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2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 2022

SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 2022 — 3


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SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 2022 — 5 

206bn Budget Padding: Farouq writes 

Finance Minister, demands explanation 

•Insists she has no knowledge of controversial amount inserted in 

her ministry's budget proposal •Budget office to react next week 

By Joseph Erunke 

ABUJA--THE Ministry 

of Humanitarian 

Affairs, Disaster 

Management and Social 

Development, headed by 

Sadiya Umar Farouq, has 

written a letter to the 

Ministry of Finance, Budget 

and National Planning, 

headed by Mrs Zainab 

Ahmed, seeking clarification 

on the N206 billion inserted 

into its 2023 Appropriation 

Bill. Farouq insisted that she 

knew nothing about how the 

controversial figure was 

inserted into the budget. 

It is not only the Minister 

of Humanitarian Affairs, 

Disaster Management, and 

Social Development who is 

accusing the Finance 

Ministry of budget padding. 

The Minister of Defence, 

Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi 

(retd), also told the Senate 

during budget defence 

sessions that the finance 

ministry had inserted N11bn 

into his 2023 budget. 

Similarly, the Minister of 

Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, 

pointed accusing fingers at 

the Finance Ministry for 

padding his ministry's budget 

proposals. 

Worried at the 

development, the Minister of 

Humanitarian Affairs, 

Disaster Management and 

Social Development, Sadiya 

Farouq, in a letter dated, 

Wednesday November 

23,2022, dispatched to the 

Federal Ministry of Finance, 

requested the cooperation of 

her finance counterpart in 

clarifying how the amount 

came into the budget,given 

that the 2023 budget 

proposal her ministry 

released to the Budget Office 

did not contain the figure. 

A meeting convened on 

Wednesday by the minister 

and attended by top 

management staff of the 

ministry including the 

permanent secretary and 

directors,ended in the 

evening with a resolution that 

a letter requesting 

explanation from the finance 

ministry be transmitted. 

A source in the Finance 

and Accounts Department of 

the Federal Ministry of 

Humanitarian Affairs, 

Disaster Management and 

Social Development,told 

Vanguard that the letter was 

immediately drafted, and 

sent to the finance ministry. 

Speaking on the condition 

of anonymity, the source 

said:"As a ministry, we have 

just sent a letter today 

(Wednesday) to the Federal 

Ministry of Finance, 

requesting clarification on 

the additional figure inserted 

into our ministry's budget in 

the 2023 fiscal year.. 

"Going by the content,we 

expect a response from the 

Ministry of Finance between 

now and Friday after which 

we will reach out to the 

National Assembly on our 

position. We are disturbed 

and the minister is not 

leaving anything to chance. 

We want a quick clarification 

of the inserted figure in our 

ministry's 2023 budget 

proposal,"he said 

Also speaking on the issue, 

a top policy maker in the 

ministry,who didn't want his 

name released to the public, 

•From left: Group head retail marketing and analytics access bank,Chioma Afe; founder Art X; 

Tokini Peterside-Schwebig and Curator Access Art X 2022/23; Jumoke Sanwo during the Access 

ART X Prize news conference in Lagos on Friday. 

Pix by Atolagbe Babatunde 

said Farouq was 

embarrassed when she was 

asked about the amount by 

members of the Senate 

Committee on Special 

Duties when she appeared 

before the committee to 

defend her ministry's 2023 

budget proposal at the 

National Assembly. 

"I was there, the Senate 

Committee asked the 

minister how she came about 

the additional money outside 

the initial proposal 

submitted to the Budget 

Office and the minister 

responded that she didn't 

know. Truly, as a ministry,we 

didn't know how the N206 

billion found its way into the 

ministry 's budget proposal. 

"Everything about that 

money, she (minister) actually 

does not know anything 

about it. And like I said, as a 

ministry,we don't know. We 

just saw it there,"he said 

Finance Minister 

fails to react 

Efforts to obtain the 

reaction of the Minister of 

Finance, Budget and 

National Planning, Mrs. 

Zainab Ahmed, failed, as she 

neither picked calls made to 

her, nor responded to a 

WhatsApp message sent to 

her. 

Budget Office to 

react next week 

Spokesman at the Budget 

Office of the Federation, 

Olajuwon Afolabi, however 

told Vanguard that “the 

matter is too technical for 

outright response having just 

surfaced at the National 

Assembly during the week”. 

He said the office was 

working on the appropriate 

response which he will 

communicate next week. 

It will be recalled that the 

Minister of Humanitarian 

Affairs had told the National 

Assembly committee that her 

ministry requested for some 

projects for the North East 

D e v e l o p m e n t 

Commission,NEDC, and the 

National Social Safety Net 

Project in the 2022 budget but 

they were not released, 

expressing surprise that the 

money inserted, was now ten 

times of the 2023 proposed 

budget of her ministry. 

The minister who 

expressed surprise told the 

Committee that, “Yes we 

made mention of the projects 

for 2022 which was not 

released and part of it was 

part for the NEDC. 

“The money was not 

released and now we have 

seen it recurring by almost 

10 folds and we are also going 

to clarify from the Ministry 

of Finance to know why this 

increase despite the fact that 

the previous year, the money 

was not even released for the 

project. So we will get the 

details then send to you on 

that”. 

The Attorney General of 

the Federation and Minister 

of Justice, Abubakar 

Malami, had expressed 

disappointment at budget 

padding, describing it as 

worrisome. Responding to 

queries on the issue, while 

briefing State House 

reporters after the Federal 

Executive Council (FEC) 

meeting presided over by the 

president at the Presidential 

Villa, Abuja, Malami said the 

Federal Government was 

studying the revelations and 

would explore available 

measures to address it. 

According to him, “the 

government is concerned 

and will do what is necessary 

to address the issue.” 

Federal lawmakers had 

raised concerns about the 

abuse of the budget process 

following submissions by 

some government agencies 

that some amounts were 

inserted into their estimates 

without their knowledge 

allegedly by the ministry of 

finance. 

Officials from the 

National Universities 

Commission (NUC), 

Ministries of Defence, Power 

and Humanitarian Affairs, 

during ongoing National 

Assembly budget hearings, 

disowned some line items 

running into billions of naira 

in their 2023 budget 

proposals. 

They told lawmakers that 

they could not explain what 

the sums were meant for or 

the details of the projects tied 

to the funds since they were 

not part of their proposals 

sent to the finance ministry 

for the 2023 fiscal year. They 

blamed the finance ministry 

for inserting the money into 

their budgets. 

On November 5, 2022, the 

Executive Secretary of NUC, 

Professor Abubakar Rashid, 

told the joint Senate and 

House Committee on 

Tertiary Education and 

TETfund during budget 

defence, that N12 billion was 

inserted by the Ministry of 

Finance into the agency 

budget. 

He said, “In NUC’s budget 

we have a problem. We had 

additional money given to us 

that we didn’t request, but I 

later went to the Ministry of 

Finance to find out because 

our budget was always 

hovering around N3 billion 

with about N2 billion for 

personnel, about N700- 

N800 million for capital, 

about N700 million for 

Sammie Okposo slumps, dies at 51 while being 

treated for exhaustion 

•RMD, Righteousman, others mourn 

By Benjamin Njoku 

It was a black Friday for 

the 

Nigerian 

entertainment industry as it 

lost yet another prominent 

singer, Sammie Okposo to 

the cold hands of death. 

Okposo, 51, died 

yesterday in Lagos after he 

reportedly slumped while 

he was being treated for 

exhaustion. 

His colleague, 

Righteousman confirmed 

the sad news to Saturday 

Vanguard. 

He described Okposo's 

sudden demise as 'tragic', 

adding that the singer had 

also collapsed last week 

upon his return from his 

praise party concert in the 

UK and was being treated 

for exhaustion before he 

eventually slumped. 

According to him, the 

'Welu Welu' singer was a 

workaholic who hardly 

found time to rest. 

“We should learn to take 

time to rest, Sammie 

Okposo was always 

working. I will personally 

miss him. He was a great 

singer who influenced a lot 

of young Nigerian gospel 

singers. I know how much 

I love his music. He served 

God and not man,” 

Righteousman said. 

Also, reacting to the sad 

news, veteran actor, 

Richard Mofe Damijo, 

popularly known as RMD, 

shared a video he made 

with the late singer about a 

month ago in the United 

States on his Instagram 

page. 

In a post, RMD said “This 

was exactly a month ago in 

the US. We spent two weeks 

together and fellowshipped 

as men. We ate, drank and 

teased each other. We made 

plans for the new year… yet 

here I’m struggling and 

looking for words to 

capture our relationship.” 

“Sam Okpooo as I used 

to call you, this was not the 

plan. This one pained me 

in my heart. My prayers are 

with your family as you rest 

in power, peace and 

Late Sammie Okposo 

praise.” 

Comedian Bovi 

described the palmist as he 

was fondly called by his 

fans as “ The most angelic 

voice I ever heard.” 

Okposo’s last Instagram 

post was 22 hours ago 

before his demise. It was a 

video of his praise party 

tagged, SOPP live in Lagos, 

which was held on Friday, 

November 4, 2022. 

The late singer was slated 

to minister, alongside other 

gospel singers, Eben, 

Chuks Praise, Joy Favour, 

and Victor Edit at 

the Outpouring 

A s s e m b l y 

International in 

Calabar between 

F r i d a y , 

November 25 

and Sunday, 27. 

In 2020, the 

Delta State-born 

music star had a 

close shave with 

death after the 

propeller shaft of 

his car pulled off 

while on motion 

on the Third 

Mainland Bridge 

in Lagos. 

Okposo, who was one of 

Nigeria’s renowned gospel 

singers, set the internet 

agog early this year when 

he took to his Instagram 

page to apologize to his 

wife, Ozioma after 

cheating on her with 

another woman in the 

United States in an 

incident that happened in 

2021. 

The scandal, however, 

took a toll on his ministry 

as the singer made the 

decision to take time off 

from ministry in order to 

retrace his steps. But he 

overhead. But last year, we 

saw an additional N12 

billion given for World Bank 

projects. The World Bank 

projects are not processed 

through this mode.” 

Also on November 17, the 

Ministry of Defence during a 

budget hearing organised by 

the Senate Committee on 

Defence blamed the finance 

ministry for the N10.8bn 

inserted into their budget. 

The vice chairman of the 

committee, Senator Istifanus 

Gyang, said N8.6bn was 

discovered to have been 

allocated for the purchase of 

military hardware and 

N2.25bn for Safe School 

Initiative. 

“The two items, when 

critically viewed, were not 

supposed to be in the 

ministry’s budget since 

hardware procurements are 

done by the army, navy and 

air force; and the Safe School 

Initiative by the Federal 

Ministry of Education,” he 

said. 

Responding, the 

Permanent Secretary, 

Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, 

said the money was inserted 

into the ministry’s budget by 

the Ministry of Finance, 

Budget and National 

Planning. 

On November 1, the 

Senate Committee on Power 

also discovered N195bn 

earmarked as counterpart 

funding for bilateral and 

multilateral projects in the 

ministry of power’s 2023 

budget proposal. The 

chairman of the committee, 

Senator Gabriel Suswam, in 

an interview, said his panel, 

after interfacing with the 

officials of the ministry 

during the budget defence 

session, found out that even 

the ministry was not aware 

of the projects. 

Suswam said budgetary 

allocations for such projects 

were being made every year 

but they were never seen, and 

that the power ministry could 

not explain how the money 

was expended. 

Senators and House of 

Representatives members 

said the revelations by heads 

of agencies, blaming the 

finance ministry for 

unknown line items in their 

budget estimates vindicated 

members of the National 

Assembly who are mostly 

being accused of budget 

padding. 

They said the situation was 

worrisome, especially at a 

time the country requires 

fiscal discipline in the face of 

falling revenue and 

increasing deficits. 

later tendered an apology, 

while deleting the message 

on Instagram and moved 

on with his life. 

As the CEO of Zamar 

Entertainment, Okposo 

began his music career as 

a soundtrack producer for 

Nollywood in 1992. He 

later started the Sammie 

Okposo Praise Party, a 

platform he used to train 

upcoming gospel artistes. 

He released his first album, 

Addicted, in 2004. Some of 

his evergreen songs 

include, “‘Welu Welu,’ a 

traditional track he 

rendered in pidgin, ‘Naija 

Praise’, ‘Jump and Shout’, 

‘Jehovah Idi Ebube’ 

Okposo 

also 

collaborated with many 

other artists in the gospel 

and soul music fields, 

including popular gospel 

singer Marvellous Odiete 

on “Follow You”, a song 

that he performed regularly 

in Africa, Europe, and 

North America, and 

curated a series of concerts 

called SOPP (Sammie 

Okposo Praise Party). His 

most recent album, The 

Statement (2018), was 

produced by the Grammywinning 

Kevin Bond.

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6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 2022 

Biafra: Kanu asks Supreme Court to 

strike out FG's appeal, order his release 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

ABUJA-- The embattled 

leader of the Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB, 

Nnamdi Kanu, on Friday, 

asked the Supreme Court to 

strike out the appeal the 

Federal Government lodged 

to challenge the judgement 

that ordered his release from 

detention. 

Specifically, Kanu, in an 

application he filed through 

his team of lawyers led by 

Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, 

and Ifeanyi Ejiofor, applied 

for an order of the apex court, 

"striking out and/or 

dismissing the Respondent’s 

Appeal No: SC/CR/1361/ 

2022, for want of diligent 

prosecution". He is also 

asking for an order setting 

down his own cross appeal 

for hearing. 

The IPOB leader contended 

that going by Section 6 (1) of 

the Supreme Court 

(Criminal Appeals) Practice 

Direction 2013, FG, had only 

10 days within which to file 

and serve him with its brief 

of argument, upon the service 

of record of appeal. 

He further argued that Order 

2 Rule 29 (1) & (2) and Order 

6 Rule 9 of the Supreme 

Court Rules, As Amended 

2014, empowered him to 

seek the striking out of FG's 

appeal for want of diligent 

prosecution. 

According to him, "Parties 

were served with the record 

of appeal since the 2nd 

November, 2022. 

"The ten (10) days stipulated 

under the Fast Track Rules of 

this Court for the Respondent 

to file its Appellant’s Brief has 

since elapsed. The 

Respondent is not diligent in 

prosecuting its appeal. 

"The purpose of this Court’s 

Rules and Practice 

Directions, is to provide fair, 

impartial and expeditions 

administration of criminal 

appeals especially in relation 

to offences of terrorism, rape, 

kidnaping, corruption, 

money laundering and 

human trafficking. 

"On the 28th day of October, 

2022, the lower court while 

relying on the Notice of 

Appeal filed by the 

Respondent, granted the 

Respondent’s application for 

stay of execution of the 

judgment of the lower court, 

and consequently stayed the 

execution of its judgement 

delivered on the 13th 

October, 2022, which 

discharged the Applicant and 

prohibited his further 

detention. 

“The Respondent, which 

obtained an order of stay of 

execution of the judgment of 

the lower court, on the basis 

of this appeal, has not 

demonstrated any good faith 

in prosecuting the said 

appeal 

"Owing to the pendency of 

the instant appeal, the 

Applicant who was 

discharged by the lower court 

since the 13th October, 2022, 

is still in the custody of the 

Appellant/Respondent’s 

State Security Service (SSS), 

where he has been held in 

solitary confinement since 

the 29th day of June, 2021. 

"Striking out and/or 

dismissing the Respondent’s 

appeal will serve the best 

interest of justice and fair 

trial, having particular 

Over 600 persons benefit from medical outreach in Kwara 

Fourteen beneficiaries of 

Professor Wale 

Sulaiman's medical 

intervention at Share, 

Ifelodun Local Government 

Area of Kwara State are to 

undergo surgery, 157 

received free eye glasses, 

while others received free 

medical care and drugs. 

Prof Sulaiman, the Kwara 

South Senatorial Candidate 

of the Social Democratic 

Party sponsored the medical 

intervention in collaboration 

with Sakinah Medical 

Outreach, an international 

medical organization 

reputed for providing 

medicare to the vulnerable in 

urban and rural 

Communities. The 

medical outreach was held 

at Share Community Town 

Hall, Ifelodun Local 

Government Headquarters, 

Kwara State where over 600 

aged men, women, artisans 

and physically- challenged 

patients benefited. 

Commenting, the Team 

Lead/ Chairman, Sakinah 

Medical Outreach, Dr Yusuf 

Salman said, " Our 

organization is partnering 

Prof Wale Sulaiman's 

initiative to give opportunity 

to the less privileged in 

communities to access 

medical facilities with ease. 

The beneficiaries had the 

privilege to discuss their 

health concerns with 

qualified medical 

practitioners, which 

comprised doctors, 

pharmacists, nurses and 

Wike Approves N500m Take 

off Grant For JMOJI 

By Egufe Yafugborhi 

PORT HARCOURT - 

RIVERS State governor, 

Nyesom Wike, has offered 

N500Million take off grant 

for the Justice Mary Odili 

Judicial Institute (JMOJI), 

Port Harcourt. 

Wike announced the grant 

yesterday as Chief Justice of 

Nigeria, Olukayode 

Ariwoola, unveiled the 

JMOJI and the Federal 

Judicial Service 

Commission, South-South 

Liaison Office, both built by 

the Rivers State Government. 

Harping on the imperative 

for solid takeoff for the 

JMOJI, Wike said, "I have 

made my budget 2023 

presentation and it was not 

included. But I've told the 

Commissioner for Finance 

that since the budget has not 

been approved, he should 

make sure it is included. 

"But to start off for now until 

when next year's budget will 

be released, we are making a 

grant of N500 million to them 

so that the institute can start 

immediately to enable us have 

the full benefit " 

Wike noted that the 

health counselors". A 

beneficiary, Mrs Barikisu 

Zubair who expressed 

gratitude to Prof Wale 

Sulaiman for rendering 

selfless service to humanity 

said, "we thank the sponsor 

for his genuine concern for 

the less privileged in Share 

and neighboring 

communities. 

•As CJN unveils Rivers projects for judiciary 

National Judicial Institute 

(NJI) saddled with the 

training of judges and 

magistrate yearly has the 

challenge of carrying 

capacity, which means not 

every judge and magistrate 

billed for the continuous 

training can be lucky for 

admission in any current year. 

To close the gap with 

projects like the JMOJI, Wike 

said, "If Nigeria is operating 

a true federal system, there is 

nothing wrong for the state to 

have its own judicial institute 

that will train judges who 

apply the laws, preside over 

matters that affect the State 

and business around here. 

"Thank God today that the 

federal government through 

the CJN has approved it. 

What we are doing is to 

complement efforts of NJI. We 

are not taking over functions 

of NJI. We are only 

complementing, so that our 

own judges will be ahead of 

other states." 

The Governor said the 

Justice Mary Odili Judicial 

Institute will be willing to 

accommodate other judges 

and magistrates that will be 

referred to it by NJI and train 

them free of charge. 

2023: Tell 

Atiku to stop 

running, 

Tinubu begs 

Gbaramatu 

King during 

visit to Delta 

By Akpokona Omafuaire 

THE All Progressives 

Congress, APC, 

Presidential Candidate, 

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed 

Tinubu yesterday 

begged the Pere of 

Gbaramatu Kingdom, 

HRM. Oboro Gbaraun II 

to tell the Presidential 

Candidate of the 

People’s Democratic 

Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku 

Abubakar to stop 

contesting elections in 

the Country. 

Tinubu made the call 

during his address when 

he visited the reverred 

monarch at his palace in 

Oporozo, Warri South- 

West Local Government 

Area of Delta State. 

He noted that there are 

few of the presidential 

candidates contesting 

election. 

Tinubu said, “One says 

he is Atiku. How many 

times has he been 

running? He’s always on 

the run. He is never tired 

of running. Tell him to 

go and sit down.” 

According to Tinubu, the 

other one lies with 

statistics and arithmetic. 

“No Indian can solve it. 

To mention his name is a 

disgrace to me.” 

Tinubu said the 

particular candidate 

give wrong statistics and 

wrong arithmetic of the 

economy. 

While noting that the 

Pere of Gbaramatu 

Kingdom needs a man 

who knows the 

road,Tinubu said, 

“That’s me.” 

He promised that he will 

not be far away from the 

Gbaramatu people if 

elected president as he is 

going to consult with 

them for the development 

of the area as well as 

provide employments for 

the teeming youths.

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SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 2022 — 7 

PROSTATE CANCER: I'll not go down 

without a fight — CHARLY BOY 

•Charly Boy 

VBy Fred Iwenjora 

ery strong indications 

are that Charles Oputa, 

the Areafada and the 

self acclaimed President of 

frustrated Nigerians may be 

suffering from prostate cancer. 

These indications came to 

light last Saturday during the 

march for men programme, a 

prostate health awareness 

event held in Lagos. 

72 years old Oputa who was 

supposed to lead the event 

which included a march from 

Jibowu under bridge to Teslim 

Balogun stadium Surulere, 

Lagos after massively 

promoting it was 

conspicuously absent, raising 

questions about his health 

status. 

This unavoidable absence in 

a programme he massively 

promoted with the hope of 

leading left the rumour mill 

running wild in a free for all 

postulations. 

Charlyboy who says it like 

he feels and sees it, a brutally 

honest open spirit circulated a 

video two months ago, telling 

the world he was no longer 

interested in sex because he 

could no longer get it up. It is 

rumoured that our health freak, 

gym rat is abroad taking 

treatment for his prostate 

issues, others doubted how the 

very virile grand father with 

flamboyant outlook and 

lifestyle could be managing a 

big health issue as prostate 

cancer without being 

weighed down by it. 

When contacted, the US 

educated gregarious artist 

actor, broadcaster and general 

communicator who is at the 

forefront in promoting the 

presidential candidacy of Peter 

Obi and Dati Yusuf retorted," 

what do you want to hear? 

What do you want me to tell 

you? Do you want to hear that 

I have prostate cancer or that I 

Shortage of Psychiatrists 

affecting mental cases in 

Nigeria —APN 

By Dennis Agbo 

he Association of 

TPsychiatrists in Nigeria, 

APN, has lamented the 

dearth of professional 

psychiatrists in the country, 

stating that the shortage was 

a serious challenge to 

resolution of mental cases in 

Nigeria. 

The group said that as 

at present, only 250 qualified 

psychiatrists are working in 

a country of more than 200 

million people whereas the 

standard practice is for one 

psychiatric doctor to take care 

of 10,000 patients. 

The body of psychiatrists 

said that what was affecting 

the lack of qualified 

personnel is mostly the brain 

drain where most of the 

country’s trained 

psychiatrists have left the 

country for greener pastures 

overseas. 

APN President, Prof. 

Taiwo Obindo, made the 

disclosure, yesterday, at the 

sun State Election 

OPetition Tribunal has 

issued a fresh order, directing 

the National Chairman of the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission 

(INEC) to produce the 

Certificates and other 

documents of the state 

Governor-elect, Ademola 

Adeleke used in the 2018 

governorship election. 

The order followed the 

failure of the state Resident 

Electoral Commissioner 

(REC) of the commission to 

produce the certificates in the 

previous sitting in 

compliance with the 

Subpoena issued on the 

commission. 

Governor Adegboyega 

Oyetola is challenging the 

declaration of Adeleke as 

Governor-elect by the INEC. 

At its resumed sitting on 

Friday, the tribunal, Chaired 

by Justice Tertsea Kume 

ongoing 53rd Annual 

General and Scientific 

Meeting of all psychiatric 

doctors in Nigeria, holding 

at Federal Neuropsychiatric 

Hospital, Enugu with a 

theme: “Insecurity and 

Forced Displacement: 

Mental Health and 

Psychological Implication.” 

Obindo said that Nigeria 

currently has a ratio of one 

qualified psychiatric doctor 

to about a million Nigerians, 

noting that the development 

has made accessibility and 

deliverability of psychiatric 

care relatively difficult in the 

country. 

Obindo revealed that up 

to two-third of yearly welltrained 

and certified 

psychiatric doctors leave the 

country annually, creating a 

negative situation in Nigeria. 

“As we speak now, we are 

having less than 250 certified 

psychiatric doctors 

throughout the whole 

country and more are 

leaving by the day,” he 

lamented. 

don't have it. So I have it and 

am not going down without a 

fight. This will not cramp my 

style so biko don’t feel sorry for 

me. Life happens. My life has 

been one big fight. Fight for 

my independence, fighting 

not to let anyone kill my 

dreams, fighting for the 

underdogs and the masses 

who even sometimes fight me 

back. So am used to hard life, 

what can I say? 

Continuing, he explained: 

"Well, let me warn you: one out 

of four black men in the world 

today may likely have prostate 

cancer or enlargement or 

already having it. And as you 

know, these men are two times 

likely to die from it. 

Nevertheless, there's 96% 

survival rate if it is screened 

and detected early. I feel 

concerned for black men like 

me. This is why I joined and 

promoted the prostate cancer 

awareness initiative by Dozy 

Mmobuosi Foundation in 

which over 1000 men where 

screened because early 

detection is key to survival. " 

When asked specifically if he 

had prostate cancer, Charly 

Boy said "Cancer no fear me, 

am beating this, watch me. 

