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2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022

SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 — 3


SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 — 5 

Buhari to politicians: Call your thugs to order or else... 

As FG tracks 32 violent incidents in 22 states in 1 month 

•INEC tracks 50 in 21 states •Moves to reprint 65,699 uncollected PVCs destroyed in Ogun 

By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja November 2022. Our 

immediate conclusion is that 

they may not be isolated, but 

we leave this determination 

to the security agencies who 

are investigating the 

incidents. 

“Secondly, the spate of 

attacks during electioneering 

campaigns by political 

parties is increasing rather 

than decreasing. While the 

damage in the attack in Ede 

South was minimal, that of 

Abeokuta South was 

extensive. Materials destroyed 

include 904 ballot boxes, 29 

voting cubicles, 8 electric 

power generators, 57 election 

bags, 30 megaphones, 65,699 

Irked by the growing wave 

of election -related violence 

across the country, President 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

warned politicians about the 

consequences of their actions, 

asking them to call their thugs 

to order or risk 

commensurate backlash 

from law enforcement 

agencies. 

According to him, the 

federal government is 

concerned about the resort to 

violence by politicians, saying 

within a space of one month, 

32 such incidents have been 

recorded. 

The president’s admonition 

came as the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission INEC also 

decried the spate of violence 

in the country, particularly in 

relation to electioneering 

ahead of next year’s general 

election, saying it has tracked 

50 incidents of campaign 

violence in 21 states. 

Specifically, the 

commission condemned the 

renewed attacks on its 

facilities, explaining that it has 

begun the process of 

identifying the 65,699 

uncollected PVCs destroyed 

in its Abeokuta, Ogun state 

office with a view to reprinting 

them immediately. 

INEC Chairman, Prof. 

Mahmood Yakubu disclosed 

this on Friday in Abuja at an 

emergency meeting of the 

Inter-Agency Consultative 

Committee on Election 

Security ICCES. 

Speaking before the 

meeting went into a closed 

door, Prof. Yakubu said; “Two 

developments this week 

necessitated this meeting. First, 

the simultaneous attacks on 

our Local Government Area 

offices in Abeokuta South in 

Ogun State and Ede South 

Local Government office in 

Osun State. 

“The attack in Abeokuta 

South happened around 

1.15am while that of Ede 

happened around 6.00am 

yesterday Thursday 10th 

uncollected Permanent 

Voters’ Cards PVCs and a host 

of other assorted items such 

as stamps and stamp pads. 

“The Commission is taking 

urgent steps to repair the 

damage to the building and 

replace the facilities in the Ede 

South Local Government 

Area so that the office 

becomes functional again 

immediately. 

“For Abeokuta South Local 

Government Area office, the 

destruction was total. 

Consequently, the 

Commission is relocating our 

staff to the old State office 

(also known as INEC Office 

Annex) in Oke-Ilewo area of 

Abeokuta. All activities 

involving the 15 Registration 

Areas (Wards) and 445 Polling 

Units in Abeokuta South 

Local Government Area will 

henceforth be coordinated 

from the new location in Oke- 

Ilewo. 

“Similarly, the Resident 

Electoral Commissioner 

REC for Ogun State has been 

directed to compile the Voter 

Identification Numbers VINs 

of all the 65,699 Permanent 

Voters Cards PVCs lost in the 

attack from our database and 

submit the record for 

immediate reprint. We want 

to assure affected registered 

voters in Abeokuta South that 

no one will be disenfranchised 

as a result of this dastardly act. 

“Turning to the spate of 

physical attacks during the 

ongoing political campaigns 

and rallies, the Commission 

has so far tracked 50 incidents 

across 21 States of the 

Federation and the Federal 

Capital Territory. These 

unhappy occurrences are 

coming just a little over one 

month into the election 

campaign which is scheduled 

to last for about five months 

from 28th September 2022 to 

23rd February 2023 for 

national elections 

(Presidential and National 

Assembly) and from 12th 

October 2022 to 11th March 

2023 for State elections 

(Governorship and Houses of 

Assembly). 

“The Commission is 

worried that if no urgent and 

decisive steps are taken, the 

attacks will intensify as we 

approach the election date. As 

we all know, a peaceful 

campaign heralds a peaceful 

election. We need to take 

decisive steps to stem the ugly 

trend”, Yakubu added. He 

said as a body, ICCES brings 

together security, safety and 

other agencies responsible for 

securing the process and 

ensuring peaceful elections in 

Nigeria. 

“Understandably, 

Nigerians expect a decisive 

action from ICCES. It is 

important that we move 

swiftly to apprehend 

perpetrators, prosecute them 

as required by law and 

reinforce security around 

election officials and electoral 

infrastructure around the 

country. 

“As we have stated on 

several occasions, election is 

a multi-stakeholder activity 

involving not just INEC and 

the security agencies. The 

political class plays perhaps 

the most critical role in 

ensuring peaceful elections. 

We must all rise to the 

occasion. Nigerians are 

watching us. The world is 

watching us. We must never 

disappoint them. 

“The Commission wishes to 

reassure Nigerians that we 

remain committed to 

delivering credible elections 

in spite of the challenges. The 

attempt to sabotage or 

weaken our resolve will not 

deter us from conducting 

transparent elections in which 

only the votes cast by 

Nigerians on Election Day 

will determine winners of 

elections”, he added. 

Riot Act 

Reading the Riot Act to 

politicians and their thugs, 

National Security Adviser 

NSA, General Mohammed 

Monguno (retd), said 

President Buhari had 

instructed him to convey his 

directives to the defence, 

security, intelligence and 

paramilitary services to be 

firm in stemming the tide of 

violence. 

Monguno said; “There are 

issues that have emerged. 

From my statistics, I am aware 

of the fact that within a period 

of one month, from October 

8 to November 9, we have had 

32 cases of violence across 22 

states. This is a bad signal. 

This is something that we do 

not want to continue. 

“President Muhammadu 

Buhari is committed to 

safeguarding and upholding 

democracy. The president has 

also given his directive 

through me to all the 

operating intelligence and 

law enforcement agencies to 

ensure that the 2023 elections 

are held in an atmosphere 

bereft, devoid of any rancour”. 

According to him, “the 

president is extremely 

pleased” with the outcome of 

elections in Anambra, Ekiti 

and Osun states and wants a 

repeat of such performances, 

which he described as the 

manifestation of the people’s 

will triumphing over any 

obstacle that might dismantle 

the democracy he is trying to 

protect. 

“I want to assure you that 

the security agencies have 

been given clear cut 

instructions to preempt and 

deal with any situation on 

which any group or 

organization or institution 

decides to embark on what we 

consider to be a 

fundamentally criminal 

enterprise or undertaking 

whether it is an isolated 

incident or collective 

undertakings. 

“Those people who have 

gangsters working for them, 

I want to send a very clear 

warning, a categorical and 

unequivocal warning to 

everyone regardless of 

whichever party, including 

the party of the president, for 

as long as you decide to scuttle 

the electoral process, the law 

enforcement agencies will 

equally be uninhibited in 

reacting to whatever action 

you have taken. You will be 

visited with appropriate and 

commensurate response and 

I am saying this with all 

sincerity. 

“So, those who think they 

have a history of organizing 

and controlling crooks that 

have an inclination for 

expressing inordinate 

behaviour, I want to sound this 

warning to you; please, 

reassess, reevaluate your 

inclination or contemplation. 

Call your people and advise 

them that as long as they do 

not behave in a manner that 

suggests compliance with the 

Electoral Law, you will be 

held accountable. 

“Already, the security and 

Intelligence agencies are 

tracking these people. Call 

your thugs and advise them 

to lay down whatever plans 

they have, because whoever 

wins in any state, that party 

has won. This is the intention 

of the president of this country. 

There can be no pretence, no 

excuse whatsoever”, he 

added. 

Monguno warned those he 

called trigger-happy and 

blood thirsty thugs, foaming 

at the mouths, to either have 

a change of mind or go in for 

any crime they commit. 

Why Peter Obi is in every 

conversation — Media Office 

By John Alechenu, Abuja 

THE Media Office of the Labour Party Presidential 

Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has said everyone is talking 

about the candidate because of his training and 

performance in public office prior to his presidential run. 

In a document made public in Abuja, on Friday, the Media 

Office said, this in response to an innocent question by a 

Nigerian woman, at a public forum. 

The woman asked, “Why is everybody talking about 

Obi…what is it about him?” 

According to the office, similar questions remain unasked 

about the Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi, 

less than 90 days to the presidential ballot scheduled for 

February 25, 2023. 

It said, “The Obi-Datti Media Office, aware of this healthy 

concern, wants to answer why the Labour Party’s Peter Obi 

has garnered so much in the lead-up to the February 

election. 

“Before the current race for the presidency, Obi had been 

a two-term governor of Anambra State, bequeathing a 

legacy of performance worthy of emulation. 

“Besides his track record of performance, Obi has a lot of 

what other presidential runners have not, starting with his 

mien which is an indication of his sincerity of purpose. 

“Indeed, his character is appealing and convincing to 

the people particularly the younger elements. 

“Obi has come out when a majority of voters are already 

fed up with the old brigade in politics and yearning to have 

Nigeria and its national economy led out of the woods. 

“At the moment, Obi is the right man for the job and at the 

right time, coming out when Nigerians are already 

overstretched by poor leadership consequences.

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 

Alaghodaro investment summit in Edo yesterday 

•The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (right) exchanging pleasantries with the Oba of 

Benin, Oba Ewuare II, at the sixth edition of the Alaghodaro Investment summit taking place 

in Benin City, between Friday, November 11 and Sunday, November 13, 2022. 

•L-R: Special Adviser, Strategy, Policy, Projects and 

Performance Management, Sarah Esangbedo Ajose-Adeogun; 

Governor Godwin Obaseki; the Chairman 

of Sterling Bank Plc and Alaghodaro Summit 

Ltd/Gte, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, and the Managing Director 

of Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ES- 

IPO), Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi, inspecting exhibition stands 

at the sixth edition of the Alaghodaro Investment 

summit taking place in Benin City, between Friday, 

November 11 and Sunday, November 13, 2022. 

•L-R: Edo State Commissioner for Finance and Budget, Joseph Eboigbe; Edo State 

Commissioner for Mining and Energy, Ethan Uzamere; Chief Executive Officer, 

Sport Nigeria Ltd/Gte, Nkechi Nneka Obi; Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. 

Comrade Philip Shaibu; Governor Godwin Obaseki; Group Managing Director/ 

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Omoboyede Olusanya; Chairman and Managing 

Director of Persianas Nigeria Limited, Tayo Amusan; Partner, Udo Udoma & Belo- 

Osagie, Ozofu Latunde Ogiemudia. 

•R-L: Managing Director, Ossiomo Power Company and Keynote Speaker, Alaghodaro 

2022, Dr. Uwa Igiehon; Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion 

Ogie Esq; Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq. and Chief of Staff to Edo 

State Governor, Engr. Osaigbovo Iyoha. 

•R-L: Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; his wife, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki; Edo 

State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu; his wife, MaryAnn Shaibu; 

Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun and 

Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Joe Acha, at the event. 

The Edo State Governor, 

Mr Godwin Obaseki, has 

set an Internally 

Generated Revenue (IGR) 

target of N60 billion for the 

state in 2023 at the 

Alaghodaro Investment 

Summit, holding in Benin 

City, the state capital. 

The summit is organised 

yearly, in partnership with 

the private sector, to mark 

•L-R: Founder and Chairman, Signal Alliance technology Holdings, Collins E. 

Onuegbu; Chairman, Taskforce on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Edo State 

Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), John Inegbedion; Executive Secretary, Nigerian 

Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Saratu Umar; Edo State Deputy Governor, 

Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu; Head of Deal Advisory, Nigeria, KPMG, 

Dimeji Salaudeen; Head of Transitions, MasterCard Foundation, Ukinebo Dare; 

Chief Executive Officer, Agon Continental Limited, Nnanna Ude; Chairman of 

Sterling Bank and Chairman, Alaghodaro Ltd/Gte, Dr. Asue Ighodalo. 

Alaghodaro investment summit: Obaseki sets N60bn 

revenue target for 2023 

•Lists Benin Enterprise Park, Cultural District, Ossiomo Power, others 

•As Ighodalo, Igiehon, others predict economic boom 

•Oba Ewuare II, other dignitaries grace occasion 

By Ozioruva Aliu 

the anniversary of Governor 

Godwin Obaseki in office and 

showcase the progress being 

recorded in transforming the 

state into an investment 

haven. 

This year’s edition, to mark 

the governor’s 6th 

anniversary, themed “Edo’s 

Transformation: 

Partnerships, Resilience, 

Impact,” is taking place 

between Friday, November 

11 and Sunday, November 

13, 2022. 

For the first time in six 

years, the Oba of Benin, Omo 

N’Oba N’Edo Uku 

Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, CFR 

attended the summit. 

Oba Ewuare II who only 

superintended over the 

traditional breaking of 

kolanut during the opening 

session of the event did not 

make any speech at the event. 

Other dignitaries at the 

event include Edo State 

Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. 

Comrade Philip Shaibu; 

Secretary to Edo State 

Government, Osarodion Ogie 

Esq.; Speaker, Edo State House 

of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus 

Onobun; Chief of Staff to the 

Governor, Osaigbovo Iyoha; 

Commissioner for Culture, 

Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, 

Hon. Olaitan Bamidele, and 

Chief Imam of Benin Kingdom, 

Alhaji Fatai Enabulele, among 

others. 

Meanwhile, experts at the 

event predicted a positive 

economic outlook in Edo on 

the back of the Benin 

Enterprise Park, the 

Cultural District, Modular 

Refinery, Ossiomo Power 

Company and other 

numerous transformative 

reforms and projects pursued 

by the state government. 

Obaseki, in his address, said 

the state’s growth will come 

from leveraging its 

comparative advantage and 

exploring opportunities in 

culture, forestry, 

manufacturing, agriculture 

and technology, among 

other sectors of the state’s 

economy, to drive 

development. 

The governor said, “We see 

growth ahead of us and this 

growth is going to come from 

certain endowments that we 

have which most people don’t 

have. Our culture – people 

must come and see us and 

admire what our forebears 

built. Our forestry assets – the 

world is talking about net zero 

carbon and we have 

something to contribute to the 

environment and 

environmental economy. 

“Manufacturing is the way 

to go. Edo has the largest 

onshore gas reserve in Nigeria 

with most of our other gas in 

the swamps and the offshore. 

With that energy source, 

there’s no reason we cannot 

continues on page 7

• L-R Charles Kalu, Access 24 Lagos; Gbenga Aruleba; Amenze Igiebor, NTA Port 

Harcourt Network; Kelly Elisha, Chairman Daar Editorial Board; Eze Anaba, 

Editor Vanguard Newspaper and Fred Fabur, GM Bayelsa TV during the 18th 

Nigerian Guild of Editor's All Editors Conference 2022 at Rockview Hotel Owerri, 

Imo State. Photo. Nwankpa Chijioke 

16-yr-old teenager rapes brother's wife, nine 

others in Ondo 

By Dayo Johnson, Akure 

The Ondo state security 

outfit , codenamed, 

Amotekun, has arrested 

a 16 year old teenager, 

identified as Precious, for 

allegedly raping his brother's 

wife and nine others in Ondo 

city, Ondo state. 

Parading the suspect 

alongside other criminals in 

Akure the state capital, the 

state commander of 

Amotekun, Chief Adetunji 

Adeleye, said that the suspect 

raped the wife of his brother 

when he traveled outside the 

town. 

The suspect, was equally 

accused of stealing 25 litres of 

palm oil. 

Precious, reportedly 

walked into the bedroom of his 

brother and noticing that the 

wife was naked and was 

sleeping, took advantage of 

her. 

He reportedly threatened to 

kill the woman if she raised 

any alarm. 

In an interview, the suspect 

who admitted committing 

the crime, confessed "raping 

nine other girls at Laosun, a 

farm settlement in Ondo West 

local government area. 

According to him, "In 

Laosun, I have raped nine 

girls. Some of them are 19 or 

25 years, in the night, I will 

go into their rooms and start 

sleeping with them. I do not 

use gun or knives to threaten 

them. Sometimes I would be 

caught and they would beat 

me and leave me. I have been 

arrested before. I was arrested 

for stealing 25 litres of palm 

oil. I wanted to gather money 

to use it to buy phone. I came 

to the house and saw my 

brother's wife sleeping naked. 

I went into the room and slept 

with her." 

The Amotekun 

Commander, said the suspect 

would soon be charged to court. 

Adeleye stated that over 

100 suspects were arrested in 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

The People's Democratic 

Party, PDP, has 

approached the Federal High 

Court in Abuja, praying it to 

nullify the nomination of 

Governor Babajide Sanwo- 

Olu of Lagos State as 

gubernatorial candidate of 

the All Progressives Congress, 

APC, for the 2023 elections. 

PDP, in its suit marked 

FHC/ABJ/CS/1972/22, 

equally applied for an order, 

invalidating the nomination 

of 40 Lagos State House of 

Assembly candidates over the 

the last one week after the 

launch of 'Operation Gba'le 

Gba'ko' 

The suspects, he added 

were arrested for crimes 

ranging from kidnapping, 

armed robbery, stealing and 

a syndicate specialised in 

vandalising power mast. 

Adeleye said that "some 

kidnap suspect were arrested 

with huge sums of money in 

an area where ransom 

payment was made. During 

this yuletide period, it is zero 

tolerance to criminal 

activities in Ondo. 

He said that" We have 

about 300 men on all major 

roads leading in and out of the 

state. We have patrol 

vehicles. This is to ensure 

people can sleep with their 

two eyes closed. 

2023: PDP asks court to sack Sanwo-Olu, 

40 others as APC candidates 

The first phase of the Central 

Bank of Nigeria-led 

rehabilitation of the National 

Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, 

has been completed and is set 

to host the United Nations 

World Tourism Organisation 

and Federal Government of 

Nigeria conference on 

“Linking tourism, culture, 

and the creative industries: 

Pathways to recovery and 

inclusive development,” 

between November 14 and 

16, 2022. 

late submission of their 

nomination forms to the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC. 

The plaintiff maintained 

that Sections 29 and 30(1) of 

the Electoral Act, 2022, 

made it mandatory for 

political parties, including the 

2nd defendant (APC), to 

submit nomination forms of 

candidates it intend to sponsor 

for elections, to the 1st 

defendant (INEC), not later 

than 180 days to the conduct 

of the election. 

PDP told the court that APC 

failed to submit the 

nomination list containing 

names of governor Sanwo-Olu 

and the 40 House of Assembly 

candidates, within the 

statutorily approved timeline. 

Consequently, it is praying 

the court for a declaration that 

the 2nd to 43rd defendants 

stand disqualified for failing to 

submit the nomination forms 

of the 3rd -43rd defendants to 

the 1st defendant not later 

than 180 days to the elections 

into the office of the governor 

of Lagos state and member of 

the state house of assembly of 

Lagos state scheduled to hold 

on March 11th 2023. 


Okotie faults presidential 

candidates’ campaign promises 

By Ishola Balogun 

The chief exponent of restructuring and interim 

government campaigner, Rev Chris Okotie has picked 

holes in the campaign promises of the major presidential 

candidates in the 2023 general election. 

His reaction coincided with the release of the manifestos of 

the two major political parties - the APC and the PDP. 

Speaking as a guest on Jordan FM radio programme, 

feedback in Lagos penultimate Sunday, the Reverend said 

the current constitution would not make it possible for any 

presidential candidate to fulfil his campaign promises 

because it contains several inherent contradictions. 

In apparent reference to the radio interview with host, 

Charles Ideho, Okotie wrote on his Facebook page: “All the 

major presidential flagbearers are talking about modality - 

how they would do what - none is addressing conditionality, 

that is, the constitution, true federalism, resource control, 

as the primary solution to the Nigerian quandary’. 

He explained the Nigerian conundrum: ‘Nigeria’s 

governmental incapacity is not modalities (about requisite 

knowledge and procedure), but conditionalities (inherent 

conditional obstructions). 

Okotie buttressed his argument with the metaphor of a 

pilot who wouldn’t fly his plane under inclement weather 

because it’s suicidal to do so; an apparent reference to 

modality. 

The Reverend then declared that to attempt to base any 

actualization of political promises on the present 

dysfunctional constitution is a journey in futility. 

He concluded that the only way out is to adopt his brand of 

restructuring based on Aboriginal Democracy, which would 

produce an acceptable constitution that would meet the 

yearnings of the people. 

National Theatre project revamp excites CBN, FMIC, Bankers’ committee 

This was disclosed in Lagos 

yesterday, by the Director, 

Corporate Communications 

Department of the Central 

Bank of Nigeria (CBN), 

OsitaNwanisobi, who recalled 

that the CBN and the Bankers’ 

Committee, in 2020, 

collectively agreed to invest 

over N65 Billion to 

rehabilitate the National Arts 

Theatre and return it to its 

former glory, working closely 

with the Federal Ministry of 

Information and Culture 

(FMIC), the Ministry of Youth 

and Sports Development, and 

the Lagos State Government. 

Over the past 18 months, a 

Alaghodaro investment summit: Obaseki 

sets N60bn revenue target for 2023 

continued from page 7 

generate enough energy to 

attract investors to drive 

industrialization. 

Agriculture; that’s what we 

grew up with. Of our 19 

million square kilometres of 

land, there’s practically no 

way we cannot grow 

something. For us, the future 

is technology, because the 

world is talking about 

technology and that is the new 

area of focus.” 

Noting that the 

government hopes to raise 

over N60bn in 2023 from 

internally generated 

revenue, Obaseki said, “In the 

last six years, things have not 

been easy, but we have tried 

in our own little way. You can 

see that from 2016 when we 

got in, we tried to increase 

Internally Generated 

Revenue (IGR). Except for the 

COVID-19 year, we sustained 

an increase in our IGR and we 

hope to end the next year with 

over 60bn IGR.” 

complex rehabilitation project 

has rebuilt the heart of the 

National Theatre. More than 

70 historic sculptures, 

mosaics, resin, brass and wood 

friezes, and stained-glass 

artworks form part of the 

original design, with each 

needing to be protected during 

renovation or, in some cases, 

removed and restored before 

being replaced. 

According to him, “when 

the second phase of the 

rehabilitation works is 

complete in March 2023, the 

National Theatre will be 

restored to its original glory. 

A 5,000-seater main 

Reinstating the need to 

rebase the nation’s economy 

from consumption to 

production, the governor 

stated, “In spite of all the 

challenges that face as a 

country, we have over 200 

Akuneme is new Immigration 

Spokesman 

The Comptroller General of 

Nigeria Immigration 

Service, Mr Isa Jere MFR, has 

approved the appointment of 

Deputy Comptroller Tony 

Akuneme, as the new Public 

Relations Officer of the NIS. 

In a posting order signed on 

behalf of the CGIS by the ACG 

in charge of Human Resources 

Management, Mr Usman 

Babangida, the deployment 

takes immediate effect. Mr 

Akuneme has previously 

served in various formations 

at home and abroad in the last 

29 years of his career in the 

million people who are going 

to be 450 million in 2050 and 

will not stop consuming. 

Therefore, if this is our reality, 

it means that we cannot and 

should not be despondent. 

Conferment: Obaseki 

congratulates Princess Mku-Atu 

Chief Owen Chamberlain Obaseki, JP, the Otaifoh of Uromi 

has congratulated Princess (Dr) R U Osula Mku-Atu on 

her nomination for the conferment of the Doctor of 

Management Sciences Degree (Honoris Causa) by the 

Igbinedion University, Okada., Edo state 

In his goodwill message, Chief Obaseki said, “it is with 

immense pride and great sense of joy that I received the 

nomination notice by the Igbinedion University, Okada for 

the conferment of the Doctor of Management Sciences Degree 

(Honoris Causa) on your amiable Personage, Princess (Dr) 

Mrs R U. Osula Mku-Atu on Saturday 12th November 2022, 

in recognition of your giant strides in the areas of 

Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, and Humanistic ideals 

in Nigeria, and in the diaspora. 

“From a privileged background, you have continued to 

chart your life's path of greatness. Your pioneering efforts in 

many vital areas of public life, have opened the floodgate to 

free enterprise amongst our People. Indeed, your 

benevolence, an inherited trait from your beloved parents 

has endeared you to people around the country and beyond. 

amphitheatre comparable to 

anything else in the world will 

sit at its heart, flanked by two 

world-class cinema rooms, 

banquet halls, and a library. 

Nwanisobi said the project 

was not just about restoring a 

building; but about creating 

an ecosystem of support for 

the creative sector as part of 

what is called the Lagos 

Creative & Entertainment 

Centre (LC&EC). 

“The theatre will be at the 

heart of a more significant 

development of hubs focused 

on supporting emerging 

talent in the music, film, 

fashion, and IT sectors,” he 

NIS, including, Deputy zonal 

PRO, Lagos zone (1995-2005), 

command PRO, Akwa Ibom 

state command (2005 - 

2008), Dep Nat PRO (2008 - 

2011), Immigration Attache, 

Nigeria High Commission 

Canada (2011- 2014). 

Akuneme was also at some 

point seconded to the office of 

the Minister of State for 

Education as SA on media 

(2015-2019), before he was 

posted to the Nigeria Diaspora 

Commission as Head of 

Immigration Desk, a position 

he held till his recent 

appointment. He is married 

with children. 

added. 

The creative hubs are built 

on portions of land within the 

44Ha site. The first phase, 

known as the “Signature 

Cluster” consists of a building 

each for Fashion, Music, Film, 

and IT and support facilities, 

including a 250-car park 

block, a police station, a fire 

station, and a visitors’ 

Welcome Centre which will 

house commercial and retail 

facilities, administration and 

management offices. 

Also commenting on the 

completion of phase 1, the 

Governor of the Central Bank 

of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele 

said: “The National Theatre 

is one of the symbols of 

Nigeria’s culture and heritage 

and must be at the heart of 

our work to enhance and 

celebrate the creative 

industries. The completion of 

phase 1 is a demonstration of 

the outcomes we can achieve 

when we work together as the 

public and private sector. 

“The Central Bank has been 

able to bring together the 

diverse set of stakeholders 

required to ensure that this 

project is delivered, from the 

Bankers Committee to the 

Ministries of Information and 

Culture, and Youth and 

Sports Development, and the


FG moves to re-arraign Nnamdi Kanu, files 7-count 

amended charge 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

The Federal Government 

has filed an amended sevencount 

terrorism charge against 

the detained leader of the 

Indigenous People of Biafra, 

IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. 

Investigation by Vanguard 

revealed that the amended 

charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/ 

383/2015, which was entered 

before the Federal High Court 

in Abuja, contained all 

allegations against the IPOB 

leader that were earlier 

sustained by the trial court. 

FG, specifically alleged that 

Kanu who is currently in 

custody of the Department of 

State Service, DSS, had as a 

member of an unlawful group, 

in a broadcast that was received 

and heard across Nigeria, 

issued a deadly threat that 

anyone who flouted his sit-at 

home order in the South 

Eastern part of the country, 

should write his or her Will. 

It told the court that as a result 

of the threat; Banks, Schools, 

Markets, Shopping Malls, Fuel 

Stations domiciled in the 

Eastern States of Nigeria, have 

continued to shut down their 

businesses, with citizens and 

vehicular movements 

grounded. 

FG further alleged that the 

IPOB leader had on diverse 

dates between 2018 and 2021, 

made broadcasts that were 

received and heard in Nigeria, 

inciting members of the public 

to hunt and kill Nigerian 

security personnel and their 

family members, thereby 

committing an offence 

punishable under Section 1 (2) 

(h) of the Terrorism Prevention 

Amendment Act, 2013. 

More so, it alleged that Kanu 

directed members of the IPOB 

“to manufacture Bombs”, 

adding that the defendant had 

between the month of March 

and April 2015, “Imported into 

Attah, Lekwot, Bakare, Utomi, Ezekwesili, 

Ciroma, Baba-Ahmed, others float Compatriots 

Group 

•Move to rescue Nigeria, to engage INEC, presidential 

candidates 

By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja 

AHEAD of 2023 Presiden 

tial and general elections, 

a cross section of elder-statesmen 

and women have formed 

a socio-political and good governance 

advocacy group, The 

Compatriots, with a view to 

engaging all stakeholders in 

the 'Nigerian Project' as well 

as playing the role of a neutral 

'Honest Broker'. 

