SCARCITY: 166.91m litres of fuel stuck in depots

...towards a better life for the people VOL. 25: NO. 62704

**

ONLINE | www.vanguardngr.com

N150

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

N676M JOB SCAM: Moro, others docked, remanded in prison 9

Sagay, Tsav, Junaid, others flay Senate's purchase of exotic cars 8

SCARCITY:

e •Se

ide ins t u l-o pul

166.91m litres of fuel stuck in depots

By Clara Nwachukwu, Sebastine Obasi, Mike Eboh, Ediri Ejoh, Prince Okafor & Iloaze BlessedOdidi

L

AGOS— ABOUT 166.91 million litres of premium motor spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, are stuck in various depots in Lagos, a situation that gave rise to the resurgence of long queues at filling stations in Lagos metropolis and other parts of the country.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its downstream subsidiary, Pipelines and Products Marketing

As marketers blame NNPC for fuel scarcity NNPC to increase daily trucking to filling stations Begins Operation ‘One cargo per day’

Continues on Page 5

Maritime industry to exceed 30% GDP target —LADOL 35

Mr and Mrs Charles Oruru, Ese's parents and (right) the 14-year-old Ese. Photos: Sam Oyadongha & Premium Times.

Abducted 14-year-old Ese freed in Kano My role in the abduction saga — Emir Sanusi YINKA ODUMAKIN

Who needs economic confab?

C M Y K

COLUMNIST:

P.20

NIGER DELTA VOICE

WAR OVER MINERAL DEPOSITS:

1 dead, 5 missing, 100 flee Edo community See Inside

11

Reversal of N5,000 stipend to unemployed: Okorocha, Al-Makura, others back Buhari 14

Mr & Mrs

2 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

—3

4 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 5

POCKET CARTOON possible to end challenges experienced by motorists, commuters and the general public in accessing petrol.

“Within the last 48 hours we have received six cargoes of petrol (270 million litres) and beginning from March 1, 2016, we shall begin to receive one cargo of petrol every day (45 million litres),” the corporation said.

Depot operations

ARRIVAL: President Muhammadu Buhari (2nd right) being received by FCT Minister, Mallam Mohammed Bello; Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase; Commander, Brigade of Guards, Brig.-General MS Yusuf and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr S. K. Akande, on his arrival from Qatar and Saudi Arabia at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Sunday Aghaeze.

166.9 m litres of fuel stuck in depots Continues from Page 1

Company, PPMC, are being blamed for the current petrol shortages because of a loading directive not exceeding 50 trucks daily given to the depots.

The blame comes as NNPC said it has stepped up collaboration with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, and other downstream industry players to end the resurgence of fuel queues in some major cities across the country, especially in Lagos and environs.

It is uncertain how much fruit this effort will yield as Vanguard investigations revealed that of an opening stock level of 140.48 million litres of petrol available in 31 depots in the Lagos area

yesterday, only 6.09 million litres were loaded out.

This leaves an outstanding of about 135 million litres stuck in the depots, which had increased to about 166.91 million litres closing stock at press time.

Broken further, of the 59 depots operated by majors, independents and private owners in Lagos, 31 had the available stock quantity, but only 16 depots had “liftable” PMS, that is, had enough stock above the jet stock level or above minimum requirement levels.

Trucks loading

Further investigations revealed that most of the depots being used by NNPC/PPMC for throughput or storage purposes were directed not to load above 50 trucks daily, thus compounding

IT'S UP TO YOU

G

BY AYO ADIO

REAT goals are achieved by genuine passion with a day to day commitment to execution

TAKE HEART

BY ELLA RANDLE

Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever— Francis de Sales

S

OMETIMES we are caught in situations where we need to keep our balance and emotions in check when dealing with difficult people. For instance, if you find yourself dealing with a narcissist who derives pleasure to see others humiliated.

Keep calm. Do not appear ruffled; never give anyone the chance to ruffle your feathers. It is easy to lose your focus when such an individual tries to get under your skin. But remember, you can choose how you feel or react in a given situation. Be in control at all time.

SAYINGS OF OUR PEOPLE

I

t is foolish for one climb two trees at once because one has two feet.

the shortages situation, a development that some depot operators cashed in to sell at N105/litre exdepot, against government's prescribed N77 per litre.

According to one of the depot operators, who preferred anonymity: “No matter the quantity of product NNPC gives us, since they have said not more than 50 trucks per day, we cannot go beyond that.

“Our depot is now like a ghost yard, because we’ve finished with the 50, but we still have stock, and there is a long queue of trucks waiting to load outside.”

But NNPC, in a statement, yesterday, said it had “secured the commitment of the leadership of MOMAN for effective collaboration in this regard and assured that the queues will disappear in the days ahead as supplies are ramped up across the country.”

The statement signed by the corporation's spokesman, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, also said: “The corporation noted that to achieve this, truck-out to filling stations in the Lagos area has been increased from the regular 245 to 295 trucks per day (9.7 million) while truck-out to fuel stations in Abuja from Suleja depot has been stepped up to 210 trucks per day (6.9 million litres) from the regular supply of 160 trucks per day.”

It added that “similar increment in supply volume has been activated in Port Harcourt, Calabar, Kano and Kaduna areas to ensure seamless availability of petroleum products across every nook and cranny of the country.”

While appealing for understanding and support from members of the public, the NNPC assured that it was doing everything

However, marketers insist that NNPC has been unable to meet its PMS import allocation of 78 per cent awarded to it by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, leaving a paltry 22 per cent for the rest of the marketers, mostly the majors for the first quarter of 2016.

Even at that, the majors and others are unable to bring in products due to foreign exchange challenges.

Managing Director, Pilot Oil Limited, Mr. Paul Osahon, told Vanguard that marketers had been complaining about their inability to access foreign exchange, which he said was “a hinderance to getting fuel supply.”

Although other marketers, particularly the independents and depot operators have criticised the PPPRA's Q1 PMS import award, saying it wa a return of market monopoly by NNPC. Such a monopoly, they argued, was responsible for the sharp practices at the

depots, particularly with regards to ex-depot pricing because many of the independent marketers lift products from the spot market, rather than through the limited number of depots used by NNPC for throughput.

Motorists keep vigil at outlets

While NNPC resolves the crisis, many motorists now keep vigil at filling stations to get the scarce commodity.

According to one Mr. Francis Okafor, “I have been held hostage at this station for the past three hours. Apparently, the situation is very bad because most of the filling stations along Orile and Ojo axis are shut down, while some of the independent marketers have inflated their prices above the regulated price.

“This is obnoxious for a country that produces enough crude that could service its needs and those

of other neighbouring countries in need of the product.”

Similarly, at Ojo, the situation was even worse as marketers sell at N100 per litre. When Vanguard visited Assoil, customers were seen scrambling to gain entrance as fuel was sold afor as much as N120 per litre.

Meanwhile, the NNPC also announced that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had directed the full activation of an Intra-Ministerial Joint Monitoring Task Force, for effective products distribution.

The Task Force is made up of officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR; PPPRA, and PPMC, who are charged “to ensure and enforce compliance to laid down rules and regulations governing the supply and distribution of petroleum products.”

No Banking Day: CBN calls for vigilance against excessive charges

By Babajide Komolafe

L

AGOS — The Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON), a non-profit making organization, has threatened to boycott banking services from today, Tuesday, March 1, 2016, owing to perceived arbitrary charges by commercial banks.

Consequently, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has called on bank customers to be vigilant against excessive bank charges and channel complaints to appropriate authorities, instead of participating in the boycott of banking services.

CAFON said: ‘’It is pertinent to note that the Nigerian banking system had seen radical reforms in recent years in order to drive the Vision 20: 2020 programme. As part of this broad policy initiative the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, rolled out the cashless policy with a number of options in the

electronic payment systems, including the mobile banking. ‘’To achieve this, the CBN had enlisted electronic and telecom service providers to ensure convenience and safety. ‘’In addition, the Bank also set up the Consumer Protection Department, CPD, saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that bank customers are not unduly shortchanged by the commercial banks.

"Meanwhile, it is equally expected that while the regulators are doing their bit, bank customers must not only insist, but persist in demanding that their respective banks give them good service and at affordable charges. ‘’Nigerians should note that the bank-customer relationship is personal and contractual and should seek for redress when shotchanged.’’

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,

has called on bank customers to be vigilant against excessive bank charges and channel complaints to appropriate authorities instead of participating in the boycott of banking services.

The apex bank stated this in response to the boycott of banking services today called by Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON).

Two weeks ago, CAFON launched a campaign against the introduction of Stamp Duty charge of N50, Current Account Maintenance Fee and excessive bank charges.

The group called on bank customers to boycott all banking services in March to protest the charges.

However in a statement issued yesterday, the CBN faulted the boycott, saying CAFON should rather encourage Nigerians to take complaints that were related to wrongful bank charges to the appropriate quarters.

6 —Vanguard, TUESDAY MARCH 1 , 2015

Expelled LASU teachers sue banks over unpaid benefits

By Jane Echewodo

A

Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered two leading Nigeria banks (names withheld) to show why they should not be compelled to pay the entitlements of five expelled Lagos State University (LASU) dons.

The court’s decision was sequel to a motion ex-parte filed by the lecturers asking the court to compel the university through garnishee order to pay them from the University’s account domiciled with the banks.

In an enrolment of order made by Justice S.A. Onigbanjo of an Ikeja High Court, the banks were directed to appear before the court to show why they should not be ordered to pay the sum of N66.6 million as the benefits due to the five ex-university lecturers, Professors Adele Jinadu, Ajibade Rokosu, Olorunfemi Osafehinti, Kehinde Obidairo and Victor Adisa, 16 years after they were sacked from the school.

When the matter came up before the court, the banks were represented by lawyers, who told the court that they appeared due to the order of the court asking for a short date to respond to the issue.

Police recruitment exercise begin this month — OKIRO

By Angela Okpe

L

AGOS—THE Chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr Mike Okiro, has disclosed that the recruitment of 10,000 policemen into the Force would commence in March.

Okiro stated this in Lagos during the Achiever’s Award held in his honour by a national newspaper.

He, however, did not mention the date and places the recruitment would start stressing that lack of fund to implement the project had delayed the exercise.

Okiro, who was the 13th indigenous Inspector-General of Police (I-G), noted that the current number of police officers were inadequate to police the Nigeria population.

President Muhammadu Buhari, had on August 17, 2015 announced plans by the federal government to recruit 10,000 new police officers.

AREPO: 9 bag 12-year jail term for vandalism, murder of policemen

By Innocent Anaba

L

AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, sentenced nine accused, charged with the murder of nine policemen in Arepo, Ogun State and pipeline vandalism to 12 years imprisonment each.

The court however, discharged and acquitted 11 others of the offence on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish a case against them.

The convicts are Felix Yayu, 25; Yakubu Ebiwei, 45; Augustine Ebiwei, 28; Owei Atile, 37; Atinuke Odewale, 42; Ijoufaya

Legbe, 42; Ahmed Bashorun, 42; Odewale Waheed, 43 and Tuesday Filatei, 36.

The accused were charged by the police on 14 counts charge of pipeline vandalism, illegal transportation and sale of refined petroleum products and unlawful murder of nine policemen.

In his judgment, trial judge, Justice Okon Abang sentenced the accused to a term of 10 years imprisonment on count 1, and a term of 12 years imprisonment on count 2, 3 and 4 respectively, while he discharged them of counts five to 14.

The judge said that the term of

imprisonment shall run concurrently, beginning from the date of delivering same.

“The seed of wrong doing maybe sown in secret, but the harvest cannot be hidden, today is the day of harvest for the convicts. While reviewing evidence in this matter, I came to a conclusion that the following convicts Felix Yayu, Ijoufaya Legbe, Yakubu Ebiwei, Tuesday Filatei, Owei Atile and Augustine Ebiwei, have no sympathy for the corporate existence of this country and her citizens.

“Inspite of the genuine efforts made by Federal and Lagos State

CONFERENCE: From left; Lekan Abani, CEO, Telecom Centre Ltd, Director, Channel Sales, Etisalat Nigeria, Victor Nwaobia and Olusola Alabi, Executive Vice Chairman, Royal Serve Wireless during the Etisalat Nigeria’s 2016 Channel Partners Conference in Lagos.

Governments to protect NNPC pipelines, they felt that vandalising the pipeline and killing the policemen sent to guide pipeline, was the best.

“The facts of this case are miserable, sordid, shameful to remember and ghastly to believe.

Even though they have not been convicted of killing the nine policemen, it is not in doubt that they all conspired to do so in cold blood “Imagine one of the convict Tuesday Filatei, taking photographs of how the policemen were burnt to ashes.

The convicts before me are wicked, heartless and harbingers of evil. The conduct of the convict has reflected the moral decay we find ourselves. The convicts sowed the wind and they must harvest the whirlwind.

“They expect the court to show mercy when they had no mercy for their fellow human beings. A drastic situation requires a drastic solution, and a decision of a court of law in a situation like this, will act as deterrent. Even though others will not learn, I have to do my duty.

“I hereby sentence the convicts Felix Yayu, Ijoufaya Legbe, Yakubu Ebiwei, Augustine Ebiwei, Owei Atile, and Tuesday Filatei, to a term of 10 years imprisonment on count one, and a term of 12 years imprisonment on counts 2, 3 and 4 with effect from today (yesterday).

“The convicts, Ahmed Bashorun, Atinuke Odewale and Odewale Waheed are sentenced to a term of three years imprisonment on counts one to four with effect from June 1, 2014.

On account of the plea for mercy by counsels to the accused, the terms of imprisonment shall run concurrently, I so hold.”

N2.5BN SUIT: EFCC challenges Rickey Tarfa’s fresh application

By Innocent Anaba

L

AGOS—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has challenged a fresh application by Lagos lawyer, Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN), to re-open hearing in his N2.5 billion fundamental rights suit and to advance further evidence.

Trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris was to have delivered judgment in the matter, yesterday, but Tarfa said the new evidence was not available at the time his case was argued.

Tarfa had sued EFCC, alongside its chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, Moses Awolusi, who arrested Tarfa, and Deputy Director Operations, EFCC, Lagos office, Iliyasu Kwarbai, for allegedly violating his rights after he was arrested for hiding two suspects, Nazaire Sorou Gnanhoue and Modeste Finagnon, both Beninoise, in his Mercedes Benz Sports Utility, thereby shielding them from arrest.

Tarfa in the N2.5 billion suit, is praying the court to restrain the respondents and their agents from further violating his rights, and asked for N20 million as cost of

the suit, among others.

Tarfa through his counsel, Mr Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, who led five other SANs, including Oluyele Delano, Abiodun Owonikoko, Dr Muiz Banire, Sylva Ogwemoh and Uche Obi, and 10 other lawyers, urged the court to allow the use of the further and better affidavit.

Ayorinde argued that the new affidavit was deposed to by a lawyer, Mohammed Awwal Yunusa, who swore that the bank account said to be owned by Justice Mohammed Yunusa, through which Tarfa allegedly paid the judge N225,000, belongs to the lawyer and not the judge.

He argued that the money contributed by some lawyers for Justice Yunusa when he was bereaved was different from the one EFCC alleged Tarfa paid into the judge’s account.

Ayorinde said after admitting that a donation was made to the judge, Tarfa realised that N225,000 was actually given to a lawyer in his firm.

Ayorinde said “The evidence was not available as at the time we took the arguments. It behooves your Lordship to consider it,” he added.

But EFCC’s counsel, Wahab Shittu, opposed the application, arguing it was an after-thought designed to confuse issues and mislead the court. He described Tarfa’s claim as “blatant falsehood,” adding that “the facts

cannot be twisted or misrepresented in any way whatsoever.”

Shittu argued that the court having reserved judgment cannot entertain any fresh evidence at this stage of proceedings.

$2.1BN ARMS PROBE: Badeh seeks release from EFCC custody

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—FORMER Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, through his team of lawyers, yesterday, begged the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to release him from detention.

Badeh, who has been in custody of the anti-graft agency since February 8, following his alleged involvement in the $2.1billion arms procurement fraud, told the court that his health has deteriorated badly owing to his continued incarceration.

He told the court that he is currently recovering from a recent surgery on his spinal cord for

Lumbo-sacral Spondylosis, saying he also has a history of Renal Lithiasis (kidney stones).

In a fundamental right enforcement application that was moved in court yesterday by his legal team led by Chief J.K. Gadzama, SAN and Samuel Zibiri, SAN, the former military chief said “his blood pressure has risen to alarmingly high levels”, since his ordeal with the EFCC. He prayed Justice John Tsoho for an order “admitting the applicant to bail on self recognizance, or in such favourable and liberal terms as this court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of the case pending further investigation by the respondent and/or arraignment before this court”.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 7

Ex-NIMASA boss challenges court‘s jurisdiction

By Onozure Dania

L

AGOS—EMBAT TLED former Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi has challenged the jurisdiction of Lagos State High Court to entertain the charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Akpobolokemi was docked before the court on 13 count charges bordering on stealing of N754,740,680 million belonging to NIMASA. At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the fourth defendant Governor Amechee Juan, through his counsel, Ige Asemudara also filed a similar application.

The counsel to the first defendant, Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN), informed Justice Raliat Adebiyi of an Igbosere High Court that he has a notice of preliminary objection, which was dated February 12 and was filed on February 15.

The application is supported with five paragraphs affidavit deposed to by one Felix Deckcon.

The grounds on which the defendant is challenging the court's jurisdiction are by the virtue of the provisions of Section 251 (1) (a) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, the Federal High Court has exclusive jurisdiction over matters and causes arising from, pertaining to and or is connected with the revenue of the Federal Government of Nigeria and ita agencies.

The provisions of section 251 (1)

By Evelyn Usman

L

INSPECTION: Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Mohammadu Mohammed (first right), Commander 105 Communication Depot , Air Commodore Maxwell Nnaji and other senior Air Force officers, during the AOC's inspection of ongoing construction of classrooms, block of flats and drainage system yesterday at Shasha, Lagos. Photo by Evelyn Usman. (a), (P) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended supersede the provisions of the criminal code laws of Lagos State 2011 and EFCC Establishment Act, 2004.

The High Court of Lagos State lacks the requisite jurisdiction to entertain criminal cases and matters arising from and or pertaining to; the revenue of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the administration or the

L

AGOS—THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, yesterday cancelled two centres in the ongoing matriculation examination following complaints of poor facilities provided by the centres’ administrators in Lagos.

Dr Beatrice Okorie, the Coordinator, National Headquarters Annex of the board in Lagos, disclosed this in an interview in Lagos.

Okorie, who is coordinating the Yaba College of Technology’s Computer Based Test (CBT) examination centre, said candidates at the two centres had been relocated to another centre nearby.

She named the affected centres as Huntview Technology Limited, No. 4, Ayanboye St., Anthony village and the New Ocean Comprehensive High School, Megida, Ayobo area, Lagos.

management and control of the Federal Government or any of its agencies, by virtue of the provisions of section 251 (1) (a) (p) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

After listening to both counsels, Justice Adebiyi queried the fourth defendant’s counsel on why he just filed the preliminary objection and also served the prosecuting counsel in court while he has an ample

time for him to have filed and serve the EFCC, to enable them reply, since the matter came up twice last week and the court was not available to hear it.

She however asked other counsels in the matter who also wants to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to file their applications before the next adjourned date.

Consequently, the matter was adjourned to March 9, for hearing of the preliminary objections.

H’Court re-affirms halt of electricity tariff hike

By Innocent anaba

L

AGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, re-affirmed the order it made restraining Nigerian

JAMB cancels centres, relocates candidates She advised candidates in the

By Amaka Abayomi, Tare Youdeowei & Elizabeth Uwandu

Airforce launches harmonised military camouflage

affected centres, who were yet to sit for their examinations, to report immediately to the alternative centres provided for the examination.

“We have relocated candidates from the Huntview Technology Limited, at no. 4, Ayanboye st.

Anthony, Lagos to Jkk building, ETC Nigeria Limited, 229, Ikorodu road, Ilupeju.

“Also, all candidates initially posted to the New Ocean Comprehensive High School, Megida, Ayobo, were relocated to Island Computers College, 99, Meiran road, Otapo Bus-stop, Meiran, Lagos.

“We appeal to all candidates posted to these centres to relocate to the new centres immediately.

“We have stationed officers of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps at the cancelled centre to direct candidates to the new centres”, she said.

Okorie explained that the generator at New Ocean Comprehensive High School got burnt during the first paper on Feb. 27 and destroyed some computers and cables.

Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, from implementing any upward review of electricity tariff (hike), pending the hearing and final determination of the suit filed by a lawyer and rights activist, Toluwani Adebiyi, over the issue.

Trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, while delivering a ruling on the preliminary objections of NERC against the filing of contempt charge by the plaintiff, said “let me warn that when the disciplinary jurisdiction of this court is properly invoked, anyone who is found to have ignored the order of the court will be dealt with severely.

“The order of this court that parties in this suit should maintain the status quo remains valid and binding until it is set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.

“The issue of disobedience to court’s order is one that affects the integrity of the court. There is a need for the court to assert its authority and deal with any issue that is capable of bringing it to disrepute. Those who intend to take the judicial system for a ride should think twice and those who have done so should retrace their steps, the long arm of the law will catch up with them no matter how long it takes,” the court said.

Adebiyi had sought to commit NERC Chairman and Chief Executive Officers, CEOs of the Distribution Companies, Discos,

to prison for announcing the implementation of the new electricity tariff despite a subsisting court order barring same.

But ruling on the application for the hearing of the contempt proceeding, Justice Idris set aside the Form 49 and the motion for committal to prison filed against the defendants by the plaintiff, noting that the issuance of form 49 on the defendants by the plaintiff without prior and proper service of form 48 is premature.

“In the circumstance, I hold that the defendant’s objection has merit. The court has set aside the contempt application due to fundamental and procedural irregularities,” the court said.

The court has since adjourned till March 15 for hearing of all pending applications.

Adebiyi, in the substantive suit, is seeking an order restraining NERC from implementing any upward review of electricity tariff without a meaningful and significant improvement in power supply at least for 18 hours in a day in most communities in Nigeria.

He also wants the court restraining NERC from foisting compulsory service charge on pre-paid meters not until “the meters are designed to read charges per second of consumption and not a flat rate of service not rendered or power not used.”

AGOS—THE L o g i s t i c s Command of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF Ikeja Lagos, yesterday, launched the Harmonised Military Woodland camouflage, recently adopted by the management of Defence, with a charge to its personnel to guard against the uniform getting into wrong hands.

The harmonised camouflage as explained by the Air Officer Commanding, AOC Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal M o h a m m a d u Mohammed, became necessary following its proliferation among several security, paramilitary and civil security outfits, a development he said posed dire implications to national security.

The Nigerian Airforce according to him, was expected to distribute 13,000 pairs of the woodland camouflage. But so far, he informed that the initial delivery of 4,000 pairs had been distributed to personnel on internal security, with the rest to be distributed soon.

On completion of the issuance to all personnel, the AOC said the old camouflage would be retrieved and destroyed, threatening that thereafter any one found with the old camouflage would be prosecuted.

He informed that the harmonised camouflage were of two types; the desert camouflage which is used in the northern part of the country while the woodland camouflage is used in the south.

The AOC also visited 401 Aircraft Maintenance Depot , Ikeja where the re-configuration of the C130 aircraft for executive airlift was ongoing, as well as the 105 Communication Depot in Shasha area of the state, where he inspected three key projects which included the construction of six flats of three bedroom each for married officers; two blocks of four class rooms each and a 6.7 kilometres drainage system.

8—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

Sagay, Tsav, others flay Senate's purchase of 2 exotic cars Say action against Nigeria's economic situation

By Emmanuel Aziken, Dapo Akinrefon, Charles Kumolu, Gbenga Oke & Joseph Erunke

L

A G O S — T H E determination of the Senate to forge ahead with the purchase of foreign branded exotic vehicles at the cost of N4.7 billion was, yesterday, being flayed by a cross section of Nigerians who levelled allegations ranging from irresponsibility to hypocrisy on the lawmakers.

In furtherance of their goal, two of the exotic cars, the first of 120 budgeted at N4.7 billion, were received by the Senate despite assertions that the transaction violated the provisions of the monetisation scheme in which vehicles were provided as car loan advances to the lawmakers last August.

The desperation of the lawmakers to forge ahead with the transaction in the face of dwindling foreign reserves that has led to the depreciation of the naira in the parallel market has also shocked many Nigerians.

One of the Senate’s known faces, Senator Ben MurrayBruce, had recently purchased two Nigerian branded vehicles made by Innoson Motors with a promise to purchase the armour plated cars being rolled out from the company ’s Nnewi, Anambra State manufacturing plant.

Besides the huge amount of foreign exchange that will flow out of the country through the purchase handled by Lanre Shittu Motors Limited, the transaction, if locally sourced, was believed could have helped sustain a number of jobs in Nigeria.

Senator Ibrahim Gobir, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Senate Services, the committee which handled the purchase, could not speak on the issue as an appointment on the issue failed at the last minute.

The lawmakers had after collecting car loans amounting to 300 per cent of their annual salary, last August, gone ahead to insist on procuring 2016 Toyota Prado SUVs for each senator supposedly in the guise of being purchased for committee work.

It is totally irresponsible —Sagay Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) described the action of the lawmakers as an irresponsible act.

Sagay said: “They do not need imported cars. They already have cars but all they need are pool vehicles. In other words, if they are going about doing their committee work, do they go individually or they go about in groups? That is the

question. For me, what they have done is an irresponsible determination to acquire expensive toys at the expense of this country. At a time when our economy is in the doldrums, we cannot afford it, but these people are determined to extract the last blood from the body of this country in order to enjoy the luxury which they cannot fund but which they want the poor people of this country to fund for them.”

He added that “for me, it is totally irresponsible and like I remarked, it just confirms my view that they are not fit to be legislators, they are exhibiting the mentality of someone who is deprived and determined to enjoy an unnecessary luxury at the expense of the country. So, it is a big shame.”

Innoson brand should have been patronised —Tsav Also speaking, a retired

Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav said: “I don’t think the pattern of allowing people to go with their official cars is right. There should be a life span attached to such vehicles that were procured with public funds so that the country will not be spending money quite often on cars.

“However, it is sad that now that people are suffering as a result of the present economic crisis, our lawmakers are taking huge money abroad to buy exotic official cars. I think our lawmakers should be servants of the people and not to be served by the people. It is wrong to take delivery of the cars when we have the Inosson brand, which I believe can boost the economy if supported”, Tsav said.

Nigerian Senators are lawbreakers — Mohammed

Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed described the Senate and its leadership as law breakers.

He said: “I can say with all sense of responsibility that there is a kind of hate relationship between the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, Dogara against the people of this country if not, they would not have been engaged in any frivolous spending at this time knowing fully well what the economic reality of the country is right now.

“These two ambitious people have come to do what they planned to do which is rubbish the institutions, rubbish the government and engage in frivolous payments and spending.”

He said further: “Nigerians need to rise and confront them else we will know no peace in this country and what we regard as democracy will be a mirage. Also, Mr President must be ready to confront the National Assembly leadership over these issues.”

In his reaction, Second

UNILAG CONVOCATION LECTURE— From left: Prof. Rahamon Bello, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos; Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Head of Interim National Government; Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology and Guest Lecturer; his wife, Dr Chinyere; Gen Oladipo Diya (Retd) and Prof. Jerry Gana, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, during the university's 2015 Convocation Lecture, titled: "Positioning Nigeria as the Technology Hub of Africa", at the Unilag Main Auditorium, Akoka, Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Bunmi Azeez.

Nigeria requires 50,000MW to drive economic development — FG

By Grace Udofia

A

BUJA—THE Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday, called for increased investment in renewable energy, saying the country required 50,000 Megawatts of electricity to drive economic development.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, in conjunction with the management of Cranfield University, London, Kachikwu maintained that the country ’s economic development would have reached a giant stride, if about 20,000 Mega Watts of electricity was generated from renewable energy sources.

Kachikwu, who was represented by Director of Gas, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Alhaji Yahaya Kurfi, lamented the fact that the country had not been able to make any local contribution to the Ethanol blending project, which was aimed at reducing energy emission from fossils fuel.

He said: “Renewable sources of energy will amount to Nigeria generating about 20,000 Mega Watts of electricity", adding that with this; the country ’s economic landscape will change drastically placing her as a leading economy in the world.

He emphasised the need for capacity building to enable Nigerians identify, explore and manage the renewable options as nature had blessed the country with varieties of resources.