U wey dey ask me question 

you don go check yourself? 

Prostrate Cancer is a number 

one killer for black peopleooo. 

I have to run, am shooting 

my video today” Typical of the 

AreaFada who even in the face 

of danger expresses no fear. 

God be with him. May he be 

healed. 

Alleged N785m fraud: Court orders arrest of Imo State 

Deputy Speaker 


ABUJA-- The Federal High 

Court sitting in Abuja, on 

Friday, issued warrant for the 

arrest of the Deputy Speaker 

of the Imo state House of 

Assembly, Hon. Amarachi 

Iwuanyanwu, following his 

alleged involvement in a 

N785million fraud. 

The court, in a ruling that 

was delivered by Justice 

Inyang Ekwo, directed the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission, EFCC, 

the Nigeria Police, the 

Department of Stats Services, 

the Nigerian Immigration 

Services and the Interpol, to 

arrest the lawmaker on sight, 

"anywhere he is sighted in 

Nigeria or outside Nigeria 

and produce him before this 

honourable court or to the 

EFCC headquarters, Abuja". 

The order for Iwuanyawu's 

arrest was sequel to an exparte 

application dated 

November 14, which the 

EFCC brought before the 

court through its lawyer, Mr. 

Olanrewaju Adeola. 

In the application marked: 

FHC/ABJ/CS/2124/2024, 

EFCC, told the court that it 

got an intelligence that the 

lawmaker had since escaped 

from the country and is 

currently hiding in the 

United States of America, 

USA. 

It told the court that the 

Respondent refused to make 

himself available to respond 

to a petition that was lodged 

against him and his 

company, Sun Gold Estate 

Limited. 

According to the EFCC, a 

firm, Hakiz Investment 

Company Limited, had in 

the petition that was signed 

by its lawyer, Mr. A. A Malik, 

SAN, and addressed to its 

Chairman, alleged that it had 

sometime in 2012, entered 

into a Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, with 

Iwuanyawu's company to 

develop an estate comprising 

of 14 units of 4 bedroom 

Drug war: NDLEA, French police commend 

partnership as Marwa seeks more support 

hairman/Chief Executive 

COfficer of the National 

Drug Law Enforcement 

Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. 

Mohamed Buba Marwa 

(Retd), CON, OFR, has 

commended the support 

from the Police Nationale 

(RAID) of France especially 

in the areas of training and 

equipment. 

The NDLEA boss who 

spoke in his office in Abuja 

on Friday when the Police 

Attaché at the French 

Embassy in Nigeria, 

Emmanuel Verin, led a team 

of French VIP trainers 

including Cedric B. and 

Christophe J. who were in the 

country to train a number of 

NDLEA officers in special 

operations, paid him a 

courtesy visit. 

INEC Chairman must produce Adeleke's certificates 

— Osun tribunal insists 

ruled that the mere 

appearance of the 

representative of REC has 

not answered the Subpoena 

on the commission to 

produce the documents. 

In the ruling, the tribunal 

said an application for 

Subpoena is in 

Administrative Act and 

when it is granted, it becomes 

Judicial Act and the party 

upon which the Subpoena is 

issued must comply, citing 

Section 218 and 219 of the 

evidence act. 

It ruled: "An order of the 

court is bound to be 

complied with by the party 

upon which it was made until 

it is set aside by the court. In 

the instant case the order 

has not been complied with." 

The tribunal further held 

that the request by the 

respondents that the 

petitioners should continue 

with the calling of the 

witness whose testimony is 

From left: Oge Peters, Head of Commercial, Savannah Energy, Nigeria; Gbite Falade, 

Chief Executive Officer, Niger Delta Exploration & Production Plc; Okechukwu Mba, 

Managing Director, Anoh Gas Processing Company; Dipo Maiye, Partner and Head, 

Oil, Gas and Power, Andersen Nigeria, and Tony Attah, immediate past MD/CEO, Nigeria 

Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) during the Energy Sustainability Conference held in 

Lagos. 

hanged on the Adeleke's 

credentials was baseless, as 

the petitioners have the 

absolute prerogative on how 

to conduct their case. 

The panel said the 

application was consequent 

upon the failure of the state 

REC of the commission to 

produce the documents 

requested in the Subpoena. 

According to the ruling, the 

Petitioners have shown 

sufficient reasons for the 

tribunal to compel the the 

National Chairman of INEC 

to produce the documents in 

question. 

It then dismissed all the 

objections raised by the 

counsel for INEC, Adeleke 

and PDP and compelled the 

National Chairman of the 

commission to produce the 

documents in the next 

sitting of the panel on 

Thursday, December 1. 

Counsel for the Petitioners, 

Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN, 

described the ruling as a well 

researched one, saying it 

would go a long way in 

serving the course of justice 

in the hearing of the petition. 

Addressing journalists 

shortly after the proceedings, 

Chief Olujinmi, said the court 

has done the right thing for 

reordering INEC to produce 

the requested documents 

containing Adeleke's 

certificates. 

He added: "The 

respondents, as we said 

during the last sitting, didn't 

want to produce that 

document and that was why 

we had to argue at length to 

persuade the tribunal to 

reorder, which they 

eventually made today. 

"The effect of this is that the 

INEC is now under a binding 

obligation to produce these 

documents at the next 

appearance in court on 

Thursday December 1st, 

2022," he added. 

According to Marwa, “I’ll 

like to appreciate the French 

government for its support as 

one of our leading partners. 

We have received 

tremendous help from France 

not only in terms of training 

but also equipment. The 

support was capped with my 

recent visit to France where 

we received warm reception 

at all the institutions visited 

and the training promised 

was promptly organized. 

We’re grateful for that and we 

terrace and one block of 6 flats 

on the petitioner’s land 

situated at Mabuchi Abuja. 

It told the court that the 

agreement was that upon 

the completion of the estate 

by the Respondent, the 

complainant, who is the 

owner of the land, would take 

40% of the building, while the 

Respondent, being the 

developer, would take 60% of 

the building. 

are looking forward to more 

collaboration and support.” 

In his response, Verin said 

“we’re proud to work with 

NDLEA because your officers 

and men are very smart and 

professional and that’s why 

you’re getting results, hence 

our priority in terms of 

support for NDLEA is in the 

area of training. Our trainers 

who have been here to train 

your men are specialists and 

top in the field. We’ll do this 

for a very long time and we’re 

glad to work with you.”

C 

M 

Y 

K 


2023 Polls: Court faults INEC for stopping 

voters registration, refuses to extend it 


BUJA-- The Federal High 

ACourt sitting in Abuja, on 

Friday, declared that the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, 

acted unlawfully, when it 

stopped the Continuous 

Voters' Registration, CRV, 

exercise on July 31, more 

than six months to the 2023 

general elections. 

The court, in a judgement 

that was delivered by Justice 

Inyang Ekwo, said it was 

convinced that the action by 

electoral 

body, 

"would disenfranchise 

millions of eligible potential 

voters". 

It held that INEC could 

only stop the CRV exercise, 

at least 90 days before 

the next general elections 

scheduled for February 25, 

2023. 

The judgement followed a 

suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 

1335l2022, which was filed 

before the court by a frontline 

constitutional lawyer, Chief 

Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and 

Abubakar Damisa Sani. 

Justice Ekwo, held thus: 

"In my opinion, the intent of 

the lawmaker in making any 

law is that any person to 

whom the responsibility, 

power or authority for 

implementing the law Is 

given must act reasonably in 

doing so 

"This means that the 

power of the Defendant to 

Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja 

THE 

Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission INEC has 

released the guidelines for 

the conduct of political 

rallies, processions and 

campaigns as well as 

finances and election 

expenses of political parties, 

candidates and aspirants. 

Accordingly, it has set a 

ceiling of N50 million as the 

maximum amount of 

money or other assets that 

an individual, a group of 

individuals or an entity can 

donate to a political party or 

FUTO floats Public Procurement 

Research Centre 

By Chidi Nkwopara 

WERRI --- In it's 

Orenewed bid to improve 

on the academic 

programmes of the institution 

and service delivery to 

Nigeria, the management of 

Federal University of 

Technology, Owerri, FUTO, 

has successfully established 

and commissioned the 

Public Procurement Research 

Centre, PPRC. 

Speaking during the 

commissioning of the Centre, 

the institution's Vice 

Chancellor, VC, Professor 

(Mrs.) Nnenna N. Oti, 

reasoned that the road to 

good success may be tough 

and rough, but success is 

sweet. 

Her words: "The road to a 

resounding success may be 

tough and rough, as in this 

instant case, but success is 

definitely sweet. 

"As you all know, this is a 

highly challenging time in 

our dear country. The 

situation demands 

extraordinary effort, 

resilience, and perseverance, 

to excel in academic 

programmes and projects, as 

complex as what we are now 

commissioning." 

The VC recalled that FUTO 

was one of the six federal 

•From left: Newly inducted patron, Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo, Lagos Choir, 

Sir Anthony Abolarinwa Cole (KJW); his wife, Lady Oluwakemi Cole; newly 

inducted chaplain of the choir and the Presbyter of the Church, The Very Revd 

Oluwole Adesola Kuyebi; Evangelist James Caulrick (AIG) retd. at the 99th Annual 

choral service of the Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo, Lagos. 

stop the exercise of 

continuous registration of 

voters not later than 90 days 

before the general elections 

must be exercised reasonably. 

"The Defendant ended the 

CVR on 31st July, 2022 when 

the general election by its 

Timetable starts on 25th 

February, 2023. 

"By simple arithmetic, the 

period between 31st July, 

2022 and 25th February, 2023 

is 208 days. 

"In other words, what the 

Defendant is saying in its 

defence, is that it needed to 

end the CVR exercise on 

universities selected for the 

project, after a very rigorous 

competitive process, 

stressing that "this Centre is 

first of its kind to be domiciled 

in the South East geopolitical 

zone". 

Earlier in her address, the 

Centre Director, Professor 

Gloria Chukwudebe, said: "A 

good procurement system 

puts into consideration, the 

environmental and social 

requirements of the 

community. This project is 

packaged to train Nigerians 

on procurement laws and 

processes, environmental 

standards and sustainable 

social standards. 

"The FUTO Centre is 

designed to run executive 

and degree courses in 

Procurement Management, 

Environmental Standards 

and Sustainable Social 

Development. 

"Once we learn to get 

procurement right, potholes 

will disappear from our roads, 

because a well procured 

road, with adequate 

drainage and side-walks, will 

last a minimum of 15 years. 

"Similarly, faulty 

procurement leads to 

accidents, failed buildings, 

bridges, poor service delivery 

in organizations, hospitals 

and higher institutions and 

a lot more." 

31st July, 2022 which is 208 

days from the date of the 

general election which is 25th 

February, 2023, at the time it 

did, so that the permanent 

voters' cards will be printed 

in good time and distribution 

of same can commence in 

earnest as what use will 

extending the CVR exercise 

serve if the Defendant is not 

able to meet the timelines 

stated in Exhibit INEC 3. 

"I cannot agree with the 

Defendant that it needs 208 

days to produce permanent 

voters' cards. 

"Before making Exh. INEC 

3, the Defendant must have 

satisfied itself of its capacity 

to produce permanent voters‘ 

cards and distributed same 

to all registered voters in 

Nigeria. 

"It is apparent from the 

averments of the Defendant 

that they do not have the 

equipment that is capable of 

producing at the 

complimentary level of voters 

registration. 

"However, the case is, the 

excuse given by the 

Defendant for stopping the 

CVR on 31st July, 2022, 

thereby depriving the 

Plaintiffs and other Nigerians 

who are eligible to vote in the 

2023 general elections is not 

tenable going by the facts of 

this case. 

"As I look at it now, it is my 

opinion that the Defendant 

was hasty in stopping the 

CVR on 31st JuIy, 2022 for the 

general elections that will 

hold on 25th February, 2023 

and 11th March, 2023 

respectively. 

"The case of the Plaintiffs 

therefore succeeds on the 

merit and I answer their sole 

question In the negative. 

"A Declaration is hereby 

made that the stoppage of 

the continuous voters 

registration by the 

Defendant on the 31th of 

July, 2022, amounts to 

disenfranchisement of 

citizens who have attained or 

will attain the age of 18 years 

before 28th day of November, 

2022, being 90 days to the 

date of the general elections 

scheduled to hold on 25th 

February, 2023", Justice 

Ekwo held. 

Though the court upheld 

the case of the plaintiffs, it, 

however, declined to issue a 

mandatory order of 

injunction to compel INEC 

which was cited as the sole 

defendant in the matter, to 

forthwith, in line with 

section 9 (6), 10 (1), and 12 

(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, 

extend the CVR exercise till 

November 27, which will be 

90 days to the general 

elections. 

INEC sets campaign donation limit at N50m, bars rallies in 

Schools, worship centres 

aspirant for an election. 

INEC also placed a ban 

on the conduct of political 

rallies in worship centres 

and public institutions. 

According to the 

guideline, “the maximum 

amount of money or other 

assets that an individual, a 

group of individuals or an 

entity can donate to a 

political party or aspirant for 

an election shall be 

N50,000,000 (fifty million 

Naira only). A political 

party shall not accept any 

monetary or other 

contribution which is more 

than N50,000,000 except it 

identifies and discloses the 

source of the contribution to 

the commission”. 

INEC added that 

contribution to candidates 

by an individual or entity 

shall be from 150 days 

allowed for campaigns to 

election day while 

contribution to aspirants by 

an individual or entity shall 

be from the date notice of 

election is published to the 

conclusion of party 

primaries. 

INEC added that the 

election expenses of a 

candidate shall not exceed 

the limits prescribed in the 

Electoral Act, 2022 (as 

amended). 

According to the 

commission, “the election 

expenses of a political party 

shall be in three parts; for 

the management of 

aspirants and party 

BVAS could 

be Buhari's 

biggest 

legacy. Don't 

toy with it 

OPINION By Tony Nwaka 

here is no doubt we all 

Thave our different views 

about how Nigeria has fared 

in the last seven and half 

years of President 

Mohammadu Buhari's 

administration. While many 

of us are fascinated by the 

impressive leaps in new 

railways, roads, bridges, 

institutions of higher 

learning, hospitals, hightech 

diagnostic centres, 

airport reconstructions, local 

rice production, dry and deep 

sea ports, recovery of looted 

funds etc, some other people 

still have strong reservations 

about these milestones. 

But whatever side of the 

divide our opinions find 

habitation, 

the 

accomplishment that may 

likely immortalize the 

identity of President 

Mohammadu Buhari is the 

new Electoral Act, 

particularly the introduction 

of Biomodal Voter 

Accreditation System and 

INEC Result Viewing Portal 

(BVAS and IReV). These 

innovations have not only 

brought an end to the 

traditional stuffing of ballot 

boxes and falsification of 

election results, but also 

triggered a budding political 

climate with potentially 

immeasurable benefits for our 

country. 

It is therefore quite 

disturbing that few months 

to an election that would 

mark the birth of a new 

Nigeria, suspicions are being 

expressed about plots to 

scuttle the use of BVAS and 

IReV. This is most 

unfortunate. Thankfully, 

INEC has come out to reaffirm 

in strong terms its resolve to 

deploy the BVAS and IReV 

in the 2023 general elections. 

Let us hope and pray that 

the reported attempts to 

frustrate the use of these 

groundbreaking creations 

remain mere speculation. 

We must be seen to be 

moving irreversibly toward 

the higher ideals of 

democracy, not minding the 

individuals or political parties 

that become the early 

beneficiaries of the aforesaid 

electoral innovations. Of 

greater collective advantage 

is the institution of a culture 

that would populate elective 

offices with credible, 

competent, and accessible 

Nigerians (the legitimate 

choices of the people) and 

consequently unleash the 

true capacity of our great 

country. There is no higher 

goal of democracy than that; 

it is the pinnacle of political 

excellence. And so would the 

imprint of President Buhari 

be permanently engraved on 

the pages of posterity, with 

its decibels echoing 

magnificently across 

generations, even beyond the 

shores of our fatherland. 

Crimes reporters honour Uzodimma with award for fighting 

insecurity 

issues in the state. Wednesday, 

THE 

Crimes 

R e p o r t e r s 

Association of Nigeria, 

has honoured Imo state 

Governor, Senator Hope 

Uzodimma with an 

award for his 

doggedness in fighting 

insecurity to a stand still 

in the state. 

At the 31st edition of 

the Annual Lecture/ 

Awards of the Crime 

Reporters Association of 

Nigeria, CRAN, which 

was held in Ikeja, Lagos 

State, the organization 

commended the 

governor for sacrificing 

everything available to 

restore peace in the 

state. Uzodinma 

received CRAN’s 

coveted Platinum Award 

primaries; for management 

of candidates and conduct 

of elections; and, for 

miscellaneous election 

expenses. 

INEC added that the 


political party for 

management of party 

primaries shall not exceed 

two-third of the limits 

prescribed for candidates 

expenses in the Electoral 

Act, 2022 for respective 

elective positions. 

Similarly, the election 

expenses of a political party 

for conduct of elections shall 

not exceed two-third the 

limit of election expenses of 

each candidate multiplied 

by the number of candidates 

the political party shall 

sponsor in a particular 

election for elective 

positions. 

“The miscellaneous 


political party shall include 

in Fight Against 

insecurity, among 36 

respected and 

deservung Nigerians 

recognized by the 

association for their 

services to the country 

and humanity. 

Receiving the award, 

the Governor who was 

represented by the 

Commissioner for 

Information, Hon. 

Declan Emelumba, said 

he was quite happy that 

his dogged fight against 

insecurity in Imo State 

had been noticed, 

applauded and then 

appreciated. 

He said that it was 

because the fight 

against insecurity was 

yielding dividends that 

attention could now be 

given to other essential 

but not limited to: pre-election 

cases against the party; 

post-election or election 

petitions; re-mobilization of 

party members after elections”, 

the commission stated. 

It added that every 

political party shall submit 

to the commission, detailed 

annual statement of its 

assets and liabilities and 

analysis of its sources of 

funds and other assets, 

together with statement of 

its expenditure between 1st 

January and 30th March of 

the succeeding year in hard 

and soft copy. 

On diaspora 

contributions, INEC 

declared that every political 

party shall notify it of, and 

transfer to the Commission 

any funds or other assets 

remitted or sent to it from 

outside Nigeria within 21 

days of receipt. 

According to 

Emelumba, if not for 

insecurity which took 

most of the governor’s 

attention and enormous 

resources ,the state 

would have become 

incredibly transformed 

to the level that other 

states would be envious 

of Imo. 

He further explained 

that it was because the 

insecurity had been 

tackled and checkmated 

to a certain level that the 

governor decided to 

focus attention on other 

important state matters, 

which led to the 

promotion of civil 

servants across the 

board in the state. This 

promotion 

announced 

was 

on 

said 

Emelumba. 

His words: “The 

governor wanted to be 

here himself, but today 

is the All Progressives 

Congress (APC) rally in 

Ebonyi State, so he had 

to stay. The rally is 

within his zone and he 

is the Chairman of the 

APC Presidential 

Campaign Council in 

the South-East, so there 

was no way he could 

have stayed away from 

there. But he said I 

should come to 

represent him. His 

Excellency is super 

excited with the award 

because it hits to the 

point of his dogged fight 

against insecurity in Imo 

State, which has worked 

and today, Imo State is 

relatively safe.”


10—SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 2022 

By Dennis Agbo 

Between Saturday November 19 and Monday 

November 21 2022, terrorists in the disguise of 

herdsmen overran three communities of 

Aguamede, Mgbuji and Ebor communities in 

Eha-Amafu, Isi-Uzo local government area of 

Enugu state. Many people were killed, houses destroyed and 

the villagers fled the communities to Eha-Amufu township 

where they are now concentrated as Internally Displaced 

Persons, IDP. 

On intervention to the catastrophic tragedy, the Governor 

of Enugu state, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Tuesday 

released millions of naira to support the displaced persons, 

while condemning the attack and invasion of the people of 

Enugu state by external aggressors. 

Story from the victimized villagers has it that nine persons 

were killed at Aguamede, six at Mgbuji, two at Ebor and one 

person at Umujiovh. A cross section of Eha-Amufu people 

interviewed said that they could not tell exactly what the 

problem was that brought about the attacks on the 

communities which started early this year. From January to 

July 2022, terrorists invaded Ebor, Mgbuji, Aguamede and 

other farm settlements in Eha-Amufu, which resulted in the 

death of over six persons and many casualties. Soldiers 

were deployed but the soldiers left and the 

attack continued. 

The terrorists whom the Eha-Amufu 

people say were herders came in full 

force in July and killed many people 

and burnt houses and properties. 

More than 20 motorcycles and 

houses were razed, and were said to 

have promised that they would 

come back. At a point within the 

years the killings took the 

dimension of kidnapping for 

ransom. Women were raped; 

arson and destruction of 

properties such as farm 

crops took place, with Eha- 

Amufu indigenes chased out 

from their land. 

An indigene of Mgbuji, 

Mr. Benjamin Edeh 

dismissed a version of the 

story making the rounds that 

some indigenes of Eha- 

Amufu sold a portion of 

their land to the Fulani 

herders who now want the 

natives to leave the land for 

them since they had 

allegedly sold the land to the 

Fulani. 

Collaborating Edeh’s view 

the South East Chairman of 

Miyetti-Allah Cattle 

Breeders Association, 

MACBAN, Alhaji Gidado 

Siddiki said that the Fulani 

herdsmen don’t buy lands 

anywhere, noting that if the 

herders were to buy lands, 

they would have bought all 

the lands in northern 

Nigeria, where there are 

enough portions of land. 

Edeh said that what was 

happening was a fulfillment 

of what the leader of the 

Indigenous People of Biafra, 

IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu said 

that the Fulani were coming 

with a mission to conquer 

and dominate. He denied 

that the Eha-Amafu people 

ever killed any Fulani and 

cited the instance of the same 

Fulani invasion and killing 

of the people of Benue state 

for no just cause. In 

Plateau, there are 

places they occupy 

now following 

incessant attacks 

similar to the ones 

happening in Enugu 

now. 

“ We have boundary 

with Benue state, and 

ever since this thing 

started happening, we 

have not seen any 

government intervention. Is it 

the ten million naira given by the state 

government that is the solution to the 

problem? The soldiers are here but 

they are doing nothing, 

they have not even 

moved an inch into 

where the problem is, 

they are only stationed 

along Ikem road 

whereas the problem 

Killings 

in Aha-Amafu, 

terror in Ezeagu 

as herdsmen 

reign in Enugu 

is taking place many 

kilometers away 

from where they 

are. The people 

they are 

arresting are 

boys smoking 

India hemp. All 

our people at 

the farm 

settlements 

have been 

sacked by the 

Fulani,” Edeh 

said. 

The MACBAN 

Chairman in South 

East Siddiki 

told Saturday 

Vanguard that there has 

been dialogue between the 

Eha-Amufu communities and 

the herders at Obollo-Afor, but 

that the Chairman of Isi-Uzo local 

Why the herders left that 

place is because anytime 

they see them there at 

Eha-Amufu they will be 

attacked. So they are 

scared to come to the 

community any more 

•Ugwuanyi 

government council said the 

meeting should be shifted to Ikem, 

the council headquarters which the 

herders refused on the grounds that 

they had left Eha-Amufu. 

“Why the herders left that place 

is because anytime they see them 

there at Eha-Amufu they will be 

attacked. So they are scared to 

come to the community any more. 

We moved the meeting to 

government house and we met once 

but then we did not meet again, but 

last week a Fulani man called me 

and said that one of them was 

abducted in that place and that he 

was killed. Whether he was killed or 

not they said they have not seen 

him, they didn’t see the corpse and 

they didn’t see the person. 

“I called the Chairman and told 

him what was happening and he 

said he will find out, but you know 

the Eha-Amufu people have 

boundary dispute with the Benue state 

people so it may not be entirely correct to 

say that it is the Fulani that is fighting 

them but for now I cannot say its Fulani or 

not Fulani because I am not there. But 

these are the reports I get. I don’t know 

what is happening there again because 

our people have left that place. The peace 

parley was not conclusive and so my 

people cannot go back there again, we 

don’t know what happened there,” 

Sidikki narrated. 

Similarly, last week Friday, terrorists 

at Amansiodo-Oghe in Ezeagu local 

government area of Enugu state, opened 

fire on one Mr. Jude Eze who escaped 

with his bullet-riddled car. 

An ex-councilor in the area, Hon. 

Priscilla narrated that the community’s 

vigilante quickly swooped into action for 

a counter offensive but were also repelled 

by the terrorists. She said that both the 

cars of the neighborhood watch group 

and that of Mr. Jude were badly riddled 

with bullets even to the engine parts, 

noting that those attacked were lucky to 

have escaped death. “The matter was 

reported to the police but nothing has 

been heard from the incident,” She said. 