The Leaders of thoughts 

who converged on Abuja yesterday 

and drawn from the six 

geo - political zones, said that 

the sole purpose of the group 

is to rescue Nigeria from myriad 

of problems confronting it 

as a Nation, just as they stressed 

that Nigeria has all it takes for 

any Nation to survive, progress 

and develope on the tenets of 

equity, fairness and justice 

among her citizens irrespective 

of their religious, ethnic 

and political differences. 

In his keynote address, convener 

of the group and former 

Governor of Akwa Ibom state, 

Obong Victor Attah who noted 

that it was time to join hands 

to reinvent Nigeria, said that 

•L-R: USCL President, Olorogun Jacob Diedjamahor, Ovie of Evwreni, HRM Oghenekeewe 

Owin Kamane Eruvwedede II; USCL Vice President, Olorogun Patrick Enurese 

and Past President of USCL, Olorogun Edoreh Agbah 

Nigeria and kept in 

Ubulisiuzor in Ihiala Local 

Government Area of 

Anambra State within the 

jurisdiction of this 

Honourable Court, a Radio 

Transmitter known as Tram 

50L concealed in a container 

of used household items which 

you declared as used 

household items, and you 

thereby committed an offence 

contrary to section 47 (2) (a) 

of Criminal Code Act Cap, 

C45 Laws of the Federation 

of Nigeria 2004”. 

Kanu had previously 

pleaded not guilty to the 

charge. 

Already, trial Justice Binta 

Nyako has slated next 

Monday for both Kanu’s team 

of lawyers led by Chief Mike 

Ozekhome, SAN, and the 

prosecution counsel to 

address the court on the way 

the Compatriots would provide 

a platform for discussion 

of all relevant local grievances 

of Nigerian communities 

in the context of Nigeria’s collective 

survival and development. 

Attah, who explained that 

the group was not formed for 

partisan politics but for good 

governance in Nigeria from 

2023 and beyond, said that it 

would engage the Presidential 

candidates of political parties 

to know their plans for Nigerians 

and Nigeria, the Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC for electoral 

process, the media, 

among others. 

He said that core national 

values of strong and united 

Nigeria, equity, justice and 

fairness for every citizen, realization 

of full potentialities of 

every Nigerian, primacy of 

peaceful co - existence between 

and among Nigerian 

communities, proper sense of 

nationhood and common nationality 

are the focus of their 

mission. 

While Malam Hakeem 

Baba-Ahmed would serve as 

Deputy Chairman, Prince 

Tom Iseghohi is the Secretary 

forward in the matter. 

The parties are to argue on 

whether FG could proceed to 

re-arraign the IPOB leader on 

the amended charge, despite 

the October 13 judgement of 

the Court of Appeal that 

discharged him of all the 

allegations, as well as appeals 

on the subject matter that are 

still pending before the 

Supreme Court. 

It will be recalled that trial 

Justice Nyako had on April 8, 

struck out eight out of the 15- 

count charge FG preferred 

against Kanu on the premise 

that they were mere repetitions 

that did not disclose any 

offence that could be sustained 

by the proof of evidence before 

the court. 

Whereas the court threw out 

counts 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12,13 and 

14 of the charge, it okayed 

Kanu’s trial on counts 1, 2, 3, 

and Chief Operating Officer. 

Members of the group are 

drawn from the North and 

South of the country. Those 

from the North are Hajia Kadariya 

Ahmed, Chief Silas 

Mak Akpa, Alhaji Mohammed 

Murtala Aliyu, Dr. Kabir 

Chafe; Hajia Inna Ciroma and 

Rev. Bitrus Dangiwa. Others 

are Professor Rahila Gowon, 

Dr. Enyantu Ifene, Hajia Asmau 

Joda, retired Generals 

Zamani Lekwot and Saleh 

Maina as well as Engineer 

Bello Suleiman. 

Members drawn from the 

South include Honourable 

Mulikat Adeola Akande, 

Prince Niyi Akenzua, Pastor 

Tunde Bakare, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, 

Dr. Dele Farotimi, Amb. 

Godknows Igali, Chief Emmanuel 

Iwuanyanwu, Alhaji 

Sefiu Adegbenga Kaka, Hajia 

Nene Lanval, Dr. Nella Rabana 

SAN and Honourable 

Nkoyo Toyo. 

Attah noted that the strategic 

objectives of the group are 

to mobilize the best intellectual 

resources in addressing the 

key challenges that are hindering 

the development of Nigeria 

as a strong and viable political 

and economic 

4, 5, 8 and 15. 

In the counts that were struck 

out, FG, among other things, 

alleged that Kanu, through his 

broadcasts, incited members of 

the public to not only stage a 

violent revolution, but to attack 

police officers and also destroy 

public facilities in Lagos State. 

Not satisfied with decision of 

the trial judge to sustain some 

of the allegations against him, 

Kanu took the matter before the 

Abuja Division of the Court of 

Appeal where he won. 

In its judgement, a three-man 

panel of the appellate court led 

by Justice Jummai Hanatu- 

Sankey, quashed the entire 15- 

count charge, even as it 

discharged and ordered the 

release of the IPOB leader from 

detention. 

The court said it was satisfied 

that FG flagrantly violated all 

known laws, when it forcefully 

rendered Kanu from Kenya to 

the country for the continuation 

of his trial. 

It held that such extraordinary 

rendition, without 

adherence to due process of the 

law, was a gross violation of all 

international conventions, 

treaties, protocols and 

guidelines that Nigeria is 

signatory to, as well as a breach 

of the Appellant’s fundamental 

human rights. 

The appellate court, in its 

lead judgement that was 

delivered by Justice Oludotun 

Adetope-Okojie, noted that FG 

failed to refute the allegation 

that the IPOB leader was in 

Kenya and that he was 

abducted and brought back to 

the country without any 

extradition proceeding. 

It held that FG was 

“ominously silent on the issue”, 

which it described as very 

pivotal in determining whether 

the trial court would still have 

the jurisdiction to continue 

with the criminal proceeding 

before it. 

The appellate court held that 

FG’s action tainted the entire 

proceeding it initiated against 

Kanu and amounted to “an 

abuse of criminal prosecution 

in general”. 

Meanwhile, FG had since 

gone to the Supreme Court to 

set aside the judgement, even 

as it persuaded the appellate 

court to suspend the execution 

of its verdict, pending the 

conclusion of the appeal before 

the apex court. 

Media holds roundtable on 

industry regulation on Monday 

Leading media houses in the country, and stakeholders 

including civil society and non-media groups will gather 

in Lagos on Monday to discuss an acceptable framework 

for media regulation in the country. 

According to a statement by the Executive Secretary of 

the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), 

Feyi Smith, “this move to deepen public trust by setting up 

a credible adjudicatory mechanism, is under the auspices 

of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) 

in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), 

the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Broadcasting 

Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the MacArthur 

Foundation. 

“Respected media guru and erstwhile governor of Ogun 

State, Chief Olusegun Osoba would preside at the Roundtable. 

Other prominent leaders from media practice, management, 

ownership, the academia, and professionals, leaders 

of prominent media NGOs, the Bar, the legislature, 

and the diplomatic corps are also expected. 

“The theme of the roundtable is “Deepening Media Professionalism 

Through Co-regulation”, and the programme 

would be in two sessions. The first is on, “Thoughts on coregulation 

through an independent Ombudsman framework”; 

the second session will consider “the revised draft of a 

new Code of Ethics for Nigerian Journalists”. 

The event will hold at Protea Hotel Ikeja Select, Alausa, 

Ikeja at 10.00am 

Mal Kabiru A. Yusuf, who is also President NPAN and 

President of the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO), will be 

supported by the President of the NGE, Mr. Mustapha Isah; 

President of the NUJ, Chief Chris Isiguzo; President of BON, 

Mr. John Ugbe; President of the Broadcasting Organisations 

of Nigeria, Mr. Mr Guy Murray-Bruce; President of IBAN 

and Mr Yakubu. C. Maikyau, SAN. President of the NBA. 

Others include the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, 

Mr. Sam Amuka; Publisher of This Day Newspapers and 

Arise TV, Prince Nduka Obaigbena; Mr. Ray Ekpu, former 

Editor-in-chief of Newswatch; Lady Maiden Alex- Ibru, Publisher 

of the Guardian Newspapers; Mr. Frank Aigbogun, 

Publisher of Business Day; Ms Angela Emuwa, Chairman of 

Punch Newspapers; John Momoh, Chairman of Channels 

TV; Mr. Lade Bonuola, former MD of the Guardian; Mr. 

Lanre Idowu; CEO, Diamond Publications; Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, 

GM, Vanguard; Mr. Azu Ishiekwene, Editor-in-Chief 

of Leadership newspapers; Ms. Kadaria Ahmed, CEO, Daria 

Media and Radio Now, and NPAN’s Mr. Feyi Smith, among 

others. 

Shell set to resume operations in Imo 

Multi-national oil exploration giant, Shell Petroleum 

Development Company (SPDC) is set to resume operations 

in Imo state after years of exiting the state due to insecurity. 

This was made known Thursday by Governor Hope 

Uzodimma after a meeting between him and SPDC Chairman 

and Managing Director, Mr. Osagie Okunbor in Abuja. 

Okunbor attended the meeting with other key officers of Shell. 

The planned return of Shell to Imo is one out of numerous 

efforts Governor Uzodimma had made recently to bring back 

companies that left the State either as a result of insecurity or 

liquidation based on debt overhang. 

Also in Abuja on Saturday, the Governor successfully brought 

back the Standard Shoe Company Limited hitherto operating 

in Owerri but was taken over by AMCON because of 

indebtedness.Governor Uzodimma successfully cleared the debt 

overhang of N1.6 billion and was handed over the Certificate of 

Occupancy by AMCON management to resume operations. 

Shell specifically left Imo State because of insecurity even 

before the coming on board of Governor Uzodimma. 

Commenting on the meeting he held with Mr. Okunbor the 

Governor said: “One of the observations of my administration 

upon resumption of office, was the fact that Shell Petroleum 

Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) had been 

off-site and suspended operations in Imo State as a result of 

insecurity, vandalism and illegal oil bunkering within the 

region. 

First approved aviation school takes 

off in Lagos 

The first accredited aviation training institute, Harris Air 

Training School, has taken off in Lagos. This followed the 

necessary accreditation and approval by relevant Nigerian 

and international aviation authorities; International Air 

Transport Association, IATA, and the Nigeria Civil Aviation 

Authority, NCAA. 

The aviation school, a Nigerian indigenous company located 

at Chevyview Estate in the heart of Lekki, Lagos is expected 

to deliver exceptional training courses in Cabin training on 

the B737, EMB 145 and ATR 72, Basic Flights Dispatch training, 

Advanced Dispatch training and IATA authorised courses 

Ṫhe school will make its mark on Nigeria's aviation training 

landscape and is ready to groom first grade aviation professionals. 

With experienced instructors, flight dispatchers, cabin crew, 

airline ticketing and ground members of staff, it is expected 

that it will deliver nothing short of excellence to its trainees. 

Aviation related skills are in high demand, and offer both 

national and international opportunities to those that have 

them.

By Clifford Ndujihe, 

Omeiza Ajayi & 

John Alechenu 

T 

HE leading 

political parties have 

returned to the 

drawing board to restrategize 

on how to 

raise funds for the 2023 polls 

especially the presidential 

election following the decision of 

the Federal Government to 

redesign the Naira. 

There are Indications that 

stakeholders of the ruling All 

Progressives Congress, APC, are 

working on a viable funding template 

for its 2023 electioneering campaigns, 

Saturday Vanguard has learned. 

NAIRA REDESIGN: 

The main opposition Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP are 

set to review their funding strategies as 

the planned redesign of Nigeria’s 

currency- the Naira, appears to 

threaten traditional methods of 

APC, PDP, LP 

campaign funding. 

With the policy, the old 

currency will become useless 

on January 31, 2023 exactly 

25 days to the February 25, 

2023 presidential polls. 

The new notes will be in 

circulation from December 

15. People with huge sums 

re-strategize 

of old N200, N500 and 

N1000 notes, in cash, must 

lodge them in banks on or 

before January 31 or the 

notes will become useless. 

There are fears that 

on campaign 

funding 

the Central bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, will no 

longer print large 

quantities of cash and a 

new cashless policy will 

be announced in January. 

With this, party insiders 

fear that they may not 

have enough ‘raw cash’ 

with which to prosecute the 

elections. 

Urgent action 

in APC 

With the plans of the CBN to 

change the Naira before the 

February/March elections, some 

strategists within the APC were said 

to have suggested that whatever 

needed to be procured in Naira be 

done quickly. 

“As the party in power, one would 

naturally think that we have 

access to the CBN to grant some 

concessions but even if we 

have that opportunity, we are 

not going to abuse public trust. 

“There are things like 

vehicles, mobile phones and 

other logistics that are needed 

for the elections. These are 

things that some of us are 

recommending that we buy 

immediately. We don’t need 

foreign exchange to procure 

most of these things and yet 

we do not have to wait until 

the Naira is changed”, said a 

party source. 

Asked how the party intends to 

raise funds for its activities, the 

source said; “I am one of the 

advocates of having 

our members 

donate to the 

campaigns. If 

we have over 

•Tinubu 

40 million 

members and 

we can ask 

them to donate 

N1000 each, 

that is a lot of money. 

“However, until we structure the party in a 

way that members take ownership of it, we 

cannot really leverage on our mass appeal. 

“What we are doing is to ask the governors to 

donate. They have always been in charge of the 

party and they are going to be driving the 

process in their various states. 

“The party itself will donate. Some of the 

candidates would make donations. We have 

friends in the business community. Our funding 

template will adhere to the provisions of the 

Electoral Act 2022 (as amended). 

“We are already working on generating the 

funds and we do not have a problem with that,” 

he said. 

•Atiku 

PDP, LP review 

funding 

strategy 

For the main 

opposition PDP, and 

Labour Party, Saturday 

Vanguard gathered that 

• Govs, Business moguls, 

others to fund APC 

campaigns 

•Obi 

the two parties are separately 

looking up to their strategy teams 

to work out modalities for 

aggressive fund raising which must 

be in compliance with existing 

electoral laws. 

A PDP chieftain familiar with 

the development, said: “Our 

situation in the PDP is made a bit 

more complex because five of our 

governors, whose 

contributions are 

badly needed at 

times like this, 

have pulled 

back. 

“We are in 

opposition. 

Apart from 

membership 

dues which 

come in 

trickles, most 

of our 

members do not 

have the 

financial muscle 

to make the kind 

of substantial 

donations the ruling 

party already has 

kept. 

“However, 

we look 

to 

big 

SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022—9 

businesses who 

identify with our 

friendly policies to 

step in because it is 

going to be a winwin 

situation for 

Nigeria and those 

doing business in 

Nigeria. 

“Today, you have 

airlines cutting the 

number of flights into our country, businesses 

are shutting down faster than they are being 

registered, this never happened under the PDP 

and the business community knows this. 

“Everything doesn’t have to be in cash. But 

all political parties need money because running 

elections anywhere in the world is expensive. 

“You need money to move from point A to 

point B, you need funds to pay vendors of 

goods and services and all these things 

require funds. 

“Like the Edo State 

Governor, Godwin Obaseki 

said, the timing of this Naira 

redesign is political. 

“The ruling party is 

targeting opposition parties 

in order to give undue 

advantage to APC 

candidates who have 

stashed cash 

and have 

been using 

bullion vans 

to move same 

in public 

glare. 

“We will not 

be 

discouraged 

because we 

are fighting for 

a better 

Nigeria and 

we believe 

Nigerians are 

receiving our 

message which 

is to rescue Nigeria from this 

decadence.” 

On his part, the National 

Publicity Secretary of the 

Labour Party, comrade Abayomi 

Arabambi explained that the LP 

feels blessed with the 

unprecedented level of 

acceptance the party and its 

candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, enjoy 

among Nigerians. 

He said: “For the first time in 

our nation’s history we have a 

party and a presidential 

candidate that has grown to 

become a mass movement. 

“Like our National Chairman 

has said on a number of 

occasions, ours is not a party of 

money bags, we are a mass 

movement. 

“Nigerians believe in our 

message to take our country 

back from those whose stock in 

trade has been to loot the 

public treasury in order to use 

the same stolen funds to try to 

buy over the people during 

election cycles. 

“This time around, we are 

leading the charge to say no to 

this criminal enterprise. 

“What we are asking for is 

partnership with Nigerians to 

break this cycle and the 

response has been 

tremendous. 

“The Obidient Movement 

marches nationwide have been 

carried out without shishi from 

the coffers of our great party. 

“It has been self driven by our 

teeming supporters. They print 

T shirts, fliers and provide 

refreshments for themselves 

What we 

are doing is 

to ask the 

governors to 

donate. They 

have always 

been in 

charge of the 

party and 

they are 

going to be 

driving the 

process in 

their various 

states 

among other things. 

“When we appeal for public 

support for our campaigns it is 

to enable the party to provide 

logistics especially during this 

campaign period which will be 

more intense, there is a lot of 

ground to cover. 

“By this we mean, we need to 

pay for campaign venues, 

accommodated in some cases, 

advertorials in print and 

electronic media, arrangements 

for security at venues, fuelling 

of vehicles, medical emergencies 

and allied miscellaneous 

expenses. 

“We are a party committed to 

enthroning a government that 

does things differently for a 

better Nigeria. We don’t see the 

plan to redesign the Naira as a 

threat because we do not have 

illicit funds stashed 

anywhere.” 

It was gathered that both 

parties are not ruling out plans 

to hold fundraising events such 

as dinners, voluntary donations 

from party members and 

supporters to compliment 

funds already received from the 

sale of nomination forms and 

payment of membership dues.

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 

TINUBU IS IT, 

Muslim-Muslim 

ticket game 

changer 

•Not respecting zoning will count against Atiku 

•How INEC will be Peter Obi’s problem 

•Kwakwanso still a regional champion 

Kindly share your candid expectation 

on the forthcoming 2023 General 

Elections? 

Expectations? No, I don’t want to talk about 

expectations. Tomorrow belongs to Allah. Homo 

sapiens can only speculate. That’s why 

the Arabs say ‘An-naasu fii tafkiir wa Allahu 

fii tadbiir’. Roughly translated, it means 

‘Men engage in speculations but Allah 

decides what actually happens.’ That’s 

one of the reasons Islamic scholars 

don’t make predictions. I personally 

hate prognostications. 

Unfortunately also, I am not a 

political analyst. At least, I don’t see 

myself as one. I can only advise 

Nigerians to be true to their 

convictions, to ensure that they collect 

their PVCs and to use the latter wisely 

and boldly. 

In spite of all the hullabaloo, the 

Muslim-Muslim ticket is going to be the 

game changer. The names of Tinubu 

and Shettima are on everyone’s lip in 

the North. The South West has caught 

the Jagaban fever. The last time I 

checked, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was 

counting his losses to Peter Obi in the 

South East. Yet the latter is feverishly 

searching for a foothold in the Arewa 

kingdom. He is yet to find one. Ceteris 

paribus, the Muslim-Muslim ticket is a 

fait accompli. 

But I will appeal to Tinubu’s 

supporters not to be too complacent. 

There is still a lot of work to be done. 

Exempli gratia, there are fences to be 

mended. The divine factor is also very 

important. We need to pray. We need to 

put everything in the hands of Allah. 

We must not forget what happened to 

the June 12 1993 election. It was 

criminally annulled by enemies of 

democracy. Nigerians voted massively 

for Chief M. K. O. Abiola. We wanted 

him to be the president. But Allah 

decided otherwise. This time around we 

must make Allah the numero uno 

among our consultants. I call on 

Asiwaju’s supporters to pray, pray and 

pray. Ora et labora, i.e. work and pray. 

What is your take on the direction 

By Ishola Balogun 

In his usual style of remonstrating against opposing idea, the Director, Muslim Rights Concern 

(MURIC) and Professor of Islamic Studies, Department of Religions and Peace Studies, Lagos 

State University (LASU), Ishaq Lakin Akintola has said history will not be kind to the Afenifere 

leader, Pa Adebanjo for his hard position on the All Progressive Congress, APC Presidential 

candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu unless he retraces his footsteps. How can a man who 

claims to be a Yoruba leader leave a widely accepted Presidential candidate to embrace 

someone else from another region”, he says. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard, the 

Muslim rights activist urges the Afenifere leadership to put its house in order. He also speaks 

on Kola Abiola, son of the undeclared winner of June 12 1993, MKO Abiola. Excerpts: 

In the past, 

the culture 

of the 

people was 

tied around 

their 

expertise in 

war. They 

grew so 

much as 

mighty 

warriors 

such that 

they had 

delight in 

fighting. At a 

point, they 

transformed 

into 

something 

like 

mercenaries 

taken so far by the major presidential flagbearers 

such as Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu of 

APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Mr. Peter 

Obi (LP), Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankanso 

(NNPP) and Prince Adewole Adebayo 

(SDP)? 

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is someone for 

whom I have a lot of respect. But he 

stayed away in Dubai for too long. His 

second miscalculation is his refusal to 

respect his party’s zoning formula. 

Whereas twelve Northern governors 

willingly surrendered the APC mandate 

to a Southerner, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar 

dared the South by insisting on 

contesting. The result is the higgledypiggledy 

which has characterized the 

political fortune of the PDP to date. 

Peter Obi has already won the 

presidential election in social media. His 

problem is INEC because I am not sure 

that INEC will accept social media 

popularity as a standard yardstick. PO 

scored the highest mark in reeling out 

the other version of truth to Nigerians. 

His statistical inexactitude is also 

legendary. I know that intelligent people 

are not going to forget that. 

Kwankwaso is still reveling in the 

euphoria of kwankwasiyah. A regional 

phenomenon has been mistaken for a 

national movement. NNPP may not 

even scratch the surface. Without being 

dismissive or immodest, the average 

Nigerian may need to be educated 

about the identity of Prince Adewole 

Adebayo of the SDP. 

Only the APC presidential candidate 

appears to have done a lot of homework. 

He has been to virtually all parts of 

Nigeria. His party has members and 

agents spread over all the nooks and 

crannies of this country. In terms of 

consultations, he has consulted widely: 

political circle, traditional rulers, the 

business sector, students, name it. He is 

the only candidate who can confidently 

tell Nigerians, ‘Vini, vidi, vici’, i.e. I came, 

I saw, I conquered, even at this stage. 

Why do you think Asiwaju towers 

above other frontliners? 

Is it not self-evident? Even the blind 

— Prof Akintola, 

MURIC Director 

•Prof 

Akintola 

•Tinubu 

can 

see it. We are 

talking about pedigree here. Asiwaju’s 

political curriculum vitae is not only 

impressive, it is intimidating. It is 

primus inter pareil. He was already a 

senator when some of those 

contesting against him today had 

not even given politics a single 

thought. He has mentored 

countless numbers of men 

and women. Asiwaju can 

point at Lagos today 

and beat his chest. 

Where are the 

achievements of 

those who are 

challenging him? 

His roadmap is still 

being used in 

Lagos. Fashola 

used it and 

Nigerians poured 

encomiums on him. Sanwo-Olu is using it to the 

admiration of all. Lagos leads while other states 

follow. But it is because of the solid foundation 

laid down by Tinubu. 

LASTMA was introduced by him. He 

introduced free education at secondary school 

level in Lagos State. You can call that a followup 

to Chief Awolowo’s free education policy at 

•Kola Abiola 

primary school level. ‘Jigi Bola’, a free eyeglasses 

project liberated thousands of elderly people from 

partial blindness as medicated eyeglasses were 

distributed pro bono in Tinubu’s Lagos. His 

‘firsts’ are just too many to mention here. 

What, in reality, does this anticipated Tinubu/ 

Shettima presidency signal to you and Nigeria 

as a whole? 

It portends purposeful leadership. Tinubu is a 

pragmatic political leader. He is always thinking 

and working on solutions to problems facing his 

society. Nigerians are fortunate that this human 

computer did not remain permanently in the 

United States but decided to return to Nigeria in 

order to benefit his country. 

Those who fail to appreciate him are those 

calling him names and those who are afraid of his 

being a Muslim. But as a student of Islam and 

someone who has studied some Muslim 

politicians, Tinubu is not the man to scare non- 

Muslims. He doesn’t even agree with some of 

the positions of people like me. He is proud to be 

a Muslim. But if you know what I mean, Akintola 

is a fanatic as far as Asiwaju is concerned. 

Nonetheless, when it comes to picking the right 

man to lead Nigeria out of the woods, Tinubu is 

my man. 

Let me quickly reveal a secret about Tinubu 

which I have been keeping for quite some time. 

When the going was rough, when men of the 

SSS were hounding pro-democracy activists, I 

went to No. 19, Imaria Street (that was Dr, Beko 

Ransome Kuti’s house) for one of the regular 

meetings of the Campaign for Democracy. I met 

this executive activist, Bola Ahmed Tinubu at 

the exit but I didn’t recognize him. 

He was heavily disguised and he was on his 

way out. It was Beko who said, ‘Do you know 

who just walked past you?’ I said, ‘No sir, I don’t’. 

He replied, ‘That was Bola Tinubu. He came to 

support us as usual’. That was in 1994 when I 

was still undergoing human rights mentoring 

under Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti. 

I think that is quite instructive. A leader who 

will not abandon his followers in the trench, a 

leader who will stick his neck out for their sake, 

that is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. How many of those 

contesting against him today will take such a 

risk? How many of them made such a huge 

contribution to the struggle for the restoration of 

democracy? 

Of all the presidential candidates today, only 

Tinubu and Kola Abiola truly deserve the 

position. The former because of his personal 

sacrifices, the latter because of what Nigerians 

owe his father, Chief M. K. O. Abiola, who paid 

the supreme sacrifice for the survival of 

democracy. In other climes, children of heroes 

are given the honour to replicate what their 

parents did or could not do. Perhaps Kola Abiola 

is warming up. 

In the South West region, there are still 

discordant tunes among the Yoruba Afenifere 

leaders, what is your take on their positions and 

how would you advise against disunity at this 

critical time? 

I belong to the South West region. I am a 

Yoruba and I am happy to be one. But those who 

want to lead our race tend to be dividing us. 

Otherwise how can Pa Adebanjo who claims to 

be the leader of the Yoruba leave a widely 

accepted Yoruba presidential candidate to 

embrace someone else from another region? 

I don’t support ethnic politics but how 

would Pa Adebanjo feel if a Nigerian and a 

Sierra Leonean contest for a West 

African post and Nigerians at the event 

vote for the Sierra Leonean? 

Adebanjo should lead by example. 

Afenifere should also put its house 

in order. They are embarrassing us. 

Pa Adebanjo should remember 

that chroniclers are not asleep. 

History will not be kind to him 

unless he retraces his footsteps. 

Afterall we have a saying in 

Yorubaland that ‘Omo eni ko sedi 

bebere ka fileke sidi omo elomiran. Teni 

ni teni’, i.e. No matter how flabby 

your daughter’s buttocks are, 

you should not place beads in 

the buttocks of another man’s 

daughter. 

Why do you think INEC is 

well prepared to conduct free 

and credible elections in 

2023? 

I don’t think INEC 

understands the issues involved in 

electioneering. Some of INEC’s decisions 

have been extreme lately. Methinks INEC 

should operate with a human face. A 

situation whereby INEC declares that 

the candidates of a political party will not 

participate in an election is too harsh 

for me. Technicalities should 

not be allowed to give weak 

political parties the 

upper hand. It runs 

parallel to the law of 

natural justice. 

What is your 

expectation and 

message to 

Nigerians as 2023 

polls draw nearer? 

My message to 

Nigerians is to 

avoid thuggery and hooliganism. It is one major 

raison d’etre for women staying out of politics. I 

appeal to the youth not to allow themselves to 

be used for any dirty game. I invite politicians to 

avoid ‘do or die’ politics. Let us eschew politics 

with bitterness. Both winner and loser should 

keep looking at the bigger picture - Nigeria.

DELTA 2023: Oborevwori 

unravels, squares off Omo-Agege 

•DSP unshaken, intensifies onslaught •I’ll fight from within- Olorogun Edevbie 

By Emma Amaize, Regional 

Editor, South-South 

THE gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Rt. 