FG to build Nigeria’s future on science and technology—Onu L

AGOS—FEDERAL Government, yesterday, gave a clue on how it intends to reinvent the country, saying the focus will now be on science and technology.

Minister of Science and Technology , Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who announced this, declared that in line with such objective, technology villages will be established in the six geo-political zones in no distant time. He said the federal government was working on building science and technology museums in different parts of the country.

The minister spoke at the

University of Lagos Convocation Lecture which he was the guest speaker. The Lecture titled: “Positioning Nigeria as the Technology Hub of Africa,” was attended by many eminent Nigerians.

Listing steps the incumbent administration intends to take to nudge up technological development, Onu, a former governor of Abia state, who also is an alumnus of UNILAG, disclosed that plans were underway to send a Bill to the National Assembly for the establishment of National

Research and Innovation Council (NRIC).

He stated that his ministry was working on a proposal to set up a special bank which will be known as a Science and Technology Development Bank (STDB) to cater for funding needs of technological investments.

The Minister said: “We intend to establish Technology Villages in the six geo-political zones of the Country. This will help us properly shape and sharpen the innovation of the creative genius of our creative minds into finished products and services to be of benefit to our dear

country.

“I am happy to state that the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration through the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology will work speedily to close all technology gaps in the country.

“We will in the near future, propose the establishment of a Science and Technology Development Bank (STDB).

Whereas the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) will assist research and developmental work in the country, the STDB will provide venture capital for commercialisation of new ideas as well as support local manufacture that encourages technological development in the country.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016—9

ALLEGED M1TRN RAIL CONTRACT SCAM:

Reps invite former Transport Minister, SGF, DSS, EFCC, 27 contractors, others

By Emman Ovuakporie and Johnbosco Agbakwuru

A

MORO IN COURT—Abba Moro, former Minister of Interior, on arrival at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the 2014 tragic Immigration recruitment scam , yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

ALLEGED N676M JOB SCAM: Ex-Interior Minister, Moro, others docked, remanded in prison

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

A

BUJA—THE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, remanded erstwhile Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, and a former Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr. F. O Alayebami, in prison custody over their alleged complicity in a N676 million job scam.

Trial Justice Anwuli Chikere remanded the duo in Kuje Prison shortly after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned them on an 11-count criminal charge bordering on procurement fraud, obtaining by false pretence and money laundering.

They were docked alongside Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior when the alleged fraud was committed, Mrs. Anastasia DanielNwobia.

Though Justice Chikere ordered that both Moro and Alayebami should remain in prison custody until tomorrow (Wednesday) when their bail applications would be considered, she, however, granted administrative bail to the 2nd defendant, Mrs. Daniel-Nwobia.

Mrs. Daniel-Nwobia who is nursing a baby, had through her lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, pleaded the court to allow her to go home to take care of her little baby.

Uche, SAN, drew the attention of the court to the fact that his client was earlier released on bail by the EFCC. “We urge my lord to allow the 2nd defendant to continue to enjoy the administrative bail that was earlier granted to her by the prosecution, especially in view of the fact that she is merely a victim of circumstance so far as this case is concerned.

"The records are there to show that though she was a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, she had already left

office before the said recruitment exercise took place,” Uche, SAN, pleaded.

While confirming that the 2nd defendant had been on administrative bail, EFCC through its lawyer, Mr. Aliyu Yusuf, said it would leave the issue to the discretion of the court.

However, the prosecutor stressed that part of the conditions upon which Mrs. Daniel-Nwobia was granted bail by the Commission included that she produced a Director that stood surety for her, as well as agreed to be reporting at its headquarters everyday to sign-in.

Both counsel to the former Minister, Mr. Banabas Onamusi and that of the 3rd accused person, Mr. Michael Adeyemi told the court that they have filed separate motions requesting that their clients be released on bail pending hearing and the determination of the charge against them.

Earlier, the EFCC told the court that one of the alleged culprits, Mr. Mahmood Ahmadu, who it said was a Director at Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd, a firm allegedly used to perpetuate the botched March 15, 2014, immigration recruitment that killed no fewer than 20 job seekers across the country, was currently at large.

It, however, charged the firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd, as the 4th defendant in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/ 42/2016.

Specifically, the anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants defrauded 676,675 Nigerian applicants of N676, 675,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Six Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira).

Each of the 676,675 applicants were charged N1,

000 each for participating in the ill-fated Immigration recruitment exercise.

Besides, the defendants were alleged to have flouted the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the award of the contract for the organisation of the recruitment test to Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd. EFCC said its investigations revealed that the firm, which it said was not validly registered to operate in Nigeria, never bidded for the contract.

It said the contract was awarded through selective tendering procedure by invitation of four firms without seeking the approval of the Bureau for Public Procurement, contrary to sections 40, 42 and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under section 58 of the same act.

Meantime, the defendants, yesterday, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

BUJA—MEMBERS of the House of Representatives adhoc Committee on the Railway Contract Scam Probe have invited the former Minister of Transport, Isa Bio Ibrahim; Department of State Service, DSS; Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and 27 contractors allegedly involved in the misappropriation of N1trillion railway contracts.

This came as the Senate revealed that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, were wrongly allocated N19 billion by the Budget Office in 2016 budget.

This is as Chairman of the Reps adhoc committee, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, PDP, Egor/Ikpoba Oha Federal Constituency, denied a report that his committee had submitted its interim report.

Those invited are expected to appear before the committee on Thursday to explain their roles

in the management of monies made available by the Federal Government to revamp the railway sector.

According to a source close to the committee, the DSS was invited to give a vivid account of the recommendations it made to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation concerning how the rail contracts were poorly managed between 2010 and 2014.

On the other hand, the SGF would explain to the committee what happened to the investigative report submitted to it by the DSS. As for the former minister, Mr Ibrahim, who took over from Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke in 2009, he is expected to explain with valid documents as he allegedly signed the contract for the procurement of locomotives General Electric(GE) valued at about N12.5 billion.

The source further explained that it was during the reign of Ibrahim that the recently sacked MD of NRC, Mr Seyi Sijuwade, was employed by the Presidency.

...to repatriate 60,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroun

By Omeiza Ajayi

A

BUJA—THE Federal Government has expressed commitment to repatriating over 60, 000 insurgency-displaced Nigerians who are presently taking refuge at the Minawao camp, Maruoa in the far North Region of Cameroun.

This came on a day a senior Nigerian lawyer, Femi Falana, petitioned the Nigerian Army authorities, demanding the release of Enitan Ransome-Kuti, the former Commander of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, who was convicted by a military court martial and sentenced to six months imprisonment.

Government’s pledge was made when the Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, led a federal government delegation on a three-day visit to the Cameroun.

Speaking when he visited the refugees at the camp, Dambazau said following the liberation of communities hitherto besieged by armed terrorists as well as the gradual return of civil authorities, the federal government was irrevocably committed to relocating them back to their communities in Nigeria.

NCC confirms payment of N50bn part fine by MTN

By Emeka Aginam

L

AGOS—THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, yesterday, confirmed that the Federal Government received N50 billion from MTN Nigeria towards the settlement of the N780 billion fine imposed on the telecoms firm.

The confirmation came as the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, denied any role in either negotiating with MTN or directing or receiving the N50 billion from the company.

MTN said, last week, it had

withdrawn its lawsuit challenging the fine, and that it had paid N50 billion to the government.

NCC denied knowledge of the negotiations or payment, while ministry of communications admitted the money had been paid.

The disclosure that the ministry received the payment without the knowledge of the NCC angered many Nigerians.

But the minister, Mr. Shittu, said he was told that negotiations took place between MTN and the Attorney General of the

Federation, Abubakar Malami, but that he was never involved.

“I have not negotiated with anybody,” Mr. Shittu said yesterday. “Remember I was not yet a minister when the matter started. At no time was any file ever brought to me on the matter even after my resumption.

The MTN went to court to buy time, but then realized that they were not likely to win in court, and now they are anxious to negotiate. They only told me unofficially that they were withdrawing the case; that they had gone to the Attorney General of the Federation who, they said, asked them to make some down payment for any negotiation to begin.”

10—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

Driver sentenced to 5 days of sweeping police station

A

N Ogudu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, yesterday, ordered a commercial driver, Kolawole Olumide, 25, to sweep the Ogudu Police Station for five days for driving against traffic.

The magistrate, Mrs Sule Amzat, pronounced the sentence after the driver pleaded guilty to the three-count charge of driving without a licence and causing wilful obstruction on the highway.

Amzat ordered Olumide to sweep the police station for a minimum of two hours each day for the five days and to pay N5,000 to Lagos State Government for each count.

The magistrate said if the driver failed to comply with the community service imposed, he would be taken into custody for at least six months.

She also ordered that the vehicle, a Volkswagen LT bus with number plates KRD 833 XH, should be released to the convict upon completion of his sentence.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Sergeant Lucky Ihiehie, had told the court that Olumide drove against traffic on the highway.

He said the driver also caused wilful obstruction on the road, having no regard for other road users and that the offences committed contravened Schedule 3, items 1, 24 and Schedule 1, item 45 of the Lagos State Traffic Law, 2012.

We’ve human abattoirs, sell parts for N30,000— SUSPECT

By Ola Ajayi

I

BADAN—ONLOOKERS were stunned into silence yesterday at the headquarters of Oyo State Police Command as a 50-year old suspect, Kamoru Oladele, narrated how he sells human parts for between N25,000 and N30,000, adding that his gang has human abattoirs in Oyo and Osun states.

Narrating how the law caught up with the suspects, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, said the breakthrough was made by the special anti-kidnapping squad of the Command after receiving intelligence report on the activities of the suspects.

Police further stated that the suspects had succeeded in giving their victims erroneous impression that they could make them rich through rituals.

The suspect told Vanguard: “I am a herbalist and I do fortune charms for people. I am not the one that usually sells human parts. I buy from some people.

This is my first time of engaging in this kind of business. I usually buy the human skull for

O

KPARE—OLOMU in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State was in the early hours of yesterday thrown into jubilation, following the release of Mrs Sarah Aguariavwodo, the octogenarian mother of exManaging Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo.

This is coming on the heels of the release of the younger sister of Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, after over two

The abattoirs

Kamoru Oladele... Human skull is called agbon.

N10,000 and sell it for N25,000 for those that come for fortune charms.”

When police searched his house, they alleged that one smoked human skull was

recovered. They further explained that the suspect used coded words for different human parts.

Oladele said the words can only be decoded by their

He also disclosed that their trade was carried out in their human abattoirs located at Amuloko and Kuta villages in Oyo and Osun states, respectively.

Also paraded was one Seun Ogunbamijo, who claimed to be a graduate of one of the polytechnics in the South-West.

According to the police, they laid siege to some of the first generation banks in Ibadan, monitor bank customers who withdraw large sums of money and rob them.

The police boss, Oyebade, said: “However, luck ran out of them after the anti-bank robbery operatives of the Command were drafted to the scene and they were arrested.”

Some of the items allegedly recovered from the gang include two locally-made pistols, one cut-to-size single-barrelled gun, 10 live cartridges, one Toyota 4runner with number plates ABC 624 AH, and a Toyota Carina with number plates KS 599 AAA.

EBONYI: 10-year-old boy dies from Lassa fever

By Peter Okutu

A

BAKALIKI—EBONYI State, weekend, recorded its second confirmed case of

Lassa Fever as a 10-year-old boy in Igbeagu in Izzi Local Government died from the disease.

The state Commissioner for

Health, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike, who confirmed the death of the boy, said the victim died after he was discharged from Federal Teaching Hospital

Thugs attack protesting pensioners in Bayelsa

By Emem Idio

Y

ENAGOA—PROTESTING members of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Bayelsa State branch were, yesterday,

Gov Dickson's sister, Ex-NDDC boss' mother regain freedom

By Festus Ahon, Samuel Oyadongha & Perez Brisibe

initiates, adding that “a human head that sells for N30,000 is called agbon (coconut).”

months in captivity.

Mrs. Sarah Aguariavwodo got to her Okpare-Olomu residence few minutes past 12a.m. after spending 13 days in captivity, following her kidnap at her Ogbe Street residence.

The victim was abducted after two previous attempts failed.

A member of the family, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no ransom was paid for her release, adding that a suspect was arrested in connection with the incident.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, said one person had earlier been arrested in connection with the incident.

attacked by thugs and prevented from blocking the entrance of Creek Haven, the state Government House.

The pensioners took to the streets of Yenagoa for the second time in three months to protest the non-payment of five months pension arrears and gratuities owe them by the state government.

The suspected thugs in their numbers destroyed placards and inflicted injuries on the aged retirees who could not hold back their emotions as they wept uncontrollably, raining curses on their attackers.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read “Pay us our allowances,” “Pensioners are dying every day of hunger,” “Our children are out of school because of school fees”, “ Our pension is our rights,” among others.

Spokesperson of the pensioners and caretaker committee chairman, Chief Bodi Amara, who condemned the attack on the pensioners, said they came out on a peaceful

protest to draw the attention of the state government to the plight of the retirees, lamenting that some of them have not been paid since June last year.

Amaran said: “Our members came out this morning to protest and draw the state government's attention to our welfare, but some youths came from nowhere and started beating our members.

“All our placards have been destroyed by the youths and one of our members is receiving treatment from the beatings.

“We, the pensioners, did not come out for war; we are only here to ask for our right.

Pension is our right and it is non-negotiable. We have tried to have an audience with the state governor without success.”

Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, denied that the suspected thugs were sponsored by the state government, but stated that the government owes pensioners in the state.

Abakaliki, FETHA. The Commissioner described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the deceased was a day student in one of the primary schools in the state.

Dr. Umezuruike said the boy’s parents were based in Abuja, but that the report before them did not show that the deceased travelled to meet with his parents in recent times.

He also explained that the 10-year old was not rushed to the hospital immediately he became sick, adding that he responded to treatment at first and as such the hospital discharged him.

Umezuruike said: “But unfortunately, he died the same day he was discharged.

His case was surprising because the hospital thought he was all right after the treatment. Before he was discharged, we took his sample which later came out positive.”

Umezuruike also confirmed that the case was the second recorded in the state, adding that “the first person was a student of Ebonyi State University.”

He said the Ministry of Health had begun surveillance and tracing of close associates of the last victim to enable them curtail the spread of the disease in the state.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016—11

Abducted 14-year-old Ese Oruru freed in Kano

By Emma Amaize, Samuel Oyadongha & Abdulsalam Muhammad

T

HE 14 years old Ese Rita Oruru, who was abducted by one Yinusa, alias Yelllow, from her mother’s shop in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, August 12, 2015, and whisked to Kano State, has been rescued.

She was freed last night, following a directive by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to the Commissioner of Police, Kano State, Mohammed Katsine, yesterday, to liase with the state’s Emirate Council and relevant persons.

Confirming the rescue in a telephone chat yesterday, Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olabisi Kolawole, said Arase had directed that Ese Oruru be given protection, adding that she will be flown to Abuja tomorrow (today) to be re-united with her family.

It was gathered that the IG had made arrangements to move the family to Abuja for the re-union with their daughter.

Meanwhile, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, yesterday, blamed police and other para-military agencies over failure to return Ese Rita Oruru to her family.

Ese hails from Uwherun town in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State.

Her abductors had earlier rebuffed efforts by her parents to secure her release after they converted the teenager to Islam, renamed her Aisha and betrothed her to Yinusa.

“Police are those behind this delay. I have done my best for her.

It is unfortunate that the police are delaying this matter.

“I received phone calls from friends outside the shores of this country over Ese. What I knew was that the matter is something I had settled six months ago.”

The emir recalled how he directed that the District Head of Kura, Sharia commission and Hisbah to investigate the allegation Ese raised over threats by her estranged parents to her life, adding that the report confirmed the allegation, while he had since requested police intervention to provide cover.

Emir Sanusi

On his part, narrating his involvement in the saga, Sanusi II said: “I ordered Ese’s repatriation since September 2015, through the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 1. But to my surprise, the issue is still hanging between the Sharia commission, Hisbah and police.

Police would've killed the matter, says Ese's father ... as groups insist on culprit's arrest

It's not Islamic—EMIR

The emir, who declared null and void Ese's marriage to her suspected lover, said: “Ese is underage and she cannot be married off.

“Every Muslim also knew that marriage cannot be without guidance. She must be taken back to her parents and can only marry when she is 18 years.

“It is unIslamic for someone to marry a lady without approval of the guardian. The abduction of Ese by my subject is worrisome because it will cause disunity among our people. I feel it is something we should urgently call to order.”

The emir also directed the Sharia commission to liaise with the Assistant Inspector General of Police and send the girl back to her family.

It was gathered that the planned Bring back EseOruru rally slated for yesterday in Yenagoa by civil society organisations was suspended.

I'm grateful—FATHER

The girl’s father, Mr. Charles Oruru, who spoke to Vanguard in Yenagoa, said: “Without the support of the media and civil society groups, there is nothing I could have done. Left to the police, the matter would have died a natural death and she would have been lost in Kano. We are praying for her return so that we can all celebrate.

“If they bring my daughter back successfully, I will be very happy.

I am like a fish out of water. I have not been myself since she was forcibly taken away from us.

“Whenever I think of her, I shed tears. She is only a minor. She was taken away when she was 13 years old, but she is now 14. I do not have many children and the few I have, I make sure I take good care of them because I know they will be great in future.”

My role in Ese’s abduction saga—Emir

Gov Dickson

Governor Seriake Dickson, it was gathered, had contacted his Kano State counterpart on the issue and was given assurance that she would be set free.

Executive Director, Kindling Hope Across Nations Initiative, KHAN, Kizito Andah, initiators of Bring back EseOruru, described Dickson’s intervention as heart warming, saying “our governor has stepped in powerfully. That was why the rally was suspended.”

The forum also had in attendance, the parents of the abducted child, Mr. and Mrs Charles Oruru; Coordinator, UNICEF Child Protection Network and Bayelsa Legal Aids Council, Kombo Eze; Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, Arch Bishop Jacob Akpiri; Vice President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Bayelsa State chapter, and South-South Commissioner, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Alhaji Abdulrahman Eneware, among others.

Urhobo Monitoring and Development Group, UMDG, led by the President, Mr. Kingsley Oberuruaria, had earlier issued a two-

Rose and Charles Oruru, parents of Ese. week ultimatum to the Kano State to the chief of a village called Tufa Government and Emir of Kano to in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State on August 15, 2015. produce Ese Oruru.

“After relaying the purpose of their visit, the said chief was How far we went furious with Rabiu for bringing —Ese's father Narrating his experience since my wife to Kano and told them his daughter's abduction, Mr. that Ese had been converted to Oruru said: “On August 12, 2015, Islam and renamed Aisha, when I returned from work, I was married and that the child was told that Ese had gone to see her no longer her child.

“He also informed them that classmate who had an accident Ese was in the custody of the Emir at Tombia.

“When she did not return home, of Kano, HH Muhammadu we began a search and one Sanusi II, at the palace.

“My wife, in the company of Mohammed (alias Daidi) informed us that one Mr. Yinusa Rabiu, approached the Emir of (alias Yellow) had taken Ese to Kano’s palace but were driven Kano to convert her into Islam, away by youths.

“The said Yinusa, through recruit her into an Islamist phone calls, informed my wife fanatical group and marry her.

“I want to make it clear that no that he did not kidnap her one consulted me or paid me bride daughter as he took permission price for my daughter. Besides, from Dan Kano before he she is too young and is still in abducted her. school. I do not have any prior knowledge or consented to what Enter police “Sensing the impossibility of happened.

“My wife is a food vendor and seeing her daughter or having an her customers are mostly Hausa audience with the Emir, my wife men, who she sometime gives broke into tears and drew a lot of free meal. The said Mr. Yinusa attention. On hearing her cries, does not have a steady source of an elderly man called the police.

“Police took her to Kwani Police income; sometimes my wife gives Station where her statement was him free meal.

“As much as I know, he was not taken and she was accompanied having any affair with my daugh- to the Emir’s palace, but were ter and I am sure that he must prevented from entering.

“They proceeded to the house have used charms.

“Acting on the above of the Galadima of Kano, who information, my wife (Mrs Rose stated that he does not know Oruru) approached one Dan anything about the matter.

“The team went to see the Kano, who not only confirmed the story but also promised to take her Adviser to Emir, who told them to Kano to recover our daughter. that he does not want to be “Dan Kano reneged on his involved in the matter and then promise and rather sent one to the Secretary to the Emir.

“The Secretary informed them Rabiu to accompany her to Kano.

“We were advised that only my that the Chief of Tufa Village got wife should go to Kano. On an approval from Kura Police August 14, 2015 she went there Station to take Ese to the Emir’s and the said Rabiu took my wife palace; that Ese is now a convert

of Islam and if brought to her mother, that the mother would not be able to talk or touch her, otherwise either she (the mother) or Ese would die. He advised that they wait till August 17, 2015 to see the Emir.

“On August 17, 2015, the DCO, a Police Inspector from Kwani Police Station, the Chief of Tufa village and my wife were at the palace where the Emir of Kano sat in council.

“Ese was also brought in a black SUV with two Police escorts; Yinusa was also present. When the case was mentioned, every other person was allowed inside except my wife.

“On returning from the Emir’s court, the DCO informed her that the Emir of Kano told them to go to the Sharia Court, which they objected to.

“Police transferred the matter to State CID in Kano State, where she was asked to go back to Bayelsa and report to the Bayelsa State Police Command. My wife returned to Bayelsa on August 17, 2015 and a report was made at the Ekeki Police Station and the matter was later transferred to State CID Yenagoa.

“Police at Yenagoa made some arrests, including Dan Kano, and a trip was embarked upon to Kano on September 2, 2015 with the following persons: Dan Kano, K. C. Dahiru, the Chairman of the Hausa community in Yenagoa; Mr. Charles Oruru and two police officers from State CID. “The team reported at the Kwani Police Station in Kano, where another visit was made to the Emir of Kano.

“The Emir informed them that he had since August 26, 2015 sent a letter for the release of Ese to her parents. Another was written but was not responded to.”

12—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

54 laws must be amended for business reform —EXPERT

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

A

BUJA—AMIDST the current economic crunch in the country, a team of consultants, under the auspices of Department for I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development, DFID, told the Senate yesterday that if Nigeria must be an economic destination and attractive to investors, it must amend or repeal 54 of its existing laws.

According to the team of experts, they also did what they described as comprehensive analysis of 50 other bills pending before the two chambers of the National Assembly.

This came as Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said the present economic challenge should be seen as a blessing in disguise, and that the situation presented an opportunity for Nigeria's leaders to show leadership, courage and ingenuity.

They spoke while presenting the 168-page report entitled Comprehensive Review of the Institutional Regulatory, Legislative and Associated Instruments Affecting Businesses in Nigeria.

Leader of the DFID team, Professor Paul Idonigie, stressed that the priority rating list would help the legislature to focus on some areas that required urgent intervention and recommended nine bills that if passed into law in the life of the 8th assembly, would have been deemed to have comprehensively reformed the business environment.

The bills recommended as requiring urgent attention include the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2015; Federal Roads Authority Bill 2015; National Inland Waterways Authority Bill 2015; National Roads Funds Bill 2015; National Transport Commission 2015; Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority Bill 2015; Nigeria Postal Commission Bill 2015 and Nigeria Railway Authority Bill 2015.

1,733 NDDC contractors disappeared with N70.5bn, says Auditor-Gen We won’t shield any indicted contractor— Semenitari

As Senate c’ttee adjourns hearing by one month

By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke

we would know the truth.”

Semenitari

A

B U J A — AU D I T O R General of the Federation, Samuel Ukura, yesterday, made a startling revelation on how contractors, who handled projects for Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, between 2008 and 2012, disappeared with N70.5 billion mobilisation fees without going to site, let alone executing the projects.

Ukura, who spoke through Mr. Emmanuel Akpan, an Assistant Director, Public Accounts Committee Division, in his office at a public hearing organised by the Senate Public Accounts Committee, insisted that the commission’s projects were abandoned.

He added that the AuditorGeneral’s office, based on findings made so far, strongly believed that the total sum of the scam stood at N70,495, 993,761.

He said: “The real value of contracts on which monies have been collected by NDDC contractors during the period under review, as at the time of auditing, was N70.4 billion and not N11 billion the NDDC office is claiming.

“There is need for NDDC officials to prove that contractors involved in the close to N60 billion gap they are trying to create have actually gone to site and executed their projects.”

Ukura further disclosed that no fewer than 1,733 contractors were involved in the scam.

NDDC officials disagree

However, while officials from the office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation agreed with the submission made by the Auditor-General, NDDC officials led by their acting Managing Director, Ibim Semenitari, disagreed, saying latest records available to them indicated that N11 billion projects and not N70 billion were affected by the contract scam.

NDDC’s Director of Finance, Jimoh Egbejule, said the commission had audited the projects awarded during the period under review and discovered that the said scam affected N11 billion projects and not N70.5 billion.

The contradictory submissions forced the committee, through its Chairman, Senator Andy Uba, PDP, Anambra South, to

Ibim Semenitari, new NDDC boss. adjourn the sitting for a month.

Fuming over the development, Uba said: “There is need to stop this public hearing to allow the three parties time to sit down and harmonise their findings and reports.

“Definitely, t h i s committee is not satisfied with what h a s happened, but we have to give them time to meet a n d harmonise whatever they can b e f o r e coming back to us to present their updated reports, upon which we can now do the p r o p e r probing without one a g e n c y saying it does not have the reports the other is presenting.

“The new MD did not k n o w anything.

She did not understand what was going on.

They did not carry her along.

“I am glad that she is willing to work; she is ready to go through it

with a fine tooth-comb, line by line, with the auditorgeneral and accountantgeneral’s queries to make sure that there is prompt response to the queries. In one month’s time, I am sure

The new NDDC boss, Semenitari, promised to go over the records properly within the one month duration given, with a view to later presenting before the committee the truth.

She said: “We would respond in all honesty with all of the documentations before us. But like I said, there might have been some errors here and there because they did not see all the documentation.

“It is too early to decide what it might be. I am sure by the time they respond fully, we would be able to show Nigerians facts as they are.

“Again, we would not shield any contractor who has not done his job. We would not shield anyone who is indicted. This is a new administration and we are committed to transparency.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016—13

We're not pipeline vandals, Gbaramatu people tell FG

By Emma Amaize & Akpokona Omafuaire

O

POROZA—THE people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State, have urged the Federal Government to stop its militarization of their communities, saying they are not pipeline vandals.

Gbaramatu leaders, who spoke to Vanguard on the sidelines of the formal presentation of Prince Naira Ogoba as Pere (King)-elect of Gbaramatu kingdom, at Oporoza, described the continued militarization of the area as a witch-hunt and calculated attempt to stir crisis in the land.

There was jubilation as the kingmakers, comprising Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Chief Julius Tonfawei and Chief Nelson Ogelegbanwei presented the Pere-elect, Prince Ogoba, at the Palace Ground, Oporoza, to the regent, Chief P. T. Heavens and Chief Alfred Bubor.

Plea to return home

Chief Gbenekama, who spoke on the ordeal of his people, urged the indigenes and residents, who fled the area in the wake of military siege to return home to face the Federal Government and prove their innocence that they are not criminals and pipeline vandals.

He said: “Let us come back home, we cannot continue to run from our home. Let us come back home, we are not pipeline vandals, even if government security agencies will kill us in our land. The militarization of Gbaramatu should stop.

Government should stop the militarization and engage the people in a constructive way so that the pipeline vandalism should stop.”

Another community leader, Chief Nelson Ogelegbanwei, who corroborated Chief Gbenekama’s position, said: “We do not vandalize pipelines.

Oporoza is innocent of any allegations by the Federal Government about the pipeline vandalization.”

Ogelegbanwei accused the Federal Government of bias in the manner it has been handling the matter since the beginning of the year.

No partiality in selection of Pere-elect

Ogelegbanwei also said that there was no partiality in the selection of the Pere-elect as the kingmakers followed due process.

Speaking, Chief Clark Gbenewei said, that kingship in Gbaramatu Kingdom was not hereditary, adding that each of the ruling houses produce the

king when it comes to their turn.

Chief Vero Tangbowei told Vanguard: “The Pere-elect is God’s Chosen one. It is the will of God. I pray his reign will

usher in peace and development.”

The Amakosuowei of Benikrukru Community, Pa. John. Okirika described the emergence of the Pere-elect as

the will of God. Pa. Okirika also advised the Pereelect to be upright and God fearing, always speak the truth and work hard to bring “peace, prosperity and development” to the kingdom.

