Why I did not mention Tinubu in my speech—AKEREDOLU

•P.35 

FG disowns NCC, 

telecoms operators 

on tariff hike 

5 

N500m money 

laundering: 

A-Court sets 

aside ex-speaker 

Ikuforiji's 

acquittal 

10 

Oil price up 

by 8% 

...As OPEC cuts 

output by 1.2m bpd 

19 

** 

VOL. 25: NO. 63170 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

Why I did not mention 

Tinubu in my speech 

•Boasts: Ekiti is our next target 

•I'll beat you again, says Fayose 

BLACK TIE GALA—Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right); with his Oyo & Ogun states counterparts, 

Abiola Ajimobi (right); Ibikunle Amosun (2nd left) and the Board Chairman, Tristate Heart Foundation, Chief Bisi Akande (left), 

during the 1st Annual Black Tie Gala and Fund raising for Cardiovascular care in Nigeria by Tristate Heart Foundation at the 

Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, on Tuesday. 

COLUMNISTS 

MOHAMMED 

ADAMU 

Still on 

Obasanjo 

17 

Nigeria-S'Africa: Stowaway dies on Arik plane 

JOSEF 

OMOROTIONMWAN 

Restructuring: 

Memo to National 

Assembly 

31 

See story 

on page 11 

Ndigbo hated in 

Nigeria —Ukiwe, Anya, 

others lament 

6 

15 

—AKEREDOLU 

Again, 

Buhari's 

nominee, 

Akinwande 

shuns 

Senate 

screening 

for NERC 

job 

9 

PDP 

senators 

stage walkout 

as 

Omogunwa 

defects to 

APC 

8 

Mr & Mrs

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

— 3


Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016—5 

POCKET CARTOON 

CERTIFICATE OF RETURN—From left: Ondo State Governor-elect, Rotimi 

Akeredolu ,SAN; wife, Becky, and the INEC supervising National 

Commissioner, Solomon Soyebi, during the presentation of Certificate of 

Return to him in Akure, yesterday. Photo: Dayo Johnson. 

FG disowns NCC, telecoms 

operators on tariff hike 

•I was not consulted, says Communications 

Minister, Shittu 

By Prince 

Osuagwu, Hi-Tech 

Editor, Henry Umoru 

& Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

ABUJA — 

MINISTER of 

Communications, Mr. 

Adebayo Shittu, 

yesterday, absolved the 

Federal Government of 

complicity in the bid by 

the Nigerian 

Communications 

Commission, NCC, to 

increase the price 

consumers pay on data 

services. 

The Minister distanced 

his ministry from the 

controversial data tariff 

increase, denying that it 

authorized it. 

This came as the 

Senate also, yesterday, 

condemned in totality 

the planned tariff 

increment and asked 

network providers to 

immediately stop 

implementation of the 

new tariff billed to take 

effect today. 

Reacting, telecoms 

regulator, the Nigerian 


Commission, NCC, 

announced immediate 

suspension of the new 

minimum pricing 

template for data 

services by mobile 

operators in the country, 

explaining that its 

decision was informed by 

the need to make more 

IT'S UP TO YOU 

BY AYO ADIO - 08104802192 

When people tell you to quit, be sure they are 

only expressing their own limitation, as 

long as you are steadfast you will overcome. It’s 

up to you. 

TAKE HEART 

BY ELLA RANDLE- O8084919482 

Nothing happens until something moves — Albert 

Einstein 

When you want something, all the universe 

conspire in helping you to achieve it. Be 

brave. Take risk. Nothing can substitute 

experience. Live by choice, not by chance. Make 

changes, not excuses. Be motivated, not 

manipulated. Work to excel, not compete. Listen 

to your own inner voice, not the jumbled opinions 

of everyone else. 

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE 

The sun will first shine on those standing in the 

market place before those sitting down. 

consultations. 

Speaking on RayPower 

FM’s Fact File 

programme, yesterday, 

Adebayo maintained that 

the Federal Government 

never issued any 

directive to either the 

regulator, the NCC, or 

the telecommunications 

operators in the country 

authorizing increases in 

prices of data from today 

as claimed. 

I wasn’t consulted 

— Shittu 

Shittu insisted that he 

was never consulted 

before the announcement 

was made, stressing that 

the government did not 

authorize operators to 

raise tariffs. 

He, however, assured 

Nigerians that the 

government would look 

into the matter and 

continue to protect their 

interests. 

“I can tell you that I 

was never a party to it 

(data tariff hike). 

Government never gave 

any such instruction. 

This government 

believes in democratic 

process and we would 

continue to protect the 

interest of Nigerians,” he 

said. 

Senate condemns 

tariff hike 

On its part, the Senate 

condemned in totality 

the tariff increment by 

service providers in 

Nigeria and asked 

network providers to 

immediately stop the 


new tariff billed to take 

effect today. 

Noting that the new 

tariff regime was illtimed 

and anti-people, 

because of the present 

economic situation in the 

country, the Senate 

summoned Shittu, NCC, 

and network providers to 

appear before its 

Committee on 

Communications to 

intimate it on why they 

must increase data tariffs. 

The Senate also asked 

its Senator Gilbert Nnajiled 

Committee on 

Communications to 

commence a 

comprehensive 

investigation into the 

matter that has, among 

others, generated 

controversies across the 

country and report back 

within one week. 

The resolutions of the 

upper chamber were 

sequel to a motion moved 

by Deputy Senate 

Leader, Senator Bala Ibn 

Na’Allah, during which 

he condemned the 

planned hike in data 

tariffs, saying it would 

further impoverish the 

people. 

It will be recalled that 

s o m e 

telecommunications 

service providers had 

issued statements to 

customers, through 

customised Short 

Message Services, 

SMS, intimating them of 

imminent plans to 

increase tariff on all 

mobile data purchased 

with effect from 

Thursday, December 1, 

2016. 

According to service 

providers, the 

development is in 

connection with new 

guidelines by the 

regulator, NCC. 

Also speaking, Vice 

Chairman of the 

Committee on 

Communications, 

Senator Solomon Adeola 

(APC, Lagos West), who 

described the policy as 

not only ‘unholy’ but also 

‘unfriendly’, however, 

assured the Senate that 

the committee would act 

on the mandate and 

report back to it next 

Tuesday. 

“We are up to the task, 

and I can assure the 

Senate that we will 

swing into action 

immediately. 

"We will invite all the 

necessary agencies that 

are involved in this 

policy that is unholy and 

unfriendly and get back 

to the Senate unfailingly 

on Tuesday," Adeola 

said. 

In his remarks, Senate 

President, Bukola 

Saraki, who accused the 

NCC of failing to carry 

out enough consultations 

before announcing the 

policy, also asked the 

committee to investigate 

allegations of noncompliance 

with laiddown 

regulations by 

telecoms operators. 

NCC had in a letter 

addressed to telecoms 

operators on November 

1, 2016, put the interim 

floor price for data 

services at 0.90k/MB for 

big operators, adding 

that “this rate will 

subsist, pending the 

finalization of the study 

on the determination of 

cost-based pricing for 

retail broadband and 

data services in Nigeria. 

“In order to provide a 

level-playing field for all 

operators in the industry, 

small operators and new 

entrants to acquire 

market share and 

operate profitably, small 

operators and new 

entrants are hereby 

exempted for the price 

floor for data services. 

“For the avoidance of 

doubt, a small operator is 

one that has less than 7.5 

per cent market share 

and a new entrant is an 

operator that has 

operated less than three 

years in the market. All 

operators are to ensure 

that subscribers are not 

automatically migrated 

to pay-as-you-go 

platform. Also, note that 

effective date for the 

interim price floor is 

December 1, 2016.” 

Acting on this 

directive, some telcos 

sent text messages to 

their subscribers on 

Monday, announcing 

the hike in its data tariffs 

beginning today. 

NCC announces 

suspension 

Meanwhile, NCC, 

yesterday, announced 

the immediate 

suspension of the new 

minimum pricing 

template for data 

services by mobile 

operators in the country. 

NCC’s Director of 

Public Affairs, Tony 

Ojobo, said the decision 

to rescind its earlier 

directive to telecom 

operators to commence 

charging the new floor 

price rate for data from 

December 1, was to allow 

for further consultation 

with industry interest 

groups. 

He said: “Following 

concerns that visited the 

directive to introduce 

price floor for data 

segment of the 


sector, beginning from 

December 1, 2016, the 

N i g e r i a n 


Commission, NCC, has 

suspended any further 

action in that direction. 

“The decision to 

suspend this directive 

was taken after due 

consultation with 

industry stakeholders 

and the general 

complaints by consumers 

across the country.” 

Ojobo said the 

commission had already 

asked all operators to 

maintain the status quo 

until conclusion of study 

to determine retail prices 

for broadband and data 

services in the country. 

Prior to the suspension, 

Nigerians had raised 

concerns about the 

impropriety of the 

decision to hike data 

tariffs at this time. 

Nigerians accused the 

NCC of insensitivity, 

considering the high cost 

of living in the face of the 

current economic 

recession in the country. 

Social media users 

expressed fears the 

government planned to 

limit citizens’ access to 

the Internet. 

On November 1, the 

commission, after a 

consultative meeting on 

October 19 with all 

mobile network operators 

in the country, wrote to 

them on the need to 

determine an interim 

price floor for data 

services. 

In the memo, the 

telecom sector regulator 

justified its decision to 

have a price floor, 

claiming it was primarily 

to promote a level 

playing field for all 

operators in the industry, 

encourage small 

operators and new 

entrants. 

The price floor of N3.11 

kobo per megabyte of 

data in 2014, it recalled, 

was removed in 2015, 

pointing out that the 

price floor that was 

supposed to flag off on 

December 1, 2016 was 

put at 90 kobo per 

megabyte. 

Although 

the 

Continues on Page 44

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

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

Manager 

docked over 

alleged N11m 

theft 

By Aniema Umoh 

LAGOS—A 40-yearold 

Manager of YSR 

Company Ltd., Adedayo 

Alabi, has been arraigned 

before a Lagos 

Magistrate’s Court at 

Igbosere, for allegedly 

stealing N11 million from 

the company. 

The defendant is 

standing trial for a threecount 

charge of conspiracy, 

theft and impersonation. 

The prosecutor, Eshiet 

Eshiet, told the court that 

the defendant committed 

the alleged offence in 

October at Badagry area of 

Lagos State. 

According to him, Alabi 

presented himself as the 

owner of YSR Company 

and also obtained the N11 

million under false 

pretence. 

According to the 

prosecutor, the offence is 

punishable under Section 

409, 312 and 278 of the 

Criminal Law of Lagos 

State, 2011. 

Koko gets 

mosquito nets, 

free malaria 

treatment 

By Egufe 

Yafugborhi 

W ARRI—THREE 

thousand mosquito 

nets were distributed to 

residents of Koko, 

headquarters of Warri 

North Local Government 

Area, Delta State, while 

more were diagnosed and 

treated for various malaria 

ailments in the locality. 

The health charity event 

was carried out by Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC/ 

Chevron Nigeria Limited 

Joint Venture, in 

collaboration with 

Development Africa 

Malaria Elimination 

Programme, DAMEP, and 

the state government. 

General Manager, 

Policy, Government and 

Public Affairs, Chevron, 

Deji Haastrup, said: 

“Malaria is preventable, 

can be treated eradicated. 

This is why we are 

sponsoring this 

programme.” 

At the event were Dr. 

Francis Onojeta, who 

represented Dr. Nicholas 

Azinge, Delta State 

Commissioner for Health; 

Francis Maku, Chairman, 

Warri North Council, and 

Joshua Kempener, 

Country Director, 

Development Africa. 

Nigeria to South Africa: 

Stowaway dies on Arik Air plane 

THE lifeless body of a 

stowaway was, yesterday, 

found in the main wheel well 

of one of Arik Air’s A330-200 

aircraft at the Oliver Tambo 

International Airport, 

Johannesburg, South Africa. 

The airline confirmed the 

incident in a statement by its 

Communications Manager, 

Ola Adebanji. 

He said the aircraft operated 

By AbdulSalam 

Muhammad 

KANO—A suspected thief, 

identified as Jamilu 

Adamu, was, yesterday, 

electrocuted at Kawon 

Maigari, Hotoro Area in Kano, 

while trying to vandalise a 

transformer. 

A statement by KEDCO’s 

spokesperson, Mohammed 

Kandi, said the body of the 

deceased 35-year-old was 

found with some tools beside 

it. 

the scheduled Lagos- 

Johannesburg flight that 

departed the Murtala 

Muhammed International 

Airport at 3:55p.m., Tuesday, 

and arrived in Johannesburg 

shortly before 11p.m. 

Discovered during checks 

It said engineers of South 

African Airways Technical 

facility at the Oliver Tambo 

Report 

Kandi also quoted the 

firm’s Head of Health Safety 

and Environment, Aminu 

Abubakar, as saying, “at the 

time the Police evacuated the 

corpse, one of the HV 

Bushings of the transformer 

was loosened from the base, 

indicating the intention to 

vandalise the transformer 

and possibly the armoured 

cable, as well. 

“Judging by the whitish 

burn on his palm and a huge 

open gash on his left arm, it 

International Airport, 

where the aircraft was 

scheduled for a routine 

maintenance check, 

discovered the body of the 

stowaway during the 

inspection phase. 

The airline said 

investigations were ongoing 

to determine how the 

stowaway found his way into 

the aircraft’s wheel well. 

Suspected transformer vandal electrocuted 

By Chinenyeh Ozor 

NSUKKA—THERE 

is 

confusion at Agbamere 

community in Nsukka Local 

Government Area, Enugu 

State, following the death of its 

traditional ruler in an auto crash 

involving a water tanker truck 

and his Hyundai Elentra official 

car along Odenigbo Road in 

Nsukka town, Monday. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

traditional ruler, HRH Igwe 

Patrick Ezugwu, had a headon 

collision with the water 

tanker while returning from 

mechanic village, where he had 

gone to service his car. 

The traditional ruler’s car, 

with number plates HRH 183, 

was crushed beyond 

recognition by the truck, with 

number plates XA405 ENU. 

Both vehicles were towed to the 

Nsukka Urban Police Division, 

is highly likely that power 

was restored while he was 

operating, resulting in 

electric shock, and the 

ceramic insulator of the 

bushing shattering to cause 

the wound on his arm.” 

However, an eyewitness 

account disclosed that the 

deceased was seen 

loitering around the 

substation area three days 

earlier, saying “when he 

was approached, he told 

residents that he was there 

to visit his relative.” 

Water truck crushes Enugu traditional ruler 

By Samuel Oyadongha 

YENAGOA—A female 

member of the National 

Youth Service Corps, NYSC, 

Miss Elechi, posted to 

Bayelsa State, has reportedly 

died of a strange ailment. 

The deceased, aged 27, a 

graduate of Ignatius Azuru 

University of Education, Port 

Harcourt in Rivers State, 

d i e d a t 

about 9p.m., Tuesday night, 

five days after arriving NYSC 

Orientation Camp. 

FATAL: HRH Igwe Patrick Ezugwu's car and the truck. 

Though the cause of her 

death could not be 

immediately ascertained, 

sources said she was 

bleeding and vomiting few 

hours after her arrival at the 

camp at Kaiama in 

Kolokuma/Opokuma Local 

Government Area of the state. 

Some of her colleagues 

claimed that the deceased, 

on arrival at the camp last 

Thursday, was looking 

“terribly” sick and could not 

participate in some opening 

activities at the camp. 

An official of NYSC, who 

spoke on condition of 

anonymity, said: “This is a 

case of non-disclosure of 

state of health by a corps 

member.” 

It was gathered that her 

condition deteriorated and 

she was rushed to the sick 

bay of the camp at 

about 8p.m. 

According to sources, the 

doctor at the camp clinic 

immediately referred her to 

the state-owned Diette-Koki 

Memorial Hospital, Opolo, 

DECEMBER 1, AIDS DEY: M 

Hands Up for HIV/AIDS Prevention, in Aw 

while investigation is ongoing. 

An eyewitness told Vanguard 

that the traditional ruler 

allegedly swerved off his lane 

and ran into the tanker, which 

was heading to Odenigbo. The 

eyewitness said both vehicles 

rammed into St. Paul’s 

Cathedral’s fence. 

People then rushed to the 

scene, pulled the traditional 

ruler out of the crumple car and 

rushed him to Bishop Sanahan 

Hospital, Nsukka, where he was 

confirmed dead few hours later. 

Another source disclosed that 

the traditional ruler dozed off 

while driving, resulting in the 

crash. 

Chairman of Nsukka traditional 

ruler’s council, HRH Aloy 

Ezugwu, expressed shock over 

the death of Igwe Ezugwu, who 

until his death was the Public 

Relations Officer of the zonal 

council of traditional rulers. 

NYSC member bleeds to death in Bayelsa 

in the state capital, where she 

was confirmed dead. 

The demise of the corps 

member, it was learned, 

became the subject of 

discussion among her 

colleagues at the camp. 

Attempts made to reach the 

State Coordinator of NYSC, 

Mr. Ekeocha Anthony, proved 

abortive, but a senior official 

confirmed the development. 

He called on corps members 

to always inform the 

authorities of their health 

condition on time.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 , 2016—7 


embers of the International Red Cross Society on a road show to mark 2016 World AIDS Day, on the theme 

ka, yesterday. NAN PHOTO. 

By Joseph Undu 

LAGOS—A 46-year-old Pastor 

and Supervisor with Chrisland 

International School, Lagos, 

Adegboyiga Adenikun, has been 

arrested for allegedly defiling a girl 

of less than three years, under the 

guise of teaching sex education. 

The girl, said to be two years and 

10 months old, identified as 

Damisi, is a pupil of the school. 

The suspect, who was paraded 

yesterday by the Commissioner of 

Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, denied 

the allegation. 

According to him, “on Friday, 

November 11, I received a call 

around 8a.m. from one Mrs. 

Oladapo, and she identified 

herself as Damisi’s mother. She 

alleged that I sexually abused her 

daughter. 

“I asked her when and where it 

happened. She told me that she 

wanted the matter to remain 

between two of us and that she had 

not even told her husband. Few 

minutes after that, she sent a text 

message, saying she still wanted 

me to remain friendly with her 

daughter because she knew her 

daughter held me in high esteem. 

“I got a call the following day 

from a man who identified himself 

as Mr. Oladapo; it was an 

international call. The man also 

claimed that I assaulted her 

daughter sexually. I told him that 

I did not know what he was talking 

about. 

“I then told him that even a day 

earlier, his wife called me and said 

the same thing. I asked how could 

this happen in a nursery school 

where no one picks the children 

except the parents? 

“I have never been alone with 

this girl. I have never bought any 

gift for her, and I had never taken 

her out anywhere. The man ended 

the call when I told him all these. 

“Immediately, I called my Head 

Teacher, Mrs. Azike, and told her 

the allegation I got from the 

parents, which I knew nothing 

about. 

“I have been married for 15 

years with children. I was 

disturbed, when she said I did this 

to her daughter and she still 

wanted me to remain friendly with 

her daughter. How could I have 

sexually abused your daughter 

and you still said I should 

remain friendly with her? 

“Which mother is going to take 

that? The girl’s teacher also said 

nothing of such happened and 

that the girl never left her 

custody. This girl comes to school 

with the school bus and goes with 

same when it is one o’clock, 

while I close by 4p.m. 

“I am a supervisor in that 

school. I move around and I do 

not teach. So, the allegation that 

I teach the children sex 

education is so disturbing to me. 

“I have never taught that girl, 

I have never taught in that 

class. Her mother could not tell 

me exactly when this alleged 

abuse happened. But she said 

she took the girl to one private 

hospital and it was confirmed 

that the girl was abused. 

“She also said it happened in 

my school and in my office to 

be precise. But in my office, 

there are other supervisors and 

ladies are in that office. I do 

not share toilet with them. I 

go outside to use the male 

toilet, which other male staff 

use.” 

He said that he was told he 

failed the lie detector test, but 

that he had never heard of 

polygraph until the test was 

conducted. 

He said: “I do not know where 

all these are coming from. I know 

that the God almighty that I 

serve is going to vindicate me.” 

A mother’s story 

On her part, Mrs Oladapo, 

the girl’s mother, said: “When I 

took my daughter to the toilet, 

she told me that someone put 

his ‘wee-wee’ inside her ‘weewee,’ 

referring to her private 

part. And when I asked her who 

How we nabbed robbery 

kingpins in Edo—CP 

By Simon Ebegbulem 

BENIN—EDO 

State 

Commissioner of Police, 

Mr. Haliru Gwandu, 

yesterday, said the command 

had arrested 20 persons 

suspected to be members of 

a gang specialised in 

robbing bank customers in 

Benin. 

He said one of their recent 

victims was 81-year-old Mrs 

Grace Omoigui, late mother 

of the former Chairman of 

the Federal Inland Revenue, 

Mrs Ifueko Omoigui-Okaro, 

who was shot last month. 

He said three AK-47 rifles, 

live magazines and several 

other weapons were 

recovered from the suspects. 

Mr. Gwandu, who spoke 

while parading 55 

suspected robbers, cultist 

and kidnappers, warned his 

officers against arresting 

people in proxy during the 

festive period, insisting that 

they must have evidence 

before arresting anyone for 

any crime. 

Gwandu, who gave details 

Pastor accused of raping 2-yr-old pupil 

•This is disturbing; I don’t teach sex education—ACCUSSED 

•He said no one will believe me— PUPIL’S MOTHER 

Pastor Adenikun 

the aggressor was, she said it 

was one Mr. Adenikun, the 

school teacher.” 

According to her, she later 

called the Pastor and narrated 

what she heard from her 

daughter but was not willing to 

take the case further. 

She said she advised him to 

be friendly with her daughter, 

so that she would not feel 

dejected. 

Provoked by the man’s 

response that “nobody would 

believe her story,” she decided 

to report the matter to the school 

authority, but the school said the 

man could not have done that 

because he is a pastor. 

This was after she claimed to 

have taken her daughter to a 

private hospital for medical 

examination, where it was 

allegedly confirmed that the 

baby was sexually abused. 

After that, she said she took 

the girl to the school clinic, 

where the doctors said that 

they could not ascertain 

whether the girl was abused 

or not. 

This she said led her to the 

General Hospital, where the 

doctors allegedly said her 

daughter was actually 

abused. 

It was gathered that after 

she became convinced by the 

two medical reports that her 

daughter was actually defiled, 

she decided to report the 

matter to the police. 

of how the suspected bank 

robbers operated, said: “From 

the confessional statements 

we have got, these bank 

thieves, who are well armed, 

always have somebody inside 

the bank who dresses well like 

a respectable customer. 

“The person will be 

watching those who come to 

withdraw huge amount. As 

soon as the money is 

withdrawn, they identify the 

person and alert their 

members outside who will 

now rob the customer. 

“That was how they shot the 

old woman who came to 

withdraw money at one of the 

new generation banks and the 

woman died later. But after 

three days, we arrested the 

suspects including the 

kingpins. 

“After that incident, the 

same gang went to another 

bank, where my men killed 

two and arrested one. 

“A fourth, who sustained 

gunshot injuries, is currently 

recovering and helping us 

with information and that was 

how we arrested others.” 

They still owe 

me for the first 

operation 

—ROBBERY 

SUSPECT 

By Joseph Undu 

ONE of the four 

traders in Alaba 

International Market, Ojo 

area of Lagos, arrested by 

the Commissioner of Police 

X-Squad for robbery, have 

said his ‘business asociates’ 

still owe him for an earlier 

operation. 

The suspects also 

disclosed that they used 

acid to destroy the padlock 

of the warehouse they 

robbed. 

The suspects, according 

to a police source, were 

arrested for breaking into a 

shop in the market where 

they carted away 427 

cartoons of electric bulb 

worth N19.1 million. 

The suspects, whose 

names were given as Rufus 

Agobie, alias Aboy, 24, from 

Anambra West; Ifeanyi Eze, 

30, from Okigwe, Imo 

State; Tochukwu Akaolisa, 

25, from Nnewi, Anambra 

State, and Ndubuisi 

Egwuatuonwu, 24, were 

arrested at different 

locations. 

Rufus said: “From the 

first and second 

operations, we got 152 

cartoons. I was given just 

N50,000 for this last 

operation. They still owe 

me for the first one.”



My indefinite 

suspension 

cannot stand 

— Senator Sani 

•You’re a 

disgrace, APC 

replies 

By Soni Daniel & 

Henry Umoru 

ABUJA — 

CHAIRMAN, 

Senate Committee on 

Local and Foreign Debts, 

Senator Shehu Sani, 

APC, Kaduna Central, 

and the state chapter of 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, were, 

yesterday, locked in a 

war of words over the 

former’s suspension. 

While Senator Sani 

declared that his 

suspension would not 

stand, the state APC 

described his attack on 

the party as uncouth, 

shameless and 

disgraceful. 

Sani, who accused 

Kaduna State governor, 

Nasir el-Rufai, of 

instigating his 

suspension, said in a 

statement yesterday: 

“For a man who has been 

unable to address the 

pervasive insecurity and 

genocide in southern 

Kaduna, for a man who 

has been unable to stem 

the tide of rampant 

kidnapping and 

abductions in Kaduna, 

suspending Shehu Sani 

cannot be counted as an 

achievement." 

Acting Publicity 

Secretary of the party, 

Salisu Tanko Wusono, in 

a statement, said: 

“Shehu Sani’s outburst 

is a confirmation that he 

has no sense of shame. 

He is a man full of 

tantrums, a man, who 

simultaneously 

entertains and distresses 

people with his 

shameless antics. 

"He has since lost focus 

and why he was elected 

to the Senate of the 

Federal Republic of 

Nigeria by the good 

people of Kaduna 

Central under the 

banner of the APC. 

“We suspended him 

indefinitely, following his 

various anti-party 

activities and utterances 

aimed at tearing the 

party into pieces. 

“The masses of Kaduna 

Central have since 

unravelled his deceit. 

His heart and mind are 

in the PDP whose agent 

he has been in our party." 

PDP senators stage walk-out as 

Omogunwa defects to APC 

•Weigh options on support for Saraki 

•Insist Omogunwa’s seat must be declared vacant 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA — THERE was a rowdy 

session, yesterday, in the 

Senate, following the defection of 

Senator Yele Omogunwa, Ondo 

South, from the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, to the All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

Senator Omogunwa had in his 

letter of defection read by the 

Senate President, Dr Bukola 

Saraki, said he was cross carpeting 

from his party to support the 

governor-elect of Ondo State, 

Rotimi Akeredolu, who was as at 

the time the gubernatorial 

candidate of the APC. 

Omogunwa in the letter 

said:“This declaration I have made 

in my local government on Sunday, 

November 20, to enable me actively 

canvass for the success of Mr 

Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in the 

gubernatorial election of November 

26, 2016.” 

Soon after Saraki read the letter 

of defection from Omogunwa, the 

Senate Minority leader, Senator 

Godswill Akpabio, challenged it, 

saying as lawmakers, they must not 

encourage political rascality, 

adding that the seat belongs to PDP 

since there was no crisis in the party. 

Akpabio, who came through 

Order 43 to fault Omogunwa’s 

defection, said the only ground 

upon which a serving lawmaker 

could defect from one party to the 

other as specified in section 68(c) 

of the 1999 constitution as 

amended, was through division in 

the leadership of his party, which 

he said no longer existed in PDP 

based on the Court of Appeal and 

Supreme Court judgments over the 

nomination of PDP candidate for 

the Ondo election. 

For this reason, Senator Godswill 

Akpabio faulted the action of the 

Ondo Senator in the eyes of the law 

and then requested the Senate 

President to declare his seat vacant. 

Saraki, subsequently, ruled 

Akpabio out of order, saying the 

matter was controversial, which 

runs contrary to the spirit and letter 

of Order 43 on which Akpabio made 

his objection. 

Rising temper 

The rising temper among PDP 

senators over the development, 

heightened when Senator Dino 

Melaye, APC, Kogi West, rose to 

speak on the same issue in the same 

order and he was recognized by 

Senator Saraki. 

Melaye, who also relied on order 

43, said the division within the PDP 

national leadership between 

Markafi and Modu Sherrif still 

existed, which according to him, 

made “Omogunwa’s defection to be 

perfectly in order.” 

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, PDP, 

Delta North then stood up to raise 

order 43 where he picked holes 

on the recognition of Melaye 

when the Senate Minority leader 

had been ruled out of order, 

saying the point raised by 

Senator Melaye was absolutely 

not ñecessary. 

Senator Nwaoboshi, who 

reminded his colleagues of their 

positions in the country as 

Senators, however, urged them 

to behave as Senators, just as he 

accused the Senate President of 

running foul of the Senate 

standing rules by allowing Dino 

Melaye to make remarks over an 

issue that had already been 

ruled upon. 

When efforts by Senator 

Akpabio to speak again proved 

abortive as he was not recognized 

by the Senate President, he then 

led other PDP Senators out of the 

chambers. The development led 

to all the PDP senators staging 

a walk out from the chambers to 

address journalists in hearing 

Room 2. 

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, 

Labour Party, LP, Delta Central 

was announced by Saraki to step 

in as Minority Leader and he 

immediately took over the seat 

of Akpabio. 

Insist Omogunwa’s 

seat must be declared 

vacant 

Following the pull out of PDP 

Senators from the chambers, 

almost all the bills slated for 

discussion in the order paper 

were stood down because they 

were sponsored by PDP 

Senators, even as the PDP 

senators never returned to the 

chambers after their meeting in 

Hearing Room 1. 

Briefing journalists after the PDP 

Senators stormed out of the 

chambers, Senate Minority Leader, 

Senator Godswill Akpabio, vowed 

that PDP as a party would ensure 

that it retrieves the stolen senatorial 

seat from Omogunwa through the 

courts because there was no 

division within the party leadership 

now. 

He said: “At the appropriate time, 

I believe that, working with the 

caucus, we will work with the 

national leadership of our party to 

take a correct legal pronouncement 

and ensure that the seat is declared 

vacant." 

‘Siddon look’ 

Meanwhile, PDP Senators, 

yesterday resolved to weigh their 

continued support for Saraki, just 

as they said they had always stood 

behind him, but he was not there 

for them when they needed him, 

saying they had agreed to maintain 

a siddon look approach to matters 

affecting him. 

COMMISSIONING: From left, Lateef Sholebo, General Manager, Lagos State Urban 

Renewal Agency; Gbolahan Lawal, Lagos State Commissioner for Housing; Stephanie Scott 

Emuakpor, Managing Director, CDS Global Limited and Hakeem Ogunniran, Managing 

Director, UACN Property Development Company, at the commissioning of the UPDC's The 

Residences Apartments, in Lagos. Photo: AKEEM SALAU. 

NASS wants financial autonomy for LGAs, 

state assemblies •To abolish SIECs 

By Emman Ovuakporie 

& Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

ABUJA — THE National 

Assembly is set to grant 

financial autonomy to local 

government councils and state 

Houses of Assembly to reduce 

alleged influence of governors in 

their financial management. 

Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, 

dropped the hint, yesterday, in 

an interview with newsmen in 

Abuja. 

He reiterated the resolve of the 

National Assembly to grant 

financial autonomy to the 774 

local government councils in the 

country. 

Dogara noted that lack of 

elections at the local 

government level were crippling 

democracy and denying the 

much needed development at 

the third tier of government. 

Dogara said the House under 

his leadership, was in the 

process of granting financial 

autonomy to 36 State Houses of 

Assembly. 

He decried a situation where 

governors had constituted 

themselves as middlemen that 

continuously hijacked funds 

meant for the councils in the 

name of joint account, 

describing the arrangement as 

“evil”. 

Dogara described the 

existence of caretaker 

committees manning the affairs 

of the local government councils in 

some states as an aberration and 

illegality which must stop. 

He revealed that new clauses 

might be introduced in the 

constitutional amendment bill that 

would not only outlaw caretaker 

committees but also stop allocation 

of funds from the federation account 

to local governments with no 

democratically elected councils. 

As a step to end the alleged 

illegality perpetrated by state 

governments, the speaker 

disclosed that the parliament would 

consider abolishing States 

Independent Electoral 

Commissions, SIECs, and empower 

the Independent National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, to take over 

their functions.



FEC approves 

2017 Budget; 

document to 

be laid before 

NASS soon 

By Levinus 

Nwabughiogu 

CONFERENCE: From left, Chairman of UBA Plc and Guest Speaker, Mr. Tony Elumelu; President of Tunisian 

Parliament, Mr. Mohammed Nidaa Tounes; Tunisian President, Mr. Beji Caid Essebsi; and Prime Minister of Tunisia, Mr. 

Youssed Chahed, at the International Investment Conference tagged Tunisia 2020, held in Tunis, Tunisia, on Tuesday. 

Again, Buhari’s nominee, Akinwande, 

shuns Senate’s screening for NERC job 

•As another nominee calls for thorough monitoring of DISCOs 

By Henry Umoru 

ABUJA—AGAIN, President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

nominee for the position of 

chairman of the Nigeria 

Electricity Regulatory 

Commission (NERC), Professor 

Akintunde Akinwande, 

yesterday failed to present 

himself for Senate screening. 

For the second time in one 

month, the nominee shunned 

the Senator Enyinnaya Abaribeled 

committee on Power, Steel 

Development and Metallurgy. 

The committee had, last month, 

invited Akinwande and other 

nominees for screening, but the 

screening was put on hold due 

to failure of Akinwande to 

appear, just as he failed to fill all 

the columns where he ought to 

have provided his needed 

information for the committee. 

But in a swift reaction, the 

Presidency denied the reports, 

saying Akinwande was simply 

trying to formalise his 

resignation from Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology (MIT) 

where he works. 

But at a second screening 

session convened yesterday by 

Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and 

other members of the committee, 

Akinwande was not just absent, 

but informally told the committee 

that he was not available for the 

job. 

A source in the committee 

disclosed that Akinwande sent 

a text message to a member of 

the committee that he was not 

interested in the job. 

Senior Special Assistant to the 

President on National Assembly 

Matters (Senate), Senator Ita 

Enang, who tried to persuade 

the committee not to interprete 

Akinwande’s absence to mean 

that he had declined the 

President’s nomination, said: “I 

would want to plead with the 

committee that the nominee was 

simply absent. I will communicate 

with the President and get more 

information about him and get 

back.” 

This remark was quickly rebuffed 

by members of the committee, who 

openly declared that they had tried 

enough and would not be ready to 

reconvene a third screening 

session for Akinwande. 

At this point, a member of the 

committee, Senator Suleiman 

Hunkuyi (APC, Kaduna North) 

who threw a question at Ita Enang, 

querried: “But if somebody says I 

will not be able to make it, what 

does he imply?” 

Apparently confused about the 

development, Enang could not 

respond to Hunkuyi’s question. 

Meanwhile, the committee has 

disclosed that it would prepare its 

final report and submit to the 

Senate which will take final 

decision on Akinwande’s 

nomination. 

According to a source, 

Akinwande turned down the 

nomination “because he was not 

consulted before the nomination 

was made and was not ready to 

leave his present businesses to 

take up the job.” 

Nominee calls for 

thorough monitoring of 

DISCOs 

Meanwhile, Sanusi Garba, the 

Vice Chairmanship nominee 

from Katsina State during the 

screening, yesterday, lampooned 

the power sector, saying to say it 

was in bad shape was simply an 

understatement, even as he said 

that deficit revenue in the sector 

was approaching one trillion 

Naira. 

According to him, the sector is 

that bad because it lacks a good 

regulator, promising that the new 

board, when put in place, would 

right the wrongs, adding that 

Electricity Distribution 

Companies, DISCOs, went into 

agreement to run the sector, but 

noted that because of lack of 

proper supervision, they had 

failed to function properly. 

He said it had become 

imperative for the sector to be 

overhauled, if Nigeria must 

attract foreign investors. 

Others who appeared for the 

screening were Nathan Rogers 

Shatti; Professor Frank Okafor; 

Musiliu Olalekan Oseni and 

Dafe Akpeneye, among others. 

We're addressing recession with wrong 

tools —CBN 

By Emma Ujah 

ABUJA— THE on-going 

economic recession has persisted 

owing to application of 

wrong prescription by non-professionals, 

the Director of Policy 

of the Central Bank of Nigeria, 

CBN, Mr. Moses Tule, has contended. 

The CBN chief spoke at the 

Chartered Institute of Bankers 

of Nigeria, CIBN, roundtable 

meeting organised on the current 

economic recession in Abuja 

on Tuesday. 

His words: “Some came in as 

doctors into the macro-economic 

management and are giving the 

tools of medical doctors to advise 

on how to solve the problem 

of recession. Some came in 

as carpenters and they are using 

carpentry tools to advise on 

the problems of economic recession; 

some came in as engineers 

and they are using their tools to 

advise on how to address 

economic recession. 

"They have not allowed 

the professionals to do 

their jobs. They have not 

allowed the professional 

to provide the direction.” 

According to the director, 

the Monetary Policy 

Committee (MPC) had, 

since early last year, consistently 

warned that the 

nation will slip into recession 

if urgent steps are not 

taken but that the warnings 

were not heeded. 

How we got into 

recession 

Explaining how the nation 

got into recession, Tule 

said: “Oil prices are down. 

Not only are oil prices 

down, the Niger Delta 

Avengers have blown up 

oil producing facilities and 

export facilities, severally. 

“When they blew the 

Forcados , it took government 

six months to 

fix Forcados. That 

was a loading bay. 