In the same Ezeagu local government 

area, a traditional ruler, HRH Igwe 

Umeanayo Okongwu noted that what the 

council area suffers mostly is insecurity 

caused by herdsmen kidnapping, starting 

from Ugwueke, close to Nigeria 

Breweries Plc Ama plant, down to 

Akama-Oghe, Olo and the rest of Ezeagu 

local government areas. 

The Monarch said: “The 

kidnappings are too many, 

there have been many 

occurrences at 

Ugwueke there and 

some have been 

arrested while the 

DPO at Aguobu- 

Owa is in 

position to say 

the number 

arrested and 

other details. 

There have 

been 

kidnappings 

in Obeleagu- 

Umana, 

Umumba- 

Ndiagbu, and 

Olo on a daily 

basis, because 

the Olo 

community is 

between Uzo-Uwani 

and Ezeagu. In fact 

there are serious 

challenges in Ezeagu that 

include farm lands invasion 

and destruction. It’s just that 

human kidnapping is the height of it all. 

It’s almost a daily affair that people are 

no longer sure of going to Ezeagu and 

coming back safe.” 

The police command in Enugu has 

however visited scenes of the Eha-Amufu 

massacre, where the state Commissioner 

of Police, Ahmed Ammani condoled with 

the bereaved families and ordered discreet 

investigation into the continued clashes 

between farmers and herders, while 

initiating non-kinetic approach to 

resolving the lingering conflict. 

Ammani represented by the Deputy 

Commissioner of Police in-charge of 

Operations, and heads of other security 

agencies, including the Garrison 

Commander, 82 Division of the 

Nigerian Army Enugu, the Assistant 

Director of Operations, Department 

of State Services Enugu and teams 

of Police/Army personnel, in 

company of the Chairman of Isi- 

Uzo LGA, on Tuesday visited 

Ohuala-Mgbede, Aguemede and 

Mgbuji villages in Eha-Amufu 

where the killings took place. 

The police said that the visit was 

aimed at ascertaining the 

circumstances surrounding the 

reported attacks and murder in the 

villages, stating that the victims’ 

remains have been deposited in the 

mortuary for preservation and 

autopsy, after they were confirmed 

dead by doctors. 

“According to the State Police 

Public Relations Officer, Daniel 

Ndukwe: “The Joint Police/Army 

team stationed within Eha-Amufu 

community has been reinforced 

and drafted to the area to prevent 

further occurrence of the incident 

and to fish out the perpetrators.

VANGUARD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022 — 11 

FACES AT VANGUARD 2ND MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT IN LAGOS, YESTERDAY 

Vanguard 2nd Mental Health Summit, themed: 'Mental Health in a Distressed Economy', held at 

Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday. Photos: Lamidi Bamidele & Kehinde Gbadamosi. 

•From left: Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, GM/Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard 

Newspapers; Mrs. Chioma Obinna, Assistant Health Editor; Mrs. 

Edosa Ogbeide, Director, Narcotic and Controlled Substance 

Directorate, NAFDAC; Dr. Oluwayemi Ogun, immediate past medical 

director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, and Dr. 

Osahon Enabulele, President, World Medical Association and 

Chairman of the occasion. 

•From left: Mr. Eze Anaba, Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, welcoming 

Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, Ag. DG, NAFDAC, to the event. 

•From left: Dr. Babatunde Fadipe, Consultant Psychiatrist, Lagos 

University Teaching Hospital; Prof. Olatunji Aina, Keynote Speaker, 

and Prof. Taiwo Sheikh, immediate past president, Association of 

Psychiatrists of Nigeria and Coordinator, Vanguard Mental Health 

Chart Room. 

•From left: Prof. Aina; Dr. Olufunmilayo Akinola, Chief Consultant 

Psychiatrist, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Annex, Oshodi, 

Lagos, and Dr. Oluwayemi Ogun, immediate past medical director, 

Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos. 

•From left: Dr. Tolu Ajomale, Head, Mental Health Desk, Ministry 

of Health, Lagos State, representing Prof. Akin Abayomi, 

Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, and Ms Funke Shonubi, 

Programme Coordinator, Mental Health Desk, Ministry of Health, 

Lagos State. 

•From left: Dr. Segun Oke, Zonal Commander, National Drug Law 

Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Lagos, representing Brig.-Gen. Buba 

Marwa, Chairman/CEO, NDLEA; Adetoun Odusanya, Asst. 

Superintendent of Narcotics, and Alabi Zacheous, Chief Narcotics 

Agent, NDLEA. 

•From left: Mrs. Ijeoma Nwankwo, Director, 

Drug Evaluation and Research Directorate; 

Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, Ag. DG, and Mrs. 

Edosa Ogbeide, all of National Agency for 

Food, Drug Administration and Control, 

NAFDAC. 

•From left: Ms Chineze Amanfo, PR Lead, 

9mobile; Mrs. Tola Ajayi, Clinic Manager, 

Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos, and John 

Ogunmayi, Business Development Manager, 

Nordica Fertility, Lagos. 

•From left: Mr. Dipo Adeshida, Master of 

Ceremony, with Mr. Sola Ogundipe, Health 

Editor, Vanguard Newspapers.


By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, 

South-South, Sam Oyadongha, 

Jimitota Onoyume, Egufe 

Yafugborhi, Chioma Onuegbu, 

Davies Iheamnachor and 

Ozioruva Aliu, 

The Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, 

regional body of South-South, and other 

stakeholders of the Niger-Delta, have 

commended ex-militant leader, Government 

Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and his Tantita 

Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, 

singled out, recently, by the Group Chief 

Executive Officer, GCEO, Nigerian National 

Petroleum Corporation, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, 

and other Private Security Companies, PSCs, 

for doing a great job. 

Great job —Robinson, 

PANDEF 

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard at Port Harcourt, 

Rivers state, the National Publicity Secretary, 

PANDEF, Hon Ken Robinson, applauded Kyari for 

recognizing the efforts of Tompolo in securing oil 

pipelines awarded to his company. 

He said: ”Tompolo and his boys are doing a 

good job. The point to note particularly is that 

indigenous to the community, they know the terrain, 

they know the nooks and crannies of the creeks, 

and forests, so they can do a better job as evidenced 

now.” 

”But do not forget that there are also others 

who also have the same contracts. It is not only 

Tompolo. Sometimes, we have queried why hype 

on Tompolo. Other people are also doing this job 

and the focus is on Tompolo. It is not very good 

because others are in the job too. He is a Nigerian 

and entitled to get a job.” 

Robinson noted that the problem Tompolo and 

others were drafted to solve would not have 

escalated to the point of awarding pipeline 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

PIPELINE SECURITY: 

Tompolo, others have 

performed amazingly 

—PANDEF, N-Delta stakeholders 

•Urge govt to give PSCs 

free hand to operate 

Quintessence steps out with ‘Style Noir’ for African culture 

arely a year after successfully 

Bhosting the debut edition of 

its annual fashion show, Nigeria’s 

arts and culture hub, 

Quintessence, held another 

scintillating show inside its 

Parkview, Ikoyi Gallery. 

The fashion event held 

recently, showcased rich 

collection of African wears that’ll 

suit any occasions during the 

Christmas season and beyond. 

At the show titled ‘Style Noir’, 

models clad in beautifully 

designed African fabrics catwalked 

to the admiration of 

guests, bringing alive the entire 

gallery that houses diverse 

stunning arts and crafts collected 

over the years. 

One interesting thing about the wears is 

that they were mostly made with the interest 

of customers at heart. Simple but elegant 

one may say! 

Over the years, Quintessence has focused 

on showcasing talent of local artists, artisans, 

musicians and fashion designers while paying 

attention to promoting local content as well as 

creating enabling environment for cultivating 

local craftsmanship and creativity. 

With more visibility and space to 

accommodate its vast collection of stunning 

arts and crafts by artists and, gorgeous 

clothing and accessories to satisfy its teaming 

surveillance contracts if the Federal Government 

had the 16-point demand of PANDEF. 

“Let us recall that pipeline surveillance and 

security issue was one issue raised in the 16-point 

agenda of PANDEF. If the government had paid 

close attention to the 16-point agenda some 

problems, we faced before the Tompolo contract 

would not have been there,” he said. 

Give PSCs free hand to work 

—Nwoko, SAN 

Former Attorney-General and Commissioner for 

Justice, Akwa Ibom state, Uwemedimo Nwoko 

SAN, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard at Uyo, 

asserted that it was embarrassing and shameful 

that two or three PSCs achieved oil 

facilities protection, which the Federal 

Government of Nigeria and security 

agencies could not achieve. 

His words: “If the Federal 

Government with all the Police, 

Navy, Airforce, Army, Customs, 

Immigration, DSS, over eight 

central military and paramilitary agencies put 

together could not, over the years, protect oil 

facilities and prevent oil theft in Nigeria. However, 

just two or three security agencies, which are less 

than a local government, can now be the ones to 

protect us, then; I think there is something wrong 

with Nigeria as a country.” 

“And the fact that the private security contractors 

that have been engaged to handle it have yielded 

results; we must give credit to them. They have 

done what the federal government and its security 

agencies could not achieve. 

“The NNPCL, whether as an official agency of 

government or a limited liability company now, the 

important thing is that they achieve results. It 

means more money will come to the sharing table 

for everybody. I commend the results achieved by 

those private security contractors engaged. 

“There should be no interference, the Federal 

government of Nigeria, the NNPCL, and all the 

agencies should give them free hand to work. 

“Those who are the company entrepreneurs, 

customers, 

Quintessence 

maintains its 

position as 

one of the 

world’s 

leading 

luxury 

department 

store for 

African arts 

and crafts. 

While a selection of African music boomed 

from the sound system positioned at strategic 

•Tompolo 

that have been benefitting from the oil theft 

business have eaten enough and should allow the 

PSCs to do their work. The federal government 

must take steps to ensure that whoever they catch 

in the act faces the full weight of the law, which 

should be able to discourage people from this 

criminal act,” he added. 

Tip of the iceberg–Wills, Ijaw 

think-tank 

President Ijaw Professionals Association, IPA, 

(Homeland Chapter comprising Bayelsa, Delta & 

Rivers) and a chieftain of Embasara Foundation, 

an Ijaw think-tank for good governance, 

Barrister Iniruo Wills said: “The sensation and 

momentary relief that greeted the ‘revelation’ of 

the grand oil theft infrastructure by private security 

services are justifiable. It is clear even to the dead 

that as shocking as what they have uncovered is, 

it is still merely one small tip of the iceberg.” 

points, guests savoured the fashion 

display by not more than seven 

elegant models clad in the 

beautifully designed wears. The 

wears were made from Aso oke, 

Adire and other materials sourced 

locally. In addition to considering 

the comfort of customers while 

making the wears, Quintessence’s 

annual fashion show is organised to 

draw attention to how much the 

country stands to gain when people 

patronise made in African fabrics. 

The materials sourced locally are 

also economical 

since the 

organisers 

wouldn’t need 

to bother about 

cost of 

importation, 

besides, the 

materials are 

better for our 

climate. 

Dora Uju who 

manages the 

Arts and Crafts 

section of the 

Gallery, stated 

that, the 

essence of 

‘Style Noir’, was 

to portray 

diverse Africa inspired styles available in the 

country, and to gather people together as 

Christmas season approaches, to showcase 

“Therefore, two things are urgently vital. First, 

while the private security contractors continue their 

services, the Presidency should start either an 

international inquiry that involves reputable 

institutions like the International Criminal Court’s 

Office of the Prosecutor, Transparency International 

and Global Witness or a carefully selected crack 

judicial panel, to get to the roots of this systemic 

pathology. 

“All the heads and relevant operational executives 

of these agencies in the last 24 years should testify 

in public at the inquiry. However, it should not be 

the usual shoddy and ineffective Nigerian inquiry. 

“Second, since the private service providers 

appear to be succeeding where both the official 

security system and the petroleum regulatory 

complex of the Ministry of Petroleum, former DPR 

(now NUPRC and NMDPRA), and NOSDRA and 

co failed woefully for many decades, the contractors 

should also train the official security and regulatory 

agencies on anti-oil theft prevention and law 

enforcement. 

Outstanding performance– 

Ekiye, publisher 

Ijaw elder and publisher, EnvironmentWatch, 

Deacon Braeyi Ekiye, said: “The commendation of 

NNPCL boss, Alhaji Mele Kyari on Tompolo’s 

outstanding performance regarding the pipeline 

surveillance and security of Nigeria’s oil and gas 

facilities is well -placed. Kyari cannot, but see 

Tompolo as the answer to the solution to oil theft 

that has gone unchecked for many years now. 

“The positive results achieved by Tantita in so 

short a period are unbelievable. The stone, which 

the builders refused, has become the head of the 

corner. That, that stone has become a stone of 

stumbling, and a rock of offense to offenders is no 

longer news. The illegal bunkerers have now come 

to the light that Tompolo is a rock of offense; if you 

stumble on it or kick against it; you are bound to 

suffer the consequences. 

“I have said before that those opposed to the 

surveillance contract were the people ‘complicit’ in 

this nefarious activity. Their fear is losing their lifeline 

if the likes of Tompolo critically interrogate the causes 

of illegal oil bunkering and put a stop to their 

dastardly act of economic sabotage and national 

security breach. 

“The nation’s security agencies should be 

ashamed of themselves for their dereliction of duty 

and for their connivance with these illegal 

bunkerers to assault our crude oil facilities. 

Their complicity is unfortunate. Where 

then is Nigeria’s security if those 

who swore to defend and 

protect our national assets, 

amongst others, have 

joined the bandwagon of 

thieves to desecrate the 

life wire of Nigeria’s 

economic and financial 

sustenance? 

“My humble advice to 

Tompolo is to stay strong 

and focused in his surveillance contract job. The 

antics and attempts made on his life by these oil 

thieves, whose cups are now full should not sway 

him. 

“He should also remember he is being used as 

cannon fodder, merely to be used as a valuable 

material to meet their needs after which they will 

desert him. Niger Delta has greater challenges 

posed by the Nigerian state. 

“We should remember that he is a major 

stakeholder in finding solutions to those problems 

confronting the region in the hostile Nigerian 

political and economic landscape that they, 

unfortunately, found themselves. 

‘My advice to NNPCL and through them to the 

Federal Government is that they should penalize 

all those found culpable and guilty in their 

investigations arising from these oil thefts, since 

we now know better, who the oil thieves are.” 

Continues on www.vanguardngr.com 

the beauty of African wears which falls within 

the mission of the cultural hub. ”This is 

our second annual fashion show through 

which we showcase to the world, the culture 

and traditions of Nigeria and Africa as a 

whole. “We are showing our beautiful styles 

with African fabrics- Adire, Aso Oke, Ankara, 

and batik in different styles. This is because 

over the years, we’ve seen that our tradition 

is going down because of modernisation- this 

generation seems to only know about foreign 

wears. So, with local fabrics, Quintessence 

makes contemporary clothing to satisfy both 

gender and all ages so as to keep promoting 

our culture”, she stated. 

“At Quintessence, we are trained to handle 

textiles so, we source our fabrics through our 

local artists from Oshogbo, Ikorodu, etc, and 

we create our styles to consider all ages. The 

idea of making the fabrics to contemporaries 

is to make the youth fall in love with the 

wears. You can see the blouses, shirts, jump 

suits, corporate wears, etc. “Also, the fabrics; 

adire, aso oke, batik, etc, which were 

dominant materials used to make the wears, 

are more conducive for our environment 

more than any imported garments, so I 

encourage us to get them”, Uju explained. 

Clearly with the show, Quintessence 

advocates for African arts and crafts not only 

because they’re elegant but for economic 

reasons. Considering how cute and sassy the 

wears showcased are, its high time Nigerians 

made it a point of duty to patronise local 

textiles and designs which go a long way in 

creating job opportunities, and boosting the 

economy.



England fans turned back 

for dressing as crusaders 

ngland supporters have 

Ebeen told not to wear 

crusader costumes when they 

attend the Three Lions’ next 

World Cup game against the 

USA in Qatar on Friday. 

Fans have been spotted in 

Doha wearing chainmail and 

carrying fake swords and 

shields with the St George 

cross on. The costumes are 

fairly common around 

England matches, but have 

caused a stir in Qatar due to 

their wider connotations. 

While the idea is to represent 

St George, England’s patron 

saint, the depiction of knights 

and crusaders 

could be deemed offensive in 

the Middle East. The Crusades 

were a series of religious wars 

waged by Christians against 

Muslims during the Medieval 

unisia will square off against 

TAustralia at the Al Janoub 

Stadium in their second groupstage 

game of the 2022 FIFA World 

Cup on Saturday. 

Tunisia got their campaign 

underway with a solid performance 

in their goalless draw against 

Denmark on Tuesday. Australia 

met reigning champions France in 

their campaign opener on the 

same day. 

While Australia took a shock 

lead in that game through Craig 

Goodwin’s ninth-minute goal, the 

2018 champions overturned the 

deficit with ease to record a 4-1 win. 

Adrien Rabiot equalized for 

France while Olivier Giroud 

bagged a brace and Kylian Mbappe 

also scored in the second half. 

This will be the second and 

probably the most important game 

in the group stage for both teams. 

Tunisia have a point to their name 

and a win in this match will help 

•Tunisia 

period. 

England fans dressed in full 

crusader garb have reportedly 

been denied entry to stadiums 

in Qatar. A video posted to 

Twitter, which has been viewed 

over 500,000 times, shows two 

England fans speaking to 

security before being turned 

away. 

Ashley Brown, head of 

supporter engagement at the 

Football Supporters 

Association, urged England 

supporters to be considerate of 

their hosts. “I think it’s naivety 

rather than anything 

intentional,” he said. 

“They’re dressing as St 

George, the patron saint, but 

perhaps they don’t really 

understand the implication of 

what they’re wearing.” 

Carthage Eagles set to knock 

off the Scceroos from Qatar 

them take a big step towards a 

second-place finish in Group H if 

France beat Denmark in their game 

on Saturday. 

Tunisia play France next and 

might struggle to secure a win 

against the European giants. This is 

a do-or-die game for Australia as 

failure to secure a win here will 

virtually guarantee their 

elimination from the competition. 

The two teams have met twice 

across all competitions, with their 

first-ever meeting in 1997 being a 

friendly, while they met in the 

erstwhile FIFA Confederations Cup 

in 2005. Both teams have a win 

apiece to their name, while also 

keeping clean sheets in their 

respective wins.Tunisia have failed 

to win 14 of their last 15 matches in 

the FIFA World Cup. Australia, on 

the other hand, are winless in their 

last seven games in the 

competition, suffering six defeats in 

that period. 

Richarlison’s golazo hi 

best of opening Group 

The month of fútbol is in full swing, and ever since 

contributed to th 

Sunday when Qatar and Ecuador kicked off the 2022 

the World Cup i 

World Cup, there has been no shortage of action. 

tournament. Th 

While some of the favorites have looked as expected, other 

opener, and hea 

teams have managed to shock us. Every country has now 

really good abo 

played their first game, so it’s a perfect time to take a look at 

be at the forefro 

what has transpired as the second round of group stage 

volumes to wha 

matches got underway Friday. 

Qatar. Marco A 

solid. Their nex 

and will truly sh 

a run or if the w 

advantage of an 

Best game 

Thursday’s Group H match between Portugal and 

Ghana was a wild ride. The first half not so much, but the 

second had a bit of everything. Cristiano Ronaldo was 

awarded a soft penalty and became the first men’s player to 

score in five consecutive World Cups. Ghana equalized and 

then Portugal quickly responded with a pair of goals thanks 

to crucial assists by Bruno Fernandes. Osman Bukari then 

found the back of the net for Ghana in the 89th minute 

and capped it off by doing Ronaldo’s popular Siu 

celebration. The best moment came in stoppage time, 

nearly resulting in a devastating blow for Portugal. 

The Portuguese were instead able to hang on for the 3-2 

victory, but this one was just full of entertainment from two 

sides willing to attack with no remorse. Ghana also became 

the first African nation to score at this World Cup and will 

certainly make life difficult for Uruguay and Korea in Group 

H. 

Biggest upset: 

This one is a no-brainer. Whether you set that early 

alarm or decided to forgo sleep and stay awake to see Lionel 

Messi in action … congratulations. He did end up getting 

his goal, just 10 minutes in by burying a penalty. But Saudi 

Arabia turned up in the second half and pulled off what 

might go down as the most memorable moment in the 

country’s soccer history. It wasn’t about just simply beating 

Argentina 2-1, it was delivering a massive blow to a side 

that was on a 36-game unbeaten run. This was supposed 

to be the easiest game of Group C for Argentina, and it 

instead resulted in their first loss since July 3, 2019. The 

occasion was so momentous that Saudi Arabia’s King 

World Cup 2022: Argentina still favorite to win the W/Cup 

Oddsmakers are not 

discounting Argentina’s 

chances of winning the 2022 

World Cup too much after its 

2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia on 

Tuesday. 

The Saudi win was one of the 

biggest upsets in World Cup 

history. Saudi Arabia was 

+1800 to win the game before 

kickoff. According to 

BetMGM, that’s the biggest 

odds for a victorious underdog 

in World Cup history. 

But the win doesn’t have 

much impact on Argentina’s 

chances of winning the World 

Cup. 

Why? It’s pretty simple. First, 

•Khalifa Stadium 

World Cup 2022: 

Salman declared Wednesday a public holiday in 

celebration of the upset. This is what the World 

Cup is all about. Regardless of what happens 

the rest of the tournament, the Saudis will 

have that memory forever … as will the 

Argentines, who now face a must-win game 

against Mexico to stay alive. 

What team looked best: 

The correct answer here might be 

France (more on that later), but any 

time a futbol team puts a touchdown on 

the board, it’s hard to look past that. 

Spain, albeit against a very weak 

Costa Rica team, sent the world a 

quick reminder that they’re 

still pretty damn good. The 

goals were flowing 

from every 

direction as six 

scorers 

Argentina largely outplayed 

Saudi Arabia and it’s fair to 

say the loss was a fluke. 

Saudi Arabia’s risky offside 

trap worked well — but 

there were a couple of close 

calls. Argentina had three 

first-half goals disallowed 

because of offside calls. 

Saudi Arabia also only 

had three shots overall and 

the only two that were on 

target went into the back of 

the net. That’s a fluky shot 

rate. Teams that control 

possession and have more 

shots like Argentina did on 

Tuesday tend to win more 

often than not. 

Most surp 

For those that 

closely, Canada 

But we also hav 

expectations in 

opening whistle 

squa 

ra





SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 2022—19 

What Eagles’ failure to qualify for 

Qatar World Cup cost Nigeria 

•Richarlison 

ghlights 

Games 

e 7-0 rout. Get this: when Spain won 

n 2010, they scored 8 goals that whole 

ey’re one shy of that mark after the 

d coach Luis Enrique has to be feeling 

t his options. Having a teenager, Gavi, 

nt of this epic performance speaks 

t La Roja might be able to accomplish in 

ensio and Ferran Torres were also really 

t game is against a desperate Germany 

ow us if this is a team destined to make 

in over Costa Rica was just taking 

inferior side. 

rising team: 

watched CONCACAF qualifying 

’s energy wasn’t extremely surprising. 

e to admit that they for sure exceeded 

the 1-0 loss to Belgium. From the 

it was clear that John Herdman told his 

d to go for it. Sit back and let the No. 2- 

nked team in the world dictate the 

game? Nah. Canada was instead the 

side in command as Alphonso 

Davies, Tajon Buchanan and Richie 

Laryea helped keep the pressure 

high. It paid off when they were 

awarded a penalty, but 

unfortunately Davies ran into a 

world class goalkeeper in Thibaut 

Courtois. What could’ve been. 

Canada finished with an 

astounding 22 shots, which tells 

you all you need to know about 

how they approached this one. 

Only three of those were on 

target though, and 

those missed 

opportunities 

turned into 

conceding a 

goal that ended up being the difference. Still, this 

performance was a display of how Canada reached the 

country’s first World Cup since 1986 — and the don’t 

intend this to be a quick trip to Qatar. 

Top player 

Kylian Mbappé is the best player in the world. He has 

been that for some time. The fun thing about the World 

Cup is that it allows everyone to take notice of new and 

upcoming talent. We, as nostalgic sports fans, love to cling 

on to the past and greats like Messi and Ronaldo. And 

that’s fine because they’re both in Qatar and should get 

their praise. But that baton has been passed. Russia 2018 

was when Mbappé proved it to the world, and he looks 

poised to run it up again in Qatar. When Mbappé is on the 

field he’s simply faster and more dynamic than everyone, 

especially the poor defenders tasked with trying to slow 

him down. As he’s done often, he was literally gliding past 

the Aussies creating constant pressure and orchestrating 

a relentless French attack. He finished with a goal and an 

assist, which easily could’ve been more considering some 

of the missed chances. So much was made about the 

various notable injuries for the reigning champs, yet 

Mbappé and Co. made that seem like a non-issue by 

picking up right where they left off. Things will certainly 

get a bit more difficult for Les Bleus moving forward, but 

with a baller like that on your team, you’re always going to 

be a favorite. Oh yeah, and he’s only 23 years old. 

