03122017 - Prepare for war, Labour tells workers

C M Y K

PAGE 2—VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017

The Church of Nigeria, Diocese of Abuja, yesterday, celebrated the 2017 Carnival For Christ at the Old Parade Ground, Garki Abuja with the Primate of Nigeria Anglican Communion Nicholas Okoh in attendance. Picture from left: Ven. Andrus Ukaejiofo, Ven.Okuromade, Primate Okoh, Sir Folu Olamiti, Dr Peter Nmadu and Ms Amal Pepple.

A student of the Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC) Abuja explaining the solar system he built to Senator Isa Maina, Special Assistant to the President and Secretary for Education, and CP Aishatu Abubakar-Baju, at the 4th edition of NTIC Science and Arts Fair, held in Abuja

New Minimum W age: Prepare ffor or w ar ells wor Wage: war ar,, Labour ttells workker erss •Fears stalemate over non-salary-paying govs in committee raised by Buhari •NLC’s rival rejects N56,000 proposal

By Victor AhiumaYoung & Johnbosco Agbakuru

F

ollowing the p e r c e i v e d dominance of governors who owe workers’ salaries representing Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, in the 30-man committee inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari to fashion out a new national minimum wage, there are fears that the road to a fresh wage regime may not be easy.

In fact, organised labour has advised workers to prepare for war to make the new minimum wage a reality, warning that there could be a stalemate and protracted negotiations.

While the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, had, since two years ago, demanded for a N56,000 new minimum wage, United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, on its part, demanded for N90,000.

Meanwhile, the NLC has given indication that it will ask for more than N56,000, whereas the ULC is saying even N100,000 minimum wage will not be enough considering the indices and socio-economic realities on the ground.

The leaders of organised labour, represented by NLC and ULC, yesterday, took a suspicious look at the representatives of the NGF on the national minimum wage committed raised by the President, last week.

The governors in the committee are Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Hassan Dankwambo, Gombe State; Simeon Lalong of Plateau State and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State The committee headed by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Ama Pepple, has membership drawn from the government, the private sector and the Organised Labour.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard on the issue, the President of the ULC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said: “The presence of these governors in the committee,

the fact that some of those representing the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, are mainly those who are not paying salaries and pensions speaks volume. In fact, we fear a stalemate because these governors represent antisalary payment. They may be coming to justify why there should not be increment in salary. These are governors who have not been able to pay the N18,000 minimum wage.

They may be coming to tell you that the governors cannot bear the extra burden of salary increment.

“Surely, they have no moral justification to be in the committee unless it was by design by the NGF for these governors to represent the group. If that is the case, then the governors have an agenda to frustrate the emergence of a new national minimum wage. Therefore, we foresee protracted negotiations . As Organised Labour, we have to prepare for war; a long time battle to confront these governors because they do not want to pay even anything. However they come, we will engage them and ensure that the yearning of workers for a living wage, not just a minimum wage, is met. We have all the indices to justify our demand for even N100,000 minimum wage because the socioeconomic condition, the inflation, the cost of living, the depreciation of the Naira and so on, are there for every body to see.”

Similarly, speaking through its General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, the NLC said it was not unmindful of the dominance of governors that are owing salaries and pensions representing the NGF. “We noticed the dominance of these governors in the representation of the NGF. The principle of tripartitism is that each party is free to choose its representative. So, the Governors’ Forum has chosen its representatives, there is nothing we can do about that. Yes, we noticed that most of those representing the governors are those owing salaries and pension. But we still have the governor of Plateau State, who inherited a backlog of salaries on assumption of

office, has not only cleared all the arrears, he is paying as and when due. We advise other governors to learn from him. So, his presence in the committee is a plus.

Nevertheless, we will engage the committee with facts and figures, we will engage the committee and address issues as they come. We are prepared, Ozo-Eson said.

“We have equally said it publicly that, at the time we presented our demand for N56,000 new minimum wage, we did so with the indices on ground two years ago. Today, those indices are different based on the socioeconomic reality on ground.

Today, a lot of things have taken place. There is high inflation, there is depreciation of the Naira, there is general high cost of living and there is the exchange rate factor. We expect the committee to look at these issues and aggregate things. We hope this

committee will function like the last one. The last one even commissioned subcommittees to look at the socio-economic indices on the ground before arriving at the present minimum wage.”

Textile workers demand speedy negotiation In a related development, workers in the textile industry have pleaded with the minimum wage committee to fast-track negotiations for a new wage, to recover lost time, saying workers will not have patience for unnecessary delays.

Speaking through the General Secretary of National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, and a member of the National Executive Council, NEC, of NLC, Issa Aremu, the workers commended the

inauguration of the minimum wage review committee.

“The five year cycle of the current Minimum Wage Act legally backing the subsisting negotiated minimum wage of N18000 signed by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 was due for negotiation in 2015, two years ago.

The historic inauguration once again demonstrates the globally acknowledged concern of President Muhammadu Buhari to the welfare of the workers and citizens in general as contained in 1999 constitution. History will record it that at a time some state governors unacceptably defaulted in paying workers as and when due, the President commendably wondered aloud to ask how these governors go to bed while for whatever reasons their workforce are not paid.

President Buhari also went further to work his fatherly

concern through serial bail outs of the defaulting states”, Aremu said.

Also speaking, yesterday, the National President of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigerian (MHWUN), Comrade Biobelemoye Josiah, said Labour had a trusted leadership that will not allow government to use the minimum wage issue as a means of scoring political point.

“We are certain that should government try to employ delay tactics for any selfish gain, our leadership will pull out”, he said.

Josiah, who was fielding questions from journalists in Abuja at a reception ceremony organised by the Association of Medical Laboratory Technicians and Assistants of Nigeria (AMELTAN) in his honour said the NLC had made its demand known and was not likely going to change the position.

TWIN SUICIDE BOMB ATTACKS

15 Killed, 53 Injured in Borno By

Kingsley

Omonobi

aiduguri - The Police in Born o , M yesterday, said 15 persons

died when two suicide bombers attacked the Biu Market, in Biu Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Victor Isuku, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), made the confirmation in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

Isuku said that 53 persons

sustained injuries.

He explained that the incident occurred at about 11:40 am, when a female suicide bomber infiltrated the market and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) strapped to her body.

Isuku said that one other bomber detonated the explosive outside the crowded market and killed herself.

The police statement reads: “Today Dec. 2, at about 11:40 hours, two female

suicide bombers infiltrated and gained entry into Biu town, in Biu Local Government Area.

“One of the bombers detonated IED strapped to her body within the main market, while the other one detonated outside the market square.

“So far, a total of 13 persons excluding the two suicide bombers, have been confirmed killed in the two explosions, while

53 other persons sustained various degrees of injuries,” he said.

The Police spokesman disclosed that the corpses were evacuated while the injured have been referred to the General Hospital, Biu. Isuku said that police patrol and EOD teams were deployed to sanitise the scene of the attack, noting that normalcy has been restored in the area. (NAN)

Catholic tteac eac hings under assault —Kukah eachings

By Akoma Chinweoke

T

he Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, says there is an urgent need to address the severely limited presence of a Catholic ethos in Nigeria’s public space of politics and economics. The trend, he, however, pointed out was not peculiar to Nigeria but also to Africa and the world at large.

“For us in Nigeria, our inability to fight back and regain our schools after the

take-over in 1970 is part of the evidence our own internal lack of focus and determination to assert influence in public life”, Kukah said. He went on: “Today, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, is one of the greatest enemies of the Church in the the fight for the return of the schools. In truth, we have not had any concerted attempt at dealing with this problem, but, given the sheer number of Catholic lawyers and others in public life, it is a shame that this

battle has never really been truly fought except in places like Anambra and Lagos.

“Elsewhere, we have simply waited in the hope for a government to take a decision in our favour on this matter.

It is sad but consoling that we have come late to the platform of tertiary education by way of the Catholic University in Nigeria.

Notwithstanding this, it is gratifying that we are picking up steam.. What is required now is a concerted effort to make the Catholic University the prestigious citadel of

sound learning. Sadly, more and more Catholic parents are not aware of the urgent need to support the Catholic University which is the breeding ground for the seeds of our Catholic future”.

The thbishop, who spoke at the 38 Supreme Council Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba, in St. Leo Catholic Church, Ikeja, Lagos on the topic: The Catholic Family and the Crisis of Modernity, noted that, perhaps, nowhere are the casualties of modernity to be found more than in the family.

VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 3

From left: The Agura of Gbagura, Oba Halidu Adedayo Olaloko; Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun; the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, and Chief Bisade Biobaku, during the grand finale of Gbagura Day, held in Abeokuta...yesterday

ZONING OF PDP CHAIR TO S/WEST

19 northern states’ chairmen kick

BY DIRISU YAKUBU

A

BUJA- The chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 19 northern states and the FCT have rejected the recommendation of the Northern PDP Elders and Leaders Forum that the national chairmanship seat of the party be sub-zoned the South-West.

The chairmen, who announced their position after a meeting in Abuja, however, threw their weight behind the zoning of two principal positions - the Presidency to the North and the chairmanship to the South as agreed at the party’s National Convention in Port Harcourt last year.

Chairman, Forum of PDP State Chairmen in the North, Hassan Hyat, in a chat with journalists after the meeting, said the forum “rejected any move to sub-zone the seat to any particular zone.

“The position cannot be subzoned to a particular zone in

the south because that will disenfranchise other contestants. We, as state chairmen, cannot be party to any micro-zoning.

“The party’s decision at the Port Harcourt Convention is final and binding on all. No one has the right to change or tamper with it.

“The party’s decision is that all parts of the south should be given the opportunity to present their candidates so that delegates can choose the best material for the position of National Chairman.

“We stand by that position and and have resolved to reject any sub-zoning to a particular area,” Hyat stated.

While urging those seeking the party positions to “understand that power comes from God,” the forum enjoined those whose ambition might suffer setback to be prepared to accept whoever God ordains to lead the PDP. On the expected return of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to the PDP, Mr. Hyat said that it was a “beautiful

development,” adding that “Atiku is back and we are all happy to have him on board once again.”

Meanwhile, the Professor Tunde Adeniran Campaign Organization has dismissed the Northern Youths Concerned Politicians of PDP like-minds, as a bunch of unknown in the political circle.

In an exclusive chat with Sunday Vanguard, Director General of the campaign organisation, Shehu Gabam dismissed the position of the youths insisting that at no point was the issue of which zone to support for the chairmanship was discussed at the meeting of the northern elders and leaders forum which held on Thursday/ Friday last week.

“The youths you are talking about, who are they and who knows them? How could people of substance gather to talk and some unknown persons would counter them,” he asked, even as he warned on the dangers of manipulating the system in favour of a

Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel and wife, Martha, casting theirvotes at Awa Ward 1 Unit 001 (Awa Iman) Onna Local Government Area during the local government elections held in the state yesterday.

Dan Akpovwa, Publisher of The Abuja Inquirer, left, with Bolaji Abdullahi, a former Minister of Sports and National Publicity Secretary the All Progressives Congress (APC), during the official presentation of ON A PLATtER OF GOLD, written by Bolaji, at the Yar’Adua Center, in Abuja, last week the leadership of the party to preferred candidate. a natural death. The PDP needs conduct a convention devoid While noting that he has a new image, a new name, not of manipulations. never heard of the name, Danni somebody that can be tossed “If the process is Kutigi (spokesperson of the around by his atrocities and manipulated, the PDP will die youth group), Gabam urged past records,” he added.

Buhari never banned, at any time, from entering the US, Presidency replies Atiku

T

he Presidency, yesterday, said President Muhammadu Buhari was never banned, at any time, from entering the United States (US).

It spoke in response to the claim by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that “for about 15 years, Buhari could not enter America on account of religious considerations”.

“This fictive concoction being passed off as truth is mind-bogging, coming from a former Number Two man of Nigeria, who should know the truth. At no time was President Buhari, as a private person, ever forbidden from entering any country in the world”, the Presidency said.

Atiku had made his claim in an interview published by Ovation magazine, yesterday.

Asked by the interviewer, Dele Momodu, the Publisher of Ovation, who conducted the interview under the column, One-on-One Session, on why the former Vice President had not been able to visit the US, he had said: “It is the sole prerogative of America to determine who they want in their country or not. I’m not running away from America. I applied, but wasn’t issued a visa. However, they did not decline me categorically either.

They’ve only said my application is going through administrative process. This is not peculiar to me. For about

15 years, Buhari could not enter America on account of religious considerations. The current Indian Prime Minister, Modi, suffered the same fate for years. Today, he is being treated to red carpet treatment in America.. I fly to different parts of the world, including Europe, if America wanted me, it would be so easy for them to reach out to their allies…”

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, went on: “Rather, the rest of the world has always held Muhammadu Buhari as a man of sterling qualities, strong on integrity, transparency and accountability. The same

testimony is still borne of the Nigerian President by many world leaders today. It is curious that former VP Abubakar had been asked why he had not visited America for over a decade, something that had been a stubborn fact dogging his footsteps. Instead of answering directly, he begged the question, saying Buhari also had been disallowed from entering the same country for 15 years, before becoming President. We hereby make it resoundingly clear that what the former Vice President said only exists in the realm of his imagination. If he has issues to settle with American authorities, he should do so, rather than clutch

Ife indegenes’ aspiration to succeed Aregbesola morally contributions to the state.

10kilometres per correct, says Adefaye “Yet we all have seen the nexus government road

By Gbenga Osogbo

T

Olarinoye,

he aspiration of some indigenes of Ile Ife to succeed Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has received the backing of the General Manager, Publications/Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, who described the move as “morally correct”.

Adefaye, who spoke in Ile Ife while delivering a paper on the topic: ‘The Contemporary Ife Issues: The Way Forward’ during the 40th Anniversary Lecture of the Ife Club 25, said notwithstanding the fact that Aregbesola hails from Osun East that has Ife and Ijesa, it is undisputable that Ifes remains the only distinct group that has

not produced the governor of the state.

He said Ijesa has produced two governors in Chief Bola Ige, who ruled Oyo State between 1979 and 1983, and Aregbesola, adding that Chief BisiAkande,PrinceOlagunsoye Oyinlola and the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, from Igbomina and Oyo stocks, had been governor at different time in the past.

“Ife has not produced a governor yet. So the quest for a governor of Ife extraction is legitimate; although political power is not shared on the basis of sub-ethnic groups per se, on negotiations within the recognized political parties,”the guest speaker said. “ Ife remains the old sub ethnic group yet to govern the state, notwithstanding its

between producing the political leadership of the state and the overall development of the constituency of the governor. If anyone is in doubt, he should ask the people of Ede, who hold dearly that the short lived governorship of the late Isiaka Adeleke emancipated his people.

“Not only did he open up Ede, he facilitated his people into the bureaucracy and the public service. And that is where policies and programmes are formulated and executed. “ A drive round Odo Otin when Oyinlola was governor was quite revealing in terms of infrastructural development.

One of the first steps taken by Governor Aregbesola on assumption of office was to vote N3.2 billion for Ilesa township roads apart from the

local work subsequently done around the state.

“After Osogbo, the state capital, comes Ilesha and Ijesaland generally in terms of special attention from the state. And it is our collective resources that fund this development.

“So, Ife quest is legitimate.

Unfortunately in politics, interest articulated via consensus building rather than brute energy delivers political powers. Ife alone cannot deliver power to itself by itself. Ifes must build consensus at home in greater Ife and then approach other zones with legitimacy of their quest. It is in a basket: I giveyou,givesome,Itakesome.

“Ifes must, therefore, agitate, propagate and convince others of the fairness and just in the quest”.

at a straw.”

At press time, Sunday Vanguard was still waiting for a response to a request for comments on the former VP’s claim from the United States Embassy in Abuja vis: QUESTIONS Please help confirm if it is true that for 15 years Buhari was not allowed into the US

or If at any time before, Buhari was barred from entering the US or If Buhari has ever been denied visa to the US 2. Why 3. Why has Atiku himself not been allowed into the US

PDP election: I will work with go vernor s, the people, the leader ship governor vernors, leadership

– Maryam Inna Ciroma, ex-National Woman Leader Managing Director of

BY HENRY UMORU

A

HEAD of the national elective convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a strong contender for the position of Deputy National Chairman,North, Hajia Maryam Inna Ciroma, has promised to work with the governors, the leadership and members of the PDP in order to take the party from its position of opposition back to the ruling one.

Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, Ciroma, a former PDP National Woman Leader and one-time Minister of Women Affairs, said the governors, party leaders, members, all and sundry will be relevant and supreme in the change agenda, just as she said that she knew where they made mistakes as party members and would join others in taking the party back to the people and take democracy seriously.

The deputy national chairmanship aspirant, who recently resigned as the

National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), hails from Borno State and is married to a former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma from Yobe State, has, however pleaded with party members to get it right at the convention to avoid messing up the PDP. “A democracy without an opposition is not a democracy.

We need to have a very strong and focused opposition,” she said.

“The PDP is having its elective conventionanditisaveryserious convention and you know since we lost the election in 2015, we have not had an elective convention, we tried to have one, but unfortunately it did not happen. We know we have problems in the party, we need to have people that will now look at the problems we had and see how we can now change the way we do things and that is why I am aspiring to be the Deputy National Chairman of this party so that we can now reposition the party and take the party back to the people, take democracy seriously”.

PAGE 4—VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017

•From left: Head of Communications, West Africa, UBER, Francesca Uriri; Operations Lead, Nigeria, Tayo Oyekunle; General Manager, West Africa, Lola Kassim; Greenlight Operations Manager, O’Yoma Ukueku; and Head of Policy West Africa, Jackie Omotalade during the Media Meet and Greet, held in Lagos.

Ogun police foil robbery, kill two suspects during gun battle

BY EVELYN USMAN seven-man robbery gang that stormed Dangote Cement company in Ibeshe area of Ogun State in the early hours of yesterday, engaged some policemen who stood in their way in a gun duel.

However, two of them were shot dead at the end of the cross fire said to have lasted for 45 minutes .

Information at Sunday Vanguard’s disposal revealed that six members of the gang, who were armed with dangerous weapons including guns, scaled the fence, leaving the seventh member inside their operational vehicle.

While in the premises, four of them headed towards the material section to remove the armoured cables, while two others positioned themselves strategically to ward off intruders.

The company’s private guards alerted policemen who were drafted to the company.

On sighting the policemen, the two armed members opened fire on them.

Spokesman for the Ogun State Police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, who confirmed the incident, said that the policemen responded firefor-fire.

Oyeyemi said “ At the end of the encounter, one of the robbers was shot dead while another was arrested with severe gunshot wounds but died on the way to the hospital. Other members of the gang escaped with various degrees of gun shot injuries.”

He added that one locally made single barrel gun, 14 expended cartridges, daggers

A

and a house breaking equipment were recovered at the end of the gun battle.

Commending what he described as gallant display by the policemen, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Police Command, Ahmed Iliyasu, appealed to

members of the public, especially hospitals to report cases of anybody seen with gunshot wound to the police. He also assured residents of the state of adequate security before, during and after the forthcoming Yuletide season.

Yuletide:LASG urges residents to be vigilant

.Unveils activities for 2017, community day celebration in 57 councils

BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI s Lagos residents join the rest of the world to celebrate this year, 2017, Yuletide celebration, Lagos State Government has stressed the need for everyone to be on the alert, particularly, at community level, by reporting suspicious movements to relevant security authorities for proper action, in order to nip any criminal act in the bud.

This came as government, announced that it has decentralized the yearly celebration of Community Day in the State, saying that the celebration will now hold in all the 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs, and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, to further enrich community participation in all the nooks and cranny of the State.

The celebration is slated for Wednesday December 6 and is expected to be marked at designated venues in LGAs and LCDAs to be followed by the grand finale at Adeyemi Bero auditorium, the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

The Special Adviser to the the Lagos State governor on Community and

A

Communications, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, disclosed this at a news briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on the highlights of the 2017 Community Day celebration.

According to Bamigbetan, “The monitoring, evaluation and feedback roles of CDAs in project initiation, execution and delivery, the visibility accorded the CDAs in the organisation of government programmes, the renewed guidelines to local governments emphasizing the consultation of, and partnership with community development associations as a code of governance of this administration and many more.”

He also informed that fresh initiatives, such as a state-wide CDAs close user group system, in which members of CDAs can make calls 24/7 at a very cheap rate per month is on the drawing board.

“A community house, which will serve at the best CDA state secretariat in the country, is also on the drawing board. finally, the light up Lagos monitoring programme in which CDAs will report on the performance of street lights in their neighbourhoods is also being considered.” he stated.

Amosun Mourns Former Foreign Affairs Minister, said the late Adeniji lived a of the Federal Government in Olu Adeniji fulfilled life.

O

gun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has described the death of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olu Adeniji, as a great loss to Nigeria and the international community.

Amosun described the deceased, who died in London, at the age of 83, as a consummate diplomat and astute public officer, who distinguished himself in his duties in Nigeria and Diaspora.

The Governor, in a statement, signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Otunba Adedayo Adeneye,

He however regretted the death of the late minister, noting that it came at a time his wise counsel will be needed in the ongoing efforts

retooling the nation’s foreign policy and programmes.

He prayed God to grant Adeniji mercy and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Mt. Jieawowrrar Church, at 40, donates to charity

T

he celebrations of the 40th anniversary of The Holy Mount Jieawowrrar Spiritual Church has commenced at the church’s headquarters at Ikosa Quarters, Odogbolu, Ogun State.

According to a statement by the church’s Founder and General

Overseer, Rev [Dr.] Samuel Bisi Ademosu, series of events have been lined up to commemorate the special event, and these include donations to charity organisations, and special prayers for Nigeria, while the grand finale of the celebrations comes up on December 21,2017.

VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 5

AHEAD OF XMAS TRAVELS

Killer - tyres fflood lood mar markkets, SON warns

By Ephraim Oseji

kwa Ibom State C o o r d i n a t o r, A Standards Organisation of

Nigeria, (SON), Mr Dauda Mshella, has advised motorists to confirm the road worthiness of their tyres before embarking on any journey to reduce road accidents during the Yuletide.

Mshella said the advice became necessary as most of the tyres in the market were either expired or substandard, pointing out that 15 percent of tyres in Nigerian markets are not road worthy which accounts for most of the road accidents during festive periods.

Speaking with Sunday Vanguard in Uyo, yesterday, Mshella disclosed that most of the new tyres on display in the shops appear to be new but are expired considering the manufacture date usually inscribed on the side of the tyres.

He said, “Customers are often deceived by the new look of the tyres and hurriedly pay for them without confirming the expiry date which is boldly inscribed on the tyres.

“Most of the tyres arrive the country four years after

manufacture. For a tyre that has only five years lifespan, it means such tyres would have expired before it gets to the local market, while all the features of a brand new tyre are visible.

“All manufactured tyres have four to five years life span. Most tyres would have expired on transit. That is the more reason why it is important to confirm the

1999 CONSTITUTION

We have received dr af oposed draf aftt of pr proposed amendments - 36 Speak er Speaker erss

BY DENNIS AGBO

E

NUGU - Speakers of 36 State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria said they have received draft copies of the 2017 amendment to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Conference of Speakers? of Nigeria, CSN, in its meeting in Enugu yesterday, acknowledged receipt of the transmission of the National Assembly resolutions on the proposed constitution amendments and pledged to expedite action on it.

Chairman of the conference and Speaker of Kebbi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abulmumin Kamba?, who asked the Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Ali Ahmad, to read the conference communique, said the State Houses of

Red Ribbon takes HIV/AIDS campaign to 11 states

By Chioma Obinna

W

ith 2.4 million Nigerians’ lack access to anti-retroviral, ARV drugs, Red Ribbon Coalition has taken its HIV/AIDS campaign to 20 communities across 11 states, screening over 30,000 Nigerians free of charge.

Addressing journalists at a parley to herald the weeklong outreach programme on HIV in Lagos, the HIV Cascade of Care Specialist, Society for Family Health, SFH, Mr. Emmanuel Olaoti, noted that the coalition was shouldering the need for accessing quality treatment and to provide up-to-date information about HIV/ AIDS to the people.

“We have been in red ribbon coalition since 2014 so we are not only concern about testing people on HIV but also to ensure that the test is done in a highly quality

manufacture date before purchase is made.”

The state Coordinator also condemned the sales of imported used tyres to motorists in the country, lamenting, “Motorists, especially commercial vehicle, conveying fifteen passengers or more, on our highways, running on second hand tyres, is an uninsurable risk”.

manner. We are also working towards ensuring that 90 percent of Nigerians know their HIV status and for those who tested positive are enrolled for quality treatment programmes”, Olaoti said.

He maintained that HIV is not a death sentence.

“We have discovered that many Nigerians do not have accurate information about HIV/ AIDS which is part of our activities to provide them with adequate information via all platform of communication not excluding the social media which is key. We are present in eleven states in Nigeria in different geo-political zones to reach out to Nigerians.

When we started, it was just three states in Nigeria reaching out to just 10,000 and later we improved to over 20, 000 and this year we have reached out to over 30,000 Nigerians through our campaigns”, he said.

Assembly will immediately commence ?further legislative actions on the 15 items for amendment.

According to Ahmad, “the conference is not unaware of the state legislature's constitutional role of ratifying the resolution?.

"However, the conference shall ensure due diligence and thorough legislative functions of state assemblies are carried out with a view to ensuring that the yearnings and aspirations of the people are captured in the proposed amendments process."

The speakers pledged to act expeditiously on the constitution review.

Meanwhile, a mild drama played out at the conference when a group, friends of democracy, led by a former member of the House of Representatives, Ambassador Jerry Ugokwe, was called to address the conference.

While Ugokwe addressed the conference on the need to adopt the entire 15 ?items for amendment, since they were not contentious except for local government autonomy, the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, raised objection, insisting that the visitors came to create bias.

National coordinator of the group, John Mutu, frowned at the resentment by the Rivers Speaker and felt embarrassed for asking the group to leave the conference.

The group was however called back and was given more time to address the conference after an apology by the conference chairman, Hon. Kamba.

The 36 speakers of the state Houses of Assembly were in attendance.

Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Uboshi, commended the speakers for choosing the state for the conference and announced that the next meeting of the conference will hold in Zamfara State in February 2018.

From left: Awardee/Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah; Special Guest of Honour/ former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar; Publisher of Businessday Newspaper, Frank Aigbogun; Awardee/ Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; at the Businessday Excellence in Public Service Awards 2017 in Abuja.

From left: Major Ibrahim Bantam, a former Director, DIA/Cord NCA; Mr Chris Uwaje, DG, DSIHUB and Guest Speaker, Dr Ona Ekhome ,President, Association of Industrial Security &Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON); Chief Mrs Victoria Ekhome (Host); Gen. Alexander Ogomudia, a former Chief of Defence Sfaff and Prof Bola Akinterinwa, a former D-G ,NIIA, during the 10th anniversary Security Conference of AISSON held in Lagos.

Christmas at Ikoyi Club:(l-r) Mr Sunday Wusu(Badminton Chairman), Mr Kenneth Ufere (Other Sports Chairman), Mr Tunde Orungbeja (GM/CEO Ikoyi Club 1938), Mr Babatunde Akinleye, (Chairman Ikoyi Club 1938), Miss Mary Orubo (Ag. Chairman Entertainment Sub-committee) and Mr Tunji Tiamiyu, member, (Entertainment Sub Committee) during the switching on of the Christmas lights on Friday.

Ik ks of tmas season Ikooyi club kic kicks offf Chris Christmas

M

embers of the e x e c u t i v e committee of Ikoyi Club 1938 kicked off the Christmas season and festivities with the switching on of the

Wike accuses some leaders of APC of sabotage

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME ORT HARCOURT: GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike has accused some leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, of allegedly sabotaging development in the state, saying they had tried several times to stop national and international events from holding in the state.

The governor spoke at a state banquet in Government House for contestants of Miss University Africa Beauty pageant, stressing that these leaders had continued to take

P

steps to demarket the state.

He said the alleged enemies of the state had made attempt to stop the ongoing African Wrestling championship from holding in the state.

He said: “If you de-market Rivers State that produces the wealth of the country, then you are de-marketing Nigeria.

“The fear they have is because we are delivering, while they are not performing. They don’t want the world to see the transformation taking place here”.

“We are willing to partner with investors in the areas of

agriculture, skills development and other key areas”, he said.

The governor noted that the contestants of the Beauty Pageant from the 54 countries of Africa were the greatest marketers of Rivers State as they will continue to promote the state long after the competition.

While urging the contestants to also focus on education, Governor Wike said women have the capacity to compete in all human endeavours. He said under no circumstance should women beg for placements as they have the requirements to struggle

and win political and economic contests.

Earlier, the Coordinator of Miss University Africa Beauty Pageant, Mr Taylor Nazzal, said the pageant will project Rivers State positively to the entire continent.

He lauded Governor Wike for creating unity in diversity by hosting African Queens from the 54 countries.

Speaking on behalf of diplomats, Namibian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Peingeondjabi T. Shipoh, said that all African Missions in the country will join Governor Wike in developing the state through the invitation of key investors.

Christmas lights on Friday.

The ceremony was officiated by the chairman of Ikoyi club, Babatunde Akinleye who was supported by captains of various sections as well as members of sub-committees.

Speaking during the ceremony, Akinleye said the switching on ceremony “signals the official start of the Christmas season and

signifies the spirit of joy that is at the heart of Ikoyi Club 1938.”

Meanwhile, the entertainment subcommittee of the club announced a schedule of activities for the Christmas season – December 8: International Nite with King Sunny Ade and Omawumi; December 17: Children’s Party and January 5, Elders Day Highlife Nite.

PAGE 6—VANGUARD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Oritse weyinmi Ok otie and Asiek unmoritse Sillo w ed Oritsew Oko Asiekunmoritse wed

Akpokona Omafuaire

Oritseweyinmi Okotie, the son of the Personal Assistant to the Chairman/Publisher of Vanguard Media Ltd, Mr. Sam Amuka, took his hearthrob, Asiekumoritse Sillo, to the altar at the First Baptist Church, Warri, at the weekend. Family, friends and well-wishers joined the couple to celebrate the holy matrimony.

The groom, Oritseweyinmi Okotie, fixing the wedding band on his bride, Asiekunmoritse.

Prof. J.N.Omatseye (right) with Vanguard’s South-South Regional Advert Manager, Dr. Nath Bunuju.

Heart of the matter, with Chioma Gabriel email: anyagafu@yahoo.com Telephone: 08052201257

Of haunting songs and dying dreams

A

t a wedding recep tion recently in Lagos, the father of the bride was called out to counsel the newlyweds and he focused his advice on his daughter. He warned her to remember that her husband had been with other women before her but never proposed to them. He chose her. He told her that her husband also has other women in his life who are just his friends, colleagues or acquaintances and therefore should not raise the roof whenever she meets another woman around him but to try and find out who they are to him so as not to make mistakes. He also pointed out the polygamous nature of man and cautioned his daughter to use wisdom in tackling domestic issues especially as it involved her husband and other women.

He however raised alarm over the issue of domestic violence and warned that marriage should involve mutual

respect and as long as her husband respects and protects her, she should count it as love.

I didn’t know what to make out of his advice to his daughter but I know that strange things are happening in marriages especially nowadays.

People go haywire on social media congratulating those whose marriages survived five or more years. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

In other climes, couples co-habit for years without signing the dotted lines and in many cases, once they do, the relationship quickly crumbles. And Africans are very good in copying alien cultures. Hence, Nigerian wives are now killing their husbands as if to prove that what a man can do, they can do better. Gone were the days when women feared their husbands. It’s now the other way round.

What’s happening to loving family relationships?

From left: Mr. Richard Okotie, his wife, Mercy , and Mrs. Dorothy Amorighoye.

Parents of the bride, Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Edema-Sillo (left) and Mrs. Akumagba.

From right: (Dr.) Justin Okoroji Jnr, Pastor Mike Ehibogie, Deacon(Dr.)P.E. Akumagba and Chief & Mrs. Charles.D. Ikomi.

I’m well acquainted with a guy who at 48, has refused to marry due to the fear of domestic violence. He grew up seeing his parents violate each other and that left permanent scars on his psyche.

He has seen his father batter his mother several times and had seen his mum pour hot water on his father. His only sister left the house after contesting a beauty pageant and their father nearly killed her for daring to appear near-naked in public by way of wearing bikini and exposing her body.

His younger brother has his mouth bent to one side because of the beating he got from their father for leaving the boarding house with a classmate to visit the classmate’s parents in Kaduna without telling anybody. The parents were christened Mr and Mrs Tyson in their neighbourhood .

And the guy himself?

He stopped speaking with his father the day he returned home from the university and found his mother rolling down the staircase of their four-bedroom duplex. She was having a fight with her husband. The mistake the guy made was rushing at his father and thoroughly dealing with him for beating their mother and pushing her down the staircase. It was that fight that finally nailed the family. The parents obtained

the researches carried out

by Project Alert revealed an increasing prevalence of domestic violence across Nigeria in recent times as reported by about 8 in 10 (78 percent) respondents. This prevalence is highest in the South-West geo-political zone (86 percent) and lowest in the South-South zone (70 percent). More findings revealed that 54 percent of Nigerians have suffered a form of domestic violence or know someone that has experienced domestic violence in their homes with majority of the victims being women as stated by 75 percent of respondents; although ‘men’ (16 percent) and ‘children’ (9 percent) are also known to be victims of domestic violence.

Findings from a similar poll revealed that 4 percent of the respondents were victims and 29 percent indicated they know victims of domestic violence and portrayed an increase in the occurrence of domestic violence in Nigeria when these figures are compared to recent figures The major causes of domestic violence in Nigeria according to the research are ‘economic hardship’ (42 percent), ‘misunderstanding between couples’ (21 percent) and ‘impatience’ (9 percent) .

Most victims of domestic violence do not take

My friend is successful in every field of endeavor but would not have a marital relationship because he was scared of ending up like his parents a divorce after the attempt by the Catholic Church and friends to patch up the relationship failed.

The mother returned to her family and resorted to her maiden name.

My friend is successful in every field of endeavor but would not have a marital relationship because he was scared of ending up like his parents. The result: he fathered four children through four women and never married them. He kept tons of girlfriends but had no marital ties to any of them.

Shelters belonging to non-governmental organisations like Project Alert on Violence Against Women are replete with battered women and children from broken homes. Such agencies always intervene to save women and children from their violent husbands and fathers. One of

any action about their cases, implying that most domestic violence cases go unreported. These victims do not take any action mainly ‘to avoid stigmatization’, while in other cases it could be as a result of ignorance and illiteracy of victims (21 percent), emotional attachment to their spouses and partners (18 percent) and fear of threat or insecurity (17 percent).

Domestic violence is an issue affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. It is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behaviour that is only a fraction of a systematic pattern of dominance and control.

Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and in severe cases, even death.

Something has to be done to curb the issue of domestic violence in Nigeria. Why would a woman stab her husband to death because of another woman? Why are couples who professed undying love yesterday become enemies few months after? The decay in the society is taking its toll in family life and something should be done as soon as possible to curb this social menace.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 7

Labour Party was turned to dumping ground by defectors seeking temporary gains – Omotosho, National Chairman

2019 and the Delta progressives 8

8

Obiano must show love, friendship to Obi – Rev Father Obimma

9

Why Atiku’s exit is dangerous for the APC – Charles Idahosa • ‘Only a fool will say Obaseki has not done well in Edo’

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

C

hief Charles Idahosa is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and was Political Adviser to the immediate past Governor Adams Oshiomhole for eight

years. In this interview, the veteran politician reviews the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki in one year. He also speaks on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s resignation from the APC and the crisis between the Benins and Ijaws over the ownership of Gelegele community.

Excerpts: How do you review the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki?

There is no doubt that Obaseki has done well. We are very happy with him; he has not let us down. He has brought sanity to the system. The way they now collect tax is more civil, nobody is being harassed anymore. The school system is being reformed. The only area we, as party leaders, are not too happy is that he should carry us along in the sense that the infrastructure he is developing across the state, he should also develop our stomach. He is a strong governor and honestly there is nothing he is doing today that he did not say he was going to do during his campaign. But my advice is that the developmental efforts should be gradual because most of the things he is doing now are for the future. He has an idea of where he wants to take Edo to and he has said he does not want to be distracted and that is why he decided to steer clear of party leaders.

But I think that after one year now, he has been able to lay a solid foundation that will take the state to the next level. Like the Alaghodaro Economic Summit that he organized, only few people in the urban areas understand the idea behind the project and it is we leaders that will always pass the message or the idea to our supporters in the rural areas.

He is thinking of the Edo of the future. But the truth is that Oshiomhole over-pampered us as politicians and that is why it seems we are feeling left out by Obaseki. But we now understand his style; it is not as if he does not want to see politicians, he only does not want to be distracted which is good.

But the PDP said he has done nothing in the last one year?

What do you expect from people who get drunk every day out of frustration?

What they don’t understand is constructive opposition; when the governor has done well, say he has done well and where he has failed, say it. But you just don’t say he has failed. Only a fool will say Obaseki has not done well in Edo. Do you know that sometimes when I am driving out, I don’t even know if this is Benin. He continued from where Oshiomhole stopped; today, we no longer experience traffic at Ring Road where you saw people fighting every day. Today, you see men of the EDSTMA doing their work diligently and without harassing anybody.

The PDP will not change, they must talk to survive. I am the oldest member of the legacy party that formed the APC; we started with the ACD. The two senior ones are my leader, Senator Rowland Owie, who is now in ADP, and Chief Tom Ikimi, who is now in PDP. After them, I am number three but now I am number one.

I know the PDP better than they know themselves. Most of us came from there.

I don’t expect the PDP to clap for us but I know that every promise Obaseki made

C M Y K

during his campaign is what he is doing. The ordinary people are happy with Obaseki and I believe that he will get better with time.

All we are trying to do is to ensure that the party leaders are carried along because, without the party and the leaders who lead the people to the field on election day and the youths who protect the votes, election will be difficult.

As a chieftain of the APC, are you worried about the resignation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the party?

It is very troubling. My worry is that I don’t want our party to go through what the PDP went through. It is wrong for any APC supporter to say Atiku is not important, that he can go. Meanwhile I know his exit will not affect the party in the 2019 presidential election because I believe that if he joins the PDP he is going to create another problem for them as some persons in PDP have been waiting for the presidential ticket too over the years.

Secondly, a lot of people came to the APC when Atiku joined us and you don’t know what will happen now. So we really need to be on our guard so that we are not caught unawares. Some politicians who are his supporters might be pretending to be inside but at the last minute betray APC. But we have a lot of experienced politicians in the APC to cover our tracks as much as possible by making up for the aggrieved people when election comes. But I don’t think we should just sweep it away.

The PDP should also expect that problem because some people are going to resist Atiku as their presidential flag bearer.

The Makarfi, Fayose games I understand the game Ahmed Makarfi (PDP Caretaker Chairman)is playing and only a fool will underrate (Ekiti State governor) Fayose. He (Fayose) understands the game he is playing by saying he wants to go for the presidency but I know that he is working for somebody and, at the end of the day, if they zone the vice presidential ticket to the SouthWest, he will take it. And I am happy

who joined APC then did it, this time they may decide to stay in APC and wreck the party at the last minute.

My worry is that I don’t want our party to go through what the PDP went through. It is wrong for any APC supporter to say Atiku is not important, that he can go that President Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are getting on well now because nobody can push Tinubu aside; he made the success of the APC administration at the national level possible. However, I believe that with proper planning and unity of purpose, the APC will not have problem. But we must guard against our members defecting to the PDP. I know also that Atiku is not a small fish. Don’t forget that when he came from the PDP, five governors and senators came with him. You remember that Governor Aminu Tambuwal moved at the last minute to APC from the PDP. That is why I am warning our leaders to watch their back, anything can happen. I read the governor of Adamawa State saying he will remain and die in APC but that is bullshit. Those who defect at last minute give ruling parties the biggest problem.

So we must watch out because that was how the PDP collapsed. I know Atiku will not leave APC alone and that is my worry but the strategy they are using is what the APC leadership should look into. They should monitor what they are doing. They may not do it the way the PDP members

How do you react to the on-going crisis between the Benin and Ijaw people in Gelegele?

I am really surprised with what the Ijaw are doing in the Niger Delta since oil came. I have Ijaw friends when I was growing up and

they are very good people. But I think oil wealth spoilt them. The issue of Ijaw owning any place in Edo does not arise, so I don’t know where they got this idea from. Let us not go too far, check one hundred years ago, 1897, the Ijaw were tenants in Benin land and they are so insignificant in the whole arrangement.

Prof. Igbafe is an authority in Edo history.

Prof. Ade Ajaiyi is an authority too. I have been to the British museum in England, I learnt more about the Benin massacre more in England as a young student.

When they talk about the invasion of Benin, have you seen anywhere they mentioned the Pere of Gelegele when the British came or the Ijaw man they met at Gelegele when the British came? The British came through Gelegele to come and carry Oba Ovonronwe. My great grandfather Gen.Ologbosere was the one that accosted the British people at Gelegele and told them ‘you cannot come into Benin now, we have a festival’. And, luckily for me, as a journalist at NTA, I did a documentary on the execution of the seven British people at Igbine. The people that came with the British through Gelegele were Itsekiri, their names were documented. I did not see any Pere or any Ijaw name there. If the Ijaws say they own Gelegele, they should tell us how many Ijaw were killed when the British came. So the issue of who owns that area does not arise because it belongs to the Oba.

C M Y K

PAGE 8 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017

2019 and the Delta progressives

BY GODWIN ANAUGHE

A

s Olorogun O’tega Emerhor deliberated his 2015 run for the governorship of Delta State, he may have envisaged that his chances of winning were limited because his new party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not well accepted in the South-South geopolitical zone.

Historically, the Urhobo nation always allies with major political parties. These were the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) up till the 2003 elections.

In return, Urhobo had tremendous influence in the politics of State and country. Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was appointed Federal Minister of Finance in the 1st republic; Chief Patrick Bolokor as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the 2nd republic, Chief Felix Ibru was elected the first Executive Governor of Delta State in 1991 and Chief James Ibori, another Urhobo son became governor in 1999.

Urhobo nation was also rewarded with some very critical industrial projects such as Delta Steel Complex, the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, the Ogorode Power Station at Sapele, the Delta Electric Power generation Station at Ughelli, and the expansion of the Warri Port during the second republic because of its support for NPN, the then ruling party.

But all that changed in 2003 when Urhobo threw away its much cherished life-long armour as a mainstream political player and embraced nonmajor parties that existed as protest groups that had no national appeal.

Dissatisfied with PDP performance in the governance of Delta State, the Urhobo nation turned it’s back on PDP and went all out for candidates of these non-major political parties in all elections since 2003 in attempts to dislodge PDP from the state.

First, it was with Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2003 and thereafter the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) in 2007 and 2011. The Urhobo people invested heavily in cash and votes. But it was all for naught, as the result has been a series of stunning defeats that eventually diminished the power, influence, and relevance of the Urhobos politically. Sadly, the Urhobo nation has not fully recovered from this decline till date.