And after fixing it, 

they went back 

and blew it 

again. So we 

have oil prices and 

production going 

down. The implication 

is that foreign 

exchange 

earnings are going 

down, but unfortunately, 

our 

import expenditure 

is not going 

down. It is still in 

the region of N976 

billion, monthly.” 

He lamented 

Nigerians’ penchant 

for imported 

goods and an absence 

of export 

culture. He said 

sitting down and 

blaming the CBN 

for the falling 

value of the naira was futile, 

insisting: “If we want 

to regain our place, how 

did we get here? 

ABUJA—THE Federal 

Executive Council, 

FEC, yesterday, approved 

the 2017 budget estimates, 

though details of the document 

were not made available. 

Rising from a meeting 

which appeared to be very 

unusual, as it took almost 

the whole day at the Council 

Chamber of the Presidential 

Villa, Abuja, Minister of 

Budget and National Planning, 

Senator Udoma Udo 

Udoma, who briefed State 

House correspondents, 

alongside his colleague in 

Power, Works and Housing, 

Mr. Babatunde Fashola 

and the Special Adviser to 

the President on Media 

and Publicity, Mr. Femi 

Adesina, stated that the 

details would be made 

known when the President 

presents the document to 

the National Assembly, 

NASS. 

On when the document 

would be presented to the 

National Assembly, Udoma 

said the Presidency would 

communicate formerly to 

NASS, saying ultimately, 

the timing would be decided 

by the Parliament. 

He said: “The budget has 

been approved by the Federal 

Executive Council, the 

details will be revealed 

when the President 

presents the budget to the 

National Assembly. 

“With regards to the date, 

the President will be communicating 

to the National 

Assembly and, of course, it 

will be at the National Assembly’s 

discretion ultimately.

10 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

Akopobolokemi: 

EFCC operative 

admits making 

conflicting 

statements 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS- An operative of the 

Economic and Financial 

Crimes Commission (EFCC), 

Orji Chukwuma, yesterday 

informed a Federal High Court 

in Lagos that he made 

conflicting statements in the 

ongoing trial of embattled 

former Director-General, of 

Nigerian Maritime 

Administration and Safety 

Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Patrick 

Akopobolokemi, alongside five 

others. 

Chukwuma had earlier in his 

testimony told the court 

presided over by Justice Ibrahim 

Buba that Akpolobokemi, paid 

the sum of N40 million for two 

years rent in his Banana Island, 

Ikoyi home Lagos and bought 

a Toyota Landcruiser SUV 

Bullet Proof from the funds 

made available for the 


International Ship and Port 

Security Code ( ISPS) Code. 

However at the resumed 

hearing of matter yesterday, the 

anti- graft agency operative 

admitted that the payments for 

the house in Banana Island and 

for the bulletproof vehicle were 

made before the disbursement 

of funds for the ISPS Code. 

While he was being crossexamined 

by Akopolokemi’s 

lawyer, Dr. Joseph Nwobike 

SAN, the witness was asked to 

look at the receipts for payments 

of the bulletproof SUV as well 

as the Tenancy agreement 

which dated November 14, 2011 

to November 14, 2013, while 

funds for the ISPS code was 

released on January 3,2014. 

Kalu Idika Kalu to 

speak at IoD’s 

annual dinner 

...Kano Emir, Obi of 

Onitsha, Ooni of Ife, 

others for awards 

NO fewer than 200 eminent 

personalities, leaders of 

corporate Nigeria and other 

distinguished guests will 

converge at the 2016 Annual 

Directors Dinner of the Institute 

of Directors Nigeria, which 

takes place today at the 

prestigious Eko Hotel and 

Suites, Lagos. Vice President, 

Professor Yemi Osinbajo is the 

Special Guest of Honour while 

Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, a renowned 

economist and former Minister 

of Finance is the Guest Speaker. 

According to the Acting 

Director-General/CEO of the 

Institute, the Annual Directors 

Dinner is usually a black tie 

event, an evening of fine dining, 

networking and honouring. 


WORLD AIDS DAY: 72,000 adolescents living 

with HIV in Lagos — LSACA 

By Chioma Obinna 

THE Lagos State AIDS 

Control Agency, LSACA, 

yesterday disclosed that no 

fewer than 72,000 adolescents are 

living with Human 

Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, in 

the state just as the wife of the 

governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode 

stressed that prevention efforts 

must be doubled, if the world is 

to fast-track an end to the 

pandemic. 

Out of the top 10 states with 

highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in 

Nigeria, Rivers is the highest with 

15.2 percent. The lowest among 

the 10 is Ondo with 4.3 percent. 

Seven months ago, Lagos State 

Commissioner for health, Dr Jide 

Idris announced that the state had 

recorded a drop HIV, prevalence 

rate from 5.1 in 2013 to 4.1. 

Speaking, during a 

stakeholders’ Forum on 

Adolescents Living with HIV in 

Lagos to mark this year’s World 

AIDS Day with the theme: 

“Hands Up for HIV Prevention”, 

the Chief Executive Officer, 

LSACA, Dr Oluseyi Temowo 

appealed to stakeholders to come 

together and fight the epidemic 

with a view to saving the 

country’s future leaders. 

According to him; ‘’HIV occurs 

in all ages, hence the need to 

urgently tackle the transmission 

in adolescent. “Achieving AIDS 

free generation requires collective 

efforts, this is why we are calling 

on government at all levels, 

individuals and organisations to 

join us in this quest to make 

Lagos State HIV Free.’’ 

Temowo, who stressed the need 

for all hands to be on deck 

towards eradicating the HIV 

pandemic, said the State 

government is committed to 

ensuring that 90 percent of those 

affected are on treatment and 

have low viral load by 2030. 

On her part, wife of the Lagos 

State Government, Mrs. Bolanle 

Ambode stressed that prevention 

efforts must be doubled, if the 

world is to stay on fast -track to 

ending the pandemic. 

Ambode appealed to Nigerian 

policy makers for intervention 

programmes targeted at 

adolescents living with HIV and 

AIDS because of their strategic 

age bracket. 

She said that the stakeholders’ 

forum was necessary as it 


LAGOS—The Court of Appeal 

Lagos State, yesterday, set 

aside the ruling of a Federal High 

Court that discharged the former 

Speaker of the Lagos State House 

of Assembly, Hon, Adeyemi 

Ikuforiji and his Personal Assistant 

(PA), Oyebode Atoyebi of 

allegations of money laundering. 

The appellate court in a 

unanimous judgment set aside the 

judgment of the trial judge, Justice 

Ibrahim Buba, stating that the 

Economic and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, had made a 

prima facie case against the former 

Speaker to require him to enter a 

promotes proper education, 

enlightenment and information 

dissemination on the pandemic. 

Speaking, the Programme 

Manger, organised by Positive 

Action for Treatment Access, PATA 

, Mr. Francis Umoh, said the 2014 

UNICEF report showed that 

estimated 196,000 Nigerian 

adolescents were living with HIV 

while 11,000 died of AIDS related 

cases in 2013 out of estimated 

adolescent population of 

38,882,000. Umoh lamented low 

level of understanding of HIV 

transmission and prevention 

among adolescents, adding that 

pre-admission HIV test and other 

forms of discrimination are still 

being carried out against 

adolescents and young people 

seeking admission into learning 

institutions. “This is also observed 

in orphanages/homes as they do 

not admit adolescents living with 

HIV,” he said. Also speaking, the 

Representative of United Nations 

AIDS Control Agency, UNAIDS, 

Dr. Asa said HIV should be 

everyone’s business because 

everyone’s life is at stake. 

“It is no longer a death sentence 

but a life sentence because many 

of these children got infected 

through their parents. It is 

possible to break the transmission 

and once that is done everyone 

will be safe. Countries like Cuba 

have done it and it is time to 

ensure that all children starts their 

lives free from HIV so that 

everyone stays AIDS free,” she 

said. 

ALLEGED KILLING OF MASSOB, IPOB MEMBERS: Falana asks FG to 

set up panel 

LAGOS—HUMAN rights 

lawyer and activist, Mr 

Femi Falana, SAN, has called 

on the Federal Government 

to set up a panel of inquiry to 

investigate the killing of the 

MASSOB/IPOB members, as 

well as the scores of the 

Shiites who were allegedly 

killed by the army and the 

police, following the 

admission by the Nigerian 

Army that it killed 5 protesters 

instead of the 150 alleged by 

Amnesty International. 

Falana spoke at the 2016 

Law Week of the Jos branch 

of the Nigerian Bar 

Association, Jos where he 

presented a paper titled: War 

Against Corruption-Issues 

And Challenges Confronting 

The Judiciary. 

Falana pointed out that 

Amnesty International last 

week released a damning 

report on the brutal killing of 

150 members of the 

Indigenous People of Biafra 

(IPOB) by the Nigerian Army 

and the army has denied the 

report. 

According to the activist, in 

EVENING OF RECOGNITION: From left: Former Executive Director, NTA, Mr. Peter Igho; MD/ 

Editor-in-Chief, Sun Newspapers, Mr. Eric Osagie; Chairman, Board of Directors, New Telegraph 

Newspapers, Alhaji Idi Farouk; former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu; Anambra State 

Deputy Governor, Mr. Nkem Okeke, and MD/Editor-in-Chief, New Telegraph, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, 

at an Evening of Recognition with Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano in Lagos, yesterday. 

joining issues with the human 

rights group, the Nigerian Army 

must have forgotten that it had 

issued a statement on May 31 this 

year wherein it acknowledged 

that ‘in the aftermath of the fire 

fight that ensued, many of our 

own troops sustained varying 

degrees of injury. These injured 

troops are currently receiving 

treatment at own medical centre.’ 

Falana recalled that the army 

statement claimed that “5 

members of MASSOB/IPOB 

were killed, 8 wounded while 9 

were arrested for due legal 

actions.” 

In driving home his point, 

Falana maintained that “it is 

public knowledge that a judicial 

commission of inquiry set up by 

the Kaduna State government has 

established that 347 members of 

the Islamic Movement in Nigeria 

were massacred by the Nigerian 

Army in December 2015 for 

allegedly blocking a road in Zaria, 

Kaduna State during a religious 

convention. 

N500M MONEY LAUNDERING: Appeal Court sets 

aside ex-speaker Kuforiji’s acquittal 

defence to the charge brought 

against him. 

In a judgment delivered by 

Justice Biobela Georgewill, the 

lead judge of a three man panel, 

also ordered that trial should start 

trial afresh before another judge of 

the Federal High Court, Lagos 

other than Justice Buba in the light 

of the far-reaching findings already 

made by him. 

Other members of the three-man 

panel are: Justice Side Dauda Bage 

and Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu. 

Justice Buba, had on September 

26, 2014, discharged Ikuforiji and 

Atoyebi of a 56 count charge of 

conspiracy and laundering to the 

tune of N500 million belonging to 

the Assembly, an offence which 

according to the EFCC 

contravened sections 15 (1d) and 

16(1d) of Money Laundry Act, 

MLA, 2004 and 2011.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 — 11 

ALLEGED N29BN 

FRAUD: Court 

okays Nyako's 

request to study 

evidence 

By Nkechukwu Nnochiri 

ABUJA—The 

Federal 

High Court in Abuja, 

yesterday, granted request by 

former governor of Adamawa 

State, Admiral Murtala Nyako , 

rtd, and his son, Senator 

Abdulaziz, to study a set of 

evidence the Economic and 

Financial Crimes Commission, 

EFCC, is seeking to tender 

against them. 

The duo are answering to a 37- 

count money laundering charge 

alongside two others, Zulkifik 

Abba and Abubakar Aliyu. 

The anti-graft agency alleged 

that the defendants diverted over 

N29billion from the Adamawa 

State treasury between January 

2011 and December 2014. 

Five companies that allegedly 

served as conduit pipes for the 

illegal diversion of the funds- 

Blue Opal Limited, Sebore Farms 

& Extension Limited, Pagoda 

Fortunes Limited, Tower Assets 

Management Limited and Crust 

Energy Limited, were equally 

charged before the court as the 

5th to 9th accused persons. 

At the resumed hearing on the 

matter yesterday, a former 

Attorney General of the 

Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, 

SAN, who is counsel to the 

former governor and his son, 

applied for time to go through 

bundles of documents the 

prosecution sought to tender as 

exhibits against the defendants. 

Agabi made the application on 

a day the prosecution counsel, 

Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, 

presented his third witness, Mr. 

Olubode Olumola, a compliance 

officer with Zenith Bank, Abuja, 

through whom he sought to 

tender several bank documents 

as exhibits. 

Agabi insisted that it would be 

“dangerous” for his clients not 

to have an opportunity to study 

the documents which could be 

incriminating. 

He said it was essential for the 

defence to go through all the 

documents one after the other so 

as to be able to identify 

documents it would be objecting 

to, which if done during the trial, 

would take the time of the court. 

Counsel to the other 

defendants equally adopted 

Agabi’s stance, even as they also 

pleaded the court for an 

adjournment. 

Nevertheless, EFCC lawyer, 

Jacobs, SAN, prayed the court to 

reject the application which he 

said was aimed at delaying trial 

of the defendants. 

Jacobs, SAN, noted that the 

documents were initially 

tendered and admitted by the 

previous Judge that handled trial 

of the defendants. 

The defendants who were 

initially docked before the court 

on August 7, 2015, were later rearraigned 

after the death of trial 

Justice Evoh Chukwu, in June, 

2016. They are currently facing 

trial before Justice Okon Abang 

who yesterday acceded to 

request by the defendants. 


Why I did not mention Tinubu in my victory 

speech, by Akeredolu 

By Dayo Johnson, 

Levinus Nwabughiogu & 

Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA — INCOMING 

governor of Ondo State, 

Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu 

yesterday explained why he 

did not mention Asiwaju Bola 

Tinubu in his victory speech 

even as he said that his All 

Progressives Congress, APC has 

now set its sight on taking over 

the governorship of Ekiti State. 

Mr. Akeredolu’s assertion 

was quickly rebuffed by the 

Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. 

Ayodele Fayose who affirmed 

that back-to-back victories of 

the APC in Edo and Ondo had 

made him wiser on his 

succession plan. 

Mr. Akeredolu gave his 

explanation for not 

acknowledging Tinubu in his 

speech, following a thank-you 

visit to President Muhammadu 

Buhari in the Presidential Villa 

in Abuja. Earlier in the day he 

had received his Certificate of 

Return in Akure. 

Speaking to State House 

correspondents after a closeddoor 

meeting with Buhari, 

Akeredolu explained that all the 

leaders of the APC, including 

Tinubu were generically 

acknowledged in his victory 

speech. 

He stated that it was pointless 

mentioning their names 

specifically. 

Akeredolu had praised Buhari 

and national chairman of the 

PROTEST: Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu (standing) during a meeting of Igbimo Atunluse, 

in Oyo, Oyo State, protesting transfer of ancestral lands as a result of recently-created 

local council development areas (LCDAs) by the state government. 

Group tackles Oyo govt over lands, LCDAs 

By Gbenga Oke 

OYO — A prominent 

group in Oyo, known as 

Igbimo Atunluse, has vowed to 

challenge the recently created 

Local Council Development 

Areas, LCDA, by the Oyo State 

government. 

The group also said creation of 

the LCDAs amounts to trespass 

and executive impunity in the 

ancient Oyo land. 

In a communiqué after a 

meeting presided over by 

Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, the 

group said it has unanimously 

resolved to repulse the siege 

on Oyo. 

His words, “The Igbimo 

party, Chief John Odigie- 

Oyegun in his victory speech last 

Sunday. 

The development had elicited 

reactions, giving the impression 

of a deepening rift between him 

and Tinubu who allegedly 

laboured in futility to replace his 

candidacy with his godson. 

Akeredolu, flanked by deputy 

governor-elect, Agboola Ajayi, 

governorship national campaign 

committee, Governor Simon 

Lalong and the Minister of State 

for Niger Delta, Claudius 

Daramola explained that all party 

leaders were acknowledged in 

his speech. 

He said: “I thanked the 

President of the Federal Republic 

of Nigeria and the leader of our 

party profusely for the leadership 

which they showed and which 

led to this victory. I also thank our 

indefatigable chairman for 

standing by the truth and for his 

position on this matter that led to 

this victory. I have no reason to 

do otherwise. 

“You see, party structure, to the 

best of my knowledge is very clear. 

You have the leadership of the 

party, and that is represented by 

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. After 

the election, a chief executive 

emerges, he becomes a leader of 

the party. You don’t have to 

personalize and be looking for 

leaders all over the place. If we 

have to do that, then I will have 

to mention 36 or 37 leaders. 

“So, I believe the leadership as 

represented by the President 

covers all leaders and that tells 

Atunluse, at the end of the 

meeting unanimously resolved to 

repulse what it described the 

si''ege on Oyo. 

The meeting, which was 

held at the open square of the 

Oyo palace was without the 

Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi 

Olayiwola Adeyemi, who is 

said to be abroad on medical 

check-up. However, the group 

has resolved to take steps on 

what we describe as injustice 

in respect of violation of 

statutory boundaries as 

delineated and recognized by 

the constitution of Nigeria. 

“The dialogue option at the 

instance of the Alaafin with 

Governor Abiola Ajimobi has led 

•Boasts Ekiti is APC's next target 

me it would include Chief Bola 

Ahmed Tinubu. It would include 

even Baba Akande, (Ogbonnaya) 

Onu, so many leaders. But 

President Buhari is the leader of 

the party. So, that is my position 

there”. 

On his relationship with 

Tinubu, he said: 

“The relationship with Asiwaju 

Bola Ahmed Tinubu has always 

been the same. I don’t think we 

have any strained relationship. 

For me as a person, I believe he 

is one of the leaders of the party 

and I don’t see any strained 

relationship between us. And you 

will observe that he has sent in 

his congratulatory message after 

the election, so what else do you 

expect? 

Asked whether he would probe 

the Olusegun Mimiko 

administration, the governor-elect 

said it was not necessary. 

“The task ahead of us is 

enormous for us to start instituting 

probes. My own is not to institute 

any probe, and that is what 

President Buhari has done. But 

if we find out that wrongs were 

committed we have enough laws 

of the land to take care of people 

who have committed wrongs. 

‘Ekiti, our next target’ 

Before meeting the President, 

Akeredolu and his entourage had 

been to the national secretariat of 

the APC where he affirmed that 

the APC roller-coaster was on its 

way to uproot the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP leadership 

in neighbouring Ekiti State 

to series of meetings during 

which the communities involved 

received assurances that no piece 

of Oyo land will be tampered 

with” He stated. 

He went further: “More than 

50 community chiefs from the 

affected villages that were 

transferred to either Oriire or Afijio 

Local Government who spoke at 

the meeting insisted on their 

determination to resist the 

abomination of transferring their 

suzerainty from the Alaafin to 

lesser potentates while the motion 

for judicial option to resolve the 

matter was moved by the Basorun 

of Oyo, High Chief Ayoola and 

seconded by the Baale from an 

affected village.” 

He also pledged his unalloyed 

loyalty to Odigie-Oyegun as 

national chairman, assuring that 

he would always abide by his 

instructions. 

“I owe you, my national 

chairman, a lot. You have done 

well. I remember during my 

campaign that immediately we 

won in Edo; you said we will move 

en masse to win Ondo. I want to 

assure you that people are 

already rooting for us in Ekiti and 

I want to assure you that we will 

win Ekiti,” he said. 

In his response, Chief Odigie- 

Oyegun tasked the governorelect 

on the immediate payment 

of worker’s salaries as soon as he 

takes over. 

“People who work, deserve 

their pay and I hope that would 

be your priority”, he stressed. 

On the controversial primary 

that led to Akeredolu’s 

emergence, Odigie-Oyegun 

declared that “the entire process 

that led to him being our 

candidate happened before the 

cameras. He was able to convince 

the APC that he was the right 

candidate for the people of Ondo 

state”. 

APC fooling itself, 

says Fayose 

The boast of the APC taking 

over Ekiti was immediately 

rubbished by Governor Ayodele 

Fayose who vowed to win the 

APC again in all 16 local 

government areas of the state as 

he did in 2014. 

“APC will be fooling itself if it 

thinks it will conquer Ekiti like it 

did in Ondo. Ekiti is a peculiar 

place, and I am the man on 

ground here. I want to assure my 

supporters and Nigerians that 

APC won’t win a local 

government here in 2018, even if 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

moves down all the money in 

FG’s TSA,” the governor said 

yesterday during a meeting with 

junior workers in the state’s civil 

service. 

“Governor Olusegun Mimiko 

and Eyitayo Jegede may have lost 

in Ondo State, but that does not 

mean the people voted rightly. In 

2015, people clamoured for 

change, and what have we got 

now? Nigerians are becoming 

poorer than ever. 

“Today, I am the only one (PDP) 

among the APC governors in the 

South-West. I am now like the 

nation of Israel surrounded by 

enemies, but I shall defeat and 

triumph over them. APC has 

never defeated me in any battle, 

either political or legal. 

“Whether they like it or not, I 

will win in Ekiti no matter the 

animosity, because I have the 

people behind me,” Fayose 

declared. 

At another forum earlier in 

the day, the governor noted 

that he could use the platform 

of another political party to 

achieve his succession plans 

if it would help stave off the 

legal burdens now weighing 

the PDP. 

Fayose, who dropped the hint 

in Ikere Ekiti while meeting 

members of the Suppliers’ 

Association of Nigeria, Ikere 

chapter, said; “I don’t know the 

platform I will use for the 2018 

election yet, but at the appropriate 

time, I will tell you."


:Vanguard News 

:@vanguardnews 

N-Delta youth leaders urge govs 

to support FG for region’s devt 

By Samuel 

Oyadongha 

Y ENAGOA— 

YOUTH leaders 

from the ethnic 

nationalities in the nine 

states of the Niger Delta 

yesterday called on 

governors in the region to 

support the Federal 

Government's efforts at 

resolving the contentious 

issues in the region with 

the establishment of an 

economic and political 

plan for the region’s 

development. 

The youth leaders, 

under the aegis of Niger 

Delta Ethnic Nationalities 

Youth Leaders Council 

and attended by the Ijaw 

CCT to storm A-Ibom for trial of some senior 

public officers 

INDICATIONS have 

emerged that officials 

of Code of Conduct 

Tribunal, CCT, will 

between December 6 and 

9, storm Akwa Ibom State, 

for trial of about 50 senior 

public officers who 

allegedly breached the 

code of conduct ethics. 

A statement by Ibraheem 

Al-Hassan, Head, Press 

and Public Relations, CCT, 

Abuja, said: “The Code of 

Conduct Tribunal 

Chairman, Justice Danladi 

Yakubu Umar, has 

approved the itinerant 

session of the Tribunal in 

Akwa Ibom State, for trial 

of some Senior Public 

officers who breached the 

code of conduct ethics. The 

itinerant session is 

scheduled to take place 

from the 6th to 9th of 

December, 2016 at the 

State High Court, Uyo, 

involving 50 public officers, 

comprising ex-Special 

Advisers, local government 

councillors that served 

between 2008 and 2009 

and two Clerks from Esit 

Music meets Art as Uwaifo holds exhibition 

in Lagos 

V 

E T E R A N 

musician, writer 

and sculptor, Sir Victor 

Uwaifo, is to hold an art 

Sir Victor Uwaifo 

Youth Council Worldwide; 

Urhobo Progress Union 

Youth Wing Worldwide; 

Itsekiri National Youth 

Council Worldwide; 

Ndokwa Youth Council 

Worldwide; Edo Youth 

Council Worldwide; 

Ikwerre Youth Council 

Worldwide; and Ibibio 

Youth Council Worldwide, 

among others, made their 

positions known at a 

meeting yesterday in 

Yenagoa. 

President of the IYC, 

Mr. Udengs Eradiri, who 

briefed newsmen on the 

outcome of the meeting 

said: “The governors in 

the Niger Delta should do 

more in resolving the 

militancy and other 

and Etim Local 

Government Areas. 

"Tribunal’s itinerant 

session helps to clear up 

backlogs of cases in the 

zone within the period of 

the session, brings legal 

Yokri, SPDC spill litigation: Family 

asks firm to stop operations 

By Egufe Yafughori 

W ARRI—YOKRI 

community in 

Burutu Local Government 

Area, Delta State, has 

warned Shell Petroleum 

Development Company, 

SPDC, against further 

business operations in the 

area pending the 

determination of a court 

case between both 

parties. 

SPDC has been locked in 

a lingering court case with 

host families in the Yokri 

community over 2009 oil 

spills in absence of 

amicable resolution on 

cause, extent of damage 

and demanded 

compensation by those 

affected. 

exhibition and also 

release a new album. 

The exhibition, tagged 

Biomimetics of 

Sculpture: Research and 

What is Art, will 

showcase his works of 

art. It is scheduled to 

open on December 2, 

2016 at Bogobiri Art 

Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos. 

The event, which will 

also feature the release 

of his new 12-track CDs 

album titled, You’re the 

Finest, (WABUGIE), a 

criminal issues in the 

region. They should set 

up an economic plan to 

take the region out of the 

crises. We are saying this 

because liberation itself 

cannot come from external 

but must be internally 

driven. What are the 

Niger Delta governors 

doing genuinely on their 

own part to resolve these 

crises? We are yet to see 

that kind of action on the 

part of the governors. 

Everybody is just waiting 

for the Federal 

Government. State 

governors in this region 

must meet, engage 

stakeholders and begin to 

resolve the problems." 

services to the door steps 

of defaulters, particularly 

the low-ranking public 

officers. It also serves as a 

means of publicizing the 

activities of the Tribunal 

within the zone." 

Mr. Gabriel Agbala, a 

representative of the family, 

expressed their frustrations 

over the lingering court 

battle after another hearing 

of the suit against SPDC at 

the Federal High Court, 

Warri, Delta State. 

At the last hearing, 

motion for submission of 

evaluation report was 

formerly accepted by the 

court before adjournment 

till February 6, 2017 for 

further hearing and 

determination. 

“SPDC should desist 

from any form of exploration 

or prospecting in the area 

for now till damages and 

compensations are fully 

paid to avoid any conflict 

with our people,” he said. 

beautiful, sweet sight 

and sound, is expected 

to be graced by 

important dignitaries 

which include, Alhaji Lai 

M o h a m m e d , 

Information and Culture 

minister, Governor 

Godwin Obaseki of Edo 

State, Prof Wole Soyinka, 

among others. 

The unveiling and 

declaration of the event 

will be at 4.00 pm. The 

exhibition will run till 9th 

December 9, 2016.



13% Derivation: Withhold fund from N-Delta 

govs —Reformed Egbesu Assembly 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, S-South 

WARRI—A 

pan-Niger- 

Delta group, the 

Reformed Egbesu Assembly, 

yesterday, demanded that 


stop the payment of 13 per cent 

Oil Derivation Funds to the 

governors of oil and gas 

producing states of the Niger 

Delta with effect from January 1, 

2017, alleging that the governors 

had squandered over N17 trillion 

since the disbursement 

commenced. 

Reformed Egbesu’s demand 

came few days after the Oil and 

Solid Minerals Producing Areas 

Landlords Association of Nigeria, 

OMPLALAN, accused the 

governors of embezzling N1 

trillion meant for the development 

of the region annually. 

The outburst of the two groups 

was, however, viewed with 

suspicion by prominent Niger 

Delta activist, Annkio Briggs, who 

told Vanguard that “I do not 

support corruption and I stand for 

accountability. But Niger Delta 

will not accept any divide and rule 

tactics to divert the people from 

the real struggle for 100 per cent 

resource control. Moreover, it is 

wrong to even ask President 

Muhammadu Buhari to stop the 

payment of 13 per cent derivation 

to governors because he does not 

possess such power; he does not 

have constitutional right to stop 

the governors from spending the 

money.” 

Benin Palace dismisses alleged demotion of prominent 

chief 

By Gabriel Enogholase 

B ENIN—BENIN 

Traditional Council, 

BTC, has dismissed claims of 

a purported demotion of one 

of its prominent chiefs, 

Osemede Adun, by the Oba of 

Benin, His Royal Majesty, 

Omo N’Oba Ewuare II. 

BTC, in a statement 

yesterday, by its Secretary, Mr. 

Frank Erhabor, said Chief 

Osemede, the Ayobahan of 

Benin Kingdom, was not only 

found worthy by late Oba 

Erediauwa who initiated him 

into the chieftaincy title rank, 

but had equally demonstrated 

unalloyed loyalty to the 

present Oba. 

It attributed the alleged 

demotion of Chief Osemede 

from the 4th position of 

hierarchy to 14th, as the 

handi-work of mischief makers 

who were out to misinform the 

public for personal interests. 

According to the statement, 

“He has shown close loyalty to 

the present Oba of Benin, his 

Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba 

Ewuare II right from the time 

Nothing to show for 

colossal allocation 

But, the Reformed Egbesu 

Assembly in a communiqué 

issued by Tamanuko Owei, after 

a meeting of its consultative 

assembly, said if the remittance 

of the funds to the governors 

was not stopped, the much 

sought tranquility could elude 

the region. 

It said: “The continuous 

allocation of the 13 per cent 

derivation fund to the state 

governors despite protests and 

agitations of several groups and 

organizations, host communities 

of oil and gas, suggests that 

peace is not yet in sight in Niger 

Delta. Consequent, we demand 

that effective January 1, 2017, 


should, as a matter of urgency, 

peace and security of the Niger 

Delta, direct the stoppage of all 

13 per cent derivation proceeds 

to the governors. He should set 

up 13 per cent Derivation Funds 

Management Committees or 

Derivation Funds Agency at 

federal and in all states 

producing oil and gas. 

“That effective January 2017, 

all proceeds of 13 per cent 

derivation funds be withheld 

in an escrow account in the 

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

pending the establishment of 

the appropriate structures with 

community nominees to 

manage the funds. Since the 

commencement of the payment 

of the funds to the present day, 

over N17 trillion has been 

mismanaged and 

misappropriated by the state 

governors, but one gets to the 

creeks and the oil and gas 

producing communities, there 

is virtually nothing to justify the 

huge allocation." 

LAUNCH: From left: Obinna Nweje, GM, Regional Operations, MTN Nigeria; Richard Iweanoge, 

GM, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria; Chibuzor Aholu, Snr Special Assistant to Rivers State 

Governor and Anthony Obi, GM, Business Intelligence, MTN Nigeria, at the official launch of MTN 

4G LTE in Port Harcourt. 

the present Oba was still the 

Edeikan of Uselu. His Royal 

Majesty has had no reason 

to have contrary opinion of 

Chief Osemede Adun. No 

matter what anyone may 

think about Chief Osamede 

Adun, the Aypbahan of 

Benin, the palace duty to all 

chiefs is to first endeavour to 

make bad man good, and 

good man better and not to 

make the situation worse. 

“Therefore, Chief Ayobahan 

has not done anything wrong 

in the palace to warrant the 

purported demotion as being 

speculated in the social 

media. Mischief makers 

usually try to mislead the 

public by taking undue 

advantage of the power of 

circulation of the social media 

to malign names of innocent 

people.” 

In his reaction, Chief 

Osemede Adun described 

his purported demotion as 

unfolded, a calculated 

attempt to smear his hard 

earned name, adding that he 

had since written a petition 

to the state Police 

Commissioner against those 

responsible for the false 

alarm and criminal 

defamation of his character. 

Warri Choral Society's musical concert holds 

at MUSON Centre 

WARRI Choral Society 

has announced its 

yearly musical concert which 

will take place at MUSON 

Centre, in Lagos. 

In a statement, Chairman of 

the Concert Committee, Dr. 

David Agbowu, said the Lagos 

concert would be specifically 

staged to honour the 

Chairman of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Chief John 

Odigie- Oyegun. 

He said: “This has nothing 

to do with party politics. Chief 

Oyegun is a classical music 

lover and has attended several 

of the concerts put together by 

the Warri Choral Society. He is 

coming to Lagos with many of 

his friends across party lines. 

In all our past 56 concerts, there 

has always been a special 

guest of honour and most times 

they are federal ministers, 

governors, kings and others in 

that category. 

“The Lagos tour will be on the 

6th at the MUSON Centre. We 

will also perform in other cities 

like Ibadan, Benin, Sapele, 

Enugu, Port Harcourt and 

Abuja. The concert will be a 

remarkable evening for all 

attending lovers of classical 

music and the performance 

will draw from the three out 

of the Great Music masters 

namely; G.F Handel, Joseph 

Haydn and Amadeus 

Wolfgang Mozart with 

performers interpreting the 

works as flawlessly as 

originally intended by the 

composers.” 

Why NNPC 

staff must 

adhere to 

safety rules 

—GMD 

B ENIN—GROUP 

Managing Director of 

Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, Dr 

Maikanti Baru, has said 

adherence to Health, Safety 

and Environment rules by 

staff of the NNPC and its 

subsidiaries is critical to the 

ongoing transformation 

efforts being made by the 

Federal Government in the 

oil and gas sector. 

According to him, the 

objective is not only to 

prevent staff from being 

harmed or taking ill during 

work but also an essential 

factor to a sustainable 

business. 

He stated this while 

delivering his key note 

address at the Health, Safety 

and Environment, HSE, 

week in Benin City. 

Baru, who was represented 

by the Managing Director of 

NPDC, Engr. Yusuf 

Matashi, said business 

sustainability in the oil sector 

required “processes in which 

we manage our financial, 

social and environmental 

risks, obligations and 

opportunities to meet the 

needs of the present without 

compromising the needs of 

the future generation." 

Land trespass: 

Okumagba 

urges Okowa to 

avert looming 

ethnic crisis in 

Warri 

By Etop Ekanem 

W ARRI—OKERE 

Urhobo Kingdom in 

Warri has urged Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa to stop alleged 

conspiracy by a clique in his 

administration to illegally 

grab an expanse of land the 

community released to the 

state for public use decades 

ago. 

In a statement in Warri, one 

of the community leaders, 

Prince Mitaire ‘Mimi’ 

Okumagba, noted that the 

conspiracy was aimed at 

transferring ownership of the 

said land to an influential 

politician from another 

kingdom in Warri metropolis 

which could trigger another 

ethnic crisis in Warri if not 

checked. 

Okumagba said: “These 

hectares of land situated 

beside Shell Petroleum 

Development Company 

Housing Estate, Edjeba were 

acquired under the Land Use 

Act during the 80s by the then 

Bendel State Government for 

the purpose of infrastructural 

development."


Nigeria to lose 

$8bn to 

cardiovascular 

diseases 

by 2026 

– MINISTER 

By Sola Ogundipe 

MINISTER of Health, 

Prof Isaac Adewole, 

has cautioned that unless 

drastic and sustained actions 

were taken, the economic loss 

from cardiovascular (heart) 

diseases, stroke and diabetes 

in Nigeria could rise to a 

projected US$8 billion in the 

next 10 years, according to 

estimates by the World Health 

Organisation, WHO. 

Adewole who noted that 

hypertension is the leading 

cardiovascular disease in 

Nigeria and could result in 

stroke if untreated, remarked 

that one in five Nigerians is 

hypertensive and at risk of 

premature death. 

Speaking in Lagos, during 

the First Annual Black Tie Gala 

event organised by the Tristate 

Heart Foundation (THF), to 

raise N500 million in support 

of cardiovascular care in 

Nigeria, argued that 

immediate action must be 

taken to stem the tide, else, the 

nation will keep counting 

loses. 

In a keynote address, he 

observed that current estimates 

show that death rate from 

stroke is 40-50 per cent within 

the first three months of 

diagnoses, while 39 per cent 

of those who survived stroke 

after three months died within 

a year, with 12 per cent 

developing severe disability. 

“I can say without fear of 

contradiction that at least five 

out of 10 adults seated here 

tonight have elevated blood 

pressure and more than half of 

these are not aware of their 

situation. 

“This is frightening because 

the dire consequence of 

neglected hypertension is 

stroke without warning. 

Unless we take drastic and 

sustained actions, we will 

keep counting losses,” he said. 

By Gabriel Olawale 

THE Federal government 

has been admonished to 

fulfill its pledge to compensate 

poultry farmers who lost their 

stock of birds during the avian 

influenza (bird flu) outbreaks 

of 2015-2016 in the country. 

Making the call yesterday 

President of the Poultry 

Association of Nigeria, PAN, Dr. 

Ayoola Oduntan, said as at 

November 2016, out of a total 

3,475,706 birds confiscated by the 

Association under the supervision 

of Ministry of Agriculture, farmers 

had only been compensated for 


WORLD AIDS DAY: Saraki seeks end to stigmatisation 

By Sola Ogundipe & 

Henry Umoru 

A BUJA—SENATE 

President, Bukola Saraki, 

called for an end to all forms of 

discrimination and stigmatization 

against persons living with HIV/ 

AIDS. 

Saraki spoke as World Health 

Organisation, WHO, declared 

yesterday that more than 18 

million people living with HIV 

had no access to treatment 

In a statement by his Special 

Adviser on Media and Publicity, 

Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki noted 

that discriminatory attitudes in 

society often led to people being 

apprehensive of getting tested 

and HIV positive persons failing 

to access treatment and spreading 

the pandemic. 

He said: “We need to 

acknowledge that reports have 

shown that stigmatization kills 

people faster than infection. 

“Nigeria must put in place a 

zero discrimination policy for 

HIV/AIDS and all health related 

ailments.” 

Saraki said the Senate would 

be looking into how the HIV/ 

AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act of 

2014, which was signed into law 

during the former administration, 

was being implemented by law 

enforcement agencies. 

“We need to send a strong 

message that people living with 

HIV/AIDS are a part of our 

society. 

‘’By enforcing the laws passed 

by the National Assembly, we can 

prohibit discrimination by 

employers, individuals and 

organizations. 