Hon Sheriff Francis Orohwedor 

Oborevwori and his All Progressives Congress, 

APC, counterpart, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, 

seem embroiled in a crushing power game over 

the 2023 governorship. 

Oborevwori, the longest-serving Speaker of 

the state House of Assembly and Omo- 

Agege, Deputy Senate President, DSP, of 

Nigeria’s Senate are both of the Urhobo stock 

in the Delta Central senatorial district. 

From his antecedents in his current party, 

Omo-Agege, a former chieftain of PDP, not only 

knows how to categorize political opponents; 

he is proficient in overwhelming competitors 

DSP bent on thinning out the flock 

Having appraised Oborevwori as his key 2023 

opponent; pinpointed his friend, governor, and vicepresidential 

candidate of PDP, Senator Ifeanyi 

Okowa, as Oborevwori’s backbone that he must 

break down, DSP came up with a long-term plan 

to thump the shepherd, disperse the sheep, and 

isolate the leader from the flock. 

Since he deployed this strategy, firing salvos at 

Okowa, Oborevwori and anything PDP, Omo- 

Agege has left no one in doubt about his 

preparedness. 

One APC leader that is also very adept in this 

strategy is the Chairman of the Senate Committee 

on the Niger Delta, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi. He 

and Omo-Agege understand the art of unleashing 

verbal missiles on political opponents. 

PDP has felt the impact of his targeted 

onslaughts on Okowa and Oborevwori, designed 

to break up the sheep, in the last few weeks. 

Cases in point: ”We must take back our dear 

state from Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who with his 

cohorts, have held our state hostage. After over 

seven years of Okowa, one thing we all agree is 

that there is a huge gap between the fund Delta 

state received, generated, and borrowed even 

recklessly...” 

“And now, he wants to hand over to his stooge, 

Speaker, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori whose 

House, which he heads, approved every kobo that 

was wasted and stolen to protect himself from 

accountability. 

“For the years of Sheriff’s speakership, the Delta 

State House of Assembly has been a rubber stamp, 

giving everything Okowa asks for without effective 

oversight, undermining the entire idea of the 

Separation of Powers enshrined in our Constitution, 

as well as weakening our democracy. 

“Are we ready for another four years of that 

nonsense, another four years of plundering and 

stealing, another four years of drift? None of us 

• Oborevwori 

here, today want to see more of the past very 

terrible years of Okowa-Oborevwori tyranny, we 

want our state back. The gross misuse and total 

waste of scarce resources have cost Delta state so 

much and this must stop.” 

Oborevwori strikes back 

However, Oborevwori has been circumspect in 

responding to the vitriolic attacks on his person by 

Omo-Agege for some time because he has an 

aversion to the politics of attacking people, instead 

of issues. He speaks less than necessary, the 

reason people think he does not speak, but for the 

first time, Oborevwori came out of his shell at the 

launching of the Delta State PDP Campaign 

Council, penultimate Thursday. 

He thundered: “The other day, I listened to the 

brash and unguarded utterances of the APC 

governorship candidate in Delta State. I wish to 

remind Deltans that all well-meaning Nigerians 

agree that the current Senate of the Federal 

Republic of Nigeria, of which Omo-Agege is the 

Deputy President, is the worst in the history of 

Nigeria.” 

”Courtesy of this toothless, docile, and rubber 

stamp Senate, Nigeria’s external debt portfolio 

currently stands at $40 billion as of the second 

quarter of this year. With hyperinflation, naira free 

fall, escalating food prices, widespread poverty, the 

dilapidated state of federal roads, labour discontent, 

and general insecurity, let Omo-Agege tell Deltans 

what they used these monies for. 

“Lest we forget, Omo-Agege’s tenure as 

Secretary to the Delta State Government was 

characterized by parochialism, greed, abuse of 

power, and undemocratic tendencies. The records 

• Omo-Agege 

are there for anybody who cares to check. 

“Let me stop here for now, but Deltans do not 

need a despot like Omo-Agege, but a liberal, broadminded, 

and selfless leader like me who stands for 

equity and fairness. 

On his performance, he said: “Permit me to 

comment on my stewardship as the Speaker of 

the Delta State House of Assembly. I am very 

proud of the job the sixth and seventh Assemblies 

have done in working with the executive to 

implement its policies and programmes. There are 

some misguided people, who think that the 

relationship between the Legislature and the 

Executive must be adversarial - How mistaking”. 

“The idea of checks and balances was not for the 

legislature to become a clog in the wheel of progress 

but to ensure mutual respect and cooperation in 

handling governance issues. That you sometimes 

disagree does not mean you have to be 

disagreeable. Through dialogue, you can iron out 

your differences in a mature and civilized manner 

in order to move the ship of state forward. 

“This is what the House has done under my 

stewardship and the evidence of the positive 

impacts of the government’s policies and 

programmes abound everywhere in the state. 

Regarding Okowa’s performance, he uttered 

“Those of us who live in Asaba know what it used 

to be like living here pre-2015. Thanks to the Asaba 

Storm Water Drainage, we can now sleep with 

both eyes closed when it rains. The Prof. Chike 

Edozien Central Secretariat Complex stands tall 

above the noise and cynicism of naysayers, 

mischief makers, and armchair critics.” 

“Roads and bridges of strategic importance have 

been, and continue to be constructed across the 

length and breadth of Delta State. Testimonies 


abound of our youths who are now successful 

business owners and employers of labour, following 

their empowerment through the administration’s 

multiple entrepreneurship development 

programmes. I can go on and on but we have what 

it takes to convince our people that PDP remains 

their best option,” he stated. 

Bid to isolate leaders 

Omo-Agege could not distance Okowa from the 

PDP flock as designed, but he has caused a 

stir, plucking some PDP leaders, including a 

former governorship aspirant, Hon Efe Ofobruku 

and Chief Andy Asowota, in recent weeks, to the 

APC, with his crusade. 

However, the movement is not one-sided, as 

top APC members, including a former state 

chairman, Cyril Ogodo and publicity secretary, 

Sylvester Imonina also switched over to the PDP 

in the state. 

Many construed the absence of two former 

governors of the state, Chief James Ibori and Dr 

Emmanuel Uduaghan, and other leaders at the 

launching of PDP’s 2023 Campaign Council at 

Asaba as a sign that they were still at war with 

Okowa over his support for Oborevwori. 

Senator James Manager and others have stayed 

away from major party activities since the last 

governorship primaries, not necessarily, because 

Omo-Agege’s tactics paid off, but because he 

is angry with his friend, Okowa. 

Omo-Agege would have loved to see Ibori, 

Uduaghan, Olorogun David Edevbie, Manager 

and others dump Okowa to work for his victory. 

Still, Edevbie, who returned to the state since he 

lost at the Supreme Court to Oborevwori, last 

Friday, told his supporters that he would remain 

in PDP and fight within. 

Edevbie’s stand of remaining in PDP and 

fighting within explains the predicament of Ibori 

and Uduaghan, who many know all 

along, will not exit the party, despite the 

resentment that has made it hard for them to 

come to terms with Okowa 

What goes for Sheriff 

What has kept Oborewori going in the power 

game, which started before his emergence as the 

party’s candidate, is his adroitness in masking his 

intention, which distracted people until Okowa 

located him. 

Difficult to comprehend, but Okowa did not, 

initially, set out with Oborevwori as his successor; 

but somehow, when the time came, he could not 

resist the pull. 

The seemingly stylish manner he materialized 

as the standard-bearer amazed many, who know 

Oborevwori as the underdog in the PDP 

governorship scramble, but the Speaker is keeping 

away his real success secrets from Omo-Agege in 

the power game. Across the state, people are 

working for his election as governor, but how he 

does it, stands out even with bad publicity, and 

refused to outdo his master, Okowa, are all part of 

his strategies. 

Possible reevaluation 

Perhaps, Omo-Agege, the most potent individual 

political force in the Delta Central senatorial 

district, now, besides Ibori, may have another look 

at his strategy to isolate Okowa to disperse an 

unrepentant PDP flock with his offensives, as 

Oborevwori has risen to the challenge. 

It looks improbable, as sparing the governor and 

the PDP candidate of the rough edge of his tongue 

is not in DSP’s contemplation just now. 

A few days ago, he boasted he would cut short 

the vice presidential ambition of Okowa, who he 

accused of plotting a third-term agenda through 

Oborevwori. Since he broke proceedings on Omo- 

Agege, penultimate Thursday, Deltans are waiting 

for Oborevwori’s next line of action. 

DELTA CENTRAL: DAFINONE IS THE MAN FOR THE JOB 

By Francis Ewherido 

The Urhobo Nation, sent a man to represent 

us in Abuja (let us leave out the detail of 

whether it was the Senate or House of 

Representatives). When it got to the next election 

he came back to his party to inform them that he 

wanted to return to Abuja for a second term. The 

party leaders and faithful asked him to give an 

account of his stewardship so far. He had nothing 

to show for the almost four years he had been in 

Abuja. But he had a trailer load of excuses. When 

he was done making excuses, he was told to step 

aside so that someone else who could overcome 

barriers the listed and provide effective 

representation would replace him. That was how 

he lost his bid to return to Abuja. 

The Urhobo Nation has always produced vibrant 

and strong characters to represent Delta Central 

in the Senate right from time. Except for one or so 

senators who came and left like a ship in the 

night(unnoticed), Delta Central has always had 

vibrant representation. With the incumbent, HE 

OvieOmo-Agege, rising to the position of Deputy 

President of the Senateand doing exceptionally 

well, the stakes are even higher and the shoes, 

bigger. It is not as if Delta Central expects to produce 

the next Deputy President of the Senate, but any 

senator who knows his onions can provide his 

people and Nigeria at large effective representation. 

With all sense of modesty, my late brother, Sen. 

Akpor Pius Ewherido, was the lone Democratic 

People’s Party(DPP) senator in the senate during 

his time. He spent only two years before death 

came calling, but he distinguished himself; he came, 

he saw and he conquered. The record of the bills 

he sponsored or co-sponsored and the projects he 

attracted to Delta Central are there. 

The senatorial election is barely three months 

away. We have a plethora of qualified Urhobo sons 

jostling for the seat. As I have said and 

have not retracted, my choice is 

Okakuro Ede Dafinone. His father 

is also one of the best senators Delta 

Central has produced. He did not 

just represent us well in the senate, 

he was a national figure. But my 

belief in Ede Dafinone has nothing 

to do with his father, the late 

Senator David Dafinone,but the 

antecedents of Delta Central in 

producing very vibrant senators. 

It should not be different this time 

around. Ede is well educated, very 

intelligent and well spoken. He is an 

accomplished accountant. He 

has sat and still seats on the 

board of companies 

across all 

spectrum of 

the economy: 

finance, 

information 

technology, 

agriculture, 

manufacturing, 

etc. He sits on 

the board of 

one of the 

most stable and best run insurance companies in 

Nigeria. They are leaders in motor insurance 

business. I know because as a chartered insurance 

broker, I do business with them and have not had 

issues with them. Genuine claims are promptly 

paid. They are highly respected in the insurance 

subsector and financial sector. These are the types 

of organisations he is associated with. His network 

• Okakuro Ede Dafinone 

both in government and the business community 

is extensive and will come handy as our senator. 

He is at home in Urhoboland, and very 

comfortable at the national and international 

levels. He is ready-made as the next 

senator representing Delta Central 

Senatorial District. 

He is a trustee of OkpeCommunity 

Leaders of Thought and Chairman, 

SapeleOkpe Land Trust Association. 

Through the Dafinone Foundation, he 

has been providing scholarships for our 

people back home for postgraduate 

studies. The foundation has a skills 

acquisition centre and hundreds of our 

people have acquired various skills that 

have made them self-sustaining. The 

foundation offers micro-credit loans 

to women within Sapele. 

These are concrete 

contributions to 

Urhobo land by a 

true Urhobo son. 

One aspect of 

his quest to go 

the senate I 

like is his 

concentration 

on himself as a 

senatorial 

candidate and 

what he is bringing to the table. I have not seen 

him allude to the fact that his father,a distinguished 

senator, provided effective representation to his 

people and so the people of Delta Central should 

vote for him as a son of Senator David Dafinone. 

Ede is accomplished and campaigning based on 

his accomplishments, which are very obvious, and 

what he is bringing to the table. Every mallam has 

his kettle and Ede is using his own kettle not the 

kettle of Senator David Dafinone. Personally I have 

problems with people who go about with a sense 

of entitlement. 

In this critical time, anyone who wants to 

represent the Urhobo nation, whether in the 

Delta State House of Assembly, House of 

Representatives or the Senate, should have a good 

grasp of what our current challenges are.You 

cannot solve a problem you do not understand. 

Whether you go ahead to help solve the problems 

when you get elected or abandon your promises is 

a different matter. The day of reckoning is just 

ahead (four years maximum). But understanding 

the issues at the initial stage is very critical and 

Ede does. 

The minimum age for going to the senate is 35 

years. Anybody who is 35 years and above is eligible 

age wise to contest. Now in his late 50s, Dafinone 

still has the element of youthfulness to enable 

him represent us with the needed vibrancy. He 

also has decades of experience and multi-sector 

knowledge to discuss all sectors of our national life 

beyond his finance sector background in the 

senate. Many people might not know, but before 

climate change and its devastating effects hit the 

front burner, Dafinone was already a member of 

the Lekki Conservation Foundation and he is the 

current chairman of the foundation(What 

conservation foundation stands for is selfexplanatory). 

What does that tell you? 

Vision:Okakuro Ede Dafinone is a man of vision, 

an essential ingredient for great leaders. At this 

point, the senate seat of Delta Central fits him like 

a tailor-made-to-fit suit. Okakuro Ede Dafinone of 

the All Progressive Congress is the best choice for 

Delta Central Senatorial District in 2023 election. 

Mr. Francis Ewherido is a chartered insurance 

practitioner and Saturday Vanguard Columnist






SHAME: 

Nigeria Air may not 

fly to US, Ethiopian 

Airline subsumes it 

Nigeria cedes top positions, 

49% equity to ET 

•Relationship amounts to shareholding, not partnership 

• Nigeria may not have representation at global and 

regional aviation forums 

•Only ET responded to us —Sirika 

By Prince Okafor 

The agitations and prophetic projections of 

Nigerian aviation stakeholders that 

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINE involvement in 

Nigeria’s national carrier portents 

enslavement appear being realised too soon. 

This follows the Organograme of the Nigeria 

Air proposed by ETHIOPIAN AIRLINE team in 

the recently concluded meeting with Nigeria Air 

team in Abuja. As can be seen in the 

Organogram all the commanding positions; 

CEO, DIRECTORS OF FINANCE, 

COMMERCIAL, ENGINEERING as well as 

the key positions of Purchasing, Cargo sales and 

Quality Assurance are held by ETHIOPIAN 

AIRLINE . With these positions ETHIOPIAN 

AIRLINE will drive the life, growth and 

progression of Nigeria’s National Carrier. Added 

to this travesty is the fact that the Nigerian 

Nation will have no representation at global and 

regional aviation forums as it will be represented 

by ETHIOPIAN Air Nigeria CEO AND 

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR. Yet ETHIOPIAN 

AIRLINE is holding 49% equity against 

Nigeria’s .51% equity. The relationship is not a 

Patnership, not a Management Contract but 

Shareholding. It follows that if ownership and 

management of Nigeria Air are not 

SUBSTANTIALLY Nigerian, as the proposal has 

revealed, Nigeria Air many not be allowed to fly 

into United States as it happened to Virgin 

Nigeria. 

Stakeholders had strongly disapproved the 

said partnerships with ET, describing it as a 

‘national embarrassment’. Now their fears 

appear real with the meeting in Abuja. 

A breakdown of the deal shows that Ethiopian 

Airlines will be holding 49 per cent of Nigeria 

Air’s shares, while a consortium of Nigerian 

investors would have 46 per cent; and the 

Federal Government would have five per cent. 

Again, indications are that ET will weaken 

Nigeria Air with ASKY Airline US bound 

passengers if at all Nigeria Air will be flying to 

US. 

Meanwhile, stakeholders have decried the 

almost insignificant Nigerian ownership of the 

new national carrier, as the airline is operating 

under wet lease. 

A wet lease is an arrangement covering the 

hire of an aircraft including the provision of flight 

crews, fueling amongst others. 

An authoritative source from the federal 

government had disclosed that with 49 per cent 

equity against Nigeria’s 51 per cent equity, ET 

has all four most critical top management 

positions. 

The positions according to the proposed 

organogram made available to Saturday 

Vanguard, include the Chief Executive Officer, 

Directors of Finance, Engineering and 

Commercial. 

The source also disclosed that ET will also be 

in charge of purchasing, quality assurance 

and cargo sales. 

According to the source, “Nigeria’s national 

carrier will be innocuous, subordinate which I 

see as enslavement; this arrangement will be a 

national shame and disaster if it’s allowed to 

run the way our people have negotiated. 

“As it is the airline may not be allowed into 

US as its entire ownership and management 

run foul of our open skies agreement with US. 

“The airline may also face limitations in the 

United Kingdom, and other countries where 

ET has multiple flights. 

“Ethiopia knows this but its objective is to 

impair Nigeria air so its ASKY in Togo will run 

the United States route fed by Nigeria 

passengers. It is high-wire mischief. 

“Nigeria aviation stakeholders and professionals 

have consistently warned of this danger to deaf 

ears. It is quite sad that while Ethiopia came to 

the negotiation with top-flight international 

finance and legal consultants Nigeria left its 

professionals and appointed people of no aviation 

consequence to sit on negotiating table. 

“The Federal Executive Council, the National 

Assembly, and the aviation unions must rise up 

and reject this enslavement and national 

shame. Presidential candidates and their parties 

should send very strong signals against this 

national embarrassment.” 

Only ET responded 

to our EoI —Sirika 

In reaction to stakeholders’ disapproval of ET 

partnership, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi 

Sirika, stated that apart from being one of the 

biggest and most efficient airlines in the world, 

Ethiopian Airlines was the only airline that 

responded to its requests for expression of 

interest and fulfilled all the stipulated conditions 

laid down by Nigeria to be picked. 

He said: “We did not cede Nigeria Air to 

Ethiopian Airlines. It is the only airline in the 

world that made $1 billion profit even during 

Covid-19 pandemic. It is the most prosperous, 

efficient and leading airline in the African 

continent and it was the only airline that 

responded to our request for partnership to run 

the airline after many months of advertisement 

of expression of interest. 

“Even after some interested persons asked 

Nigeria to extend the time of EoI and we did, 

none of them showed interest. Despite the fact 

that officials of the ministry of aviation led by me 

personally visited some of the leading airlines 

across the world and pleaded with them to take 

up the partnership with Nigeria to set up the 

airline, none of them signified interest except 

Ethiopian Airlines, which has been allotted 49 

percent shares while Nigerian institutional 

investors take up 45 percent while the federal 

government will take up only five percent. 

“The choice of Ethiopian Airlines is good for 

Nigeria and it is in line with the African Union 

Agenda and spirit and to take advantage of the 

over 1.2 billion population in Africa. Our desire is 

for Africa to come together and lead the African 

aviation market through our new partnership 

with Ethiopian Airlines. The partnership will 

also reduce cost of operations and air fares for 

Nigerian and African air travellers as opposed to 

the current situation. 

“Contrary to what people think, let it be 

known that Ethiopian Airlines emerged as the 

preferred partner of Nigeria Air through a 

transparent and credible process that cannot be 

faulted because we want the project to succeed 

so that Nigeria can have an airline that does not 

suffer the fate of the former Nigeria Airways.” 

Aviation experts react 

Commenting on the development, Aviation 

Expert, Olumide Ohunayo, stated that, “Of all 

the seven airlines in Africa that ET has shares, 

only ASKY operates beyond the domestic route, 

the remaining (Chad, Mozambique, Zambia, 

Congo, Guinea and Malawi are glorified Local 

carriers). ASKY has 12 aircraft in 12 years. 

“The federal government has given multiple 

false start date for this airline and we 

have two of such dates this year that 

have failed. Also, part 9 of the Air 

Operator Certification and 

Administration 9.2.3.2 states that a 

new start-up airline must have a 

minimum of 3 aircraft, and must be 

Nigerian registered. Yet we are told 

they are going to wet lease, later 

damp lease aircraft to start. So 

why breech the ACT from incubation 

what happens later? 

“The playing field was not level 

abinitio. Virgin Nigeria was stopped 

from operating into the US because of 

49 per cent ownership by Virgin 

Atlantic hope this will not play out 

again for some countries. 

“Virgin Atlantic offered 10 per cent 

shares to Nigerians as reciprocity for 

the investment in Virgin Nigeria. 

What is ET offering as reciprocity? 

“Why did ET, Egypt Air, and two 

local airlines and other investors bid 

for the Ghanaian national carrier and 

only ET had bid for Nigeria despite 

the huge market and potentials? 

Also, a former military airport 

commandant, Capt. John Ojikutu 

said: “Our competitor should not be 

our partner or part owner. If it does our 

interest becomes subordinated and 

the competition disappears. 

“What I believe we have with 

Ethiopian Airline is not a partnership 

but commercial agreements on our Bilateral 

Bilateral Air Service 

Agreement, BASA, routes, the 

national interest comes first for each of 

the partners. 

“I said earlier that how to ensure 

the 49 per cent equity will be the 

foremost interest of the Ethiopian 

airline on BASA routes. 

“Most passengers on Ethiopian 

airline are transiting Addis Ababa not 

destined there; so, transiting 

passengers must pay the price in 

addition to the airfare; that is a plus for 

the country. 

“Do we have such in Lagos for 

those transiting on Ethiopian 

Airlines? Go for partnership with 

airlines that are not competing with 

us on the BASA routes is my gospel.”

2023 Elections: What HOPE UZODIMMA 

told editors about their profession, Imo 

State, Nigeria 

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma addressed 

Nigerian journalists at the All Nigeria Editors 

Conference that kicked on Thursday in Owerri, 

state capital. 

Excerpts: 

As a people known for hospitality, we are always 

happy to welcome new visitors to Imo State. Thus, 

I have reserved a very special welcome for those of 

you who are visiting Imo State for the very first 

time. I am certain that both the first time visitors 

and those who are visiting after being away for 

sometime will discover, to their pleasant surprise 

that Imo is a peaceful state - contrary to the 

jaundiced narrative circulating mostly on the Social 

Media. You will observe, in addition, that Imo is 

one of the fastest developing states in the country. 

For those who are visiting after some months or 

years, I know you are no less pleasantly surprised 

at the huge transformation that has redefined the 

Imo State you saw when last you visited. The truth 

of the matter is that we have refused to be distracted 

by the false, fierce, relentless and orchestrated 

propaganda of our political foes. Instead, we have 

kept our eyes firmly focused upon the work to be 

done. And like Venus Williams once said, we do not 

focus on what we are up against, we focus on our 

goals. I am personally driven by the social contract 

I signed with the people of Imo State. It is my wish 

that you would find the time before the end of your 

conference to move around the state to see things 

for yourselves. This will afford you the opportunity 

to be part of our story, first hand, and, therefore our 

credible witnesses. As you will say in your 

profession, a single picture is worth more than a 

thousand words. In this case, I hope that a single 

eye witness will speak more than a million words of 

vicious propaganda. 

It is indeed inspiring and reassuring that the 

theme of your conference is centred on “Politics 

and credible elections and the role of Editors”. This 

confirms that you are genuine stakeholders who 

are truly committed to the success of democracy in 

our country. It is a further confirmation of your 

desire to rise up to your responsibility as members 

of the fourth estate of the realm. According to 

Andrew Vachss, “journalism is what maintains 

democracy, it is the force for progressive social 

change”. 

Only last week, the top echelon of the Nigerian 

Police were here in Owerri to hold a strategic retreat 

on the need to conduct peaceful and credible 

elections in 2023. At the end of that retreat, the 

police committed to ensuring that the forthcoming 

elections shall be peaceful, credible, free and fair. 

Flooding: Humanitarian Ministry adopts strategies to mitigate 

future disaster 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

s Nigerians, especially those in flood affected 

Astates count their losses while waiting for the 

flood to recede completely, the Federal Ministry of 

Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and 

Social Development, FMHADMSD, in addition 

to some of the measures put in place to give succour 

to the people, have begun making plans to mitigate 

future disaster. 

The overwhelming cases of flooding in some 

States and Local Government Areas in the Country 

this year, have led to loss of so many lives, caused 

the submergence of houses and roads, destroyed 

crops and farmlands, while leaving so many people 

displaced. 

The FMHADMSD recognises the fact that 

flooding is an annual occurrence with devastating 

consequences, which cannot be prevented as a 

natural phenomenon , but can only be mitigated 

and managed. It also recognizes the link between 

climate change and flooding, as well as human 

activity such as poor building practices, waste 

management and dam management as the root 

causes of flooding, which informed most of the 

critical decisions and strategies they are adopting 

to mitigate it in the future. Considering the enormity 

of the 2022 flood situation, the Ministry and 

stakeholders have assured Nigerians of their 

“commitment to do everything possible within the 

respective mandate of all to prevent death due to 

flood and, minimise flood response time, leveraging 

on technology and new innovations such as flood 

mapping, web-based flood early warning system 

and water purification technologies”. 

While noting that there was enough warning 

and information about the 2022 flood, though States 

and Local Governments appeared not to take heed, 

the FMHADMSD disclosed that it has decided to 

“form a high powered delegation to State Governors 

to advocate for more commitment to strengthen 

state response mechanisms as stipulated in the 

National Emergency Response Plan and, ensure 

that stakeholders work together on specific response 

actions”, even as it seeks “special intervention 

funds to mobilize first responders, relief materials, 

shelter, medicals and effectively coordinate all 

responses”. 

“Dredging and de-silting of water bodies and major 

rivers in Nigeria to prevent coastal flooding; the 

Coming from the security agency constitutionally 

saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that 

our elections are peaceful and credible, there is no 

doubt that the retreat will help build trust and 

confidence in the forthcoming general elections. 

It is against this fallout that your conference and 

your theme are not just apt, but timely and weighty. 

I say this because apart from the security agencies, 

whose role can make or mar an election, the next 

group, whose role is equally critical and definitive, 

is the media. And here we are with the arrowheads 

of the media having a serious conversation on the 

same subject matter; credible elections. The 

refreshing difference here is that the emphasis on 

this occasion is on the role of Editors in this regard. 

Since both the government and the Police have 

assured us of their resolve to ensure credible 

elections, it is only natural to focus on the next 

equally important institution that has no less a 

crucial role to play in elections, and that happens 

to be YOU, as the leaders of the fourth estate of the 

realm. 

In this respect, and without prejudice to the 

papers that will be presented at this conference, let 

me emphasize that the role of the Editors is critical 

to the success of the elections. This is because of 

the age - long saying that the pen is mightier than 

the sword. Yes, with your pen you can make the 

2023 elections a huge success or a colossal failure. 

How? you may ask. Well, I have a response. When 

as Editors we choose to play up and propagate 

divisive and toxic utterances of our politicians, we 

are deliberately helping to heat up the polity. The 

divisive reportage we often make in the print and 

electronic media which we control can, and does 

affect the peace and credibility of elections. In other 

words, how we manage our reports is crucial to the 

conduct of an election. 

I know that some of you will want to remind me 

that in your calling “facts are sacred” and must be 

treated as such. I do agree with you on this, but I 

am not asking you not to report the facts as they 

are. Far from it. The point to be made, however, is 

that how you report the facts does matter a lot, and 

can make all the difference. When divisive facts are 

splashed as screaming banner headlines, they are 

bound to bring the populace to boiling point. But, 

when the same facts are played down in the order 

of reports, they may not have the same bang effect. 

This is my humble take. So, I submit that as Editors 

you have a patriotic duty to manage these sacred 

facts for the ultimate good of our dear country. 

The other point to make is that media 

management of election proper can also have 

•Sadiya Farouq 

need to adopt structural and non-structural 

measures to address floods and raise the issues 

with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources; and 

also raise the issues of opening Lagdo dam (in 

Cameroon) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

and the FEC”, are part of the plans the Ministry is 

making to mitigate the effects of flooding 

subsequently. 

For a coordinated flood response protocol, the 

Ministry with stakeholders have also decided to 

implement the National Flood Emergency 

Response Plan as well as the sectoral approach to 

flood management at the National and Sub- 

National levels. 