In a desperate attempt to regain it’s leading role in Delta politics and position itself in the mainstream of Nigerian politics, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) made the famous Uvwiamuge declaration that the Urhobo people will only support a national party that nominates a candidate of Urhobo extraction for governor. And for Emerhor who sought to return Urhobo to mainstream party politics and rescue Delta State, a governorship race, win or lose, would in his estimation do the trick.

Fast-forward to today, Emerhor’s decision to run for Governor and invest in APC has started to bear critical fruits that are changing the political landscape in Delta State. Urhobo has not just found its way back to a major political party but with Chief Great Ogboru and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and their supporters in Labour Party now in APC, Urhobo has now aligned with the ruling national party following the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

Key federal appointments are now coming to Urhobo, notwithstanding that other ethnic groups also receive consideration. The growing influence and relevance of Emerhor in Delta political sphere across the three

Emerhor decision to put his ambition aside so that APC would pick a candidate in line with the existing power rotation order would restore the pride of Urhobo and should be applauded. senatorial districts have now turned Evwreni, his home town, and that of the first governor of former Midwest, Chief Samuel Jereton Mariere, into the Mecca of progressive politics in Delta State.

However, the possibility of Urhobo nation regaining its previous leadership role in State politics, and accomplishing its mission to free Delta State will depend largely on what Urhobo decides to do with the 2019 general elections, and in particular the Governorship election. Any mistake could ruin everything for Urhobo and this will further plunge Delta State into the abyss.

Would the large followership of Urhobo progressives, in particular, emulate the Emerhor smart strategy and adopt a selfless approach that should pave the road to Urhobo’s return to prevalence? Or will they cling to the old selfish cul-de-sac approach that has for the past five elections isolated and made Urhobo irrelevant? And which in essence, has allowed the PDP to remain in power unchallenged? This is the big question of the day.

The prevalence of Urhobo in Delta politics is unstable now and a lot is at stake for 2019. This is time to think hard and deep! Would it not be in the best strategic interest of Urhobo progressives to first dislodge PDP from

power in 2019? Or is it going to continue to revel in failed politics that had almost brought it to near irrelevance?

Urhobo can no longer act alone in pursuit of its goals of being a potent player in the political future of Delta State. It must now reckon with the fact that it singularly does not have the numbers nor demographic threshold that can make it act alone. If it must win, it can only do so with the support of other ethnic groups. And, after five failed attempts with small parties that do not have a national spread, it must realize once again that it must align itself with any of the national parties to win.

It is my contention therefore that it is no longer in Urhobo’s long-term interests to continue to support any Urhobo governorship aspirant operating in small or regional parties.

To enhance its political clout, Urhobo has to accommodate and engage with minority ethnic groups in other zones to build strategic alliances that can re-shape the politics of Delta State for years to come even if that means Urhobo has to support a non-Urhobo candidate when it is essential to do so for success.

It is time to bring to the fore the interest of Urhobo, and it does not have to be about the ambition of any one person. Whether there is an agreement on power rotation or not, this matter is not about the constitutionality of zoning or fairness of our electoral process; it’s not about PDP or APC, rather it is about the general well being of the people. For Delta progressives as a whole, it is more about winning in order to have the chance to correct the direction which the state is moving and be able to raise the living standards of all Deltans.

Make no mistake, in an election which is more likely to be a resemblance of 2015 contest and not

•Olorogun O’tega Emerhor the 2011 scenario, putting forward an Urhobo candidate would be a dumb thing to do. There is no way a Delta Central APC candidate can defeat Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of PDP given that the majority of the voting public has huddled into their ethnic corners since that 2011 election, and now believe in power rotation as was evident in the 2015 general election when they voted along ethnicinterests.Itisthereforenotsoundto think that they will do otherwise in 2019.

DeltaNorth will still votealongthelineof communal interests in 2019.

How can Urhobo nation look our neighbours,theAniomasinDeltaNorth, the Ijaws, Isokos and Itsekiris in Delta South in the eyes and tell them to vote against their own communal interests, when it is intent on voting in line with its owninterest?Howcanweexpectthemto vote against power rotation when it is their only hope, for now, to produce their owngovernorinthefuture.Itdoesn’tseem right to expect the Isokos and Ijaws for who have never benefited from power rotation and wish to benefit from it in the future to now vote against it. Even the Itsekiris who campaigned for and benefited from power rotation cannot be reasonablyexpectedtoshotitdown. How can we even expect minority voters to take APC seriously if it does not align with them on a matter as clearcut and important to them as power rotation?

The eyes of the rest of Delta are on Urhobo, especially the progressives, and what it will do in 2019. If they can be imaginative and strategic

about the way they vote and use 2019 to build strategic new relationships and partnerships, especially with Anioma whose turn it is to produce the governorship for another term, it would regain the confidence of ethnic minorities and its commanding role in Delta politics will be assured.

It is disheartening that despite its huge demographic advantage, the candidate for governor supported by Urhobo lost five consecutive times.

The main reason for this is that Urhobo progressives in the opposition parties had always presented an Urhobo candidate only. And again because the trend line suggests that the chances of an Urhobo candidate winning the 2019 election are nearly zero, doing this again in 2019 would be a strategic and tactical error that would set Urhobo back for many years. This is an obvious fact, and pretending otherwise or being head-strong about it seems silly and amounts to a selfish endeavour that may cause a revenge against Urhobo in future.

The other ethnic groups are more conscious now, more than ever before.

The days are long gone when Deltans used to look to Urhobo for political leadership. We abdicated that leadership responsibility when we embraced minor political parties and decided to go alone. Now is the time for Urhobo progressives to join hands with other ethnic groups to build a winning coalition to defeat Okowa’s PDP and free Delta State.

It is only by so doing that Urhobo will again rise to its rightful place as the pre-eminent political powerhouse.

Olorogun O’tega Emerhor understands this very well and he has made a smart, strategic and selfless decision not to seek the governorship ticket of APC that he can easily win.

Emerhor decision to put his ambition aside so that APC would pick a candidate in line with the existing power rotation order would restore the pride of Urhobo and should be applauded. It is the only reasonable path for rescuing Delta State from those who have held it hostage.

•Anaughe wrote from Lagos

Labour Party was turned to dumping ground by defectors seeking temporary gains – Omotosho, National Chairman

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI r. Mike Omotosho, fondly called ‘Omo To Sure’, pulled a surprise in Kwara State in the 2015 governorship election when, as the candidate of the Labour Party(LP), he took the third position after the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Simeon Ajibola, who came second, and incumbent Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), who won the election. Today, Omotosho is the National Chairman of LP after emerging at the last congress of the party. A sports enthusiast, he is the promoter of the Sure Babes Female Football and Omotosure Wheelchair Basketball teams both in Kwara State. As the first Governor of Toastmasters International, District 94, covering the whole of West Africa, he was voted the best Governor of Toastmaster worldwide, a feat never achieved before in Africa. Omotosho is Governor Emeritus of Rotary International District 9125 Nigeria who travelled almost 25,000km within 150 days to commission over 300 community projects. He spoke in an interview in Ilorin.

D

What effort(s) are you making to reposition LP ahead of the next general elections?

We are restructuring Labour Party in a number of ways but I will share the three most important.

First, we are relaying our foundation at the state, local government and ward levels. Men and women of impeccable character are being elected into leadership positions and are taking selfless responsibilities to build excellent structures that will win elections.

Second, a technical working committee is about to unveil a more robust, responsible and revolutionary manifesto that will strategically drive sustainable development in Nigeria and clearly define the hopes and aspirations of every Nigerian.

Third, the party has initiated a membership drive, a campaign to draft like-minded Nigerians, who are tired of the mediocrity and degeneracy of the state of affairs in Nigeria, to build a party for the people to stop the mess. Nigeria is blessed with intelligent minds and hard-working populace, we are pacesetters and innovators, Therefore there is no reason Nigeria should be tagged a third world country.

What are the current challenges of the party?

I am glad you used the word ‘challenges’ and not problems. One of the challenges the Labour

•Omotosho Party had in the past was lack of enforceable party ethics. Under this new administration, our aim is to build a strong membership that will drive party strategy rather than individual agenda. Defectors from other parties seeking a platform for temporary gains will no longer use our party, because party loyalty is critical to creating the revolution we desire. Another challenge we plan to take head on, although not unique to Labour Party, is the increasing sense of anxiety and hopelessness of Nigerians in the multi-party system. We shall restore the hope and confidence of every Nigerian.

What are the chances of the LP in 2019 general elections?

There is a popular saying that ‘you cannot keep

Continues on page 9

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 9

Obiano must show love, friendship to Obi – Rev Father Obimma

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

A

FTER the high-wire politicking and bitter campaigns that characterised the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State, Reverend Father Emmanuel Obimma aka Ebube- Muonso, spiritual director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State, has said it is time to put politics aside in the interest of the state. In this interview, he among others, wants the re-elected Governor Willie Obiano to extend hands of friendship and love to his predecessor, Mr. Peter Obi, even though the latter worked against him at the election.

Before the election, you prophesied that Governor Obiano would win but would be rigged out.

He won but was not rigged out.

What happened?

I am very happy with the outcome of the election and Anambrarians are also very happy. I predicted it and when the message came, I saw Obiano emerging a winner of the contest but I also saw the evil one trying to rig him out and because he stepped on the Adoration ground, we prayed against the evil intentions of the wicked ones.

I remember what happened after the prophecy, people were calling me fake prophet just because I said what the Holy Spirit revealed to me. I told him in confidence that he will win after praying for him and he eventually won, to the glory of God. I did not campaign for anybody. I am a priest of God; I am neither a politician nor partisan. The Church of God and the party of God is my own party.

What is your advice to Obiano now that he has won the election?

He has seen that God and the masses love him as reflected in the election. It is now left for him to justify the votes by filling in the gap in areas he did not do well in the past three and a half years.

This is the time for him to re-strategize in order to make the people happy

Did you notice any lapses which you will advise INEC to work on to improve our electoral system?

As I heard, people were distributing money to influence people to vote for them. For me, that is electoral genocide. It shouldn’t be. In a civilised country, such a thing shouldn’t happen. How can you give people money to vote you and that affects infrastructural development and dividends of democracy because he who pays for the vote will surely recoup his money. It’s pure business and the earlier we checkmate that the better.

because he knows that some people are not happy with him.

For me, he scored above average. He did well in the areas of security and payment of workers salary. The Holy Spirit is warning him not to forget the poor masses.

I also believe that he won the election because people are tired of the imposition of candidates and godfatherism in the state. I believe that we have passed the level of godfatherism in Anambra state and that was why they gave him a sympathy vote.

Do you have a word for Obi whose candidate Oseloka Obaze lost out in the election?

Peter Obi did wonderfully well during his administration. In fact, he was the one that handed the baton over to Willie. We believe so much in his credibility. I expect him to congratulate Willie Obiano and let love continue to lead Anambra State.

Willie should also find a way of extending a hand of fellowship and love to him.

The international best practice is to congratulate or support whoever that emerges winner for peace and unity of the country or state. For me, all the candidates should come under one roof in thanksgiving to God. It is not easy to contest for an election and I thank them for their courage.

Obiano should keep behind all the tantrums that were thrown at him during the election. People called him names; a thief, a drunkard and so on, those things are hurting but Christ is our ideal. So, I want the governor to find a place in his heart to forgive them.

What is your assessment of the election?

I am very happy with the peaceful conduct of the election. You know in Anambra State, people claim to be omnipotent. Some people think they can buy things over with their money. So, in this election, they were disappointed. I thank the Federal Government for providing enough security before, during and after the election. Security was tight.

As you can see, some people think that

How can you give people money to vote you and that affects infrastructural development and dividends of democracy because he who pays for the vote will surely recoup his money. It’s pure business and the earlier we checkmate that the better with their connections and political godfathers, they will break the camel’s back but as you can see, they are disappointed and that shows that God has the final say in anything one is doing.

Some of them have a Federal alliance of which President of the country came and campaigned for them.

President Buhari came all the way from Abuja to endorse a candidate. Ever since he was elected the president of Nigeria, he has never visited Anambra state, except for the election. All the Federal roads were abandoned, yet we have a president. Most of the benefits we are supposed to get from the federal were denied and we have a president. Those things are disheartening.

And again, former president Goodluck Jonathan came to campaign for PDP candidate, Mr. Oseloka Obaze. Willie Obiano is the only candidate who has nobody but he has the people. Buhari endorsed Nwoye, Jonathan endorsed Obaze, and God endorsed Willie.

Any advice to Christians at a time like this?

My advice to all Christians is to have trust in God. What happened in this election is an eye opener for people to at least, realise that God sees all things. People boasted of all kind of things before the election and people of God went to prayer.

In my own congregation, the Adoration family declared a fast and prayer for the success of the election and I know that our God is a God of justice. When you think you have power, God will mess you up. It happened to King Herold and Nebuchadnezzar who claimed omnipotent in their days and God reduced them to rubbles.

I call on Christians to put their trust in the Lord and When God says yes, nobody can say no. The very first day Willie came to Adoration ground during his first tenure, I saw him and God revealed to me he is the next governor.

That was my first day of seeing him and at that time, I was even praying for Chris Ngige before I got the divine signal.

And when he came for the second tenure, the same message came that he will win but people will try to rig him out, we prayed heavily against rigging and federal might and they couldn’t rig their way in.

Does that mean that God doesn’t reveal to you the fate of others who come to you especially from other denominations?

Personally, I for one, love Osita Chidoka who is an Anglican. I said to him, how I wish he will have the crown but it is not yet time.

Many times, I pray and God will tell me it’s not the way it will go. Many a time, God gave me revelations that are even against my wish.

It’s something that is divine irrespective of denomination. Ministers of God are not God; our duty is to carry out the message given to us by God. When the revelation came, people said that Ebube Muonso is campaigning for Obiano, a fake prophet, a fake priest, while others said Obiano had bribed me. I want to state that Obiano’s one kobo is not in my pocket and I have never begged him for money. God will always provide for me, I have millions of sons and daughters that take care of me. I said what the Holy Spirit told me and some are agitating. But I quickly want to remind those who doubt God’s message to read up what happened to those that did that in the past, they were all condemned to death.

Labour Party was turned to dumping ground by defectors seeking Individual states must seek ways to temporary gains — Omotosho, National Chairman generate revenue innovatively, initiate Continued from page 8 doing the same thing the same way and expect a different result’. It is crystal clear to Nigerians that the two big political parties have performed abysmally below expectation. Even though we term them as ‘big’, they lack strategy and structure to govern based on principles but rather on personal ideologies. This is where the Labour Party is different. We are competitively positioned as a party where principles supersede individual beliefs and where it is imperative for us to build strong sustainable institutions that are uniform across board. So 2019 looks good for the Labour Party because Nigerians are ready for intelligent intervention. So for those that are ready to walk the talk, young, middle-aged or old, male or female, the Labour Party is where you will be given a seat at the table.

What is the plan of LP to get the country out of its economic

challenges?

I have always noted that the many challenges of the country, including our economic challenges, are the result of lack of leadership with innovative ideas to harness the abundant human and material resources to confront the challenges. Labour Party will find such men and women, both home grown and in diaspora, and bring them on board to harness the vast potentials of the country. It is time to begin to put round pegs in round holes and explore the creativity of youths.

The overdependence on oil must stop.

What is your view on the current anti-corruption fight of the Buhari administration?

The fight against corruption is a step in the right direction except that more needs to be done. Corruption cannot be fought without an effective judicial system; consequences must be enforced irrespective of social class and party affiliations. Another way of fighting corruption is to provide safety

nets for the people. Issues pertaining to insecurity like poverty, unemployment and provision of social welfare must be resolved. These safety nets will assure the citizens of better life and guard against corruption that stems from frustration and fear.

How best do you think the fight against corruption could achieve maximum result?

The fight against corruption will achieve significant outcomes when government is able to provide the basic needs of the people. People will refrain from corrupt practices if their future is secure. Imagine knowing that your kids will attend school, have access to adequate healthcare, can afford to be fed tolerably and you can commute as required, the tendency for you to engage in corrupt practices will be drastically reduced if not eliminated. Government must therefore strengthen our institutions and provide safety nets for the welfare of the citizens.

Refer to current economic hardships being faced by Nigerians; do you think it’s avoidable? What’s the way out?

At the presentation of the 2017 budget to the National Assembly in May last year, the President named it Budget of Economic Recovery and Growth, which was meant to help the nation recover from the economic crisis and engender growth in critical sectors of the nation. He listed some of the priority areas as agriculture and food security, industrialization and SME development, macro and micro economic stability, energy sufficiency in the power and petroleum sectors as well as transportation. A critical look at these areas shows that a lot of progress is yet to be made and execution of government’s agenda has largely fallen below expectation.

The road to recovery may be long, but there is always a way out.

civil service reforms, build the middle class and ease ways of doing business, etc.

The Nigeria Bureau for Statistics (NBS) not long ago claimed the country was out of recession. What’s your view?

Our economy is still in dire state despite exiting recession by 0.05% a few months ago, and there is relative stability of our naira to the dollar. The micro economic and real sector is yet to feel the impact of the acclaimed improved macro-economic situation.

Many businesses are still closed and more are closing, with many workers rendered jobless. The unemployment rate is high, and money has reduced in circulation. Many believe that the proffered economic solutions are mere rhetoric that may not be capable of revamping the economy. I must however congratulate the government in moving Nigeria 24 steps to 145th position in the ease of doing business.

These reforms will definitely add to the ripple effects of development.

C M Y K

PAGE 10 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Maina:

Malami, Oyo-Ita, Magaji and the blame game

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE bdulrashid Maina, one-time A celebrated technocrat, fights for survival as corruption haunts him.

It’s a case of the hunter becoming the hunted after Maina, in 2009-2013, tried all he could muster to reform the corruption-ridden civil service pension scheme.

As a reporter covering Maina then, I saw him as a man who did his best within the short period I covered his Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform.

He introduced the biometric system which led to the registration of pensioners and civil servants.

He visited even those on sick bed registering them and ensuring their outstanding dues were paid.

The old men and women(pensioners) across Nigeria prayed for him but the bubble burst when allegations of Maina dipping his hands into the till was exposed and the Senate made sure he was shoved aside.

Maina was finally dismissed from service in March 2013 after a fight that showcased numerous organised protests at the National Assembly main gate.

Last Thursday, the continued probe into the disappearance, re-appearance, dismissal and reinstatement of Maina on a motion promoted by Hon Jagaba Adams Jagaba, APC, Kaduna, started at10.20am after Hon. Ali Madaki’s prayer opened a can of worms.

The investigative panel is headed by Madaki, APC, Kano, with Ayo Omidiran, APC, State of Osun, Sergius Ogun, PDP, Edo, and Kingsley China, PDP, Rivers as members.

Madaki narrated what transpired in the previous hearing at the Senate and immediately invited the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Engr Abubakar Magaji, to explain how Maina was reinstated.

The PS put the blame of the reinstatement of Maina on the footsteps of the Head of Service HoS, Winifred Oyo-Ita, who, according to him, gave the directive for the reinstatement.

He said, “The records I met on ground indicated that the HoS had directed the Senior Staff Committee, SSC, to reconsider the earlier dismissal of Maina”.

Based on this submission, Magaji claimed he simply followed a laid down procedure and subsequently referenced the findings to the Federal Civil Service Commission for consideration and the HoS for further action.

He argued, “It’s left for that person to disagree or agree on the issue”.

This approach did not go down well with Oyo-Ita and, in her response, she said, “Who is that person? I’m not that person please....”

Madaki immediately intervened and asked that the HoS should be placed on oath.

She started,”First of all, it is not possible for the Ministry of Interior to hold any SSC meeting without the directive of the HoS of the Federation. “ “The Federal Civil Service Commission has the constitutional

mandate of overseeing all matters of appointments, promotion, reinstatement and disciplinary issues in the service.

“And in handling disciplinary matters, ministries communicate to the Federal Civil Service Commission through the office of the HoS. On the submission I made on page 17, there is a letter from the FCSC to the HoS, and the head of that letter is redemand for update on the reinstatement of Abdulrashid Maina as Director of the Federal Civil Service, it is dated 21st June, 2017.

“It is this letter sent from the Federal Civil Service Commission conveying the directive of the Attorney General that the Federal Ministry of Interior should within seven days convene the Senior Staff Committee meeting and send its report back to the FCSC through the office of the Head of Service.

“The Head of Service was responding to the directive contained in this letter which was initiated from the Attorney General’s office and we then directed the Ministry of Interior accordingly to convene the Senior Staff Committee meeting.

“So for the Permanent Secretary of Interior to claim that the directive of reinstating Maina came from the office of the Head of Service of the Civil Service of the Federation is a bit limited in the facts of the matter.

“The Permanent Secretary Interior also made reference that at the original instance of Maina’s dismissal, that when the Senior Staff Committee meeting sat, it referred its recommendations to the office of the Head of Service and the Federal Service Management Committee was convened to look into the recommendations of the ministry and it is now saying that instance, the federal service management committee was not convened.

“If at all they acted on a directive from the office of the Head of Service to reinstate Maina, then it is a process for conveyance for reinstatement instructions. “ The Federal Civil Service Commission would send the letter to the office of the Head of Service and also send another letter to the beneficiary of that reinstatement under flying seal of the Head of Service.

‘The Ministry of Interior did not wait to get a posting instruction from the office of Head of Service, they went ahead and reinstated Maina and assigned him duties.

“So these are the three points I have to make to completely discountenance the attempt by the Permanent Secretary Interior to insist that they acted in a legal manner while trying to make that claim that there was a legality from

If at all they acted on a directive from the office of the Head of Service to reinstate Maina, then it is a process for conveyance for reinstatement instructions the office of the Head of Service”.

At this point, Madaki asked,” What does it mean by a letter with standard of a flying seal? Some of are laymen here” The HoS replied:”Under the flying seal; normally in administrative process in the service, an officer cannot be written an official letter directly from another official body without it passing through his superiors before it is sent to the officer and that is the normal line of administrative correspondence. And the superior must endorse the letter to that officer”.

Madaki asked her,”Who gave Maina his letter of reinstatement?”

Response:” I did not endorse that letter.

Last week I brought the original letter for sighting, that letter was never given to Maina, it is still in my possession. But from what we gathered, what the ministry of interior did was that they just acted on an advance copy that was copied to them by the federal civil service commission for information purposes only”.

One of the panel members asked the PS Interior: “The lawyers of Maina showed us a letter signed by your office. Do you have any document to back that action?

Magaji: “From my understanding there are two issues here; the reinstatement of Maina is different from Maina’s reporting to Interior.

“Reinstatement of Maina could not have been done without the office of the head of the civil service of the federation endorsing the senior staff committee meeting and the reinstatement of Maina could only be done by the federation civil commission; they are mandated to recruit, employ, promote and discipline.

“So that letter, the federal civil service commission issued to Maina to the head of service, whether issued or not, it is whether Maina was reinstated by a constitutional body. That letter passed through 100 people’s hand because it wasn’t delivered in an air tight envelope to the office of the head of service. “ Maina reported to the director of human resources.

I was in the office and he came and told me that Maina has reported. I said Maina I saw your letter of reinstatement, I cannot assign you, I cannot give you any office, I cannot put you back into service, till when I receive further directives from the office of the head of service.

That was why on my way out I directed

Continues on page 12

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 11

MAINA AND 2019: Buhari’s anti-corruption legacy is diminishing

– Prof. Odekunle, member, Sagay Committee •This is one mess too many’ Professor Femi Odekunle is a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, led by Prof. Itse Sagay.

In this interview, Odekunle explains the role of PACAC so far in taming the monster of corruption.

But he also laments the turn the Maina saga has taken, insisting it would give joy to looters.

Yet, he disagrees with the blackmail that unless the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension, Alhaji Abdulrashid Maina, embroiled in a multi - billion pension scandal, sees the President, he will not give himself up for trial.

W

hat do you make of all that as happened on Maina?

It would be intellectually fraudulent, even for the greatest Buhari apologist, not to admit that what has happened is scandalous and embarrassing to the anticorruption fight. Even though the PACAC has not had scheduled meeting and there has been no call for an emergency meeting, from other members, I feel that we are embarrassed because it is a dent on our efforts and commitment if something like this occurs, especially with respect to the case of the SGF, the case of the NIA DG. I, for one, have always said it that I’m not a member of any political party, but I’m a believer in Buhari’s leadership.

When this kind of thing is happening in an administration, it’s an embarrassment. My take on it is that something has to be done to control the damage.

Do you still believe in his (Buhari) leadership, looking at the instances of embarrassing conduct.

Would you say he is being diminished or demystified?

Yes, to a certain extent you could talk about demystification and being diminished but, at the end of the day, you have to realise that, on the anti-corruption fight, progress is being made because, when you go by the rate of conviction of high profile cases, you can pooh-pooh the fight, but, on daily basis, the other areas of the fight are going on. It is just that this kind of Maina issue gives a brush of non-performance or non-effectiveness.

As we speak, nobody has pointed accusing finger at the President or the Vice President that they have been given money or have been part of any scam. People have to realise that what is happening amounts to an attempt to diminish the fight. In any case, there is still time to control the damage if the needful is done and I believe that the needful would be done.

Some people say the fight is a charade. But what part of this Mainagate do you feel most scandalised about?

It’s about all the parts of the saga. One of the things that is worrisome is that we have too much contradictory information but we have no definitive answers to the most pertinent questions from the main actors - Office of the Head of Service, Ministry of

Interior, the Presidency and the Office of the AGF (the Baba of the situation). But let me digress, about once or twice, I have had cause to question the commitment of the Office of the Attorney General to the anticorruption fight.

Secondly, all these actors in the saga, when did they know about it? What action did they take? At every stage of the saga, from the beginning to the end, what is the volume of the money involved and at what stage can we say it is N10billion or N50billion? We just have figures being bandied all over the place; that is why I said since the President and the VP have not been fingered and since there is time to do the needful, I think the damage can be controlled promptly and certainly.

But Maina has been quoted as saying that the President approved his meeting with the AGF and asked that he be reinstated. Is that part of what should be looked into?

That would be relevant but is not the most relevant.

So, what is the most relevant?

First of all, we have to know whether for sure he was reinstated. Then who did the reinstatement? When?

The AGF claimed that the letter never emanated from his office; then the HOS who we saw in a rowdy session with the Chief of Staff; and then there is the Interior Ministry.

Do you think the choice of words used by the AGF is okay when he said ‘the letter could not have genuinely emanated from my office’. Some might say it emanated from his office but it wasn’t a genuine one, or maybe somebody within his office wrote the letter but it did not get his approval?

In very reasonable countries, ministers resign on the basis of the untoward actions of their officers. Then, if it is true, what the AGF should do is to fish out who wrote that letter and fire him. Part of the problem we have in this country is that people stick to offices even when they have done wrong. My response, whether the letter emanated from him or not, the letter emanated

from his office and, therefore, he must take responsibility. I’m very sure of that.

The history of this country is that even when certain things happen and people die because of inaction of some actors in public office, people sit tight, not to now talk about the issue of a letter emanating from an office.

A point to note, for instance, is that if the AGF says some allegations against Maina were already on ground, the question to ask him is ‘what has his office done about the allegations’? After all, this is an anti-corruption administration. What has he done about the information he is

A lot of people are worried about 2019 because of this kind of saga. I’m worried that the legacy is being diminished. We are giving joy to the looters and enemies of the fight against corruption releasing.

I’m not against recovering money, nor am I against Maina recovering money from his alleged co-conspirators. He doesn’t have to see the President to do that If PACAC members were to advise the President, from which angle would they approach the matter because this is all about the civil service where people believe we have problems?

We are doing a lot of things under. We are not a publicity seeking committee and our work is advisory and not that of enforcement.

To advise the President, we would say heads must roll. It is more than the civil service. It has to do with the power structure and the way people manipulate power. Our advice would be that the anti-

corruption agencies (EFCC or ICPC or police) should investigate and, within the next two weeks or so, ascertain who did what, when, how and recommend those who are culpable and take appropriate action as President.

Another way of doing it is to allow PACAC handle it if empowered with appropriate logistics and, within a month, make recommendations to the President. PACAC is more credible than a commission of inquiry where lawyers again would bog down the investigation with ‘here-to-fores’ and ‘whereto-fores’.

Without prejudice to what is going on between EFCC, AGF and DSS, Mr. President can give an order on what he wants because milk has been split all over the place and Mr. President must decide on how best to clean it up.

I’m distressed and my fellow members on PACAC are distressed because of things that are happening because it can make people that are working so hard to look like fools. This is one mess too many, following on the other ones - the SGF, DG NIA, DSS Vs EFCC over arrests - these issues should not be coming up because they diminish the anti-corruption war.

So why can’t PACAC grab the bull by the horns, what is PACAC doing?

Why can’t PACAC work the system and get this sorted? Is PACAC not failing? Or is its advice not being taken seriously?

(Laughs). If you say that, I will feel very bad because we work day-in-day-out doing a lot of things in the area of advisory, capacity-building. An advisory body will normally advise but others like the party, the National Assembly, the President is the boss; he will sift the pieces of advice from them and come to a decision. It would be foolish of somebody who is just an adviser to believe that his advice would be taken. I don’t think any President will take an advice hook, line and sinker. PACAC gives good, rational advice.

For example, we’ve argued that there should be special courts and this proposal was sent to the National Assembly and when it appeared it was dragging its feet, we went to the judiciary, working with some judges, to handle corruption cases so that it would be faster. Then we have the whistle-blower mechanism and an item was taken from that. We

are also involved in capacitybuilding regarding the administration of criminal justice because some people would naturally be angry about what is happening. These things take time to reach fruition.

Regarding the SGF, if you have found people wanting, the process should not just end with such people leaving office, they should be taken to court.

Do you see some members of PACAC resigning on account of advice not taken?

I cannot speak for PACAC on that issue but I will say of my fellow members, ‘if the come comes to become’, and a scandal like this (Maina) becomes routine, I’m sure they will seek audience with the President.

On this one, do you see PACAC seeking audience?

Definitely, and the fact that PACAC as a group has not met the President on this matter does not mean that there are no contacts.

The Chairman could have talked to the Presidency in the last 24 hours but all members of PACAC are concerned and want this matter handled satisfactorily to the knowledge of the country.

A lot of people are worried about 2019 because of this kind of saga. I’m worried that the legacy is being diminished.

We are giving joy to the looters and enemies of the fight against corruption.

When an alleged looter like Maina is now a whistle-blower, I will embrace him but he would still face the law.

Other looters would be very happy about what is going on now because it is affecting the Buhari legacy.

Should Mr. President meet with Maina as he is requesting?

I do not think the President should meet with him.

The reason is that every person who is accused cannot be telling the President that he or she wants to see the President to tell him what happened.

He should be subjected to the normal processes of investigation and prosecution.

When he gets to court, he can divulge all he wants and he may seek protection. But to give conditions, that is not it.

What about those around the President that he talked

Continues on page 12

PAGE 12 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017,

Maina: Malami, Oyo-Ita, Magaji and the blame game

•Malami Continued from page 10 my officer, put up a letter to the office of the head of service informing her of the arrival of Maina. That letter was done wrongly because I didn’t look at it, when it was sent out I wasn’t around, I fell sick. The person who quoted that letter made a mistake by making a reference to the head of service letter. Which when the head of service called my attention, after I was discharged from the hospital, I asked her to allow me to contact the office”.

Panel member: Is it the right procedure for you to go ahead based on your copy from civil service commission, to give instructions to document Maina without getting any communication from the office of the head of civil service of the federation?

Magaji: It is not the right procedure. Maina was never documented and he was never assigned. So for the office of the head of service to say that Maina was documented, if he was documented that copy would have been sent to her.

Panel member: Someone who the senior staff disciplinary committee sacked. In that meeting some people wanted to debate whether he should be reinstated or not but your legal department made a very valid point, they said look this is an instruction from the office of the Attorney General, so they cannot debate an instruction.

You are here telling us that it was from the head of the civil service when the committee said it was a directive. Where is the true position? It sounds contradictory, may be you need to clarify that.

After this meeting, under your directive, a letter was issued from your office directly to Maina. Do you have the power according to civil service rules to reinstate or give appointment in the civil service?

Magaji:The letter that has been referenced was not done during my presence, I wasn’t around but civil service is an institution.

So if the legal officer decide to speak base on that, he may be looking at the letter from the FCSC but other people that are administrative officers because we are different; the legal officer understands the process of doing things different from human resources.

So in that meeting the legal adviser whatever he said was his own opinion. But at the end of the day, whatever is right is what is expected to be the conclusion of

•Oyo-Ita that meeting.

Member: You have confessed that you were not there; the communication or the person that instructed was the Attorney General of the federation based on this document.

Magaji: No, the Attorney General of the federation has no power to communicate to any MDA to conduct any type of meeting in reconsidering the reinstatement of any officer without the letter of the head of service.

When that letter from the Attorney General was sent to the federal civil service commission, a copy was also sent to the ministry but because they didn’t receive a letter directing the ministry SSC to hold a meeting, they did not hold that meeting.

When the office of the head of service sent this letter directing them to conduct senior staff meeting in considering the ministry position in dismissing Maina to reinstate him that was why the SSC was conducted.

If that SSC meeting holds without the representative from head of service present, it is null and void.

After the HoS and the PS had concluded their submissions, the AG, Malami Abubakar Malami, had his turn and, like Magaji, he exonerated himself and heaped the basket of errors on his aide, Kehinde Ogini, for sending an unauthorized correspondence to the FCSC.

•Magaji

Maina has not a single seized asset he handed over to the EFCC, and if there are any of such, we would like to know the types of assets, the locations, the date of handing over and which officer signed the handing over document of the assets He said,”I requested for court procedures to verify the claim that the National Industrial Court, NIC, had ordered Maina’s reinstatement in a letter dated Oct 5 and got no response.

“And I gave instructions that the letter be kept in view because there are questions around it that needed to be answered”.

A member of the panel,China, asked the AG to differentiate between the office of the Attorney to the Federation and Attorney General to the Federation.

The AG answered the question

giving vivid explanatory notes on both offices.

He was further queried for not being attentive to his duties.

Responding, the AG said:”The fact that I didn’t get a response from NIC arose my curiosity hence I directed it should be kept in view”.

The Acting Chairman of FCSC, Oluremi Akande, meanwhile, expressed surprise that the AG was denying the letter he sent to his commission.

Before rounding off proceedings of the day at about 1.45pm, Magaji appealed to the panel to put every blame on him being the administrative head of the Ministry, saying, “I take responsibility for every administrative error that has been committed in the course of this whole process of Maina’s reinstatement”.

Oyo-Ita, on her part, declared that Maina remained dismissed from service as far as the rules and her office were concerned.

The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, also made his submission before the House panel.

On looted assets recovered by the EFCC, Magu said Maina never handed over any asset to the commission, adding that assets in EFCC custody were those recovered by the EFCC in the course of its investigation of alleged pension thieves including Maina.

MAINA AND 2019: Buhari’s anticorruption legacy is diminishing – Prof.

Odekunle, member, Sagay Committee Continued from page 11 about; he says they are deceiving President Buhari?

That will not be the first time people have been telling the President to be careful of people around him. I would not say whether I’m of that view publicly but those who are saying that, even including the wife of the President, that would not be an excuse for him because, during Jonathan’s time, people said it wasn’t Jonathan but people around him. People around him were not elected and, therefore, the President must take full responsibility. I’m not unaware of that situation, but the person we elected and in whom we have faith and who we are passionate about, should be the one that we should be concerned about and should get his acts together.

Some observers have opined that strong

institutions are better than strong leaders. In the light of what has gone down regarding the anti-graft agencies, and even the face-off between agencies of state, what’s your take?

It’s a combination. This argument, chicken and egg.

In a developing country, I feel we need strong individuals to enable to put in place strong institutions. Look at Rwanda, decimated by different afflictions, Kagame came from the bush and through a democratic process, but the force of his personality has helped in building those institutions and he turned things around. A lot of us that were dying for the Buhari ascendancy have the opinion that the strength of his character will enable the institutions to function because he’s a kind of leader who would appoint people into offices and expect them to perform and do their work. If we have a strong leader with a vision for the direction we should go, we believe it will affect those anti-corruption agencies. I can tell you, that is going on. That is the core of PACAC’s engagement. * THIS INTERVIEW WAS FIRST AIRED ON CHANNELS TV

Magu argued that the only link between the EFCC and Maina was the participation of a few staff of the commission on the Maina Team.

“Maina has not a single seized asset he handed over to the EFCC, and if there are any of such, we would like to know the types of assets, the locations, the date of handing over and which officer signed the handing over document of the assets. So there can’t be any asset to be shared by the EFCC, and if there was any sharing, we would also like to know when, where, and who partook in the sharing from the EFCC”.

Asked why the EFCC vacated it’s earlier order declaring Maina wanted in 2015 as stated by the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede, Magu denied the letter vacating Maina’s arrest, saying it was signed in December while he took over the EFCC in October of same year but did not instruct any Kabiru, a member of the Maina Team from the EFCC , to sign such a letter and that he was seeing the letter for the first time.

Speaking with journalists outside the venue, Magu made an appeal to Nigerians to stop glorifying corruption.

“His son Faisal Abdulahi has N1.5bn in his account and he is just seven years old and people are glorifying him”, the EFCC boss said. “”He has mansions scattered all over the place; with which salary did he acquire such assets?”

Counsel to Maina, Muhammadu Sani Katu’s attempt to make a lastminute move was waved aside as the panel Chairman reminded him that the committee was not a court.

He later addressed journalists, claiming that Maina had an order from NIC where it was ruled that he should be paid all his entitlements.

According to him, NIC ordered Maina’s reinstatement since 2013 but could not produce any evidence to back his claim.

In his first appearance before the committee, he claimed that Maina earned October salary but could not prove it with a payment slip.

In her presentation, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, told the committee that Maina’s name has been expunged from Federal Government pay roll since March 2013.

The Accountant General of the Federation,AGF, Ahmed Idris, corroborated the Minister ’s position.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3 , 2017, PAGE 13

C M Y K

PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3 , 2017

Kaleidoscope

So sad, quadruplet, mother died four days apart, Toyin Saraki laments •Toyin Saraki

Mrs Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President and Founder-President, Wellbeing Foundation Africa, explains why the death of a woman, after giving birth to quadruplets, should change healthcare in Nigeria forever

L

AST month, medical professionals at Malumfashi General Hospital, Katsina State helped Gaje Zubairu bring the blessing of quadruplets into the world. The initial widespread jubilation at such wonderful news soon, however, gave way to sorrow. One of the babies passed away and was tragically followed four days later by Gaje herself.

This case has attracted such widespread attention not only because of its inherent tragedy but also because of the fundamental issues which led to the loss of the mother and baby. Doctors who attended to Gaje stated that she did not survive because she was malnourished and had not attended antenatal care (ANC). Gaje’s husband reportedly explained that his wives have never attended ANC because the classes are given too far away. This is a story that is all too familiar in Nigeria, where limited access to – and knowledge of – ANC, limited health spending and a widespread failure to deal with postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) makes pregnancy a fatal journey for so many women and their babies. Nigeria now has the second highest rate of maternal mortality in the world. As we address these specific issues we must also look at how best the provision of maternal healthcare and healthcare delivery in general can be transformed in Nigeria.

My organization is committed to improving the health services for expectant and new mothers and it has been a life- long mission of mine to ensure that all mothers give birth in a safe environment. That is why, as Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), I launched the Mamacare clinics over two years ago. Mamacare classes are led by qualified midwives, with partners and family members welcome to attend.

Practical information, advice and support is given to pregnant women to ensure that they are prepared to give birth safely and care for their newborn child. Our midwives are trained to a global standard and expectant mothers are encouraged to discuss any issues relating to their pregnancy. No subject is off-limits in the pursuit of health babies and healthy mothers.

Postpartum hemorrhage A woman’s chance of dying from pregnancy and childbirth in Nigeria over her lifetime is 1 in 23. A staggering

figure. Yet over 200,000 women have taken part in our Mamacare classes, and we have not lost a single mother to death in childbirth. It is my hope that one day Mamacare classes will be available for all mothers in Nigeria, so that all expectant mothers - mothers like Gaje - have the chance to access the education and care that they should be entitled to.

This case also highlighted the issue of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)- a complication resulting from childbirth which can have dire consequences. The Chief Medical Director of Malumfashi General Hospital, Dr. Abdulhamid Abdullahi, highlighted that in addition to not having attended ANC, Gaje’s multiple pregnancies put her at risk of PPH. The impact of PPH is devastating: every year about 100,000 women around the world die of blood loss soon after a baby is born, making it the biggest cause of maternal death worldwide.

In April of this year, an extensive trial conducted by the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene revealed that tranexamic acid, when administered to women

Doctors who attended to Gaje stated that she did not survive because she was malnourished and had not attended antenatal care (ANC) experiencing PPH, can reduce maternal deaths by 30%. This drug, which costs just $3 per injection, should be a health focus for those of us passionate about reducing maternal mortality – particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for a shocking 99% of deaths which occur due to PPH. The distribution of this drug in Africa would have a significant impact on the lives of many mothers and we must consider how we can increase the accessibility of such interventions both in Nigeria and across Africa.

Whilst both education about the

importance of ANC and increasing access to life-saving drugs is crucial, we must also reflect on the realities of healthcare in Nigeria. With an estimated population of 191 million, less than 5% of the Nigerian population is covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Some progress has been made - the National Assembly of Nigeria has wisely vowed to carry out a pro-health legislative agenda and, in July, Nigeria’s Senate President launched the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage to address “the issue of financing in healthcare in a sustainable manner to reach all Nigerians.” I trust that this network will pave the way for Universal Health Coverage and a health system which will provide the life-saving medicine and care which is taken for granted elsewhere in the world.

Goodbye, Gaje Zubairu Women, children and communities in Nigeria deserve the best global standards in care. That will require a change in public policy, in attitudes and through better education, and improved accessibility of quality ANC. It will also necessitate the best in modern medicine being made universally available, so that our mothers are not left to bleed to death. In the meantime, let us pray that Gaje Zubairu and her child rest in peace – and may we all dedicate ourselves to ensuring that their legacy is healthy mothers and children in Nigeria and across the world.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017,PAGE 15

People

Amb. Ngozi Kachickwu:

Mobilizing one million to march against violence Amb. Ngozi Kachikwu

O

n the heels of a report that millions of Nigerians in 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may face food crisis in 2018 following insurgency, flood, windstorm, dry spell, early cessation rainfall, invasion of predators (fall armyworm, locusts, pest and insects) and communal conflicts, an organisation is mobilising for a one-million-man march to sensitise the people, especially the youths, on the negative effects of violence.

The report titled, ‘Cadre Harmonise’, and used to identify risk areas and vulnerable populations, had projected that, between October and December 2017, about 3.1 million people may face food crisis in the 16 states and the FCT. “The 16 states and FCT were affected by various hazards and vulnerability, especially insurgency, flood, windstorm, dry spell, early cessation rainfall, invasion of predators (fall armyworm, locusts, pest and insects) and communal conflicts, etc.

These had impacted negatively on the food and nutrition security as well as livelihood”, it said.

“Staple food and cash crops production during the 2017/ 2018 growing season is above five-year average levels across most of the states. Exceptions are conflict prone areas of northeast, including Borno,

Yobe and Adamawa states”.