AWARD: From left –Evangelist Adeyemi Agbude J.P., Chairman, Ajimele Community, Sapele LGA, Delta State, Sir Vincent Kariks Ekanko, activist and community leader, and others, during the International Peace and Committee on Law, Justice, and Human Rights award by the International Human Rights organisation, Friends of African Union and Universal Peace Development, at Saint Finbarr's Catholic Church, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State.

CONTEMPT: ASUU president, Fagge, 2 others to appear in court

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA —NATIONAL Industrial Court, sitting in Enugu has ordered the National President of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr. Nassir Fagge to appear before it on March 15, 2016 to explain why he should not be committed to prison for disrespecting the orders of the court.

The court also ordered Dr. David Ejenobo of the

Department of Religion and Philosophy, Delta State University, Abraka and his colleague, Dr. Emmanuel Obi Nwafor of the Microbiology Department to appear before it to answer to the charge of alleged contempt ex facie curiae.

Giving the order, trial judge, Justice Auwal Ibrahim, said that the actions of the trio were capable of bringing the integrity of the court to disrepute and ordered that the hearing summons be issued and served personally on

them.

The court, however, said that the defendants were still within time to respond and therefore and gave them up till March 15, 2016 to respond.

Counsel to the plaintiff and Chairman of Delta State University, Abraka chapter of ASUU, Prof Abel Diakparomre, had told the court that Dr. Fagge, Dr. Ejenobo and Dr. Nwafor have a case of gross contempt to answer for disrespecting the orders of the court.

Fresh communal crisis looms in Delta communities

A

By Tare Yuodeowei

LADJA—ANOTHER round of crisis is looming between the Aladja Urhobo community in Udu Local Government Area and Ijaw community of Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State over alleged harassment and toll collection by Urhobo youths from their Ijaw neighbours for

plying the only access road to their community.

In a letter by the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Governing Council addressed to the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa by its chairman, Alex Akemotubo, they appealed to the governor to ensure that military checkpoints were stationed at strategic points on the only access road from Aladja to Ogbe-Ijoh as a

temporary measure to forestall imminent break down of law and order in the area.

He charged the newly constituted Boundary Committee set up by the governor to quickly move into both communities to address the many years of boundary demarcation problem, saying that the excesses of the Aladja youths can no longer be tolerated.

EDO 2016: Esele tasks APC on due process in

selecting gov candidate

By Gabriel Enogholase

B

ENIN—AN All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant for this year governorship election in Edo State, Mr Peter Esele has called on party faithful to insist on due process that will enthrone a credible and result oriented candidate for the party during its governorship primaries.

He insisted that any aspirant, who seeks to emerge through

the back door, obviously has nothing to offer, saying “I say so without any apology.”

Esele, who addressed members of the Edo ForumLagos, promised that if elected as the governor of Edo State, “My three throng campaign vision will be, education, culture and agriculture. In the face of a daunting financial meltdown that has befallen our dear country, we must be extremely circumspect of all the aspirants including

myself. Edo State cannot afford the luxury of a flamboyant or extravagant governor.

“I will ensure that our education is prioritized towards technical and practical excellence, building of mechanic village for enhanced and efficient service delivery for automobile owners and investors, sustainable youth empowerment.

“With people working painfully to meet their tax obligations, Edo people needs a governor that can open our agriculture and industrial space, taking advantage of our strategic geography in the comity of states in Nigeria."

DPR to seal illegal filling stations in Rivers

By Jimitota Onoyume

P

ORT HARCOURT— DEPARTMENT of Petroleum Resources, DPR, is to seal off illegal filling stations in Rivers State.

Zonal Operations Controller, Port Harcourt zone, Mrs Chioma Njoku disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt, saying it was part of the efforts to effectively monitor sale of petroleum products in the state.

“Our personnel will soon embark on an inspection of filling stations across the zone to ascertain those that are operating illegally without the authorisation of the Department of Petroleum Resources. Any filling station discovered to be operating without a license will be shut,” she said.

She said DPR was doing everything possible to ensure that all filling stations complied with the approvedpumppriceofN86,50k.

“Our personnel are doing all they cantoenforcetheofficialsellingprice of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, at N86.50, but some filling station attendants usually alert their colleagues at other filling stations, using their cell phones, who immediately stop selling at an exorbitant price and lock up their filling stations before the arrival of our personnel,” she said.

Former DESOPADEC commissioner urges support for Buhari

D

E L T A N S , rights groups in Nigeria and Diaspora have been called upon to support the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in order to help realise its change agenda.

Rev. Chukwudi Eke, a former commissioner representing Ndokwa on the board of DESOPADEC made the call while addressing leaders of civil society groups at a forum of network of NGOs concerned with good governance in Delta State to forge a common front in sharing experience and knowledge on how best to promote peace, foster unity and support the Federal Government to engender sustainable development of Nigeria in the spirit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. Rev. Eke explained that, “the United Nations system strongly encouragetheparticipationofNGOs towards good governance that fosters sustainable development of lands and people.”

14 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

FUEL SCARCITY, NATIONWIDE. PHOTOS BY OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS.

Weary would-be buyers at Oando filling station beside KFC, at Berger Motorists and Okada operators queue endlessly to buy the fuel that was nowhere to Bus stop, along Lagos - Ibadan Express Road. Photo by Akeem Salau. be found at a Total filling station in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo by Dare Fasube.

An empty filling station at Gbagada with black market hawkers displaying petrol in jerry cans waiting for buyers. Photo Lamidi Bamidele

A long queue of buyers at MRS Filling Station, along Alagbole An empty filling station at Gbagada with black market hawkers displaying petrol in Road, Ishasi, Ogun State. Photo by Akeem Salau. jerry cans waiting for buyers. Photo Lamidi Bamidele.

REVERSAL OF N5,000 STIPEND TO UNEMPLOYED: Okorocha, Al-Makura, others back Buhari what ‘they’ promised.”

Babatope

Opara, PDP chieftains flay president

By Clifford Ndujihe, Emman Ovuakporie, Dapo Akinrefon, Charles Kumolu, Gbenga Oke, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Omezia Ajayi

M

IXED reactions ranging from the need to face reality to assertions of unfaithfulness yesterday trailed news of President Muhammadu Buhari’s assertion of abandoning the All Progressives Congress, APC’s promise of paying out N5,000 stipends to some unemployed Nigerians.

While some as Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa State saw the reversal as a consequence of economic realities of the time, some leading lights in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as erstwhile deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Austin Opara saw it as another betrayal by the APC. President Buhari, who was away in Saudi Arabia during an interactive session with Nigerians in that country reportedly claimed that the payment of the N5,000 handouts as promised by his party C M Y K

during the campaigns was not his priority.

Other prominent Nigerians who spoke on the issue included former minister and member of the Board of Trustees, BoT of the PDP, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, members of the House of Representatives, former commissioner of police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, president of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, President of the Campaign for Democracy, Dr Joe Odumakin among others.

Okorocha

Asserting that the president was right in his new assertion, Governor Okorocha said if carried out to the letter, it might lead to marrying a harem of women as wives and increased intake of alcoholic drinks.

He said “To be honest with you, it is a great idea, but there are many ways to give that support.

Sometimes it could be in cash which has its negative challenges. Handling of that is also in itself a wonderful and great idea.

Al-Makura

Governor Al-Makura also

speaking on the issue yesterday said: “The President is the person that can tell you precisely how he is working on promises and interventions that he has created by his ingenuity. And if at any point in time the President is reviewing that issue, I think he is the only person to do that because what he is doing is in the best interest of the country.

Tanko Yakassai

Elder statesman and ranking politician, Dr Tanko Yakassai, on his part, said he was not surprised at the manner in President Buhari is discarding some of his campaign promises.

Yakassai in a telephone chat with Vanguard said the Buhari-led federal government was not adequately-prepared for governance.

“I am not surprised because they did not plan for most of the promises they made and that is why they cannot implement them.

They were not prepared for power and I have said this before, not to annoy them but to caution them on the need to go back to the drawing board,” he said.

Opara

In his response, former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara said it was very unfortunate that

the APC hoodwinked Nigerians with a negative change which could not materialize.

According to him, “It is very unfortunate that Nigerian politicians won’t keep to the promises they made during electioneering campaigns and coming from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not only disappointing but very disgraceful”.

Tsav

A retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav said: ‘’The President has said he did not promise that. It is a wise decision to fix infrastructure instead of paying N5000 to unemployed ones. When infrastructure is fixed, people will get jobs and the nation will be better off. It does not mean reneging on campaign promise because he said he never said so.”

Odumakin

President of the Campaign for Democracy, Dr Joe OkeyOdumakin said: “It is clear there is some disconnect as the president said ‘they’ promised but ‘I’ never did. What this shows is that there was no coordination in the campaign.”

Odumakin, who is also president of Women Arise for Change Initiative, urged that “the president should now clarify what his own promises are so that people will not be holding on to

A former Minister of Transport and a member of thePDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, though declined to comment on the development, noted that the decision laid with the president.

He said “I do not have any reaction. He (Buhari) can do whatever he wants to do. You want change, good luck to you.”

Adeniran On his part, chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran said; “Campaign promises are tinkered with when the reality dawns on the political actors. Usually, they make those promises based on conjectures rather than objective assessment of the reality on the ground. Some of these decisions are far beyond their capacities to implement, that was what would have informed the reneging on that promise.

Yerima

President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, said “To me, it is an abuse on the sensibilities of Nigerians for any politician to come out publicly and make promises to Nigerians. After securing the office, such politician now reneges on their promises. ''It is uncalled for and I do not think it is right. The president must find a way and ensure that the stipend is paid.''

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016—15

Ohanaeze bars Igbo in Diaspora from acting as royal fathers •Issues guidelines for installation of cultural leaders in Diaspora

L

By Clifford Ndujihe

AGOS—TO ensure harmonious co-existence between Igbo in Diaspora and their host communities as well as reduce the misunderstanding relating the use of Igbo words and culture, the apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has banned Igbo people from acting as traditional rulers outside Igboland.

They can function as cultural leaders but on no account should they use ‘His Royal Majesty, HRM, His Royal Highness, HRH or such other traditional rulers’ appellations.

These were part of the guidelines issued by the Ohanaeze Committee raised to investigate and provide guidelines for the installation of the Igbo Cultural Leaders outside Igboland.

Chaired by Second Republic politician, Chief Guy Ikokwu with Chief John Uche as secretary, the committee, which was raised in May 2015, and the new guidelines were hammered out at a meeting held in Lagos on February 22 and 23, 2016.

The meeting, attended by various cultural leaders from Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Republic of Benin and Ghana was presided

over by the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Enwo Igariwey.

In a joint statement, Ikokwu and Uche said the meeting came up with far reaching decisions on the issues. The decisions include: ‘’No Igbo Cultural Leader in any local government area, State or community should be referred to as traditional ruler and none of them should as a prefix to their names use the words His Royal

BIAFRA: Activists meet Pope Francis in Rome •Made 5,500 calls to the Pontiff, as 35,000 receive prayers

•We never met any American group—Ohanaeze youths •I didn't declare support for Biafra—S-East chairman of monarchs

By Anayo Okoli, Ugochukwu Alaribe & Chimaobi Nwaiwu

R

OME—CATHOLIC Pontiff, Pope Francis greeted a group of activists from the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, group, who are campaigning for secession from Nigeria, after they gathered at the Vatican on Sunday.

During his weekly Angelus address where the Pope addresses crowds of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the balcony of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis extended a word of welcome to the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. The Pope’s statement was greeted with cheers and celebration by the Biafran group, who were waving flags during the address.

In a release yesterday in Nigeria, the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, said it took its agitation for the release of its leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu to Pope Francis at Vatican City for him to see the level of killing and injustice meted to them by the present All Progressives Congress government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Addressing newsmen yesterday in Nnewi, IPOB Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma Powerful said IPOB has made 5,500 calls to Pope Francis who accepted and gave his word to pray for the agitators and talk about Biafra and its restoration.

“The IPOB bombarded Pope Francis with 5,500 calls and the Pope answered the calls and gave his word to make sure he talks about Biafra and its restoration and yesterday, about 35,000 Biafra agitators in Europe, Asia and America visited the Pope at Vatican City and the Pope and other Catholic leaders addressed them as C M Y K

Biafrans and prayed for them.That was the first time a world leader at that level addressed us and called us by the name Biafrans and prayed for us,” he said.

“We are therefore calling on other church leaders to condemn the evil of killing innocent protesters and agitators and detention of an innocent man who did not do anything to break the law of a country we are not part of, a country that we are demanding for our freedom they have forcefully taken and upon that, they are killing us for demanding for our freedom.

This evil must be condemned by the world leaders and religious leaders, whom we want to pray for us.

“We urge the Christian leaders, Archbishop of Canterbury, Anglicans worldwide, World Christian Society, WCS, American Christians to pray for Biafra actualization and freedom. This is the time to stand up for the truth because the Boko Haram members who are killing people on daily basis have not been visited with the type of extrajudicial killings with which this APC government has visited us,” he said.

Denial

Meantime, the youth wing of the pan Igbo socio political organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has denied meeting with any USA- based group to discuss issues pertaining to the struggle for an independent state of Biafra as earlier reported.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had accused Ohanaeze Youth Council of betraying Biafra through its alleged meeting with a USAbased organization which came to Nigeria to hold discussions

Majesty, His Royal Highness, or such other traditional ruler appellations. But any Ndi Igbo cultural leader anywhere in Diaspora can be made traditional ruler by the Government Traditional Council at the state or country in keeping with their custom and tradition with prior endorsement of the apex Ohanaeze body. ‘’A Council of Eze Ndi Igbo is now established for Lagos State, with a Council of 12 Eze Ndi Igbo from which council a Chairman of Eze Ndi Igbo Lagos State was chosen in the person of Eze H.N. Ohazuluike as chairman. Eze Ndi Igbo Eze Anthony Chigbo Elui was designated as Deputy Chairman, Eze Ndi Igbo John Nwosu designated Secretary, Eze Ndi Igbo Uche C. I. Dimgba as designated Treasurer, Eze Ndi Igbo Pat Eneh as Financial Secretary, Eze Ndi Igbo Christian U. Nwachukwu was designated as member of the committee.’’

The meeting also considered the regulations which will be adopted by Ohanaeze for the verification and certification of any Ndi Igbo cultural leaders in the Diaspora who want to be known as Eze Igbo (cultural leader) or Eze Udo (Peace maker).

Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, at St Peter's Square Rome, during their visit to Pope Francis at theVatican. on the Biafra struggle.

In an interview with Vanguard in Aba, National President, Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who said he has continued to receive calls from well meaning Nigerians on the development, described the alleged meeting with the USA delegation as a figment of the imagination of the authorities of IPOB. He called on IPOB and the operators of Radio Biafra to tender an unreserved apology to Ohanaeze Youth Council and refrain from instigating crisis in Igbo land.

No support for Biafra

Also yesterday, the chairman of South East traditional rulers council, Eze Eberechi Dick denied declaring support for Biafra, saying that nobody

should rope him into the Biafra controversy.

Eze Dick spoke while reacting to a publication which alleged that he is supporting agitation for the creation of Biafan Republic.

Dick who is also the chairman of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers and the newly installed Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Minna, said he never declared support for the agitators.

“I have never discussed such with any one at any given time either in Abia or outside the state.

“I granted an interview to reporters after the university convocation and when they asked me about Biafra, I told them that I am a traditional ruler and not a politician and that I have no interest in politics,” Eze Dick explained.

He warned that nobody should drag him into the controversial Biafra issue as he believes in the development of Igboland under a united one Nigeria.

According to him, when he spoke to journalists in Minna after his induction as the Chancellor, he spoke on how he intends to take the University to a next level, pointing out that when the issue of Biafra came up, he told them that he is not a politician.

Eze Dick said that his focus is on how to give Ndigbo a sense of belonging and new direction as the leader of the traditional rulers from the zone and not to try to divide the country by any means. " What the country needs is a united Nigeria and not a divided one so that together, we can change the country and make it better instead of dividing it”.

16—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1 , 2016

EEDC's Anambra town hall meeting ends amid protests, complaints

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

O

NITSHA—EPILEPTIC power supply, over billing through estimated bills and non provision of prepaid metres for electricity consumers featured as the front burners during a town hall meeting convened by the management of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC. The meeting which took place at the industrial city of Nnewi, Anambra State, attracted representatives and stakeholders of the 177communities of the state.

As rowdy as it was, following complaints upon complaints, about 50 Anambra communities out of the 177 protested against total blackout and darkness occasioned by the EEDC. The traditional ruler of EnuguUkwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Ralph Ekpeh, complained that the electricity distribution company had earlier set up a power substation in Enugu-Ukwu and actually commissioned the project with the communities in the area rejoicing that an end

C M Y K

had come to their electricity problems only to notice that four days after the commissioning of the power sub-station, all the communities numbering over 50 that were connected to electricity supply from the newly commissioned sub-station were thrown into total darkness.

Igwe Ekpeh noted that all efforts to make the officials of EEDC see reason and effect necessary repairs fell on deaf ears as nothing was done to rectify the situation.

The monarch claimed that

many factories in the area have packed up as a result of the blackout since they could no longer afford running their factories with diesel-operated power generating sets.

Also, the Oduma-Obosi community represented by Pastor Chizoba Nnaduoju said that they were tired of paying estimated electricity bill which the EEDC had allegedly used to defraud their community.

Pastor Nnaduoju noted that the community was always made to cough out huge sums of money

for the power they did not consume, noting that the introduction of prepaid meters would permanently solve the problem.

An Nnewi-based businessman, Chief Kenneth Maduako who is also the President-General of Azia community noted that there was no difference between NEPA, PHCN and the EEDC because they were all exploitative in their operations.

He alleged that the entire Ihiala communitieswerealwaysswitchedoffby the EEDC whenever there was any festivity like Christmas, Easter among others.

Charity, aid have failed Africa —Elumelu

C

By Ediri Ejoh

ASABLANCA— CHAIRMAN Heirs Holding, Mr Tony Elumelu, yesterday, called for a sustainable investment in the agriculture and energy sector for economic transformation across the continent, saying that charity and aid have failed Africa.

Making this call at the 4th International African

Development Forum in Casablanca, organised by Attijariwafa Bank in Casablanca, Morocco, Elumelu maintained that new approach to the development of African continent is imperative for development, stressing that charity and aid have failed Africa and its leading entrepreneurs are now driving the continent’s development agenda.

He said: “I come here today to embrace my North African

brothers and sisters and also my francophone brothers and sisters represented here. African unity should be about shared bonds and trade. As we grow closer we will address the challenges caused by our trade barriers.

“I believe in Africa, and I believe in the power of entrepreneurship to deliver the future we all want for the continent- a future of stability and prosperity, with sustainable energy and food for all.”

BIANCA VS OTL:

Court adjourns till April 26

L

By Onozure Dania

AG O S — J U S T I C E Abdulfattah Lawal, of a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere, has adjourned to April 26, for the hearing of the fresh application filed by the widow of late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu.

The fresh application filed

by Bianca is praying the court for the amended of statement of claim in the suit.

The applicant filed the suit on behalf of her two children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu Ojukwu.

The defendants in the suit are; Professor Joseph Ojukwu, Engr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr Patrick Ojukwu, Arc. Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs Massey Udegbe doing business under Messey Udegbe & Company.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

— 17

18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 THS year’s International Mother Language Day, which fell on Sunday, February 21. 2016, served as a reminder that many Nigerian languages and dialects are among the hundreds of mother tongues on the verge of extinction.

The grave concern over the rapidly shrinking wealth of local languages and dialects in the world prompted the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to dedicate a special day for their preservation. In fact, UNESCO has factored the use of indigenous mother languages into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The idea is to ensure the use of local languages in the teaching of children to enable them gain a solid grounding in vernacular before embracing the orthodox lanugages of instruction at higher levels.

UNESCO’s Director General, Irina Bukova, emphasises that mother languages “are essential components of quality education which is, itself the

Saving our local languages foundation for empowering women and men and their soceities”.

Languages go extinct when they fall out of use and there are few people alive who can speak them. This takes place when the act of transferring these languages from one generation to another weakens or no longer takes place because the people have turned to the use of a foreign or non-native language.

The modern phenomena of migration, urbanisation, westernisation and globalisation have wreaked great havoc on local languages, dialects and

values in Nigeria. Few young people in urban areas, especially those of minority cultures, can speak their local languages and dialects.

Even the three majority languages – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba – are getting endangered to varying degrees. This is especially true for the Igbo language and dialects, maybe because of the excessive migratory patterns of Igbo speaking people.

Parents are very fond of communicating with their children in English but when discussing among themselves they do so in their local

dialects, thus unwittingly shutting their children away from imbibing their natural, mother tongue. This is bad.

We must, as a nation, wake up to the dangers of losing our local languages and dialects. Every great nation on earth socialises the populace to communicate effectively in their local languages. They do not speak English or French In China, Russia or any part of the Arab world. They speak their local languages. South Africa now has nine official languages, and most South Africans speak more than one of these languages. It is a product of deliberate government policy.

The Federal Government must lead in the struggle to save our languages, dialects and values from total loss. We should teach kindergarten and junior primary children in local languages of their choice or locality. We should encourage Nigerians to speak their languages and dialects and learn to speak other Nigerian languages.

This will further our integration and strengthen our national identity.

OPINION Licit

jumbo

salaries

Continued from yesterday

ByEric Teniola

T

HE following was approved under the monetisation policy for Federal Civil Servants (1) Accommodation, Grade level—01-06 ( 50% of Annual Basic Salary), Grade level— 07-17(60% of Annual Basic Salary and Grade level— 15 & above( 75% of Annual Basic Salary.

Transportation— Grade level 01-17(25% of Annual Basic Salary. Meal Subsidy— Grade level—01-06 (N 6,000.00),0710(N 8,4000.00), 12-14(N 9,600.00), 15-17(N 10,800.00), Permanent Secretary(N 16,200.00). Utility, Grade level— 01-16 (15% of Annual Basic Salary), 17 & above ( 20% of Annual Basic Salary). Domestic Servant— Grade level 15(1 GL. 3 Step 8), 16-17 ( 2 GL 3 step 8), PS & above( 3 GL 3 step 8). Leave Grant—01 & above (10% of Annual Basic Salary. Medical—01 & above (10% of Annual Basic Salary to be paid to NHIS).

Furniture Allowance— Grade level—0106(NIL), 17 & above (200% in 5 years,i.e. 40% of per annum). Vehicle loan— Grade level,01-05 (100% of Annual Basic Salary),06-07 (150% of Annual Basic Salary,08& above (200% of Annual Basic Salary. Driver—Grade level——17 & above ( 1GL.3 step 8.

The following was approved for the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Judges of the Supreme Court under the monetisation

of

legislators

policy— (a) Accommodation- to be provided by the government (with an option to be paid 100% of Annual Basic Salary if opted to stay in personal house) (b) Furniture- to be provided by Government (c) Medical Care- to be provided by Government, including members of immediate family (d) Robeto be provided by Government (e) Transport- official cars to be assigned and maintained by Government (f) Securityto be provided (g) Utility- Bills to be settled by Government (h) Domestic Staff- to be provided (i) Entertainmentto be catered for by Government (j) Special Assistants- to be provided from within the Civil Service (k) Leave Allowance – 10% of Annual Basic Salary to be paid once in each calendar year (l) Hardship Allowance- 50% of Annual Basic Salary (m) Severance Gratuity – 300% of Annual Basic Salary (to be paid once in a life time) after successful

The monetisation policy, a policy that was meant to solve problems, has now created more problems

(2)

completion of tenure (n) Retirement Benefits- Payable on the basis of Approved Scheme of Service In spite of the objection by the states, the Federal Government went ahead and implemented this policy on October 1 2003 and that policy is still on till today.

The monetization policy was given legal teeth with passage and coming into the effect of the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances etc) Act, 2002 which was extended by circular to cover all Federal Civil Servants. The law took effect from st 1 July, 2003 for the designated Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders, while it was extended, with somewhat modified rates of benefits, to Federal Civil Servants with effect from st 1 October, 2003.

At the time of his departure from office in 2007, President Olusegun Obasanjo was shocked to find out the magnitude of the monetisation of the legislators and the jumbo salaries they were to earn. He refused to sign the bill, leaving for President Umaru Yar’adua who signed it eventually in other to please the legislators. That’s where we are now.

This issue cuts across party line in the National Assembly for they are all united for it.

The monetisation policy, a policy that was meant to solve problems, has now created more problems. It is like a

monster now. The question now is, can we afford the monetisation policy? The answer is no. It will be unfair to talk about the jumbo salaries and allowances of legislators as a result of monetisation policy in isolation without talking about other public officers benefitting from this policy. Cutting salaries by half as announced by President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo is a good step. I doubt whether members of the National Assembly will follow the President’s example no matter the pressure. In fact, they will tell the President that they have not come to Abuja merely to pass bills or endorse unworkable resolutions only.

As for these members of the National Assembly and other public officers benefitting from the monetisation policy, National Sacrifice has to wait.

All that the President should do is to call a meeting of the stakeholders including governors, legislators, Nigerian Labour Congress, Public discussants, Religious leaders, market women and other bodies and insist that the Government cannot sustain any longer the monetisation policy of 2003.

In the interim, he should withdraw the circular on monetisation.

If possible, he should ignite a National debate on the issue, after all he is our moral guide.

Concluded *Mr. Teniola, a former director at the presidency, wrote from Lagos.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016— —19

Boko Haram: A word for Danjuma committee

By Sunny Ikhioya

W

E have a two pronged challenge to the Boko Haram, BH, war. First is to ensure the total decimation of the BH movement so that it does not rear its ugly head again. The second is a total resettlement, rehabilitation and re integration of the victims. Both of these measures are very important to the peace and stability of the nation, especially in the north eastern parts of the country. The question is: Should we tackle them simultaneously or take one item at a time?

It would seem that the Buhari government has decided on the later that is why they decided to inaugurate the Theophilus Danjuma committee. As a matter of fact, this will not be the first time that this committee will be put together.

At a very well advertised forum during the Jonathan administration, billions of naira were raised for the implementation of this project but we do not know as at now, how many of the pledges were redeemed or fulfilled, such is the way of Nigerians, when you are out of government, everything about you is forgotten, except the negatives as is the case with Goodluck Jonathan.

The set up of the TY Danjuma committee to rehabilitate the north east region must have brought euphoria and hope to the people of that region. The committee is to rehabilitate infrastructure and resettle internally displaced persons in the north east sub region. In the course of inauguration, the President said “ he had compiled a list of damaged infrastructure, including schools and bridges and handed it to the leaders of G7 and the United States.”

Premium Times January 1, 2016.

But we must look beyond the euphoria. Has the committee really sat down to look at and analyze the enormity of the task given to them? Is the timing right to rebuild infrastructure?

What areas should the focus be?

What measurable indices are in place? And, above all, are we totally free from the Boko Haram threats? If we are to carry out rehabilitation, re settlement and reconciliation, have we been able to identify the Boko Haram leaders? Are we assured that they will not strike again? For us to be totally free from the Boko Haram harassments, we must totally suppress them, the way the Sri Lankan army did to the tamil tiger separatists. That way we will be assured that whatever infrastructure that is been put in place will stand the test of time.

RIGHT OF REPLY:

By Abdulwahab Oba

R

EADING Lanre Is'haq's Modibbo mono thematic page recently, got me thinking about my late mother's philosophical analogy of a mad man, who stumbled on a defecating man and quickly made for his clothes, sprinting away.

The man, the story went, although visibly distraught by the mad man's act, restrained himself from pursuing him to recover his clothes, so that he is not mistaken for mad.

This piece is not meant to go after the 'mad man' but to sufficiently alert the general public of their presence so as to be on their guard. This is particularly important because according to Kassim Afegbua, "when a writer has an inherent problem with his inner-most being, his psychological quotient becomes insufficient to make the right thoughts and this predictably affects his cognitive reasoning. Rather than think in a positive way and assemble his facts in a manner that underscores his intellectuality, he quarrels with the socio-political melieu as the rationale for his obtuse reasoning (and failure)".

Imagine the funny memories a friend provoked after reading Lanre's recent write up on Saraki and the Kwara State Government, describing it as aptly qualifying for tales from the stable of a perpetual bed-wetter and one with obtuse reasoning.

