant women<br />
living with HIV/AIDS in Southwestern<br />
Nigeria', of the 23,004<br />
PLHIVs seen over a period of 10<br />
years and six months, women<br />
constituted the majority<br />
The implications of the above<br />
findings are far reaching. Late<br />
presentation will not give sufficient<br />
time for HIV viral suppression<br />
which is the most important<br />
determinant of Mother- to –Child-<br />
Transmission, MTCT”.<br />
Message of hope<br />
He, however, noted that all hope<br />
is not lost if the active PMTCT<br />
strategy of ensuring that all<br />
pregnant HIV positive women are<br />
commenced on life saving Highly<br />
Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy,<br />
HAART, the same day they are<br />
seen for the first time, is adopted<br />
nationally. With that, the<br />
researcher stated, Nigeria will be<br />
able to reduce MTCT rate to less<br />
than 1 percent.<br />
Transmission of HIV infection<br />
“Among our HIV cohorts, 79.4<br />
Continues on page 21
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 21<br />
healthyliving<br />
‘More females, compared to males, are becoming HIV positive’<br />
Continued from page 20<br />
percent identified heterosexual<br />
intercourse as the possible route of<br />
acquisition of their infection; with<br />
64.0 percent of them being legally<br />
married. Only 4.5 percent and 1.4<br />
percent respectively reported blood<br />
transfusion and anal sex as their<br />
possible route of infection. Thus<br />
the majority of HIV infections in<br />
Nigeria are due to HIV<br />
transmission within the general<br />
population, mainly within a<br />
subpopulation of cohabiting or<br />
married couples”, he said.<br />
Stating that majority of HIV<br />
infections in Nigeria were due to<br />
HIV transmission within the<br />
general population, mainly within<br />
a subpopulation of cohabiting or<br />
married couples, Ezeechi noted<br />
that findings in one study<br />
revealed that HIV transmission in<br />
the South-West is from women to<br />
men.<br />
“We studied 4,435 HIV positive<br />
pregnant women to determine their<br />
spouses’ HIV status; over two<br />
thirds of the partners of these<br />
women were HIV negative. Women<br />
with past history of multiple sexual<br />
partnership and induced abortion<br />
were most at risk,”the researcher<br />
stated.<br />
“The lesson here is that the<br />
general perception that men only<br />
are always the index cases is not<br />
supported by evidence from our<br />
study. We recommend the tracking<br />
of both men and women as index<br />
cases if we must reduce HIV<br />
transmission within stable<br />
relationships.”<br />
Risk factors for HIV infection in<br />
women<br />
He noted that sexual intercourse<br />
at an early age (less than 15<br />
years), high level of fertility and<br />
adolescent pregnancies have been<br />
found to be associated with<br />
increased rates of HIV infection.<br />
Other risk factors for HIV<br />
transmission in women include<br />
commercial sex activity, multiple<br />
sex partners, having sexual<br />
intercourse under the influence of<br />
mind-altering substances,<br />
presence of sexually transmitted<br />
diseases and artisanal works – hair<br />
dressing, fashion design, street<br />
trading, house helps, receptionist.<br />
Ezechi stated that in spite of the<br />
knowledge of these risk<br />
behaviours, most women become<br />
aware of their HIV status only<br />
during pregnancy, stressing that<br />
this makes prevention of MTCT of<br />
HIV more difficult as most<br />
Nigerian women present late for<br />
antenatal care.<br />
He recommended that to ensure<br />
women survive, the country must<br />
institute programmes such as<br />
female education, family life<br />
education in schools, as well as<br />
promotion of safe sex practices that<br />
target to protect women early.<br />
HIV related deaths and causes<br />
According to him, the advent of<br />
potent anti-retroviral therapy in<br />
the 1990 resulted in a dramatic<br />
decline in the rates of HIV-related<br />
deaths globally. “Unfortunately,<br />
HIV positive women have<br />
experienced a lower decline in<br />
mortality compared to men with<br />
HIV,”he explained.<br />
“In one of our studies on the<br />
trends, causes and determinants of<br />
mortality among women who<br />
received HIV care, treatment and<br />
support services between 2005 and<br />
2015, findings showed the contrary<br />
as the death rate of 2.6 percent<br />
among females was lower than 7.8<br />
percent in males,”the researcher<br />
stressed. “Although deaths due to<br />
From left : Dr. Afoke Isiavwe, Medical Director , Rainbow Specialist Hospital, Alhaji Hammed Afinowi, Chairman, Diabetes<br />
Association of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Folasade Olufemi-Ajayi, Accu-chek Strategic Account Mgr and Adenike Dosunmu,<br />
Diabetes Care Educator, both of Roche, at the Media Roundtable to mark the 2016 World Diabetes Day organised by Nigeria<br />
Health Online and Rainbow Specialist Medical Center in Lekki ,Lagos .<br />
infectious diseases, with TB being<br />
the leading cause have decreased<br />
over the years, mortality from non-<br />
AIDS causes has become<br />
increasingly common; with the<br />
major causes of non-HIV related<br />
deaths being cardiovascular<br />
disease (3.5 percent), maternal<br />
mortality (1.4 percent) and liver<br />
disease (2.2 percent).<br />
“While the presence of<br />
opportunistic diseases, severe<br />
anaemia, severe immunodeficiency<br />
were found to be associated with<br />
AIDS deaths, only age 35 years<br />
and elevated cholesterol/HDL ratio<br />
was found to be associated with<br />
non-AIDS death”.<br />
Mother to child transmission of<br />
HIV infection<br />
Mother-to-child transmission of<br />
HIV (MTCT) is said to account for<br />
over 90 percent of new HIV<br />
infections among children, and,<br />
without treatment, the likelihood of<br />
HIV passing from mother-to-child<br />
is 15 percent to 45 percent.<br />
On this, Ezechi said: “In high<br />
income settings, the use of antiretroviral<br />
treatment and other<br />
effective PMTCT interventions have<br />
reduces MTCT to below 5 percent. In<br />
low income countries like Nigeria, as<br />
data shows it is almost an impossibility<br />
to achieve MTCT rate of below 5<br />
percent.”<br />
He added that it was possible because<br />
they have consistently achieved MTCT<br />
rate of less than 1 percent over the last<br />
decade at NIMR while at the state and<br />
national levels it is entirely a different<br />
story. “Nigeria accounts for over 30<br />
percent of the PMTCT gap burden,”he<br />
pointed out.<br />
HIV on pregnancy and pregnancy<br />
outcome<br />
According to him, analysis of data on<br />
the outcome of pregnancy in HIV<br />
positive women confirmed that the<br />
category of women is at an increased<br />
risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.<br />
“Adverse pregnancy outcomes were<br />
observed in 48.3 percent of HIV positive<br />
women compared 30.3 percent among<br />
HIV negative women. The adverse<br />
outcomes in HIV positive women<br />
include low birth weight (2.5kg at<br />
birth), preterm birth, perinatal death,<br />
and spontaneous abortion. Severely<br />
immune-compromised women, and<br />
those with opportunistic illnesses, and<br />
those presenting late were found to be at<br />
the greatest risk for adverse maternal<br />
and foetal outcomes,”the researcher<br />
said.<br />
Ezechi, however, noted that reducing<br />
these adverse outcomes requires early<br />
Ezeechi noted that<br />
findings in one study<br />
revealed that HIV<br />
transmission in the<br />
South-West is from<br />
women to men<br />
identification of women living with HIV<br />
infection and institution of HAART<br />
early in the pregnancy as it would<br />
reduce the plasma viral load, allowing<br />
for immune reconstitutions and<br />
reduction of opportunistic illness.<br />
Way forward<br />
Stating that International partners<br />
and developmental agencies have done<br />
well over the last decade in ensuring<br />
that comprehensive HIV care,<br />
treatment and support services are in<br />
place, the researcher declared that the<br />
time is ripe for the Nigerian<br />
government to take absolute control of<br />
the national HIV response.<br />
Researcher and innovation, he said,<br />
are the bedrock of development and<br />
government, as a matter of urgency,<br />
must begin to invest in them.<br />
“Currently Nigerian health policy and<br />
guidelines are developed based on data<br />
from outside Nigeria. Over the years we<br />
have seen how some of these policies<br />
have failed. Government should on<br />
regular basis commission research to<br />
provide data for policy and guideline<br />
development. National Assembly as a<br />
matter of urgency should pass the Bill<br />
on stigmatization and discrimination of<br />
PLHIVs,” the researcher stated.<br />
Ezechi advised women living with<br />
HIV to seek information on the specific<br />
challenges and equip themselves with<br />
the necessary skills to live a positive<br />
life. “Protect yourself from new<br />
infections and opportunistic cancers as<br />
this has the potential to accelerate HIV<br />
disease progression. If you have not<br />
been screened for cervical cancer in the<br />
last 3 years and Tuberculosis recently,<br />
ensure you get tested as soon as<br />
possible. Protect your sex partners from<br />
getting HIV by disclosure of your status,<br />
getting him tested and making use of<br />
effective contraceptives. Protect your<br />
future children from getting HIV and<br />
stop self-stigmatisation and<br />
discrimination today,”he said.<br />
“Women are not dying because of<br />
untreatable diseases. They are dying<br />
because societies have yet to make<br />
decision that their lives are worth<br />
saving. We have not yet valued women’s<br />
lives and health highly enough. What<br />
needs to be done to ensure that HIV<br />
positive women survive is known,<br />
strategies to prevent MTCT are also<br />
known and available, what is<br />
lacking is the will and commitment<br />
to make this service available to<br />
women and children”.<br />
Eshasha renovates Ughelli Central Hospital<br />
maternity ward<br />
By Festus Ahon & Perez Brisibe<br />
DETERMINED to contribute his<br />
quota to the well-being of his people,<br />
an indigene of Delta State and philanthropist,<br />
Mr. Voke Eshasha has renovated<br />
the matenity ward of the Ughelli<br />
Central Hospital. He also donated 25<br />
mattresses and 25 pillows to the hospital.<br />
Speaking during the commissioning<br />
and donation ceremony, Eshasha he was<br />
touched when he saw the dilapidated<br />
state of the ward when he visited a relative<br />
who was hospitalised at the hospital<br />
few months back hence he decided to give<br />
it a facelift by renovating it.<br />
He said: “Being the first place of contact<br />
for new born babies, the maternity<br />
ward is not a place to joke with, hence I<br />
decided to do my best in contributing to<br />
the growth of society at this level as government<br />
cannot do it all alone.”<br />
Speaking on behalf of the State Government,<br />
Zonal Medical Director of the<br />
hospital, Dr. Cyril Abere said: “I am very<br />
grateful and happy for this action. This<br />
should serve as a motivation to other well<br />
meaning Nigerians particularly Deltans<br />
to do more for the hospital.”
PAGE 22—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016,<br />
Continued from page 19<br />
women who don’t wear a bra. Some<br />
women will get breast cancer even<br />
without any other known risk factors<br />
that they know of. Also, having a risk<br />
factor does not mean you will get the<br />
disease, and not all risk factors have<br />
the same effect. Most women have<br />
some risk factors, but most women do<br />
not get breast cancer.<br />
Puberty & menopause: Women who<br />
start their periods early (before age 12)<br />
and women who start menopause late<br />
(after age 55) are exposed to the<br />
female hormones longer, and so are<br />
at the risk for breast cancer. Having<br />
the first pregnancy after age 30 or<br />
never having a full-term pregnancy<br />
can raise breast cancer risk.<br />
Screening & diagnosis<br />
Breast cancer screening means<br />
checking a woman’s breasts for cancer<br />
before there are signs or symptoms of<br />
the disease. All women need to be<br />
informed about the best screening<br />
options for them. Although breast<br />
cancer screening cannot prevent breast<br />
cancer, it can help find breast cancer<br />
early, when it is easier to treat.<br />
Mammograms<br />
At this time, the best way to find<br />
breast cancer early is with a<br />
mammogram, which is an X-ray of the<br />
breast. Having regular mammograms<br />
can lower the risk of dying from breast<br />
cancer.<br />
Breast Self Examination<br />
(BSE)<br />
Being familiar with how your breasts<br />
look and feel can help you notice<br />
symptoms such as lumps, pain, or<br />
changes in size that may be of<br />
concern. These could include changes<br />
found during a breast self-exam<br />
(BSE). Report any changes that you<br />
notice to your doctor or health care<br />
Bond FM 92.9 Lagos is the top<br />
grassroots FM radio station in the<br />
nation with an array of exciting<br />
programmes rooted in popular culture. It is<br />
the people’s station and the authentic Wazobia,<br />
as itbroadcaststo the people in the language<br />
of the people – Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and<br />
Pidgin. This accounts for its massive and<br />
passionate followership amongst listeners.<br />
With over 20 million verifiable peak period<br />
daily listenership, it is currently the number<br />
one grassroots FM radio station in Nigeria<br />
As part of thestrategy to functionally<br />
differentiate it from the pack, the<br />
stationrecently embarked on key community<br />
impact projects such as Our Heroes book fair<br />
which has now given birth to Children’s<br />
Creative Mathematics Club in collaboration<br />
with eclectic and innovative ‘Prof’ Moyo.<br />
Seeking to be socially responsive, the station<br />
also organized the maiden Pest Control Fair/<br />
Summit in conjunction with TCB & Associates<br />
and the active support of Lagos State Ministry<br />
of the Environment. In this clime, it was a<br />
niche that had hitherto never been explored<br />
and was passionately welcomed by an excited<br />
and knowledge-challenged public in their<br />
numbers. They came seeking help to secure<br />
their health and environment from the menace<br />
of vectors and vermin alike.<br />
In the past few months, other new offerings<br />
by Bond FM including the new afternoon<br />
home drive ‘Adelebare’ beltdesigned as an alter<br />
ego and a counter poise to the run-away<br />
market leader and massively successful<br />
m o r n i n g<br />
driveprogramme‘KokoInuIweIrohin’, Yoruba<br />
aerobics fitness instruction programme on<br />
prime time radio is another trending hit and<br />
From deadline<br />
to lifeline<br />
Women 50 years are at<br />
average risk for breast cancer<br />
and should get a<br />
mammogram every two years.<br />
provider.<br />
Staging<br />
Cancer stage is based on four<br />
characteristics: size, whether it is<br />
invasive or non-invasive, whether it<br />
is in the lymph nodes and whether the<br />
cancer has spread to other parts of the<br />
body beyond the breast. There are 5<br />
stages from Stage 0 to Stage IV. The<br />
stage of the breast cancer can help you<br />
saving lives<br />
understand your prognosis (the most<br />
likely outcome of the disease) and<br />
make decisions about treatment, along<br />
with all of the other results in your<br />
pathology report.<br />
Treatment & prevention<br />
In recent years, there’s been an<br />
explosion of life-saving treatment<br />
advances against breast cancer,<br />
bringing new hope and excitement.<br />
The decisions - surgery, then perhaps<br />
radiation, hormonal (anti-estrogen)<br />
therapy, and/or chemotherapy - can<br />
feel overwhelming.<br />
Diet is thought to be partly<br />
responsible for about 30-40 per cent<br />
of all cancers. No food or diet can<br />
prevent you from getting breast<br />
cancer. But some foods can make your<br />
body the healthiest it can be and help<br />
keep your risk for breast cancer as low<br />
as possible. A variety of foods,<br />
especially fruits, vegetables, legumes,<br />
and whole grains, can make you feel<br />
your best and give your body the<br />
energy it needs.<br />
Women 50 years are at average risk<br />
for breast cancer and should get a<br />
mammogram every two years. Women<br />
who are below 50 years old should talk<br />
to their doctor or other health care<br />
professional about when to start and<br />
how often to get a mammogram.<br />
Survival rates<br />
Survival depends on many factors.<br />
The average 5-year survival rate for<br />
people with breast cancer is better<br />
today than ever before, especially if<br />
the cancer is located only in the breast.<br />
If the cancer has spread to a distant<br />
part of the body, the 5-year survival<br />
rate remains low. Even if the cancer is<br />
found at a more advanced stage, new<br />
treatments help many people with<br />
breast cancer maintain a good quality<br />
of life, at least for time.<br />
Bond FM Pest Control Fair: New vista in pest/vector management initiative<br />
By Ephraim Oseji<br />
it is gradually setting up the Bond FM<br />
premises as the premier aerobics exercise<br />
centre in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. Others<br />
like the Bond FM Volunteer Traffic<br />
Ambassadors that give incisive traffic reports<br />
on radio while also engaging in traffic control<br />
and removal of blockade to facilitate smooth<br />
unencumbered traffic flow.<br />
These innovations are a resultant of the<br />
propulsive force being exerted by the current<br />
Director General of Federal Radio<br />
Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr Mansur<br />
Liman, whose battle cry to his managers and<br />
workers is constant creativity and<br />
innovativeness.<br />
At Bond FM 92.9, this is the source of our<br />
excitation as we resonate with this charge and<br />
produce even more innovations in all things.<br />
Pest constitutes a most wholesome threat<br />
to human existence. Their attacks result in<br />
immense hazards on human health, food/agro<br />
products, offices, household valuables and the<br />
environment generally. Global climate<br />
change has thrown up hitherto unknown<br />
species of pests and their resultant effects into<br />
our environment such as Ebola virus, Lassa<br />
fever,mosquitoes, flies, bedbugs, rats and<br />
recently, pest attacked tomatoes in the<br />
northern part of Nigeria with devastating<br />
effects and loss of considerable revenue by<br />
stakeholders. This has exposed humanity<br />
and our cherished food-chain to unimaginable<br />
danger that could lead to human annihilation,<br />
and indeed unprecedented challenge to the<br />
environment and health.<br />
The major objective of the fair was to bring<br />
all stakeholders – pest control experts,<br />
researchers, manufacturers, marketers<br />
including end users under one roof to interact<br />
and proffer integrated pest control<br />
management methods that will reduce the<br />
devastating effects of pests in our<br />
environment.Highpoints of the fair were<br />
lectures, seminars and trainings which were<br />
conducted by experts in pest control methods.<br />
Earlier at the official flag-off of the fair,<br />
Lagos State Commissioner of The<br />
Environment, Dr. Samuel Adejare, enjoined<br />
participants to take full advantage of the fair<br />
to beef up their individual and collective<br />
consciousness of protecting themselves and<br />
the environment from the devastating effects<br />
of pests and improper pests control processes.<br />
He encouraged the organisers to remain<br />
steadfast in their commitment to the fair by<br />
ensuring that it remains an annual event to<br />
the benefit of all.<br />
The Director, Lagos Operations of Radio<br />
Nigeria, Prince AdeyinkaAmosu, was ably<br />
represented by the Assistant Director of<br />
Marketing, Radio Nigeria,Mr.Istifanus Baba<br />
at the event.He commended Bond FM for its<br />
remarkable foresight of identifying,<br />
developing and implementing such a needful<br />
summit whose impact cannot be underrated.<br />
It was indeed an idea hidden in plane-sight,<br />
but discovered by Bond FM.<br />
In his welcome address, General Manager<br />
of Bond FM Engr. Emmanuel Dada said, “we<br />
went into this project which forms part of our<br />
off-air ventures because Bond FM is the<br />
people’s station and we are passionate about<br />
what affects their lives. Pests and their vectors<br />
especially the common ones such as<br />
mosquitoes, flies, bedbugs and rats can be<br />
found in most homes in Nigeria and whatever<br />
action is taken to either eradicate or minimize<br />
their effects will be of benefit to every home<br />
in Lagos in particular and Nigeria in general.<br />
Aside being here to buy pest management<br />
materials, we intend to further educate the<br />
public on various methods of warding off<br />
some of the pests and effectively manage them<br />
when they invade their space.Our ultimate<br />
goal is to encourage the public to inculcate<br />
the habit of reverting to local/traditional<br />
control methods when other popular methods<br />
are not available.”<br />
He said further, “We also intend as part of<br />
our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) and<br />
to express Bond FM’s profound gratitude for<br />
the massive acceptance by Lagosians and<br />
other Nigerians, inspite of our obvious<br />
infrastructural challenges,to undertake and<br />
implement some of the pests or vectors<br />
management and control techniques taught<br />
at the fair such as: fogging, fumigation, rat<br />
harvesters, traditional techniques etc, in 5<br />
streets/locations; one each in the 5<br />
administrative divisions of Lagos<br />
State.This is a major fall-out of the fair<br />
and we hereby encourage other public<br />
spirited individuals and organizations to<br />
partner with us in facilitating this lofty<br />
dream”.<br />
To maximiseimpacton Lagosiansin its<br />
social responsibility efforts, the pest<br />
control fair will be a quarterly event by<br />
Bond FM 92.9 to be able to reach-out to<br />
as many citizens as possible in tackling<br />
the malaise of pests/vermin and their vectors<br />
with a view to checkmating any possible<br />
epidemic or pandemic in future in our<br />
environment.<br />
Side attractions at the fair were traditional<br />
dances, practical demonstrations of<br />
traditional pest control methods including<br />
green chemical applications.<br />
Dignitaries present at the fair included Mr.<br />
AbayomiOfarn, National President of<br />
Organic Farmers Agriculture Research<br />
Management Association, Mr. Olusegun<br />
Benson, Managing Director of Phosgard<br />
Fumigants Nigeria Limited who delivered<br />
a lecture entitled Rudiments of Pest Control<br />
and Management, among others.<br />
The 4-day fair was attended by over three<br />
thousand visitors.
It's the economy,<br />
stupid!<br />
Afew years ago, an<br />
American friend of<br />
mine abandoned his<br />
thriving career as a lawyer,<br />
and retrained to be a nurse.<br />
He is not the first I know to do<br />
that. A female surgeon, got<br />
tired of thescalpel, and left her<br />
work as a surgeon, and<br />
retrained to be a Paediatric<br />
nurse. Another friend of mine,<br />
with a Masters degree in<br />
Politics from Harvard, chose<br />
to become a carpenter, and<br />
build things. He later<br />
volunteered with the Quakers<br />
to rebuild schools in Burundi.<br />
These are choices people<br />
make, at a certain stage of<br />
consciousness, when they<br />
realize that what we do, how<br />
we do it, and why we do it is<br />
all for "well-being."<br />
When I turned forty ten years<br />
ago - and time has flown - I<br />
began to take music lessons<br />
to play the Saxophone. My<br />
wife thought it was my midlife<br />
crisis, and well, it could<br />
have been worse. Most men<br />
begin an affair, and cash their<br />
retirement and borrow atop<br />
to buy the Porsche. I wanted<br />
the saxophone, and so, for my<br />
fortieth birthday, she got me a<br />
fine tenor sax. But it was no<br />
midlife crisis. It was just the<br />
quest for a more satisfying<br />
life. I have, not long ago,<br />
started learning carpentry. I<br />
want to be a master carpenter.<br />
It is quite ironic, this turnaround.<br />
In form three at the<br />
Government College<br />
Umuahia, we were required<br />
to take a class either in Wood<br />
works or Metal works or<br />
rexmarinus@hotmail.com<br />
Technical Drawing. The wood<br />
workshop had a long history -<br />
equipped by the Germans for<br />
German Prisoners of War<br />
who spent the war<br />
quarantined in Umuahia<br />
during World War II. Even<br />
though much of the<br />
workshops had been looted<br />
during the war in Biafra, it was<br />
still quite something. But at<br />
Umuahia, we were receiving<br />
a very British education. We<br />
were being brought up as<br />
gentlemen. And gentlemen do<br />
not do handiwork. So we<br />
thought. And so, in spite of the<br />
requirement by the school that<br />
we must take a year of<br />
Metalwork or Woodwork, we<br />
did not take it all seriously. We<br />
had no use for it in the longrun.<br />
TD was of course taken<br />
more seriously because, it was<br />
a pathway for many of the<br />
boys headed towards<br />
Engineering and<br />
Architecture, and Umuahia<br />
had many of those. None was<br />
going to be a carpenter. Well,<br />
here I am, now learning<br />
carpentry, out of pure, and<br />
newly discovered interest in<br />
the shape of things. Wellbeing<br />
is the discovery, not only<br />
of desire, but of the simplest<br />
and most satisfying ways to<br />
fulfil desire.<br />
Central to all economic life<br />
is desire: that gnawing want<br />
that settles between price and<br />
choice. I have just recently,<br />
returned to reading Dubner<br />
and Leavitt's Freakonomics,<br />
and its exploration of the<br />
"hidden side of everything"<br />
from the price of sex to the<br />
price of a bowl of salad, and<br />
Time for God’s favour<br />
Gradually brethren,<br />
the eleventh month<br />
is coming to an<br />
end, but as the Lord liveth,<br />
God will give you a pleasant<br />
surprise in the name of Jesus.<br />
Many of us have<br />
started losing hope. We<br />
have started asking if God<br />
indeed still answers prayers.<br />
Our faith is no longer as solid<br />
as the rock because of one<br />
challenge or the other.<br />
For someone on the sick<br />
bed or managing a particular<br />
illness, doubt has set in. He<br />
is saying to himself, “Can I<br />
really make it?”. Those<br />
thoughts are not misplaced.<br />
Why? We are human and the<br />
capacity of any human being<br />
is limited. However, as<br />
Christians we believe in a<br />
God that is unlimited.<br />
Awesome God! The one that<br />
is capable of transforming<br />
any and every situation.<br />
Therefore, I advise you,<br />
don’t collapse under that<br />
challenge.<br />
Stand on your feet and<br />
claim your right in the name<br />
of Jesus.<br />
This is the time to exercise<br />
faith at a maximum level and<br />
ask for the favour of the Lord.<br />
What gives me that<br />
confidence? Let’s refer to<br />
the word in the Holy Bible.<br />
Galatians 3 vs. 11- 14<br />
“But no man is justified by the<br />
law in the sight of God, it is<br />
evident: for, The just shall live<br />
by faith. And the law is not of<br />
faith: but The man that<br />
doeth them shall live in them.<br />
Verses 13 & 14 “ Christ hath<br />
redeemed us from the curse<br />
of the law, being made a curse<br />
for us: for it is written, Cursed<br />
is every one that hangeth on a<br />
tree: That the blessing of<br />
Abraham might come on the<br />
Gentiles through Jesus Christ;<br />
that we might receive the<br />
promise of the Spirit through<br />
faith”. Brethren, our emphasis<br />
is on verses 13 and 14. We<br />
are told that we have been<br />
redeemed from sicknesses,<br />
barrenness, stagnation,<br />
failure and other<br />
challenges of life. The word<br />
of the Lord says “ cursed is<br />
everyone that hangeth on a<br />
tree” Suicide here means<br />
your submission to the<br />
challenge. No, no, no.<br />
you cannot submit to sickness,<br />
barrenness, loneliness or<br />
stagnation because that is not<br />
the promise of God for you.<br />
What then is his promise?<br />
The second part of verse 14<br />
is quite clear on this. It<br />
speaks of the “ blessing of<br />
Abraham” coming through<br />
the Holy Spirit . The<br />
why we want them; indeed,<br />
why we must want them. It is<br />
pretty amazing to me that<br />
Nigerian policy makers are<br />
often unaware of the very<br />
factors that drive us towards<br />
social or material<br />
consumption, and how these<br />
factors shape and determine<br />
national economies. Great<br />
economies are defined by<br />
well-being: that sense that the<br />
world is a fruit basket from<br />
which you can pick whatever<br />
is your choice. Let me put it<br />
this way: the meaning of<br />
economic depression is when<br />
there is that absence of wellbeing.<br />
When you have no<br />
work, you do not derive<br />
income; and if you have no<br />
income, you cannot spend<br />
money on your desires. You<br />
may desire a car, a nice, cozy<br />
apartment; an occasional<br />
bottle of good wine; Nkwobi<br />
now and then at that great<br />
shebeen owned by "Nwanyi-<br />
Umuahia," and darn it, some<br />
mounds of alabaster to hold<br />
every now and then. It is called<br />
"ihe oma." And the Oriental<br />
Brothers sang about it in the<br />
1970s, and came to the very<br />
wise conclusion that, "odighi<br />
onye oso nso!" That is, there is<br />
no person in this world for<br />
whom a good thing - a<br />
desirable thing - is anathema.<br />
We all have desires. These<br />
desires are the very force on<br />
which the economic wheel<br />
turns.<br />
Our sense of the world also<br />
fuels these desires. So, then, a<br />
melancholic nation is one in<br />
which there is fundamental<br />
repression of desire. It <strong>leads</strong><br />
to depression - both mental<br />
and economic. So, here is<br />
Nigeria, where a huge<br />
number of people have no<br />
spending money because they<br />
have no jobs: the result is a<br />
landscape so repressed that<br />
all you can see at every corner<br />
is darkness, which <strong>leads</strong> to<br />
fear. Fear <strong>leads</strong> to superstition.<br />
Superstition <strong>leads</strong> to<br />
ignorance. Ignorance <strong>leads</strong> to<br />
religious fundamentalism,<br />
intolerance, hatred, and<br />
depression. Nigeria feels like<br />
a nation under corporal<br />
Spirit of Truth.I chose to call<br />
him, the Spirit of Promise.<br />
The Holy Spirit, the third<br />
head of the Trinity is so<br />
crucial to our miracles.<br />
This much our Lord Jesus said<br />
in John 14 ; indeed my<br />
favourite chapter in the Holy<br />
Bible.<br />
Let’s share the word. John<br />
chapter 14. I suggest you<br />
read the entire chapter and<br />
fully digest it but for this<br />
purpose, let’s consider<br />
verses 16 and 17 “ And I will<br />
pray the Father (the Lord<br />
Jesus is speaking here) and<br />
he shall give you another<br />
Comforter, that he may abide<br />
with you for ever; Even the<br />
Spirit of truth; whom the<br />
world cannot receive , because<br />
it seeth him not, neither<br />
knoweth him: but ye know<br />
him; for he dwelleth with you,<br />
and shall be in you”.<br />
For more emphasis, let’s<br />
consider verse 26 of the same<br />
chapter “ But the<br />
Comforter, which is the Holy<br />
Ghost, whom the Father will<br />
send in my name, he shall<br />
teach you all things, and bring<br />
all things to your<br />
remembrance , whatsoever I<br />
have said unto you”.<br />
Hear the assurance of<br />
the Lord Jesus in verse 27<br />
“Peace I leave with you, my<br />
peace I give unto you: not as<br />
the peace the world giveth,<br />
give I unto you. Let not your<br />
heart be troubled, neither let<br />
it be afraid”. I’m sure by now,<br />
something in changing in<br />
your Spiritual life in the name<br />
of Jesus.<br />
Stop focusing on the<br />
challenge, rather ask for the<br />
favour of God.<br />
punishment. So, how can the<br />
economy function or thrive in a<br />
highly repressed social order,<br />
where there is too much<br />
stratification and "ogaism"?<br />
Too much religion that<br />
preaches against desire - do not<br />
drink; do not have sex; do not<br />
eat on a Sabbath; do not go<br />
night-clubbing, do not wear<br />
fashionable clothes; do not visit<br />
restaurants or bars; or cinemas;<br />
or gambling dens, or that lovely<br />
street called "Ayilara"? In<br />
Nigeria, on every street, you<br />
have ten churches to one<br />
workshop. How would people<br />
get jobs? When the streets are<br />
unsafe, you cannot walk out of<br />
your house at 12 am to your<br />
neighborhood grocery. In other<br />
With a population of now<br />
190 million people, the<br />
government of Nigeria<br />
cannot seriously be<br />
talking about being<br />
broke. 100 million people<br />
with taxable income is a<br />
solid tax base, and can<br />
reflate government's<br />
coffers<br />
societies, the economy is driven<br />
by young people - who party,<br />
create city culture, keep the<br />
pubs open, spend money on<br />
food, tobacco, clothes,<br />
vacations, gadgets, and who<br />
travel up and down to make<br />
friends and visit friends in the<br />
lengths of their nation. Factories<br />
are kept open to carter to their<br />
desires. If there are no such<br />
desires, factories close down.<br />
There will be no employment.<br />
No money to spend.<br />
Governments keep streets safe<br />
because they encourage people<br />
to travel; visit places.<br />
Governments sell their<br />
countries as safe, and beautiful<br />
places to come. You go to great<br />
Link up with the Holy Spirit<br />
and that miracle you so much<br />
desire is assured.<br />
Testimony<br />
I’ll share this personal story.<br />
Once a Pastor came visiting<br />
Flora; my friend and<br />
colleague in Vanguard. I<br />
walked in. The Pastor said to<br />
his hostess, let’s pray and a short<br />
prayer was said. Of course we<br />
all said, Amen!<br />
Stop focusing on the<br />
challenge, rather ask for<br />
the favour of God.<br />
Link up with the Holy<br />
Spirit and that miracle<br />
you so much desire is<br />
assured<br />
As I turned to go, he asked my<br />
friend, “ does this lady work<br />
here?”. We both answered in<br />
the affirmative. Then he said,<br />
“God will do a miracle<br />
through you”. We both said<br />
Amen and I left for my<br />
department. The miracle that<br />
he spoke about did not come<br />
until about five years later<br />
when the yoke of barrenness was<br />
broken and Samuel was born<br />
after 22 years of waiting.<br />
In the mighty name of Jesus,<br />
that miracle that you so much<br />
desire is coming your way<br />
sooner than you expect . Just<br />
hold on to Jesus; the author and<br />
finisher of our faith.<br />
Ask repeatedly for his<br />
favour. Don’t get tired of<br />
asking. Be steadfast in prayer.<br />
Psalm 102 verse 13 “ Thou<br />
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 23<br />
cities - Paris, New York,<br />
London, Rome, Berlin, etc to<br />
have "a great shopping<br />
experience" or to "enjoy the<br />
freedom and cuisine of our<br />
great city - our night life."<br />
That's how nations advertise<br />
themselves. They do not tell<br />
the world that their nation<br />
is a "zoo" or that it is<br />
dangerous and corrupt.<br />
They talk it up. They clean<br />
up the streets. They provide<br />
and maintain infrastructure<br />
that would aid life:<br />
electricity; efficient<br />
emergency services; clean<br />
hospitals; polite and<br />
professional services. They<br />
make their lands inviting to<br />
visitors, who come to buy,<br />
sell, spend money, and<br />
enrich government's tax<br />
coffers. How can Nigeria<br />
not be economically<br />
depressed when even in a<br />
city like Lagos, everything<br />
closes down by 10 pm.<br />
In a place like Owerri,<br />
everybody goes to bed by<br />
7pm. The stores are closed.<br />
The streets are emptied.<br />
There is no life worth its<br />
name at play. In other places<br />
in the world, daily, the last<br />
call at bars are usually by<br />
3:30 am, to allow the one<br />
hour before the next cycle of<br />
workers - the delivery vans<br />
making their rounds to<br />
supply the shops and offices<br />
begin again by 5 am, to<br />
begin another cycle. Young<br />
people work these shifts and<br />
make extra income which<br />
they spend. There is a 24-<br />
hour economic cycle which<br />
is the only way to absorb the<br />
human energy afloat in<br />
search of work and income.<br />
A student of mine plays at a<br />
Jazz club at the weekend.<br />
That's his weekend "gig."<br />
Every Tuesday, he works for<br />
three hours cleaning a<br />
butchery. He drives one<br />
hour away for this. That's the<br />
way he pays his bills and his<br />
tax. With a population of<br />
now 190 million people, the<br />
government of Nigeria<br />
cannot seriously be talking<br />
about being broke. 100<br />
million people with taxable<br />
shall arise and have mercy<br />
on Zion: (replace Zion with<br />
your name) for the time to<br />
favour her yea, the set<br />
time is come”.<br />
This season you will<br />
receive the favour of the Lord<br />
in Jesus name. God can<br />
heal. He can deliver. He<br />
can make you fruitful.<br />
Whatever you desire, ask in<br />
faith and you will receive<br />
in the name of Jesus.<br />
Twins after 16 years<br />
delay - It’s the testimony of<br />
Pastor and Assistant Pastor<br />
Oyebadejo of RCCG culled<br />
from RCCG, Redemption<br />
Testimonies .<br />
“We got married in RCCG<br />
in May 1999 and since then;<br />
we have been waiting on<br />
God for the fruit of the<br />
womb. During the<br />
waiting years, we went for<br />
some medical tests and all<br />
the results proved that<br />
we were okay as they all<br />
revealed that we had no<br />
medical or fertility issues but<br />
they could not explain the<br />
delay. We did In Vitro<br />
Fertilization (IVF) but<br />
nothing substantial came<br />
out of it, so we were asked to<br />
repeat it. Even though my<br />
wife is a nurse and I am a<br />
veterinary doctor, we<br />
refused and said God<br />
would do it for us.<br />
Our pastor friends began<br />
to pray along with us and<br />
there were several<br />
revelations, but we held on<br />
to God. In 2014, Pastor E.A<br />
Adeboye told us that God<br />
said He would give 1000 set<br />
of twins before the next<br />
convention and we claimed<br />
it. By April 2015, my wife<br />
income is a solid tax base, and<br />
can reflate government's<br />
coffers. So, it is either Nigeria's<br />
population is a demographic<br />
fiction, or the Nigerian<br />
government has yet to<br />
understand how to collect tax,<br />
and the fact that employment<br />
of the citizen is not simply a<br />
favour to the citizen.<br />
It is way for government to<br />
expand production and tax<br />
labour, and generate its own<br />
income. Without a working or<br />
engaged population,<br />
government cannot generate<br />
enough tax; and without tax,<br />
governments cannot function.<br />
The tax base provides the<br />
fiduciary architecture of all<br />
public spending. So, it is the<br />
economy, stupid! Desire is the<br />
economy: desire for those new<br />
shoes made in Aba, and<br />
circulating through the West<br />
African markets. A small<br />
vacation cottage in Jos, where<br />
you can spend your annual<br />
leave in the cooler months; or<br />
that NCR Leggera 1200<br />
Titanium Special Motorbike<br />
for your annual road trip to<br />
that Hunting Lodge by the foot<br />
of the Mandara Mountains;<br />
or the small beach house in<br />
Oguta or Bonny with a small<br />
boat moored nearby.<br />
Every hundred naira we<br />
spend weekly on "ngwongwo"reflates<br />
the economy<br />
and puts money in<br />
government coffers. The<br />
economy is not borrowing<br />
from the IMF in order to pay<br />
off IMF loans. The economy<br />
is the activation and the<br />
organization of the means by<br />
which we create desire and<br />
fulfil them. It is borrowing<br />
from the national pension<br />
fund to guarantee loans to<br />
young entrepreneurs who<br />
would invest in our desires and<br />
make the returns to our<br />
economy. It is not<br />
"concessioning" our national<br />
infrastructure to "foreign<br />
investors."It is activating a<br />
national workforce to build<br />
new infrastructure, and in<br />
doing that compensate them,<br />
and in compensating them<br />
derive tax that oils public<br />
spending.<br />
started feeling funny.<br />
Reluctantly, she went for a<br />
pregnancy test and scan and<br />
it was discovered that she was<br />
two months pregnant.<br />
The pregnancy period was<br />
smooth and there were no<br />
complications of any sort.<br />
We had the twins on<br />
November 10, 2015. God<br />
finally answered us after 16<br />
years of waiting on Him”.<br />
To God be the Glory.<br />
Now, let’s take these as<br />
lessons. First is that human<br />
efforts failed . Secondly ,<br />
the couple as medical<br />
personnel, this was a<br />
reproach that must have<br />
made people to mock them.<br />
Third, they stuck together<br />
and looked upon and held<br />
on to God. They did not<br />
allow the knowledge of<br />
medicine to create a distance<br />
between them and God.<br />
Four. Note the twins<br />
were born in November.<br />
So, take your prayer<br />
point the way God <strong>leads</strong> you.<br />
Ask that God should give<br />
you a miracle that will make<br />
you remember the month of<br />
November with joy.<br />
What are you passing<br />
through? Be strong in faith.<br />
Yours isn’t the worst case,<br />
you will surely triumph.<br />
As Christians, we should<br />
bear in mind, the word of God<br />
in Galatians 6 vs. 9 “ And let<br />
us not be weary in well<br />
doing: for in due season we<br />
shall reap, if we faint not”.<br />
By the grace of God, this is<br />
your season. Before this year<br />
ends, you shall receive<br />
answers to your prayers in<br />
Jesus name.<br />
It is well with you.