It further emphasized the need for State 

governments to invest in flood management and 

lead on community based Flood early warning, 

adding that, “State governments need to take 

greater responsibilities for flood control and 

response”, while it ensures it reviews and updates 

the Federal Fire Service Act and the Federal Fire 

Service operations to align risk reduction strategies 

and targets for disaster management”. 

Still in line with the FMHADMSD’s commitment 

towards ensuring that the country does not witness 

the level of devastation caused by flood again, 

the Ministry has recognized the need to provide 

the Ministry of Information and its agencies/ 

parastatals with content of disaster management 

efforts with a view to sensitizing and enlightening 

the general populace. 

It is also ready to work with stakeholders in the 

area of sharing data and information on flood 

preparedness and response according to the 

National Flood Preparedness and Response Plan. 

In her presentation during the side event at 

soothing or devastating consequences on 

the outcome of the elections. For instance, 

the unethical practice of announcing or 

publishing unverified or unofficial versions 

of election results, especially while the 

election is yet to be completed, could 

influence the public to assume a position 

even before the official declaration of the 

results. Thereafter, if the official result 

differs from the results they expected, it 

could be an invitation to anarchy. Here, 

again, I think that as leaders of the media 

you have a duty to restrain your 

institutions from speculating on the results 

of elections. 

The final point I want to make on this 

score is the need for you, as Editors, to 

dispassionately distance yourselves from 

proprietorial interest, and be guided 

instead by national interest. When you 

allow the proprietorial interest of your 

media outfit to overshadow your editorial 

or professional interest, you will be doing 

a disservice not only to the nation, but 

also to your professional integrity. The 

danger here is that often these 

proprietorial interests are self - serving. 

Some are meant to serve ethnic or religious 

interests. So when you wittingly or 

unwittingly subscribe to them, you are 

subscribing to the divisive tendencies that 

threaten the very fabric of our national 

unity. Sadly, this impacts negatively on 

your professional integrity as an objective 

reporter or even commentator. Here, I 

would like to remind you of the motto of 

COP27 in Egypt, on Wednesday, the 

FMHADMSD Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar 

Farouq, explained how climate change-induced 

hydro-meteorological events are causing 

devastating humanitarian crises in Nigeria. 

The Minister further gave an insight into the 

havoc flooding has wreaked so far in Nigeria. “In 

2022, the rainfall was to be characterized by early 

onset dates, late cessation dates, the longer length 

of season, and enhanced precipitation amount. 

“These large-scale displacements, damage to 

infrastructure and destruction of farmlands 

translates into sharp disruption of livelihoods, 

increase risk of hunger as farmers are unable to 

grow crops and there is also a heightened fear of 

the outbreak of malaria, cholera, diarrhea and other 

waterborne diseases,” she stated. 

Going forward, she explained that “Our 

communities are composed of the poor, the elderly, 

children and persons living with disabilities. 

Additionally, the effects of climate change render 

them more vulnerable than they already are”, 

disclosing that “The Nigerian Government through 

the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, 

Disaster Management and Social Development is 

scaling up climate change adaptation efforts in 

Nigeria so as to build community resilience and 

adaptation practices to mitigate and reduce the 

consequence of climate change”. Speaking further 

on what government has done so far regarding the 

situation, Farouq stated that “The Ministry’s 

response to climate change adaptation has thus 

far focused on policy reviews and planning. Notably, 

the 2019 Disaster Risk Management Policy 

developed by the National Emergency 

Management Agency (NEMA) calls for 

mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in all areas 

(including climate change and environmental factor 

as indicated in policy priority) as well as resilience 

building of at-risk communities to withstand 

disasters”. 

The Policy she noted, “recognizes that reducing 

vulnerability to hazards requires a focus on root 

causes through hazards vulnerability assessment 

to foster prevention, mitigation of existing risks 

and preparation for possible disasters and 

adaptation to changing climate risk”, stressing that, 

“the Policy presents the interlinkages between 

climate change action and disaster risk reduction 

(DRR). It specifically promotes the need to adopt 

Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and adaption 

projects”. 


the Nigerian Guild of Editors: “TO UNITE 

EDITORS AND PROMOTE ETHICAL 

PRACTICES IN THE MEDIA” 

So it goes without saying that as one of 

the rare professions that have a 

constitutional role to play, journalists are in 

a real position not only to mould and shape 

opinions, but to be a beacon in the 

developmental template for the nation. 

When there is doubt, you should offer hope. 

When there is dissension, you should proffer 

consensus. And when selfishness and 

clannishness throw up their ugly heads, you 

should wave the flag of unity. This is vital as 

we seek to build a united, prosperous and 

stronger republic. 

As a friend of the media, I also owe you 

the bitter truth. Therefore, let me tell you to 

your faces that I hold the view that 

journalists have been failing the nation as 

far as being the rallying point of unity is 

concerned. I am horrified to admit that some 

sections of the press have been at the 

forefront of inflaming passion in Nigeria 

through their sensational and combative 

posturing in the name of dissemination of 

information. I know that your primary duties 

are to inform, educate and entertain. But in 

the execution of this huge responsibility, 

some journalists have sacrificed objectivity 

and allowed themselves to be taken captive 

by emotional, tribal and religious cleavages. 

While I concede that it may be utopian to 

obtain absolute objectivity, some of you no 

longer make efforts to even be subjectively 

objective. I think this is where you as editors 

come in as the final gatekeepers. With the 

advent of the social media, I know that you 

have been stretched in maintaining a 

balance between facts and opinions. 

You also have a common saying that “facts 

are sacred while opinions are free”. But what 

we have now is that some people want to 

foist their opinions as facts and force them 

down our throats. That is why someone 

would sit at the comfort of his or her bedroom 

and dish out the dangerous fake news that 

bombs had been planted in all parts of Abuja, 

and we go ahead and publish same without 

verification or authentication. Let me ask, 

in parroting that heresy without verification, 

can we claim we have lived up to the ethics 

of our profession? Have we been fair to our 

nation and our conscience? Remember, 

“conscience is an open wound and only the 

truth can heal it”. 

In the ironic marketing of news, you hold 

that bad news is good news because it sells. 

But, what about the consequences? When 

we publish damaging stories about public 

officers or even ordinary citizens without 

proper verification and balancing, have we 

served the purpose demanded of us as 

journalists? Instead of dwelling on the man 

bites dog model of sensational stories, would 

we not be serving our country better if we 

focused on developmental journalism, 

celebrating the achievements and feats of 

our nation and nationals? 

As you are aware, in recent times, Imo 

State has been a victim of jaundiced 

journalism where naked lies and half truths 

have been published against the 

Government. I am sure that if our libel laws 

were stronger, the Nigerian media would have been 

more careful or they would be overwhelmed by 

libel cases resulting from some of these rather 

reckless reports. As the final gatekeepers, you have 

some much more to do in checking this rather ugly 

trend. While we do not hold it against any person 

in particular, I believe that there should be an inhouse 

cleansing exercise to save the profession. I 

do not know how many journalists have been found 

guilty or blacklisted from practising when they go 

against the ethics of the profession. I do not also 

know whether there has been a form of lowering of 

standards in the training of journalists, but if we 

must tell you the truth, the quality of practice is 

dropping. You may do well to arrest the drift before 

it does irreparable damage to the profession. 

For us in Imo State, we are doing our bit to grow 

the profession; first, by offering employment to 

journalists, and secondly, by continuously offering 

them some post-employment training to them. 

These go a long way to demonstrate my genuine 

interest in maintaining the highest standards of 

journalism in the country. I also went as far as 

instituting an annual award for media excellence 

in the state. The maiden edition of the award was 

held in December last year and the second will 

hold by December this year. We have also 

resuscitated the state - owned newspaper, The 

Statesman, which was left to die by previous 

administrations. It is now a daily newspaper and 

the circulation is growing steadily. We have also 

continued to sustain the operations of the Imo 

Broadcasting Corporation, including the TV and 

Radio stations. In addition, it would gladden your 

hearts to know that for the first time in history of 

our state, the Ministry of Information is in the safe 

hands of your professional colleague . 

Be rest assured that my administration shall 

continue to do all that is necessary to make the 

work of journalists easier in the state. As you would 

have noticed, I have deliberately refrained from 

talking about my achievements in the last three 

years because I hope to do so tomorrow. As I said 

earlier, your presence in the state affords you a first 

-hand opportunity to see things for yourselves. As 

journalists, I am sure you will not miss the 

opportunity. Thereafter, I expect you to do the 

needful and that is to share your experience and 

observation with your audience. 

Once more, welcome to Imo State. We expect to 

see you in our state again and again, because we 

are partners in the task of ensuring the delivery of 

good governance to our people. 

Thank you for your attention. I wish you a very 

eventful and successful conference. 

Sen Hope Uzodimma, Governor. 

•Uzodimma


I spent N1m , sleeping with two prostitutes 

daily, for one month — Kidnap suspect 

By Evelyn Usman 

Operatives of the Intelligence 

Response Team of the Nigeria 

Police Force Intelligence 

Bureau FIB-IRT have arrested four 

suspected members of a kidnap 

syndicate that abducted wife of a 

popular Rivers-based businessman, 

eight months ago. 

The woman , Mrs Hussana Adamu, 

was on her way to drop her children at 

school when the armed kidnappers 

intercepted her near Casablanca Club , 

Government Reserved Area , Port 

Harcourt, Rivers State. 

They dragged her out of her car and 

ordered her into their operational 

vehicle before zooming off, with haze 

of dust billowing . 

She was released a week later, after 

payment of N20 million ransom. 

Arrests 

.Acting on credible information, DCP 

Tunji Disu- led team arrested four of the 

suspects: Isiaka Hamidu, 30, who hails 

from Adamawa State; Nwasaneo 

Goodluck , 34 ; Victor Nwidee, 29 and 

ThankGod Bariledun , 36 , all from 

Khana Local Government Area .of 

Rivers State. 

The prime suspect, Isiaka Hamidu, 

who sells parrot and peacock in Port 

Harcourt, disclosed during 

interrogation that he invited other 

members of the syndicate to abduct Mrs 

Adamu. 

Before inviting them, he said he took 

some days to obtain necessary 

Information about her , especially her 

movements and the timing. 

Revenge mission 

He further stated that he kidnapped 

the woman to avenge an alleged ill 

treatment of his younger brother by her 

husband, Musa Ahmad, who hails from 

Maiduguri, Borno state but resides in 

Port Harcourt, Rivers State. 

According to him, “ one of my 

brothers worked for Alhaji Musa 

Ahmad, for 11 years. When he left to 

•Says victim was kidnapped to 

avenge brother’s ill treatment 

get married, all Alhaji Ahmad could pay 

my brother was N250,000. 

“ I was not happy with him because 

everyone knew he was very rich and could 

afford more than that. I decided to 

kidnap him or any member of his family 

“ I contacted Goodluck, a long-time 

friend and told him about the situation. 

He was also angry and bought my 

kidnap idea . 

“ Good luck in turn called leader of 

the gang , Ojukwu, who mobilized and 

coordinated the woman’s kidnap, after I 

showed them her house. But I did not 

join them for the operation so that no one 

would recognize me” 

The largess 

He said he got N1.3 million as his share 

of the ransom. When asked what he used 

the money for, he said, “ I used N1 million 

out of it to 

f*** ashawo( commercial 

sex workers) 

I lodged in a hotel , 

invited prostitutes every 

night for one month 

I slept with at least 

two ashawos every 

night for one month and 

I paid them N20,000 

each. 

“ I used the remaining 

N300,000 to plant corn in the village”, 

he said, maintaining that it was his first 

time of indulging in kidnap. 

On his part, Goodluck, a Higher 

National Diploma holder from the Abia 

State Polytechnic Aba, admitted to have 

collected N5.5millon from leader of the 

gang after ransom was paid. 

He said, “ out of it, I took N2 million, 

gave Isiaka N1.3 million while Victor got 

N500,000.. 

Another suspect, ThankGod, said he 

had no idea that members of the gang 

were into kidnapping . 

He said he was contacted to use his 

vehicle to convey them to a place in 

Bori Khana Local Government Area of 

the state, after the kidnap. 

“ Leader of the gang told me to take 

him somewhere in my car. On the way I 

picked three other friends of his . 

From there, he directed me to 

where it was later discovered to 

be close to the victim’s house, 

where they kidnapped her and 

directed me to their hideout . 

That was when I knew they 

were kidnappers” 

The fourth suspect, Victor, 

stated that his role was to 

monitor the victim’s 

movement and relate same to 

other members of the gang who 

were waiting patiently for the 

appropriate time to strike. 

He also admitted to 

have collected 

N500,000 from 

Goodluck, as his 

share of the ransom, 

revealing that he 

used the largesse to 

repair his Toyota 

Corolla car, 

Meanwhile, the 

Police said 

preliminary 

investigation 

revealed that 

suspected leader of the gang, Ojukwu , 

is also leader of a deadly cult group 

known as Dem-Bam in Khann area, who 

has been on their wanted list. 

A mini bus, a Toyota Avensis with 

tinted glass and one Toyota Corolla car 

were recovered from the suspects . 

Gun-wielding men chase away pupils in Anambra school 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

IT was a pitiable sight at Kings Planet 

International School, Awka last 

week when the pupils and toddlers 

cried uncontrollably on sighting guns 

wielded by security operatives who 

accompanied officials of the Anambra 

State Advertising and Signage Agency, 

ANSAA, to enforce non payment of 

signage fee by the school. 

During the invasion, the revenue agents 

dragged the children out of their 

classrooms in an attempt to seal the 

school for allegedly owing the state 

government N100,000 for mounting the 

school’s signboard that directs people to 

the school. 

Parents who got wind of the 

development stormed the school and 

hurriedly evacuated their children. Since 

then, some of the parents have not brought 

back their children to the school, citing 

insecurity. 

A teaching staff in the school, Modesta 

Odo, who narrated their ordeal to 

Saturday Vanguard described what 

happened in the school as terrifying. 

Odo said: “It was very terrifying to see 

the armed men move into the compound 

in a commando manner. Immediately we 

saw them, our manager got in touch with 

our director to talk with them, but they 

were more interested in frightening 

everyone present. 

“They moved into the classrooms and 

were dragging the children out and telling 

them that they wanted to close down the 

school. While I asked the teachers to close 

the classrooms so that the children would 

• Other suspects 

not see the guns, they were busy dragging 

them out and holding the gun on the other 

hand. 

“All the people that came were men, with 

some wearing police and civil defence 

uniforms and on sighting them, the 

children started crying. 

“In this school, we have four month- old 

babies and all of them were crying. 

Despite our plea for them to just seal the 

school and leave the children alone, they 

kept on dragging them out. It was a sorry 

situation seeing the children running and 

crying. 

”They even ensured that our CCTV 

cameras were disabled and they prevented 

us from putting on the generating set to 

Kings Planet International School, 

Awka invaded by revenue agents 

• Isiaka 

Hamidu 

power the CCTV. When I tried to record 

the incident with my phone, they snatched 

it from me and deleted everything in it. If 

they were carrying out a legal activity, 

why were they afraid of being recorded?” 

According to Odo, the people who 

attacked the school came in a bus and 

insisted that the school must pay what it 

was owing the state government before 

they would leave, adding that “one of them 

even brought his Point of Sale, POS, 

machine with which we withdrew money 

from and paid them. They collected cash of 

N25,000 while N50,000 was paid into an 

account they gave us”. 

She added: “It was unheard of that people 

should enter a school premises with arms 

and physically drag children out of their 

classes because they wanted to collect 

government revenue. The question is, will 

they do this where their own children are 

schooling?” It was not as if we did not want 

to pay, but the issue was to know the actual 

amount the school was to pay”. 

The assistant manager of the school, Mr. 

Emmanuel Emeka explained that ANSAA 

had earlier slammed N100,000 charge on 

the school for four billboards, whereas the 

school has only one signboard, while another 

N50,000 was imposed as a penalty. 

Emeka said: “What happened was that they 

came and said that Kings Planet was supposed 

to pay N100,000 for four signboards. 

Knowing that we didn’t have up to four 

signboards, we told them to cross check 

and they assured us that they would 

investigate and get back to us. 

“Our director even had to place a call to 

the agency to find out if they had cross 

checked. The director of ANSAA told him 

that he would get back to him and that was 

where the whole thing was. 

“We were waiting to hear from them only 

for officials of the agency to come with some 

police officers and Civil Defence 

operatives.” 

Reacting on the allegation by the school, 

the Managing Director/CEO of the agency, 

Mr. Odili UjubuoEu said the school had 

paid N100,000 into the account of the state 

government. 

“Payment was received by the Anambra 

Internal Revenue Service, AIRS. ANSAA 

doesn’t receive payment”, Ujubuonu said. 

He also said that there is government POS 

which the enforcers go with and admitted 

that payment was made into the POS by 

officials of the school.

How my brother 

died in NDLEA cell 

— Suspect 

By Emma Nnadozie, 

Crime Editor 

Last week, the media was awash with 

a story of the mysterious death of a 

29-year-old Kenneth Ayogu inside the cell 

of National Drug Law Enforcement 

Agency, NDLEA in Kaduna state. The 

young man was arrested at Narayi in 

Chikun LGA of the state for allegedly being 

in possession of pentazocine injection by 

officials of the agency and few days later 

when family members who were not aware 

of his whereabouts traced him to NDLEA 

cell in Kaduna state, they were shocked to 

be told that his body was in the mortuary. 

Spokesman of the family, Michael 

Ayogu alleged that he was tortured to 

death and efforts they made to carry out a 

post mortem were thwarted by officials of 

the agency and police. 

In their response, NDLEA debunked their 

claims and stated that the suspect was 

arrested alongside his brother and a 

neighbor over drug offence and they were 

all in the same cell when he took ill. The 

agency further said he was promptly taken 

to the hospital where he later died and 

denied frustrating efforts to carry out post 

mortem. 

However, his brother who was arrested 

with him and later released, 

Chinonoso Mathew, 26, opened 

up in this interview by stating 

the circumstances that led to the 

death of the suspect. 

Excerpts: 

“My name is Chinonso 

Mathew. I was in the house at 

Narayi village when my brother, 

Kenneth Ike Ayogu was arrested 

by men of NDLEA in his shop 

in the same Narayi and 

brought to the house for a 

search. As at the time he 

was brought to the house, 

he was looking so rough 

and manhandled. Both 

of us and one other person were later taken 

to their office in Kaduna on the 13th of 

October at about 11:30 am. We were taken 

straight to the cell and later brought out 

one after the other for interrogation. In 

my own case, I told them in my statement 

that I don’t deal in any illegal drugs and I 

was allowed to go on bail on the 16th of 

October at about 3 pm. 

“We were more than 70 suspects in a very 

small cell with poor ventilation. So many 

people were made to stand up for the 

whole day as there was no space to sit 


•Chinonso 

•The 

victim, 

Kenneth 

down and some have been there for 

months. We were fed by only those who 

brought food for their relations in the cell. 

From what I observed, there were about 

four different cells located within the 

premises, all fully occupied with suspects. 

“The size of the cell is about 1,200 mm 

by 1,200 mm and more than 50 to 70 

suspects were kept there like stock fish. 

When you sit down, you must open your 

legs and another person will sit in between 

your legs while everybody was taken out 

one after the other for interrogation. 

“I was in Kenneth’s room when officials 

of the agency came with him from his shop 

and found pentazocine injection which 

belonged to Kenneth. They arrested both 

of us and took us to their office on 

13 th October, 2022. In my statement, I 

told them that the injection belonged to 

Kenneth but they kept me till 

16 th October, 20222, Sunday afternoon 

when I was released. By then Kenneth 

had been hospitalized. In the cell, 

Kenneth complained about his chest 

and at a point, he started having high 

temperature. That was in the evening 

on the 15th. At a point, he was talking 

to himself and calling the name of 

someone I don’t know and he kept 

on muttering that he would deal with 

the person whenever he came out of 

the cell. At a stage, he started 

convulsing. We called the attention 

of NDLEA officials but nobody 

responded. He was making 

statements we could not 

comprehend. It was when he 

became unconscious that 

officials of the agency 

came and removed 

him from the cell. 

No doctor came 

to the cell to treat 

him while he was 

writhing in pains 

and running 

temperature. No 

medication was 

also given to him in 

my presence. I only 

saw that he was 

vomiting blood. It 

was after my release 

that I heard he died. I 

am of the firm opinion 

that his death should be associated with his 

ordeal during and after his arrest and detention 

because he never complained of any illness 

prior to his arrest.


installations – which are 

confidential areas, and do not 

engage in public homosexual 

relationships. 

Fans should avoid public 

displays of affection. 

“Holding hands in public is 

tolerated, but nothing beyond 

that is really acceptable. 

Concerning alcoholic 

drinks, fans should note that it 

is not permitted to bring 

alcohol, which is forbidden 

under Islamic religious law, into 

Qatar. 

“Fans should avoid traveling 

with alcohol from their country of 

origin or purchasing duty-free 

products to avoid confiscation upon 

arrival into Qatar. 

Alcohol is not part of Qatari 

culture, and as such is not sold in 

supermarkets, but it is served in 

licensed restaurants and in many hotels 

across the country. 

But during the World Cup, alcohol 

will be available in certain 

designated areas. 

Fans will be able to buy beer 

once they are inside the 

perimeter of the stadiums from 

a select number of beach clubs 

and kiosks on the stadium 

grounds, but not within the 

stadiums themselves. 

Fans should note that drinking alcohol 

outside of designated areas is prohibited and 

that the legal drinking age in Qatar is 21. 

Visitors should take off their shoes when 

entering a mosque or a Qatari guest room, 

known as a Majlis. In addition, Qataris greet 

others of the same gender by shaking hands, 

while they salute the opposite gender without 

touching. 

Qatar is a conservative Islamic society. So 

whether you are a man or a woman, it’s 

better to wear modest clothes in public. 

Women are not expected to cover their hair in 

public, but they are expected to do so when 

visiting mosques. 

Fans attending matches should note that 

the removal of shirts in the stadium is not 

permitted. 

Foreign visitors to Qatar learn how to 

bargain with shopkeepers. Do not pay the 

first amount quoted by the salesmen. Start 

lower than your ideal price and come up 

slowly until you reach a deal. 

Avoid asking personal questions, 

“especially about female members of 

someone’s family, and steer away from 

Interesting fac 

•First World Cup in Arab Country 

•Qatar will be Second Asian Country to 

•First ever World Cup to be held in wint 

• First Host Country to Have Never Play 

•Smallest Nation to Host FIFA World C 

•Most Expensive World Cup 

•Least Number of Stadiums to Host FIF 

•Most Compact World Cup Ever 

•28 Days World Cup – Shortest World C 

•Record Number of Visitors 

•The Stadium in Qatar will be equ 

Conditioning 

•World Cup is expected to Bridging the 

and the 

Middle East 

•First World Cup Without Queen Elizab 

Why is Qatar controversia 

One of the most discussed issues of the Qa 

of workers hired to build the infrastructur 

International Trade Union Confederation 

system leaves migrant workers vulnerable 

Do’s and Don’ts during 

Qatar World Cup 2022 

•Touch a woman and go to jail 

• Removal of shirts in the stadium is not permitted 

• Avoid asking personal questions especially about female 

members 

• Holy day in Qatar is Friday 

The upcoming World Cup will be 

the first time that the 

international FIFA 

championship tournament 

is played in a Muslim and an Arab 

country. Host country Qatar 

expects about 1.5 million visitors 

from all over the world, equal to 

about half of the country’s 

population. 

The global games held every 

four years and making their 

first appearance in the 

Middle East, will be played 

between November 20 and 

December 18 this year 

due to the unbearable 

heat that Qatar 

experiences in the 

summer. 

Never touch a 

woman who is not 

related to you, this can 

result in jail time and 

costly fines for you. 

Do not photograph police 

officers or military 

expressing admiration for their 

material possessions,” . 

When eating in restaurants, he 

added, “you can call the waiter by 

using the palm of your hand and not 

your index finger.” 

Qatar has great food and, besides 

local cuisine, the Indian food is very 

good due to the large number of 

Indian citizens living in the 

country. 

It is important to keep in 

mind that the first day of 

the week is Sunday, the 

weekend is Friday and 

Saturday, and the 

holy day is Friday, 

so banks and other 

services will be 

closed. 

She concluded: 

“Have fun when 

you come to Qatar! 

Enjoy what you 

came to watch. 

Everybody is 

welcome to Qatar.” 

World Cup 2022: 

What to expect 

besides the foo 

Music festivals, cultural activitie 

await visitors before and during 

It is not just 32 of the planet’s best football teams and 

more than a million football fans heading to Qatar this 

month. 

Some of the world’s most famous entertainment stars are 

also on their way to the Gulf country, which has announced 

a flurry of events and activities to offer visitors and 

residents more than just football. 

Qatar is bursting onto the global stage later this month 

with an estimated five billion people – more than half the 

population of Earth – expected to tune in to FIFA World 

Cup games. With the world watching, Qatar is determined 

to put on a show. 

Dozens of hotel and leisure complexes have been built 

in the 12 years since Qatar was awarded hosting rights 

for the 2022 World Cup. New entertainment venues, 

beaches, resorts, museums, and restaurants – it is all part 

of the package. 

There are no fewer than three music festivals running 

concurrently while the World Cup is on. Fans will get to 

enjoy acts including Black Eyed Peas and Armin van 

Buuren. 

Enrique Iglesias played at Doha Golf Club on Friday, 

with the same venue expected to host Black Eyed Peas. 

The Arcadia Festival, with three iconic stages, 

will attract more than 100 international artists and 

run from November 19 to December 19, a day after 

the World Cup final. 

The event includes a fire-breathing 50-tonne 

Spider and a laser-heavy Reactor stage set. 

Daydream Festival, meanwhile, is taking over the 

famous Doha Golf Club hosting electronic acts, 

including Tiesto, Alesso, ATB and Paul van Dyk. 

Qatar’s iconic Museum of Islamic Art reopened 

to the public last month. Among the wave of new 

openings for visitors in 2022 was the 3-2-1 Qatar 

Olympic and Sports Museum. 

More than 1.2 million fans are expected to travel 

to Qatar to watch the World Cup. Almost 2.9 million 

tickets have been sold. 

Apartments, hotel rooms, desert camps, villas, 

fan v 

have 

Som 

Iran, 

footb 

spen 

Th 

inter 

year 

Sept 

Coop 

perce 

Arab 

total 

Auth 

Qa 

a vas 

for th 

“T 

90 sp 

of the 

matc 

displ

SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 — A1

A2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022







ts about the 2022 Qatar World Cup 

Host FIFA World Cup 

ers 

ed in World Cup before 

up 

A World Cup Matches 


up Ever 

•Maddison 

ipped with Centralized Air 

cultural gap between Europe 

eth II 

l for World Cup? 

tar World Cup was the treatment 

. Human Rights Watch and the 

(ITUC) allege that the Kafala 

to systematic abuse. 

Patoranking 

Pochettino, Klopp 

renew rivalry in a 

feisty duel 

Qatar 2022: 

Maddison 

offers something 

different 

—Southgate 

Gareth Southgate says James Maddison earned his 

spot on the plane after the England manager 

surprised many onlookers by selecting him for the World 

Cup and ending the midfielder’s three-year international 

absence. 

Maddison had apparently resigned himself to missing out on 

the 26-man group, only for the Leicester player to receive a call 

from Southgate on Thursday morning informing him he would 

be heading to the Gulf state. 

“He is playing really well,” Southgate said. “Look, he is a 

good player, we have always said he is a good player.” 

“He has earned the right. We think he can give us 

something slightly different to the other attacking players we 

have got. 

“I think at various stages there have been conversations 

and debates about James and there have been moments 

ahead of the Euros I don’t think he was in contention. He had 

a problem with his hip. 

“He is a little bit different to the others. He has a different 

threat and we might need that.” 

in Qatar 

tball 

s and new museums 

the World Cup 

illages and even cabins on moored cruise ships 

been made available for fans coming to Qatar. 

e fans will opt to stay in the UAE, Oman and 

flying in on “shuttle” flights to watch the 

all before heading back without having to 

d the night in Qatar. 

e country has reported an influx in 

national arrivals which is currently at a fivehigh, 

with 151,000 visitors turning up in 

ember alone. Arrivals from other Gulf 

eration Council (GCC) nations made up 44 

nt of total international arrivals, led by Saudi 

ia which accounted for nearly 30 percent of 

figures, according to the Qatar Tourism 

ority. 

tar 2022, host organisers, said “Qatar will host 

t array of cultural and entertainment options 

e whole family” during the World Cup. 

e countrywide festival will include more than 

ecial events set to take place on the sidelines 

tournament … the major events will feature 

h viewing areas, music festivals, cultural 

ays and street performances,” it said. 