Indeed, like all zonked minds, over time, it has become clear that Lanre's alliance with people, who high on pitiable illusion, think that the right behaviour is defined only by always trying to pull down governments or people in leadership positions where they choose to stand with the masses by sticking to people-focused ideas, has adversely affected his way of reasoning.

Even when evidences point to the contrary, he has continued to hurt himself by painting every move by the Kwara government in bad light. Only recently, he spewed yet a cocktail of lies and grossly misrepresenting Governor Ahmed's ingenious efforts at tackling the sliding revenue tides so as to accomplish target projects. In his congealed blind criticism, Lanre showed that he truly desperately needs the help of a diazepam C M Y K

That is the challenge of the Danjuma committee. The question is: should we face the rebuilding of infrastructure that will be threatened by the insurgents who do not have regard and value for properties or do we concentrate on rebuilding the Internally Displaced Persons (IOD), beginning from their mental frame of mind?

In other words, should we build infrastructure that will be threatened by the insurgents or we concentrate on building the people and prepare them to be able to withstand future threats from the insurgents?

For me, I believe we should first concentrate on the people before the infrastructure. The people must be mentally prepared for Boko Haram onslaughts. Their self esteem must be rebuilt to a very high level and the way to

There must be total peace in the land before any reasonable infrastructural development can take place

this is making them understand their self worth. It is important for them to know that, without their co-operation, the battle to annihilate Boko Haram is useless, because, they are the ones on ground and the ones who know the nooks and crannies of the region. In addition to that, it is their culture and existence that is been threatened. Cultures that pre dates them and their fore fathers. So, what is to be done?

They must be taught and empowered with the equipments to defend their motherland. That should be the starting point for the committee, empowering the indigenes. Once their security is assured, any other thing can follow. So, how do we make them to stand and defend themselves?

They must all be made to undergo various forms of security trainings; weaponry, espionage, counter insurgency, effective communication and community relations. Every able bodied person in the land must undergo defence training.

When the insurgents realise that the people will stand up to them, they will have a re think about attacking them. In Kurdish Iraq and Syria, the people have realised that unless they take the battle in their own hands, nobody will do it for them, so they have formed vigilante and security

Kawu's many distortions to calm his awry nerves. This time, his misplaced diatribe was on the recent move by government to block all revenue loopholes and strengthen Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Permanently cast on the critic mode and shutting out common sense, which would have helped him to see far beyond the enemy images that has beclouded his sense of reasoning, his hate for anything Kwara boiled over.

Apart from regurgitating same things week in, week out, as if they were nursery rhymes, he attempted to denature an otherwise ingenious initiative of the State government to raise revenue to suit his devotion to arts of robust mischief.

This time, he attacked the newly commissioned Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), established to take measures that would make the state economically viable and financially self-sustaining so as to enable the state meet up with its growing obligations to the people. The new revenue and tax office was also to create a wide range of revenue pool and ensure that every perceivable loopholes through which government funds take flight are blocked and readily insulate the Kwara economy from the oil-market downturn. In the face of shortfall in funds, the agency was to also identify new revenue beds and convenient modes of collecting same. At launch, the people applauded the governor for the idea, but not Kawu.

Last week, Lanre deliberately lost it.

Perhaps, hoping to deceive and misinform the people as always by lying that Kwara State got a monthly allocation of N3.6billion in January from the Federal government. How, in his hate-fueled world, N1,870, 915, 605.61

How in Kawu's warped imagination, did taking a bond become a yardstick for underlining a failed government?

(One Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventy Million, Nine Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Five Thousand, Sixty One Kobo) received in January by the state multiplied to N3.6billion can only be explained in his dreamy and hate world! Or his obsession for anything Kwara has made him forget the difference between local and the state governments?

Lacking in the right investigative skills also, he lied that Saraki collects several millions as pension monthly when (as common for all former governors) the Senate President receives just a little above a million naira. But Lanre's lying devotion did not start today. It dates back to when he alleged that the state planned to sell the Yidi Prayer Ground and the Emir's Palace! Indeed, Kawu deserves pity.

Interestingly, practiced pessimists forget that whatever misgivings anyone may have about a leader, not necessarily, Dr. Ahmed, one thing you would never take away is the strong inbuilt mechanism to re-invent one's self to stay ahead. It is noteworthy that since his first term as governor, Dr. Ahmed has proved this stonewall to pessimists many times over, yet they would never learn! And, you begin to wonder, like former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Alhaji Dalhatu Tafida, why a responsible man would still wait to be told to go home after the market is over. "A responsible man would go home immediately," Tafida says as he quit the party. But will Lanre and his sponsors trailed by streaks of failed efforts to discredit the Kwara government and the state's political leadership ever quit the market place and walk home bearing their shame now that the KW-IRS initiative is yielding fruits?

The other time, he equated Kwara state, with its current meagre resources, with others that earn as many folds as he knows. Good and commendable as it is, in governance, anyone who relied on one 'schools feeding programme' even if successful, for instance, to track down indices of progress in any state, ignoring the differences in government's priorities and fact that governments and people all over the world have different needs and strategies to achieving them, would almost certainly end up with the

forces, which have succeeded in keeping the ISIS at bay, with the active co-operation of the United States and allies.

This is what I propose here,let government empower the people militarily so that no insurgent can over run their land at will.

The land mass in the north east is too large for our army to completely occupy, so vigilante forces can take care of the loose ends. One must emphasise the need to adequately secure the area militarily before infrastructure can be successfully put in place.

Training for the IDP’S, their children and other indigenes of the land should be the focal point.

The training must include the ability of the people to defend themselves and secure their boundaries. They should also be sensitised on how to fish out the undesirables from their midst.

They should also be empowered in the area of economic self sustainment, that centres on entrepreneurship, using what they have in their land to generate income for survival.

There must be total peace in the land before any reasonable infrastructural development can take place.

I hope the Dajuma committee will heed this advise.

*Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.

folly of thinking that good governance is measured by many states doing same programmes.

Blinded by hate and disappointment, Lanre cannot see the various ongoing projects in their hundreds in Kwara State. Typical of one, who is only interested in what he would appropriate to himself and not for the general good, he has equally turned blind eye to the clear steadily falling oil price, which has negatively affected federal allocation to states, including Kaduna and Kwara, to the point that state governments are desperately sourcing for funds from other areas to finance projects. Or, probably driven to the cliff by an itinerant hollow mind, he desperately wants Kwara State to ape a 'schools feeding programme' as opposed to infrastructure development, which tops the Ahmed government's priority list and potentially presents residents with a chance to lead a selfreliant lifestyle other than depending on government for daily food handouts to survive.

So, when and how in Kawu's warped imagination, did taking a bond become a yardstick for underlining a failed government? The world over, records hold that bond is one of the ways capital projects are financed. Today, even the United States and British governments, rich though, still resort to bond to finance its projects. So, where did Kwara government under Dr. Ahmed or even Saraki as it were, go wrong, particularly where projects for which the bond is taken had been earmarked? In 2009.

Kwara under the former administration of Dr. Bukola Saraki, took a bond, which assisted in executing the first phase of the Ilorin Water Reticulation project, and some projects at the Kwara State University, including Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre, the International Aviation College, remodeling of the Ilorin Township Stadium, Ilorin Cargo Terminal, some rural and urban roads, as well as the several rural electrification projects executed by the Saraki administration.

The bond has been fully repaid.

What the Abdulfatah Ahmed's administration intends to do with the new bond is in the public domain for the benefit of all stakeholders.

*Mr. Oba is CPS to the Kwara State Governor.

20—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1 1, 2016

Who needs economic confab?

N

OBEL Laureate Prof.

Wole Soyinka went on a courtesy visit to Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in Abuja.The good old Prof had for years not been known to be a ministerial visitor raising the curiosity that something must be cooking in the ministry of Information and Culture.

Journalists walked up to him as he stepped out of the meeting with Mohammed. The greybearded man of letters pleaded for understanding with the present administration as he offered some suggestion: "The economy is bad. It is obvious and it is so bad. I think the Presidency should call an emergency economic conference where experts will be enlightened.

We really need an emergency economic conference, bringing experts together to march the nation forward. I think the economy is not encouraging.

Quite frankly, I think most economists will agree with this.”

I had expected the Information Minister to assure us a day after that the government was not clueless as the suggestion of hosting an emergency conference on the economy would suggest .

I thought he would also add that the economic team of the government was working and Nigerians would soon see the outcome of their deliberations.

The minister instead went on the usual tangent of telling the

C M Y K

country untruth when he denied before our "korokoro" eyes that the 2016 budget was not padded.

Hear him: “A lot has been said about the budget. Let me make clear that nobody can ever accuse this government of padding any budget. The total for every ministry has remained exactly the same as what was submitted to the National Assembly. The total of all ministries put together has not exceeded N6.08 trillion that was submitted. It is factually incorrect to say that the budget was padded.

Envelop and Zero budget: “This is the first time in the history

The holding of this so-called conference would not be different from a doctor who says he knows what is wrong with a patient, charged him all the fees and treating him after carrying out all the necessary tests suddenly turns around to call a meeting of colleagues and even non-doctors to come and tell him what to do with his patient

half his size during the time, working night and day to get the budget ready, only for some people to pad it. What he gave us was not what was finally being debated. It is very embarrassing and disappointing. We will not allow those who did it to go unpunished.”

Emergency economic conference: Back to the emergency economic conference.

In what would appear as if the Nobel Laureate was being a sounding board, a national daily reported days after his vist to Mohammed that President Buhari had heeded the Professor's suggestion and a 2day summit was in the offing sometime in March to address the country's economic challenges.

Disaster of the millennium

of this country that a government will embark on what is called zero based budget. Before now, the budget system was what was called an enveloped system. In an envelope system, there is no justification as to why we need N30 billion for a structure. This year, we decided that every ministry must have a zero based budget. In other words, you must justify and explain why you need N100 billion...."

Thank God for Mr. President who assured us the administration is not wretched as far as integrity is concerned when he addressed Nigerians in Saudi Arabia.

Buhari said, “ I have been a military governor, petroleum minister, military Head of State and headed the Petroleum Trust Fund. Never had I heard the words budget padding. Our Minister of Budget and National Planning did a great job with his team.The minister became almost

I still want to believe that the newspaper report would be denied very soon as it must not be true. It would be the greatest disaster of the millennium if there was any iota of truth to this report at the end of the day.

Just hold my hand and give me some explanation as to why such a conference would not signal that we are in a deeper crisis than we ever thought.We have a party that campaigned on the agenda of CHANGE with all manner of promises.Their manifesto has even been translated into Yoruba,Igbo and Hausa and the translations were to be presented to the public two weeks ago before it was postponed last minute.The party came into power and we waited patiently for months as it said it was searching for the best of the best to be ministers. The ministers were later chosen and assigned portfolios. With much expectations in the air months after their swearing in and nine months into the life of the administration, we would now be having a NATIONAL CONFERENCE. Floundering economic reforms: This conference is not

going to discuss the polity but the job that we already assigned experts to do-fixing the economy.

Are we being told there is no economic team within the cabinet?

Is Reuters right when its report titled "A year on from Nigerian election victory, Buhari's reforms flounder" states: "With no regular meetings, ministers are still trying to figure out what they can achieve, officials say. Buhari merged several ministries but since a cabinet retreat in November, he has left them to drift........a senior civil servant who asked not to be named said ministers struggled to get the attention of Buhari's office. There is a proposal, a consultancy does a study but then the report gets ignored," he said.

"Buhari asked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to coordinate economic policy, but diplomats say he is being sidelined as the president personally handles all key issues, including a freeze of the naira exchange rate that is crippling investment."

Lying to the bedridden: If we now have a two-day summit to say all what people have been saying in the newspapers,what happens? A committee would be set up to study and analyse the report of the summit. This committee may sit for about three moths after which it would submit a report to the Federal Executive Council that meets on the average of once in a month. When the report is now adopted, it would then be passed on to the ministries headed by lackluster ministers many of whom we don't even know are in town. Lord have mercy !

The holding of this so-called conference would not be different from a doctor who says he knows what is wrong with a patient, charged him all the fees and treating him after carrying out all the necessary tests suddenly turns around to call a meeting of colleagues and even non-doctors to come and tell him what to do with his patient. He must have been lying to the bedridden!

Feedback

Re: As Arewa governors migrate to Saudi....

M

Y dear Yinka, May God bless your soul for saying the truth about Nigeria. I have always described Nigeria as a phantom. I have just completed reading your book Watching the watcher. I commend your courage for dissecting Expresident Olusegun Obasanjo.

I read the latest edition of your column in the Vanguard newspaper. Are you aware that the President's wife inaugurated the Northern Governors' Wives forum recently? Let us continue with the pretense. l know that Nigeria will not stand. We are not, and will never be a country.

I pray for the oil wells to dry up, then you will see the true colour of our northern "brothers".

Thank you and please continue with what you are

doing. My sincere regards to you.

Mr. Godwin German.

Just to say your Candid Notes column is always on point.

Please keep the good work and struggle for fairness and justice on the front burner.

I will communicate with you from time to time . Regards, Engr. Babatunde Oshodi.

Dear sir, you are a great writer and the more reason why Vanguard is one of my chosen newspapers. I am sad and bitter that southern governors are always divided and intimidated when it comes to the overall economic interest of the South.

Please help us to pasuade them to see reasons to unite and migrate to America too while we will continue to look for God's intervention.

Oriogu onwuamaeze Ephraim

Unfortunately your latest write up is too loaded and complicated for the average Nigerian.

I think you should publish it again and again until.....

As for northern Gominas, and their main sponsors, that is, the Islamic Banks,they are also dependent on wealth supported by oil sales. How long will they remain relevant?

Fashola routinely led a delegation to watch Man United soccer games in the UK, you forgot to give him credit.

Hopefully, a new Republican administration will usher in a new African policy that we must be ready to embrace. Susan Rice is a joke. I will not meet with her.

How do you explain the fact that her boss will not visit Africa's most populous country in all of his eight years in office?

-Hillary Okoronkwo.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

— 21

Nigeria, Irish trade hits 270m Euro

By Emmanuel Elebeke

T

SEMINAR: From left, Mr. Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE; Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, President of Council, NSE; Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, First Vice President, NSE and Mr. Emmanuel Ortswen, NSE, Lagos/Ibadan Branch Council member at the NSE inaugural branch council seminar.

HE Irish ambassador to Nigeria, Sean Hoy, said the trade figure between Nigeria and Ireland has hit 270 million Euro. The envoy disclosed this when he visited the Nigerian Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu in Abuja.

He said that both countries have always maintained a positive bilateral tie since the pre-independence era and hoped that the figure would increase in 2016 with ongoing bilateral ties between them.

“The trade figure between Nigeria and Ireland last year was about 270million Euro, but we are hoping that it is going to increase by the end of this

ICRC set to concession Lagos lighter terminals

By Godwin Oritse

T

HE management of the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, ICRC is presently working round the clock to complete the concessioning of the phase one and two of the Kirikiri lighter terminals in Lagos.

Disclosing this Lagos during a tour of some port facilities, Director General of the Council, Mallam Aminu Diko said that the move to concession these parts of the nation’s port facilities was to ensure that the facilities are used maximally while earning monies for both government and concessionaires.

Diko who visited fishing trawling firms in Kirikiri told the occupants

of both the phase one and two to brace up for the forth coming concession exercise of the terminal so as not to lose out in the process.

He advised them to come together and form a consortium with a view to coming up with formidable bidding team and proposal.

He explained that no government agency will support one proposal over another ,adding that it is a typical market economy.

Typical market economy

Although, the ICRC boss had visited some terminals in Warri, Delta State to have first report of the situation on ground.

At the Kirikiri Lighter terminal, Diko $113.35 -1.30 maintained that Public Private Partnership $2,878.00 -61.00 (PPP) remained the best option to finance $14. 26 0. 35 infrastructure gap.

He said that the concession of the three projects as a PPP option $35. 71 0.61 was to resuscitate $33. 14 0.36 infrastructure decay and close the gap in the CURRENCY BUYING SELLING deficit.

He explained that the US DOLLAR 196 196.5 197 country, though blessed POUNDS 273. 7924 274. 4909 275. 1893 but with the present EURO 216. 1488 216. 7002 217. 2516 FRANC 197. 7202 198. 2246 198. 7289 economic situation, YEN 1.7376 1.742 1.7465 government cannot CFA 0.3103 0.3203 0. 3303 muster the kind of WAUA 271. 6019 272. 2947 272. 9876 funding needed to build RENMINBI 29. 9704 30. 0473 30. 1242 more infrastructure.

RIYAL 52. 2569 52. 3902 52.5235 KRONA 28.9692 28.0431 29.117 “The public private SDR 272. 146 272. 8403 273.5345 partnership should not be seen as privatisation; CBN Exchange rate as at 29/02/2016 PPP allows the private

C M Y K

sector to repair and rebuild infrastructure as well as recoup

The public private partnership should not be seen as privatisation; PPP allows the private sector to repair and rebuild infrastructure

their investment for a stipulated time. “The ICRC is involved in the monitoring of the projects to ensure delivery at the expected time,’’ Diko said.

He said that the Federal Government was not buoyant to invest in such new projects, except in partnership with the private sector.

Diko said that with the concession, Nigerians and foreign investors would partner with the government to close the infrastructure deficit gap and rebuild the economy.

He, therefore, said that the government had identified the private sector as an engine of the economy.

year. In the trade mission we had in December, over 50m Euro contract was signed in that mission. So the relationship is going positively all the time.”

Hoy who underscored the importance exploring the cordial relationship between the two countries emphasized the need to use technology for development of Nigeria.

According to him, Ireland had developed a very good online education and has teachers with good online certificates who can train people here in Nigeria. “The relationship between the ministry and Ireland is that we have to look for the opportunity to use technology for the development of Nigeria.

“We are able to say that we are the only English speaking country in Euro with largest concentration of ICT companies in Euro,” he added.

Responding, the Minister said Nigeria would partner with Ireland on technology transfer to ensure actualization of President Buhari’s Change agenda. He said the relationship between Nigeria and Ireland has been cordial, but want it to go further in strength, adding that the ministry is working very hard to close technology gaps in the country and urged Irish companies to come into Nigeria.

“We commend Irish missionaries who came to Nigeria to establish schools where many of our leaders here benefitted from.”

Cooling technology to reduce food loss by 80% annually

By Japhet Alakam

D

ANFOSS Group has introduced Swedish smart cooling solutions that can save Nigeria 80 percent of her food loss annually.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony of the technology in Lagos, Youseef Zitouni, Danfoss Group Sales Manager, Middle East and Africa, stated that Nigeria is losing about 80 percent of her food produces annually and thus contributing significantly to a global annual loss of over $750 billion due to lack of proper cooling and refrigeration infrastructure.

According to him, half of Nigeria’s population is facing hunger and starvation, we are

wasting enough food but millions are starving and the wastage is affecting the next generation, Danfoss is in Nigeria to add a lot of value to Nigeria.

He disclosed that Danfoss Engineering is a Swedish company, established in 1973, which specializes in the manufacture of first class products for both indoor and outdoor uses.

On his part, Business Development Manager, Mr. Omoyele Sunday Kolawole, who confessed that the company is believed to have come to solve various household needs, ranging from cooling to other technical needs said that the choice of Nigeria at this time is because it is the largest economy in Africa and of the most

important emerging and developed market, as well as being home to some of the continent’s biggest and busiest markets, with a population larger than Russia and rising quickly.

“We are focusing on Nigeria, and have a clear agenda and strategy for investing and increasing our presence and footprint, to explore the untapped potentials in Nigeria and bringing state-of-the-art products, solutions and latest technology to Cold Chain, HVAC sector, Food & Beverage Industries, Oil & Gas as well as investing in Nigerians to meet growing commercial and residential demands, and secure sustainable tomorrow for the country,” Kolawole said.

22 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

It was also observed that net interest income year-to-date had not progressed Quarter-onQuarter (Q-o-Q) as it did in the last three quarters of 2014

,

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor & Nkiruka Nnorom

P

ERHAPS First Bank’s profit warning did not come to many industry observers as a surprise.

At Vanguard’Investor’s Forum we would be surprised if it did not turn up that way and we will also be surprised if other banks fail to follow this trend started with First City Monument Bank Plc, FCMB Holdings a month ago.

The nine months (third quarter) 2015 results of the FBN Holdings gave all the indications. The result reflected the current difficult macroeconomic environment which had started earlier in the year, as the company recorded a N46.6 billion in loan loss provisions year-to-date, almost half of which was in Q3 2015, compared to N25.9 billion in 2014. This drove the cost-to-income ratio to 86.7 per cent from 69.5 per cent in the corresponding period of 2014, majority of which was attributable to a 259 per cent Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) jump in loan loss provisions to N24.06 billion in Q3 2015. Consequently, profitability nose-dived to the negative, (-70 per cent) Y-o-Y to N7.48 billion.

Foreign exchange income The bank’s foreign exchange income had contracted by an average of -38% over the three quarters to N5.54 billion in Q3 2015. Year-to-date (YTD) forex income stands at N7.49 billion against N44.91 billion in full year 2014.

Obviously this would have put a strain on the company’s full year 2015 performance in comparison to full year 2014.

It was also observed that net interest income year-to-date had not progressed Quarter-onQuarter (Q-o-Q) as it did in the last three quarters of 2014. It fell -17.6 per cent Q-o-Q to N60.22 billion in Q3 2015 which may not be unconnected to the -12.4 per cent fall in its loan book YTD while deposits fell by -1.7 per cent.

Investment houses forecast: NPL will rise 14.4% — Investment One

,

INVESTOR' INVESTOR'S

FirstBank: Stormy financials keep investment analysts guessing Given the foregoing background some investment houses had revised their full year forecast on the bank’s performance.

Even before the profit warning Investment One Financial Services had dropped its forecast profit before tax for the bank down -64.4 per cent to N43.8 billion driven by +92.4 per cent increase in loan loss provision pressuring the cost-to-income ratio. The financial analysts had also forecast that Non Performing Loans, NPLs, will rise 14.4 per cent while other income was forecast to fall 15 per cent due, mainly, to lower forex income, lower net interest income flowing from a contraction in loan book.

As at the time the investment house was making the forecast FBNH shares had shed about 44 per cent in a six-month period but they went ahead to downgrade the stock to a ‘HOLD’ from a ‘BUY’ given that a better upside potential elsewhere in the sector.

•First Bank's former Managing Director, Bisi Onasanya

• First Bank , Managing Director, Sola Adeduntan decline in PBT and PAT for FY15 to NGN38bn and NGN30bn respectively, implying RoE of 5.7% down from 17% and 12% in FY14 and 9M15, respectively.

Management’s CoR guidance post 9M15 results were 3.5%; we’re at 4%. Now, whether 2015

Asset quality clean-up is unclear — Rencap After their last research report on FBN Holdings in December that recommended a ‘HOLD’ with target price of N6.6, the analyst at Renaissance Capital, Rencap, updated their research on FBNH last week with a ‘SELL’ rating and target price of N3.3, after the company issued a profit warning.

According to Rencap: “Our asset quality concerns have further been validated with today’s profit warning. The wording says earnings will be ‘materially lower’ than FY14 but we are unsure if this implies a loss or meagre earnings for the year. On our numbers, we currently forecast a 59-64% YoY

The financial analysts had also forecast that Non Performing Loans, NPLs, will rise 14.4 per cent while other income was forecast to fall 15 per cent due, mainly, to lower forex income, lower net interest income flowing from a contraction in loan book

will be a proper kitchen sinking or just the beginning of a medium term asset quality cleanup is unclear but we will be receiving guidance from management post release of FY15 results which should be published late March.”

Rencap notes that the question investors would probably be asking is: post FCMB and FBNH profit warnings, do we expect others to follow suit?

And it says; “ We think the chances are high , particularly for our SELL rated names”.

Impact on share price by stockbrokers Speaking on how the drop in earning would affect the share price movement in the event of announcement of a bad result, stockbrokers said it may not really have much negative impact as the price would have almost bottomed out by the time the result is out.

They noted that investors must have taken all the negatives into

consideration, which probably has resulted in the significant decline of the price so far.

They, however, said there is need for the bank to come up with explanation on the remedial action it is taking to reduce the impact of its exposure to oil and gas sector.

Bad results have already been discounted except...

– MD, Trust Yield Securities “Investors must have factored all the sentiments expressed, which is the reason for the current low share price.

“Considering this, the price may not fall further, ‘but it all depends on the explanation the management comes up with in the days ahead.

“The market must have discounted all that have been said so far, because even before the results are published, some of these would have been known to the market. If the full year result turns out to be worst than their nine month result already published, of course, that also will be reflected in their result.

But what I am saying is that if you remember, this time last year, the price was not N3 or N4, it was a bit higher than that. For the fact that it has come down to N3, is a reflection of what you have noticed,” said Rasheed Ola Yussuff, Managing Director, Trust Yield Securities.

“You mentioned two areas (oil and gas) which are the areas the market is watching and expecting them to come out with something. Exposure to oil and gas, what remedial action have they been taking because most of the banks are heavily exposed to oil and gas but some of them are taking counter measures to make sure it doesn’t impact

Continues on page 27 C M Y K

Ikot Akpan Udo/Amazaba crisis:

Go vt tackles Govt ne w hur dles new hurdles

PAGE 24

VOL. 1: No. 83

Bayelsa oil palm plantation on its last legs PAGE 25

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

EDO…

•Ahmed Zibril, victim

HEART BEAT OF THE NATION

By SIMON EBEGBULEM

E

RHUHUN—ONE person was reported killed, five missing, several houses and vehicles destroyed, while over 100 villagers have fled their homes following a violent communal clash between Erhuhun (Central Uneme) and Ogute- Okpella communities in Akoko Edo and Etsako Local Government Areas of Edo State, last Sunday, over land rights.

Among the five missing persons from Erhuhun community are Oladimi Ojo, Alasa Yusuf, Olurifemi Onifaye, Okereke Saliu.

The Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, His Royal Majesty Yesufu Dirisu and the Clan Head of Erhuhun community, HRH Moses Braimoh, who separately claim ownership of the troubled land, are spitting fire over the affair.

When Niger Delta Voice visited the area, last Friday, battle-ready soldiers and over 50 anti-riot police officers have taken over the communities. A source said the police officers were on the manhunt for the masterminds of the crisis.

On the surface, the cause of disagreement looks like a land squabble over timber, but the naked truth is that both communities are in a fierce battle for mineral deposits, including gold and limestone in the said land.

How they struck— Zibril

The latest crisis erupted, last Sunday, when vigilante boys loyal to one of the monarchs invaded the Ehruhun community to seize the wood cut down by an indigene, Zibril Ahmed.

Ahmed who recountedthe invasion of the community by Okpella youths, said: “They have been threatening me that if I continue to fell wood in that forest, they will stop me.

However, I told them that the land belongs to us here in Akoko Edo and not Okpella in Etsako East. On Saturday night, some people told me to remove the wood I chopped down, that they were coming to take them away.

C M Y K

•Burnt Tipper

•Prince Joel Itemoagbo, Community leader

•Police patrol vehicles in deserted Erhuhun community

WAR OVER MINERAL DEPOSITS:

HRM Yesufu Dirisu, Okuokpellagbe of Okpella

1 dead, 5 missing, 100 flee Edo community •The land belongs to Okpella- HRM Yesufu Dirisu, Okuokpellagbe of Okpella •It’s a lie, we own it- HRH Moses Braimoh, Clan Head of Erhuhun community •Govt deploys soldiers, police to avert further bloodshed “Nevertheless, I said I cannot remove the timber because I legally took it from our land and with permission from Akoko Edo Local Government. That Sunday, the vigilante boys from the Okpella invaded our community with two lorries when we all had gone to church with two lorries.

However, our youths came out and told them they cannot take the timber away.

“And I told them they cannot take my wood from our land to Okpella in Etsako East and that was how the fight started. They have been intimidating us in this community because we are few but I said no, I will rather die than be denied what belongs to me rightfully,” he said.

trouble— HRM Braimoh our brothers, a registered timber motor saw engine,” he said.

Okuokpellagbe fishing for

Continues on page 25

Clan Head of Central Uneme (Erhuhun), HRH Braimoh, who decried the attack, stated: “Not too long ago, the Okuokpellagbe invited the BUA Cement Company to go and prospect mineral, which is in our area in Erhuhun land in Akoko Edo local government area. I personally stopped the BUA Company not to prospect anything because I am the appropriate authority to deal with on such issues and not the Okuokpellagbe.