Analysing the report during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Country Representative, Sufyyan Koroma, said it was necessary to provide reliable data on food security status in the 16 states and FCT. Koroma, who was represented by Patrick David, called on the Nigerian government to strengthen and institutionalise the collection of data on food and nutrition in the country.

The Permanent Secretary,

towards the lean season (June-August 2018), although the impact may tamper with dry season farming activities.

However, insurgency continues to have negative impact on food production in the most affected areas of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

“Elevated food prices traversed across the 16 states and FCT with increase ranging from 30 to 170 per cent. Cereal prices increased by 60 to 200 per cent in September 2017 relative to the five-year average and by 10 to 50 per cent when compared to the same time last year.

“Similarly, legume and tuber price were above the 2016 and five- year average by 36 and 87 per cent, respectively. Household stocks in most of these states will last at least three months. However, high food price will constrain food

We are organizing a onemillion-march to sensitize Nigerians, especially the youths who are more prone to it, on the negative effects of violence; it creates poverty and stifles investments Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Bukar Hassan, stated that the report will assist government to take steps to address food crisis and emergency situations in the country.

The report added, “Food availability in most states is expected to decline normally

access for most households in the three worst conflict affected states (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa).

“Food availability and access to food will be stable considering favorable growing season and potential for dry season activities across the states, except in the northeast states of Borno,

Yobe and Adamawa”.

The states affected by food and nutrition insecurity are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT. The report was put together by FAO, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) among other agencies.

Ambassador Ngozi Kachikwu, the founder of Ngozi Kitchen, referring to the report, said violence creates poverty and stifles investments, saying it was the reason the onemillion-march was being organised, in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, to say ‘no’ to violence anywhere in the country.

Kachikwu’s told Sunday Vanguard in Abuja: “We are organizing a one-millionmarch to sensitize Nigerians, especially the youths who are more prone to it, on the negative effects of violence; it creates poverty and stifles investments”.

Disclosing that Ngozi Kitchen would be launched after the march, she explained that the initiative was going to partner state governments across the country to create jobs and train people in areas that will empower them and thus boost food security.

The celebrity chef author of the ‘Dishes of Africa’, who has appeared in many television shows in the

US and across the globe, said Ngozi Kitchen was borne out of her love for mankind.

‘Dishes of Africa’ is sold in book stores, online, retail stores all over the world in different languages.

According to her, Spain, Kingdom of Morocco, South Africa, Portugal, Algeria, among others, are collaborating with Ngozi Kitchen to boost food security.

“The government of Spain, through its initiative with farms and retail giants, is partnering the Federal Government to address household food nutritional security through subsidized food items. Hidden hunger persists in Nigeria and Africa because of the lack of knowledge of the right foods to help our bodies. A healthy nation churns out a healthy workforce”, she said.

Saying she had also been featured in a journal specialising in food on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, emphasis on olive oils, pulses, vegetables and lots of waters, Kachikwu stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari found her recipe very useful as a home economics guide to unite schools all over Nigeria.

“He (Buhari) used the opportunity of his position as the Chairman of the PTDF to recommend the recipe to the Ministry of Education. It was endorsed and recommended in writing”, she stated.

The Ambassador of Investments to a region in Spain and Ambassador of Goodwill to former President Bill Clinton’s state, Little Rock, Arkansas, US recommended cooperation to curb malnutrition in Nigeria with over ten million people suffering from ailments based on lack of proper foods match.

PAGE 16 —SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Buhari stuck in self-made Bermuda Triangle “

T

he Senate notes that the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms headed by Maina, in the course of discharging its mandate, recovered about 222 houses, hotels, investment portfolios and properties from pension fund suspects in Abuja and other major cities across the country.”

Senator Emmanuel Paulker, Chairman Senate Committee investigating “Mainagate”.

One of the abiding mysteries of our world is what happens in that part of the South Atlantic called the Bermuda Triangle. Any aircraft, ship or submarine which enters the area has been known to vanish without trace. Buhari might have created for himself his own equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle with his appointment of three individuals into three of the most sensitive posts in his government – the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, the Director General of the Department of State Services, DG-DSS and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The Senate investigation into what is now known as “Mainagate” has thrown up so many issues about each of these officials of the Buhari administration, as well as some others (National Security Adviser, Police and ICPC) as to threaten to wreck whatever is left of Buhari’s reputation as an indefatigable corruption fighter.

Already damaged by the manner in which the cases of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and the DG of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, were handled by Buhari himself, Mainagate has exposed two facts about the Buhari administration which would be impossible to refute.

Because Buhari in 2015, as in 1984, has repeatedly demonstrated that he values loyalty more than leadership, defined as competence and character, he has always appointed people whose intelligence and integrity are not good enough for some of us, for the job assigned to them. In 2017 as in 1984, he headed home to Daura and Katsina, and added a few inlaws, to select his most trusted aides. In 1984-5, that resulted in the palace coup that brought his government down. He is at it again. The consequences of his penchant for nepotism are still to unfold as the revelations from Mainagate suggest that he might again be caught in a web of his own making on account of the three officers holding those positions.

In December 2015, an article was published titled IS THE DSS MISLEADING BUHARI AND GOVERNMENT? Three instances were cited in which the DSS made outlandish accusations against individuals which could not be substantiated. On account of these claims individual

Know Your Worth The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul -John Calvin hey say, that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, so who would have thought in the 21st century that, the African continent will be dealing with an evil most depraved, an inquitity, a horror that should have been extinct and consigned to a repugnant past. Instead, slave trade has reared its ugly talons and it is festering and burgeoning in full view and in living memory. Yet for too long, many African leaders and politicians have pretended and choose not to see, hear or speak of this malignant evil.

They continue to live in denial and perpetuate the myth that all is well; of course it is in their own self -deluded bubble.

We have missed out the dictum that what affects one, actually affects the other.

We, as Africans coined the saying that, it takes a village to raise a child, so where is

T

C M Y K

our collective moral compass and responsibilities?

Thankfully, these are different times and times are changing. People are more media savvy and information is accessible.

They did not bank on the power of social media, so how could we have ignored this horror for this long? The main media weren’t interested because this was an African issue happening to black people in Africa.

NO, good people cannot stand by and let bad things happen and say or do nothing.

We cannot normalise this sights and ignore the sounds of suffering that we saw on digital media.We must repudiate this inhumane activity and put the mirror firmly to the faces of African leaders that this aberration was directly and indirectly their fault. Unequivocally their bag and theirs alone.

They failed to provide adequate basic needs and productive opportunities for the people to enable them to thrive and work their way out

rights were violated and invasion of privacy occurred.

Till today, none had been proved. That is not how professional security agencies work globally. Before the FBI, CIA, KGB or Scotland Yard accuses anyone of crime, they ensure they have a credible case to prosecute.

The same DSS is now deeply involved in Mainagate in two ways. First, it is no longer news that Mr Maina, still regarded as fugitive from law, was reinstated to his office and even promoted. It is also now public knowledge that the Police and the DSS allegedly provided extraspecial security for a man accused of embezzling billions of naira from Pensioners. Nobody needs to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to understand that there must be concerns when a security chief allegedly approves the posting of his staff to an accused person.

Second, at the Senate hearing on Mainagate, Senator Paulker informed Nigerians that the EFCC, ICPC, DSS, Police and paramilitary agencies executed recoveries of properties procured by the alleged pension looters and took over the recovered assets.

Granted, the EFCC took custody statutorily, the fact now remains that nobody knows which properties were recovered and where they are now. The suspicion now is that some officials of the task force might have shared them. The DSS should have blown the whistle to clear doubts?

Now we turn to the Minister of Justice and AGF, Mr Malami, SAN. The nation’s Chief Law Officer admitted that he met with Maina in the United Arab Emirates, UAE, in January 2016 after coming under pressure from Maina, in the company of the President’s National Security Adviser, NSA, General Babagana Magoro (rtd). The meeting occurred while the EFCC, under Buhari, still regarded Maina as a fugitive of poverty. They have enriched their pockets and improvised the masses. If a society is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members, then, that society has failed to treat its citizens well and it is not a decent and a just society.

So it is little wonder, people want to leave.

People have for far too long

This is so tragic and waste of human lives.

Surely, African lives should count a lot more than this. If we do not place value on ourselves then no one would lived on hope and when hope ran out then most of them, desperately embarked on a perilous journey because they want to improve their lives and that of their family. Libya became the route most take on their long journey towards their final destination-Europe.

Many African migrants pay large sums to smugglers to travel in unseaworthy vessels for their passage to Italy.

For this, they live in squalid holding cells in vessels operated by smugglers. Many never reach their desired destinations, thousands die when their boat sink or drown.

Some are plucked from the sea suffering all manner of

reported to be allegedly shared by some interest groups.”

This is Buhari’s government remember. And these are his top crime busters being accused of not being correct in all materials particular; aiding a wanted man to evade arrest; granting the same man immunity from arrest and prosecution and allegedly sharing seized assets (i.e re-looting the loot) which belongs to all Nigerians without Presidential rebuke or sanction.

Buhari’s reputation has entered the “Bermuda Triangle”. Will it survive it?

for reinstatement of Maina.

But, that denial has been challenged by Mr Joseph Akande, Ag Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, FCSC, who pointed out that between January 19 and April 27, 2017, the FCSC received three letters from the AGF directing the reinstatement of Maina. Thus we have on our hands, courtesy of Buhari’s poor judgment about people, an AGF who might have deliberately aided a fugitive to return home and escape arrest; got him reinstated and then perhaps went before the Senate to say things that are not particularly accurate about it. What happened to honour? As John

Whittier, 1807-1892, had reminded us: “when faith is lost, when honour dies, the man is dead.” Do we then have a walking corpse scenario here?

When the mind turns to the EFCC Acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, the heart bleeds for Buhari, for Magu, for his supporters and for Nigeria. He was inherited from the Jonathan administration which had committed the largest national robbery of all time in any nation. Under Jonathan, no single highprofile case moved forward from where his predecessors left them. Buhari did not need to retain Magu. But, he did and thereafter the nation has been treated to media publicity regarding amounts recovered, houses, lands, cars, properties and hotels seized. But, there has been no comprehensive report on how much money and what has happened to the assets claimed to have been seized.

Buhari’s attempt to make him substantive Chairman of the EFCC was blocked by a security report from his “ever loving friends” at the DSS. His supporters who would rather have the Senate ignore the damning charges against have not forgiven the Senate, especially the Senate President, Saraki, for daring to turn down Magu’s nomination. They must have forgotten what Charles De Gaulle, 1890-1970 said that “The graveyards are full of indispensable people.”

Some people have a case to answer. Apparently two hundred and twenty two properties seized by the task force were handed to the EFCC. According to Senator Paulker, “The Senate further observed that the EFCC, as a member of the Maina-led pension task force team, had statutory powers to impound and take custody of assets. The Senate is alarmed that the total recovered assets from alleged pension thieves are

terror and injuries, then decanted to several detention camps or they face years of uncertainty. Those are the lucky ones, the others, they fall into the arms of human traffickers, criminals and slavers.

This modern day slavery’s sad part is people are leaving this country because they are desperate after knowing the slim chances of making it safely overhand still with the horror stories and the racism and assault they face daily in Europe does not deter them and their determination to continue to make others want to come because for them staying at home is worse than taking chances. This is so tragic and waste of human lives. Surely, African lives should count a lot more than this. If we do not place value on ourselves then no one would. That is why many are dying and our leaders do nothing and why should others care?

What makes this poignant is this racist’s remnant of the slavery days when black people were stolen and captured out of Africa to become no more than property and beasts of burden, bought and sold and done with as it pleases the slavers.

The emotional scars remains passed down through generations and those that capitalise on this always espouse the superiority dominance when opportunities like this arises .

The United Nations and the African Union and countries affected by this scandal are

slowly addressing this modern day tragedy. It is too little, too late. This should never have happened and never again would one would have thought in this day and age on African soil or anywhere for that matter.

Those who survived and are fortunate to be rescued, their living nightmares has only just begun. The trauma and emotional scars goes deeper than the immediate repatriation, it will take years to recover from such horror and it will take patience, understanding and support to recover. The country is not equipped with adequate resources or manpower to deal with the aftermath of the trauma that such people have had to endure. These people need help from the government but also from immediate family and the community.

I repeat, our own African leaders have made such heinous environment possible that desperate people are leaving their homes and their family, to try their luck and their future on such doomed and perilous journey. No one in their right mind would go on such dangerous odyssey if they had a choice or a bright opportunity for the future.

Last week, hundreds of protesters, mostly young black people led the protest outside the Libyan Embassy in Paris chanting, “Put an end to the slavery and

concentration camps in Libya.” They are also actively taken to the social media to sign against the Libyan slavers and people smugglers.

Rwanda so far has shown such magnanimity and has offered to resettle some 30,000 returnees regardless of their nationality.In an official statement, the Foreign Ministry said Rwanda was “horrified” that “African men women and children who were on the road to exile have been held and turned into slaves.”

And “Given Rwanda’s political philosophy and our own history, we cannot remain silent when human beings are being mistreated and auctioned off like cattle,” It puts this in context, knowing the tragic past of Rwanda’s history apparently referred to bloodletting in 1994 when more than 800,000 people perished in a genocide, “We may not be able to welcome everyone but our door is wide open,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat, the newly appointed head of the African Union, said on Twitter that Rwanda had offered to resettle as many as 30,000 migrants.

He said he was “deeply appreciative” of the offer.

PMB said he was appalled by what he had seen, “Some Nigerians in the footage, were being sold like goats for few dollars in Libya,”. PMB, with due respect, has time to deal with the root cause.

and was asking anybody knowing his whereabouts to report to the nearest police station. But, Buhari’s trusted AGF and NSA knew where the man was and failed to report to the police. Instead, they worked together to return the man to Nigeria and thereafter a series of tragic-comical measures were taken to reinstate the accused and even pay him arrears of salary – with promotion as an extradividend for a man who did not sit for promotional exams!!

Buhari’s AGF was right in the know.

At the moment, Malami is denying giving final approval

Buhari’s trusted AGF and NSA knew where the man was and failed to report to the police.

Instead, they worked together to return the man to Nigeria and thereafter a series of tragic-comical measures were taken to reinstate the accused and even pay him arrears of salary

ADEIU MY BROTHER DR ALEX EKWUEME, GCON “Good man; wrong profession.” Gen. Omar Bradley, 1893-1981.

Omar Bradley, America’s first and perhaps only five star general, made that remark when told that General Dwight Eisenhower, was going to contest for the Presidency. The Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II had been persuaded by the Republicans to toss his hat into the ring. Eisenhower eventually won, but he left no legacy worthy of note despite eight years as President of the USA. Only God knows how Ekwueme emerged as Vice Presidential candidate of the National Party of Nigeria in 1978/9. The experience ended in disaster for him.

When the Shagari administration was sacked by the military on December 31, 1983, and Buhari took over as Military Head of State, Shagari, the President and Head of Government, was placed under house arrest.

Ekwueme, the Vice President and “Spare Tyre” was sent to Kirikiri despite the fact that he was not found guilty of any crime. It was blatant and ethnic injustice of the worst kind -- for which Buhari should apologise to the man posthumously….

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 17

Supremacy Tussle:

Wizkid continues to floor Davido

BY ROTIMI AGBANA

T

•Wizkid

he 22nd edition of the prestigious MOBO awards, (Music of Black Origin), held during the week at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, United Kingdom, with Nigeria’s self styled lion, Wizkid, winning the award for Best International Act, edging out international stars; Drake, Jayz, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, SZA among others, while Davido, who performed at the awards beat Wizkid, Mr. Eazi, Maleek Berry, Sarkodie, Eugy, Juls, among others to win the Best African Act award.

Music pundits may be tempted to argue that the ‘If’ crooner has so far won the supremacy tussle because he has triumphed over Wizkid seven times in award categories both of them were nominated and also recently edging him out at the 2017 MTV EMA by winning the Best

Poverty brought out the musician in me —Gospel singer, Douglas

N

•Douglas

ecessity, they say, is the mother of invention, little wonder Nigerian banker turned gospel singer, Douglas Danor, otherwise known as 3D, parades himself as a true epitome of the popular mantra.

Speaking at the maiden edition of ‘Worship without limits’ gospel music concert which recently held in Lagos, the convener, Douglas Danor revealed that his experience with poverty pushed him into music after he lost his lucrative job as a banker.

“Worship without limits berthed as a result of my experiences in life; I was a banker but at a time I was sacked and things became very rough for me and my family. It was in the midst of that roughness, I wrote the songs I sing now. I also made some dangerous vows to God that if He brings me out of my precarious situation, I would use everything I have to serve him; so that’s what gave birth to this idea”, he noted.

He added that the essence of the concert was to convince others that there was nothing beyond God. He said; “The essence of this idea is to get people to believe that if God can change my own story, he can change theirs also because I came out of a situation whereby I had to sell my wedding ring and other properties just to feed, pay my children’s school fees and take care of other things.”

African Act award, he still seems to be at a frustrating loss as Wizkid holds the bragging rights over him for winning the Best International Act at the just concluded MOBO awards, Best African Act, Africa Category, at the 2017 BET awards in which they were both nominated, including Song of the year and Artiste of the Year Awards at AFRIMA 2017.

Frankly speaking, in head-to-head situations, Davido’s award shelf is definitely taking baby steps compared to the giant strides Wizkid’s shelf boasts of.

Meanwhile, President Buhari, former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Senator Ben Bruce, Don Jazzy, Banky W, Terry G, among many others, have congratulated and continued to celebrate both pop stars.

While congratulating Wizkid on his Facebook page, former President, Goodluck Jonathan, expressed profound happiness at Wizkid’s win.

“When Nigeria does well, I cannot help but feel well. My happiness is tied to the happiness of Nigeria and when

Nigerians break records and take the name of Nigeria to greater heights, it exhilarates me. Thank you Wizkid, for raising Nigeria’s flag high for the positive, not the negative. Your emergence as the Best International Act at the MOBO awards is a proud moment for Nigeria. And the fact that you emerged over Jay Z and Drake makes it even more celebratory. Well done” GEJ wrote.

Also congratulating Wizkid on Twitter, for making Nigeria proud was Senator Ben Bruce. “Dear @wizkidayo, I‘ve been in the entertainment business as an investor since 1980 and one of my proudest moments for Nigerian music is the day you defeated both Jayz and Drake, two of the biggest stars in the world, to win the Best international Act at the MOBO awards, well done” he wrote.

Mavin Records henchman, Don Jazzy, couldn’t hide his excitement; he took to Instagram to celebrate both artistes, crowning them the kings of Nigerian music.

“Congrats kings; we’re proud of you guys, Nigeria, Africa. We can all fly, see sky, make we fly”, he wrote.

Scam alert: I’m no longer on Facebook, don’t fall victim to fraudsters – Anita Joseph D

electable Nollywood actress and singer should be having a swell time in the United States of America where she is vacationing but the reverse is the case, as the diva’s attention has been drawn to some crimes being perpetrated in her name on Facebook.

According to the voluptuous Anita, some friends of hers called her attention to some Facebook pages purportedly owned by her with her pictures being used to defraud unsuspecting people. In one of the evidences made available to Potpourri, her picture is boldly displayed and presented in such a way that says she’s soliciting men for romantic relationships.

One of such scam pages reads thus: “ I am a very honest, loving, caring and romantic lady. I am here to find love, and start a serious relationship with a loving and caring man. Please let me know your intentions and opinion about me and if love, romance and a serious relationship is what you are looking for, feel free to contact me, maybe, you are the man I have been waiting for, and I am the lady you have been looking for, stay blessed and search no more, I am here for you,” Using her picture they quote her name as Felicite, aged 37. According to her, they ultimately request for money from victims.

Addressing the development she told Potpourri on phone that she’s no longer on Facebook, stating emphatically that she had been off the platform for six months or thereabouts.

“I’m no more on Facebook. I have been off it for about six months. I have heard many reports about how people dupe others in my name, requesting for money to have a date with me. The reports have been coming from many quarters and it is high time I addressed this and let the whole world know I have nothing to do with it.

Any Facebook account out there in my name or bearing my picture is fake. I repeat, I am not on Facebook any more. It is so embarrassing and it saddens me that people can be using me to defraud people. I repeat, I am not on Facebook anymore, I am only on Instagram as @anitajoseph8,” she said.

•Anita

Dupsy, Assata, Damola showcase talents at Foretaste Concert

I

t was a soul-stirring evening of gospel music as Dupsy Oyeneyin, Assata All-well Brown, Victoria Orenze and Ifeoluwa Akinpelu a.k.a Ife Worships showcased their music talents before a packed audience at the 4th edition of Foretaste Concert at Muson Centre, Lagos.

Speaking on the vision of Foretaste and its impacts, host and initiator, Dupsy Oyeneyin told the media that it all started in 1987 when she gave her life to Christ and joined in a choir ministration.

C M Y K

Dupsy said that she started recording her own songs professionally in 1999 after she contributed in recording an album while in the University fellowship choir. “But I ventured into gospel music professionally in 2004 before the vision of Foretaste came to reality."

According to her, “Foretaste itself wasn’t my idea, it was divinely given to me for a start. I can still recall that when I first had the inspiration to do

it, I thought it was for someone God was referring me to, because to me I’m not a good planner naturally. But since we kicked off with the 1st edition till this 4th edition, God has been bringing people my way and the concert is getting better by the day. My happiness today is that through the gospel music concert, God has been impacting lives and thousands of people are testifying.

In addition, her husband, Gbemi Oyeniyin said the vision of Foretaste is all about worship.

How excesses of unscrupulous crowd nearly marred Phyno’s Phynofet

BY LUMINOUS JANNAMIKE

F

or entertainment aficionados in the South-East, Sunday, November 19, 2017 was a fresh experience for them as they stormed the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu for an evening of breathtaking performances by their very own Phyno, Flavour, Runtown, and Zoro, who literally made the entertainment utopia a reality for them during the PhynoFest concert.

Hosted by ace broadcaster, Olisa Adibua, the 22,000 capacity concert venue was packed with attendance; affirming, as the stuff of legend, Phyno’s cult-like following in the Eastern part of Nigeria.

Seldom, do Nigerian artistes stage individual shows that attract the numbers that Phyno has been able to mobilise to sell- out the Enugu stadium back-to-back.

However, one of the unpalatable highlights of the events was when D’banj helped a female fan who was being assaulted by a section of the crowd at the music festival.

The Kokomaster abruptly stopped his

performance and queried: “What nonsense? Which kind barbaric nonsense is that?” when he noticed the sexual assault meted on the female fan.

He asked security at the event to rescue the fan and bring her to the stage for safety. However, that move stirred the ire of the overly enthusiastic crowd as they started throwing plastic bottles on stage but D’banj somehow managed to take control of the show and got the crowd going haywire again.

Aside from that case of harassment which had D’banj intervening, no fewer than 30 other girls were allegedly raped by unscrupulous fans while the event was going on; indicating a strong need for better security at subsequent major concerts to check their excesses.

Toyin Abraham, Derenle Edun set to thrill as hosts at Lagos Street Carnival today

P

opular Nollywood screen diva, Toyin Abraham, and Nigeria’s fashion sensation, Derenle Edun, have both been confirmed as red carpet anchors for the biggest event in West Africa, “The Lagos Street Carnival”.

The event which is set to shut down the streets of Lagos, is slated for today, Sunday, December 3, 2017. This is coming from the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, at a news conference in Alausa.

Artistic live performances from the music industry superstars include appearances from: the YBNL boss himself, Olamide; the “Osinachi” crooner, Humblesmiths; the gaga master Terry G; the “living things” don, 9ice; the sexy screen diva, Niniola; fuji masters, Saheed Osupa, Malaika; Fuji first lady Salawa Abeni; king of music, Big Shot; the “Ponmile” gyrator, Reminisce; the “Penalty ” master, Small Doctor; the “Jagaban” s i n g e r, Ycee; DJ lambo, DJ Spinall, Mc Arole, and lots of many others.

Over 700 revelers are

•Phyno and a fan set to storm the event in colorful costumes, designs, and animations displayed an orderly procession.

This is in representation of the cultural diversity of the ethnic groups spread out across Lagos State. The Lagos Street Carnival is an annual opportunity presented in a grand street party for Lagosians to celebrate with one another, and to showcase the diversity of L a g o s culture.

•Denrele

Frank Edoho returns as TV game show host

BY ROTIMI AGBANA easoned broadcaster and former host of ‘Who S Wants To Be a Millionaire’,

Frank Edoho and Radio Personality, Emmanuel Essien, popularly known as ‘Mannie’, have been unveiled as hosts for the oldest American TV game show, ‘The Price is Right’.

Being a freak for game shows, Frank Edoho expressed profound gratitude to Genesis Studios and SPAR for giving him the opportunity to host the show because, prior to the offer, he had been jobless as a result of completing his job as host of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire game show.

“I’m excited for this opportunity given to me by Genesis Studios and SPAR Nigeria to host ‘The Price is Right, particularly because I’m a freak for game shows and because, prior to this time, as you all know, I’ve been jobless. I look forward to having an exciting time as host for the oldest living TV game show”, he said Genesis Studios, in partnership with SPAR, recently introduced the oldest and most successful American TV game show, ‘The Price is Right’, to the viewing pleasure of the Nigerian audience.

In a chat with Potpourri, MD/CEO of Genesis Studios, Mr Olatubosun Olaegbe expressed optimism that the 61-years old TV show would successfully serve as entertainment panache for the Nigerian audience.

•Frank Edoho “The Price is Right is a world class game show that would engage and entertain the entire family. It is the perfect format for us and we know it will be a massive success in Nigeria”, he said.

According to Mr. Prakash Keswani, the General Manager, SPAR Nigeria, SPAR is glad to have cemented the partnership deal which offers a one-stop shop for its several partners to leverage on and drive sales for their products through on air and on-ground c o n s u m e r engagement.

“This partnership reenforces the value proposition of the SPAR brand as it affords the opportunity to reward her loyal customers by ensuring that they truly have a rewarding shopping experience in SPAR outlets.”

RMD, Said Balogun, others for Aristocrat Clothing launch today

T

•Toyin

C M Y K

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

PAGE 18, SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017

•RMD

oday December 3, 2017, Aristocrat Clothing Store, owned by celebrity journalist turned fashion designer, Kayode Alfred, will be launched.

The opening of the fashion house and unveiling of his new collections at Vikay House in Ogba-Lagos.

The event will feature fashion runways, alongside music, comedy and other entertainment condiments that will thrill guests, Guests billed to honour the event include Nollywood veteran actors, Richard Mofe Damijo, Saidi Balogun, Faithia Balogun and many top socialites and corporate big boys and girls who are believed to be fashion buffs.

In the same vein, Aristocrat will also be spicing the event with the introduction of Aristocrat Woman, which will readily complement that of the male stock. Kayode is fully poised to tame the pedestrian and largely formulaic fashion culture that Nigeria has become accustomed to.

The Aristocrat brand has partnered with the top of the range fashion outfit, Twice as Nice, one of the leading fashion companies in Nigeria to sell Aristocrat casuals and face caps.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 19

How Asaba big girls started money-and-sex-for-movie roles stuff - Omalicha Elom

BY ROTIMI AGBANA

P

r etty actress, Omalicha Elom, has seen it all and is determined to walk her way up the ladder of stardom.

In this interview with Potpourri, she talks about producing her first movie, sexual harassment, sex, love, etc. Enjoy her…

What new projects are you working on?

I’m about to produce my first movie titled ‘Marriage Police’. The storyline revolves around domestic violence, abusive marriages, and other causes of marriage breakups, such as over protectiveness,

jealousy and nagging.

Do you agree that actresses are fast taking over movie production?

I think it’s becoming a woman’s world. The women are out there to take over and make more money. For the upcoming actresses that also venture into movie productions, I think they do it because they are tired of constant sexual harassment from producers. Producers are always asking for sex or money.

Have you ever been a victim of sexual harassment?

Yes! After I joined AGN in 2011, there was an audition I went for; while auditioning, the producer asked me to play out seducing him. As I was acting it with all my

heart, not knowing he had ulterior motives, he grabbed my boobs and I was shocked.

I cautioned him and walked out from his office. After that, I really felt discouraged but I didn’t give up. I told my mum and family members and they gave me lots of moral support.

Don’t you think its desperate actresses who seduce the producers?

This is very true because some of them feel their body can answer all things. To be honest, some of the so-called Asaba big girls started this act of paying money and offering sex for movie roles because they want to

•Omalicha

Location shots of Ejine Okoroafor’s True Vision S

umptuously busty Nollywood damsel, Ejine Okoroafor has just about wrap up shooting of her latest movie, titled ‘True Vision’ and the make-believe world can’t wait to savour this special delicacy being spiced with seasoned character like Deyemi Okanlawon, Femi Jacobs, Ebele Okaro, Chinyere Wi n i f r e d , Ufoma McDermott and former Big Brother Africa Contestant, Lilian Afegbai, among others.

However, the producer and lead star in the movie, Ejine Okoroafor has made available to Potpourri some of the location shots from the movie.

‘True Vision’ tells the story of Janet and Janice, identical twins with different characteristic traits. While Janet is married to a serial womanizer, her twin sister, Janice is a daredevil in pursuit of mischievous adventures, which in turn, culminate in irreparable disaster in the end.

Written by Doris Arole and directed by ace movie director, Charles Nwagbai, the movie which is replete with suspense will keep viewers glued to their seats to the very end.

After I joined AGN in 2011, there was an audition I went for; while auditioning, the producer asked me to play out seducing him. As I was acting it with all my heart, not knowing he had ulterior motives, he grabbed my boobs and I was shocked

appear in movies by all means.

In Asaba, some girls give producers N100,000, N200,000, just to appear in one or two scenes.

So you agree that there are prostituting actresses in Nollywood?

Yes, there are, and it’s quite painful and annoying.

However, it’s in other places too; in different sectors.

You recently granted an interview where you boldly said you’re not ashamed to ask a guy for sex, is this true?

I never said such; the reporter quoted me out of context. How can I boldly ask a guy out or even ask for sex when I am an African, it’s not part of us! I said, I have dated only two guys in my life and I am presently single and not in any relationship. I don’t know where the reporter got that from. If I really like a guy, I can only imagine him in my head as my boyfriend, but I can’t walk up to him to ask for sex. No way! I’m a very romantic type but not crazy.

People say oral sex is dirty, what do you think about it?

I don’t know about other people but I don’t like it at all.

And if your husband wants it?

The bible says women should be submissive to their husbands, so if I get married and my husband wants oral sex, I’ll give it to him, so I can make heaven.

Would you also give him anal sex?

I can’t do that at all. In fact, I know my husband can’t be crazy enough to ask me for anal sex when he is not Bobrisky.

Can you forgive a cheating partner?

Never ever! Because once I’m in a relationship, I stay very loyal and faithful. So, I would not even look back when the person cheats on me, be it my husband or boyfriend. Once, you have me, let it be me forever until we part ways. Don’t even try to cheat on me. They say men are polygamous in nature, but it’s not right. Before a woman would cheat, something deep must have happened.

How spiritual are you?

I am very spiritual. I don’t joke with Church. I always pay my tithes, even when someone gives me money I pay my tithe from it. I make sure I help the less privileged as often as I can. I fast and pray when need be. I might be crazy, but I really love God and everything that concerns Him. So, what’s your take on tithing?

I pay my tithe all the time and I sow seeds, that’s why God keeps blessing me. It’s in the Bible, I can’t remember the Bible verse, but it’s there.

So you disagree with Daddy Freeze’s argument on tithing?

Firstly, I don’t know who Daddy Freeze is and I don’t care to know. All I know is that people should pay their tithes and allow God to bless them abundantly.

C M Y K

PAGE 20 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017

bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 08056180152, SMS only

Was she given the wrong baby at the hospital?

W

HEN Amina got married some 15 years ago, she agreed with Simon her new husband to have three children in quick succession.

That way, the children would grow quickly and hopefully flee

the nest when they should, leaving them enough time to enjoy the rest of their lives. They reckoned without fate. Three sons later, Amina pleaded with her husband to try for the ever-eluding daughter. He reluctantly agreed on the premise that if the fourth child were a son, that would be it.

“As luck would have it,” Amina said, “we had a daughter. Heaven knows what would have happened if we didn’t. The prayers I said, the positions we tried that ‘friends’ vowed would guarantee a daughter, all contributed to my having a dangerously high blood pressure. What a relief when my daughter eventually arrived!

Someone to dress up and share secrets with - a far cry from the three rascals who were always smashing windows and messing up the house with their rough games.

“After I gave birth to Anita my daughter, I spent days on end . marvelling at her. A girl! A girl!

Yes, she has completed our family, but not quite in the way I expected. I love her so much it hurts, but I have never experienced anything as exhausting as her. I thought I’d mastered this mothering lark, but Anita’s behaviour drives me to tears. I convince myself God sent her to us to teach us a lesson.

I’m just not sure what that lesson is. Why is she such a handful? Is it because she’s the only girl? She complains she has ‘no one to play with’ and wishes she had a sister.

Well, it’s not going to happen!

“It’s not as if she wants for attention. Her brothers thinks she’s spoiled because I spend so much time and money satisfying her desire for girlie things. Her room is full of toys and she has a constant stream of friends round to play with - although she often screams at them so badly that they ask, tearfully, if they can go home.

And she constantly terrorises the household. Last Saturday, she started terrorising us again. I was in the sitting room with my three sons when the all-too-familiar wailing started. We’d just settled down with some fast-food treats to watch a film my eldest just

brought in, excited about a lovely evening together after seeing off Anita who was spending the night with my younger sister’s girls. ‘See you tomorrow’ we all told her. Then, out of earshot, the boys let out a whoop of delight.

“Because although Anita may look angelic, she acts like a little demon. She bites. She scratches.

She shouts and wails, caterwauling for hours if she doesn’t get what she wants. And she never wants to go to bed. After hours spent coaxing and cajoling her, I inevitably lose my temper, often giving her a good whack in the bum as I marched her to her room from where her screams can last up to an hour. So, most Saturday nights, we run out of time to do anything together at all. But this time, I had managed to persuade my sister to take her for the night - promising endless favours.

“We were so looking forward to spending quality time together.

The boys and I are a harmonious

unit when left alone, but we had only just settled down with the night’s treat when we heard it outside: the unmistakeable sound of my daughter shouting her head off. ‘What’s that?’ asked my eldest son nervously, ‘is it Anita?’ One of them reached for the remote control and turned the volume up. ‘Probably the neighbours playing pranks,’ he said hopefully. Two minutes later, there was a frantic banging on the front door. And there, on the doorstep was my little girl, angry-faced and screaming. ‘I want to come home,’ she wailed inconsolably.

My sister, standing beside her shrugged, looking desperate.

‘Sorry sis,’ she said. ‘She just wouldn’t settle.’

“So our lovely evening was destroyed - just like every other evening and almost every other day. I couldn’t help reminding myself I had wanted this - I did everything I could to ensure I got a girl after three boys. Although

every expectant mother insists she doesn’t care what sex her child is, when surveyed, 45 per cent of women admitted they longed for a girl. My advice? Be careful what you wish for! My Anita seemed to hit the terrible twos and never leave them behind. Whereas my sons are sweetness and light, Anita is loud, noisy, screechy and demanding. We live in a state of shock - a six-year-old girl’s version of martial law.

“Everything with her is a trial: from washing her hair (she hates that) to cutting her nails (she hates that even more) to getting her dressed (this invokes hours of screaming). And so we all creep around her - it’s like treading on eggshells. I’ve tried to put my foot down, but Anita has defied everything. Because she hates being smacked, I recently yelled (in extreme annoyance): ‘Right, that’s it. I’m going to smack you real hard!’ ‘Oh are you?’ she said, cool as a cucumber.

‘Go ahead then - and see if I

Never feel discouraged

Y

OUR column to express your loving thoughts in words to your sweetheart. Don’t be shy. Let it flow and let him or her know how dearly you feel. Write now in not more than 75 words to: The Editor, Sunday Vanguard, P.M.B. 1007, Apapa, Lagos. E.mail: sundaylovenotes@yahoo.com Please mark your envelope: “LOVE NOTES"

C M Y K

If all your efforts to win her tender love is not yielding the desired goal. If she keeps rejecting you and you feel that all hope is lost, never give up on your love but persevere as she will sooner or later appreciate your love for her. If you refuse to be discouraged,this time you will smile at last. Never allow this to weigh you down, your love will shine, keep hope alive and work very hard on yourself.

Michael Adedotun Oke maof2020|@gmail.com

care.’ She then proffered up her bottom in such an insouciant way that the fire in my belly was quenched.

“But we all still love her to death. She is the apple of my eye, and her brothers could not be kinder. But how does she repay them? With routine verbal and physical abuse. My first she attacks, biting and scratching.

The next one is so kind to her it makes me want to weep when she turns on him and screams: ‘Go away, Fatso!’ Even my last son, who is possessed of almost super-human levels of nicety has given up on her.

“I have now been through all the reasons why Anita might be such a handful. Is it because she’s the only girl? I feel the terrible guilt at the fact that her father and I have separated. She is very much a daddy’s girl, and the past 18 months must have been terrible for her. But she sees her father a lot and her behaviour is no worse than before we split.

“We’ll always love Anita and my friends who’ve had horrible little girls assure me they often grow into well-behaved littlemadams. I can’t wait for my tomboy to morph into a lady!”

As Easy As A, B, C? (Humour) A man asks his wife to describe him while they’re getting ready for bed one evening. ‘You’re A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K,’ she replies.

‘What does that stand for?’ The man asks, undoing his shirt.

‘Adorable, Buff: Cute, Delightful, elegant, Fit, Gorgeous and Hot’ ‘That’s amazing,’ the man says with a big grin on his face as he pulls down his trousers.

‘What about I, J, K?’ The wife looks at her now naked hobby and replied: I’m, Just kidding!’

What A Thoughtful Hubby (Humour) Paul and Jim are chatting. “It’s my wife’s birthday today and I don’t know what to get her?” Paul says. “She already has everything money can buy.” “I know, why don’t you mock-up a gift voucher?” Jim replies. ‘One that offers two hours of amazing sex, any way she wants ... She’ll be thrilled.”

Paul thinks it’s a great idea. So the next day, Jim asks him how he got on. ‘She loved it!’ Paul says.

“She jumped on me, kissed me, then ran out of the door yelling; “See you in two hours!”

08027142077

The Lonely Lady

Why are you so lonely? Why the bottled happiness? The beautiful flying butterfly has flowers’ nectars to suck. Why don’t you fly your heart to suck my heart’s nectar. It is time to be happy again.It is time to have zest for life because you have a friend in me.

Percy Vwes. romanticblack13@outlook.com 07054349513

SUND AY SUNDA

BY CHIOMA OBINNA

T

oday, the official Human ImmunoDeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence in Nigeria is 3.2 per cent among the adult population, meaning about 3.4 million Nigerians live with the virus. Meanwhile, many people living with the virus in the country are not getting the care and treatment they need. As of March 2017, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) report showed that only about 1.4million people living with HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Nigeria were enrolled on treatment.

According to the UN 90-90-90 target to end HIV epidemic by 2020, 90 percent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 percent of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90 percent of all people receiving ant-iretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. It emphasized that ending the AIDS epidemic is more than a historic obligation to 39 million people who have died of the disease.

However, reports from other countries like in the United State of America have shown that many people living with HIV are living longer and healthier today, thanks to treatment, strict adherence to drugs and the dos and don’ts associated with HIV/AIDS. Many reports have shown that improving access to HIV testing and treatment saves lives and prevents new infections. According to the report of the United State National Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eight out of 10 HIV infections are transmitted by people who are not diagnosed or not on treatment. Of the estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States, 85 percent were diagnosed and knew they had HIV, and 49 percent had the virus under control through HIV treatment, according to new CDC estimates based on the most recent national data from 2014. Studies have also shown that among people who have achieved viral suppression, HIV is detectable only at very low levels in the blood or is undetectable with standard tests. It has also been confirmed that viral suppression allows people with HIV to live longer, healthier and dramatically reduces their risk for spreading HIV to others.

Thanks to experts who are now controlling HIV through treatment — called viral suppression. However, Sunday Vanguard reports that reducing the number of undiagnosed HIV infections and getting more people into care present the greatest opportunities to improve viral suppression in Nigeria.

Today, we can authoritatively report that many people living with AIDS (PLWAs) even in Nigeria are also testing negative. One of them, 23- year-old Ms. Adeola Ganiat Ajetunmobi is a living testimony of treatment adherence. Although her experience at first was not palatable, her strong will to survive made her to overcome the many challenges even from her immediate family.

Adeola was made to deal with discrimination, myth, superstition. Seeing her almost turned to an outcast in her father’s house was enough discouragement but she never allowed that to weigh her down. “I went to churches and I was told it was a spiritual attack. I prayed but, at the end of the day, I decided to go to hospital because, even with prayers, I still needed the doctors”, she narrated.

“I suffered so much humiliation, so much sleepless nights. The humiliation didn’t get any better as I journeyed through rough roads for about two years”. According to her, friends who should ordinarily be comforting her took to the street as the announcers of her predicament. Adeola, who sees the mercy of God as her saving grace, said: “I owe all to God for the nature He has given me. I am naturally a strong person. Nothing moves me. “ According to the survivor, who is now an Adherence Youth Counselor for HIV, although her mother stood by her, she (mother) was also scared at the same time. However, her strong nature prepared her to tackle the disease headlong.

“I had sleepless nights, boils all over my body and, for years, I was suffering with pus coming out of my body. At a point I was thinking it was spiritual since I come from a wealthy home. I was almost dying when it was finally confirmed at two years after at Randle Hospital, Lagos. When I got there, they did not attend to me. I sat down, shortly thereafter I fainted. From that point I did not know what really happened.”

Bad news spread like wild bush fire. The first message she received on her hand set after C M Y K

Vanguard , DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 21

healthy living

For being HIV positive, I was made to sleep in the open for two years – Adeola, survivor

was referred to Mainland Hospital, that is, the Infectious Disease Hospital, and, upon examination, she was told that her case was critical.

The doctors could not find any CD4 to place her on anti-retroviral drug.

“I was in admission for six months. After treatment, I was sent for CD4 count test. Sadly for me, there was no CD4 count. One of the doctors said to me, ‘Are you sure you are a human being?’ I told him I didn’t know but that everything was in the hands of God. “I was told that they could not start my ARV without CD4 count. They did the CD4 count four times in a month but there was nothing.

In my room, like 10 doctors will come. At the end of the day, they placed me on a drug and I used it for two weeks and after which they retested me and got one CD4 count. They now said with the one CD4 count they could place me on drugs.”

Viral suppression Thanks to technology as, today, adherence to anti-retroviral drugs is showing hopes that, with consistence, many of the PLWAs on treatment may become non- detective.

Adeola’s treatment was not without challenges. Her words: “They told me that the drug they were going to start me on will look as if a masquerade was chasing me and it was true. The first day I swallowed it, it was hell; later they changed the drug. Since then I have been on drugs, one in the morning, one in the night. After six months when I went back to the hospital, my CD4 count was 57. The doctors were marveled and said, ‘Adeola, you are adhering to the drugs’, and I told them ‘I don’t want to die’.