Klopp 

The top half of the Premier League table 

meets the bottom half as Liverpool travel 

to St Mary’s to take on Southampton for 

three crucial points. 

The Reds can stretch their unbeaten run in the 

league to four following their late 3-2 victory over 

Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday. 

The Merseyside outfit are seven points adrift of a 

Champions League spot having played one game 

more than their rivals, but a sixth-place finish, 

which would ensure Europa League football, is on 

the cards. 

In contrast, the Saints are just four points away 

•Victor 

Pochettino 

from getting relegated back to the 

Championship with nine games left to play in 

the campaign. 

Liverpool haven’t visited St Mary’s since 

2005, when they lost 2-0, but they were 

able to secure a slender 1-0 win over the Saints 

at Anfield in December. 

Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino is 

expected to opt for Liverpool fan Rickie Lambert 

to provide goal threat up front, while Reds 

manager Brendan Rodgers should welcome back 

goalkeeper Pepe Reina from injury. 

Osimhen, Success 

on war path in Naples 

Nigeria international, 

Victor Osimhen will 

hope to increase his 

goal haul when 

Napoli host Udinese at Stadio 

Diego Armando Maradona 

this afternoon. The Nigerian 

star who has been unstoppable 

since his return from injury 

will come face to face with 

compatriot Isaac Success who 

is expected to lead the lines for 

visiting Udinese. While 

Osimhen caused the penalty 

for Napoli’s first goal in their 

2-0 win over Empoli midweek, 

Isaac Success was 

instrumental to Udinese’ 

equaliser in their 1-1 draw 

against Spezia. Success sent a 

beautiful pass to an unmarked 

Sandi Lovric in the box to fire 

home the equaliser. 

Under the management 

of Luciano Spalletti, 

Napoli have been 

astonishingly impressive 

so far this season, in both 

Serie A and the UEFA 

Champions League. The 

Neapolitans 2-0 win 

against Empoli during the 

midweek extended their 

lead at the top-of-thetable. 

They now face an 

Udinese side that began 

the season very well but 

have since drifted and 

another frustrating draw 

against Spezia during the 

midweek means they are 

now winless in their last 

seven matches in all 

competitions. 

Tough La Liga, Serie A 

duels before World Cup 

In preparation for the World Cup in Qatar, players have 

started celebrating their participation in the Mundial and 

the prospects of representing their respective countries. 

Fans have continued to anticipate the global event officially 

kicking off on November 20, 2022. All rhe matches will be 

aired on Dstv. 

However, before the World Cup begins, there are still 

exciting league games to be played. This week in La Liga has 

seen Barcelona go top of the league on Tuesday night and 

will remain so till after the World Cup break, following Real 

Madrid’s loss to Rayo Vallecano on Monday night, 

despite Rayo Vallecano going down to ten men in the 

second half. 

Other exciting fixtures you don’t want to miss 

this week. 

The last Premier League games 

before the World Cup begins will 

take place this weekend, with 

fascinating fixtures lined up. 

The games that will be airing 

on Supersport channels 

include Tottenham taking on 

Leeds United this afternoon. 

Also coming up today is West 

Ham United hosting 

Leicester City 

On Sunday, Brighton & 

Hove Albion will clash with 

Aston Villa, while Fulham host 

Manchester United,. 

•Success In Italy, Juventus and Lazio will lock 

horns in a Serie A encounter. Only two 

points separate these two teams on the 

league table, with Juventus sitting in the fifth 

position, two points behind third-place Lazio. 

This match between these two Italian giants will 

be exciting as they both look forward to staying in 

t h e top four going into the International break.






08111813022 

Vanguard, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022—27 

Davido remains 

heartbroken, inconsolable, 

days after his son’s death 

Twelve days after the death of his 

son Ifeanyi, pop star Davido has 

remained heartbroken and 

inconsolable, indicating that it 

will take him a long time to erase the 

ugly incident from his mind. 

Since the sad news of his son’s 

drowning in a pool in his banana 

island residence set the internet agog 

last week, Davido and his baby mama 

Chioma have remained inconsolable, 

as they withdrew into their shell to 

mourn their late son. The singer, who 

hardly stays off social media has since 

kept off the public space. His fans are 

however praying the ‘Aye’ crooner will 

soon overcome the shock and the 

trauma of the sudden death of his son. 

Till date, Davido’s Instagram pages 

are still flooded with memories of his 

late son. Photos of the singer 

playing and showering the late 

Ifeanyi with love are pitiful 

sight to behold on his social 

media handles. In 

particular, the video where 

Davido was seen carrying 

Ifeanyi, while inside the 

pool few days before his 

demise still invokes 

feelings of sympathy and 

loss. 

On her part, Chioma 

has not broken her 

silence since the sad 

incident occurred. But it 

is hoped that the death of 

Ifeanyi will definitely 

strengthen what Davido 

and his fiancee share 

Fraud allegation: 

I’ve been vindicated 

—Nneoma Ukpabi 

...as AGN lifts her suspension 

The Chairman of the Imo State 

chapter of the Actors Guild of 

Nigeria,AGN, Nneoma Ukpabi who was 

recently suspended by the leadership of the 

actors’ body following allegations of fraud and 

assault levelled against her could not hold back 

tears of joy during the week when her 

suspension was lifted after she was found not 

guilty of the allegations. 

Ukpabi’s suspension came after a video by 

one Miss Favour, a new AGN member, went 

viral accusing Ms Ukpabi of fraudulently 

obtaining N400, 000 from her as bribe for 

registration as well as assaulting her. 

Following the allegation, the National 

President of AGN, Mr. Emeka Rollas 

suspended Ukpabi indefinitely and 

ordered an immediate investigation. 

In a statement signed by the 

National Director of 

Communications of the Guild, 

Monalisa Chinda-Coker, lifting her 

suspension, AGN said Ukpabi 

was found innocent following the 

recommendations of a 3-man 

investigative panel constituted 

by AGN NEC to probe into 

the allegations. 

According to 

Chinda-Coker, 

“Lady Nneoma 

Ukpabi is hereby 

free to resume 

her office as 

Chairman and 

also to resume 

filming and other 

Guild activities 

with immediate 

effect. 

A letter 

addressed to Ms 

Ukpabi by AGN’s National 

Secretary Abubakar S. 

Yakubu, confirming 

the lifting of the 

suspension, 

thanked the 

reinstated 

Chairman “for cooperating with the Investigative 

Panel, the Police and all those concerned in the 

matter”. 

Rollas expressed his heartfelt appreciation on 

behalf of the National Executives Council to the 

three-man Investigative Panel, including Emma 

Umeh- Chairman, Cyril Chukwuemeka Pharaoh- 

Secretary and Blessing Nwankwo-for the speedy 

and thorough investigation into the 

matter. 

Ukpabi said God has 

vindicated her at last and 

thanked those who stood by 

her while the storms lasted. 

“I want to use this ample 

time to say a very big thank 

you to everyone who stood by 

me during all the allegations 

levelled against me,” she wrote 

on her Instagram 

page. 

•Nneoma 

Ukpabi 

•Davido 

Fast-rising singer Oboghene Ezaga, 

better known by his stage name Ob has 

released his debut EP and first music video 

for his lead single “!go”. 

The video gives off such a cool, calm, 

homey, and clean vibe that makes you feel 

the most relaxed you have felt in ages. The 

simplicity of the video speaks to Ob’s 

persona and the entire mood of the song. 

Having such a nice tune to it, !go is a 

song you put on to 

relax, unwind, and 

soften up. 

Ob’s debut EP titled! 

Love is a body of work 

that not only soothes 

the ears of its listeners 

but also passes on 

strong heartfelt 

messages. Ob, as an 

infused-soul artiste has 

brought his genrebending 

rhythms to this 

3-track EP; with songs 

cutting across genres 

such as Hip-Hop, 

Afrobeats, and R&B. 

!Love is a bold, 

heartfelt outing, a 

textbook on how to put 

yourself first and why 

you need to do it urgently. 

According to Ob, this 

EP is inspired by personal 

experiences and a lack of 

self-love over the years. 

together. As a matter of fact, the 

internet got buzzing days back 

that the singer has ordered a G- 

Wagon for Chioma to condole 

her. He has also promised to walk 

down the aisle with her next year. 

Days back, Davido announced 

the postponement of his 

upcoming “Are We African Yet” 

(A.W.A.Y) festival billed to hold at 

the State Farm Arena, Georgia, 

Atlanta, the United States on 

November 18, in honour of his 

late son. 

The festival was meant to 

feature top Nigerian artists 

including Kizz Daniel, Wande 

Coal, Lojay, Pheelz, Oxlade, 

BNXN (also known as Buju), 

Focalistc, and Victony. 

In a statement issued on the 

festival’s Twitter handle, the 

singer’s management apologised 

to fans for the disappointment 

and promised to make it up for 

them. 

According to the statement, it 

was part of Davido’s desire to 

spend more time with his family 

and loved ones during this 

challenging time. 

The statement said,”We have 

made the difficult but necessary 

decision to postpone the A.W.A.Y 

Festival until November 18, 

2023. To all ticket buyers, your 

tickets will be honoured for 

the 2023 date. Thank you for 

understanding, and we look 

forward to seeing you all in the 

near future” 

Also, Sportswear company, 

Puma was due to officially 

release its highly anticipated 

collection with Davido this 

week but was said to have 

postponed the event to a 

later date following the 

incident. 

Lack of self-love inspires 

my debut EP—Ob 

He said: “We need to take care of ourselves. 

It is something we gloss over so much. 

Procrastinating fitness, giving the wrong 

people multiple chances, and remaining in 

toxic relationships (could be work, 

friendships, courtships, or even marriages), 

then time runs out and we beat ourselves up 

even more. This is the reason for !Love, it is 

as much a correction as it is a hug, it is as 

much a warning as it is an 

encouragement. I want people 

to listen to the songs and feel 

the need to take it easy”. 

With !Love, Ob is set to take 

music lovers through deep 

thoughts about topics that 

arise in every group 

discussion, every personal 

conversation, and every 

written script. 

The 18-year-old singer cum 

songwriter hails from Delta 

State and started his musical 

journey at the age of 6. He 

made his debut in the 

industry in 2021, with the 

release of his lead single !go 

which is a 90s R&B ballad. 

The EP comprises two other 

songs; “dang” which is a 

daring boom-bap track that 

is built upon a classical 

piano piece and “!yawa” 

which is a fun afrobeat song 

that makes you want to get 

on your feet.




Presidential candidates set 

to meet movie stars in Benin 

The presidential candidates of major 

political parties in the country are 

expected to have a quality 

interactive session with the movie stars 

as the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, 

converges on Benin , the Edo State capital 

for its annual summit tagged “Nollywood 

Actors Summit 2022.” 

The three-day summit with the theme, 

“Impact of Digital Technology on the 

Acting Profession” comes up at Victor 

Uwaifo Creative Hub, Benin. 

Speaking on the summit in a chat with 

NollyNow, during the week, the National 

President of AGN, Mr. Emeka Rollas said 

15 contestants 

battle for Naija 

highlandah title 

tonight 

op 15 contestants are getting 

Tready to battle for William 

Lawson’s The Naija Highlandah 

title, as the search for bold 

Nigerians who live by their 

rules, climaxes tonight in a blaze 

of games and entertainment. 

The grand finale taking place 

at The Stable, Union Bank Sports 

Ground, Bode Thomas, Surulere 

will feature performances from the 

‘Gongo Aso’ crooner, 9ice, Orezi, 

ARB B and among others. 

There will also be fun games, 

including giant board games, 

snooker board, soccer table board, 

card games, games from the 

activations, rodeo bull ride and 

photo ops. “The month-long 

search saw daring participants 

compete through a series of 

challenges to win the grand prize of N2 million 

and a trip to Scotland. 

It has been an adventurous journey for the 

final 15 contestants, 13 male and 2 females, 

who will be vying for the ultimate prize 

tonight as they had to score the qualification 

mark of 80 to participate in humorous, bold 

and unconventional challenges to earn their 

place at the grand finale and a shot at the 

star prize. “Commenting on the finale, Lerato 

Makume, Bacardi Marketing Manager for 

Nigeria, said, "William Lawson's Blended 

Scotch Whisky has lived up to its reputation 

of defying the norm with this exciting 

campaign. At William Lawson’s, we make our 

own rules, we are brazenly different and have 

demonstrated all these in the month-long 

activation. We are delighted at how the 

campaign has gone because it affirms 

Nigerians love our brand and messaging. We 

are excited that the first-ever Naija 

Highlandah will emerge on Saturday. Many 

interested Nigerians are welcome to attend. 

Just come early and rest assured that plenty 

of excitement awaits as we pick that 

courageous person to take the ultimate prize." 

The search for The Naija Highlandah 

commenced on October 6, with William 

Lawson's Highlandahs storming major 

streets and bus terminuses in Lagos. The 

Highlandahs visited the Oshodi and Ikeja Bus 

Terminals, where they paid the bus fares of 

random Nigerians to the delight of 

beneficiaries and other members of the 

public.“ 

•Contestants playing the game 

the essence of the summit is to educate their 

members on the use of digital technology 

to improve their crafts. It will also avail 

them privileges to build and refine acting 

skills, connect with great filmmakers; 

casting Directors, Producers and film 

distributors. 

He hinted that the 

presidential flagbearers 

of the political 

p a r t i e s , 

•Emeka Rollas 

Becoming 

someone else for 

the screen is my 

guilty pleasure 

— Moyo Lawal 

C 

urvy actress Moyo Lawal who's best known for 

flaunting her huge backside and boobs on 

Instagram at random, has reminisced on a role she 

played in a movie, where she transformed into a weird 

soul, describing the experience as her “guilty 

pleasure.” 

The actress confessed that playing such roles in 

movies make her even happier. 

Sharing her experience in a post on Instagram, the 

screen diva said she stopped playing such horrifying 

roles in movies because of the fact that people wouldn't 

believe she was acting. But this year, she has decided 

to experiment again, and she's loving it. 

“Becoming someone completely makes me even 

happier. If you ever saw my earlier catalog, you will 

see lots of exaggeration such as brows, dressing, 

speech etc. But then, I realized that people didn’t want 

to accept I was acting. Then , I will see comments like 

ooh , so she can look nice, she even speaks well . So, I 

stopped !! Since it is like you, people don’t want to 

understand that it is acting. 

“However, this year , I decided to experiment again. 

And I totally loved it. Becoming 'Feturi' with scattered 

teeth was super difficult and I had a lot of cuts but 

totally worth it… “ the curvy actress wrote on IG. 

Lawal said the film titled, “Life is Good” is being 

produced by Something Unusual Studios. 

According to her, “I can’t wait to see the beautiful 

'ugliness' that @i_am_nodash created , come alive 

on screen.” The actress began her acting carer, after 

starring in the TV series, “ Shallow Waters” in which 

she played the role of Chioma in the TV series. 

including APC, PDP, Labour Party,NNPP, 

SDP among others have indicated their 

interests to show up at the summit, which 

commences on Monday November 21 

and ends on Wednesday, November 23, 

2022. 

“We have reached out to the presidential 

candidates of the various political parties 

and they have indicated their interests to 

talk to the entertainment industry,” AGN 

boss added. 

Rollas also stated that 

other guilds and 

associations in Nollywood 

have been invited to be 

part of the historic 

summit. He frowned at 

stakeholders who are 

currently kicking against 

the use of Nollywood as 

an umbrella body for an 

AGN event, stressing that 

every guild in the 

industry has the right to 

use Nollywood as a 

name to feather its nest.” 

“If anybody is kicking 

against anything they 

should write to me,” he 

added. 

F 

•Moyo 

Lawal 

ast-rising singer, Nwodo 

Chinonso Victor, known as 

Kolaboy, recently released his fivetrack 

EP titled 'Kola from the East' 

with classic highlife featuring 

Flavour among other big names 

in the music industry. 

The Enugu-born act revealed 

that he started singing while he 

was in secondary school. 

"I was the social prefect of my 

school then. That was when I 

began my journey into the world 

of music before I started recording 

independently in Onitsha," 

talented artiste said. 

On his style of music, Kolaboy 

said he's not limited to a particular 

sound. “When I started music, I 

wanted to be peculiar and do 

something different from what 

others have been doing. I came 

out with the storytelling brand, 

where you make songs out of 

sharing your story. 

"The first song I made was a 

storytelling one, 'Hello Mummy.' 

It was basically a fictional and 

non-fictional story about myself, 

and that was before I started 

exploring other aspects of music, 

including the highlife genre. What 

I was trying to do with my brand 

was like a bridge between our 

ancestral sound and the modern 

sound. It is much like a mashup." 

The artist stated that one of his 

What earns me 

sacred Chieftancy 

title – Ugezu.J. Ugezu 

P 

opular film director and actor, Ugezu 

J. Ugezu has revealed that the 

chieftancy title which was conferred on 

him last weekend in Anambra state was 

as a result of his immense contribution 

towards the advancement of the Igbo 

metaphysics, ideology, tradition and 

language. 

The actor, said that he saw the title as 

an encouragement for him to do more 

for the Ndigbo. 

Ugezu, who's known for his occult 

grand master roles in movies, was 

conferred with a chieftaincy title of Nze 

Ukwu, Ayaka Igbo Gburugburu of Iduu 

Eri Kingdom by HRM, Eze Aka Ji Ovo 

of Obu Gad in Aguleri during this year's 

World Eri Festival. 

He said the monarch expanded his title 

from Ayaka Enugwu-Ukwu and Umunri, 

to Ayaka Igbo Gburugburu. 

The excited actor added that the king 

considered him worthy of the sacred title 

following what he has been doing for 

Ndigbo, adding “My title shouldn't be 

restricted to just Enugwu-Ukwu and 

Umunri as he amplifies it to Ayaka Igbo 

Gburugburu.” 

“I am delighted because he is the one 

king who has the ancestral authority to 

bestow such title on anyone,” he added. 

Meanwhile, congratulating the actor, 

Kanayo .O.Kanayo MFR, described 

Ugezu's title as “well deserving 

following his courage, tenacity, sense of 

duty to Ndigbo and preservation of our 

cultural and spiritual norms.” 

•Ugezu J. Ugezu 

Kolaboy team up with 

Flavour for new EP 

favourite songs, "Hello Mummy", was a 

conversation between mother and child: 

"It was more like a letter to my mother 

trying to explain youthful exuberance. 

There is a particular way all parents see 

entertainers. I come from a religious 

background, there is this perception they 

have about all entertainers. I was writing 

to tell her and 

explain the 

reason I am 

doing music. I 

am not going 

a s t r a y 

because I am 

following my 

dreams." 

Asked which 

of his songs 

brought him 

i n t o 

prominence, 

he replied: 

"The first 

song that 

gave me my 

break in the 

industry 

wasn’t really 

an original 

song on the 

cover of 

Olamide's 

s o n g 

'Motigbana.” 

•Kolaboy

Vanguard, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 — 31 

By Juliet Ebirim 

0813 789 7935 

King Charles III and 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari 

Between King Charles III 

and President Buhari 

t is no longer news that the 

IPresident of the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari met 

with His Royal Majesty, King Charles 

III of England in Buckingham Palace 

during the week. 

President Buhari however disclosed 

that after the meeting, the British 

monarch, King Charles III asked him 

if he has a house in the UK. 

“He (King Charles III) asked me if I 

have a house here (in the UK), I said 

no. I live in Nigeria alone, the only 

house I have are those I have before I 

got into government and I am not 

very much interested in having houses 

all over the place. I feel more free 

when I have nothing” the President 

said. 

President Buhari while stating the 

purpose of his visit to the revered 

monarch, said that Nigeria is a large 

market and it is only wise for the 

business relationship between the two 

countries to be nurtured. 

“He is very much interested in 

Nigeria, probably because of the 

nation’s longstanding relationship 

with Britain and our economic 

strength.” he said. 

Oba Elegushi 

eulogizes 

first wife, 

Olori 

Sekinat 

ba Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom, 

OSaheed Ademola, has penned a 

sweet message for his first wife, Olori 

Sekinat, on her 46th birthday. 

Oba Elegushi on his Instagram 

page described his wife as special, 

great and dependable. 

His words: “My Queen, a special 

wife, a great mother and most 

importantly a dependable partner. It 

is your day today and I can only wish 

you all that is beautiful; not only on 

your day but everyday”. 

Also to honour her special day, The 

Monarch Event Center which is 

owned by Olori Sekinat, took to their 

official Instagram page to celebrate 

her. The queen is renowned for her 

humanitarian works across the state. 

She runs a foundation which caters 

to women and children. 

Oba Elegushi and Olori Sekinat 

tied the knot in 2003. The union is 

blessed with three children. 

Segun Abolaji’s 

heart of gold 

•Oba 

Elegushi 

and first 

wife, Olori 

Sekinat 

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Leisure 

Courts, Segun Abolaji has become one of the 

most sought after in the real estate world, as 

Leisure Court has become a household name in Abuja 

and its metropolis. 

Abolaji over the years, has proven not to have 

forgotten his roots. The Ikirun-born businessman 

has continued to support his people by 

providing them with employment 

opportunities, empowerment, as well as 

cash and food donations. 

Due to his love for philanthropy, the 

people of Ikirun, Osun state appealed to •Segun Abolaji 

him to run for political office, but he 

declined. Abolaji insisted that all he 

wants is to give back to his society, 

while also appreciating God for his 

kindness. 

Born some decades ago, Abolaji 

is a builder, safety expert and 

environmentalist, with degrees 

in Building and Environmental 

Resource Management and 

Ph.D in view. He is a member 

and fellow of various building 

and safety institutes in Nigeria 

and United Kingdom, with over 

fifteen years experience in 

construction and related fields. 

Abolaji told People n 

Places that his passion to put 

smiles on people’s faces was 

the reason he started 

Leisure Courts. 

14th Emir of Kano, Sanusi 

welcomes bundle of joy 

The highly respected 14th 

Emir of Kano, Sanusi 

Lamido Sanusi 

(Muhammad Sanusi II), has 

welcomed a baby with his 

fourth wife, Sa’adatu 

Barkindo. The baby girl has 

been named Zainab Khausar. 

A former governor of the 

Central Bank of Nigeria 

(CBN), Sanusi known for his 

reforms at the apex Bank, 

married Sa’adatu, who is the 

•Mo Abudu 

•Former Emir 

of Kano, Sanusi 

Lamido Sanusi 

daughter of Barkindo Aliyu 

Musdafa, the Lamido of 

Adamawa in 2015, when he was 

still on throne. They welcomed 

their first child together in 2020. 

Sadiya Ado Bayero is younger 

sister to Sanusi’s successor, Aminu 

Ado Bayero. 

Other wives of the globally 

respected 14 th Emir of Kano 

include Sadiya Ado Bayero, 

Maryam Sanusi and Rakiya 

Sanusi. 

Mo Abudu 

shuns critics 

edia mogul and owner of EbonyLife 

MStudios, Mo Abudu has responded to the 

negative criticism trailing her new film “Elesin 

Oba: The King’s Horseman” as directed by the 

late Biyi Bandele. 

Since its release on Netflix last Friday, 

Elesin Oba has garnered mixed reactions 

from film lovers and enthusiasts. 

In response to a post by Deyemi 

Okanlawon, Mo Abudu praised the actor 

while taking a huge swipe at critics of the 

movie. 

“...Elesin Oba - The King’s Horseman will 

stand the test of time forever and ever. It will 

always be a reference point in moving 

pictures, as it’s the first time that this play 

has been done as a feature film. It will go 

over the heads of some, because they are 

“uneducated” about this work. But I 

am glad to see that many of your 

followers are exposed to 

understanding the concepts and 

thematics displayed in our film. It 

truly is a work of art” 

Produced by Mo Abudu and set in 

the Oyo Empire, Elesin Oba is an 

adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s 

critically acclaimed play.


My first article on this column was 

published in Saturday 

Vanguard of Nov. 17, 2013. That 

was 10 years ago. I say happy 10 th 

anniversary to the Marriage and Family 

Column. The list of those who made this 

column possible and have helped to sustain 

it is long. I have an overwhelming urge to 

mention names, but I refrain for two reasons: 

space constraints and fear of missing out 

names of some vital people in the project, 

but my eternal gratitude to you all. Let me 

also thank all the readers without whom the 

column will be superfluous. I get messages 

from as far as Australia. When I was about to 

start, my elder brother Fr. Tony liked the five 

sample articles I sent to him for review, but 

he wondered if I could sustain the column 

over time. I had fears too, but 10 years after, 

the column is still very much alive. 

The first article was titled WHAT DOES 

MARRIAGE MEAN TO YOU? In the article 

I adopted the definition of marriage that 

resounded with me: “the matrimonial 

covenant, by which a man and a woman 

establish between themselves a partnership 

of the whole life, which is ordered by its nature 

towards the good of spouses and the 

procreation and education of offspring…” 

(Wikipedia). Ten years on, my perception of 

marriage has not changed. I just want to add 

one word in the definition, “Covenant:” a 

binding agreement between spouses going 

into the marriage. Every marriage goes 

through testing times, times when you feel it 

is not worth it or when you feel you should 

should go ahead with the 

just walk away. But the covenantal aspect of 

relationship.” Another 

marriage helps to bring you back to your 

senses and gives you the impetus to carry on. 

The above definition captures the essence 

of marriage, but the rate at which young 

marriages are collapsing is making me to 

wonder if intending couples should not 

ponder and answer this question, “what does 

marriage mean to you?” before going ahead. 

That way, both parties’ understanding of 

marriage will be clear and rhyme. The 

marriages of at least three couples with 

whom we are familiar have crumbled in the 

last couple of few weeks. The usual refrain 

after the announcement is for their privacy 

to be respected. This column is meant to 

promote the marriage institution, not 

breakups. I have no interest in promoting 

marriages that failed. I do not even have 

Happy 10th anniver 

ersar 

sary to 

marriage & family column 

interest in mentioning your names. Young 

marriages fail everywhere. 

The family is the bedrock of any society. The 

best way to destroy a society is to destroy the 

family unit. So my interest is how to promote 

the marriage institution and by extension the 

family unit and reduce the number of failed 

marriages. 

For me, the main reason why 

young marriages fail is lack of 

proper courtship. “Courtship is 

that traditional period before 

engagement and marriage 

when couples date to get to know 

each other and decide if they 

definition I love so much is “a 

relationship between a man and 

a woman in which they seek to 

determine if it is God’s will for 

them to marry each other. In the 

first definition knowing each 

other means knowing your core 

values (character), your assets 

and liabilities (areas where are 

good and areas where you have 

drawbacks); it means friendship 

(soul mates and a strong bond. 

It means if you take sex out of 

the courtship, you will continue 

to flow together). The truth of 

the matter remains that sex 

during courtship blurs the vision of the 

courting couple. They gloss over fundamental 

issues to which they should pay attention. 

Latitude of acceptance (both parties must 

know what is acceptable and what is taboo to 

each other and stay within boundaries). You 

should know each other’s family. Courtship 

is not a hide and seek affair. You must know 

each other’s family as much as possible. For 

instance, if you visit your fiancée and you 

notice your mother-inlaw 

to be is bossing her 

husband around, you 

should ask yourself if 

that will not be your 

fate later? What does 

your fiancée think 

The family is 

the bedrock of 

any society. The 

best way to 

destroy a 

society is to 

destroy the 

family unit 

about it? If her 

mother’s behaviour sits 

well with her, you risk 

marrying a woman 

who will boss you 

around. The question is, 

are you ready to take 

that until you die? If yes, 

no problem, but if not, 

you need to reevaluate 

the relationship. 

Also, if your fiancé’s 

father maltreats his 

mother and he sees 

nothing wrong with it, 

maltreatment might be 

your portion if you go 

ahead to marry him. 

You need to evaluate the relationship. 