“This led to series of protest letters by me to the state Governor, DSS, police and other relevant security agencies. In fact, this brought a stop to the BUA activities. What happened was that on the 11th of this month (February), they attacked one of

contractor duly registered in Akoko Edo. “Each time Okpella people want to foment trouble, they use vigilante people to come and terrorize us. He is claiming that this is his land, but it is not true.

He cannot come from Etsako East Local Government Area to own a land in Akoko Edo. He took the vigilante boys to where one of our relatives was cutting wood in my own area.

“The vigilante people seized the saw our brother was working with and took it to their king. His vigilante boys also saw one of our hunters in the bush and seized his gun and his motor saw and took them to his palace. When I protested, they had to return the gun, but refused to release the

The monarch further added: “But after series of protests, he released the motor saw engine, but warned that he should not go there again to fell trees and that even where I am staying today belongs to him.

Meanwhile, this is a place where my great grandfather lived and died. It is over 300 years that we settled here, he is from Agenebode, and we have no connection with them at all.

February 21 attack

“So last Sunday, 21st of February, they came with two tippers, they went to the bush to confront our kinsman, the same man they collected his motor saw

24 —

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

Ikot Akpan Udo/Amazaba crisis:

Govt tackles new hurdles •As communities make known their positions •Govt may go back to drawing board

AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

U

By Tom Moses

YO—THE Akwa Ibom State Government is encountering some drawbacks in its efforts to resolve the over 70-year-old feud between warring Amazaba and Ikot Akpan Udo communities in Eastern Obolo and Ikot Abasi Local Government Areas of the state which recently claimed 14 lives and caused the maiming of at least, 100 persons and the razing of over 500 houses.

After a deadlocked meeting in January following a fresh spate of violence, the state government met with the leaders of the communities again, February 5, where it drew an eight-point resolution towards a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU between the villages but there are still lingering matters.

Why we’re suspicious — Ete- Idung Oscar Abel

Village Head of Ikot Akpan Udo, Ete-Idung Oscar Abel, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice, in his makeshift palace, said the acceptable condition for peace to his people was for government to relocate the allegedly belligerent Amazaba community from its present habitation in Ikot Abasi local government to Otunene in Eastern Obolo Local Government.

“Yes, we want peace as they do but on condition that the people are relocated because where they were occupying gave them advantage of invading our village at will.

“Now, since the Amazaba people are looking for peace and the area in which they are living belongs to Ikot-Akpan Udo, they should stop claiming to belong to Eastern Obolo and stop paying

THE TEAM Emma Amaize, Editor Jimitota Onoyume Samuel Oyadongha Simon Ebegbulem Gabriel Enogholase Festus Ahon Egufe Yafugborhi Emmanuel Una Akpokona Omafuaire Godwin Oghre Tom Moses Chioma Onuegbu Ike Uche Davies Iheamnachor Emem Idio Brisibe Perez Theresa Ugbobu Ochuko Akuopha Barnabas Uzosike Nath Onajoke Chijioke Nwankpa C M Y K

loyalty to Eastern Obolo but to Ikot Abasi Local Government, he said.

The community leader asserted: “So, government in the envisaged MoU should ensure that Amazaba is recognized as a village belonging to Ikot-Abasi.

If it is not so, Ikot Akpan Udo will not be a party to any such MoU. “There is hardly any December 31 that they do not attack IkotAkpan Udo burning down our fishing pots and settlements on the water-fronts. If government considers these prayers, the people of Ikot Akpan Udo will not have any problem. What we mean is that the Amazaba people should be relocated to Otunene and go and live with their kith and kin and free our waterways so that we can have peace.

According to him, “ff government makes the mistake of bringing them back to Ikot-Akpan Udo, we can assure you that they are not coming for peace but to know the number of people remaining in Ikot-Akpan Udo.

“Again, it is very shocking that these people who say they are looking for peace and want to come back to settle with us, on January 12, 2016, came and attacked Ikot-Akpan Udo, razed many houses and ruined people’s means of livelihood.

What kind of peace are they looking for?

•Razed building at Ikot Akpan Udo.

Amazaba gives conditions

Amazaba people in a position paper canvassed seven conditions, among them: “The name ‘tenant’, as usually called Amazaba by the people of IkotAkpan Udo should discontinue and a road be opened to link Amangbaji to Ayama village, all in Amazaba for them to stop further passing along Ikot-Akpan Udo road”.

Yes, we want peace Okorete police station as they do but on attack condition that the “Some weeks ago, they invaded a police station at Okorete, the people are relocated headquarters of Eastern Obolo, because where they killed policemen and carted away guns which they intend to come were occupying gave and use and kill us in Ikot- them advantage of Akpan-Udo. Therefore, if we allow this manner of people to invading our village come and live close to us, then, at will we will have no peace.

•Vandalized home at Ikot Akpan Udo. Other conditions are: “IkotAkpan Udo should stop burning tyres on December 31 night, every year and stop the molestation of Amazaba people during the period, Amazaba people be allowed access to Ete through the road, Police station be built in Amazaba to forestall further problems and Communities concerned should sign an understanding.”

Govt declares stand

However, the state government in a resolution after its meeting with the people of Ikot Akpan Udo and Amazaba, said: “No new road would be constructed if peace is what we seek to achieve.

“That the name: ‘Tenant’ as alleged by Amazaba has not and will not be used by Ikot-Akpan Udo people to address Amazaba people as it is obnoxious.

“That the clan head of Ette has

undertaken to stop the burning of tyres on December 31 night, every year, to avoid molestation of Amazaba people.

“That Ikot-Akpan Udo will allow Amazaba unfettered access to Ette through the available roads without molestation.

“That police post as well as new surveillance station will be done when the document is presented to the authorities.

“That the resettlement of Itak Abasi village is not a precondition for agreeing to this MoU but that peace derived from the MoU shall draw the attention of government to the case of Itak Abasi with a view to resolving the issue finally.

“And that Amazaba is not opposed to the request by Ikot-Akpan Udo that the state’s Attorney-General should obtain the Certified True Copies of past judgments because government knows what to do.

Star Times penetrates more A’Ibom communities AKWA IBOM… LAND OF PROMISE

By CHIOMA ONUEGBU

E

KET—STAR TIMES, which prides itself as one of the dominant Pay TVs in Nigeria says it is expanding its operations with quality signals to boost viewing at every home in Akwa Ibom state and the nation.

Southeast zonal Director of StarTimes, Mr. Omale Jerry, who stated this after the relaunch of its operations, last Friday, in Eket Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, said that they were also working towards bringing Pay TV to every door step, especially to the less privileged people in the villages before the June 2017 deadline set for the digital migration.

Jerry explained that the new transmitter installed in Eket would help to improve on the poor signal that some parts of the state have experienced in

the past few months.

“For some years now we have been having just one transmitter in Uyo, so some part of Eket and environs will get good signal while others will not and that was why people used to complain because we

were having a lot of signal challenges. Now with the new transmitter in Eket, the transmission we are bringing in is better, quality signal such that people will enjoy better viewing,” he asserted.

Concluding he said: “With this

opening in Eket, StarTimes is going to cover more than 90 per cent of the whole Akwa Ibom and its environs. What this means is that there will be better, quality signals and strength at Eket, Etinan, Ibeno, Nsit Atai, Onna, Ikot Abasi and others.”

Quacks take over estate surveyors, valuers’ job — Odudu CROSS-RIVER… THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE

By IKE UCHECHUKWU

C

ALABAR—UNSKILLED lawyers, accountants and auctioneers have hijacked the profession of estate surveyors and valuers.

Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, and Chair, 22nd John Wood Ekpeyong Memorial Lecture, Elder William Odudu, who raised the alarm in Calabar, Cross River State,

however, suggested that the organization should not go hard on the intruders.

His words: “We have discovered that lawyers, accountants, auctioneers who are not qualified to do this job have taken over, instead of clamping down on them; we are stressing the need for them to come out and get the proper training and also be registered before they can practice as professionals.”

Odudu stated that there is provision in the law to prosecute those practicing without requisite qualification as estate surveyors and valuers, but urged

practitioners to adhere to world best practices to eliminate quacks.

Earlier in a lecture entitled, “Real Estate practice in Nigeria: Branding for International Competitiveness” the keynote speaker, Olayinka Soniake, underlined the need for creating brands in the practice that will compete favourably at the international level.

Sonaike asserted, “The demand for professional services by the users of our services, local companies ,multinationals and investors cut across the borders of any nation which has prompted competiveness not only locally, but also internationally.”

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 25

1 dead, 5 missing, 100 flee Edo community Continues from page 23 last time. This time around, they went to collect all his wood.

“But when they were returning back, our youths blocked the road that they should not carry the wood. The vigilante people from Etsako sent by the Okuokpellagbe, went to go and reinforce. Most of our people were in the church; before you knew what was happening, they started setting our houses on fire, destroying cars and motor cycles. The beginning of this crisis was when I wrote a petition that the land belongs to Erhuhun-Uneme, which I am the only person that has the authority to give instruction on what to do with it.

“So I said that any company coming here to excavate any mineral, whether BUA or Dangote, they should come and register with me, then I will carry the registration to Igarra where our local government headquarters is.

Oppression

“But the Okuokpellagbe is victimizing my people because he feels we are so small in population. Four of our relatives are missing since the attack.

Those missing include Oladimi Ojo, Alasa Yusuf, Olurifemi Onifaye, Okereke Saliu. We have minerals in that land.

“The police invited us on the 2nd of February. When we got there, they said we should be peaceful, that land case is never the responsibility of the Police but that any of us who felt cheated should go to court. I told them I am ready to go to court. In 1981, we had a dispute

over land, which led to a Commission of Inquiry.

“The white paper released by that commission blamed the Okpella people to have entered our land, even the forest officer, who gave them a permit, was dismissed from service.

Terefore, I want the gvernment to come and give us a boundary so that everybody will know his area. Since he jumped from Etsako East to come to Akoko Edo to drag our land, it means he does not know his boundary.

So I want the government to come and demarcate the boundaries so that he will know.

Erhuhun people attacked the person preventing the boy from carrying the logs of wood out of the community, claiming that the land belongs to Erhuhun.

Erhuhun molested my people— HRM Dirusu

By SAMUEL OYADONGHA ZIKORO—THE Bayelsa State-owned Oil Palm Plantation spanning Azikoro, Agbura and Elebele communities in Yenagoa and Ogbia Local Government Areas of the state, appallingly do not have a functional mill, operational vehicle and tractor to evacuate palm fruits at the moment.

Consequently, the company established about three decades ago when Bayelsa was part of old Rivers state, put harvested palm fruits unprocessed on the market the manner Nigeria put up its crude for sale to international buyers without refining.

Reacting to the allegations, the Okuokpellagbe insisted that the disputed land belongs to Okpella, explaining also that Erhuhun people attacked his people and one person was missing.

“It is not the entire Okpella that has problem with Erhuhun people, it is only Ogute.

Somebody from Okpella cut the wood they were bringing and

FINGER OF GOD

I

By OCHUKO AKUOPHA

RRI—AN air of festivity enveloped Irri Kingdom, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, recently, when the people installed HRM Michael Oviese (Ojenuwe II) as Regent of the monarchy amidst pomp and pageantry.

For the people of the 14 villages that make up the clan, the event which kick-started a three-year transition period into the installation of a new Odiologbo for the kingdom, marked the beginning of unification of all facets, factions, divides and all aggrieved groups in the kingdom which a few years ago, was embroiled in a fierce intracommunal crisis.

Recalling the crisis, which had rocked the kingdom, President General of the Irri Federal Union, IFU, Mr. John Obaro, said: “Peace and love were kidnapped or hijacked by some unknown hoodlums and intruders, who laid hold of the centre and made the kingdom C M Y K

•New Irri regent, HRM Michael Oviese

ungovernable; the nobles were hardly differentiated from the servants, falsehood became an in-thing.”

He asserted: “Some of the components that make up the Irri clan had been in the news, not for any other thing, but parlous reasons. While people were feeding fat from the imbroglio, some were wailing and

Misleading notion

However, Erhuhun community leader, Prince Joel Itemoagbo, whose grandfather was a former village head of the area, said the claim by Okpella monarch that his people were tenants on the land was a fallacy.

*Mills broken down, no operational vehicle, tractor to harvest palm fruits *Sells unprocessed palm fruits, poachers loot at will *Experts ask Gov Dickson to revitalize company, as Fulani herdsmen turn plantation to grazing ground

BAYELSA… GLORY OF ALL LANDS

A

An official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Yenagoa, who preferred anonymity, told our reporter: “Government has not been able to bring a dime to start up things and there are no mills.

We are supposed to mill our

Jubilation as Irri kingdom installs regent DELTA…

that we attacked them, they were the ones that attacked our people, who went to carry their wood,” the king explained.

Bayelsa oil palm plantation on its last legs

No funds

HRH Moses Braimoh, clan head of Central Uneme.

“The report on the land shows that the land belongs to Okpella not Erhuhun, and Okpella has boundary with Damgbala.

Okpella gave the land where Erhuhun is occupying as tenants. One person is missing from Okpella today; we are still searching for that person. These people are settlers in our land, but it unfortunate that they are claiming it today. So it is not true

gnashing their teeth; a situation like that cannot be suitable for any ruler, more so when such a ruler is old and infirm.

“The new regent ought to have immediately filled the vacuum created by the demise, a year ago, of his late father, HRM Oviese Ebah (Ojenuwe II).

However, some little in-house hiccups, which were diagnosed, some few weeks ago, abruptly stopped him and today, he is peacefully sitting on the throne of his late father as the Irri tradition and custom demands.

In his remarks, the regent who was installed by the Council of Edio (Chiefs) led by the OseEwho of Irri kingdom, Chief Ikpawhomuno Omohefe, promised to bring lasting peace to the kingdom and make every segment of the clan have a senseofbelonging,notingthatadivided kingdom cannotknowanymeaningful development.

Saying that his priority was to unite every aggrieved component and become one indivisible entity, he enjoinedfleeingor“fearing”developers to invest anywhere in the kingdom as all security apparatus had been put in place.

produce here to attract buyers to come.

“But we are just doing to the palm fruits what we do to crude; we just get the crude, export them and bring the oil back to the country. That is what we are seeing here. We cannot even lick palm oil while we are working here.

Investigations by Niger Delta Voice showed that the there were no access roads to the plantation, water, electricity and generating set and the entire estate was in a bushy condition because of crass neglect. There is also no bulldozer to clear the bushy surroundings.

Fulani herdsmen have also turned the sprawling palm estate to a grazing ground for their cattle.

A source, who did not name the number of mills at the plantation, said they had dismembered most of them and the components used to service the ones that have also broken down.

Miserable rescue mission

NDV gathered that the state government drafted some officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Yeanagoa, to the waning company, some four months ago, on a rescue mission. However, the team could not function, as government did not provide funds.

Curiously, owners of private palm plantations in the Niger Delta are making big gains while the sprawling government plantation is almost exhausted.

Concerned experts advise Gov Dickson

Agriculture experts worried at the development, said the plantation could be a huge revenue earner for the state, particularly with the economic downturn and poor internal revenue generation capacity of the government blamed largely on the absence of industries, if

•Bayelsa Palm Plantation

given proper attention.

Aside the serious attempt made by the administration of the pioneer governor, late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to resuscitate the ailing palm estate, the state government has done little to turn around the fortunes of the estate.

A reliable source, who spoke to NDV, noted with sadness that the plantation has had a history of poor funding since inception in the 1990s after the withdrawal of the European Economic Community, EEC, which had undertaken to underwrite the contractual agreement between the old Rivers State and Federal Government for the plantation.

Why EEC pulled out

According to the source, the EEC pulledoutfromthesponsorshipdealand departedthecountryfollowingthecrisis occasionedbytheannulmentoftheJune 12, 1993 presidential election.

HehintedthattheEEChadprojected an800,000-hectareplantation,butwhen it pulled out, the management of the plantationrevertedtotheoldRiversState government and the projected 800,000hectare plantation was reduced to 1,020 -hectares.

His words: “In the beginning, there was a problem historically.Funding has remained a problem. You see the state of affairs in the Bayelsa Palm, no access road during evacuation. Like in the oil sector, the mills we have are not of standard, they are broken down mills.”

“There are many challenges, but government should recognize that Bayelsa State can move forward when this place is properly established based on better management.

However, state governor, Seriake Dickson had repeatedly reiterated his administration’s preparedness to diversify the state economy to boost its revenue profile through agriculture.

Waiting for Dickson

It is the expectation of many that he wouldusehissecondtermtoresuscitate the ailing state- owned palm plantation, which has the potential of taking many jobless youths away from the streets.

26 — Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

Late Senator James Sekibo’s widow cries out •Says my husband’s relatives persecuting me with EFCC •Petitions International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA •She’s wanted by the court – EFCC source

RIVERS… TREASURE BASE OF THE NATION

By DAVIES IHEAMNACHOR

P

ORT HARCOURT— WIDOW of late Senator James Sekibo of Rivers State, Mrs. Kari Sekibo, has raised the alarm that relatives of her departed husband were supposedly using officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to torment her.

The embattled widow has cried out to the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, a nongovernmental organization, alleging a clandestine plot to dispossess her of belongings, lamenting why the commission should be turned into a tool in the hands of her husband’s relatives.

Mrs. Sekibo said the EFCC at the outset walked an honourable path even some of

her stepchildren wanted to cause trouble, but one of her husband’s lawyers, who had vowed to make life wretched for her, compromised some family members, now using the commission to undo her.

“I was enjoying my marriage with my husband until death came and took my husband away from me. Since when my husband died, I have not had peace. I have been moving from one problem to another.

different places.

“My husband’s sister and some of her brothers that are giving me trouble broke into my husband’s office and

moved all my husband’s property and documents, about 17 documents and took them to one of my husband’s lawyers, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigerian, SAN. Mrs. Sekibo further asserted: “The lawyer pretended he wants to make peace but in the process, he removed one of my husband’s companies and gave it to one of my husband’s cousins.

“My step son went to EFCC and they arrested me and my husband’s first son. When the SAN took the company, I went to meet the EFCC but they said I should leave them for peace to reign.

“The SAN came up with letter of administration. He wrote all my husband’s siblings before my name and none of my

They want to make quick money

“One of my husband’s lawyers and his (my husband’s) relatives have vowed to make life unbearable for me. I do not know what I have done to them.

When my husband died, some family members thought they could use that to make money, some cousins started tormenting me,” she said.

Expatiating on her experience she said: “From that moment I was tortured and tormented, they started writing series of letters to

Mrs. Kari Sekibo.

NIGER DEL TA PHO TO P ANORAMA DELT PHOT PANORAMA

80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS: From left, Mrs. Ngozi Ugolor and her husband, Rev David Ugolor, Mr. Monday Ugolor, Director LSD, Dr Otiveh Igbuzor (5th right) and other well wishers join Madam Agnes Akoro-Ugolor (celebrant) to cut her 80th birthday cake at Oghara, Delta State.

MICRO CREDIT SCHEME: Recipient of the Madam Ugolor Micro Credit Scheme for widows collects a cheque from Mr Monday Ugolor. Standing (first right) is Samuel Ugolor, younger brother of Rev David Ugolor.

C M Y K

RENOVATION: Agbor Police Station, Agbor, Delta State, as recently renovated by the Dein of Agbor, HRM Benjamin Ikenchukwu Keagborekuzi I.

DESTRUCTION: Akwa Ibom state government destroys more illegal structures to pave way for dualization of the 91.7- kilometre Uyo-Etinan Road and 39.4-kilometre Etinan-Ndon-Eyo Road, encompassing Etinan and Onna local government areas.

children was included.

Caveat Emptor

She further lamented: “My children having heard that they want to sell off their father’s house placed a Caveat Emptor on the document. That is the worst sin I committed.

Because of this, they are using the EFCC to strangulate me to sign the document that would permit them to sell off my husband’s house.

“I don’t know if EFCC is taking side. They should hands off this matter because it is purely a family matter.”

EFCC has not issued any formal statement, but a source close to the commission, said it had declared Mrs. Sekibo wanted, following a court order.

There‘s a bench warrant against her – Source The source said she (Kari) and some of her stepchildren were on the wanted list of the EFCC, adding that a court issued a bench warrant, about two weeks ago, for her to appear in court but she (Kari) has refused to adhere.

Our informant said that a biological son of the late Senator reported the case of conspiracy and forgery of a Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC document to the EFCC. He said the commission was only interested in the case of forgery and conspiracy, which it took to the court on a ninecount charge against the woman, but she refused to appear in court.

According to the source, the court had tasked EFCC to provide her for an appearance in court March 9 to answer the charges against her.

PROTEST: Village Head of Urua Ntiat community, Akwa Ibom State, Chief Patrick Nyong, leads members of his community in a demonstration against the state government’s plan to acquire their land without consultation.

Villagers carrying leaves during the protest.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 27

,

'S S FORUM

There will be potential benefits of the merger such as economies of scale, cost savings and improved operational and administrative efficiencies among others

Vitafoam, Vono merger to boost investors’ return

By Peter Egwuatu

S

TAKEHOLDERS in the nation’s capital market have stated that Vitafoam Nigeria Plc proposed merger with Vono Products Plc will boost investors’ return on investment and save employees’ jobs in the companies.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu said the merger will avail the company access to the larger market .

According to him “The merger of Vono Products with Vitafoam Nigeria would translate into higher earnings and enhanced shareholder value.

“There will be potential benefits of the merger such as economies of scale, cost savings and improved operational and administrative efficiencies among others”.

Chukwu noted that the enlarged company would enhance growth in size. In his words “If Vitafoam produce foam and Vono produces furniture, they are complementary. It is a strategic decision for Vitafoam to have Vono as a subsidiary.”

While commenting on the

merger, the Managing Director of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi noted that the enlarged company would enhance growth in size. In his words “ I can assure you that we at Vitafoam have always been thinking ahead. The issue of merger started about five years ago. Vitafoam is not just about mattresses only. We have many products for human comfort. As you all know, Vono is also a brand.”

He said “ We are truly a national company. We have a full fledged factory in Ikeja, Kano, Aba and Jos. We also have factories off shore. We operate at Sierra Leone and Ghana strategically to position the company for inflow of dollar in the long term because these

The issue of merger started about five years ago, Vitafoam is not just about mattresses only

are dollar based business environment. They may not be generating expected profit for now but they have high prospect .

“The key issue is that

Vitafoam as a group has a very bright future and the shareholder value would be greatly enhanced”.

Corroborating, Vitafoam’s Group Executive Director,

,

Corporate Services, Mr Olatunji Anjorin described the merger as a vertical one as the furniture produced by Vono Products would complement Vitafoam’s foams.

Anjorin explained that the consummated merger would put an end to past encumbrances militating against Vono’s growth, bring about more efficient expertise, shared value and improved technology.

Nigerian Equities Market Falls on weakened financial sector stocks

T

HE Nigerian equities market witnessed resumed profit taking activities which led to the decline in the overall index, NSE ASI, by 83bps to 24,228.79 points and a 0.80% decrease in market capitalisation to N8.33 trillion.

This followed a 3.01% fall in the NSE Premium Index to 1,256.91 points and a 0.35% drop in NSE 30 Index to 1,086.82 points – mainly on banking equities.

Among sectored gauges, NSE Banking Index and NSE Insurance Index tanked by 2.45% and 1.25% to 228.94 points and 127.57 points respectively.

However, NSE Consumer Goods Index, NSE Oil/Gas Index and NSE Industrial Index rose by 0.88%, 2.38% and 0.45% to 606.73 points,

FORTE OIL NIGERIA PLC. FY: 2015 Result - Financial Highlights (NGN Billion)

381.76 points and 1,811.63 points respectively.

Meanwhile, total deals, transacted volumes and Naira votes rose by 3%, 272.45% and 21.79% to 14,124 deals, 4.48 billion shares and N11.74 billion respectively.

At the NASD OTC market, the Unlisted Security Index

(USI) and the market capitalisation depreciated by 0.04% each to 621.33 points and N368.39 billion respectively.This week, we expect an increase in speculative activities in the local bourse ahead of anticipated earnings releases of listed companies.

FirstBank: Stormy financials keep investment analysts guessing Continues from page 22 negatively. If they are one of those, may be their final result will show that and their price might not be as bad. At least might not deteriorate at the same pace as it did when it got to N3,” he added.

On the bank’s loan impairment, Yussuff said: “if you have huge loan exposure and you come out with an analysis that a large percentage of them are performing, the market will not react negatively. If you come out with a large loan provision, then it will be an indication that you are expecting the loan not to be as good. Given the difficult economic environment, you are probably envisaging that some of those loans will face very difficult challenges and therefore might go bad.

“I don’t want to jump into conclusion because even when loans are facing tough economic environment, there are many remedial action that can be taken to combat that particular economic challenge.”

Fundamentals are still strong — MD, Molten

Trust, and MD Highcap Securities

Another market operator, Mr. Emeka Okolo, Managing Director, Molten Trust Securities, said the price may not be worst than what it is now, arguing that ”FBN Holding is a strong bank; the fundamentals are still very strong, but panicky investors are trying to dump.”

“For the shares to go down to N3, it is very ‘unfirst-bank-like’ for a stock that used to be the pride of the market.

In terms of depressing the share price further, it may not necessarily come to that, but the possibility is still there,” he maintained.

On his part, Mr. David Adonri, MD, Highcap Securities Ltd, said the bank still withstand market forces, except if the bank declares no dividend or some more paltry than what it declared last year.

FBNH closed the week marginally higher on the back of a retracement in Friday’s session after dipping 8.7% through to Thursday. Yesterday also the stock moved up significantly to close at N3.89.

COMPLAINTS & INVESTIGATIONS

Send complaints or enquiries about any quoted company, issues, products and services of any capital market operator or agency to vanguardinvestorsforum@gmail.com. We investigate and publish with feedback

C M Y K

28 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1 , 2016

Moving forward… strengthening intervention funds

By Abdulsamad Rabiu, CON

A

BOUT a week ago, I published the first part of a series of essays focused on the grave and crippling challenges facing the Nigerian economy. I must say that I was surprised but gratified at the positive feedback received, and by the interest generated from diverse stakeholders, both at home and abroad.

Many respondents were pleased that these issues were being addressed openly and objectively, contrary to the norm. Not a few expressed concern at the likely repercussions of spotlighting controversial subjects relating to powerful individuals and interest groups in Nigeria.

My standard retort is that Nigeria is staring down an economic abyss that requires urgent structural reform and wholesale restructuring, backed by this administration’s anticorruption drive. Consequently, for the greater good, Nigeria needs genuine patriots to step up and confront the existential crisis that we are facing in our economy.

Without sounding paranoid, we believe that our corporate stance will attract public attention and may well come at a price since these entrenched, ‘powerful’ interests will most likely come after us and our businesses at BUA Group. We know that they will not relent and, as such, we anticipate their pushback.

Stimulating the economy Nevertheless, we realise that we owe it as a duty to our country and as responsible citizens to engage as many stakeholders as possible through this medium so that Nigeria may prosper and be better for it.

On interventions… Recently, there have been calls for new intervention programmes as a policy response. Whilst interventions, in my opinion, are an excellent way to stimulate the economy during a recession, my experience as the former Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Industry (BoI) taught me that these intervention funds would need to be disbursed equitably to facilitate the desired outcomes.

Not long ago, one such programme had about N200billion disbursed at 7% 9% interest rate with a tenor of 10 - 15 years to only three companies – a fertiliser plant in Port Harcourt, a sugar plant in Lagos, and a petrochemical plant and refinery in Lagos.

Whilst these projects are no

•Abdulsamad Rabiu CON, doubt highly commendable and may go a long way in promoting economic development, would the country have been better served if these cheap, longterm funds had been apportioned to dozens of smaller, viable companies or projects requiring venture capital, thereby impacting more sectors of the economy?

I highlight this point because I also believe that some of the companies that have accessed these funds in the past did not need it as much as others.

Furthermore, monitoring and scrutinising of invoices of imported equipment and machinery related to these funds are also critical. One scenario which I remember vividly occurred in early 2015.

To his credit, the former Minister for Agriculture did his best to sanitise the agriculture industry in Nigeria, create more

Nigeria literally needs all hands on deck – big or small, blue-chip or SME, private investor or public servant, young or old, to work together to secure our economic future as a nation

opportunities, and foster accelerated growth through the Agric Fund. However, there were certain disturbing incidences which, if uncurbed, were capable of disrupting reforms.

For instance, there was a request that came to the Board of the BOI from the ministry to open a Letter of Credit (LC) of about $85million for the importation of rice mills from an Indian firm. Subsequently, a pro-forma invoice was sent by the ministry to that effect.