Today, Adeola is non-detective for HIV as her laboratory test now shows negative for HIV.

Adeola

People should go out there to do the test; being HIV positive is not a death sentence and not the end of the world she regained consciousness was from her closest friend: “I heard you are HIV positive.”

Stigma and discrimination Adeola recalled how she was made to sleep in the passage in her father’s house for two years, whether it rained or not, because of her AIDS status.

“One thing about me is that any situation I

find myself, I am always strong. Before you knew it, the news was everywhere. ‘She is HIV positive’. Stigma and discrimination took over everything around me. Even my family and my blood relations stayed away from me up to the extent that they refused to sit where I sat.

It was that bad. Anything I did then was a problem. None of them wanted to have anything to do with me.”

Although her mother picked courage to stay by her, apparently out of ignorance about the disease, she too was scared of being infected by her daughter.

“My mother stood by me but she too was scared. She had to go and meet one of the staff-members of the facility where I was being attended to, to know if she could still do something with me. The people counseled her that there was no problem”, she said.

The most painful thing to Adeola was that her most trusted friend deserted her and took to the street to broadcast her condition.

“Sadly, my closest friend took it upon herself to broadcast it. Each time people saw me anywhere, even in the church, they will pinch themselves and say, ‘Are you sure she is positive?’”, she stated.

“It was hell. None of the doctors believed I was going to make it.”

After diagnosis at Randle Hospital, Adeola

Conquering HIV “When I was in hospital, I took it upon myself to talk to others in the wards that they should not take it too personal because HIV is not the end of it”, the survivor said.

“One thing I also remember that doctors always told me that time was that ‘it is not HIV that kills people, it is the thinking that leads high blood pressure, even death.”

Asked how she was able to adhere to the drugs, she said: “I have my alarm since I was placed on one drug per day and you can take it only when you want to go to bed or you want to relax. So my drug is by 11 pm. Even when I am sleeping, my phone will ring and I will stand up and swallow it. To God be the glory, I am living with HIV but, today, if I run a test, it will come out negative.

“You must not exceed the time you are supposed to take your drugs, not even with a minute after.”

Adeola narrated how she took her boyfriend to do HIV test. “My boyfriend, before we started dating, did not believe I was HIV positive but I wanted him to know. I was running a programme with FHI then as a mentor - mother. I called him that we should run this test because if I told him I was HIV positive, he may not understand. And one reason I wanted to tell him and also run the test was because people do not like dating HIV positive people. I took him to the HIV screening facility and we ran the test together and we were both negative. When I told him ‘do you know I am HIV positive?’, he said it was a lie. ‘How can you be HIV positive and you are testing negative?’ I explained to him that, that was the work of adherence to drugs”.

‘Why I decided to survive’ Asked why she decided to survive even in the face of many challenges, she said: “I decided to survive because there are other people living with other diseases more deadly than HIV. With my own drugs I can live it. The secret is adherence. You need to be serious about your drugs and you don’t joke with the don’ts and dos. If I have malaria I will go to hospital because my immune system is already complicated. It is not like non-HIV people. We were counseled in hospital not to take anything anyhow. We were warned not to take alcohol, herbs, or make love without condom.”

She advised: “People should go out there to do the test; being HIV positive is not a death sentence and not the end of the world. You can still be whatever you want to be. Your dreams can be achieved if you take your drugs.

Malaria also kills if not well managed. I know of people that died of malaria. I tell people that cancer is worse than HIV. HIV, if not blood to blood, you will not get it. There are other diseases like Hepatitis B and Ebola, with skin touch you contract them and within a twinkle of an eye you are dead”.

PAGE 22—SUND AY 22—SUNDA

Vanguard , DECEMBER 3, 2017

saving lives

More AIDS

deaths imminent — Ezechi, Deputy Director of Research /Head, Clinical Sciences, NIMR • ‘Inaccessibility to third line ARV drugs threatens Nigeria’s HIV treatment response’

BY SOLA OGUNDIPE Worried about gaps in the National HIV/ AIDS treatment plan, Deputy Director of Research and Head, Clinical Sciences at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Oliver Ezechi, has raised the alarm over imminent increase in AIDSrelated deaths in the country.

He expresses concerns over treatment failure and emergence of drug resistant HIV strains, noting that HIV patients that are experiencing resistance to first and second line anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs are unable to afford life-saving third line drugs that cost N80,000 per course of therapy monthly.

Urging the Federal Government to urgently address the situation, Ezechi warns that continued inaccessibility, unaffordability and unavailability of the third line drugs will fuel HIV transmission and re-infection. Excerpts: National HIV treatment status Our HIV/AIDS treatment has matured and we now have people who have failed first line drug treatment, failed second line drug treatment and are now on the third line of treatment. And we know that as your treatment matures, when you start people on treatment, a percentage will not comply or adhere; it’s a natural occurrence. It has been proven that about 10 percent of those on the first line will fail and move on to the second line and another 10 percent will likely fail and move to third line treatment. So what we have is that about 10 percent who started on the first line are now on third line drugs which are not available in the hospitals. They have to buy these third line drugs out of pocket, and they are quite expensive.

Paucity of funds And as you get into your programme development, over a period of time, people would definitely fail first line to second line and when they are on the second line for a long time, will drop to third line. Presently, within the National programme, third line drug is not available. Government has not yet begun budgeting for third line drugs. The issue is the PEPFAR programme did not have provision for third line drugs and since close to 30-40 percent of our programmes are donor driven, the counterpart is supposed to be provided by the government. For now, those funds are not available.

Oliver Ezechi

We should stop verticalising programes. We should not put children and adults in the same clinic.

Yes, people are talking about family centered clinics, because we do not want mother to come separately with father and come again with children three times a week

Separate treatment for adults and children We should stop verticalising programes. We should not put children and adults in the same clinic. Yes, people are talking about family centered clinics, because we do not want mother to come separately with father and come again with children three times a week.

This can still be achieved with segmentation of clinics but for the adolescents, you cannot lump them together. Though they ae not adults yet they want to feel like adults, a separate Saturday clinic is good enough for them so they are alone. Everyone still moralises that HIV is predominantly through sexual transmission but we know for most of these adolescents it is through mother-to-child so it is not fair to moralise their situation.

No third line drugs For now in NIMR, we have about 50 people as those to be on the third line of treatment, but the drugs are not available and they cannot afford its cost in commercial pharmacies at about N80,000 per month.

How many people can afford N80,000 a month? Invariably, many are already on single dose therapy and we all know single therapy in HIV treatment is not allowed. Previously, people were used to buying 1st line drugs but now are forced to buy the third line drugs due to its non-availablity in our hospitals. So, we are calling on government to please make provision for third line drugs.

More AIDS-related deaths imminent In the theme of the 2017 World AIDS Day, we are indeed leaving some people behind.

If we don’t want to leave anyone behind, as we are budgeting for first and second line drugs, we should also budget for 3rd line drugs. The overall effect of those who are on

3rd line drug treatment who cannot afford to purchase it, is that there will be more deaths of people with AIDS and those people who are already on 3rd line drugs but cannot get the drugs will fuel transmission and reinfection in the society.

We have been talking about removing HIV from Society with 90 percent treatment, 90 percent suppression of virus. But with the current situation we are not likely to achieve that. While other countries might be heading towards eliminating HIV, it might still remain with us.

Treatment gap As our programme gets mature, we are beginning to have adolescents on the 3rd line of drug treatment. Remember those children who were born with HIV were started on HIV drugs and have remained alive and most of them are now adolescents transitioning into adults. We know once they transition into

Mixing drugs For the 3rd line drugs that aren’t available at the hospitals, patients still need to order from pharmacies who in turn order for them overseas on their behalf and it could take up to a week or two for the drugs to arrive. So what we do at the moment is to sequence drugs fornd the patients who have failed both 1st and 2 lines of treatment. We mix drugs for them though with the knowledge it is not the best in the circumstances. But rather than watch them die slowly, we try to help them manage living

Most of our people do not have access to drugs – Orugbo, O-SECUL CEO

SECUL boxx said.

Responding, the acting Chairman, Udu LGA, Mr. Macauley Okoshumenye said the

items and equipments donated to the health centers would go a long way in upgrading the various centers.

Treatment failure What I mean by failure of treatment is that the drugs would no longer work for some people. This is because of the nature of the virus which mutates and divides rapidly and once this happens, it produces some forms that the drugs would no longer recognise. We know from science that 10 percent of any group on first line treatment even with good adherence

By Perez Brisibe

F

OUR communities in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State have been selected to receive power generating set s, drugs and medical items from O-SECUL Nigeria Ltd ., in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility policy.

Advising the communities, Aladja, Emadadja, Ogbe-Udu and Ekete-Inland to make judicious use of the items, Chairman/CEO of the company, Engr. Michael Orugbo, who handed over the facilities to the communities in a brief ceremony at the Udu Council Secretariat, said the gesture was borne out of the company’s desire to touch lives and to ensure the people had access to medical facilities.

Speaking at the event, Orugbo said, “Our motivating factor for embarking on this gesture is because we are passing through a difficult period and most of our people do not have access to drug s What we are doing to-

C M Y K

will fail. However, when people are not adhering very well, the percentage will increase. So what we are saying is that in the best of the situation that adherence is good, drugs are working, 10 percent will fail. What it means therefore is, when we are making provision for first line drugs, we should also make provision for second and third line drugs.

adults, we lose them because the programme does not capture them separately.

In the programme, once they are 15, they are categorized as adults but in the real sense of it, a 15-year-old is not an adult. Imagine a 15-year-old sitting with adult in HIV clinic, that person will not feel comfortable.

Need for adolescent clinics For us at NIMR, we have an adolescent clinic which runs 2nd Saturday of the month. We already planned for that group’s transition but this is not obtainable elsewhere. We really need to translate this into all the levels of care.

We need to start having adolescent clinics.

At NIMR our adolescent clinic is almost like a Club and quite friendly as adolescents don’t want to to come to where they won’t be free.

The issue is that some of these decisions are government-based.

How many government workers want to go to work on Saturdays just to attend to a group of people?

For our staff, it is a big sacrifice because we understand adolescents need to go to school during the week and the staffs are interested to use their time.

Now imagine when this group of people retires or is no longer in service, what will happen?

So, government would have to find a way to sustain adolescent clinics and have adolescent –friendly clinic environment.

It is time all state governments began to understand that once they provide drugs for children born with HIV, they will grow into adolescents and there will be need to plan for their lives as adults. Those who were born in 2000 are now 17 years, we need to plan for them.

day is to ensure that we ameliorate the sufferings of the people by making sure that they have access to drugs at subsidized prices.

“We are starting with four health centers today but we believe that other health centers will benefit in the nearest future. I want to appeal to the health workers to put these facilities to judicious use”.

Orugbo explained that his company was promoting the development of the Aladja Industrial Energy Park (A.IEP, a mixed community that will accommodate heavy industries; power plant, fertiliser plant, methanol plant, micro, small and medium enterprises, agroprocessing industries; ethanol plant, ICT center, residential estate, etc .

He said the park was going to host a power station and that O-SECUL had signed a Joint Development Agreement for a 740 mega watts power plant that would bring foreign direct investment of about a billion dollars to the state, to Niger Delta and Nigeria in the next two years. “We are looking at creating over 20,000 jobs in the next five years”, the )-

L-R: Prof Abiodun Ojo as President, Mr Tunde Thompson Ajayi (Oginni) as Vice President, Mr Tunji Falua as General Secretary, Mr Adewumi Omotosho as Assistant General Secretary, Pastor Ojo Olumide Emmanuel (Jeje) as Financial Secretary, Mr Agboola Femi as Treasurer, Revd Tayo Adeeko as Publicity Secretary, Otunba Ajibola Kayode as Social/ Welfare Officers, Legal Adviser Barrister Ayandokun and Mr Anthony Bayo Ojo, as Diaspora Coordinator, during the inauguration meeting of the Ifaki Grammar School, Ifaki Ekiti 1975 -1980 Old Students after the above officials were elected to run the affairs of the association.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 23

Networking/ Sponsorship •Sani resides in Kaduna, needs a financial assistance to enable him take care of his sick mother, account 2223959786, Diamond Bank, Sani Damana.08145048709 •Ifeoma needs sponsorship for her education.

09039034775 •Philips 20, needs financial help for a kidney transplant acct no 0503016495 Anyanwu Philip, ECOBK.07039820437 •Osmond a graduate and a farmer from Benue State, needs financial aid from well meaning Nigerians to engage in Maize and Cassava cultivationTerwase O.T ,Zenith Bank2082683993,08092136814, 07039062104 •Vera 31, from Delta state, a fashion designer, needs kind hearted individuals tosponsor her.08130510169 Friends Searching Female •Stephen 26 needs eloquent female friends in Onitsha, Anambra State.08053319499 Searching Male •Martin 36, a graduate, God

fearing, needs a good looking and God fearing female friend,aged 25-55.

09079117047 •Joel from Delta State needs female friends, who are loving and caring from Delta State.

08133333161 •Jude 31, tall, dark in complexion, needs a loving, caring, understanding, and employed lady, aged 19-35, that resides in Ikoyi, Ikeja, VI, Ajah, for serious friendship.

08105931115 08181598277 Whatsapp,08053747402 Lovers Searching Female •Mitchell sexy intelligent and fun to be with, needs a cute, tall and employed guy, for a relationship.08080711303 •Anita 23, charming, busty and fun loving, needs a very sexy man in her life.

08144692028 •Tina dark in complexion, average height and a graduate, needs a loving, caring, responsible and God fearing man for marriage.

08037987093 •Sonia 30, tall, chocolate in complexion and employed, from Kogi state, but resides in Kaduna, needs an employed or businessman,aged 30-45, who is God fearing and resides in Kaduna, Abuja or

states closer to Kaduna for a serious relationship that can lead to marriage.

08065071145,08038505152 •Chioma 32, average height, busty, sexy, cherish romance and true love and, resides in Port-Harcourt, needs a God fearing, caring and kind hearted man for a serious relationship, that can lead to marriage, aged 37-60.

07038352556 •A lady, 29, needs a white man in London or USA, for a serious relationship.

08171800216, 08144352010 Searching Male •Gabriel from Imo State but resides in Lagos, needs an employed lady, aged 18-30, whose genotype is AA, that is ready for a relationship.

07037842149 •Emmanuel 40, needs a lady, for a serious relationship.

08142373227 •Aremu 41, needs a matured, sexy, lady who is employed and resides in Lagos, for a relationship, that will lead to marriage.08023800600 •Gideon 31, a graduate and a businessman, resides in Akure, needs a beautiful, employed and God fearing lady, aged 18-30, for serious relationship that will lead to marriage. 08165088951

DISCLAIMER! Dear readers, please note that we neither operate, nor are we an affiliate of any match–making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with any one claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk. Our mission is only to provide a platform for social networking.

Also note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests which may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public. We therefore request that text must be sent through at least one of the numbers for contact. This notice is necessary to enable us serve you better in our refreshingly different style. You can send your requests to 33055. For enquiries, text or call 08026651636

•Emmanuel 22, an entrepreneur, resides in Lagos, needs a good and caring lady, who resides in Lagos, aged19-21, in Lagos.

09094745704, 09028936277 •Ken 35, tall, dark in complexion, slim and resides in Delta, needs a tall, intelligent, neat, respectful, lady with good character to build a future with.

08060388533 •Ekene 28, tall and fair in complexion, from Awka, needs a sexy, lovely and romantic lady, aged 35-48, for a serious relationship. 08023375101 •Robinson 48, and resides in Abuja, needs an employed, humble, and caring lady, in Abuja, aged 40 and above for a serious relationship, that might lead to marriage.

09027543186 •Efe 55, 5.10ft tall, weight 85kgs, needs a comfortable and God fearing lady, for marriage.08160366780 •Sunday 36 tall, strong, dark in complexion and resides in Lagos, with a great sense of humor, needs a beautiful slim, single lady, aged 42-65, for an open and creative relationship.07035608116 •Kelechi 5ft tall, ebony in complexion and resides in Lagos, needs a matured lady, who is busty and resides in Lagos.09095115478,09064343899 •Olamide 26, employed, from Ekiti state, but resides in Abuja, needs a matured lady, who is literate and preferably, employed, aged 22-27, for a relationship.07033486404 •Morgan humble, from Bayelsa State, needs a lady, for a relationship, that will lead to marriage.07052514630

•Modesty resides in Abuja, needs a lady, for a serious relationship that can lead to marriage.09094387272 •Chuks 30, a graduate, genotype AA, from Delta State Ukwani local government, who is currently doing NYSC, needs a beautiful, educated, hardworking, caring and God fearing lady, for a relationship, that will lead to marriage, aged 25-29.

08063937950 •Emerald employed, from Anambra State but resides in Abuja, needs an employed lady, if preferably in the military, aged 28-40, who is ready to settle down as soon as possible for a serious relationship.08108758779 •David 34, from Warri, Delta State, needs an employed and independent lady, aged 2530, for a relationship.

07032542743 •Adashy 38, employed and resides in Benin City, Edo State, needs a dark in complexion, caring lady, aged 24-35, from any tribe but Benin, for a serious relationship.08175713196 •Eyisan 36, from Warri, Delta State needs a lady, for a serious relationship, that will lead to marriage, aged 18-36.

08093642691 Sugar Cares Searching Male •Anthony 26, handsome and from Benin city, needs a sugar mummy, who can take care of his financial needs.

09096907153 •Jonenso handsome and hard working needs a beautiful and rich sugar mummy for a relationship.09035443465

COMMON SEXU AL PR OBLEMS AND THEIR NO VEL T Y BASED SOL UTION (AD VER TORIAL) SEXUAL PROBLEMS NOVEL VELT SOLUTION (ADVER VERT I am 45. My ex-husband and past boyfriends all cheated on me. So I married a man approaching his sixties that I believe won’t cheat. But he likes sex a lot and wants it regularly. This is not a good sign. Am I worrying unnecessarily? - Sandra A man loving sex does not translate to him being a cheater. Here is something for you to be excited about.

Studies show that having frequent sex at that age lowers the risk of prostate cancer years down the line. I am sure you don’t want your husband battling cancer. Recent studies also indicate that men with active sex lives well into old age had better memories and cognitive functions such as the ability to plan better, solve problems better and stay attentive. Old age comes with a lot of problems such as memory loss, fatigue, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and all manner of illnesses.

If your husband is still healthy and sexually functional at his age, that is something to be happy about. So stop worrying and start enjoying your relationship – Uche Please I need your help. I need the one that can help sperm. I am trying to have a baby and my sperm is small.

I also need the one that can make penis bigger – Emmanuel Emmanuel have you had any

kind of fertility test? Only a fertility test can reveal if you have a problem with conception. Ejaculating a tiny amount of semen does not indicate that you have a problem.

Frequent masturbation does this. In any case, if you want to ejaculate more semen, get Volume Pills supplement.For penis enlargement, you will need the supplement VigRx Plus and Classix Penis Pump.

That is the best combination at the moment and with it, you can get up to four extra inches in enlargement over a period of five to six months – Uche Hello. Years ago I bought this product that helps a man maintain his erection after ejaculation.

I don’t remember the name but I want to order it again.

It is transparent and about maybe two inches long. Can you deliver to Sokoto? – Ibrahim You must be talking about the Silicone Girth Gainer Cockring.That brand is currently unavailable but we have several similar Cockrings that do the same job such as the Studded Silicone Cockring, Flipper Cockring and theCute Dolphin Vibrating Cockring.

All three products will keep your penis firm and functional for up to 20 minutes after ejaculation – Uche My friend sent me to you.

She said you gave her a

lubricant that stopped the sexual pain she was experiencing. I am going through the same thing. Pain sometimes during sex – Lucy If the cause of your sexual pain is vaginal dryness, then yes a lubricant will help you.

Brands like Silk Touch Lubricant and Hot Kiss Gel are great for this. However if what you are experiencing is as a result of other ailments such as vaginismus, dyspeurinia or some infection, then you need to see a doctor – Uche I have not had a sex life for almost four years until I heard about you. I think I first bought Maxidus supplement and later tookRhino 7 which I am currently using.

Anyway, I am grateful – Lai

You are welcome – Uche

I had an amazing time this weekend. My kids are all in boarding school and it is just me and their mother in the house. We watched one of the adult films we bought from you and we ended up having sex six times. Of course the drugs we bought helped too especially the G Female pills for women. I have never seen my wife want sex this badly - Chris You are welcome – Uche That’s all for now. The names of the people featured here have been changed for privacy. Adults in need of the above novelties and treatments can call us on 07086754515 or 08171912551 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. We deliver to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

PAGE 24— SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017 flights. Painfully, a host of airlines that have come on board since the demise of the Nigeria Airways and which are all privately run have not done better. So, to whom do we sell the current airlines in the country in order to find a

The call to sell off Nigeria’s assets

O

ne of the stories which made the round last week was the call for Nigeria to sell off some of its assets which the caller said ‘no longer make sense’. The argument is that such ‘stunted assets’ were eating deep into the nation’s fragile finances. There is no doubt that if we critically introspect, we are likely to find certain entities that are better sold than left hanging.

Consequently, we cannot fault Senator Ben Murray Bruce who made the statement. To start with, he didn’t say anything new.

Nigeria has had such proponents of sell off government bodies in the past.

Many years ago, the Nigeria Airways was sold on account of such reasoning.

Interestingly, government has not relented in the last few years into search to bring back a national airline. It was perhaps the same reasoning that influenced the scrapping

of the toll gates at a point in our history. The present government we hear is about to conclude arrangements for bringing back the toll gates.

What this suggests is that we sold off some of our assets in the past because “our common sense too much.”

The reason why it is not difficult convincing Nigerians that a public organization should be sold or scrapped is because government bodies are generally believed to be inefficient; the only things that work in the sub-consciousness of Nigerians are privately run bodies. Again, it is hard to fault the argument in view of the legion of examples that support it. What remains baffling however is that rational comparative analyses of commonly held opinions are never done.

Nigeria Airways for instance was said to be a bad product because it always had delayed and sometimes cancelled PhD,Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos 08116759758 opuruiche2000@yahoo.com

Femi Adesina and the Acquired Aso Rock Syndrome (2)

F

emi Adesina began his essay, “Wise men still come from the East,” with his trademark allusion to a biblical narrative, possibly to give his argument some sort of theological flavor and justification, knowing full well that the gullibility quotient of Nigerians increases exponentially with religion.

According to him, just as some men from the east who purportedly followed a star that led them to Bethlehem in order to worship Jesus of Nazareth and present him some gifts were thought to be wise, the achikota ekwee onu traditional rulers and politicians in the south-east that welcomed President Buhari when he visited the zone for the first time more than two years after he was elected must be wise also. But unknown to Adesina, however, genuine wisdom even at this period when sycophancy predominates in official circles, is quite different from “eye service” by traditional rulers and from lack of courage in telling the President the truth about what the people think concerning his decidedly pro-north style of governance. On the other hand, Buhari’s visit has the unintended effect of igniting suspicion of Ndigbo that Buhari has already started to implement a subtle strategy of soliciting for Igbo votes ahead of the 2019 presidential election. It also confirmed that some traditional rulers in Igboland today are glorified warrant chiefs bereft of selfrespect, dignity and a robust understanding of the significance of the traditional institution they represent.

According to “my C M Y K

chairman,” Buhari’s two-day visit to Ebonyi and Anambra states is a “delightsome, mythshattering visit.”

In otherwords, by spending less than forty-eight hours in two states out of five states in the south-east, the President has shattered or torpedoed “the negative narrative deliberately conjured by some mischief makers over the years that President Buhari does not like people from the East, and neither do the people like him.” Here, Adesina is guilty of exaggerating the significance of the President’s very brief visit, for it would require consistent Igbofriendly policies and programmes by Buhari spanning at least four years before the anti-Buhari sentiment in Igboland would go down appreciably.

Logically speaking, and ignoring the ad hominem fallacy “my chairman” committed by using the expression ‘mischief makers’ to describe those who correctly believe that there is reciprocal dislike between Ndigbo and his boss, the only way Buhari’s visit to the south-east could even conceivably scratch the surface of the negative narrative let alone falsify it is if the President, while in Ebonyi and Anambra or immediately after he departed, made a significant pro-Igbo policy announcement or did something so obviously outstanding for the south-east that Ndigbo generally would begin to acknowledge that they might have been too harsh all along in their negative perception of Buhari, that if they had known he could treat Igboland so well, they would

Till date anything that goes wrong in Nigeria is often attributed to attitude which people call the Nigerian factor thereby suggesting that if the nation needs anything now, it is first and foremost value reorientation working air transportation system? Put differently, now that private airlines have also proven to be defective like our moribund public outfit, does it not show that the problem lies with the Nigerian star?

In today’s article, our comment is limited to one or two proposed for sale so we can save some money. The first is the Voice of Nigeria VON. It was first established in 1961 as the external service of Radio Nigeria. As the name implies, its mandate was to have voted massively for him all the time he was contesting for the presidency. Of course, nothing like that has happened: Buhari did not announce any realistic plan for massive federal investment in infrastructure and industrial development in the south-east, nor has he really done anything tangible after the visit to address the genuine concerns of Ndigbo.

Therefore, what Adesina implicitly labeled a myth is nothing but the crystallisation of Muhammadu Buhari’s indifference to the plight of Igboland and its people from the time he was federal commissioner for petroleum resources in the late 1970s, through when he was chairman of PTF to now that he is President. Now, unless Adesina is operating from a cloud cuckoo land, there is indeed enough evidence for the notion that in President Buhari’s leadership calculus, Igboland consistently plays second fiddle to the north and Yorubaland, which is the main reason why Ndigbo have repeatedly given him low votes during elections.

Adesina parades the names of Igbo politicians that Buhari, in his serial quest to be President, chose as his running mates in the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections. His analysis of the results of the 2015 presidential election and the senatorial election contested by Dr. Chris Ngige is interesting, but his interpretation is simply misleading, because it unfairly castigates Ndigbo for complaining about marginalisation by the current administration having allegedly brought it upon themselves by failing to vote in large numbers for Buhari. Indeed, it is true that for reasons I adumbrated several times in this column, south-easterners have been rejecting Buhari since he mutated into a politician. But Adesina conveniently overlooked the fact that only a revanchist ethnocentric individual with an unforgiving mentality and a

publicise to the rest of the world, activities of Nigeria that became an independent nation the year before. It was converted to its present status in 1990 with better facilities to change the narrative whereby imperialist media dish out only negative stories about Nigeria. The station is structured to transmit to the outside world and is not to be received in Nigeria. This makes it hard for one to understand how any person living in the country could have assessed its performance to justify the call for its sale.

The National Orientation Agency NOA found itself among those to be sold it was thought that a democratic Nigeria with political parties no longer needed any orientation. It is true that during the military era, the need to actively mobilize Nigerians to participate in the transition to civil rule political programme informed the setting up of MAMSER, the precursor of NOA. In later years, experience showed that there was more than political mobilization to be done; hence MAMSER which was a task force was converted in 1993 to the National Orientation Agency to publicise government activities and bridge the gap between the people and government. Till date anything that goes wrong in Nigeria is often attributed to attitude which people call the

Nigerian factor thereby suggesting that if the nation needs anything now, it is first and foremost value reorientation. Indeed, to leave even political mobilization to Nigerian politicians who believe that an election is a game for the buying and selling of votes clearly shows that NOA is still needed. The only thing that is wrong with NOA is underfunding.

As for the call to sell off the public media, that is a topic for another day. For now, it is instructive that at last, government has returned to the starting point in the fight against insurgency with its recent determination to use communication as its weapon. Painfully, the huge budget for it, from where what we heard, has been awarded to a firm. What percentage of it would get to NOA and the public media that already have facilities on ground for the assignment? If such a major government policy is contracted to non-policy actors when shall our government begin to toe the line of its own wisdom espoused in 2015 to build strong institutions?

There are professional mobilizers in government that can in the twinkle of an eye saturate the North-East with anti-insurgency propaganda.

Not using them is a grave error of judgment.

This article must not be misunderstood to be in defence of our obviously weak

public institutions. The point being made is that the standpoint that people in government are inherently incompetent is faulty. Of course, there are bad eggs n the public sector just as there are in the private sector but the bane of the nation is not the posture of public officials but the lethargy of government in the management of public affairs.

Surprisingly, big government which has been our bane is yet to change. Some few years back, an authoritative medium in Nigeria reported the findings of a government probe panel which alleged that the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority had 253 Assistant General Managers and that the Board of Directors of the National Film and Video Censors Board alone had 54 members!

So, is it sale we need or the political will to maintain viable institutions?

If it is sale, what in reality is begging to be sold in Nigeria toady? Murray Bruce thinks it is media organs but Senator Olusola Adeyeye representing Osun Central Senatorial District thinks a reduction in allowances of all politicians including senators is a good junction to start from. There are many Nigerians, who would move one step forward to say, let’s sell the senate.

Would that defy common sense?

history of unfairness towards a certain part of the federation would declare, shortly after winning the presidency when the euphoria of victory was at its peak after three consecutive failed attempts, that he would render justice according to how different zones of the country voted in the election that brought him to power.

Adesina claims that in 2011, even after being rejected by the south-east whose leadership forbade any of its sons from being a running mate to anyone, and having turned to the south-west to pick Pastor Tunde Bakare as his deputy, Buhari still did not

major ethnic groups in Nigeria, which derive from their achievement-oriented worldview, in order to display the kind of herd mentality necessary for adhering to alleged proscription order by an imaginary “socio-political leadership of the south-east?”

If Adesina was not too eager to project President Buhari in borrowed robes as a friend of Igboland despite his political misfortunes there, he would have realised that it is virtually impossible for all prominent Igbo politicians to accept any injunction asking them to reject the offer of vice-presidency from Buhari or any other nonIgbo presidential candidate. A more plausible explanation for Buhari’s selection of a noneasterner as running mate in 2011 is that he was frustrated because of repeated rejection at the polls by majority of Ndigbo, and he felt it was time to look elsewhere. Moreover, voters in the south-east probably interpreted his choice of Dr. Chuba Okadigbo and Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke as a mere token gesture, as an insincere Machiavellian strategy to mislead them that he is a friend of the Igbo, whereas his antecedents strongly suggest otherwise.

Buhari and his strategists failed to realise that you can fool some Ndigbo some of the time and all the time, but you cannot fool all Ndigbo all the time.

Adesina charges that “To make matters worse, the East had refused to re-elect its own son, Dr. Chris Ngige, as senator.

If Ngige had been given a mandate, he would have effortlessly emerged Senate President, and see what the region would have benefitted.

But the large number opted for self-immolation, voted Ngige out, and later began to scream marginalization. But if you ask me, it was a self-inflicted wound. Result of poor politics.” Adesina’s claims above are thought-provoking, but they can be refuted easily.

First and foremost, it was not “the East” that prevented Ngige from winning the 2015 senatorial election; it was the electorate in Anambra central

senatorial zone that rejected him. And what is the guarantee that if Ngige had won, he would have effortlessly become Senate President, as Adesina proclaimed?

Remember, Dr. Bukola Saraki got the post despite the fact that APC wanted a senator from Yobe state, Ahmed Lawan, to occupy the position.

Therefore, if the preferred candidate of the APC was schemed out by the politically astute Saraki and his cohorts, it is very likely that if Ngige were the Party’s choice, he would also have been outmanoeuvred by the Saraki coalition. Anyway, Dr. Ngige has been minister of labour and productivity for more than two years now without any demonstrable benefit to his senatorial zone, let alone the entire south-east.

Consequently, Adseina’s hyperbolic fuzzy remark that Ngige “ would have effortlessly emerged Senate President, and see what the region would have benefitted,” is not corroborated by available facts. Adesina was largely mistaken when he asserts that rejection of Ngige – and Buhari for that matter – in the last election was tantamount to selfimmolation, self-inflicted wound and poor politics. His essay reads like a labored justification of President Buhari’s ill-advised, grotesque and unstatesmanly 97% versus 5% theory of justice. Be that as it may, I have news for my chairman and others who blame Ndigbo for Buhari’s bias against the south-east.

The Igbo survived the Biafran war and, through dogged determination and individual effort, managed to pull themselves from the slough of despond, from the black hole of terrible trauma caused by the conflict. As a result, having survived the extreme brutality of war levied on them led by caliphate colonialists, no amount of marginalisation by this government can stop the Igbo from remaining the primus inter pares among the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. To be continued.

The Igbo survived the Biafran war and, through dogged determination and individual effort, managed to pull themselves from the slough of despond, from the black hole of terrible trauma caused by the conflict demonstrate any animus towards the east. Oh, really?

Then why did Buhari completely exclude the southeast from the top echelons of the security and paramilitary architecture in the country?

What about the fact that in terms of spread, significance and monetary value, the south-east has been having the least numbers of federal projects allocated to the six geopolitical zones since Buhari became President?

Moreover, which political leadership or body in Igboland banned Igbo politicians from becoming running mate to any presidential candidate in 2011? Since when did the Igbo jettison their well-known preference for republicanism and disdain for hero worship unmatched by the other

SUNDAY VANGUARD,DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 25

IT’S DO-OR-DIE! Trafficked Nigerians’ route to slavery, deaths in Libya, Mediterranean

BY Victoria Ojeme with UNICEF report Almost one month after 26 women and girls, believed to be Nigerians, were allegedly murdered while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, the news has continued to send shock waves across the country. The news was swiftly followed by the report that hundreds of Nigerians, among many other trafficked Africans, stranded in Libya on their way to Europe, are being traded as slaves.

The bodies of the women were brought to the southern Italian port of Salerno by the Spanish ship Cantabria on November 5, and prosecutors opened an investigation over suspicions that the victims, some as young as 14, may have been abused and killed.

The bodies were recovered by Cantabria,

C M Y K

which works as part of the EU’s Sophia anti-trafficking operation, from two separate shipwrecks – 23 from one and three from the other. 53 people are believed to be missing.

Two men, named as Al Mabrouc Wisam Harar, from Libya, and Egyptian, Mohamed Ali Al Bouzid, are believed to have skippered one of the boats. They were identified by survivors who were among the 375 brought to Salerno by Cantabria.

The two men are accused of organising and trafficking at least 150 people on the two sunken boats, but prosecutors have not made a direct link between the two men and the women’s deaths, said Rosa Maria Falasca, chief of staff at Salerno’s prefecture.

The prefect of Salerno, Salvatore Malfi, told the Italian said the women

had been travelling alongside men and when the vessels sank, “unfortunately, the women suffered the worst of it”.

But in response to concerns that the women were being trafficked for sex trade, he added: “Sex trafficking routes are different, with different dynamics used. Loading women on to a boat is too risky for the traffickers, as they could risk losing all of their ‘goods’ – as they like to call them – in one fell swoop.”

Marco Rotunno, an Italy spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), said his colleagues were at the port in Salerno when the bodies were brought in.

“It was a very tough experience,” he said.

“One lady from Nigeria lost all her three children.”

He added that 90% of migrant women arrive with bruises and other signs of violence.

“It’s very rare to find a woman who hasn’t been abused, only in exceptional cases, maybe when they are travelling with their husband.

But also women travelling alone with their children have been abused.”

Most of the survivors were either Nigerian or from other sub-Saharan countries including Ghana, Sudan and Senegal.

The survivors were among over 2,560 migrants saved over four days. People still continue to attempt the crossing despite a pact between Italy and Libya to stem the flow, which led to a drop in arrivals by almost 70% since the summer, according to figures released by Italy’s interior ministry.

Back home in Nigeria and while the identities of the 26 deceased girls have not been disclosed, many parents, whose daughters have travelled to Europe in search of better life, have been gripped by apprehension. Some of the parents do not even know that their daughters, under the lure of searching for golden fleece, and the false assurances of human traffickers, are out there in the open hoping to cover hundreds of kilometres on the sea to get to Europe. Sadly, as some of the girls escape needless deaths by divine intervention, more are struggling to put themselves in the way of harm and death, all in the hope of finding greener pasture. The questions begging for answers are legion.

How many times has the tragedy of this nature occurred this year alone? And how many times will it occur before the close of the year?

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, has, in the meantime, offered some words of assurance as she promised that Nigeria will investigate the 26 girls’ death at the highest diplomatic level. But the announcement by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters, NAPTIP, that it has uncovered about 300 illegal routes in Katsina alone used by human traffickers to ferry their

Continues on page 26

PAGE 26—SUNDAY VANGUARD,DECEMBER 3, 2017

Traf out err anean afffic ickked Nigerians’ rrout outee ttoo slaver slaveryy, deaths in Lib Libyya, Medit Mediterr erranean Continued from page 25 victims out of the country may have underscored the enormity of the problem.

UNICEF, on its part, confirmed that there is one route for victims being trafficked from Africa and the Middle East to Europe which, according to the global body, has many tributaries.

Risky route taken by desperate people “It (route) carries children and women from the hinterlands of Africa and the Middle East, across the Sahara to the Mediterranean Sea in Libya”, a UNICEF report said.

“Every day, thousands travel this route with the hope of reaching safety in Europe. They flee war, violence and poverty. They endure exploitation, abuse, violence and detention.

Thousands die. It is not only a risky route taken by desperate people, but also a billion-dollar business route controlled by criminal networks. It is called the Central Mediterranean Migration Route. It is among the deadliest journeys in the world for children.

A lack of safe and legal alternatives means they have no option but to use it.

“In 2016, over 181,000 migrants “ including more than 25,800 unaccompanied children “ put their lives in the hands of smugglers to reach Italy.

“The most dangerous part of the route is a 1,000-kilometre journey from the southern border of Libya’s desert to its Mediterranean Coast combined with the 500-kilometre sea passage to Sicily. Last year (2015), 4,579 people died making the crossing or 1 in every 40 of those who made the attempt. It is estimated that at least 700 children were among the dead.

“In Libya, security is precarious, living conditions are hard and violence is commonplace. The country is riven by conflicts as militias continue to fight with each other or with government forces. Different regions are controlled by conflicting militias who make their own rules, control border crossings and detain migrants for exploitation.

“On every step of this dangerous journey, refugees and migrants are easy prey. Children are the most vulnerable”.

UNICEF staff on the ground working with children on this route claimed to have heard and documented many cases over many years of this abuse. “UNICEF works in the countries of origin, transit and destination protecting children from violence, helping them get an education and meeting their basic needs. To build on this work and to further gauge what was happening to migrant children and women who were making this journey, UNICEF’s Libya Country Office commissioned a needs assessment survey in 2016", the body said.

This gave the global body a window into the scale of the challenge.

The final sample comprised 122 participants, including 82 women and 40 children. The migrant children interviewed for the study represented 11 nationalities.

Some of the child interviewees were born in Libya during their mothers’ migration journeys. Among the 40 children interviewed, 25 were boys and 15 were girls between the ages of 10 and 17 years old.

The survey was conducted on the ground by a UNICEF partner, the International Organization for Cooperation and Emergency Aid (IOCEA), with support from Feinstein International Center at Tufts University. The assessment also incorporated interviews with government officials and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Survey of a journey Though the UNICEF survey’s scope, according to the body, was affected by security restraints and lack of access to militia-run prisons, it still provides important insights into the appalling situation women and children face as they journey along this trail.

“This child alert is not only based on this survey but also on our wider programme experience in North Africa and with children in Italy, and the stories and testimony our staff on the ground have heard countless times from very vulnerable children and adolescents”, UNICEF stated.

The most dangerous part of the route is a 1,000-kilometre journey from the southern border of Libya’s desert to its Mediterranean Coast combined with the 500-kilometre sea passage to Sicily

‘Pay as you go’ arrangements Three quarters of the migrant children interviewed reportedly said they had experienced violence, harassment or aggression at the hands of adults. Nearly half the women interviewed reported suffering sexual violence or abuse during the journey. Most children and women indicated that they had to rely on smugglers leaving many in debt under ‘pay as you go’ arrangements and vulnerable to abuse, abduction and trafficking. Most of the children reported verbal or emotional abuse, while about half had suffered beating or other physical abuse. Girls reported a higher incidence of abuse than boys. Several migrant children also said they did not have access to adequate food while on the way to Libya. Women held in detention centres in western Libya, accessed

by UNICEF, reported harsh conditions such as poor nutrition and sanitation, significant overcrowding and a lack of

access to health care and legal assistance. Most of the children and women said they had expected to spend extended periods working in Libya to pay for the next leg of the journey – either back to their home countries or to destinations in Europe. Although most of the married women (representing three quarters of those interviewed) brought at least one child with them, more children were left behind.

Sexual violence, extortion and abduction Children and women making the journey, according to UNICEF, are forced to live in the shadows, unprotected, reliant on smugglers and preyed upon by traffickers.

Transport used by women and children interviewed in the survey were mainly trucks, taxis or private cars. About one third indicated that they had travelled long distances on foot or by motorcycle, boat or animals.

Travel through the desert usually required traversing rough sand roads while exposed to heat, cold and dust.

Nearly one third of the women interviewed reported that they had experienced fatigue, disease, insufficient access to food and water, lack of funds, gang robbery, arrest by local authorities and imprisonment.

Children also said they did not have access to adequate food while on the journey.

The primary hazards encountered include sexual violence, extortion and abduction. Nearly half the women and children interviewed had experienced sexual abuse during migration – often multiple times and in multiple locations.

Women and children were often arrested at the border where they experienced abuse, extortion and genderbased violence.

Sexual violence was widespread and systemic at crossings and checkpoints.

Men were often threatened or killed if they intervened to prevent sexual violence, and women were often expected to provide sexual services or cash in exchange for crossing the Libyan border.

More than one third of the women and children interviewed said their assailants wore uniforms or appeared to be associated with military and other armed forces. These violations usually occurred

at security checkpoints within cities or along roadways.

Three quarters of child participants in the study said they had experienced harassment, aggression or violence by adults. Most of the child respondents had suffered verbal or emotional abuse, while about half experienced beating or other physical abuse.

Girls reported a higher incidence of abuse than boys.

Most of the women and children who suffered such abuse did not report it to the authorities. Many participants cited their fear of being deported or placed in detention centres, and their feelings of shame and dishonour, as reasons not to report sexual violence.

The abuse reported by the children took place in several different contexts, with no definitive trends emerging. About half reported abuse that took place at some point along the journey or at a border crossing.

Approximately one third indicated they had been abused in Libya. A large majority of these children did not answer when asked who had abused them. A few children said they had been abused by people who appeared to be in uniform or associated with military and other armed forces, and several others said that strangers had victimized them.

Contraception injections Many refugee and migrant women and girls were prepared for this possibility and took precautions against it, depending on the routes they planned to travel. Some women and girls from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia who passed through Khartoum, Sudan, got contraception injections and brought emergency contraception with them on the journey.

Migrant women and children generally tried to travel together for safety reasons but would often be separated. Many women and children also travelled with men to increase their overall security.

Despite these efforts, guards often separated men, women and children from each other, once they arrived at detention centres.

Although it was rarely discussed, men and boys also experienced various forms of sexual violence.