PAGE 24— SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
Why KWAM 1<br />
failed to release<br />
latest album<br />
By DAPO OLAKUNLE<br />
EARLIER this year, the<br />
king of Fuji music, King<br />
Wasiu Ayinde Marshall<br />
also known as KWAM 1<br />
addressed a group of journalists,<br />
on the release of his latest studio<br />
album titled ‘Let The Music<br />
Flow’. In the course of the chat,<br />
K1 boasted of the album making<br />
a platinum category in sales. He<br />
added that the album would cut<br />
across all age groups regardless<br />
of the diversity in culture and<br />
social beliefs.<br />
It’s close to the end of the year,<br />
and many of his teeming fans<br />
have been wondering if the Fuji<br />
maestro would deliver on his<br />
promise. It was as a result of the<br />
questions of the fans that made<br />
Potpourri reach out to the K1 De<br />
Ultimate camp.<br />
His manager, Bayo Olasoju,<br />
when asked reasons for the delay<br />
of the album release, said,<br />
•KWAM 1<br />
“Well, the album has been recorded and mastered, ready<br />
for general consumption. I must say that you all will<br />
hear K1 in an unusual way in the album, but you know<br />
the current state of the country; the market is not just<br />
right for us to drop the album. When our survey team<br />
sees that the market is right the album will be released’.<br />
Bayo pleaded with the general public on behalf of the<br />
Fuji king ‘I want to appeal to the general public on the<br />
delay, its just in the best interest of the fans, expect the<br />
album to drop soon’.<br />
•Don Jazzy<br />
Fan who placed marriage curse<br />
on Don Jazzy explains why<br />
By Rotimi Agbana<br />
It has finally become a norm<br />
for die-hard fans to say or do<br />
crazy things to attract the<br />
attention of a celebrity they<br />
love, gain media attention, or<br />
attain quick fame. During the<br />
week, news went viral on social<br />
media about a lady, Olaide<br />
Abisola, who vowed that if<br />
Mavin boss, Don Jazzy doesn’t<br />
marry her she would not get<br />
married to any other man. She<br />
went as far as placing a<br />
spiritual curse on the talented<br />
hit-maker, saying he won’t be<br />
able to marry any other woman<br />
if he didn't marry her.<br />
Speaking exclusively with<br />
Potpourri, on why she made<br />
such a grave utterance, she<br />
•Olaide<br />
Abisola<br />
made a rather disturbing<br />
revelation. “My dear, it’s actually<br />
a joke, but look at the way it went<br />
viral! Yes, I’m not kidding it was<br />
a joke. I actually wanted the fame<br />
and I got it, I just want to be<br />
known because I’m going into<br />
acting soon”, she said.<br />
Following the quick fame she<br />
has now achieved, she has been<br />
celebrating it on her social<br />
media page, throwing stinkers<br />
at whoever cares to criticise her.<br />
“Thanks for the fame, just what<br />
I needed. To all my haters out<br />
there enjoy your noon with this,<br />
more comments please. They<br />
are just fooling themselves, all<br />
the insults no remove one hair<br />
for my body, jobless people”, she<br />
wrote.<br />
Michael Okon debunks<br />
marriage rumours<br />
By IMANUEL JANNAH<br />
Actor and model, Michael Okon,<br />
popularly called Nollywood<br />
heart-throb, dismissed reports of his alleged<br />
marriage. This is coming on the<br />
heels of a report that emanated from a<br />
blogging site (Bella Naija) alleging<br />
that the talented thespian secretly married<br />
a certain runway model. According<br />
to the story, the ceremony had a<br />
few models in attendance.<br />
In a press statement, Okon said he never<br />
held any wedding, let alone a secret<br />
one, and according to him, the rumour<br />
is a photo-shoot for a Nigerian UK-based<br />
designer, Afromodel Collections. He<br />
however revealed that after the photo<br />
session, they had a small event graced<br />
by a few industry friends.<br />
“We only did a photo shoot for a Nigerian<br />
UK-based designer, Afromodel<br />
Collections, and Bella Naija Weddings<br />
posted the pictures and “Boom!”<br />
everyone thought it was another prewedding<br />
shoot. The story really went<br />
viral because I’ve been getting congratulatory<br />
messages till today. We<br />
had only a private event meant for<br />
models and how that turned to a marriage<br />
ceremony is what I don’t know.<br />
I reiterate that I am not married. I am<br />
not going to get married just because<br />
people want me to, neither would I<br />
do it just to enter another phase of my<br />
life just like some of my colleagues<br />
have done.<br />
Sound Sultan, others for<br />
FEGOCOOSA’s re-union<br />
A<br />
ll<br />
roads lead to Nelo’s place, by<br />
Etiebet’s Place Ikeja as topnotch<br />
artistes and comedians hit Lagos<br />
for the 2016 annual re-union/<br />
awards of Federal Government College<br />
Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Old Students<br />
Association, FEGOCOOSA.<br />
The event, which is themed, ‘Many<br />
Paths, One Spirit,’ is slated for December<br />
3 and promises a full dose of<br />
entertainment for old boys and other<br />
participants alike given the A-list artistes<br />
lined up.<br />
According to the organisers, the<br />
artistes expected to grace the show<br />
include Sound Sultan, Teju Baby-face,<br />
Jimmy Jatt, Lepacious Bose and Kunle<br />
Bamtefa, while budding star MC I-<br />
Rock will anchor the show.<br />
According to Chairperson of the<br />
annual re-union committee, Titi Olubiyi,<br />
the annual reunion and<br />
award night is inspired by the need<br />
for alumni of the school domiciled<br />
in Nigeria and abroad to give back,<br />
hence the coming together to celebrate<br />
with staff and students of<br />
their alma mater.<br />
Corroborating on the need for the<br />
awards, Global President of the association,<br />
Barr. Francis Orbih,<br />
said the event ‘’is about celebrating<br />
ourselves, the members, our<br />
achievements and key aspects of<br />
our alma mater.” He explained that<br />
people would be honoured for outstanding<br />
contributions in a variety<br />
of categories that will include Best<br />
Department of the year, Best Teacher<br />
of the year, Best Non-Teaching<br />
Staff, Outstanding Member and<br />
Best set of the Year.
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 25<br />
SEUN EGBEGBE IPHONE THEFT CHARGE<br />
Conspiracy of silence in<br />
Lagos Computer Village?<br />
Onikoyi68@gmail.com<br />
YORUBA film-maker, Seun<br />
Egbegbe is a highly<br />
celebrated figure among<br />
Yoruba movie people, but he<br />
became a public bride when his<br />
romance with popular Yoruba<br />
actress, Toyin Aimakhu made news<br />
headlines in every medium.<br />
In fact, the lovebirds only became<br />
public item when they fell apart,<br />
with Seun threatening to ostracise<br />
Toyin from movie making unless she<br />
did his bidding. Their secrets<br />
became public knowledge and it<br />
slipped out that Seun had presented<br />
a Range Rover SUV to Toyin as<br />
gift.<br />
It was a romance story that went<br />
bust, especially, when one considers<br />
that this episode ensued almost<br />
immediately after the actress put<br />
paid to her marriage of less than 2<br />
years to another actor, Adeniyi<br />
Johnson. But for Seun and Toyin,<br />
they hugged the limelight for some<br />
months and fizzled out, especially<br />
after Seun publicly pronounced he<br />
had forgiven Toyin, not without<br />
police intervention, some voices<br />
whispered though.<br />
Then, one black Tuesday afternoon,<br />
Seun’s name cropped up in<br />
the media again with a picture of<br />
him, looking like a man who had<br />
had a few rounds in the ring with<br />
Mike Tyson in his hay days. Bloodied<br />
mouth, dropping jaw, smashed<br />
teeth, roughened up, Seun’s picture<br />
lit up every medium with a scream-<br />
ing headline “ M0ovie maker<br />
beaten to pulp for phone theft”.<br />
Unbelievable! How could a rich<br />
movie maker, with a fleet of cars,<br />
suddenly turned a common mobile<br />
phone thief even if the phones are<br />
nine Apple iphones 7, worth over<br />
N500k each.<br />
In the media melee, his PR<br />
people quickly released a<br />
statement, “Prior to the news<br />
filtering into the social media<br />
about Seun Egbegbe accused of<br />
stealing iphones on Tuesday 22nd<br />
November at computer village,<br />
Ikeja; this is to inform the general<br />
public to debunk all negative<br />
stories published about him which<br />
is not true. Seun Egbegbe was at<br />
Keelcech shop, located at no 9,<br />
Medical Road, Ikeja, to purchase<br />
some phones. After making his<br />
order from the shop sales rep &<br />
walking towards his car to pay up<br />
the balance of the phones, the<br />
sales rep claimed he’s bolting<br />
away with the phones which was<br />
never true. Before Seun Egbegbe<br />
could say a word to the angry mob<br />
around, he was attacked and<br />
lynched with no explanation. It<br />
was a known fact that; Mr Seun<br />
Egbegbe can afford to buy thousands<br />
of iphones if needed. So why<br />
would he go to steal iphones? He is<br />
a philanthropist who helps pople in<br />
our society today with his riches<br />
from God. We will authoritatively<br />
inform you that, the issue has been<br />
AFRIFF ends in glitz and glamour<br />
After a week of screening over 150<br />
movies and documentaries, including<br />
workshops and industry sessions,<br />
the sixth African International Film<br />
Festival (AFRIFF) came to an end with<br />
a star-studded Globe Award which held<br />
at the Eko Convention Center, Eko<br />
Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island,<br />
Lagos.<br />
Hosted by the talented Nollywood<br />
actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju and TV<br />
presenter, Uti Nwachukwu, the event,<br />
which was attended by top dignitaries<br />
from the business and political class<br />
also had filmmakers from Africa and<br />
beyond, whose films screened at the<br />
week-long event.<br />
Tagged The Broadway Show, the<br />
closing ceremony thrilled guests to<br />
breath-taking shows, including duets<br />
and a mind-blowing tribute to the late<br />
Afro-beat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti,<br />
led by actor Gideon Okeke.<br />
It was also a moment of celebrations<br />
for winners, as the festival’s Closing<br />
Night Movie, ’76, a movie about events<br />
that heralded and succeeded the<br />
military coup d’état which led to the<br />
AFRIFF Rita Dominic and Kate<br />
Henshaw hanging out with a guest<br />
demise of General Murtala Ramat<br />
Muhammed, and directed by Izu<br />
Ojukwu, won four awards including –<br />
Best Screenplay, Best Feature Film,<br />
Best Actor, Best Director.<br />
Renowned Nollywood actress, Bimbo<br />
Akintola, won Best Lead Actress for<br />
her role in the movie, 93 Days. ‘Green<br />
White Green’ by Abba Makama won<br />
the Oronto Douglas Award for Best<br />
Nigerian film, while Ghanaian<br />
filmmaker and animator, Agorkoli<br />
Francis Brown, won Best Animation<br />
with a price tag of N200,000.<br />
Other recipients include the beneficiaries<br />
of AFRIFF/Ford Foundation<br />
scholarship to the University of<br />
Montana,<br />
United<br />
States, for<br />
further<br />
training in<br />
different<br />
aspects of<br />
filmmaking.<br />
AFRIFF performers on stage<br />
AFRIFF<br />
hosts Kemi<br />
Lala<br />
Akindoju<br />
and TV<br />
presenter,<br />
Uti<br />
Nwachukwu,<br />
Egbegbe and Toyin, when they were dating<br />
settled and resolved by the two<br />
parties amicably,”<br />
Contrary to the statement of the<br />
PR people, Potpourri found out<br />
that the issue was far from being<br />
resolved. And this was<br />
corroborated by the Police Public<br />
Relations Officer, SP Dolapo<br />
Badmus, who on Wednesday told<br />
journalists the matter was still<br />
under investigation. Commenting<br />
on the initial online denial by<br />
Egbegbe’s Publicist, the PPRO<br />
said, “You are aware that he was<br />
arrested. If an online publication is<br />
saying he was not arrested, and<br />
the police said he was arrested,<br />
which one do you want to believe?<br />
The case is still under<br />
investigation. We will properly<br />
brief the press on the stand of the<br />
command on the case today<br />
(Thursday),” she concluded.<br />
Potpourri also found out he was in<br />
detention for three days.<br />
Following the Police<br />
investigation, Seun was arraigned<br />
on Thursday before an Ikeja<br />
Magistrate Court before Magistrate<br />
Aje Afunwa on a one-count charge<br />
of stealing. Seun pleaded not<br />
guilty to the charge but was<br />
ordered to be remanded in Kirikiri<br />
prisons, having failed to meet his<br />
bail conditions.<br />
Potpourri findings at Computer<br />
Village<br />
As a norm in a every criminal<br />
investigation, the first move is to<br />
return to the scene of the crime and<br />
it was exactly what Potpourri did.<br />
On Thursday, before Seun’s<br />
arraignment in court, one of our<br />
reporters who visited the popular<br />
mobile phones market was greeted<br />
with silence from everyone he<br />
sought cooperation in the<br />
investigation. It was as if, a wall of<br />
silence had been built since the<br />
event took place on Tuesday.<br />
Nobody wanted to talk any more<br />
on the issue. One concerned<br />
witness told our reporter to desist<br />
from asking questions around as<br />
he might land himself in big<br />
trouble. Law of Omerta? We soon<br />
found out there is a sort of order in<br />
the Computer Village.<br />
With further probing and some<br />
deep connection, we got lucky. A<br />
big fish in the Computer Village<br />
Association, CAMPAN, talked to<br />
Potpourri under strict order of<br />
anonymity. The sourced told us in<br />
plain words that the case against the<br />
movie-maker may come to nothing as<br />
most of the people who could come<br />
forward as witnesses are either<br />
involved in the matter or had been<br />
scared off. He posited that it was not<br />
the first time the movie-maker had<br />
scammed somebody in the market,<br />
saying it is a standard ploy employed<br />
by scammers to dispossess sellers of<br />
phones of their phones.<br />
“The only person that could have<br />
sealed this case is a guy called<br />
Assaulted, a phone seller, Seun<br />
Egbegbe scammed four years ago.<br />
When Assaulted visited the police<br />
station to complain he had<br />
experienced the same thing four years<br />
ago, claiming Seun obtained phones<br />
worth over N1.5 million from him, he<br />
was approached by some Computer<br />
Village ‘Ikeja Boys’ who told him to<br />
back off. The ‘Ikeja Boys’ told him not<br />
to get involved or they would fight<br />
him. Even the man’s wife had called<br />
the man to back off because she had<br />
been receiving threats on phone to<br />
warn his husband not to make any<br />
case against Seun. The ‘Ikeja Boys’<br />
told Assaulted that they were the ones<br />
that helped him collected N950k from<br />
the N1.5 million he was duped.<br />
The source went on to say the socalled<br />
“Ikeja Boys” control the<br />
Computer Village underworld, and it<br />
is believed that they are in accord<br />
with Seun Egbegbe. At the court on<br />
Thursday, these boys openly<br />
threatened anyone who dared to take<br />
pictures of the movie-maker being<br />
escorted into the Prison van.<br />
“The real truth now is that if Seun is<br />
convicted, most of the ‘Ikeja Boys’ will<br />
also have a taste of it because they are<br />
the unseen hands who receive phones<br />
from the stolen sources and resell at<br />
ridiculous prices to phone sellers in<br />
the Village. Everyone knows this fact<br />
but there is nothing anyone can do.<br />
You will hardly find anyone that will<br />
talk now for fear of being marked by<br />
these boys. Only our Association can<br />
do something and I doubt if they will<br />
want to take up the case for the same<br />
fear of these boys”, said the source
PAGE 26—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
Our Supreme Court resurrects;<br />
leaving behind INEC, etc<br />
All over the world, the<br />
continued survival<br />
of nations is<br />
premised on the viability of<br />
societal institutions as every<br />
such institution strives to<br />
meet the purpose for which<br />
it was established. For<br />
instance, the Post Office<br />
which is largely despised in<br />
Nigeria serves elsewhere as<br />
a tool for national<br />
development. In the United<br />
Kingdom, unending<br />
improvements in<br />
t e c h n o l o g y<br />
notwithstanding, service<br />
delivery in postal services<br />
has over the years remained<br />
superb. Citizens can post<br />
whatever and it is delivered<br />
safely and with dispatch.<br />
Indeed, during an election,<br />
those who donot wish to go<br />
to voting centres can post<br />
their ballots and they will<br />
count, To get Nigerian<br />
institutions to similarly<br />
achieve their objectives has<br />
for longer than makes sense<br />
been a farce. Interestingly,<br />
not many support the wakeup<br />
calls which columns like<br />
this make to several<br />
institutions forgetting that<br />
those which perform well<br />
like the late Dora Akunyili’s<br />
NAFDAC are always<br />
applauded. Hence we hailed<br />
the Department of State<br />
Services (DSS) in its arrest<br />
last month of some high<br />
ranking Nigerian judges<br />
accused of corruption. The<br />
sting operation carried out<br />
by the DSS has since<br />
sensitized us all that the war<br />
against corruption is real<br />
and that justice for sale in<br />
Nigeria can be stopped.<br />
Of course our immediate<br />
past Chief Justice and others<br />
who were sermonizing on<br />
who should discipline<br />
judges were on their own. If<br />
a judge joins an armed<br />
robbery gang and is caught,<br />
do we send his colleagues in<br />
the gang to the armed<br />
robbery tribunal and send<br />
the judge to the National<br />
Judicial Council (NJC)? If<br />
so, why do people say the rule<br />
of law presupposes that<br />
everyone is equal before the<br />
law? Luckily, in his first few<br />
weeks in office, Justice<br />
Walter Onnoghen, the<br />
acting Chief Justice has<br />
given a new lease of life to<br />
the Supreme Court.<br />
Onnoghen and his brothers<br />
in the apex court have<br />
stopped Ondo State from<br />
burning thereby disallowing<br />
anarchy in Nigeria. The<br />
court did not only refuse to<br />
In this new<br />
environment of<br />
national resurgence,<br />
will the Independent<br />
National Electoral<br />
Commission (INEC)<br />
be left out? We dare<br />
say it is likely if the<br />
commission does not<br />
dispense with its<br />
current image which<br />
looks like that of a<br />
robot<br />
disband the 3-man Special<br />
Panel of the Court of Appeal<br />
on Ondo, it also dismissed<br />
the motions to stay<br />
proceedings of the appellate<br />
court and ordered that<br />
counsel to the appellants,<br />
Chief Beluolisa Nwufor,<br />
SAN should pay the cost<br />
awarded from his pocket.<br />
No one was in doubt that the<br />
case which was abuse of<br />
process was a prank to<br />
create controversy for the<br />
Ondo governorship<br />
election. Although some<br />
analysts expected strong<br />
reprimand for the Judge<br />
who foisted Modu Sheriff<br />
and his faction on society,<br />
there is no doubt that faith<br />
in the Judiciary would<br />
sooner than expected be<br />
restored if the present<br />
posture of the Supreme<br />
Court is maintained. We<br />
imagine that Onnoghen<br />
who was bold enough to be<br />
part of the dissenting<br />
judgment in the 2007<br />
convoluted Presidential<br />
election can sustain the<br />
current tempo.<br />
In this new environment<br />
of national resurgence, will<br />
the Independent National<br />
Electoral Commission<br />
(INEC) be left out? We dare<br />
say it is likely if the<br />
commission does not<br />
dispense with its current<br />
image which looks like that<br />
of a robot. It is the duty of<br />
political parties to<br />
nominate candidates for<br />
elections. To ensure that all<br />
goes well, INEC is<br />
empowered to monitor<br />
party primaries. The<br />
Sheriff faction of the Peoples<br />
Democratic Party (PDP)<br />
claimed to have held one in<br />
Ibadan, outside Ondo State<br />
to choose a candidate for<br />
the Ondo governorship<br />
elections. The process was<br />
not monitored by INEC as<br />
stipulated, yet a court asked<br />
her to accept a candidate<br />
that emerged from such a<br />
nebulous event and INEC<br />
happily obeyed the order. We<br />
think that INEC should have<br />
protested the manifestly<br />
ridiculous order and indeed<br />
should have gone on appeal<br />
on such a matter which is<br />
likely to adversely affect its<br />
fragile image. When the<br />
commission was similarly<br />
embarrassed in the recent<br />
edo election with a contrived<br />
voting date, its initial posture<br />
of disapproval was<br />
instructive. To obey court<br />
order happily is good when<br />
it resolves cases between<br />
parties; it is certainly not the<br />
same as when INEC is asked<br />
to give a pass mark to a<br />
candidate who did not write<br />
its exam.<br />
What about the police- is<br />
the new Inspector General<br />
willing to take the police<br />
away from the old order in<br />
which its men openly solicit<br />
gratification at election<br />
venues? One question which<br />
has been asked severally in<br />
this column that must also<br />
be answered is why we have<br />
25,000 police operatives in<br />
only one state during an<br />
election and hoodlums still<br />
vanish with ballot boxes?<br />
However, we cannot<br />
continue to ask police or<br />
other societal institutions to<br />
play their roles for society to<br />
develop, if the people who<br />
desire such developments are<br />
not be psychologically and<br />
mentally ready for reforms.<br />
The week before, the media<br />
revealed plans by the Edo<br />
State House of Assembly to<br />
shortchange the people by<br />
deploying the scarce<br />
resources of the state to build<br />
mansions for the former<br />
governor and his deputy. A<br />
few days later, two groups<br />
were mobilized by the elite<br />
to demonstrate for and<br />
against the plan. So, there<br />
was a group made up of<br />
many unemployed citizens<br />
who were on rampage to<br />
support the shortchange!!<br />
The subject throws up 2<br />
issues. First, civil society<br />
groups need to be<br />
enlightened about political<br />
matters which they often<br />
dabble into. Second, the<br />
constitutional provisions on<br />
how citizens should show<br />
disapproval of the roles<br />
which their representatives<br />
play in the legislature ought<br />
to better illuminated.<br />
Everyone knows that the<br />
nation is in recession and<br />
that many workers are not<br />
even sure of their salaries. It<br />
is therefore obvious that<br />
seeking to build mansions<br />
for former governor<br />
especially at this junction is<br />
anti-people. Legislators who<br />
support it cannot continue to<br />
represent the people.<br />
Section 110 of our<br />
constitution can be used to<br />
remove such legislators<br />
from office. What it requires<br />
is not just street<br />
demonstration but a petition<br />
to INEC signed by 50% of<br />
voters in the constituencies<br />
that have lost confidence in<br />
their legislators. 90 days<br />
after, there will be a<br />
referendum in such a<br />
constituency in which a<br />
simple majority of the voters<br />
can remove any affected<br />
legislator. If this type of<br />
action is taken, we shall<br />
achieve the change we desire<br />
shortly.<br />
Appearance, reality and<br />
the idols (5)<br />
The recent<br />
unprecedented<br />
nocturnal raid on the<br />
residences of Supreme Court<br />
justices and judges of the<br />
Federal High Court by the<br />
Department of State Services<br />
(DSS) based on allegations of<br />
corruption has been discussed<br />
from every angle by Nigerians.<br />
In my opinion, it is really a<br />
sad reflection of serious<br />
intellectual kwashiorkor in<br />
our universities that two wellknown<br />
Professors of Law, Yemi<br />
Osinbajo and Itse Sagay,<br />
actually endorsed the<br />
Gestapo-like tactics used by<br />
DSS operatives around<br />
midnight sometime in<br />
October to arrest the topranked<br />
judicial officers. I am<br />
not sure they would approve<br />
the action if it was carried out<br />
during the administrations of<br />
late General Sani Abacha or<br />
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.<br />
Anyway, their uncritical<br />
support conforms with the<br />
growing trend in which senior<br />
academics who, because they<br />
occupy high positions in<br />
government, allow the<br />
temporary elixir of public<br />
office to overshadow respect<br />
for decorum and healthy<br />
disdain towards brute force<br />
they ought to have internalised<br />
while in the university, which<br />
are the hallmarks of genuine<br />
intellectuals. Ideally, in<br />
democratic countries<br />
worldwide, it is accepted that<br />
no one is above the law. At the<br />
same time, there is a venerable<br />
jurisprudential maxim that an<br />
accused is presumed innocent<br />
until proved guilty. There are<br />
PhD,Department of<br />
Philosophy,<br />
University of Lagos<br />
08116759758<br />
opuruiche2000@yahoo.com<br />
laid down procedures for<br />
dealing with corruption and<br />
abuse of office by judicial<br />
officers. In the case we are<br />
discussing, there is no<br />
evidence to show that the DSS<br />
went through all of them and<br />
failed before storming the<br />
homes of Justice Sylvester<br />
Ngwuta and others at a time<br />
most law-abiding citizens<br />
were sleeping. Even so, strictly<br />
speaking, the DSS<br />
overstepped its legitimate<br />
bounds by usurping the<br />
powers of the police and the<br />
EFCC. Afe Babalola, an<br />
experienced lawyer and<br />
Senior Advocate of Nigeria<br />
(SAN), in a series of essays<br />
entitled "DSS midnight arrest<br />
of judges: legal issues and<br />
recommendations" published<br />
by Vanguard newspaper,<br />
correctly questioned the<br />
legality of the action by the<br />
DSS and insisted that despite<br />
the evils and alarming spread<br />
of corruption in Nigeria, the<br />
relevant agencies and<br />
institutions involved in<br />
combating it must adhere<br />
strictly to the rule of law and<br />
due process. The way I see it,<br />
even if the judges were<br />
eventually found guilty, it<br />
would not justify their being<br />
harassed like common<br />
criminals trying to evade<br />
justice. They ought to be<br />
treated with respect<br />
commensurate with their<br />
elevated positions in the<br />
judiciary, especially<br />
considering that they are yet<br />
to be pronounced guilty by a<br />
competent court of law. Of<br />
course, the law does not permit<br />
law enforcement agencies to<br />
treat accused persons<br />
inhumanely or infringe on<br />
their fundamental human<br />
rights. This aspect of the<br />
matter seems to escape the<br />
crowd of vociferous and<br />
hypocritical holier-than-thou<br />
supporters of the jackboot<br />
approach of the government:<br />
they forgot that arbitrary<br />
exercise of power opens the<br />
door to tyranny and the<br />
wickedness of dictatorship.<br />
Existing laws against<br />
corruption are imperfect, no<br />
doubt; yet they protect the<br />
citizens from arbitrary use of<br />
state power and discourage<br />
chaotic deployment of public<br />
resources to harass and<br />
intimidate those who disagree<br />
with or criticise a sitting<br />
government. The laws are<br />
designed to ensure that<br />
innocent people do not suffer<br />
unjustly, which implies that<br />
we should not allow anger<br />
and indignation towards<br />
elephantine corruption in<br />
governance to spill over into<br />
advocacy of garrison<br />
methods in dealing with the<br />
problem.<br />
Thus far, President Buhari's<br />
anti-corruption programme<br />
has achieved far less than he<br />
promised during his<br />
campaigns, leading to his<br />
lamentation that corruption<br />
is fighting back. But what did<br />
he expect - that the looters,<br />
including former governors<br />
who funded his presidential<br />
election campaigns, would<br />
just sit back and let him destroy<br />
the impressive financial<br />
empires they built while in<br />
office? Besides, the<br />
programme has lost much of<br />
its appeal because of<br />
avoidable errors of<br />
judgement by Buhari and his<br />
advisers. As I noted earlier, it<br />
is unduly restricted to<br />
Jonathan's administration. In<br />
addition, there is no concrete<br />
evidence that Buhari is<br />
interested in robustly probing<br />
allegations of corruption<br />
against members of his inner<br />
circle. Of course, there is the<br />
issue of lack of transparency<br />
and accountability in key<br />
aspects of the programme.<br />
For example, no one knows<br />
for sure the identities of those<br />
who allegedly returned<br />
money and public assets to<br />
We must insist that the<br />
evils of corruption<br />
should not make us<br />
support illegalities by<br />
government using the<br />
invalid Machiavellian<br />
argument that "the end<br />
justifies the means"<br />
the federal government and<br />
how much they had returned<br />
to date. In fact, Buhari did not<br />
fulfil his promise to name<br />
those who gave back funds<br />
and property, fuelling<br />
speculation that it was to<br />
protect his political<br />
benefactors, close friends and<br />
acolytes. Not surprisingly,<br />
many agbata ekee politicians<br />
from other political parties are<br />
decamping to the ruling<br />
party because they believe that<br />
doing so will deflect the EFCC<br />
from pursuing pending<br />
corruption cases against<br />
them. Should a genuine anticorruption<br />
programme have<br />
such a self-abnegating effect?<br />
The method President<br />
Buhari is using to fight<br />
corruption will not yield much<br />
positive result because he is<br />
attacking symptoms of the<br />
problem, not its root causes,<br />
with inefficient tools. The very<br />
system that makes corruption<br />
in high places easy and<br />
profitable still exists, and in<br />
some cases, has actually<br />
worsened. For example, the<br />
Emir of Kano and former<br />
Central Bank governor,<br />
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,<br />
reportedly said that<br />
incompetent management of<br />
foreign exchange by<br />
government encourages<br />
unprecedented corruption.<br />
For more effective and<br />
sustainable battle against<br />
corruption, there must be a<br />
paradigm shift in the mindset<br />
of our so-called leaders: there<br />
is an urgent need for a moral<br />
revolution; but Buhari does not<br />
have the moral and spiritual<br />
stature of Mahatma Gandhi<br />
or Nelson Mandela to trigger<br />
such a revolution. Second, the<br />
country must be restructured<br />
according to the provisions in<br />
the regional constitution of the<br />
First Republic or even in the<br />
Aburi Accord of January 1967.<br />
Unfortunately, the President is<br />
not even thinking of letting<br />
power devolve to the<br />
component parts of the<br />
federation: he is too wedded<br />
to the unitarist, commandand-obey<br />
architectonic retired<br />
General Yakubu Gowon<br />
imposed on the country in<br />
1967 to thwart the secessionist<br />
eastern region. Since the<br />
present government, like the<br />
ones before it that began in<br />
May 29, 1999, is unwilling to<br />
take radical steps to change<br />
the convoluted federal system<br />
and expensive presidential<br />
model which breed corruption,<br />
I am not optimistic about the<br />
ongoing anti-corruption<br />
programme. However, if<br />
eventually between now and<br />
the end of his presidency in<br />
May 28, 2019 a tangible<br />
percentage of high profile<br />
corruption cases are<br />
successfully concluded and<br />
there is noticeable reduction<br />
in the quantum of money and<br />
assets stolen from government,<br />
then one can say that the effort<br />
is worthwhile. But we must<br />
insist that the evils of<br />
corruption should not make us<br />
support illegalities by<br />
government using the invalid<br />
Machiavellian argument that<br />
"the end justifies the means."<br />
Corruption can be fought<br />
decently, legally and justly,<br />
and those found guilty must<br />
be severely punished.<br />
Now, I want to look at<br />
President Buhari's bias<br />
against the south east, which<br />
has reared its ugly big head<br />
once again in the unjust<br />
exclusion of the zone in<br />
projects earmarked for the<br />
29.96 billion dollars foreign<br />
loan sought by the federal<br />
government. It is well known<br />
that the President is<br />
discriminating against the<br />
south east in terms of federal<br />
projects and appointments in<br />
critical sectors of our national<br />
life, perhaps to fulfil his<br />
pledge to treat different parts<br />
of the federation according to<br />
the number of votes he<br />
received during the election.<br />
But does it make sense for<br />
Buhari to discriminate<br />
against any part of the country<br />
so blatantly, in a multiply<br />
plural society such as ours?<br />
Objectively speaking, despite<br />
their disastrous defeat in the<br />
civil war and periodic killings<br />
in northern Nigeria, Ndigbo<br />
have demonstrated practically<br />
more than any other ethnic<br />
group in Nigeria solid belief<br />
in the concept of "One<br />
Nigeria." The Igbo can be<br />
found in the remotest part of<br />
the country outside Igboland<br />
contributing in many ways to<br />
the overall development of the<br />
town or rural community<br />
where they live. Thus, any<br />
government that treats the<br />
Igbo unfairly for whatever<br />
reason is not only alienating<br />
some of the country's best and<br />
brightest, it is also<br />
discouraging the very people<br />
that take the idea of a united<br />
Nigerian nation very seriously.<br />
On this issue, I think the<br />
President is pandering to the<br />
Baconian idol of the theatre,<br />
namely, to the unreasonable<br />
doctrine of subjugating the<br />
south to the north formulated<br />
more than half a century ago<br />
by the arch feudalist and<br />
imperialist, late Alhaji<br />
Ahmadu Bello.<br />
To be continued.