This money was from an Agric intervention fund for which BOI was a custodian on behalf of the ministry. When this was tabled before the Board for review and approval, the Board declined.

As a board, we declined simply because I was privy to the fact that the costs of the mills in question were inflated by over $70million. Incidentally, I had in my possession a quotation from the same Indian company for a similar capacity rice mill at a cost of $1.2million per mill, as against about $7million in the pro-forma BOI received. I shared this fact with the board and, as a result, we held our ground even though the Bank of Industry was obliged to release funds to the ministry upon request.

Shortly afterwards, I met the erstwhile Minister for Agriculture at a public function and brought up this issue. He showed genuine surprise and was unequivocal in his support of BOI’s due diligence necessary to protect government funds and to attain best value for money. We were yet to conclude this deal when the new government came into office, and all boards were dissolved.

After the new administration was sworn-in, but before the

Nigeria new ministers came on board, the then permanent secretary in the ministry issued a directive that the pending LC be opened by the BOI. I got wind of the situation and immediately sought audience with President Muhammadu Buhari, to whom I presented the transaction with all accompanying facts and documentation.

In response, he promised to investigate and take immediate action. Within a short period of time, I was able to confirm that the president had directed that the transaction be stopped and the funds returned to the CBN - and that was exactly what happened. (I, however, understand that even though it was stopped, there are moves by certain persons connected to the previous request to revive the transaction at the same inflated price).

Had the president not intervened, then the LC would probably have been opened and Nigeria would have lost close to $70million on that deal alone.

Worse still, the off-takers of the mills; that is, the primary beneficiaries, were not willing to take the mills at that price from the government, yet the ministry still insisted that the LC be opened.

This might have led to a situation whereby the mills would be left to rot in storage, and the nation would not have benefitted in any way from the purchase of those equipment.

Encouraging smaller businesses As I stated earlier, I am in support of a stimulus package for key sectors of the economy but I also believe that the funds should be disbursed equitably and judiciously – targeted at the right sectors and the right people.

Also, such funds should be used to encourage smaller businesses to grow which will, in turn, lead to faster development and wider employment opportunities in the long run.

This is because, if the larger companies like ours continue to be the biggest beneficiaries of these intervention funds – even where we may not really need these funds, then the big will only get bigger with the smaller companies unable to compete.

Appropriate mechanisms and processes must also be put in place to monitor the application of funds and to check overinvoicing and abuse.

Finally, on the issue of FX which was largely covered in my last essay, I was astonished to learn, over the course of discussions with several stakeholders in the past week, that about $2billion had been remitted out of the country through Form As over the past few years to establish industrial and cement operations in other African countries.

For clarification, a Form A is used for invisible transactions that do not require shipment of any goods into Nigeria. It was further revealed that some of the transactions in question were traced to a company in Dubai with close ties to the Nigerian company.

Domestic economy Whilst these allegations are difficult to ascertain without official confirmation, they are weighty and perplexing nonetheless. If true, it represents a huge drain on our resources and it is my sincere hope that incidents like this are not allowed to go unchecked henceforth, as Nigeria can illafford to bolster other economies to the detriment of our domestic economy.

At this juncture, Nigeria literally needs all hands on deck – big or small, blue-chip or SME, private investor or public servant, young or old, to work together to secure our economic future as a nation. Expectedly, this will be difficult to achieve as vested interests will most certainly fight back. However, we must work in concert - in an atmosphere of utmost integrity whilst we move ahead with purpose and a steely resolve to do right by our country – whether in our personal lives or in business. Nigeria can only come out better and stronger.

Nigeria needs us. Thank you.

NOTE: This is the second part of a series of essays by Abdulsamad Rabiu CON, billionaire industrialist and chairman of one of Nigeria’s largest Foods & Infrastructure conglomerates, BUA Group.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

— 29

30—VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

As PDP chairman, Sheriff 'll work for APC

R

EDUCING cost of governance We have saved a lot but it isn’t easy to quantify in terms of facts and figures but two things are very important; first the attitude towards governance by the administration and by the people and secondly the physical reduction in the cost of governance. I told you I reduced the ministries from 19 to 14.

I slashed the salaries of political offices holders by half. So by simple arithmetic, you will know that things have been reduced.

Also, I established a new project payroll, all our contracts are being publicised, all our council deliberations are publicised. So, you can see the issue of transparency in Kano and definitely that is leading to the reduced cost of governance in Kano State.

Peace initiatives with Igbo, Yoruba communities I want to carry them along and I will like to inform you that two months ago we connected in an interface conference which was done live and it consisted of all nationalities, all religious groups and we will continue to coexist together and I have constituted a permanent interface committee where there is a meeting from time to time.

— GOV GANDUJE •Says sycophants behind rumours of rift with Kwankwaso THE story of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, governor of Kano State is typified in the African proverb that the patient dog eats the fattest bone. The governor is also seen by many people as an embodiment of loyalty and partner in progress. At the dawn of democracy in 1999, Ganduje sought the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP to become governor of his state. But he ended up becoming the running mate to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. They won the election and were sworn in. But in 2003, they lost the bid for a second term. When Kwankwaso was appointed Minister of Defence by ex-president Olusegun Onasanjo, Ganduje also served as the Special Adviser (Political) to the minister. In 2011, the pair returned for their second term in Kano. At the point of exiting office, Kwankwaso made way for his deputy and today, Ganduje is the elected governor of Kano State. Eight months into office, Ganduje spoke to newsmen in Abuja on the challenges of office, the alleged frosty relationship with Senator Kwankwanso among other issues.

Excerpts:

Primordial claims Also to show that those who are staying with us in Kano are mainly those living in Sabon Gari and I made it a point of deliberate policy to provide some facilities in Sabon Gari. Right now we are constructing a new road and very soon we will start constructing another in Igbo Road. I was there and the celebration was very high. In fact, I no longer call them non indigenes.

I call them indigenes of Kano state with primordial claims from where they came from. That is their new designation. They are not foreigners. They are also indigenes of Kano State but it was a primordial claim from where they came from.

The state of the Almajiri schools and their contributions to the development of education in Kano State Almajiri schools; the last federal government introduced it but the school is not well articulated. It was a wrong policy. For example in my village, we have these schools. It is only 50 students and in Kano we have over 3 million Almajiris and the number of Almajiri is almost a problem to the number of school children so the issue is not creating a school.

If you are creating an Almajiri school, that is abnormal. Who will like to be tagged Almajiri? Is it that after completing your studies your certificate will be tagged Almajiri? And later in life you will be called a graduate of Almajiri School? Which means you were an Almajiri before. So,

•Ganduje: If I criticize Kwankwanso, that means I am criticizing myself it has some social problems. What we are adapting is integration.

The Almajiri are integrated into the normal school system and from our investigation most of the Almajiris in Kano came from other parts of the North, from Chad and Niger Republics. So, we have concluded that the Almajiri schools should be integrated into the normal school system and any Mallam who is coming with over 200 hundred

Definitely, there was a good relation with the former governor.

We met 30 years ago and it wasn’t only in governance that we met

children from another state should allow the children to be integrated in the school or he should take his children back to his state.

I think that is a more sustainable idea rather than building schools. How many schools can you build? It is difficult. So, it is better you integrate it.

Sustainable idea I wrote a letter to Mr. President and I told him the statistics of the Almajiri and I told him the method we have taken but that will require a lot of money because you need more infrastructures, more teachers, more materials for teaching and so on but that is a starting point.

On alleged rifts between him and his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso?

Definitely, there was a good relation with the former governor.

We met 30 years ago and it wasn’t only in governance that we met.

We met outside. I was his deputy for 14 years.

There are two things that are really important, firstly know the roles of sycophants; from his side and my side that will like to benefit if we have problems but

we have been talking.

Secondly, no two individuals are the same, even identical twins have differences in their emotions, philosophy, and the way they interrelate with others.

This is a natural thing. The style may not be the same but the objective may be the same and to some, a change of style may be a challenge, not agreeing with the former system but that is not so.

If you put these two things in mind sometimes you find things happening here and there. But I assure you, we are together. We are still building what we had before.

If I criticize him, that means I am criticizing myself but that doesn’t mean that if I fine-tune, that doesn’t mean the other man was wrong. If I consolidate, that doesn’t mean the other man is wrong.

The economy has changed, the cost of petrol has dropped and do you think business as usual can continue?

When circumstances change, definitely there must be a change in the management of public affairs.

PDP and 2019 and response to Sheriff I don’t like to engage in crossfire but I will like to tell you it is the normal utterances of

those who will want to impress his followers but I believe it is an empty threat. Looking at the history of the chairman himself, I think he is a cross carpeter, he is always on the move, changing from one party to another.

Even when he was in ANPP for 8 years he was working for PDP and even the APC started with him and then he went back with PDP and in the long run he will work for us.

Intelligence information That is what I believe, we are happy because we believe in the long run, he will work for us.

Find out his history and you will believe me.

Of Security and establishment of state police The situation we find ourselves, I think there is no better time for state police because the security at the moment involves a lot of intelligence information.

It involves people you are familiar with the society, with the traditions, with the culture, they are in a better position to assist in terms of surveillance, in terms of collecting information, in terms of being effective. So, I feel state police is something that should be considered.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

— 31

32 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

LEISURE

YOUR LUCK TODAY

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 VIRGO: Not all friends can be trusted with money today when temptation to deceive you is very strong. The more secretive you are, the better for you.

LIBRA: The Moon and Neptune are at loggerheads, therefore, you’ve got to watch your step so that you don’t work against your own interest.

SCORPIO: Those of you who are ambitious and hard working will have more to show for your efforts. However, if you fail to respect the law and its agents, you’ll be disappointed today.

Be loving SAGITTARIUS: Romantic Venus makes young-at-heart to crave for loving attention. Then all of you will need to guard against deception.

CAPRICORN Those of you who are moderately ambitious are in for a good day. As Neptune and the Moon are at loggerheads, it’s important you don’t take partners for granted.

AQUARIUS: Even if there is minor misunderstanding within your working arena, the whole thing will work favourably for you. You just have to be your practical self. Watch what you eat, drink and the state of your health.

By Richard Eromosele

God is watching

R

IGHT from ages man has continued to look for ways of clothing his nakedness. Nakedness does not just mean not wearing clothes alone. It includes covering our evil deeds, wicked acts, ways and

sins etc.

As it was the days of the biblical Adam and Eve, so it is today.

When we commit heinous crime, we run for cover under the stone,

TERROR MUDA

under the water and under the dark, hoping and praying that we will not be caught.

We live a lie. We forget that air bear witness to our cruel act;

in “Scavenger Elite”

the sun by our shadow takes our photograph, and our conscience convicts us daily.

Beware, God is watching. Your sins will find you out.

Think about it!

By Lanre Kehinde

PISCES: Some of you will start to see the result of your recent romantic escapade. Try your best to consolidate on success you have recorded yesterday. This is the wrong time to gamble at all.

ARIES: Much will depend on how willing you are to co-operate with others, especially those within your base of operation.

Lovers may be in for a romantic day. Try to be more familyminded.

TAURUS: Don’t believe that every information supplied to you is correct as there is the possibility of deception. Make sure you are as practical as possible at work.

GEMINI: As the saying goes, ‘money is the root of all evils,’ you will need to watch carefully your financial transactions today so that costly misunderstanding’ll be averted.

CANCER: Not everybody within your base of operation is honest with you today. Yet, success is your portion today.

Those of you who are more financially ambitious will have a rewarding day. Be loving.

KAPTAIN AFRIKA

in “HEY’

By Andy Akman

LEO: Your good days are closer to you more than you imagine now but you will need to be a little bit careful today who you repose confidence in. Lovers will smile.

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING Send yyour our dat th ttoo the As tr ological datee and place of bir birth Astr trological Counselling, PP.M.B .M.B 1100 00 7, Apapa, Lagos 007,

Basic characterists of Leo TIME SCOPE=NOV 23 – DEC 21 RULER = LUCKY AND EDUCATIONAL JUPITER QUALITY =MUTABLE .

ELEMENT = FIRE. SYMBOL = THE ARCHER (HALF HORSE HALF MAN).

GROUP = MASCULINE. ZODIACAL POSITION = THE 9TH. Mutable means changes and experimentation, while fire is all about enthusiasm, taking of the initiative and leadership ability. Thus, you are the type that will exhibit strong interest in an important project that catches your fancy and you will not mind to experiment with ideas just to achieve your objectives and aims.

Sagittarius is the 9th sign of the Zodiac that rules philosophy, RELIGION, law, foreign land, higher mind/ higher institutions, lawyer, long (distance) travelling, in-laws, future, optimism and bluntness. Major problem or weak points of Sagittarians are excessive openness/ bluntness and sometimes fanatical approach to religion.

Being a born adventurer, you are not afraid of exploration and new beginning. Sagittarians are incurable optimist and ever ready to listen to and eager to believe others; you are not an exception. Honesty is truly in your inner self .You are a tolerant person but you are not ready to compromise your FREEDOM Sagittarius as a fire sign can make you a quick tempered person. Half horse half man as the symbol, of Sagittarius indicates dual (double) personalities known in different circle with different personalities. Yet, you are not a pretender. As the Archer aims arrow into the sky also Sagittarians have many lofty ideas and ambition. But sometimes their ideas and/or ideals are not practical enough for realisation. Many times, they start too many thing at a time only to either forget or lose view of their original target.

Development of practical approach is more important for Sagittarians this is in order to make success of many of their brilliant ideas, otherwise they tend to become dreamers.

In reality, Sagittarians are dreamers (by this 1 mean real dream many use to have at night) and many of their dreams usually come to pass. Sometimes their dreams are vividly prophetic.

Sagittarians are born philosophers. That is why they have well developed minds indispensable to rare wisdom, Sagittarius is the Zodiacal constellation of WISDOM Then, you are humorous, lively, sports loving, out going, energetic, good hearted, in love with change/ experimentation, ever willing to co-operate, socially inclined, enthusiastic and highly intelligent. As intelligent as you are, you can surprisingly appear fanatical about your conviction and/or views.

VIRGINIA

HOME & ABROAD

dadadekola@yahoo.com

By Lawrence Akapa

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016—33

Delta HPMs, TLGs urge Okowa to appoint member as Perm Sec

A

SABA — ASSOCIATION of Heads of Personnel Management and Treasurers to Local Government, Delta State has appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to appoint one of their own as permanent secretary in the state.

President of the association, Monday Agbeyi, during a visit to the governor in Asaba, said aside Local Government Service Commission, the Local Government Pension Bureau was staffed by workers of the local government and so deserves the post of a Permanent Secretary as well.

He said: “The present secretary of the bureau, who no doubt has performed very well, was an HPM and has all it will take to be appointed Permanent Secretary like its counterpart in the state bureau.

"He is already a member of College of Permanent Secretaries and enjoys all entitlements of a Permanent Secretary as Executive Secretary of the bureau. It’s just a change in nomenclature we’re requesting for.

"With all sense of responsibility and humility, we wish to implore the governor to continue to make appointment into the Local Government Pension Board from among the serving HPMs who should be designated as permanent Secretary on appointment.”

Crisis looms over DSC mgt's refusal to meet with host community

By Festus Ahon

A

SABA— CRISIS is brewing between Udu people in Udu Local Government Area, Delta State and the new investors that took over the running of the ailing Delta Steel Company, DSC, Premium Steels over its delay in entering into a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the host community.

The Udu Traditional Council, in a letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of Premium Steels, warned that there would be crisis should the company fail to meet with

the people in no distant time on the way forward.

The people of Udu Kingdom in the letter by the Otota (spokesman), Chief Sam Odibo, complained that since the new investors took over the management of DSC, they have not opened formal dialogue with them to determine the scale and scope of their operations.

Saying that the management was yet to draw up an MoU on the list of their various economic, social and environmental expectations to “douse tension or avoid any foreseeable and avoidable confrontation,” they lamented

that not only has the company ignored them, but had also treated them with disdain.

The people in the letter listed their demands to include, “a full disclosure of the nature and scope of your operations in our community.

“The unconditional commencement of a formal dialogue with the elders, youths and people of the Udu Kingdom through the Udu Traditional Council that will focus on the social, economic and environmental issues that your company will address in our community and the social and security issues that the Udu community will handle.”

SWEARING-IN: Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State (2nd left), his deputy, Gboribiogha Jonah (middle) with the three newly sworn in Special Advisers to the Governor, Mr. Francis Agbo (left), SA on Media Relations; SA on Security, Boma Spero-Jack (2nd right) and the SA on Treasury, Revenue and Accounts, Timipre Seipulou at Government House, Yenagoa.

Our generation has failed the nation —Okunbor

By Simon Ebegbulem

B

ENIN CITY—EDO Stateborn business mogul, Capt.

Hosa Okunbor, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari was angry with the level of corruption he met in the system, noting that the anti-corruption war of the current administration was the only way to revive the economy.

Speaking after he bagged the Worthy Ambassador of Unity Award from his alma mater, Federal Government College,

Warri, at its Golden Jubilee celebration, he said the second coming of President Buhari was due to the massive corruption in the system and urged Nigerians to give him the needed support.

He said: “This is my foundation, Federal Government College, Warri is where it all started for me. This is where we got our values from.

Unfortunately for us, we have lost all those values that made us what we are today. Our generation, between 55 and 0 years, I can tell you that we have

failed this country.

"Those of us that were privileged to go to schools like this, that the state gave much to in our upbringing, unfortunately, those of us that chose to serve this country, we could not give anything back to the country. It is very sad.

“And that is why we are happy that somebody like President Buhari decided to come back to serve Nigeria. President Buhari is like a man who started business at the age of 21 and

Police arrest man, lover for child trafficking

By Emma Amaize & Festus Ahon

A

SABA—THE Police in Delta State have arrested a man and his girlfriend, who has long ago sold their biological child, for allegedly attempting to sell his sister ’s three-year-old son, Chukwunalu.

Luck ran out of the suspects, Emeka and Blessing in Onitsha,

C M Y K

Anambra State, where they went to sell the kid.

The mother of the victim, who is residing in Asaba, the state capital, reported the incident at Onicha Olona Police Station, Onicha Olona.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, confirmed the incident, yesterday, saying the matter was

under investigation.

Meanwhile, a staff of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Asaba, has been dismissed for child trafficking.

Commissioner in-charge of the ministry, Rev Omotsola William, who confirmed the development to Vanguard, said: “Recently one of the staff was dismissed for being

when he got to 45, his children told him, father rest, we can make this business work and at 73, he is being called back to repair the business he left at 45. Of course, he will be an angry man to see a rotten business that was doing well when he left it."

Igiebor to petition Buhari over alleged mismanagement

by Edo govt

By Onozure Dania

A

PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain in Edo State, Mr Osahon Igiebor, has expressed misgivings over what he termed the mismanagement by the present government of the state under Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Igiebor has vowed to petition the governor before the presidency to constitute a panel to investigate the accounting books of the state from the period between 2008 till date to ascertain claims that the records of development projects being put in place equal the financial expenditures of the state governor.

He said: “My point is this, not that I have anything against Oshiomhole on projects, but for the purpose of accountability, transparency, due process and good governance, I am of the opinion that the present administration in the state is guilty of laws of proper financial appropriation to projects against the backdrop of international best practices.

“There is no rationale behind the high unemployment in the state as a result of companies the government left moribund, the numerous basic schools that are below standard and abandoned against the governor building of a new university in his home town while others are left to rot and are in state of decay.

“In a couple of weeks from now, it is my believe that anti-graft agencies should begin by carrying out an investigation into the accounting books of the state government."

Anioma youth leader condemns PDP defectors

By Tare Youdeowei

F

OLLOWING the recent defection of some leaders and members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, the National President of Anioma Youth Council for Change, AYCC, Joshua Okoh, yesterday, wondered if the party was dead in the state.

In a statement, Okoh frowned at the way PDP leaders in Delta North senatorial district seem uninterested in the progress of the party even with 2019 in mind,

despite political appointments

by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Lambasting Delta North politicians for not being active in the present administration, he, however, commended the Urhobo born politician, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, for being feasible in the scheme of things as far as Okowa’s administration was concerned.

He urged other ethnic groups from Delta North and South senatorial districts to emulate Chief Onuesoke, who is from Delta Central senatorial district.

34—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1 , 2016

Okorocha alleges fraud in NDDC projects in Imo

By Chinonso Alozie

O

WERRI—GOVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has alleged that the 272 projects the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, claimed it had executed in the state, could not be found.

Okorocha stated this in Owerri, while receiving the Managing Director of the, NDDC, Mrs. Ibim Sememitari.

The governor argued that those projects could only exist on paper, adding that he was shocked to hear that 272 projects had been done in Imo by the NDDC. He said: “I am shocked to hear that the NDDC has over 272 projects in the state on which billions of naira were also said to have been spent. I would like to have the list of the projects, the contractors handling them and where they are sited, because Imo people would also be shocked to hear this. Let us know the projects, their sites and the amounts paid on each of them.

"The truth is that these projects could exist only on papers because the popular impression here is that the NDDC abandoned the state and her people, while releasing money meant for projects in the state to some PDP elements from the state in Abuja who shared the money with the contractors.”

The governor further explained that, “the NDDC isolated the state government. At times, these wicked people behind all these fraud would ensure that both NDDC and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs would award different contracts on one particular project and at the end of the day, the job won’t be done.

At times too, they would put NDDC sign board on state government project. So many funny things.”

According to him, “NDDC should not be partisan. People from the NDDC states should be provided with services required,

despite their political affliations.

Frankly speaking, the state has not benefited or felt the impact of the NDDC because no visible project has been put on ground for years. At a point, I thought about pulling the state out of the NDDC and demand that the money meant for the state be remitted to her directly.

“The NDDC has remained a nightmare to Imo people. With

the new MD, the state can now partner NDDC with the hope that things would begin to work out fine. And in the commission’s budget, the management should look at the areas of power and rail lines linking the NDDC states. The commission should not be constructing boreholes, renovation of schools and health centres. Let there be light at the

NDDC now.”

Responding,the Managing Director of NDDC, Mrs. Ibim Sememitari said that she was in the state on official visit to acquaint the government on the commission’s activities, adding that the NDDC was ready to collaborate with the state government in the areas of their needs.

I can grow Nigeria's IGR by 30%, Ubah tells FG working tirelessly on a number politicizing issues of national

A

By Michael Eboh

BUJA—CHAIRMAN, Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, has disclosed that in addition to his plans to force a reduction in the dollar exchange rate, he has designed a template to boost Nigeria’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, by 30 per cent.

In a press statement in Abuja, Ubah also stated that contrary to reports, he is yet to be approached by the Federal Government as regards the foreign exchange (forex) issues.

Commenting on his new initiative, Ubah said, “It may also interest Nigerians to know that my team and I have also been

of issues aimed at fostering the growth and development of Nigeria and her economy.

“We have designed two templates/systems on how Nigeria’s Internally Generated Revenue can be grown by 30 per cent guarantee. However, we have decided to push our concepts and strategies out in phases. This will come in the next phase of our intervention scheme. I leave this in the hands of Nigerians and for posterity to judge.”

Ubah wondered why the leadership of the country had shown no real interest in addressing the challenges currently facing the country, while he accused them of

importance.

He said: “My pertinent question remains: If the current leadership really cares about Nigeria and Nigerians, why haven’t sincere efforts been made to curb this menace? I have volunteered to serve and vowed to commit everything I have and possess to the success of this cause.

“However, it is distasteful to note that ever since I made an appearance on television on the 21st of February, 2016, the relevant authorities saddled with the responsibility of saving our economy would rather play politics with the issue - an occurrence that is far too frequent and way too detrimental.”

We're committed to raising role models —Rhema Varsity VC

A

By Eric Ugbor

BA—THE Vice Chancellor, Rhema University, Prof.

Ogbonnaya Onwudike has reiterated the institution’s commitment to raising youths with quality education and the fear of God in the face of swelling moral and educational decadence.

Onwudike who disclosed this in an interview with journalists after the sixth Matriculation ceremony of the university in Aba last Saturday said that the institution would take the place

of the parents of the students who enrolled in the institution and would give students every available help to make them excel as ones God committed to their care.

He said: “It is our solemn resolve to train and produce men and women equipped with good education, strong character and integrity; men and women who with the fear of God, can stand the test of time and be role models.

"We know and understand what parents want for their children

and we want to mould these children into individuals who will make you proud and not bring shame.

“As a Christian University, we are therefore committed to high moral and academic standards in line with our motto -Equipping Humanity for Excellence.”

Onwudike who said that the set was the university’s sixth stressed that the number six is very significant spiritually noting that God rested on the sixth day after breathing into the nose of man.

Anambra adopts new technology on road maintenance

By Vincent Ujumadu

A

WKA—THE government of Anambra State has started experimenting a new technology in road construction expected to make the roads last long after construction.

Governor Willie Obiano, who spoke at a demonstration of the use of the technology on a short road linking the state secretariat complex with the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, said the new technology is expected to boost his administration’s effort towards finding a lasting solution to the challenge of building roads that would stand the test of time in the state.

Obiano said: “We just want to experiment with this short and busy road and see how it can withstand heavy traffic before we can begin to adopt it for internal roads within the urban and non-urban areas.

“After the experiment, the road will be placed under close observation for six months to see whether it would withstand heavytraffic.Andifweareeventually convinced that such is the case, then wewillbegintoapplythetechnology in the construction of roads in the hinterland and other areas.”

According to him, the test being done on the short stretch of road was at no cost to the state government.

The representative of West Incorporated, the owners of the technology, Mr. Telforn Soden, explained that the product is a road stabilizer, which had been in use in many parts of the world.

“We used this technology to build roads that have lasted for 25 years in SouthAfrica.Allthatmayberequired is just resurfacing. We have also built roads in Turkey, Sudan, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia and in many parts of Eastern Europe,” he said.

By Bartholomew Madukwe (08102479985) nwamad@yahoo.com

PEOPLE SPEAK

On Oliseh’s resignation as Super Eagles coach

J

ust because Oliseh is patriotic, NFF wants to rubbish him. Must we win all matches? Tell me, don’t Brazil; Italy and other great football nations lose matches? I support his resignation as Super Eagles coach.

Mr Amami Collins, Mechanical Engineer C M Y K

I

doubt if really Oliseh has not been given all his outstanding salaries.

I think he was just afraid of losing to Egypt. He knows that he can’t win them, especially with the ill preparation the players are having. Mr Teslim Bode, Graduate

M

y view on Oliseh’s resignation is simple.

I never supported him. He was quick to criticise but has failed woefully to walkthe-talk. I guess this will teach NFF and Nigerians a big lesson.

Mr Adesanya Adeshola, Educational Consultant

W

hatever the situation around this might be, it points to the same old stories that the rot in our country knows no bound. Who would want the job under those circumstances.

Mr Balogun Afolabi, Self Employed

H

e was exposed during the CHAN competition. He knows that he can’t qualify Nigeria for the nation’s cup. I remember how he condemned Keshi who helped us win the nation cup he cannot qualify us for. Mr Nse Udoh, Statiscian

O

liseh does not have what it takes to manage millionaire players of the Super Eagles. It takes a lot of courage, wisdom and diplomacy to weather the intricacies in such work environment. Mr Samuel Obasi, Worker

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 35

5,000 cows, armed herdsmen occupying Agatu communities — CP Killings politically motivated — PDP

By Emma Ujah, Ben Agande & Peter Duru

M

AKURDI—BENUE State Police Commissioner, Paul Yakadi, yesterday, said over 5,000 cows accompanied by armed Fulani herdsmen were occupying part of Agatu local government area of the state, where about 300 lives were allegedly lost last week and 7,000 persons displaced.

This came as fresh report indicated that the killing of villagers had continued unabated despite President Muhammadu Buhari's directive that a panel of investigation into the crisis be established and announcement of the establishment of an interagency security team to forestall further attacks.

Similarly, Benue State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, claimed the killings in Agatu by suspected Fulani herdsmen weres politically-motivated because the people of the area “overwhelmingly voted for Senator David Mark” in the last senatorial re-run election in Benue South senatorial District.

Yakadi, who led a team of police officers to assess the besieged communities, confirmed that seven villages, including Okokolo, Aila, Adagbo, Akwu, Omikuidi, Ocholonya and Odugbeho had been completely deserted.

He told newsmen at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, that the invaders stormed Agatu from Naka in Gwer West local government area of Benue State, Loco and Doma in Nasarawa State.