“It is unclear from the survey how many of the 40 children interviewed had arrived unaccompanied in Libya. Almost half the children stated that they arrived with friends, suggesting that they may have arrived with

Continues on page 27

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 27

Traf out err anean afffic ickked Nigerians’ rrout outee ttoo slaver slaveryy, deaths in Lib Libyya, Medit Mediterr erranean Continued from page 26 other children. The other half reported that they arrived with parents or relatives”, UNICEF said.

“Estimating the number of unaccompanied children in Libya is difficult. Of the 256,000 migrants estimated to be in Libya, 23,000 are children (9 per cent). One third is believed to be unaccompanied.

“However, the International Organization for Migration believed the actual figure is three times higher. The number of unaccompanied children who arrived in Italy in 2016 – more than 25,800, or three times the number believed to be in Libya – is, in itself, a clear indication of this.

Ninety-two per cent of all children who arrived in Italy last year were unaccompanied, in contrast with the number of children in Libya who are unaccompanied”.

34 detention centres Unaccompanied children, according to the global body, are especially vulnerable to all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation, including human trafficking.

“They often have no choice but to beg for food and rarely have access to physical or mental health care”, it stated. An estimated 34 detention centres were said to have been identified in Libya. The Libyan Government Department for Combatting Illegal Migration runs 24 detention centres. They hold between 4,000 and 7,000 detainees.

Armed groups hold migrants in an unknown number of unofficial detention centres.

The international community, including UNICEF, only has access to fewer than half of governmentrun detention centres. Women interviewed reported harsh conditions with detainees suffering from the intense heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter. They were generally not provided adequate clothes or blankets.

The women also reported a lack of food, confirming reports that inmates were significantly undernourished as the quantity and quality of available food were substandard.

The majority of women in the detention centres also reported verbal and physical violence perpetrated by the predominantly male guards.

Children did not receive any preferential treatment and were often placed in cells together with adult detainees, which increased the risk of abuse. Some observers also reported abandoned migrant children in detention centres and hospitals.

The survey confirmed that sanitation conditions were substandard and the centres were, worryingly overcrowded, increasing the likelihood of the spread of infectious diseases. This was compounded by the fact that healthcare services were not available, leaving women and girls unable to access feminine hygiene products or medicines. It was estimated that 20 per cent of the detainees were women.

The detention centres often had as many as 20 migrants crammed into cells not larger than two square metres for long periods of time. This resulted in significant adverse health outcomes including the loss of hearing and sight, and extremely challenging psychological challenges.

Living hellholes The militia-run detention centres were no more than forced labour camps, farms, warehouses and makeshift prisons run by armed groups. For the thousands of migrant women and children incarcerated, they were living

hellholes where people were held for months at a time without any form of due process, in squalid, cramped conditions. Serious violations, including allegations of violence and brutality, were commonplace.

UNICEF did not have access to these centres for security reasons, but reports by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights painted a systematic pattern of human rights abuses.

The militias developed their own detention centres because they could

Nigerian criminal groups typically ‘offer’ victims an irregular migration package to Europe for an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Nigerian naira (roughly 250 euros) during the recruitment in Nigeria

profit from migrants who wished to pass through certain areas. Each militia typically operates its own centre, detaining migrants on the perceived grounds that they bring disease, engage in prostitution and are criminals or mercenaries.

A report by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya revealed high levels of violence with many migrants including children receiving punishment, including torture, for no discernible reason.

Migrants were at a loss for words when attempting to explain why the torture or punishment was taking place.

Migrants were rarely addressed by name but instead were referred to using dehumanizing terms. Sub-Saharan Africans were generally treated much worse than other migrants from Egypt, the Gaza Strip or the Syrian Arab Republic.

•Prisoners in a foreign land When asked whether they paid anyone to help them migrate, nearly all the children surveyed indicated they had paid smugglers. Smugglers charged the women and children between US$200 and $1,200 each for the journey, though it was unclear whether the children had made the payment themselves.

In addition, about three quarters of the children reported that someone else helped them along the journey. Almost all those who had received additional assistance got it from family, neighbours or other relatives. Several children also reported that police or other government officials helped them at some point on the journey.

Additional $650 fee Almost all the women interviewed indicated they had paid a smuggler at the beginning of their journey to reach Libya, after which it was expected they would have to work in transit to raise necessary funds to make the next leg of the journey to Europe.

The women and children reported that they needed additional funds to cover supplies on the journey including food and other basic needs.

Nearly 75 per cent of participants borrowed on

Each woman, child pays $1, 200 to smugglers

Fast facts

• As of September 2016, an estimated 256,000 migrants have been identified in Libya, out of which 28,031 are women (11 per cent) and 23,102 are children (9 per cent), with a third of this group including unaccompanied children. The real figures are believed to be at least three times higher.

• Of the 181,436 arrivals in Italy in 2016 via the Central Mediterranean Route, 28,223 or nearly 16 per cent were children.

• Nine out of ten children who crossed the Mediterranean last year were unaccompanied. A total of 25,846 children made the crossing, which is double the previous year.

• An estimated 4,579 people died crossing the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy last year alone.

We practically walked to Libya — Pati, 16, from Nigeria “The journey was hard, because we had to walk, no cars, without any drinking water. We crossed the desert walking, it took almost two weeks.

Sometimes we had to walk a full day without drinking any water sometimes we went two days without water - before we arrived in Libya.

Without enough water, without enough food”.

average US$650 from family, friends or neighbours to cover these costs.

Some interviewees reported abusive treatment by smugglers and said they were always fearful when moved from one location to another, then handed off to a different smuggler they did not know.

Militias also control or exploit ‘connection houses’ where migrants are transferred between smugglers.

Smugglers have also been known to take migrants from detention centres to these connection houses where they are often forced to work for an undetermined period based on the smugglers’ demands.

Recruitment in Nigeria The link between smuggling and trafficking on the route through Libya, according to the UNICEF report, is unmistakable.

“Broadly speaking, smugglers charge people fees to help them cross borders and move through countries by illegal means – it is a business transaction used by people everywhere in the world to overcome barriers that prevent them from seeking safety, protection and new opportunities. Traffickers, in contrast with smugglers, will in addition exploit the people they are transporting, either during the journey or at the

They treat us like chickens — Jon, an unaccompanied child from Nigeria in detention in Libya “In Nigeria, there is Boko Haram, there is death. I did not want to die.

I was afraid. My journey from Nigeria to Libya was horrible and dangerous. Only God saved me in the desert, no food, no water, nothing. The guy who was sitting next to me on the trip died.

And once one dies in the desert, they throw away the body and that’s it. I have been here [in the detention centre] for seven months.

Here they treat us like chickens. They beat us; they do not give us good water and good food. They harass us. So many people are dying here, dying from disease”.

I did not know journey was this dangerous — Aza, Kamis’ mother “I decided to leave Nigeria because there was no work. I wanted to work and help my children. I did not know the journey would be so dangerous. I realized it when we were approaching the sea and I thought that this was not going to be so easy. They did not tell me the truth.

They did not tell me the risks involved or the difficulties I would face. It all became a reality for me when I saw the situation. The sea that expanded right before my eyes. But once we were at sea we could not turn back.

I paid US$1,400 for that trip. If I had decided not to leave, no one would have returned the money to me. I have done all this for my children and for their future, and I did not want to lose them”.

Continues on page 28

I thought I would be a doctor in Italy but ended in Libyan dungeon — Kamis, 9, from Nigeria “My mother tried to bring us to Libya because of the difficult situation in Nigeria.

We had no money because my mother was not working. We came from Nigeria to Libya via Agadez, Niger. A man died in our car. So we were sad. The men who pushed us on the boat told us to look at the stars. The boat was in the middle of the sea and everybody was crying. The wind was moving our boat, so everybody was shouting. Everybody was crying.

When we saw a small ship, we shouted: ‘Please come and rescue us.’ They rescued us and took us to dry land. Then, we were moved to Sabratha detention centre where we stayed for five months. There was no food and no water. In Sabratha, they used to beat us every day. There was no food there either. A little baby was sick but there was no doctor on-site to care for her. That place was very sad.

There’s nothing there. They used to beat us every day. They beat babies, children and adults. One woman in that place was pregnant. She wanted to deliver the baby.

When the child was born, there was no hot water. Instead, they used salt water to take care of the baby.

What do I want to do when I grow up? I want to be a doctor in my future because I like medicine. Before we left Nigeria, I told my mother, ‘I want to be a doctor.’ My mother answered, ‘Don’t worry. When we reach Italy, you will be a doctor’”.

PAGE 28—SUNDAY VANGUARD,DECEMBER 3, 2017

LIBYAN RETURNEES’ TALES I paid N.5 million for the journey from Benin to slavery — Ewere Joseph •Alex Otoide: I watched as our captors sold 20 girls in one night •New victims are heading to Libya — Osas Blessing

By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin-City

O

VER 650 Libyan deportees re turned to Edo State over the past three months and the tales of their sojourn in the North African country, where they had planned to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, was heart-breaking.

168 of them returned to Benin-City on Wednesday while 108 arrived Friday; they were received by officials of Edo State Task Force Against Human Trafficking. Sunday Vanguard observed that some of the women were pregnant and emaciated just like the men who said they were used as slaves. Governor Godwin Obaseki had promised to train the returnees in skills as part of the efforts to reintegrate them into the society. Most of the deportees lamented that their sponsors promised to take them to Europe only to abandon them in Libya.

One of the returnees, 27-year-old Ewere Joseph, who claimed to have been shot in his shoulder, narrated his ordeal.

He said: “Before I left Nigeria, I was working in a tile making company but the money was too small. One day somebody ask me if I was interested in going to Europe, the man is still here in Benin, I said yes. His name is Christopher, he said I should go and bring N500, 000.

I rallied round for the money and we set out. He promised that once I got to Libya, he will arrange for me to be taken to Italy. It sounded so convincing when he said it but, when we set out for the journey, I did not know it was going to be hell. I don’t need to go to hell any more, I have tasted hell already. I spent one year and six months in Libya.

Many things happened there; they killed a lot of Nigerians. Many of our women are pregnant for those they cannot identify. My friend died in prison because they always beat us. They used the butt of a gun to hit break my leg. My aim was to go to Italy.

When I got to Libya, my sponsor sold me to another Nigerian who was using me for manual labour and I had no choice. I made attempt twice to pass the sea but I ended up spending two days on top of water in the first attempt. The rescue team that came did not locate us, but God sent a fisherman to save my life.

The second attempt I made to cross the sea was when I was now arrested and sent to prison. There is one prison there that the government of Nigeria should go and free Nigerians from, we have about 10, 000 Nigerians there. The prison is called Giyuan. Eight people died in my presence in that prison.

Some of the inmates had to break the prison and that was how we escaped and we were taken to deportation camp.

And when we got to the deportation camp, they started beating us; we received the same treatment like when we were in prison. They will give you bread in the morning and that is all you will eat till the next morning.

“I do not regret the journey because it is part of my experience in life. But my advice to my brothers and sisters is that they should not embark on such trip.

Even from Benin to Kano is very bad, from there we moved to Alghadez, Shaba to Libya. Libya is a very bad country; it is not a place to go. The first thing they did was to ask me to convert to Is-

•Otoide (left) and Joseph lam. I told them I will not, that I am a Christian. The beat me with guns and dump me in prison. I wish our government can block the road leading to Libya so that our people will not go there. I weep each time I see our girls suffering, being used as sex slaves and all sorts of abuse” ‘How I was shot’ “What happened was that they brought food to us and said we should eat. I refused to eat because they gave people from other countries full bread and gave we Nigerians half bread called Oza. About 400 Nigerians, we said we will not eat. They started shooting into the crowd and that was how I was shot. After they shot me, they started beating me, saying I was proving stubborn. One of my friends they beat up had internal bleeding and died in prison.

I don’t need to go to hell any more, I have tasted hell already. I spent one year and six months in Libya

In the desert, seven Hilux vans left for Libya, only one person survived. You will see dead bodies like rats. One of us complained of thirst, but instead of giving him water, he was given Tramadol and he collapsed.

He was not yet dead but he was buried alive in the desert. If you refuse to proceed on the trip, they will shoot you dead. Many of our people are still there

now suffering and dying. Some have gone mad due to stress of the suffering they went through. It is better you suffer in Nigeria than to die in Libya. Our government should go to Libya and return our people, they hate Nigerians a lot over there and it is sad”.

Alex Otoide, another returnee, said he witnessed the sale of 20 Nigerian girls in the prison where he was kept. “They (captors) sold like 20 girls in the night”, Otoide said.

“It was God that saved me. More than

seven people died from hunger and thirst inside the prison where I was kept.

The man that took me to Libya left me. I was into road construction in Lagos State but I am from Edo. I left Nigeria with N500, 000 but I spent six months in Libya jail after the man that took my money ran away. We were 55 that left for Libya, 25 died in the desert.”

One of the girls, Osas Blessing, urged the state government to arrest one Charles who she described as the one deceiving people to go Libya to make money from them.

She said, “I gave Charles N450, 000 but when I got to Libya he increased my fee to N600, 000. He is very wicked. He pushed many of us there. He did not care for human lives. He is a Benin man.

He will say ‘if you die you die’.

He pushed us into the sea at the wrong time. I heard he just left Nigeria with new passengers for Libya and I think he must be stopped before he ruins more souls. When we were arrested, they took us to the people in charge of the UN but others were taken to prison.

If you look at those that went to prison, they look like ghosts. The Libyans beat Nigerians a lot”.

Henry Uwadiae also narrated: “I was just passing through Libya, my destination was Europe. The Arabs came and attacked our boat as we were crossing the sea. They took us to prison since August. They maltreated us like animals.

After they kidnap you, they start torturing you till you die. They dumped us in prison and beat us every day. We ate bread once in two days. I was into business before I left Nigeria. I left Nigeria with N500, 000. I didn’t get to Europe.

The desert was horrible experience.

Many people died in the desert but the traffickers will not tell their parents that they have died. They keep giving people false hope. The videos circulating online that Africans are sold as slaves in Libya are true. I advise our boys and girls hoping to travel to Europe through the desert that Libya is highway to hell”.

Traf out afffic ickked Nigerians’ rrout outee ttoo slaver slaveryy, deaths in Libya, Mediterranean Continued from page 27 destination”, the report said.

“Although very little information about human trafficking was gathered through the IOCEA interviews, other research confirms that Libya is a major transit hub for women being trafficked to Europe for sex. Trafficked Nigerian girls are being sent to Europe on the same route that the smugglers use.

“Nigerian criminal groups typically ‘offer’ victims an irregular migration package to Europe for an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Nigerian naira (roughly 250 euros) during the recruitment in Nigeria. Such a package promises land, sea or air transportation, making use of counterfeit documents or other means. The person accepts the price with the intention of paying it back by working in Europe.

“Once at destination, the debt is converted into 50,000 to 70,000 euros to be paid in the form of forced prostitution for a period that could last up to three years or longer”.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, when foreigners are trafficked, the human-trafficking flows broadly follow the migratory patterns. Some migrants are more vulnerable than others, such as those from countries with a high level of organized crime or from countries affected by conflicts.

Increasingly difficult crossing A survey of migrants and refugees in Italy by the International Organization for Migration in Italy, between October and November 2016 revealed that 78 per cent of children answered ‘yes’ to at least one of the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators in relation to their own experience.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Libya did not have provisions for a specific trafficking in persons’ offence. In addition, the sea crossing from Libya is

becoming increasingly difficult, with the European Union expanding its support to the Libyan authorities, including the coastguard.

Along with the on-going conflict there, the lack of a codified trafficking offence will continue to make women and children attempting to reach Europe reliant on smugglers and some even knowingly on traffickers. This will make future improvements unlikely, at least in the short term.

Massive people smuggling operation There is no let-up in the number of children and women, according to UNICEF, forced to make the journey to Italy.

“It has become a massive people smuggling operation, which has grown out of control for the lack of safe and alternative migration systems. It exploits porous and corrupt border security. In January 2017, the height of winter, 4,463 people had to rely on smugglers for the passage to Italy. In the last week of January alone, a staggering 1,852 people made the dangerous crossing, eight times higher than the same week in the previous year”, the body stressed.

“The number of those dying during the crossing via the Central Mediterranean Route is climbing too. An estimated 228 deaths in all are reported so far this year “ 1 in 21 migrants in January, compared to 1 in 24 in December 2016, and 1 in 41 for the entire year 2016.

UNICEF estimates that 40 children died in January alone.

“The Central Mediterranean Route sparse Saharan terrain and the vacuum created by the Libyan conflict. It is time to stop the exploitation, abuse, and death of women and children on this route of misery. Women and children deserve to be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse along their journey.

“They should not have to put their lives in the hands of smugglers.They should be afforded safe and legal pathways to a better life”.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 29

Why would you steal from your wife? “

Y

ou take careful note next time you see a seeming moron tagging after his wealthy and brilliant wife who earns considerably more than he does and you’1l discover he’s only playing the adage that it takes a wise man to play the fool, so he could lay his greedy hands on her money ”, so declared a friend recently during a heated discussion.

After the heat had cooled off.,.the topic of toy-boys a bit, and how the public had left them to their money-making and randy devise, the discussion these days usually swing back to the age-old situation of some men who don’t give a hoot how much their wives earn as long as they get a piece of the action! “Such men are spineless”, one of the girls concluded indignantly, but this good friend disagreed. “Let’s face it”, she continued; “Making it in this country depends on pure luck - and how well connected you are, of course”. Take the case of a colleague of mine, for instance.

When the Federal Government started selling plots of land ages ago, she bought about five in different locations for next to nothing simply because, her boyfriend then was on the committee allocating plots of land. Some of the plots were in the seedy areas of town that very few people showed interest in . . “In the meantime, she got married to a man who earned a lot more than she did, but some ten years later, she had more money than her husband. Thanks to her ‘mentor ’, she got transferred to a local

government and she made more than her salary every month; don’t ask me how! The plots of land she bought in the marshy areas turned to gold dusts as they were now built up areas and she sold three of them. Two years later, she was the proud owner of a house she built with the proceed from the sale of the plot’of land whilst her husband was made redundant.

“At first, he wanted to be bitter but, his wife bought him a fairly used mini-bus and that took the heat off his resentment. The bus was to help him start a business.

Unfortunately, he is a bum and has wrecked the bus. He now lives off his wife under the guise of helping her run the business she

solely owns but, she tolerates him. “He is useful”, she defended her husband. “He takes the kids to school, runs around for the business and helps me sort out difficult customers.

‘He has his nuisance value and, if I were to employ two or three men for the sort of job he does for me, I wouldn’t get the same satisfact ion and

dedication”.

Unfortunately, men who earn less than their wives can never shake off the stigma that they are nothing but leeches. Remember Joan Collins and her toy-boy of an ex-husband? After being often unfaithful to her, he had the guts to take her to court for irregular

‘maintenance cheque’. After they separated, the court awarded compensation in his favour after he’d whined that he was to be put back in the luxury to which he was accustomed whilst living with Joan. Joan refused to pay and he stole some of her money in lieu! Some years later, Joan got married to a younger thirty-something husband at 69; thanks to her money. Seems the love of money can easily make a few men lose their self-respect.

And they still remain married after almost two decades!

Nearer home, there is this fifty-something-year old who got married a couple of years

ago to a man who could hardly make his pay packetstretch a week after pay day. Our ‘new’ bride, on the other hand, has a manufacturing company and is loaded. So, instead of asking her for money whenever he needed some, he would just wait until she was fast asleep, open her wardrobe and help himself to as much as he needed.

“I caught him at it once”, said the wife “but I never confronted him. He thought I was fast asleep when, in fact, I was waiting for him to sleep so 1 could say the special prayers my pastor asked me to say at 2a.m.! As soon as I pretended to be snoring, he crept to my wardrobe with a torch. I was annoyed at first and wanted to confront him, but what would be the point? So, these days, I just put in the bit of money I could let go as ‘public relations’ and he takes what he needs - never the whole thing at a time though!

Clever rogue! Lets face it, things have changed from our childhood concept of marriage.

Matrimony is not as sacred as it used to be, and if all it takes for you to be happy is to spend money you can afford on your

man, where is the `harm’.

Afterall, we women spend fortune on fashion without batting an eye-lid.

“Paying less than that to keep a serviceable husband is what I consider a good investment!

It also guarantees a warm bed every night!”

08052201867(Text Only)

Tone up your weak muscles

E

VEN the journey home has contributed its share in the overall tiredness of the work day. What with all the anxiety over the slow-moving traffic.

Once home you probably go straight to the kitchen for a snack or collapse into a chair for some television viewing. You are just too tired.

Now, just as there is the need to start off the day with energyreleasing exercises so there is the need to wind down after work.

A fruit to assuage hunger while dinner gets ready is okay. What will not do is a poor combination of food groups which will only put even more stress on your back and exhaust you even more. Another thing, digestion is not helped when eating is done while one is nervous or excited. We must always try to induce a feeling of calmness in ourselves before settling down for a meal.

For some people a little vigorous exercise does the good job of dispelling work-time worries and providing a new burst of energy.

For those not in the mood for energetic work-outs, some stretches like the plough pose, the head-to-knee pose which rely mainly on the forces of gravity such that all you do is assume the

C M Y K

• The plough Pose

* The Head-to-Knee Pose posture, take it easy and breathe.

No one is asking you to be a Jumping Jack Flash for fifteen minutes. A little mercy on your fatigued body.

But I tell you what. You will be sweetly surprised to find out that simple mild stretching exercises like those mentioned are improving the way you look and feel. And the practice of the dead man’s pose, for say fifteen minutes after these exercises will spell astonishing repose of body and mind.

The practice of proper winding down will even set up the body for a good night’s sleep. Or you will find you are not too tired to tango as the case may be!

What stretching does for you * Stress relief: In a difficult situation your body resorts to the ‘fight

of flight’ response, contracting muscles in readiness. The situation gets over but you forget to relax the muscles.

Gradually, this tenseness to stress becomes the norm so that you do not even notice that you are tense. With tension there is a restriction in movement and a loss of youthful agility. * More energy: In contraction muscles cost you a lot of energy.

Once you learn to replace contraction with relaxation of your muscles you save energy for better things. * Improve your digestion: Your internal organs are held in place by muscles. When your muscles are well-toned, they provide better support thereby assisting

the functioning of all vital organs. * Better your body tone: Muscles work in antagonistic pains, when one is contracted the other is relaxed. When a muscle is always tensed the antagonist becomes flaccid and bulgy resulting in undesirable physical distortions such as a bulging belly and thighs and sagging bottom.

Relax tensed muscles and the flaccid ones will have a chance to tone-up and your overall body tone will improve. * Return of youth grace: With a toning up of weak muscles and getting rid of extraneous muscle tension there is an improvement in the alignment of your skeletal

system. This improved posture means you move with a lot more grace and ease. Here is a ‘hump’ and ‘dip’ exercise for the small of the back.

Kneel down with the hand on the floor without moving the body forward or backward, breathe in dipping the waist till the small of the back is hollow and at the same time raise your head.

Breathing out raise the waist drawing in the stomach and dropping the head. Repeat consecutively 4 to 5 times. While you sit on the heels lean forward and support the head on the fists, placed one on the other.

Never you neglect the condition of your spine. Keep it supple and flexible - always.

PAGE 30—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017

MODULAR REFINERIES

How Nigeria will exit nations massively importing petrol — PricewaterhouseCoopers

T

By Oloruntobiloba Ajani

HE Federal Government and other stakeholders have been advised to in vest in modular refineries because of cost effectiveness and flexibility.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) which disclosed this in its latest report obtained by Vanguard added that the refineries were usually available in capacities ranging from 1,000 to 30,000 barrels per day (bpd).

It indicated that the refineries provide flexibility and can be constructed in a phased manner, adding that the relatively low capital cost and flexibility for upgrades can make it a cost effective supply option for investors. ‘’Conventional refineries are not as flexible as modular refineries and they require relatively high investment in resources and specialised labour to run, maintain and upgrade. ‘’The economic viability of a refinery is dependent on the interaction of three elements: type of crude oil used the complexity of the refining equipment (refinery configuration) and the desired type and quality of products produced. ‘’Different types of crude oil yield a different mix of products depending on the crude oil's natural qualities. Crude oil types are typically differentiated by their density (light/sweet and heavy).

‘’Heavy crude tends to produce a larger yield of lower-value products (fuel oils) and also requires significant investment in the refining process. On the other hand, light, sweet produces large yield of higher-value products (transportation fuels) and requires less investment in the refining process. ‘’Nigeria currently produces light, sweet crude, meaning Nigerian refineries may be able to source and process crude at lower rates, increasing the viability of refining assets, particularly modular refineries which have lower feedstock requirements.’’

The company also stated that a key requirement for refining profitability is finding the sweet spot between cost of inputs and price of outputs in a highly volatile environment influenced by global, regional, and local supply and demand fluctuations.

It disclosed that refineries have minimal influence over the price of input and outputs and, therefore, must ensure operational efficiency to improve profitability and gain competitive edge. ‘’This entails reducing operating costs such as labour, maintenance, energy (electricity and natural gas) etc. to the barest minimum. Efficiency is achieved through operational excellence, innovation, maintenance & upgrades and optimisation to produce more output

• A modular refinery from fewer inputs. ‘’Although refineries share certain similarities, each refining asset is a unique and complex industrial facility, with some flexibility in the crude slate it can process and the mix of product yields it can refine. Factors such as refinery configuration and complexity directly impact refinery end products while location and transportation infrastructure impact energy, labour and compliance costs.’’

The company added that: ‘’Over the last four decades, Nigeria has consistently struggled to keep its refineries functioning optimally.

Despite having a nameplate refining capacity that exceeds demand, Nigeria ranks as the 3rd highest importer of petroleum products in Africa, importing over 80% of products consumed. In spite of the setbacks, the inherent opportunity for Nigeria's erstwhile dormant refining sector holds bright prospects for the future and recognition of key drivers will ac-

and now in the South-East is Python Dance that led to a group being termed terrorists.

So how does it resonate with the international community? So, if in the North of the country there is Boko Haram, now in the South-East you have Python Dance, who is going to come here? We are who we are and we can only be as good as what we make of ourselves. No doubt the insecurity level is unacceptable but it is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global trend. World giants like the US still faces the challenge of protecting her citizens from terrorist attacks.

The UK experienced series of it in recent weeks yet these are giants but how many times have they come out to condemn their countries? So I think we must paint ourselves positively to the world and at the same time check the security issues.

BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION:

It’s double-barrel disappointment for tourism - Hon. Ihama-Ogbeide •Says sector is a money-spinner

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

H

on. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, a civil engineer and representing Oredo Federal Constituency in Edo State, chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Tourism. In this chat, he speaks on budget implementation, why Nigeria should tap into its tourism potentials, insecurity in the country among other national issues.

How do you assess the tourism industry since the inception of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration?

In terms of growth, it has not been fantastic. This is because the administration said clearly from the beginning that it has become imperative to diversify the economy. However, in President Buhari’s policy direction in terms of diversification, I think he is more focused on agriculture and solid minerals. While I have no problem with this sort of diversification, I strongly believe that the tourism and cultural part of it would yield faster results.

Solid mineral to me is a long term diversification process as well as in yield.

The culture and tourism aspect is a faster way to boost the economy. Culture is a way of life. It is imbibed in us and we are very rich in it from the North to the East and the West. We are a diverse nation with diverse people, cultural differences, ethnic backgrounds and religious backgrounds and we have wonderful tourist destinations.

But they are all lying fallow. If you look at Lokoja, a confluence town where Rivers Niger and Benue meet, that is a historic destination that government needs to remodel to attract people. If you look at Niagra Falls, it is actually a fall separating Buffalo New York in the US and Toronto Canada in Canada. When you are on one side of the bridge, you are in the US but on the other side you are in Canada. You do not have an idea of how much income the US government and Canadian C M Y K

governments make from tourists who troop in on daily basis to both ends just to see the wonderful Niagra Falls. The economic business around there is booming as you see restaurants, hotels and all kinds of businesses up to T-shirts, fez caps. So a very simple example is the confluence town.

Remodelling that place will attract a huge number of tourists. The great Benin Kingdom, the mould served as the defensive mechanism of the kingdom in the past. Today there is encroachment here and there, no preservation, nothing. If you go to the North, the situation is the same. Even the home of the late Sardauna of Sokoto where he was unfortunately assassinated is something that could call for history. Look at the National Theatre, it is a shadow of its former self. We have a lot of heritage sites, historical monuments. Most of them need face lift, they need access roads to get there and, of course, security won’t be left out.

But funding is a fundamental problem in the sector. And I will use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to rejig its strategic and policy plan by bringing culture and tourism sector to the front burner because it would bring quick jobs which would bring about empowerment; it would showcase Nigeria; it would even bring unity especially at this point that we have agitations coming from various parts of the country. It’s a one-stop-shop.

On why the tourism sector is poorly funded?

If you ask me, for culture and tourism, it is a double-barrel disappointment. The releases trickle in. The budget as we all know has not been adequately funded and the culture and tourism sector is not an exception. The difference between the first budget, 2016, and the second budget of 2017 is virtually less than five per cent. I was opportune to be on the floor twice when Mr President came to present the budget and, in his statement, agriculture and solid minerals development got good allocations.

celerate the imminent refining revolution. ‘’This paper provides a studious analysis of the current state of the refining sector and the refining revolution we predict will take place over the next 3-5 years. It draws attention to the existing gaps in the supply of refined petroleum products in Nigeria and the West African region and it highlights the sizeable potential for domestic refining of petroleum products. ‘’Importantly, it identifies key drivers that will spur the growth of the refining sector in Nigeria. Lastly, this paper highlights refining asset economics and structural commercial considerations for investors and identifies the modular refinery, an off-the-shelf solution, as the cost effective supply option for investors especially when diesel is the lightest yield. The world is expected to continue to run primarily on fossil fuels to supply its energy in the near to medium term.’’

Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama So I think the policy makers around Mr President should be able to draw government attention to this sector regarding the potentials.

On whether insecurity in the country is affecting the tourism sector I think insecurity is a scenario that is painful. First of all, at the onset of this administration, unfortunately the government itself sold out the impression to the international community. I know Mr President made a number of trips where he talked about corruption, the severe insecurity and that he had to battle it and all of that. These are statements that leadership would make that could affect investors, tourists. Anyone coming to Nigeria will think twice if the leadership itself can put before the international community a corrupt system, an insecure environment. For example, shortly before Mr President left to address the United Nations recently, we had the Python Dance military campaign in the South-East and we read on the social media comments from different parts of the country on the issue. Up North is Boko Haram

On how he had been able to use his office to impact positively to his constituency.

Like I said it is unfortunate to be the Chairman of culture and tourism but, by the grace of God and positive will of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, as a first termer, I am opportune to chair a standing committee of the House. It is something I am passionate about. I happen to come from a very rich cultural background, I don’t need to emphasize on the rich Benin culture. It is a way of life for us. That is why within two years of chairing this committee, in my constituency, we have been able to showcase culture at its best. I can tell you today that students in my Oredo Federal Constituency can now recite the national anthem in Bini language. We have a programme from the junior and senior secondary and competition among schools. They can speak the language; they are good in dressing like Binis and have acquired skills in bead making. And I have been able to empower my constituents on how to bring back skills in bronze casting and wood carvings. And more significantly, we are collaborating with the relevant agencies on how to take cultural works, from wood works to bronze casting to paintings and even tie and dye, bead making, to get patronage from these people producing them. Sometimes you see them showcase their very good works they don’t get patronage. Another way we can actually take the economy up and bring in some good money into this country is to take some of these very good works beyond our borders.

That is another area my committee has been able to fine-tune. And very soon the implementation would start. We should be able to export our skills and use the opportunity to empower our people and encourage them to continue to produce more. In this aspect a whole lot has been done not just in constituency but across the nation.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 31

Maina

Maina derailed when he saw big money — Retirees (2) •Harrowing life in retirement: They pay us N1,000 monthly pension, make themselves billionaires from our money Retirees narrate their harrowiong experiences in the concluding part of the report started last week should, between now and December 2018, focus attention on workers’ emoluments to enable them perform their statutory duties effectively.”

Oyo: Govt. owes 56 months’ pension arrears

By Ola Ajayi, Ibadan N Oyo, the state chapter of NUP says most pensioners had become beggars as a result of nonpayment of their accumulated pensions running into 56 months.

The Secretary of the chapter, Mr. Olusegun Abatan, told Sunday Vanguard, that the pensioners in the state, especially retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners, were not happy with the state government for not heeding several complaints and pleas to it.

“Pensioners in Oyo State, particularly retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners, are not happy. They are being owed between 17 and 56 months of pension. We have made several efforts including writing series of letters to the state government. Yet, the government is not doing anything. We suggested to the government that it should come out with a timetable that would indicate how the payment would be made. But, up till now, the government has not taken any decision”, Abatan said.

“We cannot be happy when some of the pensioners are dead and others are dying on daily basis when there is no money to buy drugs when they are ill. One of us was looking for N600 to treat whitlow but couldn’t get it because he hadn’t been paid for months.

His situation deteriorated rapidly, other things followed, he died. It is as bad as that.

“In August 2014, the pension we were being owed was 24 months and we suggested that they should be paying us every month. But government rejected the suggestion. That’s why it accumulated to 56 months. Some pensioners got pension for January 2014 in October this year. And the state government has been paying retired primary school teachers in percentages.

“But when we talk about the months being owed, it varies. In the case of local government pensioners, they are being owed between five months and 20 months. Worst hit local governments are Lagelu and Egbeda. We use this opportunity to plead with the state government to consider the conditions of these aged pensioners who had spent most of their productive years to serve government. When they should sit back and enjoy their old age, it is suffering and hardship due to non-payment of their entitlements”.

On the Maina saga, Abatan said he was among the NUP officials that met him in the course of his career, saying the former Chairman of the PRTT started well, especially when he was in charge of Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pensions Office (CIPPO).

“He did excellently well when he was in charge of pensions at CIPPO. Government thought because he performed well there, he would also do well when he was given a bigger responsibility. But when he got there (PRTT), he saw big money”, he said.

The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Bimbo Kolade, could not be reached for his comments on the claims of the NUP Secretary as several calls made to his phone were not answered.

I

C M Y K

Osun: N5b debt; pensioners’ leaders say 1, 000 members dead *Pensioners ... we have been shortchanged

Ogun:

We have fared well

By Daud Olatunji In Ogun, the situation of pensioners is one of mixed feelings.

While some have good stories to tell, many tell tale of woes.

The state Chairman of the NLC, Akeem Ambali, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, however, said the situation improved when the state government received the Paris Club loan refund and bailouts from the Federal Government.

He said the state government used the refund and bailouts to pay pensioners’ gratuities, saying those owed for 2013 were partly paid while those owed for 2014 were fully paid.

“When you compare Ogun to some states in the country, you will discover that the situation is better.

It has paid till 2014 but they can do better by approaching banks for soft loans to offset the backlog of the contributory pension”, Ambali said.

“The monthly pension is paid as and when due but it is meagre. It is not out of place to prioritize human development by settling the gratuities up to 2019.

“The backlog of contributory deduction and pension needs to be paid.

“Local government pensioners are going through a lot of problems as a result of which we are suggesting that government should borrow to pay them”.

Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, Ogun State Chapter, Comrade Ayuba Olatunji, said local government pensioners in the state had been abandoned.

Ayuba said gratuities to the category of pensioners had not been paid since November 2011, saying, however, that monthly pension was being paid regularly.

“We have 90 months unremitted contributory pension money”, he added.

On his part, the state Chairman of NUP, Kessington Odukoya, said many pensioners receive a pension as meagre as N2, 000 monthly. Describing the payment as ridiculous, Odukoya explained that government had refused to comply with the regulation that pensions, like salaries, be reviewed every five years.

“I don’t know anywhere all over the world where pensioners are paid an equivalent of N2, 000 monthly except Nigeria”, he said.

Ekiti: Pension liability hits N20bn

By Rotimi Ojomoyela In E kiti, pensioners there said arrears of gratuities and pensions accruing to them totalled N20 billion.

Giving a breakdown of the indebtedness, the state Chairman of the NUP, Mr Ayo Kumapayi, said, as of September 2017, local government pensioners were owed N10.8 billion while the state’s civil service pensioners were owed N8.9 billion, totalling N19.7 billion in pensions and benefits.

According to him, pensioners in the state are owed eight months pension arrears, while local government pensioners are owed nine months’ arrears.

Retired civil servants in the state, according to him, were paid March pension last month while those in local government received February pension in October too.

Also, a group known as Concerned Local Government Pensioners’ Forum urged the state government to accord pensioners’ welfare utmost priority.

The Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Quadri Oguntuase, expressed dismay at the condition of retirees in the state whom, he said, served diligently in the prime of their lives only to be consigned to poverty and hardship in their aged years.

Oguntuase said: “The situation has become unbearable for us and we have no option that to cry out for the world to know that we, pensioners, are suffering in Ekiti.

“The rate at which our members are dying is alarming and imagine the harvest of deaths in the last two weeks. Seven of our members died within the period and the situation was caused by non-payment of our benefits. Because our monthly pension is not paid, many of us lack money to eat and to take care of our families. The denial of our rights has made many of us to become irresponsible fathers and husbands at home.

“In fact, many of those who died had no money to buy drugs to manage their ailments or to take themselves to hospital. Things are as bad as that and we want the state government to look for ways to pay us our pensions and gratuities. We believe it is not an offence to diligently serve our fatherland; government should not watch while we suffer because our entitlements are our rights that we should not be denied of. Therefore, we wish to suggest that Ekiti State government

By Gbenga Olarinoye, Osogbo In Osun, even before the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the song on the lips of pensioners, who are owed several years of arrears of pensions and gratuities, has been, ‘Save our soul’.

The state government, during the administration of Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was unable to pay the gratuities of the senior citizens, not to talk of pensions, from 2008 till Aregbesola took the mantle of leadership on November 27, 2010.

Aregbesola promised to offset the gratuities and pension arrears at the inception of his first tenure but didn’t, blaming the situation on paucity of funds.

The administration then introduced the payment of half pension arrears which it called modulated payment.

The new regime commenced amid demonstrations against the state government to ensure that full pensions were paid.

In January, this year, the retirees’ protest took a twist when they formed an ‘Internally Displaced Pensioners Camp’ in Osogbo, the state capital.

Aregbesola accused the protesting pensioners of being used to undermine his government, but the retirees fired back, saying the camp was set up to facilitate assistance from members of the public as they had been unable to feed themselves and their families due to the failure of the government to pay them.

The Chairman of the Forum of 2011/2012 Retired Public Servants of Osun State Branch of the NUP, Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi, said the state government owed them 13 months’ arrears.

Ilesanmi claimed that over 1,000 retirees from the state had died due to lack of money to fend for themselves and get good medical attention, saying the state government was yet to pay them gratuities from 2008 to 2012.

But the state governor said his government was not insensitive to the plight of pensioners.

Aregbesola explained that the government was incapacitated to pay the pensioners gratuities which he put at about N5billion.

He called on the Federal Government to assist state governments to raise bonds to pay the gratuities of pensioners who voluntarily retired from service to avoid the Contributory Pension Scheme.

“It started with a drop of about N600 million and it later jumped toN1bn. If we could not meet up in 2012, how could we do it in 2013 or 2014 when things were getting tougher? Or is it going to be now when there is still a lot of instability in the crude oil market?”, the governor said.

Aregbesola said the call for FG’s intervention in the payment of pensioners through provision of bonds became imperative because state governments were under serious financial burden.

According to Aregbesola, the bonds, to be paid back by the state governments with ease, will go a long way in relieving the states of financial burden, ensure prompt payment to pensioners and boost the nation’s economy as money will be in circulation.

The governor disclosed that a lot of states across the federation, who had joined the Contributory Pension Scheme, were finding it difficult to offset the huge gratuity of pensioners accumulated as a result of the mass exodus from service because they did not want to join the new pension regime.

Benue: Monthly pension as low as N1, 000

By Peter Duru In Benue, while state pensioners enjoy prompt payment of their entitlements, local government pensioners have a backlog of unpaid entitlements which they claimed were inherited.

Speaking on the development in Makurdi, the state capital, Comrade Mike Vember, the Chairman of Coalition of Local Government Retires/Pensioners, urged the state government to pay more attention to the plight of local government pensioners.

Vember said, “Generally, I would not say we local government pensioners are neglected but more attention has to be paid to the issue of local government pensioners in Benue State particularly in the local governments.

“This is because we are the least paid people in the state. There are pensioners that are paid N1, 000 per month, like pensioners who retired in the 70s because of the salary structure then.

“Why I am saying that government should pay more attention to our people is because the money government needs to offset all pension entitlements is less than N1billion.

“For instance, state pensioners take about N450million while local government pensioners take about N355milllion.

So, cumulatively, what government needs to pay all pensioners in the state is not up to N900million.

“The state government pensioners are complaining of being owed about eight months which was carried over from the last administration.

“The former government did not pay them for eight months and Ortom has been battling to pay the money.

“For local government pensioners, the situation is not as rosy. When Governor Samuel Ortom took over, he decided to implement pension for those who were on the ground for eight years without being enlisted for pension.

What he met was arrears of between 53 and 70 months outside of gratuities.

“To add to this, even those who were captured by Ortom from February 2016 were later dropped from June 2016 because of lack of funds occasioned by the peak of the recession. Meanwhile, the government has started paying them from July 2017 but that has also created another backlog. The fact is that payment of pensioners has become like an albatross”.

“The situation is that at the

Continues on page 32

PAGE 32—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Maina Continued from page 31 moment out of 4,900 local government pensioners about 2,700 of us are being owed between 53 and 70 months backlog and this is outside unpaid gratuities.

Though we know that the situation was not created by this administration, we all appreciate the efforts of the administration to tackle the problem headlong; we plead that the effort should be sustained”.

On the Maina saga, Vember described it as unfortunate and painful.

“It is quite painful because pensioners are people who have served the country at different levels and they have become old and need every kobo to maintain and sustain themselves and their families. So, if you steal the money, you are indirectly telling pensioners to go and die. You are also tampering with their family set up because they will not be able to cater for their families. So the implication on the lives of pensioners is huge. Government must find a way of recovering the stolen money so that it can be used to pay pensioners while ensuring that those fingered in the alleged fraud are prosecuted.”

To Mrs. Helen Adom, from Makurdi local government area, and Treasurer of the Coalition of Local Government Retirees/Pensioners, the condition of local government pensioners deserved greater attention.

“Government has to do something about it”, Adom said.

On his part, Mr. Samuel Atsuku, an octogenarian from Tarka local government area, pensioners should be treated as senior citizens that they are and paid their entitlements as obtainable in other parts of the world. “It is our right and not a privilege because we have served this country conscientiously and deserve our pension which is what helps us to cater for our families and also purchase drugs that help us sustain our lives”, Atsuku said.

Kwara: Pension is N2,850 per month

BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI In Kwara State, pensioners are seen in public places such as petrol stations, bus stops and event centres with identity cards, begging for alms.

In other instances, they tell stories of the need to buy prescribed drugs to be able to live.

The Secretary of the state chapter of NUP, Comrade Abayomi Ajibola, told Sunday Vanguard that the state government was not owing pensioners.

Ajibola, however, said this is so because the pension being paid them was ridiculous. ”We have members who are being paid as little as N2, 850 monthly,’ That is the main reason, they are not owing us”, he said.