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 27<br />
By Mike Ebonugwo<br />
Lagos State governor,<br />
Akinwunmi Ambode, is<br />
certainly no stranger to<br />
televised interviews having featured<br />
in several before and since being<br />
elected into office. But when the<br />
governor appeared as a guest in the<br />
live recording for the maiden edition<br />
of Lagos Global on TV, it certainly<br />
elicited more than passing curiousity<br />
and interest.<br />
With an improvised studio setting<br />
inside the Lagos House Alausa Ikeja<br />
venue of the programme recording,<br />
Ambode was for over two hours virtually<br />
at the mercy of the television crew and<br />
the presenter as he responded to<br />
different questions while a studio<br />
audience, drawn mainly from the<br />
business sector, cheered or applauded<br />
as the interview session progresed.<br />
Apart from the governor, the<br />
recording programme also featured as<br />
a guest, Professor Ademola Abass, the<br />
Special Adviser to the Governor, Office<br />
of Overseas Affairs and Investment. For<br />
the duo it was another opportunity to<br />
speak and further educate Lagosians,<br />
and indeed Nigerians, on what the<br />
administration is doing to realise its<br />
vision of creating an investmentfriendly<br />
Lagos State, especially under<br />
the auspices of the Office of Overseas<br />
Affairs and Investment which the<br />
governor established May last year in<br />
fulfillment of one of his election<br />
promises.<br />
Remarkably this is not a one-off<br />
opportunity as viewers will have the<br />
opportunity to hear and learn more,<br />
through the Lagos Global TV, of the<br />
numerous investment opportunities that<br />
exist in Lagos and what the government<br />
is doing to promote investment by<br />
creating the enabling environment.<br />
The new television programme, which<br />
will run for 26 weeks, will, for now, air<br />
on Television Continental, TVC, and<br />
Lagos Television, LTV.<br />
Explaining the consideration that<br />
informed his decision to establish of the<br />
Office of Overseas Affairs and<br />
Investment, Governor Ambode said<br />
one of his priorities was to see “how to<br />
improve on the ease of doing business<br />
in Lagos and I also believe that we<br />
needed to carry out some kind of public<br />
sector reforms to drive the vision which<br />
we had actually set for ourselves and<br />
we needed to also have a kind of<br />
structure and institutional framework<br />
that would drive the vision.<br />
The vision is very simple: we want a<br />
safer, cleaner and a more prosperous<br />
Lagos and one of the structures<br />
would be if we want to tackle the<br />
issue of bureaucracy in the civil<br />
service. And without actually<br />
competing with the Federal<br />
Government, we needed to find a<br />
place where our foreign investors,<br />
foreign business men will come in<br />
without going from one ministry to<br />
the other, ... we needed to have a<br />
24/7 one-stop shop office where we<br />
can drive investment, especially<br />
where our businessmen can<br />
actually walk into and get<br />
everything that they need. In going<br />
about that, we decided to come up<br />
with the office of Oversees Affairs<br />
and Investment, otherwise known<br />
as Lagos Global. It is designed to<br />
serve as one-stop shop to facilitate<br />
local and international<br />
investments.”<br />
On his part, Abass informed that<br />
the TV programme to run every<br />
week is intended to help Lagosians<br />
know what the state government is<br />
doing in terms of how it is driving<br />
and generating investments and<br />
creating job opportunities. He<br />
added that though it will be<br />
showing for now on TVC and LTV,<br />
How Lagos emerged fif<br />
ifth<br />
larges<br />
gest t economy y in Africa<br />
•We will consolidate —Ambode<br />
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (middle) with Prof. Ademola Abass (right) and Presenter, Temitope Oluseyi<br />
Oshin (left) during the maiden edition of Lagos Global on TV at the Banquet Hall, Lagos House, Ikeja.<br />
We are running on a<br />
tripod of security, job<br />
creation and<br />
improvement of<br />
infrastructure. If Lagos is<br />
safe, more businessmen<br />
will do business and<br />
more investments will<br />
come to Lagos, thereby<br />
creating more jobs and<br />
growing our Gross<br />
Domestic Products<br />
“by the grace of God by next year<br />
we will add another one or two<br />
channels” and will retain the<br />
current format of studio audience<br />
participation. He explained that<br />
in the matter of ranking Lagos<br />
and Kano are critical, with Lagos<br />
having the edge. He buttressed<br />
this by informing that Lagos was<br />
recently pronounced the fifth<br />
largest economy in Africa. “So,<br />
it's no longer a guess work; that<br />
means if Lagos today were to be<br />
country, we're the fifth largest<br />
economy in Africa,'' he said,<br />
adding that it presently has a<br />
Gross Domestic Product that is<br />
bigger than those of Kenya and<br />
Ghana combined.<br />
With regards to Lagos Global,<br />
he had this to say: “Primarily our<br />
focus or aim is to drive<br />
investment. As a government we<br />
have no business running<br />
business. Our business is to<br />
create an enabling environment<br />
for the the private sector to<br />
partner with government. “Lagos<br />
Global aims to ensure that<br />
investors who desire to invest in<br />
Lagos enjoy a seamless and<br />
hurdle-free experience. At Lagos<br />
Global, we aim to provide firstclass<br />
service delivery to<br />
investors, right from the point of<br />
initial enquiry down to the<br />
setting and running of<br />
businesses in Lagos State. Our<br />
goal is to eliminate difficulties<br />
with multi-agency handling of<br />
investments”.<br />
Providing the background to<br />
this arrangement, Ambode had<br />
explained: “We are running on a<br />
tripod of security, job creation<br />
and improvement of<br />
infrastructure. If Lagos is safe,<br />
more businessmen will do<br />
business and more investments<br />
will come to Lagos, thereby<br />
creating more jobs and growing<br />
our Gross Domestic Products”.<br />
He added that the state was<br />
willing to partner with investors<br />
who would add value to the<br />
people. According to him: “...Our<br />
administration has resolved not<br />
to be the sole driver of the public<br />
enterprise, but rather be an<br />
enabler, facilitator and regulator,<br />
while the private sector drives<br />
the economy. Our focus therefore<br />
is a win-win scenario where the<br />
private sector makes profitable<br />
returns on investment and the<br />
government continues to focus on<br />
providing quality and improved<br />
public services to the citizenry in<br />
partnership with the private<br />
sector”.<br />
Waxing optimistic on account of<br />
the positive results already<br />
recorded, he said this became<br />
possible through the reforms<br />
already carried out, especially in<br />
the judicial and security sectors.<br />
“...It is gratifying that the modest<br />
and concerted efforts are yielding<br />
positive outcomes as the state<br />
economy has continued to<br />
expand rapidly with top-notch<br />
local and foreign investors<br />
making new commitments in bus<br />
services, retail outlets and hotels,<br />
amongst others. We have been<br />
having the rule of law properly<br />
upheld in the state in the last 16<br />
months and when you put all the<br />
reforms together, that is the main<br />
thrust of what you can now say<br />
confidently that we have created<br />
an enabling environment for<br />
investors and they are now<br />
coming into Lagos in droves. The<br />
FDI(foreign direct investment)<br />
that we have attracted into Lagos<br />
in the last 16 months is greater<br />
than what we have been having<br />
in the last 10 years.”<br />
Responding to a question from a<br />
member of the studio audience, the<br />
governor said: “Primarily, our<br />
business is to create enabling<br />
environment for business to thrive.<br />
We can sometimes waive some<br />
charges like land charges,<br />
depending on how impactful the<br />
investment is to the people of the<br />
state. This administration has<br />
deployed technology to bring about<br />
seamless service delivery while<br />
scaling up the identity card scheme<br />
for data, economic and financial<br />
planning.<br />
“But, we need infrastructure to make<br />
it happen. We are limited by resources<br />
and we cannot increase taxes, but with<br />
more funds from taxes, we can do<br />
better. The N25 billion Empowerment<br />
Trust Fund is not for big investors but<br />
SMEs and the youth. Our ID card<br />
project will be for planning and<br />
accessing government services. The<br />
contract has been awarded. However,<br />
we need to know the real census<br />
figure of the state as well as those<br />
going in and out of the state.<br />
“There is no government money<br />
anywhere. What we get as tax is what<br />
we use to create services. The more<br />
efficiently we collect the taxes, and<br />
the more willingness of the people to<br />
pay, the better for us. I urge<br />
investors to see Lagos is on the<br />
rise and the future of Nigeria rests<br />
in her commercial capital, which<br />
is Lagos”.<br />
He also stated that reforms in the<br />
transport sector have reduced<br />
travel time, thereby making<br />
Lagosians more productive.<br />
“Again, our civil service has been<br />
very responsible. Our judicial<br />
sector reform has been effective<br />
with the rule of law respected.<br />
Investors are coming in droves...,”<br />
he said.<br />
Responding to a question on the<br />
prevailing poor energy situation, he<br />
pointed out: “We need energy<br />
security to protect the investment. But<br />
we're not in position to drive our<br />
energy need. But we're discussing<br />
and collaborating with the DISCOs<br />
to come up with a new roadmap and<br />
have set up an advisory council on<br />
petroleum supply. I don't want to preempt<br />
that council; in another few<br />
weeks they will come out with their<br />
report. Energy security of our<br />
economy is the way to go”.
PAGE 28—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
08116759757<br />
– Omene, Urhobo leader<br />
By Yinka Ajayi<br />
14-YR-OLD ESE ORURU<br />
How we foiled<br />
plot to scuttle<br />
trial of suspect<br />
in child-bride’s<br />
abduction<br />
•Speaks on alleged<br />
N1.2bn Jonathan election<br />
money for Urhobo<br />
Chief Joe Omene is the<br />
President General,<br />
Urhobo Progress Union,<br />
UPU, Worldwide. He is also the<br />
National President of Okotie-Eboh<br />
Grammar School Old Boys<br />
Association, Sapele, Delta State.<br />
In this interview, Omene bares his<br />
mind on the union’s forthcoming<br />
election, the N1.2b allegedly given<br />
to him by the former President<br />
Goodluck Jonathan, during UPU<br />
leaders visit to Aso Rock and<br />
endorsement of governorship<br />
candidate during the 2015 general<br />
elections.<br />
Can you tell us some of your<br />
major challenges since you<br />
assumed office about three years<br />
ago?<br />
I am not the kind who will give<br />
excuses for not being able to achieve<br />
my goals. But my challenges are<br />
numerous; when you are in such a<br />
sensitive position, you may have<br />
offended one or two persons, but my<br />
priority has been Urhobo interest<br />
which I took oath to protect. Apart<br />
from that, there was this challenge<br />
of the unity of Urhobo nation, and by<br />
the grace of God we are united,<br />
mostly the average Urhobo man. As<br />
a union, we are doing the much we<br />
can to unite Urhobos, both at home,<br />
across the country and those living<br />
outside the country, in order to see<br />
that we are one<br />
.<br />
What will you mention that you<br />
have achieved so far?<br />
Despite the challenges, l have done<br />
well by ensuring that the Urhobo<br />
nation is heard in all parts of the<br />
country. If you mention Urhobo just<br />
like the Afenifere, Ndigbo and the<br />
Arewa, people now know that the<br />
Urhobo nation is existing and this<br />
came about because of the publicity<br />
in the country and outside. UPU<br />
today is no longer UPU yesterday,<br />
because people in government and<br />
in the business world now know the<br />
Urhobo nation. When our daughter,<br />
Ese Oruru, a 14-year old girl, was<br />
abducted and taken away, we were<br />
able to do everything possible to assist<br />
the parents to see that she was<br />
brought back and during the trial of<br />
the suspected abductors, when our<br />
brothers in the country, the Hausa,<br />
Fulanis tried to sweep the issue under<br />
the carpet, trying to frustrate the<br />
process, we provided legal assistance<br />
through UPU National Secretary,<br />
who is a SAN to appear for the girl.<br />
We showed solidarity despite the fact<br />
that the parents are not based in<br />
Urhoboland.<br />
Again, I was able to go everywhere<br />
Urhobo man is around the world,<br />
and, before l came on board, the<br />
union was having less down thirty<br />
UPU branches within and outside<br />
Nigeria, but presently, we have about<br />
70 branches across the world and<br />
more branches will emerge. And this<br />
is being pursued in order to make<br />
our people feel the impact of the<br />
union that has been in existence for<br />
over 80 years ago. After establishing<br />
these branches, I keep in touch with<br />
them and in doing this l have visited<br />
branches in the United Kingdom,<br />
Asia, with headquarters in Malaysia,<br />
Ghana and even Burkina Faso and<br />
l can tell you they were all happy<br />
seeing me.<br />
There were allegations against<br />
the union over the support for one<br />
Urhobo son against the other during<br />
the 2015 general elections. What is<br />
your reaction?<br />
When you look at the support we<br />
•Omene<br />
gave, it was not based on political<br />
consideration. We ex-rayed<br />
everything and considered how it will<br />
benefit Urhobo nation. At the<br />
governorship level, we supported<br />
Labour Party; at the presidential, we<br />
supported PDP. Initially, we didn’t<br />
want to support anybody or party.<br />
All we wanted to do was to preach<br />
peace so that the election could come<br />
and go peacefully, without rancor.<br />
But the people who say crucify him<br />
today, are the same people who came<br />
and pushed UPU to support a<br />
particular person or party. We were<br />
on our own, when leaders and elders<br />
forum of UPU came and said<br />
Urhobo man must be governor and<br />
UPU must do something. So, we<br />
worked out the modalities to ensure<br />
that all the political parties present<br />
Urhobo as their candidates.<br />
We went to Abuja to meet Dr.<br />
Goodluck Jonathan, Chief E.K.<br />
Clark, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to<br />
appeal to them and they agreed that<br />
the governor should come from<br />
Urhobo, but it was same Urhobo<br />
politicians that, at the last minutes,<br />
sabotaged the effort because of<br />
personal interest. After we have<br />
missed that, we came and resolved<br />
to support a governorship candidate<br />
between Labour Party, Chief Great<br />
Ogboru and APC, Chief O’tega<br />
Emerhor. And we asked them to go<br />
and do their campaign, but one day,<br />
the same UPU elders came again to<br />
say UPU should not allow two of her<br />
sons to contest, that one should step<br />
down for the other.<br />
They said we should endorse<br />
Ogboru because he was more<br />
popular than Emerhor; what about<br />
presidential. They said Jonathan was<br />
it because the Afenifere, Ndigbo, Ijaw<br />
and everybody in the South-south<br />
were supporting him. We told them<br />
that we should consult further. We<br />
now invited the President-Generals<br />
of the various 24 kingdoms led by<br />
Dr. Obakponovwe, the elders and<br />
leaders led by Justice Dugbo, the<br />
Ewheya (women) of UPU, the youths<br />
wing and they all said we should<br />
support Ogboru for governor and<br />
Jonathan for president apart from<br />
the clergy forum which said UPU<br />
could support any one between them.<br />
After due consultations, the UPU<br />
executive met and voted and four of<br />
the members of the exco went in<br />
favour of Chief O’tega Emerhor and<br />
APC, the other ten members<br />
Save our businesses from collapse, hoteliers beg Ambode<br />
Hoteliers in Lagos State have<br />
appealed to Governor<br />
Akinwumi Ambode to grant<br />
them tax relief in order to save their<br />
businesses from imminent collapse<br />
as a result of the present economic<br />
challenges and multiple taxation.<br />
Making the appeal, President,<br />
Lagos Hoteliers Association, Aare<br />
Tola Odunuga, lamented that<br />
multiple taxes by different agencies<br />
of government including local<br />
governments are having crippling<br />
effects on his members’ operations.<br />
“We are calling on his excellency,<br />
Governor Akinwumi Ambode, to use<br />
his good office to intervene in our<br />
case. We want the governor, as a<br />
matter of urgency, to help save our<br />
businesses from the present<br />
economic challenges and imminent<br />
collapse by ensuring that all taxes<br />
we are paying should be<br />
harmonized into one. The present<br />
arrangement where we pay taxes on<br />
some items to state and local<br />
government, and even at times<br />
Federal Government is untidy. We<br />
want these taxes to be harmonized<br />
into one. We also want to make<br />
special appeal to him to reduce<br />
Consumption Tax from 5 percent<br />
to 2.5 percent,” Odunuga declared.<br />
While saluting Ambode’s<br />
management acumen and his<br />
realistic approach to governance,<br />
•Aare Tola Odunuga,<br />
President, Hoteliers<br />
Association of Nigeria,<br />
Lagos State chapter<br />
the association boss noted that his<br />
members pay about 24 different<br />
taxes some of which are<br />
overlapping.<br />
“We believe that our members<br />
Officers of FRSC with Pastor Danjuma Tafawa Balewa and wife,<br />
(middle) during a service in commemoration of 2016 Africa/ World<br />
Safety Day of Rememberance for road traffic crash victims at the<br />
Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Cornerstone Parish,<br />
Okota.<br />
are partners with the government in<br />
creating job opportunities but in a<br />
situation where we are paying 24<br />
different taxes, this is not only too<br />
much but are also capable of<br />
sending us out of business. Some of<br />
these taxes which are overlapping<br />
and which are being collected from<br />
our members by the Federal, State,<br />
and Local governments include<br />
Company Tax, Value Added Tax,<br />
Hotel License, Personal Income<br />
Tax, Environment Impact<br />
Assessment, Parking Permits, Waste<br />
Water Killing Request, Land Use<br />
Charge, Radio and TV Permit<br />
among a host of others. We also<br />
appeal to the governor to exempt<br />
us from payment of Consumption<br />
Tax on Drinks and Foods”, he<br />
added.<br />
Expressing the determination of<br />
members of the association to<br />
cooperate with the governor in his<br />
vision to take Lagos to the next<br />
level, Odunuga said:<br />
“We are ready to partner with him<br />
supported Ogboru and PDP, which<br />
now divided the UPU, since it was<br />
four against ten. Out of those four,<br />
one now declared himself as acting<br />
President-General.<br />
What would you say about the<br />
N1.2b alleged to have given to you<br />
by President Goodluck Jonathan?<br />
Before we went to visit Goodluck<br />
Jonathan, I had done some research<br />
work and noticed that there was<br />
about 16 political appointments<br />
given to Delta State out of which 14<br />
went to Delta North, two to Ijaw<br />
nation, but none to Urhobo, Isoko<br />
and Itsekiri and I was able to get the<br />
names of these 16 beneficiaries. I<br />
immediately went to the press to cry<br />
out. So, Jonathan decided to invite<br />
us for consultations and assured us<br />
that he will give a position to Urhobo.<br />
Orubebe resigned, we now got a<br />
ministerial appointment; if we had<br />
not complained, Dr. Steve Oru would<br />
have been minister.<br />
While Jonathan was speaking to<br />
us, I told him that I will love to have<br />
about 10 minutes audience and he<br />
granted it, because you cannot talk<br />
bad of somebody in his presence. But<br />
before we finished talking, it was<br />
more than 10mins. I told the President<br />
like we published in the papers, why<br />
all the appointment he gave to Delta,<br />
there was non-Urhobo and we gave<br />
you the highest votes? He opened up<br />
that it wasn’t deliberate, that until I<br />
cried out, he did not know such<br />
numbers of appointment had gone<br />
to Delta North through the ministry<br />
of finance and economic<br />
development and the minister in<br />
charge happened to be from Delta<br />
North.<br />
in his quest to transform Lagos State<br />
into Dubai of Africa.”<br />
The hoteliers’ Chairman enjoined<br />
the state government to call to order<br />
some of the consultants hired to<br />
collect taxes from hoteliers and<br />
other business operators in the state<br />
over their alleged high-handedness<br />
and extortion.<br />
He said:<br />
“Some of the consultants have<br />
become a bone in the throat of<br />
hoteliers. They extort our members<br />
at will and, if you refuse to dance to<br />
their tune, they will threaten our<br />
members with closure of their<br />
business premises. At times in order<br />
to make money from us, they will<br />
tell a member that he is due to pay<br />
N800,000 as annual tax to the state<br />
government, but that they will<br />
reduce it by half, and that he will<br />
pay N200,000 to the government<br />
coffers, and the other N200,000<br />
goes into their private pockets.<br />
Many of the consultants are<br />
extortionists, we are tired of them.”<br />
Yuletide: FRSC tasks road users<br />
on safety<br />
BY LUCKY OJI<br />
The Federal Road Safety<br />
Corps, FRSC, has admonished<br />
road users to be safety conscious<br />
in order to have an accident-free<br />
yuletide season<br />
The unit commander, RS2.111,<br />
Isolo, Assistant Corps Commander,<br />
ACC, Hauwa Olowookere<br />
made this known during a<br />
thanksgiving service in commemoration<br />
of 2016 Africa/ World<br />
Safety Day of Rememberance for<br />
road traffic crash victims at the<br />
Redeemed Christian Church of<br />
God, RCCG, Cornerstone Parish,<br />
Okota, Lagos by Ikotun and Isolo<br />
units of the corps.<br />
According to the unit commander:<br />
“On 26 October 2005,<br />
the United Nations endorsed a<br />
global day, every third Sunday<br />
in November each year as a major<br />
advocacy day for road traffic<br />
injury prevention with WHO encouraging<br />
governments around<br />
the world to commemorate this<br />
day. Africa adopted the day and<br />
Nigeria, through the FRSC has<br />
maintained this tradition since<br />
then”.<br />
According to her, the FRSC as<br />
the lead agency in road traffic and<br />
safety management in Nigeria<br />
has the statutory responsibilities<br />
of making the roads safe for all<br />
users, thereby safe guarding lives<br />
and property of citizens as well<br />
as ensuring co-ordination between<br />
federal, states and local<br />
governments in achieving road<br />
safety targets.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 29<br />
By PRISCA SAM-DURU<br />
EXHIBITION<br />
Women numbering close to<br />
50, exhibited one form of<br />
art and craft or the other at the<br />
maiden edition of the annual<br />
Association for the Advancement<br />
of Women in Culture, AA-WIC’S<br />
Public Lecture and exhibition<br />
held penultimate Wednesday.<br />
The level of professionalism<br />
displayed in the works exhibited<br />
is an indication that women's<br />
place can never be limited to the<br />
kitchen and bedroom alone.<br />
There stunning works showcased<br />
their relevance in the country’s<br />
bid to diversify her economy as<br />
well as assisting in the up-keep of<br />
the home especially during this<br />
period of recession.<br />
The objects exhibited during the<br />
AA-WIC event held at the Cinema<br />
Hall 1 of the National Theatre,<br />
Lagos, ranged from visual art,<br />
fashion, beautifully crafted beads,<br />
locally made adire, Aso oke<br />
and much more. They decorated<br />
the outside walls of the Hall in<br />
such a way that it added glamour<br />
to the ambience of the event. The<br />
decors however, caused heavy<br />
traffic as women and guests<br />
admired and patronised the<br />
exhibitors.<br />
AA-WIC, initiated by Mrs<br />
Bidgette Yerima, is designed to<br />
By JAPHET ALAKAM<br />
REVIEW<br />
The absence of peace the<br />
world over has led to many<br />
terrific acts that had affected<br />
human beings. Peace is very<br />
important because if there is<br />
violence people can die...and no<br />
one would like to loose their lives<br />
and loose their loved ones!if there<br />
is peace the world will be a much<br />
better place to live and there will<br />
be development in all areas. But,<br />
a critical look around the world<br />
shows the opposite and that is why<br />
people are crying for peace and<br />
harmony. Many writers have<br />
come up with books that preach<br />
peace, and as part of his<br />
contribution to that, Pastor<br />
Aderemi Folasayo, a preacher and<br />
ordained minister of God, who is<br />
in the business of propagating the<br />
gospel of God came up with a<br />
book titled Harmony of Human<br />
Nature.<br />
The 253 page book published<br />
by Soloj Resources Ventures Ltd<br />
addresses the need for peace in<br />
our world; peace among people<br />
and particularly, peace within the<br />
heart. It emphasizes peace within<br />
and with oneself. That whether in<br />
individuals or among people;<br />
whether within the heart or across<br />
boundaries, peace is beautiful.<br />
And that its beauty becomes more<br />
striking when achieved across<br />
relationships; through joint effort.<br />
Segmented into 10 chapters, the<br />
seasoned man of God who was led<br />
by revelation tries to look at ways<br />
by which the world can achieve<br />
peace and live in harmony.<br />
According to him, peace won’t just<br />
come; there must be deliberate<br />
actions towards achieving it.<br />
Using the peaceful outcome of<br />
human nature working in a<br />
harmonious state as a basis for<br />
discussion on the subject matter,<br />
the author points out that every<br />
joint effort for peace speaks of<br />
healthy togetherness. The kind of<br />
togetherness that brings out the<br />
very beauty of Nature. For clarity,<br />
it draws extensively from efforts<br />
Remodelling women's socio-political, cultural<br />
impact for devt<br />
bring together, women in the art<br />
and culture and other related<br />
bodies, hence, it serves as a<br />
platform that enables women to<br />
deliberate on issues affecting the<br />
various industries under its<br />
purview. The platform also helps<br />
create employment by training<br />
talented women and girls so as<br />
to boost their works. Members<br />
of the group are also afforded<br />
The level of<br />
professionalism<br />
displayed in the<br />
works showcased is<br />
an indication that<br />
women's place can<br />
never be limited to<br />
the kitchen<br />
the opportunity to contribute<br />
positively to national<br />
development.<br />
Themed, “Nigerian Women in<br />
Development: A Rethink of the<br />
Socio-Political and Cultural<br />
•Guests going through the works<br />
Imperatives”, the acassion served<br />
largely as an opportunity to<br />
showcase the beauty of women’s<br />
traditional attires made from the<br />
popular ankara fabrics, as guests<br />
and organisers appeared radiant<br />
in their different styles.<br />
The cultural performance by the<br />
Lagos State Council for Arts and<br />
culture was one display that blew<br />
the minds of everyone present. It<br />
was energetic, well coordinated<br />
and well thought-out, forcing<br />
applause and cheers from the<br />
audience.<br />
Nigeria’s wave making<br />
comedian, Helen Paul took the<br />
centre stage and what happened<br />
is best experienced than heard.<br />
Of course she advised against<br />
relegating the women to the<br />
kitchen and bedroom.<br />
Speaking on the topic,<br />
“Nigerian Women in<br />
Development: A Rethink of the<br />
Socio-Political and Cultural<br />
Peace: Folasayo’s wake up call to all<br />
generations<br />
that have been expended on the<br />
subject of peace by people of all<br />
ages.<br />
From chapter 1 tagged<br />
Together for peace-The beauty<br />
of harmony in nature to the end,<br />
the author highlights the<br />
importance of peace. Peace is<br />
so vital in existence that people<br />
search for it in many ways, to<br />
the extent that they even do<br />
abominable things to get it, but<br />
the more they search for it, the<br />
more they realise that they are<br />
far from the peace of God.<br />
In the subsequent chapters, the<br />
author examines the various<br />
ways to achieve peace and<br />
advises that no organism or<br />
machine can have optimal<br />
production without being at<br />
peace with itself and by<br />
By ELIZABETH UWANDU<br />
MUSIC<br />
As part of moves to<br />
immortalize the Nigerian<br />
legend and Lady of Songs,<br />
Christy Essien Igbokwe, a<br />
special event tagged 2016<br />
Christy Essien Igbokwe<br />
Memorial Evening, the first of<br />
such an event, five years after her<br />
demise was held at the<br />
Metropolitan Club, Victoria<br />
Island.<br />
The event which was also used<br />
to celebrate the 56th<br />
posthumous birthday of the<br />
celebrated music icon, who died<br />
at the prime age of 50 was<br />
attended by many dignitaries,<br />
musicians, music lovers,<br />
especially fans of the late music<br />
icon.<br />
Speaking at the event, Mr<br />
Edwin Igbokwe, husband of the<br />
late music icon said that his wife<br />
is still alive. “My wife Christy is<br />
not dead but lives in our house.<br />
She is with us and very happy at<br />
what we are doing.”<br />
Harmony of Human Nature,<br />
Aderemi Folasayo, Soloj<br />
Resources Ventures Ltd,<br />
Onipanu, Lagos, 2016, PP.253.<br />
extension with others. He then<br />
suggest that people should learn<br />
to live and run their lives<br />
according to the fear of God as<br />
if they continue to do it their own<br />
way, chaos will continue. He also<br />
cautions those who use religion<br />
to advance their ungodly and<br />
nefarious actions to desist as they<br />
will not get genuine peace<br />
through that.<br />
The book also focuses on the<br />
need for the components of the<br />
human nature to relate to one<br />
another through the authority of<br />
the scriptures. Here, all the<br />
multidimensional law of<br />
relationship must be at work, the<br />
man himself, the environment he<br />
lives and others, as the desired<br />
peace could not be found unless<br />
nature’s elements are working<br />
harmoniously.<br />
The author also talks about<br />
Imperatives”, Guest Speaker,<br />
Professor Mabel Evwierhoma<br />
harped on the need for the country<br />
to centralise women’s concerns<br />
through various women-centred<br />
groups so as to better the lives of<br />
its citizenry.<br />
Prof Evwierhoma lamented that<br />
social inequalities exist between the<br />
sexes in the public service where<br />
women were restricted to certain job<br />
spheres or ‘arena’ in the service<br />
while men are given the freedom to<br />
explore all the cadres available...”<br />
She advised women to set up<br />
organisational structures to<br />
engender development, facilitate<br />
democratic imperatives and<br />
replicate such associations or their<br />
branches across Nigeria.<br />
She emphasised on skill<br />
acquisition and proper mentoring<br />
of women to make their relevance<br />
felt more in the society, stressing<br />
that, “Women should push for<br />
African sophistication and divert<br />
the thinking of the younger<br />
generation of women to the<br />
reliability of culture as a means of<br />
retooling our social systems.<br />
Women are germane to culture<br />
administration, they help to create<br />
and add value to the Nigerian<br />
culture architecture.”<br />
peace and rest. Here he points out<br />
that to achieve such state in life,<br />
man must cease to look from<br />
negative influences of external<br />
forces. Human beings must<br />
interact as it is not good to live in<br />
isolation, but they must be careful<br />
of the type of union they join.<br />
Finally, the author enjoins his<br />
readers to look into the word of<br />
God and follow the footsteps of<br />
those who have done everything<br />
possible to see that peace reign on<br />
earth. Though there will be<br />
challenges, but if they stand till<br />
the end, God will reward them and<br />
give them perfect peace.<br />
According to the author, “the<br />
book is a wake up call to all lovers<br />
of peace in my generation, to<br />
individuals and groups of men<br />
who love the lifestyle of peace and<br />
in particular to fellow Christians<br />
who will not want to wake up one<br />
day and be forced to embrace a<br />
religion against their wish.” I<br />
recommend to all.<br />
Lady of Songs, Christy Essien lives on<br />
According to him, the memorial<br />
event, set the tune towards<br />
immortalising her awesome<br />
legacy as a true African<br />
songstress, actress, Lady of Songs,<br />
an adorable mother and wife, and<br />
a philanthropist with a large<br />
heart for children and the less<br />
privileged (whom she assisted<br />
through her foundation in many<br />
ways, including directly paying<br />
school fees for most of them at<br />
secondary and tertiary<br />
institutions).<br />
He added, “To sum her essence,<br />
Christy Essien Igbokwe was an<br />
Amazon with a spiritual heart<br />
for God, where she draws<br />
inspiration from. She is very<br />
dedicated and strives towards<br />
attaining excellence, using her<br />
special skills to generate joy to<br />
mankind.<br />
Born on November 11, 1960 in<br />
Okat, Onna LGA of Akwa Ibom<br />
State, Christy Essien, as popularly<br />
known by her musical fans or<br />
•Late Christy Essien Igbokwe<br />
as Apena by lovers of Nigerian<br />
soap operas in the 70s and 80s<br />
was an icon, a superstar, a legend<br />
and Nigeria’s beloved lady of<br />
songs.<br />
On her part, Honorable Abike<br />
Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special<br />
Adviser to the President on<br />
Diaspora Affairs described<br />
Christy Essien as a lady with a<br />
transforming power, saying,<br />
“Everything she touched turned<br />
gold; things worked when she<br />
stepped in.”<br />
“She was a legend who had set<br />
standard in the entertainment<br />
world. She was a multi-talented<br />
super-super. She is never going to<br />
die; with all her achievements. She<br />
is a legend. She led a good life and<br />
her legacy lives on forever. We<br />
must all join hands to support the<br />
foundation,” she added.<br />
At the event were foremost<br />
celebrities including Onyeka<br />
Onwenu, Dr. Tee-Mac Omatsola<br />
Iseli; Laolu Akins, Lorraine<br />
Okotie and Rev. Cynthia Okobi<br />
(both of whom represented Pastor<br />
Chris Okotie) and TV personnel,<br />
Mr. Bisi Olatilo.<br />
Other dignitaries at the event<br />
included Mr. Ted Iwere,Dr. and<br />
Mrs. Austin Izagbo, who put the<br />
guests through her awesome<br />
legacies and Dr. Gladys Makoju<br />
who delivered a very befitting<br />
citation, among others. Also a<br />
sensational artiste, Faith Okoh,<br />
livened up the event with her<br />
electrifying rendition of Christy<br />
Essien songs.<br />
•Continues on page 30
PAGE 30—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
By JAPHET ALAKAM<br />
REVIEW<br />
Music is the greatest<br />
creation of man, which<br />
touches the soul and also helps<br />
man to sympathetically manifest<br />
unspoken desire and humanity in<br />
him. In fact, music can best be<br />
described as wonderful force that<br />
is capable of bonding people<br />
together and instituting<br />
international brotherhood, love<br />
as well as peace. But, one issue<br />
that has been bordering the<br />
minds of many, especially music<br />
teachers/lovers is the scarcity of<br />
literature on popular music<br />
studies.<br />
And it was the need to provide<br />
a fresh perspective on its<br />
importance that Ikenna<br />
Emmanuel Onwuegbuna, a<br />
musician and music lecturer at<br />
Department of Music, University<br />
of Nigeria, Nsukka came up with<br />
a new book entitled , “Trends in<br />
African Popular Music: Socio-<br />
Cultural Interactions and the<br />
Reggae Genre in Nigeria”.<br />
The 132 page book published<br />
by Xlibris was inspired by the<br />
author’s decades of involvement<br />
with the performance and<br />
teaching of music and his desire<br />
to produce a dependable piece of<br />
literature in popular music<br />
pedagogy.<br />
The six chapter well researched<br />
book traces and chronicles the<br />
trends in African popular music<br />
By SIMON IBE<br />
REVIEW<br />
It is not always that we find a<br />
work of literary art being<br />
used to dispassionately dissect<br />
contemporary economic and<br />
social issues the way Dr. Abraham<br />
Nwankwo has done, using his<br />
book, Through The Storm .<br />
An accomplished Economist,<br />
Nwankwo found a way to use this<br />
well crafted drama, that was first<br />
published in 2011 (well before the<br />
phenomenon called recession<br />
became pronounced in Nigeria in<br />
its present excruciating form) to<br />
discuss the current crisis in the<br />
country’s economy as well as<br />
other nagging social issues.<br />
The compact and gripping story<br />
that is told in Seven Acts, in 94<br />
pages of excellent dialogue,<br />
opens with an apt explanation of<br />
recession, which is causing<br />
consternation across the country:<br />
“… So if the economy is in<br />
recession, it could lead to distress<br />
in the banking sector, because<br />
companies that have borrowed<br />
are more likely to default. Inflow<br />
of new deposits will slow down<br />
and the banks will find it more<br />
difficult to meet up with cash<br />
withdrawals …” and ends with<br />
the sorry story of what can<br />
happen in a country where there<br />
is no functional health insurance<br />
scheme - a woman in the hospital<br />
that cannot go home after<br />
delivering her baby because her<br />
husband is in Police detention,<br />
waiting for money to be paid to<br />
secure his bail so that he can come<br />
out of detention to look for money<br />
to pay so that the hospital can<br />
discharge his wife.<br />
The main character in the play<br />
is Jacob Ako, a poorly paid<br />
lecturer who needs a better<br />
paying job to be able to take care<br />
of his family. He contacts his old<br />
school mate, Chief Marinzo Uko,<br />
the owner of a group of<br />
companies that is into foreign<br />
exchange business and<br />
importation of spare parts. The<br />
Onwuegbuna provides fresh perspective on<br />
the importance of music<br />
– an acculturative product of<br />
African folk music. It inspects<br />
along the lines of musical and<br />
social processes as an<br />
inseparable pair to see the<br />
development of various genres<br />
stemmed from such an eclectic<br />
musical form.<br />
According to him, “It is popular<br />
music that most people turn to as<br />
a representation of self-identity;<br />
the book therefore helps us<br />
understand the role African<br />
popular musical culture—<br />
including its origins,<br />
developments and future<br />
trends—plays in the human<br />
society.”<br />
The author focuses on popular<br />
music, since he believes that this<br />
represents the voice of the people,<br />
In all, the book<br />
reveals the<br />
connection between<br />
currently popular<br />
African music and<br />
the strings that wrap<br />
culture,economy and<br />
society<br />
combining a musician’s<br />
understanding of music with a<br />
musicologist’s perspective on<br />
how music impacts society and<br />
vice versa.<br />
In chapter 1, tagged Prelude, the<br />
author as a professional pop<br />
musician who has operated from<br />
both sides of non-literate and<br />
literate musical performance<br />
over three decades explains the<br />
rationale and justified it by the<br />
fact the musical and social<br />
processes have received only a<br />
cursory attention in the hands of<br />
scholars.<br />
Chapter two looks at the sociocultural<br />
interactions. Here, he<br />
takes comprehensive and<br />
insightful look at the origin and<br />
development of different music<br />
genres. He traces the dramatic<br />
transformations, especially<br />
through urbanization and<br />
industrialization that brought<br />
about changes that disrupted<br />
traditional attitudes, lifestyles<br />
and forms of artistic expression<br />
and patronage, while creating<br />
new urban social class with<br />
musical taste.<br />
In chapter three, the author<br />
defines popular music as the<br />
totality of those musics with<br />
diverse styles that have developed<br />
Trends in African Popular<br />
Music; Ikenna Emmanuel<br />
Onwuegbuna; Xlibris,<br />
Bloomington, USA: 2015; PP.<br />
132<br />
from artistic manipulations and<br />
fusions of musical activities of<br />
distant cultures, times and<br />
practices. He also provides the<br />
stylistic, sociological, processbased<br />
and theory based<br />
definitions and what African<br />
Popular music is.<br />
The Reggae genre, its history<br />
and etymology, the growth and<br />
spread of the genre, the<br />
development of the various genre<br />
like Roots Reggae, Dub, Rockers<br />
Deploying drama to discussion of recession and other<br />
critical issues<br />
business is in distress and in debts<br />
of N100million and needs Jacob’s<br />
management know-how to turn it<br />
around.<br />
When Jacob arrives Lagos to<br />
resume, he finds out the hard way,<br />
that restructuring an ailing<br />
organization has its risks and that<br />
corruption always fights back.<br />
Sama, the face of corruption in<br />
Chief Marinzo’s company plans<br />
to kill him, by bombing his hotel<br />
room, for using the restructuring<br />
exercise he embarks upon to block<br />
the avenues through which he,<br />
Sama, had been defrauding the<br />
company.<br />
Though innocent, Jacob is<br />
detained, for the bomb blast in the<br />
hotel and later for a debt the<br />
company owes. He is detained<br />
under horrible conditions and<br />
recounts in graphic details what<br />
happens in Police cells and<br />
detention facilities and confesses<br />
that: “These people… are<br />
heartless, soulless.”<br />
Dr. Nwankwo, the Director<br />
General of Debt Management<br />
Office, DMO, has written other<br />
celebrated books and highly<br />
acclaimed articles on the<br />
management of the nation’s<br />
economy, especially on how to<br />
tackle the consequences of over<br />
dependence on crude oil export<br />
The incredibly<br />
engaging book<br />
has a lot of<br />
lessons for both<br />
leaders and the<br />
led in Nigeria,<br />
Africa and<br />
beyond<br />
Through The Storm (Drama)<br />
; Abraham Nwankwo; Evans<br />
Publishers; 2011; PP.94<br />
revenue, which is the cause of the<br />
present recession being faced by<br />
the country.<br />
That he highlighted the issue of<br />
recession in the opening lines of<br />
Through The Storm can be<br />
considered visionary, given that<br />
the book was first published long<br />
before the wind of recession<br />
started buffeting the country‘s<br />
economy. That he used Chief<br />
Marinzo, whose company is into<br />
foreign exchange business and<br />
importation as a major actor in<br />
the play is also a way of<br />
communicating the fact that the<br />
country must de-emphasis<br />
importation and focus on<br />
production, especially agrobased<br />
production and export of<br />
goods manufactured in the<br />
country so as to earn foreign<br />
exchange.<br />
Also very crucial is the point<br />
made through the engagement of<br />
Jacob by Marinzo to restructure<br />
his company using a<br />
‘sophisticated management’<br />
system. It is a message that<br />
when a company or country‘s<br />
economy has grown to become<br />
big or ‘complex’ or when there is<br />
economic crisis, there must be<br />
resort to economic experts who<br />
can apply what Marinzo called<br />
“modern management system<br />
that can neatly tie up and exploit<br />
our potentials,” and who can plug<br />
loopholes created by fraudsters<br />
and corrupt officials as Jacob did<br />
in Marinzo’s company.<br />
The reaction of Jacob’s wife,<br />
Adarly, when told by her husband<br />
that he had accepted Marinzo’s<br />
job and was going to restructure<br />
the company is also instructive:.<br />
She expresses fear that such jobs<br />
are dangerous or risky because<br />
workers almost always see it as<br />
avenue to retrench them and<br />
therefore often fight back.<br />
The current process of<br />
restructuring Nigeria’s economy<br />
away from consumption and<br />
import dependence to production<br />
and export, and the attempts<br />
being made to plug the holes<br />
drilled by corruption cannot be<br />
without stiff resistance.<br />
That is one of the major<br />
messages being passed on by this<br />
loaded book. The managers of the<br />
economy must not be intimidated<br />
but must, courageously forge<br />
ahead with the restructuring and<br />
diversification agenda as well as<br />
•Continued from page 29<br />
Commenting on the future<br />
events, the Chief Executive<br />
Officer of Best of the World, Mrs.<br />
Joy Chinwokwu, whose<br />
organisation initiated the effort<br />
to immortalise the legend,<br />
explained that the 2016 event is<br />
a prelude to the planned Annual<br />
Christy Essien Igbokwe Evening<br />
of Songs and Dance and will hold<br />
on every November 11, to mark<br />
the songstress’ posthumous<br />
birthday.<br />
She noted that arrangements<br />
Reggae etc. The modern trends in<br />
Reggae music, nature and<br />
features of Reggae and others are<br />
well documented in chapter four.<br />
Chapter five takes a critical<br />
look at the Nigerian Reggae scene<br />
from the various periods, between<br />
1960 and 1980, between 1980<br />
and 2000 and the Nigerian<br />
Reggae in the present millennium<br />
and various artistes that<br />
dominated the scenes like EC<br />
Arinze, Orlando Owoh, Joe Nez<br />
down to Sonny Okosuns, Keni-St-<br />
George Ozoloke, Harry Mosco,<br />
Bongos Ikwue, Cloud 7, The<br />
Doves, Sir Victor Uwaifo, Semi<br />
Colon, Tony Grey and others.<br />
Finally, the author presents a<br />
reflections of the gains of the<br />
investigations into the trends in<br />
the creation, development and<br />
modifications in African popular<br />
music, covering the ethnic,<br />
interethnic, and styles as well as<br />
making a closer survey of the<br />
Nigerian reggae musical<br />
practices.<br />
In all, Trends in African Popular<br />
Music reveals the connection<br />
between currently popular<br />
African music and the strings that<br />
wrap culture, economy and<br />
society. Through opening the eyes<br />
of readers to the socio-cultural<br />
issues inherent in new tunes, it<br />
makes them aware of the present<br />
situation they are facing.<br />
the fight against corruption.<br />
A critical issue that is not<br />
expressly canvassed in the book<br />
is question of securing long term<br />
loans at concessionary rates to<br />
fund infrastructural development<br />
which would catalyse the<br />
diversification agenda and lead<br />
to prosperity. The book ought to<br />
have highlighted this necessity<br />
and warned against its<br />
politicization.<br />
Through the Storm, which is<br />
well spiced with rich proverbs<br />
and other riveting techniques of<br />
play writing, also communicates<br />
the fact that alongside the<br />
restructuring of the economy,<br />
there must be the reformation of<br />
the education sector, the health<br />
care system and the justice system<br />
among others, as well as an<br />
intensification of the fight<br />
against crime.<br />
The incredibly engaging<br />
book has a lot of lessons for both<br />
leaders and the led in Nigeria,<br />
Africa and beyond and must be<br />
made a must read for students<br />
and policy formulators, so that<br />
its deep insights can benefit a<br />
wider spectrum of the people for<br />
whom it is written.<br />
Lady of Songs, Christy Essien lives<br />
on<br />
for the 2017 event have already<br />
commenced, with the booking of<br />
the Civic Centre Victoria Island<br />
venue and that the yearly<br />
November event will be preceded<br />
by an Annual Christy Essien<br />
Igbokwe Memorial Lecture,<br />
which will highlight the plight of<br />
the less-privileged, a passion the<br />
late maestro held very dear. The<br />
annual event, she said, will attract<br />
music legends from all over the<br />
world, alongside Nigerian<br />
celebrities, corporate interests,<br />
other dignitaries and couples with<br />
love for music.