Golazo of the week 

Whenever Brazil steps on the field, there is a chance 

something spectacular might happen. It took them a while 

to break through Serbia’s sound defense, but when they 

did … man. Richarlison took matters into his own hands in 

the final game of the group stage openers and placed his 

bid for the Goal of the Tournament already. 

But an honorable mention must go to Saudi Arabia’s 

Salem Al-Dawsari, who pulled out some magic with a filthy 

move and finish in the upset versus Argentina. It’s a goal 

and result we’ll be talking about all tournament and 

beyond. 

Argentina on redemption 

mission against Mexico 

Argentina will look to make 

amends for a shocking 2-1 

loss to Saudi Arabia when 

they take on Mexico at Lusail Iconic 

Stadium. La Albiceleste failed to 

impress in the Group C opener, and, 

as a result, they face a must-win 

situation against El Tri. Man City 

attacker Julian Alvarez should be 

recalled to the starting XI, while 

there are no fresh injury worries in 

the home team. 

The Mexicans, on the other hand, 

were more than fortunate to share 

the spoils with Poland in their opener 

as Robert Lewandowski failed to 

convert a penalty. Since Tata 

Martino’s men were anything but 

impressive in the first group 

game, we are tempted to put 

our money on Leo Messi 

and Co, who are surely 

capable of recovering from 

the embarrassing defeat. Fitagain 

Wolverhampton 

attacker Raul Jimenez is 

widely expected to return to 

Mexico’s starting XI. 

Looking to place bets on the 

Argentina vs Mexico match? 

We’ve selected the finest 

bookmakers for you for this 

upcoming match! 

The following bookmakers 

offer an impressive welcome 

bonus for new players from 

Nigeria: 

•Giroud 

Footballers, officials, fans and business owners in 

Qatar are counting their losses after the national 

team failed to qualify for the World Cup 

Nigerian football fans and business owners in Qatar 

are still reeling from their team’s failure to qualify for 

the World Cup 2022, which began in the Middle 

Eastern country on November 21 and ends on 

December 18. 

Nigeria’s failure to beat Ghana in March prevented 

them from qualifying for Qatar 2022, a result that 

shocked not only the nation but also dealt a huge blow 

to the approximate 12,000 Nigerians in Qatar who 

were looking forward to watching the team in action 

and also benefitting from its presence at the 

tournament. 

Ekene Romeo, a businessman who has lived in Qatar 

for nearly 12 years, said the Super Eagles’ failure to 

qualify was heartbreaking and hit him financially. 

“I had placed an order for 20,000 Nigerian national 

team jerseys, which I knew would be in high demand. 

I was also making plans to host the first ever Nigerian 

entertainment and fashion week here in Qatar during 

the World Cup,” Romeo told Al Jazeera. 

“The event would’ve featured some of the best 

Afrobeats artists, comedians and fashion designers to 

showcase and promote the Nigerian entertainment 

and fashion industries.” 

However, Romeo added, due to the team’s failure to 

qualify, “the order for the national team jerseys was 

cancelled and the events were put on hold while we 

work out how to modify it to fit in other African countries 

qualified for the tournament”. 

Nigeria has been at six World Cups since its maiden 

appearance at USA 1994. Since then, the team qualified 

for all World Cup tournaments apart from Germany 

2006. 

According to Bukola Aliu, secretary of the National 

Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) Lagos 

zone, the team’s absence from the World Cup has 

affected sales and travel packages put in place since 

November 2021. 

“Many people expressed an interest in touring Qatar 

as well,” Aliu told Al Jazeera from Lagos. “The demand 

has reduced because most people are no longer 

interested.” 

Emmanuel Nwachukwu of BFD Global Travels in 

Qatar said his business has been affected as well. 

“We, like other Nigerians, are disappointed because 

our business strategy was heavily geared towards 

Nigerian visitors, but demand for tickets from Nigeria is 

extremely low now.” 

Restauranteur Abo Chebib, of Mama’s Place in Qatar, 

which has been the official gastronomic partner of the 

community group Nigerians in Diaspora Organization 

(NIDO) in Qatar, told Al Jazeera she no longer receive 

enquiries about Qatar from international Nigerian fans. 

“The World Cup is about more than just the 32 teams. 

It’s about tourism, culture, food, investment and having 

a good time. From all indications, fewer Nigerians will 

travel to Qatar, which will have an impact on our 

business, given that we have spent many years 

preparing for the World Cup,” Chebib said. 

In Qatar’s music and entertainment sector, popular 

Nigerian DJ Walex said the 

team’s absence was a major 

shock because it would have 

afforded the opportunity to host 

parties and invite Nigerian 

artists to visit Qatar and join 

Davido, who was part of the 

Hayya Hayya, the first single 

of the multi-song World Cup 

2022 official soundtrack. 

While Nigerian music is 

popular in Qatar, DJ Walex 

believes it had the potential of 

reaching a different level 

France stakes all against Denmark 

rance can seal a place in the knockout 

Fstages of the 2022 World Cup when they 

resume Group D duties against Denmark at 

Stadium 974 on Saturday evening. 

Les Bleus thumped Australia 4-1 

this week to kick off the 

defence of their crown in 

perfect fashion, while 

Kasper Hjulmand’s 

men were held to a 

goalless draw by Tunisia. 

Two former Arsenal strikers can now 

proudly boast to sit atop the all-time 

goalscoring charts for the France men’s 

team, but Thierry Henry may not be 

sitting pretty on his perch for much 

longer following Olivier Giroud’s recordequalling 

brace versus Australia on 

Tuesday 

Didier Deschamps’s men had underperformed 

in the UEFA Nations League 

over the summer and conceded within 

the first nine minutes to Craig Goodwin, 

but Giroud’s 50th and 51st goals for France 

altogether. 

“We recently hosted an African comedy festival with 

popular Nigerian comedians such as Emmanuella and 

Aunty Success, which drew a large audience. A World 

Cup appearance for Nigeria would have been magical 

because it would have created an atmosphere to 

attract top Nigerian artists to Qatar who have a large 

following in the country.” 

According to Ayodeji Bolorunduro, owner of African 

Hub, a media and consulting firm in Qatar, negative 

fallout is happening for many businesses, including 

media, branding and publicity. 

“When a team like Nigeria, with a total population 

of about 200 million, goes missing, it affects a lot of 

businesses and sectors at home and abroad,” 

Bolorunduro said. “It has cost me in advertising, 

branding and publishing. Nigerians consume a lot of 

media and entertainment, so the gap is significant.” 

The supporters’ club has also been hit hard 

Samuel Ikpea, national chairman of the Nigeria 

Football Supporters Club (NFSC), expressed regret 

and described the implication of the country’s nonqualification 

for the World Cup as enormous in both 

business and sports worlds. 

“It would have been an unforgettable and 

memorable experience. We had planned to launch 

the supporters club in Doha the day before the World 

Cup draw, but it did not happen because we were all 

consumed by disappointment. 

“A lot of businessmen who had started making plans 

or programmes believing that the country will be at 

the World Cup are now counting their losses.” 

‘I have lost significantly’ 

Dominic Ibhagbe, a Nigerian real estate 

businessman in Qatar, said he had “rented two villas 

from June to December with the intention of hosting 

about 30 Nigerians with music, food and services”. 

“But I have lost significantly. My hope is to host 

other nationals, but the difference will be obvious,” he 

added. 

For the national football team, the losses are far 

greater. Aside from a drop in FIFA rankings, there is a 

significant loss of income now and in the future. 

The team will miss out on $12.5m from FIFA for 

failing to qualify – a $2.5m preparation fee plus $10m 

for qualifying for the group stages. 

According to Amaju Pinnick, former President of the 

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the team would 

have received 35 percent ($4.4m) of the proceeds, 

meaning that the federation and the players have not 

only lost a significant amount right now but also face 

a loss of revenue in different sectors in the future. 

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy 

(SC), organisers of the World Cup 2022, has invited 

the Nigerian community to submit cultural activation 

proposals. 

According to a statement by the Nigerians in 

Diaspora Organization (NIDO), the SC stated that 

depending on the type of performance by Nigerian 

artists, it will be able to accommodate international 

artists and offer them a minimum of 10 days of 

performance. 

“The prospect of some 

Nigerian cultural performances 

in some of the fan zones is 

exciting, but nothing beats the 

agony of missing the World 

Cup,” NIDO said. 

“Nigerians are big spenders, 

and their absence in Qatar will 

have an impact not only on 

the host country’s commerce 

and trade, but also on the 

multiplier effect of other 

businesses in Nigeria, too.” 

- alongside headers from Adrien Rabiot 

and Kylian Mbappe - turned the game on 

its head. 

Taking advantage of Karim Benzema’s 

absence through injury, Giroud only 

needs to make the net ripple one more 

time to overtake Henry and score a 

record-breaking 52nd goal for his 

country - one which may very well 

confirm France’s place in the 

last 16. 

While Christian Eriksen - 

making his first major 

tournament appearance for 

Denmark since his cardiac 

arrest at Euro 2020 - was 

able to demonstrate some 

of the midfield flair that 

has made him a hit with 

the Manchester United 

fans, the Red and 

Whites’ opener with 

Tunisia was otherwise a 

forgettable affair. 

•Eriksson

20—Vanguard, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2022 

08111813022 

Why I visited 

My story 

Five years after he was arrested by the 

Lagos State Police Command for 

dehumanizing young girls by turning 

them into human puppies with chains 

around their necks, Lagos socialite and 

businessman, Eze-Nwalie Nwogu, 

popularly known as Pretty Mike has broken 

his silence, describing his action as 

something that’s “artistic.” 

The club owner made this assertion, while 

featuring in this week’s episode of 

WithChude. 

According to him, “It just happened in 

an environment that doesn’t understand 

the act or culture because, to me, it’s art, 

it’s artistic.” 

Narrating further, he said “Even when a 

petition was written, it was stated that it 

was against the lady’s will, and no, it 

wasn’t. I sat down one-on-one 

with the governor because 

the governor asked what 

was going on. I mean, he 

also clubbed and 

partied before he 

became a governor. 

So, he wanted to 

know what was 

going on; The 

framing of the 

petition was that I 

was openly 

chaining girls 

and giving them 

out to guys. I 

brought out my 

phone and 

showed him pictures, 

that we were partying, that 

Kiss Daniel was there, 

and that we were 

spraying money. And it’s 

not like I’m the first to 

have done it; it 

happens all over the 

world. He advised me 

to tender an apology 

and not do it again.” 

On the rape 

allegation levelled 

against him then, the 

•Nkechi Blessing 

Ooni of Ife 

30-year-old club owner said “What she 

wrote about me was totally false. Just like I 

tell people, when you are in the limelight, 

you have to expect some of these things 

because that is what you signed up for. You 

didn’t just sign up for the good side- the 

laughter, the party, there has to be some 

negative vibe that comes with it, some 

testing and trying period. It helps you 

develop emotionally and mentally, why put 

yourself in depression? 

“For me, I think I have thick 

skin. Over the years, I developed 

one not to pay attention to 

‘haters,” he added. 

While reacting to the rumour 

that he had six pregnant 

girlfriends, Pretty Mike said 

—Nkechi Blessing 

•Replies her critics, says, I 

choose to remain real, authentic 

Chaining girls, pimping them out: 

•Pretty Mike 

Controversial actress Nkechi Blessing has fired back at her 

critics describing herself as ‘an open book’ that can easily 

be understood, yet transparent.” The actress was reacting 

to the criticisms that greeted her recent visit to the Ooni of Ife, 

Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwunsi, in his palace at Ile-Ife, Osun 

State, earlier in the week. 

In a post on her Instagram page, the actress said, “I have 

always been an open book, easily understood and very 

transparent. I let my emotions out without having anyone or 

anything in mind…but trust the world to frown at people like us 

who live their truth..in a world full of fake. I choose to remain real 

and authentic.” 

Recall that Nkechi Blessing visited the Ooni of Ife on Monday, 

after she “joked” about becoming the seventh wife of the 

monarch. In a short statement with the photo of herself and 

Ooni, the actress said, “Ooni of Ife sir, I am patiently waiting for 

my turn.” The post didn’t go down well with many Nigerians as 

they tongue-lashed the actress. But at the end of it all, she got 

an invitation to the palace after the ‘joke.’ Nkechi said she was 

invited by the fifth wife of Ooni, Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi 

Ogunwusi as one of the judges for Queen Moremi Ajasoro 

(QMA) International Competition. 

—Pretty Mike 

“You can father six kids or more, and they 

may not be your biological kids. I get 

shocked when people think the way they 

think. Technically, you have six girlfriends, 

and you impregnated them in the same 

month or within a period of three months. 

Women as notorious as they are will never 

agree to come and follow you in public, I 

don’t care how rich you are.” 

Recall that in 2017, Pretty Mike was 

arrested by the Lagos State Police 

Command on the orders of the Lagos State 

Government after the internet was awash 

with the photos of the socialite putting leash 

on young girls and leading them to a 

wedding in Lagos. The ugly development 

caused an outrage on social media with 

many people calling on the government to 

act fast in order to keep a rein on such type 

of bizarre anti-social behaviour. 

Unveiling BBO2’s ‘Eyes Dey Red’ 

One does not need the gift of a clairvoyant or the crystal ball 

to predict where the musical journey of Nigerian-American 

musician, song writer, record label executive and business 

mogul, Jesse Adesotu Woghiren-Obamedo is headed. 

With the quality of works he has released so far, Woghiren- 

Obamedo popularly known as The BB02 is destined for the stars. 

And sooner rather than later, this gifted musician, a scion of the 

revered Benin Royal family will join the exclusive club of icons. 

Every one of his works is a masterpiece; “Tnkotb, Winter Vibes, 

Oyoyo, Feeling What I Feel and Zinga, Zinga Ling” all carry 

the insignia of creativity at its dizzying height. 

But his latest single “Eyes Dey Red” which was released 

in August, under his Bigmanity Record label is in a class 

of its own. Immediately the song was released, the 

internet was agog with music lovers scrambling to have 

a feel of the latest work of the gifted artist. In just over a 

week, the music had garnered over a million streams. 

BB02 is not the run-of-the- mill musician who is in the 

business of music solely for the pecuniary benefit of 

achieving fame and fortune. Rather, he deploys 

music as a weapon to confront the ills of society, 

speak truth to power and be the voice of the voiceless. 

‘Eyes Dey Red’, his current single, is a classic 

example. In the song, he joins the raging political 

conversation in Nigeria as the citizens gird their 

loins for the make or mar upcoming 2023 General 

elections. 

BB02 who migrated to the United States of America 

Anita Joseph 

turns marriage 

counselor 

C 

urvy actress Anita Joseph is almost 

becoming a marriage counselor. Just 

recently, she made a post on Instagram, 

where she shared tips on how to enjoy a 

successful marriage with her followers. 

The heavily-endowed actress, who got married 

to her celebrity hype man-husband, Fisayo 

Michael Olagunju popularly known as MC Fish 

about two years ago, made a similar post again, 

while calling herself a marriage counselor. 

“As a marriage counselor, I hear a lot of 

unspeakable, unimaginable and despicable 

things. If your man is not touching you I mean 

having s***x with you that means he’s f***king 

some one else more,” the actress wrote on IG. 

In her previous post, the Anambra State-born 

curvy actress revealed how her hubby was her 

boyfriend before he became her husband. She 

added that he never takes any decision without 

informing her. 

She said “He was my Boyfriend before he 

became my husband’ My husband never makes 

any decision without asking me first. He needs 

my opinion in everything. And trust me it works 

perfectly, I do the same. I can’t do a thing 

without telling my hubby. These are the little 

secrets to a successful marriage. 

“Spiritual connection between you and your 

partner is very important.” 

three decades ago, like many of his compatriots both at home and 

in the Diaspora is angry, bitter and frustrated at the colossal failure 

of the ruling class over the years. 

In a telephone interview, he spoke of his pain. “When I left 

Nigeria for the United States of America in 1990, my intention 

was to study, return and contribute my quota to national 

development. 

“But thirty years later, the politicians have ruined the nation. 

There is insecurity everywhere, poverty everywhere, and 

corruption everywhere. There is complete collapse of 

governance and right now the soul of Nigeria is 

yearning for freedom” 

He admonished Nigerians to make the right 

choice during the 2023 General elections so that 

the country could take her rightful place in the 

comity of nations. 

The song, in three minutes, gives vent to the 

three decades of pent-up pain and anguish of 

not just BB02 but over 100 million impoverished 

Nigerians. 

In Eyes Dey Red, BB02’s creativity 

as a songwriter, composer, arranger 

and vocalist was at its optimal level; 

the uncanny way he weaved the 

lyrics to create the harmonious 

rhyme and rhythm makes the 

music a piece of enchanting 

work.

Vanguard, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2022—21 

By Juliet Ebirim 

0813 789 7935 

Peter Obi, Charles 

Soludo bury hatchet 

•Dolapo 

Osinbajo, wife 

of the Vice 

President 

It may seem as though the Labour party 

presidential candidate, Peter Obi and 

Anambra state governor, Charles Soludo, 

have settled their differences, as they were seen 

hugging each other and laughing at a 

thanksgiving ceremony, days after the Anambra 

state Governor criticized Obi over his 2023 

presidential ambition. 

The politicians met at St. Patrick’s Cathedral 

Awka during the Thanksgiving 

mass for Most Rev. Paulinus 

C. Ezeokafor in celebration 

of his 70th birthday today, 

•Sunmbo Adeoye 

Fidelis Anosike and 

Rita Dominic’s white 

wedding holds today 

Today, in a stately manor in North 

Yorkshire, England, founder of Folio 

Media Group, Dr. Fidelis Anosike and 

Nollywood superstar, Rita Dominic will host 

friends and family to their white wedding 

ceremony. 

It promises to be a day of picturesque 

activities including a marriage blessing to be 

held in a 900-year-old Abbey with a unique 

history. 

Celebrities on Rita’s train include Michelle 

Dede (Chief Maid of Honour), Kate Henshaw, 

Vicky Sogunro and Dr. Olivia Waturuocha. 

The couple, who earlier in April, had their 

traditional wedding, will be joined by friends 

and family as they say their vows abroad. 

The couple reportedly met at the 2017 Africa 

International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and their 

relationship was a closely guarded secret. 

•Peter Obi 

Sunmbo Adeoye 

gushes over special 

birthda 

thday treat 

To celebrate her 41st birthday, 

David Adeoye treated his wife, 

Sunmbo to a ‘midweek 

escape’. The mother of four revealed 

this via her Instagram page. 

Sunmbo Adeoye stated that she 

and her husband had gone on a 

‘midweek escape’ to mark her 

day. 

“Midweek escape with the 

one I love. I am the birthday 

girl”. she wrote. 

The first lady of 

November 24. 

According to eyewitnesses, just before the 

mass started, Governor Soludo stepped out 

from his pew and walked over to where the 

former governor was seated to greet him. 

Recall that last week, Gov Soludo released 

a statement rubbishing the presidential 

ambition of Obi. His comments received mixed 

reactions from Nigerians. 

•Charles Soludo 

Royalty church shared a clip of 

the fun dinner and birthday treats 

they had. 

Sunmbo had earlier shared 

stunning photos to mark her day, 

expressing gratitude to God for 

his goodness. 

She wrote, “To God be the 

Glory for all He has done 

and will continue to do in 

my life. Yes you guessed 

right. I am the birthday 

gift with a heart of 

gratitude to God”. 

•Rita Dominic and 

Fidelis Anosike 

Dolapo Osinbajo 

visits alma mater, 

relives old memories 

Dolapo Osinbajo, wife 

of Vice President 

Yemi Osinbajo, 

during the week returned to 

her alma mater, 

International School 

Ibadan (ISI), for the 

foundation-laying 

ceremony of a new N440 

million science laboratory. 

Osinbajo 

was 

accompanied by First Lady 

of Ogun State, Mrs 

Bamidele Abiodun, who is 

also an alumnus. The 

ceremony held at the ISI 

premises, University of 

Ibadan, was organised by 

Nnamdi and Udi Okoh 

chart new course for 

e-commerce 

That the world is a 

“global village” might 

sound cliché but many 

businesses that have 

positioned themselves to 

access the international 

market have found crossborder 

upscaling to be 

rewarding. The growing 

interconnectedness of the 

global economy presents 

upsides in the form of a 

boost in customer 

acquisition, enhanced 

business visibility, 

diversified revenue profile 

risks, and exponential 

growth for businesses 

expanding their footprint. 

One of the platforms with 

a proven record of 

supporting business 

growth is Terminal Africa. 

Founded by two brothers, 

Udi and Nnamdi Okoh, 

•Nnamdi and Udi Okoh 

ISI Alumni Association 

(ISIAA). 

Osinbajo recalled with 

nostalgia, the good 

memories that shaped 

their lives and made them 

to become worthy 

ambassadors of the 

school. 

Mrs. Osinbajo shared 

photos of the visit on her 

Instagram page on 

Wednesday with the 

caption: “Foundation 

laying ceremony for a 

new Science Centre by the 

alumni of the 

International School 

Ibadan (ISI) yesterday. 

Nostalgia. Memories. 

Happy to be back in my 

old school 40 

years after I 

l e f t . 

Congratulations 

I S I 

Alumni!” 

Terminal Africa is an 

aggregator of logistics 

services that connect 

individuals and businesses, 

from micro-scale to large 

corporations, with trusted 

logistics services 

providers. 

“We founded Terminal 

Africa officially in 2021. 

For many years, my 

brother and I have worked 

with various African 

entrepreneurs and helped 

them create online 

businesses.” Udi says. 

“By doing this, we 

learned more about the 

problems eCommerce 

businesses face with 

logistics and gradually 

built Terminal into the 

solution that we have 

today.” Nnamdi added.


Fragile Emmission Targets as 

Egypt picks up COP27 baton 

By Sonny Atumah 

Environment matters have dominated 

global discourses since the last quarter of 

the 20th century. Global warming 

continues to be a matter of serious 

thought as the global climatic conference moved 

from Glasgow, Scotland, the 2021 hosts of the 

26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26), to 

Sharm el-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt for COP 

27. The Conference which started last Sunday, 6 

November ends on Friday, 18 November, 2022. 

The global discourse has been for investments in 

clean technologies and in low-carbon 

infrastructure, especially in emerging and the 

less developed countries. For the COP27 host 

country, Egypt, a range of topics focused on 

enhancing implementation and raising ambition 

on broad range of issues related to climate 

change have been identified. Egypt has 

designated several thematic days for focused 

discussions. This event also marks the 30th 

anniversary of the adoption of the 1992 Rio 

Convention, known as the United Nations 

Framework Convention on Climate Change 

(UNFCCC). The Rio Convention set out the 

legal framework and principles for international 

climate change cooperation to stabilise 

atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases 

(GHGs), and avoid the dangerous human 

influence on the environment. 

Paris Agreement and 

Implementation 

From Kyoto in 1997, Talks progressed with mull 

over of emission reduction targets. In 2015, 196 

Parties comprising industrial, emerging and less 

developed countries subscribed to a legally 

binding international treaty on climate change at 

the 21st Conference of the Parties also known as 

the COP 21 Paris Agreement, which entered into 

force on 4 November 2016. Article 2 of the Paris 

Agreement, seeks to strengthen the global 

response to climate change, reaffirm the goal of 

collective government targets and pledges to 

bring global average temperature to well below 2 

°C, preferably to 1.5 °C, compared to preindustrial 

levels. 

The Paris Agreement was to determine, plan, 

and regularly report on the nationally 

determined contributions (NDCs) to mitigate 

climate change. It is also to increase the ability to 

adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change 

and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse 

gas emission development in a manner that does 

not threaten food production. It is also to make 

finance flows consistent with a pathway towards 

low greenhouse gas emission and climateresilient 

development. Parties are expected to 

submit aggregate progress on mitigation, 

adaptation, and means of implementation, which 

are reviewed every five years. The targets and 

pledges, if delivered in full and on time, could 

hold global warming but the reality is that the 

Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) 

are not enough to limit the increase of the 

average global temperature to 2 °C in 2050. 

The crises of climate change, biodiversity loss 

and pollution are thought-provoking global 

issues that the contemplation is to take CO‚ out 

of the air. Top three heavy global emitters of 

carbon dioxide are China (27.6 percent), United 

States (14.5 percent), and India (6.7 percent). 

South Africa, Egypt and Algeria are the only 

African countries in the top 40 global carbon 

dioxide emitters. To achieve long-term goal of 

global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions for 

net zero, countries should pursue it in an 

effective, affordable and equitable manner to 

reverse climate change. The perception of the 

Agreement is that it is a turning point in the 

multilateral climate change process because for 

the first time a binding agreement has brought 

all nations into a common cause to combat 

climate change and adapt to its effects. 