He recalled that the development was as a result of the legal battle over deductions from pensioners’ fund that was lost by the state pensioners at the Supreme Court.

The NUP Secretary complained that tax deductions since December 2016 had made the pay even more ridiculous and pleaded with the state government to do something about it.

On his part, the Secretary of the local government chapter of the NUP in Kwara State, Comrade Saidu Oladimeji, said his members were being owed between ten and 13 months depending on the local government.

Oladimeji said efforts made by the union to make the authorities pay them had serially failed, lamenting that his members had been dying as a result of unpaid pension.

‘What shall we do when you worked for a callous government? We have handed them over to God”, he said.

Bayelsa: Pension debt is N28b

By Emem Idio, Yenagoa In Bayelsa, the state chapter of the NUP stated that government was owing

C M Y K

“Thankfully, Kaduna State government had no salary arrears, only unpaid gratuities and death benefits inherited from previous administrations. Following the April 2015 elections, the Transition Committee reported that Malam Nasir el-Rufai’s government was inheriting about N14 billion as arrears of gratuities and death benefits”, Kwara said.

“Successive administrations in Kaduna State were unable to pay, or even determine the quantum of gratuities and pensions the state government owed its pensioners. The lax and uncommitted implementation of the old contributory pension scheme compounded the issue”.

And to ensure that the issue of unpaid pension and gratuities doesn’t come up in the future, the state government has revived the contributory pension scheme and is meeting its counterpart obligations so that workers will not retire into hunger. *Pensioners... begging for their entitlements pensioners N26 billion in gratuities and nine months pension while local governments were indebted to the tune of N2billion in gratuities.

The state Chairman of the NUP, Chief Hobbobo, described as worrisome the decision of the state government to impose tax on pensions benefits, saying it was impacting negatively on pensioners.

Habbobo said: “The state has paid up to date with regards to this year’s pension but the arrears of nine months’ pension are still there. The gratuities of pensioners and some other things are still there also.

“Public service has no meaning again, the payment of pension is now a mirage because the burden of debt is too high for any one, some of them (debts) are as much as the state budget for a year, how can they pay?

For the past six years some of states have not remitted one kobo to the pension board.

“The state owes pensioners N26billion gratuities while the councils owe N2billion gratuities and when you put all together it is about N28billion.

“At the moment, they (state) have paid our pension up to date; it is nice but the arrears and the tax are matters to be discussed and negotiated. We are pleading through the House of Assembly that government should stop taxing our pension benefits”.

On the alleged misappropriation of pension funds, he said, “The Maina issue is at the federal level and we here are at the state and local government levels. The money he is alleged to have taken, we don’t know the actual source whether it’s for state or local. But anything that affects any pensioner affects all pensioners, so the misappropriation definitely affects us too, because part of the money, as claimed, was meant for state pensioners and, if it does not come, there is nothing the state governments can do. It’s an allegation, let them prove and later tell us about the accomplices because he is not the only one.”

Cross River: They have been owing us since 2013

In Cross River, Comrade Emmanuel Adie Ntamu, the Chairman of the state chapter of NUP, said the issue of payment of gratuities had been lingering in the state.

“We have taken our case to the House of Assembly and the Assembly asked for details of those who have not been paid and we submitted the details. The details gave information on non-payment of gratuities to our members dating back to 2009 and when the Holy Spirit spoke to them, they decided to pay from 2009 to 2012 and a few people who retired in 2013 were paid.

That is where they stopped”, Ntamu said.

“From 2013 to 2017, no gratuity has been paid to anyone.

“People retire every day; so it is difficult to say the exact amount we are being owed.

Some retirees have pension of N10 million, some N8 million and so on and we are over 500 pensioners that are being owed. If you multiply what everyone is owed, you get the total amount”.

On how his members were faring without

gratuities and pension, the NUP Chairman said, “So many of our members have died while waiting for their gratuities. In fact, the one we buried last weekend was from the same polling unit with Governor Ben Ayade. That man went through verification in December 2016 and now he is dead and his family will go through hell to get his gratuity because they have to start the process of screening and presentation of documents afresh and that could take ten years.

“The state government brought some consultants to verify the workers and those who have retired and those still working and the people messed up the whole thing.

Nobody said retired civil servants should stay in the city after retirement. Many have gone back to their villages. The consultants did not give adequate information so that those in the villages could hear. When they completed their job, they reeled out high figures as those they have discovered to be ghost pensioners, and when the information got to everyone, when those who were not screened came for verification, they were asked to go to the Accountant General’s Office and the Accountant General directed them to the consultants. So many pensioners were deleted but they are still alive and that is causing another problem as those ones are no more getting pension and gratuity is not forth coming.

“So basically, let the Head of Service, Auditor General and Accountant General be held accountable for whatever lapses are in the system and not hold us liable for their own failures.

Kaduna: Former administration owed pensioners N14b

By Ben Agande Kaduna State stands out an oasis of hope in this vast desert of hopelessness for workers and pensioners. Although the state is not among the top earning states in terms of money accruing from the federation account, deliberate policies have ensured strict fiscal discipline which have in turn guaranteed timely payment of government obligations to both workers and pensioners.

But how was the government able to achieve this when it inherited about N14 billion as arrears of gratuity and death benefits? How is the state able to get its workers paid as at when due when most states in the country are struggling to meet their obligations to the workers?

According to the state Commissioner for Finance, Suleiman Abdul Kwara, the ability of the state government to meet its obligations especially to pensioners was a product of careful planning and focus.

He explained that when the state was paid the Paris Club loan refund, Governor Nasir el-Rufai submitted a supplementary budget to the state House of Assembly to authorize that the money should be used to settle the huge backlog of gratuities and pensions.

.

Katsina: Ex-govt. left 56 months pension arrears

By Bashir Bello In Katsina State, the state chapter of the NUP and the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, said pensioners were not being owed. “The previous government owed us 56 months’ pension. But when this administration came, it started paying us 33% every month. So we have no problem about pensions,” the state NUP Chairman, Alhaji Mahabubu Balarabe Abubakar, said. The state NLC Chairman, Tanimu Lawal Saulawa, also said pensioners had been paid all their entitlements.

The Chairman of the state Local Government Branch of NUP, Usman Mohammed Yar’Adua, equally said his members were not being owed a dime.

Anambra: We are not owed a dime

By Vincent Ujumadu IF there is one thing workers and pensioners have benefitted from the present administration in Anambra State, it is regular payment of salaries, pension and gratuities such that Governor Willie Obiano is nicknamed ‘alert governor’. In fact, pensioners receive payment alert at the same time salary of workers are paid and those retiring from the service start paper work on their gratuities and pension before leaving service, with the result that by their last day in service, their gratuities would have been ready.

The regular payment of pension in Anambra cuts across all segments of the workforce, including retired local government workers. For instance, all workers and pensioners in the state received their October salaries and pensions on the 25th as had been the case for the past three years, and the pensioners also enjoyed the 15% increment made for all workers in the state.

Notable groups that had been favoured by the administration include those who retired from the state –owned Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS, and the National Light Newspapers who were not scheduled for pension since the creation of new Anamabra State in 1991 but the state government approved pension for them and they have started receiving same.

Similarly, staffers of the moribund State Water Corporation, who were owed salaries since 1991, were paid arrears at a time most of them had lost hope, with some already dead.

Mr. Joseph Nwobi, a pensioner, said he would ever remain grateful to the present administration in the state for consistent payment of the pension especially when it would be recalled that a former governor in the state once described pensioners as dead woods when they protested over non -payment of their pensions between 1999 and 2003.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017, Page 33

Why I did not stop Obasanjo from becoming President in 1999 -- Alex Ekwueme (2) •Reveals how he confronted former Nigerian leader •'How Afenifere dumped PDP in 1998'

BY JIDE AJANI

F

or Nigeria’s Second Republic vice president, this second part of his encounter with Sunday Vanguard is as explosive as it is revealing.

Sampler: Did you ever have the opportunity to challenge Obasanjo regarding all these?

Yes, we were in the party caucus one day and I told him all the things he had done to me and people present were shaking because they hadn’t seen anybody talk to Obasanjo like that.’

Asked what would make him become so angry, Ekwueme simply retorted, ‘nothing’.

From the real formation of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the reasons for the pull out of Afenifere, Obasanjo’s choice of Atiku Abubakar as running mate in 1999, his confrontation with Obasanjo, how he could have stopped Obasanjo from becoming president, his views on the electoral reforms and many more, Ekwueme, soft-spoken displayed a sharp memory of events. If you’ve ever wondered why Nigeria is in the mess it is in today, don’t wonder afar: It was designed to be so by those who foisted Obasanjo on the nation.

Excerpts: What was the real strength of G-34 because before then there was NADECO and some people thought the two groups should have been integrated?

I would not want to talk about the attitude of NADECO to what went down then, because they thought they had the monopoly of fighting for democracy and any other group that was trying to do something then was poaching on their territory and yet NADECO, only came up six months after Abacha had taken over government because I believe they believed that Abacha was going to handover to Abiola. So, they played along with him and when he didn’t do that, they asked their people who had joined that government to resign and join NADECO; but they had already compromised their position and that was why Abacha didn’t take them serious.

First we had the All Politicians’ Summit, which Abacha came to scatter. We then regrouped and formed the Institute of Civil Society, to sensitise the Nigerian public and the dangers of continued military rule which amounted to enslavement.

We invited Justice Kayode Esho to chair the launching. We had a meeting in my house in Lagos and it was there that Northern members of the group – Rimi, Lar, Ciroma, Awoniyi – said that the impression had been created that all the north was behind Abacha.

It was there that we agreed that the first salvo should be fired by the North, before the larger group would then come in.

Detailed memorandum They met in Kaduna, did a letter to Abacha, which Lar delivered. After that, we met again at Mainland Hotel, inviting people from all over the country and from there the group moved to 34 and then we prepared a more detailed memorandum and we set up a committee of four of us to finalise it: Prof.

Uzodinma Nwala, Senator Onyeabor Obi, Prof. Jerry Gana and myself. We met in my office at Ademola Street and finalized it.

How did the idea of a political party emerge? At what point did that happen?

It was when Abacha died and Abdulsalami took over. They invited us as a group to the Villa. After the meeting we considered whether we should mid-wife a political party or that we should be the catalyst for a political party but not for us to be involved in that party that was to be formed. So, it was just thrown open; we did not really agreed on the specific plan of action. But we had another meeting at the Ladi Kwali Hall of Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers, where all the associations involved decided to form a political party. At the end of the day, the associations agreed to form the party.

But Afenifere pulled out at the last minute, why?

I don’t want to speculate, but I think at that our first outing at Ladi Kwali Hall, which

attracted people from all over Nigeria – the hall was full. The group representing Afenifere signed the memorandum of understanding, MOU, on August 13, at the Western House and the Ladi Kwali event was on August 18; and they also signed the MOU. When I came in to chair the event, the type of thunderous response I received, especially from the Northern delegates to the meeting, must have sent a signal to the Peoples Consultative Forum, PCF, that if they stayed in that group, they would be drowned. It was unfortunate because if they had stayed, we would not have been saddled with an Olusegun Obasanjo.

One of the leaders of PCF, late Chief Bola Ige, specifically, in one of our conversations, alluded to what you just said, that it appeared as though plans had been concluded to install you as president, using that platform of the PDP and, therefore, the Muson Centre meeting would be boycotted - and it was, indeed, boycotted?

We sent people to call them and even waited but they did not come.

So, how come after all the struggle by all of you, at what point, after the formation of the PDP, did the party fall into ‘wrong hands.’ What role did the military play?

Well, they made sure that Obasanjo was installed – they gave him many facilities to enable him win, materials and otherwise and they even campaigned for him. It was Babangida who convinced Sunday Awoniyi.

I was in Jos, Plateau State, in February, 1999. The feeling at the convention ground, even before the voting started, was that you were likely going to clinch the ticket. Would you say you did not try your best or that the military overwhelmed everybody?

For me, it’s unfortunate, but I’ve always lived not to regret things because God Almighty is always in control.

I was going to do a tie-back to the free presidential ticket which Lawal Kaita had offered you earlier. How do you philosophically look back at both events?

Okay, can you see now what somebody told you as being the reason why PCF pulled out and can you then imagine what would have happened if I had accepted the free, automatic ticket at Abuja.

Which one came before: The automatic ticket or the PCF pull out?

No, we were all there. The ticket had been offered to me in the presence of the PCF representatives and I turned it down so, to now go back and still feel that there was some sort of arrangement is a different thing all together.

Governorship candidates The meeting where Kaita offered that ticket to me was some four or five days before the

•The late Ekwuem

Alex

back to you to ask for your delegates’ votes, you have to pay back.

Before the convention, Obasanjo told me (at the height of his impeachment crisis of 2002) that the North wanted the presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP to sign an undertaking that they would do the bidding of the North Ladi Kwali event. But they saw it as a script.

Some people also accuse you, just as you accused the PCF people who pulled out of PDP, that had they stayed, Obasanjo wouldn’t have been imposed on the party. Conversely, had you also accepted the automatic ticket, it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for the military to browbeat the leadership of the party into supporting another candidate? And before you bring God into it again – I know God always has His own way - please answer the question, Sir? You see, the approach Obasanjo used, the first day he came to the meeting in Abuja, he offered to underwrite the party’s preparation for the council elections with N130 million. During the campaigns for governorship elections, all those on the PDP platform, he backed almost all the successful PDP governorship candidates, using money to campaign for them to get nomination and then become governor so when he comes

Before the convention, Obasanjo told me (at the height of his impeachment crisis of 2002) that the North wanted the presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP to sign an undertaking that they would do the bidding of the North. He said you initially refused to sign but you eventually signed. He even brought out a document which he said contained the minutes of the meeting. So, what happened?

Did you sign the document?

The issue was raised at Bolingo Hotel and my answer which was unassailable and a bit embarrassing to those who raised it was that ‘this is exactly what those who complain about the North are saying: that you monopolise certain ministries; that now, how do you think a president would work well and be successful if he does not appoint the best hands he has in his cabinet to take charge of key ministries and rather, if those ministries are reserved for certain class of people’.

I also told them that this actually confirms what people are saying about the North. They felt embarrassed.

But Obasanjo brought out a document and showed it to me, which he said were minutes of the meeting?

There can’t be minutes of any meeting because they met with each candidate separately.

Let’s move on. Obasanjo was said not to be qualified to even contest the primaries of your party but you people allowed him? First, apart from the fact that Obasanjo did not deliver his State or local government area, he did not even win in his ward.

What actually happened was that the responsibility was on the party secretariat. A screening committee was set up to screen the aspirants and the names were published nationwide. Before the screening, Solomon Lar, as chairman of the PDP then, sacked the screening committee and set up a new committee, headed by the present chairman of the Population Commission, Makanma. When he was asked why he did that he said the previous committee had been published and, therefore, prone to compromise, which was

Continues on page 34

Page 34 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Why I did not stop Obasanjo from becoming President in 1999 -- Alex Ekwueme Continues from page 33 rubbish. Any way the national vice chairman of the party, for the south east, Sylvester Ugoh, and the national vice chairman of the party, for the south south, Dr. Dele Cole, wrote a joint memorandum to the screening committee, quoting the resolution of the NEC on the conditions that aspirants must fulfill but that Obasanjo was not qualified to seek that office.

When the screening committee got that letter from the south east and south south, they were confused and were at a loss regarding what to do. The screening committee chairman, who had just been put there by Solomon Lar, asked Lar what to do. Lar wrote to them and told them that it was too late to disqualify anybody late in the day. He said what they should do was to give Obasanjo provisional clearance and they wrote so.

We gathered that you chose not to pursue this at the convention ground, and that you said you did not want to set the country on fire?

That issue came up at the convention ground because I had the minutes of the meeting where it was said that to qualify you have to win at some levels. The meeting of NEC on November 24,1998, was that from President to councillor, you must win your state, local government and ward in that order for you to even qualify to seek to represent our party at the polls. The meeting of December 10, 1998, ratified that resolution and this was done preparatory to the December 5, LG elections with a view to ensuring that every aspirant participated fully in mobilizing people for the party. The December 5 election was meant to determine which parties would qualify to be registered and you could not seek office on the platform of the party as president if you did not contribute to the success of the party for registration. It was very clear. In Jos, the constitution of the party as at that time, made the secretary the chief executive of the party.

The chairman was like a board chairman but the secretary was like the managing director/ chief executive, who runs the party.

Unfortunately, Okwei Nwodo allowed Solomon Lar to hijack the executive functions of the party.

But he said to me in a separate interview that he was already being tagged as an Igbo man who wanted to help you, another Igbo, to secure the ticket of the party. That was how he explained it?

No, you can not just explain it away; you have to do the right thing and not thinking about what people would say about you; he abdicated; Solomon Lar started writing letters to INEC, to aspirants, to everybody.

Was it after the convention that Lar took over or before?

Before the convention; he just took over the role of the secretary of the party, just immediately after I handed over to him as chairman. So, at the convention, the way it was structured, once a ballot box was counted, it represented the others. After the first box was counted I knew Obasanjo would win and I had enough time to decide on what to do next. First, I had with me a copy of that meeting of NEC of November 24, 1998, and the other one of December 10, 1998. If after the announcement of the results, I had the chance to raise the matter and push. Two, I could accept defeat and say Obasanjo, I support you.

Or to say Obasanjo is not qualified and, therefore, of the seven of us who contested, only six of us were qualified to contest and I, having scored the highest among the six should be declared the winner and forward my name to INEC tomorrow. Of course what would have happened would have been that Nwodo would have forwarded my name to INEC because we had no time left. Lar, too, would have written to INEC and said it was Obasanjo because he was fully for Obasanjo. So, INEC would have had two nominations from PDP which was the frontrunning party, and it was already becoming very clear that whoever emerged PDP candidate would become the president; that would have created confusion. The military could easily hang on to that excuse and meanwhile, the mob outside the Jos township stadium was very restive and could set houses on fire. Eventually, I decided that my keenness to serve Nigeria and to make it a better place for my children and my children’s children should not blind me

to the fact that Nigeria would have to exist first, before we can serve it, and that I, after all the struggle, would now, because of my own personal ambition, set the country on fire and prolong military rule, would be an unforgiveable act of selfishness and so I decided to allow it and support Obasanjo, hoping that he would appreciate all these sacrifices and understand because he did not know how the party was formed.

But if you had objected, you would have been doing the right thing, too. So, you chose not to do the right thing and we ended up with Obasanjo?

As I said, Nigeria would have to exist first before you can serve it; and today, Nigeria is still surviving, even though remedial work needs to be done.

He picked Atiku Abubakar as running mate but some say it was a unilateral decision?

I’ll tell you what happened. That evening, after the convention, we met at Solomon Lar’s house.

Who were the ‘we’? Was Obasanjo still in Jos that evening?

Yes, Obasanjo was there; the secretary of the party was there; Senator Onyeabor Obi was there; quite a few others were there. What we decided was that we would reconvene in Abuja the next day and decide on the running mate and submit to INEC. So, when we got back to Abuja the next day, INEC called Okwei Nwodo to remind him that that day was the last day for which the name of the presidential candidate and his running mate had to be submitted failing which it meant that PDP would not be contesting that election. Nwodo then called Obasanjo.

Why call the candidate and not the party chairman?

The next morning, in Hilton, Obasanjo came to my suite and told me that he would like me to be president of the Senate, so that he would control the executive, I would control the legislature, that way, we could work together and move Nigeria forward He called Obasanjo and not Lar. And Obasanjo told him that Atiku’s name should be submitted so that we could have our candidates.

So, it wasn’t as if there was a consensus on the choice of Atiku?

No, there was none. The meeting we scheduled to hold in Abuja could not hold any more because there was a deadline to meet and it had to be met. This was taken over by events.

But how come the meeting failed to take place? Was it because Obasanjo rushed Atiku’s name or because there was no time at all?

In fact, let me tell you, some people were still on their way from Jos when all this happened.

•Late Alex Ekwuem Then you would agree that Obasanjo was right in picking Atiku contrary to the sour grapes from some quarters?

Well, I think it was a well choreographed script which played out.

So at what point did the problem start?

You mean with me?

Yes, at what point did he start having problems with you – not you with him? Because after the Jos convention, it was obvious you were ready to work with him?

The next morning, in Hilton, Obasanjo came to my suite and told me that he would like me to be president of the Senate, so that he would control the executive, I would control the legislature, that way, we could work together and move Nigeria forward. I kept quiet and he said, okay, if you don’t want to do it, I should give him somebody from the East based on the zoning formula. I said I would think about it.

Major player Eventually, I told him I wouldn’t do it. I nominated Senator Onyeabor Obi because he had the experience, coming from the Second Republic and a lawyer of 30 years standing and it was the MOU on power shift, of which Obi was a major player, which made it possible for Obasanjo himself to emerge. But Onyeabor Obi never made it to the Senate? He never did, that was part of it. Then, somebody had already been nominated for that senatorial district – Anambra South. To get the chap who had the ticket to step down was a problem. Senator I. K. Obiora was also aspiring and this other chap, Eriobuna was contesting. Obiora agreed to step down but Eriobuna never agreed and Chuba Okadigbo was very keen on becoming president of the senate and I think he had a hand in ensuring that Eriobuna did not buckle.

What was the question again?

I asked at what time did the two of you begin to part ways?

After that offer, he told me that on Thursday evening, there was going to be a fund-raising for his campaign and that he would like me to chair the event. I agreed. I was there, I chaired it. Danjuma was there, Dangote and a host of others. When he came to the East for the campaign, I met him at the airport and I brought him here to my house. He then requested that he wanted to have a word with me in private and I agreed. We moved to the other side outside and he requested that he would like me to give him one person that he would make a minister and I asked him: ‘One person’? He said ‘yes’.

I said ‘okay’. So, from here we went to Okpara Square, I campaigned for him, from there to Awka, because at that time, the whole South East was still smarting from the events of the Jos convention and as I went campaigning for him, some thought I was a mental case. From Awka to Asaba Stadium, we got there at night, we campaigned and I returned only to go back to Lagos to meet him at Ikeja. Olu Falae emerged as AD/APP presidential candidate along with Umaru Shinkafi as running mate. But something happened. Pius Okigbo and Ben Nwabueze, I believe went on air to announce

that Ohanaeze wanted the Igbo nation to vote for Falae. I found it difficult to take because they didn’t consult me and if anyone is going to claim that he founded PDP, without being immodest, I can make such a claim. So, how could I be campaigning for our candidate and my people would be told to vote for somebody else. So, I went to the radio station here at my own cost, made a broadcast which was sent to all the stations in the eastern zone including Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River. I went to Lagos and did the same on network radio that my people in the East should vote for Obasanjo. In spite of all these, I heard later that one of our people here who was close to Obasanjo said Okigbo and Nwabueze wouldn’t have made such an announcement without my consent.

Who told you sir?

I won’t mention the name; but he believed the story.

He just believed, in spite of all that he knew I did to counter that statement.

Of course we wanted the party to win. After the elections and swearing in, I gave him the one person he requested, Professor Barth Nnaji, someone I thought would make a difference because of what he had propounded to do to move Nigeria forward, to move away from crude oil to industrial development, based on the experience of the Asian Tigers. So, I nominated him and gave him the proposals from Nnaji.

The guy is from Enugu State, any way and not from Anambra, not my state. The next time we met he told me that in the military there is something they call a bad weather option, that if a dignitary is coming and you’re preparing for a parade and rain falls on that day and the weather changes, what do you do? What would be your fall back position. What he was telling me was that I should give him somebody else in case this one did not work. So, I gave him Ali Baba of blessed memory, who was from the Yola, Adamawa State.

Was it that you couldn’t find somebody from your Anambra State or what?

Anambra had a lot of people and we were entitled to our quota as a state. For Anambra State, Onyeabor Obi was number one but Obasanjo preferred Menakaya, who supported him. After taking all the people he wanted, I went to see him one day and he showed me the list and asked if I had any suggestions and I said the first name proposed by Anambra State should have been picked, that is Senator Onyeabor Obi and I made him understand that the MOU which brought about power shift was actually typed by Obi because in his Western House Office that night, his staff had all gone home so he had to do the typing himself and I felt even if for that reason alone he should be chosen. Another name on the list which caught my attention was the female nominee from Plateau State where he said he wanted a woman. I told him the original list from Plateau State had a woman’s name so why not pick that woman, but instead you put another woman’s name there. He said he would effect that changes as suggested by me – at least that was what he told me there. When the list got to the Senate, because of the previous tango between Obi and Okadigbo, the latter went and ganged up with Anambra senators. Obi scaled the hurdle the first time but they canceled all that and started all over again. The second time, the senators from Anambra State said Obi didn’t have their support and, therefore, could not be passed. What is more, they said the political adviser, Prof. A B C Nwosu was from Nnewi as Obi and that two of them could not come from the same place. But this was the same excuse in the case of Adamu Ciroma from Potiskum and his cousin, Adamu Maina Waziri. They represented Ciroma’s name but never represented Obi’s name – meanwhile, Waziri served as an adviser while Ciroma served as minister.

Did you ever have the opportunity to challenge him regarding all these?

Yes, we were in the party caucus one day and I told him all the things he had done to me. He just danced around it. He couldn’t answer straight. What answer would he have? These were all facts. I can not even place my finger on any one single event but I think on the whole, Obasanjo felt I was too strong a character in a way and that he could do everything to undercut me and reduce my influence in the party or even in my own state and he undermined me. As a matter of fact, he didn’t appoint any of the people I proposed, not one person. When I asked him he said the governor of Enugu State said he didn’t want Prof. Nnaji. The person I nominated.

I asked him, ‘you said I should give you just one person, and yet, the governor of Enugu State (Chimaroke Nnamani) is going to veto my nominee? Somebody who came back from Orlando, Florida; someone Jim Nwobodo helped to become the governor is now going to veto my own nominee?

Okay, how do you relieve yourself of stress?

I play lawn tennis. I play two sets.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 35

rexmarinus@hotmail.com

Alex Ekwueme: Cornerstone of the Fourth Republic

M

y most enduring personal memo ry of Alex Ekwueme was at his brother Laz Ekwueme’s 60th birthday in January 1996, which began appropriately with a performance at the University of Lagos auditorium, with Laz himself conducting his Chorale as part of the events. At the end of the performance, his brother, Dr. Alex Ekwueme made a personal request for a performance of Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” and he was obliged.

What struck me was the effect of the music on the man – the intensity of his expression and absorption of the movements of the song. Schubert arranged “Ave Maria” as a movement of seven songs, taken from Walter Scott’s epic poem, “Lady of the Lake,” and the denouement is in that moment, when the character, Ellen, at the lead of the farremoved harpist, raises an invocatory prayer to the Virgin Mary, summoning her to help, as the protagonist goes off into battle against the king. Years later, the significance of that request made utter sense to me.

Dr. Alex Ekwueme was at the promontory of his own epic battle with General Abacha, and “Ave Maria” was his own invocation to the virgin. I could associate this purely on the subjective whim of my own interpretation, but of all the things that have been said of Dr. Ekwueme in the deluge of epiphanic eulogies from many quarters, the most

central have been an acknowledgement of his quiet dignity even faced with the kind of challenges that would normally set off less accomplished men, and the second is the affirmation of the consistent principle he brought to bear on public service. What has often not been noted in his obituaries is that Alex Ekwueme was of that generation of men inspired by the politics and philosophy of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who taught us that in our quest to make a great society and liberate our people from the clutches of poverty and ignorance, we must show ourselves as the first and perfect examples.

Those who wish to lead must themselves be willing to serve, given that leadership is a sacred trust, a call to dispense of all other interests that negates the higher interest of the people. True leaders are the servants of their people.

They are not the masters of their people. True leadership requires mental and spiritual preparation: those who wish to lead must explore the vast fields of human knowledge, and thus like Azikiwe, Ekwueme prepared himself intellectually, ranging in fields of human knowledge, from Architecture to Sociology, to Town planning, and to Law. He was basically, philosophically trained. In other words, he could interrogate, if not interpret Pythagoras, as he could comprehend the movements of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” or the lines of Enwonwu’s “Agbogho

Diaspora Matters, with Morak Babajide-Alabi http://www.babajidealabi.com

Lib Libyya, A Countr Countryy With N Noo Bor der s, But Slave Mar Border ders, Markkets

T

he plight of immi grants in the African country of Libya has of late been of concern as the world arose from the slumber it has been for ages. We have just accepted that African migrants, desperately seeking to cross over to Europe, are not only dying in the Mediterranean Sea, but a sizeable number of them are traded as slaves in open markets in Libya.

Last month the popular Cable News Network (CNN) brought into our living rooms a video clip of black migrants being sold in night markets in Libya. It showed migrants auctioned off for as little as four hundred dollars.

Ever since CNN put out this clip, a lot of attention has been generated to the plight of migrants in Libya.

As usual, the world and international agencies leaders have condemned the acts in Libya. They spoke against the slave trade and promised it would be investigated. We were lost in their sympathies, but at the same time, we also asked if these leaders were C M Y K

truly ignorant of what was going on in Libya, and probably in some other parts of the world. We live in a pretend world where, until pointed out, everything is okay.

There had been numerous reports in the past alerting the world to the illegal trade and smuggling in Libya. Earlier this year, I watched a documentary, Ross Kemp: Libya’s Migrant Hell. It was an exclusive report on what migrants (mostly blacks, from the West African countries) trying to cross to Europe are detained, brutalised, raped while some of them lose their lives in the process.

I recollect the revelations of some of the migrants interviewed by Kemp for the programme. A very detailed and exhaustive documentary, Kemp took us on a journey through the detention centres, life in the desert and a night patrol with the Libyan Coast Guards. Kemp was practically begging the whole world that the migrants’ story needs a "rewrite" as a matter of urgency. He alerted us that some of these migrants are

these were, politically speaking, known quantities. Then Shagari pulled the surprise, and it has since come to some light, with the quiet counsel of Dr. Nwafor Orizu, and picked what was essentially a dark horse, a younger man, Dr. Ekwueme – who compared to the other two seemed bloodless, and wilting. Ekwueme had always presented the image of that groomed silence; the self-effacing, unintrusive man, who did not have the theatre of his more boisterous brother, Laz, but who had often proved with the quiet force of his intellect and will, to be no less a force or quantity.

His quiet efficiency; his organizational capacity, and

his fierce sense of loyalty and obligation, have all been attested to, by those who have worked closely with him, and no less, by President Shagari himself, who could never have wished for a better lieutenant.

Dr. Ekwueme’s record of public service stands perfectly in that adulation, by those who put him before the blind goddess of justice, who then compelled by the sheer evidence before her, led her servant at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Uwaifo to declare that Alex Ekwueme had no scintilla of corruption around him, in a government that had been roundly accused of corruption.

Dr Alex Ekwueme, the honorable judge declared, is the only example of a man who entered government very wealthy, and left less wealthy than he was when he went into government in Nigeria. In other words, Ekwueme remains Nigeria’s moral beacon – that example of the distinguished and incorruptible public servant, who has continued to elude this nation since the locusts came to town.

Alex Ekwueme’s moral courage came through when he stood up to General Abacha and his ploy to succeed himself with the formation of the G38 in 1997. Ekwueme led the G38 to say, “heck no!” and was ultimately prepared for a showdown.

I should now confess, that I ran a number of couriers between Ben Obumselu and Bola Ige, from Lagos to Ibadan, in that triangle of action, and it was clear that a showdown was indeed in the offing with Ekwueme at the center of it against the military regime. Perhaps that was why they stopped him too, when it came to crunch time.

I was in that stadium at Jos, reporting the PDP convention for the Newsweek Magazine, with Marcus Mabry late in 1998. We had been taken that night to see General Obasanjo where he was sequestered

in the lap of luxury in Jos, holding court. It was very quickly clear to me, that Obasanjo who had just been released from prison was suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, and his responses to basic questions were incoherent. Later on, I was also taken by Professor Obumselu, whom I met at the Hills Station Hotel in Jos, to see Dr. Ekwueme. Obumselu was the Director of Planning and Operations for the Ekwueme Campaign, and was running the numbers for the campaign. There was a clear difference. The surroundings were different. Ekwueme was of course surrounded by Chinweoke Mbadinuju and Igwe Mbaukwu, but he was clear and articulate, and Marcus Mabry in spite of himself did say, “that’s your best chance in Nigeria.” But later that night, while we were hosted at the Jos home of General Lawrence Onoja, and in the company of Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim, who was a major Ekwueme backer, we got the news that a lot of money had gone round at about 2:00 a.m., spent by the key military backers of General Obasanjo.

The rest is now history. In spite of the bright and articulate speech of Asiodu, or the moral significance of Alex Ekwueme, the PDP went to the dogs: they gave the party’s nomination under fraudulent conditions to Olusegun Obasanjo. And that, very clearly in my mind, sealed the fate of Nigeria, for this country was handed back to the locusts. The result is clear: violence, corruption, religious and ethnic tensions.

Any nation or party that would choose an Obasanjo over an Alex Ekwueme was doomed to misery. Ekwueme was the cornerstone of Nigeria’s fourth republic, but he was that cornerstone that was ignored. And we are still paying for it.

In January this year, the Senior Special Assistant to the Nigerian President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa appealed to Nigerian migrants to avoid Libya as the penalty for illegal migration to the country, when caught, is usually a death sentence. She disclosed that NEMA (National Management Emergency Agency) alongside, the Nigerian Embassy in Libya evacuated over 2000 Nigerians from Libya sometimes towards the end of 2016.

This piece of advice shared on Twitter caught my eyes, and not totally convinced by the sincerity of the statement, I replied to Dabiri-Erewa's tweet - “So is it okay for Nigerians to try illegal immigration elsewhere as long as it's not Libya? Hmm!” I continued in another tweet - “It is not only Libya that is unsafe on the route to Europe. Nigerians should be discouraged on illegal immigration”.

Looking back now, I commend the efforts of the Nigerian government trying to sensitise citizens thinking of undertaking the dangerous journey. The decision of the SSA to put out this advice, according to her, was based on a video clip and pictures of Libyans capturing and illtreating black migrants.

There is no disputing the fact that Nigerians' population in the Libyan detention camps rank among the highest. Nigerians are reputed to travel in in their thousands to Libya with the erroneous belief that Europe is just a step away.

No matter how you look at the situation, it is sad and de-

pressing that this is happening in this modern age. It is unbelievable that the new wave of the slave trade that history is recording now is perpetrated, not by outsiders but by “brothers to brothers”.

I quite agree wholeheartedly that Arabs and Africans are not brothers. Historically Arabs are not particularly friendly to people of dark colour in normal circumstances. Now to expect them to be humane in situations where they have the freedom to do whatever they like in a country with no structure is unreasonable.

Libya is a collapsed state after the West-sponsored “revolution” ended the dictatorial reign of Muammar Ghadaffi in 2011. Ever since this, the country has been hijacked by militia groups with territorial occupation ambitions. This had rendered this once peaceful country, one of the most dangerous places to be in the world. Libya is a good example of how the West do not think through their interventions in other countries' affairs.

The European Union deserves a major share of condemnation in what is happening to black migrants in Libya. The shameful manner the EU countries treated the migrant issue a few years ago is still fresh in our minds. The countries are desperate to keep the tide of migration across the Mediterranean Sea at the lowest. To achieve this, they have literally empowered the militias operating in Libya to act in any way they chose fit.

The Libya Coast Guards do

intercept and capture migrants on the sea before they venture into the EU territory.

These migrants are taken back to detention centres, where they are treated as animals, beaten, raped, tortured or kidnapped. The EU member countries hail the works of the Coast Guards and the arrests they make but none of the leaders has been human enough to ask what happens to the migrants that were sent back.

Unfortunately, they care less, as long as they do not end up on their shores. Of all the hundred migrants that escape the Libyan Coast Guards, only tens of them make it to the EU shore, while for others, their bones and skeletons have settled below the Mediterranean Sea. We are sometimes quick in condemning these migrants who risk their lives trying for a better future. Some of them are running away from their respective countries because of oppression, poverty, joblessness, caused by their leaders' mismanagement and corruption. While these migrants see Libya as a country without border and a route in their journey to better lives, the Libyans see them as objects of trade, to help them survive a broken system they call a country. Migration, in any circumstance, is risky, but the illegal route is fraught with dangers that guarantee no good results for the undertakers.

Let's keep our fingers crossed as we watch what the world leaders will do to end the flourishing of the slave trade in Libya.

Mmo,” as well as understand the notions of Zoroaster, or even the subtler underlays of the Paulian dispatches. Dr. Ekwueme was therefore rooted, without ambiguity. He was as local as he was cosmopolitan. He came to the clear and inexorable understanding that there was no genetic difference between the poor of the North and the poor of the South, there was only a moral condition, and it required the transformation of the material conditions that should give each man or woman the dignity of their humanity.

Dr. Ekwueme also clearly absorbed the Zikist idea that the individual who offers himself for public leadership under the norms of democracy, must be willing to apply the strategic patience of the Roman General Pontifex Maximus. Zik himself summed that up as the principle of “Suru-Lere” – the virtue of patience. The Igbo themselves had put it in their own inimitable philosophical frame: “Anu laa ta, echi wu nta” – if the game escapes today, tomorrow is another hunt. Such a philosophy priotizes the virtues of patience, tolerance, and compromise as the sum of political conduct.

It therefore makes political action, under the democratic principle, a process rather than a zero-sum game. And these are, in sum, the very principles that guided Dr. Ekwueme’s political action, from when he joined the fray, first in the first republic as an NCNC candidate for the Eastern Regional House, and later in the second republic, when he became Vice-President of the Federation of Nigeria, under the elected government of the National Party of Nigeria, led by President Shehu Usman Shagari. Ekwueme wanted to be governor of the old Anambra state, and had been nominated, and confirmed NPN’s guber-

natorial candidate for Anambra in 1979. I do personally recall this moment because I had just become very acutely alert to national politics in that moment, and the Nigerian papers, particularly the local Nigerian Statesman published in Owerri, were full of the doings of politics.

Shagari had first offered the Vice-presidency to an Igbo woman, the first Nigerian to earn a degree from Harvard, who was a senior lecturer then at the Alvan Ikoku College of Education. She was quietly convinced to decline the offer. Two giants later loomed: Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe, and Dr. J.O.J Okezie. And

being sold off from the detention centres as a result of overcrowding or when the smugglers could not extort money from the migrants any longer.

Before CNN, Kemp had attempted to arouse the human side of the world leaders. For strange reasons, the documentary did not get as much attention as near the latest clip from CNN. This, probably, can be explained by the fact that CNN is more global in reach than Sky TV where

We are sometimes quick in condemning these migrants who risk their lives trying for a better future. Some of them are running away from their respective countries because of oppression, poverty, joblessness, caused by their leaders' mismanagement and corruption Kemp’s was originally broadcast.

This is not to undermine the efforts of the CNN crew that brought the world's attention to this dastardly act. Since this exposé, other video clips have surfaced on the social media.

We have read about the experiences of some of the migrants who managed to escape, while those repatriated have also told their stories.

True leaders are the servants of their people. They are not the masters of their people. True leadership requires mental and spiritual preparation: those who wish to lead must explore the vast fields of human knowledge

PAGE 36—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017

First, we need to ask for God’s mercy because we realize that we cannot confront the forces attacking our life physically. Even if you can, can you overcome? Also from passage quoted, it is clear that we have a God that can make our challenges history. He can give us victory over whatever is the challenge we are coping with right now.

But asking for his mercy requires some form of action from us. You cannot seat, fold your arms and expect his mercy. His mercy is for those who genuinely ask for it. It is

not thrown at everybody.

Verse 2 of Psalm 57 “ I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me”.

Did you get that? I will CRY, ……. That performeth all things for me”.

So, you need to cry unto him and believe that He can perform all things. Therefore, there is NOTHING, he cannot do.

As a mother, that marriage of your daughter that you are praying to witness and carry your grandchildren, will come to be if only you can ask for his mercy.

To cry unto God, you must be ready to take your prayer life beyond the ordinary level.

You must find more time to pray. You must be consistent with your demand, create time to fast and make a vow. A vow need not be money, you could make a promise to serve him and spread the gospel, Remember Hannah did and God answered her. You too can.

Once you receive the mercy of God, brethren your story will change. You that have been soaking your pillow with tears of sorrow, very soon, you will shed tears of joy openly.

Brethren, when you receive the mercy of God, every challenge will give way.

This season as you ask for his mercy, every challenge that you have been contending with since the beginning of the year will give way in Jesus name.

I’ll share with you the testimony of a woman who had been waiting on the Lord for her biological children. A

steadfast Christian. She suddenly took in and went for scan after a few months.

Initially, the baby showed signs of growth for which she and her doctor rejoiced.

However, another scan showed the baby had become lifeless and the doctor would need to evacuate it, flush it out.

The woman refused and ran to her church for prayers.

After this the woman went back to the same gynecologist and lo and behold, the baby was found alive . I witnessed her testimony where she presented the baby girl that was initially declared dead for dedication.

Brethren, everything that has been dead in your life, our God will restore it very soon in Jesus name.

As we look forward to Christmas, let’s also focus on our spiritual needs. With his mercy, we can have all our heart’s desires.

Brothers and sisters, let’s get something right. Whatever, it is you are going through, someone has passed through it before.

Have you ever heard of someone who broke through?

You too will breakthrough in the name of Jesus “, May I remind you that the annual Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God holds from December 4-9, 2017. Venue is the Redemption Camp. Km 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Its theme is Songs of Victory.

This year, whether the enemy likes it or not, you will sing songs of victory before this year ends in Jesus name.

the past people have been known to give certain executives with prominent positions exorbitant gifts with an ulterior motive in mind.

This biases the mind of decision makers and is seen to be detrimental to the operations of organizations risking the possibility of tarnishing corporate image.

Easy Tips for Christmas Gift Giving The Person: Consider the person you are buying the gift for first in making a choice of what gift to buy. Imagine what they would like based on their character, image and class. It is a good idea to discover what

their hobby may be and buy something that falls in line with that hobby, that way it stands a better opportunity of being appreciated.

Personal Attributes Try to recognize distinctive personality traits if you know the person well, like favourite colour, tastes or style. If the person is an executive you would look into what would be useful in the office on the desk or for personal use like a pen.

The Organization Remember to ask for the corporate policy to avoid your gift being rejected. Avoid cheap gifts go for that which will stand the test of time and

minimalize corporate promotional items. Office items would work with the exceutives and professionals.

Quality First Purchase goods that you perceive will have a lasting value that are useful and will linger in the mind of the recipient. So many gifts are given without looking at its usefulness regardless of price.

Let a small gift have greater value and durability than a large gift that will fall apart be uppermost in your mind.

Finished Look Make your gift stand out in terms of the finished look. Pay attention to the presentation of the gift by way of the wrapping, ribbons and packaging. It is easier to ask the professionals to help you wrap your gift at the place of purchase. Depending on who the gift is for and the occasion this will determine the extravagance of the finished look.

Religion Ensure that you are fully aware of any religious connotations to the gift you buy to avoid offending the receiver. Alcohol should be avoided at all cost if uncertain also gifts that are too humorous.