“As we strengthen these 

enforcement mechanisms to 

create more inclusion, 

governments across all levels 

must work with our local and 

international partners to build 

awareness about HIV/AIDS, and 

create a more supportive 

environment that will allow those 

living with HIV/AIDS to live 

fulfilling lives,” he said. 

More than 3.5million people 

in Nigeria are said to be 

currently living with HIV. This 

represents 3.2% of the nation’s 

adult population. 

BIRD FLU: FG yet to compensate farmers — PAN 

1,050,904 birds leaving an 

outstanding of 2, 424,802 birds. 

According to Oduntan, who 

spoke at the opening of the 

2016 Poultry Show in 

Abeokuta, Ogun State: 

“Immediately after the outbreak, 

the Minister of Agriculture 

promised that compensation 

would be paid for all dead and 

confiscated birds, but this promise 

has not been fulfilled. 

“We are urging the 

government to follow 

international best practice, and 

fulfill its pledge. We are not 

being done a favour. 

Government instructed us to 

AGM: Vice President, Lagos Zone/National Treasurer, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), 

Reverend Isaac Ade Agoye; Executive Secretary, MAN, Mr. Joseph Emoleke; Managing Director, 

Nigerite Ltd, Mr. Frank Le Bris; and Quality, Safety, Health and Environment Manager, Nigerite Ltd, 

Mr. John Bamigboye during the award presentation to Nigerite Limited for emerging Overall Winner 

in the category of Best Kept Industrial Premises competition at the 49th Annual General Meeting of 

Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ikeja branch in Lagos yesterday. 

Meanwhile, as the world marks 

this year’s World AIDS Day, the 

World Health Organisation says 

more than 18 million people, the 

majority of which are unaware of 

their HIV positive status, are 

unable to access treatment. 

The global health body pointed 

out that even though a similar 

number of persons livings with 

HIV are currently onantiretroviral 

(ARV) treatment, no less than 40 

per cent of all people with HIV 

(over 14 million) remain unaware 

of their status. 

A progress report identified 

lack of an HIV diagnosis as a 

major obstacle to 

implementing the 

recommendation that 

everyone with HIV should be 

offered antiretroviral therapy 

(ART). 

In advance of World AIDS 

Day, WHO released new 

guidelines on HIV self-testing 

to improve access to, and 

uptake of HIV diagnosis. 

According to the WHO Director- 

General, Dr. Margaret Chan, many 

people at higher risk of HIV infection 

often find it difficult to access existing 

testing services. 

“Millions of people with HIV are 

still missing out on life-saving 

treatment, which can also prevent 

HIV transmission to others. 

'' HIV self-testing should open 

the door for many more people 

to know their HIV status and find 

out how to get treatment and 

access prevention services.” 

Gunmen raid Nwuche’s Abuja residence, office 

By Ben Agande 

A BUJA—UNKNOWN 

gunmen, numbering 

about twenty on Monday and 

Tuesday raided the Abuja 

residence and office of former 

Deputy Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, Prince 

Chibudom Nwuche, carting away 

cash in local and foreign 

currencies as well as documents. 

A staff of the former deputy 

speaker who witnessed the two 

slaughter our birds for the 

greater good of the country. 

We would have sold those 

birds while they were dying or 

taken them to the market and 

contaminated the whole 

country with the virus, but we 

chose not to do that. 

“Instead we called the 

appropriate government 

authorities, they came in, did 

the census and together we 

slaughtered these birds. For those 

famers that obeyed the law and 

followed international best 

practice, not to be compensated 

more than a year after the 

outbreak is unfair,” he said. 

raids, told Vanguard that while 

the gunmen who stormed the 

residence in Maitama wore 

jackets with EFCC inscription 

on them, the ones that raided 

the office wore military 

camouflage and were all 

armed with pistols and rifles. 

Narrating the incidence at 

the residence of the former 

deputy speaker, the staff who 

gave his name as Wasiu, said 

about 15 armed men, two of 

whom were wearing jackets 

with EFCC inscriptions, 

stormed Nwuche’s office at 

about 12pm and ransacked 

everywhere before leaving 

with some documents. 

Confirming the raid in his 

office, which he said was an 

assassination attempt on his 

life, Nwuche in a letter to the 

Inspector General of Police, 

said: “The diabolical attempts 

to assassinate me” may have 

been carried out “by obviously 

sponsored gun-wielding 

persons who attacked my office 

in Abuja on Tuesday 

November 29, 2016. 

“The heavily armed 

gunmen, who were five in 

number and dressed in 

Nigerian Army uniforms 

stormed my office located 

along Colorado Street, 

Maitama at about 10.30am 

in the morning, and held the staff 

hostage at gun point while 

stringently demanding for me and 

a certain Mr. Wasiu who is the 

Foundation for Youth Development’s 

(FYD) Project Manager for the Niger 

Delta Amnesty Programme. 

“They also demanded for and 

seized a video recording of monies 

loaned to the Amnesty programme 

on the instructions of Mr. 

Kingsley Kuku - the ex-Coordinator 

of the Presidential Amnesty 

Programme,through his agents by 

officials of FYD. They further forced 

the accounting staff at gun point to 

open the office safe and made away 

with millions of naira consisting of 

staff salaries, pension contributions 

and sundry expenses as well as 

other documents. 

“This dare-devil attack on my office 

is no coincidence, as it eloquently 

complements the threats on my life 

from some obnoxious persons to 

prevent me from revealing the truth, 

especially as it concerns monies 

borrowed from the Foundation for 

Youth Development (FYD) which I 

Chair by Mr. Kingsley Kuku and his 

representatives. 

''It is also very instructive that the 

video evidence of the collection of 

the loaned funds from the FYD 

(whose existence was confidential 

and only made known to certain 

persons) was the main target of the 

gun-wielding invaders of my office.''


Coal City 

University vows 

to pursue global 

standards 

CHANCELLOR of the 

newly licensed private 

Coal City University, Emene, 

Enugu, Sir Chinedu Anih has 

said the school would pursue 

global standards in all its 

endeavours. 

Speaking at the receipt of 

its provisional license from the 

National Universities 

Commission (NUC), in 

Abuja, Sir Anih said teachers 

engaged by the school would 

be seen as the facilitators of 

goal towards global 

recognition. He vowed that 

the university would work 

assiduously to receive the 

substantive licence from the 

NUC. 

“We will be ready by the time 

NUC comes back; getting the 

substantive licence will be our 

goal. We are prepared to meet 

all the requirements needed 

to make learning conducive 

for our students. 

“Like you heard NUC 

Executive Secretary, Prof 

Abubakar Rasheed say, 

private universities hold the 

future of Nigeria. We are 

going to put in a better stead 

to be part of this great future". 

He commended the 

government for allowing 

private universities to operate 

“Bringing in private 

individuals represents 

government’s desire to 

increase chances of admission 

for our children. It is to help 

create more admission 

opportunities for our people.” 

On the high cost of private 

universities, Anih said, “It’s 

also one of the best in the 

country. I can tell you that we 

are also the cheapest in the 

country. You can make your 

enquiries anywhere, the 

school was not established as 

a profit-making institution". 


Ndigbo hated in Nigeria, Ukiwe, Anya, others lament 

By Charles Kumolu 

THE place of the Igbo race 

in the present dispensation 

was yesterday bemoaned by 

prominent Nigerians of Igbo 

extraction, with the consensus 

that the Igbo were being unfairly 

treated in Nigeria. 

They also urged the South East 

people to desist from lamenting 

over what was described as their 

plight in the socio-political 

configuration of the country, 

noting that it was important they 

focused on their areas of strength. 

These positions were taken in 

Lagos by most leaders of the Igbo 

nation at the public presentation 

of a book entitled: The Land of 

My Birth which was authored by 

a legal practitioner, Mr. Abraham 

Nnadi. 

Those at the event include a 

former Chief of General Staff(Vice 

President in the military era) 

Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, retd; 

ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, 

Mr. Odein Ajumogobia; Admiral 

Ndubuisi Kanu,retd; founding 

Chairman of Nigeria Economic 

Summit Group, Prof Anya Anya; 

former President of Nigerian Bar 

Association,NBA, Chief Olisa 

YULETIDE: Obiano assures Anambra people 

of top security 

By Hugo Odiogor 

ANAMBRA State Governor, 

Chief Willie Obiano, has 

assured indigenes of the state of 

top level security of their lives and 

property during the 2016 Yuletide 

celebrations. 

Chief Obiano disclosed this in 

Lagos when he addressed a 

gathering of Alma mata of Christ 

the King College, Onitsha, who 

celebrated the feast of Christ the 

King at the weekend. 

Obiano, who was represented 

by Joe Billy Ekwunife, Managing 

Director and CEO of Anambra 

State Investment Promotion and 

Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), 

told the eminent audience that the 

Agbakoba; Chief Alex Oti; Prof Pat 

Utomi, and Ms Onyeka Onwenu 

among others. 

At the forum, it was 

unanimously stated that Nigeria 

was overdue for restructuring in 

order to put an end to the alleged 

marginalisation of most ethnic 

groupings in the country. 

In his remarks, Ukiwe said: 

‘’Igbo people are great people, it 

is unfortunate that they are being 

hated. But I am urging them to 

stop lamenting. This is not the 

time for lamentation. Igbo people 

should get up and move on 

because hatred is not always a 

bad thing. Ndigbo have good 

manners. Let them practice good 

manners and move on. We are not 

PEOPLE SPEAK 

known for being idle. Igbo people 

will succeed in this country.” 

On his part, Anya said: 

‘’Ndigbo should stop lamenting 

over their position in the country. 

Nigeria needs restructuring. 

Ndigbo should assist in building 

the reputation of Nigeria by being 

united. It is only with unity that 

Ndigbo would achieve their goals 

in Nigeria. But Ndigbo must stop 

the habit of lamentation.” 

Also speaking, Onwenu said: 

‘’Ndigbo have done well despite 

the civil war. We like to work hard. 

At the end of the war, we had 

nothing but we are everywhere 

today. That shows that we would 

have done well with Biafra. Biafra 

was producing and refining 

On Ondo State governorship election 

petroleum and weapons. But 

since the war ended, none of 

them were sustained by the 

Federal Government. The 

government destroyed the 

capacity of the Igbo people to 

produce the things they were 

producing then. We lost 

everything and the Igbo were 

downgraded. Igbo women are 

also being downgraded. You can 

never waste money training a 

girl. Igbo women should stand tall 

in their Igboness. We have Igbo 

women who are holding political 

positions but when they contest 

for positions, they find it difficult 

excelling. I contested for local 

government chairmanship for 

eight years but never won 

because I was not supported.” 

Igbo youths protest EFCC's probe of Mrs Jonathan 

By Denni Agbo 

ENUGU—A group of 

Concerned Igbo Youths, 

yesterday, protested at the 

South East zonal office of the 


Crimes Commission, EFCC, in 

Enugu, demanding for 

withdrawal of probe and 

state government has done 

everything possible to rein in 

criminal groups and their 

activities in the state. 

Obiano said •the entire state is 

watched through Drone 

surveillance technology and other 

invisible security apparatai that 

are monitored directly from the 

office and any distress call from 

any part of the state gets prompt 

response from law enforcement 

agencies within minutes.• 

He said that the incidents of 

armed robbery and kidnapping 

in the state have been reduced to 

sub zero level, and •President 

Muhammadu Buhari has openly 

acknowledged the fact that 

Anambra State is the safest and 

most secured in the country.• 

defreezing of the account of 

Nigeria’s former first Lady, Dame 

Patience Jonathan. 

The youths, led by its 

coordinator, Comrade Victor 

Ezenagu, said that Mrs. 

Jonathan’s probe is a probe on her 

husband, former President 

Goodluck Jonathan and 

demanded the withdrawal of all 

charges against Mrs. Jonathan. 

They alleged that the probe is 

meant to humiliate the former 

president and his family, noting 

that no other former President of 

Nigeria has ever been probed. 

At the EFCC office in Enugu, 

the group submitted a petition to 

the zonal head of the commission, 

Mr. Johnson Babalola, titled: 

“Unjust persecution and 

desperate plan to humiliate 

former President Goodluck 

Jonathan.” 

The youths said, “ While we 

salute the commitment of the 

present administration towards 

fighting corruption in the country, 

we, however, express our 

disaffection on the manner the 

war is being prosecuted by the 

commission under your watch. 

Some of the actions of the 

commission in recent time leaves 

no one in doubt that certain 

persons have clearly been singled 

out to be humiliated. 

“A case in point is that of former 

First Lady, Dame Patience 

Jonathan, who is currently being 

prosecuted by the EFCC. We see 

the freezing of her personal 

account and on-going prosecution 

as an attempt to discredit former 

President Goodluck Jonathan. 

“It is condemnable that having 

sacrificed his ambition for the sake 

of Nigeria’s future, Jonathan’s 

family is being visited with such 

cruelty from the commission. We 

say this because Mrs. Jonathan is 

not the first person to have 

occupied the office of First Lady 

in Nigeria. Yet, none of the other 

former occupants of that office is 

under probe, let alone trial. 

“It is also not out of place to state 

that the current administration is 

indirectly prosecuting and 

persecuting Jonathan. But to 

unleash such an action on a man 

who willingly conceded defeat, 

even when he was being urged to 

fight on, has grave implications.” 

They stressed that while they 

were not against the anti-graft war, 

"it should be done within the ambit 

of the law." 

By Bartholomew Madukwe 

(08051019450) 

nwamad@yahoo.com 

The figures speak for 

themselves. If PDP’s 

house were to be in order, 

it would have given APC a 

good fight. The fact that 

PDP and AD have to split 

the vote was significant in 

PDP’s defeat. You do not 

have to be a genius to know 

this. Mr Balogun Bolaji, 

Footballer 

What I can say about 

the Ondo State govenorship 

election is that the 

people have made their 

choice and it has to be respected. 

Congrats to Akeredolu! 

Congrats to Ondo 

People! Congrats to the Igbos, 

our son-in-law is the 

governor-elect. Mr Stanley 

Olisa, Graduate 

Ondo State is truly set 

ting high standards 

for others to emulate. It is 

just the time for APC to 

reign just like the years of 

PDP but it is all a matter of 

time because whatever is 

founded on lies will be destroyed 

or scattered by 

confusion. Mrs Shola 

Owolabi, Nurse 

An election is not sup 

posed to be win or die. 

My only fear is that Ondo 

people rejected Jegede 

and Oke, who have Mimiko 

and Tinubu respectively 

as their godfathers. I 

pray the Governor-elect 

brings in fresh ideas. Miss 

Ezenwanyi Ezembu, 

Broadcaster 

If Jimoh was fielded, he 

would have defeated Akeredolu. 

The outgoing 

governor has spoilt the 

whole thing. Trying to 

challenge the outcome of 

the election will only result 

to an academic exercise. 

Well, it is my opinion on 

Ondo election. Mr Ismaila 

Aremu, Worker 

Akeredolu was the op 

tion for us. Ondo people 

do not need to spill 

blood or fight tooth and 

nail for power. Whoever 

says the election was not 

fair is far from the truth 

because with the margin, 

you will see that the margin 

was much. Mrs Morayo 

Simeon, Business-


THE preamble to this 

week’s Column is from a 

previous piece titled ‘In 

Defense of Obasanjo’. The 

main body is a re-jigged 

version of yet another, titled 

‘Obj: Tribute to a fighter’. Now 

that Obasanjo is on the menu 

-again- it is auspicious, on a 

lighter note to serve him 

unexpurgated. Again. 

Preamble 

Martin Luther King said 

“The ultimate measure of a 

man is not where he stands in 

moments of comfort and 

convenience, but where he 

stands at times of challenge 

and controversy”. It is in 

knowing what a man stands 

for, that we also know what he 

never lies down for. Often we 

know where our leaders stand 

“in moments of comfort and 

convenience”. They stand as 

always for ‘special interests’. 

But we hardly know where 

they stand “at times of 

challenge and controversy”. 

Whether they are with the 

oppressed; or with the 

oppressors. Or whether they 

are in fact ‘the’ oppressors. 

But love him or loath him, 

you always know where 

Obasanjo stands. On 

everything: from the very 

‘serious’ to the bizarrely 

‘ludicrous’; from the ‘sacred’ 

even to the ‘profane’. And for 

this Obasanjo is neither 

covetous of your applause 

nor is he timorous of your 

disapproval. 

His 

‘eccentricity’ is neither 

consciously acted to enchant 

his friends nor is it 

premeditatedly staged to 

beguile his enemies. It comes 

natural from being ‘Obasanjo’. 

He is simply indomitably selfexpressive 

in a manner that 

titillates his friends even as it 

taunts his enemies. And as 

Lord Byron was incapable of 

writing a dull sentence, 

Obasanjo is incapable of 

disaffection. 

Obasanjo, without doubt, is 

the environmentdomineering 

persona, not 

IBB. He has proved himself a 

man of such consistent selfevagination 

that much as you 

can predict he’ll not 

disappoint the pleasant 

expectation of his 

affectionate fans, so you can 

trust he’ll not fail the 

repugnant anticipation of his 

inveterate haters. And even 

with a bit of ironic flavor, his 

conduct that provokes 

revulsion in some, in others 

evokes unquestionable 

admiration. And where 

detractors see ‘vice’ in him, 

his admirers only ‘virtue’ see. 

And as with Francis Bacon 

who wrote “Virtue in 

ambition is violent, in 

authority settled and calm”, 

so is virtue to Obasanjo both 

a shield for self-defense and a 

veritable sword of necessary 

offence. There does not seem 

to be a middle ground 

between those who love 

Obasanjo and those who loath 

him! 

In “moments of comfort and 

convenience”, you are either 

amused by that I-don’t-care 

blithe of eminent happy-golucky-ness 

that only Obasanjo 

evaginates; or you are 

disgusted by his unyielding 

penchant for meddling in the 

affairs of incumbent 

governments he has helped to 

install. Yet you are never in 

doubt also that at “times of 

challenge and controversy” 

Obasanjo will stand as always 

with the ‘people’. 

They say that his ‘overt 

pretence’ for ‘love of country’ 

Still on Obasanjo 

is motivated always by a 

‘covert passion’ to steal the 

lime light. Whether this is true 

or not is immaterial to the 

user-friendliness of 

Obasanjo’s occasional 

messianic bombasts which no 

doubt serves to moderate the 

excesses of political office 

holders. Cynics may search 

for ulterior motives behind 

his 

‘constructive 

eccentricity’, but it is 

sufficient to others that 

Obasanjo remains consistent, 

and that his ‘corrective’ voice 

-like John the Baptist’sechoes 

always in the 

wilderness of the beastly kind 

of politics that we celebrate. 

Often we have yearned for 

the voices of statesmen to 

rein in on the unremitting 

excesses of self-serving 

political office holders. We 

long always for courageous 

voices to speak truth to 

power; to address the 

Many see 

Obasanjo as a 

‘trigger-happy’, 

vengeanceseeking 

muckraker; but in 

truth he is merely 

a ‘trigger-haveto’, 

‘do-me-I-doyou’, 

‘my-rightor-I-bite’ 

kind of 

person who 

simply insists on 

‘evening up’ every 

‘score’ 

conscience, especially of 

misbehaving incumbency. 

More than just the pontifical 

and Episcopal sanctimonies 

of spiritual men of God, we 

need always the temporal 

voices of eminent 

commanding men to warn 

opportunistic politicians they 

cannot toy with the destinies 

of those who elected them to 

office. 

Obasanjo, no matter how 

much you loath him, has 

acquitted himself as the only 

surviving statesman in whom 

the proverbial Soyinka ‘Man’ 

is not dead. Virtually he alone 

is not silent in the face of 

tyranny. He has distinguished 

himself as a one-man 

whistleblower who spares 

neither friend nor foe. Nor is 

he averse to being whistleblown 

about. 

The one-man guerrilla 

army 

Obasanjo disgusts many 

even as he amuses yet many 

others. But he amazes even 

more than he amuses. And 

although with him what you 

see is what you get, yet there 

is always more to Obj than 

what the fickle eye 

apprehends. Whenever you 

think that this man can’t get 

any higher or lower in 

whatever it is he does to 

disgust, amuse or amaze you, 

Obasanjo takes you even to 

the more bizarre. He is a 

mirror that offers you a 

thousand images; all different 

but each reflective of one 

whole truth, namely that this 

man brooks no limit to how 

much he can surprise. 

The Obasanjo genie, like an 

octopus in the deep, never 

ceases to unravel itself; it 

beguiles both the time and the 

surrounding. When you think 

that he is just a ‘smoking gun’ 

or a gun waiting to smoke, 

watch out, Obasanjo could 

also be the ‘bullet in the 

chamber’ raring to go. And 

when you think he is just a 

‘trigger’ waiting impatiently 

to be pulled, look out, 

Obasanjo could also be the 

itchy finger on the ‘trigger’ 

ready to pull -at all ranges. 

As a kid, little Okikiola 

must’ve been a nightmare to 

the bullies of Abeokuta. He 

must have been the punchbag 

you bullied today at the 

expense of your peace 

thereafter. Because day after 

WITH Obasanjo the 

‘hatchet’ of war is 

never completely buried. In 

fact between him and Atiku, 

more than a chunk of that 

hatchet remains forever un- 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 —17 

17 

day you had to deal with this 

kid who fought to the dust and 

was ready to roll with you in 

the gutters. Obj thus 

exemplifies the saying that: 

‘victory is not necessarily to 

the strong’. It can be to the 

cantankerous. Henry 

Kissinger said that “The 

conventional army loses if it 

does not win”, but that “The 

guerrilla wins if he does not 

lose”. Obasanjo is a one-manguerrilla 

army. He may not 

always win his battles; but 

because he never loses them 

either, makes him winner of 

all his wars. 

If Obasanjo was a boxer, a 

victory over him can only be 

won at the foot of his own 

corpse. He is like the ferocious 

honey badger, diminutive 

and seeming like a predators’ 

delight. But the wise predator 

does well to heed the warning 

of its languid tail: ‘don’t mess 

with me!’ The honey badger 

gives battle to a piece of reed 

the way it fazes off offence 

from a pride of lions. It merits 

its honey because it 

withstood a million stings; 

and it delights in the flesh of 

its victim-snake because it 

has survived a dose of the 

viper’s venom. 

Obasanjo does not believe in 

free meals. He is the hunters’ 

hunter; a predator ready also 

to be preyed upon. He moves 

with the amble of a sumo 

wrestler; and he prances 

always as one nudged 

repeatedly from behind by a 

force that seems to challenge: 

‘bring it on!’ Obj is a man who 

believes always in the rallying 

call to battle of Lord Byron: 

“Arm! Arm! It is… the 

cannon’s opening roar”. 

Postscript 

interred. Such is the depth of 

their mutual animosity that 

back in their days in office, a 

story –factual or faboo- was 

told, to the effect that 

Obasanjo, one bright 

Re: Niger: My poor Orphan state 

AS a 1976 alumnus of Ahmadu Bahago College, Minna I 

feel safe to say I have very strong emotional attachment 

to Minna. which is the reason why I am pained at the extent of 

despoliation of Minna and, by extention, Niger State as a 

whole. Many things went wrong for Minna with the return to 

civilian rule in 1999. It was as if Engineer Abdulkadir Kure 

(1999-2007) wasn’t prepared when he took over. He was 

succeeded by a man (Muazu Babangida Aliyu) who came to 

power thinking the State should improve him instead of being 

the other way round. HE Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, a key 

player in the government of Muazu Babangida Aliyu came at 

a bad time. Baring any major shift in style and improvement 

in State finances, Abu Lolo may disappoint some of us with 

strong emotional attachment of Niger State. Abu Lolo cannot 

afford to fail and, from the little we get from those on ground, 

HE is working hard to improve the State. Problem is, 

improvement won't come in one fell swoop. As one commentator 

on Niger State observed: Gara a fara gani a kasa. This is apt 

for Niger State as it is for the fatherland. 

-Abdulrazaq Magaji 

-‘Niger state is very unique’. It is very special…., with Gen 

IBB, Gen AA and countless other notable leaders… The people 

should exert pressure on them to forfeit just 10 percent of 

their accumulated wealth to develop the State. 

–Balarabe Nazeephy 

-Niger State has no leader yet, the State is so so unlucky 

when it comes to leadership; but come 2019, we have another 

chance to make the right choice. I pray Nigerlites don’t make 

the mistake of 2015 general election. Masalam… sir. 

–Kesto Love 

Hmmm…Niger State my ancestral home! The State parades 

many characters from evil genius to bill board governor…. 

From bad roads to dilapidated schools…. From untapped 

resources to neglected farmlands….Sometime ago, I drove 

from Bida-Badegi-Agaie and wish all the greens are located in 

Lagos where we have serious entrepreneurs… However, I 

know one day it shall begin to be well with Niger State…. For 

the present Governor, it is an accidental discharge, he’s not 

ready for governance, another product of APC SAK… 

-Abdul Ganiyu Tairu 

And he would rather be the 

first to strike than the one to 

have to strike back. He’d be 

the ramming hammer, and 

not the hapless anvil that 

takes the hits. He’d rather spit 

fire than be the one to call for 

a ceasefire. And although you 

can bet Obasanjo will never 

be one to ‘turn the other 

cheek’, yet in the very 

unlikely event that he does, it 

will be with the caveat of 

William Penn, who said: “First 

I turn one cheek, then the 

other cheek. (And) Now that 

the scriptures have been 

fulfilled, I intend to beat the 

hell out of thee”. 

Obasanjo fights the ‘bum’ 

with the same fury he fights 

the ‘bully’. Because to him all 

is fair in war and in peace. And 

like a diligent student of 

Shakespeare, he believes not 

only that “It is war’s prize to 

take all vantages” but that 

“ten to one is no impeach of 

valour”. He deploys all 

munitions to battle, fists, 

fangs and fury! And to him 

there is no small or great fight. 

He thus overrates rather than 

underestimate his enemies, 

making him again a diligent 

student of Shakespeare who 

said: “in cases of defense it is 

best to weigh the enemy more 

mighty than he seems: so the 

proportions of defense are 

filled”. Thus Obasanjo can kill 

with a sledge hammer what he 

can take out even with a puff! 

Many see Obasanjo as a 

‘trigger-happy’, vengeanceseeking 

muckraker; but in 

truth he is merely a ‘triggerhave-to’, 

‘do-me-I-do-you’, 

‘my-right-or-I-bite’ kind of 

person who simply insists on 

‘evening up’ every ‘score’. 

Saturday morning, had just 

ended a round of squash and 

was briefly seated to catch 

some breath, when distantly 

a man afoot approached the 

court chaperoned by an 

entourage of aides. As soon as 

a curious Obasanjo realized 

who the man was, his Vice, 

Atiku, he was said to have 

quickly turned to his aides 

and -with suppressed 

sarcasm- whispered “Thief! 

Thief! See thief de come!” 

Though not within hearing 

distance, Atiku too, on 

sighting his Principal in that 

gesture of conspiracy, and 

knowing Obasanjo well, 

turned –conspiratorially tooto 

his aides and whispered 

“Look! Look! That useless old 

man is insulting me!” 

Obasanjo had used his NGO, 

The Africa Leadership Forum 

to give hard time to despotic 

Abacha. But he knew too well 

to bite only as much as he 

could chew. And so the story 

was told how a Nigerian 

magazine had persuaded 

Obasanjo to grant an 

interview in which he 

somehow bit more than he 

could chew. As the reporters 

were dreaming of a hot cover 

already, Obasanjo was 

plotting how to abort the 

publication. And so as he 

walked his visitors to the gates 

of his Otta Farm, a smoking 

dump provided a quick fix: 

Obasanjo grabbed the only 

tape recorder used for the 

interview and threw it into 

the smoldering refuse-fire, 

ranting as he did so: “I no do 

again! Oloshi, olori buruku! 

You want to put me in 

trouble!” 

Thus Obasanjo is deft even 

at self-preservation. Just let 

him be. 

C 

M 

YK


ON Wednesday, November 

23, 2016, the Senate once again 

rejected the Federal 

Government’s draft budget for 

2017. In addition, they 

condemned the 2017 to 2019 

Medium Term Expenditure 

Framework (MTEF) as well as 

the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) 

which accompanied it. Many of 

the lawmakers were also in 

support of sending the entire 

MTEF package back to the 

Presidency. 

Only the intervention of the 

Senate President, Bukola 

Saraki, saved the President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

government from the 

embarrassment of having yet 

another document being 

thrown back at it by the 

National legislature. Only last 

month, the President’s $30 

billion loan request was 

summarily turned down for 

lack of diligent packaging. 

They were all returned 

End these budget embarrassments 

because the lawmakers were 

confronted with requests that 

lacked the requisite details for 

decision making. A ranking 

Senator dismissed the MTEF 

sent to his committee as being 

“empty”. Senator Abiodun 

Olujimi best summarised the 

problem when she observed 

that the document showed “the 

incompetence of those who 

prepared (it).” 

President Buhari’s failure to 

select his Economic 

Management Team (EMT) until 

five months after assumption of 

office was rationalised by his 

aides as an attempt to avoid 

mistakes. Yet, the 2016 budget 

from the Presidency was 

riddled with so many errors 

that the National Assembly 

promptly returned it to sender. 

After one year of working 

with a group of ministers, the 

time has come for the 

President to carry out a total 

rejig of his government and 

(especially) the Economic/ 

Budget teams. Enough of 

these shows of shame. 

The Head of Buhari’s EMT, 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, 

is an eminent lawyer, but not 

an economist. Buhari must 

put square pegs in square 

holes for us to have 

improvements in the 

packaging of financial 

proposals for the assent of 

the Legislature and 

understanding of the global 

financial community. He 

needs experts who 

understand what the job 

entails. This team has been 

tested and repeatedly found 

wanting. 

It is a pity that, in spite of 

the presence of a seasoned 

legislator like Senator Ita 

Enang around President 

Buhari, these incompetent 

documents are not put right 

before they leave the 

President’s desk for the 

National Assembly. 

We urge the National 

Assembly to insist that policy 

papers and their 

implementation plans when 

approved, must meet the 

minimum standard of best 

practices always. 

The inertia of President 

Buhari(2) 

Continued from yesterday’s pg 18 

By Charles Onunaiju 

THE most important challenge to 

reviving Nigerian economy is to 

produce an economic map, identifying 

resource-catchment areas, per region 

or state and developing the relevant 

physical and institutional infrastructure 

conducive to its maximum 

exploitation. Consequently, a road map 

of industrial clusters to be fed by the 

already identified resource zones would 

result in an unprecedented massive 

economic activities sucking in, an 

avalanche of manpower both skilled 

and unskilled. 

The corollary to these chatter-box of 

economic activities would be the 

emergence of dynamic internal market. 

These scenario will reduce the 

devastating impacts of imploding 

capitalism from its core centres of 

imperialist triad; United States of 

America, Western Europe and Japan. 

The challenge of developing a national 

industrial policy that would 

considerably inoculate Nigeria from the 

vagaries of imploding capitalism at its 

We must rethink our 

politics which turns 

hollow and sterile, 

inspite, of the most 

patriotic vision and noble 

intentions 

last stage requires the transformation 

of the existing mind-set derived from 

the ideological strangle-hood of neoliberalism. 

It requires the philosophical 

freedom of the thought, beyond what 

we know and basically, a bold 

experimentation driven by a scientific 

interrogation of the current national 

condition and the prospective options 

to transcend it. 

But the government of president 

Buhari administration, seized by the 

NEWS 

fantasy of its moral righteousness, 

encumbered by its self-style Puritanism 

of been the chosen one and above all, 

possessed by the delusional dogma of 

its redemptive mandate, would hardly 

see the opportunity of injecting 

unconventional, radical views to break 

the gathering moss of the regime 

complacency. 

Meanwhile, the All Progressive 

Congress, APC , the historic frame work 

of political opportunism that brought 

the government to power is cracking up 

so quickly. The usual booty sharing 

formula, which is at the core of elite 

predatory politics in Nigeria, is tearing 

the party apart. With a party befuddled 

by gregarious hedonism and a 

government dogged by inertia and 

ineptitude, Nigerians are in for a long 

haul of socio-economic destitution. 

The political frame work of 

conventional liberal democracy has no 

more bright prospects to contain and 

accommodate the broad aspirations for 

popular political participation of 

Nigerians. The institutions of political 

representation over the years have 

become the hell-holes of elite corruption 

and have become neither 

representative, accountable nor 

responsible. 

The aspirations of the broad masses 

of the Nigerian people including 

workers, peasants, intellectuals and 

professional elites require prudent 

search for a framework of inclusive, 

consensual and consultative 

mechanism in which the people are the 

key driver of the process. 

As John Staurt Mill, argued that “a 

people may be unprepared for advanced 

institutions, but a discussion on it is a 

necessary part of the preparation”. It is 

long overdue for us to challenge our 

collective imagination on the 

alternative frame work of political 

organisation and participation beyond 

the regimented and corrupt liberal 

democracy whose origin is the toxic 

colonial domination. 

President Buhari’s government 

ramblings amidst policy inertia, in spite 

of an original huge political capital, 

means we must rethink our politics 

which turns hollow and sterile, inspite, 

of the most patriotic vision and noble 

intentions. 

Concluded 

*Mr. Onunaiju, is Research director, 

Centre for China Studies, CCS, Abuja.


Oil price rises by 8% 

... As OPEC cuts production by 1.2mn barrels daily 

From Left; Mr. Bola Onadele. Koko, Managing Director/CEO, FMDQ OTC Securities 

Exchange; Ms. Patience Oniha, Head, Efficiency Unit, Ministry of Finance; 

Mr. Mounir Gwarzo, Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); 

Mr. Bolaji Balogun, CEO, Chapel Hill Denham Group and Mr. Ehimeme Ohioma, 

Head, Investment Supervision Department, National Pension Commission. during 

the Launch of the DCMD Project at SEC’s 3rd Quarter Capital Market Committee 

Meeting in Lagos 

By Sebastine Obasi with 

Agency Report 

Respite appears to be on the way 

for Organisation of Petroleum 

Exporting Countries, OPEC, 

members as oil price yesterday 

rose by more than 8 percent to 

a five-week high following the 

decision to cut production by 

1.2 million barrels per day. 

Crude prices, however, are 

unlikely to skyrocket in reaction 

to the deal, but will instead take 

measured steps higher, traders 

and analysts said. 

The Organisation of the 

Petroleum Exporting Countries, 

OPEC, agreed to cut production 

to 32.5 million barrels per day, 

Kuwait’s oil minister said. The 

cuts include Iraq reducing 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

$149.00 -0.90 

$2,407.00 2.00 

$19.69 0.03 

$49.47 3.09 

$48.16 2.93 

304.25 304.75 305.25 

379.5519 380.1756 380.7994 

322.3529 322.8826 323.4124 

299.4881 299.9803 300.4725 

2.6996 2.7041 2.7085 

0.4719 0.4819 0.4919 

410.6023 411.2771 411.9519 

44.1099 44.1829 44.2558 

81.0901 81.2233 81.3566 

411.8024 412.4791 413.1559 

CBN Exchange rate as at 30/11/2016 

output by 200,000 bpd to 

4.351 million bpd beginning in 

January. The country had 

previously resisted cuts, 

providing a hurdle to an 

agreement. 

The cut was at the low end of 

production of a preliminary 

agreement struck in Algiers in 

September, and reduces 

production from a current 33.64 

million bpd. Non-OPEC 

member, Russia, has agreed to 

cut output by 300,000 bpd. 

OPEC will meet with non-OPEC 

producers on December. 9. U.S. 

West Texas Intermediate crude 

Create incentives to drive industrialisation 

policy, MAN tells FG 

By Nkiruka Nnorom 

THE 

President of 

Manufacturers 

Association of Nigeria, MAN, 

Mr. Frank Jacobs, has called 

on the federal government to 

create enough incentives to 

attract investors that will drive 

the resource-based 

industrialisation policy 

adopted by the government. 

Speaking at the Man Ikeja 

49th Annual General Meeting, 

AGM, in Lagos, he 

explained that the 

resource-based 

industrialization policy 

involved the utilisation of 

the nation’s abundant 

natural resources in 

producing the products 

the country needs. 

He, therefore, called on 

manufacturers to key into 

the policy, saying that it 

would help to reduce the 

demand for foreign 

futures for January delivery 

rose $3.93 to $49.16 a barrel, 

a 8.7 percent gain. The move 

was the largest one-day gain 

since February. 

Brent crude futures for January 

delivery rose $3.73 to $50.11 

a barrel, a 8.0 percent gain. 

That contract expires 

Wednesday. Brent futures for 

February rose 8.8 percent, or 

$4.16 to $51.48 a barrel. 

“It’s going to take time to see 

whose going to abide by those 

rules,” said Oliver Sloup, 

director of managed futures at 

IITrader.com. In the past, not 

exchange to import essential raw 

materials for production, which 

has been a major challenge in the 

sector. 

He observed that the policy 

would not come without a cost to 

some manufacturers as they may 

have to retool existing 

technologies and production 

processes. 

“Government has a lot to do to 

make this new orientation of 

resource-based industrialisation 

successful. Government should 

create attractive incentives for 

The porous 

borders have 

also added 

negatively to 

the fight 

against faking 

and 

counterfeiting 

all producers have complied 

with agreements on supply cuts, 

Sloup said. As a result, there is 

skepticism about how closely 

the production caps will be 

adhered to. Kuwait, Venezuela 

and Algeria have agreed to 

monitor compliance with the 

OPEC agreement. 

Speaking on the sidelines, 

Nigeria’s Minister of State for 

Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe 

Kachikwu said OPEC members 

are “largely convergent” on the 

need for a production cut. 