Beyond knowing each other’s family, I will 

get involved in my children’s courtship. I have 

no intention of intruding in their privacy, but I 

intend to interact with my potential sons-in-law 

and daughters-in-law. From my experience, I 

can get a trailer-load of information to advise 

my children. They will take the decision, but I 

will be an adviser. I also intend to pursue the 

age-old tradition of knowing the family of your 

potential in-law. You might see things that your 

son/daughter’s immature eyes did not or cannot 

see. 

All these measures and many more are just to 

increase the chances of the success of your 

marriage. Even if you have information that 

can fill a book of 1,000 pages, there are still no 

guarantees. Changes occur after marriage and 

as the marriage goes on. Some of these changes 

are fortuitous while others are caused by 

situations or outright mischief. 

Pregnancy, for instance, can bring about 

changes. Some women suffer from morning 

sickness. They vomit frequently and spit per 

second. If you are a man who loves kissing your 

wife regularly to show love, that can become a 

challenge. Some pregnant women switch off 

sex. It can be challenging for some husbands. 

My advice is, adjust and learn to deal with it. 

Even animals control their urges. Going outside 

to satisfy your urge is insensitive and selfish. It 

should not be an option. You are responsible for 

her situation and she’s carrying your baby. 

Unsatisfied sexual urge does not kill. It is only 

momentary. To be continued. 

PARADED WIDOW 

Last week, I wrote about the widow, who was 

paraded naked in Agunese Afam-Mmaku 

Community in Awgu Local Government Area 

of Enugu. According to GWG.NG, the victim, 

named Anthonia Okonkwo, narrated how she 

was brutalised for an offence that she did not 

commit. She alleged that the people who 

spearheaded the attack are: “Sunday, Jonathan, 

Obi, Chigazu and Okechukwu… Others are 

Chukwudike Anikene, Chukwuebuka Agu, one 

Maduabuchi and his father as well as a girl 

who videotaped her during the attack.” The 

report said seven people have been arrested. The 

matter should be thoroughly investigated and 

those found guilty should be punished to serve 

as a deterrent to others, who carry out such 

abominable acts. I commend Prof. Joy Ezeilo 

and her team who visited the widow. I urge her 

and her team to follow up this matter until justice 

is done. Creating a just society is everyone’s task. 

08116759759 

World’s tallest woman travels on a plane 

for the first time after Turkish Airlines 

removes six seats to make room for 

her 7ft build on flight to San Francisco 

he tallest woman in the 

Tworld has taken to the 

skies for the first time in her 

life after Turkish Airlines 

adapted one of their planes to 

accommodate her towering 

7ft frame. 

Rumeysa Gelgi, who stands 

at 7ft 0.7inches (215.16cm), 

was officially named the 

tallest woman alive by 

Guinness World Records 

earlier this year. 

She typically gets around in 

a wheelchair or with the aid 

of a walker, her huge stature 

the result of a condition 

called Weaver syndrome 

which, among other things, 

causes accelerated growth. 

Gelgi, 24, had never 

travelled on a plane before, 

having been too tall to fit in 

regular airline seats even as a 

child. 

But she is now able to travel 

abroad and flew to San 

Francisco in September 

thanks to her national airline, 

which tore out six seats aboard 

one of its aircraft and replaced 

them with a specially-made 

stretcher to 

allow Gelgi 

to fly in 

comfort. 

Posting 

o n 

Instagram 

having 

landed in 

California, she said: 

‘A flawless journey from start 

to finish... this was my first 

plane ride but it certainly won’t 

be my last... heartfelt thank 

you to each and every person 

who has been a part of my 

journey.’ 

The 24-year-old travelled to 

San Francisco to further her 

career in software 

development, but she will also 

co-ordinate with Guinness 

World Records to promote 

various events. 

Gelgi was confirmed last 

month as the world’s tallest 

living female by the 

organisation. 

Upon the receipt of her 

Guinness world record 

certificate, Gelgi said: ‘Every 

disadvantage can be turned 

into an advantage for yourself 

so accept yourself for who you 

are, be aware of your potential 

and do your best.’ 

It is the second time Ms 

Gelgi has achieved a world 

record after being named the 

tallest teenager alive in 2014. 

Since then, she has used her 

platform to advocate for 

others with rare conditions. 

‘Being different is not as 

bad as you think. 

It can 

bring you 

unexpected 

success,’ 

Gelgi told 

reporters 

last month. 

‘ I 

personally 

think that 

differences 

and other 

features 

which seem 

like a disadvantage 

can be turned to advantages 

what I did.’ 

Craig Glenday, editor in 

chief at Guinness World 

Records, said: ‘It’s an honour 

to welcome Rumeysa back 

into the record books.’ 

Glenday continued: ‘Her 

indomitable spirit and pride 

at standing out from the crowd 

is an inspiration. 

‘The category of tallest living 

woman is not one that 

changes hands very often, so 

I’m excited to share this news 

with the world.’ 

The tallest man in the world, 

Sultan Kosen, is also Turkish - 

he was measured at 8ft 2.8in 

(251cm) in 2018. 

Gelgi says she hopes to meet 

him in person one day. 

The tallest woman to have 

lived was Zeng Jinlian, from 

China, who was measured at 

8ft 1in (246.3cm) before her 

death in 1982. 

Gelgi has also broken 

records for having the longest 

finger on a living female 

person, the largest hands on a 

living female person, and the 

longest back on a living female 

person.

The answer to who has the 

support of Afenifere, the 

decades old socio/political 

group of the Yoruba between APC’s 

Tinubu and Labour’s Obi in the forthcoming 

Presidential race depends on 

who you are listening to. The camps of 

Obi and Tinubu have tried to make 

political capital from what seems like 

different endorsements from different 

heads of the august body. The elder in 

Akure openly prayed for Tinubu and 

offered to receive him again for more 

prayers if he came back with the much 

coveted crown. This is what most elders 

– and incidentally what most Obas - do 

when a ‘child’ intimates them of a 

higher desire. I want to believe, unless 

told otherwise, that APC’s Tinubu 

visited Akure as a sign of respect for 

his elders and the elders reciprocated 

by praying for their son. I did not hear 

any open endorsement in what was 

broadcast. I did not hear any open 

disclaimer either. This is 

quite different from the elder 

in Ijebu who openly 

endorsed Obi as his 

candidate. In fact, he 

reiterated that endorsement 

again weeks later for 

emphasis. His reason was 

that he has found Obi to be 

above the other front runners 

in terms of competence and 

ability. Besides, justice and 

equity according to him, 

dictated that it was the turn 

of Igbos to rule Nigeria and 

‘Afenifere’ had always been 

about justice and fairness. 

This promotion of ‘turn by 

turn’ or another ‘Emi lo kan’ 

is a topic for another day. 

Again, the elder in Ijebu has 

a right to endorse anybody 

he wants. And if his Exco 

agrees with him, then as the 

de facto leader, it becomes 

the choice of the body. 

In this wise, one would say both 

elders operated within their rights. But 

the devil as they always say, is in the 

Irecently heard the intriguing story 

from a frontline source of how a 

former Nigerian senator who 

strolled the country with a thick escort 

of security men was almost scandalized 

as he arrived London in a commercial 

plane many years ago. 

As he arrived Heathrow, he got to know 

somehow that he was of interest to 

British security and that he was set to 

be picked after passing through 

immigration. He suddenly turned cold 

with fright. As several other passengers 

deplaned, this senator remained stuck 

to his seat and somehow got word to 

the High Commission. 

It was a far cry from the swagger he 

displayed in Nigeria where he carried 

about with an obscene grandeur both 

in material wealth and lascivious 

inclinations. The High Commission 

detailed the resident Intelligence official 

who happened to be an army officer who 

later came to national prominence to 

bring him out. 

The story of how he was brought out 

from the plane and the bravado of that 

army officer and how he saved the 

senator and Nigeria from international 

embarrassment is one of the finest and 

intriguing success stories of Nigerian 

diplomacy in the years of yore. 

That was well before the present 

Senate sank the institution to its lowest 

esteem in the eyes of right thinking 

Nigerians. Of course few would be 

shocked at the subjugation and near 

irrelevance of the Senate, a body that 

should ordinarily be classed as the most 

preeminent gathering of men and 

women in Nigeria. 

In the United States it is regarded as 

the most exclusive club in that country. 

United States presidents have been 

known to take out time to woo individual 

senators to their side on issues. But not 

here, where Senators genuflect even 

before ministers. 

Indeed, only few would imagine the 

unimaginative capitulation of the 

legislative body in the circumstances 

that have befallen Senator Ike 

Ekweremadu. 

Like an ostrich with its head in the 

sand, the Senate has carried on as if 

Afenifere’s nods of presidential 

approvals 

als 

details. Or in this case, in the 

undercurrents. The caliber of the 

Yoruba elders who gathered in Akure 

to meet with Tinubu meant the 

occasion went 

b e y o n d 

s i m p l e 

prayers. 

These very 

old people 

The elder in Akure has 

given the rope to the 

elder in Ijebu. The 

caveat of course is that 

elders love to be 

consulted. I am not sure 

enough consultation 

was done by the elder 

in Ijebu to carry the 

elder in Akure along 

were not just 

in town or 

passing by. 

They made an 

effort to be in 

Akure. There 

were faces in 

that august 

assemblage 

that cannot 

easily be 

induced with 

material 

offers. Their 

presence 

therefore 

suggested an 

implied if not 

s t a t e d 

endorsement. Their presence also 

suggested a disavowal of the stance 

of the current leadership of the body. 

Should their disavowal matter? After 

Ekweremadu: A Senate without 

shame 

the Enugu West Senate Constituency 

seat does not exist. 

Ekweremadu was arrested last June 

on the accusation of organ harvesting 

in the United Kingdom. Prior to the 

arrest, Ekweremadu had written to 

the British High Commission last 

December to provide cover for the visa 

application of one David Nwamini to 

travel to the UK for medical 

examination for the purpose of organ 

donation to his ailing daughter. 

Now, some have said that the recent 

tightening of the laws on organ 

donation prohibit cases of commercial 

harvesting of organs and that 

Ekweremadu may have fallen victim 

of the new law. 

How the nuances of the law as they 

apply to the specific case of the 

Ekweremadus are still to be 

determined by the courts. But what 

is clear is that no law breaker writes 

to the authorities of his intention to 

break the law. 

Ekweremadu wrote to the High 

Commission of his intentions, albeit 

without any hint of a commercial 

transaction being involved. 

It is appalling that the visa process 

went through and Nwamini was 

granted a visa to go to Britain for the 

purpose of medical examination. He 

did go through the medical 

examination and as it turned out he 

was ineligible for donation. 

Ekweremadu in wanting to hold on 

to his credibility wanted to bring 

Nwamini back to Nigeria and that was 

where the story changed. The 21 year 

old man turned into a boy that claimed 

to be under 

persecution. 

It will be 

intriguing that the 

N i g e r i a n 

Intelligence Service 

in the UK was 

ignorant of the fate 

of 

the 

Ekweremadus in 

the first 24 hours 

after his arrest, well 

before the news 

leaked out. That was 

the time that action 

should have been 

taken. 

It is not as if the 

president of Nigeria 

has been limited 

from wriggling his 

citizens out of 


goodwill in just three decades should be 

of interest to scholars. The role the 

immediate past and current leadership 

played in the squandering of goodwill; the 

role the South-west governors including 

Tinubu himself played in factionalizing 

and diminishing the organization should 

be made into a book. 

Neither the imperious endorsement of 

Obi in Ijebu which some people believe 

is borne out of a personal vendetta, nor 

the tacit endorsement of Tinubu in Akure 

truly reflects the true yearnings of the 

Yoruba Nation at this point of its 

nationhood. An average Yoruba person 

feels disconnected from government. They 

want a system that allows their God given 

talents to blossom. They are tired of having 

sacred cows on their farms and bandits in 

their forests. They want to have some 

control over their security. They want some 

control over their resources. They want 

some control over their livelihood. They 

find the current system stifling and want 

the choking knee taken off their necks. 

There is a reason Yoruba in the diaspora 

do well and the ones at home 

underachieve. It has very little to do with 

Atiku or Tinubu or Obi except if one of 

them can be bold enough to address the 

inequitable system we currently operate 

as a Nation and use true federalism as a 

main campaign issue. None has so far. No 

pressure group has forced any commitment 

off any. The best of them has only skirted 

the issue. In fact, the Vice-Presidential 

candidate of one allegedly said 

‘restructuring my foot’. Everybody is 

afraid to address the corn on this northern 

foot. 

Afenifere needs to go back to the drawing 

board and work with other socio/political 

groups that feel their people are 

marginalized in the Nigerian space to 

make a change in the current system of 

governance. It needs to reconnect with the 

people. It needs to substitute personal 

choices with the people’s choices. To do 

that, it needs to feel the pulse of the people 

it claims to lead. Only then will it speak 

and the Yoruba people will hearken. Only 

then will it find its voice and its 

followership again. 

all, they are out of it and should have 

learnt to let go. I hope I will not be 

seen as insubordinate when I quote a 

saying of our elders to the effect that 

one does not give a ram to a 

masquerade and still hold on to the 

rope. The elder in Akure has given the 

rope to the elder in Ijebu. The caveat 

of course is that elders love to be 

consulted. I am not sure enough 

consultation was done by the elder in 

Ijebu to carry the elder in Akure along. 

I am not also sure enough consultations 

were done by him to carry the rank and 

file along. Consultation, and an 

allegiance to higher ideals with Yoruba 

interest at the core, had always been 

the bedrock of Afenifere since it was 

founded. The sacrifices and passion of 

past leadership in the pursuit of these 

ideals are what earned the 

organization its stripes. June 12 was 

an example of that sacrifice; that 

passion. And the reward in term of 

followership was massive among the 

Yoruba people. And for a while after 

June 12, when Afenifere spoke, the 

Yoruba Nation spoke. It represented the 

mainstream, the heart of the people and 

dissident voices were quickly silenced. 

Now, Afenifere speaks largely for itself 

and a group of die-hard adherents. 

How Afenifere frittered such a massive 

It will be intriguing that 

the Nigerian 

Intelligence Service in 

the UK was ignorant of 

the fate of the 

Ekweremadus in the 

first 24 hours after his 

arrest, well before the 

news leaked out. That 

was the time that 

action should have 

been taken 

foreign jails. 

P r e s i d e n t 

Muhammadu 

Buhari did it for Miss Zainab Aliyu 

who was travelling with her family 

when drugs were reportedly laced into 

her luggage. She was freed according 

to Abike Dabiri-Erewa after the case 

was brought to the notice of President 

Buhari who promptly intervened and 

she was set free. 

However, for Ekweremadu it seems 

as if there is no one within the 

presidential palace that could take his 

case to the president. The reason for such 

a rebuff is simple. 

Your correspondent is very much aware 

of the high level intimidation and coercion 

that were directed to make Ekweremadu 

defect in the first two years of the APC 

administration. A senior administration 

official told this correspondent that 

Ekweremadu was going to defect. Months 

after when I asked Ekweremadu he 

poohpoohed the issue apparently having 

rejected the idea. 

A prominent vocal man in the Bola 

Tinubu campaign reached him. When he 

refused, Okoi Obono-Obla, the same man 

indicted for certificate forgery using his 

powers in an anti-corruption panel turned 

the whip on him. 

Besides the trial with Senator Bukola 

Saraki over the alleged forgery of the 

Senate Rule Book he was 

also brought to court for 

one malfeasance or the 

other. In all cases he won. 

Two times a list of properties 

alleged to be his, some with 

duplicated addresses were 

circulated for confiscation 

and Ekweremadu 

prevailed in the courts. 

Of course, there were 

some associates of 

Ekweremadu who seeing 

what turned out to be the 

betrayal of his party, PDP 

urged him to defect. But he 

held on unlike Senator 

Godswill Akpabio who 

caved in and somersaulted. 

It was as such appalling 

that in the face of his 

difficult life challenges 

stirred by a father’s move 

to save the life of his ailing 

daughter that the Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC revisited the 

assets confiscation issue that the 

government had twice lost. 

With a man’s hand tied behind his back 

the Nigerian government is now lashing 

Ekweremadu. What a pity the Senate, a 

body he beautified with his legislative 

delivery in pretence has turned mute. 

What a shame.


The Lagos Ibadan corridor is 

infested with bandits. The 

menace is growing. In the last 

week, three or more brazen attacks have 

occurred. Gunmen jumped out of the 

bush, attacked and abducted hapless 

citizens. Mothers and children were 

among those seized in daylight. That 

was how the Abuja-Kaduna cancer 

started. Like a joke. And before the 

federal government rose from slumber, 

our travelling soldiers had started 

avoiding the route. A tale of 

confounding impotence. The link 

between the nation’s political and 

military capital was seized by rogues. 

And heaven didn’t fall. 

The Southwest state governments 

must be proactive. The demons on the 

Lagos - Ibadan road must be found and 

defanged. They had for too long 

mugged commuters on the long bridge. 

Breaking windows and robbing 

cowering passengers in traffic snarls 

was terrible enough. This 

metamorphosis into banditry/ terrorism 

must be cauterized. Once it’s allowed a 

foothold, Lagos will be vulnerable. That 

will be comprehensively catastrophic. 

The police say they have beefed up 

their presence on that route. But the 

audacity of the kidnappers is 

challenging. The demons had the guts 

to repeat the attacks at nearly the exact 

location three times in a week. The 

infestation must be researched. So if the 

sore is malignant, we don’t approach it 

with conservative therapies. The 

menace must be characterized. The 

actors must be unmasked, and the 

potential for neoplastic transformation 

understood. 

The Abuja-Kaduna story must not 

repeat itself. The police had said all sorts 

of things to reassure the public. After 

bandits seized that corridor, commuters 

fled. Everybody, including our Generals 

and politicians, opted to travel by rail. 

The trains seemed safe. But not for so 

When I decided to tweak my diet 

in 2020, weightloskm.o.os 

wasn’t the goal. The goal was to 

eat for better health. I had read many materials 

(books, articles) and also taken courses on 

nutrition that let me know there was room for 

improvement. It would take a trip to the 

market where I saw the scariest-looking 

chicken in the middle of the pandemic to set 

this journey in motion. 

I was pleasantly surprised to lose 4kg of 

weight (body fat) in a few months. I was equally 

astonished that I didn’t have to give up my 

favourite Nigerian foods. However, I ate them 

differently. While maintaining the same foods, 

I changed the frequency and portions to align 

with eating cleaner for better health. This 

experience also removed all doubts and 

reaffirmed that weight loss is achievable on a 

100% Nigerian diet. 

I discovered that while we had an abundance 

of healthful foods in our environment, our diet 

could be more diversified. In this article, I will 

share how I achieved body fat loss in a short 

time while eating 100% Nigerian foods. First, 

let me introduce the different categories of 

food. 

There are three main 

categories of food. 

1) Minimally Processed 

2) Highly Processed 

3) Whole Foods 

Minimally processed foods have been 

slightly altered for the primary purpose of 

preservation but which does not substantially 

change the nutritional content of food, like 

unsweetened yoghurt, frozen fruits, homemade 

granola etc. 

Highly processed foods are re-engineered 

foods. They usually contain high sodium, 

sugars, or fats. From artificial colours to other 

chemical additives, it’s impossible to identify 

their natural state; some examples are soda, 

store-bought biscuits, quick-cooking noodles, 

white rice, etc. 

Whole Foods are foods whose natural state 

is identifiable. These foods aren’t packaged in 

a box and have no list of ingredients. Think of 

them as perishables. Examples are all fruits 

and vegetables, yams, sweet potatoes, plantain, 

beans, and more. 

The first thing I did was to cut down on my 

rice and spaghetti consumption. I now realise 

they are highly processed foods. Before 2020 

they were an integral part of my diet, and I 

consumed them in all forms. It was either with 

stew or made into a Jollof-style mix. I diversified 

into sweet potatoes, plantain and beans. These 

contain Fiber and other nutrients our bodies 

need to thrive; they are also digestion-friendly. 

The Lagos-Ibadan nightmare 

long. After bandits tried their hands at 

kidnapping school children and 

collecting ransoms, they built capacity. 

Then they returned to the trains with 

bombs. The bandits blew up an Abuja 

Kaduna train and took hostages. The 

authorities now say that terrorists 

assisted the bandits. 

Whatever it was, the 

trains disappeared. 

Faced with no 

alternatives, commuters 

returned to the haunted 

road with trepidation. 

The police and army 

remembered they had a 

duty to reclaim and 

possess the road. The 

bushes have now been 

swept. The spate of 

kidnappings along that 

route has plummeted. 

That road is still unsafe. 

Govt officials and 

politicians prefer to fly 

over it. Those who drive 

use oversized security 

convoys. But a black 

market for mercenaries 

has arisen. Some 

security agencies now 

have squads for hire. 

Folks pay a fee and pick up an armed 

squad as a security escort. That’s 

The Southwest state 

governments must be 

proactive. The 

demons on the Lagos 

- Ibadan road must be 

found and defanged. 

They had for too long 

mugged commuters 

on the long bridge. 

Breaking windows 

and robbing cowering 

passengers in traffic 

08187515581 

Nigeria. The rule is opportunism. These 

men hurry so they can make 2-3 trips 

per day. Making hay while the sun of 

insecurity shines on the people. Those 

who can’t afford the fees for protection 

go to wait so they can tail a convoy when 

one passes. 

Lagos- Ibadan must be 

disinfected urgently. 

Before the bandits collect 

enough ransoms to build 

capacity. And it’s not 

enough to fill the route 

with policemen. The 

rogues move over to 

Lagos-Benin road. The 

bandits must be uprooted 

and extinguished. That 

corridor must be made 

hygienic. Kidnapping 

must be made terribly 

expensive. That is the 

only effective deterrence. 

It is all too lucrative now. 

Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos 

-Benin are strategic 

corridors. If both roads are 

ligated by banditry— fall 

into the Abuja-Kaduna 

situation, a disastrous 

squeeze would be placed 

on the nation’s carotid artery. 

Our police love checkpoints. While 

more unobtrusive police presence will 

The Secret of Successful 

WEIGHT LOSS 

The second thing I did was to include fibre 

from fruits and vegetables in my meals daily. 

Before this time, I had gotten most of my 

vegetables from our local soups (usually 

overcooked). Now, I buy green vegetables like 

green (as it’s popularly called) and steam them 

with some spices. I replaced some of my rice 

meals with steamed vegetables. For fruits, I 

choose any two fruits in season and eat two 

servings of them. 

Thirdly, I cut off soda. I used to drink sodas 

anytime I felt like it, with no thought given to 

its consequences. Sodas are high in calories 

with no nutritional value. I discovered that 

some sodas have as much as 12 teaspoons of 

sugar in a 500ml drink. Do you know how 

drinking 12 teaspoons of sugar affect your 

blood sugar levels? I swapped sodas for water 

and fruit smoothies. 

be appreciated, flooding those roads 

with checkpoints won’t contain the 

crime. Community and forest patrols 

must start immediately. Of utmost 

importance is local intelligence 

gathering. We should involve the 

communities, and we must do that now. 

We ought to have learnt enough lessons. 

Some of those kidnapped have bought 

their freedom. That can’t go on. 

If the payment of ransoms persists, we 

might endanger the schools in that area. 

That has been the pattern. Some of the 

nation’s best private schools are located 

in that jurisdiction. The convulsions 

happening in the northwest cannot be 

allowed in the southwest. Every bud of 

commercial banditry in the south must 

be excised. 

While seeking to improve national 

unity and douse tensions, we must make 

banditry immediately prohibitive. There 

are recent cases of abductions of 

returning university students around 

the Opi-Nsukka road in Enugu state. 

There have been similar cases around 

Okigwe. These cases must be solved 

and analyzed. We mustn’t miss any 

connections between these nefarious 

groups. Perhaps the time has come for 

the federal government to set up a 

Homeland Agency. A new highly mobile 

muscular unit to tackle kidnapping, 

banditry and internal insurgencies. A 

new team founded on intelligence, 

technology and precision surgical 

interventions. This unit can be used to 

hold war-torn grounds liberated by the 

military. So that the police can focus on 

maintaining law and order while the 

military is honed and reserved to fight 

internal wars and contain external 

aggression. 

We can’t even discuss tourism. 

Insecurity is drowning our agricultural 

effort. Banditry has worsened our 

economic plight. We have millions of 

passionate unemployed and capable 

youths, why should we be overrun by 

bandits? 

Fourthly, I cut down on my animal protein 

consumption. As a Nigerian, this was probably 

the most difficult one. My decision resulted 

from several pieces of research on the negative 

impact of high consumption of animal 

protein. I discovered that the healthiest diets 

worldwide didn’t consume animal protein as 

I did. I introduced meatless days to my diet, 

three times a week where I eat beans and 

plantain or sweet potatoes and a vegetable 

sauce (some would call it vegan). 

Beyond weight loss, I had so much energy 

that I made 10km runs a part of my lifestyle. 

It’s been over two years since adopting this 

eating pattern, and I am still enjoying highlevel 

energy & physical strength. Many people 

applaud my athleticism, and I let people know 

the same is possible for anyone who embraces 

fitness as a lifestyle. 

I still take soda, 

mostly at events, but it’s 

not a part of my 

lifestyle. I also eat 

highly processed foods 

like 2 mins noodles 

because it’s 

convenient. Healthy 

eating isn’t about 

perfection; it’s about 

eating more healthful 

than harmful foods. To 

put a percentage to it, 

70/30. I encourage 

people to learn about 

what is healthy and 

what isn’t so they can 

take control of their 

health and fitness, 

which is why I simplify 

diet education. 

Research proves that 

if a large percentage of 

your diet comes from 

processed foods, you 

are likely overfed but 

undernourished. The change in our diet over 

the last several years (more highly processed 

foods) has contributed to high numbers of 

obesity and the onset of non-communicable 

diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, 

hypertension, etc. 

Do a food audit, identify which category of 

food you consume the most, and make the 

necessary adjustments needed. The more 

Whole Foods in your diet, the healthier you 

will be, which keeps non-communicable 

diseases at bay. And you also keep your weight 

in check (isn’t that the dream ?). 

I have helped several women improve their 

health and fitness through a healthful diet, 

and I can do the same for you too. Send an 

email 

to 

tochi@theexcitedlivingcompany.com if you 

need a meal plan to help kickstart a healthier 

you.


bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 

Reasons you might never see your doctor again 

No one relishes the 

idea of going to the 

doctor – you wait 

ages with apprehensive 

patients and risk picking up 

everyone’s germs. So can you 

stay out of the doctor’s and 

keep yourself well? These are 

tips from doctors on how... 

* Drink Sensibly: It will 

help beat liver, brain and 

heart disease, high blood 

pressure, fertility problems 

and certain cancers such as 

cancer of the mouth. Women 

should drink not more than 

three units of alcohol a day 

and men should drink no 

more than four. A unit is half 

a pint of lager, a small 

measure of spirits or a small 

glass of wine. And no, you’re 

not allowed to save up all 

your units for the weekend, 

because bingeing is one of 

the worst things you can do 

for your health 

The main dangers in the 

long term for heavy drinkers 

includes liver cirrhosis and 

heart disease, and, according 

to research, women develop 

diseases such as cirrhosis 

after a comparatively 

shorter period of heavy 

drinking, and at a lower 

intake than men. 

*Quit Smoking: It will 

help beat many forms of 

cancer, including cancer of 

Yetunde Arebi 

the lungs and mouth, coronary 

heart disease and 

emphysema. Stopping 

smoking is the single most 

important thing you can do 

to benefit your health. Within 

just 48 hours, you’ll have a 

demonstrably improved 

ability to walk upstairs; within 

three months, your heart 

disease risk drops to what it 

would be if you’d never 

smoked, and after five years, 

your lung cancer risk reduces 

to virtually zilch. 

* Eat an apple a day: It 

will help beat minor bugs and 

infectious, and bowel cancer. 

Apples do help to keep the 

doctor away, but you should 

also tuck into everything else 

in the fruit bowl. Aim to eat 

at least five varied portions 

of fruits and vegetables every 

day to boost immunity. As 

your vitamin levels rise, 

you’ll see an improvement in 

your resistance to minor bugs 

and infectious. Research also 

shows fresh fruits and 

vegetables can cut your risk 

of getting bowel cancer and 

other forms of cancers too. 

Studies have shown that 

vitamin pills are no 

substitutes for good oldfashioned 

food. Plant 

chemicals in fruit and 

vegetables appear to interact 

in complex ways, producing 

additional benefits in the 

body. 