According to him: “The worrisome renewed attack on the Agatu communities by Fulani herdsmen was as a result of the alarming influx of the herdsmen into the area through neighbouring towns of Naka in Gwer West local government area of Benue State, Loco and Doma of Nasarawa State, where cattle are made to swim across the water to Agatu. The Command, which was on an assessment tour of the area few days ago to identify areas that security needed to be beefed up, discovered Fulani herdsmen armed with sophisticated weapons with their cows numbering over 5,000.

“We saw a number of houses that were either burnt or destroyed and foodstuffs from these areas were looted and some were burnt. The team also discovered that the following villages; Okokolo, Aila, Adagbo, Akwu, Omikuidi, Ocholonya and Odugbeho were deserted with no trace of persons living there while three corpses were seen in Aila and Adagbo.”

The Police Commissioner, who claimed the crisis had been brought under control, said the Police in conjunction with the state government and other sister

Survivors say carnage rages on security agencies had made conscious efforts to monitor and forestall further destruction of lives and properties in the area.

Fresh killings continue

Meanwhile, fresh report indicates that killing villagers in the local government has continued unabated.

A survivor of the alleged killings, Mr. Ada Ojechi, told Vanguard that news of Federal and Benue State governments’ intervention made the villagers to relax and that many of those who had earlier fled Odugbeho returned to the village on Sunday.

He said, “As we speak, Odigbeho Agatu has been razed.

The massacre there today had no equal because Odugbeho is one

of the most important and wellpopulated villages in Agatu. ''Our people were caught napping because we relaxed when we heard what we considered the cheering news that the Federal Government has intervened.

“Unfortunately, the Fulanis knew we had relaxed and took advantage to unleash a terrible massacre on us. As we speak, corpses litter everywhere in the village.

Killings politicallymotivated

Meantime, the state chairman of PDP, Dr EMmanuel Agbo, has alleged that the killings in Agatu was politically-motivated because the people of the area

“overwhelmingly voted for Senator David Mark” in the last rerun senatorial election in Benue South senatorial District.

Speaking at the PDP headquarters where he led members of the state executive council on a solidarity visit to the national chairman of the PDP, Dr Agbo alleged that despite the widespread killings, the government had maintained silence.

According to him: “We have witnessed massive attacks on several communities in Agatu Local government area of the state that have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and properties worth billions of Naira. We have reason to believe that this recent attack on the Agatu people was punishment for their resolve to vote overwhelmingly for Senator Mark.''

VISIT: From right: Mrs Victoria Archibong, Executive Director, BHS International Limited; Otunba Olu Adenodi, MD/CEO; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon Abubakar Malami (SAN) and Retired Hon Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, Chairman, BHS when the board members of BHS International Limited (Concessionaires of the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos) paid a courtesy visit to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in Abuja.

Army arrests 4 suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Bauchi ...As govt, council donate 25 patrol vehicles to fight crime

By Suzan Edeh

B

AUCHI—THE Nigeria Army in Bauchi State, yesterday said it arrested four suspected Boko Haram members, even as the state government alongside Bauchi Local Government Council, BLGC, donated 25 patrol vehicles, valued at N232, 968,750 to security operatives in state.

The Brigade Commander of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi, Abraham Dusu, who disclosed the arrest while parading the suspects at the Shadawanka Barracks in Bauchi, said they were arrested following a tip-off by the residents in Alkaleri local government area of the state.

He gave the names of the four suspects as Victor Moses, Abubakar Shettima Bama, Salisu Mohammed Bello and Umar Sadiq Madaki.

According to him, one of the suspects, Victor Moses who claimed to have converted from Christianity to Islam was arrested in the mosque when he went to pray while the remaining three were arrested in Gombe and Plateau state respectively.

The Brigade Commander said the suspects were at present undergoing interrogation after which they would be handed to the JointTask Force JTF in Maiduguri.

Meanwhile, Bauchi State government alongside Bauchi

Local Government Council, BLGC, has donated 25 patrol vehicles, valued at N232, 968,750 to security operatives in state.

Governor Mohammed Abubakar, who handed over the vehicles to security operatives at the State Secretariat, said the primary responsibility of any government was to provide security to its citizens for everyone to go about his or her business without fear of insecurity.

According to him, the 33 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army would be given 10 vehicles, the Bauch Police Command, nine, the Department of State Service, DSS, five while Zone 12 Headquarters of the Nigeria Police force would get one.

Maritime industry to exceed 30% GDP target – LADOL

By Godfrey Bivbere & Godwin Oritse

A

MIDST drive towards diversification of the economy away from the oil dependency, the maritime industry is working to account for over 30 per cent of the country ’s gross domestic products, GDP. The 30 per cent mark, which was the target of the ministry of transport translates into about USD15 billion at current rebased GDP of USD510 billion.

Managing Director of Lagos Deep Off-Shore Logistics, LADOL, Dr. Amy Jadesimi, told Vanguard that its operations were already in line to achieving this, combined with the input from other operators in the sector.

She disclosed that LADOL was at present building a Floating Production Storage Off-loading, FPSO, project for Total Oil’s Egina Field worth about USD15 billion dollars with foreign partners, Samsung of South Korea, injecting about USD3.8 billion.

With this project on stream, the contracts worth over USD6.0 billion moved out of Nigeria with a corresponding foreign exchange resources flowing out would now be domiciled in the economy, creating new jobs and accretion to GDP. According to Jadesimi, “The FPSO is now inside Nigeria, so the demand for local fabrication and engineering will increase four fold.

“This is something that is enormously important to the economy of the country and it is also strategically important to attract additional foreign and local private investment.”

The Egina FPSO, which will store about two million barrels of oil will be the first FPSO in the history of Nigeria to be integrated onshore and will also be one of the largest in the world.

According to Jadesimi; “This is a huge milestone in the industry given that every FPSO from now on can come to Nigeria and local content can finally reach beyond the 10 to 15 percent level.

“Now that we have this facility at LADOL, we will be able to achieve 50 percent local content. So not only are we creating jobs, we are domesticating activities and conserving foreign currencies.

“So giving us control of the whole value chain is changing the game. These projects are necessary to support the oil and gas industry and are also necessary to support the diversification from oil and gas.

36—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

By Caleb Ayansina

T

HE UN Deputy SecretaryGeneral, Housing and Sustainable Urban, Kumaresh Misra and other stakeholders in the ongoing United Nations Habitat III Africa Regional Meeting in Nigeria, last week called on African leaders to develop rural areas to solve challenges of urban cities in the continent.

Misra at the opening of the technical session of the meeting in Abuja emphasised the need for effective planning to manage rural urban migration, attributing importance of urbanisation to reason it was listed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

He explained that cities of developing nations, especially Nigeria, should develop counter measures ahead of increasing population in the country.

Great challenges “This region has shown great progress and also has great potential but also offers great challenges as we see a sharp increase in especially urban population. There is need to manage the cities to meet 2030 sustainable development to make cities safe, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

“We need integrated approach to manage new cities as agent of growth not only in terms of housing or security but to make it viable for economic sustainability.

“Prosperity of nations is intimately linked to the prosperity of cities in the

A scenic urban view.

New Urban Agenda: UN Deputy Scribe, others charge African leaders on planning •Seek rural development to save city centres current scenario. It is necessary to recognize and integrate all aspects of human settlement which will contribute towards greater social cohesion, promote innovation and truly build an inclusive and dynamic society.

“It is necessary to take early and coordinated action. If sometimes the planning of

Manhattan is appreciated, it must be remembered that it was planned nearly 200 years ago,” Misra said.

The Nigeria Permanent Representative to UN Habitat, Akin Oyateru reiterated the need for government and other stakeholders to put more efforts on planning to meet development.

He called for extensive planning of city years ahead its expansion, adding that provision of affordable housing and all inclusive development would reduce rural urban migration.

“One of the new programmes is urban approach, activities that would change the imbalance and decongest the

CCECC to build N362m property, donate building to Catholic hospital

By Favour Nnabugwu

A

S part of its corporate social responsibility to host country, the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), contractor handling rail track from Abuja to Kaduna, has agreed to build a property worth N362 million and donate a building to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul Hospital, Kubwa, Abuja, a catholic hospital.

The premises of Daughters of Charity hospital is one of the major facilities affected by the rail track which has been marked for demolition to make way for the construction of the rail track from Abuja to

C M Y K

Kaduna. A major alignment is to pass through the hospital premises hence the need to demolish the property.

Though the hospital has been promised N362 million as compensation and a land to relocate to, Sister Mary Okoro, the Matron of the hospital said, the hospital will need N900 million for reconstruction of the premises including facilities they don’t have.

Mr. Jack Li, Managing Director, CCECC said his company has agreed to donate a building to the hospital in addition to provision of some facilities with the N362 million compensation to be paid the hospital on terms both parties will agree to.

“We agreed to utilize the N362 million compensation to

provide facilities worth N362 million. Then, we will donate a building and a generator to them in addition. The hospital management will then do the rest construction or pay us to finish it for them” Li said.

Hospital management He added that they are committed to adding value to Nigeria hence their acceptance to donate the building and a generator to the hospital.

Speaking on the pace of the Abuja-Kaduna rail track, he said the project has suffered a delay of two years because they couldn’t access funds from the federal government.

According to him, “However,

funds are available now and the contractors are working towards delivering the project

by May 2016. Finance is part of the challenge delaying the project because it has been long that we received the counterpart fund.

“But we are lucky that the minister has brought back the counterpart funding for us, and we have therefore continued. “The work was delayed for more than half a year; but I expect that the project will be completed by the middle of May, which is in line with what the minister said”, Li noted.

The project started in 2011 and was supposed to be completed in 2015.

city centre. The New Urban Agenda is a new multi sectoral approach where urbanisation is looked from a holistic approach to drive sustainable developmental policies that would benefit the masses,” he said.

Technical session Declaring the technical session of the meeting open, the Minister of State for Power, Work and Housing, Mr. Mustapha Baba Shehuri said the situation in urban cities across the continent was not encouraging, promising that the federal government would redouble its efforts to address the situation.

He said; “Urbanization is virtually on a rampage across this continent and its attendant crushing consequences are so glaring. There is debilitating urban poverty and most of the emerging cities are not functional economically or otherwise.

“Regrettably, past attempts and strategies employed to ameliorate the situation showed no visible success. This conference, therefore, offers us a distinctive prospect to propose African situation in the new Urban Agenda”, Shehuri noted.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 37

Stakeholders call for collaborative efforts to stamp out use of mercury in Nigeria

By Kingsley Adegboye

P

ARTICIPANTS at a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on phase down on dental amalgam use in Lagos state with the theme “Towards Mercury-Free Dentistry in Nigeria” organised by Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev), have called for coordinated collaborative efforts by stakeholders in order to achieve the desired phase down of the harmful substance.

The participants at the workshop which took place place in Lagos last week also clamoured for use of alternatives to amalgam.

Mercury or Amalgam is one of the world’s most ubiquitous heavy metal neuro toxicant. It is a toxic substance of global concern that causes significant harm to human health, wildlife and ecosystems.

Once in the body, mercury acts as a neuro toxin, interfering with the brain and nervous system.

Exposure to mercury can be particularly hazardous for pregnant women, especially lactating mothers who expose

C M Y K

their children to mercury during breast feeding. During the first several years of life, a child’s brain is still developing and rapidly absorbing nutrients. Prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness.

Even in low doses, mercury may affect a child’s development, delaying walking and talking, shortening attention span and causing learning disabilities. In adults, mercury poisoning can adversely affect fertility and blood pressure regulation and can cause memory loss, tremors, vision loss and numbness of the fingers and toes. A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to mercury may also lead to heart disease.

Delivering the keynote paper, tagged “Mercury Free-Dentistry in the Public Sector: Towards a phase down action plan” Adolphus Loto, a medical doctor and Consultant, Restorative Dentistry, LASUCOM/LASUTH said the elimination of amalgam involves every sector of the economy, adding that there must be a strategic plan to achieve the

Mr Leslie Adogame (left) addressing participants at the workshop. phase down.

According to him, the phase-down of the use of dental amalgam in restorative dentistry requires a coordinated holistic and multi-sectorial approach by stakeholders, pointing out that it is an acceptable option as opposed to outright ban on dental amalgam.

“It is feasible and desirable. It should be given a national attention, and a National Strategic Plan (NSP) should be developed and implemented in order to meet the deadline or time-line at which amalgam should cease to be used as a restorative material in dentistry in compliance with the provisions of the Minamata Treaty or Convention”, Loto stated.

T h e chairman of the occasion, Prof.

G o d w i n Arotiba, remarked that it is difficult for people to change from their habits, a d d i n g however, that w i t h willingness a n d collaborative efforts across all strata of the society, change from amalgam to other alternatives as b e i n g clamoured for by the organisers of the one-day event, can be achieved.

In his presentation, Idris Adamu, D e p u t y D i r e c t o r, Department of Po l l u t i o n Control and Environmental

Health, Federal Ministry of Environment, said “Mercury is one of the most dangerous environmental toxins. Mercury vapour is continuously emitted from amalgam fillings, which means that people are directly exposed to the mercury in their mouths. Introducing timeline to phase down/ ban dental mercury would save people and the environment. Satisfactory alternatives to mercury amalgam are available for example, resin composite”. To achieve its phase down, Adamu stated that “Let us all work together to say no to mercury”.

Mr. Leslie Adogame, Executive Director, Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria) in welcome address, pointed out that United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Health Organization have identified the adverse effects of mercury pollution as a serious global environmental and human health problem.

According to Adogame, the UNEP Governing Council has targeted reducing methyl mercury accumulation in the global

The UNEP Governing Council has targeted reducing methyl mercury accumulation in the global environment as a major global priority

environment as a major global priority, stressing that since February 2009 the world’s governments had agreed to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury which came to effect in October 2013. He said Nigeria is now a signatory to this Convention named as Mercury Treaty (Minamata Convention).

SRADEV boss who noted that the nervous system is very sensitive to all forms of mercury, disclosed that exposure to high levels of mercury (metallic, inorganic or organic) can permanently damage the brain, kidney and can affect a developing foetus. He said its harmful effects also include mental retardation, blindness, seizures and inability to speak.

Dangerous poison Lamenting limited awareness of mercury in medicines and generally in healthcare sector in Nigeria while the dangerous poison is causing a lot of health problems unknown to the public, he said the goal of the forum was to facilitate Lagos stakeholders to set the pace and work collectively towards a plan of action to phase down the use of dental amalgam in response to the world’s call for action.

According to him, “mercury is used in dental amalgam, a restorative material that is approximately 50 per cent elemental mercury. Through the newly-adopted Minamata Convention on Mercury, the world recognizes that dental amalgam is a major environmental pollutant.

“The Convention requires each participating nation to phase down the use of dental amalgam and perhaps ultimately phasing it out and switching to mercuryfree alternatives. It is significant to let you know that throughout the Minamata Convention negotiations which took place from June 2010 until October 2013, the African Region through Nigerian delegates led the movement to get the strong dental amalgam reduction mandate into the Minamata Convention,”

38 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 39

By Theodore Opara

Nissan canvasses vibrant auto sector as alternative to declining oil value S

TALLION NMN, manufacturers and distributors of Nissan vehicles in Nigeria has warned of impending stagnation in the country’s evolving automotive sector unless the Federal Government wholly implements the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) and give deserving operators the latitude to function optimally.

Nissan Nigeria Regional Project Director, Mr. Sorin Profir gave this warning in Lagos at a media engagement to acquaint local automobile journalists with Nissan’s achievement since 2014 and her successive plan of action.

Mr. Profir who enjoined the Federal Government to urgently embrace the automotive industry as a viable alternative to oil that is already drably priced said: “the automotive industry is a catalyst of growth in most global economies and we can’t continue to depend on oil reason why we should explore the inherent opportunities in automotive manufacturing.”

Automotive manufacturing He advised government to immediately implement the auto policy document; restrict gratuitous importation of vehicles that can be locally manufactured and encourage the establishment of more ancillary industries such tyre, battery and glass companies to accelerate the inclusion of substantial local contents.

Adding it was time Nigeria gets its policy direction right, the Nissan regional director said “on no account should the policy document be allowed to be circumvented or discarded for gratuitous reasons as many stakeholders are only waiting for policy direction to enable them kick-start their operations.”

Also commenting on the implication of the automotive policy since inception, Stallion Nissan Nigeria Motors Plant Head, Mr. Prakash Karat said “the plant hasn’t been stretched to its installed capacity since it began operation in April 2014 but we have produced only 3,050 units of four variants of Nissan vehicles including Nissan Patrol, Almera, NP300 Pick-up trucks and NV350 commuter bus.

C M Y K

•Nissan Patrol assembled in Nigeria

Stallion Nissan Motors Nigeria plant was inaugurated in April 2014

The automotive industry is a catalyst of growth in most global economies and we can’t continue to depend on oil

with three fully equipped assembly lines for SKD (Semiknocked-down) components and an annual installed capacity for 15, 000 vehicles but could only produce 3,050 vehicles as of June 2015.

The Stallion NMN vehicle plant like all other conventional manufacturing concerns is driven by the principle of supply and demand and cannot carry inventory beyond particular

level, Mr. Karat explained, saying we work according to marketing requirement.

Also as consequence of the current parlous state of the economy, Mr. Karat said: “the Nissan vehicle plant has shrunk its work force to 85 from 131 at inception, but such workers could be recalled soon as the economic downturn improves, he remarked.

He enjoined customers to be assured of the quality and

standard of vehicles produced at the Nissan plant which according to him compares to similar products manufactured overseas.

“We are continuing to train and retrain our service technicians in Nissan ever growing technological advancement and acquaint them extensively in Nissan’s always-changing technology. I am therefore proud to say we have some of the best technicians yet.”

New date for logistics, transport and port management confab

T

HE maiden edition of the annual logistics, transport and port

management conference being organised by DU& T Consulting, a Lagos-based

consulting firm, is now to hold on March 15 and 16, 2016 instead of the earlier

•(L-R) PAN Nigeria’s management team- Finance Director, Alhaji Jummat Alli; GM Sales and Marketing, Bawo Omagbitse; G M, Human Capital, Hajia Mariam Mohammed; French Ambassador to Nigeria, Deneys Gever ; M D of PAN Nigeria, Ibrahim Boyi, when the Ambassador paid a courtesy call on the M D of PAN Nigeria, in Kaduna

announced dates.

The two-day conference, scheduled to hold at the Conference Hall of the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industr y, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos will have as its theme, Improving Transportation, Logistics and Port Service Delivery and Effectiveness in West Africa.

Managing Consultant, DU& T Consulting, John Aderibigbe, who disclosed the shift in dates at the weekend, said in a statement that the organisers decided on the new dates to allow more industry stakeholders and officials of relevant government agencies in the transport sector in Nigeria and the West African sub-region with interest in participating the opportunity of doing so.

40 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 41

•Commercial property sealed off by the EFCC in Lagos

Why high net-worth individuals eye Lagos properties (2) •As EFCC seals alleged products of sleaze The first part of this piece by Kingsley Adeboye was published on Tuesday, February 16, 2016. In that edition, the author had argued that rental figures in Lagos remain among the highest in the world, with achievable rents at more than $85 per square metre per month

I

T added that “This is reflected in rising land costs fundamentally driven by the demographics of a growing and more affluent consumer base and improved existing and new infrastructure”.

According to the report, “The increased demand for prime land for commercial office development is reflected in the 56 per cent increase in land values in Victoria Island within one year alone from N244,000 per square metre as at April last year to N381,169 (US$2,242) per square metre as at March this year.

Residential areas “A two tier market has also developed between the prime areas of Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Banana Island and Eko Atlantic, all with land values above 1,000 per square metre and the residential areas of Lekki Phase 1 and Oniru at prices still below US$1,000

per square metre. Lekki Phase 1 with its ongoing transformation into a mixed use commercial/residential district and its proximity to Ikoyi via the link bridge is finally showing positive price movement with land values appreciating by 37 per cent over the year.

“In our current economy characterised by a moribund stock market and Central Bank intervention to keep inflation low by removing excess liquidity from the system, developers appear to be shying away from the luxury end of the market characterised by single and multi-family developments from N100m (US$600,000) and above and moving towards the less risky mid range market characterised by properties in the N15m – N70m (US$90,000 – US$400,000) sales price range.

“The long lead times taken to sell luxury residential properties is in sharp contrast

to the much shorter time frames (sometimes sold out off-plan) required to sell well located good quality units in the mid range markets with a much wider pool of prospective buyers able to provide a deposit and pay the balance over either one year or via access to the developing mortgage markets.

“The low income sector of

This is reflected in rising land costs fundamentally driven by the demographics of a growing and more affluent consumer base and improved existing and new infrastructure

the housing market continues to remain the unattainable holy grail of the residential sector. Demand is huge while supply of low income housing of any decent standard remains a trickle. The key to this sector of the market is affordability. The low income buyer has to initially find a deposit of 20-30% of the property value and then subsequently has to pay down the mortgage at rates in the region of 20% per annum over a short time frame such that even for a low house price, affordability is still a major hurdle to surmount.

“In order to address the issues of the development of the mortgage market and affordability for income earners, the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company a public private partnership arrangement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the private sector has recently been created.

“The company was incorporated on the 24th of June 2013 with the principal objective of addressing the long-term funding constraints hindering the growth of the primary mortgage market, and reducing the costs of

residential mortgages and available housing to working Nigerians. Stakeholders include the commercial banks, primary mortgage banks, insurance companies, private equity investors the World Bank/IFC and various Federal Ministries including the Ministry of Finance.

“Victoria Island with circa 290,000 square metres of leasable institutional office space of 7 floors and above followed by Ikoyi with circa 55,000 square metres of leasable space are the primary commercial office hubs in Lagos.

Commercial office development “After a number of years of very little supply of Class A office space, there is currently a growth spurt of commercial office development with an additional 130,000 square metres or 45 per cent of the existing institutional office space under development in Victoria Island and an additional 51,500 square metres or 95 per cent of the existing institutional office space currently under development in Ikoyi.

With current vacancies in the prime commercial office markets of Victoria Island of 30-40 percent albeit lower in Ikoyi, the strong supply pipeline does suggest the importance of securing prelets as opposed to building speculatively ”, the report stated.

42—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

No food should be swallowed without chewing — ASHIRU

By Sola Ogundipe

A

REPRODUCTIVE Endocrinologist, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, has urged Nigerians to develop the habit of chewing their food properly before swallowing.

Ashiru, who jointly pioneered In-vitro Fertilisation, IVF, research in West Africa, and is the Chief Medical Director, Medical Art Center & Mart Medicare life Group of Health Services, also said that regular clearing and filtering of toxins and wastes (detoxification) allows the human body to work on enhancing its basic functions.

Chew your ‘swallow’ “Many people eat wrongly,” he explained in a chat with Good Health Weekly. Relating the consumption of food to the way the body is able to process the food, he said it was important to eat the right food at the right time.

“For instance the consumption of fruit and salads after 8pm is taboo and like poison. When you do that, the body cannot digest it before you go to sleep. Best time to take salad is at midday during lunch.”

Buttressing his point, he stated: “Actually, no food is supposed to be swallowed without chewing. When you swallow any ‘swallow’, it doesn’t dissolve.

‘Swallow’ is carbohydrate and the place of digestion and breakdown is in the mouth by the amylase produced by the salivary glands, so when the ‘swallow’ goes into the stomach without being chewed, the body is not properly being given nutrients.

Taste and goodness “But when you chew the ‘swallow’ properly, you can appreciate the taste and goodness and you get better energy than when you just swallow it.”

However, Ashiru sounded a note of warning. “When you eat ‘swallow’ after 8pm, it doesn’t digest and can stay like that in the stomach for several days fermenting and decaying.”

He noted that it’s wrong perception that one cannot sleep on an empty stomach. “When you have properly given nutrition to the body, you’ll sleep. When you eat at 10pm, the body is racing,”he said.

Body cleansing: With reference to the famous Mayr body cleansing programme, he said the inventor of the programme, Dr. Mayr, realised that such fermenting and decaying in the intestines “would bring out a lot of alcohol, and the pro-

teins would cause some biogenic amines that in constant accumulation, can lead to cancer or ugliness of the face.

“For most people, most illnesses that afflict man are due to these toxins. He called it “intestinal auto-intoxicification”, that is, by ourselves we have eaten things to toxify our bodies.”

Ashiru described a toxin as any substance that creates irritating and/or harmful effects in the body. He explained that toxicity occurs when the body takes in more than it can utilise and eliminate.

Emphasising the benefits of natural body detoxification, Ashiru said the elimination of toxins, excessive mucus, congestion, and disease and to prevent, on a day-to-day basis, the build up of toxicity, through detoxification, is an essential ritual, if the body is to function optimally.

When you eat ‘swallow’ after 8pm, it doesn’t digest and can stay like that in the stomach for several days fermenting and decaying

DETOXIFICATION: From left - Reproductive Endocrinologist, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru. Mrs Idowu Ashiru (3rd right) demonstrating the Avantgarde hydrotherapy tub.

Benefits of detox: “The human body is almost like a car,” Ashiru pointed out. “You need to clean it out and re-lubricate it periodically for it to last longer, but it is when the body is not well taken care of that it breaks down, and we hear of somebody collapsing or suddenly developing High Blood Pressure or arthritis. We were not born with all these things. They are caused by neglect,” he said.

Ashiru who spoke during opening of the new Martlife Detox Clinic/Medical Wellness and Anti-aging Beauty Centre,

reputed to be the first Mayr Medical Spa in Africa, said it was set up specifically to enable Nigerians enjoy the full benefit of the renowned Mayr wellness programme.

“It’s a subsidiary of Martlife Detox Clinic, featuring Piroche cosmetics and equipment the Clinic is introducing the Avantgarde hydrotherapy tub that offers a multi-facetted range of treatment options regarded as industry standard for cleansing, healing and replenishing the human body.

“We have recognised that for

some patients to succeed in their bid for pregnancy through IVF, we need to remove some toxins from them, so we established the Mart-Life Wellness Centre,” he explained He observed that the incidence of many toxicity diseases has increased so much in the form of cancer and cardiovascular disease, arthritis, allergies, obesity, skin problems, etc.

“Wide range of symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, pains, coughs, gastrointestinal problems, and problems from immune weakness, can all be related to toxicity,” he noted.

KIDNEY DISEASE: Expert highlights preventive strategies are required.

"Pain killers should only be used when they are required.

For example when there is a case of surgery, fractures where they are recommended to kill the pains. There is also the need for people to test themselves when they are diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity and once there is protein in the urine it is an indication that must not be swept under the carpet.

By Chioma Obinna

W

ITH the rising incidences of kidney diseases among Nigerians, an expert has warned against unnecessary use of pain killers, consumption of fatty foods and high intake of salt.

A Senior Consultant Nephrologist at the Transplant Institutes, Apollo Hospitals, India, Prof. Devendra Pumar Agarwal who was a guest lecturer at a 2-Day Continuing Medical Education, CME, organised for Nigerian doctors in Lagos by Apollo Hospitals, stressed the need for people to focus more on prevention of kidney disease than treatment and management of the disorder.

He said many patients die as a result of late presentation and lack of finance to facilitate prompt medical intervention.

Agarwal, an experienced

Prof. Devendra Pumar Agarwal Nephrologist, said controlling dietary lifestyles would go a long way in cutting down the number of Nigerians that come down with the disease.

Emphasising the dangers in the abuse of pain killers, he explained that pain killers should be used only when they

Normal pains

“For normal pains like headache, leg pain among others, paracetamol should be enough to take care of the problems.

There is no need taking stronger pain killers.

If the pain is severe you can use tramadol,” he stressed.

To prevent the problem, Agarwal who has been involved in 3,000 kidney transplants, recommended the need

for people to change their lifestyles. "Today, all over the world, life is generally very stressful due to certain situation. Some say it is as a result of family disintegration, many families no longer live together and this has brought about stress. Smoking is directly link to lung cancer and other problems but now it is directly linked to kidney problems also.

So if you are a smoker stop it, reduce stress, go for morning walks, and take less salt and fat in your diets.

Speaking on the CME, Country Manager, Apollo Hospitals, Nigeria, Rakesh Jalla, said the programme was organised for Lagos doctors and non-doctors to highlight the problem as well as enlightening them on prevention strategies.

"We earlier planned for doctors but we decided to extend it to the general public by adding an extra day,” said.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016—43

RB commits N1.2b to stop diarrhoea in children

By Gabriel Olawale

I

N its bid to support prevention of under five deaths due to diarrhea in Nigeria, Reckitt Benkisser, RB, is investing N1.2 billion in a nationwide hygiene programme.