Bespoke Personalize your gift with a hand written note or attached mini card just to give that extra touch. If for Christmas attach a card with senders details.

Budget The cost of the gift is not what you should focus on as much as you decide the worth of the person the gift is for. Your gift should not send the wrong message to the recipient, buy with comfort first and not as a substitute to impress.

Presentation Present your gift with a smile at the most appropriate time.

If distance is a barrier you may also use a despatch rider or courier service to help you deliver your gift As you set out to buy a gift for anyone it is important to remember to watch out for cultural, religious, dietary and health values Not everyone is inclined to drinking alcohol, while some may have allergies to nuts so watch that gift hamper.

The Act of Giving is a worthy cause.

Open the way for receiving by giving someone a Christmas Gift this season.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas!

Goodluck!

Academic excellence: Delta rewards 18 pupils, students Company Limited, were told the key players in the

students.

Others were the National Business and Technical Certificate Examination conducted by NABTEB, the Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE conducted by the National Examinations Council, NECO and the SSCE conducted by the West Africa Examination Council WAEC. All the awardees received laptop and plaque while those in the first category received N100,000 for first prize, second prize N70,000 and third prize N50,000.

Special awards of N100,000 each was presented to three students who distinguished themselves academically.

His mercy is sufficient

B

rethren, I congratulate you. You and I are alive today, December 3, 2017. It is not because we are righteous it is the mercy of God that has kept us alive.

From today we are 21 days away from Christmas. So, let’s begin to ask God for befitting Christmas present.

Ask for something big because our God is a great God. Let’s ask our God for that thing that only Him can do.

Or do you have any doubt in your mind that he can do all things?

When Sarah laughed out of doubt , God said in Gen. 18 vs. 14 “ Is anything too hard for the LORD? That is a question for you to answer and your answer could determine what you receive.

But God himself gave us an assurance in Jeremiah 32 vs.27 “ Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

For someone lying on a sick bed in the hospital or you are at home taking prescribed drugs but you doubt if you will ever be completely well again, be rest assured that you can be well again. Only, if

you remain connected to the greatest physician; Jesus.

I’ll share with you a testimony of a woman told by the General Overseer of Laughter Foundation International Ministry, Pastor Gbenga Oso. A woman who had been waiting on the Lord remained connected to God in prayer and worship.

Then she had a dream in which she saw two human beings in very clean white apparel come into her room.

One was dressed like a surgeon and carried instruments the way surgeons do. They performed an operation on her and left.

When she woke up, she saw on her body drops of blood at the very spot where the two men had operated on her in the dream.

Naturally, she was in shock.

She cleaned it off. It was not long after that, she took in and had a baby boy.

Who visited her? The angels of the living God. Here was a woman who had been diagnosed with ailments that medically could prevent her from getting pregnant.

But the doctor of doctors came in and she became whole. I am believing God

for someone reading this article, in the name of the Almighty God, the greatest healer will step into your situation right now.

Note that when we talk of illness it is not only physical, it could be spiritual.

Financial barrenness is a form of sickness. Loneliness is a form of sickness. It is physical and spiritual. As a matter of fact, loneliness as a result of being single or being married without children can hasten death if one does not manage it well.

Indebtedness is another form of sickness. As a child of Abraham, you are not expected to be moving from one degree of indebtedness to another.

Which is yours? Take a deep reflection on your life and you will realize that you have something in your life, the life of your spouse or even that of your children that has not made you whole. When you are whole you will enjoy the peace of the Lord.

Brethren , in all honesty, are you enjoying the peace of the Lord? As Christians we are all entitled to the peace of the Lord. We are not expected to live a life filled with storms because it troubles the mind.

Our God is the prince of peace.

When we come into situations like this, what we do is to ask for the mercy of God. What exactly is mercy? Let’s consider two dictionary meanings. The first defines mercy as “something for which to be thankful”.

Another definition describes mercy as “leniency and

compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice”.

For this purpose, the second definition is appropriate.

Let’s consider the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 57 “ Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over past”.

As we look forward to Christmas, let’s also focus on our spiritual needs.

With his mercy, we can have all our heart’s desires

It’s the Season of Giving hristmas is a round the corner wishing you the C best of the festive season! Once again the time for gifts to be flying around from hugely wrapped goodies to hampers own mini towels you name it.

Are you fond of receiving gifts alone or do also practice the art of giving too? We know that this is indeed the season for love and giving as well as the expression of gratitude. It should be noted that giving gifts during the festive period is not a matter of how much you spend but the thought behind it and the fact that you remembered someone at a time like this. It is not everyone that is is inclined towards buying a gift for someone. At times it could be because they are could not bothered, feel lazy about it, have no clue how to buy a gift or would rather just give money or nothing at all.

By Festus Ahon, ASABA

D

ELTA State Government has given award to 18 Pupils and Students drawn from various schools across the state in recognition of their academic excellence.

The students who received cash, laptop and a plaque from the state government at an event tagged 'Delta State Award of Excellence for Pupils and Students' organized by the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and sponsored by the Eroton Exploration and Production C M Y K

Is money truly a gift?

Gift giving may also alternatively be seen as a way of wanting to be noticed, accepted, and recognized or even in some cases showing off. The art of gift giving should be done from the heart bearing in mind the personality, character and status of the recipient. In buying a gift emphasis should not be placed on how expensive the gift is especially for a friend, as this may be deemed the act of wanting to belong hence buying friendship. No matter your reason the presentation of your gift is key to successful gift giving etiquette. Many company’s during Christmas are very vigilante as to what to accept as a gift due to corporate governance and the corporate policy that clearly states what is acceptable and what is not. Unfortunately in

to remain focused in their academic pursuits.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Unity Hall Government House, Asaba, wife of the state governor Dame Edith Okowa, who was the Special Guest at the event, observed that majority of the awardees were from schools in the rural areas, congratulating them, their parents and teachers as well as the sponsor of the awards.

Okowa said the upbringing of a child remained a collective effort, starting from the home front, noting that misplaced priorities among

formative years of a child, was the bane of society, urging the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to extend the awards to deserving teachers and principals to encourage them to work harder.

The awardees were three best performing students from each of the five categories, including, cognitive and placement examination, conducted by the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education for Primary Six pupils and the Basic Education Certificate Examination for JSS 3

Delta LG polls: Kohwo urges APC members to canvass for votes

C

HAIRMAN of leaders and elders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta central, Chief Sylvester Kohwo, has called on the members of the party in the state to canvass for votes for candidates of the party in the January 6, 2018 local government election.

Speaking during an enlarged meeting of the elders and leaders of the party across Delta central, Kohwo said; "this meeting is for us to brainstorm on how to win the forthcoming local

government election.

"We in APC will not allow any form of rigging from any political party this time around. l want each and everyone of us to go back to our local government, wards and units to sensitize our faithful members in the party to be steadfast and work for the party".

Speaking further, Kohwo urged both chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the party to also reach out to the electorate to canvass for votes.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 37

Genuine salvation, victory over sin (IV)

By Pastor William F. Kumuyi

M

IND you, we are not talking about a short term stay in hell for a year, ten years nor a century nor a millennium, but for ever in endless eternity.

If I were you, I will have a rethink and take the offer Jesus Christ has left for all those who have decided against the life of sin.

The decision to live above sin is the best choice that can happen to a true creature formed in the image and likeness of God. But some people who are too weak to resist sin have the notion that we are all sinners. No, we are not all sinners. It is abundantly clear for all to see that God has the power to keep all those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour from sinning.

I John 5:18 "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not."

They that are born of God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, know that they cannot sin.

The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, but whosoever claims that he does not need cleansing, because he has no sin is a deceiver. Such a person does not want to apply the blood of the lamb to cleanse his sins and he does not want to go to the Lord for forgiveness because he is self-willed. And the Bible has something to say about them.

Proverbs 30:12 "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness."

This set of people can be a congregational gathering or a philosophical movement that thinks they are alright, but are not washed from their filthiness through the blood of Jesus.

Another set of these kinds are backsliders. They can be full of themselves even when it is obvious to others that they are on the wrong

REVEREND FATHER

John Damian ADIZIE, OCD Director of Int'l Youth Empower-

ment & Rehabilitation Centre (IYERC)

Tel: 08076635886 Email: johndamianocd@yahoo.co.uk

•Kumuyi path.

I Samuel 15:13-15 "And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."

Everybody except Saul knew that he did not follow through to the express command and instructions Forced Labour is among the inhuman forms of slavery. So many people have been forced into doing jobs that are against their will. Most of those who are forced into such labours are not even paid. They reduce them to all forms of inhuman treatment.

M a r i t a l name of marriage Slavery: In the most women are living in bondage in their marital homes. Imagine a situation where some women are not allow-ed to move out freely and even express themselves publicly. Some female Muslims cannot even come out without covering their faces.

Forced Marriage: Young ladies are forced by their parents to get married at early stage. Some even impose men on their daughters, against their will. Some women are held hostage and are even forced into marriage. A typical exam-

Modern forms of slavery @ Int’l Day for the Abolition of Slavery

W

HO could believe that even after the official abolition of slavery that slavery still exist even in this modern age? In confirmation, the International Labour Organization declared that more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery. In an attempt to address this perennial problem, the UN has set aside December 2 as International Day for the Abolition of slavery. This celebration is meant to create awareness on the unlawful and inhuman nature of slav-

ery. It is also a day to highlight some of the modern forms of slavery. A slave is a person who is the legal (or illegal) property of another and is forced to obey them.

A slave is also someone who is in bondage and who has lost his right to freedom.

Modern forms of slavery includes: Forced Prostitution is a form of sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion. Most of the young ladies that are taken abroad end up in sex slaves, most of them have even been forced into prostitution against their will.

have not sinned."

They have a way of teaching other people to become insensitive to the preaching of the word of God; while they feign innocence in the act of evil deeds, because they do not foresee divine judgment tilting towards there direction.

Pontius Pilate, in a bid to demonstrate his innocence before the crowd of witnesses calling for the death of Jesus Christ, washed his hands off their sinister intentions; yet his guilt was on show for all to see when he endorsed that the soldiers scourge Jesus with many stripes. I wonder the hypocrisy behind the hand wash ceremony he underwent.

Luke 16:15 "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." Let no man rise up like Saul or Pilate and say that they have no sin. That will be self deceit.

of God. He committed sin in its' entirety, but refused to admit guilt. Eventually, he died in sin and backsliding.

The likes of Saul who are among us today still have the chance to repent from the state of backsliding, as the word of God comes to them, because the blood that cleanses from the stables of calvary is available and washes whiter than snow. But those who are ashamed or too proud to own up their sin will die like the self-righteous Saul and end up spending the rest of their eternal future in a sorry place.

Psalms 36:1-2 "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful."

Do not be part of those who flatter themselves thinking that they are alright even when they are living in sin.

That is why God said in

Jeremiah 2:22-23 that they are so filthy to a heightened degree that the soap(the blood of Jesus) that will restore them was still in the making.

Are you like one of those who commit secret sin and in the open pretend to be alright because of your commitment in the house of God? Let me remind you that if you fail to repent, the judgment of God will fall upon you. I trust that you will repent and let the blood of Jesus perform its' redemptive work in your life. It is going to happen in Jesus name.

Jeremiah 2:33-35 "Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I

ple is the case of the Chibok girls. Some of the released girls came out with children whom they gave birth to while in captivity.

Slave beggars: Most people and even parents take advantage of their children’s vulnerability. At early stage of their lives children are forced into begging.

Most of these children you see with blind beggars are doing this against their will.

Imagine how they feel when they see their fellow children going to school while they are roaming the streets begging.

Debt Bondage: A debtor is in a financial bondage. A debtor has no financial freedom. He may spend the rest of his life servicing his debt. Most African countries like Nigeria, are indebted to the World Bank and other foreign banks. Every year the states and Federal Government are borrowing money thereby enslaving themselves the more.

Human Trafficking: Most people are deceived, others are taken to Europe and other Western worlds again-

st their will. By the time they arrived in those foreign countries they are used either for commercial sex or for forced labour. They are not even paid directly but through the agents who are in charge of them.

Religious Slavery: Gradually, most churches and religious centres are turning into slavery camp. In the name of voluntary service so many young men and women have enslaved themselves. Most of the young men and women you find in most churches after services have no means of livelihood.

They spend the rest of their lives hanging around churches doing all kinds of jobs without pay. They are meant to believe that they are working for God who will one day reward them with eternal life.

Political Slavery: In the name of political aides most young men and women have been enslaved by politicians. The number of political aides that are attached to a particular politician is a clear indication that most people prefer living as

slaves. Even when these politicians are no longer in power these jobless political aides will be handing around them thereby wasting their precious time.

Domestic Servitude: Most of the rich men and women are so lazy that they cannot even handle their domestic services. Most of them cannot even exist without maid servants.

Unfortunately, most of these domestic slaves spend the rest of their lives serving their fellow humans with little or no plan for their own future. The parents or agents in charge of these maid servants are the ones that receive their salaries.

These are some of the modern forms of slavery.

The Christian Bible condemns all forms of slavery.

According to St. Paul, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28). Since we are all one in Christ; all forms of slavery is hereby cancelled in Jesus name - Amen!

amount of money and foodstuffs that the family has."

The author is of the opinion that: ‘this practice shows a serious communication gap between husbands and wives that will hinder joyful and peaceful marriage’’.

Let us look at this fact vividly: first, if there is a communication gap between a husband and a wife, how do they manage the house?

This means whether the husband is wrong in the affairs of the home or not, the wife is just a mere robot controlled anyhow by the husband.

Secondly, if the husband alone controls the family money, he could decide to starve the wife and the children if there is any little grumbling from them.

Some men who are repulsive to correction may decide to send their wives away or abandon them to marry others who may like his doings.

Again, Tim Lahaye in his book, This Spirit Filled

Family says: ‘’the basic problem in over 70 per cent of the marriages that fail stems from finances’’. He noticed that, ‘’when one compounds the normal conflict and disagreement in a home with the financial pressures from overspending and credit buying, the end result can be hostility, bitterness and in severe cases, divorce’’.

Rev. (Dr) Gabriel Oluwasegun in his book, The Ideal Christian Family Life says: "lack of money or its mishandling has crippled many couples and put so many other couples asunder.’’

I want to say here that couples, who are well related in sex, communication, etc, should equally be related in financial management in order to avoid dissolution or discrepancy in marriage. If there is to be a harmonious marriage, there should be a harmonious financial relationship too. Dr. Oluwasegun says: ‘’the point of conflict apart from sex is money or

love of money or what each partner want to do with money". Problem becomes visible when the following points are found between the couple: *Couples lack the trust for each other, and so are worried about being cheated. *Either one of them or both spouses are selfish, proud, love money or wealth too much, or is materialistic, covetous, high-minded, anxious of tomorrow, fearful, suspicious, stingy, etc. *Negative experiences of relations or friends or money matters, are allowed to dominate one’s thought. *Couple rob God of His dues (Malachi 3:8) *There are demonic or evil attacks on the family finances.

I understand that sometimes financial crisis comes between the couple because Christians envy other Christians whom God has caused to prosper.

*TO BE CONTINUED

Inter, intra-personal tension in marriage: Inter personal tension

By Pastor Okokon Ating

I

EXPLAINED earlier the fact of adjustment which couples are bound to face no matter their spiritual, educational, social and moral status. This time, it is Interpersonal tension.

It’s a known fact that, when two people became one in marriage, each of them had a long standing lifestyle experiences brought from the home, environment and social groups he/she was born into or brought up.

Each of them has attitudes that are not in sync with that of the other and could sometimes be difficult to resolve even when they want to come to compromise. At a point there may be an unwilling spirit from any of them to change to the other person’s view points or a total refusal to acknowledge their differences. This could bring tensions which may not be controllable.

This can eventually result in

Mr. & Mrs. Okokon Ating

a broken home. There may be some hidden facts which each partner could find very difficult to disclose to the other partner, despite the fact that they are married and probably have children.

Such interpersonal tension can be caused by the following reasons: MONEY: Many couples may not have put into serious consideration the issue of money during their courtship period. They may not have discussed how money will be earned or who will be in charge of money management before they say 'I do’. Now that they

are married, the situation had turned out to be a snare to them. This struggle of who supplies, controls and spends money has come a menace and unhealed disease in the family. In many traditional settings where women are not counted to be somebody, except to give birth to children, the issue of money control and spending is solely resting on men.

Dr. Danfula Kore (1989) in his book, Culture and the Christian home, says: ‘’.... husbands have a very high control of the family finances. But wives, despite their high economic contribution have little control over the family economy." He further states that in so many cultures, husbands control every aspect of the family economy, especially money and foodstuffs while wives have no authority even in the things that personally belong to them.

Thirdly, he said: "in some cultures, wives are not supposed to know the

PAGE 38— SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017

DR. FRANCIS AKIN-JOHN Church Growth Consultant, 6/8, Mukadaq Close, Off Palace Way, Iyana-Odo, B/Stop, Isheri-LASU Road, Lagos.

08023000714. akingrow@yahoo.com

F

ATHERLESS sons responsible to nobody but themselves. These are sons that deny having a father and see no need to have one. They want total freedom from any fa-ther figure in their lives and are a law to themselves.

4. Prodigal sons - wasters and sinful. These are sons that fall away through their carelessness and willfulness, thereby wasting the investments of God and their spiritual parents on them.

5. Pleasing sons - a pride, joy and promotion to the father. “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.

Proverbs 3:1. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine heart observe my ways” Proverbs 23:26.

You can only be blessed and benefit maximally when you are a true and pleasing son to your father - Pro.31, 11; 27: 11. The first four types of son will not really make headway in life and ministry.

It is only the fifth type of son that will be really blessed by God and his father. So, be a good and pleasing son to whoever you make a father or mentor in life and ministry.

1. Even if you are fatherless, go and prayerfully, carefully choose a good and godly father.

2. Formally tell him that you are making him your father or mentor 3. Strive to build a cordial relationship with your father.

4. Publicly proclaim your father to others.

5. Be open to the correction and rebuke of your father.

6. Don’t expect your spiritual father to be an angel- he is human after all.

7. Forgive his mistakes, once they are not blatant sins and errors.

8. Take good care of your father in cash and kind.

9. Visit, relate and spend time with your father as much as possible.

The power in the word

By Pastor Oloruntimilehin Joshua Daramola EVIL always lives with people. It does not run away, but it can be cast away. There is a saying that a pregnant woman is considered not after she had given birth to her baby but after she had also given birth to the placenta. The placenta is usually portrayed as both evil and good.

After the baby is delivered, the placenta must be separated from the baby by someone. A woman confessed to me sometime ago that she winked at the polythene bag containing the placenta of her grand-child and silently decreed that the child would be a problematic child.

She explained that her son and the wife, who are parents of the baby, prevented her from seeing the child because they accused her of being devilish. For that reason, she decided to cast a spell of problems over the life of the born baby. The child, she further explained, grew up to become an imbecile.

This implies that evil resides with

•Daramola human beings. It cannot be expunged from human existence, because the world world is composed of both good and evil. Even the Bible says in Ephesian 5:16 “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” The world is full of calamities and disasters. A happy family of five went to the farm to get some maize one rainy day. Thunder struck, a tree fell and killed the head of family and two children.

Each time the wife talks about the unfortunate incident, she always say evil came into her home and destroyed a happy home. It is my fervent prayer that evil will not

Fatherhood, sonship in ministry (IV) 10. Consciously seek your father's blessing always.

11. Prove to your father that you are not a bastard and his investment is not a waste on you.

Relationship with Spiritual Fathers Unfortunately, too many ministers don’t know how to truly choose nor relate with a spiritual father.

Very many only have spiritual fathers in name only, yet they build no relationship with their fathers.

Others are still sulking from the injuries and abuses inflicted on them by their past fathers. However, you must allow God, to, heal your hurts and move on to choose good and godly mentors over your life and work.

It takes good relationship before you can enjoy the maximum benefit of a spiritual father.

1. You must carefully pray and seek the Lord for a spiritual father, and formally inform him.

2. You must watch, see and observe the life and teachings of your father. Don’t follow blindly.

This is very crucial. Don’t choose a mentor or father because of public image or outward success in ministry.

3. Your spiritual father must be someone you admire, love and happy to be with.

4. Your spiritual father must spend time with you and share together.

5. Your spiritual father must know you, your story, struggles and successes.

6. Your spiritual father must speak to your life regularly.

7. You must profit and be promoted by the counsel and prayers of your father.

8. You must not be ashamed to show off your spiritual father.

9. You must follow the example of your spiritual father.

10. You must sow into and tap into the wisdom, grace and anointing of your father.

The Fathers Blessing - Gen. 27:4,33; 48:15; 49:22-26 Fathers have power and authority over their sons. They can make and unmake through their blessings or curse. Many leaders have no physical or spiritual father to bless them and their work, reason for struggling and failure. *Fathers blessing brings promotion. *Fathers blessing brings Exaltation. *Fathers blessing brings Fruitfulness. *Fathers blessing brings Victory. *Fathers blessing brings Favour. *Fathers blessing brings Breakthrough. *Fathers blessing brings Release from curse. *Fathers blessing breaks old law and brings new.

An unspoken blessing over a child means the child will inherit all the negative points of the father. Abraham never really blessed Isaac (Gen. 25:5). He therefore inherited delayed child, backsliding, lying of the father and his physical wealth. Leaders and fathers must intentionally and deliberately bless their children. Sons must deliberately seek the blessing of their fathers. Something will really be missing in your life without the blessing of a father.

But beware of the negative impact of a backsliding and abusive father.

In closing, kindly take these few lessons to heart and let them reflect in your work and walk with the Lord. Worship and serve the Lord wholeheartedly, but also recognize the place of mentors, fathers and seniors in ministry.

Don’t worship man, but follow wisely and carefully. Make sure you don’t imbibe the mistakes and sins of your fathers.

befall any of my church members and readers IJN. Brethren, wherever goodness exists, there also exist evil. A day comes when the cold hand of death will snatch away a husband from wife and their children and vice versa. Such is an evil death; and everyone will encounter it one day.

Everybody will encounter this evil day. Whenever people are hungry, sick, feel pains or go through whatever brings unpleasant situation, such a situation is evil.

People desire good things of life but a day will come when these things will bring about evil on their on their users or owners e.g. cars and aircraft.

A pregnant woman that is about to deliver will realise that the day of delivery is perilous day. Evil hangs over peoples’ lives, nobody cast it away except the Almighty God. However, there are things people can do to suppress evil or make it inactive. The first thing you must do is to refuse to recognise and regard the potency of evil over you.

Two, you must be able to exercise authority over the situation, armed with words of authority.

Somebody told me that he always sees masquerades in his dreams.

Whenever he had such dreams, the man explained, all his good expectations or possession were destroyed. I told him that his initial mistake was that he had recognized the masquerade and accepted it as a bad omen. His negative pronouncement also reinforced the power of the evil in his life.

Then I told him that whenever he had such dreams, he should wake up and decree positive pronouncements that disregard and condemn the masquerade as nothing and of no consequence. By so doing, he had used the authority in his mouth to suppress the evil.

Some people say they had sexual intercourse in a dream. And they become worried, disturbed and troubled rather than render the dream of no consequence, with the authority in the word of mouth.

Brethren, evil will not cease to come but when it comes, what is required is the word of God, to nullify its intended mission. If you ate food in your dream, wake up and thank God, the people that brought the food will realize that you have condemned the food by your positive pronouncement.

When things are not working the way you expected, you are not sup-

posed to accept it as your fate.

The proper reaction should be to condemn it and command the evil attached to it to become of no effect. The fact remains that there is authority in the tongue and whatever one says becomes authorised.

The day of evil came to Abraham when God told him to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering to God. Abraham was able to change the bad situation when he told his son that God would provide the lamb for the sacrifice, when the young Isaac inquired about the sacrificial lamb.

What was expected of Abraham was to tell his son that he was the lamb for the sacrifice. But he used the authority in his mouth to tell his son that God would provide the lamb. Genesis 22:7-14: “Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son Abraham replied. “the fire and wood are here, Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering” Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering my son” *For further enquiries call: 08023020108, 08058110288,. w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / pastoroloruntimilehin.

500th anniversary of Luther: Don votes for restructuring

By Olayinka Latona

T

O mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany challenging the church hierarchy, The Redeemed Christian Bible College recently organised a one-day national conference to examine the relevance of the Lutherian revolt to both the Church and the nation at large.

In his keynote address tagged: ‘The Reformation of the Church and Its Lessons for the Ongoing call and Clamour for the Restructuring of Nigeria, Professor of Church History and Dean of Student Affairs, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Prof. Don Akhilomen said there are important lessons for Nigeria and Nigerians to learn from the experiences of the Church following the 16 th Century Protestant Church Reformation.

Leveraging his argument on the clamour for restructuring of Nigeria, Prof. Akhilomen asked

the current APC Administration to be more tolerant and embrace dialogue especially on the agitations for restructuring.

According to him, over centralisation of power only brings abuse of power which has caused anger among constituent states, stressing that in a multiethnic and culturally diverse country like Nigeria, a forced union, in a unitary manner has not only proven to be unhealthy but virtually unsustainable.

In his words: “According to President Muhammadu Buhari’s specch on October 1 that Nigeria's unity is not negotiable, do you force a marriage? If you force a marriage, the woman will either poison the man or the man kills the woman. In Nigeria have they asked us if we agree to come together; on what bases do we remain together; just like the unity of the Church is desirable, the unity of Nigeria is desirable but then, there must be open dialogue, the terms of our union must be negotiated. Are you saying the American state was not

*International Church Growth Ministry holds two major conferences a year, one in second week of every February and the other in every first week in September.” akingrow@yahoo.com 08023000714

negotiated? It was negotiated and till today there are several amendments."

Akhilomen, however cautioned those agitating for restructuring and secession that true progress and change can only be achieved in peace, unity and faith, explaining that the church’s historical experience clearly shows that protestation do not necessarily guarantee genuine

reformation.

He said: “It is not every change that translates to progress. In the Nigerian situation, those calmouring for restructur-ing and, in the extreme case, those desiring for secession should realise that the search for Eldorado may well be a utopia as the Church’s history and the experience of South Sudan amply indicate. Also speaking, the co-

convener of the event, a visiting Senior lecturer in Lagos State University, LASU, Dr. Benson Igboin said Luther’s decade calls for reflection for the modern churches lamenting that most of the issues that Luther wrote against then are still present in most modern day churches.

Explaining why the Bible College organised the event, Dr. Igboin said: “There is need for us to re-assess ourselves just like Luther did 500 years ago, to see if there was no need to reform ourselves.

By Gabriel Enogholase

ed.

Bishop Ohilebo stated this in an address he delivered at the Third Session of the Eight Synod of the Diocese, titled: “Let us rise up and build”, at the St. John’s Cathedral, Sabongida-Ora, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

“Our take on this is that, we as individuals, should first restructure our attitudes, thoughts and everything that is not in agreement with the will of God. “Restructuring is not going to move the corrupt people and those looting our national treasury to a

camp where it will just be they alone. Let us restructure our mindset and think about what unites us and not what divides us”.

He called on the Federal Government to work hard to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian citizens, just as he urged politicians to shun self enrichment to the detriment of the vast majority of the populace.

On the state of federal roads in Edo State, he called on the Federal Ministry of Works, Housing and Power to give serious and urgent attention to the roads.

...Anglican bishop disagrees

B

ENIN - BISHOP of the Diocese of SabongidaOra, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Augustine Ohilebo has cautioned against clamour for restructuring of the country, saying the mindset of Nigerians must first be restructured.

He argued that restructuring the county would not bring about the anticipated economic, social or political growth, if issues that are currently retarding the growth of the country were not address-

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 39

J

ESUS says we should and not give up. (Luke 18:1). But why do we need to pray?

God says: “I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.” (Ezekiel 11:5). Why then do we have to tell God what he already knows? God does not only know all the thoughts we think, he even determines when we think them. Then why pray when God knows what we are going to say before we say it?

Why pray?

Solomon says: “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:1). Then why pray if we can only say what God allows us to say? Solomon says furthermore: “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

(Proverbs 19:21). Why pray then if it is God’s counsel that always holds? Why pray if God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways? (Isaiah 55:8).

Indeed, as with everything else, we only pray because God enables us to do so. Jesus says: “Without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). If God does not enable us, we cannot even pray. Thus the psalmist pleads with God: “Revive us, and we will call upon your name.”

(Psalm 80:18).

But what is the point of praying to God if the initiative to pray itself comes from God himself?

Why pray if, according to Jesus, prayer should always be “God’s will be done?” (Matthew 6:10).

Why pray if, according to Hebrews, God’s counsel is immutable? (Hebrews 6:17). The wise man says: “Every decision is from the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:33). That means God is the first determinant of even the most random things we do or say.

Jesus prayed

THE ESSENCE OF PRAYER We begin to understand the import of prayer when we look at Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2).

Knowing what we now know about Jesus, that he is indeed the Lord God Almighty, it is significant that he spent a lot of time in prayer. Why would God need to pray? Why would God the Son pray continually to God the Father?

The answer immediately informs our understanding of the necessity for prayer. The Son needs to pray to the Father in order to have a continuing relationship with him. Without communication, there can be no relationship. Therefore, we also need to be prayerful, that we may have a continuing relationship with God. The Prodigal Son went to a distant land, far away from the Father. He wrote no letters home.

But Jesus came to a distant land far away from heaven and remained in constant communication with God. He wrote letters home every day. He skyped, sent text messages and emails. He also spent a fortune making inter-galactic phonecalls.

Prayer then primarily concretises our relationship with God. Indeed, the privilege of prayer is the evidence that a relationship exists. This is a critical part our inheritance in Christ. Thanks to Jesus, we can now: “come boldly to the throne

Having the Word of God as your Plowshare

J

OEL 3:9-10 says: “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.”

Brethren, the undisputable fact every Christian in this generation should be familiar with is that there is an ongoing war between the kingdom of darkness with the followers of the devil on one side and the kingdom of God with the followers of Christ on the other side. The devil started it in heaven and was defeated and flushed out of heaven into the earth. His falling into the earth didn’t preclude the execution of the war for as soon as he found himself on earth he continued the battle against anything that stands for God. And this battle is still ongoing.

No one who proclaims Christianity should be ignorant of this battle, the reason being that, once you close your eyes to it, the enemy will assume you have surrendered and then will take undue advantage over you and treat you as a defeated foe. That is why the

Scripture says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (I Peter 5:8).

Beloved, we are exhorted to be vigilant and watchful over all we do in thoughts, words, and actions so that we do not compromise our position on the ongoing war and thus displease God. We should understand that the devil is a foe, an accuser, one that seeks all advantages against us and who will do all possible mischief to destroy us.

He is the restless adversary who adds terror to his cruelty while dealing with us as it goes about seeking what soul he may devour.

It grieves him to find souls aspiring to be in heaven; he will never relent until he sees that that soul is plunged into the same condemnation and misery with himself.

That is why God has commissioned us to resist the rampage of the enemy through spreading the gospel to all ears, which is our plowshare that is put in our hand for such purpose. All these wars waged by Satan to this effect is nothing but to destroy our precious souls. And we are admon-

Prayer belongs to the generation of Jacob; the generation of those who seek God’s face and not his hand of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16).

Prayer gives us intimacy with God whereby we get to know and comprehend his love that surpasses knowledge. (Ephesians 3:17-19). Of a truth, there are so many things that flesh and blood cannot reveal to us. Only God can.

Jeremiah says: “Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.” (Jeremiah 42:3). The truth of the matter is that we don’t know our right from our left; we don’t know what to do. “The way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23).

Therefore, it is necessary to ask God for direction because: “A man’s steps are of the LORD.” (Proverbs 20:24).

laundry list prayer, like most of us are wont to do. He never prayed Father give me this and that. On the contrary, he says: “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8). Well, if he knows already, why does Jesus counsel: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7).

Prayer belongs to the generation of Jacob; the generation of those who seek God’s face and not his hand.

(Psalm 24:6). When Jesus gave us a guideline for prayer, our daily bread was only 1 out of 10 petitions. Moreover, our daily bread is Jesus himself, the bread of life, and not just food that perishes. (John 6:27). When we ask, the primary thing we are to ask for is God himself. When we seek, the only thing we seek is the face and kingdom of God. When we knock, it is in order to enter into the glorious presence of God for: “in his presence is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11).

Like praise which God inhabits (Psalm 22:3), prayer attracts God. It brings God so much closer to us: “The Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him.”

(Deuteronomy 4:7). “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18).

Laundry list

Friends of God

However, Jesus never prayed a

True Christianity is not a

ished to know that the only way to overcome him is not by yielding to him but by preaching the Word.

The basic weapon of this war is the Word that proceeds from the mouth. Our heavenly Father created the world by the word of His mouth (Genesis 1:1-3); Satan on the other hand used the word of his mouth to deceive the first man and woman by twisting negatively the divine information (Genesis 3:1-6). And, since he successfully used the power of the

llute the whole world and win followers. Many people have become victims of this negative influence of these media including those who lay claim to being born again Christians.

As they become obsessed with corruption being dished out by the media, they by extension turn out to be Satan’s prisoners of war (POW) or captives. The younger generation who is expected to lift the mantle of morality and values is now under the threat of satanic influences cum falsehood. And this can be witnessed by the level of moral decadence in the society today vis-à-vis cultism, marriage of same gender, lesbianism, homosexual, assassination and etc.

Many nations have fallen victims of the effect of negative media and are now ruled by the followers of Satan. That is why our Lord Jesus Christ mandated all Christians to preach the good news in season and out of season for this is the only way to fight the devil and win the battle. Born again Christians should stand up now and live up to expectation to let the world see the light and escape from the imminent danger associated with darkness.

Mark 16:15 says: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

If we are to overcome the devil we must spread the good news. If we must stop violent crime, political thuggery, corruption, abortion, homosexuality, human trafficking, lesbianism, stealing and everything about moral decadence etc, we must spread the good news, for our plowshare is the word of God. The gospel is the only news that changes life and cleanses man from sin and above

As they become obsessed with corruption being dished out by the media, they by extension turn out to be Satan’s prisoners of war (POW) or captives tongue to deceive our forefathers, he has not relented in using it to fight the Kingdom of God and the Children of God. He holds the dissemination of wrong information as his only effective weapon to defeat the world, and many are ignorant of this strategy. So, the war going on is the war of good versus bad news.

Devil has corrupted the whole world with this weapon of bad news. He knows the effect of bad news and thus has captured the media, like Radio, Television, Newspapers and has advanced to computer and internet using captivating influence of some platforms like Facebook, Chat room, YouTube, Instagram, snapshot and other social media to po-

religion of rules and regulations like that practiced in many churches. True Christianity is a relationship: a relationship with God and with his Son Jesus. John says: “that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3).

When we are prayerful, we become like Abraham, friends of God. (James 2:23). To such friends, God says: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10).

That is why prayer is particularly efficacious when we are in difficulty, in trouble or in over our heads. When we pray, we are saying like Jesus: “Not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42). When we pray, we are inviting God into our situations and circumstances as poor and needy people because it is God who: “performs all things for (us).” (Psalm 57:2). When we pray, we are asking God for help and for deliverance.

When we pray, we receive strength from God. “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31).

When Jesus prayed at Gethsemane: “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:43).

When we pray: “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard (our) hearts and (our) minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7).

Accordingly, God says the reason why we are overwhelmed in life is because: “You refuse to ask for my help.” (Isaiah 43:22).

all, brings him to everlasting bliss at the end of this life. Our Master, Jesus Christ has handed us the weapon which we can use to secure victory against satanic battle in all our endeavours and that is the good news of the kingdom, and there lies our righteousness, faith, power, miracles and blessings. So every Christian should wake up to the ongoing war, arm himself with the gospel and spread the good news of salvation, mercy, forgiveness, miracles, signs and wonders.

Go ye therefore for all powers have been bestowed upon you, the world has been placed under your control. Although you may be weak, but God who is sending you is strong and will neither leave nor forsake you. Although you may encounter many troubles and dangers, yet He will defend you.

Although the task may look as impossibility but with Him nothing is impossible. Your duty is to go to all nations and make them disciples.

Matthew 28:18-19 says: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

The whole design of our commission is to teach godly moral value to the citizens of the world.

This gracious commission is the foundation of the authority bestowed on us to turn the world to God and through it win the moral war. The doctrine of the gospel far transcend the wisdom of earth’s most renowned sages; and they are destined to work such a glorious change in the condition of man, as never entered the heart of any philosopher.

PAGE 40—SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3, 2017

By AYO ONIKOYI 08052201215 onikoyi68@gmail.com

Diamond moments of O’t ega Emer hor @ 60 Owen Obaseki celebrates O’tega Emerhor bir thda birthda thdayy in style

E

I

ngr. Owen Chamberlain Obaseki a Benin-born business mogul, celebrated his milestone birthday last weekend in Benin City and the colourful occasion was attended by the who is who in the state including governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state.

t was moments to savour and cherish when front line politician and business mogul, Olorogun O’tega Omerhor celebrated 60 years of age. Part of the celebrations was observed in his home town of Evwreni, Ughelli North local government area of Delta State where cultural display and novelty football match, among other things were held to entertain guests and to honour the celebrant.

Olorogun Emerhor (3rd Right), his wife Rita (4th Right) flanked by well wishers

Owen Obaseki with wife and family member

Delta state APC Chairman, Prophet Jones Erue (r) and his Deputy, Dr. Cyril Ogodo.

Kaduna State commissioner nominee, Alh. Yaya Saad and Valentine Ozigbo, MD/CEO Transcorp Hotels.

Celebrant in a group photograph with members of the family including Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Dr Darlington Obaseki and other family members.

Olorogun O'tega Emerhor (r), his wife, Rita (l), taking a simultaneous kickoff at a novelty match between female and male well wishers.

Ika Rimma dancers entertaining guests during the cultural exhibition

Funeral Ser vice ffor or Lat e Service Late Rt. Revd. Adesola

F L-R:Mr Taiye Adesola; Mrs Kehinde Adebanbo; Mrs Mary Idowu Soetan; Mrs Bukky Alaba and Mr Austin Adesola, all children of the deceased.

L-R:Taiwo Arowolo Vicar/ Archdeancon IjuIshaga Lagos;Rt. Revd. James Olusola Odedeji, Bishop of Diocese, Lagos West and Mr Femi Jayesimi

uneral Service in honour of Late Rt. Revd.

Timothy Ebun Idowu Adesola, former Bishop of Jos took place at St John’s Anglican Church, Iju- Ishaga, Lagos recently.

L-R:Gentleman Amegor, father of the celebrant, Chief Jaybee Obaseki (the Obayuriedo of Benin Kingdom) and celebrant's sisters (behind).

L- R: Mrs Bukky Alaba (daughter ); Mrs Mary Idowu Soetan (daughter); Rt Revd. Olatunde Olubowale Bishop of Ekiti Oke and Rt. Revd Praise L-R: Owen Obaseki (celebrant) and governor Omole Bishop of Gusaasa.

Godwin Obaseki

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 41 Edited by EMEKA AGINAM Email: emekaaginam@yahoo.com 08057538314

Deepening concern over lack of IT development framework bill

T

here appears to be deepening worry by the Nigerian IT professionals over lack of IT development framework bill to address local IT challenges and economic development.

Just recently at the Information Technology Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, roundtable convened by the computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, CPN, held in Lagos, participants at the forum were deeply worried, saying that Nigeria’s quest to attain digital economy may be derailed unless IT development framework bill is formulated.

The forum believe that the bill would go a long way in resolving grey areas in the IT industry as well challenges that had delayed the development of the industry for decades.

For the majority of the speakers at the forum, IT experts group should be assembled to urgently formulate and draft a strategic national Information Technology Framework Bill to address the challenges ahead.

Accordingly, the IT professionals expressed concern saying that the Nigerian IT industry needs a strong voice for advocacy to accelerate required legislation for constructive IT development and growth.

The forum in a communique jointly signed by Prof. Charles O. Uwadia , President/Chairman-in-Council of CPN, and Mr. Allwell C. Achumba, Registrar/Secretary to Council of CPN, lamented that presently, Nigeria does not have a holistic national IT framework

bill as a fundamental legislative vehicle to organize, galvanize and cement together all other existing Acts in isolation of each other.

Although the country already had CPN Act 49 of 1993; National IT Policy of 2001; NITDA Act of 2007; Cyber security act of 2015?; National Software Policy, among others, the President and the Chairman in Council of CPN, Prof Charles Uwadia in his contribution said that an IT Framework bill is the omnibus law that is supposed to bind all the other acts

together in a coherent manner.

The keynote speaker Mr. Adedotun Sulaiman, earlier in his speech, noted that government should be in the forefront of facilitating the development of ICTs in Nigeria as well as the critical role of ICT in the economic development of the country.

He enjoined the ICT professionals to play a lead role as well as key into it by assisting the Government in the implementation of the highly commendable strategic items stated in

the plan.

For the Oracle of the Nigerian ICT industry, Chris Uwaje, who moderated the roundtable, IT development framework bill for the country has become urgent so as to address local ICT challenges for digital economy.

He said that Nigeria will continue to be digitally colonised unless legislation is put in place to protect local market from foreign vendors.

The roundtable in the communique also noted that there was need for

From left: Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, Vice President/ Vice Chairman in Council, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, Mr. Kole Jagun; ; President/ Chairman in Council, CPN, Prof. Charles Uwadia; and keynote speaker, Mr. Adedotun Sulaiman, during the CPN CEOs Rountable 2017 held in Lagos recently.

Girls4Tech initiative: Our plans to retool 200,000 girls globally by 2020 on tech skills, artificial intelligence — Omokehinde Adebanjo, Master’s Card VP and Area Business Head, W/A

G

ender imbalance is still widening despite global efforts. To close the imbalance, Omokehinde Adebanjo , the Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, at MasterCard in this interview with Sun Tech news unveiled MasterCard’s plans to train 200,000 girls globally on technology skills and Artificial Intelligence , AI, through its Girls4Tech initiative by 2020 Excerpts:

M

asterCard recently launched a technology skills acquisition initiative for girls in Nigeria. What is the initiative about?

It is an educational programme called Girls4Tech, simply known G4T, which is Mastercard’s signature education programme designed for young girls around the world. By leveraging our employee expertise in payments technology, our goal is to inspire girls to build STEM skills to become leaders of tomorrow. The programme showcases our payments technology and engages our employees as role models and mentors. This hands-on, inquiry-based programme connects the foundations of our business to Science, Technology, and Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) principles and shows students that it takes all kinds of interests and skills to pursue a career in STEM. The curriculum is based on global Science and Mathematics standards and was created in conjunction with our top engineers and technologists. That is exactly what we have launched in Nigeria, as part of our global initiative.

What does MasterCard intend to achieve with the G4T initiative?

Girls4Tech is a global program with a footprint that’s beginning to match that of MasterCard itself. More than 100 G4T events have been organised across five regions. The goal is to train 200,000 girls with the Girls4Tech programme by 2020 by continuing the expansion within communities as well as through partnerships. In addition, the Girls4Tech programme will add an advanced curriculum, focused on cyber security and fraud detection.

What exactly does MasterCard teach the girl child and at what age?