KALEIDOSCOPE<br />
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 31<br />
By Demola Akinyemi<br />
Penultimate Thursday,<br />
what could best be<br />
described as mutiny<br />
happened at Mandala Prison<br />
Yard and Federal Prison,<br />
Okekura, both in Ilorin, Kwara<br />
State capital.<br />
Sunday Vanguard reliably<br />
gathered that about 76<br />
condemned inmates from<br />
the facilities had been holding<br />
nocturnal meetings until<br />
penultimate Tuesday when<br />
their leader summoned the<br />
prison officials to unfold<br />
thirteen demands which must<br />
be met within twenty four<br />
hours.<br />
Sources said agitation by<br />
prison inmates,particularly the<br />
condemned ones, was not<br />
strange in the last months of the<br />
year to draw the attention of the<br />
governor who has the sole power<br />
to grant them clemency in the<br />
new year.<br />
It was gathered that<br />
condemned prison inmates also<br />
need the governors’ assent for<br />
them to be executed; so the end<br />
of the year period is strategic to<br />
them.<br />
The demands of the<br />
condemned prison inmates in<br />
the two Ilorin prison yards<br />
included that they wanted to be<br />
eating four pieces of meat per<br />
meal. They also demanded to be<br />
allowed to use phones, MP3<br />
player and that they will like to<br />
be going out five hours daily,<br />
among others.<br />
The prison officials were said<br />
to have explained to the inmates<br />
that they had no such powers to<br />
grant those requests, and so will<br />
send the requests to the prison<br />
headquarters in Abuja which<br />
will look into them and reply,<br />
hence the need for them to be<br />
•Left: Some of the injured prisoners; right: smashed door of the prison<br />
ILORIN PRISON RIOT<br />
Six condemned prisoners<br />
die fighting for meat<br />
patient.<br />
The leader of the inmates<br />
reportedly immediately<br />
disagreed with the prison<br />
officials, saying they had no such<br />
patience,and, therefore,<br />
threatened to revolt against the<br />
authorities.<br />
Consequently, the authorities<br />
beefed up security around the<br />
two prison yards,but were caught<br />
napping as the later events<br />
turned out to be fatal.<br />
Ahead of the fateful Thursday,<br />
the condemned inmates,<br />
according to sources, had<br />
packed their faeces and urine<br />
together and, as the day broke,<br />
they started throwing the faeces<br />
and pouring out urine at every<br />
prison official in sight and<br />
pandemonium erupted.<br />
The condemned inmates were<br />
said to have broken loose,<br />
headed for the main gate and<br />
broke it down, thereby forcing<br />
themselves into the main<br />
compound of the prison yards.<br />
The incident were said to have<br />
occurred simultaneously in the<br />
two prison yards at a time senior<br />
officials were having their usual<br />
brief at their administrative<br />
office in the GRA, Ilorin.<br />
Immediately they were alerted<br />
of the development, the confused<br />
officials called for<br />
The demands of<br />
the condemned<br />
prison inmates in<br />
the two Ilorin<br />
prison yards<br />
included that<br />
they wanted to<br />
be eating four<br />
pieces of meat<br />
per meal<br />
reinforcement from sister<br />
security agencies in Kwara<br />
which bombarded the prison<br />
yards and overwhelmed the<br />
rampaging inmates. In the<br />
process, six of inmates<br />
reportedly died while seven<br />
others are still lying critically ill<br />
in hospital.<br />
Confirming<br />
the<br />
development,the Public<br />
Relations Officer of Nigeria<br />
Prison Service, Kwara State,Mr<br />
Philips Adegbulugbe, said: “It is<br />
unfortunate that we lost six of the<br />
condemned inmates.”<br />
He narrated how the incident<br />
happened: “It happened like<br />
this: On Tuesday, November<br />
15,2016,the officer in charge of<br />
Oke-kura Prison, Ilorin, ASP<br />
Usman Aliu Baba, ran to the<br />
State Comptroller of Prisons<br />
and told him that inmates were<br />
trying to take over the prison<br />
from him, that they wanted to<br />
see the Comptroller who then<br />
ordered top officers of the prison<br />
command to lead him down<br />
there.<br />
“When he got there, the<br />
Comptroller met them, talked to<br />
them and appealed that he would<br />
find alternative means of<br />
addressing their demands.<br />
“The following day,the<br />
Comptroller went there again<br />
and discovered that the inmates<br />
had listed 14-point demand,and<br />
that if the Comptroller was<br />
unable to meet the demands<br />
within 24 hours, they will take<br />
over the prison .”<br />
The prison spokesman listed<br />
the condemned inmates<br />
demands as follows: That the<br />
Comptroller should be opening<br />
them everyday between 8am and<br />
2pm, and 4pm to 6pm whereas<br />
the Prison Act Cap P2P stipulates<br />
that condemned inmates can<br />
only be allowed to look around<br />
an hour per day and then return<br />
to the cell.<br />
“So, on that day, on getting to<br />
the office,we learnt that the<br />
nmates had taken over the<br />
yard,that they had started to<br />
throw faeces at the staff,to the<br />
extent that they wanted to force<br />
themselves out of the yard. Two<br />
of our men were injured.<br />
“In an attempt to curb the<br />
situation,our armed men were<br />
ordered to tear gas them,and we<br />
were able to put the situation<br />
under control. It was the<br />
following day that we discovered<br />
that some of them were not<br />
alright and we rushed them to<br />
hospital. It was in that process<br />
that six inmates lost their lives.”<br />
As of the time of talking, he<br />
said the place was peaceful and<br />
calm.<br />
Following the disturbance, the<br />
Minister of Interor, Lieutenant<br />
General Abdulrahman Bello<br />
Dambazzau, visited Ilorin, and<br />
ordered investigation into the<br />
inmates riot.<br />
The Minister directed an intra<br />
ministerial committee to work<br />
with Nigeria Prisons<br />
management team towards<br />
unravelling the remote<br />
circumstances surrounding the<br />
incident,in order to avoid the<br />
repeat of such in any of the<br />
nations’ prison yards and<br />
sanction any official found<br />
culpable.<br />
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed<br />
of Kwara State, who also visited<br />
the scene of the incident,<br />
canvassed urgent reforms of<br />
the prison systems in the<br />
country for the facilities to<br />
achieve the role of reforming<br />
prisoners before their re-entry<br />
into the society.<br />
Nigeria will come back str<br />
trong—<br />
ong—Olatunji<br />
By Olayinka Latona<br />
THE Redeemed Christian Church<br />
of God, RCCG, Heaven’s Glory<br />
Parish, Ogun Province 8, last<br />
Sunday, rolled out drums and other<br />
instruments of praise to appreciate<br />
God’s glory and mercy upon her in<br />
the past 10 years of its existence.<br />
Appreciating God’s faithfulness in<br />
his welcome address, Parish Pastor,<br />
Olarotimi Olatunji, said the church<br />
as well as its members have quite a<br />
lot to appreciate God for, saying:<br />
“We do this to remember God’s<br />
power that gives wisdom and the<br />
ability to accomplish great tasks.<br />
Not only has God preserved us, He<br />
had lifted us up in every ramification<br />
to an area and zonal headquaters<br />
in such a short period.”<br />
Speaking on the state of the nation,<br />
the cleric expressed optimism that<br />
Nigeria will still be great,<br />
irrespective of its present economic<br />
challenges, adding that Nigerians<br />
should not lose hope in the country<br />
as everything would turn around for<br />
•Some of the past and current ministers of RCCG,<br />
Heaven’s Glory Parish, Ogun Province 8 cutting<br />
the church 10 th year anniversary cake.<br />
better. “God will never fail Nigerians, it is going<br />
to be well for Nigeria, its time of overflowing will<br />
come and the challenges the country is facing<br />
now will be a thing of the past.God has good<br />
plans for Nigeria and will restore and rebuild<br />
Nigeria” he said.<br />
Speaking on the importance<br />
of thanksgiving, the wife of<br />
Provincial Pastor of Ogun<br />
Province 18, Pastor Tolani<br />
Adeyemo urged members to<br />
shun evil and always give<br />
thanks to God, adding that any<br />
nation that fears God is<br />
qualified for God’s favour and<br />
mercy.<br />
The six days anniversary<br />
celebration was attended by old<br />
ministers who were honoured<br />
for meritorious and excellent<br />
service during their tenure in<br />
the parish.<br />
Olorogun urges Okowa to<br />
fulfill promises to Okwagbe<br />
By Simon Adewale<br />
The Esama of Ukepedi<br />
Kingdom, Delta<br />
State, Olorogun Okiemute<br />
Okwagbe, has urged<br />
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa<br />
to fulfill his electioneering<br />
campaign promises to the<br />
people of Okwagbe as the<br />
people are worried that<br />
there is no government<br />
presence in the community.<br />
Okwagbe, who is also a<br />
Peoples Democratic Party,<br />
PDP, leader, said in Ughelli<br />
that the people of the<br />
community are accusing<br />
him of misleading them to<br />
cast their votes for the PDP<br />
during the 2015<br />
governorship election in<br />
Delta.<br />
He appealed to Okowa to<br />
come to the community aid<br />
especially in the area of<br />
constructing water channels<br />
to check flood, saying the<br />
people felt he deceived them<br />
to cast their votes for PDP,<br />
because there is not<br />
government presence yet in<br />
the community.<br />
The Esama added that the<br />
people had asked to fulfill<br />
his promises to the<br />
community or be prepared<br />
for a political battle in the<br />
upcoming local government<br />
elections in the first quarter<br />
of 2017 and on the 2019<br />
general elections.
PAGE 32— SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk<br />
08056180152, SMS only<br />
How a violent lover got more than he<br />
bargained for!<br />
Arit was having a<br />
r e l a x e d<br />
conversation with<br />
her boy friend, Jide in her<br />
bedroom when she heard<br />
some disturbing<br />
movements in her living<br />
room.<br />
Alarmed it could be<br />
armed robbers, she<br />
shushed Jide and hurried<br />
to bolt the bedroom door.<br />
Before she could, however,<br />
the door flew open.<br />
revealing an angry man<br />
looking fit to murder!<br />
“My heart sank and I<br />
became afraid for my life<br />
and .Jide’s”, confessed<br />
Arit. For the man who just<br />
stormed her bedroom was<br />
Moses. her married lover<br />
of 10 years with whom she<br />
had a son. Yet. when she<br />
first met Moses. her older<br />
friends were a bit<br />
skeptical about the<br />
relationship. Arit was<br />
already in her late 20s.<br />
and feared she would be<br />
left on the shelf. so she<br />
opted for second best.<br />
Over the years. she’d had<br />
her chances at love. had<br />
even been engaged to a<br />
man she later jilted<br />
because he wasn’t as<br />
educated as she was.<br />
Moses was all she wanted<br />
in a man - only he was<br />
married with children.<br />
But. he spoilt her rotten.<br />
moved her into a bigger<br />
flat and helped her get a<br />
more secured job in a<br />
consulting firm.<br />
Her fate was sealed<br />
when she got pregnant a<br />
couple of years after they<br />
met. By which time Moses’<br />
darker side was<br />
unfolding. “Suddenly. it<br />
seemed anything I did was<br />
wrong.” Arit had<br />
complained. “He was<br />
always criticising my<br />
food, the way I ran the<br />
house and the revealing<br />
clothes I wore. It was<br />
during this period that I<br />
got pregnant and tried to<br />
compromise - I wanted a<br />
child very badly.<br />
Foolishly. I thought the<br />
child would change him.<br />
My lovely clothes were<br />
replaced with the frumpy<br />
ones he favoured. After I<br />
had our son. he became<br />
more controlling. If he<br />
could do this to me when<br />
we were not really<br />
married, only God knew<br />
what his wife was going<br />
through. He must have<br />
cowed her to the extent<br />
that she dared not<br />
complain about his<br />
relationship with me. I<br />
was always on my guard<br />
when I went out with him<br />
in case any man gave me<br />
unnecessary attention.<br />
Some months back, at one<br />
of my family’s dos, I ran<br />
into a childhood friend<br />
and he joked about how<br />
much crush he had on me<br />
in the past. We’d both been<br />
at school together, but he<br />
now joked it was a pity I<br />
was already taken or he<br />
would have rekindled our<br />
relationship. We all knew<br />
it was all talk but I was<br />
fearful of how Moses<br />
would react.<br />
“Suddenly, Moses said it<br />
was about time we went<br />
and I rushed to the car<br />
with him, desperate to<br />
stop his smouldering<br />
temper before it erupted.<br />
When I got into the<br />
passenger seat, he roared<br />
off as if possessed by the<br />
devil. He’d sent the driver<br />
home and I became<br />
terrified, begging him to<br />
slow down. At my place, he<br />
shoved me into the flat<br />
then, Wham! He punched<br />
me so hard in the face that<br />
I fell on the nearest chair.<br />
‘Cheap woman,’ he<br />
bellowed, hitting me<br />
again and again until I<br />
made a dash for the<br />
bedroom, intending to<br />
lock myself in. If the<br />
house-help heard<br />
anything, she didn’t let on.<br />
Thank goodness my son<br />
was fast asleep. Moses<br />
grabbed hold of my hair<br />
and the lovely expensive<br />
extensions I just put in it<br />
and yanked me back,<br />
punching me some more.<br />
Out of desperation, I<br />
made for the front door<br />
praying he hadn’t locked<br />
it.<br />
“It was a relief when the<br />
door flew open and I<br />
dashed into the street. A<br />
few of the neighbours were<br />
around having drinks in<br />
front of the house, so I ran<br />
towards them. It wasn’t<br />
the first time they’d<br />
noticed Moses’ violence<br />
towards me, but it was the<br />
first time they saw blood<br />
oozing out of a gash in my<br />
cheek. The terrible truth<br />
about what they thought<br />
was my perfect ‘marriage’<br />
was finally out for all of<br />
them to see. It wasn’t a<br />
pleasant sight. It was ugly<br />
and rotten.<br />
“That was when I<br />
decided I should hang on<br />
to whatever shred of pride<br />
I had left. A few days later,<br />
I told him I didn’t want<br />
anything to do with him.<br />
To punish me, he refused<br />
to send our monthly<br />
allowance and to pay the<br />
rent when it was due. But I<br />
have a good job and called<br />
his bluff. Anything was<br />
worth this peace of mind<br />
that I currently enjoyed.<br />
With time, I met Jide, a<br />
widower and we started<br />
going out.<br />
“This was some six<br />
months after breaking off<br />
with Moses. Jide was<br />
everything my ex wasn’t.<br />
He visited with presents<br />
and took me to nice<br />
restaurants. It was at<br />
dinner in a small<br />
restaurant that I sort of<br />
sensed eyes boring into<br />
my back. I turned round<br />
and it was Moses. His<br />
face was like thunder but<br />
I ignored him. He<br />
couldn’t hurt me now, or<br />
so I thought.<br />
“Only, a few weeks after,<br />
he’d let himself into my<br />
flat with his spare key. It<br />
never occurred to me to<br />
change the lock. Jide<br />
sprang up at the<br />
intrusion. He was in his<br />
V-front and vest. Moses<br />
sneered at him. ‘Sit<br />
down,’ he barked. Jide<br />
did as he was told.<br />
Sitting down on the bed,<br />
he spoke to Jide as if to a<br />
child: ‘Now, when you<br />
came into this bedroom,<br />
and saw that family<br />
photograph of me and my<br />
wife and son, did you<br />
think it was for show?’<br />
Jide kept mum, his face<br />
dead-pan. Moses went<br />
on: ‘You sit down now,<br />
drinking beer from a<br />
mug. Did Arit tell you she<br />
was a beer drinker? And<br />
if she were, would she be<br />
drinking it out of a mug?’<br />
On and on he went until<br />
Jide had had enough.<br />
‘Now look here,’ he<br />
cautioned. But before he<br />
got any further, Moses<br />
gave him a wack. Jide was<br />
furious. He flew at him<br />
and gave him the beating<br />
of his life. Again, 1 ran<br />
into the street and, this<br />
time, two of the men in the<br />
front house came with me<br />
and broke up the fight.<br />
“Moses now looked the<br />
worse for wear and was<br />
actually subdued. Jide had<br />
almost frog marched him<br />
to the street, punching<br />
him all the time until 1<br />
showed up with the men.<br />
Moses hurried to his car,<br />
muttering he didn’t want<br />
a scandal. The coward that<br />
he was, he couldn’t handle<br />
being confronted. But he<br />
was back a few days after,<br />
wanting to see his son. 1<br />
told him it was impossible.<br />
Looking at him, I hated<br />
him as passionately as I’d<br />
one loved him and he must<br />
have seen that in my eyes.<br />
“I told him 1 wanted<br />
nothing to do with him<br />
ever again. As for his son,<br />
he would see the lad when<br />
he’d grown up. No man<br />
would use a child to abuse<br />
me ever again! Jide and I<br />
are an item now but I’m<br />
not rushing into anything.<br />
He understands and says<br />
there’s no pressure, that<br />
he’d wait as long as 1<br />
needed. We’ve talked<br />
about marriage and<br />
having children as he has<br />
only two from his first<br />
marriage. I have no<br />
problem with that. Only,<br />
this time around, I intend<br />
to look really well before<br />
I leap ... “<br />
It’s Not What You Think!<br />
(Humour)<br />
In the park one morning,<br />
a jogger finds a brand new<br />
tennis ball and slips it into<br />
the pocket of his shorts.<br />
Later, a woman running<br />
next to him spots the large<br />
bulge.<br />
“What’s that?” she asks.<br />
Pointing down at it, his<br />
eyes wide. “Tennis ball,”<br />
the man replies. “Oh, poor<br />
you,” the woman says<br />
sympathetically. “That<br />
must be painful. I had<br />
tennis elbow once.”<br />
YOUR column to express your loving thoughts in<br />
words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it<br />
flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel.<br />
Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor,<br />
Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail:<br />
sunlovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope:<br />
“LOVE NOTES"<br />
My Darling Dove<br />
I thought that true love is non existence until<br />
I was caught in the web designed by your<br />
heart. Your beauty captivated me,your smile<br />
charmed me and my heart beats resonance<br />
with your laughter. My dear Evelyn, your love<br />
indeed has cast an indelible spell of<br />
happiness on my life.<br />
Akachukwu Ferdinand.<br />
akachukwuferdinandc@yahoo.com<br />
08063819314<br />
Men are astrologers<br />
Men are ladys' astrologers, for all the planets<br />
work in favour of the ladies in their horoscopes.<br />
AKEGH Ushahemba Jacob,<br />
jakegh15@gmail.com<br />
08186915871
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 33<br />
royalty<br />
Inside Zango-Kataf chiefdom, 24<br />
years after killings in natives'<br />
battle with Hausa-Fulani settlers<br />
*New monarch: I am ascending throne at a time of many challenges<br />
By Luka Binniyat<br />
For the second time in seven<br />
months, Zangon Kataf, the<br />
headquarters of the Atyap<br />
people, in Zangon Kataf Local<br />
Government Area, LGA, of Kaduna State,<br />
was besieged by a crowd of natives and<br />
visitors.<br />
But, unlike in May, when thousands<br />
gathered in a solemn ceremony for the burial<br />
of the former traditional ruler of Atyap<br />
land, Agwatyap II, Dr. Harison Bungwon,<br />
last week’s crowd gathered amidst fanfare,<br />
songs, laugher and dance.<br />
The occasion was to mark the installation<br />
ceremony and presentation of staff of office<br />
to the new Agwatyap - Mr. Dominic<br />
Gambo Yahaya.<br />
At the massive palace of the Agwatyap,<br />
traditional dancers, flutters, trumpeters,<br />
drummers, praise singers, masquerades,<br />
among others, tried to outdo one another to<br />
the admiration of the audience.<br />
The Atyap people, who, despite their<br />
small population, have managed to produce<br />
high profile Nigerians in virtually every<br />
areas of human endeavours.<br />
Atayp chiefdom is in southern part of<br />
Kaduna State, in the wide open<br />
Guinea Savannah of lush meadows,<br />
parklands and forests where its perennial<br />
streams and rivers are refilled every rainy<br />
season. The Atyap people are originally<br />
acephalous, with no clear central authority.<br />
This may have formed their fierce resistance<br />
to Islamisation in the 19th century, though<br />
colonialism was to later force them under<br />
the indirect rule of Zaria Muslim feudal<br />
system.<br />
Even as the celebration went on that<br />
afternoon, the Atyap people could have as<br />
well recall that their autonomy, from the<br />
grip of Zaria Emirate, was loosen at a great<br />
cost, as history has it. Just a few hundred<br />
metres from the centre of merriment, behind<br />
the walls of the Agwatyap palace, was the<br />
Zangon Kataf new market – a fenced open<br />
space of straw canopies where village folks<br />
go about their weekly transaction, with the<br />
young oblivious of the grim history behind<br />
its creation.<br />
It was over that market that the Hausa-<br />
Muslim settlers of Zangon Kataf and the<br />
natives took on one another in killings<br />
I am very concerned<br />
about poverty in our<br />
land, decline in<br />
discipline and<br />
productivity among our<br />
youths, revival of the<br />
Tyap language and<br />
security of our land<br />
that later spilled to Zaria, Kaduna and<br />
Katsina 24 years ago, specifically, in May<br />
1992. The Hausa opposed the relocation<br />
of the market to the new spacious area,<br />
preferring it remained in the cramped<br />
town of Zango Kataf.<br />
Gen. Zamani Lekwot (retd), a former<br />
By Akpokona Omafuaire<br />
THERE was outpouring of<br />
encomium as the Okere-<br />
Urhobo indigenes in a glamorous<br />
way celebrated the fourth year<br />
departure of HRM Benjamin<br />
Okumagba, the Orosuen of Okere-<br />
Urhobo Kingdom<br />
They advised Warri Urhobos to<br />
emulate core attributes,<br />
commitment and bravery of the late<br />
monarch.<br />
The indigens made the call during<br />
the first remembrance in honour of<br />
the late monarch four years after his<br />
demise in Warri. The Okere-Urhobo<br />
indigenes described the late<br />
monarch as a “hero” who fought for<br />
the unity and emancipation of the<br />
Urhobo at his own expense and<br />
detriment. They chanted traditional<br />
songs and danced from Udumu-<br />
Military Governor of old Rivers State and<br />
five other Atyap leaders were arrested and<br />
put in a controversial trial that not only<br />
divided the state along ethno-religious<br />
line, but also the entire country. Two<br />
years after, Lekwot and 16 others were<br />
sentenced to death under the Gen. Ibrahim<br />
Badamosi Babangida administration, the<br />
regime of Gen. Sani Abacha granted them<br />
state pardon in 1995.<br />
In the gathering penultimate Saturday,<br />
Letwot was seen looking cheerful and<br />
enjoying banters with the VIPs that had<br />
gathered to witness Yahaya become the<br />
third Gwatyap of Atyapland.<br />
A retired Permanent Secretary from the<br />
Kaduna State Civil Service, the new<br />
monarch was born in Magamiya village,<br />
about four kilometres from Zangon Kataf<br />
in 1950.<br />
He was Interim Chairman, Zangon Kataf<br />
LGA in 2011, before settling into business<br />
and farming.<br />
Married with four children, the new<br />
Gwatyap is a devout Catholic, a Knight of<br />
Saint Mulumba.<br />
In a ceremony that was brief, Governor<br />
Urhobo quarters in Okere-Urhobo<br />
through the ever busy Okumagba<br />
Avenue to the residence of the late<br />
monarch where they paid respect to<br />
him at Ighogbadu Street.<br />
Speaking at the ceremony, the<br />
Onowu of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom,<br />
Hon.Jude Onovughe Igherebuo,<br />
christened the celebration in honour<br />
of the late Orosuen as the reawakening<br />
of heroic legacies he left<br />
for the Okere-Urhobo and Urhobo.<br />
“We are celebrating a hero, a king,<br />
His Royal Majesty, Benjamin<br />
Okumagba JP, OON, the Orosuen of<br />
Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, a former<br />
President General of Urhobo<br />
Progress Union, UPU, a leader in<br />
Urhobo, Delta State and Nigeria in<br />
general,”he said.<br />
“We are celebrating the reawakening<br />
of his heroic legacies that<br />
he has left before us. This we will<br />
Nasir El-Rufai handed Yahaya his staff of<br />
office around 1pm. The governor<br />
congratulated the new traditional ruler and<br />
told him to build on the peace foundation<br />
that his predecessor had set, saying he was<br />
confident that the education and exposure<br />
of the new Agwatyap would come to bear<br />
positively on the Atyap chiefdom.<br />
Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, the<br />
Agwatyap said he would do his best to<br />
improve on the welfare of his subjects.<br />
He said: “I want to use this opportunity<br />
to thank God for availing me the privilege<br />
and opportunity to lead Atyapland. The love<br />
and support I have seen is unbelievable and<br />
I cannot thank everyone who made my<br />
installation a success.<br />
“I am coming at a time of many<br />
challenges, but I know that God would<br />
help.<br />
“I am very concerned about poverty in our<br />
land, decline in discipline and productivity<br />
among our youths, revival of the Tyap<br />
language and security of our land.<br />
“I will encourage the formation of<br />
cooperatives and guide our rural people on<br />
how to access economic empowerment<br />
programmes<br />
“The problems of some of our youths<br />
give me a lot of concern, but what is<br />
happening to them is not only in Atyap land<br />
but it cuts across other chiefdoms. I shall<br />
start a campaign against drug addiction.<br />
This is affecting productivity and the health<br />
of our youths and it drives them<br />
into crime.<br />
“If the ones that are organised and<br />
hardworking farm, the lazy unproductive<br />
ones would go and take from them. That is<br />
also discouraging the law-abiding ones<br />
from farming.<br />
“In our days, you don’t see young people<br />
going to drink traditional brew especially<br />
in the morning. It was made for elderly<br />
people who could not farm and were<br />
looking for ways to relax. Besides they<br />
already have young men taking their<br />
places on the farms. This has to stop.<br />
“God willing, I will work on the<br />
preservation of the Tyap language. We must<br />
make our children speak our language,<br />
understand our tradition and history.<br />
“Well I welcome and appreciate the<br />
civilisation that was brought to us,<br />
especially Christianity, I don’t think that<br />
everything in our traditional beliefs and<br />
practices were evil. There were traditions<br />
that led to the preservation of law and order<br />
in our society. So, we shall revive the<br />
positive side of these traditional practices<br />
and throw away the fetish.<br />
“On security, I think we in the Atyap<br />
chiefdom have so far not had any problem.<br />
I sympathise with other chiefdoms which<br />
have come under attacks of herdsmen and<br />
we the Atyap people are together with<br />
them in solidarity and prayers. We have<br />
good communication with the Fulani<br />
in our lands and we hope that it would<br />
sustain the peace.<br />
Urhobo pay tribute to Okumagba: Late monarch fought for us at his expense<br />
continue to do in memory of him. We<br />
ask God to give us the strength for<br />
continuity” .<br />
Another indigene of Okere-<br />
Urhobo Kingdom, Mr. Oghenewovke<br />
Aminagha, described the late<br />
Orosuen as a brave man who dared<br />
the military brass during his time at<br />
a stakeholders meeting where former<br />
President Olusegun Obasanjo held<br />
a meeting to address oil theft in the<br />
Niger Delta.<br />
Hon. Kingsley Edafiadjebre said,<br />
“There is no day better than this to<br />
celebrate our monarch, HRM.<br />
Benjamin Okumagba, a man who has<br />
done so much for the Urhobo.<br />
“A man who has brought Unity<br />
among the Urhobo people. Today as<br />
a bonafide citizen of Urhobo stock, I<br />
make bold here to say there is no<br />
better day than this for us to honour<br />
this great man.”