Articles 9, 10, 11 of the Paris Agreement 

provides a framework for financial, technical and 

capacity building support respectively to those 

countries who need it. To what extent have 

developed countries provided the needed 

assistance to the less developed and more 

vulnerable countries for mitigation and 

adaptation to the adverse effects and reduce the 

impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement 


By Anthony Osas Okungbowa Esq. 

Nigeria is experiencing its worst annual 

tragedy of rampaging floods which has 

led to the death of over six hundred people 

with over 300,000 homes submerged in the 

surging flood. Farmlands and other livelihoods 

have not been spared, thereby raising concerns 

of possible food shortages and high cost of goods. 

At present, out of Nigeria’s 36 states, 34 are 

battling with the floods, with the coastal states of 

Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom being the 

worst hit. Anambra State is also badly hit by the 

raging flood. Among these flood-impacted states, 

Bayelsa appears to be the worst hit as the Niger 

Delta state has been tactically cut off from the 

nation as a result of the fiendish flooding, with 

access roads leading in and out of the state either 

submerged or completely washed away. At the 

last count, about 700,000 persons had been 

displaced in the state alone with a number of 

deaths recorded. 

An assessment of impacted areas revealed 

that the flood had submerged houses, farmlands, 

schools, health centres, police stations, churches 

and other critical infrastructure. The only means 

of transportation in affected areas is by boat 

because the access roads to the communities have 

been submerged by flood. 

Even Abuja, the nation’s seat of power is 

under threat of the flood sweeping from the Kogi 

State capital, Lokoja. My dear State, Edo has 

had its fair share of the surge of large bodies of 

water overflowing the banks of the River Niger, 

forcing helpless residents to seek alternative 

shelters. Some settlements like Udaba Ekperi, 

Anegbete and Osomhe-Egbe etc, in Etsako East 

and Etsako Central Local Governments Areas of 

the state were not spared of the rampaging flood. 

Large numbers of families have been affected 

and displaced persons keep increasing with each 

passing day as the torrential rains, as earlier 

predicted by the Nigeria Hydrological Services 

Agency, and the release of water from the Lagdo 

Dam in Cameroon continues. Thousands of 

hectares of farmland have been destroyed. 

Hunger is a clear and present danger as the 

agriculture chain has been grossly disrupted. 

The National Emergency Management 

Agency (NEMA) is at its wits end while the State 

Emergency Management Agencies 

(SEMA) can hardly cope with the onslaught 

of water. Nigeria is indeed facing a beyondthe-pale 

disaster. 

However, the Edo State Emergency 

Management Agency has risen to the 

challenge posed by the surging floods with 

the delivery of relief materials to displaced 

persons in the Internally Displaced Persons 

IDP camps. It has now become a recurrent 

factor that Nigeria records flooding every 

year. This is virtually always a result of the 

non-implementation of environmental 

guidelines, lack of preventive infrastructure, 

and lackluster attitude in tackling the flood 

menace over the years. 

What could we have done before the rains 

to prevent this? The authorities need to take 

pre-emptive measures to address flooding. 

Whenever the floods appear, we resort to 

what is known in local parlance as the “fire 

brigade approach” and blame games. Some 

have attributed the yearly flooding to “water 

overflowing” from some local rivers, unusual 

rainfalls and the release of excess water from 

Lagdo Dam in neighbouring Cameroon’s 

northern region. 

The issue of the release of water from 

Lagdo Dam in Cameroon has been described 

After the flood; What next? 

as a twice-told story that needs to be tackled at the 

highest diplomatic level between Nigeria and 

Cameroon proponents of this view argue that it 

flies in the face of reason that Cameroon officialdom 

acts as though unaware of the havoc wreaked on 

Nigeria by flood waters coming from its Dam. In 

their opinion, the heart-rending economic 

devastation and hardship must not continue, 

charging the federal government to take measures 

economically, politically, and diplomatically to check 

a recurrence by deploying strategies including the 

construction of a halting dam on the Benue River 

to absorb the waters released from the Lagdo dam 

as a means of protecting the properties of Nigerians 

and their means of livelihood. 

On the local front, the Nigeria Hydrological 

Services Agency had predicted more flooding this 

year than last year due to “excessive rainfalls.” 

NEMA had also alerted states of “serious 

consequences” in the weeks and months ahead. 

Unfortunately, not much was done by the 

authorities proactively to avoid the catastrophic 

consequences have now resulted. Incidentally, two 

of the country’s dams have also started to overflow. 

According to NEMA’s Director General, Mustapha 

Habib Ahmed, “I want to advise all the governments 

of the frontline states to move away communities 

at risk of inundation, identify safe higher grounds 

for evacuation of persons as well as ensure 

adequate stockpiles of food and non-food items.” 

The reports available show that in Jigawa State 

in the Northwest, floods killed more than 20 people 

in the past week, as revealed by Yusuf Sani Babura, 

Head of the Jigawa State Emergency Management 

Agency. Beyond that, Jigawa has recorded 91 

deaths from flooding this year, more than any other 

state in the country. Babura stated sadly: “We are 

facing devastating floods beyond our control. We 

have tried our best and we couldn’t stop it.” 

In Anambra State, NEMA confirmed the death 

of some persons while trying to escape the surging 

flood in a crowded boat. NEMA further revealed 

that at least 651,053 persons in six local government 

areas of the State have so far been displaced by 

flooding. From NEMA’s record on Anambra, 

Ogbaru has the highest number of victims with 

286,000 persons. 

Taking measures to mitigate the impact of the 

disaster devoid of any political consideration is 

recommended. Such measures should include the 

creation of Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) 

camps and the identification of high grounds to 

relocate the displaced people. 

There is a clear emergency in the land. Many 

schools in the riverine communities have been 

shut. There is an urgent need to supply clothing, 

diapers, bedding, sanitary materials, sundry food 

items, and other relief materials to salvage a very 

bad situation that the states cannot tackle alone. 

Therefore, the federal government should step in 

and treat it as a national emergency. 

Treating the flood disaster as a national 

emergency entails strict adherence to flood 

prevention and control strategies. This can only be 

achieved through a deliberate and concerted effort 

at making effective flood mitigation measures and 

proper planning a national culture. The people 

should be effectively sensitized on the need to 

drop all non-environmental friendly habits such as 

the practice of dumping refuse in drains and adhere 

strictly to planning rules and regulations. Many of 

these measures should be taken in areas that are 

prone to flooding. 

This is because when drainages are improved, 

there will be easy flow of flood water during rainfall. 

This type of measure could be taken in urban areas 

where there are flooding issues. The efficacy of 

drainages, therefore, becomes a handy tool to 

improve flood control. 

Continues on www.vanguardngr.com

Iwas discussing with one of my younger 

friends, Emma. I told him that one of 

the major agreements intending 

couples must have is the number of 

children they want to have, all things being 

equal. He responded that he wanted two 

children and he prayed to God for a boy 

and a girl which he now has. I told him 

that I also prayed before every pregnancy 

of my children, but I never prayed for the 

sex of the children. Rather, I thanked God 

for giving me the privilege to determine 

the sex of the baby I want every time. He 

was curious. I told him that God has 

already given us the power and we (my 

wife and I) used the power (knowledge of 

reproduction in biology we all learnt in 

school) and it applied to determine the sex 

of the baby we wanted at all times. I went 

on to explain to him. When I was done, he 

said many young people are not aware 

and hope on luck to have a baby boy or 

girl. He begged me to share the 

knowledge. I told him I have done so in 

my book, Life Lessons from Mudipapa and 

on this column. He pleaded that I share it 

again. I therefore shelved the article for 

this week to share again. 

NATURALLY preselecting the sex of your 

baby is no rocket science. So it is painful 

to see couples unfulfilled, sad or breed like 

rabbits because they are looking for either 

a son or daughter, son most of the time. 

Today, I am giving an abridged version of 

steps that you need to take to naturally 

preselect the sex of your baby with stunning 

accuracy. 

First, we must remember or know that 

the male sperms carry either X or Y 

chromosomes, while the female eggs carry 

only the X chromosomes. The egg carrying 

the X chromosome and the sperm carrying 

Y chromosome produce a male child,while 

the egg carrying the X chromosome and 

the sperm carrying Xchromosome 

produce a female child. So a man 

determines the sex of a baby. 

The sperm carrying the Y chromosome 

swims faster, but has a shorter lifespan 

while the sperm carrying the X 

chromosome is slower, but has a longer 

lifespan. If you want a male child, 

intercourse should take place just before 

or during ovulation. The faster sperms 

carrying the Y chromosome would get to 

the egg and fertilise it before the sperms 

with X chromosome make their slow and 

Drama adds spice to Fourth 

Republic politics, some of 

these actors who found 

themselves in power may be in the 

wrong room. We need to take them 

beyond president Muhammadu 

Buhari’s ‘Oza Room’. Nollywood 

needs new faces. 

My brother, Dino Melaye is a 

Geographer. I am so sure he knows 

about Marco Polo and his travels. I 

need to introduce the former senator 

to a branch of Zoology called 

Paleontology. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan 

could help me out. 

Sorry, I forgot Dino was one of those 

who brought bad luck to the ambitions 

of our former president. The Otuoke 

shining light will not be in a good 

mood to offer any lessons. Jonathan 

must be tired of Nigerian politics now. 

Alright. I will read up Prof. Sanya 

Onabamiro. He was more educated 

in Zoology and his family has a place 

in Nigerian History. Justice Dolapo 

Akinsanya, the brave Lagos High 

Court judge who on November 10, 

1993 declared illegal, the Interim 

Government of Chief Ernest 

Shonekan, was Onabamiro’s 

daughter. 

One of Prof. Onabamiro’s sons, Ayo 

is well known to my family but that 

relationship came long after I read 

his dad’s piece in the Daily Times as 

far back as the 1970s. The Prof. was 

also a politician in the First Republic 

and served as Regional minister. 

“The study of dinosaurs,” according 

to Onabamiro, “how they lived and 

bred and how they disappeared is a 

fascinating branch of Zoology called 

Paleontology. One dinosaur called 

Diplodocus whose body weighed as 

much as those of two elephants put 

together, had a head which was not 

bigger than that of a goat. So the 

bigger they grew, the more stupid 

they became.” 

Some Nigerian politicians are like 

Diplodocus. And quite like 

dinosaurs, need to be reminded that 

The sex of your baby is in your 

hands 

steady journey there. And only one sperm 

can fertilise an egg. If, however, intercourse 

takes three days (sometimes two days)or 

more before ovulation, the result will likely 

be a girl. This is because all the faster sperms 

carrying the Y chromosomes with short 

lifespan would have died leaving the egg 

for the slower sperms carrying the X 

chromosomes with longer lifespan to 

fertilise. 

The critical elements here 

are the ovulation, which 

occurs when an egg or ovum 

is released from the ovary and 

usually lasts for about 12 to 

24 hours, and timing of 

intercourse. Ovulation 

normally occurs between the 

12 th to 14 th day of a woman’s 

28-day cycle, but like most 

human phenomena, there are 

no absolute certainties and it 

varies from one woman to 

another. Even within the same 

woman, there are variations. 

Many women find this 

unpredictability challenging. 

Such women can engage in 

charting, that is daily 

recording of changes in the 

mucus discharge from the 

vaginathat is related to 

ovulation, to enhance 

predictability. 

Please note that how long 

the sperm lives in the body of your wife after 

intercourse is determined by a number of 

factors. One, the vaginal environment is very 

important. If it is alkaline, the sperm 

carrying the Y chromosome can survive up 

to three days, while the sperm carrying the 

X chromosome can survive for five or six 

days. But if the vaginal environment is 

acidic, it is less habitable for the X and Y 

sperms and they die much earlier. That is 

why knowing the day of ovulation is very 

essential to pre-selection of the sex of your 

baby, because if you do, the vaginal 

environment, friendly 

or hostile, becomes 

inconsequential. 

The other 

important factor is 

the health of the 

husband’s sperms. 

Studies have shown 

that the sperms of men 

decline both in quality 

and quantity from age 

40. It is earlier for 

smokers. Lifestyle and 

the type of food you 

eat also influence the 

quantity and quality 

of sperms and ability 

to impregnate your 

wife. In fact, the egg 

does not accept every 

sperm that comes its 

way. It is very selective 

and attracted more to 

healthy sperms. This 

can be a challenge for 

men with weak 

sperms or low sperm count when they want 

to impregnate their wives, according to 

First, we must remember 

or know that the male 

sperms carry either X or Y 

chromosomes, while the 

female eggs carry only the 

X chromosomes. The egg 

carrying the X chromosome 

and the sperm carrying Y 

chromosome produce a 

male child,while the egg 

carrying the X chromosome 

and the sperm carrying 

Xchromosome produce a 

female child 

Dino, Dinosaurs s are extinct 

the power and gragra they flaunt 

today, will not last forever. You do not 

find dinosaurs anywhere in the 

modern world. Onabamiro directed 

inquisitive minds to the Science 

Museum at South Kensington, 

London for fossil remains. 

Melaye has been to London, I would 

not know if he dined 

with the Queen or 

shook hands with the 

King. Presently, he 

speaks for the Atiku 

Presidential 

Campaign. When Mr. 

Peter Obi ran with 

Alhaji Abubakar Atiku 

in 2019, Dino was cool. 

Obi lost his cool at 

the Arise Town Hall 

Meeting when Dino 

did it again. You know, 

the photograph that 

comes to mind is that 

2010 shot when a 

member of the House 

of Representatives 

addressed the media 

in rags. Dino it was 

whose agbada turned 

to rags following a 

battle. 

Dino and his 

Obi does not fight 

dirty publicly. It is 

obvious that his 

Obidient supporters 

have adopted him 

as the new leader in 

town. Obi does not 

sweep, he mops. 

Umbrella is not 

enough for him to 

keep 

away 

Progressives waged war against 

Speaker Dimeji Bankole. The former 

was backed by my buddy, 

Independence Ogunewe, now late. 

He apparently did not know that 

Ogunewe came from a military family 

downpour 


research findings. 

You also need some discipline and 

cooperation between spouses if you want to 

naturally pre-select the sex of your babies. 

For a start, pre-selection is easier when the 

woman is practising natural family planning 

as against the use of artificial contraceptives, 

because artificial contraceptives disrupt the 

cycle of women, stopping ovulation or 

making ovulation more unpredictable, and 

you do need some level of predictability in 

the ovulation cycle to naturally preselect the 

sex of your babies 

In addition, the couple needs to stay off 

intercourse for at least five days before 

ovulation. This is to ensure that residue semen 

in the woman’s body from previous 

intercourse does not interfere with her vaginal 

discharge and create confusion. There are a 

number of natural ways women know they 

are ovulating: the thick slimy vaginal 

discharge which is like phlegm (catarrh, as 

some refer to it), some women feel a sharp 

pain on the side or lower abdomen when the 

egg is released, heightened sense of smell, 

breast soreness or tenderness, increased 

sexual urge and change in body temperature.. 

Just in case you are wondering why I write 

categorically on the efficacy of this method, I 

used it to preselect the sex of all my children 

– Two girls and three boys. 

DERIVATION FUND 

During the week some Niger Deltans were 

incensed when they learnt that part of the 

derivation funds withheld since 1999 have 

been released to our governors. Many of us 

never knew this. Specifically Delta got 

N142b, AkwaIbom, N91b; Rivers, 

N83b;Bayelsa, N87b and Edo, N17b. These 

are humongous sums of money and they are 

special funds: derivation. Our governors need 

to personally tell us what they did/or are doing 

with the money, not delegating the 

responsibility to a commissioner or 

government spokesman. Some state 

government officials are treating the matter 

with levity as if we have no right to ask. 

I join my voice with other Niger Deltansthat 

our governors should handle the matter with 

the seriousness it deserves by personally 

telling their citizens what they did with the 

money. The President gave the governors the 

money and they should talk directly to us. 

Ifthey cannot, they and their parties do not 

deserve the people’s votes in 2023. Do not 

treat us with disdain. This is not politics; it is 

about the people and humanity which this 

column represents. 

that produced Col. David Ogunewe 

whose son Jack, rose to the rank of 

Major General. And Bankole was at 

Sandhurst. 

At the end of battle, Dino was a sorry 

sight. Bankole and Ogunewe were 

not bruised although the latter joined 

Dino in suspension. 

Obi does not fight 

dirty publicly. It is 

obvious that his 

Obidient supporters 

have adopted him as 

the new leader in 

town. Obi does not 

sweep, he mops. 

Umbrella is not 

enough for him to 

keep downpour 

away. He wears 

raincoat. 

One strange 

development is that 

anyone who tries to 

embarrass the 

Labour Party 

Flagbearer in the 

open suffers 

calamity. I would not 

know if it is because 

Obi’s family is full of 

Reverend Fathers 

and Reverend 

Sisters. I am sure Obi 

is no saint. There is one Saint Obi in 

Nollywood. Dino has a mentor 

waiting already. 

Sure, Dino will make a great actor. 

We all remember how he journeyed 

to Bourdillon to taunt the Jagaban. I 

understand MC Oluomo was overseas 

at the time. Dino also threatened to beat 

up Senator Oluremi Tinubu. This can 

only be a movie scene. 

Dino began to act in 2007, as a member 

of the House of Representatives. He 

defended embattled Speaker Patricia 

Etteh. In the process, Aminu Safana 

died. Dino spent eight years in the 

House and moved up to the Senate. 

These past three years, it is like expiry 

date is staring Dino in the face. Things 

have gone beyond clowning as the first 

to wear academic gown to the National 

Assembly. Smart Adeyemi took the Kogi 

West Senatorial ticket back and 

Governor Yahaya Bello has the key to 

Kogi. 

Dino needs to go to GYB. We can make 

a case that the ex- Senator attended 

Abdulaziz Atta Memorial College, 

Okene even if Dino does not have the 

Oxford Culture of the one -time 

Secretary to the Federal Military 

Government. General Yakubu Gowon 

wept openly when Attah died in 1973. 

I have not seen Dino cry. He took on 

Col. Hameed Ali, Comptroller General 

of Customs. Not long after he lost his 

seat in the Senate. He played hide and 

seek with the police, doing more than 

Jantamanta in an Indian movie. The cops 

grabbed him. 

One Obidient told me Dino was 

Obedient to Etteh, the woman lost her 

job. He was Obedient to Bukola Saraki, 

now he is Obedient to Atiku. What he 

did on that day on the This Day Arise 

show was to be noticed by Obi. 

That is politics. Dino is a unionist and 

may end up labouring for Obi. Peter Obi 

is a Big Masquerade. He is admired by 

multi millions. Come to think of it, since 

Atiku stayed away from the debate, his 

Otimkpu had to act. Mr. Melaye cannot 

be tired of shouting. 

I like Dino. My fear is that for calling 

Shetti Bobo Grand Commander of 

Bandits, he may be unable to visit the 

upper North, his birthplace. In Lagos, 

those boys are waiting to serve him 

Alaye Bitters. This man could disobey 

Atiku and join Obidients.


It was one of those invitations you 

couldn’t but honour. It was the 

engagement of a friend’s child.He 

is not just a friend. He is more. He is 

someone whose opinion I cherish because 

he will say it the way he sees it without 

mincing words.Our paths crossed when I 

was twelve and he was thirteen and have 

remained interwoven since then. I knew 

about the lady by his side long before she 

became his wife and the mother of his 

children. I knew his childrenas they were 

being delivered into the world including 

the one whose engagement and wedding 

invitations lay on the table.Invitations 

that haunted me with their presence. 

Ordinarily, attending the functions 

should be a joy and something to look 

forward to except that I had shut down 

on social gatherings since Covid19 -my 

children say Covid19 is just a convenient 

excuse since I started shutting down on 

outings long before Covid19 anyway. But 

its hardly a tenable reason to give this 

kind of friend – there is no tenable excuse 

to give a close friend and 

brother for skipping his son’s 

engagement. But every time I 

saw those cards my 

heartbeatquickened to the 

point of palpitation. Yet, I 

knew the days would pass. 

Somehow. 

It didn’t help that the venue 

for the engagement was Akute 

in Ogun State. I had heard of 

the place but never had cause 

to go there. And in my current 

semi-reclusive state, I hesitate 

to go to places I have long 

been to for fear of changed 

landmarks.Places I have 

never visited just fill me with 

a kind of trepidation which is 

more than the usual fear of the 

unknown. The almighty 

Google map didn’t help as the 

names of places and streets 

that came up were unfamiliar 

to me. I feared what a wrong 

turning would mean. Images of police 

checkpoints at every unsuspecting corner; 

of Local Government ‘Officials’ lurking 

around to catch ‘unwise’ motorists taking 

The 'Other Side' of town 

a newly created ‘one-way’; of 

undulating roads of craters and gullies 

that would sometimes lead to cul-desacs 

flashed through my mind. I asked 

my driver if he knew the way to Akute. 

He said he had heard of the name but 

had no idea how to get there. I sighed. 

Then some 

three days to 

The current Governor 

would also rely on their 

votes. It is a shame really 

because what one sees is 

an absence of governance. 

It is not in Akute alone. It is 

in almost every Ogun 

State town that spills into 

Lagos. Those who think 

the problem is in Aso 

Rock alone should take a 

look at Ogun State 

the time, 

a n o t h e r 

childhood 

friend called 

to say an airconditioned 

bus was being 

arranged for 

Akute. It 

would take off 

in Ikeja. Was I 

interested? It 

was God sent. 

I started 

l o o k i n g 

forward to the 

trip knowing 

that the bus 

would be 

peopled by 

friends and 

classmates 

some of whom 

I hadn’t seen for a while; knowing the 

trip would be full of jokes and banters 

all the way. But more importantly, 

knowing I had become a passenger 

and not a pathfinder. I was in an upbeat 

mood as we passed placesI knew but had 

not passed through for a while. We passed 

Ogba industrial Estate. Wide and well 

tarred, the road was better than I 

remember it. Acme Road brought some 

fond memories. Alhaji Jakande’s press 

where I printed a weekly magazine for a 

while, was around the place. Ojodu Road 

had even fonder memories. I had an 

office off the road some three decades 

ago. Try as I could, I couldn’t locate the 

turning to where Prime People Magazine 

was housed in the late 80s. To think I 

drove on that road everyday for a couple 

of years! The sheer concentration of 

people and shops had overtaken the once 

sleepy road of the 80s.As we passed Ojodu 

Berger into Alagbole, the scenery 

changed imperceptibly but surely. It 

looked slightly rural. But It did not have 

the freshness and space of a rural area. 

Yet, it had its poverty. It was inescapable 

as it stared you in the face wherever you 

looked – the dusty roads, the faded wears, 

the vacant looks, the disheveled mienall 

led to a general aura of despair. The 

shops and stalls were tiny and tightly 

compressed together – yet you had the 

feeling that people worked, lived and 

slept in those cubicles. The congested 

markets spilled into the streets in places. 

As we moved inland, we felt more than 

poverty. We felt neglect as we saw people 

who were trying hard to survive. Our 

brothers and sisters from the northern part 

of the country were seen in clusters. Places 

that looked like ‘home’ to them were not 

more than sheds for goats or cattle. This 

caused someone in the bus to pass a 

comment on the abysmal condition. Another 

retorted that it was probably better than 

where they were coming from and that this 

was their kind of ‘Japa’. Down south, they 

would find jobs however menial. Up north, 

it would be nothing but crime. 

To say the roads were tortuous is an 

understatement. We got to a point where the 

road divided into two. More than once, I 

thanked God that I didn’t have my vehicle 

on the road. It is hard to believe that this 

area has a Local Government Councilor. Or 

thatit has representatives in the two 

Legislative Chambers. These people come 

from among them. Next year, these 

representatives would rely on their votes. 

The current Governor would also rely on 

their votes. It is a shame really because what 

one sees is an absence of governance. It is 

not in Akute alone. It is in almost every Ogun 

State town that spills into Lagos. Those who 

think the problem is in Aso Rock alone 

should take a look at Ogun State. Most of 

the inner roads around Shagamu, a major 

city in Ogun State, are deplorable. Ogun 

State serves as the poultry basket for Lagos 

yet most of poultry farms are yet to be 

connected to the grid. The bad roads and 

the current cost of diesel take their toll on 

production costs. Yet government knows how 

to collect taxes from them.The politicians 

know how to sweet talk them when they want 

votes. 

My trip to Akute was an experience worth 

having – the journey back was even more 

tortuous as workers had closed and the tiny 

roads were clogged with cars and 

motorcycles. But that is a story for another 

day. Living in the low density areas of Lagos 

and Abuja will not give one an idea of how 

rough life is for those who claim to live in 

the ‘city’ but who actually live in the satellite 

towns around the State and Federal capitals. 

It does not give us an idea of how insensitive 

and callous our political leaders are to their 

plight. The electoral cycle is here again 

telling us that if we want a change in the 

way we are being treated, we must vote for a 

change. 