The idea is to catch the girls young and we are working with primary school pupils, as well as secondary and tertiary school students. What we are teaching is about technology and technology awareness. At the launch

of Girls4Tech in Nigeria in River Bank School, Victoria Island, Lagos, the girls were taught coding and how to break codes. They got an answer in the coding test given to them by following cryptography and so they were looking at signs and letters to break the code, which they actually succeeded in doing. It builds them up on how to crack codes and this is where technology is shifting to.

What is the Nigerian target in this global initiative?

We are still working on global target and we have not split the goal into country specific target, and we have a global target to train 200,000 girls in technology skills by the year 2020, even though every country is making efforts to train as much as they can.

We need the support of everyone, including parents to help MasterCard achieve this goal by also taking part

The world is currently moving to a future where the language will be technology programming language irrespective of people’s native language like Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba

in encouraging their girl child to take courses in STEM. Looking at your target of 200,000 by 2020, how much has been covered since the inception of the initiative?

We just started and we have been able to cover 30,000 within the short period of time. The 200,000 target, although looks big in number but could also be seen as small in number, when compared with the global population. So the awareness of STEM education for the girl child, should be seen as the responsibility of all Nigerians and everyone in the world. We are hoping that by this awareness, other companies will join in the struggle to encourage our girls acquire skills in technology education.

Why the emphasis on coding. Is it in line with the current global technology trend?

The global trend is around Artificial Intelligence, using robotics and coding. The world is currently moving to a future where the language will be technology programming language irrespective of people’s native language like Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. It is important therefore for our pupils and students to understand programming language and that is where the world is tilting towards.

Coding is about the next era where robots will be doing some essentials of human beings. The reason we are interested in this training is because the world is going into digital transformation and the skills required are STEMS skills.

constructive policy framework and strategies for the development and growth of local content in Information and Communications Technology, ICT. IT intervention for retooling the National workforce, according to the communique, is a strategic imperative.

Intellectual Property in Science, technology and promotion of indigenous research, the communique added, should be encouraged as fundamental to the development, progress, wealth creation and survivability of the nation.

To attain international best practice in the Nigerian education system, the communique noted that that innovative IT curriculum is deployed at all levels of education with special focus on the training and re-training of lecturers and teachers of IT at all levels.

Meanwhile, after an extensive discussion on the various issues, the forum agreed for the enactment of IT legislation, government to scale up creativity in the industry through the provision of a special intervention fund, review the CPN Act , key into the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Development Plan, ERGP, software developers should come up with solutions that can be deployed to assist women, the Roadmap on how to integrate technology with education should be created, establishment of the Federal Ministry of Information Technology, among others.

So how will schools have access to the training programme?

What we have done so far is the pilot launch of the initiative and we are coming up with a major launch that will further create the awareness we are looking at.

Why the emphasis on girl child training?

Global research has shown that about 70 per What are cent to 80 per t h e cent of the success available stories so future jobs, far with will need the G4T people with initiative?

STEM skills Since and if you take t h e a global look at the •Omokehinde inception of the percentage of girls that implementation of are interested in the initiative, we STEM skills, you will have launched more find out that the than 100 events percentage is low at about 30 per cent and reached more than 30,000 girls in or less globally. So we need to beef up 17 countries, including Argentina, the percentage of girls in STEM skills Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, and that is what the MasterCard Colombia, China, England, Germany, initiative on Girls4Tech is all about.

Italy, India, Ireland, Poland, What we are doing with Girls4Tech is Singapore, Spain, United Arab to reengineer the minds of young girls Emirates (UAE), and the United States on technology skills. They need to so far. We have also launched in focus on engineering, they need to France, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, focus on Mathematics and Science, New Zealand, with over 1700 because we need these skills for the MasterCard employees serving as role future of Artificial Intelligence (AI), models and mentors, resulting in more where we as humans, we will be than 5,000 hours of hands-on STEM coexisting with machines. volunteering to benefit underserved youth.So far, 97 per cent of the girls Are there plans to extend the surveyed said they learned something initiative to public schools? new, 94 per cent said they were The initiative does not exclude interested in pursuing a STEM career public schools because we are willing and more than 86 per cent employees to partner both the private and public said they even learned something new schools on this. about our company.

LG expands innovations in clothing care technology S

customer can now enjoy the benefits of the innovative outh Korean technology giant, LG Electronics has TWINWash regardless of their household size. concluded plans to register its footprint at IFA 2017 Initially available in the market in 2015, the product global trade show for consumer electronics and home boost LG distinction of being the world’s first twin-load appliances holding next week in Berlin, German with washing machine. the unveiling of Total Clothing Care solution.

The TWINWash lineup offers innovative features such The latest TWINWash washing machines will be as TrueSteam and TurboWash to eliminate almost all accompanied by LG’s latest innovations in clothing allergens, wrinkles, odors and soften clothing all while care technology featured in the company’s high offering powerful wash performance. efficient dryers and the LG “LG’s vision for total clothing care, Styler. with washing, drying, and styling With endless innovation, , the solutions to meet laundry needs from expansion of LG’s start to finish, is exemplified by the TWINWash lineup reflects the company’s latest home appliances company ’s dedication to which we’ll be showing at IFA,” providing efficiency and Song Dae-hyun, president of LG’s convenience in every part of Home Appliance & Air Solution the home.

Company, said, adding that, The new lineup consists of “By incorporating our groundmodels of different sizes – breaking TWINWash technology in ranging from large capacity a diverse range of new products, we 27-inch units to more are perfectly positioned to meet the affordable 24-inch options.

LG Total Clothing Care demands of different households With models of different sizes,

with different lifestyles and needs.”

Alongside its washing machines, LG is offering dryer solutions for customers who prioritize energy-efficiency and convenience.

Equipped with LG’s Inverter Heatpump technology, LG’s New Dryer minimizes fabric damage by maintaining a low drying temperature while also providing more options, such as Eco Mode and Turbo Mode.

Highly efficient Eco Mode saves energy and emits very low noise while Turbo Mode ensures a quicker drying time.

The LG Styler delivers the final step in the clothing care process. Designed to refresh and deodorize clothes to perfection, the Styler uses TrueSteam™ technology to gently sanitize clothes while reducing wrinkles and odors with ease.

The Styler also incorporates the same Inverter Heatpump technology found in LG’s dryers to ensure delicate treatment of all clothing.

A core feature of the Styler is its Moving Hanger, which gently shakes clothes to further reduce wrinkles formed during the steam process.

PAGE 42 — SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017,

Viewpoint

By Christian Chime

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF

The relevance of the 2014 Confab report

T

HE hydra-headed problem of corruption plaguing Nigeria today assumed this iniquitous status because of our I-don’t-care-attitude in addressing our collective challenges in this country.

Our cry for restructuring no doubt wouldn’t have come in a better time than this. My only fear is that nothing concrete will come out of the agitation if we fail to work on our collective mindset of seeing ourselves first from the perspective of ethnicity before nationality. We are very good in identifying problems but lack the

By Egufe Yafughorhi

TRIBUTE Celebrating a successful businessman, politician

T

HE just concluded Diamond Jubilee of business mogul and Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) Leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, turned out to be a rewarding experience in diverse ways for different folks.

By the time the curtain fell, Sunday, November 26, on four memorable days of celebrating Emerhor at 60, 1000 persons had benefitted free eye care with drugs and glasses dispensed across four communities, 262 persons received N50,000 business starter capital each with a promise to further reward those who made success of the gesture.

A clinic sponsored by Emerhor in his Evwreni home community, Ughelli North local government area, got funding brace with goodwill donations over a novelty match between male and female well-wishers of Emerhor. Various cultural troops across Delta, who entertained guests on November 25, the day Emerhor actually turned 60, were not left out in the rewards and they returned home with various cash prizes.

Fulfilling moment For the celebrant, whose delectable wife, Rita, also got a year older the day before, the home coming for a 60th birthday celebration wasn’t really about the fun of it. “We sat as a family, me,

By Frank Igwebueze

VIEWPOINT IN BRIEF A wild goose chase

H

E has now embarked on a one-man riot squad - the arrowhead of a campaign of calumny against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to feed a phantom political rivalry and his vain pursuit of dominance in the politics of Ika nation.

Cairo had ridiculously alleged in a television interview that the Delta State government was operating a non-existent budget.

This is inexplicable, laughable and infantile, given the fact that the government has a budget that went through every necessary and rigorous due process before it was passed by the House of Assembly of the State and was duly signed into law by the governor. He laced this puerile allegation with other vacuous claims.

Since Nigerians were able to see through the vacuity of the claims, he changed course. He has embarked on another mission as a human rights campaigner on behalf of Hon. Jenkins Duvie Gwede. Not for any segment of society, but championing the course of someone who has rightly taken the necessary step of

Call for restructuring fueled by marginalisation sincerity and will to tackle them.

The increasing spate of agitation from different regions and ethnic groups in respect of marginalization and and not being carried along in the scheme of things rends credence to notion by many that the pseudo federalism being practiced should be jettisoned for true federal system where the federating units will contribute a token to the central. This is the basis for the call on the government to take a step in restructuring the country, which simply means resetting or re-organizing it for better workable means. Restructuring

the country will strengthen our democracy and federalism and we must reset our minds to avoid misplacement of priorities on the areas to be restructured.

In order not waste our money embarking on another conference, I advice that the 2014 confab report should be looked into by this administration with a view to implementing it. Again if local governments are granted autonomy, some percentage of the revenue derived from communities should be granted to host communities, especially oil bearing communities for them enjoy some democratic dividends.

Government should boost the

economy to enable them absorb our youths, especially fresh graduates into Npower and other social empowerment scheme or employ them through agriculture and technology.

The way the country is treating the goose that lays the golden egg is nauseating and this is making people to lose faith in the government. For instance, in Delta State, Ndokwa nation hosts the largest gas reserve in West Africa but because of their peaceful disposition they have nothing to show for it. We host the following oil companies, Nigeria Agip oil company, Energia oil, Platform Petroleum,

Midwestern Oil and Gas, Pillar oil company, Sterling energy exploration company and so on, yet no federal appointment or development in the area. Must Ndokwa people become hostile to attract the Federal Government’s attention before they can remember them? The call for restructuring is mainly fueled by marginalization and so if the needs of each federating units is met, agitation will be reduced to a minimal level. *Christian is an outgoing NYSC member, Enugu State Christianchukwunweike@yahool.com

Diamond Jubilee: The Emerhor milk of kindness breakthrough to it.

my wife and the children, and asked ourselves, do we have to stay in Lagos, invite all the rich and influential people to come and pump champagnes, eat and drink to another birthday for me?

“The common answer was no.

And the consensus was for us to come home and use my 60th birthday celebration to give back to the community. I am very glad we took that decision going by the results achieved and the enthusiasm from beneficiaries and well wishers”, Emerhor summed up the event.

Multiplier effect Touched by the emotions among beneficiaries, former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochie, who had the honour of chairing the empowerment session where Emerhor splashed over N13.1 million business support on the 262 beneficiaries, offered a personal N1,000,000 for 20 additional beneficiaries, preferably indigent widows to be determined by Emerhor’s wife.

“We cannot describe what the Delta State government is doing as empowerment because that is our common wealth. We must commend the efforts of Emerhor because what he is doing today is from his personal pocket for the benefit of his people”, Ochei said.

Emerhor, the APC governorship candidate in the 2015 general elections in Delta State, said:

Olorogun Emerhor and wife “Government has a responsibility to provide for the citizens to set a minimum standard of living for the people. Unfortunately, since 1999 when the PDP came to power, we have not been able to attain that level of empowerment.

“This is one of the primary reason we are fighting to take over government because we are people oriented and APC must stand to ensure that good governance is enthroned in Delta State.” The celebrant’s wife charged the beneficiaries not waste the seed money on frivolities, but to wisely invest it and pray God to speak

Cairo Ojougboh in APC pursuing his case through the judiciary. But a close introspection would have informed Cairo, that he is dressing himself with strange robes.

Already, APC members in his Ika South Local Government Area are leaving for the PDP in droves.

Cairo’s recourse to the muchvaunted Paris Club refund did not sail for obvious reasons. In case Cairo does not know, he should be reminded that Okowa came into office to meet a salary bill of N7.44bn and a statutory allocation of, sometimes, N3bn until the state’s finances started looking up a bit. Yet, till date, no state civil servant is owed a day’s pay. The case of local government and primary school teachers, is too obvious to the informed to suffer further discourse. It’s purely a constitutional matter. No one, especially given Okowa’s inestimable milk of human sympathy, will tolerate a worker going home without his/her pay.

If tomorrow, there is a constitutional amendment that places local government workers or primary school teachers directly under the payroll of State

governors, Okowa surely will not default.

Okowa’s administration has built or rehabilitated more roads in two years than most administrations did in eight years elsewhere. He

Okowa’s administration has built or rehabilitated more roads in two years than most administrations did in eight years elsewhere probably has not visited his State capital, Asaba, in a long while.

Otherwise, he could have rolled out the drums to praise the Okowa administration. On arrival at Asaba, Cairo should please visit the Cable Point area. A largely forgotten area where the downtrodden live,

Strength for Delta APC The event also attested to the new found cohesion in the Delta APC. Vice Chairman, Delta Central, Chief Adelabu Bodjor, said, “We made it clear at the very beginning that the Delta APC, under firm leadership of Olorogun Emerhor was never divided, but merely passed through the formative challenge of bringing the various leading stakeholders from diverse background, ideas and past partisan leanings together to form one formable opposition to takeover Delta.

“Through the resolution of perceived differences, amplified by the defining appeal court judgement, no one who doubted us before can now express any confusion as to the direction the leadership of the Delta APC is tilted today. The Prophet Jones Erue EXCO is charge of Delta APC and there is no question about the fact of Emerhor being Leader of the party.

“But for his tenaciously humility, outstanding tolerance for absorbing even the most unprovoked antagonism and a sacrificial heart for sustained selfless support for the party, recent high profile defectors from various political parties would not have found the Delta APC as the preferred destination to play politics with high hope of a better tomorrow for Delta.”

Encomiums on Emerhor came in torrents, but there was just about enough breathe to capture some of now has a dual carriage way to the banks of the River Niger. He should also visit the twelve streets, which the administration constructed and commissioned in one fell swoop.

Two prominent and highly respected traditional rulers have, albeit unintentionally, confirmed that the Okowa administration has etched itself in the minds of Deltans, irrespective of what a million Cairo Ojougbohs will say.

Retired Major General Felix Mujakperuo, His Royal Majesty, the Orodge of Okpe, commended Okowa for being the first governor who commenced work on a road and have it commissioned for use within a year. It was at the commissioning of two roads in his domain. In another attestation to performance, His Royal Majesty, Ogurime-Rime Ukori I, the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom, had to organize a special reception for Governor Okowa to thank him for the impactful presence of his administration in Agbon Kingdom.

Right in Cairo’s place, the Okowa’s administration for the first time in history, has linked Ozanogogo community, a limestone belt, to Agbor Obi, Cairo’s home town and by implication, to the outside world. Okowa’s

the most emotional.

“This is one of a kind for us and I promise to make judicious use of my package in my business”, Onakpofure Martins after he received his N50,000 business cash support from an Emerhor he hardly knew before the empowerment session.

“This is a privileged opportunity for me because I have been battling with my sight for years before I attended this outreach programme”, Ofejiri Oketaire exclaimed at the relief felt after the Emerhor eye care charity treated his eyes and glasses delivered.

“Our administration will continue to welcome constructive criticisms from accomplished, highly respected statesmen and committed patriots like you”, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa stated in his birthday message to Emerhor.

“We celebrate you because of your integrity, emotional intelligence.

We go to him because he delivers results for us when we are in a fix”, said Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Transcorp Group, represented by Valentine Ozigbo of Transcorp Hotels.

“It is time President Buhari recognizes there is a leader called Emerhor in Delta and reward him accordingly. Delta is fortunate to have Emerhor with such depth of knowledge, connections and selfless service to humanity. Deltans will be more fortunate when they support Emerhror’s passion to bring genuine governance to the state”, Alh. Yaya Saad, from Kaduna, said. administration, has rehabilitated and put to use, four technical colleges in the three senatorial districts of the State. Cairo should find time to drive through Nsukwa junction from Asaba to Warri and calculate the man hours gained through the on-going rehabilitation of the Nsukwa Ejeme - Ndemili road that traverses three local government areas.

Begging the caucus of APC and members in Delta State during their unity meeting in Evwreni to help him stave off attacks from Okowa’s people will not do. They were not moved when he told them that attack on one person is an attack on all. It is doubtful if the APC leaders in the state will trust him enough to join the bandwagon of his wild goose chase. This admonition of the junior minister of petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, an APC chieftain, to his party leaders that they should place less emphasis on “occupying State House, Asaba” and dwell more on mapping out strategies to improve the lot of the ordinary person on the street, is very instructive! * Igwebueze, a journalist, lives in Asaba.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 43

By Chris Onuoha When Elvira Salleras, President and founder of the ‘Literacy Integration and Formal Education (LIFE)’ organisation started a humanitarian journey of reaching out to the vulnerable in the society eleven years ago, little did she realise how huge the impact would be on the targets. Today, many orphans and the less privileged in Nigeria are heaving sighs of relief through these interventions. Among these, is the Makoko community in Yaba, Lagos that has benefited prominently from the literacy intervention of the foundation.

Majorly, Salleras whose love for art and humanity inspired the project is using art exhibitions to facilitate these programmes, and one of such among others, is the recent art exhibition that featured 6 prominent Nigeria visual artists, Fidelis Odogwu, George Edozie, Alex Nwokolo, Gerry Nnubia, Francis Uduh and Abraham Uyovbisere held at Omenka Art Gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos with the theme, ‘Dear Nigeria, Dear Friends’.

The sole aim of this art fair which runs from November 27 to December 7, organised by the LIFE foundation and Alliance Francaise in collaboration with Omenka Gallery is to raise fund to facilitate the foundation’s literacy projects in Makoko, the economically disadvantaged community on the lagoon, beside Yaba, Lagos.

Going by the works of these 6 highly respected and well-trav-

Life Foundation: giving life to the vulnerable through art

*Some stunning masterpieces by the artists on display at Omenka Gallery. PHOTOS: By Chris Onuoha

elled Nigerian visual artists, Sallera scored a point by attracting eminent citizens and art collectors to an exhibition of masterpuman in various media – sculpture, painting and mixed media. Individually, the most recent works of these artists are strong and offer a glimpse as well, a deeper understanding of

ntel to commence national roaming test with 9Mobile

N

igeria’s most advanced 4G/ LTE broadband operator has announced a national roaming field trial with 9Mobile.

The operators have received regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to commence a national roaming trialover a two-month period.

According to ntel, the agreement will enable ntel’s customersto make calls on 9Mobile’s network using any 2G or 3G handset within the specified trial zone.

Commenting on the commencement of the national roaming trial,

Ernest Akinlola, ntel’s CEO said: “This agreement is a significant step in the right direction for us as a company and the telecommunications eco system. A full national roaming agreement with 9Mobile would provide our growing customer base with a seamless service over 4G/LTE superfast data and voice clarity as well as ubiquitous 3G and 2G coverage nationwide. Both operators are pioneers in innovation and we are pleased to be charting a new path for the industry.”

The national roaming test commenced on both networks from December 1, 2017.

Delta lawmaker tasks constituents on peace, presents scorecard

By Festus Ahon

M

EMBER representing Uk wuani Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Alphonsus Ojo, has stressed the need for sustained peace and development in Ukwuani local government area.

Addressing the people during his constituency briefing at Umutu, Ojo enjoined his constituents to remain committed to the advancement of good governance in the state through their support for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s PDP-led administration in the state.

The lawmaker noted that such commitment and support would guarantee progress in the council area, saying that the PDP government had kept faith with its promises to Deltans.

Highlighting his scorecard as the representative of the people, Ojo said he had sponsored some bills, cosponsored many and moved and supported several motions geared towards peace, unity and progress in Ukwuani local government area in particular and the state in general.

He told the mammoth crowd of

constituents from the 10 wards in the council area which include political class, artisans, civil servants, community and religious leaders, labour unions, associations, representatives of security agencies and non governmental organizations, that several people’s orientated projects have been attracted to the local government area as a result of his commitment to enhancing quality of lives of his constituents.

the artist’s techniques and working methods.

Some of the works include meta l r e l i e f w o r k s – Social Club, the Source, a n d Water Fiesta among others by Fidelis Odogwu; oil on canvas rendition, ‘Underwater and Urban Housing, by George Edozien; Tree of life, Balogun

Dayo Johnson, Akure

T

HE judiciary has been blamed for frustrating the Buhari government war against corruption.

Deputy General Overseer of the Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT), Pastor Emmanuel Toluwayemi said this in Akure his Apostolic visit to Region 3 of the church in the state.

Toluwayemi, who lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for confronting the “malaise of corruption headlong,” noted that “but much still has to be done and the judiciary must help the regime in this fight”.

He added: “Cases brought before the court by the EFCC are dragging too long. The courts should do more work to deal with cases faster and decisively.

“If we have all these cases in court and convictions are not made the whole exercise may just be a waste of time.

“This is where the Church should come in with teachings that will change the orientation of the people and encourage them to be more God-fearing and people-loving”.

He warned against bias or being selective in the fight against the menace by the Buhari government.

On violence, the clergyman said: “The rising level of violence in the country today remains a source of

Irri Kingdom monarch gets staff of office

By Mondale Ogbodo

G

overnor Ifeanyi Okowa has presented the staff of of fice to the Odiologbo of Irri Kingdom in Isoko South Council Area of Delta State, HRM Joshua Festus Edawafe Aghagba.

Okowa, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro, noted that due process had been followed in the presentation of the staff of office.

The ceremony, which took place at the royal palace at Irri, saw the crème de la crème of the Isoko nation, including traditional rulers

from the area, business moguls and members of the large PDP family, in attendance.

Okowa stressed that the traditional institution, having been established by law, is worthy of the people’s respect and loyalty since the transitional ruler as the repository of the people’s culture, norms and tradition always seek the good of the people at all times.

HRM Aghagba expressed gratitude to the state government for affirming his worthiness for a staff of office as a traditional ruler in Delta State.

Market IV & V by Felix Nwokolo; mixed media on c a n v a s , ’ A f r o Jazz and Achiever’s Forum b y Gerry Nnubia; fiber glass casts

by Francis Uduh and oil on canvas paintings by Abraham Uyovbisere. All the well-chosen masterpieces in a broad range of styles and media, according

to the artists are their earnest contribution in support for the economically disadvantaged Makoko community.

Elvira Salleras in an interactive session revealed that for the past two years in the running, LIFE foundation has embarked on various life support and literary projects in Makoko community that include rebuilding of schools, facilitating 2 medical missions, organising seasonal parties, equipping a school library and distributing books, teaching aids and 1000 pairs of sandals to school children. According to her, “This is a way of giving back to society and reaching out, especially to the indigents among us who ordinarily could not afford quality education.

Director, Alliance Francaise, Lagos, Charles Courdent also said, “Alliance Francaise together with French Institute in Nigeria are very proud and happy to support such project because “ we believe creative arts – music, dance, fashion and visual arts – are ubiquitous in the Nigerian cultural universe. We identify with LIFE foundation’s effort for bringing hope to children and giving shining colours to a dark world.”

Cleric accuses the judiciary of frustrating anti-graft war great concern.

“Kidnapping has become a big time business in the country, and deadly attacks by herdsmen on innocent citizens remains unabated, while the Niger Delta Avengers are still threatening.

“ We really need to intensify our prayers for God’s intervention in our country. The experience under different governments, military and civilian, different political parties, have shown that human efforts alone is not enough”.

US Varsity appoints Adeyemi College Provost prof of research

T

Dayo Johnson, Akure

HE Provost, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Professor Olukoya Ogen, has been appointed as Senior Mentoring Scholar and full Professor of Research by the Southern University, International Center for Information Technology and Development (ICITD), Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.

Ogen is expected to take leadership position in research activities at the university and be involved in the mentoring of Ph.D students and junior lecturers.

“Looking at your research, administrative and overall leadership in higher education as well as ICT implementation in higher education, you fit perfectly into Southern University’s goal to remain a leading research and teaching institution in the United States and beyond”, the Southern University which was founded in 1880 said in a letter. “Professor Ogen will be joining the Research Centre because “his pool of experience will be most valuable to us and to the University community.”

Why we are rehabilitating abandoned children— Obieri

F

ormer President, Nigeria Stock Exchange, Sir Raymond Obieri, has stated that he is committing his resources to better the lives of destitute children living on the streets so that they will not grow up to be dangerous elements and a threat to the society.

Dr. Obieri, stated this during the 10th year anniversary of the Living Fountain Orphanage,Lagos, which was founded by his wife, Lady Betty, saying that he decided to celebrate with the children and show gratitude to all its partners for their unflinching support.

He said: “In Living Fountain Orphanage, over the past decade,

we have been rehabilitating abandoned and vulnerable children in our society. The outcome of the lives of these children impact us all in many ways. Let us be aware, if left alone, the large population of vulnerable children living in our city and streets will most likely grow up to be dangerous elements. We therefore took the challenge, and in partnership with you, have been able to provide succour and hope for a better tomorrow for our children.” ‘’At this landmark of our 10th year anniversary, it serves as an opportunity to reflect, thankfully, on our achievements and spend a little time with our esteemed partners,” he said.

PAGE 44, SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Cocoon Homes advocates healthy lifestyle through Cycling

C

•Lee Jung-Soo of South Korea (R) scores against Vincent Enyeama at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Will the experienced goalkeeper return to the Eagles?

Russia 2018 WC: Don’t pick players on sentiments, INRI Primate warns Rohr P

RIMATE of the INRI Evangelical and Spiritual Church, Oke Affa, Isolo, Lagos, Babatunde Elijah Ayodele has predicted a memorable World Cup outting for Nigeria once

the best players head to the global rendezvous.

He spoke as the Rafiu, Ladipo led Nigeria Football Supporters Club came for a Special Thanksgiving Service.

It is the view of Primate

Ayodele that Nigeria Nigeria can stun the world if sentiment is put aside, culminating in picking the very best in terms of skills and fitness for the mundial.

“First of all I thank the

Ikpeba, Eguaveon drum support for Enyeama’s return I N the light of the 2018 World Cup draw Friday in Moscow, Russia, former Super Eagles striker, Victor Ikpeba and former coach Austin

Eguaveon have called for the recall of goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to the national team.

Ikpeba argued that

Blacks Stars coach roots for Nigeria, Senegal

B

LACKS Stars of Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said Nigeria and Senegal will carry the hope of the Africa continent at the 2018 World Cup in Russian.

African countries have struggled to go beyond the quarter final stage of the World Cup with Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana, all falling out at that stage.

Though skeptical about an African country winning the World Cup, Appiah was optimistic Senegal and Nigeria will travel beyond quarter finals.

“Most of the African countries at the World Cup have got very young squads. And I believe they can surprise many at the tournament,” he said, adding that, “They only need the right mentality for the tournament and they can cause a surprise.”

Nigeria will start their campaign in Group D with Argentina, Croatia and Iceland while Senegal start their journey in Group H with Poland, Columbia and Japan.

Enyeama’s experience will be valuable for the team following the seeming hard group the Eagles found themselves.

“Experience is the key, this is the World Cup and he could be like mentor to other goalkeepers, he has paid his dues,” he said.

“At the 1998 World Cup, we suffered when we brought back a goalkeeper who was finished.”

Eguaveon a former defender added.

“Vincent is experienced and he will bring more competition to the team because the other goalkeepers now feel very relaxed,” he said.

“He is a top-class goalkeeper, who should get his chance in friendlies leading to the World Cup. “There will not be many games to play before the World Cup and so fresh call-ups will take a while to settle in.”

Nigeria Football Supporters Club for coming to INRI Evangelical and Spiritual Church to express gratitude to God after Nigeria picked the World Cup ticket. It would not end like this as Super Eagles are capable of surprising the world, particularly when the most talented and best players are selected,” remarked the servant of God, who admonished that only biased team selection could stop God’s plan of making Nigeria shine at the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup. Speaking on behalf of the supporters club, Ladipo, who is PresidentGeneral, disclosed that they had to do the Thanksgiving Service at INRI Evangelical and Spiritual Church because Primate Ayodele predicted Nigeria qualification long before the qualifiers actually began.

“Yes the servant of God told us Nigeria will qualify at INRI and we felt we must appreciate him and God. We must not compromise on such decent spiritual leader.

We(the supporters club) would soon officially unveil Primate Ayodele as one of our patrons in football and the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C).

OCOON Homes, a property development concern have called on Nigerians to embrace the sport of Cycling as it helps protect against several life-threatening diseases such as lung cancer, arthritis, depression, obesity amongst others.

One of the activities that help in living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for people of all ages is regular cycling.

Cycling entails the use of virtually all the parts of the body and the mind. It also can serve as a bonding exercise for friends, families, colleagues, and communities at a relatively pocket-friendly cost.

It has been discovered that aside from reducing life-threatening diseases, cycling actually increases longevity. According to the International Journal of Sports Medicine, many Tour de France pro cyclists lived up to 81.5 years compared to the general population’s 73.5 years: a 17-percent increase.

With the right investment in infrastructure and environment friendly policies, cycling in

Nigeria could be huge and successful as seen in developed economies. To achieve this feat, there is need to build the capacity of the younger generation to encourage them to imbibe a strong cycling culture. There is the need to create a platform for athletes to develop and grow into professional cyclists. As a socially responsible company, Cocoon Homes has centred its corporate social responsibility on driving healthy lifestyle through cycling. The innovative real estate company and developers of Cocoon Atlantic Estate, partnered with Sustainable Cycling Foundation (SCF), organizers of the Lagos City Criterium, to promote cycling as a way of life in Nigeria. The extended objective is to build a thriving cycling community of sportsmen and women who will represent the country in international competitions.

According to Mr. Farouk Imam, Managing Director, Cocoon Homes Ltd, the Lagos City Criterium is a way of developing cycling as a sport amongst people of all ages and backgrounds.

•Farouk Imam, Managing Director, Cocoon Homes Ltd, leads other cyclists during an outing.

Gold label runners target Access Bank/Lagos marathon cash

A

S preparations for the 2018 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon continues, IAAF listed gold medal runners have indicated their interests to vie for the $50,000 top prize of the event.

The runners include Matebo Levy with personal best of 2.05.16, Kenyan duo Julius Kiplimo Maisei with a personal best of 2.0813 and Patrick Kipyegon with 2.08.07. The women are Alice Timbli, 2.25.03 and Georgina Jepkirui Rono 2.21.39.

Already many gold and silver label marathoners have signed for the 2018 marathon. These athletes are

expected to be part of the 2018 Marathon expo, being planned by the organisers.

Apart from the expo, Yusuf Alli, General Manager Access Bank Lagos City Marathon revealed so many things are being done differently to ensure that the 2018 marathon will be at par with the world best.

“There will be several training for all categories of staff including the media, medical, and technical officials. Our aim remains an IAAF Gold Label before our fifth edition and focused on getting and all hands are on deck to ensure that we achieve the set goal and target,” said Alli.

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017, PAGE 45

Moses returns, lifts Chelsea over Newcastle — Benitez laments V

ICTOR Moses provided an assist and won a penalty as Chelsea thrashed Newcastle 3-1 yesterday in their England Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.

The Super Eagles ace missed nine matches with a hamstring injury after limping out of Chelsea’s shock defeat to Crystal Palace on October 14, but returned as a substitute in Wednesday’s 1-0 home win over Swansea City.

Eden Hazard continued his scintillating form with two goals and a dominating performance converting a Moses won penalty with an impetuous Panenka after cancelling out Dwight Gayle’s early opener for the visitors with a first-time strike on 21 minutes.

Alvaro Morata also netted his ninth goal in 14 Premier League appearances but it

•Victor Moses

Barca coach slams ref over Suarez’s disallowed goal

E

RNESTO Valverde was fuming with the referee after Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo yesterday.

Barcelona were 2-1 up at the Nou Camp when Luis Suarez had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside.

The decision came just days after Lionel Messi had a certain goal ruled out by the officials in the clash with Valencia.

Maxi Gonzalez then equalised for Celta Vigo with 20 minutes left.

And the away side held on for a point.

“You always want the controversy to benefit you and make mistakes to go in your favour,” Valverde said.

“But we hope that in the

next refereeing decision they don’t make a mistake “I’ll keep quiet. This isn’t exactly something that has not happened to me before.”

Meanwhile Samuel Umtiti is the latest Barca player to fall victim to a niggling problem, after he pulled up with a hamstring strain. And he is expected to be out for up to two months.

It is a massive blow for Barcelona, who will now likely bring Javier Mascherano into the defence just a day after he confirmed he wants to leave the club.

Mascherano has lost his place to Umtiti this season and, even though he is

contracted to the club until 2019, wants out next summer.

Umtiti’s absence is a big boost for Real, who face Barca in a crunch Clasico tie on 23 December.

Barca are 11 points ahead of Real in the title race but a win for Los Blancos would give them hope heading into Spain’s winter break.

IYAD Mahrez has hit out at Leicester for denying him the chance to sign for Arsenal in the summer of 2016.

The attacker had just helped the Foxes to win

•Mahrez

the Premier League and was subject to intense interest from Arsene Wenger ’s side.

He claims that he was told he could make a move to the Emirates by Leicester, only for those same voices to be thwarting a deal in talks that were hidden from the player.

“They said: ‘Yes, there will be no problems if something comes up’,” he told the Daily Mail.

“But behind the scenes they were blocking me – talking to clubs but just not wanting to sell me.

N’Golo Kante was the only star performer of that Premier League-

some Chelsea fans despite leading the club to the Europa League trophy during a short managerial spell at Stamford Bridge in the 2012-13 season.

“After that, we made some mistakes, and as I said against Manchester United, we paid for that.

“You can stop them if you do things a little bit better, although it’s still very difficult, because they have players who can beat people in one-against-one situations.

“We did well, it was a pity that we couldn’t keep the score (at 1-0) for a while.”

Salah going to Real, says Cuper

R

EAL Madrid are interested in signing Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, says Egypt national team boss Hector Cuper.

Since moving to Anfield in a club record transfer over the summer, the 25-year-old forward has been in inspired form.

Salah already has 17 goals to his name, while helping his country to reach the 2018 World Cup, with his efforts drawing comparisons to former Reds star Luis Suarez.

His performances have thrust him under a global spotlight, and La Liga champions Real are among those now reported to be closely monitoring his situation on Merseyside.

“I’ve received confirmed news revealing Real Madrid’s interest in Salah, but let’s not rush things,” former Valencia and Inter boss Cuper told ON Sport TV. “To me, he is in an amazing position right now.”

Cuper is not the first to suggest that Salah could be destined to make a move to the Spanish capital.

In November, ex-Tottenham and Egypt striker Mido took to Twitter to hail the winger’s form and bill

•Salah him as a potential Real star of the future.

He said: “Salah has got the mentality to keep playing at the top level for many years.

“I believe that Salah will not stay for long at Liverpool. Soon he will be gone to Real Madrid.”

Pogba prays City stars suffer injury M ANCHESTER United midfielder, Paul Pogba has controversially declared that he wants Premier League title rivals Manchester City to

Mahrez raps Leicester for blocking Arsenal move

R

was Hazard who was voted man of the match.

Meanwhile Newcastle manager, Rafa Benitez was frustrated to lose the lead so soon after going ahead.

“We knew it could be like this, but it’s a pity, because we started really well,” said Benitez, who was booed by

winning side to depart – and Mahrez knows why.

“N’Golo had a clause and when he left they stopped those clauses,” the 26-year-old said.

“They said they would never give one to anyone after that.

“But I’m confident.

Contract or no contract, I believe I will get to the top. When you have quality, and show it, there’s no problem.”

Mahrez has enjoyed a strong start to the latest campaign, scoring three goals, including the winner against Tottenham in midweek, and laying on a further five.

suffer an injury crisis.

City will aim to continue their winning streak and extend their eight points lead as they host West Ham today at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking on BBC’s Football Focus, the 24year-old said: “Some day I hope they are going to slip and I hope, and I know that it’s bad to say things like that, but I

hope for us that some very important players get injured. “Just like what is happening with us because every time we are having important players that get injured and missing important games.

“If that happens to them as well then maybe it will make a difference. It might be a little touch that makes them

weaker.” The comments are unlikely to go down well in the blue half of Manchester and seem particularly mean-spirited considering his own injury issues.

“When I was injured I was watching the game all the time and trying to understand what I could do to help the team more, it makes you grow,” he said.

From Left: Oliver Pfeiffer, Partnership Marketing Manager, Manchester City Football Club; Jeremy Way, Senior Partnership Marketing Manager, Manchester City Football Club; Alex Goma, Managing Director, PZ Cussons Nigeria Limited; Joyce Coker, Human Resources Director, PZ Cussons and Jimi Taiwo, Regional Marketing Director, PZ Cussons; during the partnership meeting between PZ Cussons Nigeria and Manchester City FC, in Lagos yesterday.

Photo: Joe Akintola,Photo Editor

PAGE 46, SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Russia 2018 WC Eagles’ll be surprise team of group D, says Rohr S

UPER Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has acknowledged that his team face a difficult task in Group D of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, following the Draw on Friday, but he has assured that the Eagles will surprise their opponents.

Nigeria will face perennial opponents Argentina, Croatia and Iceland in Group D, which soccer enthusiasts rated as the hardest group of the preliminary stages.

“This is a difficult group, but I think we can spring a surprise.”

“This is the youngest team in Nigeria’s history in the World Cup. We have the youngest team

of the 32 teams here. So we have to learn.”

Rohr said their toughest match will be against Croatia on June 16 in Kaliningrad, because it will be Nigeria’s opener.

“The first game is always the most difficult,” he added.

He submitted that the Eagles must have to get a good result from the top teams in the group to be assured of advancing.

“We believe that we can beat any of the top teams.

We beat Argentina, but it was a friendly game.”

He also attributed Nigeria’s failure to fully fulfil the promise others saw in them to a lack of

Iceland coach refuses to underrate Eagles

I

CELAND coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is refusing to underrate the Super Eagles.

The Icelanders will open their World Cup account against Argentina, while the Super Eagles entertain Croatia. Hallgrimsson admits that the match against Nigeria was a major hurdle.

“Obviously, we know less about Nigeria, but we know their past history, so it’s another tough opponent.

“We know a lot about Croatia. They have been the kind of hurdle that we have needed to step to achieve something.

“When you think about the World Cup,

you think about Argentina and Brazil, so it’s a little bit of a romantic feeling to play Argentina in the first game,” Hallgrimsson said of Iceland’s debut match in Moscow on June 16, 2018.

“Hopefully, we show our best side, both the players and the fans in the opening game.”

The smallest country by population ever to q u a l i f y f o r a Wo r l d Cup, Iceland will then face African qualifiers Nigeria in Volgograd on June 22, 2018 before concluding their group campaign against a familiar foe in Croatia in Rostov-On-Don four days later.

discipline that he intended to fix.

“I believe that African players have the talent, they have the physical and technical possibilities, but what they are missing is organisation, what they are missing is discipline,” said Rohr, who has also coached Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso.

•Bring It On... Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi and Argentina’s Javier Mascherano contest for ball possesion during a friendly match in Russia. Nigeria and Argentina will meet again in group D of the World Cup.

Argentina v Nigeria, another El-Clasico—Mascherano

A

RGENTINA defender, Javier Mascherano has dubbed meetings between Argentina and Nigeria another El-Clasico.

Nigeria and Argentina are meeting for the fifth time in six editions of the World Cup tournament.

The Barcelona star played against Nigeria in the 2010 and 2014 tournaments. He stated that the group D parings will not be an easy one. ‘’All the rivals are difficult especially the

first game, but you have to play it. ‘’Nigeria have become a clasico for us in the World Cup, they have

DEN Hazard has joked that Belgium will have “no problem” seeing off England at the World Cup next year.

The Chelsea attacker’s national side have been paired with the Three Lions at Russia 2018 and will meet in Group G along with Tunisia and Panama.

The Belgian, though, has joked that the challenge of Gareth Southgate’s men is not something that worries his squad.

While being interviewed on Sky Sports yesterday, Cesc

Fabregas was asked to assess Spain’s prospects and he said: “It’s not bad.

Fabregas added, nodding to Hazard, who was standing to his right: “It’s a decent group, and hopefully we can go through and get some other big games like these guys against England.”

At this point, the 26year-old interrupted: “No, for Belgium it’s easy. No problem!

“I’m joking, I’m joking! It’s a tough game. All the teams in the World Cup deserve

to get an easy group,’’ Mascherano was quoted as saying by Olé Argentina.

Suker predicts difficult games

F

ORMER Croatia star player and now Croatia Football Federation president, Davor Suker said the games of the Group D World Cup matches will not come easy for all the teams.

Croatia and Nigeria will open their account on June 16, 2018. ‘’I think this is perhaps the toughest group in the World Cup, all the teams are very respectable, and what else to say about Messi, who can decide on any match,’’ Suker told the official website of Croatian Federation.

The former Arsenal striker added : ‘’Nigeria at the opening of the

group is unknown to us now, but we know that they were undefeated in the qualifying group, which means they are very good. ‘’With Iceland we have some experience and I’m glad we did, given the breakdown of our last meeting in Reykjavik’’.

Davor Suker represented Croatia at the 1998 World Cup and won the Adidas Golden Shoe with six goals.

Onigbinde sees Eagles progressing to final

F •Suker... Croatia football legend

Hazard jokes about seeing off England E

been improving like all the teams.’’ ‘’It’s a harder group than you think. It was clear we were not going

to be there and they are top teams, so we’ll see what happens.”

Meanwhile Chelsea coach Antonio Conte has challenged Hazard to continue improving after his two-goal cameo inspired Chelsea to victory over Newcastle.

“Eden played a good game. We saw a good link between him and Alvaro (Morata).

“In this type of game, when we decided to have a tactical solution, he had more freedom to play as striker and then offensively he was very dangerous.

ORMER Super Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde has backed the national team to reach the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The veteran coach who led the Eagles to the 2002 edition in Korea/Japan however, argued that all the necessary preparations must be made and organisation

•Hazard... Wants England fall

perfect.

“I said this a few months ago and some people thought it was a joke,” Onigbinde told Channels TV “It’s possible, let’s prepare for the World Cup and Nigeria can win the World Cup.” He claimed that the Eagles could have made it to the final in 2002, but for the squabbles in the team.

“There was nothing stopping us from winning the World Cup (in 2002), but for internal problems in my team.

“If we had drawn with Argentina and beaten Sweden, we would have qualified for the next round and we could have gone all the way to win the World Cup.” “The attitude of some of the players made me to overhaul the team after we lost to both Argentina and Sweden and we drew with England in our final group game,” he recalled.

SUNDAY VANGUARD, DECEMBER 3 , 2017, PAGE 47

SUNDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 3, 2017

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Advert Dept: 01- 7924470; Hotline: 01-4544821; Abuja Advert Hotline: 09-2921024.

E-mail website: sundayvanguard@yahoo.com, editor@vanguardngr.com, news@vanguardngr.com, sunvanguardmail@yahoo.com. Advert:advert@vanguardngr.com. Internet: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: JIDE AJANI. 08111813023 All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.