PAGE 34—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016,
Sun kiddies 24-11-2016<br />
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 35
PAGE 36—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
BRUTISH LIFE IN ABUJA GHETTOS<br />
Women of easy virtue,<br />
drug addicts, petty<br />
criminals fight for space<br />
By Ben Agande and Immanuel Jannah<br />
Any first time visitor to the Federal Capital<br />
Territory (FCT), Abuja, especially from<br />
other parts of Nigeria or other African<br />
countries, will be captivated by the spectacle of<br />
this only planned city in the country. It is a city<br />
that, like bees to nectar, attracts all manner of<br />
people. While some leave different parts of the<br />
country to find the proverbial green grasses in<br />
Abuja, others, especially those who are tired<br />
with the chaos and bustle of Lagos, for instance,<br />
come to Abuja to find peace. Its fantastically<br />
well laid roads and other infrastructure give a<br />
feeling that what many Nigerians see on<br />
television and foreign movies as what a planned<br />
city should look like can actually be found in<br />
Nigeria.<br />
What the first time visitor to the city may not<br />
see and the authorities of the FCT try hard to<br />
hide, are the ghettos that dot the capital city<br />
landscape. From Garki to Jabi; from Durumi<br />
to Maitama, these ghettos survived the El Rufai<br />
demolition that took out illegal structures<br />
that then threatened to turn the beautiful city<br />
into a jungle. But while the demolition done by<br />
the former minister concentrated on structures<br />
built illegally or without approved building<br />
plans, the new ghettos in the city centre are<br />
settlements that pre-date Abuja as we all<br />
presently know them.<br />
It would be recalled that when the Federal<br />
Government took the decision to move the<br />
capital city from Lagos to Abuja in the 70s, the<br />
aboriginal settlers in what is now the city centre<br />
were compensated and moved to new<br />
settlements which were named after their old<br />
settlements in neighbouring states of<br />
Nassarawa and Niger. However, for reasons<br />
that no administration has not been able to<br />
satisfactorily explain, some of these aboriginal<br />
Gbagi settlements in Garki (which is now<br />
pejoratively referred to as Garki Village),<br />
Durumi and Utako lost out as they were neither<br />
compensated nor moved out of the places that<br />
their ancestors had lived in for centuries.<br />
Successive governments were not able to<br />
relocate them, so the result is the existence of<br />
unplanned, disorganized, cramped, overpopulated<br />
and under-developed communities<br />
living in substandard buildings and structures<br />
that have no potable water, unkempt and prone<br />
to diseases, surrounded by elegant and modern<br />
buildings with all social infrastructure right in<br />
the city centre.<br />
One of the most popular (or notorious) of the<br />
Abuja ghettos is Garki village, located in the<br />
city centre. Despite the urban nature of Garki,<br />
which is one of the most developed districts in<br />
the FCT, Garki village sticks out like a sore<br />
thumb. Hemmed in by the Garki Police Station<br />
to the left, the prestigious Regina Pacis College<br />
to the North and CBN quarters to the east, the<br />
village represents the failure of government<br />
relocation programme for the Abuja aboriginal<br />
settlers. It has no clearly defined streets; no toilet<br />
facilities, no pipe borne water and is constantly<br />
under the threat of heavy refuse generated by<br />
large number of inhabitants. Although the<br />
Abuja Environmental Protection Board claim<br />
its officials collect refuse from this urban jungle<br />
daily, the reality on ground belie the claim.<br />
Despite the presence of a police station, a<br />
police barrack, several banks and corporate<br />
organizations around Garki village, crime rate<br />
and other social malaise here are at their<br />
zenith. During the day, young boys, obviously<br />
high on narcotics, loiter around, while, at night,<br />
all the available space in this huge jungle is<br />
turned into a vast business area with women of<br />
easy virtue and petty criminals fighting for<br />
space. It is only in Garki village that every<br />
corner is turned into a watering hole in the<br />
night. It is a place that nobody sleeps at night.<br />
Surprisingly, majority of the patrons of the<br />
various joints and nightly businesses around<br />
the area do not live in the ghetto. Obviously,<br />
they find something there that their upscale<br />
neighbourhoods may not be able to provide.<br />
A sex worker on Lagos Street beside Garki<br />
summed it up thus: “Lagos Street is very<br />
populated. It has a lot of customer traffic and<br />
Despite the presence of<br />
a police station, a police<br />
barrack, several banks<br />
and corporate<br />
organizations around<br />
Garki village, crime rate<br />
and other social malaise<br />
here are at their zenith<br />
the street does not sleep like the real Lagos<br />
State that you know.”<br />
Like Garki village, Durumi is also an<br />
old settlement of Gbagis who were not<br />
lucky to benefit from government’s<br />
compensation and relocation. While the<br />
former is located right inside Garki<br />
District Centre, Durumi is located off<br />
Nnamdi Azikiwe Express way, about four<br />
kilometres south of Garki District. The only<br />
tarred road leading to Durumi was<br />
constructed by Living Faith Church which<br />
has a huge premises just outside the village.<br />
Like the tarred road that terminates just<br />
by Living Faith Church, it appears<br />
civilisation also stopped there as life inside<br />
Durumi is reminiscent of living in another<br />
era. Though it was initially populated<br />
mainly by the aborigines, the influx of<br />
people especially from the northern part<br />
of the country, has changed the<br />
population’s demography as minorities<br />
from other northern states have taken<br />
a firm foothold in the area.<br />
In this slum, defecation in open places<br />
is the norm, women of easy virtue are<br />
rife, the only source of water is those<br />
sold in jerry cans by Mairuwas; a<br />
Hausa word for water hawkers. Unlike<br />
Garki village where there are<br />
semblance of brick structures, most of<br />
the building in Durumi are shanties<br />
made of mud, wood, zinc, and leather.<br />
This is where some people in the FCT<br />
call home.<br />
The already bad situation in Durumi<br />
is further compounded by the huge<br />
influx of internally displaced persons<br />
(IDPs) from the war-torn North-East.<br />
For these people, comfort is not what<br />
they can dream of.<br />
Jabi village is another ghetto located<br />
right in the midst of highbrow Jabi<br />
District which is one of the districts that<br />
was opened in Abuja during the tenure<br />
of El-Rufai. Though this village shares<br />
boundary with construction giants,<br />
Julius Berger PLc and Arab<br />
Contractors, it has no paved road for<br />
its residents. Its story is the same with<br />
the other two ghettos in this narrative.<br />
Congested residential buildings, lack<br />
of basic amenities, narrow roads,<br />
population density due to poverty and<br />
proximity to Utako modern market,<br />
Utako motor park, and a large<br />
construction company, result in a<br />
‘ghetto lifestyle’ and these factors<br />
predispose the residents to social vices<br />
such as prostitution and drug peddling.<br />
Ghettos within the nation’s capital<br />
can only become history when<br />
government realizes that Abuja has a<br />
large number of low and mid- income<br />
families providing services that support<br />
the rich and pay attention to the living<br />
conditions of these people.<br />
According to a resident of one of the<br />
ghettos, Yemiafo Adunni, though the<br />
inhabitants live right in the city centres,<br />
“we are hidden behind the fancy<br />
buildings and well paved roads that<br />
beautify Abuja municipality”. With the<br />
over N500 billion that the Federal<br />
Capital Territory Administration says<br />
it requires to relocate the residents of<br />
this urban jungles and pay<br />
compensation to the original owners<br />
of the land, they will remain hidden<br />
behind the fancy buildings and well<br />
paved roads that beautify Abuja while<br />
also spreading diseases that their dirty<br />
and unkempt neighbourhood breed.<br />
Meanwhile, one would think it is<br />
incumbent on government to<br />
reappraise these settlements and<br />
provide low-cost housing and<br />
infrastructure to make life more<br />
meaningful to them as well as reduce<br />
the crime which poverty and<br />
deprivation causes.
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 37<br />
By Grace Udofia<br />
For every administration<br />
at all levels, new ideas,<br />
policies and projects are<br />
always thrown up to usher a<br />
new era. This appears to be<br />
the case with the new<br />
government just inaugurated<br />
for the Abuja Municipal Area<br />
Council, AMAC.<br />
AMAC under the leadership<br />
of Abdullahi Candido has<br />
brought in some new ideas,<br />
resuscitating old and<br />
moribund policies and<br />
projects in order to place the<br />
council on a better ground.<br />
Succinctly put, the new<br />
administration, having gone<br />
through the handover notes,<br />
perhaps to better the lot of<br />
AMAC residents, has decided<br />
to expand and improve its<br />
revenue generation<br />
machinery. The new drive for<br />
revenue by the council looks<br />
tough and ambitious just as it<br />
is broad based and<br />
controversy-laden.<br />
While AMAC is<br />
synonymous with harassing<br />
residents for revenue, the<br />
expansion of the revenue<br />
areas to areas never<br />
contemplated by previous<br />
administrations in the council<br />
is likely to threw up new<br />
issues and possible challenge<br />
from the taxpayers, who are<br />
potentially low income<br />
earners struggling daily to<br />
eke a living.<br />
Already, the areas being<br />
considered by the local<br />
government for taxation<br />
include:<br />
tenement rate, verification<br />
and recertification of all the<br />
shops within its jurisdiction<br />
and radio, television levy on<br />
all homes and businesses<br />
around AMAC.<br />
The tenement rate will make<br />
it possible for the council to<br />
charge every resident that<br />
owns a house within the<br />
jurisdiction of the council a<br />
certain amount of money<br />
annually.<br />
AMAC is emboldened to<br />
push ahead with the new<br />
formula based on a<br />
Memorandum<br />
of<br />
Understanding it entered into<br />
with the Federal Capital<br />
Territory Inland Revenue<br />
Service (FCTIRS) that<br />
appears to have the power to<br />
collect tenement rate.<br />
While that remains the case,<br />
the matter has already run<br />
into a stormy water in the<br />
House of Representatives,<br />
which described the attempt<br />
by AMAC to collect tenement<br />
rate from residents of the FCT<br />
as illegal and questionable.<br />
The National Assembly has,<br />
therefore, asked AMAC to<br />
suspend the planned revenue<br />
drive until further notice.<br />
House of Representatives<br />
member, Herman Hembe,<br />
who chaired the committee,<br />
noted that under the<br />
provisions of the law, AMAC<br />
could not directly go out to<br />
collect such taxes in the FCT<br />
but may be able to do so<br />
through the FCTIRS based on<br />
the MoU signed by the two<br />
parties. Hembe said that to do<br />
otherwise would amount to<br />
AMAC embarking on double<br />
taxation.<br />
“Anybody collecting any form<br />
of tax in the FCT is doing so<br />
Right move,<br />
wrong time!<br />
•Residents tackle AMAC over aggressive<br />
revenue drive<br />
illegally. The body that is supposed to<br />
do that is the FCTIRS,” Hembe said<br />
during the public hearing.<br />
Reacting to the stance of the House<br />
of Representatives, AMAC Chairman,<br />
Candido, maintained that council has<br />
the power to collect, demand and<br />
enforce compliance in respect to the<br />
payment of tenement rate.<br />
He said: “The levy is in accordance<br />
with the Section Seven and the fourth<br />
schedule of the Constitution of the<br />
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as<br />
amended, the local government act,<br />
laws of FCT 2006, as well as the AMAC<br />
Tenement Rate Collection Bye-law<br />
2012.<br />
“The council perfectly understands<br />
its constitutional, statutory and legal<br />
powers by virtue of the constitution of<br />
Nigeria, various Acts of the National<br />
Assembly including the local<br />
government law adopted by the NASS<br />
via section 13 of the FCT Act Cap 128,<br />
LFN 2009 and Court of Appeal decision,<br />
therefore will not involve itself in any<br />
activity that is not backed by law”.<br />
However there have been different<br />
reactions from residents in AMAC<br />
council area with most of them<br />
criticising the decision, especially at a<br />
critical time when the average citizen<br />
is rare able to survive.<br />
To them, the move by the council to<br />
move ahead with such a decision at this<br />
time amounted a insensitivity on the<br />
part of the leadership. They argued that<br />
it was unfortunate for the man they had<br />
just elected to serve them to turn round<br />
and heap more pressure on them.<br />
One AMAC resident, Mr. Ruben<br />
Robo, noted that it was wrong for the<br />
council to take such a step at this time<br />
of the year when most Nigerians were<br />
yet to be able to come out of the impact<br />
of the recent fuel price increase across<br />
the country.<br />
“If these people were sensitive to the<br />
plight of those who voted them to<br />
power, nobody would tell them to<br />
postpone these new taxes and think of<br />
how best to mitigate the suffering of<br />
The levy is in accordance<br />
with the Section Seven and<br />
the fourth schedule of the<br />
Constitution of the Federal<br />
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as<br />
amended, the local<br />
government act, laws of<br />
FCT 2006, as well as the<br />
AMAC Tenement Rate<br />
Collection Bye-law 2012<br />
the citizenry,” Robo said.<br />
For Mrs. Raliat Abdul, the decision of the<br />
council is inhuman and should not be<br />
allowed to scale through. She called on the<br />
Legislature of AMAC to reject such<br />
proposal in its entirely in the interest of<br />
the people, who have already suffered<br />
enough under a biting economy.<br />
Rather than add hardship and suffering<br />
to the downtrodden, AMAC should think<br />
of creative ways of adding value to the<br />
lives of the citizens,” Abdul said.<br />
“So it is now that AMAC leadership has<br />
decided to implement this kind of policy?<br />
I doubt if they go to the market to see what<br />
is happening; this is not fair to us at this<br />
time”<br />
Another respondent said he was not<br />
against the idea, but asked what the<br />
people should expect from the area council<br />
in terms of infrastructure.<br />
He said, “Let them first go ahead and fix<br />
the trunk C roads in all the<br />
satellite towns in the council<br />
then it would be easy to<br />
introduce this kind of policy<br />
to a people who already have<br />
to pay federal taxes”<br />
But one of the officials of<br />
AMAC, who preferred<br />
anonymity, maintained that<br />
the introduction of this system<br />
of taxation would not be<br />
sustainable in the long run as<br />
it would be compromised by<br />
the elites in the council.<br />
“I plead with our Chairman<br />
not to let down the people of<br />
AMAC who gave him the<br />
mandate to serve through<br />
their votes; he should not<br />
introduce such levy on them<br />
at this time when most of<br />
them cannot feed their<br />
families.<br />
“If there is any MoU entered<br />
into in the past between the<br />
Area Councils and any party<br />
as claimed, where the power<br />
to collect taxes was delegated<br />
to the FCTIRS, such<br />
agreement may have been<br />
made under outright<br />
intimidation by the past<br />
government that was not<br />
ready to adhere to provisions<br />
of the constitution”.<br />
But apparently damning the<br />
cries and concerns of the<br />
residents, AMAC has ordered<br />
all allottees of market shops,<br />
warehouse, stalls, public<br />
conveniences and other<br />
similar titles including the<br />
ones under Public Private<br />
Partnership, PPP, within the<br />
council to come forward with<br />
necessary documents for<br />
verification and recertification<br />
exercise which is expected to<br />
close on 15th of December<br />
2016..<br />
The allottees are expected to<br />
pay from N7,000 to N20000<br />
depending on the category of<br />
their shops and level of<br />
development of the markets.<br />
It has warned that failure to<br />
comply with the order would<br />
result in immediate forfeiture<br />
of the allocations.<br />
But the shop owners are not<br />
moved by the AMAC threat as<br />
they are not making the<br />
expected cash from such<br />
facilities, according to some of<br />
those who spoke to Vanguard.<br />
For instance, Mr. Emeka<br />
Orama, a stall owner at AMAC<br />
Relocation Market, Lugbe,<br />
said the verification and<br />
recertification exercise is<br />
untimely and unnecessary.<br />
Orama wondered how AMAC<br />
would dare to talk about<br />
paying high fees on shops<br />
that were secured through a<br />
public-private partnership<br />
and a threat to subject such<br />
facilities for its verification<br />
when the owners are yet to<br />
pay up for them.<br />
Thus, there seems to be a<br />
snack over AMAC’s<br />
ambitious revenue drive.<br />
Though sound in logic and<br />
plan, it smacks of betrayal and<br />
insensitivity on the part of the<br />
council, as most of the areas<br />
under the council have been<br />
left to rot away despite the<br />
huge sums collected by<br />
agents of the council from<br />
traders and businessmen in<br />
the area.<br />
Indeed, it is a good idea<br />
conceived at a wrong time<br />
and it is bound to flop like a<br />
bad omen.
PAGE 38 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
Trump trumped Nigeria's<br />
best and brightest<br />
“When all think alike; none<br />
thinks very much.” Walter<br />
Lippmann, 1889-1974.<br />
(VANGUARD BOOK OF<br />
QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 245).<br />
An acquaintance of<br />
mine, resident in the<br />
US had been in<br />
Nigeria for over six months<br />
for undisclosed reasons. He<br />
was here during the primaries<br />
and with the emergence of<br />
Hillary Clinton, as the<br />
Democratic Party candidate,<br />
and Donald Trump, as the<br />
Republican Party candidate,<br />
he announced that “Clinton<br />
will win by a land slide”.<br />
Before making that<br />
statement, he had asked me<br />
what I thought would be the<br />
outcome of the Presidential<br />
election. My answer to him<br />
was: “Trump might win<br />
because he is saying what<br />
white Americans would like<br />
to be done”. My friend<br />
followed with almost two<br />
hours of “analysis” aimed at<br />
proving to me that Trump<br />
could not win. He ended up<br />
by asking me to “take a bet<br />
one dollar from me to one<br />
naira from you” that Trump<br />
can never win. I don’t bet –<br />
out of personal principle. But,<br />
I told him we will talk after<br />
the November elections.<br />
As it turned out, we met at a<br />
watering hole in the Campos<br />
area of Lagos Island ten days<br />
before the election. Clinton<br />
had what appeared like an<br />
insurmountable lead. With<br />
more than fifty patrons<br />
drinking and having fun, my<br />
Being violent is a sign of<br />
weakness!<br />
“Educating the mind without<br />
educating the heart is no<br />
education<br />
N<br />
at all.”—Aristotle<br />
o child should be left<br />
"<br />
behind" is often a<br />
charge decried by many<br />
progressives. Mostly, it is often<br />
merely words unless it is<br />
backed with actions. The<br />
United Nations has issued a<br />
desperate warning that<br />
75,000 children in Northern<br />
Nigeria are at risk dying in “a<br />
few months” due to hunger as<br />
a direct result of the Boko<br />
Haram insurgency. Millions<br />
have left their land, livelihood<br />
and lost their businesses as<br />
insurgents have left tens of<br />
thousands dead in its wake.<br />
The UN have declared that<br />
the crisis is "unfolding at high<br />
speed”. Currently, it is<br />
estimated that 14 million<br />
people are urgently in need of<br />
humanitarian assistance and<br />
400,000 children are in<br />
critical need of assistance,<br />
while 75,000 mentioned<br />
could die “in (the) few months<br />
ahead of us”, according to the<br />
UN spokesperson in Abuja.<br />
Right now, the Nigerian<br />
government and affluent<br />
citizens could and should help<br />
to reduce the catastrophe. The<br />
UN does not have enough<br />
friend was there. And right<br />
there and then he announced<br />
to all those present that “One<br />
of your great journalists in<br />
Nigeria has arrived; the man<br />
had the guts to tell me Trump<br />
might win. You can see what<br />
is wrong with journalism in<br />
Nigeria.” My reply was short.<br />
“My friend, wait until the day<br />
after the election, then come<br />
here and talk.” Since the<br />
results were announced, the<br />
fellow had not shown his face<br />
in Lagos Island; he no longer<br />
picks his phones. This fellow<br />
serves as metaphor for<br />
millions of Nigerians who<br />
were misled by Nigeria’s<br />
brightest and best – in<br />
academia and in media.<br />
For some reason, 170<br />
million Nigerians thought<br />
that the American election was<br />
organized to elect a President<br />
Nigerians would want in the<br />
White House. I read with<br />
amusement all the insults cast<br />
on Trump by our media<br />
practitioners and opinion<br />
leaders; knowing fully well<br />
that they were deluding<br />
themselves and fellow<br />
Nigerians. It was incredible<br />
to me that none of our local<br />
champions realized that their,<br />
invariably, biased opinions,<br />
were for local consumption.<br />
No Americans read all the<br />
puerile opinions published by<br />
our most erudite individuals.<br />
Three examples will be<br />
sufficient to illustrate how<br />
sometimes the “gods” we<br />
worship in public discussions<br />
of important matters can lead<br />
money to avert this disaster<br />
without the help of<br />
international partners, the<br />
private sector and they are<br />
appealing to Nigerian<br />
philanthropists to “join<br />
hands” to enable the UN to<br />
tackle the problem.<br />
Every second counts, in a<br />
matter such as this, and it is<br />
about time that those that have<br />
the means to help are morally<br />
motivated to help and that<br />
they do so, most urgently. This<br />
is a national disaster, a<br />
humanitarian tragedy so it is<br />
not beyond the help of many<br />
well-heeled Nigerians to help<br />
their fellow Nigerians. So why<br />
are they not coming forward<br />
and offering truckloads of<br />
food, camp materials and<br />
medical equipment for the<br />
displaced? I would like to<br />
think that there are many<br />
decent affluent Nigerians<br />
across the religious and tribal<br />
divide who are capable of<br />
charity and common decency.<br />
Their reluctance does not<br />
help and people outside<br />
Nigeria would find it difficult<br />
to comprehend why in a<br />
country full of billionaires and<br />
millionaires that they are not<br />
coming forward nor is its<br />
government actively<br />
committed to stemming the<br />
us astray.<br />
First, Professor Wole<br />
Soyinka announced a few<br />
days before the election that<br />
he would “tear my green card<br />
if Trump is elected”, as if<br />
Americans are bound to vote<br />
the candidate of his choice. It<br />
is their country after all, and a<br />
foreigner was threatening to<br />
revoke a privilege they<br />
extended to him if his wishes<br />
were not accepted. It was not<br />
only unnecessary, it must have<br />
demonstrated to Americans,<br />
even Clinton supporters, that<br />
even the best of Africans don’t<br />
know what democracy is all<br />
about. Now our great<br />
Professor had placed himself<br />
in a dilemma. He will either<br />
tear the card and place himself<br />
at the mercy of the American<br />
Embassy, or, he fails to tear it<br />
and be forever damned as a<br />
dishonourable man. Now the<br />
entire world is waiting to see<br />
what one of our brightest and<br />
best will do. But, I am not<br />
waiting. I strongly believe that<br />
a wise man should always<br />
consider the consequences of<br />
what he says or does. That<br />
Soyinka is now waffling<br />
regarding when to shred the<br />
card is an indication that he<br />
spoke first and thought later.<br />
Second and less<br />
spectacular was Professor,<br />
columnist for the PUNCH,<br />
who wrote a “send off”<br />
column saying he was going<br />
to America “to be a part of<br />
history.” He returned with his<br />
tail tucked behind his legs; like<br />
a beaten dog. He was going<br />
to vote for Clinton, who,<br />
certainly, was going to win.<br />
Well, even that erudite<br />
Professor is learning anew<br />
that “Men make history, but<br />
not just as they please.” (Karl<br />
Marx, 1818-1883, VBQ p 93).<br />
And that should be an<br />
everlasting warning to fellow<br />
Nigerians that when our<br />
opinion leaders all think<br />
alike, then is the time to worry<br />
because it means that nobody<br />
is thinking very much.<br />
Third and very amusing<br />
was a syndicated columnist<br />
for DAILY TRUST and THE<br />
NATION. Her column was<br />
pending disaster. Why are<br />
there no national drive to help<br />
the hungry and the displaced?<br />
This reflects badly on<br />
Nigerians and the protracted<br />
non-action speak volumes;<br />
that Nigerians cannot help<br />
their own without whipping<br />
out the obligatory cap and go<br />
begging for money that is<br />
often misappropriated by the<br />
greedy not spent on this<br />
desperately in need.<br />
UN went on: We will ask<br />
international partners to step<br />
in because we can only solve<br />
this situation if we actually<br />
join hands.” Can the NIMBYs<br />
(not in my backyard) , This is<br />
your backyard! Nobody ever<br />
becomes poor by giving and<br />
life has a way of a rewarding<br />
random act of kindness.<br />
The UK wants to reduce<br />
Maternity Tourism<br />
The UK is clamping down<br />
on health tourism and they are<br />
more determined than ever to<br />
plug the loop hole for those<br />
whose sole purpose is to visit<br />
the UK, to use its free health<br />
services. The lawmakers are<br />
proposing that prior to non-<br />
UK or non-European Union<br />
citizens presenting for<br />
treatment in any UK health<br />
organisation, potential<br />
patients have to show two<br />
forms of identification<br />
including a passport to prove<br />
they are eligible for free<br />
treatment.<br />
This proposal is not new but<br />
it is quite controversial in a<br />
country that prides itself on its<br />
health systems that it is free at<br />
the point of delivery. This free<br />
treatment now comes with a<br />
condition, if you are not British<br />
or from the EU nations, it will<br />
titled “59,017,382 Stupid<br />
Americans”. I deliberately<br />
underlined the word stupid to<br />
illustrate how emotional<br />
Nigerians, including opinion<br />
leaders, can get. An election<br />
result is only fair if our<br />
candidate wins. More<br />
Americans went to the polls<br />
than Nigerians; yet nobody<br />
heard of thugs snatching ballot<br />
boxes; the result was not<br />
contested in the courts. Our<br />
own President had contested<br />
every election he lost until he<br />
won. Every one of our “clever”<br />
More Americans went<br />
to the polls than<br />
Nigerians; yet nobody<br />
heard of thugs<br />
snatching ballot<br />
boxes; the result was<br />
not contested in the<br />
courts<br />
Nigerians’ elections had been<br />
attended by violence and<br />
scandal involving electoral<br />
officers; followed by cases in<br />
court which last years. Yet, we<br />
condemn a nation because the<br />
majority did not vote as we<br />
instructed them to do. “Stupid”<br />
Americans have invented<br />
virtually everything we use<br />
including Facebook,<br />
computer, Twitter, aircrafts,<br />
and they are on their way to the<br />
planets. Yet a descendant of<br />
people who have not invented<br />
anything calls them stupid.<br />
Even with Trump as President,<br />
a thousand times more<br />
Nigerians will still want to<br />
enter America, legally or<br />
illegally, than Americans<br />
wanting to gate-crash into<br />
Nigeria.<br />
She went further with scaremongering<br />
by pointing to the<br />
fact that America’s nuclear<br />
weapons can be released at the<br />
touch of a button by Trump. It<br />
was sheer ignorance. Since the<br />
two atomic bombs were<br />
dropped on Hiroshima and<br />
cost you. As you know, many<br />
Nigerians do come to the UK<br />
to have their children so that<br />
the child automatically<br />
becomes a British Citizen.<br />
Childbirth in the UK hospital<br />
Why are there no<br />
national drive to help<br />
the hungry and the<br />
displaced? This reflects<br />
badly on Nigerians and<br />
the protracted nonaction<br />
speak volumes<br />
does not come cheap, it costs<br />
over £6,000 for every noncomplicated<br />
birth and with the<br />
UK in recession and it has<br />
financial implications on the<br />
high costs of the National<br />
Health Service. Therefore the<br />
government is seeking to tackle<br />
those abusing the system. This<br />
method is quite familiar in<br />
many other countries, except in<br />
those places, money is<br />
presented first before<br />
treatment. The issue here is that<br />
the move is mainly directed in<br />
areas where there are a high<br />
number of immigrants, so one<br />
wonders if there is more to meet<br />
the eye but I do think there will<br />
be a lot of stereotypes and<br />
racial profiling to ascertain<br />
who is entitled to free treatment<br />
and who is not.<br />
Chris Wormald, the<br />
Department of Health's<br />
permanent secretary, told the<br />
lawmakers that “On the<br />
general question of are we<br />
looking at whether the Trusts<br />
should proactively ask people<br />
to prove their identity to come<br />
with two forms of identity,<br />
Nagasaki, to end the Second<br />
World War, by the Americans,<br />
at least six nations are now<br />
known to have the capability.<br />
None had used it since then.<br />
Meanwhile, the US, a nation<br />
where institutions work,<br />
unlike our Banana Republics<br />
in Africa, had evolved an<br />
elaborate procedure for the<br />
release of such weapons. No<br />
President can unilaterally<br />
order their release for any<br />
reason. Is that intelligence?<br />
So, what went wrong?<br />
How did our “gods” fail us?<br />
They failed us because they<br />
were not sufficiently<br />
detached. They accuse the<br />
Americans who voted for<br />
Trump of bigotry, but they<br />
were just as guilty of the<br />
charge themselves. They<br />
started with Nigerian’s<br />
interest as the most<br />
important consideration in<br />
the election. What the<br />
Americans felt was<br />
secondary. Clinton was the<br />
candidate they knew will<br />
help us. Individually and<br />
collectively, they gave little<br />
thought to what Americans<br />
considered was in their best<br />
interest. While our thinkalike<br />
commentators were<br />
reading the NEW YORK<br />
TIMES, WASHINGTON<br />
POST, etc – all the papers<br />
which supported their<br />
prejudices, they neglected<br />
papers and media in the<br />
Midwest and Southern<br />
America which were more<br />
accurately reflecting the<br />
views of grassroots America.<br />
Trump was the only<br />
candidate from the start<br />
saying what main stream<br />
Americans wanted to hear<br />
and done. That was why all<br />
the “mistakes” he made<br />
which would have doomed<br />
another candidate to<br />
ignominious defeat only<br />
strengthened him. His<br />
Unique Selling Proposition,<br />
USP, as Sales and Marketing<br />
professionals say, was solid.<br />
Was it emotional,<br />
impractical and dangerous?<br />
Perhaps. But, Americans and<br />
the world will find that out<br />
later. The most important<br />
passport and address, and<br />
they use that to check<br />
whether people are eligible.<br />
It is quite a controversial<br />
thing to do, to say to the entire<br />
population you’ve got to<br />
prove your identity.” It is<br />
quite controversial and may<br />
prove divisive.<br />
There are also ethical<br />
issues where health<br />
professionals in the UK have<br />
registered their concerns and<br />
they do not see themselves<br />
as passport officers when<br />
people are seeking medical<br />
intervention. It will be<br />
difficult to see how this will<br />
be implemented. They<br />
argue, that the move<br />
contradicts their<br />
Hippocratic oath that<br />
compels them to do no harm.<br />
A spokesperson for the<br />
British Medical Association<br />
said: "Ensuring eligibility for<br />
NHS services is always<br />
important, but these<br />
proposals go much too far<br />
and it is unlikely they could<br />
ever be turned into a serious<br />
policy that would be<br />
accepted by patients and the<br />
public, that is, showing your<br />
passport before undergoing<br />
treatment.”<br />
However, there are some<br />
hospitals already piloting<br />
the scheme in areas where it<br />
is deemed that "maternity<br />
tourism" is prevalent. In a<br />
South London hospital,<br />
expectant mothers are told<br />
to provide papers or<br />
documents that indicate<br />
their eligibility for free<br />
treatment on arrival for<br />
scans and those who are<br />
unable to provide adequate<br />
papers are reported to<br />
thing is for our “gods”, the<br />
great opinion leaders, to<br />
admit that they have failed us.<br />
We now must find a way to<br />
live with Trump. The first<br />
thing we do is to stop insulting<br />
him. From January 2017, he<br />
will be the most powerful man<br />
in the world.<br />
ADVICE TO BUHARI ON<br />
TRUMP<br />
God grant me the courage<br />
to change the things I can<br />
change, the serenity to accept<br />
the things I cannot change<br />
and the wisdom to know the<br />
difference.” Irish Prayer.<br />
Meanwhile, President<br />
Buhari will be best advised to<br />
ignore the temper tantrums of<br />
the defeated Nigerian elite –<br />
even if, like them, he wanted<br />
Clinton to win. He must<br />
accept graciously what he<br />
cannot change. Trump is the<br />
man to do business with from<br />
now on and as long as he<br />
remains US President. Buhari<br />
owes it a duty to Nigeria and<br />
Nigerians, including those at<br />
risk in the US, to get the best<br />
deal out of Trump. He will not<br />
get it by approaching<br />
Americans with the attitude<br />
that they are stupid red necks.<br />
They voted for what they<br />
believe is best for their country.<br />
One might ask: what are the<br />
illegal Nigerians doing there<br />
anyway? Is it their country?<br />
Nigeria, in 1984, under<br />
General Buhari, bundled out<br />
all the Ghanaians we could<br />
find resulting in the term<br />
“Ghana Must Go” till today.<br />
Was Buhari a lunatic or was<br />
he stupid for doing it? We<br />
point accusing fingers<br />
forgetting that history had<br />
already pointed one at us.<br />
Nigeria needs the US more<br />
than the Americans need us.<br />
Famine we have been told is<br />
imminent next year. Those<br />
“stupid” Americans have the<br />
largest stock of grains that<br />
might stand between millions<br />
of our people and the<br />
graveyard. We cannot afford<br />
to alienate them just because<br />
they expressed their preference<br />
for a leader. In the end, if wellmanaged,<br />
Trump might even<br />
do more for us than Clinton.<br />
relevant authorities and they<br />
could face deportation. And<br />
for those Nigerians who are<br />
considering a British birth, be<br />
warned that changes are<br />
afoot.<br />
International Day for the<br />
Elimination of Violence<br />
against Women<br />
"For every woman and girl<br />
violently attacked, we reduce<br />
our humanity" - Nelson<br />
Mandela<br />
The 25th of November is the<br />
International Day for the<br />
Elimination of violence<br />
against women. Nigeria has<br />
got an uphill battle to help<br />
reduce the high rates of<br />
violence against women.<br />
Nigeria is not the only country<br />
that should clean up its act,<br />
but the statistics on domestic<br />
violence in Nigeria is<br />
indicative that Nigeria is far<br />
worse than many countries<br />
and according to National<br />
Population Commission<br />
(NPC) [Nigeria] and ICF<br />
Macro. 2009, Nigeria has one<br />
of the highest rates of<br />
domestic violence in Africa.<br />
This is not the case but we<br />
will have to shine a light on<br />
what we can do better to<br />
improve the lots of women<br />
and girls in Nigeria.<br />
Two-thirds of Nigerian<br />
women are believed to<br />
experience physical, sexual<br />
and psychological abuse at<br />
the hands of their husbands.<br />
A small scale study<br />
conducted in Oyo and Lagos<br />
states indicated that 65% of<br />
educated women are abused<br />
about 56% blue collar or<br />
market women experience<br />
similar attacks.