When two weeks ago 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and 

Atiku Abubakar bumped 

into one another at the Abuja Airport, 

greeting one another cheerfully, 

some of their ignorant supporters 

may have been very aghast. How 

come the men we are fighting for are 

smiling and sharing banters, the 

very ignorant supporters may have 

wondered. 

But certainly not the 

knowledgeable supporters who know 

the secret past deals between two of 

the most pre-eminent political 

wheeler-dealers of their generation. 

That these two men share bonds 

within and outside the political arena 

is not in doubt. Their collaborations 

against Third Term and in the 2006/ 

7 presidential campaign of Atiku are 

historical recollections of their plots 

against President Olusegun 

Obasanjo. 

Your correspondent recollects the 

presence of officials, and notably 

media handlers from the Lagos State 

Government who were embedded in 

the Atiku traveling party during that 

2006/7 election season. The Lagos 

men and women, however, abruptly 

disappeared not too long into the 

campaign and it was only later that 

we got to learn of a falling out 

between Tinubu and Atiku over the 

Muslim-Muslim ticket that the 

former Lagos State governor desired. 

However, it has now emerged that 

despite their political differences and 

rivalry that the two men remain 

business partners. So, whatever it is 

that Festus Keyamo and Reno 

Omokiri may say about their 

respective principals, it is something 

that no one should take to the bank 

as defining the thoughts of either 

Tinubu or Atiku. 

However, when it comes to Peter 

Obi, it is certain that the same 

camaraderie is totally absent. 

Why Tinubu and Atiku are 

collaborating against Obi 

Indeed, it is now being insinuated 

that there may be a collaboration 

between the PDP and APC 

campaigns to shoot down Peter Obi 

at all costs. 

The insidious attacks against 

Peter Obi by the Atiku and Tinubu 

campaigns have been particularly 

revealing. Both campaigns seem 

to have taken a particular interest 

in assaulting the personality of 

Peter Obi. 

Reno Omokri, a former aide of 

President Goodluck Jonathan who 

had been thought to be a pastor 

in California appears to the 

discomfort of some to have 

developed a new ministry of faultfinding 

around Obi. 

While Reno Omokri shoots from 

the PDP corner, Chief Femi Fani- 

Kayode another man who has been 

apt to quote scripture to project his 

political beliefs has also 

relentlessly attacked Obi on behalf 

of the Tinubu campaign. 

The reason for the relentless 

assault on Obi was apparent to the 

discerning and undiscerning 

earlier this week. 

An opinion poll conducted by an 

independent body that appeared 

to be the most comprehensive poll 

of the intentions of voters put Obi 

ahead of Tinubu and Atiku among 

the rural population. 

The poll conducted by Nexiter, a 

policy advisory body, is sobering for 

the APC and PDP 

candidates as it 

not only puts Obi 

at the lead, it also 

rubbishes what 

had been the 

soothing comfort of 

many of their 

supporters that 

Obi was only 

popular among 

urban voters. 

Some may also 

ask, if the rural 

voters are immune 

to the pains of 

e c o n o m i c 

deprivation and 

s e c u r i t y 

challenges that 

have befuddled 

most of the nation. 

However, when it comes 

to Peter Obi, it is certain 

that the same 

camaraderie is totally 

absent. Indeed, it is 

now being insinuated 

that there may be a 

collaboration between 

the PDP and APC 

campaigns to shoot 

down Peter Obi at all 

costs 

Besides the 

erosion of the PDP base in the 

Southeast and the South-South, 

Omokri and others in the Atiku 

camp according to the Nexiter poll 

would be seriously displeased to 

find out that Obi has also 

encroached into the North. Though 

the poll found Atiku as the 

preference for the majority of voters 

in the Northeast and Northwest, Obi 

on the other hand dominates in the 

North Central. 

The Tinubu campaign would also not 

be pleased to discover that the 

Southwest base of their man is also 

being penetrated by Obi who is pulling 

a strong second in the region. 

The pains of the Tinubu campaign are 

not assuaged by the fact that the poll 

showed that Atiku remains the 

favourite of Nigerian Muslims in the 

North. The inclination of the Northern 

Muslims for one of their own is despite 

the adoption of the Muslim-Muslim 

ticket by Tinubu. 

Tinubu may well see that the choice 

of the Muslim-Muslim ticket as a costly 

error given that it may 

not have won him any 

serious advantage as 

Northern Muslims 

incline themselves 

towards their own, Atiku. 

Even more perniciously, 

Christians would have 

been peeved by his 

readiness to adopt the 

Muslim-Muslim ticket for 

political expediency. 

The dislocation of the 

political permutations of 

the established political 

actors in the PDP and 

APC by the Obidient 

Movement is no doubt a 

serious blow that may 

have led the two forces 

into the personal attacks 

that we now see directed 

against Obi. 

For your correspondent and many 

others who had followed the pastoral 

ministry of Omokri, seeing him huff and 

puff these days about Peter Obi is 

rather disconcerting. It is even worse 

seeing the equally vociferous Obidients 

reply Reno Omokri with past posts of 

his endorsement of Peter Obi. 

Sacrificing spiritual and moral ethos 

is the painful price some people pay 

for their temporal political goals.

Cyprian Ekwensi’s Jagua Nana 

lived in the 1950s Lagos. 

Jagwa woman, as she called 

herself to summon her spell, was an 

ageing but enchanting prostitute who 

longed to marry an innocent, ambitious 

young boy. Handsome Freddie, aware 

that his future didn’t belong to the 

cougar, yet couldn’t resist her 

offerings. Jagua professed undying 

love to the boy but did nothing to hide 

her lecherousness from him. She 

didn’t see the hollowness of her 

apologies. After frolicking the entire 

Lagos, she would settle down with him. 

That was her plan. From the proceeds 

of prostitution, she picked up the bills 

of his proposed foreign education. A 

down payment for her love. When she 

noticed his interest in a younger girl, 

she unleashed her fury and tore up 

his travel papers. The wrath of a jilted 

prostitute. That was the extent she 

went to prevent him from having other 

liaisons despite her naked career. 

Whenever the boy protested her 

overbearingness and promiscuity by 

pulling away from her, Jagua would 

find him and test his fortitude. He 

never could resist her spell. The spell 

of ageing but a predatory and 

voluptuous woman. 

The domination of the Nigerian 

political scene by a certain group of 

politicians in more ways than one 

seems a replay of the incongruous 

cringeworthy relationship between 

Jagua and Freddie. Ageing and 

illicitly wealthy politicians, against all 

odds, dominate a space 

overwhelmingly peopled by loud, 

vibrant youths. The sagging 

politicians always make fresh promises 

to turn new leaves but remain 

irredeemably dissolute. The 

infatuation of the youths with the old 

politicians is inexplicable because 

they are fed up and ashamed of their 

Our political Jagua Nanas 

dissipated leaders. Just as Freddie 

feared that Jagua would sully his 

reputation. But Freddy, like the 

Nigerian youths, did nothing to save 

themselves. 

Like Jagua, the politicians look at 

themselves in the 

mirror, notice their 

moral wrinkles and 

deficiencies and fear the 

youths, like Freddie, 

could be on the brink of 

a rebellion. Jagua 

thought herself a Jagwa 

Woman, a conqueror of 

menfolk. Politicians 

lionize themselves as 

thinkers and visionaries, 

emancipators of the 

poor. The names are 

effective because the 

youths parrot them and 

come under a spell. Like 

Jagua, the old layers 

hold the youths 

enraptured through 

propaganda and mere 

tokenisms. Bits of the 

proceeds of theft and 

immorality are thrown 

back at them with a 

promise to make those who remain 

subservient better than their peers. 

Any attempt by the youths to go into a 

Like Jagua, most of 

the Nigerian 

politicians came 

from rural poverty. 

Peel off the first 

layer of their 

ancestry, and the 

next is a palm winetapping 

generation 


natural political romance with 

promising youthful prospects is 

dissidence and is met with fury. 

Like Jagua, most of the Nigerian 

politicians came from rural poverty. 

Peel off the first layer of their ancestry, 

and the next is a palm 

wine-tapping 

generation. Once they 

arrive in Lagos or Abuja, 

the political scene, they 

fall for the lights and 

cash and a vicious cycle 

of decadence ensues. 

Money lies, deceit, 

subterfuge, thuggery, 

rigging, prebendalism. 

Perhaps Freddie is best 

represented by some 

Nigerian professionals 

who embrace seeking to 

rise through 

godfatherism. Because 

that is the finicky cohort 

that suffers Freddie’s 

fate to the fullest. 

Freddie had to show up 

at the police station to 

take the prostitute on 

bail. It was beneath him, 

but he craved her flesh. 

The professionals launder the image 

of stinking politicians so they can 

drink from the sweet cesspool. Once 

the professional gains a foothold on 

the ladder and regathers his 

conscience, he becomes an ingrate or 

a Judas. And the political godfather 

can, in a rage, bring out his protege’s 

cupboards in the open and shred all 

his belongings, and set aflame his 

future political career with damaging 

revelations. 

Like Freddie, even after the 

professionals break free and move to 

greater heights, they still remain 

attracted to the rotten political nectar. 

Ekwensi’s main characters would 

later get involved in politics and 

present a slightly different perspective 

of Nigerian politics of the 50s and 60s 

to the picture their relationship was 

used to depict in this article. Freddie 

returned from London as a lawyer, 

married with children, to run for 

election under a new party. Jagua ran 

into an old politician and found 

herself mobilizing the womenfolk for 

the man who had picked up her 

upkeep and rent bills. New heady 

opposition parties, always more 

idealistic, always more structureless, 

always more vulnerable to the vultures 

and hyenas. Freddie died in the hands 

of thugs, leaving his wife and children 

to bear the consequences of his 

singleminded patriotism. Jagua 

wasn’t soulless. She had warned 

Freddie and the other men that politics 

and its violence could consume them. 

Once the ruling party overreached 

themselves by killing Freddie and fell, 

Jagua found herself prey. That could 

be the fate of all cronies of politicians 

during a rebellion. Jagua was 

fortunate. When the heat became 

unbearable, she left Lagos for her 

village with the loot left in her custody. 

The luckiest of our old Jagua Nanas 

will be those who retire quickly and 

in peace, with some loot. Time will 

tell. 

2023: Politicians plot fresh strategies to win 

• Deny perceived supporters of opponents PVCs 

•Suppress votes in opponents’ strongholds during the polls 

• Devise means to mitigate effects of new Naira policy 

By Clifford Ndujihe, 

Politics Editor 

WHEN the bird learns to fly without 

perching, the hunter learns to shoot 

without missing. 

The above adage captures the plans of many 

politicians and political parties as they engage 

a new gear in their battle to win electoral seats 

in the 2023 general elections. 

Already, many plans have been executed 

successfully but fresh and decisive ones must 

be carried out to corner the electoral mantles. 

Some plans that have been executed include 

getting supporters and party faithful to take 

part in the recently concluded voters 

registration exercise: and suppressing 

perceived supporters of opponents from being 

registered as voters. There were also attempts 

to pad the voters register by listing foreigners, 

underage people, and registering supporters 

multiple times. 

Recently, the Independent National 

Electoral Commission, INEC, said some of 

its staff tried to register voters multiple times 

and disclosed that the affected officers had 

been fished out and were being sanctioned. 

The electoral umpire also delisted 2.7 million 

underaged and unqualified voters and 

assured that it would clean the voters register 

before the polls that will start on February 25, 

2023 with the presidential and National 

Assembly elections. 

Hoarding PVCs 

With voters registration over, the next stage 

is collection of the Permanent Voters Cards, 

PVCs. Saturday Vanguard gathered that 

some politicians have devised means of 

denying perceived opponents their PVCs in 

collaboration with INEC officials in the Local 

Government Areas. 

A source said: “The game plan is to sort the 

PVCs based on the names on the cards. You 

know we mobilized people to register during 

the voters registration exercise. We know those 

we mobilized. We will ensure that those we 

mobilized get their PVCs. If you are not one of 

those we mobilized you are on your own.” 

•Atiku •Tinubu •Obi •Kwankwanso 

Stomach infrastructure 

With rising poverty in the land, some 

politicians have embarked on fresh welfare 

packages to win the support of would be voters. 

Penultimate week, the Rivers State Governor 

appointed 200,000 special assistants in the 

various constituencies of the state in addition 

to 359 state and LGA liaison officers. The 

200,359 aides will be given allowances from 

date of appointment till May 29, 2023 and 

their allowances are estimated to cost the state 

N42 billion. 

The special assistants are expected to 

mobilize voters for the People’s Democratic 

Party, PDP, candidates in the state. 

Speaking on the issue, in a chat with 

Saturday Vanguard, Prince Ugo Beke, the 

All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, 

Governorship Candidate in Rivers, described 

the appointment of 200,000 aides as an 

attempt to buy votes. 

However, he said the move would not give 

PDP victory in Rivers, arguing that with the 

introduction of Bimodal Voters Accreditation 

System, BVAS, by the INEC, votes would count 

and riggers would be frustrated in the 2023 

polls. 

However, Saturday Vanguard gathered that 

many politicians are toeing the line of Wike 

on a higher scale. 

A top leader of one the political parties told 

Saturday Vanguard: “Wike appointed 

200,000 aides. We are doing a similar thing 

on a larger scale. We mobilized over one 

million people for the voters registration. The 

2023 election will be different from past 

elections because of the BVAS and redesigning 

of the naira. In the past, an officer in charge of 

a polling unit may be given N500,000 or one 

million naira. From the money, he will take 

care of agents of the other parties, security 

agents and INEC officials and we will take 

charge of the process. 

“With BVAS, things have changed. But we 

are politicians and we know how to play the 

game. We have mobilized real people, real 

voters, up to one million in some LGAs. We 

have started giving them allowances of 

N10,000 every month and it will continue till 

the end of the election.” 

CUPP kicks, APC counters 

Indeed, the Coalition of United Political 

Parties, CUPP, on Monday, alleged that the 

ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had 

concluded plans to transfer cash to 10 million 

voters in over 20 states in what it described as 

operation wire-wire (digital vote buying) 

during the 2023 polls. 

CUPP Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo 

Ugochinyere alleged that the APC had 

harvested the names, account numbers, voters 

identification numbers and bank verification 

numbers of citizens for digital vote buying. 

Countering, the APC Presidential Campaign 

Council,. PCC, accused the CUPP of spreading 

wicked rumours to portray the APC 

Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed 

Tinubu, in bad light. 

“If you believe this CUPP allegation), you 

will believe anything. This is .a mere rumour 

concocted by the PDP and surrogate CUPP to 

malign our candidate. We are working hard 

to win this election by a landslide,” Mr. Bayo 

Onanuga, director, Media and Publicity, APC 

PCC, said. 

Obi-Datti Campaign raise alarm over 

alleged sabotage PVC collection 

Also, the Obi-Datti Media Office Office 

raised alarm over reports reaching it that the 

collection of PVCs was not going smoothly in 

some centres across the country. 

It said it’s attention was drawn in particular 

to Lagos state where in some identified areas 

prospective voters wishing to collect their 

PVCs were being frustrated with all kinds of 

excuses. 

The office said in a statement: “We are also 

aware of the large inducement to some 

personnel of the INEC in Lagos to lure them 

into the dubious nefarious act. 

“When we recently charged President 

Muhammedu Buhari and the INEC 

Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu to walk 

their talk of their promise to conduct free and 

fair elections in 2023, we expect that they 

should be concerned about all pre-Election 

Day activities. 

“Concentrating only on Election Day 

activities while the major rigging is taking 

place ahead of the election is counterproductive 

and will defeat all the good 

intentions of the President and the commission. 

“There should be no preferential treatment 

of any area or individuals as being reported 

in Lagos State and where such exist should 

discontinue immediately and affected 

commission officials seriously reprimanded.” 

However, the electoral umpire has assured 

that votes would count in 2023 and urged 

people to approach INEC offices to collect 

their PVCs. It also urged the citizenry to report 

any officer frustrating their efforts to collect 

their PVCs.


AbdulRazaq solves 55-yr-old water 

crisis in Kwara, Says PDP now empty in state 

•Assures thousands of defectors from other parties of fairness, equal treatment 

By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin 

Governor 

AbdulRahman 

AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has 

assured thousands of defectors from 

opposition political parties into the ruling All 

Progressives Congress, APC of fairness and equal 

treatment. Governor AbdulRazak gave the 

assurance on Thursday in Ilorin, the state capital 

while welcoming defectors from Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, Social Democratic Party, SDP, African 

Democratic Congress, ADC, and others 

The defectors who were led by dozens of their 

party chieftains attested to the impressive 

performance of Governor AbdulRazaq’s 

administration in education, healthcare, workers’ 

welfare, rural-urban infrastructural development, 

women and youth empowerment, and safety nets 

for the poor and the vulnerable. Of note was water 

crisis that has lasted for decades in the state. Water 

is running in parts of the state now. 

The new party members were received by the 

governor alongside several top government officials 

and party chieftains including Kwara APC 

chairman, Sunday Fagbemi and Director General 

of the APC Campaign Council, Alhaji Yahaya Seriki, 

among others. 

Governor AbdulRazaq in his remarks threw a 

jibe at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party 

(PDP) in the state describing the party as truly 

shameless for comparing its 16 years with his three 

years plus in office and for lying to Kwarans that 

they constructed the Post Office Flyover Bridge in 

Ilorin, which the then federal government funded. 

His words: “We welcome all the decampees and 

appreciate you for your conviction and your trust 

in our party. We are going to work together to 

achieve success. We will treat you all fairly as 

members of our party. As you can see, PDP is now 

empty. They only deploy social media to feign 

popularity. 

“They came up with a slogan - ‘O Suwa’ (We are 

fed up). They are truly shameless for comparing 

their 16 years to our three and a half years in office. 

They boast of constructing a fly over bridge at the 

post office. They are liars. They never told Kwarans 

that the Federal government funded the project. 

“The same thing applies to Ilesha Baruba - 

Chikanda road construction and the Airport. We 

are building huge projects with our own money as 

an administration while delivering basic amenities 

to our people, including workers’ welfare. We cannot 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

“Daily Bread For All Seasons: Advent & 

Christmas”, is Rev. Father Anthony Taiye 

Fadairo’s latest literary offering to Christendom. 

The soul-inspiring book published in 2022 by 

Paulines Publication West Africa, contains deep 

reflections by Rev. Fadairo, a Priest of the 

Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, intended to 

nourish Christians for the four Sundays and 

weekdays of advent, Christmas season till the 

commemoration of the baptism of our Lord Jesus 

Christ and of course, beyond. Covered in the 

book also, are reflections on feasts that take 

place during these seasons for the three cycles of 

the liturgical year. 

The Advent, a period preceding Christmas, is 

particularly a time of remembrance and 

anticipation. And according to Fr. Fadairo, 

“Advent is always a new beginning for the 

Church and for each of us. It is a time of renewal, 

spiritual encounter, spiritual voyage, of growing 

intimacy with Jesus and in an ever deeper 

understanding of him and his life in and for us”. 

For more understanding, the author further 

notes that at Advent, God’s children anticipate 

the coming of the ‘Word’ made flesh in our hearts 

and lives so that he truly manifests as 

Emmanuel- “God is with us”. 

”Daily Bread for All Seasons: Advent & 

Christians”, is a compilation of various reflections 

put together by the author for over a period of 

two years. In essence, Fadairo’s book is a 

spiritual guide and manual appropriate for 

teaching and for personal reflection for Christians 

who desire to be richly blessed by the reason for 

the season, which is Jesus Christ, as they 

entrust the future of our state to those who once 

ruined a bank. 

“They will destroy our state, if we make that 

mistake. Let them know that you’re not tired of 

good government and steady spread of 

infrastructure across the state,” the Governor told 

the mammoth crowd.” 

AbdulRazaq also mentioned some of his 

administration’s scorecards across sectors and 

enjoined the participants to remain resolute to 

deliver the State for APC at the polls. 

Party chieftains among the defectors included 

former Deputy Speaker, Kwara State House of 

Assembly under PDP, Hon. Mathew Okedare; 

former Commissioner for Tertiary Education under 

PDP, Mr Abdullahi Alikinla; former Commissioner 

for Education, Science and Technology Engr Musa 

Yeketi; Personal Assistant to the former Governor 

Abdulfatah Ahmed on Political Affairs, (PAPOL) 

Alhaji Hassan Gegele; PDP Women Leader in 

Ifelodun LG, Adenike Ayilara; former Special 

Assistant to Senator Bukola Saraki on Domestic 

Hon. Bolakale Ajanaku; Otunba Olabode Oyedepo 

popularly called Bode Deway; SDP House of 

undertake the spiritual trip with God all through 

the Advent and Christmas seasons. 

“Stay Awake and Be Watchful”, begins the 

reflection for the First Sunday of Advent, Year A, 

which is documented in pages 17 through 19. 

The book progresses with “The Call to 

Repentance” on the second Sunday of Advent, 

Year A. This topic is very relevant during the 

•Governor 

Abdulrazaq 

addressing the new 

party men in Kwara 

Assembly aspirant from Offa Mr. Ahmed Akorede; 

PDP House of Rep aspirant for Asa/Ilorin West 

Hon. Ahmed Bayero; YPP Vice Chairman in Asa 

Hamzat Dolapo; Abu Jimoh Plumber; Bola Afolayan 

from Ekiti LG and Alhaji Abdullahi Sarumi, among 

others. 

On his part, APC chairman in the state, Fagbemi 

said Kwarans have all seen the huge gap between 

the past and present administrations in terms of 

inclusive growth and good governance, and have 

vowed never to allow the State to go backward. He 

said the comeback bid of PDP was evil and targeted 

at denying the citizens what they are already 

enjoying under AbdulRazaq, restating the 

government’s scorecards across sectors. 

Director General of Kwara APC Campaign 

Council Alhaji Yahaya Seriki urged members of 

the party to remain determined to work for the 

success of the party. “This is a party for everyone. 

We all own Kwara together and we must reward 

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his hard 

work, dedication and exemplary leadership. 

Kwarans are not tired of measurable progress and 

development they see under this government. We 

DAILY BREAD FOR ALL SEASONS: 

Rev Fadairo’s inspiring reflections 

for Advent, Christmas and beyond! 

season as so many people use the phrase, the 

‘reason for the season’ without knowing it’s 

essence. For many, Christmas is just about 

decoration, party, a time to show off wealth or 

engage in immoral acts all in the name 

of celebration which is 

reason evil tends to 

multiply in the period 

before and during the 

Yuletide. This makes 

Rev Fadairo’s reflections 

of much relevance 

given that they help to 

draw mankind closer to 

his creator especially 

during the two major 

seasons explored. 

The reflections focus 

mainly on the readings 

from the gospel and 

other readings, in 

addition to responsorial 

psalms which the author 

notes, are included to 

accentuate and 

complement the 

messages in the gospel for 

each day. Still on “The 

Call to Repentance”, the 

author pens down the 

following; Isaiah 11:1-10; 

Romans 15:4-9 and 

Matthew 3: 1-12, as 

readings from the 

Scripture. Under this topic, 

he emphasises the 

importance of imbibing virtues while we await 

the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Notably, for each study, an apt theme is 

supplied so as to aid the understanding of the 

will all come out en masse to campaign for the 

victory of APC,” he said. 

Decampees then took turns to explain why they 

left their parties to embrace APC, describing 

Governor AbdulRazaq as an architect of a new 

Kwara. 

Former Deputy Speaker, House of Assembly 

Hon. Mathew Okedare, who also decamped, said 

they never knew that they were in darkness under 

the PDP-led administration until recently, attesting 

that Governor AbdulRazaq has demonstrated the 

capacity to lead. Engr. Yeketi said what the present 

administration has achieved within three and a 

half years were enough to prove that AbdulRazaq 

means well for the State. 

How Governor AbdulRazaq 

solved 55-year-old water crisis in 

Kwara 

Meanwhile, on his assumption of office, Governor 

AbdulRazaq met the water sector in a mess as the 

residents were suffering for lack of water. When he 

visited the ministry of water resources therefore, 

he gave a marching order that there should be 

constant water supply to some areas in Ilorin and 

all other parts of the state within 100 days. He 

tasked the ministry and the concerned consultants 

to get all the dams working, pledging to give them 

the necessary support as he threatened to wield 

the big stick if the ministry did not deliver on his 

directive. 

He said, “We have a mandate to deliver water to 

our people and within the next 100 days that should 

be done. For a start, I want to see constant water 

supply in specific areas of Ilorin, it may be Ilorin 

East, South or West. 

“Don’t keep talking. We want action. Our people 

want water. No part of Ilorin or anywhere in this 

state do people have water. Raise a memo to state 

what the problems are and what is needed to fix 

them. People are tired of empty talk. 

“We have to solve the problems now. Forget the 

big word reticulation, let’s fix the problem. We need 

immediate memo on what the problems are and we 

will give you all the support. We need to think out 

of the box. I’m serious about having water in our 

homes within 100 days. We have the mandate to 

deliver water to our people,” the governor said. 