* Go for a walk: It will 

help beat the blues, 

circulation problems, 

obesity and associated 

disorders including back 

pain, high blood pressure 

and coronary artery disease. 

Exercise is the best way to 

boost your circulation, 

improve your muscle tone 

and your mood. There’s also 

growing evidence that it can 

protect you from bowel and 

breast cancers. Take brisk 

exercise at least three times 

a week for 20-30 minutes – 

you could try walking, 

cycling, swimming or 

dancing. 

* Eat Fish: It will help 

aches and pains. Eat 1-2 

portions of oily fish every 

week. Sardines are 

particularly rich in Omega-3 

fatty acids – the magic 

ingredients that can 

maintain a healthy heart and 

ease rheumatoid aches and 

pains. Vegetarians can get 

Omega-3 fatty acids from 

walnuts, sweet potatoes and 

linseed oil. 

* Go Italian: Eat more 

tomatoes. They’re rich in 

lycopene, a powerful 

antioxidant. Plenty of onions 

and garlic are also 

recommended. They all have 

antiviral, antifungal, 

antibacterial and antioxidant 

properties. 

* Stay safe in the Sun: It 

will help beat heat stroke, eye 

damage, heart exhaustion 

and skin cancer. The Cancer 

Research Campaign advises 

you to stay out of the sun – 

particularly between the 

hours of 11a.m. and 3p.m. 

And always use sun-screen 

with SPF of 15 or above. Wear 

sunglasses and make sure 

your kids are well protected 

too. 

* Use hydro-power: It 

will beat a sluggish 

circulation and an inefficient 

immune system. Drink 

enough fluids to hydrate your 

skin and get your digestive 

system going. Two litres a 

day should do it – drink more 

if you’re exercising. A cold 

three-minute system and 

stimulate your circulation. 

* Chill out: It helps beat 

IBS, mouth ulcers high blood 

pressure, minor infections, 

headaches and skin problems 

such as eczema. Learning to 

relax can help you to avoid 

many tension – related 

complaints. So make time to 

put your feet up – that’s 

doctor’s orders! 

Twitter:@yetunderebi 

yetty5050@yahoo.co.uk 

08054700825 

How to get that dream girl 

Hi, 

E 

that meshes with your natural scent. Never If the intention is to touch base, 

ver wondered why the guy next put your cologne on too heavy, apply it on negotiation does not start at the venue. 

door has all the girls swooning and the sensitive parts of your body such as Make use of the vast opportunities offered 

even fighting to give him a piece behind the neck and the ears. It makes the by the internet and social media 

of the action while you are getting none? smell more nice and even. 

platforms. Almost everyone is on at least 

Well, perhaps there are a few things you 

one of them. Once you get a hang of it, 

are not doing right. Getting snug with your 

you’ll be amazed at what you can do with 

girl may not be all that difficult if you 

them. Send messages that tell her exactly 

follow the few tips below. 

what you intend to do to her when you 

finally get together. Give her a call and 

talk sexy, talk dirty, if you have the chance 

and are bold enough. Not everyone is so 

gifted, so limit it to what you are 

comfortable with. You can up your game 

in this area again by adding a personal 

touch to your message once a while. Though 

it might cost you a few thousand Nairas but 

it will place you on the right track to coasting 

home. Send a very sexy message in your own 

handwriting and get a courier service or 

delivery boy to hand it over personally to 

her. By the time you finally meet up, she’ll 

probably be swooning all over you. 

Cultivate a good personal 

hygiene 

If any relationship is going to take place, 

the first probable contact is eye contact. 

The general perception that only men get 

turned on by what they see is not totally 

true. Women too are attracted to what they 

see. If a man wants to win the attention of 

a woman, there is a need for him to focus 

on his appearance. Personal hygiene and 

mode of dressing are very important in 

turning a woman on and getting her under 

the sheets with you. Pay attention to 

yourself. Women love men with good 

physiques the same way men love women 

with great curves. Though you don’t need 

to cultivate a six pack, a good exercise 

regimen will keep you in good shape. 

Remember that a perfect body shape or 

height is not what is important here, but 

how healthy and well kept you appear. 

Wear clean, smart clothes. This does not 

mean that you must wear a suit at all times. 

Wear clothes that fit and you are 

comfortable in. Well groomed hair is a 

must. To up your game, you may create 

your own signature hair style at the 

Barber’s. If you’ve had a long day, spare 

time to shower as nothing attracts a 

woman more than a good smell. Choose 

a masculine, yet not too loud fragrance 

A sense of humour 

will earn you points 

While the importance of 

communication cannot be over 

emphasised as a recipe for a good 

relationship, a man must learn to use the 

right words at the appropriate times if he 

wants to get the desired effect. Learn to 

make good, intelligent conversations. 

Women love a man who knows about the 

world and its affairs, and is sharp. So, you 

need to read widely and be abreast with 

current issues. To be a good lover, you need 

to also be a good listener. Pay attention to 

what she says. Learn to make your woman 

laugh. A great sense of humour may 

sometimes rank way above a six-figure 

income or abs of steel. It is not for no 

reason that funny and humorous men are 

popular with the ladies. There are few 

things sexier than a guy with razor sharp 

wit that knows how to use it. Women love 

men who are secure enough to make a 

fool of themselves sometimes, just to make 

them laugh. After all, you are not in a public 

place and no one is likely to hold it against 

you. However, stay clear off rude or crude 

jokes that will put her off or on her guard. 

Humor is appreciated, crassness is not, 

ditto comments or gestures. The more 

relaxed a woman is when in your 

company, the sexier she will feel, which is 

a good sign you are horning home. 

Sexting to the rescue 

Be a knight in 

shining armour 

A woman will never turn down a man who 

treats her right. We all love to have a knight 

in shining armour in our lives. Be that man 

and treat your woman like a princess. 

Chivalry can never be overrated, it means 

you are a complete gentleman. Women love 

men who treat them with respect and dignity. 

Shower your woman with romance by 

buying flowers, compliment her by telling 

her how beautiful and sexy she looks. Plan 

dinners and get-away weekends for two. 

Hold the door open for her, help her into 

and out of her chair, be polite but confident. 

If you have read Fifty Shades of Gray, you’ll 

have an idea of what the perfect gentleman 

is like. Be careful not to go overboard, or 

lose your own opinions and ideas and 

become a pushover. Remember that women 

also love manly men. Learning the art of 

chivalry alone can take you deep into a girl’s 

heart. 

Be a good kisser 

Learn the art of kissing and become that 

very sensuous, irresistible man. Kissing is 

perhaps the first sexual contact between 

partners and if you don’t hit it off at the first 

instant, you might miss the opportunity to 

explore the relationship any further. A man 

that can make a woman melt with a kiss is a 

huge turn-on and, quite frankly, women just 

love a good kisser. A recent study found that 

something in men’s saliva temporarily 

elevates testosterone levels in women. So 

kick it seven-minutes-in-heaven style and 

do nothing but make out until she’s begging 

you for more. 

Make the sex good 

A few decades ago, the psychology behind 

having sex was somehow lopsided in favour 

of the men. It was a testimony of achievement 

or victory over the woman, more so because 

the pleasure, evident by ejaculation, was 

peculiar to the men only. Today, sex is no 

longer shrouded in such mystery and with 

sexual independence and feminism, sex can 

now be freely enjoyed by both partners. A 

man who wants to ensure that he gains 

access as many times as he requests will 

make good use of the opportunity. Sex is an 

art that needs constant exploring if you 

want to give optimum pleasure. Learn a 

few tricks and be prepared to try it out as 

often as you can. Be aware of what your 

lady likes in bed and the unique things 

you can do to please her. Never rush into 

the act of penetration. For most guys, it’s 

all about driving the car into the garage 

but women love a long drive first. So be 

patient. 

Do have a great weekend!!


ONOVE 

EKIYE 

EBOH 

I, formerly known as Miss The name; EKIYE 

EVELYN and EKIYE 

Onove Chinonso Joy, now 

EVELYN OYENNA belong to 

wish to be known and addressed the same person but now wish 

as Mrs Aniekwe Chinonso Joy. to be known, called and 

addressed as EKIYE 

All former documents remain EVELYN. All documents 

valid. General public please either names remain valid. 

take note. 

General public please take 

note. 

note. 

ONYEMA OB 

OMAUMINOGHOR TAIRE 

I, formerly known as MISS 

ONYEMA BLESSING 

AMARACHI, now wish to be 

known and addressed as MRS 

ORJI 

BLESSING 

AMARACHI. All former 

EGHOWA 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as MISS. EGHOWA 

JENNIFER, now wish to be 

known and addressed as MRS 

UKACHUKWU JENNIFER. 

All former documents remain 

valid. Banks, concerned 

authorities and general public 

should please take note. 

EKONG 

FRIDAY 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Friday Loveth Imaobong, now 

wish to be known and called 

Mrs Akhigbe Loveth 

Imaobong. All former 

documents remain valid. The 

general public and to whom it 

may concern should please 

take note. 


OMAUMINOGHOR TAIYE 

GIFT, now wish to be known 

and addressed as MRS ODEGA 

TAIYE GIFT. All former 

documents remain valid. 


ABBAH 


addressed as ABBAH 

PRECIOUS EZINNE, now 

wish to be known and addressed 

as OBI PRECIOUS EZINNE. 





URUAKPA 

I, formerly known as 

URUAKPA VICTORIA, now 

wish to be known as 

URUAKPA VICTORIA 

ULONWA. All former 

documents remain valid, 

general public please take 

note. 

BOYITIE 


BOYITIE ELOHOR, now wish 

to be known and called MRS 

JESSAH ELOHOR. All former 


general public and to whom it 

may concern should please 

take note. 

I, formerly known as Miss. 

Ifeyinwa Kelechi Eboh, now 

wish to be known and 

addressed as Mrs. Ifeyinwa 

Ndubuisi Ojilere. All former 




TAIRE MONICA KESIENA, 

now wish to be known and 

addressed as MRS ICHOKE 

GOD’S POWER MONICA 

KESIENA. All former 



note. 



note. 

note. 

IKECHUKWU 

OBOWHE 

ONUOHA 

I, formerly known as MRS I, formerly known and called as I, formerly known as 

ANGELA CHINWE Miss SOPHIA AVURA UDU- ONUOHA IMMACULATE 

OBOWHE, now wish to be known 

IKECHUKWU, now wish to 

OZIOMA, now wish to be 

and addressed as Dr. Mrs 

be known and addressed as 

known and addressed as 

SOPHIA UDUOBOWHE 

MRS ANGELA CHINWE 

IGBASAN IMMACULATE 

IGHO. All former documents remain 

MADUKA. All former valid. Medical and Dental Council OZIOMA. All former 

documents remain valid. of Nigeria (MDCN), any authority it documents remain valid. 

General public please take may concern and the general public General public please take 

note. 

to take note. 

note. 

OBUH ANYANWU OHAEGBULEM 

I, formerly known and I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS 

addressed as Promise John ADDRESSED AS MISS OHAEGBULEM CHINWENDU 

Obuh, now wish to known and MIRACLE CHINWENDU OLUOMACHI SOPHIA, NOW 

ANYANWU, NOW WISH TO BE WISH TO BE KNOWN AS MRS 

addressed as Prince Promise 

KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OBIORA CHINWENDU 

Obuh Aliemeke. All former MRS MIRACLE CHINWENDU OLUOMACHI SOPHIA. ALL 

documents remain valid. AKUBUEZE. ALL FORMER FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN 

General public please take DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE 

note. 

GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. NOTE. 

RIKWANDU 

OSEH 

OLOGU 

SAMUEL 


addressed as SAMUEL FAITH, 

now wish to be known as 

SAMUEL 

FAITH 

HAPPINESS. All former 

documents remain valid, 

general public please take note. 

OBAZEE 

I, Obazee Uyi, am the same 

person as Obazee Joseph Uyi. 

I now wish to be called Obazee 

Uyi. All former documents 

remain valid. Concerned 

Authorities and the general 

public should please take note. 

GABRIEL 


addressed as GABRIEL KALU 

OKOROUGA. Now wish to be 

known and addressed as BABY 

OKOROUGA. All former 

documents remain valid 

General public, Bank and 

Authorities Concerned to 

please take note. 

ERUEJERIEN 

I, formerly known and addressed 

as ERUEJERIEN 

MAURREEN, now wish to be 

Known and addressed as 

ERUEJERIEN AGNES. All 

former documents remain 

valid. General public please 

take note. 

OKPAGA OD 


addressed as MISS. OKPAGA 

FRANCISCA OGBA, but now 


as MRS OGALI FRANCISCA 

OGBA. All former documents 

remain valid. General public 


OLAJIDE OD 

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND 

ADDRESSED AS OLAJIDE 

LOUIS, NOW WISH TO BE 

KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS 

DESBORDES LOUIS OLAJIDE. 

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS 

REMAIN VALID. GENERAL 

PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE 

NOTE. 

OLU-IGE 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known as OLU-IGE 

addressed as Miss Joy addressed as MISS OSEH addressed as MISS. OLOGU DOYINSOLAMI IFEOLUWA, 

Chinonye Rikwandu, now wish FAITH IJEOMA now wish to UYOYO OKEOGHENE, now 

now wish to be called known and 

to be known and addressed as be known and addressed as MRS 


addressed as OGHOTUOMA 

as MRS. OGHENEOVO 

Mrs Joy Chinonye Babalola. FAITH IJEOMA EZEKIEL 

UYOYO OKEOGHENE. 

DOYINSOLAMI IFEOLUWA. All 

All former documents remain EGOKINIOVO. All former Henceforth all former former documents remain valid, all 

valid. General public take documents remain valid. documents remain valid. authorities concerned and general 

note. 

General public take note. General public take note. public should take note. 

TIMOTHY MOSES CHIBUEZE UWECHUE 

I, formerly known as The correct arrangement of my names I, formerly known as VIOLET I, formerly known as 

TIMOTHY RUTH, now wish are MOSES OGHENEVWEDE CHIONYE CHIBUEZE. Now UWECHUE HENRY 

to be known and addressed as VIVIAN, instead of VIVIAN wish to be known and addressed 

AWELE. Now wish to be 

known, called and addressed 

OBABOKOR RUTH OGHENEVWEDE MOSES which as 

VIOLET 

as EMEBEZIEOGO HENRY 

TIMOTHY. All former was wrongly captured in my bank CHIONYENEDUE ORJI. All UWECHUE AWELE. All 

documents remain valid, any details. All former documents remain documents bearing my former documents bearing my former 

authority it may concern and valid, any authority it may concern name remain valid. General name remain valid. General 

general public to take note. and general public to take note. public take note. 

public take note. 

ESIMAJE 

LUCKY 

OLANIRAN 

ONONIWU 

I, formerly known, addressed and 

This is to certify and confirm that I, formerly known as 

called as MISS ESIMAJE 

OLANIRAN DZHERIMAIA ONONIWU FAITH 

UTSEORITSELAJU, now wish to be 

known, addressed as MRS. 

OKOBIAH, UTSEORITSELAJU 

ESIMAJE. All former documents to 

remain valid. The General Public to 


This is to confirm that the name 

EKONG UMO-OTONG and 

EKONG UMO UMO-OTONG are 

one and the same person, now wish 

to be known and addressed as 

EKONG UMO UMO-OTONG. All 

former documents remain valid, 

general public please take note. 

I, formerly known, addressed 

and called as MISS. LUCKY 

VICTORIA, now wish to be 

known, addressed and called as 

MRS. WILLIAM VICTORIA. 

All former documents to 

remain valid. The General 

Public to please take note. 

CHUKWUEBUKA and NWOGU 

JEREMIAH CHUKWUEBUKA 

refers to the same person. Now wish 

to be addressed as NWOGU 

JEREMIAH CHUKWUEBUKA. 

All former documents remains valid. 

Authorities and General public 

should take note. 

SANNI 


addressed as Miss Sanni 

Morayo Titilayo, now wish to 

be known and addressed as Mrs 

Azekwo Morayo Titilayo. All 





CHINELO, now wish to be 


ONUOHA FAITH CHINELO. 



take note. 

ELEMI 


MARY BASSEY ELEMI, now 


as Mrs MARY INI FRIDAY. 


valid. The general public should 

take note. 

ISAAC 


addressed as JOSHUA ISAAC. 

Now wish to be known and 

addressed as OKPOMO 

JOSHUA. All former 


general public should please 

take note. 

OROGUN 

I, formerly known and addressed as 

MISS OROGUN OMOOHWO 

ENAKEME, now wish to be known 

and addressed as MRS 

OGHENETEGA OMOOHWO 

ENAKEME. All former documents 

remain valid, general public please 

take note. 

EDEH 


addressed as EDEH VIRGINIA 

TOCHUKWU. Now wish to be 


NWEKE VIRGINIA 

TOCHUKWU. All former 


General public, Bank and 

Authorities Concerned to 


IYOHA 


as Miss Iyoha Gloria, 

now wish to be known and addressed 

as Mrs Eyimofe 

Oghenekevwe Gloria. All 



take note. 

OGBENYE OD 


addressed as Miss Blessing 

Ogbenye, now to be known 

and addressed as Mrs Blessing 

Onyekachi. All former 



note. 

OWABOR OD 


addressed as Miss OWABOR 

ROSEMARY ONYEMA, now 

to be known and addressed as 

Mrs MICHAEL ROSEMARY 

ONYEMA. All former 



note. 

OTUNOWIGHO 


O T U N O W I G H O 

PHILOMINA. Now wish to be 

known, called and addressed as 

PHILIP PHILOMINA. All 

documents bearing my former 

name remain valid. General 


EKE 

I, formerly known as EKE 

MARIAN ONUWA. Now wish 

to be known, called and 

addressed as IKENWE 

MARIAN ONUWA. All 

documents bearing my former 

name remain valid. General 


OBERUOMO 


OBERUOMO UFUOMA JOY, 


addressed as MRS. UFUOMA 

JOY OBERUOMO- 

THOMPSON. All former 



note. 

EBOH 


addressed as EFE EBOH, now 


as EBOH EFEMENA SIDNEY. 


valid general public please take 

note 

IYAMU 


IYAMU 

PRECIOUS 

OSAGHAWOGHE, now wish to be 

known and addressed as IGBIRI 

PRECIOUS OSAGHAWOGHE. 

All former documents remain valid. 

The general public should please 

take note. 

AFADAMA 


addressed as MISS AFADAMA 

AMEKENI MAUREEN, now 


as MRS SANNI AMEKENI. All 


valid, general public please 

take note. 

UTOMI 


as UTOMI ANITA 

OBIAJULU, now wish to be 


OKOGWU ANITA 

OBIAJULU. All former documents 

remain valid. General 

public please take note. 

ODJUGO 


as Odjugo Mathew 

Micael, now wish to be known 

and addressed as Ilruwo 

Michael Ogheneweware. All 



take note. 

UCHE 


as Bennett Junior 

Uche, now wish to be known 

and addressed as Uche 

Chibuike Bennett. All former 



note. 

OD EZE 

My name was wrongly written 

as Eze Sunny Benson, instead 

of my correct name as 

Ezeobiagwu Benson Sunny. 



take note. 

NZUBE OD 

I, formerly addressed as 

NWANDNANMA NZUBE in my 

Eco bank BVN detail wish to be 

addressed as NWANONANMA 

SAMUEL NZUBECHUKWU. All 

documents remain valid, that Eco 

Bank managment and the general 

public should please take note. 

WISDOM 


addressed as Master WISDOM 

EDEM ETIM. Now wish to be 

known and addressed as Mr. 

IFIOK EDEM ETIM. All 


valid. The general public should 


IBE 


addressed as MISS. MARY 

ADANMA IBE, now wish to 

be known and addressed as 

MRS. MARY ADANMA 

JOHN FUBARA. All former 


Bank and general public should 

take note. 

EBIZI 


EBIZI ROSEMARY .I. NDIOMU, 


addressed as EBIZI ROSEMARY 

INUKIE COCKEYE-BROWN 

(NEE NDIOMU). All relevant 

documents remain valid. General 

Public should take note. 

EZEBUIKE 


EZEBUIKE JULIET 

NWANNE now wish to be 

known as MRS AGEMERE 

JULIET NWANNE 

EZEBUIKE henceforth. All 


valid general public please take 

note. 

OKEH 


addressed as MISS. OKEH 

DORIS ELO, now wish to be 

known as OKOLUE DORIS 

ELO. All former documents 

remain valid, general public 


IDUKPAYE 

That the names ELIZABETH LILI 

IDUKPAYE and FUCHS 

ELIZABETH LILI refer to one and 

the same person. Henceforth, I now 

wish to be known and addressed as 

ELIZABETH LILI IDUKPAYE. All 

former documents remain valid. 

Concerned authorities and the 

general public to take note.

By Morenike Taire 

Precious Chikwendu is 

upfront, yet emotional, 

deep, yet lighthearted. She 

tells Morenike Taire why, 

contrary to prevailing 

rumours about town, a reconciliation 

with her sons’ father is the furthest 

thing from her agenda. 

In October, Precious became the 

proud recipient of an honorary 

doctorate degree from a Benenois 

university; for giving scholarships to 

many Nigerian students at the 

university through her NGO. 

Excerpts:- 

Do you have a history of multiple births in your 

family? 

Yes, my mum’s family has multiple births and 

my younger sister has a set of twins but my kids 

are ivf. He ((FFK) wanted sons particularly, he 

already had five girls. 

Did you ask for triplets in particular? 

No, I had a phobia for having many kids. I 

was just keen on having only boys. 

Normally I just wanted two births but he 

was so keen with having sons so when it 

turned out triplets I was okay with me. 

So that must have put an immense 

amount of pressure on you. 

No, no. He wanted boys so we went 

straight for assisted conception. He was 

excited, delighted. 

Did he have any particular reason for 

wanting boys? 

Maybe the lineage thing? To keep his 

father’s name going and all of that. I 

was quite young then, about 25. I 

wasn’t under any pressure. It was just 

him that wanted sons at that time. 

I wasn’t even prepared to 

have kids. It wasn’t 

something I gave any 

serious thoughts. The 

possibilities were 

high because of my 

age so I just went 

for it. 

There has been 

a lot of 

controversy 

around your 

separation. 

What really is 

happening? 

A whole 

rollercoaster, 

a lot of 

drama. The 

w h o l e 

relationship 

became a 

problem at 

some point. 

They are all 

issues we are 

trying to resolve so 

I wouldn’t want to 

keep on painting and 

blaming and all that. I think 

there was no respect . I was 

giving what I wasn’t getting 

emotionally- support and so on. 

For me, getting involved 

with him was getting involved 

with someone much older 

and wiser, like a guardian. I 

had a very good relationship 

with my dad, he was my best 

friend... 

I guessed you must have 

had a great relationship 

with your dad or some other 

male figure... 

Yes. I looked up to him for 

guidance, instruction, he 

wasn’t much of a controlling 

figure in my life but he went 

with anything I felt okay with 

but I usually liked to get that goahead 

or not. 

Sometimes I could be stubborn with him and he 

kicked against me marrying an older person. 

When I gave reasons he just kept looking at 

me, it’s not that he okayed it. 

I do lots of masculine things just because of him. 

I whistle like a boy, do sports. That relationship 

made me able to deal with older people . 

I didn’t have many relationships as a young 

girl. I didn’t start dating early- in my second year 

in the university. 

Most people that have issues of that nature, 

you have to check your background. I come from 

a home where you don’t speak when your dad 

speaks, you don’t throw tantrums. If my dad got 

upset with me, what I would do was cry. 

That was what I took into the relationship with 

the father of my kids. I wasn’t much of a speaker 

but I learned how to speak and fight for myself on 

Precious 

Chikwendu 

opens up on new 

relationship with 

t h a t 

journey 

because it 

was as if 

people took 

advantage of 

my calmness 

and gentility 

and not 

being able to 

speak. My reactions were basically when I felt 

I couldn’t take it any more and at that point, it 

would seem sort of like insubordination because 

he is used to hierarchy, command and such 

things. 

I don’t know how to pretend and sometimes I 

could walk away, leave. He comes back, 

apologises, we work things out but in some days 

it repeats itself. There was just too much of that 

Fani Kayode 

•We’re better friends now but 

reconciliation is ruled out 

•He made peace for 

kids, not for politics 

•Speaks about her 

post marital life 

back and forth. I had no choice than to walk away. 

At the back of your mind were you thinking he 

was going to adjust to your needs at some point? 

Every woman prays there is an adjustment. 

I am an Ibo girl. In my place if you tell them 

you are leaving they tell you there is no space 

for you, go back to your husband’s house. 

We don’t have space for you. 

My mum never packed evening they had 

misunderstandings. At some point I noticed 

it was draining me, I was not maximizing 

my potentials. That was the last straw for 

me. I have a very active brain and I was not 

utilizing it. I felt I was useless. 

He didn’t want me interacting, wanted 

his wife to carry herself in a certain way but 

that wasn’t me. I did construction, mining, 

I was a beauty queen, an actress... 

Even when I was with him I got to work 

on some of his writeups. Some things had 

my signature on them. I don’t know how to 

sit down and be dormant. 

Did you try to reach out to him? 

Actually, when I had my first son there was 

this big issue we had because I went to buy 

sewing machines and opened up a fashion house 

without his permission. We had a 

very huge 

problem 

with that. 

After a while 

he left it, 

insisted on 

closing it 

down. 

He just felt 

his wife 

should not do 

certain 

things. 

Initially 

you would 

feel like you 

can cope, 

manage, 

compromise 

for some time 

but it just gets 

to a point 


he got to see my strength at a level he didn’t 

expect. He didn’t expect me to fight as much as I 

did to drag and get my kids was another eye opener 

for him. 

where you 

c a n ’ t 

compromise 

any more. I 

needed to be 

active. 

Sometimes I 

felt used. I am 

not that 

woman that sits at home and have someone provide 

my every need.I am still young. 

Emotionally, was it a big rollercoaster for you? 

Yes but maybe because I was quite young he saw 

me as a small girl. It wasn’t the respect he would give 

to someone in his age bracket but with this 

misunderstanding all of that has been fixed because 

Was he expecting that you would just leave the 

kids for him? 

I think a huge part of him because I am naturally 

a quiet person, I don’t fight, I accommodate 

everybody, so he was expecting me to give up 

and say I am not doing this anymore. 

Do you feel free now to pursue your interests? 

Yes I feel at peace. I had an NGO even before 

I got married since 2014. I am taking challenges I 

never thought I could take. I fielded an HR 

company where I do recruitment for companies 

that are starting newly. 

Basically, things I love to do- creation, building, 

organizing. I am happy and at peace. 

Who is behind the comeback rumours? What is 

really going on? 

Linda Ikeji claimed she heard it from a source 

close to the couple, so she claimed. 

Of course we are co-parenting, so we do PTA 

meetings for our kids together. If any of them is 

sick they stay beside me. That’s so childish. We’ve 

gone past that. We’ve talked, apologies were made 

because it shouldn’t have gone as bad as it did. If 

conversations were held, quietly, peacefully and 

not with the stories that I had to deal with, I don’t 

think there would have been an issue. 

Maybe there would have been a chance at 

reconciliation. Fake stories were published about 

me that would take me a while to clear my name 

from. 

Such as which ones? 

That I am a mad person. I was charged with 

murder twice. I was docked and those things are 

not things I will overlook. All those are things I 

cannot just look away from without bringing 

closure to them. 

Maybe in the future, I don’t know but I like 

where we are now unlike when we were a couple. 

It’s a lot better. 

Well, there is nobody that will be having fun 

and walk away... 

The truth is that if he was pleasant I would 

have stayed for the sake of the kids but he was 

not. I think we have a better friendship now, at 

least we talk without stress. Everybody is mindful 

of not pissing off each other. There is nobody trying 

to talk down or undermine the other person. We 

have kids together and it’s not going to change. 

But how are the kids taking it? They are young. 

My children are happy that they have their 

mother back in their lives. I noticed that some of 

them were withdrawn, they didn’t talk. 

Sometimes they would ask questions about the 

last two years, why I wasn’t there, and I try to find 

a way to answer but the joy they have with their 

mother is there. 

Does their dad realise that? 

He is thankful, happy. He knows better now, 

that you can’t take a child’s mother away from 

them. There is always going to be a difference 

between the way I take care of them and another 

person will take care of them. We have a formula. 