He said: “It is difficult to predict 

oil prices these days because 

there is a lot of uncertainties but 

we will expect that quite frankly 

if we reach some resolution on 

this issue it will take oil price 

above the mid- 50s ranges and 

potentially upward, if we don’t 

obviously we will have negative 

impact on prices as they are 

today, currently about $48pb. 

“OPEC can only do what it can 

and I think it is making a lot of 

efforts to try and find a 

resolution on this matter. I need 

to always caution that the reality 

is OPEC is only 30 percent 

producers, if you are talking 

about credibility we need to be 

asking the 70 percent producers 

where their credibility is”. 

He added that “OPEC is making 

a lot of efforts in this and it is 

taking us even extra efforts to 

convince and get others on 

board, the likes of Russia, US and 

the rest. I think in terms of 

credibility, they (OPEC) have 

shown in last few meetings that 

they are focused on this. 

“They have agreed to a freeze 

and do a cut and now they are 

trying to crunch the numbers”. 

investors who would engage in 

the processing and of the 

abundant agricultural and 

mineral resources from primary 

produce to secondary or 

intermediate products. 

“This would go a long way in 

attracting potential and and 

existing manufacturers into the 

use of local raw material inputs,” 

he said. 

“In the meantime, government 

has to continue the search for 

viable options of making forex 

available to manufacturers as we 

have to continue to produce. In 

saying this, I have taken into 

cognizance the recent efforts of the 

government through the Central 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to give 

preferential forex allocation to 

manufacturers,” Jacobs added. 

Jacobs further urged the 

government to match words with 

action on the current campaign on 

patronage of Made-in-Nigeria 

products so as to galvanise 

investments in the manufacturing 

sectors. 

Low cargo 

traffic: NJIC 

agrees to 

maintain 

current 

wages 

By Godwin Oritse 

FOLLOWING the lull in 

cargo traffic and the downturn 

in the nation’s economy, the 

National Joint Industrial Council, 

NJIC, and the Nigerian Maritime 

Administration and Safety Agency, 

NIMASA, have agreed to 

discontinue further negotiations for 

the increment of wages of dock 

workers. 

The decision was reached at the 

inaugural meeting of the NJIC 

which met at the NIMASA office in 

Lagos. 

The meeting, which was presided 

over by the Executive Director 

Maritime Labour and Cabotage 

Services, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, noted 

that the dwindling fortunes in global 

shipping which has affected vessel 

traffic to Nigeria, has negatively 

impacted the fortunes of Sea Ports 

and Terminal Operators of Nigeria, 

STOAN. 

The Council observed that the 

economic downturn has caused 

some operators to lay off workers and 

in order to stem the tide of 

retrenchment, it was necessary to 

discontinue the negotiation on wage 

increment until the situation 

improves. 

Ahmed commended Maritime 

Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, 

for showing maturity and 

understanding of the situation and 

charged STOAN members to 

reciprocate this gesture when the 

economic situation improves. 

Comrade Emmanuel Anthony 

Nted, President General, MWUN, 

in his contribution said the union 

understands the economic situation 

and so there is no need to demand 

for increment. 

He, however, called on the 

terminal operators to show 

understanding when the situation 

improves and the union calls for a 

negotiation of wage increase for 

dockworkers. 

He said:”I therefore call on all 

Council members to cooperate with 

the agency towards ensuring 

meaningful negotiations aimed at 

the signing of a reviewed collective 

bargain agreement on dock labour 

minimum standards.” 

The NJIC which is comprised of 

MWUN, STOAN, National 

Association of Stevedoring 

Companies, NASC, Jetty and Tank 

Farm Owners Association of Nigeria 

and chaired by NIMASA is saddled 

with the responsibility of negotiating 

and reviewing minimum standards 

for dock labour industry in Nigeria. 

C 

M 

Y 

K


, 

She recommends that other 

companies consider scrapping the 

corporate memo in exchange for a 

more personal option like video 

, 

BUSINESS 

CEO of a $16bn 

business explains why she 

banned memos 

When Julie Sweet 

became the CEO of 

Accenture (ACN)’s North 

American business in 2015, 

she made her mark on the 

$16 billion operation. 

Some of the changes Sweet 

ushered in were big, such as 

l e a d i n g 

important acquisitions for 

the global professional 

services business. Other 

changes were smaller, but 

haven proven extremely 

effective. 

For example, one of the first 

things Sweet did was to 

outlaw the corporate memo. 

“When I became CEO about 

18 months ago, I banned the 

memo,” Sweet tells CNBC. “I 

said, ‘I’m going to use 

webcast. I’m going to use 

video.’” 

The executive says it’s one 

of the best leadership 

decisions she’s ever made. 

Swapping the formal email 

for live-streamed 

conversations or pre-taped 

video messages has 

improved communication 

across her team of 50,000 

employees, she says, since “it 

allows you to be more 

authentic and less scripted.” 

Employees are looking for 

bosses who aren’t always 

How to build a company you can sell 

When the time comes to 

sell your company, 

what will make it attractive to 

buyers? How can you be sure 

to get a fair price? 

The basic answers to these 

questions are well known. 

Develop repeatable systems. 

Keep thorough, accurate 

financials. Make sure that 

the company doesn’t depend 

too much on one person. 

These and other lessons are 

fully fleshed out in Bo 

Burlingham’s excellent 

book Finish Big: How Great 

Entrepreneurs Exit Their 

Companies On Top. We also 

recommend John Warrilow’s 

easy-to-read fable 

called Built to Sell. 

But we have a somewhat 

different angle on the whole 

selling-your-business issue, 

and it comes partly from a 

fellow named Dan Foley. Dan 

founded D. Foley Landscape 

Inc. in Walpole, 

Massachusetts, back in 1987, 

while he was still in college. 

He developed it into a fullservice 

commercial 

extremely formal, Sweet says. 

Being more “off the cuff” 

encourages real conversation 

and problem solving. 

If you’re trying to create an 

atmosphere where people 

can be honest, “then you 

need people to show up to 

events and feel like leaders 

are being authentic with 

them,” she says. 

Sweet’s live-streams are 

not scripted and often leave 

time for audience questions 

that can be sent online. Even 

the pre-recorded videos that 

Sweet and her team create, 

which are scripted, are better 

at conveying emotion than 

text, she says. 

She recommends that other 

companies consider 

scrapping the corporate 

memo in exchange for a more 

personal option like video. 

“It is very hard to transform 

your culture and your 

workforce to be a relevant 

company in the digital world 

if all of your processes are 

stuck in the traditional 

world,” she says. 

Above all, avoid PowerPoint 

for internal company 

presentations, the CEO say. 

Those are even worse than 

corporate emails. 

Source: CNBC 

BoI plans funding for 1600 

gemstone entrepreneurs 

By Franklin Alli & 

Providence Obuh 

Are you a gemstones 

entrepreneur in 

Nigeria? There is good news 

for you especially if you are 

in the cutting and polishing 

aspects of the business. 

From left: Executive Director, Dangote Flour Mills Plc Hajiya Halima Dangote; Deputy 

MD, DFM Plc Alh. Ahmed Yakasai, President of Kano Chamber of Commerce, Customers 

and Staff, at Kano Intl. Trade Fair. 

landscape company, 

including maintenance, 

construction, irrigation, and 

snow-management services. 

In 1998 he launched a 

division called CampusCare, 

which provided grounds 

maintenance, landscape, and 

snow services to local schools 

and colleges. 

Along the way he learned 

about open-book 

management and decided 

that it was just what his 

company needed. Before 

long his staff was tracking 

and forecasting key numbers 

such as gross profit dollars 

week in and week out. If they 

hit the targets the plan called 

for, they would earn a bonus. 

Dan thought his plan for the 

first year of full open-book 

practices was aggressive. But 

his staff got so energized that 

they earned a payout almost 

six times as large as the plan 

anticipated. Later, Dan also 

implemented leanmanagement 

techniques, 

c o m p l e t e 

with kaizencontinuousimprovement 

sessions. 

“Open-book management 

really helped with lean,” he 

says now. “It answered the 

question, ‘Why are we doing 

this?” 

A potential acquirer—The 

Brickman Group, as it was then 

known came calling in 2004. 

Dan wasn’t ready to sell. But 

he learned a little more about 

them and liked what he saw. 

Brickman came back in 2008, 

and although his business was 

not for sale, Dan was prepared 

to have a conversation. The 

sale closed in 2009 and was a 

strategic acquisition, not a 

conventional rollup. Brickman 

wanted to acquire D. Foley’s 

systems, people, and skills, as 

well as its customers. 

So now look at things from 

Brickman’s point of view. 

Here’s what the would-be 

acquirers saw: 

·A company with pristine, 

up-to-the-minute financial 

statements, wholly 

transparent, with the key 

numbers understood and 

tracked by the entire 

The good news is that the 

Bank of Industry (BoI) is 

focussing its attention on 

people in business in this 

sector. 

The bank wants to help you 

to know how to do the 

business better and provide 

you money to expand the 

management team as well as 

by many of the production 

team members. 

·A company that had 

developed proven and 

repeatable systems for tasks 

such as estimating and 

scheduling the work. 

·A company that operated 

with little wasted motion or 

resources, thanks to lean 

management, and that 

practiced continuous 

improvement. 

·A company that could 

extend its best practices into 

the acquirer’s existing 

operations. 

·And most important, a 

company of people who had 

learned to think and work like 

business owners, taking 

responsibility for the 

company’s performance and 

sharing in the rewards. Unlike 

a lot of entrepreneurial 

companies, D. Foley 

Landscape’s operations and 

success didn’t all depend on 

the founder. 

Source: Forbes.com 

investment with offices here 

and there and even export 

them. 

Acting Managing Director, 

BoI, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, 

told Business & You that the 

bank and Laurel School of 

Mines (LSM) have 

collaborated to train 1600 

How to create a 

essential traits 

A 

CAREER vision is a 

clear mental image of 

who you want to be and what 

you want to do in the future. 

“Your vision is a ‘picture’ of 

what you aspire to – and what 

inspires you – in your work 

life,” the University of 

Berkeley explains. Stemming 

from our fundamental values 

and interests, these long-term 

professional dreams “shape 

our actions” and “invest our 

work with meaning,” as one 

Vanderbilt study put it. 

Career visions keep us 

engaged at work. One study 

found that women who 

persisted in STEM fields had 

“a personal vision that 

included their profession, and 

that this personal vision 

enabled them to overcome the 

bias, barriers and 

discrimination in the 

engineering workplace.” 

Women and many others who 

can articulate a vision are 

“more likely to be engaged in 

their work and committed to 

the profession.”


& YOU 

, 

Developing a product is just 

the first hurdle. After that, 

you’ll need very well crafted 

sales strategies to get it to—and 

keep it in—market 

, 

Myths entrepreneurs should 

stop believing 

*Source: UNIDO/Making It 

entrepreneurs across the 

country in the art of 

gemstone cutting and 

polishing. 

Olagunju signed the 

Memorandum of 

Understanding on behalf of 

the bank while MD/CEO, 

LSM; Mr. Tope Adebanjo 

signed on behalf of the 

school. 

Speaking after the signing 

ceremony at the BoI Head 

Office in Lagos, Olagunju 

said that trainees who show 

signs of becoming potential 

entrepreneurs would be 

supported by the bank and 

given concessional facilities 

to enable them trade and 

export gem stone. 

He stated that a three day 

training period has been 

mapped out across eight 

locations in the country; 200 

would be trained across each 

career vision: 3 

Career visions motivate us, 

serving as “catalyst to action.” 

Research shows that people 

perceive easy-to-visualize 

goals to be more attainable 

than more difficult-tovisualize 

goals, which in turn 

boosts effort and commitment. 

Without a defined vision, we 

still pursue various outcomes 

— but often unconsciously. 

Because we’re not explicitly 

aware of a goal, our actions 

may be ineffective or 

misdirected. In short, career 

visions make our goals 

conscious, coherent and 

enduring. 

And, finally, they enhance 

our physical and 

psychological wellbeing. One 

well-cited study found that 

writing about your best 

possible future self was 

associated with a substantial 

increase in reported 

wellbeing. Five months later, 

simply completing this 

exercise was correlated with 

fewer instances of physical 

illness compared to controls. 

Trainees who show 

signs of becoming 

p o t e n t i a l 

entrepreneurs 

would be supported 

by the bank and 

given concessional 

facilities to enable 

them trade and 

export gem stone 

location in four batches of 50 

to ensure effective teaching. 

He said that the 

collaboration which will 

further enhance the 

diversification plan of the 

government will also serve 

as an avenue for job creation 

for many young Nigerian 

graduates, adding that the 

initiative is the boldest step 

taken by the bank in the 

Solid Mineral sector. 

According to him, the solid 

mineral sector can be 

describe as the area with the 

lowest hanging foot, the gem 

stones are there in Oyo, 

Zamfara, North West and 

North Central, all you need 

is add value to the stones. 

Adebanjo said that the idea 

behind the collaboration is to 

engage and develop 

entrepreneurs, adding that 

the value of harnessing 

gemstone runs into billions 

of dollars but that Nigeria is 

tapping next to nothing at 

the moment. 

Adebanjo highlighted 

capital, market, technology, 

mineral resource and 

entrepreneur as key factors 

affecting gemstones. Of all, 

he said that there is a need 

to develop entrepreneurship 

capacity in this regard. 

“That is what this 

movement is all about. 

Youths who are not doing 

anything should benefit from 

this. Engage the youth to 

take over. If we channel 

energy towards this, it will 

not only replace oil but the 

value will go up,” he said. 

THE 

Entrepreneur 

Insiders network is 

an online community 

where the most 

thoughtful and influential 

people in America’s 

startup scene contribute 

answers to timely 

questions 

about 

entrepreneurship and 

careers. Today’s answer 

to the question, “What 

important lesson can 

transform 

every 

entrepreneur’s business 

for the better?” is written 

by Vlad Shmunis, CEO 

of RingCentral. 

A 

few years ago, I 

attended a roundtable 

event with Bill Gates, where 

the interviewer asked Gates 

what his biggest mistakes in 

starting and leading a 

business had been. His 

answer was something along 

the lines of: We did all kinds 

of things wrong, but in the 

end it kind of worked out 

anyway. I’ve always admired 

this response, not only 

because it was a graceful 

dodge of the question, but 

because of how relatable it 

was: On the twisty path of 

entrepreneurship, many 

things will go wrong, and 

many times you 

will find some 

degree of success 

anyway. 

On that path, 

you will encounter 

both good and bad 

advice, as well as 

many ideas 

passed off as 

business wisdom 

that just aren’t 

very wise. So as 

you make your 

way, try to learn 

from the mistakes 

of others—you 

will have plenty of 

chances to make 

your own. In that spirit, I 

offer you my top picks of 

business myths to ignore— 

and why: 

Myth 1: Work on your startup 

as a side project until it 

takes off 

In business, we love stories 

about upstart entrepreneurs 

who work day jobs while 

sacrificing sleep and social 

time to put in long hours 

getting their fledgling 

businesses off the ground. But 

the truth is that these 

successes are the exception 

rather than the rule. 

Launching a business takes 

more planning and time than 

most new entrepreneurs 

imagine. Developing a 

product is just the first hurdle. 

After that, you’ll need very 

well crafted sales strategies to 

get it to—and keep it in— 

market. These important 

initiatives are full-time work 

plus a lot more, so treat them 

that way. 

In 1991, I quit my wellpaying 

job and funded my 

first technology startup with 

$5,000 of my own money. It 

was a hard decision because 

I was making the commitment 

of both my money and all of 

my time. But it was the only 

right thing to do. Of course 

you should have a plan of 

how you’re going to pay your 

bills during this time, but 

making your business your 

full-time job is a great 

motivator because it’s a big 

risk. If you don’t truly believe 

in what you’re doing, you will 

find out very quickly—rather 

than limping along for several 

years in your off-hours. If you 

fail, fail early. But better yet, 

work hard and succeed big in 

due time. 

Myth 

Distribution 

will work 

itself out if 

you build a 

g r e a t 

product 

2: Start-ups 

shouldn’t seek 

outside funding 

until they 

absolutely 

have to. 

I heard this 

advice from so 

m a n y 

entrepreneurs 

b e f o r e 

RingCentral 

sought Series A 

funding that I 

was opposed to 

even having a 

conversation 

about outside 

funding for 

many years. I 

believed I could do 

everything myself, and I 

didn’t want to give up control 

of my company. But think 

about it: Do you know a 

single person who has built a 

world-class product alone, 

without counsel and other 

help from others? I don’t. 

In retrospect, this 

resistance was a mistake that 

delayed RingCentral’s 

growth. Having VC backing 

offers far more than money: 

You get tried and true 

business guidance from 

partners deeply committed 

to your success, as well as 

access to a universe of 

connections that can open 

important doors. Funding 

also dramatically widens 

your available talent pool. 

Once we secured 

investment we were able to 

attract a broader range of 

employees than our initial 

small group of engineers 

because funding served as a 

stamp of approval, which 

boosted our appeal to jobseekers. 

It also really helps 

with prospective customers 

and partners; people like to 

do business with people they 

know, and if they know your 

board members, this makes it 

much easier for them to do 

business with you. 

Myth 3: Distribution will 

work itself out if you build a 

great product 

This is a potentially very 

costly belief that I’ve witnessed 

over and over again in many 

of today’s young companies. 

They build a widget, and their 

only plan for how to distribute 

it is to sell it to Google. Clearly, 

their businesses are going to 

be stopped cold if Google 

passes. A better approach is to 

think through your distribution 

and partnership strategy early, 

and ideally prove it in the field 

empirically before building a 

solution in search of a problem. 

In general, I highly 

recommend that you control 

your own sales channel. This 

was one of my most valuable 

lessons from running my first 

startup, where even though we 

were very successful 

distributing our software 

through the PC original 

equipment manufacturer 

channel, we could never 

leverage that into a major selfsustaining 

business because 

we never knew just how much 

would be sold next year or even 

next quarter. I learned from that 

experience, and knew when I 

founded RingCentral that I 

wanted to control our own sales 

channel, with channel partners 

being part, but not all, of the 

mix. 

And there you have it. 

Dedicate your full-time self to 

your start-up, consider funding 

before you need it, and have a 

solid distribution strategy, and 

you’ll be three steps ahead on 

the path to success. We stuck 

to these core principles from 

day one, and in spite of 

numerous challenges and 

mistakes along the way, it has 

worked out for us. 

C 

M 

YK

22 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

Stories by 

Princewill Ekwujuru 

The Advertising 

Practitioners 

Council of 

Nigeria, APCON, has 

begun crack down on 

illegal practitioners and 

unlicensed organisations 

infiltrating the outdoor 

advertising industry in 

Nigeria. 

The enforcement, 

which began months back, 

has moved to military 

cantonments and police 

barracks across the 

country. Sources said 

the 

military 

establishments have 

demanded a month notice 

for those who own 

advertising boardings 

within the barracks to 

secure all the necessary 

documentations from 

their sectoral body (which 

is the Outdoor 

Advertising Association of 

Nigeria, OAAN. 

It will be recalled that 

Lagos State Signage and 

Advertisement Agency, 

LASAA, does not regulate 

out-of-home, OOH, within 

the military and police 

establishments. 

However, most of the 

illegal practitioners and 


have taken advantage of 

this to operate within these 

areas unchecked. 

But this could not have 

happened without the 

connivance of Media 

Independent Practitioners 

of Nigeria, MIPAN 

member-organisations’ 

support hence the 

APCON decision to write 

the body. 

MIPAN, therefore, has 

been cautioned to desist 

from patronising 

unlicensed organisations as 

well as non-practitioners. 

The letter titled- 

Practice of Non Licensed 

Persons and Companies 

signed by the APCON 

RegistrarChief Executive 

Officer , Alhaji. Garba Bello 

Kankarofi, with reference 

number (CLD/03/Vol.1/ 

080/2016 dated October 

12, 2016 was sent to the 

MIPAN President, Dr. Ken 

Onyeali-Ikpe. 

The letter read in part: 

“We wish to bring to your 

attention the practice by 

some of your membercompanies 

who engage 

the services of nonregistered/licensed 

persons and organisations 

and the purchase of 

advertising media space/ 

airtime from such 

unregistered/unlicensed 

persons 

and 

organisations.” 

APCON reminded 

MIPAN of its 

responsibility as a key 

stakeholder in promoting 

growth within the 

Nigeria’s integrated 

m a r k e t i n g 

communications industry 

by supporting true and 

registered practitioners 

and organisation. 

APCON begins crack down on unlicensed 

ad practitioners 

From left: Njideka Okafor, Area Manager, Abuja Central Business Area, Diamond Bank Plc; 

Udechukwu Unigwe, DiamondXtra North Directorate SUV Winner; and Adenike Ogunsugba, 

Head, Retail Performance, North East/North West at the DiamondXtra North Directorate Prize 

presentation Ceremony in Abuja. 

It is a violation of Nigeria Advertising 

Law and Regulation for persons not 

registered as advertising practitioners 

and organisations not licensed as 

advertising firms to practice 

advertising for gain and undertake the 

business of advertising 

As you are aware, the 

letter stated, “It is a 

violation of Nigeria 

StarTimes 60% low energy TV hits market 

PAY-TV 

and 

technology company, 

StarTimes, has unveiled its 

newest innovation and 

smart option for Nigerians, 

a 60 percent low energy 

consuming integrated HD 

digital TV set. 

Speaking at the official 

unveiling in Lagos, 

StarTimes Nigeria Chief 

Operating Officer, Tunde 

Aina, said: “As a pay-TV 

company, StarTimes is 

committed to innovations 

and technologies that can 

enhance digital TV 

experience for Nigerians 

and Africans and rally the 

people to enjoy maximum 

digital TV, DTV, 

entertainment at very 

affordable rates.” 

He said the company 

commits itself to providing 

customers with the most 

endurable Digital LED TVs 

and the most splendid 

viewing experience, 

integrated with cuttingedge 

technologies and exquisite 

craftsmanship. 

StarTimes Digital TV will 

boost viewing pleasure and 

offer credible, quality and 

advertising law and 

regulation for persons not 

registered as advertising 

practitioners and 

organisations not licensed 

as advertising firms to 

practice advertising for 

gain and undertake the 

business of advertising.” 

Kankarofi further said 

that while the Council is 

doing its best to stem the 

nefarious activities of and/ 

or sanction these 


as well as nonpractitioners, 

MIPAN 

member-organisations 

should hence stop 

patronising them. 

outstanding entertainment 

experience at a competitive 

price, he said. The TV, 

which, comes with 60 

percent lower Energy 

Consumption than 

Conventional, CRT TV, is 

designed for decorating a 

more fashionable space 

with its maximum thickness 

of 70mm and the minimum 

thickness of 13mm 

and offers boundless 

viewing pleasure with 

5mm ultra-slim bezel and 

silver skating blade stand 

which uplifts viewing, he 

said. Likewise, Oludare 

Kafar, Marketing Director, 

said as the fastest-growing 

“While we are doing our 

best to identify and 

sanction persons/ 

organisations that 

practice/undertake the 

business of advertising 

illegally, we wish to 

request your cooperation 

by impressing it on your 

member-organisations to 

desist from dealing with 

non-practitioners/ 

unlicensed organisations in 

their media purchase 

transaction,” Kankarofi 

warned Onyeali-Ikpe. 

and the most influential 

digital TV operator in Africa 

and due to necessities of 

strategic development as 

well as meeting demands 

of African markets, 

StarTimes is focusing on its 

new business unit – integrated 

full HD Digital TV. 

sets,Kafar said. 

Former NB Plc chieftain, Aganmonmen 

emerges NIMN president 

Former Senior Strategy 

Manager, Nigerian Breweries 

Plc, Mr. Tony Agenmonmen has 

emerged the new president and 

chairman of council, National Institute 

of Marketing of Nigeria, NIMN. 

Agenmonmen, who was declared 

winner following the sudden withdrawal 

of his opponent, Dr. Rotimi Olaniyan, 

from the race, shortly before the 

commencement of balloting, is expected 

to run the affairs of the institute for the 

next two years. Congratulating the 

former Nigerian Breweries Plc chieftain 

and his opponent for putting up a good 

‘fight’, the immediate past president of 

the institute, Aare Ganiyu Koledoye 

however urged members of the 

institute to give the new leadership the 

needed support in the arduous task of 

taking the institute to enviable heights. 

In his acceptance speech, the newlyelected 

president assured members of 

his commitment to honouring every of 

his campaign promises. 

While identifying the numerous 

challenges facing the institute and 

marketing practice in Nigeria, the new 

NIMN boss promised that one of the 

priorities of his administration would 

be to find a suitable secretariat for the 

institute, while also putting in place 

strategies at ensuring that the products 

of the institute earn the deserved 

respect both in the public and private 

sectors of the economy. 

Briefs 

Indomie spends 

N50m on 500 

consumers 

INDOMIE 

noodles 

from the stable of 

Dufil Food industries has 

given out N50 million to 

500 consumers in its ‘You 

Like No Other’ promo 

which began in October 

2016. 

Notwithstanding the 

500 consumers, the brand 

said it will continue to 

reward consumers with 

prizes in the ongoing promo. 

Speaking at the prize 

presentation ceremony, 

Group Public Relations/ 

Events Manager, Dufil 

Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope 

Ashiwaju, said the promo 

was designed to celebrate 

and reward consumers for 

their loyalty. He stated that 

the promo has enjoyed an 

unprecedented participation 

from consumers across the 

country with hundreds of 

prize winners emerging 

since the promo 

commenced . 

…MTN too 

In the spirit of the festive 

season, MTN Nigeria says 

it is going to reward 

subscribers with N50 

million in its ‘YafunYafun’ 

promo. MTN YafunYafun 

promo is an SMS 

subscription based service 

that will allow MTN’s 

existing and potential 

customers earn points for 

every recharge they make 

on the network. The 

General Manager, 

Consumer Marketing, MTN 

Nigeria, Richard Iweanoge, 

said the promo was 

conceived to make this 

year’s yuletide season a 

memorable one for MTN 

customers. 

According to him, “MTN as 

a brand always has the 

interest of its customers at 

heart. With that in mind, we 

decided to come up with the 

MTN ‘YafunYafun’ 

Recharge and Win’ promo. 

Marketingworld 

award 

focuses on 

digital 

marketing 

THE 2016 

MarketingWorld 

Awards, organised by Instinct 

Waves will focus on 

promoting digital marketing 

and its dynamism, as the 

Country Manager for 

Google, Mrs. Juliet 

Ehimuan, is confirmed keynote 

speaker. 

The Corporate Affairs & 

Admin Director at PZ 

Cussons Nigeria Plc, Mrs. 

Yomi Ifaturoti, will also receive 

Lifetime Achievement 

Award. The award is scheduled 

to hold in Lagos.


— 23

24 —Vanguard, 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

Director of Economic and Employees'Services- NECA, Mr Timothy Olawale, Acting Managing Director- NSITF, Mr 

Ismail Agaka, Director General of NECA, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo and representative of Minister of Labour and 

Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, Mr Olawole Shado, at NSITF-NECA SWIP 2016, for South West, held in Lagos. 

NSITF, NECA step up occupational 

health, safety campaigns 

By Victor Ahiuma-Young & Johnson Agbakwuru 

AS part of efforts to deep 

en the implementation 

of Employee’s Compensation 

Act, ECA, and raise 

greater awareness on its benefits, 

Nigeria Social Insurance 

Fund, NSITF, 

and Nigeria Employers’ Consultative 

Association, NECA, 

have stressed the need for employers 

to adhere strictly to 

mutually agreed definition of 

payroll in remitting the one 

percent ECA deduction. 

At NSITF-NECA Safe 

W o r k p l a c e 

Intervention Project, SWIP, 2016 

and problem Solving Clinic on 

the ECA 2010, NSITF and 

NECA pledged to strengthen 

the existing trust, cooperation 

and relationship between 

both organisations. 

Speaking, Acting Managing 

Director of NSITF, Mr. Ismail 

Agaka, called on employers 

to prioritize the occupational 

health and safety of the employees, 

and embrace ECA . 

According to Agaka while 

over 51, 000 employers had 

registered with the ECA 

scheme, about 6.5million 

employees had been covered. 

The Acting Managing 

Director said if those registered 

were matched with the 

number of employers and 

employers in the country, it 

was obvious that there were 

still a lot of work to be done 

to get more participation. 

He assured the management 

of NSITF was intensifying the 

drive for more participation. 

Mr. Agaka disclosed that 

scheme had paid over 

N700million as compensation 

to over 6,000 workers that sustained 

various degrees of injuries 

in the course of work. 

While stressing the importance 

of the ECA, the Acting 

Managing Director added “We 

have a family whose breadwinner 

died and after the 

computation of the entitlements, 

we are now paying up 

to N1.3million monthly to the 

beneficiaries. That represents 

90 per cent of the last income 

of the deceased breadwinner” 

Earlier, Director General 

of NECA Mr. Segun Oshinowo, 

warned employers 

against flouting the agreed 

definition of payroll in the 

payment of the one percent 

required by the ECA, saying 

any employer that failed to 

respect the rule would have 

itself to blame. 

M r. Oshinowo, recalled 

the controversy surrounding 

the definition of payroll deduction 

into the scheme, and 

said to resolve it, a joint committee 

between employers and 

NSITF was set up to arrive at 

agreed definition of the payroll 

and mode of deduction 

among others. 

According to the committee 

PETROLEUM and Natural 

Gas Senior Staff Association 

of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has 

condemned reported plans by 

the Federal Government to 

scrap some regulatory 

agencies in the oil and gas 

industry including the 

Nigerian National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, without 

involving stakeholders in the 

industry. 

A statement by 

had finished its work and a 

Memorandum of Understanding, 

MOU, would be 

signed. 

He said: “We are going to 

We are going to 

sign the 

MOU that gives 

acceptable definition 

of pay 

roll, any employer 

who refuses 

to comply 

and play by the 

rules as agreed 

will be on its 

own. 

PENGASSAN National Public 

Relations Officers, Emmanuel 

Ojugbana, said: “While it is 

important to note that a 

wholesome reform in the oil 

and gas industry is desirable 

and proper, it is equally 

unadvisable to contemplate 

any sort of restructuring 

without the buy-in of the very 

persons such action will 

directly or indirectly impact. It 

is curious to note that a critical 

sign the MOU that gives acceptable 

definition of pay roll, 

any employers who refuses to 

comply and play by the rules 

as agreed will be on its own." 

In his key not address, Minister 

of Labour and Employment, 

Senator Chris Ngige, 

represented by Lagos State 

Controller of Labour, Olawole 

Shado, said SWIP was the outcome 

of the signing of the 

Memorandum 

of 

Understanding, MOU, between NSITF 

and NECA in November, 

2011. 

According him, "It is noteworthy 

that SWIP aims to promote 

safe workplace, 

minimize the rate of industrial 

accidents, encourages up to 

date capacity building and a 

preventive culture of Occupational 

Safety and Health, OSH, 

in Nigerian workplaces. 

Through constant 

collaboration, NECA and 

NSITF strive to ensure efficient 

and effective implementation 

of the Employees’ Compensation 

Scheme, ECS, and 

its full compliance.” 

PENGASSAN rejects plans to scrap NNPC, others 

aspect of organisational 

reforms like the work force 

would be over-looked in the 

current contemplation.” 

According to PENGASSAN, 

the union was not aware of any 

known channel other than the 

National Assembly with 

powers to either repeal or 

enact laws on existing 

corporations and agencies 

duly set up by law, such as 

NNPC. 

NLC faction 

accuses EFCC 

of taking side 

in crisis 

NIGERIA Labour 

Congress, NLC, 

faction led by Jeo 

Ajaero, has challenged the 


Crimes Commission, EFCC, 

to explain its role in the crisis 

rocking the central labour 

body. 

Specifically, the faction 

wants the commission to explain 

why out of about 70 industrial 

unions in the country, 

only its affiliates and leaders 

have allegedly been singled 

out for persecution, harassment, 

intimidation and even 

probe of their finances. 

In a petition to EFCC’s 

Chairman, Ibrahim Maku, the 

faction through its Acting General 

Secretary, Onyeka Chris, 

equally wants EFCC to explain 

when the labour laws 

have been amended to empower 

the commission to 

look into the finances of trade 

unions instead of the Registrar 

of Trade Unions, RTU, 

that unions submit their financial 

reports to every year. 

According to the petition: 

“All unions in the country 

(about 70) collect Union 

Dues including levies as the 

case may be and are accountable 

to the Registrar of Trade 

Unions. The rules are clear 

and the records are straight. 

If the EFCC wants to investigate 

the unions for any reason, 

it is welcome but allowing 

itself to be used to settle 

scores based on any primordial 

sentiments does great 

dis-service to the agency and 

repudiates all the good works 

it has thus far done in the 

course of the battle against 

corruption in Nigeria. Sir, we 

are not asking you to stop 

what you are doing but to inform 

you that EFCC as a body 

has jumped into the arena on 

the side of Ayuba in the NLC 

crisis. We ask again, is the 

EFCC a party to the NLC crisis?" 

The petition which accused 

some operatives of the commission 

of being willing tools 

in the hands of the other faction, 

to persecute, harass and 

intimidate opposing unions 

and their leaders, claimed the 

latest of EFCC’s attacks was 

the National Union of Electricity, 

NUEE. 

NUEE is the union that the 

President of the faction, Joe 

Ajaero, is from and incidentally, 

Ajaero is the General Secretary 

of NUEE. 

The petition claimed that 

since Ajaero returned the 

Three Million Naira paid 

into his account by the Treasurer 

of NLC in 2012, when 

he was then a Deputy President 

of NLC, which other 

members of the National Administrative 

Council, NAC, 

collected, there had been a 

calculated and deliberate attempt 

to smear and destroy 

his image.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMEBR 1, 2016 — 25 

I see only opportunities in this 

recession 

—Omilola Oshikoya, Africa’s Premier Wealth Coach 

By Josephine Agbonkhese 

She looked unassuming as she walked 

through the door of the restaurant, 

a serene and homely outlet along an 

ever-busy expressway in Lagos— our venue 

for this interview. Her long, curly black and 

gold attached hair cascaded down her 

shoulders, giving the impression of a lady 

in her mid-twenties. In fact, Omilola 

Oshikoya looked the perfect 

embodiment of the ‘richer life,’ a term 

you will soon understand. 

But there was far more to her, and 

this reporter soon got absolutely 

enthralled by this lady who has 

unapologetically dubbed herself 

‘Africa’s Premier Wealth Coach’ barely 

four years after ditching a flourishing 

investment banking career which she 

felt was stealing ‘family time’ off her. 

In this interview, the UK-certified 

wealth coach speaks of her upcoming 

conference ‘Do it Afraid’ and her desire 

to see Nigeria and Africa at large 

become a land full of men and women 

who are fulfilling dreams even in 

economic recession. 

How did you come about that 

Continues on page 28 

Wife of the Governor of Lagos State & Founder, Hope for Women Initiative in Nigeria (HOFOWEM); Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (4thright); wife of the Governor of 

Oyo State, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi (m); rep. of Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Jide Idris (3rd right); SA. Primary Healthcare, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga (2nd right); 

Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi (right); wife of Oyo State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Janet Adeyemo (4th left); HC for Youth, Sports & Social 

Development, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf (3rd left); PS. Ministry of Health, Dr. Modele Osunkiyesi (2nd left); and Exec. Director, Action Health Incorporated, 

Mrs. Adenike Esiet, during the “High-Level Meeting on Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation” tagged #zerotolerance4FGM, organized by HOFOWEM in 

collaboration with Action Health Incorporated, at Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, 29th November, 2016. 

With Olasunkanmi Akoni 

Governor Akinwumi 

Ambode of Lagos 

State has called for zero 

tolerance for female 

genital mutilation 

alongside his wife and 

founder of Hope for 

Women in Nigeria 

Initiative, HOFOWEM, 

Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, 

who also called for a 

multi-disciplinary 

approach to ending the 

practice while stressing that 

the effort would involve 

legislations, professional 

health organizations, women 

empowerment and public 

sensitization. 

They both made the call in 

Alausa, Ikeja, at a high-level 

meeting, organized by 

HOFOWEM in collaboration 

with UNICEF, UNFPA and 

AHI, to discuss the 

worrisome practice. The 

governor was represented by 

his commissioner for health, 

Dr. Jide Idris. 

He said, ‘It is surprising that 

45 out of every 100 adult 

women living in Lagos State 

have undergone FGM at one 

time or another as reported 

in the National Demographic 

Health Survey 2013.This is 

largely due to migration from 

those states where the 

prevalence is much higher.’ 

Founder of HOFOWEM, 

Bolanle Ambode, noted that 

female genital mutilation was 

a brutal and gruesome 

procedure that had no 

medical or emotional benefit 

for the girl or woman. 

According to her, the 

practice had been 

perpetuated through time by 

tradition, which erroneously 

tied the practice to family 

honour, hygiene, fertility, 

protection of virginity and 

prevention of promiscuity. 

She said: ‘Female Genital 

Mutilation is recognized 

worldwide as a 

fundamental violation of 

the human rights of girls 

and women. It reflects 

deep-rooted inequality 

between the sexes and 

constitutes an extreme 

form of discrimination 

against women. 