Within a few days after the governor’s marching 

order, some residents of Ilorin who had hitherto 

complained of lack of access to public water heaved 

a sigh of relief. 

Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon 

Abdulwahab Femi Agbaje in an interview with 

Saturday Vanguard said, “when we came on board, 

we met a situation that was not palatable. The first 

thing we noticed was that apart from the electrical 

operation of our water works, the staff at the Water 

Corporation were on strike for almost three months 

before we came on board and the moment we came, 

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak intervened. 

“He had meetings with the management team 

of the water Corporation and looked into some of 

the things they raised and he positively yielded to 

some of their demands and they went back to work. 

“After then, we discovered that virtually all the 

water works were having problems’ and since then 

the government ensured that most of these water 

works started functioning”. 


reader. The simple language and references to 

the Holy Bible also help the reader to 

understand the spiritual messages embedded 

in each reflection. 

Reflections during the season of Advent 

takes space up to page 98, ushering in 

readings for the Christmas season from page 

100, with “God Gives Us Divine Life Through 

Christ” (Christmas Mass during the Night, 

Year A, B, C), as title of the reflection. It is 

followed by “Celebrating the Birth of the 

Messiah (Christmas Day) in page 104. 

Fadairo’s book of reflections is compiled in a 

manner that it supplies the spiritual 

nourishment Christians need to navigate life 

successfully, through the daily readings from 

the Holy Bible. It will no doubt, be a helpful 

companion to dedicated 

Christians who are interested 

in studying and meditating on 

the Word of God daily for 

spiritual growth. 

As stated by the author, 

“Daily Bread for All Seasons”, 

will also serve as a “practical 

help to preachers, to 

complement their efforts in 

the preparation of their own 

reflections. It will enhance 

the proclamation of the Word 

of God among the faithful 

until all become conformed 

to what they read and hearthe 

word of Life” 

Interestingly, in the 135- 

page study manual, the 

author concludes the 

reflection for each day with 

“salient and contemporary 

questions and prayers 

intended to challenge the 

readers into remaining 

focused on the embedded 

messages. 

Rev Fadairo’s book of 

reflection is a 

commendable effort at not 

just helping Christian 

faithful to prepare for both the 

commemoration of the birth and second 

coming of our Lord Jesus but also to guide 

people to meditate on the real reason for the 

season as we celebrate.


bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 

Facts To Boost The Male Ego! 

Did you know that 

during orgasm, 

most of the brain 

shuts down? That with 

orgasm, raised levels of what 

are called the cuddle 

chemicals – oxytocin and 

vasopressin – lead to feelings 

of satisfaction and 

attachments? A study has 

found that women who 

regularly receive semen 

vaginally are less depressed 

than those who don’t, says 

Helen Fisher, PhD, author of: 

Why We Love, The Nature 

and Chemistry of Romancing 

love. A bit of an ego-booster 

for men who are forever 

jealous of the role that 

dreaded vibrator is playing 

in their lover’s life! 

The feel-good experience 

semen gives female 

recipients could be because 

they really like their 

partners, Fisher said, “it 

could also be because 

seminal fluid is awash not 

only with testosterone and 

oestrogen but also with 

chemicals such as dopamine 

and norepinephrine, 

serotonin, and oxytocin 

which can contribute to either 

elation or calm.” 

Another recent study 

revealed the unsurpasing 

result that the more often a 

person has sex, the happier 

he or she is. This could be 

because people who have sex 

often are more likely to be 

healthy and enjoying a good 

relationship. It could also be 

because sex exercises the 

muscles and the respiratory 

system, gets the circulatory 

system moving, which gives 

the skin a gorgeous glow; 

and according to Fisher’s 

research, triggers the brain 

circuitry for romantic love 

and attachment. 

So why do we have sex? 

Because it is fun, says Fisher. 

Because it can be the most 

powerful, concrete way to 

demonstrate the love for 

ourselves and for someone 

else. Because sex helps us 

to remember. Because it 

helps us to forget. Because 

when we open ourselves to 

the experience completely, 

we become intimate with the 

world in a way that’s 

otherwise inaccessible, and 

unique. Flooded with 

hormones that can release 

us from the mooring of selfconsciousness 

and control, 

we can relax into a presence 

of mind that allows 

boundaries, momentarily to 

dissolve. Sex can not only 

help us feel better – it can 

also help us feel... 

Yetunde Arebi 

Twitter:@yetunderebi 

yetty5050@yahoo.co.uk 

08054700825 

Walking in another man’s shoes 

It is easy for one to understand why 

a man might fall out of love with 

his wife and go after another 

woman. It is a natural life occurrence. 

What I however find very difficult to 

comprehend is when a father decides 

to walk out of his own biological 

children’s life, relinquish all ties with 

them, only to pick the responsibility of 

another man’s children. It is like 

saying that you no longer want to have 

anything to do with a part of your body, 

and would rather use another person’s 

own as yours. To whose benefit is such 

foolishness? Yet, I see some people 

falling victim of this misplaced 

priority. 

First there was the case of Dr. and 

Mrs Hassan whose story I found so 

hard to believe when it happened. This 

was because they had alway seemed 

like the perfect couple, if there was 

one. Mr. Hassan, a medical doctor, had 

just opened his own little Clinic shortly 

before we met them. Mrs. Hassan, is a 

teacher and devoted mother of two, a 

boy and a girl who were also doing 

beautifully well at the time. I remember 

that the girl even came tops in one of 

the national competitions sponsored by 

a multinational company. They were 

kids any parent would be proud to 

have. We belonged to the same 

religious group and met for worship 

almost every Sunday. Like me, Mrs. 

Hassan had crossed over to Islam after 

marriage and had become very 

devoted. So, I was surprised when she 

started missing worship and 

eventually stopped completely. Same 

for her husband. 

On enquiry, a mutual friend let me 

into the story. Dr. Hassan had deserted 

his family! How is that possible, I 

asked? She explained that Dr Hassan 

suddenly began sleeping out under the 

pretense of working late at the Clinic 

and such other excuses used by 

Medical practitioners. Eventually, they 

discovered that he was dating a female 

Nurse, his employee at the Clinic. 

When confronted, his explanation was 

that the lady is a widow with five 

children to care for, so he felt sorry for 

her and wished to help her. Well, there 

is no problem with helping a widow 

but must one have a sexual 

relationship with her before one can 

render assistance? When his wife’s 

questions and attitude became 

unbearable, Dr. Hassan reminded her 

that he is an African man and more 

importantly, a Muslim. He therefore 

has the permission of man and God to 

frolic with as many women as he 

desires. Poor Mrs. Hassan was backed 

to the wall when she discovered that 

the affair was not hidden from some 

Unfortunately, there was no one to turn 

to on her own side of the family, having 

been warned of the differences in their 

backgrounds and the high chances of 

Dr. Hassan betraying her trust in the 

course of the union 

key family members. Unfortunately, there 

was no one to turn to on her own side of 

the family, having been warned of the 

differences in their backgrounds and the 

high chances of Dr. Hassan betraying 

her trust in the course of the union. No 

one was surprised when Dr. Hassan 

eventually stopped coming home and 

moved in with his widowed staff and 

her five children, claiming that they 

needed him more than his wife and 

two children do. His wife is a strong 

woman and can take care of herself and 

the children, but the mother of five 

could not. 

Mrs. Hassan on her part was 

convinced that her husband had fallen 

under a spell cast by the woman! Or 

why would he abandon his family to 

shack up with another man’s family? 

She said she’d been informed that the 

woman is a sucker who dries men up 

then spits them out. She feared that 

the woman would kill Dr. as she killed 

her first husband and was sure her 

grand plan was to take over the Clinic 

and then kill him. The woman I saw 

had become a shadow of the one I once 

knew, tall, lanky, fair complexioned 

and very full of life and laughter. The 

new woman had not 

only taken her 

unsuspecting husband 

and father of her 

children into custody, 

but was gradually 

milking him. For, on 

moving in with her, he 

had sacked the Clinic 

Matron and replaced 

her with new madam. 

Mrs. Hassan was 

worried that the woman 

was only scheming to 

take over the Clinic for 

herself. For several years, Mrs Hassan 

ran from one spiritualist to another, 

trying to win back her husband and 

save him from untimely death. 

Unfortunately, Dr, was a lost case. It’s 

been over 12 years now. Though he is 

not dead, he is dead to his children 

who have endured the shame, pain 

and hardship to become successful in 

their own world. I doubt Dr. can ever 

be truly happy, living all these years 

in a toy house and playing daddy 

endlessly to some other man’s children 

at the detriment of your own. No matter 

what might have gone down between 

a man and his wife, does it have to 

include the happiness and welfare of 

the children? Perhaps there is truth in 

the Yoruba adage that a man pays better 

attention to the children of a woman 

he loves. 

My friend Hunsun almost fell into a 

similar trap when he started dating a 

junior female colleague at work. The 

mother of three children from two men 

had been making passes at him for 

several months before he decided to 

pay her some attention. He said he felt 

drawn to her because he was aware of 

her enormous burden and struggle as 

a single mother and had always come 

to her rescue in the past, even while 

they were not dating. He said he was 

genuinely concerned for her and 

assisted her complete a house she had 

been struggling with, but no sooner 

had they moved into the house, the 

dynamics of the relationship changed. 

Hunsun said the children began 

calling him daddy and the lady began 

throwing her weight around at the 

office, preventing other ladies from 

coming near him. According to him, 

she began carrying on like a wife even 

in the office and he felt suffocated. 

“Yetunde, You know I like my freedom. 

I can’t trade it for anything and my wife 

knows it too. I simply requested for her 

transfer and that was the end”. 

Do have a wonderful weekend!


CHANGE OF NAME 

OZOYA 

INNOCENT 

EDORHE 

I, formerly known as MISS. My name was wrongly written I, formerly known as MISS 

FAITH SPECIAL OZOYA, as INNOCENT OBIORA, 

now wish to be know and 

THANKSGIVING EKHUEMI 

instead of my correct name as 

addressed as MRS FAITH 

EDORHE, now wish to be 

R A P H A E L - W I S E OBIORAH INNOCENT 

known and addressed as MRS. 

ASEMOTA. All former CHIKELUO. All former 

THANKSGIVING EKHUEMI 

documents remain valid. documents remain valid. 

Concerned authorities and the Concerned authorities and the 

UDUAGELE. All former 

general public should please general public should please documents remain valid. The 

take note 

take note. 

general public please take note. 

OHANAKA OB 

EGWIM ADEBONA 

I, formerly known and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and 

addressed as OHANAKA addressed as MISS EGWIM addressed as MISS TAIYE 

JENNIFER, now wish to be CYNTHIA CHINATU, now 

FRANCA ADEBONA, now 

known and addressed as 

wish to be known and addressed 

as MRS OSUAGWUwish 

to be known and addressed 

ONYEKACHI CHINASA 

NNOROM CYNTHIA as MRS IMO TAIYE 

JENNIFER. All former CHINATU. All former FRANCA. All former 

documents remain valid, documents remain valid, documents remain valid, 

general public take note. general public take note. general public take note. 

EMUOBOSA 

NDIKAH 

NWANYA 


addressed as MISS 

addressed as MISS NDIKAH 

LEONTIA IFEYINWA, now 

addressed as MISS NWANYA 

EMUOBOSA EJIRO wish to be known and addressed MARCILLINA EBELE. Now 

BLESSING, now wish to be as MRS PAUL LEONTIA wish to be known and addressed 

known and addressed as MRS IFEYINWA. All documents as MRS ODUMODU 

UDI EJIRO BLESSING. All 

bearing my former name MARCILLINA EBELE. All 

remains valid. General public, 

former documents remain Bank and Relevant Authorities 

former documents remain 

valid, general public take note. please take note. 

valid. General public take note 

DAUFA APIANS ONUOHA 


addressed as MISS CHARITY addressed as Miss addressed as Miss ONUOHA 

FANTI DAUFA, now wish to TAREMOBOERE APIANS, PRECIOUS CHIALUKA, now 

be known, called and addressed 

now wish to be known and wish to be known and addressed 

as MRS. CHARITY 

AZIBANARIOLO 

addressed as Mrs. as Mrs. MUJIAGBE 

JONATHAN. All former TAREMOBOERE NIMITE. PRECIOUS CHIALUKA. All 

documents remain valid. All former documents remain former documents remain 

General public should please valid. General public please valid. General public please 

take note. 

take note. 

take note. 

JAMES 

ODUNLAMI 

OKUAH 


addressed as James Chisom 

Victoria, now wish to be known 

and addressed as Nosike 

addressed as Odunlami Grace 

Sesi, now wish to be known 

and addressed as Bankole 

addressed as MISS OKUAH 

CLARA, now wish to be 


Chisom Victoria. All former Grace Sesi. All former OBORAKORE OKUAH 

documents remain valid. documents remain valid. CLARA. All former documents 

General public please take 

note. 

General public please take 

note. 

remain valid. General public 

take note. 

OKE IKPEAMAROM MARK 


addressed as OKE LUCKY addressed as MISS. addressed as MARK DAVID 

.O., now wish to be known IKPEAMAROM DORIS EGBERI, now wish to be 

and addressed as OKE EFE 

NGOZI, now wish to be known 

known and addressed as FUNand 

addressed as MRS. 

ESE. All documents bearing OJIMBA DORIS NGOZI. All 

AKPO MURPHY DAVID. 

former names remain valid. documents bearing former All documents bearing former 

General public, please take names remain valid. General names remain valid. General 

note. 

public, please take note. public, please take note. 

ALBERT 

FELIX 

EMEBANE 

I, formerly knownl and I, formerly known and I, formerly known and 

addressed as ALBERT addressed as FELIX 

PATRICK ONORIODE. now 

addressed as EMEBANE 

BLESSING, now wish to be 

wish to be known,call and 

MARY, now wish to be known 

addressed as OBORO 


and addressed as EMOGHO 

PATRICK ONORIODE. All EDAFE BLESSING.. All 

documents bearing former documents bearing former 

MARY. Henceforth all former 

names remain valid, general names remain valid. General documents remain valid. 

public please take note. public, please take note. General public take note 

ARUBASA 

ESEOGHENE 

ARIGBE 

My correct name is ARUBASA JOY I, formerly known as MISS. I, formerly known and 

OGHENEMINE. My name appear in O S E R H A R O H W O addressed as Michelle Aaron 

my Account as JOYCE ARUBASA ESEOGHENE. Now wish to be Arigbe, now wish to be known 

ENA while in my BVN as JOY ENA 

known and addressed as MRS. and addressed as Michelle 

ARUBASA. I now wish to correct 

the names as ARUBASA JOY CHUKWUDI ESEOGHENE. Williams-Arigbe. All 

OGHENEMINE. All documents All documents bearing my documents bearing former 

bearing any of the names remain former name remain valid. names remain valid. General 

valid. General public take note. General public take note. public, please take note. 

NWAKANMA 

OLUWAFEMI 

OWIE 

I, formerly known as MISS. I, formerly known as Miss I, formerly known and 

NWAKANMA ASSUMPTA Oluwafemi Adeyinka Stella, addressed as Miss Sandra 

OLUOMACHI. Now wish to be now wish to be known and 

Known, called and addressed as 

Osayemwenre, now wish to be 

addressed as Mrs Coker 

MRS. BUHARI IDOWU 

known and addressed as Mrs 

Adeyinka Stella. All former 

ASSUMPTA OLUOMACHI. All 

Owie Sandra Osayemwenre. All 

former documents remain valid. documents remain valid. 

Concerned Authorities, Banks, NIN Ekiti State University, Ekiti 

documents bearing former 

and General public should please University Teaching Hospital names remain valid. General 

take note. 

and general public take note public, please take note. 

OVERERE 

ODIAGBE 

AGEGE 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as OFOMUKORO 

EMPRESS OVERERE, now 


as OFOMUKORO 

OMOVERERE EMPRESS. All 


valid, general public please 

take note. 

AKHARAME 


addressed as AKHARAME 

FELICIA, now wish to be 


UTUEDOR FELICIA. All 


valid general public please take 

note. 


addressed as Miss AUGUSTA 

AKHERE ODIAGBE, now 


as Mrs AUGUSTA AKHERE 

OKHIALE. All former 

documents remain valid. 

General public and authority 

concerned please take note. 

NGEREM 


addressed as NGEREM 

OLIVE-VAMELA CHINASA, 

now wish to be known and 

addressed as NGEREM-SALES 

OLIVE-VAMELA CHINASA. 

All former documents remain 


take note. 

I, formerly known as MISS. 

FLORENCE AGEGE and MISS. 

IGBINIJESUN OSARETIN 

FLORENCE, now wish to be known 

as MRS. OSARETIN IGBINIJESUN 

FLORENCE ASERE. All former 

documents remain valid. General 

public take note. 

EBOIGBODIN 

EZEDOM 

I, formerly known as MISS 

EBOIGBODIN TRACY 

OSAHENKHOE, now wish to 

be known and addressed as 

MRS. OGIERIAKHI TRACY 

OSAHENKHOE. All former 

documents remain valid, 

general public please take 

note. 

From left: Hosts, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and Wife Peace Okonkwo, Mrs. Ibijoke 

Sanwo-Olu, wife of the Governor of Lagos state and the guest speaker Pastor 

Mathew Ashimolowo during the opening ceremony of Kingdom Life World Conference 

in Lagos. 

ALEOGHO OD 


addressed as Miss. Juliet 

Akhayagboke Aleogho. Now 

wish to be known and 

addressed as Mrs. Juliet 

Akhayagboke Aleogho - 

Edokpayiyi. All former 

documents remain valid. 

General public take note. 

EGWU OD 

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS 

EGWU IFEANYI, NOW 

WISH TO BE KNOWN AS 

EGWU DAVISDSON 

IFEANYICHUKWU. ALL 

FORMER DOCUMENTS 

REMAIN VALID. GENERAL 

PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE 

NOTE. 

BASSEY 


addressed as BASSEY, OKOI 

GABRIEL. Now wish to be 


OKOI, GABRIEL BASSEY. 

All former documents remain 

Valid. First Bank and The 

general public should please 

take note. 

AWAKE 


addressed as MISS. AWAKE 

MARGARET, now wish to be 

known and addressed as MRS 

AUSTIN MARGARET. All 

documents bearing former 

names remain valid. General 

public, please take note. 

ETAGHENE 


addressed as MISS 

ETAGHENE JANE 

EJOVWOKE, now wish to be 


MRS. EDEIMU JANE. All 



take note. 

ATITI 

I, formerly known and addressed as 

MISS ATITI ROSELINE 

OBORAKPORORO, now wish to 

be known and addressed as MRS. 

AFODU-ATITI ROSELINE 

OBORAKPORORO. All documents 

bearing former names remain valid. 

General public, please take note. 

CHIADIJJI 

I, formerly known as 

CHIADIJJI VICTORIA 

ANWULIKA, now wish to be 

known as MORDI VICTORIA 

ANWULIKA. All former 

document remain valid. 

Banks, concerned authorities 

and general public should 

please take note. 

JOSEPH 


addressed JOSEPH HOPE 

EKPO, now wish to be known 

and addressed as JOSEPH 

OKON EKPO. All former 

documentsv remain valid. 

General public and authority 

concerned please take note. 

Police arrest teacher for as- 

saulting five kids sexually 

By Ogalah Ibrahim 

A 

private school teacher, Umar Isah has been ar 

rested by the Katsina State Police Command for 

sexually assaulting five female children in his class. 

It was gathered that the teacher lured the children 

one after the other inside the toilet to fondle their private 

parts. 

According to the spokesman of the Katsina Command, 

SP Gambo Isah who paraded the 25-year-old suspect at 

the state headquarters on Friday, investigations revealed 

that the suspect has done that to several of the children in 

his class. The suspect who admitted to committing the 

crime while giving his confessional statement said: 

“Inside the class is like a parlor with a small room. So, I 

take them inside the small room one after the other, remove 

their hijab and fondle their private part.” 

When quizzed if he was under a spell to do that, the 

suspect said: “No. I am not instructed by any herbalist or 

Mallam to do so. I just find myself doing it.” 

The police report reads: “On the 10/11/2022 at about 

1000hrs, the following persons namely Hussaina Rabe, 

Basira Umar, Khalid Ibrahim and Zainab Ibrahim all of 

Shargalle village, Dutsi LGA of Katsina state, jointly reported 

at Dutsi Division against one Umar Isah, ‘M’, aged 25yrs 

of Mashi LGA, a classroom teacher, that on different dates 

and time, the suspect took advantage of their daughters 

(names withheld) and lured them into the school’s toilet 

and inserted his finger into their private parts. 

Idris Elba set to storm ‘Fire 

Side Chat’ at CANEX 2022 

A 

ward-winning actor, musician, and filmmaker, Idris Elba 

is set to bring his wealth of experience and insights to the 

global film industry at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend, 

CANEX WKND 2022. CANEX WKND 2022, a three-day 

gathering of creatives from across Africa and the diaspora is 

billed to take place from 25–27th November 2022 in Abidjan, 

Côte d’Ivoire. 

With roots in Sierra Leone and Ghana, Elba represents 

the astounding success of people of African descent within 

the global entertainment industry. 

According to the organizers, Elba is scheduled for “When 

giants speak” Fireside Chat on Saturday 26 November. 

He joins a list of more than 100 top speakers from Africa 

and the diaspora, representing a range of creative sectors, 

who have confirmed their participation in Africa's most 

sought-after gathering of creatives. Other activities at the 

three-day summit include panel discussions, Fireside Chats, 

Masterclasses and Live performances. 

Elba, well-known as a philanthropist, has taken several 

iconic roles in great movies. Such lead roles include Nelson 

Mandela in the biographical film ‘Mandela: Long 

Walk to Freedom’, Stringer Bell in the HBO series ‘The 

Wire’, and DCI John Luther in the BBC One series ‘Luther’, 

for which he won a Screen Actors Guild award for Best 

Actor. 

CANEX WKND will also feature some 

of Africa and the diaspora’s top creative 

names, experts, brands and thought 

leaders that will include the Nigerian 

trio of Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya; Alex 

Okosi, Managing Director of EMEA 

Emerging Markets at YouTube and 

award-winning author, Chimamanda 

Ngozi Adichie among others. 

Organized by the African Export-Import 

Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership 

with the Government of 

Côte d’Ivoire, CANEX WKND 

is a major milestone in the 

Bank's implementation of its 

Creative Africa Nexus 

(CANEX) programme; a 

multi-faceted intervention 

aimed at supporting and 

developing Africa’s rapidly 

growing creative and 

cultural industries.


08116759759 

Dad shoots daughter and mum 

helps dump body after ‘she 

married man from different caste’ 

Aman shot his daughter twice, packed her dead 

body in a suitcase then dumped it with the help 

of the girl’s mother after fighting over her choice 

of husband, police said. 

Her body was discovered wrapped in plastic and 

stuffed in a red suitcase near Mathura city in the 

northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. 

Nine days before her 22nd birthday, Aayushi 

Chaudhary’s body was cremated in the presence of 

police officers. 

According to the police, the murder was committed by 

her father in a house in Delhi’s Badarpur. Police arrested 

her parents, Nitesh Kumar Yadav and Brajbala and 

treated it as a suspected “honour killing”. 

Honour killings are where family members or their 

spouses are killed for “committing the crime of” 

intercaste or interfaith marriage to “preserve community 

honour.” People are murdered as they are perceived as 

Russian recruited for marksman skills after 

he shot his ex-wife dead in a moving car 

V ladimir 

Putin 

freed a 

convicted 

murderer who 

shot his wife in 

a moving car so 

he could fight 

for Russia in 

the Ukraine war. 

S e r g e i 

Kadatsky killed 

Yulia, 36, and 

grievously 

wounded her 

dad, Vladimir 

Svitsov, before 

firing at police in 

2017. 

The 41-yearold, 

who was a 

police officer at 

the time, was 

jailed for 15 

years but had his 

sentence cut 

short when the 

war broke out. 

He fought for 

the Wagner Group – a private 

army run by close Putin crony 

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has 

become a billionaire from his 

close links to the president. 

The mercenary force was 

reportedly seeking inmates with 

proven shooting abilities and 

Kadatsky made the cut for his 

marksman skills. 

But he has now been killed on 

the battlefield, with the head of 

Putin’s annexed territory in 

Luhansk, Leonid Pasechnik, 

bringing “shame” to their communities. 

The Indian Express reported that Aayushi got 

married last year - against her parents’ wishes - to a 

man from a different caste. 

Police have alleged that the father shot his daughter 

on 17 November after an argument about the 

marriage. 

After that, both her mother and father allegedly 

dropped off the body near the Yamuna expressway 

in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state. 

Aayushi was doing a degree in computer 

application from a private college and hoped to 

become a software engineer. 

A post-mortem has revealed injury marks on her 

head, face and other body parts, police said, adding 

that she died after being “shot twice in the chest”. 

The news came just a few days after the murder of 

Shraddha Walkar who was murdered by her partner, 

and her body was chopped into 35 pieces and stored 

in a fridge. 