On the cross, Jesus cried out,<br />
saying: “My God, my<br />
God, why have you forsaken<br />
me?” (Matthew 27:46). What<br />
kind of a statement is this? It is easily<br />
understood when it was David<br />
who made this plaintive cry. But<br />
here Jesus, the Son of God, makes<br />
the same complaint.<br />
Does God forsake his children?<br />
Does God forsake man? Should<br />
Jesus, of all people, not know any<br />
better? Put another way, does the<br />
son of God not know that God does<br />
not forsake his sons? Surely Jesus<br />
knows that God does not forsake his<br />
people. Surely Jesus knows that<br />
God does not refuse to help the helpless.<br />
So why does he make such a<br />
false accusation against God?<br />
The “at-one-ment”<br />
When Jesus himself was asleep in<br />
a boat during a storm, his disciples<br />
hurriedly woke him up asking:<br />
“Don’t you even care that we are going<br />
to perish?” Jesus rebuked them<br />
and asked why they were so fearful.<br />
He told them that they were of little<br />
faith, and then promptly rebuked the<br />
storm and there was calm. But on<br />
the cross, Jesus himself seems to be<br />
guilty of the same faithlessness. He<br />
asks the Father the same impertinent<br />
question: “Don’t you even care<br />
that I am suffering here?”<br />
Jesus’ cry on the cross is the greatest<br />
identification of God with man<br />
in the history of humanity. By this<br />
cry, God entered into the mainstream<br />
of the human experience.<br />
God himself cried out on man’s behalf<br />
for salvation and redemption.<br />
Man in Christ cried out to God in<br />
desperation, in confusion, and in disappointment.<br />
Why, if you are God;<br />
why, since you are God, are you allowing<br />
all this calamity to happen<br />
to us?<br />
On the cross, God entered so completely<br />
into the human experience<br />
and validated human suffering.<br />
God’s zeal for man was so great, he<br />
decided to enter into the fellowship<br />
of human sufferings. God in Christ<br />
became our brother in adversity.<br />
God himself became our advocate.<br />
Jesus became our lawyer, and he<br />
presented our case eloquently<br />
against God.<br />
“Why God? Why do you say you<br />
love us and yet allow us to go through<br />
so much suffering? Why do you sit<br />
back and watch us get raped, tortured,<br />
robbed, killed, and destroyed<br />
all day long? Why? Why are you the<br />
Almighty and yet you allow wars to<br />
happen, earthquakes to destroy, diseases<br />
and plagues to ravage? Why<br />
have you forsaken your people?<br />
Don’t you even care that we are perishing<br />
every day?”<br />
Illogical faith<br />
These nagging questions have led<br />
many to atheism. Some are convinced<br />
God does not exist because<br />
of the havoc they see in the world.<br />
Others insist that although he exists,<br />
he only took part in creation<br />
and thereafter went on sabbatical.<br />
Yet others are simply angry with him.<br />
They were once believers but not<br />
anymore.<br />
Why, they reason, should we serve<br />
a God that allows our children to<br />
die of sickle cell anemia? Why<br />
should we bother with a God who<br />
just watches while we are gangraped<br />
and violated? What is the<br />
NOSCEF gets new executives<br />
—Proposes ‘purpose-built’ secretariat<br />
THE Northern States<br />
Christian Elders Forum<br />
(NOSCEF) has elected new<br />
executives to run its affairs for<br />
the next three years. The<br />
induction took place last<br />
week in Kaduna.<br />
The newly elected<br />
executives include Elder<br />
Olaiya Phillips as chairman,<br />
Dr. Luka Lobadungze, vice<br />
chairman, Elder Patrick<br />
Ambut as secretary and Mika<br />
Haruna as assistant<br />
secretary.<br />
Others are Yabuku Dauda<br />
as auditor, Prof. Nuhu<br />
Gworgwor, treasurer, Mr.<br />
James Sakaba as financial<br />
secretary and Barrister<br />
Morris Odeh, legal adviser.<br />
Also in the new executives<br />
are Sunday Oibe as PRO,<br />
Pastor Sunday Akpan,<br />
Trending Gospel Lyrics<br />
It all belongs to you<br />
By Prospa Ochimana<br />
AFTER the huge success<br />
of his last single The<br />
Great I Am, Prospa<br />
Ochimana marks his<br />
birthday on November 6,<br />
2016 with another mind<br />
blowing single It All Belongs<br />
To You. Produced by award<br />
winning Producer, Ebenezer<br />
Iriemi, It All Belongs To You<br />
is a song of devotion, rededication,<br />
submission and<br />
surrender. We are nothing<br />
without Jesus. We truly<br />
belong to God, whatever we<br />
are, whatever well ever be it<br />
all belong to Him (God) Isaiah 43:21.<br />
Verse 1<br />
The cattle on a thousand Hills belongs to you<br />
My head,shoulder, knees and toes<br />
belongs to you<br />
Everything that am made of belongs to you my mind,body<br />
and my soul belongs to you<br />
Chorus<br />
It all belongs to you, it all belongs to you, it all belongs to<br />
you<br />
Verse 2<br />
You’re the potter am the clay; break me and mould me as u<br />
please; am urs ooo Lord…ayaya…. the oceans and the seas<br />
belongs to you<br />
Send us the lyrics of your new song.<br />
(ebunsessou@gmail.com)<br />
THE GOOD SAMARITAN<br />
A man suffering from<br />
tuberculosis went to see a<br />
doctor. The doctor decided<br />
to catch the disease first,<br />
the better to understand the<br />
ailment<br />
point of a merciful heavenly Father<br />
who stands by as our husbands betray<br />
us with other women, or as our<br />
sons contract AIDS at the dentist, or<br />
as our siblings die prematurely<br />
through the error of doctors?<br />
But oh, how God cares! He cares<br />
so much he shouts himself hoarse<br />
warning us about the wrong choices<br />
we persist in making. God begs<br />
man, he cajoles, he p<strong>leads</strong> and he<br />
threatens. “Please choose life, so that<br />
you and your seed may live.” But<br />
persistently we choose death and<br />
then rant and rage against God on<br />
our death-bed.<br />
The nature of this world, a place<br />
of sin, death and destruction, is not<br />
the making of God. Man is the architect.<br />
We disobeyed; we transgressed,<br />
we refused to follow the<br />
commandments of our loving Father.<br />
Therefore we got exactly what<br />
we deserve. “Behold, the LORD's<br />
hand is not shortened, that it cannot<br />
save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot<br />
hear. But our iniquities have<br />
separated us from our God; and our<br />
sins have hidden his face from us, so<br />
that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-<br />
2).<br />
welfare and Engineer Sule<br />
Kilang as security officer.<br />
In his acceptance speech<br />
titled the road ahead, Phillips<br />
said the group has been<br />
remorseless in advocacy for<br />
SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 39<br />
ebunsessou@gmail.com<br />
With Ebun Sessou<br />
08111813025<br />
Great physician<br />
fairness, justice and equality<br />
for all Nigerians, irrespective<br />
of tribe, religion or political<br />
affiliations.<br />
According to him: “We<br />
have sought broad<br />
consultations across and<br />
among Northern Christians<br />
and elders.<br />
Be sensitive to Nigerians’need:<br />
Anglican Communion tells Buhari<br />
•Says the church, country not stable<br />
By Jumoke Kolawole<br />
THE Bishop of the<br />
Archbishop Vining<br />
Memorial Church<br />
Cathedral, AVMCC, Diocese<br />
of Lagos West Anglican<br />
Communion, Church of<br />
Nigeria, Rt.Rev. James<br />
Odedeji has called on<br />
President Muhammadu<br />
Buhari to be sensitive to the<br />
needs of Nigerians saying, the<br />
society is not friendly.<br />
He made the call at the 17th<br />
anniversary of the<br />
inauguration of the church<br />
where he disclosed that the<br />
current recession has subjected<br />
the country to untold hardship<br />
adding that, there is hunger on<br />
the land which has also made<br />
the environment to be tensed.<br />
According to him, people<br />
are now criminally minded<br />
looking for every means to<br />
survive and when they cannot<br />
survive honestly, they would<br />
survive dishonestly.<br />
“When a leader is not<br />
concern about his followers,<br />
he is not a leader, when your<br />
followers complains<br />
continuously, you need to look<br />
inward because they voted you<br />
because they have confidence<br />
in you as their president.<br />
“The church is facing<br />
problems because the country<br />
is unstable, the security is<br />
porous, the economy situation<br />
of the country is unfriendly and<br />
therefore the rich should<br />
understand that, if the poor do<br />
not eat, they (the rich) cannot<br />
sleep. “An hungry man is an<br />
angry man.<br />
“I represent the church and<br />
I can tell you that all is not<br />
well. It is when people are<br />
happy that they come to the<br />
church, the church is the last<br />
hope of every body, they come<br />
to pray, they come to thank<br />
God, so there is no way you<br />
can separate the society from<br />
the church, whatever affect the<br />
society, affect the church and<br />
whatever affect the church,<br />
affect the society, society and<br />
religion are together, they coexist”,<br />
he said.<br />
The Bishop urged Nigerians<br />
to be more prayerful for<br />
the leaders, adding that, “we<br />
should be more patient and<br />
honest so that the country will<br />
be a better place.<br />
“Despite the recession and<br />
the difficulties in the country,<br />
we still need prayer and we<br />
have discovered that our<br />
prayers for this country and the<br />
Diocese would go along way.<br />
On the event, he said, “It is an<br />
annual event where all<br />
members of the Diocese<br />
gathered to appreciate God<br />
goodness and mercies, he<br />
further said the anniversary<br />
was organized to commit the<br />
fresh year unto the Lord."<br />
“We have made our voices<br />
heard through regular public<br />
assessments of the state of the<br />
nation.<br />
“In all we have done, we<br />
have sought to be a strong<br />
voice for the Northern<br />
Christian community;<br />
Nevertheless, the Lord would still not forsake<br />
his people. God has a plan and this<br />
plan was set in motion from the foundation<br />
of the world. God is not simply interested in<br />
healing man. That would have been too<br />
impersonal. God is not only interested in<br />
comforting man. Yes, he is the God of all<br />
comforts. But in Christ, God is in the first<br />
place interested in sharing in man’s ordeal,<br />
even though it is of our own making.<br />
A man suffering from tuberculosis went to<br />
see a doctor. The doctor was the Good Samaritan<br />
therefore he did not just prescribe a<br />
cure. The doctor decided to catch the disease<br />
first, the better to understand the ailment.<br />
A thief accused of stealing employed a<br />
lawyer to plead his case. The lawyer was the<br />
Good Samaritan so he said: “In order for<br />
me to defend you properly, I need to have a<br />
complete understanding of your predicament.”<br />
So he conspired to have himself also<br />
accused of stealing. When the time came<br />
for the trial, the lawyer would not just be<br />
defending a client; he would be defending<br />
himself.<br />
This was the case of God with regard to<br />
man through Christ Jesus. We were the poor<br />
and defenceless traveller on the way from<br />
Jerusalem to Jericho. Our adversary, the<br />
devil, robbed us, stripped us and wounded<br />
us. We were by nature dead in trespasses<br />
and sins, completely without strength; unable<br />
to defend ourselves. Then Jesus, the<br />
Good Samaritan, came and had compassion<br />
on us. He bound up all our wounds. He<br />
took us to the hospital and put all the expenses<br />
for our treatment on<br />
his own account.<br />
The cross<br />
So doing, the armed robbers<br />
were able to pounce on<br />
him as well: “He was wounded<br />
for our transgressions, he<br />
was bruised for our iniquities:<br />
the chastisement of our<br />
peace was upon him; and<br />
with his stripes we are<br />
healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). In all<br />
our afflictions, he became afflicted,<br />
and the angel of his<br />
presence saved us. In his love<br />
and in his pity he redeemed<br />
us, and he picked us up from<br />
the miry clay. (Isaiah 63:9).<br />
Therefore, we cannot say<br />
anymore that God does not<br />
care. No more can we say<br />
God is indifferent to human<br />
suffering and adversity. In<br />
Christ, God answered that<br />
human question conclusively.<br />
God not only cares, he does<br />
not separate himself from<br />
human suffering. “For we<br />
have not an high priest which<br />
cannot be touched with the<br />
feeling of our infirmities; but<br />
was in all points tempted like<br />
as we are, yet without sin.”<br />
(Hebrews 4:15).<br />
Indeed, man does not even<br />
know what suffering is. No<br />
mere mortal has ever experienced<br />
the kind of agony<br />
Christ went through on the<br />
cross. Suffering, great suffering,<br />
comes from the anguish<br />
of the soul. This comes when<br />
God turns his back on man.<br />
This was Jesus’ predicament<br />
on the cross. For the first time<br />
in eternity, the Father turned<br />
his back on his beloved Son<br />
and the agony was too much<br />
for Jesus to bear.<br />
Primate calls for passage of anti-jungle<br />
justice bill<br />
By Olayinka Latona<br />
PRIMATE of The First<br />
African Church<br />
Mission, Most Rev. Sunday<br />
Matilukuro has called on<br />
Nigerian lawmakers to pass<br />
the “Prohibition and<br />
protection of persons from<br />
lynching, mob action and<br />
extra-judicial executions”<br />
which has passed its second<br />
reading in the upper<br />
chamber to stem the<br />
growing trend of jungle<br />
justice and extra-judicial<br />
killings in the country.<br />
Reacting to the news of a<br />
7-year-old boy who was<br />
beaten and burnt to death<br />
for stealing garri in Lagos,<br />
Primate Matilukuro<br />
described the act as<br />
‘barbaric and inhuman’,<br />
praying that the nation’s<br />
law enforcement agents<br />
would wake up to their<br />
responsibilities and bring<br />
the perpetrators to book.<br />
In his words: “Lynching<br />
and burning of fellow<br />
human beings is total<br />
wickedness, a dastardly act<br />
which portrays the level of<br />
moral decadence in our<br />
country. The person<br />
involved in this particular<br />
incidence is a minor. Even<br />
in the law, a minor cannot<br />
be punished in such manner,<br />
rather he should be<br />
corrected.<br />
“Those involved did not<br />
guided by the values of<br />
fairness, justice and equality.”<br />
He however stated there is<br />
much more to be done in the<br />
next three years. NOSCEF,<br />
according to him, needs a<br />
befitting secretariat to better<br />
coordinate its activities.<br />
only offend the law but have<br />
also offended God because<br />
such behaviour is inhuman.<br />
It is never part of our culture<br />
and should not be part of us.<br />
The government should<br />
ensure that the perpetrators<br />
of the evil act should be<br />
fished out and dealt with in<br />
accordance with prevailing<br />
laws of the land to serve as<br />
deterrent against future<br />
occurrence,” he said.<br />
The Primate also called<br />
on governments at all levels<br />
to make life much more<br />
comfortable for the nation’s<br />
citizens by providing<br />
adequate security .<br />
Lamenting that most of<br />
the leaders are indifferent<br />
about security and welfare<br />
of the masses, the primate<br />
said: “We can also blame<br />
our leaders because they<br />
have failed the masses. Once<br />
the leader is good, followers<br />
will fall in line, if the leaders<br />
are corrupt, indifference<br />
about security and general<br />
welfare of the masses, then<br />
caution will be thrown to the<br />
wind, and it’ll be survival of<br />
the fittest which is typical of<br />
jungle life.”<br />
Matilukuro, however,<br />
advised parents, especially<br />
mothers to spend quality<br />
time with their children<br />
while asking the media to<br />
discourage scenes, pictures<br />
and publications that are<br />
capable of promoting moral<br />
decadence in the society.
PAGE 40—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
Joe-Ezigbo: Without energy<br />
gy, , agriculture,<br />
diversif<br />
sification ication not possible<br />
BY MORENIKE TAIRE<br />
“The gas lady” is the nickname<br />
Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, co-founder and<br />
executive director, Falcon<br />
Corporation Ltd., is hailed by<br />
many of her friends and associates.<br />
Yet, it would surprise many to<br />
discover her entry into the oil and<br />
gas sector was by accident.<br />
Confronted by the reality of gas<br />
flares while executing a project in<br />
South-Eastern Nigeria, almost two<br />
decades back, she stumbled on the<br />
resource that would come to define<br />
the organization she <strong>leads</strong> and<br />
represents.<br />
Nevertheless, it is an industry to<br />
which she is not only committed<br />
but one upon which she firmly<br />
believes the solution to our<br />
electricity woes is hinged.<br />
A chat with Joe-Ezigbo has<br />
the tendency to soon turn from a<br />
lifestyle inquiry into an<br />
unprecedented insight into the<br />
subject about which she is most<br />
passionate. And this is exactly the<br />
case just barely weeks after the<br />
Nigerian Gas Association 2016<br />
annual conference, which rose<br />
from Abuja recently.<br />
The winner of the ‘Ernst & Young<br />
Entrepreneur of the Year West<br />
Africa 2014’ award who holds four<br />
academic degrees.<br />
oming from outside of the<br />
C<br />
oil and gas industry, what<br />
drove your choice of the<br />
industry to invest in? Moreso, the<br />
oil and gas industry has been<br />
dominated by multi-nationals.<br />
We were a bit naive but it was<br />
also something that has worked<br />
for us over the years because as<br />
we began to understand the<br />
industry more in those early days,<br />
one thing that stood out for us was<br />
that, in a lot of strategic<br />
management positions, you will<br />
see the expatriates handling<br />
things but the real work was<br />
actually being done by our people<br />
and that sort of spoke to us in<br />
terms of what we can do and we<br />
made our own commitment back<br />
then that whatever we will achieve<br />
in the industry, we will achieve it<br />
with Nigerians through Nigerians.<br />
It was a position that cost us many<br />
opportunities back then so, it was<br />
a bit slow in the beginning because<br />
we just maintained that Falcon<br />
was going to be completely<br />
indigenous and that was 1994,<br />
1995. It has been validated and<br />
now having legislation<br />
mandating for that to happen.<br />
Falcon participated in the<br />
recent Nigeria Gas Association<br />
conference in Abuja. What was<br />
the takeaway for Falcon? And<br />
how are you harnessing the<br />
opportunities that emerged from<br />
the meetings?<br />
I have been sitting on the NGA<br />
Exco for the last 8 years and so<br />
our engagement has been both in<br />
terms of inner workings of the<br />
council and as a player in the<br />
industry. We have come to a point,<br />
where the industry is almost at a<br />
standstill. All our aspirations as a<br />
nation in terms of diversification<br />
are hinged on one key thing and<br />
that is the power sector. Whether<br />
we have all sorts of innovative<br />
technologies, they are not going<br />
to take away from the fact that gas<br />
to power is the critical link in the<br />
chain.<br />
As the minister announced the<br />
draft for the National Gas Policy<br />
was also released and speaks<br />
particularly to a restructuring of<br />
the entire industry, creating room<br />
for a segregation of the upstream,<br />
midstream and the downstream<br />
and allowing for private sector<br />
investment to come into all those<br />
•Audrey Joe-Ezigbo<br />
various spaces with government<br />
regulations but not the way it is<br />
now. Therefore, the conference<br />
opened our eyes to how we can<br />
progress some of the strategic<br />
opportunities that we had already<br />
identified.<br />
Falcon has made its marks in<br />
the industry but not without<br />
attendant challenges.<br />
There are some kind of<br />
businesses that we refused to do<br />
but we hold ourselves as a<br />
company that is very strict on the<br />
ethics of the business and<br />
unfortunately the landscape has<br />
been riddled with all sorts of<br />
corrupt practices, sharp practices.<br />
(Cut in) What would you<br />
attribute those to?<br />
It is not isolated from what is<br />
going on in the country. In places<br />
where you see that people are well<br />
remunerated and they wouldn’t<br />
need to do certain things but you<br />
will still find out that there are<br />
people who have what they call<br />
“my day job and my night job”.<br />
The day job is a job with an IOC,<br />
the night job is the private<br />
business they do to compete for<br />
the same projects that you the<br />
independents are competing for.<br />
On the technical side of things,<br />
it is the constraint of not<br />
manufacturing what we need<br />
locally, so with your best local<br />
content aspiration, there are still<br />
some things we need to rely on in<br />
the international market. A lot of<br />
training, development has to go<br />
into that space. We have some<br />
banks, which are doing what they<br />
consider long-term funding,<br />
which is a joke - for instance, a<br />
bank is telling you 3 – 5 years. 3 –<br />
5 years in oil and gas is shortterm.<br />
Talking about the foreign<br />
exchange aspect of it from the<br />
aspect of our business where we<br />
are acting as a government agent,<br />
it is a bit untidy but I see<br />
streamlining of that as the<br />
industry is trying to move itself<br />
forward.<br />
Falcon Corporation was<br />
appointed into a Lagos State<br />
Government Special Committee<br />
on Power called Light up<br />
Lagos Committee under the<br />
leadership of Governor<br />
Akinwunmi Ambode. Could you<br />
let us into how your firm made<br />
the committee membership?<br />
What Governor Ambode tried to<br />
do was to look at who are the<br />
strategic players in the space.<br />
Government has a huge<br />
aspiration in terms of powering<br />
up Lagos and this is an offshoot of<br />
what former Governor Fashola<br />
started and I’m happy to see that<br />
consistency and continuity.<br />
Falcon is the LDC that is in charge<br />
of the Ikorodu gas franchise and<br />
that has been identified as one of<br />
the key points to enable gas supply<br />
that will back all the plants<br />
around power. It makes sense that<br />
we be on the committee. A lot of<br />
work has gone on and I can’t<br />
speak beyond that, except you see<br />
that there is a robust roadmap that<br />
has been developed, a lot of<br />
technical validation is going on<br />
currently. But certainly, we<br />
understand our role as enablers<br />
in that process to make sure that<br />
the gas requirement is met.<br />
Do you see more of that<br />
happening in other states of the<br />
federation?<br />
I believe so. For instance, if I am<br />
an investor that has identified a<br />
niche that I feel that I can deliver<br />
power to, I should be able to do<br />
that and make it attractive for<br />
others to want to buy. It increases<br />
competitiveness which will<br />
ultimately bring down prices and<br />
then the objective is for us to have<br />
a vast power technical base so that<br />
every other thing can flow.<br />
Government should be an enabler<br />
but ultimately it is not achievable<br />
without the private sector.<br />
What is the nature of the<br />
reforms in the oil and gas sector<br />
by the current administration?<br />
Have we really moved forward?<br />
If you look at the tangibles, are<br />
they well worthy of the large<br />
pronouncements that have been<br />
made? Or is it too early to tell?<br />
A lot of strategic think tanks<br />
that were set up to look into the<br />
reformation of the oil industry,<br />
look into the gas industry, the<br />
segregation of those industries,<br />
the clear segregation of the<br />
upstream, mainstream,<br />
downstream, to see how to<br />
streamline it, take away this undue<br />
government interference in that<br />
industry and create a very private<br />
sector-driven landscape that is<br />
competitive. We are not just seeing<br />
policies being pushed at you.<br />
The bigger challenge now<br />
becomes the implementation and<br />
that is where time will tell.<br />
Currently in the power sector, one<br />
of the biggest challenges we are<br />
facing is that of illiquidity and<br />
everybody is blaming the Discos,<br />
Government should be<br />
an enabler but ultimately<br />
it is not achievable<br />
without the private sector<br />
but when you begin to roll back<br />
along the value chain, you will see<br />
that the issues that will make it<br />
possible for the Discos to default,<br />
if that is the case, actually stem<br />
from way back. From the<br />
MYTO framework, what are the<br />
benchmarks? Even the dollar<br />
rate that is used there is 196/197.<br />
The current administration<br />
under Kachikwu has separated<br />
gas from oil. Now they are<br />
saying, we are going to have gas<br />
sector and there is $51billion<br />
worth of investments that is<br />
available.<br />
We had taken position before we<br />
got to this point and I am sure with<br />
a lot of seasoned investors, that<br />
has been the situation. Therefore,<br />
the things we tried to do have been<br />
ahead of the policies and the<br />
policy is only validating that this<br />
is the direction we should go. In<br />
the LPG space, it was very clear to<br />
us that this is the direction.<br />
Ultimately, that kerosene subsidy<br />
must go because it is not<br />
sustainable, it does not make<br />
economic sense, environmental<br />
sense and so on. The question then<br />
is, who are those investors who are<br />
savvy enough to take position<br />
ahead of what will certainly be a<br />
transformation? Hopefully those<br />
who know what they are doing<br />
come into the space because we<br />
don’t want a situation where<br />
money is just chasing<br />
opportunities without technical<br />
know-how to back it up.<br />
How do you think that could be<br />
prevented?<br />
It is looking at the framework<br />
that has been set. Who is coming<br />
to the table? What are they brining<br />
apart from the dollar? How does<br />
the nation benefit? We are signing<br />
billion dollar deals with the Chinese<br />
government but nobody is looking<br />
at training more people to speak<br />
Mandarin. They bring in their<br />
people, they don’t understand us, we<br />
don’t understand them and when<br />
they are going they are taking<br />
everything back<br />
If you want to do any exploration,<br />
you have your gas development<br />
plan already. There is a clause that<br />
if you have not actualised those gas<br />
development plans, by the time you<br />
need to do a renewal round, you will<br />
lose your licence. We want to hang<br />
on to those local content demands<br />
that we are placing so that no matter<br />
what happens, we are assured that<br />
that institutional knowledge is not<br />
lost.<br />
Several global reforms are<br />
pushing for clean energy. How<br />
does that portend for growth in<br />
natural gas demand and revenue<br />
opportunity from that sub-sector?<br />
Natural gas plays that key role<br />
because we know the environmental<br />
benefits. I also believe as a nation,<br />
we need to start paying more than<br />
lip service to the issue of carbon<br />
credit. Once you can translate it<br />
directly to their own business<br />
bottom line, then you will see we<br />
will begin to aspire.<br />
There seems to always be a<br />
controversy on natural gas<br />
pricing in Nigeria. Is there a thing<br />
like appropriate price for natural<br />
gas for the country?<br />
What I think is the appropriate<br />
is that it has to be market-driven.<br />
I should be able to negotiate<br />
directly with you as a gas seller<br />
for what works from the project<br />
point of view. Now people argue<br />
about the end cost to the end user<br />
and I agree it is not easy. Already,<br />
the power pricing is an issue;<br />
mind you, the dollar rate in the<br />
pricing framework, is not<br />
realistic. Let us wear the shoes of<br />
the investor; where are they<br />
supposed to get their returns<br />
from? Yes, if they bring it up to the<br />
realistic pricing at the current rate,<br />
will the man on the street be able<br />
to pay? That is the conversation<br />
you hear at the other end. We have<br />
spent decades destroying value<br />
and unfortunately, every time you<br />
want to recreate a system that has<br />
been grossly eroded, what happens<br />
is that some people will suffer and<br />
it is not just the man on the street.<br />
The deregulation of the<br />
downstream petroleum sector, for<br />
instance, is a case in point. Now,<br />
it is a case of the players removing<br />
N1 to make a sale. But now, we<br />
are dealing with our current<br />
prices, everybody has made the<br />
adjustment and that sector is<br />
moving forward. We need to just<br />
undertake that same mind-set as<br />
far as every other sector is<br />
concerned.<br />
You seem very much in gas<br />
administration in the country.<br />
What has been the advantage?<br />
We are coming from an era<br />
where even our regulators, many<br />
of them don’t understand the<br />
industry. You are not able to just<br />
step back and say I’m just running<br />
my company and many things are<br />
going on and you are not able to<br />
advocate for what should make<br />
sense. At the Nigerian Gas<br />
Association advocacy is the<br />
number 1 out of the 4 value pillars<br />
that we are standing on. I’m not<br />
building a business that will die<br />
with me. I want a business that lasts<br />
well after I am gone and is still<br />
ready to survive and thrive and<br />
add value. When you look at the<br />
National gas master plan, the<br />
ideals were lofty but were actually<br />
achievable with concerted effort -<br />
how do we optimize our gas<br />
resources on the domestic front;<br />
how do we make Nigeria the most<br />
attractive gas market for export?<br />
How do we build up<br />
infrastructure network? They<br />
actually made provisions that<br />
supported the local content. Very<br />
robust. The country is currently<br />
littered with power plants that<br />
have no gas. interconnectivity only<br />
happens on the backbone of the<br />
master plan so if I go to wherever<br />
and I want to start a power plant I<br />
can visualize my nearest connect for<br />
gas supplies.<br />
There has been some<br />
controversy regarding the PIB bill.<br />
The National Assembly while<br />
waiting for the executive to present<br />
the bill, they just started their own<br />
version and now the Petroleum<br />
reform bill. What is your take on<br />
all this?<br />
I’m glad the conversation is on.<br />
This comes to the point we have been<br />
raising about putting the national<br />
interest first. It is looking at the<br />
content of the bill versus the reality<br />
of the day and the landscape we want<br />
to have tomorrow. Collaboration<br />
should be the order of the day. Yes<br />
they can have their arguments but I<br />
am hoping they can still come<br />
back to the table and harmonize a<br />
version that comes out and makes<br />
sense for the future . Perhaps there<br />
will be people who are being - for<br />
want of a better word - partisan but<br />
I know that things are coming to a<br />
head .There are gas producers who<br />
have said maximum 6 months I am<br />
shutting down because liquidity is<br />
so volatile it’s unbelievable<br />
Investments have been suspended .
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 41<br />
The Nigerian<br />
Association of Small<br />
and Medium<br />
Enterprises (NASME),<br />
umbrella body of micro,<br />
small and medium<br />
enterprises, MSMEs, in<br />
Nigeria, may have won a<br />
major battle releasing small<br />
businesses from tax<br />
burdens as the Federal<br />
Inland Revenue Service<br />
(FIRS) has waved all<br />
outstanding tax liabilities<br />
against them up till 2016.<br />
NASME had, earlier in<br />
this year, packaged a tax<br />
amnesty proposal with the<br />
technical support of a<br />
leading accounting firm,<br />
Akintola Williams Deloitte,<br />
and lobbied the Federal<br />
Ministry of Finance to,<br />
among other things, wave<br />
all outstanding penalties,<br />
charges and interests on all<br />
unpaid taxes standing<br />
against every MSME up to<br />
2016.<br />
Last September, FIRS<br />
announced a waiver for all<br />
outstanding penalties,<br />
interests and charges for tax<br />
defaults against MSMEs for<br />
a period from 2013 to 2015.<br />
Speaking to Vanguard<br />
SME, the National Vice<br />
Chairman of NASME in<br />
South West zone, Mr Jemi<br />
Alade, while commending<br />
the initiative disagreed with<br />
the period covered, arguing<br />
that it should cover all<br />
previous years.<br />
He stated: ‘‘We want it<br />
across board. Instead,<br />
deadlines or cut-off dates<br />
should be eliminated totally<br />
up to end 2016’’.<br />
At a workshop for tax and<br />
regulatory policy framework<br />
for MSMEs held in Lagos<br />
last week, Chairman of FIRS,<br />
Dr. Tunde Fowler, indicated<br />
that the waivers would be<br />
extended to all years prior to<br />
2016. Previously, the waiver<br />
was from 2013 to 2015.<br />
With Emeka Anaeto (08104056415)<br />
emekaanaeto16@gmail.com<br />
SMEs win major tax war<br />
…FIRS and Lagos move to review tax burden<br />
•SME operator at work<br />
By Emeka Anaeto<br />
Committed to training young<br />
Nigerians in advanced<br />
manufacturing and<br />
business development, leading<br />
multinational, General Electric<br />
We want it<br />
across board.<br />
Instead,<br />
deadlines or cutoff<br />
dates should<br />
be eliminated<br />
totally up to end<br />
2016<br />
Moreover, Fowler said the<br />
extension, applies to members<br />
of NASME only. Moreover, He<br />
also stated that management<br />
accounts, instead of audited<br />
accounts, will be accepted.<br />
Additionally, the FIRS boss<br />
directed that companies should<br />
refer controversial taxes by<br />
states to the Joint Tax Board<br />
(JTB).<br />
Vanguard learnt that Ministry<br />
of Finance is working for the<br />
revised tax policy to be sent to<br />
the National Assembly before<br />
year end. The review will also<br />
be a continuous exercise.<br />
Government is also working on<br />
reducing company tax rates<br />
which will be effective when<br />
the law is passed.<br />
There were also indications<br />
that Lagos State Internal<br />
Revenue Service (LIRS) would<br />
be creating a similar tax waiver<br />
scheme for NASME members<br />
in the state.<br />
A representative of the Lagos<br />
state ministry of commerce and<br />
industry said that the<br />
government is reviewing the<br />
local government law of 2010<br />
to itemize the taxes with<br />
community business<br />
assemblies inaugurated at the<br />
local government level, for<br />
businesses to channel<br />
complaints regarding levies<br />
and fees payable to local<br />
governments.<br />
GE invests $4 billion in skill acquisition in Africa<br />
*Unveils second Lagos Garage<br />
By Yinka Ajayi<br />
(GE), has invested $4 billion for skill<br />
acquisition in Africa.<br />
Speaking in Lagos, GE President<br />
and Chief Executive Officer, Jay<br />
Ireland, stated at the unveiling of<br />
the 2nd Lagos Garage, that the<br />
growth of Africa would come from<br />
skill acquisition in manufacturing<br />
and technology base knowledge.<br />
According to Ireland, “Our goal is<br />
to help fund entrepreneurial skills by<br />
training about 200 people annually.<br />
We intend to drive Nigeria’s economy<br />
by generating the next growth of<br />
Africa through Lagos Garage. If we<br />
Continues on page 42<br />
YOUR BUSINESS & YOUR BANK<br />
Preparing Security/<br />
Collateral for Bank<br />
Loan (5)<br />
Last week on this series we discussed two<br />
other security/ collateral items for bank<br />
loans: Pledge of goods or property and<br />
stocks/ shares.<br />
In case of pledge of goods or property we<br />
had noted that the goods if imported has to be<br />
consigned to the bank or warehoused by the<br />
bank from where it is sold and proceeds going<br />
straight to the bank.<br />
In the case of property we had noted that<br />
such property with appropriate value would<br />
be kept in the custody of the bank in lieu of<br />
loan security. All the key requirements of a<br />
good security would apply in all cases of pledge<br />
of any form of property or goods as security<br />
for loan.<br />
We also noted in case of shares/ stocks that<br />
banks select only those with good track record<br />
of stock market performance and in particular<br />
shares of companies known for strong financial<br />
position.<br />
Related to this is that the discounting or<br />
mark-down would be more adverse for shares<br />
of less reputable companies. We advised that<br />
the prospective borrower should invest in blue<br />
chip companies for the purpose of bank loans.<br />
We noted, however, that banks can make-up<br />
for the inadequacies of shares as security for<br />
loans by requesting for additional security in<br />
forms other than shares.<br />
In today and the concluding part of this<br />
series next week we shall discuss some other<br />
forms of security<br />
LIFE ASSURANCE POLICIES<br />
A life assurance policy is as a contract<br />
whereby the insurer in consideration of a<br />
certain premium payable monthly or annually<br />
undertakes to pay to the beneficiary of the<br />
policy or the holder a lump sum at the terminal<br />
date predetermined or annually upon the<br />
death of the life assured. The policy can be<br />
pledged for loan under conditions and terms<br />
that do not undermine the existing assurance<br />
policy contract.<br />
Specifically the borrower who should be the<br />
policy holder can assign the benefits thereof<br />
subject to fulfilled premium obligations. In<br />
other words the outstanding premium<br />
obligations do not count for the purpose of<br />
determining the loan amount and repayment<br />
obligations.<br />
GUARANTEES<br />
This is a typical collateral form of security in<br />
bank lending. A guarantee is a collateral<br />
security involving three parties, in which the<br />
third party, the guarantor, agrees to be liable<br />
for the debts of a second party, the borrower, if<br />
he does not pay the first party, the bank. It is<br />
a promise in writing made by the guarantor to<br />
the creditor to be liable for the debt of the debtor.<br />
In most cases the bank would require the<br />
third party, the guarantor to back-up the<br />
guarantee with tangible security, assets or cash<br />
as a form of additional securities like land and<br />
building, stocks and shares, life policy etc. If<br />
this is not done the security or collateral<br />
remains intangible and clearly it is an<br />
unsecured lending to the third party,<br />
guarantor.<br />
CASH SECURITY/A LETTER OF SET-OFF<br />
Most banks treat cash as the best type of<br />
security for loans probably because there are<br />
no obvious problems of valuation,<br />
depreciation and realization in case of<br />
default. There are two ways by which cash<br />
could be held as security.<br />
(a) Where the customer uses the credit<br />
balances in an account as security<br />
for a credit facility.<br />
(b) When cash is deposited by a third<br />
party e.g. guarantor expressly to<br />
secure the debt of the customer,<br />
e.g. the principal debtor.<br />
We shall be discussing more on this in<br />
our concluding part next week.