I don’t intend to cut him off, deny him access to his 

children. 

I have suitors, lots of suitors, but I’m not a baby 

factory. It’s not a big deal but for now I should 

focus on the kids. I don’t see the prospect of 

marrying immediately. 

In the light of that, if I were FFK’s advocate, 

what are the chances you would consider getting 

back with him if only for the sake of the children? 

I don’t see that happening right now. I am just 

enjoying the peace. I am at peace with myself and 

everybody around me. 

About suitors, do you have any on your case 

that is determined and doesn’t mind your kids? 

Someone that has shown love and affection? 

Men will always be men. Most men think they 

can but they can’t. You don’t look for it, it happens 

when you are not looking. 

You’re aware of FFK’s new girlfriend and she 

has contact with your kids. 

Are you planning to have a conversation with 

him about that? 

It’s on him. He is the one who is going to decide 

whether she’s suitable for his children or not. If 

she gets along with my kids, I will know. If she 

doesn’t, she’s a woman, she’s free to have hers 

as well. 

You know he is in the middle of the campaign 

season. 

I wouldn’t want something that would make 

him look bad. We’ve gone past that. Most people 

think he did all of this because of the campaign, 

letting me have access to my kids. That’s not 

true, I will be honest... 

How would you know? I mean why would he 

keep them from you in the first place? 

This whole settlement thing happened before 

he was even linked to the campaign. The children 

were his priority because it had gotten to the point 

where some of them were not even 

communicating. 

You know when you have a relationship where 

so many people were involved. In those days if it 

wasn’t the pastors, it was the exit Ghana. There 

were too many, this person said, that one said... 

Someone told him I was going to take the kids, 

run away from Nigeria . It made him difficult. 

That is what most married people should look 

out for. I don’t think there’s anything two people 

who sit down and talk cannot resolve


Japanese investors deepen 

interest in Nigerian market 

Stories by Moses Nosike 

Despite the environmental 

and operational 

challenges in Nigerian 

business climate, the Japan 

External Trade Organisation 

(JETRO) has indicated interest to 

invest in Nigerian market. 

In that optimism, the Trade 

Commissioner and Managing 

Director, JETRO Lagos, Taninami 

Takuma, told newsmen that 

Nigeria is a big market to ignore, 

saying further that more Japanese 

companies are looking forward to 

investing in the country. 

Following that interest, 

Taninami tasked the federal 

government to as a matter of 

urgency address the nation’s 

infrastructure challenges, while 

also calling on the need to make 

foreign exchange accessible for 

investors in Nigeria. 

According to Taninami, Nigeria 

is not an easy market because of 

lack of infrastructure and 

insecurity in the country, which 

he said is increasing the cost of 

doing business in the country. 

Continuing, he said that the 

situation is getting better and we 

know Nigeria is not a market you 

can ignore. 

He further said, “there are lots 

of market opportunities in the 

country because of its huge 

population. This is one of our 

missions to promote Japanese 

businesses in the country. JETRO 

is well known as the government 

body of Japan to promote trade and 

investment between Japan and 

rest of the world. JETRO Lagos was 

Partners at Stransact 

(Chartered Accountants), 

the correspondent firm in Nigeria 

for the 6th largest international 

accounting firm -RSM, have called 

for adherence to global standards 

and ethical practices in the 

conduct of audits in Nigeria. 

Addressing the media in a recent 

briefing, the accounting experts 

encouraged auditors in the 

country to follow a strict ethical 

approach in the conduct of their 

professional duties. 

Auditors are professional 

accountants authorized to review 

and verify the accuracy of 

financial records and ensure that 

organizations comply with 

relevant laws and regulatory 

frameworks. Globally, strong 

ethics and credibility are crucial 

to the efficient conduct of audits 

since auditors are expected to be 

independent, reliable, honest, and 

carry out their duties without 

prejudice. 

According to the General 

Partner at Stransact, Eben Joels 

auditing is a reputation-based 

business. “Without a credible 

reputation, an auditor cannot 

function efficiently. This is why an 

auditor signs financial statements 

as an individual and not as a 

company or corporation”. 

Joels said that the level of respect 

and trust you have in financial 

statements is directly proportional 

to the credibility of the auditor. 

L-R: Taninami Takuma, trade commissioner/MD, Japan External Trade 

Organization JETRO Lagos, Niyi Adebayo, minister for Industry, Trade 

and Investment representing President Muhammadu Buhari and Makoto 

Nakano, managing director, Marubeni Nigeria Limited, at the opening 

ceremony of the 2022 Lagos International Trade Fair. 

established in 1955 and more 

than 6 decades, we are trying to 

support various kinds of business 

between Nigeria and Japan”. 

“The business relationship 

between Nigeria and Japan in 

2021 witnessed export from 

Nigeria to Japan which hit 760 

million dollars, while import from 

Japan to Nigeria stood at 

287million dollars. Taninami 

pointed out that the major 

commodities of export from 

Nigeria to Japan is Liquefied 

Natural Gas (LNG), which 

represents about 70 per cent of all 

exports”. 

He added that the number of 

Japanese companies in Nigeria is 

increasing, saying that the 

number of Japanese companies 

has increased from 21 to 45 

businesses in 2022. 

“It is notable that we recently 

have several VC funds and 

startups which are operated by 

Japanese persons in Nigeria. 

Nowadays arising innovative 

startups in Nigeria attract more 

Japanese businesses persons to 

invest and they are getting 

involved in this sector. Not only 

for VC funds, but trading houses 

and manufacturers are seeking 

opportunities to collaborate 

Nigerian startups”. 

Partners at Stransact charge Nigerian auditors 

on professional conduct 

In line with his administration’s 

policy of encouraging and 

p r o m o t i n g 

economic growth and diversity, 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

(GCFR) signed into law, the 

National Institute of Credit 

Administration (Establishment) Act 

No 1018 of 2022 of the National 

Assembly on August 16, 2022. Mr. 

President will be in Lagos to unveil 

the Act on November 22, 2022 to 

the public at Four points by 

Sheraton Hotel, Victoria Island, 

Lagos State. 

Speaking, the Registrar & Chief 

L-R: Victor Athe, Partner - Tax Services, Stransact (Chartered Accountants); 

Yomi Salawu, Partner - People & Regulatory Services; Eben Joels, General 

Partner; and Bola Mogaji, Partner - Audit Services, at a recent media briefing 

on ‘Auditor’s Credibility and Assurance Practice in Nigeria’, organised by 

Stransact (Chartered Accountants), the correspondent firm of RSM Network 

in Nigeria. 

“Therefore, auditors should 

dispatch their jobs bearing in mind 

that their responsibility is not to 

make the client look good but to be 

accountable primarily to the 

client’s stakeholders that isshareholders, 

investors, regulators 

and employees.” 

He further said that the 

International Federation of 

Accountants (IFAC), has compiled 

the international Code of Ethics for 

Professional Accountants, which 

establishes the standard of 

behaviour expected of a 

professional accountant (PA). 

“The fundamental principles 

within the code include integrity, 

objectivity, professional 

President Buhari to unveil NICA Bill in Lagos 

Executive Officer, NICA, Prof. Chris 

Onalo, FICA said that as no 

economy grows without the use of 

credit and there is no example of 

any advanced society where credit 

is not in use, the Assent of Mr. 

President to the NICA Bill was an 

unprecedented foundation laid for 

transition of the Nigerian economy 

from cash-based to credit-based, a 

system which will serve as a catalyst 

for both economic growth and social 

transformation. 

“The National Institute of Credit 

Administration now chartered is a 

prestigious body of eminent credit 

competence and due care, 

confidentiality and professional 

behaviour. 

The three other partners at the 

firm buttressed the comments by 

the general partner. 

The Partner, People & 

Regulatory Services, Yomi 

Salawu, emphasized on the 

importance of independence in the 

audit process. “Integrity is a very 

important quality for an auditor 

but it is difficult to possess integrity 

without independence. Therefore, 

an auditor should not only profess 

to be independent but must also 

be seen as independent”. 

read more on 

www.vanguardngr.com 

management elites in the country. 

The Governing Council of the 

Institute has said it will use the 

occasion of Mr. President’s visit to 

Lagos to unveil the NICA 

(Establishment) Act to the public to 

confer its prestigious Fellowship 

Award, no eminent Nigerians that 

have distinguished themselves in 

stimulating the credit economy 

agenda in Nigeria”. 

Members of the Governing 

Council of the Institute include Mr. 

Andy Ojei FICA (President/ 

Chairman); Dr. (Mrs) Markie Idowu 

FICA (Vice President/Vice 

EGO Foundation equips college 

students with work skills 

Enterprise, Growth and Opportunities (EGO) Foundation, a 

development organization with the goal of reducing poverty and 

unemployment in Africa has launched its work skills programme for 

undergraduates and fresh graduates. The event, held at the Federal 

College of Education (FCE) Technical in Lagos was the first of its kind in 

the College and drew hundreds of participants from across the institution 

and beyond. 

In the end, several of them benefitted through scholarships into techrelated 

programs; free mentoring with accomplished professionals; jobs 

and internships offers, as well as funding opportunities provided by the 

organisers. 

In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of EGO Foundation, 

Toluwase Olaniyan reminded the audience of the changing world of 

work and the importance of having the right skill set can make all the 

difference in their careers. 

Olaniyan said, “thankfully, we have credible organisations and 

individuals who have partnered with us on this project and will provide 

all necessary skills and resources you need to succeed”. 

These partners include Access Bank PLC, FirstFounders INC, Palladium 

Consulting Limited, WordenHCD Limited amongst others. 

The FCE’s Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Akinola Ojelade who represented 

the institution’s registrar, said that the skills acquisition event was 

timely due to the current realities of the world. He charged the students 

to learn all that is necessary to make them relevant after their academic 

programmes. 

The event featured both entrepreneurship and employability sessions 

with seasoned facilitators. A leading strategist, Ayo-Bankole Akintujoye 

stirred the audience through critical thinking, while successful 

entrepreneur, David Lanre Messan elaborated on strategies to navigate 

the business space in Nigeria. Ifreke Brendan, Head of Human Resources 

at CreditWave Finance Limited facilitated a CV writing workshop. 

Taiwo Olaniyan, the Head, of Business Support at LSETF spoke on the 

various opportunities that Lagos State provides through the 

organisation. These include grants, low-interest loans, and access to 

infrastructure. She encouraged the students not to feel too young to 

start their own businesses, noting that mistakes are sometimes necessary 

in order to become successful in any endeavour. 

Answering questions, she outlined the kinds of proposals that often get 

the Trust Fund’s approval. read more on www.vanguardngr.com 

EDC Alumni To o Unveil eil 20th 

Year ear Anniver 

ersar 

sary y Programs At 

2022 Alumni Dinner 

L-R: Committee Member, Enterprise Development Center (EDC) 

Alumni, Bisi Sotunde, EDC Alumni Director, Nnenna Ugwu, 

Former President EDC Alumni, Abiodun Afolabi, Vice President 

Lagos EDC Alumni, and Dr. Omopeju Afanu, during the EDC 

Alumni Press Conference to announce 2022 EDC Alumni 

Dinner/Awards in Lagos yesterday. 

The Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Pan-Atlantic 

University would be hosting a special dinner and award night 

to celebrate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs within her alumni 

network on Friday, 18th November 2022 at the grand banquet 

hall of the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos. 

The event would bring together EDC Alumni, entrepreneurs 

across different industries, as well as stakeholders of EDC both in 

the public and private sectors, in a convivial atmosphere, to meet, 

discuss, learn, wine, and dine, as part of building collaboration 

and support within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

EDC Alumni Director, Nnenna Ugwu, speaking on the occasion 

said; “We are excited about this year’s Alumni Dinner and Award 

Ceremony especially as it coincides with our unveiling of EDC’s 

20th anniversary. Over the years, we have been committed to 

building a network of entrepreneurial leaders through continuous 

learning, process improvement, and business integrity. Today 

we are proud of our story, which is evident through our thriving 

network of alumni and we use the Dinner and Award ceremony to 

celebrate them.” 

The Alumni Dinner would feature a reunion of different sections 

of the alumni body converging from different programs offered 

by the Centre over twenty years. The high point of the event would 

feature an unveiling of “EDC at twenty”, which would usher in 

year-long celebrations for 2023 and onwards. 

There would also be special performances and entertainment, a 

class-of-the-year award, and an enterprise award presentation 

recognizing the top three undergraduate innovations from the 

Entrepreneurship course at the Pan-Atlantic University. 

This year, the alumni dinner is designed as part of the celebration 

for Global Entrepreneurship 

Week, an annual global event 

Chairman); Prof. Chris Onalo FICA 

(Registrar/CEO); Mrs. Eunice 

Sampson FICA; Mr. Thomas 

Imokhai FICA; Dr. Felix 

Amieyeofori FICA; Engr. Owoyemi 

Alaba FICA; Mrs. Wosilat Adebayo 

FICA; Dr. Akintoye Akindele FICA. 

specially dedicated to the 

celebration 

of 

entrepreneurship, innovation 

and job creation, hosted in 

Nigeria by the Enterprise 

Development Centre (EDC) of 

the Pan-Atlantic University.

You may not know both names above, but read this 

to the end. The 2022 FIFA World Cup starts in a 

week’s time. 

I am not going to Qatar. 

The reality of missing out on my 4-year football pilgrimage is just settling in. 

The pain is deep. Apart from the thrill of attending the greatest single 

sports event in the world, I also make a good living from reporting the Green 

Eagles of Nigeria when they are part of the global party. I will miss both this 

time. 

The present situation truncates what has 

become a ritual for me. 

As I was making plans to go to Qatar 2022, the 

Nigerian Super Eagleswere converting to Super 

Chickens, stumbled over the last hurdle and 

fell, yakata. 

I had experienced similar stumbles in my life, 

twice during my own footballing career and can 

tell that the pains from such failures remain and 

haunt players throughout their lives. My 1977 

and 1981 experiences remain the worst parts of 

my, otherwise, incredible football career. Both times, 

our ‘plane’ to the World Cup taxied to the 

runway but could not lift off the ground. 

So, I know the pain that most Nigerians 

are going through on the eve of Qatar 2022. 

The picture will not leave my head about 

how a very ordinary Black Starsteam, one 

of the weakest that I have seen in their 

great history, clipped the wings of the Super 

Eagles on home ground in what most 

football analysts had predicted would be a 

walk-over for the Nigerians. 

So, here I am, still dazed, lamenting the 

huge loss I am suffering by sitting out the 

World Cup in Wasimi, and not Qatar. 

Then, one Sepp Blatter, comes and adds 

insult to our injury. The former FIFA 

President is reported to have said, last week, 

that ‘Qatar 2022 is a mistake’. A mistake? 

How? 

His words numb the senses. Is he not 

the one that superintended over a bidding 

process that produced Qatar in a manner 

that many still insist may reveal the biggest 

bribery scandal in football history? 

Otherwise, how is it that no one is able to 

completely rationalise why the World should 

go back to the future, go back to the model 

of 1930 to organise the biggest football event 

in the world in 2022 - a single-City World 

Cup model. Montevideo has been the 

only single city to host the World Cup. Qatar 

is no bigger than one city in Nigeria. 

The mystery of Blatter’s ‘mistake’ will be 

revealed by the time Qatar 2022is over. It 

Qatar 2020 – Ibrahim Sunday, 

Amusa Gbadamosi and 

Guinness Stout!! 

will depend on how the municipality 

manages the over-one million people that 

will descend like locusts on this beautiful 

oasis in the desert. 

Two weeks ago, I took some time off to 

visit Ghana with my two little sons. It was 

a break from the lamentation in Nigeria. 

Accra is bubbling with 

excitement. Ghanaians, in their 

characteristic optimism, believe the Black 

Stars will go far in the championship. 

That’s the feeling everywhere here. 

I invite my friend, Ibrahim Sunday, to 

share breakfast with us. 

By the way, as poor custodians of 

football history in Africa, many may not 

even know who Ibrahim Sunday is. 

Through my conversation with him I 

intend to tell a little about him and also 

the incredulous story of another footballer 

that very few Nigerians have ever heard 

of. 

Ibrahim Sunday is an Iconic figure in 

Ghanaian football. He is an unforgettable 

hero. He played for and captained 

Ghana’s biggest Club, Asante Kotoko, to 

win the African Club championship twice. 

He was so good he was the first recipient 

of the African Best Player Award in 1971, 

and captained the Black Stars to 

AFCON. He was the first African to play 

professional football in the Bundesliga 

with Werder Bremen between 1975 and 

1977. 

He became a coach and took his former 

has underscored the essence of believers 

imbibing healthy lifestyle that leads to 

physical and mental fitness. Ladejo and his 

wife, a Senior Pastor in the church led 

other members to the sports 

ground of Holden Park School, 

Lekki for the 2022 TGC Sports 

Day. 

The games began with 

aerobics. After loosening up 

with the instructor running 

the rule, the atmosphere was 

charged when the kids of 

between ages 3 and 6. It was 

indeed a contest that got the 

attention of the large crowd 

that turned up to watch. 

Four football teams, 

representing Team Joseph, 


club, Asante Kotoko, to win the Africa Club 

championships. A few years later he took Africa 

Sports of Cote D’Ivoire to win the same trophy. 

He also coached FC 105 in Gabon. 

Ibrahim Sunday is a true legend of African 

football. Very few match his achievements and 

records in the continent. 

We have been very close friends for over 2 

decades. 

Our conversation at breakfast is very refreshing 

and revealing. 

I ask him the source of his surname, ‘Sunday’, 

when he is obviously a staunch Muslim. He reveals 

to me what most Ghanaians do not know. ‘Sunday’ 

is a nickname his father gave him as a kid who 

would run away from home every Sunday morning 

to play football. So, his father called him ‘Sunday’, 

a name that has stuck to him till now. His real 

surname is Jubrin. 

He tells me, also, that his father is a full-blooded 

Nigerian, a Hausa man from Birnin Kebbi, once 

under the Kano Emirate but now in Kebbi State. 

That’s where Ibrahim’s fluent Hausa language 

comes from. Ibrahim and I always converse in the 

language. 

He tells me he still visits his roots in Nigeria 

from time to time, and makes sure his children also 

visit. Having said that, he is also fully Ghanaian 

because the country is matriarchal, and his mother 

in from the Kumasi area of Ghana where he grew 

up and played all his football in Ghana. 

I ask him about Amusa Gbadamosi, a legendary 

football player in Ghana with heavy Yoruba tribal 

marks that played for the Black Stars in his era. I 

ask him about some incredible stories I was told by 

Peisero not worth his pay —Kojo Williams 

By John Egbokhan 

income, the energy firm decided to cut down on its 

bankrolling of Rohr’s salaries, which in turn made 

it impossible for the NFF, then superintended 

he dust over the $70, 000 monthly salary 

over by Amaju Pinnick to fulfill its contractual 

Tfor Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro 

obligations as per prompt payment of salaries 

continues to linger as football stakeholders 

to the Franco-German gaffer. 

have questioned the wisdom of the Nigeria 

The advent of the coronavirus pandemic 

Football Federation to enter into an 

in 2020 and its attendant effects on all 

agreement with Portuguese tactician, despite 

sectors of the economy compelled the NFF 

the crippling cash crunch in the country. 

to review the wages of Rohr, which was 

Coming against the backdrop of the 

cut to $50, 000 but that move was 

furore that followed the reported six 

still not enough to prevent the 

months salaries owed Peseiro by the 

piling up of salaries arrears by 

NFF, there is growing concern that 

the country’s football 

the the country may be heading 

governing body, who later 

in the same chain of delayed 

terminated the contract of 

payment of salaries for its 

•Jose Peseiro 

the coach, citing poor 

national team coaches, a 

results. 

pattern that has long become 

The coming of Peseiro 

the norm in the last two 

has not changed the 

decades. 

status quo of late 

Recall that the last foreign 

payment of coaches 

coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, was wages and the trend has got a former Chairman of 

initially on a monthly salary package of $55, 000, the Nigeria Football Association, Kojo Williams 

which was being paid by Nigerian oil and gas calling for an inquest into the process that led to 

exploration company Aiteo, but following the the signing of Peseiro to handle the Super Eagles. 

general downturn in the economy and reduced Speaking in an interview with Sports Vanguard, 

Edewor launches virtual betting 

and gaming outfit 

enown football administrator and former Chairman of 

Rdefunct Concord Football Club of Abeokuta Mohammed 

Team Daniel ‘re champions of 2022 

TGC Sports Day 

ayo Ladejo, Senior Pastor, Governing 

TChurch of the Cutting Edge Ministries 

Edewor has joined the Nigerian betting space. 

He has launched Orbital betting and gaming company located 

in Lagos Nigeria. It is an online betting and gaming outfit, 

which Edewor said, “aims to provide value, better winnings and 

business opportunity to its customers. 

He observed that with the tightening economic strain being 

experienced in the country, Orbital betting and gaming Company 

is introducing an avenue for its clients to achieve better success 

and great earnings. 

With an existing population in the betting and gaming world 

and the numbers increasing exponentially, it gets increasingly 

difficult for customers to find a platform to meet their desires. 

Edewor said, “Orbital betting and gaming company is here to 

provide the platform and solution to the problem 

We are introducing our platform with the mission to change 

the status quo because we guarantee easy and friendlier access 

to our platform anywhere you are located. In addition, our 

company requires no paid membership or subscription.” 

He said, “everyone is welcomed on the platform by signing up 

to get started and winning.” 

However, he informed that before one can get started one 

must go through an identity verification 

process to enable the company put a leash on fraudulent 

activities. “Our company also guarantees secure transaction 

and payment to customers as they use its platforms.” 

Mohammed Edewor, a lawyer by profession has vast interests 

in sports management, IT and other investments, including 

Real Estate. 

Kojo Williams said it was untenable for Peseiro to 

be on a bumper $70, 000 monthly salary, given the 

poor financial status of the NFF and the seeming 

not too robust pedigree of the Portuguese born 

coach 

A fiery Kojo Williams said, ‘’when I say that those 

running our football are not fit to be in that position, 

some people think I have something against them, 

but nothing can be far from that because what I 

am interested in is the good of our football and for 

that to be possible, whatever we are doing must be 

something that we can sustain. 

‘’I do not see any reason why we should be 

paying Peseiro $70, 000 because not only is it not 

sustainable but it is a waste of scarce resources 

when we can get better coaches from eastern 

Europe who would collect about $30, 000 and do a 

better job than the present occupier of the 

position”, he added. 

Kojo Williams advised the present NFF executive 

committee, presided over by Ibrahim Gusau to 

urgently review the wages of Peseiro, to save the 

country from the embarrassment that comes with 

owed salaries. 

‘’It is not too late to review the wages of the 

coach because failure to do so would throw up 

crisis as the debts would pile up and these would 

in turn dampen the zeal of the coach to excel with 

the team. But I doubt if those in the NFF would do 

the needful as they appear part and parcel of the 

past leadership. And the greater worry for me is 

that we are not getting the best from this foreign 

coach as there are other better coaches out there 

in Europe who will do a better job and are hungrier 

for success than the person in charge now’’, said 

Kojo Williams. 

•Pastor 

Tayo Ladejo 

Team Daniel, Team Enoch and Team 

David vied for the glittering trophy. In 

the opening match, Team Daniel 

bettered Team Joseph 2-1 while Team 

Enoch thrashed Team David 3-1. 

In the classification match House of 

David edged the House of Joseph 1-0, 

while Team Daniel confirmed their class 

by pipping Team Enoch 2-1 

on penalties after ending it 

goalless in regulation time. 

Speaking at the end of 

the games, Pastor Ladejo 

explained the purpose of 

the games: “the Games 

Day is to promote 

togetherness, oneness and 

family values. The 

scriptures say, ‘bodily 

exercise profits a little. 

Essential is the little 

profiting of bodily exercise 

because our bodies are the 

temples of the Holy Spirit.” 

Philip Boamah when we were both in Shooting 

Stars FC, Ibadan in the mid-1970s. Since then no 

other Ghanaian had been able to corroborate 

Philip’s stories. Until now. 

Ibrahim remembers Gbadamosi very well. They 

were team mates and roommates in Asante 

Kotoko and in the national team. 

He tells me that Gbadamosi is a full-blooded 

Nigerian, so good that some conventional codes 

of conduct were broken to accommodate some of 

his idiosyncrasies, one of which was a drinking 

habit. 

Gbadamosi loved his Guinness Stout. He 

would drink a big bottle before any football match. 

The national team coach got to know about this 

unusual and unacceptable behaviour. He dropped 

Gbadamosi from his squad heading to Tunisia for 

the 1968 AFCON, and the team left without the 

exceptionally gifted player and goal poacher. 

There was a public outcry and protests on the 

streets in Ghana. How could the coach have 

dropped one of the best players in the national 

team for what they consider a flimsy habit that did 

not negatively affect his performance on the field 

of play. He had won several matches under the 

‘influence’ for Ghana. So, what was the coach’s 

problem? 

The Ghanaian President, a staunch fan of the 

football, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, had to intervene. 

He arranged a private plane loaded with a few 

cartons of Guinness Stout to take Amusa 

Gbadamosi to re-join his team mates in Tunisia. 

The coach had no choice but to take him back 

with his drinks. 

Gbadamosi did not disappoint his huge 

Ghanaian supporters. 

He went on to become the Star of the 1968 

Black Stars team that won that year’s AFCON in 

Tunisia. 

Thereafter, he went to that year’s Olympic 

Games in Mexico with the Black Stars, and played 

so well that he was the only player offered the 

opportunity to return to Mexico and play for a 

professional club there. He would have been the 

first African player to play professionally in that 

part of the world. 

Gbadamosi told Ibrahim Sunday, later, that he 

declined the offer only because there was no way 

he would have found Guinness Stout to drink 

before matches in Mexico. 

As the rest of the world starts to assemble in 

Qatar this week, I use the story of Amusa 

Gbadamosi to wish all the participating players 

the best of luck. 

By the way, Gbadamosi is still alive and kicking, 

living a quiet life in retirement in the northern 

part of Ghana, still sipping his Guinness Stout. 

May the best teams win! 

Qatar 2022: 

President Weah’s son 

makes USA W/Cup squad 

I 

t’s very unusual for the son of a nation’s 

president to play football professionally, but 

Timothy Weah is no ordinary president’s son. He’s 

also the son of arguably the greatest footballer to 

come out of Africa and the only African player to 

ever win the Ballon d’Or. 

So it’s all the more surprising that someone 

with that much African football heritage would 

choose to represent another country. 

This, however, is what Timothy Weah has chosen 

to do, and given the fact that he is getting to play 

on the world’s biggest national stage, something 

his father never achieved, not many people can 

argue that he has made the wrong decision. 

Despite being one of the finest players of his 

generation and representing the Liberian national 

team on at least 75 occasions, George Weah never 

got the chance to play at 

a World Cup, but 

Timothy, with only a third 

of his father’s national 

caps, is going to play at 

his first one. 

It has always been 

planned that way for the 

22-year-old Brooklynborn 

Lille winger. Despite 

his family’s prominence 

in Liberia, he has always 

known he would play for 

the country of his birth, 

and with good reason. 

Kirikiri wins 3rd 

Ajegunle Peace Cup 

K 

irikiri road and Babani street had to decide 

who went home with the third Ajegunle Peace 

Cup 

via penalties after they were inseparable for the 

duration of the game. 

Kirikiri scored in the first half from the spot before 

being reduced to 10 players and held on until the 

final quarter of the game. Babani’s resilience paid 

off when Daniel Opara headed in the equalizer. 

Other scoring opportunities were not converted 

and they had to settle for penalties which Kirikiri 

won 3-2 and went home with the one million naira 

prize money. 

Director General of Ajeromi Ifelodun Sports 

Council, McAnthony Anaelechukwu in his post 

match reaction restated the need for sponsors who 

will like to keep the competition alive. 

According to him: “We need sponsors because 

as it is now, the Council Chairman, Hon Adekunle 

Ayoola is the one single-handedly financing this. 

The next Chairman may not be a football loving 

person and that could affect funding. So we want 

to keep this alive with sponsorship from individuals 

and corporate bodies.

C 

M 

Y 

K 

SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 

CROSS WORD PUZZLE 

SOLUTION ON PAGE7 

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

Advert Dept Hotline: 01-4544821. Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com 

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

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