Aftab Ameen Poonawalla, from Mehrauli, south 

Delhi, India, allegedly strangled his beau Shraddha 

Walkar to death after she asked him to marry her. 

Poonawalla, a trained chef, used a meat knife to 

saying it was a ‘heroic 

death’.Kadatsky was awarded a 

posthumous ‘bravery medal’. 

His horrific crimes came after 

Kadatsky lost a custody battle 

with Yulia. 

The mum-of-one was in a car 

with her dad when Kadatsky 

used a hunting rifle with special 

optical sights to shoot at them. 

After the car came to a halt, 

Kadatsky fired a pistol at the 

pair. 

Yulia died on the spot and 

Vladimir had to get his left arm 

and shoulder amputated. 

Kadatsky claimed he 

killed her in a ‘crime of 

passion’ but a court ruled 

it was cold-blooded 

murder. 

It’s believed up to 35,000 

prison inmates have been 

freed to fight for Putin – 

possibly the biggest mass 

release of prisoners in 

history. 

Among them are 

believed to be hundreds of 

murderers like Kadatsky. 

Those who survive for 

six months have their 

remaining sentences 

wiped clean by Putin. 

cut the victim’s body into 35 pieces before 

buying a fridge to store her remains. 

He spent the next 18 days disposing of her 

body parts at several locations around Delhi in 

the middle of the night. 

In 2021, there were over 29 thousand murders 

reported across India. 

Sniper ‘takes out Russian from 1.7 miles 

in world’s second longest combat kill 

Ukraine has 

claimed 

one if its 

snipers shot 

a Russian 

soldier from 

1.7 miles 

away in 

what could 

be the 

s e c o n d 

longest 

combat kill 

e v e r 

recorded. 

Footage 

allegedly 

shows the 

moment the 

soldier 

drops to the 

ground after 

the sharpshooter 

takes a shot from a 

distance of 8,891ft. 

It’s like shooting 

someone on 

Westminster Bridge 

from the top of 

Battersea Power Station – 

the length of 26 Wembley football 

pitches. 

Ukraine’s Armed Forces said: 

‘The occupier was eliminated by 

a precise shot of our special 

forces from a distance of 2,710 

metres (8,891ft) – a distance that 

An average of 82 people 

were murdered daily across 

India in 2021, while more 

than 11 kidnappings were 

reported every single hour 

during the year, according to 

the latest National Crime 

Records Bureau (NCRB) 

report. 

Mary E John, former 

director of the Centre for 

Women’s Development 

Studies in New Delhi, told 

scroll.in: “In reality, the most 

dangerous spaces for women 

are in their marital homes. 

These cases are happening in 

most conventional arranged 

marriages.” 

now ranks 

second in the 

world ranking, 

confirmed by 

the command 

of the Armed 

Forces.’ 

A Canadian 

sniper currently 

holds the 

record for the 

world’s longest 

kill after taking 

out an Isis 

soldier in Iraq 

in 2017 from a 

distance of 

11,300ft. 

British 

sniper 

Craig 

Harrison 

previously 

held 

t h e 

world 

record 

when 

h e 

gunned down a Taliban 

soldier from 8,120ft in 2009. 

But Harrison appears to have 

been pushed into third place by 

the Ukrainian marksman. 

President Zelensky’s troops 

are using one of the biggest 

and most powerful rifles ever 

made – the Snipex Alligator. 

At 6ft 5in tall, the lethal 

weapon is taller than most 

soldiers and is capable of 

blowing an enemy target to 

pieces. 

Ukraine’s National Guard 

boasted: ‘With the onset of 

dusk, snipers of special forces 

units of the National Guard 

go hunting. 

‘Very quick and accurate work 

by one of them last night.’


FG tasks NICA on credit system that 

promotes economic growth, 

sustainability 

Stories by Moses Nosike 

onsidering the role of credit in a 

Cgrowing economy of Africa 

especially Nigeria, the President at 

the unveiling of the National 

Institute of Credit Administration 

(NICA) (Establishment), Act 2022 

has tasked the Institute on the 

effective use of credit for the growth 

of the Nigerianeconomy. 

Speaking during the unveiling, 

Honourable Minister of Finance, 

Budget and National Planning, Mrs 

Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, who 

represented President 

Muhammadu Buhari commended 

the determination and painstaking 

commitments of critical 

stakeholders for another major 

milestone in our nation’s quest to 

institutionalise systems that would 

ensure the steady growth, stability 

and sustainability of our economy. 

According to her, no economy 

grows without the use of credit and 

there is no example of any advanced 

society where credit is not in use. “It 

is however imperative to state that 

credit at any level or sector, if not 

properly managed could spell 

doom for an economy. This is why 

the Federal Government took 

deliberate steps towards ensuring an 

enduring credit system within our 

economy to be managed by 

reputable professionals”. 

The Honourable Minister of 

Finance, Budget and National 

Planning said that it was therefore 

with these in mind that on Tuesday, 

August 16, 2022, Mr. President 

signed into law the National 

Institute of Credit Administration 

(Establishment), Act, 2022. “With 

this Assent, the Institute is now 

known as the National Institute of 

Organisers of the just 

concluded House of Model 

Television Reality Show Season 4 

had revealed that the TV Reality 

Show was meant to sharpen the 

talents of Nigerian youths for selfreliant 

especially now that 

unemployment rate is increasing 

among young Nigerians. 

Speaking at the prize presentation 

in Lagos, winner of the House of 

Model TV Reality Show Season 4, 

Ogbodo Godfrey who is from 

Enugu state told newsmen that he 

did not regret contesting the TV 

Reality Show that was made of 27 

contestants in the house. 

Narrating his experience, Godfrey 

said, “we were given various tasks 

to handle and those tasks helped 

you to gain new ideas as I perform 

them. “As the show progressed, the 

contestants were reduced to five and 

glory be to God, I emerged as the 

winner of the competition”. 

Godfrey who is a Disco Jockey 

and artiste said, “I feel happy and 

great winning the competition. I 

commend the organisers for given 

me the opportunity to participate 

in this show. The show has made 

me become more confident and has 

brought fame to my career”. 

Credit Administration (NICA). This 

is also a signal that an 

unprecedented foundation has now 

been laid by the present 

Administration for the transition of 

Nigeria’s economy from a cashbased 

to a credit-based system that 

would serve as catalyst for economic 

growth and development. I therefore 

charge NICA to ensure that bad 

management of trade credit, 

unethical handling of consumer 

credit, and unprofessional treatment 

in business credit dealings with 

SMEs are reduced to the barest 

minimum. I therefore call on all key 

players to support the Institute to 

deliver its mandate for the 

development of a robust creditbased 

economy and to also take 

advantage of this Act to entrench 

professionalism and ethical 

conduct”. 

In addition, the Registrar/CEO, 

NICA, Prof Chris Onalo said that by 

implication, this is an important day 

for Nigeria’s credit industry, a major 

milestone in our drive to build a 

resilient credit economy. 

“I must admit that this is also a 

special day for me, as this is one of 

those few occasions that, because of 

the super importance of NICA 

enabling Act, the President of the 

Federal Republic of Nigeria has to 

come to unveil the NICA Act formally 

to the nation”. 

In the same vein, President and 

Chairman of Governing Council, Mr. 

Andy Ojei, said, “Indeed, it is a dream 

of many years made possible after 

operating the former Institute of 

Credit Administration (ICA) without 

national recognition for three 

decades”. 

Continuing, Ojei said that by 

attaining membership of the 

National Institute of Credit 

Administration (NICA), members 

have the opportunity to participate 

regularly in informative round table 

discussions of credit types, as well as 

share concerns about credit 

management procedures. 

2022 NMA records 106 entries, as organisers assure of 

transparency 

A 

total of 106 entries, across 25 

categories, were said to have 

been recorded at the just-concluded 

Nigerian Marketing Awards 

(NMA). 

The Chairman of the Award 

Decision Council (ADC), Mr. 

Ekwunife Okoli, disclosed this at 

the award ceremony held in 

Lagos, recently. 

Okoli, who was represented by 

a member of the Council, Mrs. 

Iquo Ukoh, described the figure as 

impressive, giving the levels of 

competitiveness of the entries. 

He also expressed the Council’s 

delight at the level of creativity 

and diversity of the entries 

submitted for the Awards, a 

development, he added, made the 

Group photographs of NICA members, the Honourable Minister of Finance, 

Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab S. Ahmed and others during 

the unveiling NICA Act in Lagos. 

task of arriving at the choices of the 

winners, quiet daunting. 

While congratulating the 

winners in the 25 categories for 

proving their professional mettles, 

Okoli however appealed to brands 

and individuals that failed to 

make it, not to be discouraged, but 

should rather put in more efforts 

in the coming editions of the 

awards. 

He congratulated the organisers 

of the award for coming up with a 

reward initiative that eventual 

winners would be proud of. 

Speaking at the event, the 

Convener of the initiative, Mr. 

Tony Agenmonmen, assured of 

the organisation’s commitment 

to enthrone the highest level of 

transparency and standards, in 

its quests to celebrating individuals 

Improving skill of youths, our target, says organisers 

Winner of the House of Model TV 

Reality Show Season 4, Ogbodo 

Godfrey and organisers at prize 

presentation in Lagos. 

When asked of the prizes won, 

Godfrey told the media that he 

won a car and N1m. “I will use 

the cash prize to start my comedy 

skits and do something great for 

youths in my community”. 

read more on 

www.vanguardngr.com 

and brands that have carved a niche 

for themselves on Nigeria’s 

marketing space. 

The immediate past President of 

the National Institute of 

Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), 

stated that the decision to come 

up with the marketing award, 

stemmed from the need to redefine 

how the nation’s hardworking 

and highly professional 

marketing people should be 

celebrated. 

He added that one of the focus 

areas of the organisers, when the 

idea was conceived few years ago, 

was to have a marketing awards 

programme in Nigeria that would 

be transparent, credible, and 

comparable to the best in any part 

of the world. 

First runner-up, Idiege Joseph, 

said, “I’m happy for making it to 

this stage of the competition. The 

platform has given me 

opportunities to explore my 

potentials. I won a cash prize of 

N100,000. I learnt a lot of things 

in the house which will help me in 

my music and acting career. I 

learnt how to interact and deal 

with people in the society. I will 

say thank you to the organisers 

for doing a great job in my life”. 

Second runner-up, John Tari 

Itohan, a model said that the show 

is wonderful and I recommend 

youths to participate in future 

editions of the competition because 

it will bring them to limelight and 

make them celebrities, and it 

builds one’s confidence. 

Itohan said, “my experience was 

lovely, it was tough with the 

various tasks and you meet people 

with different characters. The 

show has made me a celebrity and 

I will put into practice all the things 

that I leart during the show. The 

major things that I learnt during 

the show were discipline, 

comportment and adapting to any 

situation that you find yourself. I 

thank my fans for their support. 

Fidelity Bank showcases the best of 

Nigerian Non-Oil Exports at FITCC 

L- R: Ms. Karen Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Africa; Mr. Mustafa 

Chike-Obi, Chairman, Fidelity Bank Plc; Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing 

Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc; Prof Benedict Oramah, 

President and Chairman, African Export and Import Bank (AFREXIM); 

Ms Kanayo Anwani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade Bank, 

AFREXIM; and Mrs. Uju Ifejika, Chairperson/ Chief Executive Officer, 

Brittania-U Nigeria Limited at the Fidelity International Trade & Creative 

Connect (FITCC) in London, United Kingdom recently. 

In what has been termed the largest trade exhibition by Nigerian-based 

businesses in the United Kingdom in recent times and a major move in 

increasing Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, leading financial institution 

-Fidelity Bank Plc hosted the maiden edition of its international trade expo. 

Held at Novotel West, Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom on 

Tuesday, 15 and Wednesday, 16 November 2022, the expo tagged -the Fidelity 

International Trade and Creative Connect (FITCC), featured a host of 

activities designed to position Nigerian businesses for increased partnership, 

financing, product-offtake and investment opportunities in the United 

Kingdom and Europe. 

“In collaboration with our strategic partners, we have created this platform 

to connect Nigerian exporters with UK buyers. This inaugural edition of the 

Fidelity International Trade & Creative Connect (FITCC) hosts more than 

100 exhibitors from Nigeria with product offerings ranging from processed 

food to fashion, fintech and the arts. 

Fidelity Bank Plc is a leading financial institution in Nigeria and a market 

leader in supporting small and medium scale enterprises and export-oriented 

businesses. This event is therefore an extension of the support that we provide 

to the business ecosystem in Nigeria as work to help them compete favourably 

on the global stage”, explained Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity 

Bank Plc in her welcome remarks. 

The well-attended event also featured keynote addresses by Prof Benedict 

Oramah, President and Chairman, African Export and Import Bank 

(AFREXIM) and Aminu Takuma, Regional Coordinator, Nigerian 

Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) who discussed “Leveraging 

International Partnerships to Transform Africa’s Trade & Creatives” and 

“Selling Nigeria to the World (Spotlighting Investment Opportunities and 

Incentives) respectively on Day 1 of the conference. 

Mustafa Chike-Obi, Chairman, Fidelity Bank Plc gave a keynote address 

titled, “Connecting Nigeria to the World Through Trade Enhancements and 

Creative Exchange” while Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer, MTN 

Nigeria also anchored a fireside chat on “Fintech and the Creative Economy. 

read more on www.vanguardngr.com 

Cadbury y Nigeria launches new 

Bournvita biscuit 

Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Mondelez International, has 

announced the introduction of new Bournvita Biscuit into the 

Nigerian market. The announcement was made at a launch ceremony 

held at the Lagos Marriott Hotel, Ikeja GRA on November 10, 2022. The 

Biscuit is the newest addition to Cadbury’s growing portfolio and the first 

biscuit brand in the history of the Company. 

Addressing Cadbury Business Partners (CBPs), invited guests and other 

stakeholders at the media launch is the Managing Director, Cadbury West 

Africa, Mrs. Oyeyimika Adeboye, said, “Today’s launch of the Bournvita 

Biscuit is a milestone for us because we have added a fourth product category 

to our existing portfolio. We are delighted to introduce Nigerians to the 

newest chocolatey, crunchy, and tasty experience of Cadbury Bournvita 

Biscuit. According to her, health and quality have become extremely 

important to our customers. “They prefer snacking products that provide 

wholesome nourishment. Taste also continues to be a significant aspect for 

them, and we have capitalized on this desire to launch biscuits, following 

extensive market research. 

“I want to use this medium to acknowledge our regulatory partners - the 

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), 

the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), among others, for their 

support in ensuring we achieved our commitment to delivering top-notch 

quality and healthy products to Nigerians. The Biscuit Plant will create 

thousands of direct and indirect jobs along the value chain. Our growth 

mindset will drive us to continue introducing products that meet the needs 

of our consumers.” The new Cadbury Bournvita Biscuit comes in two 

consumer pack units of six and 10 cookies, which sell for N60 and N100, 

respectively. The biscuit delivers on a chocolate taste enriched with real 

milk and vitamins and offers a new and unique snacking option for its 

consumers. 

Indomie partners Filmhouse to 

launch its new flavour 

As the king of Jollof, it is only natural that the new Indomie 

flavour, Indomie Jollof Chicken is launched with pomp and 

pageantry. Indomie Jollof Chicken made its first appearance in 

Nigerians at the premiere of Wakanda Forever, a well-acclaimed 

movie, on November 9, 2022. It was a night of fun, laughter, games, 

praises for Jollof, and of course more than enough Indomie Jollof 

Chicken to go around. Nigeria’s number one noodle, Indomie 

Noodles partnered Film house’s IMAX cinemas to launch the newest 

addition to its yummy list of flavors, the Jollof Chicken flavor at the 

launch of the movie. Movies x Indomie Jollof Chicken, I mean where 

would you rather be? 

The launch kicked off to a great start with the face painting session 

adorning the beautiful faces at the event. Next, we had the sampling 

session where everyone had an amazing time enjoying the savory 

and sumptuous Jollof Chicken. Everyone had praises on their lips 

for the King of Jollof. The highlight of the event was Jollof Chicken 

regal celebration as of the King of Jollof. We saw a pack of the 

Indomie Jollof Chicken sitting on its royal Wakanda-themed throne 

and praise singers eulogizing it. Next, these praise singers eulogized 

everyone at the launch while they displayed and showed off their 

costumes while sitting on the Indomie Jollof Chicken throne. The 

praises got them dancing and generally having a great time.

Rabiul Thaani 23, 1444A.H. 

2023: Don’t make empty promises, 

Prof Musa tells Presidential candidates 

AS campaign for public offices 

hots up, Professor of Islamic 

Studies, University of Lagos, 

Ismail Musa has urged candidates 

contesting to lead the people at 

all levels to speak the truth to 

Nigerians instead of making 

empty promises. 

Professor Musa charged 

politicians to follow up their 

campaign promises with sincerity 

of purpose, and ready to lift the 

people out of the current state of 

despair to optimism and better 

their lots, noting that Nigerians 

need to supplicate deeply on this 

instead of engaging in 

permutations. 

The Chief Imam of the Ivory 

Tower in a chat with Facing Kaaba 

on the jostle for the Presidency 

and other public offices, he said 

Allah will choose the best 

candidate whose tenure will 

ursher in an era of peace, progress 

and goodness of life for all 

Nigerians. 

“Allah created human beings in 

a way that we love and enjoy 

peace, progress and goodness of 

life. On the contrary, human 

beings detest peacelessness, 

failure and suffering. I expect that 

the best candidate will win in a 

free and fair election. The best is 

he or she whose tenure will usher 

in an era of peace, progress and 

goodness of life for all and sundry. 

On their various campaign 

promises, he said; “I am yet to 

study their manifesto. However, 

this is the time politicians make 

both realistic and outrageous 

promises. I urge them to speak 

truth to Nigerians and follow it up 

with sincerity of purpose, a passion 

to lift people out of despair and a 

commitment to selfless service. 

This is the first step towards getting 

things right. It is heinous in the 

sight of Allah to make empty 

promises with the intent to 

deceive. 

“There are three frontliners with 

visible strengths and weaknesses. 

One candidate is battling with 

intra-party crises that we don’t 

know how long it would last. 

Another is fighting obscurity 

among the teeming rural 

populace. The third needs to 

convince the voting public that 

he is capable of overcoming daring 

challenges the current 

government is trying to grapple 

with. May Allah decide the best 

course for us. He is the owner of 

power who grants power to 

whosoever He wishes. 

All the candidates should strive 

to build and rebuild the nation 

whilst putting Allah first. Success 

lies with Allah. He will not 

disappoint those who put their 

trust in Him. 

He advised Nigerians to be 

prayerful and to be hopeful for a 

By Bashir Bello 

THE spiritual leader of 

Qadiriyya order in Nigeria 

and West Africa, Sheikh Dr. 

Qaribullah Nasiru Kabara, has 

called on electorate to shun 

money politics and any form of 

worldly things that can influence 

them into selling their votes as 

the 2023 general election 

approaches. 

This was as he said they should 

vote for only credible candidates 

who will deliver on the dividends 

of democracy and salvage the 

situation of the country. 

•Prof Ismail Musa, 

Imam, UNILAG 

better deal, adding that it is better 

to supplicate deeply on this 

instead of engaging in 

permutations. 

“Nigerians should rally round 

the best team with the best 

possible government. The 

presidency is about Nigeria and 

all it’s constituent units. May 

Allah appoint for us leaders who 

will be God-conscious and who 

will be focused on the Day of 

Accountability,” he noted. 

2023: Shun money politics, others, Islamic 

cleric tells electorate 

The revered leader made the 

call while speaking with newsmen 

at his Quadirriya residence on the 

successful hosting of the 72nd 

Maukibi celebration, an annual 

celebration in honour of Qadiriyya 

founding father Sheikh 

Abdulkadir Jelani. 

Sheikh Kabara said the Islamic 

clerics have a great role to play in 

sensitizing the electorates on the 

need to vote credible candidates 

in order to set the nation on the 

path of growth and development. 

According to him, “The religious 

leaders have a great role to play 

by sensitizing the electorates. 

EDUCATION is an 

indispensable key that 

unlocks the floodgate of economic 

success and societal respect. The 

legal education is a notch higher 

as lawyers are revered for their 

cerebral nature. This is the 

province of education where 

Omamuzo Erebe is in his 

element. According to him, the 

way lawyers are respected in the 

society attracted him to the legal 

profession as a lad. 

His views: “The esteem with 

which lawyers are regarded by the 

society was something I admired. 

If a lawyer works into a gathering, 

people sit up and take notice. 

Lawyers are well spoken and 

always neatly attired. I wanted to 

be one of them. So my love for 

lawyers, their unique dressing, 

their diction and their carriage 

generally was something I 

wanted to be part of.” 

Today, that young man who was 

attracted by the eloquence and 

dress code of lawyers is the Delta 

State Permanent Secretary and 

Solicitor General in the Ministry 

of Justice. Against the backdrop 

of disdain in some quarters 

harboured for government 

lawyers, Erebe was quick to 

answer that there was no empirical 

event to back that notion, adding 

that there are lazy lawyers both 

in public and private practice. 

He opines that: “Unsuccessful 

lawyers prefer to work in 

government offices, this again, a 

huge misconception. People 

What I meant by this, is for them 

to sensitize the electorates on the 

need to vote credible candidates 

to salvage the situation. We should 

keep aside personal interest, 

wordly things. We should consider 

credibility of candidates who will 

deliver. 

“You must think deeply, 

thoroughly and vote one who is 

credible for leadership positions to 

salvage the situation of the 

country,” Sheikh Kabara said. 

The revered leader also 

cautioned the Federal 

Government against removal of 

the Arabic inscription on the 

nigerian currency as it embark on 

the redesigning of the naira notes. 

Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, , 2021 — 31 

Erebe: An erudite lawyer, accomplished 

administrator 

believe certain experiences from 

their personal encounters with 

some government lawyers and 

then proceed to generalize. An 

incompetent lawyer can be found 

in both private and public practice. 

It does not mean all lawyers are 

incompetent. When I started work 

as a state counsel, some of my 

colleagues in the private bar had 

the same mindset that we were 

pushovers. All it took to change 

that perception was to handle your 

cases properly. That view quickly 

changed. Over the years we have 

had successful lawyers in 

Government and Corporate 

practice who have risen to the 

pinnacle of the legal profession as 

senior advocates.” 

On the multitude of lawyers in 

politics, he argued that it is not 

due to joblessness and that 

lawyers by their training and 

orientation are eminently 

qualified to participate in politics. 

Hear his sentiments: “Lawyers by 

their training can function in 

several fields. A lawyer in politics 

is in a terrain natural to him. One 

of the reasons the law profession 

is attractive is that a lawyer cannot 

be unemployed. You may not like 

the salary you earn from practice, 

but unemployment is not 

possible. I am not a politician but 

I can hazard a guess that lawyers 

are assets in the political terrain.” 

He therefore counseled young 

lawyers to develop passion for the 

job. He goes philosophical : “In 

one word, diligence. It will set you 

apart from your peers. Hard work 

never kills, it only makes you 

stronger.” 

The young Erebe grew up in 

Benin City, Edo State and was 

fascinated with the legal 

television drama of ‘the Assizes‘. 

That mass media role of 

education had a great impact on 

Erebe and that explains his 

journey into the legal profession 

and has no regret for taking that 

decision. In a situation where 

most lawyers are becoming jack 

of all trades in the legal terrain, 

Erebe is a strong advocate for 

lawyers to specialize. He puts it 

this way :‘I subscribe to 

specialization. In the increasingly 

competitive terrain that the law 

practice has become, 

specialization is key. If I was 

advising a new wig, I would say 

pick an area of law that is rarely 

practiced and grow into it. If I were 

starting today, I would specialize 

in sports law. I enjoy playing and 

watching football and I know that 

would have been my area of 

practice. 

However, Erebe started as a 

state counsel after graduating 

from the University of Benin. He 

was called to the bar in December, 

1990. He has been practicing law 

for the past 32 years, 29 of which 

has been with the Ministry of 

Justice since July, 1993. His 

dedication and unequalled 

passion for hard work made him 

rise rapidly through the ranks in 

various departments prosecuting 

criminal and civil cases in courts. 

In 2005, Erebe was appointed the 

Director of Public Prosecution and 

served there till 2008 with many 

landmark achievements. The 

legal gods smiled on him in2008 

as he was posted to the 

department of Peoples Rights 

whose major objective is to foster 

good relationship between host 

communities and companies 

operating in their domains. It 

would take several volumes to 

document the journey of Erebe 

in the Ministry of Justice for the 

past 29 years, the salient point 

here is that he has paid his dues 

and that explains his position as 

he sits atop the Ministry of Justice 

directing affairs, mentoring young 

lawyers, the administrative head 

and an indispensable support to 

the Commissioner of Justice and 

Attorney General of the State.

C 

M 

Y 

K 

SATURDAY Vanguard, NOVEMBER 26, 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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