PAGE 42—SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
By Prince Okafor<br />
Federal Government has<br />
committed N1.4 billion to<br />
the pre-development phase<br />
and N50 billion to stage one<br />
development in 2017, for the<br />
establishment of six Special<br />
Economic Zones (SEZs) and<br />
Industrial Clusters in the<br />
country,<br />
Minister of Industry, Trade<br />
and Investment, Okechukwu<br />
Enelamah, who made this<br />
known at the 5th edition of the<br />
EU-Nigeria business forum,<br />
said the Pre-development<br />
studies on the six pilot SEZs<br />
in Nigeria which would be<br />
built to world class standards<br />
will commence next month,<br />
adding that, “Afreximbank<br />
and China Exim Bank have<br />
committed $1billion into the<br />
project.”<br />
Commenting on the creation<br />
of an enabling environment to<br />
improve the Ease of Doing<br />
Business, EODB, based on a<br />
Presidential initiative, he<br />
said: “Work has commenced<br />
on setting up the structure to<br />
support the initiative on the<br />
EODB, the supporting<br />
secretariat has been set up<br />
and is functioning in the<br />
Nigeria Investment Promotion<br />
Commission (NIPC).<br />
Knowledge experts and<br />
technical consultants to<br />
support the team have been<br />
constituted.<br />
“The Nigerian Industrial<br />
Revolution Plan, NIRP,<br />
priorities are agribusiness<br />
and the agro-allied sector,<br />
auto-assembly and<br />
component manufacturing,<br />
sugar, food processing<br />
(tomato and fruit juice),<br />
textiles and garments, palm<br />
oil processing and leather and<br />
leather products.<br />
“These are the sectors where<br />
SMEs are operative. Specific<br />
programmes are being<br />
implemented at various<br />
stages,” he noted.<br />
He also said that the<br />
Nigerian trade policy practice<br />
on trade negotiations and<br />
agreements has been<br />
revamped and will be used as<br />
an engine for growth in the<br />
country.<br />
He stated: “Nigeria shall<br />
With Emeka Anaeto (08104056415)<br />
FG commits N51.4m to industrial<br />
clusters, SEZs development<br />
They can compete with<br />
competitors in any<br />
economy in the world.<br />
But we have to work to<br />
give them a context, by<br />
improving the domestic<br />
business environment,<br />
updating and<br />
modernizing the platform<br />
of the Nigerian economy<br />
and eliminating the trade<br />
distortions Nigerian<br />
products and services<br />
face in foreign markets<br />
henceforth use trade<br />
negotiations aggressively and<br />
ambitiously. Nigeria shall<br />
initiate and negotiate<br />
strategic free trade<br />
agreements (FTAs) with<br />
precise objectives, including<br />
explicit linkage of access to<br />
Nigerian market, for locating<br />
industrial investments in<br />
Nigeria connected to regional<br />
and global value chains”.<br />
He said that he is confident<br />
in the innovative capacity of<br />
the country as well as the<br />
entrepreneurial<br />
resourcefulness, adding that,<br />
“they can compete with<br />
competitors in any economy in<br />
the world. But we have to<br />
work to give them a context,<br />
by improving the domestic<br />
business environment,<br />
updating and modernizing<br />
the platform of the Nigerian<br />
economy and eliminating the<br />
trade distortions Nigerian<br />
products and services face in<br />
foreign markets.”<br />
He maintained that, a digital<br />
led strategy for growth is<br />
central to Nigeria’s plan for<br />
•Factory workers at one of the Lagos industrial clusters<br />
diversification and growth.<br />
In his words, “the digital<br />
economy provides a platform<br />
for the integration of Nigerian<br />
SMEs into the Global value<br />
chains, with a catapult effect.<br />
“The digital economy in<br />
Nigeria is one of the fastest<br />
growing in the world. It<br />
currently accounts for<br />
approximately 10 percent of<br />
the GDP. Lagos is the largest<br />
commercial city in Africa. The<br />
city accommodates some of<br />
Africa’s best known tech<br />
businesses such as IrokoTV,<br />
Hotels.ng, Jobberman,<br />
Andela, Balogun market and<br />
Truppr.com. Co-Creation Hub<br />
(CC Hub) is Nigeria’s leading<br />
innovation hub. In the SME<br />
ecosystem, entrepreneurial<br />
Hubs and business incubation<br />
Centers are the future.<br />
“Nigeria technology startups<br />
and SMEs are being<br />
facilitated through internet<br />
connectivity, although we<br />
require partnerships and<br />
assistance to achieve 100<br />
percent broadband coverage<br />
of Nigeria rapidly,” he stated.<br />
GE invests $4 billion in skill acquisition in Africa<br />
Continued from page 41<br />
observe growth of business<br />
ideas, it would motivate us to<br />
continue the Garage initiative<br />
as is in line with Nigerian<br />
government diversification<br />
moves. People come up with<br />
ideas and create businesses for<br />
themselves in technology or<br />
manufacturing would be great<br />
for the nation’s economic<br />
diversification agenda”.<br />
He stressed that Garage sets<br />
to offer series of skills training<br />
programs focusing on building<br />
the next generation of Nigerian<br />
entrepreneurs while<br />
participants would be trained to<br />
use the latest in advanced<br />
manufacturing technologies; 3D<br />
printers, CNC mills, and laser<br />
cutters in the first-ever<br />
fabrication lab in Nigeria,<br />
driving innovation in the<br />
country. They would learn how<br />
to apply the core principles of<br />
design thinking, product<br />
development, finance,<br />
marketing, sales, and customer<br />
acquisition in real-time to their<br />
ventures.<br />
Meanwhile, President &<br />
CEO, GE Nigeria, Dr. Lazarus<br />
Angbazo, said, “For Africa to<br />
better compete in a global<br />
frame work, there is need to<br />
encourage innovation in<br />
Nigeria and support small and<br />
medium entrepreneural (SME)<br />
development through skillsbuilding<br />
initiatives. The Lagos<br />
Garage will provide<br />
participants access to a robust<br />
mentorship network,<br />
supporting entrepreneurship<br />
with the aim of driving growth<br />
across all sectors of the<br />
Nigerian economy.<br />
“We created the Garages<br />
experience in March 2012 to<br />
reinvigorate interest in<br />
invention, innovation, and<br />
manufacturing in America.<br />
Programs include custom<br />
projects, curated speaker<br />
Consistency in high quality<br />
has earned Chi Limited<br />
two awards at the just<br />
ended 2016 ‘Global Quality<br />
Excellence’ Awards which held in<br />
Lagos.<br />
Chivita 100%, the company’s<br />
flagship brand in the fruit juice<br />
category, was named as winner<br />
of the ‘Best Quality Fruit Juice<br />
Excellence Award 2016’ for the<br />
Juice category while Hollandia<br />
Yoghurt won the ‘Best Quality<br />
Yoghurt Excellence Award 2016’<br />
for the drinking yoghurt<br />
category.<br />
The award organized by the<br />
African Quality Institute as part<br />
of this year’s World Quality Day<br />
celebration and in line with the<br />
resolution of the United Nations,<br />
sessions and workshops amid<br />
a fully equipped advanced<br />
manufacturing space. This<br />
CHI wins trophies at ‘Global Quality Excellence’ awards<br />
the Global Quality Excellence<br />
Awards 2016 has the objective of<br />
ensuring that quality remains an<br />
important tool for national<br />
growth and prosperity.<br />
According to Desmond<br />
Esorougwe, a member of the<br />
Organizing Committee for the<br />
Awards, “in a global economy<br />
where success depends on<br />
quality, innovativeness and<br />
sustainability, the award is our<br />
chance to reinforce these virtues<br />
as the foundation of<br />
organizations and brand’s<br />
requirement for achieving<br />
improved business performance.<br />
After a painstaking review of<br />
brands in the fruit juice and<br />
yoghurt categories, Chivita<br />
100% fruit juice and Hollandia<br />
CLB gets<br />
Accreditation<br />
The Chartered Institute of<br />
Personnel Management<br />
(CIPM) has granted the Centre<br />
for Law and Business, (CLB)<br />
Lagos, Accredited Study Centre<br />
Status to organized tutorial<br />
classes and training for CIPM<br />
students and HR practitioners.<br />
According to the Managing<br />
Director of CLB, Mr. Dapo<br />
Oyewumi, “the accreditation<br />
will afford CIPM students<br />
opportunity to receive quality<br />
tutorial classes and obtain their<br />
qualifications with excellent<br />
results.” He continued: “The<br />
CIPM tutorial classes at CLB are<br />
designed in furtherance of the<br />
objective of the Institute to<br />
deliver excellent HR<br />
practitioners.”<br />
It could be recalled, earlier in<br />
the year that the Chartered<br />
Institute of Bankers of Nigeria<br />
(CIBN) had also accredited CLB<br />
to organise tutorial classes for<br />
bankers sitting for the<br />
Associateship of the Chartered<br />
Institute of Bankers (ACIB)<br />
exam.<br />
The professionally run study<br />
center was established in 2003<br />
to provide intellectual products,<br />
learning and tutorial support for<br />
world class academic and<br />
professional programmes<br />
anchored on the University of<br />
London and other UK<br />
Universities, and for<br />
professional bodies like<br />
ACCA,CIPM, CIBN, ICAN, as<br />
well as private tutoring for<br />
students in various foreign<br />
universities and institutions.<br />
program went global with two<br />
workshops in Lagos in 2014<br />
and has since grown to include<br />
several countries in Europe<br />
and the Middle-East.”<br />
Yoghurt came tops in recognition<br />
of their capacity to deliver<br />
authentic consumer<br />
experiences”<br />
Speaking on the awards,<br />
Managing Director of Chi<br />
Limited, Mr. Roy Deepanjan,<br />
“we are delighted with this<br />
honour from the organizers of<br />
the Global Quality Excellence<br />
Awards 2016.The award<br />
underscores our dedication to<br />
giving 100% to every stage in the<br />
production process of our brands<br />
from sourcing of raw materials<br />
to packaging and delivery. We<br />
constantly review our processes<br />
to ensure that only the best<br />
quality of our products in the<br />
Fruit juice and dairy category<br />
finds its way to shelf”
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, Page 43<br />
VIEWPOINT<br />
By Femi Fani-Kayode<br />
VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
A 21-day experience in<br />
Abuja prison at the instance<br />
of the EFCC<br />
MY Boko Haram friends<br />
accompanied me to that<br />
meeting, drew a ten man security<br />
cordon around me when we<br />
entered the general population of<br />
the prison and waited outside as<br />
Nnamdi and I spoke for almost<br />
three hours.<br />
They even accompanied me to<br />
Church on Sunday and waited<br />
outside until we finished.<br />
Given what I have written about<br />
Boko Haram in the past and given<br />
my total aversion to any form of<br />
violence, terrorism and radical<br />
Islam, this was a classic case of<br />
God granting me favour before my<br />
PRISON NOTES: Life in Boko Haram section of jail<br />
enemies.<br />
Everyone dreaded them in that<br />
prison but I am proud to say that<br />
they were my friends and I will<br />
never forget their courage,<br />
kindness and fellowship for the<br />
rest of my life.<br />
The enemy had placed me in the<br />
lions den but the lions and their<br />
prey became the best of friends.<br />
Not only were my Boko Haram<br />
section mates very good to me but<br />
so were the other inmates in the<br />
general prison population.<br />
Not only that, the head of the<br />
prison, DCP Akilu Abdullah, his<br />
Chief Warden and his entire staff<br />
and team of prison wardens were<br />
firm, courteous and professional,<br />
not just to me but to all the other<br />
inmates.<br />
This was the doing of the Lord<br />
and it was marvellous in my sight.<br />
Throughout my travails, I have<br />
never questioned God and I have<br />
been inspired and comforted by His<br />
word which says that in all things<br />
we must give thanks to Him.<br />
I am innocent of all the charges<br />
and allegations and as I have said<br />
elsewhere, the whole thing is an<br />
attempt by the Federal<br />
Government and an increasingly<br />
desperate EFCC that is obsessed<br />
with my name and putting me<br />
away to discredit, break and<br />
silence me.<br />
Yet in all this I am not moved<br />
and neither can I ever be broken<br />
or silenced because, like the<br />
Biblical Job, “I know that my<br />
Redeemer liveth”.<br />
Like Shakespeare’s Macbeth,<br />
“my head is bloodied but not<br />
bowed” and “I shall fight until the<br />
flesh is hacked from my bones”.<br />
And as that fight and struggle<br />
unfolds and unwinds I take solace<br />
in the powerful and beautiful<br />
words of the Victorian poet,<br />
William Ernest Henley, in my<br />
favourite poem titled ‘Invictus’<br />
which was written in 1875. He<br />
wrote,<br />
“Out of the night that covers me,<br />
Black as the pit from pole to<br />
pole,<br />
I thank whatever gods may be<br />
For my unconquerable soul.<br />
In the fell clutch of circumstance<br />
I have not winced nor cried<br />
aloud.<br />
Under the bludgeonings of<br />
chance<br />
My head is bloody, but unbowed.<br />
Beyond this place of wrath and<br />
tears<br />
Looms but the Horror of the<br />
shade,<br />
And yet the menace of the years<br />
Finds and shall find me<br />
unafraid.<br />
It matters not how strait the gate,<br />
How charged with punishments<br />
the scroll,<br />
I am the master of my fate,<br />
I am the captain of my soul”.<br />
Like Nelson Mandela did at<br />
Robben Island prison every day for<br />
26 years, I recited that poem three<br />
times a day on each and every day<br />
of my total of 90 days detention<br />
this year. And if I am arrested and<br />
detained again by the EFCC or any<br />
of President Buhari’s other<br />
numerous security or intelligence<br />
agencies, I will continue to recite<br />
it. I have no fear of what men or<br />
Satan can do to me and I trust and<br />
have faith in the God that I serve.<br />
Having explained my absence<br />
for the last few weeks with this<br />
appetiser permit me to get to the<br />
meat of it and now serve the main<br />
dish of this contribution.<br />
*To be continued<br />
*Fani-Kayode served as Minister<br />
of Aviation in the Obasanjo<br />
administration and was spokesman<br />
for Jonathan Campaign.<br />
VIEWPOINT<br />
By Denja Yaqub<br />
VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
We have enough human<br />
resources to develop our own<br />
polices<br />
THE current economic crisis,<br />
an exposé on the predicted<br />
disabilities and inhuman<br />
dispositions of neo liberal policies,<br />
especially its role in developing<br />
economies just as it is in all sectors,<br />
seem to be one that will ignite, if it<br />
has not already ignited a revolt that<br />
will sure upturn global fortunes for<br />
the better.<br />
Not sure if Nigeria will be a<br />
beneficiary, given the nature of our<br />
intellectual, organisational, state<br />
and structural ineptitude as well as<br />
absence of national cohesiveness in<br />
a situation where nearly every<br />
analysis is garbed in ethnicity and<br />
clear allegiance to anything but<br />
national interests.<br />
Most critics, these days, see issues<br />
in the context of who was there and<br />
who is now there and from where;<br />
nothing much about what was there<br />
and what is there. Indeed, somehow<br />
contemporary Nigeria has<br />
VIEWPOINT<br />
By Danlami Adamu Nasir<br />
VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
Putting the records on NIPP<br />
straight<br />
One of the problems of<br />
mercenary writers or<br />
hatchet men is that they<br />
don’t pay attention to facts check.<br />
Abraham Lincoln said “no man has<br />
good enough memory to be a<br />
successful liar.” I cannot agree more.<br />
Therefore, if you are hired to attack<br />
someone else’s reputation, you<br />
should be sure of your facts first or<br />
else, you may ultimately look foolish<br />
for your ignorance.<br />
A case in point is a recent article<br />
entitled: “Where are the Various<br />
Power Probe Reports?” written by<br />
Philip Agbese. The writer<br />
deliberately distorted record and<br />
intentionally mistook assumptions<br />
for factuality.<br />
Fighting corruption and economic recession<br />
degenerated so fast, perhaps faster<br />
than any human abode at all levels.<br />
It may seem that because we never<br />
had situations when the opposition<br />
becomes government, no one,<br />
including the present government<br />
planned for the crisis we are now<br />
collectively burdened with. That just<br />
one citizen keeps millions of dollars<br />
at home, amounting to sums that<br />
could have either rejuvenated or built<br />
sectors that would have shot the<br />
citizens and country to better life and<br />
greater heights in human endeavour,<br />
doesn’t seem to be as worrisome to<br />
many as it would be if it were not<br />
perceived or analysed in regional or<br />
ethnic garbs with party biases;<br />
nauseating debates over legalities<br />
and constitutionality even as our<br />
legislators brazenly display<br />
superiority in self-interests above our<br />
collective future and fortunes as if<br />
there were no laws and constitution<br />
before now.<br />
When any of the three arms of<br />
government treats the fourth arm, the<br />
real arm of government- the citizenswith<br />
so much impunity, the country<br />
goes down. The worst is when the “last<br />
hope of the common man”, as the<br />
judiciary is commonly referred to,<br />
becomes a convenient abode of the<br />
devil sullying the common man.<br />
While Nigerians have been<br />
compelled to contend with growing<br />
debts, debts imposed on the citizens<br />
by selfish and inept leaders who swam<br />
and possibly still swim with our<br />
collective wealth; monumental debts<br />
that have mostly been brazenly<br />
embezzled beyond anyone’s<br />
imagination before the advent of the<br />
present government, some people still<br />
argue that it was wrong to pick<br />
judicial officers, Judges of the highest<br />
court, the Supreme Court, who kept<br />
monies in different currenciesproceeds<br />
of compromise; monies<br />
handed them by those spending our<br />
collective treasure- in their homes.<br />
Judges; those who should be revered,<br />
feared professionals that should have<br />
been leading examples in decency and<br />
professional discipline; those who<br />
should be presiding over cases of<br />
corruption; those who should have<br />
been ordering prisons opened for all<br />
the characters slowing us down, are<br />
the ones keeping proceeds of<br />
corruption in their homes.<br />
This is the highest of all scandals<br />
emerging from the rots of several<br />
years of maladministration of a<br />
country with so much resources in<br />
human and material quantum<br />
enough to rule the world.<br />
When the judiciary becomes as<br />
compromised as it has so far been<br />
exposed by alleged discoveries by<br />
those who carried out midnight sting<br />
operations in the homes of Judges<br />
suspected to have compromised their<br />
professional ethics, any such country<br />
is already doomed.<br />
But, somehow, the battle against<br />
corruption must be trap free. It must<br />
have good legal and constitutional<br />
unbreakable grounds strong enough<br />
to make judges or anyone unable to<br />
circumvent.<br />
There are questionable methods<br />
and the regime is obviously serious<br />
enough in the ordinary about the<br />
battle against what has slowed the<br />
country down than to allow legal or<br />
constitutional pits as obstacles. There<br />
are questionable actions that point<br />
to obvious pitfalls in the investigation,<br />
arraignment and trial of the accused<br />
persons/judges.<br />
For instance, is the State Security<br />
Service responsible for any form of<br />
operation in corruption related<br />
cases? When did the SSS become<br />
Department of State Services? Which<br />
law changed their name? Why wasn’t<br />
the Economic and Financial Crimes<br />
Commission or the Independent<br />
Corrupt Practices Commission or the<br />
anti-fraud unit of the Nigeria Police<br />
involved? Any of the accused judges<br />
can throw these questions as<br />
obstacles to proper prosecution.<br />
Haven’t they used these to free<br />
previously prosecuted individuals?<br />
Yes, the judiciary stinks, and we must<br />
say this very loud, but the den of crime<br />
must not be invaded in manners<br />
anyway seen much more helpful to<br />
criminality. Agreed, the element of<br />
surprise is necessary in situations<br />
where accomplices of suspects sits<br />
within the agencies with direct<br />
responsibilities to deal with<br />
corruption related cases or any crime,<br />
but there should be some fine officers<br />
in the appropriate agencies that can<br />
carry out flawless operations without<br />
compromise.<br />
To be continued<br />
Yaqub is an Assistant<br />
Secretary at the headquarters<br />
of Nigeria Labour Congress,<br />
Abuja.<br />
LIMITS OF PROPAGANDA: Lies can’t prevail against facts<br />
The writer, who was reacting to the<br />
recent speech at the American<br />
University, Yola by the CEO of<br />
Electricity Distribution Company,<br />
Mrs. Olufunke Osibodu, in which she<br />
said Nigeria, might face power<br />
challenges for another five years,<br />
deviated from the issue to pursue his<br />
own agenda.<br />
Instead of focusing on the<br />
arguments of Mrs. Osibodu, the<br />
writer used her speech to pour<br />
unwarranted vitriol on former Vice<br />
President Atiku Abubakar. He<br />
argued that the former Vice President<br />
“happens to have been the one that<br />
oversaw the privatization<br />
exercise…” and that “what<br />
happened under Atiku Abubakar’s<br />
watch set the tone for whatever<br />
brigandage that was to follow under<br />
subsequent administrations.” He<br />
also accused Atiku of “other shady<br />
dealings” without providing any<br />
proofs to help the judgment of his<br />
readers. We are in a democracy and,<br />
therefore, the writer is entitled to his<br />
opinion. He is not, however, entitled<br />
to distort facts and verifiable public<br />
records with the purpose of<br />
misleading and misinforming<br />
gullible and undiscerning Nigerians.<br />
It is on record and this record is open<br />
to scrutiny that Atiku was not<br />
involved in the execution of Nigeria<br />
Independent Power Projects (NIPP).<br />
When the House of Representatives<br />
Committee on Power and Steel, led<br />
by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu,<br />
investigated that power contract<br />
awards, it said $16billion was spent<br />
on the projects without results.<br />
It may interest Mr. Philip Agbese<br />
that Atiku was never invited by either<br />
the House or the Senate to testify in<br />
respect of the power projects. In fact,<br />
at no point did any of the actors in<br />
the projects, including the former<br />
Power Minister, Mr. Liyel Imoke, link<br />
the former Vice President with the<br />
award of contracts or supervision of<br />
the projects.<br />
Where did the writer get his “facts”<br />
that Atiku is responsible for the<br />
present collapse of the power sector<br />
in Nigeria? Unknown to the writer,<br />
Atiku declined to serve as Chairman<br />
of the implementation of the power<br />
projects, because he disagreed on<br />
principle with then President<br />
Olusegun Obasanjo over the<br />
methods of achieving the objectives<br />
of NIPP. Imoke served as Chairman<br />
until the end of their tenure because<br />
Atiku declined the job.<br />
Then, how can any fair-minded<br />
writer blame Atiku for the power<br />
problems in the country when he was<br />
not involved in the execution of<br />
NIPP? How can you validly and<br />
objectively blame a man for projects<br />
he knew nothing about? To<br />
deliberately discard facts and deploy<br />
falsehoods to make a point is a great<br />
disservice to innocent readers. An<br />
informed writer seeks to add value<br />
to our knowledge by basing his<br />
arguments on valid and<br />
incontestable facts.<br />
It is, therefore, amazing why Mr.<br />
Agbese should insult our intelligence<br />
with his fabrications. Where was he<br />
in 2008? Was he in the moon? He<br />
should have done himself a favour<br />
by doing research instead of<br />
churning out trash and look foolish<br />
for his falsehoods. Attacking<br />
people’s reputation is not part of free<br />
speech. One trace of falsehood<br />
destroys a writer’s entire credibility.<br />
*Nasir is resident in Abuja.<br />
Financial business newspaper honours Customs<br />
By Udeme Clement<br />
The Financial Business and<br />
Maritime Newspaper has<br />
honoured Nigeria Customs Service<br />
(NCS) with awards of excellent<br />
performance for living up to its core<br />
mandate of revenue generation<br />
despite economic recession.<br />
Speaking while presenting the<br />
awards, at the launch of the<br />
newspaper, in honour of the Service,<br />
held in Nigerian Institute of<br />
Journalism (NIJ), Lagos, the<br />
publisher, Mr. Silas Onuoha, said the<br />
awards were given in recognition of<br />
their enormous contributions to<br />
Nigeria’s economy and the society<br />
at large.<br />
The awards were given to both<br />
serving and retired officers. Compt.<br />
Allanah, whose Command got the<br />
highest number of votes in revenue<br />
generation category received award<br />
of excellent performance. The Public<br />
Relations Officer of PTML<br />
Command, Steve Okonmah was<br />
honoured as the most outstanding<br />
PRO, at the Command level in the<br />
whole country and the PRO of Oyo/<br />
Osun Command, Ijeoma Nwala,<br />
who represented Compt. Tope<br />
Ogunkua was recognised for<br />
outstanding performance of Oyo<br />
Command in anti-smuggling<br />
operations. Others who received the<br />
awards include, Compt. Waindu<br />
Multafu, retired Compt. Oteri<br />
Richard and retired Compt.<br />
Mohammed Magaji.<br />
In his remarks, the deputy provost,<br />
NIJ, Mr. Jide Johnson, commended<br />
the organisers for honouring the<br />
service, pointing out the important<br />
role the Institute is playing in<br />
training competent journalists every<br />
year.
PAGE 44—SUNDAY VANGUARD, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
DRAFT BUDGET AND MTEF REJECTED<br />
Where do we go from here?<br />
By Dele Sobowale<br />
“Like all God’s creatures, enemies have<br />
a purpose in the world. They offer criticism<br />
of one’s conduct, albeit unsought, that is<br />
not always provided by friends.”<br />
Rosenbladt. (VANGUARD BOOK OF<br />
QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 48).<br />
“Senate condemns 2017 draft budget,<br />
says assumptions unrealistic” - report<br />
in a national daily on November 24,<br />
2016.<br />
One of Buhari’s undeclared<br />
enemies just did him a favour.<br />
Former President Obasanjo,<br />
speaking at the Nigerian Institute of<br />
International Affairs, on November 23,<br />
2016, had this to say about the Nigerian<br />
economy and the man at the helm of<br />
affairs of our nation. OBJ has never been<br />
known for diplomacy and he probably<br />
never read the book: How To Win Friends<br />
And Influence People. He has declared<br />
war against his junior retired General.<br />
Yet, Buhari will be best advised to read<br />
what his predecessor, twice, in office, had<br />
to say. It might save him more<br />
embarrassments and insults from<br />
Senator Melaye and company.<br />
According to Obasanjo: “It is easier to<br />
win an election than to right the wrongs<br />
of a badly fouled up situation. When you<br />
are outside, what you see and know are<br />
nothing compared with the reality. And,<br />
yet when you are on seat, you have to<br />
clear the mess and put the nation on the<br />
path of rectitude, development and<br />
progress…The longer it takes the more<br />
intractable the problems may become.”<br />
It was on the same day that the<br />
Senators were condemning the 2017<br />
draft budget as well as the Medium Term<br />
Expenditure Framework, MTEF, 2017-<br />
2019, in words laced with anger and<br />
contempt for the Executive branch<br />
headed by Buhari. From all indications,<br />
it is going to take longer before Buhari<br />
can get the National Assembly, NASS,<br />
to approve of his plans to lead us into<br />
paths of development and progress. That<br />
also means the problems might become<br />
more intractable by the time he is free to<br />
act. First, we read what the Senators said<br />
about the documents sent to them. Then<br />
readers can go down a short memory<br />
lane to discover that SUNDAY<br />
VANGUARD had warned the Federal<br />
Government about many of these<br />
monumental errors earning the<br />
presidency insults now.<br />
First, Senate President Saraki<br />
said: “There is no doubt about the<br />
fact that these projections are not<br />
realistic. There is no doubt that the<br />
exchange rate is not realistic. The<br />
Central Bank of Nigeria has said it<br />
is using N305 to a dollar. There is<br />
no doubt as well that throughout this<br />
year we did not achieve 2.2 million<br />
barrels per day even in peace<br />
time…”. That was mild criticism of<br />
the documents. Others were not so<br />
generous.<br />
Senator Dino Melaye led the more<br />
brutal assault on the government’s<br />
position when he declared: “I want<br />
to say this document that I have<br />
before me, this MTEF proposals and<br />
projections for 2017-2019, is a lie.<br />
This document is not truthful, it is<br />
not honest, it is not<br />
transparent….The average of N290<br />
exchange rate per dollar, is it<br />
realistic….The Gross Domestic<br />
Product is going down and this<br />
document is telling me, it is going<br />
up. So how do you corroborate this<br />
fraud?”<br />
Senator Olujimi added: “This<br />
•President Buhari •Olusegun Obasanjo •Kemi Adeosun<br />
•Udo Udoma<br />
document is not what we expected, it<br />
shows the incompetence of those who<br />
prepared the document. We are talking<br />
of an MTEF/FSP that has failed to<br />
review the budgetary performance of<br />
2016, how can we make the right<br />
projections for 2017.”<br />
Finally, Senator Olamilekan Adeola<br />
wrapped up everything by saying that:<br />
“The economic team of Mr President is<br />
in disarray. ”<br />
Never in the history of NASS<br />
deliberations over an annual budget or<br />
MTEF had such hostile rejection of the<br />
documents taken place. Despite the fact<br />
that the ruling party is supposed to have<br />
a majority in the Senate, it is significant<br />
to note that not a single voice was raised<br />
in support of government. At this point,<br />
there is a need to summarise what the<br />
Senators have said – and as much as<br />
possible leaving out the insults even if<br />
deserved.<br />
Six or seven major variables<br />
constitute the basis of any national<br />
annual budget until we sufficiently<br />
diversify our economy to render crude<br />
oil irrelevant. They are:<br />
•crude oil volumes to be exported<br />
•average crude oil prices to adopt as<br />
benchmark<br />
•average exchange rate<br />
•interest rates<br />
•non-oil revenue projections<br />
•expected GDP growth rate<br />
•deficit or surplus expected and when<br />
Granted, forecasting for the future in<br />
a dynamic global environment is<br />
hazardous business, but, it still must be<br />
done. There are individuals, even here<br />
in Nigeria who can and have been<br />
making fairly accurate projections of<br />
crude volumes and prices which have<br />
proved more accurate than those<br />
adopted by the Economic Management<br />
Team, EMT. At the risk of being accused<br />
of immodesty, as far back as October<br />
2014, VANGUARD had already<br />
projected that crude oil prices for 2015<br />
The cardinal problem with wildly<br />
exaggerated crude oil revenue<br />
estimates, just to claim a political<br />
victory of proposing the largest<br />
budget in history, is that it invites<br />
correspondingly exaggerated<br />
expenditure demands by Ministries,<br />
Departments and Agencies<br />
and 2016 will average less than $50 per<br />
barrel and the daily volume will be less<br />
than 2 million barrels a day. As 2016 is<br />
winding to a close, it is obvious that our<br />
forecasts have been more accurate than<br />
those of the EMT. The cardinal problem<br />
with wildly exaggerated crude oil revenue<br />
estimates, just to claim a political victory<br />
of proposing the largest budget in history,<br />
is that it invites correspondingly<br />
exaggerated expenditure demands by<br />
Ministries, Departments and Agencies.<br />
Consequently, when the revenue shortfall<br />
starts and accumulates, it generates<br />
deficits far in excess of what is in the budget<br />
and requests for loans inevitably follow<br />
and become desperate as the year<br />
progresses.<br />
That is the situation in which we find<br />
ourselves today. The 2016 budget was<br />
defective even before it was submitted to<br />
the NASS. The lawmakers, on their part,<br />
were less than diligent and patriotic when<br />
they passed the budget largely as presented<br />
– after padding for their own benefit. The<br />
truth starring everybody in the face now is<br />
that the 2016 budget should not have been<br />
passed without substantial alterations,<br />
mainly, drastic reduction of the crude oil<br />
revenue estimates – which were selfdeceptive.<br />
In fact, most of our problems<br />
with the current year’s budget can be traced<br />
to the negative variance in crude oil<br />
revenue account. Oil is not letting us down;<br />
our EMT is refusing to recognize the<br />
difference between election promises and<br />
the realities of governance. Because they<br />
want to export 2.2 million crude oil per<br />
day they ignore the market realities<br />
pointing to the folly of that assumption<br />
as the basis for the nation’s budget.<br />
The best budgets are based on solid<br />
facts not wishful thinking. All they<br />
needed to do was to call for the actual<br />
results for 2014, and 2015 - up to<br />
September 2015 - and it would have<br />
been clear to them what Saraki was<br />
saying. We have not in the last three<br />
years exported 2.2 million barrels a day<br />
of crude. So, why adopt it for 2016? We are<br />
now in November of 2016, and the records of<br />
export for up to September are available<br />
showing that we have averaged 1.6 to 1.9<br />
million barrels per day at best. What sense<br />
does it then make to assume 2.2 million<br />
for 2017 to 2019? This is not even a<br />
question of economics; it is a matter of<br />
common sense.<br />
Furthermore, next year’s budget, as<br />
Senator Olujimi correctly pointed out, is<br />
based on a thorough review of this year’s<br />
performance against budget plus<br />
projections for year-end results. This<br />
document must be included in the<br />
proposals for next year. EMT and the<br />
entire country must know how well they<br />
performed in the current year and where<br />
they have failed and why? Answering the<br />
question why we failed to achieve budget<br />
estimates in 2014, 2015, 2016 would have<br />
pointed to the mistakes to avoid in<br />
preparing the 2017 to 2019 estimates.<br />
Instead of following this time-tested<br />
approach to budgeting, EMT lazily<br />
plugged the same 2.2 million barrels per<br />
day into the projections for three years. Is<br />
anybody in that team thinking?<br />
That said, it must be recognized by the<br />
President and the NASS that we have a<br />
huge problem on our hands. While the<br />
Senators were right to have condemned<br />
the proposals, and the House of<br />
Representatives might do the same, the<br />
two arms of government must be aware<br />
that the nation must have an<br />
Appropriation Bill for 2017 and MTEF<br />
for 2017 to 2019. Irrespective of whether<br />
the EMT is incompetent or fraudulent,<br />
the nation must move on. For this reason<br />
here are a few suggestions that should<br />
short-cut the process of amending the<br />
proposals received.<br />
First, annual budget is becoming too<br />
important to be left to EMT alone –<br />
competent or otherwise. Someone<br />
suggested a public hearing. We can’t<br />
agree more; and the sooner the better.<br />
Nothing gets done in Nigeria from<br />
December 20 until the first week of<br />
January. Second, everybody should agree<br />
to expunge 2.2 million barrels a day crude<br />
oil exports from the proposals. A figure<br />
like 1.8 million might be better.<br />
The average price is fairly accurate and<br />
needs not be touched. Third, the CBN<br />
should be told in plain terms that N305<br />
or N290 per dollar is unrealistic when<br />
today the rate is trending towards N450/<br />
$1. Fourth, EMT should revise the GDP<br />
growth rate down. No economy goes from<br />
sub-basement of -2.4% to +3% in one<br />
leap. Even the defective budget presented<br />
does not include enough investments to<br />
propel the nation to a +5.4% growth<br />
next year. That is realism; the EMT<br />
should stop day-dreaming.<br />
Fifth, and this must stand by itself.<br />
Budgeting, even for fairly large multinationals,<br />
is a complex business and<br />
only the best trained and competent<br />
are assigned the task. It is also a 24/7<br />
assignment. Tracking daily results,<br />
following reports about factors which<br />
could upset the budget estimates and<br />
trying to figure how they will impact<br />
the estimates is a cold-blooded task;<br />
no sentiments allowed.<br />
Millions of peoples’ lives depend on<br />
how accurate the projections are. It<br />
is almost impossible for a fellow<br />
working in the financial analysis<br />
section of a global company and<br />
assigned the task of forecasting crude<br />
oil global production for each year<br />
to be so wrong for two years in a row<br />
and still keep his job. Here in Nigeria<br />
those who control our lives have been<br />
persistently wrong about one economic<br />
variable – crude export volume – and we<br />
still keep them on the job. Buhari needs<br />
to bring about a change.<br />
Perhaps, that is what Obasanjo is trying<br />
to say – in his own self-serving way.