‘It is also a violation of a 

person’s right to health, 

security and physical 

Continues on page 27

26—Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMEBR 1, 2016 

Joe-Ezigbo: 

Without energy, the 

diversification of the 

economy would be too big 

a goal to attain 

Known within and outside of the industry 

as “The Gas Lady”, Audrey Joe-Ezigbo 

made an amazing entry into the Oil and 

Gas sector in 1994 with no single 

industry experience. Today, she is the 

Co-Founder and Executive Director 

of Falcon Corporation Limited, a 

world class organization built on 

the values of excellence, 

professionalism and ethics, with 

diversified operations in oil and 

gas, energy infrastructure and 

Oil and Gas Engineering. 

Audrey who serves as a 

member of the Executive 

Council of the Nigerian Gas 

Association and also on the Lagos State 

Light-Up Lagos Committee has brought 

creativity and dynamism into the industry 

leveraging on her over 22 years’ 

experience. 

A recent chat with Joe-Ezigbo turns from 

a lifestyle inquiry into an unprecedented 

insight into the developments in the Oil 

and Gas Sector, economic diversification, 

entrepreneurship and social impact. The 

versatile winner of the ‘Ernst & Young 

Entrepreneur of the Year West Award’ with 

four academic degrees, speaks with 

Morenike Taire 

Looking at Falcon today, 

how would you describe 

the early beginnings? 

When we were venturing 

into the world of corporate 

enterprise straight from the 

Academia we were inspired 

by Entrepreneurship fuelled 

by excellence and creativity. 

We were driven by our innate 

strength, resilience, 

dexterity and focus. This 

drove the choice of even the 

name Falcon that is a bird 

that embodies all these 

characteristics I have 

mentioned. 

We commenced operations 

in 1994 under the trade 

name of Falcon Petroleum 

Limited. This name was 

changed in 2014 following a 

re-branding exercise in the 

wake of the anniversary of 

our 20th year of operations, 

in particular also in order to 

reflect our current multifaceted 

areas of 

operation.Through our 

engagement with the sector 

we were very alarmed at the 

extent of gas flaring which 

we saw as an inexplicable 

waste. We kept thinking that 

something positive could be 

done to innovatively convert 

these wastages to wealth, 

and so we started to research 

and consider proven avenues 

to curb gas flaring as well as 

convert that energy resource 

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo 

to other uses in Nigeria. 

Those early days were very 

tough days but we stayed 

committed to the vision and 

our journey has been one of 

22 years and counting, laced 

with diverse experiences, 

both positive and negative, 

but all combining nicely to 

make our corporation the 

solid enterprise it is today. 

Today we offer Engineering, 

Procurement & Construction 

Services (specifically Pipeline 

Construction, Fabrications & 

Structural works, and 

Technical Procurement 

services to the Oil & Gas 

industry.’ 

It is usually a challenge 

starting something new in 

this environment, coming 

from a non-related field or 

background, how did you 

manage to make it work in 

the early days? 

Our early days were very 

tough. We were a local 

company and proud to be so. 

We were not intimidated by 

the fact that we were not a 

foreign company and did not 

have any expatriate staff or 

backing, because for us we 

set out to demonstrate that 

Nigerians had the 

competencce to deliver on 

many of the same projects that 

were usually then given to 

foreign companies. As we took 

on additional projects, we 

improved on our proficiency 

through training both locally 

and abroad. We also sought 

intervention from world-class 

companies like African Capital 

Alliance. They helped us to 

institute world-class systems 

and processes based on which 

the foundation of our 

operations could run even 

more efficiently. 

Today, we have been able 

to penetrate the sector and 

in fact taken on some projects 

that were previously run by 

expatriates we won more bids 

and projects. You can say 

therefore that we at falcon 

are one of the industry 

players that initiated the 

vision of local content, 

because by the time 

government caught that 

vision and passed it into law, 

we were already far ahead of 

the market place in that 

regard. 

Addressing the issue of 

local content, in what way 

can the Nigerian Local 

Content Monitoring Board 

be of assistance in your 

sector? 

For many years, local 

content was contrived as 

contracts given to a Nigerian 

company fronting for foreign 

firms that then provide the 

manpower, produce the 

materials, launch and 

execute the project. That was 

clearly not local content. We 

have to begin to rethink local 

content in terms of creating 

knowledge and growth 

opportunities for indigenous 

corporations who get a 

chance to locally source the 

manpower, resources, 

fabricate/manufacture where 

need be, and provide top 

level services directly to the 

end users. 

These corporations would 

deepen their knowledge base 

and technical know how, 

drive corporate growth and 

make meaningful 

contributions to the economy 

of our nation. To achieve 

these, there has to be a level 

playing ground. We indeed 

need true commitment to the 

objectives of local content. 

We need to re-examine some 

of the major contracts we 

enter into with multinationals 

and other foreign entities, 

and ensure we engrain specific 

provisions that will allow for 

transfer of knowledge, skills, 

and global industry 

intelligence to Nigerians. 

Apart from Ikorodu being 

your franchise, is Falcon 

operating from any other 

area? 

No. Not at the moment, and 

this is largely because of the 

current franchise model 

based on which gas 

distribution is being 

operated. Several years 

back, we bid for other 

franchises that NGC 

advertised and which we saw 

potential and growth 

prospects in. However, none 

of those new franchises 

eventually materialized 

because of the anticipated 

unbundling of the Nigerian 

Gas Company at that time. 

This is just one more example 

of governmental inconsistency 

that has caused value to be left 

on the table, unduly so, given 

that the unbundling has now 

only happened several years 

later. That notwithstanding, 

we are positioned to replicate 

the success of our operations 

across any area of the entire 

nation. There are a few 

regions with power plants, 

industries and manufacturing 

companies requiring our 

services. When the franchise 

system is deregulated, and 

supported by the necessary 

infrastructure backbone to 

ensure gas availability and 

interconnectivity, we are 

positioned to create success 

and impact across all regions 

wherever the opportunities 

present themselves. 

The oil and gas sector is 

an extremely unique sector 

to play in, what are some of 

the challenges you have 

faced while keeping ahead 

of the market? 

The biggest challenge is 

that the playing field is not 

yet level – in terms of 

regulation, legislation, 

technological knowhow, incountry 

manufacturing 

capabilities and so on. The 

sector also struggles under 

the weight of a huge 

infrastructure deficit and the 

amount of investment 

projected to be required to 

address this is staggering. 

The recent happenings 

regarding foreign exchange 

rates and availability are 

issues for all of us, making 

many of our capital projects 

difficult to implement. . 

What contribution do you 

Continues on page 27

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMEBR 1, 2016 —27 

Continued from page 26 

think gas will make to the 

economy of Nigeria? 

Industries are heavily 

reliant on gas but even 

though we have this 

everywhere, they are 

hardly utilized. So here is 

what is it, if a company 

spends about N100 million 

on diesel every month, if 

they convert to using gas, 

it will cut down its cost to 

approximately N60 

million; and that is 40% 

cost saving right there and 

we know what that could 

do for any business. If such 

savings are ploughed back 

into growing the business 

through factory expansion, 

logistics and distribution 

or even human capital. The 

positive growth would of 

course have an enormous 

impact in the overall 

economy of our Nation. 

What are the 

achievements you can 

count recorded by Falcon 

over the long years you 

have been in operation? 

Our company marked 

her 20 th anniversary on 

June 4 th , 2014. It is 

amazing to know that we 

have been in existence for 

twenty long years playing 

in the Oil and Gas sector 

through a diverse portfolio 

of services that cut across 

Engineering, Procurement 

and Construction (EPC) as 

well as Natural Gas. 

There are so many 

milestones on the journey 

to where we are today. The 

most significant however 

which we remain very 

excited about and 

reference often is our 

Ikorodu Gas franchise. We 

are very proud of the fact 

that our Quality 

Management Systems are 

certified to the ISO 

9001:2008 standard, and 

our Occupational Health 

and Safety and 

Environmental 

Management System is 

certified to the OHSAS 

18001:2007 and ISO 

14001:2004 standards. Our 

unwavering commitment 

to excellence saw us 

through to achieving these 

and many other industry 

awards, and Quality and 

Safety today remain key 

drivers of our business. 

So let’s get to know the 

Gas Lady herself. Who is 

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo? 

I am first and foremost 

God’s daughter, 

committed to doing my 

excellent best by His 

grace to deliver to the 

world every assignment 

and purpose for which He 

put me on this earth. My 

greatest aspiration is to die 

empty of every gift, talent and 

ability God blessed and 

resourced me with, so I can fulfil 

His mandate to be a blessing in 

the lives of others. I have over 

22 years’ entrepreneurial 

experience, with core 

competences in business 

strategy; finance and 

investment management; 

commercial strategy; business 

development and resource 

management among others. 

I have a passion for 

mentoring aspiring, early and 

growth phase entrepreneurs 

with a focus on 

institutionalization and best 

practices, and I have done this 

over the years on my own, as 

well as through various 

structured platforms such as 

Wimbiz, YouWin, AIMP, Fate 

Foundation and the Lagos 

Business School mentoring 

programs. 

I love to write and have 3 

books published today. They 

include Double Impact, 

Uniquely Woman, and Ruach 

which is a collection of poetry. 

My fourth book will be 

published later this month. 

Besides your own books, 

what three books have you 

read, which would you 

recommend to others? 

I love the book ‘The Goal’ by 

Eliyahu M. Goldrat. It’s 

simply brilliant and a mustread 

for anyone looking for 

continuous improvement in 

their operations. I would also 

recommend the ‘E-myth 

revisited’ by Michael Gerber 

for anyone in the 

entrepreneurial space, 

regardless of whether they are 

a start-up or have been in 

business for a while. Another 

remarkable read for me in 

terms of its practicality and 

adaptability to every business 

is ‘Growing Pains: 

Transitioning from an 

Entrepreneurship to a 

Professionally Managed Firm’ 

by Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne 

Randle. 

And I know you said three, 

but I must also recommend 

other non-business-related 

books that have been 

transformational for me and 

these include ‘DNA’ by Bidemi 

Mark-Mordi, ‘Instinct’by TD 

Jakes, ‘Woman Act Now’ by 

Coach Anna McCoy, and 

‘Visioneering” by Andy 

Stanley. Remarkable reads! 

What’s your opinion on 

mentorship – have you 

benefitted from it? And what 

are your thoughts on the 

value and importance of 

mentorship, especially 

amongst women? 

Mentoring relationship 

involves two parties who work 

together and cooperatively for 

the development of one of the 

parties, though my perspective 

is that both mentor and mentee 

ultimately benefit from the 

relationship and process. 

Lagos governor joins wife, 

women to kick against FGM 

AGM: From right, President, Police Officer Wives Association (POWA), Princess 

Asmau Idris, wife of DIG Gambo, Mrs. Gambo and Mrs. Chioma Ntom Chukwu, 

during the Annual General Meeting of POWA in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga 

Olamikan. 

Continues from page 25 Akinbile-Yusuf, Hon. Lola Sherifat Aregbesola, 

Akande, representative of the respectively, among others. 

integrity, the right to be free iyaloja general and many Speaking, at the occasion, 

from torture and cruel others. 

Buhari recalled that on the 

inhuman or degrading 

Meanwhile, wife of the 10th of September, 2016, at 

treatment, and the right to 

President, Mrs. Aisha the pilot flag off in Katsina, 

life when the procedure 

Buhari, wife of the Vice 200 unskilled and 

results in death, she 

President, Mrs. Dolapo unemployed women were 

stressed. 

Osinbajo, and wife of Lagos recruited and trained in over 

Bolanle urged mothers to State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle 10 different skill sets, leading 

stop subjecting their Ambode, have stressed the to immediate income 

daughters to such willful need for women’s generating ventures. 

brutalization just for fear of empowerment initiatives in “I was informed that more 

the daughters being shunned the quest for development of women 

showed 

by tradition. 

the country. 

commendable passion to 

She listed the negative They made the remarks at acquiring the skills on offer; 

consequences of female the flag-off training for 2,200 that we were oversubscribed. 

genital mutilation to include women in income generating We ended up training and 

excessive bleeding, extreme activities aimed at enhancing empowering 300 women,” she 

pain, infections, possibility of the economic power and said. 

infertility and outright standard of women for nation The lessons learnt from the 

bareness. 

building. 

initial outing according to 

In her opening remarks, the The event, the second Buhari, strengthened the 

representative of the United phase in the series, held in resolve and determination to 

Nations Population Fund in collaboration with Future do more for the women in 

Nigeria, Ms. Beatrice Assured Programme, a pet Lagos. 

Mutali, copiously praised the project of Buhari and the Governor Ambode, 

efforts of the wives of the National Directorate of represented by his deputy, Dr. 

governors of Lagos, Osun, Employment, NDE, was held Idiat Adebule, commended 

Oyo and Ekiti State for at Ikeja Police College, Ikeja, the initiative of President’s 

championing ‘accelerated Lagos. 

wife, saying it will go a long 

advocacy and action towards 

Others in attendance way in reducing 

the abandonment of FGM’. 

include: Lagos State unemployment among 

Also speaking, the Governor Akinwunmi female folk. 

Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Ambode, Minister for Labour “I am sure, a lot of women 

HRM, Oba Kabiru Sotobi, and Employment, Dr. Chris will be lifted through this 

condemned the practice, Ngige, Senior Special programme and also increase 

contending that desired Assistant to the President on their productivity in economic 

attitudinal change must Sustainable Development growth of the nation. 

begin from the communities. Goals, Mrs. Adejoke “We will continue to support 

Others in attendace Orelope-Adefulire, wife of programmes and initiatives 

included the wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs. aimed at empowering 

governor of Oyo State, the Toyin Saraki, wife of Speaker women,” he said. 

representative of Senator House of Representatives, 

Ambode also enjoined the 

Oluremi Tinubu, APC South Mrs. Gimbiya Dogara, 

beneficiaries to make best use 

West women leader, Mrs. wives of Governors of Oyo, 

of the skill acquired to better 

Kemi Nelson, commissioner Ogun, Edo, Osun States, 

the lot of their families and the 

for youth and social Florence Ajumobi, Funsho nation at large. 

development, Mrs. Uzamat Amosun, Betsy Obaseki,


I see only opportunities in this 

recession... 

Continues from page 25 

designation Africa’s 

Premier Wealth Coach? 

I have a background in 

investment banking and 

finance. Also, I’m a UKcertified 

life coach. So, for 

me, it’s a combination of all 

of that. There is no other 

wealth coach in Africa, not 

even in the world to be 

honest. Everybody else talks 

about money or gives life 

coaching but I focus on the 

‘richer life’ because for me, 

wealth is not just money. 

Health is wealth, family is 

wealth and influence too is 

wealth. Money is only one 

aspect of wealth but people 

don’t understand that. Thus, 

they think the road to 

happiness is when you have 

money. But there is the richer 

life—the complete life—and 

that should be everyone’s 

goal. 

It’s obvious from your 

background that you’ve not 

always pursued this ‘richer 

life’; what sparked your 

interest? 

I actually come from a 

family where we were very 

wealthy but experienced 

financial difficulties when my 

grandfather died because my 

father actually worked in his 

father’s company. I didn’t 

want to go through any of 

such harsh times, so, I 

resolved in my mind to be a 

very successful woman. 

Hence, alongside my 8 to 5 

job, I had various side 

hustles; I would sell 

corporate gifts and tunics, 

write proposals for 

entrepreneurs, and 

sometimes these side hustles 

even earned me more money 

than my monthly income. 

But I eventually began to 

feel empty. I was married 

with children but didn’t have 

enough time to see my 

children. Sometimes I didn’t 

see them for days. I also 

wasn’t able to do the school 

runs. My marriage was 

being affected as well 

because I came home tired 

every day and would become 

snappy and irritable. 

A couple of tragic events 

that occurred around me 

began to make me think 

deeper about the futility of 

life. So, I said to myself that 

there was more to life. Two 

things became the most 

important for me: the impact 

I make for Christ and the 

memories I leave with my 

loved ones. I began to seek 

for more but then, I was 

afraid because I saw my job 

as my security. My husband 

later gave his support for me 

to resign but then I was too 

afraid to take the move because 

my greatest fear then became 

venturing into a world of 

uncertainty. 

Conquering fear 

God took me to Genesis 12 

where He told Abraham to 

leave his comfort zone for a 

place that he would show 

him. It dawned on me that 

one could actually take a step 

of faith and move even 

without knowing where one 

is going to. So, I finally 

resigned from work in 2012. 

I followed my heart even 

though I was doing it ‘afraid’. 

...and how has that paid 

off? 

I won’t say I don’t have 

challenges but those 

challenges have given me the 

muscle to be where I am 

today; I’ve discovered my 

gifts. Now I’m a speaker, 

coach, have won awards, I 

have spoken in front of 

dignitaries and shared 

platforms with some of the 

most successful persons in 

Nigeria. I now write a column 

on personal finance in 

Sunday Vanguard 

Newspapers’ Allure, and also 

co-hosts a talk show on 

EbonyLife TV. I have been 

featured on international 

platforms including BBC and 

Huffington Post, plus major 

national dailies in Nigeria. I 

also coach Managing 

Directors of top banks and 

multinationals. Above all, 

I’ve hosted my own event, 

and that’s the ‘Do it Afraid’ 

conference; I’m hosting the 

third edition this Saturday, 

December 4 th . I am doing 

the best I can to inspire the 

world. 

How would you measure 

your impact so far? 

So many businesses have 

been birthed. From my 

agribusiness conference 

held, so many people have 

started agribusinesses from 

across its entire value chain. 

Even the annual ‘Do it Afraid’ 

conference has yielded huge 

results. I know of a lady who 

was working in an oil & gas 

company. She was afraid of 

losing her job but when she 

came for my conference, she 

got the courage to resign and 

now, she has started a 

thriving business. Another 

lady who studied Yoruba and 

is today one of the leading 

special effects and lightening 

persons in Nigeria, got that 

business idea from my 

conference. 

In fact, this recession is a 

blessing in disguise; I now 

see only opportunities in it. 

The difference between then 

and now is simply that people 

are now paying for value and 

not spending their money 

anyhow. So, entrepreneurs 

who understand this are 

making waves in the 

recession. 

Tell us about the ‘Do it 

Afraid’ conference... 

What we do is bring a list 

of successful people to come 

share their life stories. At 

the first edition, we had 

Cobhams Asuquo who did not 

let visual impairment stop his 

dreams. This year, the theme 

is ‘The Flourishing Palm Tree 

and It’s Process’. 

...and what inspired that 

theme? 

We realised that there are 

some that have started 

business and are following 

their dreams, but are going 

through challenges. 

A palm tree is ever green no 

matter what season. This is in 

spite of the fact that it is found 

in adverse terrains. So we are 

taking participants through 

the process the palm tree goes 

through. Our speakers this 

time include Banky W who 

has got a beautiful story, Fela 

Durotoye who has a massive 

vision for Nigeria and then 

Dupe Fagbohungbe, a lawyer 

turned Chef. We have Wunmi 

Williams who just founded 

the first of its kind luxury 

boutique mall in Ikoyi, in the 

heat of the recession. We have 

Adebola Williams the founder 

of Red Media, Iretiola Doyle, 

Deji Alli, and more. 

Somehow you’re creating 

the impression that living 

ones dream means leaving 

My message 

is not for 

everybody 

but for those 

that want to 

live the 

richer life 

paid employment for selfemployment. 

Don’t you think 

everyone cannot be 

entrepreneurs? 

‘Do it Afraid’ is a universal 

message. It also applies to 

people that want to change 

careers even within the 9 to 

5. Remember, a lot of people 

have been chased from their 

workplaces; they’ve been 

sacked. So, now is the time 

to do that which they have 

been afraid of. Yes, working 

in a 9-5 for many years helped 

me build structure and gave 

me credibility and experience. 

We’re at a time in history 

where women strive to prove 

a point by working for 

longer hours. Don’t you 

think leaving your job for 

want of quality ‘family time’ 

makes you weird and out of 

touch with reality? 

There is a place for a man 

and a place for a woman. I’m 

trying to be the best woman 

Omilola Oshikoya 

I can be. I’m not trying to 

compete with men; and I think 

that’s where the problem is. 

We are created the way we are 

for a reason and vice versa. 

My message is not for 

everybody but for those that 

want to live the richer life. 

Traditionally, what women 

have done is put their careers 

first and every other thing 

after. So, they work their 

family around their schedule 

when they should work their 

schedule around their family. 

I cannot be truly successful 

if my children are not 

successful because God is a 

generational God who 

believes in legacy—and that 

legacy I cannot leave if I’m 

leaving nannies to ‘train’ my 

children. The truth is, many 

people will be very distraught 

in the future because a lot of 

them will use all these 

monies they are making to 

send their children to 

rehabilitation centres.

—29 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 , 2016—29 

Nigerian youths adopt new strategies to end 

HIV/AIDS 

By Sola Ogundipe 

AT the ongoing National HIV 

Prevention Conference in Abuja, 

Nigerian youths gathered to brainstorm 

on innovative ways to end the epidemic, 

even against the backdrop of dwindling 

donor funding and global economic 

challenges. 

The youths, drawn from the 36 States 

of the Federation, under the auspices of 

a Youth Summit organised by the 

National Agency for the Control of AIDS, 

NACA, to mark World AIDS Day 2016, 

have expressed optimism that their 

influence and potential can bring about 

change towards ending the epidemic. 

This will empower them and lend them 

less vulnerable to factors that drive HIV/ 

AIDS. 

HIV among 

young people 

In her paper entitled: “Overview of 

HIV Response Among Young People in 

Nigeria” Dr. Akudo Ikpeaze, Director 

Programme Coordination, NACA, spoke 

about the vulnerability of youths to HIV 

and AIDS, citing factors that drive the 

pandemic to include multiple and 

concurrent sexual partnership, 

intergenerational sex, sexual coercion 

among others. 

UNICEF HIV Specialist, Dr. Victoria 

Isiramen, who said the global health 

body was there ‘’to chat the future,” as 

donors are now shifting focus from HIV/ 

AIDS to other areas, explained that there 

exist great opportunities youths could 

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CONFERENCE: From left - Director Programme Coordination, NACA, Dr. Akudo 

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Hilton, Abuja. 

position themselves to explore under the 

Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. 

Isiramen said though the SDGs make 

no specific provision for HIV/AIDS 

intervention, many of the targets have 

direct relevance to youths. 

Citing what she called a “demographic 

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In his paper entitled “The Role of Young 

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“We hold the power to build the future”, 

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Nestle marks 150 

years with factory 

tour 

IT was double celebration for Nestle 

as it marked over 50 years in Nigeria 

and 150 years of creating good nutrition 

for benefit of mankind. 

The event was boosted with a tour of the 

Agbara facility by government officials 

including the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, who 

was represented by Wife of the Ogun State 

Governor, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, 

Buhari said: “As Nestlé continues to strive 

to distribute nutritional products across the 

globe, I look forward to us collaborating 

through my Future Assured programmes.” 

The milestone marked 150 years of 

nutrition and creation of Farine lactée 

(Cerelac) which saved the life of an infant. 

The tour enabled participants to have 

insight into Nestlé’s commitment to 

Creating Shared Value and meeting the 

main societal nutrition and health needs 

of people in Nigeria. 

Topics discussed included the health 

indicators of under 5s in Nigeria as well 

as Nestlé’s efforts to reduce micronutrient 

deficiency in under 5s. 

In his welcome address, the Country 

Manager, Nestlé Nigeria, Mr. Mauricio 

Alarcon, expressed the desire and 

readiness of the company to collaborate 

with relevant government agencies and 

partners in addressing some of the areas 

of identifying baselines as well as working 

on solutions to improve Nutrition 

Indicators for Nigeria. 

Nestlé has invested in three production 

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in Abaji.


Ten artists search for perfection 

with Insanity 

By Japhet Alakam 

Omenka gallery is one of 

the few galleries 

committed to the promotion of 

art and artists in the country. 

This they do from time to time 

by creating and providing 

conducive atmosphere for arts 

to grow through art 

exhibitions thereby exposing 

them, especially upcoming 

artists to the world. 

Last week, as part of its 

vision, the gallery organised 

a group exhibition for what 

they described as ten young 

gifted artists titled Insanity, 

an exhibition of hyperrealist 

art. The exhibition which 

opened on November 26 is 

expected to run to December 

9 at the Omenka gallery Ikoyi, 

Lagos. 

The exhibiting artists are; 

Seyi Alabi, Raji Abdul- Gaffar 

Bamidele, Ifeyinwa Joy 

Chiamonwu, Adefemi David, 

Ayo Filade, Kenechukwu 

Nwadiogbu, Alex Peter, 

Arinze Stanley, Isimi Taiwo 

and Oscar Ukonu. 

Featuring about 26 works 

By S.E. Orobator 

done in varied media by the 

young artists who are trying 

to make a name in the art 

world. A view of the works 

displayed were many works 

done in graphite, charcoal, 

pastel and burnt wood that 

reveals the depth of creativity 

of the young gifted artists. 

However, 

Insanity is a more 

concerted effort in 

promoting 

hyperrealism in 

Nigeria with an 

ensemble of 10 

artists 

Insanity can be described as 

“repeating the same actions 

over and over again and 

expecting different results,” 

and this might be what best 

suits the exhibition. 

The artists choice of the 

theme is apt, each new work 

•One of the works on display 

by an artist, an improvement 

on the last as they inch 

towards the perfection of their 

craft – a state that arises from 

consistent and repeated action 

– when spirit, mind and hand 

are in unison and complete 

harmony. Though completed 

in diverse media, their works 

are bound together by the fact 

that all the artists save one 

were not trained in any formal 

art institution, the majority of 

them undertaking courses 

ranging from medicine to 

engineering and architecture. 

As an offshoot of 

photorealism, hyperrealism is 

a relatively new school of 

painting that creates the 

illusion of looking directly at 

a photograph. Aided by 

technological advances in 

camera and digital 

equipment, artists have 

succeeded in achieving a 

higher degree of precision 

and accuracy. Hyperrealism in 

Nigeria is an even more recent 

development in the last ten 

years – this exhibition, is 

arguably a pioneering one in 

promotion of this genre of 

expression. 

However, Insanity is a more 

concerted effort in promoting 

hyperrealism in Nigeria with 

an ensemble of 10 artists. 

Instructive in this trajectory, is 

the fact that these artists have 

sharpened their instincts to 

imitate nature, being not 

stylistically influenced by 

academic tutors. The 

compounding evidence is in 

the artists’ incorporation of 

photographic limitations like 

depth of field, perspective 

and focus –a false sort of 

reality that demands a high 

level of competence and skill. 

Individually, the works are 

strong and offer a glimpse, as 

well as a deeper 

understanding of the artists’ 

techniques and working 

methods. More importantly, 

they are a window into their 

minds, revealing extremities 

of patience, endurance and 

perseverance. Collectively, 

the works have an even 

greater impact as an 

important phase in the rich 

trajectory of contemporary art 

in Nigeria. 

Echoes from Independence Class of Govt. College Ughelli 

As the book, The Independence Class of Government College, 

Ughelli, Nigeria: Recollections and Perspectives, is set to be 

launched at the Government College, Ughelli Old Boys 

Association, Lagos Branch GCU100 Gala Awards Dinner 

holding at 1.30 pm, 4th December, 2016 at Eko Hotels and 

Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. By Prof. S.E Orobator, Professor 

of Politics and Collective Violence takes a look at the book. 

Excerpts 

Reviewing a project of 

which one was part and 

to which one contributed is no 

doubt rare and is interesting. 

Even more interesting is the 

fact, that most of the 

contributors are successful 

septuagenarians with a wealth 

of private and public sector 

experience, who chose to put 

into writing their 

reminiscences of childhood 

days with a touch of the 

present. My task is to give a 

balanced and thorough 

assessment of the efforts put 

in by the authors. 

The 552 page book “The 

Independence Class of 

Government College Ughelli, 

Nigeria: Recollections and 

Perspectives” is a collection of 

random thoughts and 

happenings of the past 

brought together by a group 

of like minds, within the same 

age grade who passed through 

the same experiences in a 

given time frame in the 

glorious era of a prestigious 

Nigerian secondary school. 

Admittedly, each of the 

contributors told his own story, 

yet a centre point can be 

discerned. The focus was the 

officialism, and camaraderie in 

the College and how these 

concepts were fused for the 

management and upliftment 

of its members for the good of 

humanity. Officialism was 

symbolized by the discipline 

upheld by the College 

administration; camaraderie 

was symbolized by the 

relationships between the 

students. Both officialism and 

camaraderie were in turn 

propelled by the almighty 

‘school bell’ which, at once, 

was the mouth piece of the 

administration and ‘order’ for 

all College constituents. The 

bell made administration less 

cumbrous and shaped the 

culture of the College 

community. 

Nigeria has something to 

gain from the College in time 

consciousness, discipline and 

accountability. These are the 

The book is 

being published at 

a time it is most 

needed and no 

opportunity should 

be spared in 

accessing it 

hallmarks of development. 

The success story of the 

contributors is testimony to the 

bedrock of their upbringing. 

Nigeria needs discipline and 

self reassessment to move 

forward. The submissions in 

this book, albeit, about the past 

are appropriate for today’s 

Nigeria, because they are 

timeless. Discipline and 

accountability in which the 

college excelled are the 

benchmark of development 

and Nigeria needs 

development as a political and 

economic entity. 

From all indications 

therefore, Nigerians across 

the board can benefit from this 

book. It can be used by both 

casual and serious readers. 

The recollections and 

perspectives can be useful 

also at the various levels of 

government. From the federal 

to the state and local 

government authorities. 

The presentation of the past 

with the advance experience 

of the present is uncommon. 

This book is being published 

at a time it is most needed, 

and no opportunity should be 

spared in accessing it. It is the 

foundation Nigeria requires 

for a ,successful take off, 

because no one can put 

something on nothing and 

expect a meaningful result; 

neither can one give out what 

he does not have; (Nemo dat 

quod non habet). For us to 

move on positively, we must 

address our problem of 

discipline, the solution to 

Foundation to reward writing talent 

JLF, a not-for-profit 

organisation has 

announced a writing 

competition tagged, “JLF 

Writing Competition”. 

The organisers said the 

writing competition was 

organised in a bid to discover 

and promote literary talents in 

Nigeria. According to the 

foundation, it is “instituted for 

the purpose of identifying 

talents in literature with the 

intent to evaluate and 

maintain the success of each 

competitor by selecting the 

best. The 2016 edition is 

planned to be bigger and 

better! 

According to the organisers 

participants are required to 

pick a story, chapter or verse 

from the bible and write a 

synopsis into present day or 

the future. Contestants would 

be given 2 weeks to submit 

their synopses. The judges 

would each pick the best 6 

synopses. 

The shortlisted contestants 

which is proffered in this 

project. 

Vanguard Arts for Monday 

F 

rom next week, your regular Arts pages that come on Thursdays 

will now come out richer and bigger with more pages on 

Mondays. We promise to serve you better. 

would be given 2 weeks to 

fully develop their synopsis in 

either of the categories below 

Short film, Full length feature 

film, and Mini Series. 

The contest is open to all 

ages, religion or social 

background. All synopses 

are to be uploaded 

onwww.jlffoundation.org. 

The competition opened 

from November 22nd and 

closes December 5th, 2016. 

Announcement of results and 

invitation for prize giving 

day is slated for January 20, 

2017. 

The panel of judges include: 

Anthony KAN Onwordi, 

Kunle Afolayan; Victoria 

Thomas; and Wana Wana. 

The winner of the 

competition will be rewarded 

with N150,000 while the first 

and second runners-up will 

receive N100,000 and 

N50,000 respectively. The 

top 3 winners would have the 

opportunity to be mentored by 

the judges.

Restructuring: Memo to 

National Assembly 

THE Distinguished and 

Honourables: Some of the 

ideas here may be repugnant to 

you but with the deep spirit of 

altruism, which is your 

hallmark, it will be less difficult 

getting you to subdue your 

individual interests for the 

greater good of the larger society. 

After all, governance is about 

human needs, the satisfaction of 

which is the sole justification for 

government. Man is hardly 

satisfied, for too long, with the 

status quo ante, hence he 

constantly seeks to reorganise the 

world around him, with a view 

to getting better satisfaction from 

the reorganisation. This is in 

tandem with the practice at the 

National Assembly where 

constitutional amendment is a 

recurring exercise. 

When a government gets to the 

point where it exists only for the 

sole purpose of paying salaries – 

living from hand to mouth, as it 

were – and that devious purpose 

is not even being efficiently met, 

that nation must begin to think 

of restructuring itself. We 

certainly cannot carry on this 

way – a situation where our 

teaming youth population 

remains unemployed; coupled 

with the fact that a large 

Nigeria's 

By Dike Kalu 

RECENTLY, I read in the 

Vanguard of Nigeria that 

following a condolence visit of ex-President 

Goodluck Jonathan to the Sultan of Sokoto, 

the Nigerian Pro-Democracy group 

demanded the resignation of President 

Buhari. This is apparently because during 

the visit Sokoto residents, mainly youths 

who massively voted to oust Jonathan 

and install Buhari as President in 2015, 

were vociferously welcoming the ex- 

President, and they carried placards that 

read “Baba Jonathan Please Come Back”. 

The Pro-Democracy group found this to 

be a clear indication that the same people 

that voted Buhari into power were then 

rejecting him because of his glaring 

inability to address the nation’s needs. 

Just as the Pro-Democracy group, most 

Nigerians are sadly aware of the 

disastrous current state of Nigeria’s 

economy, and the continuously rising 

inflation that has put enormous hardship 

on Nigerians especially the masses. 

The cry for the return of an ex-President 

who was voted out of office in part because 

during his tenure corruption was booming 

and strangling the country’s 

development is a sad commentary on how 

Nigeria chooses her leaders. More 

specifically, the cry is evidence that in 

some quarters no matter how bad 

Nigeria’s predicament is made by 

incompetent governance, if a next 

administration turns out to be just as bad 

or worse than the previous one, there are 

Nigerians who find it acceptable to 

advocate for the return of a previous bad 

administration. This is sad because it 

emboldens rulers to think that they are 

unaccountable to anyone for despicable 

performance while in office. If Nigerians 

persist in choosing their leaders based on 

faulty criteria, Nigeria will continue to 

segment of the federating units 

is in default of payment of 

salaries to the few workers, 

sometimes in excess of 24 

months, is totally unacceptable. 

Desperate situations call for 

desperate actions. In concrete 

terms, Nigeria must return to 

regionalism – this time, the 

country has to be restructured 

into eight regions via the 

instrumentality of acquisitions, 

mergers and consolidations, 

which have worked so well in our 

banking sector. 

At independence in 1960, 

Nigeria stood on a tripod in the 

name of Regions – the North, the 

East and the West. In August 

1963, a fourth entity, the 

Midwest, which was carved out 

of the then Western Region, came 

on board. Essentially, the 

Midwest remained the only 

region that was democratically 

and constitutionally created, the 

rest of the present 36 States, 

being military contraptions. 

There is the easy argument 

that the creation of more States 

is a way of taking development 

to the grassroots. This argument 

must have limited validity 

because no one, even among the 

greatest advocates of states 

creation, has enough data to 

predicament 

pay dearly for inability to choose the right 

leaders, and she will remain in the 

current vicious circle of bad governance 

and self-imposed underdevelopment. 

Stated simply and briefly, leaders should 

be chosen based on their visions for their 

state or country and evidence of their 

potential ability to make those visons to 

become reality. The importance of good 

If Nigerians persist in 

choosing their leaders 

based on faulty criteria, 

Nigeria will continue to 

pay dearly for inability 

to choose the right 

leaders 

leadership in determining people’s 

wellbeing cannot be overstated. The 

following is excerpted from a piece I wrote 

recently about the current unenviable 

predicament of Nigeria. 

It is a painful fact that since 

independence in October 1, 1960 Nigeria 

has been beset with a wide variety of 

apparently intractable problems. I will 

comment briefly on education, 

corruption, and leadership mainly as 

they pertain to Nigeria. The perspectives 

here are the random thoughts of one who 

is often confronted with the question: why 

do so many highly- educated Nigerians 

choose to reside in the Western world as 

reluctant exiles, instead of returning 

home to join their peers in the job of 

building a nascent nation? A precise 

answer to this question varies according 

to circumstances, and for the writer it has 

been presented previously in “Agony of a 

Nigerian Scientist” by Dike N Kalu 

(Heinemann Educational Books, Nigeria 

Plc, 2003, Available from Amazon, USA). 

Visions for Nigeria: Nigeria has been 

support the view, for instance, 

that if Nigeria were bulkanised 

into 1000 States, its development 

strides would correspondingly 

increase by 300 percent. 

The grassroots argument soon 

got into the heads of the military 

juntas and once they embarked 

on indiscriminate creation of 

States, there was no stopping 

them. 

In concrete terms, 

Nigeria must 

return to 

regionalism – this 

time, the country 

has to be 

restructured into 

eight regions via 

the 

instrumentality of 

acquisitions, 

mergers and 

consolidations, 

which have 

worked so well in 

our banking 

sector 

People have toyed enough with 

the zonal arrangement in which 

the country was arbitrarily 

divided into six geopolitical 

zones. This gained currency 

during the Constitutional 

Conference of 1995, when an 

attempt was made to enshrine it 

into the Constitution. It is 

doubtful if the founding fathers 

intended the zones to serve 

merely as occasional outposts for 

loose political party congresses, 

business seminars and religious 

conventions. 

This explains why we have 

consistently advocated the 

abolition of the six-zone 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, , 2016 —31 

structure and the establishment 

in its stead, an eight-zone 

structure, which would promote 

equity and stability. This is also 

one way of building on a past that 

has been well defined and tested 

as a foundation for our continued 

existence, especially as it affected 

the old minorities of the North, 

the West and the East before the 

civil war. Nature and equity 

have defined what zonal 

structure we should have 

starting from where we were as 

at 1967. 