Speaking in Lagos during the RB Charity Ball for Save the Children Initiative, the General Manager, RB West Africa, Rahul Murgai, said it’s sad to note that diarrhea still kills more than 194, 000 children under five annually in Nigeria when it can be prevented with simple hygiene practice.

Murgai said: “To address these challenges, RB and save the children has entered into a global strategic partnership to invest close to N7.2 billion in Nigeria, India and Pakistan, from which Nigeria will be a recipient of close to N1.2 billion.”

Murgai explained that statistics have shown that “about N455 billion is lost, which is almost 1.3 per cent of the GDP, due to poor health and hygiene conditions in the country. What this means from a human index perspective is that there are nearly 96,000 lives, nearly 100,000 small children under the age of five who die due to diarrhea. This translates into a startling figure of one child dying every minute due to the lack of preventable diseases, getting support in terms of curing children in terms of diarrhea.”

On his part, the Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Oguzhan Silivrili said the company was running a pilot scheme in Shomolu LGA, Lagos State and all these seven points as prescribed by the WHO are being implemented.

Before the test and scheme commenced, the prevalence of diarrhea in Shomolu was 7.3 per cent, “all these initiatives will bring it down by about 50 per cent and bring down the mortality factor by 80 per cent.

If this is done, then we have a model in which companies and more NGOs can work with the Federal Government and make it a pan-Nigeria initiative.

“Our objective is to promote the culture of health and good hygiene and by doing so, we believe we can build a healthier and more prosperous Nigeria. The children of tomorrow will see a far stronger nation, which is both healthy and wealthy,” he noted.

CHILDHOOD CANCER: Foundation seeks cancer registry

By Chioma Obinna

W

ITH one child diagnosed of cancer, every three minutes, experts have called for a cancer registry for children living with cancer in Nigeria even as they expressed concern over the denial attitude of Nigerians about the incidence.

Speaking during the 2015 Bald Challenge Funfair of the Children Living with Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, recently in Lagos, Executive Director, Dr Nneka Nwaobbi, said the country is doing badly as children are dying because of the poor state of the health care system, coupled with denial of

CHARITY BALL: From Left - Harpic Brand Ambassador, Helen Paul; Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Oguzhan Silivrili and GM, RB West Africa, Rahul Murgai, at the RB/Save the Children from Diarrhea Initiative Charity Ball held in Lagos recently.

parents as well as lack of commitment to support of childhood cancer.

“Today, NHIS does not cover any childhood cancer medication or treatment. There is need for Nigerians to accept that there is childhood cancer in Nigeria,” he said.

The government should accept that we have a problem and that is where the cancer registry comes in. It is important to know how many kids are coming down, how many are cured, how many are dying and at what stage are they coming in and the type of cancer they are coming in with.

Regretting the silence about childhood cancer, she said: “Cancer is not a death sentence it is frightening but there is need to talk about it.

“Nigeria lacks a cancer registry. We do not have a strong database for cancer in Nigeria. We have begun to collate data.

In the next two years, we will be able to know and tell what it is like in Nigeria and that data will be authentic. What we are using now is American and Canadian statistics. We need our own statistics.”

She further urged parents to always take their children for full blood count screening as there is no age range for cancer. “When children have cancer, they are not only affected but the whole family.

At a point, a parent must stop work and the income becomes a problem. It breaks families and leaves them bankrupt.,” she explained.

On her part, Prof, Ifeoma Okoye, University of Nigeria, College of Medicine and Optician Hospital, Enugu, said there is need to increase awareness so that parents will take action when they see abnormal signs and symptoms in their children.

COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR NOVELTY BASED SOLUTIONS (ADVERTORIAL)

W

HICH of these races has sex the most? Whites, blacks, Asians or South Americans? – Chuks That is a strange question. Are you writing a book?

Anyway, look, a few years ago, Durex did an online survey of people’s sexual habits and this is what they found out.

Greeks had the most sex (an average of 164 times a year) and the Japanese had the least sex (48 times a year on average). Nigerians were reported to be the most sexually satisfied and spent the most time in bed (24 minutes per session on the average). Unfortunately, this survey also revealed that Nigerian women were the most unfaithful in the world. But these are all according to one group’s research. All of this might have changed – Uche My doctor diagnosed me with low genital arousal after I complained to him that I have lost interest in sex, no matter how my husband touches me. But so far, the hospital has not told me how this can be solved – Nonye Dear Nonye, hospitals specialize in treating diseases.

That is why they have not been able to help you because you don’t have a disease. Helping people attain a more satisfying love life is our area of specialization. As women and men get older, their sexual capabilities begin to wither.

This is normal but fixable.

That is part of what you are going through. To fix this problem, I recommend the following four products that can help stimulate and revive your sexual responsiveness an enjoyment. First, you need the supplement G Female Enhancer for Her. It is a wonderful and powerful aphrodisiac for women and it helps increase sexual desire, vaginal lubrication and sensitivity to stimulation. G Female Enhancer for Her is all natural and one capsule of it works for two to three days. So be ready for intense sexual desire and enjoyment each time you take it.

Secondly, get the Encounter Orgasm Gel and the Diamond Heart Rabbit Vibrator. These two products will sensitize and stimulate you from the outside to great effect.

And the fourth product will provide visual stimulation

for you. It is an adult movie called One Wild & Crazy Night. Use these products as directed and your love life will be transformed beyond your wildest dreams. All the women with similar problems who came to us have used these products to great success – Uche I am 58 years old. I believe you can help me because many people my age have come to you for help and you did. I feel strong and excited about life. Everything in my body functions normally except for my penis.

Sometimes when I want to have intercourse with Madam, I Just cannot get hard. I am not sick, but I can’t perform. This started four years ago. Now it is worse.

Thanks for your help – Ikenna Dear Ikenna, we get this same complaint often and it is mainly age related. Sometimes sicknesses like diabetes and hypertension do cause it but most of the time, it is just getting older.

A good performance supplement will help you. Since your main problem is just getting a stiff erection, take Stiff Nights or Sex Voltz. Either of these two products will give you a firm erection, energy and a faster recovery time to have multiple sessions of intercourse as you desire.

Call the numbers below to get it – Uche The first time night that I took Power Zen, this is what I observed. The first capsule was just okay but when I took two capsules, it was out of this world. So I use two capsules now and the sex is amazing. No complaints – Mazi That is great. Supplements are generally body type sensitive. One capsule does it for some while some others need up to two capsules. This is normal. I am just glad that it helped you get your love life back on track – Uche That is all for today. Adults in need of these treatments/ novelties can call us on 08171912551, 08027901621 or 07086754515 for help or visit www.zeevirtualmedia.com to place their orders. Zee Virtual Media delivers all over Nigeria.

For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com- Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

44 — VANGUARD, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

South Africa’s President Zuma to face court case, impeachment RESIDENT Jacob set aside the 2009 ruling ahead of this week’s Zuma is girding on the grounds it was motion of no confidence P himself for a tumultuous irrational in law and vote. day on Tuesday with the Gauteng High Court addressing his corruption case and Parliament voting on an impeachment order against him.

The official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) which has spent the past six years challenging the dropping of corruption charges against Mr. Zuma, which paved the way for him to become president, will finally be able to urge the courts to

unconstitutional.

This was after former National Director of Public Prosecutions, Mokotedi Mpshe, successfully argued that the legal process had been abused and it would be unethical to allow the case against Mr. Zuma to proceed.

Meanwhile, an online platform established to support calls for Mr. Zuma’s impeachment has received more than 800, 000 signatories

The online petition calls for all 72 Ministers and Deputy Ministers to be excluded from the vote on the Motion.

It said “due to the glaring conflict of interest between their official responsibilities and their private interests”.

The DA said it had written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, requesting that the voting be done via secret ballot.

SUPER TUESDAY: Racial feud erupts as Republicans battle Trump

T

HE final-day sprint to Super Tuesday has erupted into a feud over a white supremacist as Donald Trump’s Republican rivals scramble to stop the billionaire businessman from becoming an “unstoppable” force in the 2016 presidential contest.

Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio continued to hammer the GOP front-runner’s character and lack of policy specifics in a series of attacks Sunday while courting voters across the South. But it was Trump’s refusal to denounce an implicit endorsement from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke that dominated the narrative less than two days before Republican voters across 11 states head to the polls.

The new focus comes as Trump’s rivals acknowledge that time is running out to prevent the former reality television host from becoming the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee. He took a new step in that direction by earning the endorsement of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, a would-be Cruz ally who backed Trump instead.

“There is no doubt that if Donald steam rolls through Super Tuesday, wins everywhere with big margins, that he may well

be unstoppable,” Cruz said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Trump was asked Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether he rejected support from the former KKK Grand Dragon and other white supremacists after Duke told his radio followers this

week that a vote against Trump was equivalent to “treason to your heritage.”

“Well, just so you understand, I don’t know anything about David Duke. OK?” Trump told host Jake Tapper.

“I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists.”

North Korea: US student apologises for poster theft

A

detained American student tearfully apologised for attempting to steal a political banner in North Korea from his hotel after being paraded in front of the media in Pyongyang.

Otto Warmbier, 21, an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, was arrested in January for committing what North Korea called “an anti-state crime” with “the tacit connivance of the US government and under its manipulation”.

Warmbier said on Monday that he wanted the banner with a political slogan on it as a trophy for a church back home. He said that he was offered a second-hand car worth $10,000 and was told if he was arrested and did not return, $200,000 would be paid to his mother.

Warmbier said that he

accepted the offer because his family was “suffering from very severe financial difficulties.”

No details of what kind of charges or punishment Warmbier faces were immediately released.

In previous cases, people who have been arrested in North Korea and given a public confession often recant those admissions after their release.

North Korea regularly accuses Washington and Seoul of sending spies to overthrow its government to enable the US-backed South Korean government to control the Korean peninsula.

Warmbier was arrested while visiting the country with Young Pioneer Tours, an agency specialising in travel to the North, which is strongly discouraged by the US State Department.

Migrants break down Macedonia fence

A

crowd of migrants has broken down a barbed-wire fence on the Macedonia-Greece border using a steel pole as a battering ram.

TV footage showed migrants pushing against the fence at Idomeni, ripping away barbed wire, as Macedonian police let off tear gas to force them away.

A section of fence was smashed open with a metal signpost. It is not

clear whether any migrants got through.

Many of those trying to reach northern Europe are Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

About 7,000 people are stuck on the Greek side of the border, as Macedonia is letting very few in. Many have been camping in squalid conditions for a week or more, with little food or medical help.

The chaos on Monday

erupted as hundreds of people pushed their way past Greek police to reach the gate used to let trains through at the border crossing.

The protesters shouted “Open the border!” and threw stones at Macedonian riot police, while one group rammed the gate with the metal sign.

Police responded by firing rounds of tear gas to force them back, before reinforcing the barrier.

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 45

Oliseh almost tore Eagles apart –NFF

By Solomon Nwoke

C

ONTRARY to claims adduced by coach Sunday Oliseh that he quit the Super Eagles job because he did not enjoy the right support from his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday stated how Oliseh almost tore the team apart with his impulsive style of man management.

In a statement released by the NFF Communication department and made available to us by the Assistant Director NFF Communications, Demola Olajire, the NFF said ‘’but for the timely intervention of its president, Amaju Pinnick and the Vice-President, his disagreement with former Eagles captian, Vincent Enyeama would have led to the mass exodus of senior players from the national team.

“Coach Oliseh wanted to sack the entire backroom staff of the Super Eagles including the Media Officer, Toyin Ibitoye, saying he could not work with them. A potentially messy situation was aborted by the firm position of the General Secretary and the President on the matter.

“The coach virtually tore the team apart with his impulsive style of man management, for example, if not for the way the NFF President and his vice president handled the matter, his disagreement with est-

engagement was ‘exhaustively’ undertaken, with the best of intentions.

In a release signed by its Director of Communication, Ademola Olajire, the NFF debunked insinuations that Oliseh was “handpicked” and said, “ the appointment was thoroughly thoughtthrough; it went through a meeting between himself and the Technical Committee and was ultimately approved by the entire Executive Committee of the NFF.” Explaining further, the football governing body said, “The NFF had the best of intentions in hiring Mr. Sunday Oliseh, and despite the misgivings about his temperament, he was seen as a bright young coach able to take the Super Eagles to new heights.”

In further defence of their choice for the coach, the NFF said,

OUTH internation al, Kelechi Nwakali has claimed that his transfer to English Premier League club, Arsenal is now in the bag.

It is understood that the central midfielder made the declaration on Sunday at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Eziobodo, during a thanksgiving service.

The Golden Eaglets skipper travelled to London in January to undergo trials with Arsenal.

“Kelechi Nwakali, Chukwudi Agor(jersey number 12) and Ebere

Nwakali pens 5-year Arsenal deal Osinachi (jersey number 17) all belong to ASJ Academy,” CEO ASJ Academy Emeka Amajiriaku briefly said.

“Kelechi has signed a five-year deal with Arsenal. I won’t be able to mention the exact transfer fee but it is above two million pounds.”

Kelechi Nwakali was linked with possible

moves to teams based in Greece, Portugal and Italy after displaying his wares at the Fifa Under 17 World Cup, where he emerged as the best player of the tournament. The five-year deal agreed by Kelechi Nwakali and his representatives will be activated when he clocks 18 in the summer.

NOGIG 2016: NNPC wins 1st gold medal K

*Oliseh while Captain Vincent Enyeama would have seen all the senior players quit the Super Eagles. The NFF has accommodated these only in support of the ultimate success of the coach and the team” Olajire further stated that coach Oliseh never showed any respect to the contractual agreement he had with the Nigerian Football Federation.

He said, “ After the CHAN championships in Rwanda, the Technical Committee requested for the usual technical report of the Championship but Coach Oliseh wrote a terse e-mail back to the secretary of

'We did not “handpick” Oliseh' Continues from B/Page

Y

“this view was premised on his resume, (having played in various countries around the world), his undoubted football knowledge and his currency of ideas (being a respected former Super Eagles Captain and a member of the FIFA Technical Study Group.”

The football house feels betrayed by the coach and termed his resignation as “unfortunate,” as they were of the belief that things could have taken a turn for the better within a short time. The statement added, “despite the temporary financial difficulties which crept into the relationship in the last 4 (four) months, the NFF Executive Board took a long term view of his appointment and remained confident that with a little more patience on the part of the Coach, things would have turned around for the better in the long run”.

that committee stating that he did not report to them. “ Even though by the terms of his contract he was obliged to return to Nigeria at least two weeks to any Super Eagles match and is obliged to watch our domestic league matches from time to time, one can count how many local league matches he has watched. And one can point out that he did not return to Nigeria before he went to the CHAN on the grounds that he was ill. Yet, he went to South Africa and Rwanda but did not return with the team to Nigeria”.

Oliseh Continues from B/Page

premo, Amaju Pinnick, threw eggshells on the occupiers of the Glass House in Abuja, the NFF, responding in a 25 paragraph statement from its Communications Director, Ademola Olajire said that it gave Oliseh all the support and enabling environment to succeed.

It also discountenanced statements credited to Oliseh that the football-ruling house was setting booby traps for him to fail and thereafter sacked him like other Nigerian coaches including Stephen Keshi and Shaibu Amodu.

Commenting on Oliseh’s accusation of nonpayment of salaries and allowances to him and his assistant coaches, the NFF said: we find it strange though that, after complaints of non payment, Mr Oliseh waited to receive monies owed him before resigning. Two days before his resignation, he had pas-

ATE Ezeanya of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC yesterday won the first gold medal at the ongoing Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games after defeating Mrs Mfon, representing Petroleum Training Institute in a pulsating Squash Racquet match in the veterans category. Ezeanya won the match in two straight sets.

Reacting after her triumph at the Squash courts of Ikoyi Club 1938, beautiful Ezeanya said, “I want to thank the management of NETCO and NNPC for giving us the chance to come and compete among our colleagues.

I am happy with this gold but I have my eyes set on the singles title. The veterans medal alone is not enough for me and *Ezeanya my management expects more from me.”

Meanwhile competition continues today at Continues from B/Page the Chevron Recreation over, after reports linked Centre Gbagada and him with a return to the Ikoyi Club 1938. team.

Enyeama quit the nasionately appealed that we unite as one force to tional team he served for fight the battle on the close to 17 years on Ocfootball field with the tober 8, 2015 after a row Egyptian national team. with coach Sunday OlWe had no idea he was iseh in Belgium. Oliseh announced his resignaselling a dummy.

“For the avoidance of tion from the team last doubt, Mr. Sunday Ol- Friday, with coach Samiseh RESIGNED and son Siasia taking over was not SACKED. We the reigns in an interim bear no grudges against basis. Enyeama and the coach and wish him coach Siasia also had a well in his future en- showdown during his first spell with the Eadeavours” The NFF also said it gles.

“I don’t want to talk would not allow Oliseh’s tirades derail it from en- about this issue again. I suring that the Eagles think my earlier decision acquit themselves well in the looming AFCON 2017 qualifier with Egypt in Kaduna.

Continues from B/Page “We have now moved determine which team swiftly beyond the issue moves to the next round of the resignation of of the competition.

Coach Oliseh and like Nigeria’s other enresponsible business - trant, Enyimba FC of minded administrators, Aba got seemingly quiwe are now thinking et but equally dangerabout the 2017 Africa ous opponents in Vital’O Cup of Nations qualifi- FC of Burundi. The first ers, with the immediate leg matches are due to business being the host- hold in the weekend of ing of the Egyptian na- 11 – 13 March. tional team in Kaduna Five-time champions and playing them in TP Mazembe will begin Egypt towards the end of their defence of the CAF next month (March).”

Champions League

Enyeama

stands,” Enyeama said yesterday on BrilaFm. In his absence, Carl Ikeme who ply his trade in the English championships with Wolves stepped in. But fans were far from convinced about his ability based on his performance with his club.

With the must win African Cup of Nations qualification match against Egypt looming, there were speculations that Enyeama will make a comeback to the team.

Siasia is yet to annouce his plans, but he is expected to do so on Thursday, when he meets with the Nigeria Football Federation technical committee.

Enyimba, Wolves

when they travel to Saint George of Ethiopia in the first round of the competition in the weekend of March 11-13.

Mazembe, who this month annexed their third CAF Super Cup, were one of several top clubs who drew bye in the preliminary round of the competition.

Others included Egypt’s Al Ahly, Etoile du Sahel from Tunisia, Algeria’s ES Setif as well as Sudan giants Al Hilal and Al Merreikh.

46 —Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

C M Y K

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 — 47

Infantino bought votes —Zamparini P

ALERMO Presi dent Maurizio Zamparini claims Gianni Infantino “ won the FIFA

election because he bought more votes than the Sheikh.”

The patron is not new

Pique: Neymar'll never join Madrid “[On playing abroad],

B

ARCELONA defender Gerard Pique says he “would bet an arm or a hand” that Neymar will never join Real Madrid.

Speaking via Periscope, where he was first posed the question about his future, the stopper replied: “I’m very happy at Barcelona.

[Manchester] United are my second club, but my future is here. “[On Neymar to Madrid], I’d bet an arm or a hand that Ney will never join Madrid.

“He likes Barcelona very much, he’s in love with the club and I think he’ll stay here for many years.

I’d try another League in the future, when I have only a few years of my career left, maybe [the United States of] America, but no-one knows what will happen in the future.”

NDY Murray has admitted he regrets the thought of being away from home for the first time since the birth of his daughter three weeks ago. The Scots tennis star will on Friday lead Great Britain’s defence of the Davis Cup And he said of the idea of being away from daughter Sophia: “I really don’t want to miss seeing those changes. Even when I’m away for a day I feel bad.

“I feel I should be there and I want to be there as much as I can. So when I’m leaving the house at eight in the morning and getting back at eight at night, I feel bad.”

A

•Conte

NTONIO CONTE will be announced as Chelsea’s new manager once he has a final face-toface meeting with Roman Abramovich in Monte Carlo.

The Italy boss is close to joining the Blues on a three-year contract after Euro 2016.

Talks between club director Marina Granovskaia and the 46year-old’s representatives have gone well and now Conte is set to meet the Chelseaowner on one of his yachts to shake hands

HE squad of players Nigeria will line up against Egypt for two AFCON 2017 qualifiers next month will be named on Thursday, officials said.

Nigeria host Egypt on March 25 in Kaduna, while the return leg in Cairo will be played four days later.

Egypt lead a qualifying pool that also has Tanzania and Chad with six points from two matches, two points ahead of Nigeria.

Vice-chairman of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),

•Infantino

on the deal.

Italy take on Spain on at the end of next month, and the Azzurri manager is hoping for confirmation of the move prior to meeting up with his squad.

Conte has been warned,

M

ANCHESTER UNITED are rushing through a new deal for teenage goalmachine Marcus Rashford that could boost his current wages 30 times over.

The 18-year-old currently collects just £500-a-week at Old Trafford but is currently carrying the club in the Premier and Europa Leagues.

The forward currently

earns 600 times less than United and England captain Wayne Rooney, with a salary of £26,000 – which is £500 short of the average UK pay.

Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’, said the technical committee will meet in Abuja on Thursday to vet the list of players to be submitted by a consortium of coaches led

by Samson Siasia.

“We will meet on Thursday to look at the list of players submitted by the newly appointed coaches,” he said.

It is expected that a training camp will open early in the new month with players from the domestic league with the foreign-based players expected to fly in by the Monday preceding the first game.

however, that he will only be a success at Stamford Bridge if he fully learns the language.

Conte has already begun English lessons in anticipation of his switch to London.

Mata eyes successful end

J

UAN Mata is h o p i n g Manchester United can finish the campaign on a high after they answered their critics with three wins in a week.

He told Kicca : “Old

Rashford set for bumper Man U contract Negotiations should run smoothly as Rashford is a local lad having been on the United books since he was nine.

Trafford deserved a week like this one. We needed to improve, we needed to win these three games, and so we did.

“We keep alive another goal: winning a trophy the club has never won, which would allw us to play the Champions League the next season.

“We want to keep this good moment and we want to keep winning to have a great end of the season… This coming Wednesday is the next step.”

I G E R I A yesterday recorded a big 3-0 win over India at the ITTF World Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Aruna Quadri, Segun Toriola and Bode Abiodun were in fine form against India’s trio of Gosh Soumyajit, Sharath Achanta and Anthony Amalraj.

Quadri used the occasion to avenge his first round loss to Soumyajit at the 2015 World Championship in China. The 2014 ITTF Star Player dismissed his foe 11-5, 11-3, 11-3.

Toriola increased the lead when he overcame Achanta 14-12, 11-6, 11-13, 11-5. And Abiodun thwarted what would have been a recovery for the Asian giant as he completed the rout with 1113, 11-8, 11-9, 11 win over Amalraj.

Earlier, Nigeria defeated Switzerland 3-0 while India walloped Turkey 3-0.

Nigeria’s next match is against Slovakia while India battles Switzerland.

•Quadri

We’ll give everything for Siasia – Musa Egypt’s poor S firing power

Nigeria v Egypt: Eagles squad out Thursday

T

N

Chelsea to unveil Conte in France

Murray“feels bad” being away from baby

A

to such outlandish statements and made the comments while speaking to Radio Bruno.

“The system does not change and the current number one of FIFA, the chief of the bureaucrats Infantino, has been part of it for a long time.

“If they elected him it must be because he bought more votes than the Sheikh. I hope they suspend me for having said that. It would be an honour for me.”

Nigeria whips India at ITTF Championship

•Musa

UPER Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has pledged the team will give everything under a new coaching crew headed by Samson Siasia.

Siasia will be assisted by Salisu Yusuf and Emmanuel Amuneke following Sunday Oliseh’s shock resignation last week.

He said the coaches are welcome and should expect total cooperation from the players.

“We are ready as ever to play well, put in our best for Eagles under the new coaching crew led by coach Samson Siasia,” assured CSKA Moscow star Ahmed Musa.

“We are ready to work in harmony with the crew to achieve greatness. I say welcome to the coaches.”

Musa said he wishes former coach Sunday Oliseh the best ahead.

“I wish him all the best in his future endeavour,” he said.

worries Cuper

E

GYPT coach Hector Cuper has expressed concerns over his team’s finishing ahead of next month’s crunch AFCON 2017 qualifiers against Nigeria.

“We need to improve our final touch and to depend more on the wings,” Cuper said.

“The most important thing was reaching the opponent’s penalty box and that happened today but we missed a lot of chances. Generally we gave a good performance.

“We will need to work to solve some problems and fix these mistakes; that’s why the friendly games are so important to us.”

Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016

Enyimba, Wolves get Champions In the draw held yesLeague opponents terday at CAF HeadquarWO-time CAF Warri Wolves have been ters in Cairo, Warri Champions League given tough first round Wolves will confront Al T winners, Enyimba Foot- opponents in this year ’s Merrikh of Sudan in a competition.

ball Club of Aba and

two-legged encounter to Continues on page 45

Oliseh tricked us

By John Egbokhan

P

AINED and in censed by the sudden and dramatic resignation of Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation yesterday said that it bore no grudges against the former Eagles captain, who it subtly accused of tricking the football-governing body into paying his salaries

—NFF only to jump ship with less than a month to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Egypt in Kaduna.

Less than 24 hours after the former Dortmund and Juventus midfielder, dubbed the Pep Guardiola of Africa by NFF su Continues on page 45

...We did not “handpick” him

*Oliseh

By Jacob Ajom

Nwakali pens 5-yr Arsenal deal --P.45 Today’s matches EPL Bournemouth v Southampton 8:45pm Aston Villa v Everton 8:45pm Leicester v West Brom 8:45pm Norwich v Chelsea 8:45pm Sunderland v Crystal palace 8:45pm LA LIGA Atletico Madrid v Sociedad 9pm Las Palmas v Getafe 10pm

Enyeama rules out return to Eagles

T

HE Nigeria Foot ball Federation has thrown more light on how Sunday Oliseh, who resigned his appointment as Super Eagles coach last week was engaged for the plum job.

The football house explained that Oliseh’s

By Ben Efe

Chelsea to unveil Conte in France -P.47

Continues on page 45

L

ILE of France shot stopper, Vincent Enyeama has said his days with the Super Eagles are permanently Continues on page 45

*Green

*NO GOING BACK... Enyeama

‘Oliseh almost tore Eagles apart’ --P.45 QUICK CROSSWORD

TODAY'S PUZZLE

FRIDAY'S ANSWERS

ACROSS 1 Loathe (6) 5 Save (6) 9 Might (5) 10 Overlook (6) 11 On land (6) 12 Reel (5) 14 Clothed (4) 17 Permit (3) 18 Shrewd (4) 20 Of tides (5) 22 Fire-raising (5) 23 Rest (7) 24 Yawned (5) 26 Lukewarm (5) 29 Frozen (4) 30 Deed (3) 32 Cube (4) 33 Quoted (5) 35 Stagger (6) 36 Inherent (6) 37 Storehouse (5) 38 Dashed (6) 39 Controlled (6)

DOWN 1 Flaw (6) 2 String (6) 3 Rushed (4) 4 Sum (5)

5 Respond (5)

6 Gaelic (4) 7 Flower (6) 8 Team (6) 13 Disregard (7) 15 Shrub (5) 16 Challenged (5) 18 Belief (5) 19 Pick-me-up (5) 21 Guided (3) 22 Insect (3) 24 Talented (6) 25 Plague (6) 27 Wing (6) 28 Rely (6) 30 Ventilated (5) 31 Singer (5) 33 Yield (4) 34 Fruit (4)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 4, Match 7, Entrap 9, Sad 10, Per 12, Lucid 13, Flea 15, Repel 17, Arrive 19, Tiff 20, Romeo 22, Eat 24, Alerted 27, Ewe 28, Aimed 31, Solo 33, Entree 35, Perch 37, Tall 38, Sewed 39, Ear 41, Rep 42, Wailed 43, Began.

DOWN: 1, Heifer 2, Stream 3, Rap 4, Male 5, Adult 6, Coifure 8, Peri 11, Reverence 14, Area 16, Peat 18, Role 21, Obsolete 23, Tear 25, Ewer 26, Diet 29, Meanly 30, Delude 32, Opera 34, Thaw 36, Eden 40, Ran.

How to Play Sudoku

P

lace 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.

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Dept Hotline: 014544821. Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024. E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Advert:advertproduction@yahoo.com Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: MIDENO BAYAGBON. Phone: 01-7742861, All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

C M Y K