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016– 45<br />
Iwobi begs Gunners fans over<br />
UCL own goal<br />
ARSENAL midfielder<br />
Alex Iwobi has<br />
apologised for his own<br />
goal which cost them a<br />
vital win over Paris Saint<br />
Germain last<br />
Wednesday.<br />
After taking a 2-1 lead<br />
in the second half thanks<br />
to an own goal by Marco<br />
Verratti, the Gunners<br />
looked on course to seal<br />
top spot in their<br />
Champions League<br />
group.<br />
But Brazilian winger<br />
Jonathan<br />
condoles<br />
Kanu over<br />
mother’s<br />
death<br />
FORMER President,<br />
Dr Goodluck Ebele<br />
Jonathan has become<br />
the latest eminent<br />
Nigerian to condole with<br />
Nwankwo Kanu<br />
following the death of<br />
his mother, late Madam<br />
Sussan Nwannediya<br />
Kanu Iheme, (Udonachi<br />
Ora).<br />
In a condolence<br />
message he personally<br />
signed and delivered to<br />
the former Super Eagles<br />
captain and Nigeria<br />
Football legend,<br />
Jonathan recalled the<br />
sterling qualities of<br />
Papilo’s mother but<br />
urged the UNICEF<br />
Ambassador to take<br />
solace in the fact that<br />
late madam Sussan<br />
Nwannediya Kanu<br />
Iheme lived an<br />
exemplary life worthy<br />
of emulation.<br />
Continued from B/P<br />
Local Governemnt Area<br />
of Rives State by soldiers<br />
in Akinima.<br />
Ikechukwu Obuzor<br />
who spoke on behalf of<br />
the relations of Izu, said<br />
the appeal is necessary<br />
as the Nigerian<br />
government is not doing<br />
enough to apprehend<br />
the culprits and secure<br />
justice for the late<br />
footballer.<br />
Obuzor, a former<br />
Chairman of Ahoada<br />
West LGA, is worried<br />
that the murder of the<br />
footballer has been<br />
swept under the carpet,<br />
adding that a notable<br />
citizen cannot be<br />
executed unlawfully.<br />
Obuzor said, “I humbly<br />
Izu murder<br />
Lucas was left unmarked<br />
and his header from a<br />
header was flicked into<br />
his own net by Iwobi.<br />
It means Arsenal face<br />
the likelihood of<br />
finishing second and<br />
playing the likes of<br />
Barcelona, Juventus and<br />
Atletico Madrid in the<br />
next round.<br />
And while Iwobi<br />
admits he reacted too<br />
late, he has vowed to<br />
make up for his error.<br />
“I heard a shout from<br />
wish to draw the<br />
attention of Federation<br />
Internationale de<br />
Football Association,<br />
FIFA, and its President,<br />
Gianni Infantino to the<br />
Extra Judicial Killing of<br />
Joseph Izu, a renowned<br />
footballer with the<br />
Shooting Stars Sports<br />
Club of Ibadan on<br />
Sunday, 16th of October,<br />
2016.”<br />
“Joseph Izu played for<br />
3SC in the just<br />
concluded 2015 - 2016<br />
season and was on<br />
vacation like most other<br />
footballers in Nigeria for<br />
the off season. He was in<br />
his hometown, Okarki to<br />
enjoy his vacation and<br />
could not have been a<br />
target of the Joint Task<br />
Force (JTF) as he was<br />
never a cultist,”he said.<br />
David Ospina, but I<br />
reacted a bit late,” Iwobi<br />
told Sky Sports.<br />
“I wanted to clear it<br />
but was in two minds<br />
and ended up doing the<br />
worst thing possible.<br />
“It’s my mistake and I<br />
apologise. I hold my<br />
hands up. But I have to<br />
move on and be better<br />
next game.<br />
“I always say I give<br />
100 per cent - and what<br />
happens, happens. If<br />
you play well you play<br />
well, if you play badly<br />
you play badly.<br />
NFF Bayana<br />
Continued from B/P<br />
Nations on Tuesday.<br />
There has been quiet<br />
agitations in the camp of<br />
the African champions<br />
over a long list of unpaid<br />
entitlements and the<br />
players had threatened<br />
to boycott yesterday’s<br />
last group B match<br />
against Kenya.<br />
However, NFF<br />
technical committee<br />
chairman, Chris Green<br />
said that money has been<br />
approved to cater for the<br />
women’s needs.<br />
“The NFF has<br />
approved your money<br />
[bonuses and<br />
AS Watford striker<br />
Odion Ighalo seeks<br />
to end his goal drought,<br />
team keeper Heurelho<br />
Gomes has revealed why<br />
the last season goal<br />
wonder is yet to find his<br />
feet.<br />
Gomes argued that it<br />
was because Etienne<br />
Capoue is in rich form<br />
and has eased the<br />
burden on Watford<br />
striking duo Ighalo and<br />
Troy Deeney.<br />
Deeney and Ighalo<br />
scored 28 of Watford’s 40<br />
Premier League goals<br />
last season as the newlypromoted<br />
side achieved<br />
a 13th-placed finish back<br />
in the top flight.<br />
•BONDING...Super Falcons players celebrate their win over Kenya. Photo:<br />
CAFonline.com<br />
allowances],” Green told<br />
the players and officials<br />
via telephone during<br />
their breakfast on<br />
Saturday.<br />
“When you see me<br />
[Chris Green] in<br />
Cameroon next week<br />
[before the semi-final], I<br />
will come with your<br />
money.”<br />
The NFF delegation is<br />
expected to be in<br />
Cameroon before the<br />
semi-final game.<br />
The players are each<br />
expected to earn $4,000<br />
as winning bonus and<br />
$2,000 as a bonus for a<br />
draw aside preparatory<br />
and tournament camping<br />
allowances in Cameroon.<br />
Ighalo’s loss of form<br />
down to Capoue, says<br />
Watford keeper<br />
Capoue has taken up a<br />
more advanced midfield<br />
role this season though<br />
and is currently the<br />
club’s top goalscorer,<br />
having netted five times<br />
in the current campaign,<br />
with the Hornets sat<br />
eighth under Walter<br />
Mazzarri - who replaced<br />
Quique Sanchez Flores<br />
at the end of last season.<br />
“This season he<br />
FIFA Confederations Cup: Germany to face<br />
AFCON winners in Russia<br />
WORLD champions<br />
Germany will face<br />
Chile, Australia and the<br />
champions of Africa in<br />
the group stage of next<br />
year’s<br />
FIFA<br />
Confederations Cup in<br />
Russia.<br />
The draw for the eightteam<br />
tournament took<br />
place in Kazan on<br />
Saturday, with Joachim<br />
Low’s side placed in<br />
Group B alongside the<br />
Copa America<br />
champions, Asian Cup<br />
holders and the winners<br />
of the 2017 African<br />
Nations Cup, which is<br />
due to be held in Gabon<br />
in January and February.<br />
In Group A, Euro 2016<br />
winners Portugal will<br />
play hosts Russia, Gold<br />
Cup winners Mexico and<br />
OFC Nations Cup<br />
holders New Zealand.<br />
Russia and New<br />
Zealand will contest the<br />
tournament’s opening<br />
match on June 17 at the<br />
Krestovsky Stadium in St<br />
Petersburg, with the final<br />
due to be staged at the<br />
same venue on July 2.<br />
Matches will also be<br />
Moses<br />
Continued from B/P<br />
goal since the end of<br />
September.<br />
Chelsea were struggling<br />
to create any danger of their<br />
own and soon had another<br />
reason to worry as Eriksen<br />
latched on to a pass but<br />
could not replicate his first<br />
attempt, firing well wide.<br />
But, out of nothing,<br />
Antonio Conte’s side<br />
levelled a minute before the<br />
break with another goal of<br />
outstanding quality. Pedro<br />
turned into space just<br />
outside the area after a<br />
flowing move involving<br />
Nemanja Matic and curled<br />
a dipping effort beyond<br />
Lloris to leave the sides all<br />
played in Moscow, Sochi<br />
and Kazan.<br />
Brazil have triumphed<br />
at the last three<br />
tournaments, held in<br />
2005, 2009 and 2013,<br />
while Mexico –<br />
Confederations Cup<br />
champions in 1999 – are<br />
the only country taking<br />
part to have previously<br />
won the competition.<br />
Continued from B/P<br />
monitored in Lagos,<br />
Mikel, who is the second<br />
longest serving player<br />
having been a key<br />
member of the squad for<br />
the past 10 seasons, said<br />
even if he leaves<br />
Chelsea now, he would<br />
be leaving with joy<br />
because he has written<br />
his name in gold having<br />
won the Champions<br />
League title and FA Cup<br />
double in 2012, a<br />
moment that remains the<br />
best in the club’s history.<br />
“I have no regret<br />
playing at the Olympics.<br />
I have been a part of the<br />
best years of this club.<br />
Chelsea never won the<br />
Champions League<br />
before I was there, and I<br />
was the man of the match<br />
[Capoue] has more<br />
freedom to go to the box<br />
and he’s a type of player<br />
that wants to be there,”<br />
Gomes told Soccer<br />
Saturday.<br />
“He prefers to attack<br />
than defend sometimes<br />
and that’s his game. Last<br />
season was just about<br />
Troy and Ighalo to score<br />
goals and the other<br />
teams, they knew that.’’<br />
square going into the<br />
break.<br />
And they did not have to<br />
wait long to take the lead<br />
as Moses was left all alone<br />
in the area to steer the ball<br />
home via Lloris and Jan<br />
Vertonghen on the line<br />
after Costa’s fine run and<br />
low cross had completely<br />
unhinged the visiting<br />
defence with 51 minutes<br />
gone. Moses was man of<br />
the match. His third for the<br />
season.<br />
Bayana<br />
Continued from B/P<br />
inside the box in the early<br />
part of the game, while<br />
Faith Ikidi doubled the<br />
scores just before the<br />
break.<br />
The Super Falcons<br />
pressed the Kenyans for<br />
more goals, but they<br />
defender well. However, a<br />
through pass from Halimat<br />
Ayinde set Asisat Oshoala<br />
free in the box, she sold a<br />
dummy and picked her<br />
spot and slotted home her<br />
fifth goals of the<br />
tournament. Desire<br />
Oparanozie came from the<br />
bench to kill off any desire<br />
by the Kenyans to fight<br />
back.<br />
Chelsea<br />
in the final. I have<br />
written my name in the<br />
history of this football<br />
club, and I have won<br />
loads of trophies. I have<br />
played close to 400<br />
games and have no<br />
single regret. I have<br />
done it all,” stressing<br />
however, that he<br />
wouldn’t want to leave<br />
the club under<br />
a c r i m o n i o u s<br />
circumstances after 11<br />
years and hopes for an<br />
amicable end to his<br />
contract with the EPL<br />
club.<br />
Meanwhile Chelsea<br />
coach Antonio Conte has<br />
said he was unsure of<br />
Mikel’s future at the<br />
club, adding that he<br />
would only speak after
PAGE 46–SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
City’s victory runs<br />
pleases Guardiola<br />
PEP Guardiola praised the<br />
‘huge character’ shown by<br />
his Manchester City players in<br />
the battling victory over<br />
Burnley.<br />
City came from behind to beat<br />
the Clarets 2-1 at Turf Moor on<br />
Saturday lunchtime, with<br />
Sergio Aguero scoring both the<br />
visitors’ goals.<br />
It capped a good week for the<br />
club, which included a win over<br />
Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park<br />
and a draw with Borussia<br />
Monchengladbach in midweek<br />
which secured qualification for<br />
the Champions League<br />
knockout stage.<br />
And Guardiola was pleased to<br />
see his side come through<br />
another tough test at Burnley,<br />
which kept his side unbeaten<br />
in seven games away from<br />
home this season.<br />
“It’s good news,” the Spaniard<br />
said. “Away - except at White<br />
Hart Lane - we have won. They<br />
were all quite similarcomplicated<br />
and difficult. You<br />
want to control that and it’s<br />
almost impossible. “It’s also<br />
difficult to defend against long<br />
balls. Burnley are taller than us<br />
and second balls are good. They<br />
are so dangerous. All Premier<br />
League teams do well in this area<br />
and we have to improve a little<br />
bit the way we deal with those<br />
kind of actions – in Spain and<br />
Germany, it doesn’t happen.<br />
“You cannot press because<br />
there are long balls and they are<br />
taller than us. They put the ball<br />
in the channels, looking for<br />
corners and free-kicks. I have to<br />
learn what we have to do.<br />
“Some faults are our own fault.<br />
I also need time to understand<br />
the referees. We are so satisfied<br />
for the points and the<br />
performance, especially three<br />
days after the Champions<br />
League.<br />
“All of the players showed huge<br />
character and a lot of personality<br />
– and after going 1-0 down at a<br />
stadium where only Chelsea are<br />
better at home. We are so happy.<br />
We have a long week to rest a<br />
little and prepare for Chelsea.”<br />
La Liga more important to<br />
Atletico— Simeone<br />
ATLETICO Madrid boss,<br />
Diego Simeone says<br />
LaLiga will always be his<br />
side’s top priority.<br />
Simeone’s men sealed first<br />
place – ahead of Bayern<br />
Munich – in their Champions<br />
League group with a 2-0 home<br />
victory over PSV last<br />
Wednesday.<br />
That result gave Atletico a<br />
welcome boost after a<br />
damaging 3-0 loss to Real<br />
Madrid at Vicente Calderon –<br />
a second straight league<br />
defeat which left them nine<br />
points behind their city rivals<br />
at the top of the table in sixth<br />
place.<br />
But speaking ahead of ‘s<br />
away match against Osasuna<br />
in LaLiga, Simeone stressed<br />
domestic duties will always be<br />
Atletico’s top priority – even if<br />
they are faring better in other<br />
tournaments.<br />
“Since arriving here we have<br />
always approached every<br />
competition with the same<br />
enthusiasm,” Simeone said.<br />
“The Copa del Rey has<br />
traditionally been an important<br />
competition in the history of<br />
our club. The Champions<br />
League is stimulating and up<br />
until now we had not qualified<br />
for the last 16 so regularly.<br />
“I’ve always said, though,<br />
that the league means<br />
everything to me. At all the<br />
clubs I have been at the<br />
league is the most important<br />
thing for both the fans and the<br />
club.<br />
“The league table is<br />
published on Sunday and<br />
every other day of the week<br />
in newspapers and fans can<br />
see if their team are fifth,<br />
fourth, tenth or second in the<br />
table. It means a lot to the<br />
fans.<br />
“There is the Copa del Rey<br />
and the Champions League<br />
and also the league, which<br />
has games week in, week out.”<br />
•City Delight... Manchester City’s striker Sergio Aguero (R) vies with Burnley’s defender<br />
Matthew Lowton during their English Premier League football match. Photo AFP.<br />
Ronaldo keeps making and breaking<br />
records<br />
CRISTIANO Ronaldo has<br />
broken yet another record,<br />
becoming the first player to<br />
score 30 or more goals in seven<br />
La Liga seasons.<br />
The Real Madrid forward’s<br />
penalty against Sporting Gijon<br />
made it 30 league goals for<br />
2016 to mean he’s now<br />
managed the feat in every year<br />
since 2010 – the year after he<br />
signed from Manchester<br />
United.<br />
As if to highlight his<br />
ridiculous talent and<br />
consistency the 31-year-old<br />
then added a second goal in<br />
just the 18th minute to make it<br />
10 La Liga goals in as many<br />
appearances this season.<br />
The records continuing to<br />
tumble.<br />
Ronaldo has also reached<br />
Mourinho sees Man United lifting EPL title<br />
MOURINHO still believes<br />
Manchester United can<br />
win the Premier League despite<br />
their difficult start to the season.<br />
United, who are in sixth<br />
position in the table and nine<br />
points behind leaders Chelsea,<br />
have only won five of their<br />
opening 12 fixtures and have<br />
only one victory in their last six<br />
outings. West Ham are the next<br />
•Mourinho<br />
•Ronaldo<br />
visitors to Old Trafford with Jose<br />
Mourinho hoping to claim three<br />
domestic points for the first time<br />
in nearly two months. Despite<br />
heavy criticism since he<br />
replaced Louis van Gaal at the<br />
helm of Manchester United, the<br />
Portuguese manager is still in<br />
confident mood.<br />
‘When I won the last title 18<br />
months ago — I had a 10 points<br />
advantage and then, in one<br />
month, I had the same points<br />
as Man City,’ Mourinho said.<br />
‘We lost 10 points in one<br />
month. I think it was the end of<br />
December or the beginning of<br />
January and we’d lost 10<br />
points.<br />
‘Then we recovered and won<br />
that title 18 months ago. You can<br />
recover points. Others can lose<br />
50 goals in a calendar year<br />
for the 6th year in succession<br />
– a statistic that includes both<br />
goals for Real and Portugal.<br />
His remarkable goal scoring<br />
prowess is shown by the fact<br />
he now has 500 goals across<br />
his club career for Sporting<br />
Lisbon, United and Real.<br />
For a man that is driven by<br />
success of all kinds, these<br />
kinds of personal landmarks<br />
bare great significance,<br />
especially as Ballon d’Or<br />
once again comes around.<br />
“My goal is to win the<br />
Ballon d’Or every year and I<br />
didn’t last time,” he said<br />
recently, as reported by<br />
Eurosport.<br />
points,’ he added.<br />
‘During the season, there are<br />
moments when everything goes<br />
against you and moments<br />
where everything goes in your<br />
favour,’ he added. ‘We know<br />
that the game is not over, but<br />
the reality is there is a distance.<br />
‘And there are many quality<br />
teams, but let’s go match by<br />
match and see what happens.’’<br />
Enrique dismisses Pep, Mourinho’s<br />
opinion on Messi<br />
LUIS Enrique has offered a<br />
typically gruff response to<br />
Pep Guardiola’s opinion that<br />
Lionel Messi should end his<br />
career at Barcelona, saying he<br />
does not care what his<br />
Manchester City counterpart<br />
says.<br />
Speculation continues to link<br />
the five-time Ballon d’Or winner<br />
with Manchester City, even<br />
though former Barca boss<br />
Guardiola spoke on Friday of his<br />
desire to see Messi remain at<br />
Camp Nou for the rest of his<br />
playing days.<br />
Manchester United manager<br />
Jose Mourinho also said this<br />
week that Barcelona is the club<br />
for Messi.<br />
But Luis Enrique claimed he<br />
was unaware his Premier<br />
League counterparts had even<br />
spoken about the Argentina<br />
superstar.<br />
“I haven’t listened to what<br />
they have to say, I am not<br />
interested,” he told a press<br />
conference ahead of the club’s<br />
trip to face Real Sociedad today.
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016, PAGE 47<br />
Civil Defence back in the DStv<br />
League<br />
*Nigeria Football Supporters Club<br />
•BACK TO BASE... Players of the Nigeria Security Civil<br />
Defence Corps, NSDC defenders during a time out of their<br />
game. PHOTO: Oluwafemi Adefeso<br />
THE Nigeria Security and<br />
Civil Defence Corps<br />
Defenders finally cemented their<br />
qualification to the DStv Premier<br />
Basketball league with a 67-47<br />
points victory over Zamfara<br />
Shooter after three failed<br />
attempts to gain promotion from<br />
the National Division One<br />
championship.<br />
The Defenders who were<br />
relegated in controversial<br />
circumstances in 2012 led from<br />
start to finish courtesy Joel Ijigba<br />
18 points and a combined 17<br />
points from Martins Ozege and<br />
EfeJonathan to ensure the team<br />
made it 7 wins out of seven.<br />
The Defenders will now face off<br />
against Hoop and Read in the<br />
fight for the champion of the<br />
National Division 1 basketball<br />
championship on Sunday at the<br />
indoor sports all of the National<br />
stadium(Package B), Abuja.<br />
Assistant coach of the team<br />
Monday Puzo acknowledged the<br />
team’s readiness to play in the<br />
Premier League.<br />
“We were really hurt by our<br />
relegation in 2012 which wasn’t<br />
our fault because we didn’t<br />
directly forfeit two games that got<br />
us relegated”.<br />
“I am delighted we finally got<br />
back to the league and this time,<br />
we are well equipped to fight<br />
with the big boys in the<br />
Conference and make the playoffs<br />
with the aid of<br />
NSCDC management,” he<br />
added.<br />
The NSCDC team will<br />
replace another<br />
LMC, NPFL have done well under Dikko<br />
—Jones-Ere<br />
FORMER<br />
sports<br />
commissioner in Bayelsa<br />
State, Hon. Opukiri Jones-Ere<br />
has congratulated Chairman<br />
of the League Management<br />
Committee, LMC, Shehu<br />
Dikko over the recent award<br />
of Sports Personality of the<br />
Year conferred on him by The<br />
Sun newspapers.<br />
Jones-Ere who spoke from<br />
Abuja said Dikko “has<br />
demonstrated sterling<br />
leadership qualities and has<br />
proven that the Nigerian<br />
Football League has<br />
something in the offing,”<br />
stressing that, “Hopefully, if<br />
given the opportunity to<br />
continue and also nurture<br />
others to lead after him, the<br />
NPFL, in now distant time,<br />
will compete with other major<br />
leagues in the world.”<br />
Adding that,”I’m glad for<br />
Shehu Dikko, the award is a<br />
reward for hard-work,<br />
dedication, passion and<br />
•Jones-Ere<br />
commitment,” the former<br />
Special Assistant to the<br />
immediate past sports<br />
minister and a sports<br />
consultant said that under<br />
Dikko, “the LMC/NPFL has<br />
had a steady growth from<br />
inception, remember he<br />
worked with Elder Nduka<br />
Irabor and I believe he must<br />
have learned a lot from Elder<br />
Irabor and today LMC /NPFL<br />
has been built into a great<br />
brand that sooner or later will<br />
Paramilitary side Nigeria<br />
Immigration basketball club<br />
in the Savannah who finished<br />
bottom in the Savannah<br />
conference last season.<br />
surpass NOLLYHOOD in<br />
terms of earnings.”<br />
Advising the LMC, Jones-<br />
Ere said “Transparency, hardwork<br />
and commitment will<br />
attract private sector<br />
participation, a bit of it had<br />
been shown during the year<br />
under review,” adding that<br />
“a legislative frame work on<br />
sports policy ( tax relief) for<br />
corporate and private<br />
investors in sports must be<br />
put in place.<br />
Supreme court ruling: NFF<br />
panicky, says sports lawyer<br />
AN Abuja -based Sports<br />
lawyer, Dr Ben Kingsley is<br />
wondering why the Amaju<br />
Pinnick-led Board of the<br />
Nigeria Football Federation,<br />
NFF is panicking over move<br />
by embittered proprietor of<br />
Giwa Football Club of Jos,<br />
Chris Giwa to drag it to the<br />
Supreme Court.<br />
It was gathered that Giwa<br />
who has been in court with the<br />
Pinnick-led Board over NFF<br />
leadership tussle has taken<br />
his case to the Supreme Court<br />
which is set to rule on the<br />
matter any moment from now.<br />
Speaking with journalists in<br />
Abuja, Dr Kingsley said he was<br />
not surprised with the false<br />
alarm that the Pinnick-led<br />
Board is already putting out to<br />
misinform Nigerians because<br />
of the anticipated Supreme<br />
Court .<br />
“Nigerians cannot be fooled<br />
again by the Pinnick Board to<br />
start threatening us with FIFA<br />
ban. Let me remind Nigerians<br />
that it is the same Board that<br />
has been going around telling<br />
people that Giwa has already<br />
lost at the Supreme Court, just<br />
to misinform sports loving<br />
Nigerians on the true state of<br />
the case at the apex court.<br />
Why are they now panicking<br />
if truly Giwa has lost at the<br />
Supreme Court. It must also<br />
be stated here that the issue<br />
of always using the name of<br />
FIFA to scare Nigerians when<br />
people unlawfully occupy<br />
Nigeria Football cannot hold<br />
waters any longer.<br />
We were all in this country<br />
when the apex court in Egypt<br />
sacked the Egyptian FA board<br />
and FIFA did not ban Egypt,<br />
we were all also in this<br />
country when the Argentinian<br />
FA was dragged to court and<br />
FIFA did not ban Argentina<br />
from participating at the Copa<br />
America tournament, we can’t<br />
be fooled again,”he stressed.<br />
Amiesimaka @ 60<br />
T<br />
O<br />
many football administrators, the name Adokie<br />
Amiesimaka is one they love to hate. Not for anything but<br />
the fact that he never fails to tell them the truth about<br />
football which they don’t want to hear. To them, he is unpatriotic<br />
because he will never see black and call it white.<br />
Amiesimaka’s ‘notoriety’ in the eyes of Nigeria’s football<br />
administrators grew worse during the FIFA U-17 World Cup<br />
which Nigeria hosted in 2009. As usual, the administrators<br />
drafted over-aged players, one of whom was Amiesimaka’s<br />
former player, Fortune Chukwudi, who had played under him<br />
as Chairman of the Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt,<br />
now relegated and defunct.<br />
Ordinarily as most Nigerians would do, cover up their own<br />
brother and country, Amiesimaka, to the chagrin of the football<br />
administrators, cried foul, affirming that Chukwudi was<br />
beyond the age required by FIFA for the competition.<br />
He was called names but rather than acquiesce, he supported<br />
his claims with documented evidence which forced the<br />
administrators who wanted to win by hook or crook to drop<br />
the player. The country’s team never really found their<br />
bearing as they lost to Switzerland in the final of the<br />
competition. A proof that the foundation was never really<br />
solid.<br />
Surprisingly too, the player, Chukwudi, who knew that<br />
Amiesimaka knew him very well and was not lying, didn’t<br />
protest but withdrew quietly into his shell. He never really<br />
came out of it. Nobody heard about his exploits again.<br />
Amiesimaka was a few months to his 24 th birthday when he<br />
helped the Green Eagles, as they were known in those days,<br />
to lift the elusive Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 1980<br />
for the first time. From thence, he never looked back,<br />
progressing both in football locally with Rangers of Enugu or<br />
professionally as a trained lawyer where he rose to become<br />
Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in his home<br />
state, Rivers.<br />
This was many years after he earned the moniker, ‘Chief<br />
Justice’ from ace football commentator, late Ernest Okonkwo<br />
for his football prowess as a young university law<br />
undergraduate of the University of Lagos.<br />
So when administrators, who want to cut corners to earn<br />
accolades label him “unpatriotic”, one begins to wonder who<br />
is more patriotic, the one who wants Nigeria to build on solid<br />
foundation to make bigger impact in the future or those who<br />
want to build on sand for pecuniary gains and immediate<br />
undeserved rewards?<br />
Amiesimaka is also in the vanguard for the clamour of support<br />
for home grown coaches instead of importing half baked<br />
technical men all in the name of foreign coaches. He however,<br />
believes that not all local coaches should be given the<br />
responsibility to handle our teams except of course such an<br />
individual has done enough to equip himself with the knowhow<br />
of the job.<br />
Because he is one who will never bend the rules no matter<br />
whose ox is gored, he was called upon to be the chairman of<br />
the Court of Arbitration in Sports, CAS which the Nigeria<br />
Olympic Committee set up recently. He didn’t refuse to accept<br />
the responsibility, otherwise he would be accused of only<br />
criticising, but inside him, he knew the project may not see the<br />
light of the day. Why? Because Nigerians are not ready for the<br />
truth, as it concerns sports politics, yet. As I write this, I don’t<br />
know what has become of the Nigerian CAS which the erudite<br />
lawyer was supposed to head.<br />
When somebody is good, truthful, upright and transparent,<br />
no matter how hard his traducers want to bring him down,<br />
those who know him will always speak well of him in glowing<br />
terms like the friends and followers of the great ‘Chief Justice’<br />
of the Green Eagles of old, Amiesimaka did a few days ago<br />
when he clocked the Diamond Jubilee this past week.<br />
Amiesimaka’s 60 th birthday was brought to the knowledge of<br />
all by no less a person than another vanguard of the truth in<br />
Nigerian sports, Afolabi Gambari, a renowned sports journalist<br />
with National Mirror newspapers. His tribute on Amiesimaka<br />
sparked off many more accolades from far and near, proving<br />
that Amiesimaka is a patriot who has contributed and is still<br />
contributing to make Nigeria’s sports and other sectors of our<br />
country great.<br />
Gambari wrote this about Amiesimaka: “As a young lawyer<br />
back in the 1980s, he did great justice with the ball on the<br />
football pitch. He was appropriately nicknamed “Chief Justice”,<br />
and the nickname has stuck to this day and will outlive him.<br />
But he is indeed a consummate lawyer, in addition to being<br />
Nigeria ex-international with an AFCON gold medal in the<br />
shelf, longest-serving commissioner for Justice in Rivers State,<br />
football administrator, sublime radio broadcaster, outstanding<br />
newspaper columnist, philanthropist, humanist, polyglot,<br />
community leader and much more. Everything he has done,<br />
he has done with uncommon distinction.”<br />
The accolades on Amiesimaka would not have been complete<br />
without the contribution from another gadfly in the sports sector,<br />
Jide Fashikun who wrote this “Adokiye remains one symbol I<br />
use in my teachings that athletes can be exceptional even in<br />
academics and professional practise. Afo, God bless and<br />
increase you for me to have the room to celebrate him<br />
(Amiesimaka) in a little space here. God, please flourish<br />
Adokiye with his heart desires as we keep gaining inspiration<br />
that we, coming after him, are yet to achieve.”<br />
So many people said so many nice things about this patriotic<br />
Nigeria but space wouldn’t allow me use them here. On behalf<br />
of them all and other Nigerians who enjoyed your prowess on<br />
the field and others still enjoying your analysis of our sports<br />
and football in particular, I say Happy birthday Chief Justice<br />
Adokie Amiesimaka.
SUNDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 27, 2016<br />
Izu’s murder:<br />
Kinsmen urge<br />
FIFA to Intervene<br />
•HOT CHASE... Chelsea’s midfielder Victor Moses (L) is chased by<br />
Tottenham Hotspur’s midfielder Mousa Dembele (2L) and striker Son Heung-<br />
Min (R) during their EPL at Stamford Bridge in London. Photo: AFP<br />
Moses fires Chelsea back to<br />
top of EPL<br />
VICTOR<br />
Moses<br />
continued with his<br />
rich reign of form as he<br />
fired home the winning<br />
goal of the 2-1 win<br />
Chelsea handed visiting<br />
Tottenham Hotspurs<br />
yesterday at Stamford<br />
Bridge.<br />
It was Chelsea’s<br />
FIFA<br />
Confederations<br />
Cup:<br />
Germany to<br />
face AFCON<br />
winners in<br />
Russia<br />
45<br />
See solution on page 5<br />
seventh win a row and<br />
they regain the leading<br />
position on the table<br />
temporary occupied by<br />
Manchester City, who<br />
posted a 2-1 over<br />
Burnley.<br />
Spurs who had their<br />
unbeaten run ended,<br />
began the game brightly<br />
putting Chelsea under<br />
pressure. Midfielder<br />
Christian Eriksen<br />
smashed home a superb<br />
finish from outside the<br />
area, leaving home<br />
goalkeeper Thibaut<br />
Courtois helpless as<br />
Chelsea conceded their<br />
first Premier League<br />
Continues on page 45<br />
ACROSS<br />
1. Governor of Sokoto DOWN<br />
State (8)<br />
1. Sample (5)<br />
5. Assistant (4) 2. Niger state town (4)<br />
7. Praise (5)<br />
3. Observe (5)<br />
8. Upright (4) 4. Lecture (6)<br />
9. Lantern (4) 5. Everyone (3)<br />
11. Tradition (6) 6. Use (6)<br />
13. Lagos masquerade 10. Inquires (4)<br />
(3)<br />
12. Carpet (3)<br />
15. Exclamation (2) 14. Colour (6)<br />
16. Pig’s nose (5) 15. Resistance unit (3)<br />
18. Agent (3)<br />
17. Coax (4)<br />
20. Glitters (6) 19. Rollicked (6)<br />
24. Forward (5) 21. Hatchet (3)<br />
25. Nigerian state (6) 22. Satisfied (4)<br />
27. Boring tool (3) 23. Nigerian state (3)<br />
29. Ghanaian fabric (5) 26. Cry of derision (3)<br />
31. Perform (2) 27 . African country (6)<br />
32. Oshiomhole’s state 28. Endure (4)<br />
(3)<br />
29. Child (3)<br />
34. U.S. currency (6) 30. Spoke (6)<br />
36. Vow (4)<br />
31. Adorn (5)<br />
38. Musical quality (4) 33. Baking chambers (5)<br />
39. Inclination (5) 35. Asterisk (4)<br />
40. Eager (4)<br />
37. Possessed (3)<br />
41. Damages (8)<br />
By Davies Iheamnachor<br />
KINSMEN of the murdered<br />
player of Shooting Stars Sports<br />
Club of Ibadan, Mr. Joseph<br />
Izu, have called on the world’s football<br />
governing body, FIFA, to intervene in<br />
the gruesome killing of the central<br />
defender.<br />
They urged FIFA to bar Nigeria from<br />
all competitions until the government<br />
orders the military to produce the killer<br />
of Izu.<br />
Izu was allegedly murdered in his<br />
home country, Okarki in Ahoada West<br />
Continues on page 45<br />
Iwobi begs<br />
Gunners<br />
fans over<br />
UCL own<br />
goal<br />
45<br />
I’ve had my best moments at<br />
Chelsea—Mikel<br />
•Say he has no regret playing at the Olympics<br />
•Conte unsure of his future<br />
AS hope of him<br />
winning back his<br />
first team shirt in<br />
Chelsea fades, Super<br />
Eagles captain, John Obi<br />
Mikel, who has hinted<br />
he may leave the club in<br />
January, has said he has<br />
no regret representing<br />
Nigeria at the 2016<br />
RESULTS<br />
Burnley 1 Man City 2<br />
Hull City 1 West Brom 1<br />
Leicester City 2 M’brough 2<br />
Liverpool 2 Sunderland 0<br />
Swanse City 5 Crystal Palace 4<br />
Chelsea 2 Tottenham 1<br />
TODAY'S MATCHES<br />
Olympic Games in Rio,<br />
Brazil.<br />
Speaking on a Brila<br />
FM sports programme<br />
Continues on page 45<br />
AWCON: Super Falcons to face Bayana<br />
Harambee Starlets<br />
Bayana in s/final<br />
NIGERIA’S Super<br />
Falcons will play<br />
South Africa’s Bayana<br />
Bayana, in the semifinal<br />
of the Africa Women<br />
Cup of Nations after<br />
beating Kenya 4-0 in<br />
their last group B game.<br />
Ghana posted a 3-1 win<br />
over Mali and will now<br />
face hosts Cameroon in<br />
the other semi-final<br />
game billed for Tuesday.<br />
The Super Falcons<br />
finished the group<br />
levelled on seven points<br />
with Ghana, but had the<br />
edge with a plus 10<br />
goals difference.<br />
The Super Falcons<br />
didn’t have to sweat<br />
much against the<br />
...NFF ready<br />
to pay<br />
allowances<br />
NIGERIA Football<br />
Federation, NFF<br />
has said it will pay the<br />
Super Falcons their<br />
outstanding allowances<br />
before they play their<br />
semi-final game of the<br />
Africa Women Cup of<br />
Continues on page 45<br />
yesterday at the Limbe<br />
Stadium. Ngozi Akobi<br />
opened scoring with a<br />
well taken shot from<br />
Continues on page 45<br />
EPL<br />
Watford v Stoke City 1pm<br />
Arsenal v Bournemouth 3.15pm<br />
Man Utd v West Ham 5.30pm<br />
Southampton v Everton 5.30pm<br />
Serie A<br />
Palermo v Lazio 12.30pm<br />
Bologna v Atalanta 3pm<br />
Cagliari v Udinese 3pm<br />
Crotone v Sampdoria 3pm<br />
Genoa v Juventus 3pm<br />
Roma v Pescara 8.45pm<br />
La liga<br />
Villarreal v Alaves 12pm<br />
Osasuna v Atletico Madrid 4.15pm<br />
Celta Vigo v Granada 6.30pm<br />
Real Sociedad v Barcelona 8.45pm<br />
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