For maximum efficiency, 

under the eight-regional 

arrangement, the North and the 

South will each have four 

regions. While the North will 

include the Northwest, North- 

Central, Northeast and the 

Middle Belt; the South shall have 

the Southwest, Southeast, South- 

South and the Midwest. 

The eight regions will become 

the administrative units 

immediately below the Federal 

Government. The 36-States 

structure shall cease to be units 

of administration. Each Region 

shall establish its own Local 

Government system. 

Under the new structure, we 

shall have 36 Senators – one from 

each of the existing States; and 

there shall be 109 members of 

the House of Representatives – 

one Rep from each of the existing 

Senatorial Districts; and 

membership of the Regional 

Houses of Assembly shall be made 

up of the existing Federal 

Constituencies from the region. 

Most importantly, the 

legislature at all levels shall 

operate on part-time basis where 

they will assemble for a few weeks 

in a year to rapidly pass Bills and 

approve the budget for the 

coming year. 

In the particular case of the 

Midwest Region, the supporting 

argument is that no reasonable 

nation ever throws away the 

an independent nation for well over half 

a century, a long enough time for Nigerian 

leaders to drum into the citizenry their 

visions for the country and how they 

intend to actualise them. Unfortunately, 

one is left to guess what these visions really 

are only from piecing together 

information from the media on the 

activities of those who have ruled the 

country since the end of the colonial era. 

Visions for Nigeria must include 

continuously developing and 

modernising the country with the use of 

knowledge-based state of the art 

technology. Even though the country has 

continued to wallow in underdevelopment, 

Nigerians are sophisticated 

enough to know that countries are built 

mainly by using technologies which are 

fallouts from science. For centuries, the 

industrialised nations have been using 

fallouts from science to progressively 

develop their own countries. (See, 

Nigeria’s Adventures in Technology by 

Dike N Kalu, Outskirts Press Inc. USA, 

2015. Nigerians can also use technology 

to ensure the country’s development. 

How do I know that? 

I know because Nigeria has a surfeit of 

human resources both abroad and at 

home waiting to be harnessed. These 

Nigerians are as good and competent as 

any in the world. I know because in my 

many years in universities overseas I have 

seen Nigerian graduates excel in 

technological positions they’re plugged 

into. But many Nigerian graduates at 

home are jobless and some are whiling 

away an awful lot of time in the social 

media and doing basically nothing. Some 

even brand themselves as Presidents and 

CEOs of non-existing companies! These 

graduates are just waiting to be mobilised! 

It is a terrible waste of human resources 

and opportunities not to let these young 

Nigerians do something meaningful like 

building their own country. It is not just 

sad but it is also unsettling to contemplate 

that Nigeria has such a multitude of 

intelligent educated and in some cases, 

uneducated youths doing nothing 

Send Opinions & Letters to: 

opinions1234@yahoo.com 

good thing it already has while 

embarking on an unreasonable 

wild goose chase. Under the 

former regional arrangement, 

the Midwest was very viable and 

there is no reason to believe that 

it will be any less viable now. 

Again, it is reasonable to expect 

Bayelsa State to form part of the 

new Midwest region, 

particularly against the 

backdrop that a large part of 

today’s Bayelsa – Sagbama and 

its neighbouring communities – 

were originally part of the 

former Midwest Region. It is 

another case of the chicken 

coming home to roost. 

Besides, this will give full 

meaning to the concepts of 

homogeneity and congruity, 

which were largely ignored in 

earlier arrangements. Most 

Bayelsans are quick to trace 

their roots to Benin City. And a 

situation where Lamkpese at the 

extreme northern flank of Edo 

State bordering Kogi State is 

grouped in the same zone as Ogoja 

in Cross River State is simply 

amorphous and does not make for 

political or administrative 

convenience. 

With Bayelsa State in the 

proposed Midwest Region, we 

shall have three States each in 

the Midwest and the South-South 

Regions. 

The eight regional structure 

will give expression to the 

aspirations of the nation’s 

minorities as it will summarily 

address the inherent alienation 

of the old minorities of the North 

(the Middle Belt), the old 

minorities of the East (the South- 

South) as well as the old 

minorities of the West (the 

Midwest). 

Certainly, this will be one sure 

way of having birds of the same 

feather flocking together. There 

is also no better way of infusing 

some sanity into our over-bloated 

system. 

meaningful. Unsettling because an idle 

mind that is not meaningfully occupied, 

often drifts towards nefarious activities! 

I believe our leaders are aware that the 

state of science in most Nigerian schools is 

inadequate to meet the country’s needs 

in science and technology. For us to use 

technology in the scale necessary to 

advance development in our 

environment, we are obligated to raise the 

level of science in our elementary and 

secondary schools. Since tertiary 

education is where most training for 

scientists and technologists occurs, if 

science is inadequate in our high schools 

then there will correspondingly be 

insufficient number of quality science 

students for our tertiary institutions as 

well as for vocational, technical and trade 

schools. 

In this technological era that Nigeria 

appears to have been thrust into 

unprepared, it is the duty of those who 

can to advocate that we should not only 

be avid consumers of technology as is 

indicated for example, by the 

proliferation in the use of cell phones in 

Nigeria. We should also be generators of 

appropriate technologies for the country, 

or Nigeria will only be a dumping ground 

for other people’s technologies. 

Question: Prof, but science and 

technology are expensive enterprises and 

it will require untold amounts of money 

to upgrade them in Nigerian schools and 

institutions. How can this be done? 

Professor: You are right. A lot of money 

will be required to modernise and expand 

science and technology in Nigeria. The 

thing to realise, however, is that money 

spent to improve the nation’s science and 

technology is money well-spent. 

Upgrading our science and technology 

sufficiently should be viewed as a 

necessary investment that if properly 

handled will repay itself many-fold in the 

future. 

Continues tomorrow 

*Mr. Kalu, a retired Professor 

Emeritus, wrote from USA. 

C 

M 

Y 

K

32 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

VIRGO; Success is within your reach but you must do 

away with mental arrogance and take good and practical 

advice from the professionals. Work harder. 

LIBRA; Your being enterprising will go a long way to 

further enhance your prospects and if financial 

advancement is your priority you will fare better. Be more 

loving. 

SCORPIO; Prepare to take the lead and exhibit your 

special talent. Advice from younger people may look good 

but not practical enough thus if you must take advice 

today take it from matured personality who may appear 

authoritative. 

SAGITTARIUS; Element of luck will work in your 

favour, however that is not to say you can not back your 

reasonable plans with practical action. Keep your secrets. 

CAPRICORN; You will have your ways; much will 

depend on how ambitious you are, the bigger your 

aspiration the better. Take your tried and trusted friends 

seriously. 

By Richard Eromosele 

L E I S U R E 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

About Relationship? 

LIFE is all 

about relationship. 

It is all 

about how you 

relate well with 

the other man or 

woman. For example, 

a successful 

father 

should be able to 


his children, a 

successful leader 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

should be able to 


his followers. 

Similarly, a good 

manager should 

have a good rapport 

with members 

of his 

workforce.How 

well you relate 

with people could 

determine how 

far you will go in 

life.Think about 

it. 

By Kola Fayemi 

AQUARIUS; Here is an ambitious day for many of you 

and with moderation things will go according to your 

plans. Financial success is actually close to you than you 

think. 

PISCES; Make sure your plans for both immediate 

and far future are legal friendly. This is day of success 

you will need to savour with your partners/spouse. 

ARIES; Even if you think your health is ok you better 

make sure you confirm your fitness from your doctor 

before giving in to strenuous activities. Success at work 

indicated for those of you who are truly healthy. Be 

practical please. 

TAURUS; It will not be a bad idea trying to consolidate 

on progress made recently. And the more co-operative 

you are today the better it will be for you.. 

GEMINI; You will be in good position to take good 

advantage within your working arena.. Don’t wait till 

tomorrow before you make important future plans. 

KAPTAIN AFRIKA in “Pretty Lunatic’ By Andy Akman 

CANCER; Tomorrow may bring more challenges than 

anticipated that is why you will need to prosecute your 

plans now. Lovers are fairly favoured. 

LEO; Those of you who are moderate and practical 

with their financial plans are in for a good day. Live up to 

expectation within your family circle. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date and place of birth to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, Apapa, Lagos 

Why all these ? 

Dear Joshua, 

I am not having any terminal disease but some times 

am afraid of life. Bluntly am I meant for early death? 

What are my weak points health-wise? Please tell me 

about my career line. 

Ben, Abeokuta. 

Dear Ben, 

You are not meant for sudden death but that should not 

be a license for reckless life style. Although Cancer is 

said to be one of weak Star signs, with potent and positive 

aspects the Sun and Mercury got from planets in Virgo 

and more powerful Scorpio yours is a strong constitution 

meant for good health. . 

Certainly you must have gone through rough times 

when you were younger, once you are out of it your health 

path is clearer. And nothing is pointing to early death. 

Naturally Cancer born people must be more careful 

about their tummy (stomach related ailments) and you 

are not an exception. Other thing you will need to watch 

carefully include the circulatory system (because of 

Aquarius influence). Your sense of taste is distinctive and 

capable of making you a little bit stout as a result of 

little enlargement of liver because of your sugar intake, 

which you can control perfectly. As a tropical man fever 

can come and go, but nothing fatalistic here please.. If 

you notice toothache symptom do not ignore it. 

But yours is a sound and good health, astrologically. 

YOUR CAREER LINE 

Mercury Bthe planet of education and Accountancy, 

together with mighty Sun at positive angle to planets in 

Virgo (another Accounting Star sign) attracted you to 

both Accountancy profession and the academic world. 

Truly you did not make wrong choice of career. 

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

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

Because Neptune (the planet of OIL) was very 

comfortable when you were born. It will not be out of 

place if you have filling stations as time goes by, because 

you are basically a GAS PERSON. Another money 

spinning vocation for you include writing either along 

your line or for film making industry; it is important you 

exhibit the higher quotient of creativity in your innerself. 

Politics is another area you are not looking at now 

but will surely come. Do you say why? Because Aquarius 

is equally political. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa



Buhari committed to N-Delta devt —NNDC MD 

By Udo Ibuot 

U YO—MANAGING 

Director, MD, of Niger 

Delta Development Commission, 

NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere, has 

stressed the commitment of 

President Muhammadu Buhari to 

the development of the Niger 

Delta region. 

Ekere, who spoke during the 

inauguration of the Akwa Ibom 

State caucus of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in Uyo, said it 

was clear that the President had 

the interest of the region at heart 

from the steps he had taken so 

far towards solving the problems 

confronting the region. 

The NDDC MD who pledged 

that the commission would work 

vigorously to bring sustainable 

development to the region, urged 

the people of Akwa Ibom State to 

support the Buhari 

Administration, which he said, 

was working tirelessly to address 

the economic problems of the 

country. 

Ekere lauded the quality of the 

APC caucus members, 

particularly the caucus Chairman, 

Atuekong Don Etiebet, whom he 

described as an experienced and 

dogged leader. 

Managing Director of Oil and 

Gas Free Zones Authority, Mr. 

Umana Umana, in his comment, 

expressed confidence that the 

caucus would strengthen and 

reposition the APC in the state. 

Lauding Mr. Ekere as a true 

friend and brother, Mr. Umana 

declared: “We will all work 

We have big plans for women mechanics, drivers in 

Edo, says Obaseki 

By Simon Ebegbulem 

B ENIN—GOVERNOR 

Godwin Obaseki of Edo 

State has said the state has big 

plans for female mechanics and 

drivers, saying the government 

will engage female mechanics in 

the maintenance and repairs of 

the state government-owned 

vehicles. 

Speaking during the graduation 

of 25 female mechanics in Benin 

City, the governor noted that 

female drivers and mechanics 

would be encouraged to study at 

the Benin Technical College after 

the college would have been 

revamped by government. 

He said: “I want to throw an offer 

to you today. In Government 

House, we have a workshop. We 

would like you to come and take 

a look at it and also see if you can 

take over maintenance of the 

vehicles in Government House. 

We are going to partner with the 

Lady Mechanic Initiative, a nongovernmental 

organization, to 

promote youth employment in 

line with our electioneering 

campaign promises. I commend 

this initiative a lot because this is 

in line with my agenda for job 

creation and youth empowerment. 

together to strengthen the party 

to take back our state.” 

He commended President 

Buhari for the appointment of 

Akwa Ibom indigenes, 

including himself, into positions 

of authority. 

The Senior Special Assistant 

to the President on National 

Assembly Affairs (Senate), 

Senator Ita Enang, solicited 

support for the Buhari 

Administration which, he said, 

had done well for Akwa Ibom 

State in terms of appointments 

and projects, hinting that more 

The challenge we face today, the 

challenge of unemployment, the 

challenge of rebuilding our 

communities and society, is not 

the challenge that rests on one 

arm of government or one set of 

institution alone. It is a challenge 

that all of us must come together 

to deal with, whether you are 

government, whether you are 

civil society, whether you are 

private sector. 

“That is the reason, as 

Delta govt assures on devt agenda 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—DELTA 

State 

Government has said it 

will sustain its development 

programme as encapsulated in 

the SMART agenda. SMART 

deals on “Strategic Wealth 

creation projects and provision 

of jobs for all Deltans; 

Meaningful peace building 

platforms aimed at political and 

social harmony; Agricultural 

reforms and accelerated 

industrialization; Relevant 

Health and Education policies 

and Transformed environment 

through urban renewal.” 

Speaking through the 

appointments were underway. 

He described as deceit and 

falsehood, the claim by a group, 

Akwa Ibom Vanguard, that the 

Buhari administration only 

budgeted N1.9 billion for projects 

in the state, pointing out that the 

budgetary provision for the 

Calabar-Itu Road alone was over 

N6 billion. 

The caucus Chairman, 

Atuekong Etiebet, thanked the 

party for the honour accorded 

him and other caucus members 

and promised to work towards 

making the APC more virile. 

Governor of Edo State, once I 

realized that this initiative had 

taken root, I said the least that 

we could do was to come here 

and help to participate in the 

graduation ceremony of the last 

25 of the 100 students this 

programme started with. I hope 

that as sponsor, Coca Cola will 

not terminate this programme 

with this set. I am going to make 

a passionate appeal, and if you 

need me to come to your 

Commissioner for Economic 

Planning, Mr Kinglesy Emu, 

during the opening ceremony of 

a two-day Aid Coordination 

meeting with all ministries, 

departments and agencies in the 

state, the government called on 

all collaborating agencies in the 

human development agenda of 

the state to tailor their activities 

towards impacting on the lives 

of the people. 

Also speaking during the 

meeting which was organized 

by the United Nations 

Development Programme, 

UNDP, in collaboration with the 

state government, 

Commissioner for Water 

Resources, Mr Fidelis Tilije, 

Atuekong Etiebet, who 

inaugurated the Strategy, 

Finance and Contact 

Committees of the party, 

condemned alleged rigging of 

past elections in the state but 

predicted victory for the APC in 

2019 because “the time of 

rigging has gone.” 

The APC National Vice 

Chairman (South-South Zone), 

Ntufam Hilliard Ettah, who 

inaugurated the caucus, stated 

that with the caucus in place, 

the party was well-positioned to 

win the state. 

HSE WEEK: Managing Director, NPDC, Mr. Yusuf Matashi (middle), flanked by Alli 

Uwaise, GM, Exploration; and Dr. Folake Ideas, GM, NNPC Medical, Benin, during the 

launching of NNPC Health and Safety Environment, HSE, Week, in Benin City. 

headquarters, I will come so that 

this programme can be 

extended.” 

Earlier, the founder and 

coordinator of the female 

mechanic initiative, Mrs. 

Sandra Aguebor, said she had 

been able to train and empower 

over 1,000 female mechanics in 

Nigeria since inception in five 

states, Lagos, Benin, Kaduna, 

Kano and Abuja. 

explained that the workshop 

was aimed at presenting current 

reports on the donor support 

programmes and projects being 

implemented in the state. 

Tilije said the state 

government had made 

payment of its counterpart fund, 

hence its qualification to benefit 

from the foreign donor 

agencies. 

The UNDP focal person in the 

state, Mrs. Patience Ogbewe, 

who highlighted the activities 

of the collaborating MDAs, said 

the partnership with the UNDP 

was necessary, insisting that 

“the state government alone 

cannot meet the development 

needs of the people.” 

FG commends 

NECA over 

implementation 

of ECA 

By Jonah 

Nwokpoku 

PORT 

HAR- 

COURT—THE 

Federal Government, 

through the Minister of 

Labour and Employment, 

Senator Chris Ngige, has 

commended efforts by 

Nigeria Employers’ 

Consultative Association, 

NECA, towards the 

successful implementation 

of the Employee 

Compensation Act, ECA. 

Ngige spoke in Port 

Harcourt, Rivers State, at 

the Nigeria Social 

Insurance Trust Fund, 

NSITF-NECA, Safe Work 

Intervention Project, SWIP, 

Awards. 

According to the minister, 

the drive for successful 

implementation of ECA 

would promote 

occupational health and 

safety in the workplace in 

Nigeria. 

He, however, appealed to 

NECA to do more in the 

area of coverage as many 

companies were yet to key 

into the scheme. 

Also speaking, Director 

General of NECA, Mr. 

Olusegun Oshinowo, 

stressed the need for 

collaboration among social 

partners and other 

stakeholders towards a 

successful implementation 

of ECA. 

Delta Varsity 

VC commends 

NYSC 

DELTA 

State 

University’s Vice 

Chancellor, Prof. Victor 

Peretomode, has 

commended National Youth 

Service Corps members in 

the country, especially those 

who leave their foot prints 

in the sands of time 

through humanitarian and 

community services in 

communities where they 

serve. 

Similarly, the Ovie of 

Oruarivie-Abraka, Uku 

Odjevworo Akpomeyoma 

Majoro, Ojeta II, also 

commended corps 

members who engage in 

social and community 

services in places of service. 

The VC and the royal 

father spoke separately at 

Abraka, Delta State, when 

Youth Corps members in 

the area on the aegis of 

“NYSC Foundation in 

Partnership with Post 

NYSC” rewarded 

deserving Nigerians who 

distinguished themselves 

in their areas.

34—Vanguard, THURSDAY,DECEMBER 1, 2016 


Operation Python Dance, another dimension 

of war against Ndigbo — MASSOB 

•It'll cripple S-East economy—Rights groups 

•As Uwazuruike laments arrest, detention of members by Army 

By Vincent Ujumadu, 

Chidi Nkwopara & Peter 

Okutu 

ABAKALIKI— 

THE 

Movement for the 

Actualization of the Sovereign 

State of Biafra, MASSOB, 

yesterday, described the military’s 

declaration of Operation Python 

Dance on Igbo soil as another 

dimension of war by the Buhariled 

administration against 

Ndigbo. 

According to the group, the 

action of the military also 

amounted to political declaration 

of state of emergency in South- 

East geopolitical zone. 

In a statement issued in 

Abakaliki by the National 

Director of Information of 

MASSOB, Comrade Samuel 

Edeson, the group alleged that 

the action of the military was 

intended to maim the people of 

Biafra and prevent them from 

returning home for the Christmas 

celebration. 

The statement read in part: “The 

leadership of the Movement for 

the Actualization of the Sovereign 

State of Biafra, MASSOB, after 

our National Executive meeting 

today at MASSOB headquarters, 

Okwe, Onuimo Local 

Government Area, which also 

coincided with first anniversary of 

the new leadership of MASSOB 

under our amiable leader, 

Comrade Uchenna Madu 

condemned in totality the recent 

declaration by Nigerian Army of 

Operation Python Dance in Biafra 

land. 

“The meeting which was 

presided over by our leader, 

Comrade Uchenna Madu at 

Okwe resolved as follows: "That 

Operation Python Dance is 

another dimension of prosecution 

of war by Buhari-led 

administration against Ndigbo. It 

also amounts to political 

declaration of state of emergency 

in South-East states. 

“That Army headquarters, with 

their ulterior negative motives, 

started this annihilating operation 

on November 27, without any 

public enlightenment and 

orientation in order to maim the 

people of Biafra. 

“That the primary target and 

reason of this operation is not 

against pro Biafra groups, as we 

have no public functions in this 

Christmas season. It is against the 

people of Biafra, mostly the Igbo 

during this Christmas period 

through intensive pressurized 

monetary extortion, harassment, 

mesmerization and secret/extra 

judicial killings of Ndigbo 

because of current Biafranization 

of Igboland and Ndigbo. 

“That Christmas season is a 

period of Igbo gathering with 

much concentration in Igboland, 

so to the military, it’s a fertile 

land and opportunity for 

creating fears/tensions among 

our people which they thought 

will derail the love, confidence 

and consciousness of Biafra. 

“That this is an extension of 

Buhari-led administration's 

forceful islamisation of Igboland 

through military fears and 

religious intimidation. This 

operation is also designed to 

demoralize the people of Biafra 

from returning home for 

Christmas celebration." 

Crippling S-East 

economy 

Similarly, the South-East 

Coalition of Human Rights 

Organizations has called for the 

dismantling of the newly 

established Operation Python 

Dance by the Nigerian Army in 

the South -East, arguing that the 

exercise would cripple and 

strangulate the social and 

economic activities in the zone. 

A statement issued by 10 

groups under the coalition said 

that apart from scaring investors 

away, the exercise would also 

chase away traders coming to 

patronize South-East economy, 

cripple leisure, recreation and 

other cultural activities, as well 

as turn the South-East roads into 

extortionist money-making 

arena by way of what they 

described as structured or 

organized and open ended 

extortion. 

Uwazuruike laments 

arrest, detention of 

members 

Meantime, the leader of Biafra 

Independence Movement, 

BIM, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, 

has decried the arrest and 

detention of six members of his 

group, who were on their way 

to Owerri, to attend the 

memorial celebration of Dim 

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu 

Ojukwu. 

Uwazuruike, who spoke 

through his Director of 

Information, Mazi Chris 

Mocha, gave the names of those 

under arrest as Usulor Luke, 

Ngede Emeka, Agbem 

Chukwuma, Martin Ejiofor, 

Theophilus Ononiba and 

Anslem Madu. 

COMMISSIONING: From left, Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr Ude Oko Chukwu; 

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; former Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore 

Orji; Managing Director, Abia Retail Mall, Mr. Chuka Okoye and Team Lead, Medium and 

Local Corporates, South-East, Ecobank Nigeria, Chinedum Jovita Okeahialam, during 

the commissioning of Abia Retail Mall –Shoprite in Umuahia, Abia State. 

Monarch drags Obiano, 3 others to court 

over certificate of recognition 

By Enyim Enyim 

AWKA — GOVERNOR 

Willie Obiano of Anambra 

State and three others have 

been dragged to court by one of 

the contenders, who is claiming 

the traditional stool of Awka Etiti 

community in Idemili South 

Local Government Area, Igwe 

Chuma Ojukwu, for allegedly 

issuing certificate of recognition 

to the second contenderh, 

Michael Ezeudenna. 

Others joined in the suit No. 

HID/ 297/2016 are the Attorney 

General and Commissioner for 

Justice of Anambra State; 

Commissioner for Local 

Government and Chieftaincy 

Matters and Mr Michael 

Chidozie Ezeudenna. 

Currently, there are two 

monarchs claiming the 

traditional stool of the 

community. While the first was 

coronated on November 5, 2016, 

the other was allegedly issued 

certificate of recognition. 

The plaintiff in the suit filed at 

a high court in Idemili by his 

lawyer, Mr Austin Arua, is 

praying the court to declare that: 

"He is the proper person to be 

issued the certificate of 

recognition by the first 

defendant as the Obi of Awka 

Etiti community. 

“ An order of court directing 

the first defendant to withdraw 

the certifficate of recognition 

issued to the fourth defendant 

on November 3, 2016 as the Obi 

of Awka Etiti community. 

“An order of court directing the 

first defendant to issue certificate 

of recognition to the plaintiff as 

Obi of Awka Etiti community. 

“A declaration that the 

constitution of the people of 

Awka Etiti 2004 is null and void 

for lack of endorsement by the 

appropriate authority.” 

The plaintiff avers that the 

traditional stool had been 

hereditary in his village, 

Nkolofia, while the other six 

villages produce the President 

General and Regent. 

He said there was a peace 

accord in the community in 1995 

which was enshrined in the 

1999 bye law of Awka Etiti/Obiin-Council 

and which was duly 

signed and implemented by the 

late Igwe Eze O. C. Ezenwa 

stipulating that the Igweship 

stool shall be hereditary in the 

Nkolofia village. 

The suit further stated that the 

purported 2004 constitution of 

the community being paraded 

by some members of the 

community and the President 

General was tailored towards 

causing problem in the 

community. 

Okorocha 

cancels MoU 

between oil 

companies, 

communities 

By Chinonso Alozie 

O 

W E R R I — 

FOLLOWING the 

cancellation of Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, entered 

into by oil companies operating 

in Imo State with their host 

communities, henceforth such 

MoU will not be considered 

relevant without the approval of 

the state government. 

According to a release issued 

yesterday in Owerri by 

Governor Rochas Okorocha’s 

Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sam 

Onwuemeodo, it was the view 

of the government that the 

leaders in the oil communities 

have used the MoU to 

impoverish and deny their 

people whatever were due to 

them. 

The release stated: “Their 

leaders have been shortchanging 

them with such 

Memorandum 

of 

Understanding by collaborating 

with the oil companies in 

question and taking the laws 

into their hands." 

Umahi presents 

N127bn budget 

for 2017 

By Peter Okutu 

A BAKALIKI— 

GOVERNOR David 

Umahi of Ebonyi State, 

yesterday, presented to the state 

House of Assembly, the 

appropriation bill of 

N127,233,074,419 for 2017 fiscal 

year. 

The bill tagged "Budget of 

inclusive growth and poverty 

reduction in economic 

recession" set aside 

N87,061,505,780 for capital 

expenditure, representing 68.43 

per cent of the budget outlay 

while N40. 171 billion was set 

aside for recurrent expenditure, 

being 31.57 per cent of the total 

estimate. 

The total estimate of 

N127,233,074,519 is slightly 

above that of 2016 which was 

N101.1 billion. 

The economic sector got 

N57,078,912,530 billion, the 

largest chunk of the capital 

estimate of which the governor 

said was with the basic aim of 

continuing its efforts in tackling 

challenges in roads, water, 

electricity, agriculture, 

education, commerce and 

industrial sectors. 

The social sector got a total of 

N14.039 billion with the 

administration sector having 

N9.9 billion.



Benue'll outlaw open grazing—Speaker 

By Peter Duru 

MAKURDI—BENUE State 

government will, this 

month, outlaw open grazing in 

any part of the state to stem 

unending herdsmen/farmers 

crisis. 

Speaker of the state House of 

Assembly, Mr. Terkimbi 

Ikyange, gave the indication 

yesterday when he hosted the 

leadership of the Movement 

Against Fulani Occupation, 

MAFO, in Makurdi. 

Ikyange, who said the 

House took into account the 

agitation of MAFO while 

deliberating on the Anti- 

Open Grazing Bill before the 

House, explained that the 

decision to ban open grazing 

in the state was in line with 

global practice. 

According to him, “the law 

will be passed before the end 

of December because even in 

countries where beef 

production is the main stay of 

the economy, cattle are 

confined in ranches. We, 

therefore, have no reason not 

to have such in Benue State.” 

Earlier, leader of the 

delegation, Rev. Father 

Solomon Ukeyima, lamented 

that he had lost many of his 

parishioners to the incessant 

herdsmen/farmers crisis, 

adding that Federal 

Government had failed to 

protect vulnerable farmers 

from the activities of marauding 

herdsmen in the state. 

VISIT: From left— Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Ibrahim 

Danbaba; MultiChoice Nigeria Managing Director, John Ugbe; Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Suleiman 

Adokwe, and Senator Dino Melaye, during an oversight visit by the committee to MultiChoice Studios and facilities. 

Communities liberated from Boko Haram 

suffering humanitarian crisis —UN 

THE United Nations has said 

that there is humanitarian 

crisis in the 16 local government 

areas liberated from Boko 

Haram terrorists in the North- 

East. 

The immediate past UN 

Deputy Humanitarian 

Coordinator in Nigeria, 

Mohamed Safieldin, who noted 

that he made on-the-spot 

assessment of some of the 

liberated local governments, 

including Bama, Damboa, 

Monguno, Konduga, Dikwa, 

Gwoza, Pulka, and Banki, said: 

“You cannot imagine the level 

of physical destruction of all the 

basic facilities such as hospitals, 

water supply system, schools 

and the homes of the individual 

poor people. 

“It is a real humanitarian crisis 

in terms of the number and 

availability of humanitarian aid 

at the moment.” 

He added that no fewer than 

30,000 metric tonnes of food was 

required monthly to feed the 

internally-displaced persons, 

IDPs, caused by the Boko 

Haram insurgency. 

He lamented that the monthly 

requirement was currently not 

being met. 

“The available humanitarian 

aid at the moment is 

inadequate, whether it is 

coming from the government or 

the international community,” 

he added. 

He said IDPs living in formal 

camps in Maiduguri 

represented only 10 per cent 

of the population adding that 

90 per cent of them live in 

By Ndahi Marama 

M AIDUGURI— 

CHAIRMAN of 

Forum of Christian 

Communities in Damboa 

Local Government Area of 

Borno State, Simon Ularju, 

has decried the 

“marginalisation and total 

neglect of communities by 

state and local governments 

in ongoing reconstruction of 

houses and churches burnt by 

By Marie-Therese 

Nanlong 

JOS—MEDICAL personnel 

have raised concern over 

the prevalence of diabetes, 

high blood pressure, HIV, 

malaria, hepatitis B and C in 

rural communities in southern 

zone of Plateau State. 

The medical personnel 

discovered the prevalence of 

the diseases while attending 

host communities. 

“About 90 per cent of the IDPs 

live in host communities in 

Maiduguri and other urban 

Experts raise alarm over high 

rate of diabetes, BP in Plateau 

to over 5,000 rural dwellers in 

communities across Qua’an 

Pan Local council, when the 

Tina Bawa Foundation 

organised a five-day free 

medical outreach in the area. 

The patients, who cannot 

afford medical care due to 

absence of functional 

healthcare facilities in the 

locality, took advantage of the 

outreach geared towards 

alleviating the health 

and rural areas and they have 

been suffering— they do not 

have enough food, medical 

care and shelter.” 

... as Borno Christian communities allege 

marginalisation on reconstruction projects 

Boko Haram.” 

He said no fewer than 10 

Christian communities have 

been left behind in the 

reconstruction efforts. 

Governor Kashim Shettima 

had set up a committee for 

reconstruction of churches 

razed by insurgents in 

southern parts of the states, 

which is predominantly 

Christian. 

Ularju, who led other 

members of the forum on a visit 

to the state Chairman of 

Christian Association of 

Nigeria, CAN, Bishop 

Mohammed Naga, in Maiduguri 

yesterday, said: “Kopchi, 

Izgeki, Kauji, Bdagu, Yazza, 

Shawa, Kuburvu, Kwanjilari 

and other villages on the 

fringes of Sambisa Forest, 

where their churches and 

residential houses were all 

razed, were not part of the list 

of communities to benefit from 

the reconstruction efforts.” 

challenges of the people. 

Speaking with journalists, 

the team leader and a Public 

Health Physician, Dr. Jennifer 

Eze, said most of the ailments 

diagnosed were due to lack 

basic healthcare and clean 

drinking water, adding: 

“These diseases result from 

the lack of adequate water 

supply for the communities to 

use. They drink from any 

source of water.” 

FG distributes 

smartphones 

with agric app 

to rice farmers 

By Boluwaji Obahopo 

LOKOJA—THE Federal 

Government, yesterday, 

flagged off the distribution 

of agriculture app 

smartphones to rice farmers 

across the country. 

The RICEADVICE 

smartphones distribution, 

which was done through 

the National Cereals 

Research Institute, NCRI, 

commenced with the 

training of 50 rice farmers 

extension officers on how to 

use the smartphones to 

obtain relevant information 

to boost rice production in 

the country. 

The training programme 

drew participants from six 

pilot states of Kogi, 

Nasarawa, Kano, Ebonyi, 

Kebbi and Niger, where 

rice is being produced with 

comparative advantage. 

Speaking at the event in 

Lokoja, Kogi State, Acting 

Executive Director of NCRI, 

Agboire Samuel, said the 

gesture was part of the 

Federal Government’s 

policy aimed at scaling up 

rice production in the 

country to meet both local 

and export demands. 

Jigawa 

disburses 

N278m to 

pensioners 

By Aliyu Dangida 

D UTSE—JIGAWA 

State’s local 

government contributory 

pension scheme has paid 

over N278.2 million to all 

categories of pensioners in 

the state. 

Executive Secretary of the 

Board, Mr. Suleiman 

Kiyawa, disclosed this to 

newsmen in Dutse. He said 

the N278.2 million for the 

month of October was paid 

to all categories of 

pensioners, including the 

126 that completed their 35 

years of service or 60 years 

of age, who were paid 

N206.2 million. 

He said: “The second 

category was those that 

could not fulfill the 

requirement to be paid full 

benefits, as it is required 

that each worker must 

contribute eight per cent of 

his salary for the period of 

five years. So in this case, 

it was only one person who 

received N153,000.” 

He explained that the 

third category comprised 

those that died on active 

service, whose next of kin 

had to be paid.


NOT IN MY COUNTRY: From left— CEO, Akin Fadeyi 

Foundation, Mr. Akin Fadeyi; actor and academic, Mr. Afeez Oyetoro, alias 

Saka; Principal, Mrs Tola Santos-Anjorin; Head Boy, Tobilola Salami, both of 

Lagos Progressive Junior Secondary School, Surulere; actor, Kelechi Udegbe, 

alias Officer Titus, and another student, Opeseyi Ademola, during the anticorruption 

capacity-building programme for students of 10 secondary schools 

in Surulere, Lagos, organised by Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Covener of the 

Not in My Country campaign, in Lagos. PHOTO: Lamidi Bamidele. 

MENTORSHIP: Model, Jumoke Orisaguna (middle); actress, 

Prowess Chukkas, of Just the Two of Us (5th right); Founder, Beyond the 

Classroom Foundation, Raquel Jacobs (5th left), and students from Tunyo 

Comprehensive College, Fortlad Private School and Royal Kriston College 

at a mentorship programme in Mushin, Lagos, organised by Mademoiselle 

Foundation to raise vision-driven females and build the largest network of 

successful young females. 

STAR TREK: From left— Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries, NB, 

Plc, Franco Maggi; music star, Tiwa Savage; Portfolio Manager, National Premium, 

Tokunbo Adodo; Corporate Affairs Adviser, Kufre Ekanem, both of NB Plc, at 

the finale of Star Music 2016 in Surulere, Lagos. 

STAR TREK: From left— Brand Ambassador, Life Continental Beer, 

Flavour; Chima Ruby, one of the lucky winners of the Life Progress Booster 

show in Onitsha, and Assistant Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, 

NB Plc, Mr. Akinola Josiah Olufemi, during the presentation of N250,000 

cheque to Ruby. 

POWER OIL HEALTH: From left— National Youth Service Corps, 

NYSC, Lagos State Camp Director, Akhamie Priscilla; Public Relations Manager, 

Power Oil, Omotayo Azeez; NYSC member, Anetor Paul, and Medical Consultant, 

Dr. Gbolahan Diya, during the Power Oil Health Camp Activity at Lagos State 

NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos. PHOTO: Akeem Salau. 

EXHIBITION: From left— Director of Arts, Nigeria-British Council, 

Ojoma Ochai; Yinka Shonibare; Creative Director, The Life House, Ugoma 

Adegoke, and Country Director, Nigeria-British Council, Connie Price, at the 

Wind Sculpture VI exhibition at Ndubuisi Kanu Park, Lagos. 

LAUNCH: From left— Business/IT Manager, KingsOaks Technology 

Limited, Adewale Olusegun; Sales Coordinator, Jokogbola Olawunmi; CEO, 

Engr. Anthony Ajayi; Systems Analyst, Nyong Edidiong, and Chief Sales/ 

Marketing Officer, Sonny Uwadia, at the official launch of KingsOaks Technology 

Limited at Yaba, Lagos. 

PUBLIC SERVICE GAMES: From left— General Secretary, Team 

FAAN, Mr. Adeleye Taiwo; Treasurer, Federation of Public Service Games, 

FEPSGA, Mr. Musa Abubakar; National President, FEPSGA, Mallam Dahiru 

Hassan; National Secretary-General, FEPSGA, Omowunmi Ayodeji; Captain, 

Ali Mukhtar Dambatta; and Manager Egbaiyelo Olushola, both of Team FAAN, 

during the games at Rwangpam Township Stadium, Jos, Plateau State.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 — 37 

Tare Youdeowei & 

Elizabeth Uwandu 

From observation, one would 

notice that there are fewer 

females in engineering, as well as 

a good number of science courses 

in higher instituions, and in the 

world of work, when compared with 

other courses and professions. 

Some people believe that the reason 

for the conspicuous low population 

of the female gender in the 

field, is because of the long duration 

of some science courses like 

engineering, medicine, etc. They 

added that calculations in mathematics, 

physics and chemistry deter 

them. Another quarter says it is 

because a lot of people believe 

some fields are for men while some 

others are for women. They blame 

the physical energy required to 

execute the jobs, for the few number 

of women in them. One of such 

is construction engineering. 

Vanguard Learning sought the 

reaction of a cross section of Nigerians 

on the cause of the low number 

of females in sciences. 

Fear of calculations: According 

to Ikechukwu Echefu, a graduate 

of chemical engineering, Federal 

University of Technology Owerri, 

the fear of calculations is one 

major reason why there few females 

in sciences. “The ratio of 

males to females in my undergraduate 

days was120 to 30. Girls are 

few because they are mostly scared 

of calculations, especially calculations 

that involve mathematics.” 

Debunking the claims that there 

are few females in sciences, Tata 

Agomate, a graduate of Public 

Health, University of Port Harcourt, 

said that it is erroneous to say that 

few females ply the science route. 

The Nurse who spoke on her field 

of study said; “I don't really think 

that there are fewer females than 

males in sciences. In my class at 

UNIPORT, we were 98 in number; 

86 females and 12 males. So, females 

do sciences like their male 

counterparts.” 

•Cross section of new students taking their matriculation oath at Babcock University, Ogun State. 

Why there are few females in 

engineering 

Gender bias parents: A doctor 

from one of the faculties of education 

in one of the state owned 

universities who wishes to be simply 

known as Chidalu, said; “The 

scarcity of females in engineering 

has nothing to do with the course, 

it is a situation which stems from 

the home front. This means that the 

orientation that certain courses are 

for boys while others are for girls, 

is the crux of the problem. It is a 

gross gender bias that has affected 

the system. 

“Basically it is an age long fallacy. 

If the parents are not the obsatcle, 

if they are supportive or worse, 

non challant, and a girl does engineering 

or a boy does home economics, 

the classmates, who are 

misled and ecohing the ignorant 

idealogies of their parents, will 

make them a laughing stock. 

Meanwhile there are boys that cannot 

cope in engineering or sciences 

and their parents, particularly 

fathers, will keep pressuring 

them saying; 'Don't be a disgrace, 

what is food and nut, what 

is home econmics, what is nursing? 

You must not be a disgrace 

to this family' they will say. Completely 

disregarding the desires 

of the boy. So it is not a problem 

that only girls face. 

Hidden beauty: “Recently, 

a young lady I know became a 

pilot, she was formerly a runner-up 

in one of these beauty 

pageants at a school, as well as 

a nurse. While I was happy for 

her my friend with me asked 

'why would a fine girl like that 

go and waste her beauty in a 

cockpit, people will not get to 

see her beauty.' I was shocked. 

As it is, people like that are least 

likely to let their daughters become 

engineers because they 

probably feel construction or calculations 

or going to construction 

sites is too streaneous for 

girls. 

“The solution is to encourage 

the girl child. Parents with female 

children should encourage 

their daughters to be anything 

they want to be. First of all, let 

her identify her desires and interests 

herself. It doesn't matter 

if they are more than one or four 

in number, just encourge her, 

she will gradually select one or 

all of them and become a success." 

On the home front: In the 

same vein Mrs. Yemisi Alatise, 

the first African International 

Inner Wheel President for the 

year 2016/2017 said; “It starts 

The orientation 

that certain 

courses are for 

boys while others 

are for girls, is 

the crux of the 

problem. It is a 

gross gender bias 

that has affected 

the system 

jects, they tell the girl to go for 

Home Economics while the boys 

go for Technical drawing. They 

don’t allow the children to show 

their line of brilliance or interest.” 

Proferring a solution Alatise continued; 

“We all have roles to play. 

Both mothers and teachers need 

to change their orientation on 

what a girl should do and otherwise. 

We all really need to change 

from the home. There is the saying; 

push the boy and pamper the 

girl. That presupposes that the 

girl is weak, she has no strength, 

she cannot do heavy work, without 

allowing her to even try. Why 

not push her too and see how far 

her strength can take her. Even 

in the home we tend to separate 

what boys can do from what girls 

can do. Mothers too need to know 

that boys and girls should be treated 

as equals. There are some 

homes that you don’t find the boys 

in the kitchen. Meanwhile in 

some others everyone goes into 

the kitchen. When it comes to subour 

orientation; girls are not 

weaker than boys, allow her to 

display her strength or weakness 

herself, because there are some 

girls that are stronger than boys. 

Change of orientation: 

“Pampering the girl and pushing 

the boy is not good for us, because 

the moment you start pampering 

the girl you are telling her she is 

weaker than the boy from home. 

When she eventually gets into the 

world, she wouldn’t know how to 

push so she would be pushed 

aside, instead of fighting for herself 

or standing her ground in the 

society. In the Bible and Quran 

man was first created by God, but 

that does not mean her interlect 

is lower. Girls should be encouraged 

to take more science subjects. 

Girls should be encouraged 

to exercise their dreams. An average 

girl is more brilliant than a 

boy.” 

Respect for hardwork: Jessica 

Edos, as she wishes to be 

known, is a construction engineer 

and she speaks of her ordeal in 

school and on the field. “In my 

school there were just four girls 

in a class of 70. At first we felt out 

numbered but results quickly 

stood us out. The boys began to 

respect us and outside the faculty 

they don't joke with us, they 

protect us in a way. At a time I felt 

like a kingpin with thugs. I enjoyed 

my time in school because 

I never felt disadvantaged simply 

because am a girl. 

“In the world of work, school 

had already made me tough, it 

was a walkover. Those that wanted 

to push me over, those that 

wanted to treat me with kid 

gloves, even those that underestimated 

me, I proved myself 

through my work, now they all 

respect me. 

"Home was easy, my mum is like 

a soldier, she taught me not to see 

myself as weak or less than a 

man. However, till tomorrow, she 

never disrespects my father. They 

always encouraged me. 

Societal restrictions: "I think 

girls are few, because besides 

their parents not being supportive, 

they are also worried about 

what people will say. They also 

let the societal construction of 

what females should do define 

them, this should not be so. There 

is no law that says nurses must 

be women and engineers must 

be men. There is no special organ 

or part of the body that an 

engineer must have, hence it is 

open to all.” 

Nosa Daniel, from the faculty of 

engineering, university of benin, 

had six girls in his class. He talks 

about them thus; “They were very 

competitive and serious, maybe 

because they were few and had 

to stick together.They were very 

intelligient and sharp. We respected 

and even admired them. 

With them, I told myself I will 

encourage my girl child to go into 

sciences or to become the first 

Nigerian astronaut . Though my 

people are generally conservative 

about roles girls can play in the 

society, those girls were an eye 

opener for me. Besides my mum 

that sells food to train us, which 

is a common female job, those ladies 

made me have renewed respect 

for women."


By Queen Ndukwe 

Students have been 

advised on how to 

discover and nurture their 

abilities, talents and areas 

of interests, in order to take 

advantage of their chosen 

careers in future. 

Mrs. Clementine Vervelde, 

the Project Champion 

of Beyond the School initiative, 

sponsored by the Nigerian 

Breweries/Felix 

Ohiwerei Education Trust 

Fund, told participating students 

in Lagos on Friday to 

believe in themselves and 

stand up boldly to challenges 

they might encounter on 

their career path. 

“The knowledge you now 

have will help you find disciplines 

that you are passionate 

about. You also have 

to develop the skills needed 

to succeed in those disciplines. 

This programme is 

about enlightenment for 

your career and your future. 

After all you have learnt today, 

you should be able to 

sit down and think of where 

you want to be in the next 

few years. The power lies 

in your hands,” she said. 

According to Mrs. 

Vervelde, the “Beyond the 

School”initiativeprogramme 

is a career guidance initiative 

designed to enlighten 

and expose secondary 

school students to career 

options and how best they 

can focus their learning to 

Youth empowerment in coding, technology will 

boost national economy-- Sterling Bank 

By Dayo Adesulu 

Head, 

Branding 

Strategy and 

Communications, Sterling 

Bank, Mrs Olateju 

Ibekwe,has charged 

government and corporate 

organizations to invest 

massively in youths 

empowerment, especially 

in the area of coding and 

technology. 

She said: "Coding and 

technology are the future 

of not just Nigeria but the 

world." Adding, this is 

obvious from various 

inventions and 

innovations that we have 

seen from facebook 

twitter, instalgram and 

other social media. 

“According to her, 

coding technology is 

actually the next cash cow, 

stressing that any economy 

that believes it wants to 

grow, must also believe 

that code, technology is the 

future of not just Nigeria but 

the world. 

Ibekwe who spoke with 

journalists during Sterling 

Bank sponsorship 

programme of the Lagos 

State training coding 

programme for one 

hundred students held at 

Lekki said; "Any economy 

that believes it wants to 

Talents, career development needed 

for students' success — Vervelde 

make it more relevant to desired future 

careers. The initiative, she said, 

also seeks to develop a healthy reading 

culture among students. 

Speaking earlier, the Corporate 

Affairs Adviser of Nigerian Breweries, 

Mr. Kufre Ekanem noted that 

the initiative has been introduced to 

complement other initiatives of the 

company targeted at the education 

sector. He counseled students to 

work hard at their academics in spite 

of the economic challenges confronting 

them and the nation at large. 

The initiative, according to him, is 

designed for senior secondary school 

students in public schools to expose 

them to career options and factors 

they need to consider before makgrow 

sustainably and is not 

focusing on technology has not 

even started. "“She said the coding 

programme which ran for eleven 

weeks was aimed at empowering 

the youths to make them self 

reliant." 

At Sterling Bank, we believe that 

we are to be committed to ensuring 

that this economy grows. One of the 

ways to do this, is to invest in 

education of what can take Nigeria 

from where it is to where it ought to 

be in the comity of nations," she 

said. 

We believe that education is the 

A W ARD: 

From Left; 

Godwin 

Daniel; Eric 

Moore Senior 

High School 

(1st position) 

receiving his 

prize from 

M r s . 

Clemetine 

Vervelde, 

Project 

Champion, 

Beyond the 

S c h o o l 

Initiative at the 

2016 Beyond 

the School 

Programme in 

Lagos. 

ing a career choice. He added that 

the initiative alsounderpins the importance 

of reading in career goal 

achievement. 

Mr. Ekanem informed the gathering 

that on November 16, 2016, Nigerian 

Breweries celebrated 70 years 

as a business and noted that education 

remains a major vehicle the company 

uses to keep its commitment to 

the course of development in Nigeria. 

“We believe our youth and teenagers 

have major roles to play in national 

development and that education, 

which remains the cornerstone 

of any meaningful and sustainable 

development, is a sure way to prepare 

our future leaders in playing 

their roles,” he said. 

bedrock of any society, education 

is one of the fulcrums of our 

corporate citizenship at Sterling 

Bank and this has been our priority 

for about a decade. 

She said: "We say Nigeria is the 

giant of Africa. For us to sustainably 

be the giant of Africa, we have to 

invest in key sectors that can ensure 

that we are not just giant of Africa 

today,but tomorrow.“" Our 

sponsorship and partnership are 

prioritisation of programming skills 

for the youth of the country and this 

great nation. We have invested in this 

and this is just one of the few. 

AWARD:From left, John Chukwujem Aigbogun, Attorny General 

SUG,UNIBEN;Mr George Paul Osondu,Operations/Business Development 

Manager,Oracle Experience Ltd;Miss Lauretta Oyemwenosa 

Obakpolo,President SUG,UNIBEN and Jatto John Ovie,Secretary 

General,SUG UNIBEN during the official presentation of Award of 

Recognition to Paul Osondu in Lagos. Photo;Akeem Salau. 

Corps members tasked on business 

management of products 


The National Youth Service 

Corps, NYSC,Ogun State 

Coordinator, Mr Afolayan Adeola 

James has charged corps 

members to go into business 

management component of their 

products, adding that acquiring 

the skills is not enough. 

Afolayan who spoke during the 

formal opening of 2016 Batch ‘B’ 

Stream I orientation camp at 

Sagamu said: “Acquiring skills is 

not enough, we have also gone 

into business management 

component of it.” 

According to him, NYSC 

management has exposed the 

corps members to business 

management so that when they 

take loans the businesses will not 

die. 

He lauded the federal 

government for making funds 

available through the Central 

Bank and the Bank of Industry to 

the corps members, adding that 

by the time they complete their 

national service, they don’t expect 

any of them to be job seekers but 

FG, experts set to review teaching of 

Civic Education 

By Omeiza Ajayi 

ABUJA The federal govern 

ment has stressed the need 

for a review of the civic education 

curriculum with a view to enhancing 

its teaching and learning outcome. 

Minister of Education, Adamu 

Adamu stated this on Thursday 

in Abuja at the launch of the 

project, Promoting Quality Civic 

Education in the Country, spearheaded 

by Riplington and Associates, 

an informative training, 

advocacy, research and policy organization. 

"The project is indeed a welcome 

development for there is a 

need to review the teaching of civic 

as a separate subject in our 

schools. 

"The infusion of civic education 

into the curricula of primary and 

secondary schools is aimed at 

preparing our young people to 

be effective citizens in a democracy 

by developing democratic 

and civic values. It is to ensure 

that the young people are adequately 

equipped with knowledge 

and skills that would enable 

CSS is acquiring new knowledge— Principal 

By Kelechukwu Iruoma 

The Principal, Corona Second 

ary School, Agbara, Mrs Adeyoyin 

Adesina has disclosed that the 

school is acquiring new knowledge 

by adopting New England Association 

of Schools and Colleges accreditation 

process. 

Speaking during Corona Secondary 

School's reward of outstanding 

teachers and students whose rigorous 

efforts helped to ensure successes 

recorded in the past, she said that 

the accreditation validates school 

and instructional improvement. 

She explained, “The process is an 

ongoing exercise towards which we 

are reviewing and redefining our 

policies and processes. We remain 

job creators. 

He said: “In their various 

communities, we expect them to 

be able to mentor twelve-out-ofschool 

youths. The skills 

acquisition should not stop with 

them alone but to be a point of 

contact to other youths in their 

communities. 

“We urge those patronizing 

foreign goods to patronize our 

corps members. A products 

produced by ex- corps members 

are ofn high quality. This is 

because they are graduates with 

high taste, they will not produce 

substandard materials. 

Also speaking, the Governor of 

Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle 

Amosun represented by 

Commissioner for Youth and 

Sports, Mr Afolabi Afuwape 

reiterated the state's commitment 

to ensure security of corps 

members, adding, “we are 

committed to providing an 

enabling environment for the 

success of the NYSC programme 

and also provide for the safety and 

welfare of corps members.” 

them exercise their civic rights", 

he said. Adamu also stated that 

the time has come for a publicprivate 

partnership in funding of 

education, saying government 

alone cannot adequately fund 

the sector." Adamu said. 

Education Specialist and Director, 

Ripling and Associates, Abiola 

Sanusi lamented that though 

civic education is designed to prepare 

young people to be citizens 

in a democracy, the objective has 

not been met. 

According to her, "the broad objective 

of this project is to conduct 

a holistic and comprehensive review 

of civic education strategy 

and its implementation in primary 

and secondary schools; and to 

also examine the current slide in 

civic education implementation in 

primary and secondary schools 

"To assess the overall quality of 

civic education curriculum and 

the teachers responsible in teaching 

civic education; and to produce 

a policy paper and report 

on the importance of civic education 

for schools, general public 

and national development". 

committed to the overall well-being 

of each and every child, hence 

our resolve to create the best possible 

environment in which they 

can thrive.” 

Mrs. Adesina stated that the ceremony 

was aimed at rewarding 

dedicated teachers and students 

whose role in the total development 

of the child remains invaluable, indispensable 

and the sacrifice they 

made in assuring for a better tomorrow. 

Speaking in same vein, an educational 

consultant and Chief Executive 

Officer of Life Imprint, Mr. 

Kelechi Anyalechi said that Nigerian 

students need new information 

and knowledge in order to excel in 

today's dynamic world.

THE BLESSING OF NATURAL RESOURCE ENDOWMENT 

AND THE CURSE OF CORRUPT LEADERSHIP: 

Critical Perspectives on Nigeria's State 

of Underdevelopment 

By Femi Falana 

continues from last week 

To repay the loans and fund 

the budget the military dictators 

introduced austerity measures. 

The profligacy of the political 

class in the second republic 

led to the promulgation of 

the Economic Stabilization Act by 

the Shehu Shagari administration. 

As the civilian wing of the 

ruling class could not implement 

the harsh economic programs of 

imperialism the military returned 

to power in December 

1983. 

Buhari/Idiagbon junta: But 

as the Buhari/Idiagbon junta resisted 

the takeover of the economy 

by imperialism a palace coup 

led by General Ibrahim Babangida 

was executed. Three years 

later, the IMF/WB engineered the 

imposition of the Structural Adjustment 

Program on the nation. 

With the ruination of the economy 

by SAP the Sani Abacha junta 

came up with vision 2010 while 

the Olusegun Obasanjo administration 

opted for NEEDS. 

However, each of the economic 

programmes has enriched a few 

at the expense of the majority of 

the people. Having failed to invest 

the oil wealth in the years of 

abundance the governments are 

now broke. The Buhari administration 

has blamed the economic 

crisis plaguing the nation on the 

fall in the price of crude oil and 

the looting of the treasury by the 

PDP government. Since these are 

manifestations of the pseudo capitalist 

system operated in Nigeria 

we do not share the baseless 

optimism of the federal government. 

Oil revenue sharing: In any 

case economic recession has always 

been with the poor in Ni- 

geria. The Constitution 

has not helped 

matters. Section 162 

thereof provides for 

the sharing of the oil 

revenue without imposing 

any duty on 

the governments to 

invest such revenue 

in infrastructural development. 

Resource 

Blessing and Its Perversion 

Oil, gas, solid 

minerals and other 

natural resource 

that Nigeria precariously 

depends upon 

are non-renewable. 

This is an indisputable 

geological fact. 

Yet it is frightening 

listening to our economic 

managers discussing the 

nation’s economic debacle with oil 

as the first and last words. 

Economic management has 

been reduced to monthly sharing 

of revenues accruing to the 

federation account. You then wonder 

if Nigeria will disappear from 

the world map if a geological accident 

happens tomorrow morning 

and the crude oil deposits 

vanish. Indeed, all of us have 

cause to worry about the socioeconomic 

(and by implication the 

Nigeria even 

lacks the capacity 

to determine 

precisely how 

much of the 

crude stuff is 

extracted by the 

oil companies, 

which exclusively 

own the requisite 

technology 

of exploration 

and drilling 

•Femi Falana 

political) future of Nigeria. Yet 

the bitter truth is that the oil 

wells would be exhausted one 

day. Maybe this eventuality will 

happen in the next three decades. 

Meanwhile, Nigeria even lacks 

the capacity to determine precisely 

how much of the crude stuff is 

extracted by the oil companies, 

which exclusively own the requisite 

technology of exploration 

and drilling. Nigeria is also reportedly 

lacking in even the 

meters to gauge the oilrigs. So 

the prognosis for the future is 

scary given the current trend of 

killing corruption and abysmal 

lack of planning. You would even 

be more disgusted when you 

compare the giant of Africa, Nigeria, 

and Mauritius, a small island 

off the east coast of Africa. 

Social safety net: Mauritius 

has no mineral resource. But education 

is free up to the university 

level. There is free healthcare 

for all including free heart surgery. 

Transportation is free for all 

children. About 87% of the people 

own their homes. The nation 


places a high premium on the 

social safety net. It is remarkable, 

that former Chief Economist 

of the World Bank and Nobel 

Laureate in Economics, Professor 

Joseph Stiglitz, has recommended 

the “ Mauritius Miracle” 

to other countries including 

the United States and nations 

of Europe. 

About 51 countries have been 

identified by experts as natural 

resource –rich. Ironically, some of 

these resource-endowed countries 

are among the poorest on 

earth in which basic needs of the 

people are not met due to gross 

economic mismanagement. They 

are susceptible to the curse of oil, 

gas, gold, bauxite, copper, uranium 

etc. 

Visionary leadership: Nigeria 

is prominent in the inglorious 

list of nations chronically afflicted 

by the resource curse. But 

let us look at the highly inspiring 

exceptions of two small countries 

in Africa, one is rich in diamonds 

with other minerals and 

the other has some oil deposits. 

Botswana is rich in diamonds, 

cobalt, copper and other minerals. 

As a matter of socio-economic 

planning and law, revenue from 

the exploitation of natural resource 

is devoted to capital expenditures. 

Expenditures on education and 

health are included in the capital 

budget because they are regarded 

as human capital investments. 

The example of Botswana has 

proved that natural resources 

need not be a curse in a country 

where planning and visionary 

leadership are in place. 

The second example is the oilproducing 

Sao Tome and Principe. 

The country’s Prime Minister 

Patrice Emery Trovoada spoke 

at a forum here in Nigeria last 

year where he proudly declared 

that revenues from oil could only 

be “a bonus” to the budget as the 

country relies principally on ag- 

To be continued. 

Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) 

convocation lecture 

delivered at Oduduwa 

University. 

Quadlife 

NUC approves 

M.Sc, 

postgraduate 

programmes at 

Oduduwa a var 

arsity 

sity 


It was double joy for the pres 

ident and the management 

of the Oduduwa 

University, Ipetumodu (OUI), 

Osun State, when the institution 

held its 4th convocation ceremony. 

Two days before the convocation, 

the National University 

Commission had approved M.Sc 

and postgraduate programmes 

for the institution in Accounting, 

Business Administration and 

MBA programme. When the 

president of the institution, Dr. 

Ramon Adedoyin announced to 

the capacity filled hall of the institution, 

it was jubilation galore, 

especially among the 293 graduates 

from the two colleges of 

Management and Social Sciences 

and the AdedoyiCollege of 

Science and Technology. 

The institution had cause to 

celebrate, though now fully licensed 

as a private university, 

OUI was granted provisional operational 

license by the Federal 

Government of Nigeria on 3rd 

November 2009 and the academic 

work started in full swing 

on January 10 2010 with two 

colleges, including the College of 

Natural and Applied Science 

now Ramon Adedoyin College 

of Science and Technology and 

the College of Management and 

Social Sciences, and eight years 

on, it has become a success story. 

As at today, all the courses in 

the institution have been accredited 

by the NUC. 

With a total student population 

of 4000, the institution will soon 

expand its programmes to include 

Law, Education, Theatre 

Arts, Nursing and Basic Medical 

Sciences. 

At the ceremony were, 

the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, 

Ojaja III, the Pro-Chancellor 

of the institution, Professor 

Muibi Opeloye, among others.

40– VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

Final moments of crashed 

soccer plane, victims 

•Plane was running out of fuel 

THE pilot of a LAMIA 

Airlines plane that 

crashed in Colombia, 

virtually wiping out a 

Brazilian soccer team, had 

radioed that he was 

running out of fuel and 

needed to make an 

emergency landing, 

according to the co-pilot of 

another plane in the area. 

The crash on Monday 

night killed 71 people. Six 

survived, including just 

three members of the 

Chapecoense soccer 

squad en route to the 

biggest game in their 

history, the Copa 

Sudamericana final. 

Avianca co-pilot Juan 

Sebastian Upegui said in 

a chat message with 

friends that the LAMIA 

pilot told the control tower 

at the airport in Medellin 

that he was in trouble. 

Priority had already 

been given to a plane 

from airline VivaColombia, 

which had also 

reported problems, 

Upegui said. Reuters 

confirmed the audio 

message, which local 

media played on 

Wednesday, was from 

Upegui. 

After reporting being 

low on fuel, the LAMIA 

pilot then said he was 

experiencing electrical 

difficulties before the radio 

went silent. 

“Mayday mayday ... 

Help us get to the runway 

... Help, help,” Upegui 

described the pilot as 

saying. “Then it ended ... 

We all started to cry.” 

The BAe 146, made by 

BAE Systems Plc, slammed 

into a mountainside. 

Besides the three players, 

a journalist and two crew 

members survived. 

One survivor, Bolivian 

flight technician Erwin 

Tumiri, said he only saved 

himself by strict adherence 

to security procedure, 

while others panicked. 

CIA chief cautions Trump against 

scrapping US-Iran deal 

THE director of the CIA 

has warned US 

President-elect Donald 

Trump that ending the 

Iran nuclear deal would 

be disastrous and the 

height of folly. 

This came as Trump 

announced he would 

leave his business empire 

to focus on the presidency 

and avoid perceived 

conflicts of interest. 

In an interview, John 

Brennan also advised the 

new president to be wary 

of Russia’s promises, 

blaming Moscow for 

much of the suffering in 

Syria. 

In his campaign, Mr 

Trump threatened to 

Cubans line streets as Fidel 

Castro’s ashes begin journey 

SURROUNDED 

by 

white roses and drawn 

by a green military jeep, 

Fidel Castro’s ashes began 

a more than 500-mile (800- 

kilometer) journey on 

Wednesday across the 

country he ruled for nearly 

50 years. Just after 7 a.m, 

an honor guard placed a 

small, flag-draped cedar 

coffin under a glass dome 

on a trailer behind the 

Russian jeep. Thousands of 

soldiers and state security 

agents saluted the 90-yearold 

leader’s remains as they 

rolled slowly out of 

Havana’s Plaza of the 

Revolution and the cortege 

made its way to the 

Malecon seaside boulevard 

and east into the 

countryside. Tens of 

thousands of Cubans lined 

the path of the funeral 

procession, which retraced 

the path of Castro’s 

triumphant march into 

Havana nearly six decades 

ago. 

scrap the Iran deal and 

also hinted at working 

more closely with Russia. 

Mr Brennan will step 

down in January after four 

years leading the CIA. 

In the first interview by 

a CIA director with the 

British media, John 

Brennan outlined a 

number of areas where he 

said the new 

administration needed to 

act with “prudence and 

discipline” 

They included the 

language used regarding 

terrorism, relations with 

Russia, the Iran nuclear 

deal and the way in which 

the CIA’s own covert 

capabilities were 

employed. 

Mr Brennan offered a 

bleak assessment of the 

situation in Syria, arguing 

that both the Syrian 

regime and the Russians 

were responsible for a 

slaughter of civilians, 

which he described as 

“outrageous”. 

•Cuban President Raul Castro acknowledges applause from the crowd as he attends 

a massive tribute to Cuba’s late President Fidel Castro in Revolution Square in 

Havana. Photo: REUTERS. 

Palestinian leader seeks support from Trump 

for independence 

THE 

Palestinian 

president says he 

will seek President-elect 

Donald Trump’s support 

for an independent 

Palestinian state. 

In a lengthy address to 

his Fatah Party 

Wednesday, President 

Mahmoud Abbas said he 

hopes that 2017 will be 

the year that the 

Palestinians finally gain 

independence. He 

repeated 

his 

longstanding demand 

that a Palestinian state be 

established in the West 

Bank, Gaza Strip and east 

Jerusalem - areas 

captured by Israel in 1967. 

Mali’s ex-junta head goes on 

trial over killings 

AMalian court began 

a trial of former coup 

leader General Amadou 

Sanogo on Wednesday on 

charges of “complicity in 

kidnapping and 

assassination,” three and 

a half years after his junta 

was accused of killing 21 

soldiers. 

Sanogo led a coup in 

March 2012 that deposed 

former President Amadou 

Toumani Toure and 

plunged Mali into chaos, 

enabling Tuareg rebels 

and Islamist militants to 

take over the north. He 

was arrested in December 

2013. 

Authorities in the same 

month found a mass grave 

believed to contain the 

bodies of missing 

soldiers. He is accused 

alongside 17 others of 

involvement in their 

deaths and faces a 

possible death penalty. 

Sanogo entered the 

court in the southern city 

of Sikasso wearing a suit 

and tie. A crowd of 

supporters cheered him 

on while family members 

sat solemnly wearing 

white. The trial was 

adjourned until Friday 

before he had the 

opportunity to plead. 

Rights groups have 

applauded the trial as a 

RWANDA 

has 

launched an 

inquiry into the possible 

role of at least 20 French 

military and other officials 

Nigeria joins AU 

campaign to end child 

marriage 

By Kelechukwu 

Iruoma 

WOMEN’S rights 

activists on 

Wednesday urged 

Nigeria to accelerate 

efforts to end child 

marriage after it joined an 

African Union (AU) 

campaign to eliminate the 

practice. 

Nigeria launched this 

week a nationwide drive 

to end child marriage by 

pushing for policies that 

protect girls’ rights and 

help the justice system to 

punish perpetrators, 

becoming the 16th 

country to join the AU’s 

campaign. 

The government made 

child marriage illegal in 

2003, but only two-thirds 

of the country’s 36 states 

have implemented the 

law. 

At least four in 10 girls 

in Nigeria are married off 

before they turn 18, while 

almost a fifth are wed 

before they reach 15, 

according to the United 

Nations children’s agency 

(UNICEF). 

Early marriage deprives 

rare case of justice 

involving a high profile 

figure in a region where 

abuses by military 

strongmen often go 

unpunished. 

Rwanda to probe possible role 

of French officials in genocide 

girls of an education, 

increases the likelihood of 

sexual violence and HIV, 

and puts them at risk of 

serious injury or death 

during childbirth, experts 

say. 

“These (childbirth) 

complications are a 

leading cause of death 

among adolescents girls 

in countries like 

Nigeria." 

in the 1994 genocide, the 

prosecutor general said 

on Wednesday, a move 

that will deepen already 

strained relations with 

Paris. Rwanda has 

frequently had 

diplomatic rows with 

France since the 

genocide, when about 

800,000 mostly ethnic 

minority Tutsis and 

moderates from the Hutu 

majority population were 

killed. 

Rwandan officials have 

long accused France of 

supporting the former 

government of President 

Juvenal Habyarimana, a 

Hutu whose death when 

his plane was shot down 

in 1994 sparked the 

bloodbath. 

HIV vaccine trial begins in 

South Africa 

Anew vaccine against 

HIV, the virus that 

causes Aids, is being 

tested in South Africa in 

what scientists say is the 

first large study of an 

HIV vaccine’s 

effectiveness since 2009. 

The study aims to enrol 

5,400 sexually active 

young men and women. 

About seven million 

people in South Africa 

are living with the virus, 

which is one reason why 

the trial is taking place 

there. 

Experts hope the 

vaccine will be “the final 

nail in the coffin” for 

HIV. 

The vaccine regime 

being tested is based on 

one used in a trial in 

Thailand in 2009, which 

had a protection rate of 

about 30%. Results from 

South Africa are 

expected in four years. 

Since the HIV virus 

was identified in 1983, 

efforts to develop an 

effective vaccine have 

proved unsuccessful. 

Researchers hope that 

this might come to an 

end with the current 

study, which is codenamed 

HVTN 702. 

Violence against women, national security issue—US 

Consular-General 

By Prince Okafor 

UNITED 

States 

Consular General 

Mr. John Bray has 

described violence against 

women and girls as a 

national security issue that 

L-R: President, General, Confederation of Moroccan 

Enterprises, Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun, Chief 

Executive Officer, CEO, Nigerian Economic Summit 

Group (NESG), Laoye Jaiyeola, and Director, Policy and 

Strategy, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. 

Sidi Aliyu, at the Nigeria-Morocco business meeting 

organised by NESG in Lagos. 

could create economic 

damages. 

Bray made this known at 

an event in 

commemoration of the 16 

days of activism against 

gender-based violence 

held in Lagos. 

He said: “Violence 

against women and girls 

is an issue of international 

human rights and 

national security. The 

consequences of 

widespread violence 

extend beyond the 

immediate injury or 

economic loss.''



My only son’s death 

was a harrowing 

experience for me 

—Pastor Dupe Irele, 

founder, Ehibam Foundation 

...gives reasons Foundation will provide 

assistance for bereaved Nigerians 

UNDOUBTEDLY, death 

is an issue every 

individual has to 

confront one time or another. It 

is also a significant and 

universal family experience but 

the fact remains that the 

significance of death in the 

mental health of an individual 

becomes apparent when people 

touched by death fall apart. This 

should be an issue of concern to 

every stage of our development, 

from childhood to adulthood. 

Man that is revered may be an 

object of fear, confusion and 

denial when death strikes. Some 

people cannot even stand the 

dead. Most people who are 

bereaved find it hard to feel 

optimistic about the future while 

many around them probably do 

not understand their deep hurts. 

Sadly, in this part of the world, 

the religious, social and cultural 

aspects are usually emphasised 

when death strikes while the 

psychological dimension of death 

is over-looked. In recognition 

of these facts and more, the new 

Ehibam Grief Share Foundation 

is creating a compassionate 

forum that walks the bereaved 

through the healing process to a 

point of friendship, 

understanding and hope for a 

new ‘normal life.’ 

According to the Founder/ 

Visionary of the Foundation, 

Pastor Dupe Irele, the Foundation 

which is in honour of her son, 

Ehisieme Alonge, who lost his life 

from Pulmonary Embolism in 

London, such situation is better 

imagined than experienced. For 

Irele, the loss of her son was a 

harrowing experience. In this 

chat with CHIOMA OBINNA, 

she gave avivid description about 

what the Foundation is set out to 

do and why the bereaved needs 

to go through a healing process. 

Excerpts: 

Ehibam Grief Share 

Foundation 

Grief brings with it a lot of 

emotions that can incapacitate. 

People are usually exposed to 

grief when there is loss of a loved 

one, a spouse, a parent and worse 

still, a child. Ehibam Grief Share 

Foundation is set out to share 

love, restore faith and hope in the 

power of prayer in the most 

difficult circumstance- the loss of 

a loved one. It focuses on sharing 

of experiences and provides a 

compassionate forum that walks 

the bereaved through the healing 

process to a point of friendship, 

understanding and hope for a 

new ‘normal life.’ 

Ehibam will work with 

subsisting structures in different 

spheres of life so that people in 

bereavement can be guided to 

seek further help in different 

directions once it has succeeded 

in helping the bereaved regain 

hope for a new life. We pray God 

to give them beauty for ashes, joy 

instead of mourning. This can 

only happen when they are ready 

to avail themselves of 

opportunities that come their way 

for a new life of endless hope. 

We would be able to guide those 

in bereavement to existing 

structures like the Widowhood 

organisation where further help 

can be given to help with their 

new life. 

Ehibam Grief Share Foundation 

will be launched on 1 December 

2016 at the Nigerian Institute of 

International Affairs, Victoria 

Island, Lagos. 

What motivated you into 

setting up the Foundation? 

My grief journey has been 

marked by a mixed ball of 

emotions. The pain in my heart 

has been intense. I have been 

through the feeling of anger, 

rejection, loneliness, sorrow, 

anxiety, helplessness, confusion, 

just name it. Now I am going 

through numbness and 

forgetfulness. 

When my only child passed on 

in the UK in June 2015, I 

stumbled on a support group in 

the U.S. that helped restore my 

trust in God and listening to 

others in similar situation did 

indeed helped me see a glitter of 

light in my harrowing journey. I 

felt since some people I met 

survived the sorrow and pain, I 

should allow God show me the 

way of survival. 

My son, Ehisieme Alonge, 

born in 1979 collapsed on his way 

to work precisely on a 

Wednesday, 10 June 2015 in 

London. He lived at Maida Vale, 

London. The ambulance was 

called and he got the necessary 

medical help but gave up later in 

the hospital. I was in my Church 

at the time of his death. It was at 

the end of the service that my 

senior Pastor called me to her 

He was such a 

lovely son, a man 

of integrity that I 

could not 

understand what 

happened to him; 

I never in his 35 

years spent a day 

with him in the 

hospital 

•Pastor Irele 

office where I saw my son’s dad 

and members of my family. I 

knew immediately that something 

tragic had happened to my son. 

The news was devastating to say 

the least. I was thrown into a fiery 

furnace and immediately felt 

naked though my clothes were 

on. It was like a heavy truck had 

crushed me. From Church, I went 

to my Auntie’s home and for the 

next few days, I was asking God 

to take me in my sleep. I woke up 

everyday angry at God for 

keeping me alive and really cried 

my heart out. After a few days, I 

asked to travel to London where 

he died to ensure he got a 

befitting burial. 

He was such a lovely son, a 

man of integrity that I could not 

understand what happened to 

him. I never in his 35 years spent 

a day with him in the hospital. 

He was lucky to enjoy good 

health and was a keen rugby 

player. The autopsy, however, 

showed he died of pulmonary 

embolism. 

One’s life seems to have 

phases. I retired in 2014, I 

thought it is time to face my son 

and get married and take care of 

his children. He was going to 

settle down with his fiancé by first 

December that year but he died 

in June. 

My world totally crashed. But 

now, because I have God and I 

believe now strongly in Romans 

8: 28, the Lord will turn it around 

for me, for those who love God, 

and are called according to his 

purpose. I know I love God and 

I still have my trust in Him. Now 

the reason he allowed that to 

happen is what I am seeking His 

face for? What is the purpose? 

What am I going to take out of 

this, so I see the work of the 

Foundation as one of the 

purposes because it is about 

showing love, having compassion 

and holding hands with those 

who are bereaved. Telling them 

about the love of God and letting 

them know that they are not 

alone. It is essential for somebody 

to just hug you and hold your 

hands and share with you 

because during my time, there 

were things I felt then. I thought 

I was going crazy but because I 

did not want to go into depression. 

I was afraid that if anything 

happens to me, who will take care 

of me. I was able to maintain 

some balance whereas the 

partner went into depression. 

She has to go through treatment. 

How does Grief Share 

works? 

Every week, the centre will 

meet for about two hours and the 

sessions will be facilitated by 

volunteers and experts in the field 

of counseling, clinical 

psychologists and especially 

those who have walked the 

journey of grief and mourning. 

We will be providing these 

services at no cost. What we set 

out to do is to help people 

manage their emotions to avoid 

going into depression which 

might then require medical 

attention, with its attendant costs. 

Again, there is no blueprint for 

grief and mourning. The healing 

process differs from one person 

to another and is greatly 

dependent on individual 

determination to turn the pain into 

gain. 

There are many support groups 

available abroad and they exist 

to offer a circle of healing to those 

in need of what they offer. In fact 

many people only need to attend 

a full cycle of sessions once and 

they are able to come back to share 

the goodness of God with others. 

In most cases, a network of a new 

family is formed which lasts a 

lifetime. 

Turning her pain into gain 

Sometime in November last 

year, I thought of visiting some 

orphanages. The first number I 

called happens to be one 

orphanage very close to my house 

which I did not know existed. I 

went there and I just told God that 

you are the one directing me. 

Since that time, I have been going 

to the orphanage regularly. At a 

point, one child took to me and 

other children around started 

calling me her mother. I even told 

the proprietor that one of her child 

has adopted me. 

I promised God that any 

children that gets attracted to me, 

I will be taking care of that child. 

The child in question at the 

orphanage will be telling other 

children that I am her mummy. 

So each time I get there, they will 

be calling me Helen’s mummy. 

But I do tell them no, that I am 

mummy to everybody. That is 

how I started taking care of her. 

One day, I went to Lagos State 

Government to inquire about 

adoption processes. I went 

through the process, did the 

necessary interviews and I left. I 

came back last October, only for 

me to get there, was told I have a 

letter of approval to adopt. It has 

been a long journey for me. 

Fear of the unknown 

Unfortunately, I am now having 

the fear that at this age, can I take 

care of a toddler? Just like when 

my son died, I was afraid of 

tomorrow. Here I am again, a 

year and half down the line it is 

still difficult for me. I believe very 

strongly that it will soon be over. 

The fear I have now is not fear of 

me but fear of ‘If I do this’, will I 

still go through another 

bereavement This is because I 

had so much going for my child 

and he was taken. This one is 

an orphan but will I be there to 

give the love and care that the 

child will need? Will I live that 

long? The answer for me is that 

we are not in control of the future. 

There is that fear for me, despite 

the fact that I have the papers to 

adopt her. Do I take this girl away 

from the orphanage? Will I get 

help? But something is telling 

me you will get another help. 

Don’t be afraid of tomorrow 

because He lives, I can face 

tomorrow. I know that this is a 

roller coaster of emotions that I 

went through at the news of the 

death of my son that I am now 

going through as a result of taking 

in another child into my home. 

The death of my son was 

excruciating but in this instance, 

I see it as just part of the helping 

hand. Showing love to a child that 

I don’t know where she came 

from. My son’s death is a 

physical departure. It is actually 

silent grief. Even if I don’t talk 

about it, there is still that hurt in 

my heart. It is a harrowing 

journey. You never know when 

you will get grief ambush. We 

are talking of Christmas now; this 

will be second Christmas without 

my son. I was always going to 

London to spend Christmas with 

him. 

Future of Ehibam Grief 

Foundation 

The future of every man is in 

the hands of God. I pray that 

Griefshare centres will be 

functional in several communities 

across the country. We will work 

with community-based 

organisations willing to reach out 

in this area which culturally we 

share away from, yet we do 

experience pain and sorrow daily 

from myriad experiences of life. 

Many of Ehi’s cousins are 

members of the Board - the 

Adenijis, the Ladeles and the Ajayis 

so that their own generation can 

continue to carry the torch of love, 

compassion and friendship which 

constituted the hallmark of the life 

of their most cherished cousin, 

Ehisieme Osarieme Alonge. 

We have plans to also take it 

outside Lagos. This is all about 

humanity and we all will 

experience loss at some point in 

time in our existence on earth. The 

Word of God says there is time to 

be born and a time to die. Anywhere 

we have volunteers; we will start a 

session there. The Launch is to 

create awareness about the Ehibam 

Foundation and our prayer is to 

have groups in every community. 

This is our long term goal.

42 —VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 

Jungle justice: A disregard for the rule of law? 

By Abdulwahab Abdulah 

RECENT events seem to 

suggest that a session of 

the Nigerian society no longer 

places value on human life. 

Apart from the senseless 

killings and gang wars across 

the country, the return of jungle 

justice is the latest disturbing 

trend, which should make any 

reasonable human being to ask 

questions. Lives of many people 

have been taken on the 

slightest provocation and it is 

becoming more alarming by the 

day. It is like a return to the 

stone age. The development is 

a reflection of lost of confidence 

in the administration of justice 

system and the rule of law. 

Worred by the situation , a 

group of lawyers and human 

rights activists led by Mr Evans 

Ufeli staged a protest last week 

in Lagos against jungle justice 

and domestic violence in 

Nigeria. The Vanguard Law 

and Human Rights was in town 

to seek opinions of lawyers on 

the ranging issue. 

In his remarks on the protest, 

Mr Evans Ufeli said : “We have 

begun the journey to rescue 

Nigeria from social malady, 

internal and external conflicts 

and moral degeneration. 

Nigeria is in dare need of reorientation 

of her citizens. 

There is a looming danger 

hovering around the future of 

this nation and we can’t afford 

to go to bed and watch our 

society degenerates into 

abuse of human lives, 

disrespect to the rule of law, 

intolerance to one another and 

the unwholesome practice of 

incivility and socio-economic 

decadence. 

“So, our walk is to address 

amongst other things, mob 

killings and jungle justice in 

Nigeria. The rules of jungle are 

meant for jungle. Nigeria is not 

a jungle and so killing people 

extra-judicially is 

unacceptable. We find the latest 

killing of the boy in Orile, 

Lagos and other killings across 

Nigeria intolerably repulsive 

and we have stepped out to 

address the issue thereby 

calling on Nigerians to first 

desist from mob lynching as 

many innocent souls have been 

killed on account of this. 

“Then we call on the various 

state governments and the 

federal government to enact 

laws that curb mob killings in 

Nigeria. The heavens weep for 

the souls of the victims who 

are set ablaze on account of 

jungle justice which is no 

justice really. We must redefine 

our values as a people. There 

are ways defined by law on how 

a suspect should be treated. We 

must at all times explore the 

option of the rule of law in all 

circumstances because some 

victims may be innocent. We 

must insist therefore on the rule 

of law,” he added. 

In his own contribution, 

executive director of the Access 

to Justice, AJ, Mr Joseph 

Otteh, said: “Jungle justice is 

a metaphor for the failure of 

justice, the failure of society to 

apply uniform and equal 

standards and processes to 

everyone, the failure of society 

to protect its people from the 

whims of base and irrational 

human instincts and 

impulses. A society that allows 

a few people to take laws into 

their own hands, and 

sometimes take human life 

under that influence of that 

power, is a broken, lawless 

state. The entire concept of 

“State”, “government” and 

“Rule of Law” is lost where 

people are allowed to act, or not 

prevented from acting as 

though society were, as Hobbes 

said, in a state of nature, 

unregulated, unbridled, or life 

was “brutish, nasty and short”. 

“When people take laws into 

their own hands in a society, 

they basically express the 

idea that state institutions of 

law and order are 

dysfunctional and lack trust or 

confidence. If people trusted 

those institutions, it is a lot 

the idea of being stuck in courts 

once cases get in there they 

foster a loss of confidence in 

courts and a lot of people are 

not prepared to “let the law run 

its loss” in our law courts. So 

we need to confront the need 

for reforming our institutions of 

law and order headlong, and 

easier to engage those 

institutions when crimes occur. 

Which is why we have repeated 

incidents of “jungle justice” in 

these parts. Our Police Force 

is broken, and has been so for 

as long as I can remember. 

“Our judiciary too, is a 

largely inefficiently 

administered institution, and 

When people 

take laws into 

their own hands 

in a society, 

they basically 

express the idea 

that state 

institutions of 

law and order 

are dysfunctional 

and lack trust or 

confidence 

not run away from it as we 

have done for so long; Nigeria 

must not continue to cut 

corners on this, because 

ultimately, these are the very 

institutions that will hold up 

our society, our democracy - 

not an incumbent government. 

If we don’t fix the pathologies 

afflicting the main institutions 

for enforcing law and order - 

the courts and the police - or 

if we only concentrate on 

finding easier proxies for 

implementing what may be 

only temporal priorities of an 

incumbent government, we will 

ultimately find that we can win 

the battle but lose the war. 

“Government needs also 

respect the rule of law, for 

where it persists in flouting 

court orders, it is setting a 

pernicious example to the rest 

of society, and telling 

Nigerians that it is just fine to 

behave in the style of the 

jungle. So, in a manner of 

speaking, government is as 

guilty of jungle justice as the 

people who pile tyres around 

the neck of victims and light 

them up.” 

Second vice president of the 

Nigerian Bar Association, 

NBA, Mr Monday Ubani, 

noted: “Anything you describe 

as jungle is not a proper justice. 

This is because the elementary 

principle of justice is that, 

anybody that is accused of an 

offence must be given 

opportunity to give his own side 

of the story for fair hearing. It 

is a constitutional right and one 

of the fundamental principles of 

fundamental rights. You have 

the right to defend yourself 

through legal representation of 

yourself. Now if someone is 

accused of a crime and is not 

given that opportunity to 

defend himself and the next 

thing is an attack by the mob to 

decide his fate without any fair 

hearing, clearly that is unlawful 

and constitutional and that can 

only be applied in the jungle 

and not where human being 

cohabit. 

“That tells you that the name, 

jungle justice can only happen 

in the jungle. We have several 

references, the Alu Five in Portharcourt, 

the Apo 

killings 

a n d 

several 

others 

like that 

i n 

Nigeria. 

T h e 

recent 

was the 

video of a 

boy set 

ablaze by 

the mob 

f o r 

stealing 

in Lagos. 

In such a 

situation, 

a n 

innocent 

person 

may fall 

victim 

and be 

killed. 

Somewhere 

a n d 

someday,a 

person 

who does 

not like 

your face 

w i l l 

allege you have done 

something and the mob will 

believe his own side of the story 

without hearing from you and 

set you on fire. That is the end, 

because the person will not be 

alive to say what happened. It 

should be disallowed. 

Government and security 

agencies must be alive to their 

responsibility, because it does 

give us a right signal. 

“The reason for such attack is 

the lack of confidence by the 

people in the institutions 

charged with responsibility of 

dealing with such crimes that 

led to jungle justice. But we 

should not allow that to happen, 

rather we should insist that our 

security agencies and the courts 

should be alive to their 

constitutional responsibilities. 

We must insist that they should 

do it efficiently. 

“We cannot because of the 

deficiency of the agencies now 

resulting into criminality, we 

cannot use criminality to cure 

criminality, doing that we make 

us create more problems for the 

society, Rather we should insist 

that things should be done 

properly.”

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016—43 

Exer 

ercise of the AGF 

GF 

Prosecut 

osecutorial orial Power 

ers 

By Olukayode Majekodunmi 

THE constitutional power of the Attorney General of the 

Federation to discontinue criminal prosecution at any stage before 

judgement is delivered in any criminal proceedings instituted or 

undertaken by him or any other authority or person is not in doubt. 

The only debate is as to the propriety or otherwise in the exercise of the 

awesome powers vested in the Attorney General in Section 174 of the 

1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The popular 

sentiment is that in the exercise of this power, the Hon Attorney-General 

should address his mind and have regard to public interest, the interest 

of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process. In several 

celebrated cases, our courts have deliberated on the overriding 

consideration. The central conclusion is that the bona fide of the 

Attorneys General could not be questioned. 

The genesis of the allegation of forgery of Senate rules that culminated 

in the preferment of charges and arraignment of Dr Olusola Saraki and 

Mr Ike Ekweremandu, the President and Deputy President of the Senate 

respectively is traceable to the inner power struggle within the APC 

and political intrigue to their assumption of the plum offices at the 

inauguration of the 8th Senate of the National Assembly. Dr Saraki 

fashioned an accord with his erstwhile political soul mates in the PDP to 

thwart the anointed candidate of the All Progressives Party, Ahmed 

Lawan. Having been outmanoeuvred by Saraki and his backers from 

across the aisle, the members of the APC supporting Ahmed Lawan 

became bellicose and swore to bring down Saraki and Ekweremandu. 

They expressed special resentment of the idea of having a member of 

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Deputy President of the 

Senate. To them, the duo must be made to pay for their actions. And as 

they say, as in war all things are fair in politics. 

After futile bids to oust the Senate Leadership, the anti Saraki/ 

Ekweremadu eventually came up with allegations of alteration to 

sections of the Senate Standing Rules. The replacement of ‘open’ with 

the ‘secret’ voting system, among other amendments to the rules, thus 

set the stage for the calls to prosecute the Senate President Bukola 

Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, on allegations of conspiracy 

and forgery. There were explanations from some standing Senators 

and members of House of Representatives that it is the practice of 

Parliaments worldwide for bureaucracy to work on the Rules of 

Parliament and the elected officials only votes to adopt or reject the 

amendments at any time subject to their convenience. 

Some Senators reported the alleged forgery to the Police high 

command with a call for investigation and if need be, prosecution of 

those involved. However, on the 27th June, 2016, about a year to the 

break of the news of the alleged forgery, 4 persons, namely Bukola 

Saraki, Ike Ekweremadu, Mr Salisu Maikasuwa, and Mr Benedict Efeturi 

were arraigned at FCT High Court, Abuja. The latter 2 were the Clerk of 

the Senate and his deputy at the time of inauguration of the 8th Senate. 

From the onset, Saraki had consistently proclaimed his innocence as to 

the formulation of the contentious Senate Rules. He alleged that the 

preferment of forgery charges and his arraignment before the FCT High 

Court, Abuja, was another phase in the orchestrated persecution he 

had been facing since his emergence as Senate President. 

One must recall that while all these were going on, Sen. Gilbert Nnaji 

(PDP-Enugu East) approached a court to stop the police from 

investigating the alleged forgery of the 2015 Senate Standing Order. 

Responding to the suit, the former Inspector-General of Police, Mr 

Solomon Arase, via a counter-affidavit, said that no court of law in the 

country had the power to stop the police from carrying out its statutory 

function of investigating crimes. According to him, nobody in the 

country, including the 74 political office holders covered by the 

provisions of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is 

exempted from investigation. 

To be continued next week 

Man dragged to court over shopping complex crisis 

By 

Jane Echewodo 

A 

40-year old Apostle, 

Olufemi Martins accused of 

conducting himself in a manner 

likely to cause breach of peace 

before an Ogba Magistrate court, 

Lagos, has called for an 

independent investigation into 

allegations made against him by 

the managers of Refuge Home 

Savings and Loans Limited over 

his ‘Next Level Shopping 

Complex’. 

Martins who sent a save our 

souls, SOS to President 

Muhammadu Buhari, the Senate 

President, and the Lagos State 

governor, urged the Economic 

and Financial Crimes Commission 

(EFCC) to investigate the 

allegation levelled against him, 

arguing that the charge by the 

complainants has nothing to do 

with him. 

He is presently before 

Magistrate Ogunkanmi, standing 

a count charge of a conduct likely 

to breach public peace ‘by 

forcefully ejecting security 

guards.’ 

Martins had claimed his 

shopping complex worth millions 

of naira was allegedly seized from 

him since 2010 by the 

complainant, asking the 

government to rise to his defence. 

It would be recalled that Martins 

was arraigned before the 

Magistrate Court for allegedly 

conducting himself in a manner 

likely to cause breach of peace “by 

forcefully ejecting the security 

Chartered Institute of Certified Secretaries and Reporters recently inducted 

new members and inaugurated the Lagos State University, LASU chapel. In the 

picture is the Registrar, S. O. A. Ozomah, (7th from left), the National president, 

Dr. A. Okezie and a board member, Engr. Anyawu with members. 

FG should reform laws to ease business in Nigeria 

By Innocent Anaba 

HEAD of Commercial 

Law, Nigerian Institute 

of Advance Legal Studies, 

NIALS, Prof Paul Idornigie, SAN, 

has called on the Federal 

Government to reform the 

country’s laws to ease business 

operation in Nigeria. 

Idornigie noted that Nigeria 

ranks 124 out of 139 countries, 

according to the Global 

Competitive Report of the World 

Economic Forum, behind 

Rwanda and Gambia in the ease 

of doing business in the world. 

He made the call as experts in 

business, law, media and social 

justice were raising concern that 

Nigeria may remain at the 

bottom of global business 

ratings for years if it does not 

channel its efforts towards 

competitive indicators used for 

ratings, rankings and reports 

across the globe. 

It will be recalled that the 2016/ 

2017 ‘World Bank Doing 

Business’ report placed Nigeria 

at a bottom position in its rating 

of favourable environment to do 

business in a survey conducted 

among African countries. 

The ‘Doing Business Report’ is 

a survey conducted by the 

World Bank, which measures the 

guards of the said complex with 

thugs and replaced the main gate 

locks preventing the occupants 

of the building from carrying out 

their lawful business.” 

The police had accused him of 

committing the said offence on 

February 8, 2011 at Next Level 

Shopping Complex located at 

142B, Akowonjo road, Lagos. 

Meanwhile, the matter was first 

taken before an Igbosere 

Magistrate’s Court, where 

Martins was accused of 

obtaining N85 million loan from 

the manager of the said bank to 

build shopping complex with a 

promise to refund the loan from 

the proceeds of the rents when 

the complex was completed. The 

case has been adjourned till 

December 2, 2016 for trial. 

burden imposed by regulation 

across 190 different countries. 

Prof Idornigie, SAN, in his lead 

paper at a roundtable organised by 

Law Media and Social Justice 

Development Initiative, LMSJDI, 

with the theme, “Improving the 

Laws and Regulations Hampering 

Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria,” 

in Abuja, said that since the 

inception of the Doing Business’ 

Report in 2005 (11 years running), 

Nigeria has barely made any 

significant move up the ratings. 

He said, “Nigeria, rich in human 

and natural resources is the leading 

economy in Africa. Unfortunately, 

this is where the success story ends. 

In almost other significant sectors, 

Nigeria has done very badly. To 

move forward however, we must 

Company sued $249m for 

breach of contract 


A 

$249 million suit has 

been slammed against 

the African Capital Alliance Ltd 

(ACA), over alleged breach of 

contract. 

The company was sued 

alongside other defendants by 

Petroleum Zion Exploration 

and Production Ltd, for breach 

of confidentiality, obligations 

and alleged unlawful 

interference with economic 

interests. The plaintiff, in the 

suit filed at the Federal High 

Court, Lagos, claimed that the 

company unlawfully interfered 

with its transaction to 

purchase Afren’s stake in Oil 

Mining Lease (“OML”) 26, with 

a production potential of over 

10,000 barrels oil per day. 

Others joined as defendants 

in the suit are PJT Partners UK 

Ltd, FHN 26 Ltd, Wilmington 

Trust (London) Ltd, Vertex 

Energy Ltd, Department of 

Petroleum Resources, and 

Ministry of Petroleum 

Resources. 

Other parties are Simon 

Jonathan Appell, Daniel 

Imison and Ms. Catherine 

improve on all the indicators 

used by the World Economic 

Forum and the World Bank’s 

Doing Business Report. 

Also speaking, President, 

LMSJDI, Mr Charles Odenigbo 

made a case for sound business 

laws and a thriving private sector. 

Currently, there are several 

bills in the National Assembly 

aimed at improving the ease of 

doing business in Nigeria 

especially with access to finance 

for the micro, small and medium 

enterprises. Also in existence are 

several reform bills aimed at 

reforming the remaining key 

economic sectors that are in the 

National Assembly. It was agreed 

by all, that these laws be passed 

immediately. 

Williamson (who are being 

sued in their capacity as UK 

administrators of Afren UK 

Plc and Afren Nigeria 

Holdings Ltd). 

The plaintiff contended 

that, sometime in 2015, Afren 

Plc (a UK listed Pan- African 

Oil and Gas Company 

currently under insolvency) 

mandated PJT Partners (a 

subsidiary of Blackstone 

Group UK) to liquidate all its 

assets in Nigeria, including its 

100% stake in FHN26 (a 

special purpose vehicle of 

that owns a 45% interest in 

OML 26). 

EDITORIAL 

Innocent Anaba 

( Head) 

Wahab Abdulah 

Dayo Benson 

08056180119


COURT MARSHALL—The President of the Special Court Marshall, 

Brig.-Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi (M), delivering judgment during a sitting of 

the Army Tribunal in Maiduguri, Tuesday. Photo: NAN. 

FG disowns NCC, telecoms 

operators on tariff hike 

Continues from Page 5 

commission said smaller 

operators, by virtue of 

their small market share, 

were exempted from the 

now suspended price 

regime, it said the 

decision on the floor 

price was to protect the 

consumers who were at 

the receiving end. 

The commission said 

the decision was equally 

to save the smaller 

operators from predatory 

services likely to 

suffocate them and push 

them out of business into 

extinction. 

“The price floor is not 

an increase in price, but 

a regulatory safeguard 

put in place by the 


regulator to check anticompetitive 

practices by 

dominant operators,” 

Ojobo said. 

He denied the 

regulator had fixed 

prices for data services, 

pointing out that “the 

NCC does not fix prices, 

but provides regulatory 

guidelines to protect the 

consumers, deepen 

investments and 

safeguard the industry 

from imminent collapse.” 

Labour warns 

Before the reversal, 

The Trade Union 

Congress of Nigeria, 

TUC, had warned 

against implementing 

the policy, decrying what 

it described as “the extent 

government and its 

capitalist cronies would go 

to frustrate the lives of 

Nigerians.” 

According to the Ag. 

Secretary-General, TUC, 

Comrade Simeso 

Amachree: “We feel 

particularly awful about 

the move because data is 

one of the cheapest ways 

to empower the teeming 

youth. This move, if 

allowed, would make it 

unaffordable. In our view, 

this is insensitive and 

criminal on the part of the 

parties involved. 

"Naturally, we had 

expected that government 

would increase awareness 

for greater citizens’ 

participation especially in 

ICT, but unfortunately, 

they are doing the 

opposite. One cannot 

really situate the Federal 

Government policy 

direction these days; on 

one hand, the Vice 

President, Prof. Yemi 

Osinbajo is banking on 

ICT for youth 

empowerment, while on 

the other, the NCC is 

trying to cut youth 

participation. All the 

promises made to the 

Chief Executive Officer of 

Facebook, Mark 

Zuckerberg when he 

visited the country, cannot 

be achieved if the policy 

is implemented. 

"The telecoms sector was 

often used as a case study 

to justify the removal of 

fuel subsidy. But the 

question is, is the 

telecoms sector truly 

deregulated? What 

happens to the issue of 

free market in the 

telecoms sector? There is 

so much deceit and 

insincerity in the system. 

We are calling on 

government to come up 

with godly policies that 

would encourage 

investment and stimulate 

growth, instead of 

deliberately trying to stifle 

businesses”he added. 

Existing data tariff 

regime 

Prior to the hike/floor of 

N0.90k/MB, the industry 

average for dominant 

operators, including 

MTN Nigeria, Etisalat, 

and Airtel Nigeria, was 

N0.53k per megabyte. 

Etisalat offered (N0.94k 

per megabyte), Airtel 

(N0.52k per megabyte), 

MTN (N0.45k per 

megabyte) and Globacom 

(N0.21k per megabyte). 

A comparison of the 

data prices by the major 

operators with that 

initially proposed by NCC 

shows that but for the 

reversal, majority of 

Nigerians would have 

had to pay between 90 and 

300 per cent increase in 

data prices. 

The smaller operators/ 

new entrants, including 

Smile Communications, 

Spectranet and 

NATCOMS (NTEL), 

were allowed to charge 

N0.84k, N0.58k and 

N0.72k per megabyte 

respectively.


— 45



There’s so much corruption in Sports 

ministry, Federation president tells Reps 

By Emman 

Ovuakporie & 

Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

THE 

alleged 

incompetence in 

the management of the 

nation’s sports sector was 

brought to the fore 

yesterday when 

stakeholders in the sector 

took the authorities at the 

ministry to the cleaners, 

alleging that they were 

killing sports 

development. 

Specifically, different 

presidents of the sporting 

federations, lamented 

that there was high level 

of corruption in the 

Federal Ministry of 

Sports and Youth 

Development which 

affected Nigeria’s poor 

outing in the London and 

Rio Olympics. 

Speaking at the Goni 

Lawal-led House 

Committee on Sports at a 

public hearing in Abuja, 

the president of the 

Nigerian Basketball 

Federation, NBBF, 

Tijani Umar said the poor 

handling of the country’s 

preparations for major 

sporting competitions 

culminated in Nigerian 

athletes being the, “the 

most ill treated 

contingent to the Rio 

Olympics in terms of 

welfare.” 

Umar said that the 

sports ministry 

intentionally refused to 

support basketball 

technically and 

financially, lamenting 

that the sorry situation led 

to the situation where the 

federation owed hotels 

and airlines about N11 

million and the inability 

Continues from BP 

were given an outside 

chance to progress, the 

team will not rest on its 

oars. He added that the 

NFF will pull all the stuff 

to make the Eagles get 

the desired results. 

“I want to also 

emphasize that we are 

not resting on out oars. 

We are doing everything 

humanly and materially 

possible in making sure 

that we beat Cameroon 

home and away. It is 

only when we do that 

that we can scream that 

we have picked the 

World Cup ticket,” 

Pinnick stated. 

He added that the 

Super Eagles coaches 

were doing a great job 

and that the NFF has 

NFF 

to pay the American 

coach for the Men’s 

national team his three 

months salary of $45,000. 

He further revealed 

that the federation has 

despite recent successes 

with the men’s team 

basketball qualifying for 

the London and Rio 

games, resorted to 

borrowing equipment 

such as the playing floor 

that was used by the 

national teams for 

training that was 

borrowed from the 

University of Port- 

Harcourt. 

Umar who said sporting 

federations can be run 

transparently but hardly 

get funding from the 

ministry further 

expressed regret that 

rather than get 

commendation for 

working with the private 

sectors, his staff are 

asked for bribes. 

He said, “DStv has 

been supporting basket 

leagues for eight years 

and it is because we have 

been transparent. We 

haven’t misspent a 

single kobo from their 

money. But sometimes 

people from the ministry 

call us and say, ‘you 

people are choping 

alone.” 

But not comfortable 

with the plethora of 

allegations against the 

Sports ministry by the 

NBBF president, the 

Permanent Secretary of 

the ministry, Chinyeaka 

Ohaa made efforts to 

interject but the 

Committee’s Chairman 

prevented him from 

cutting short Umar’s 

presentation. 

been justified with the 

hiring of Gernot Rohr. 

“The success of hiring 

Rohr is not about me but 

the board of the football 

federation. We decided 

to go for what we 

wanted at that point and 

the good thing is that we 

did not consider it as a 

gamble because we 

knew his antecedent. 

“However, it is not 

about him alone but all 

the members of the 

technical crew, from 

Salisu Yusuf, Allow Agu 

to the least backroom 

staff. I must also admit 

that we have mother 

luck smiling at us. The 

technical ability can be 

70 or 80 per cent but the 

prayers from Nigerians 

also contributed. 


from a hospital bed. 

But he later died. 

The plane, which was 

en route to Medellin, 

Colombia, where the 

Brazilian squad was to 

play the first leg of the 

Copa Sudamericana 

against Colombian 

team Atletico Nacional, 

crashed near the city 

where they were 

supposed to land. 

The plane was 

carrying 77 people, 

including members of 

the Chapecoense team 

THE International 

Olympic Committee 

has formally written 

to inform Team Nigeria 

through the Nigeria 

Chapecoense 

and members of the 

media, as well as nine 

crew members. Six 

people have survived the 

tragedy. 

The six survivors 

included players Jakson 

Follmann. 24. Helio 

Hermito Zampier Neto, 

31, Alan Ruschel, 27, as 

well as journanalist 

Rafael Henzel 

Valmorbida and crew 

members Ximena Suárez 

and Erwin Tumiri. 

On Tuesday afternoon, 

Colombian authorities 

said four people did not 

board the fatal flight. 

2008 Beijing Olympics: IOC upgrades 

Nigeria’s bronze to silver 

Olympic Committee that 

it has upgraded Nige- 

UPLIFTMENT...Nigerian 4x100m team at Beijing 2008 Olympics, (from left) 

Gloria Kemesode, Franca Idoko, Halimat Ismaila and Osayomi Damola are 

now silver medalists. 

Moses wins EPL player of the month award 

CHELSEA’s Victor 

Moses has been 

named the PFA Fans’ 

Premier League Player of 

the Month of November. 

Moses, 25, has 

impressed for the Blues 

this month, featuring in all 

three of their games — 

victories over Everton, 

Middlesbrough and 

Tottenham Hotspur — to 

help them to the top of the 

Premier League table. 

The Nigeria 

international, who has 

been converted from a 

winger to a wing-back by 

Antonio Conte this season, 

scored the winner as 

Chelsea beat Tottenham 2- 

1 on Saturday. 

Moses has excelled since 

being deployed at wingback 

in Conte’s 3-4-3 

formation, playing in all 

seven of the consecutive 

league victories following 

the Chelsea boss’ decision 

to change systems. 

Moses’ prospects of 

establishing himself at 

Chelsea looked bleak 

before this season, having 

spent the last three campaigns 

out on loan at Liverpool, Stoke 

City and West Ham 

respectively. 

Moses received 18,756 of the 

40,000 votes to win PFA’s 

monthly award, ahead of Gylfi 

Sigurdsson, Nordin Amrabat, 

Victor Anichebe, Sergio 

Aguero and Matt Phillips. 

Chelsea coach Antonio 

Conte stated that Moses 

deservingly got the award. 

Southgate’s new England manager 

GARETH Southgate 

has been appointed as 

England manager on a fouryear 

deal. 

Southgate, 46, stepped up 

from his role as England Under-21s 

manager in September 

following Sam Allardyce’s 

departure after only 67 days 

in charge. 

He oversaw two wins and 

two draws as interim boss and 

has signed a contract reportedly 

worth up to £2m a year. 

“I have thoroughly enjoyed 

working with the players 

over these past four games 

and I think there is huge potential,” 

said Southgate. 

“I am extremely proud to 

be appointed England manager. 

However, I am also conscious 

getting the job is one 

thing, now I want to do the 

job successfully.'' 

Omagbemi 


repeat of the 2014 

edition where the Super 

Falcons beat Cameroon 

2-0 to win their 7 th 

AWCON tittle. 

“We will make some 

adjustments against 

Cameroon. The hard 

fought semi-final 

against South Africa has 

prepared us for the final 

game,” Omagbemi said. 

She stated that in the 

match against the 

Banyana Banyana, the 

Falcons were 

overwhelmed by the 

occasion, but were able 

to calm down. 

“The players carried 

the game too much and 

psychologically some of 

them 

were 

ria’s Bronze medal won 

in the women’s 4x100- 

meter relay at the 2008 

Olympics in Beijing to 

silver. 

The IOC stripped 

Russia of the gold medal 

the country won in the 

women’s 4×100-meter 

relay at the 2008 Olympics 

in Beijing, after a 

widespread, government-sponsored 

doping 

scandal wreaked havoc 

for the Russian athletes. 

The IOC disqualified 

Yulia Chermoshanskaya, 

30, after a reanalysis 

of the retired runner’s 

samples from 

Beijing found traces of 

two banned substances 

in her system — stanozolol 

and turinabol. 

Chermoshanskaya was 

also disqualified from 

the 200 meters, in which 

she finished eighth. 

In a letter from the 

IOC addressed to President 

of NOC, Engr 

Habu Gumel and signed 

by Pere Miro, the IOC 

wrote; “it is our pleasure 

to inform you that your 

relay team is now placed 

second in this same 

event”. 

Belgium has been upgraded 

to the relay gold, 

with Nigeria moving up 

to silver and Brazil to 

bronze. 

CBF 

Continues from BP club, as well as 

journalists and 

their prime. 

supporters of the club. 

“Indeed, the NFF 

““We sincerely pray 

and the Nigerian 

that God Almighty will 

Football family have 

grant the departed souls 

been in deep grief since 

eternal rest and also 

the incident, which reportedly 

led to the death 

grant the Chapecoense 

FC, the families and 

of several players, technical 

officials and 

other loved ones of the 

victims and the CBF the 

backroom staff of the 

fortitude to bear the big 

Brazilian elite League 

loss.” 

overwhelmed. In the 

second half, we asked 

them to relax and play 

simple. 

Meanwhile, former 

Super Falcons 

midfielder, Stella 

Mbachu has backed the 

team to beat Cameroon. 

“I charge Falcons to go 

all out to beat Cameroon 

as they did two years 

ago in Namibia. The 

pressure will be on 

Cameroon to impress 

before her people so 

Falcons must be calm 

and take their chances. 

I see Falcons 

successfully defending 

their title at the expense 

of Cameroon,”she 

stressed.


2018 FIFA WC qualifiers: NFF 

targets double over Cameroon 

•NFF right on hiring Rohr, says Pinnick 

NIGERIA Football 

Federation, NFF 

president, Amaju Pinnick 

TODAY'S PUZZLE 

Tanzania 

name 

squad 

for 

Eagles 

has assured Nigerians 

that the Super Eagles 

will aim to beat 

Moses wins EPL player 

of the month award 

— Page 47 

BLUES BROTHERS...Victor Moses(l) and Bertrand 

Traore celebrating success 

Sudoku 

How to Play Sudoku 

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can 

have two of the same number). 

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also 

nine lines from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a 

bold block (nine blocks) contains number from 1 

through 9. This means that no number can appear twice 

in any block, column or row. 

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division 

or multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

Cameroon home and 

away to seal their 

qualification for the 2018 

FIFA World Cup in 

Russia. 

Pinnick stated that 

having kept a 100 

percent record in the 

group B qualifiers so far, 

which the Super Eagles 

Continues on Page 47 

Southgate’s 

new England 

manager 

— Page 47 

SUPER 

Falcons 

coach Florence 

Omagbemi has said she 

will be making some 

changes to her team that 

will play against the 

Indomitable Lionesses of 

Cameroon in the final of 

the Africa Women Cup of 

Nations on Saturday. 

Nigeria beat South 

Africa 1-0 on Tuesday 

night to book their place 

in the final against 

Cameroon. It was a 

YESTERDAY'S ANSWERS 

Chapecoense tragedy: Keeper 

called wife before dying 

MARCOS Danilo, 

the goalkeeper of 

the Brazilian soccer team 

aboard a doomed flight to 

Colombia made a final 

phone call to his wife 

before succumbing to his 

AWCON: Omagbemi to make 

changes for Cameroon 


CANDLE IN THE WIND...Soccer fans mourn departed Chapecoense players 

who died in the ill-fated air crash in Colombia. 

Omagbemi 

ACROSS 

2 Expel (5) 

7 Plaster (4) 

8 Choice (6) 

9 Explosion (5) 

11 Seed-case (3) 

13 Observe (3) 

15 Check (4) 

16 Ovum (3) 

18 Particle (4) 

19 Greed (7) 

20 Facts (4) 

22 Acid (4) 

23 Anonymous (7) 

25 Wagon (4) 

27 Brown (3) 

28 Nothing (4) 

30 Bath (3) 

31 Managed (3) 

33 Endure (5) 

36 Forthcoming (6) 

37 Leer (4) 

38 Handle (5) 

DOWN 

1 Boat (5) 

2 Recede (3) 

3 Epoch (3) 

4 Child (3) 

5 Pig-pen (3) 

6 Round-up (5) 

10 Story (4) 

11 Result (7) 

12 Agitate (7) 

13 Ship (7) 

14 Feeling (7) 

16 Happening (5) 

17 Enlarged (5) 

18 Perform (3) 

21 Insect (3) 

24 Kiln (4) 

26 Presage (5) 

29 Recover (5) 

32 Mire (3) 

33 Fixed (3) 

34 Years (3) 

35 Spot (3) 

ACROSS: 4, Fluid. 7, Recoup. 9, Era. 10, Tor. 

12, Edged. 13, Coin. 15, Level. 17, Become. 19, 

Emit. 20, Steer. 22, Ant. 24, Derided. 27, Win. 

28, Refer. 31, Menu. 33, Signal. 35, Scene. 37, 

Disc. 38, Cavil 39, Gag. 41, Nut. 42, Rushed. 

43, Wedge. 

injuries. 

Danilo, 31, was flying 

with his Chapecoense 

teammates when their 

plane went down near the 

town of La Ceja in 

Colombia. 

THE Nigeria Football 

Federation has sent 

a letter of condolence to its 

Brazilian counterpart, the 

Confederacao Brasileira de 

Football (CBF), (Brazilian 

Football Federation) over 

Monday’s plane crash in 

Colombia that killed players, 

official and supporters 

of the country’s club, 

Chapecoense, as well as a 

number of journalists. 

In the letter, NFF General 

Secretary, Dr. 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS 

According to reports, 

the devoted husband 

and dad of one initially 

survived the crash and 

was able to call his wife 


NFF commiserates with CBF 

Mohammed Sanusi lamented 

the tragedy that 

has cut down the lives of 

dozens of young and vibrant 

sportsmen in 


C 

IOC upgrades 

Nigeria’s 

bronze to 

silver — Pg. 47 

DOWN: 1, Fracas. 2, Scribe. 3, Hut. 4, Free. 

5, Ladle. 6, Inedible. 8, Polo. 11, Remaining. 

14, Need. 16, Vend. 18, Crew. 21, Tolerate. 23, 

Tern. 25, Rise. 26, Dead. 29, Flight. 30, 

Recede. 32, Using. 34, Gear. 36, Clue. 40, Gun 

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Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: EZE ANABA. Phone: 01—4548355, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

Why I did not mention Tinubu in my speech—AKEREDOLU

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